Geek Syndicate Issue 5 | Page 64
Geek Syndicate
BOOK REVIEW
Mockingbird, By Chuck Wendig
Image © Angry Robot Books, 2012
er birds, and some attribute to them a darker side. Spoiler Alert! In Mockingbird by Chuck Wendig, we rejoin Miriam, who we met in Wendig’s previous novel, Blackbirds (see review on the Geek Syndicate site). Miriam has tried to conform to society’s dictates. She and Louis live together in a trailer park in a seaside community, when he is not on the road delivering goods in his eighteen wheeler. Miriam has tried to dismiss her ability to forsee the method, date and time of another person’s death by and covering her skin and wearing gloves to prevent the accidental first touches with people. She even has a job, scanning purchases in a small supermarket. She tries to fit in, but her gift (or curse depending on your view) coupled with her acerbic personality means she is a time bomb waiting to go off. In the first volume, Miriam learnt that people didn’t have to die as shown in her vision when she saved Louis, but it cost her much blood and pain. When we join her in Mockingbird, she repeats the process, saving her manager from a madman. Getting shot in the process makes her question her current life style. Further, she is haunted by her past, with visions of what had been and who she has touched interacting with her present situations. Fed up with her lot in life, she decides to leave Louis and re-
turn to the wandering lifestyle she had before she saved his life. Before she can get away, she runs into him again and at his request, goes to visit a woman named Katey who believes she is dying. Everyone thinks she is a hypochondriac and Louis wants Miriam to read the woman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