Blackbirds: Miriam Black, Book 1

I don’t know what took me so long to find this series since I have read some Chuck Wendig, but I just bought the next 2 books in the series! Spring break, here I come! The plot—a traumatized young woman who can see your death and is on the run from her own horror at this “gift” quickly turns into a run-for-your-life race against time as she tries to change Fate by saving a man who has been kind to her even though she’s seen his death. And it’s her fault. Chased by a trio of ghoulish goons with their own terrifying agenda (not to mention the ghosts of the recent past and the soon-to-be dead), Miriam is on a seemingly hopeless quest to change the outcome she knows is coming. Compelling tale with a truly dark and creepy vibe.

Miriam Black can see the future. With a simple touch she'll witness, like some sick Hollywood production, when and how the touched will die--right down to their last gurgling breath.When a chance encounter with a late-night trucker reveals an unexpected twist, her life's downward spiral loses control until she's forced to confront her past, present and future--whether she wants to or not.And thus begins Chuck Wendig's story that will drag you kicking and screaming to its twisted and violent end.Books come and books go and some of them I'll soon forget and others, like BLACKBIRDS, I'll remember long after tucking it away in the attic.What makes a book memorable you ask? For some it may be a complicated process: literary depth (blue curtains meaning more than just blue curtains), the number of syllables in a word, an author's extensive use of every word in the dictionary, how many times the word "suddenly" is used, and the list goes on.Fortunately, I'm simple. I don't care if you have an extensive vocabulary, or spend your days writing literary prose with words that no human being will ever speak. I want to be entertained. Entertain me with clever characters and clever scenes. Like Stephen King once said: I can read a clunker as long as the engine runs.Wendig's BLACKBIRDS is not only clever, but filled with witty writing, great characters and an outstanding female lead in Miriam. Many scenes stood out, but my personal favorite is when Miriam is first introduced to Frankie and Harriet:Miriam crumples it up, goes to throw it, and finds herself face-to-face with a gawky, bony Italian-looking dude in a trim black suit."Jesus Chris," Miriam says.The Italian nods, though he is clearly nobody's Lord and Savior ... Miriam sees a small woman approaching, a short chubby thing with black eyes like hot coals and a set of bangs that look like they were cut with a hedge trimmer and a ruler."Evening," the woman says."Scully," Miriam says to the woman. To the man, she nods: "Mulder."Simple. Funny, easily recognizable and the scene before sets it up perfectly. I loved it and laughed out loud. I mean, who doesn't enjoy a witty reference to unrelated characters they know and love?So let's talk about the elephant in the room for a minute. You did see the elephant, right? How can a guy, who's a guy's guy none-the-less, write a female lead and pull it off?Probably a lot easier said than done. While some readers may not see past a man writing a female lead, Wendig does it with a style and class that's certain to please those who give it a chance. Miriam is a strong, witty (tired of the word "witty" yet? Tough. It's my blog: witty witty witty witty witty) and self-aware woman. And while most women can't see the future, I'm certain they'll be able to relate to her being misjudged as a weak individual and the strengths she's been forced to gain as a result. Miriam is NOT a pushover. She will fight when confronted, be sexual when it suits her, smoke cigarettes and drink beer when she damn well feels like it. She's not one to be messed with and Wendig does a great job bringing her to (believable) life.BLACKBIRDS is a riveting and fantastic read that will keep you glued to the pages and longing for more. This is a MUST-HAVE on your summer reading list.

Blackbirds reads like a novel written by a comic book writer who is REALLY giving the new medium his all. I'm about halfway through, so I'll edit this when I'm done, but at the moment, I'm of two minds about Blackbirds.Pros: - page turner, reads fast with short chapters and a fast-paced plot, which suits the action-oriented story - bleak but funny. I like this chick (the main character -- most of the time) - definitely original in many ways, even with its not-so-original premiseCons: - I find myself wishing that Miriam would take a break kind of frequently. She's a self-reverential smarta**, a manic-pixie-nightmare-girl, and is constantly either brooding about fate or cursing so elaborately that she often goes way past the point when the reader gets it already. Her character pushes 'smart and edgy' to an extreme that can feel ridiculous. That's where the comic book feel comes from. Her personality is not at all realistic, but it IS fun. - The writer puts writerly turns of phrase in all his characters' mouths and it sticks out like a Dagmar top. Even the most doltish brute, who only gets a couple pages of mention, comes out of nowhere with some lovely, romantic wording. As he is being questioned by someone who has just broken his fingers, he describes the color of Miriam's hair as blonde, "like beach sands". - I don't know the grammatical term for this, but the author really overused that thing where (for example) ...you write a sentence that goes on too long, a sentence that seems to have multiple predicates, a sentence that..., that,..., that... You get it. Right? Sentences with multiple addendums to deepen the description and belabor the point. It becomes a pattern in Blackbirds and kind of made me want to skip lines.

Miriam Black has a unique and chilling skill. The first time she touches someone, skin to skin, she has a premonition of their death - the day, time and the exact circumstances, living out the entire event in a split second as though she were there, like Death's voyeuristic little sister.This ability has had a severe affect on her outlook and her self-image. Already damaged, due to her overly religious mother who insulted her daily, calling her a "sinner, slattern, slut, whatever", she has become fatalistic, and even believes she may actually be evil. She hitchhikes around America, drifting from place to place with no purpose beyond finding the next drink and hooking up with men who treat her no better than she feels she deserves.One day she meets a trucker who manages to break through her cynicism, a good man she might actually like. But then she touches him and he doesn't have long left before he will die, violently, and with Miriam's name on his lips.She's a great character - wise-cracking and able to take care of herself, with an outer strength that belies her broken soul. The narrative is visceral, gritty and fast paced, with occasional interludes that include an interview with Miriam, some horrifying dreams and other characters' back stories.I loved this pitch-black tale of death and fate. When I bought it, I thought it was a stand alone novel, so I'm delighted to discover it's the first of six. I can't wait to spend some more time in Miriam Black's company.

This is my first Wendig gig and it won't be my last. This novel is not for the weak of heart, gut, spleen or scrotum. Miriam grabs you... you are compelled to read on, if only to see what more poetic filth will come dancing from her bleeding lips. I loved it! Great plot... a wonderfully twisty dance between several threads that keeps the reader wanting to fast forward to see how each thread plays out, but then the next scene grabs you once again by the short and curlies and you are forced to wade further into the gore. Miriam is so deeply f****ed it seems there is no redemption, but she's so likeable, so caught in the mess that seems to have been poured onto her from fate's chamber pot of delights, that you can't help but want to invite her in and give her a bath and bowl of warm soup. And maybe a bar of soap for her mouth.Yes, to Blackbirds. Please sir, can I have some more?

And that is deliciously morbid, with complex, broken characters, hilarious descriptions and a plot that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Saying that a book is so great, that you can't put it down seems so cliché, but since I got the book yesterday and am already through... well. Holding the book in my hands, I thought: "Might as well start to read.", not knowing I could kiss my sleep goodbye.Blackbirds is not the type of story I normally read, but I read Chuck Wendig's blog religiously and love his writing advice, so I thought I would just give it a try.Miriam knows when and how you will die, all it takes is a touch. Just imagine seeing everyone you ever touch die? Friends, family, kids, everyone. I am quite surprised that she is as sane as she is. Also, Miriam has a foul mouth, can throw a punch and is pretty badass overall, a strong heroine, yet you can still see glimpses of vulnerablity underneath all those inventive swear words.Anyway, read the reviews of the book, the authors nailed it pretty perfect. Blackbirds is not a pretty story, it is dark, gritty and violent, but a fun read at the same time. One of those books that keeps you thinking.

Un bel libro; è ovvio che Wendig sa quello che sta facendo, e la sua Miriam non è tosta perché è violenta e priva di scrupoli, ma è tosta come una donna vera. Mi è piaciuto molto, solo che dopo tutte quelle recensioni entusiastiche mi sarei aspettata uno stile un po' più particolare - anche se non è assolutamente monotono o scontato. Ha un ottimo ritmo.

I'm a fan of Chuck's blog, but it took me a while to come around to this as I don't usually do fantasy or paranormal or...whatever this genre is called. However, the grittiness of the characters certainly grabs you by the throat and the the story evolves with a masterly mix of inevitability and surprise. It's black. It's cynical. It's anti-social. But it does offer a glimmer of hope. Now on to the next in the Miriam Black series....