Strange Angels by Kathe Koja (1994)
5 out of 5 stars
Grant is a photographer who has lost his passion for his art after working commercial jobs to pay the bills. His girlfriend is an art therapist and Grant starts to notice some drawings in her pile of work that intrigue him so much he insists on meeting the person who drew them. Eventually he meets Robin and they form a friendship, one that becomes obsessive and both nurturing and destructive.
This story is about mental illness and mental health and I thought the topic was handled very realistically. It doesn't sugarcoat or romanticise it, not does it demonise it. It's just very honest. There are some horror elements and weirdness here but for the mostpart this is a character study about these individuals, their relationship and how it changes over time.
Two big elements here are obsession and transformation, which are themes present in Koja's other novels that I've read (The Cipher, Bad Brains and Skin) and I love seeing how she always has a unique way of presenting them within a story. I would say this is the least 'horror' of the four.
I knew partway through reading this book that is was going to make me cry and it did...but not in the way I thought it would. I don't want to give any spoilers but this was a heartbreaking story, both quiet and intense, and beautifully written.
Grant is a photographer who has lost his passion for his art after working commercial jobs to pay the bills. His girlfriend is an art therapist and Grant starts to notice some drawings in her pile of work that intrigue him so much he insists on meeting the person who drew them. Eventually he meets Robin and they form a friendship, one that becomes obsessive and both nurturing and destructive.
This story is about mental illness and mental health and I thought the topic was handled very realistically. It doesn't sugarcoat or romanticise it, not does it demonise it. It's just very honest. There are some horror elements and weirdness here but for the mostpart this is a character study about these individuals, their relationship and how it changes over time.
Two big elements here are obsession and transformation, which are themes present in Koja's other novels that I've read (The Cipher, Bad Brains and Skin) and I love seeing how she always has a unique way of presenting them within a story. I would say this is the least 'horror' of the four.
I knew partway through reading this book that is was going to make me cry and it did...but not in the way I thought it would. I don't want to give any spoilers but this was a heartbreaking story, both quiet and intense, and beautifully written.
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