Katherine Garnet is a writer who has never cared much about much, making it awfully difficult to create new content.Despite the fact she has the “edge” of being trans (according to her cis male editor) she is not looking to capitalize on her own personal story. Garnet tries to sneak a peek at her rival, August Prather’s, latest fantasy manuscript about a quest for the elixir of life. While … reading, Garnet gets accidently dragged into a bizarre cross-country road trip that may or may not have a purpose and begins to see parallels in the story of the manuscript and the reality of their journey.Along the way, they encounter a parade of equally troubled individuals, including ghost-hunting priests,a robot magician, a discarded piece of furniture, a runaway teenager, and a Japanese rock star. As Garnet confronts her past, she begins to understand why someone might want to live forever.
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I’m not sure exactly what to make of AUGST PRATHER IS NOT DEAD YET. There’s a quote by one of the protagonists that says a good book is one that leaves the reader to figure out what it’s about, and I kind of feel like the author was letting us know that it’s up to us to decide what her novel is about. To say I was confused for much of the book would be an understatement, but at no point did I want to put it down. I needed to know what the heck was going on. And because the characters are so fascinating, I was hooked on their fates from the beginning. But if I had to tell you what this book is about, I’m not sure I can easily sum it up the way I normally do for a book review. It’s about letting go and finding yourself, it’s about exploring all the sides of yourself, it’s about friendship and camaraderie, doing the right thing for no reason other than it’s the right thing to do, and the quest for immortality, but it’s also none of those things and a thousand things more. And yet the story is riveting as author Kate Garnet sets off on a cross-country trip with fellow author August Prather along with two “priests”, a table, and a dead body in a Prius. And that’s not even the strangest part.
Plot
The plot unfolds haphazardly with as many detours as the group takes on their road trip. Kate gets herself accidentally kidnapped when she sneaks into August’s car to read her latest unpublished manuscript. We alternate between the two stories as Kate reading the book is interspersed with their adventures. August’s manuscript is the story of a two individuals on a quest to find the elixir of immortality, but there are so many parallels between the book Kate’s reading and what’s unfolding in her real life, she soon discovers what she thought might be a lighthearted road trip with a group of free spirits might be something much more deeply personal.
Characters
The characters are, simply put, brilliant. August is a quirky bohemian who befriends anyone and everyone she meets. Kate is complex as a trans woman who is still on a journey of self discover. Mitya and Lyosha, the Russian ghost hunters, posing as priests, are both irreverent and the cutest couple ever. Everyone they meet along their way is somehow larger than life, but in a completely believable way. it’s not that they’re necessarily caricatures, but we view them through Kate’s lens, and she notices the more obscure oddities more than most people would, so that’s how the reader gets to experience them. Even the characters in August’s book have depth. These are the types of people who not only temporarily occupy my mind as I read about them, but take up space in my brain for a long time after I finish the book.
What I Loved About AUGUST PRATHER IS NOT DEAD YET
1. August. If she mentioned a road trip, I’d be strapped into the shotgun seat before the “p” popped on her lips.
2. Quirky Characters. Everyone who populates this story is unique and a delight to read.
3. Witty Banter. The dialogue is among the best I’ve ever read, whether they’re dropping off a dead body at the hospital or discussing a murder that August witnessed, everything uttered is pure gold.
4. Road Trips. Setting off on a cross country trip with no itinerary not only makes for a fantastic story, but it’s a metaphor for what life should be.
5. True Love. Mitya and Lyosha are so freaking adorable. One of my all-time favorite fictional couples.
Bottom Line
An unusual tale with compelling characters that is impossible to put down.
Weehoo!! This week’s read was a weird and wonderfully wild ride. It was everything and nothing like I expected, all at once. August Prather is Not Dead Yet, by Danielle K. Roux, is a positively divine and entertaining read. It takes you on a journey with unexpected twists and a whole heck-of-a-lot of heart. But the even cooler part? It’s kind of like you’re getting two stories for the price of one. And neither of them failed to delight.
This is one of those reads where I’m not quite sure how to describe it without risking spoilers. I went in blind and would highly encourage every reader to do the same. Having no expectations beyond the knowledge that Roux has a gorgeous voice thanks to her #writeLGBTQ posts, I found my jaw quite literally dropping more than once. The unexpected uniqueness kept me riveted, and Roux has a knack for dialogue and witty banter that’ll have you falling for each and every character she brings to life on the page.
I can’t say enough how much fun this read was. It truly does take you on two very different journeys—a story within a story—yet their parallels are fantastic and the effortless way Roux marries the two will make you quiver with readerly thrill. I absolutely cannot wait to read more by this author!
Overall, I would recommend this to any lovers of fantasy and unique world building/storytelling. Roux knocks both outta the park.
Short version: Buy this book.
Long version: When I saw the blurb, I knew I was in for something special. That’s why I signed up to review this gem in the first place. My expectations were high, and Roux exceeded them by leaps and bounds.
When you read August Prather Is Not Dead Yet, you’re actually getting two stories. It’s a little more complicated than that, but I wasn’t expecting the duality there and it threw me for a loop at first. The thing is, both stories are equally fascinating. I found myself getting annoyed every time we dropped out of one story to attend to the other – and it didn’t matter which story we were switching to. I loved them both, and it’s a good thing I did. I’d elaborate, but it would be a spoiler and it would be a sin to spoil one minute of this amazing book.
The characters themselves are complex, with identities that absolutely cannot be put into a single box. Some of them are occasionally abrasive, and I loved them all.
The only moment when I had trouble suspending disbelief was the Prius. They had four adults, sometimes more, and a bizarre number of oversized objects in that thing. The physics didn’t work. It was a minor hiccup.
This book relies on the bizarre, and it won’t be to everyone’s taste. There are some difficult moments, which may be triggering for some readers. I didn’t get the sense that they were in there for titillation or “inspiration porn,” but it was a part of the plot and should be acknowledged.
This book is one of those books that sticks with you long after you’ve put it down, and that you feel better for having put into your life. I received a free ARC for my own reading pleasure, but I loved it so much I’m going to buy a copy and give it to another reader. It’s one of those books I’ll come back to on bad days, curl myself around, and let it cleanse my mind and spirit.