Review: A Master of Djinn

A Master of Djinn by P. Djèlí Clark
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Don't ask me about this book. Not because I hated it or simply don't want to talk about it. The reason you shouldn't ask me is that I probably won't be able to answer any of your questions. Especially as more time drags on. The bottom line is that I enjoyed this book as I read it, but would fail a multiple-choice test on what it was about.

I will say that this is a fairly well-written book. Things like pacing and characters are all well-rounded. It can be quirky without all the characters sounding the same. Simple things like sentence structure and dialogue are all on point. Everything in the text screams that this was written by someone who knows what they're doing. Just be careful about that big but that is coming your way.

I couldn't help but think that I was reading escapism. Everything in the book was technically correct (the best kind of correct), but there was a lack of flare or substance that makes good books, well, good. It's kind of like eating popcorn. No matter how much butter, salt, or various flavorings you pour on top of it, it still has that basic taste of popcorn. There's nothing inherently wrong with popcorn, but there's also nothing special about it either.

I hate to file this under "just another book". Pretty much anyone who reads it will probably enjoy it. I liked it as I read it, and looking back on it doesn't change my opinion of it. It just won't stay with me, dissolving into the ether without much fanfare. There are books out there that have thrilled, moved, and even haunted me. This book did nothing of the sort. If you are to ask about it, do it now before I even forget I wrote this review.

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