The Summer of Dead Toys by Antonio Hill

It's been a long time since I thought of Iris or the summer she died.

This line begins a paragraph placed before the first chapter, and even though it is not identified as being anything I assume it's a prologue that serves as a preamble. It ends with a girl being found drowned in a pool surrounded by dead dolls. Eerie image to be sure.

Chapter 1:

He turned off the alarm clock at the first buzz. Eight a.m.

So a pronoun in a bed setting starts this one off. There is nothing more to say. This is a cliched way to begin that offers nothing but stating the obvious: people wake up in the morning. Then Mr. Pronoun goes to the washroom, and of course showers, a deed that is interrupted with tidbits of back story ending with:

He dried himself vigorously...

On the first page all we learn is that Mr. Pronoun had been travelling and is in Barcelona. The only conflict presented is whether Mr. Pronoun should shave or not. Yawn.

First thing said:

"Hector..."

At least now we have a name. I like the title; it's the best thing about it, in regards to grabbing attention from the store bookshelf.

Verdict: Fail

Sincerely,
Theodore Moracht