The stories you read change you. The shows you watch, what you listen to, the things you see on the internet; it all makes an impact on the person you are and the person you will become. We see the ongoing effects of this every day, in each individual we meet.
–from the blurb about MTM
But what if stories were literally magic? What if you found a television show that was both ancient and supernatural? What if you were the star of that magic TV show and you had no idea why? This is the situation Mark, a former film student now stuck as a deli cashier; and Hannah, a dissatisfied teenager obsessed with fantasy novels and unimpressed with real-life; find themselves in. These two disaffected yet sympathetic characters are ripped away from their avenues of escape—fiction, pop culture, and legalized weed—and thrust into a world where giant media conglomerates commit supernatural corporate espionage and the few remaining members of an ancient magic race know as much about human pop culture as Quentin Tarantino.
A massive thank you to Matthew Berkman for providing me with a digital copy for review! You can check out his awesome website here to learn more!
Recently, I’ve been reading a lot of realistic fiction. I love the genre, but I usually read a lot more fantasy and science fiction. So, it’s definitely been a nice change!
The most recent book I read is MTM by Matthew Berkman. Honestly, I didn’t know what to expect going into this one. Most of the time, I have some expectation of how I’m going to feel about a book.
Thankfully, I ended up enjoying it! So, keep reading to find out what I liked about this book.
Review
To start with, I want to say that Berkman’s writing itself is amazing. He really has a skill when it comes to the technical craft of writing. That’s honestly a large part of why I enjoyed this book as much as I did. I think that with another author, it could have felt long-winded and drawn out. But Berkman’s writing is compelling enough that you don’t mind the extra length.
Onto the basics of the book, though!
This book’s strong point is the plot. There’s a lot that happens, and, for the most part, it’s all very fast-paced and exciting. I love the way Berkman built this world and described all the magical, supernatural elements. He wove them into the real world as we know incredibly well; it felt seamless, and I found myself wholly immersed in the magic of it all. Really, it just made for a highly enjoyable read.
Though, like I said, the pacing was a little slow, at least in some parts. But, again, Berkman’s writing makes that worthwhile and it doesn’t feel dragged out.
As for the characters, at first, I thought they could use more development. But Berkman continued to build them up over the course of the book, so it ended up not being an issue. I absolutely loved Hannah, in particular. I could relate to a lot of things about her, and I probably enjoyed her chapters a tiny bit more than Mark’s.
But, to be honest, the entire cast of characters was pretty great. There were plenty of interesting side characters, as well as the main ones. All in all, the characters were just as enjoyable as the plot, and I really liked them.
TL,DR Recommendation
All things considered, I definitely recommend checking this one out! It’s a fun, exciting read that’s bound to keep you interested with all its magic and thrill. Though, of course, I recommend reading this even more if you’re a movie buff; in that case, you’re sure to enjoy this book that much more.
If you do choose to read this one, leave a comment below or on my Bookstagram review to let me know your thoughts. Plus, if you enjoyed this review for Magic, Television & Marijuana, feel free to use the Book Reviews tab above to access my full library of reviews!
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