Customer Reviews

Dismantled: A Novel

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

From reading the publishers reviews of this title, I expected Dismantled to be riveting. Although it is well-plotted for the most part and moves towards a "frightening" conclusion, McMahon asks a lot from her readers and expects a high degree of naiveté. Between the oddly-prescient nine-year-old Emma De Forge, Emma's invisible sidekick, Danner, and the four college students who style themselves "the Compassionate Dismantlers", complete with manifesto, there are lots of misdirections in the story. On the face of it, the Compassionate Dismantlers are college rebels who indulge in petty pranks and criminal behavior on behalf of their beliefs, gathering at a remote Vermont cabin, where tragedy strikes one harrowing night, leaving the group with a dark secret.

In the near-decade since the group disbanded, Emma's parents, Henry and Tess, find their marriage floundering, the past weighing like a stone on the present. Suddenly it all becomes real again in the form of a postcard, Henry and Tess convinced their rural property is haunted by the dead. Emma begins snooping into her father's hidden papers at the instigation of her goofy school friend, Mel, the girls convinced the key to bringing the couple together lies in awakening the past. Emma's other friend is invisible; Danner tells secrets to Emma, their conversations increasingly troubling as evidenced in Emma's erratic behavior. Danner comes to life in the form of a rag doll Emma makes from scraps. The farm is literally crawling with malevolent characters, real and imagined, including a private detective who has been hired to dig into the suspicious activities of the Compassionate Dismantlers years ago at the cabin in Vermont.

What was most difficult for me to imagine is a group of art students embracing the concept of Compassionate Dismantlers- clumsy at best, ridiculous at worst. The leader of the group, Suz, is basically a sociopath who dresses in silk tunics, leotards and combat boots and has a grating penchant for calling everyone "babycakes". I really wanted this book to be more exciting and less middle-school scaring each other with horror stories. And I wish Emma wasn't so weird, regardless of her OCD. This book is perfect for a YA audience. But for grown-ups with a taste for Dan Simmons, Dismantled doesn't make the grade. Luan Gaines/2010.

I wanted to love Dismantled, I really did. I absolutely loved and adored Promise Not to Tell by the same author. So much that to this day I still think about the Potato Girl. It was just an all around amazing novel. So my expectations for Dismantled were already through the roof when I picked it up. I guess that's what ultimately led me to be more than a little disappointed in it.

I guess my biggest gripe with the book were the characters. I just didn't like any single person in Dismantled, to the point where I could really not care less what happened to them. Suz, the leader of the Compassionate Dismantlers was anything but. Seriously, she was a total sociopath. I kept thinking about the psychology class I took last semester and thinking "She exhibits every single one of the characteristics of not only sociopathy but of narcissistic personality disorder". And then we have the rest of the characters: Henry, a bumbling idiot if I ever knew one and Tess was just plain annoying. Winnie, another one plagued with issues. All of these characters were just so unappealing.

The thing that bugged me the most was that Henry and Tess were clearly terrible parents. If my daughter was nine years old and still had an imaginary friend, the first thing I would do would be to have her evaluated. None of this "she's just an imaginative child, we should be proud" crap. You get a professional's opinion first. And if said daughter is in a pool, the last thing you want to do is get blitzed because then her imaginary friend is really going to be the least of your worries with the daughter being drowned and all. Now, the daughter, I found her to be all over the place. I just didn't find her "voice" at all credible. Sometimes she exhibited wisdom beyond her years and then other times (more often than not) she did something that a nine-year-old would just know better than to do. I found that she was written a bit clunky.

Also, Dismantled wasn't all that creepy. Now Promise Not to Tell scared the hell out of me. Dismantled...not so much. I just didn't buy Henry's "the doll is really Suz" theory. It was way too out there. And I read this one at night and it didn't even get one raised arm hair. The whole "Danner" thing was a bit off-putting, but again that was because I kept thinking "Man, these parents. Poor child..." Not scary in that whole "I'm going to leave my light on for the rest of the night" kind of way.

Still, I gave this book two stars instead of the dreaded one. Why? Because, man, was it a page-turner! Sure, the characters made me roll my eyes, but I still wanted to find out what happened. Not to them, but I wanted the whole plot, particularly the one with the "old" Compassionate Dismantlers to unravel. So, I have to say overall, the book was disappointing. Maybe if I hadn't already read Promise Not to Tell, I would've enjoyed it more. But since I did, all I could think was that Jennifer McMahon has definitely done better...

I really think I've had my fill of tales about reclusive college types getting into 'intelligent' (really?) scrapes and killing one of their members.
I read The Secret History and hated it because all the characters were so up themselves and unlikeable. This was even worse. Unlike The Secret History, it did move on sharpishly and was readable, and didn't pretend it was a literary classic, but I still hated all of the characters. Why are these people so nasty and obnoxious? This crew seemed hell bent on destroying everything in their path - why should I sympathise with any of them? Why did Henry love Suz so much - she was a foul-mouthed, weird control freak and obviously not into men. Not my idea of attractive.
I just didn't feel comfortable or 'at home' with any part of this novel, although the premise was a decent one. I felt there was far too much attention paid to the female characters and their sexuality (I found the fact that THREE of them were lesbians/bisexual a bit hard to believe) and Henry just seemed overwhelmed by all of them (including his daughter) all the time. There was far too much emphasis on dreams and visions about dying and drowning - does Henry really still have these terrifying visions after ten years?
I tried to feel sorry for the lonely daughter but in truth, she was just a bit too weird as well! I wanted to tell her to get a grip - she was nine after all. Why did Tess and Henry not find the whole Danner thing REALLY WEIRD?!!
I sometimes like off-the-wall novels but this one just didn't ring true. And the double-twist at the end was just thrown in abruptly and was... you guessed it. Weird. And stupid.

I absolutely loved this book. I read Island of Lost Girls and Promise Not to Tell and I really liked them but this one is by far my favorite. It's creepy and fun with a great twist at the end that I totally didn't see coming. I knew there would be one at the end but it was not at all what I expected. I can't recommend this one enough. I can't wait to read McMahon's latest coming out in May.

Imagine you did something really bad, really terrible. You try to forget it and as years pass, you almost do. Just when you think you have left it behind, it creeps up on you, haunts you, until you accept that the past is never really gone...that whatever bad you did will always come back to you, no matter how much you try to escape.

What drew me to the book was its comparison to The Secret History by Donna Tartt. Dismantled turned out be the one of the best psychological thrillers I have read.

It sent chills down my spine - I am not kidding! This book will creep you out but you won't be able to leave it alone.The ending is left open to interpretation.
I am a big fan of psychological suspense that spook me out. I read Dismantled all night and didn't dare go to sleep.

Throughout the novel, there is a feeling of evil lurking beneath the surface. There's a feeling of something malevolent at work which is not in your face but you can feel it in every page. Even the supernatural element is open to interpretation - its upto the reader to interpret it as they want to.

McMahon's writing reminded me a lot of Barbara Vine. Just like Vine, Jennifer McMahon can make the most mundane things seem creepy, just with her words.
The author keeps the up the tension throughout the book. It almost makes you feel breathless, as the novel proceeds at a break-neck speed. You anticipate what will happen next and at the same time feel scared of what you will find out.
The ending is shocking and totally unexpected.The suspense element will keep you engaged throughout the book.


Overall:
Eerie, engrossing and McMahon's best !

Recommended?
Oh Yes! Prepare to be spooked!

This is the third book I have read by this author, and I have enjoyed them all very much. This latest work tells of four college friends who form a `society" to "dismantle" things with which they do not agree, including an annoying college professor. The book takes place in the present day, but there are flashbacks to a time 10 years previously when Suz, one of the group, supposedly died and was put into a lake to hide her body.

The present then concentrates on two of the remaining members, who are married to each other and have a 9 year old named Emma. Now Emma is a very odd child, with a fixation on the number 9 and also the painting of a moose named Francis. She puts the plot in gear by sending postcards to all of the society members (she doesn't realize that Suz is supposed to be dead), in the hope that if they all get together again, possibly her parents estrangement will end. Best laid plans, however...

Excitement builds as a series of strange happenings occur, and Emma's invisible friend appears to be the source of most of them. One of the other society members shows up at the old lake house which was used by the society, and where Suz was put into the lake. It also appears that Suz may not be dead after all, and might be seeking revenge against her former cohorts. Many things happen, and it wouldn't be fair to future readers to discuss them, for that would spoil the plot of an excellent book that I highly recommend, especially to those folks who have read this author's previous works.

In "Dismantled" Jennifer McMahon riffs on the old four friends from college have a secret past, and creates a ghost-suspense tale that doesn't lose its focus or its pace, and I found it incredibly entertaining.

Ms. McMahon plays with time and tense here, as well as multiple points of view, and throws in a double twist at the end. Why? Well, because she can I guess.

There's misperception, misdirection, misunderstanding, wise children, dumb adults, imaginary friends, and 90-pound doll filled with sand. Throw in a suicide, a private detective, a woman of mystery who wants to be a patron to an artist, a colorful Vermont town, a deserted cabin on a lake, and--oh yeah--a Moose named Francis, and you have all he ingredients for a thrilling ride. And you get one.

If you find sociopaths fascinating, if you think the journey's more important than the destination, if you realize that some families are just plain dysfunctional, and/or if you're looking for a well written, suspenseful thriller, here you are. If you like Lovecraft, Caitlin R. Kiernan, Joyce Carol Oates, Elizabeth Hand, and/or (and this is just a bit of a stretch) Roxana Robinson, here you are.

Enjoy.

Ten years ago, Tess, Henry, Suz and Winnie, a.k.a. the Compassionate Dismantlers, were newly minted college graduates living in an abandoned cabin in Vermont. Following the manifesto of the group they formed in college, "To understand the nature of a thing, it must be taken apart", the foursome set fires at construction sites, poured sugar in gas tanks of SUVs, and manufactured claims of physical abuse, among others. Their ring leader's Suz's ideas for stunts became more and more dangerous, with one eventually resulting in her death. The remaining Dismantlers chose to bury the accident and the body at the bottom of the lake and went own their own ways, telling anybody who asked that Suz was headed to California.

Fast forward to present day, Tess and Henry are married and living in Vermont with their nine-year-old daughter Emma, just minutes away from the cabin of their dismantling days. They rarely speak of Suz's death, but their guilt comes rushing to the surface when a postcard mailed from Vermont and bearing the words Dismantlement = Freedom triggers the suicide of Spencer Styles, Winnie's college boyfriend. The Styles family hires an investigator to look into Spencer's death, but his inquisitive manner turns out to be the least of Tess' and Henry's problems.

Tess always accepted that her daughter's invisible friend, Danner, was a product of Emma's wild imagination. However, in the wake of Dismantlement postcards and Winnie running around town dressed like Suz, Danner begins to take on more sinister characteristics as well. Suddenly, Emma is repeating Danner's riddles - riddles Suz made up ten years ago - and asking Danner how she died. And whereas Danner seemed to be a friendly "presence" before, Emma is increasingly fearful of the things Danner does and the way she sometimes appears.

As Tess and Henry scramble to ward off the investigator's penetrating questions and keep their past buried, their past may already be there knocking on their door...

To say that "Dismantled" by Jennifer McMahon kept me on my toes would be an understatement. McMahon weaved together a story that sucked me in, made me comfortable and then threw in a chilling punch when I least expected it. While I found all characters to be well written, it was Emma's character that had the words "spooky" and "tripped out" constantly at the tip of my tongue. Was this nine-year old seeing ghosts, was she possessed, autistic, schizophrenic or maybe something else entirely? I switched from one conclusion to another, never finding one that quite fit. And that was true of the novel as well - any conclusion formed about the outcome was quickly disregarded as more haunting events were set in motion.

Caution: do not read "Dismantled" alone at night.

I devoured this book in one day and could not put it down. I have never read this author before, but if this is any indication of her work, then I am completely hooked.

The book is about a group of four art students who form a group called the Compassionate Dismantlers. Their fearless leader, Suze, encourages them to commit petty crimes and vandalize with their motto being, "To understand the nature of a thing, it must be taken apart."

The book flash forwards to ten years later and Henry & Tess, two people that were in the group, are now married and have a child together. They have been living with a secret for ten years of a prank that has gone horribly wrong and both seem haunted by the crime. It is pulling them away from their marriage and neither can seem to get over what has happened.

Their daughter is anti-social and has created an imaginary friend who is helping her to bring her parents together. She finds an old journal and pictures and sends a postcard to all of the former members of her parent's group with their motto on it.

The postcard triggers a suicide and a chain of twists and turns that are as horrifying and thrilling as any good horror movie.

The book kept me up at night until the shocking conclusion that will lead you on a crazy roller coaster.

I can't wait to read more from this author!

Where to begin??? I can't believe that a handful of professional critics offered any praise at all for this drivel... I guess that fact alone says all that needs to be said about the state (and honesty) of book reviews in today's press... But I digress. "One of the brightest new stars of literary suspense" -- LA Times. Puh-Lease...

For starters, there are more than a few plot and factual inconsistencies and errors. Take the wooden moose 'sculpture' for example. It is made entirely of wood and stands 6' tall at the shoulder. Yet, somehow, 4 college kids fit it into the back of a regular van and drive it around. WHAT??? In what world does that make any sense? And then (spoiler alert if you are a masochist and read this book), to top it all off, those meddling kids put this same 6' tall wooden moose in a canoe with two people and row it out onto a lake! Really?!?! Are you kidding me?!?! SCOOBY-DOO, where are you??? I have to admit that I did almost enjoy the belly laugh that I got from that scene -- two people in a canoe with a 6' moose paddling around... that is funny stuff right there. I would hazard to guess the author has never been in a real canoe... nor could pick one out of a line-up. They are actually narrow, unstable crafts... and the ones carved from actual trees sink very easily.

And then there is the sophmoric writing style... the often maligned "It was a dark and stormy night..." now has a rival in "He pushes the button on his key chain to unlock the truck... The truck beeps its mechanical hello." Again, REALLY?!?!? 'Mechanical Hello'? LOL.

Finally, the author commits the most cursed, lazy, and cheap trick in the (ahem) book... SHE INTRODUCES A NEW CHARACTER IN THE LAST 5 PAGES OF THE BOOK! Hello...!!! This is known as 'Cardinal Sin NUMERO UNO' among mystery writers and fans alike. My 6-year-old could write a mystery/suspense/literary thriller if given this kind of license. Utter crap. Luckily I bought this book at a real store that will buy it back. I feel soiled for having touched it.