Let’s get one important fact out of the way first: the protagonist’s name in the novel Missing Reels is Ceinwen, and it’s pronounced KINE-wen. The author makes this very clear during the dialogue on page twelve. Get it? Got it? Good. On to the book!
A sixth-floor walk-up apartment with an aloof downstairs neighbor. A vintage clothing store owned by a woman who relentlessly bullies her staff. A British mathematician and a New York shop girl. An obsession with revival movie theaters and silent films. All of these elements converge to create a witty, engaging story with a treasure hunt (okay, the treasure is ten reels of combustible movie film) and a budding romance.
The strengths of this book are the unforgettably off-beat characters and the conversations, rich with arguments, storytelling, and verbal tics. It’s fitting to have a book about movies that reads as if the dialogue could be moved fairly seamlessly into a screenplay.
Missing Reels is a debut novel by Farran Smith Nehme, also known as the Self-Styled Siren, who is (surprise!) a New York film blogger. Check out her blog!
More Books By Bloggers:
Let’s Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson
Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brosh
More Novels Featuring Silent Films:
The Age of Dreaming by Nina Revoyr
The Grin of the Dark by Ramsey Campbell
I’ve had this book on my list for a long time, I’ll have to check it out!
Amia
I hope you like it as much as I do! Looking forward to talking about it with you.