Review of Culver City

[Kirsi Cultrera]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Culver City" by Brant Vickers.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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Brant Vickers' Culver City is an enchanting coming-of-age story that takes place in a historical setup. The book takes the reader to 1969, where we meet Kyle (15) and Cassady (14). The two boys live their early teenage years in Culver City, California. Exploring the streets and alleys of their city with the devotion of teenagers, they once find a way to enter one of the abandoned MGM Backlots. The place is a bit creepy and full of old, abandoned movie sets, but it is like a dream come true for the boys.

But then something eerie happens, and ghostly creatures appear. A closer look reveals that they are actually actors from old movies: the boys meet Ashley Wilkes and Scarlett O'Hara from Gone With the Wind. The only problem is that, as far as they know, these actors have already been dead for a long time. Oddly enough, these creatures, whatever they are, seem to be more friendly than frightening. They tell the boys about a magical blue mist called the Sift. They invite the boys to enter the Sift with them, and after some serious consideration, the boys agree. 

The Sift works like magic, making the old movie sets come alive. Every night, a new adventure awaits Kyle and Cassady in the Sift. Strangely, despite their nightly adventures with their new otherworldly friends, they do not seem to get tired at all. The boys cannot believe their luck. What could be better? But then Cassady becomes suspicious. Can it really be that harmless to mess with the dead? What exactly is the Sift? Is there an evil hidden behind the scenes?

I found several things about this book to like. It is a fascinating mixture of the craziness of the 1960s, otherworldly issues, and innocent youth. I fell in love with the characters of the two boys. This story has a supernatural twist, but the boys also do many things teenagers usually do. Kyle and Cassady, along with their other friends, go to the movies, drive their bicycles, read books, fall in love, and experiment with drugs and other intoxicants. Their teenage adventures, in all their stupidity, are absolutely charming.

This story took place during a time when the Internet did not exist, and people still searched for information from books. I loved the fact that the library played a significant role in this story. Cassady went to the library regularly. He was feverishly searching for information on one specific topic. That did not go unnoticed by the librarian, Miss Rigby. I just loved their discussions because they reminded me of the good times in my childhood; I was that child who used to spend endless hours in the local library and became friends with the library staff.

In this book, the line between what we call normal and what we call supernatural becomes blurred. The book included some events that felt extremely unsettling. In the end, I did not really know what was real. I could not help but wonder if some things were just a drug-induced hallucination the boys were suffering. A good story should be able to affect or even shake and shock its readers, which is what this book did to me. Culver City is an excellent book. It is cleverly written, and the characters are charming. The overall atmosphere is wonderful, nostalgic, and magical. I do not have any dislikes to share about it. For all these reasons, I give this well-edited book 5 out of 5 stars.

This book is for young adults, but I believe it appeals to readers with a much wider age range. Younger readers will love the atmosphere of the supernatural and enjoy the spine-chilling adventure it offers. Still, the nostalgic, authentic atmosphere of the 1960s will also appeal to readers who have lived their youth during those times.

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Culver City
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[NetMassimo]

I have mixed feeling towards this novel, as I don't have a particular interest about the 1960s an I'm not keen on reading a novel targeted mostly at young adults, but the adventure set in an eerie atmosphere intrigues me. Regardless, thank you for your great review!

[Kirsi Cultrera]

Thank you for stopping by, @NetMassimo ! For me this book was a perfect match, but then again, I love descriptions of past times.