cbr17bingo – review (from TikTok)
I think this might be the most unique book I’ve ever read. It’s a short novel told exclusively through postcards (that seem to be actually hand-written). The two characters are Rita, who writes the postcards and sends them out attached to balloons, and Clayton, who finds them and writes on the backs as a sort of journal. We learn from these postcards that there was an apocalypse of some sort, and Rita’s postcards bring Clayton hope. He sets off to find her, using the clues he can glean from her postcards while also knowing that there are probably so many postcards that he never even sees because the wind could be carrying these balloons anywhere.
This wasn’t just a creative storytelling technique, but also an effective one. We get the apocalyptic story in pieces, and only partially, which keeps readers hooked. There’s also rising tension as we learn more about the characters but only in small increments. We see the information Clayton reveals in his “journal” while also implying that he plans to keep some of this information from Rita if he finds her. And we worry about Rita and how she is going to survive some of the things that are happening where she is—or that might be headed her way. Considering the format, there is a surprising amount of world-building and character development.
There is a sequel told as journal entries, so know that if you read The Balloon Hunter and get to the ending that is quite an ending, there is more. I’m not sure I’ll read the sequel myself, though; I suspect it might edge a little too far into horror for me.