
Welcome to the book tour for The Case of Elena and All that Went Wrong by Aprille Clarke!
The Case of Elena and All That Went Wrong
Publication Date: May 19th, 2022
Genre: Magical Realism/ Paranormal
Publisher: Moonfire Publishing

The Case of Elena and All that Went Wrong focuses on a cast of recurring main characters and their peripheral acquaintances. The characters come from a range of ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds, sexual orientations, and ages, but what they have in common is that they all must navigate the world while facing bizarre challenges. At its core, this book is about human relationships within a framework of magical realism that provides humor and opportunities for insight. How does a working-class lesbian reconcile the weird appeal of a shrinking man who wants her to swallow him? Should a middle-class white guy believe that the scrappy, probably-a-grifter man who has been dehydrated and crammed behind the tray table on an airplane really just needs some money to get home to his son? What does a black man do when his young, white, female piano student starts bleeding on his keys? In the vein of the classic Simpsons episode “22 Short Films about Springfield,” as well as Jennifer Egan’s A Visit from the Goon Squad and Junot Diaz’s This Is How You Lose Her, the overlapping characters and plotlines in this book inform one another and interweave to create a satisfying experience for the reader.
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Review
The Case of Elena and All that Went Wrong by Aprille Clarke is a web of intriguing characters and plot lines that interweave in unexpected ways. When I think magical realism, I think this is the sort of book I imagine. It is quite fantastical with very real characters. I found it absolutely fascinating.
I really enjoyed the inclusion of the charts which indicated the time period and relationships between the characters. This was an inventive way for the reader to keep track of who was who.
Aprille Clarke writes in such a way that the characters feel absolutely real and as a reader, I was totally invested in each of them. The twists and turns kept me reading. This was truly a imaginative and unique read.
If you’re looking for something different that is absolutely fascinating, I highly recommend giving this a shot!
Thank you to R&R Book Tours for the review copy and tour invite. All opinions are my own and unbiased.
Rating
5★

After completing her MFA, Aprille Clarke spent about a decade working in higher education instructional technology. Her areas of focus included learning management system administration, consulting and training university faculty on effective uses of technology in teaching, and pedagogically sound uses of technology-enhanced classrooms. She left that work in order to focus on childrearing and creative pursuits. Currently, she is employed as a simulated patient for medical students, which involves faking sick for money. She lives with her spouse and three children. The Case of Elena and All That Went Wrong is her first book. For more information, please visit https://www.aprilleclarke.com/
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