I pre-ordered a copy of the 15th Anniversary edition of "Caster's Blog" as soon as I heard it was coming out. The original version was one of the most unique love stories I had ever read, and I was curious to check out the "revised and expanded edition."
I could talk about the book's many perks, such as Marcus Alexander Hart's sharp wit, his humorous pop-culture references, or his masterful ability to juggle seemingly unrelated plots and subplots, only to tie everything together with perfection. All valid, all true. But for this review, I'm emphasizing one particular angle, one element that reflects Hart's true skill.
As mentioned above, I read the original "Caster's Blog" not long after it was released, so I remembered the story -- the broad-strokes, at least, as it was almost 13 years ago. So I knew what was gong to happen, overall.
And yet ...
Even knowing this was a work of fiction, even recalling much of the plot ... I could not help but get drawn in to Ray Caster's life. The blog format makes it feel as though I were truly following the twists and turns, the ups and downs, of a real person. Not every entry was (obviously) related to the overall story. The entries could be simple or complex, and as I read the comments (which were based on the actual comments left by real people during the social experiment), I wanted to add my own two-cents as well! I was happy for Ray when things went well, I sympathized when things went poorly, and I felt angst whenever I saw he was about to make mistakes.
I cared about Ray Caster. Marcus Alexander Hart made me care. And when I finished the book -- for the second time -- I felt sad that I would never hear from Ray again, would never know what happens next in his life. Sad about the loss of a fictional person, even KNOWING in advance that he was fictional. Hart made me feel that, too.
And that shows off some serious skill from this author.
Be sure to check out "Caster's Blog." Come for the wit, the romantic ineptitude, and the nerd humor; stay to find out just what will happen to Ray Caster next!
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