Supermarket

‘It was a depression so low and flat that I couldn't even envision suicide as a solution.’ Flynn

The debut novel by Bobby Hall aka rapper Logic has its moments of ingenuity but those moments are overshadowed by over explanation and uninventive dialogue.

From the opening chapter, it is obvious that Hall wants elements of his writing to shock and scare the reader, as expected from a psychological thriller, as he introduces a cliff hanger, but unfortunately this is the first of many unsuccessful attempts to intrigue the reader. This coupled with the over explanation of characters such as Ronda who works in the supermarket or action in the novel, impedes on the readers ability to engage and enjoy the story.

Also, there were moments when Hall proudly broke the fourth wall. The first time I found it to be whimsical writing style but as it appeared more often it became another element that impeded on the action of the novel, causing me to lose more interest in the story that I believe has significant amounts of potential.

Despite the many pitfalls that Supermarket falls into Hall’s writing is still compelling. This is aided by the way in which he successfully makes the chapters flow into one another. Additionally, the plot twists, particularly in part two, that cause the reader to become more invested and concerned for Flynn, gave me the extra push I needed to finish the novel.

However, I feel like each innovative element is overshadowed by the stream of conscious writing that gets in the way especially when Flynn goes off topic.

I believe, Bobby Hall stays true to himself throughout the novel as he includes the topic of mental health which he has often expressed in his music. This caused me to wonder how intertwined real aspects of Hall’s life were with his character Flynn as he too has anxiety and prefers to write his stories using a typewriter.

I’m still intrigued to know how Hall’s writing career develops in the world of literature and the film making industry that he is currently exploring and I think he can become a successful part of.