Hero by Michael GrantMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
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Showing posts with label Book Reviews. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Book Reviews. Show all posts
Monday, April 13, 2020
Sunday, April 5, 2020
Review: All the Wind in the World
All the Wind in the World by Samantha MabryMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is an odd combination of genres, as has been mentioned before, but unlike some reviewers, I think the writer makes it work.
Firstly, life isn't slotted by 'genres'; it's messy and sometimes unknowable, so the story line may seem implausible for your average movie audience, but for me, it reflected reality. It seems dystopian with its bleak landscape and setting; it seems fantasy with its suggestion of talismans and ghosts; it is definitely a romance, though the romantic relationship is awkward, rocky and full of questions at the end.
Secondly, although the romance wasn't neat and tidy, sometimes love isn't that way. Lovers live with questions, sometimes secrets, and die with them, too. I didn't find the ending disappointing. I found it hauntingly real and unfinished: I believe the heroic couple will find healing and forgiveness for each other in their future.
Finally, the writing is beautifully lyrical though, agreeably with one other reviewer, there is a lack of physical descriptions of the characters. I think it's because the story line is driven more by their personalities and this allows us to imagine what the characters look like for ourselves, perhaps ingraining our own life experiences and personal imagery into the story line.
There are few curse words, implications of sex, homosexuality and drunkenness and a wild Lord-of-the-Flies uprising toward the end.
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Saturday, March 28, 2020
Thursday, March 26, 2020
Saturday, March 21, 2020
Review: Tears of a Tiger
Tears of a Tiger by Sharon M. DraperMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
I grabbed this book as part of a freak-out load up, as I accidentally discovered, with one hour left to go, that my local library was closing for two weeks.
The writing was well-done, and very creative. The story is told from multiple points of view and methods of storytelling: conversations, newspaper articles, letters to a friend, notes passed in class, poetry written by students, etc. I was held captive by this slow, almost haphazard uncovering of the unraveling of the one of the main characters, Andy, who was suffering from guilt over being a drunk driver who caused a crash in which one of his best friends died.
**Spoiler**
Andy eventually commits suicide due to his guilt. I did not expect that ending. It was so dark and sad. I think current social and political events has left me emotionally vulnerable. I was not ready for this ending and I actually felt like I hated it. I needed an uplifting ending but I was denied. But what did I expect? "Tears of a Tiger" is the title.
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Thursday, March 19, 2020
Tuesday, March 17, 2020
Tuesday, February 11, 2020
Review: Remember Me
Remember Me by Chelsea BobulskiMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
This dark romance had me captured nearly from the first page. The gothic story is played out in a turn-by-turn chapter style, with viewpoints switching between our present-day heroine, Nell, and a young girl, at the turn of the century, Lea. Their connection is driver of the exhilarating plot, which steers just clear of being trite or predictable. There were many heart-clutching moments which kept me coming back to read the next chapter, and the the next. You cannot guess at the different turns the story takes, which is a delight in a world of copycat writers.
The background story of Nell's mother dying in an airplane crash, being the source of Nell's mental issues, was a little out of place although it made for a sentimental connection between Nell (present-day) and the mother of Lea (turn of the century).
The relationship turned romance between Nell's dad and the hotel's general manager was melodramatic. The general manager, Sophia, who revealed herself near the end of story, to being aware of the unusual connection between Nell and the haunted hotel, like 'a keeper of the secret', was a bit Hollywood. Yet overall, Bobulski's attractive pose is steady and measured, particularly with the development of Nell and her relationship with the Alec Petrov.
The novel is a wonderful escape from reality.
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Friday, January 24, 2020
Review: Red River Girl: The Life and Death of Tina Fontaine
Red River Girl: The Life and Death of Tina Fontaine by Joanna JollyMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
This was an engrossing account of the possible life and death of Tina Fontaine, an indigenous teenaged Canadian female. Heartbreaking and ultimately disappointing, it introduces the reader to the ongoing assault against indigenous females in Canada, which, according the book and some online commentary, continues to be swept aside as unimportant. Tina Fontaine's story inspired more activism and appears to continue to be borne as the flag for the undefended, dead, indigenous females in Canada. My prayers are with you.
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Monday, January 13, 2020
Review: The Living
The Living by Matt de la PenaMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
I was pleased to see a 'different type' of book by this author, whose gritty young adult novel We Were Here was amazingly good. This appeared to be a science fiction and/or adventure story. I wondered if he'll grown into the James Patterson type of author: no genre is a mountain that cannot be climbed.
The book took a long time to get to any action or adventure. I was a third of the way in before the earthquake hit, which was all over the book jacket. There was a lot of build up with the protagonist Shy's relationships. There was a superquick development of attraction between a formerly disliked rich, spoiled female passenger, Addie, and working-class Shy, while they were adrift on a rescue raft after their cruise ship sank. A bit melodramatic: "I think I could love you".
Overall, it was fine for an escapist story but I wish the story wasn't so uneven. I will still likely read the next book, because the cliffhanger ending forces me to do so.
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Review: The Living
The Living by Matt de la PenaMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
I was pleased to see a 'different type' of book by this author, whose book gritty young adult novel We Were Here was amazingly good. This appeared to be a science fiction and/or adventure story. I wondered if he'll grown into the James Patterson type of author: no genre is a mountain that cannot be climbed.
The book took a long time to get to any action or adventure. I was a third of the way in before the earthquake hit, which was all over the book jacket. There was a lot of build up with the protagonist Shy's relationships. There was an superquick development of attraction between a formerly disliked rich, spoiled female passenger, Addie, and working-class Shy, while they were adrift on a rescue raft after their cruise ship sank. A bit melodramatic: "I think I could love you".
Overall, it was fine for an escapist story but I wish the story wasn't so uneven. I will still likely read the next book, because the cliffhanger ending forces me to do so.
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Friday, January 3, 2020
Review: We Were Here
We Were Here by Matt de la PenaMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
I was surprised by how good this story was. The cover of the battered copy I found by chance at our had me thinking it'd be a teen angst type of story. I try to grab a variety of books these days.
I opened the book at random, preparing to put it back, but I found myself caught by scene in which a romantic fairytale is recounted by an amazingly beautiful Chinese girl with green hair, and who is the driver of a car with runaways .... from somewhere. The story is about the unfinished dreams of a Chinese singer and it clearly bothered one of the passengers. I couldn't stop. I wanted to find out what happened. This was in the middle of the book.
The story is revealed in journal chapters by date. Over the course of the book we learn about Miguel, his anger, his frustrations, and his brief life in a group home for boys. After a violent first meeting, he teams up with a psychopathic Chinese young man to run away from the group home. A mysterious giant of a black youth joins them. The story continues to develop interest as these three marauders set off for Mexico, to start their lives anew. Their lives, it turns out, renews on the road.
I had figured out Miguel's secret hurt midway through the book but I won't spoil it for you. His secret isn't actually the culmination of the story; his redemption is.
There is tough, foul language but the cadence is familiar and genuine. It's not foul language for the sake of art, or for the sake of excitement, or worse, marketing. The gritty talk is really a part of the characters and you can hear how the lingo and words fall easily across the page. De la pena writes with an authenticity that is appreciated.
I am happy to have discovered an author whose next book I am excited to read.
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Review: The Downstairs Girl
The Downstairs Girl by Stacey LeeMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
This was an enjoyable period piece with an unusual setting: Chinese immigrants in Post-Reconstruction US South, early nineteenth century. The twist at the end is nearly predictable but the female protagonist is charming and feisty. Good story.
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Monday, December 16, 2019
Review: The Armored Saint
The Armored Saint by Myke ColeMy rating: 2 of 5 stars
This interesting fantasy book is a melding of medieval life, the Inquisition, gnomish mechanics via World of Warcraft, with a satisfying sprinkling of classic Dungeon and Dragon's lore. The subplot of our heroine's lesbian attraction for her friend and the background story of a homosexual ranger-wizard's lost lover combined made me feel that the book was a little pandering toward the LGBTQ community. It would have been my personal preference to focus on one gay love story, but to have both plus the dramatic, movie-of-the-week lecture of being allowed to freely love who you love seemed a bit mawkish.
To be clear, I quite enjoyed the presence of an LGBTQ storyline in a medieval fantasy. I just think it could have been written with more finesse by focusing on one relationship, and leaving the lecture on freedom of love out. The storyline should draw those thoughts out of the reader; not tell the audience what to think word-for-word.
The storyline felt plausible, given that so much of what happened in the book has already happened in real life with religious fanaticism, political turmoil, classicism, poverty, shaming of homosexuals, etc.
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Review: Educated
Educated by Tara WestoverMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
This searing non-fiction tale of family lost, found and lost again is nearly sublime for its prose and unflinchingly honest understanding of its own inadequacies and the humanity of its protagonist. It's a punishingly hard-look at how mental illness in a family can be spread like a disease over generations and will leave no one its wake untouched. Dr. Westover's triumph is hard-won and comes at a cost. The organization of the story was sharp and well-paced.
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Review: Children of Blood and Bone
Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi AdeyemiMy rating: 2 of 5 stars
I was intrigued by the refreshing plotline yet the slightly trite nature of its unfolding underwhelmed me. Some lines sounded like they were borrowed from an assembly line of heroic movies. The heroine also kept making unrealistic choices, as if she were a robot hell-bent on creating drama. However, the ideas shows imagination and promise. Although I won't likely be reading the series, I do wish this writer continued success for bringing variety to the genre.
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Saturday, July 20, 2019
Review: Sea Prayer
Sea Prayer by Khaled HosseiniMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
It's a little unfair, possibly, for me to include a picture book as part of my reading challenge this year. But let me explain. It was because of the dog.
I had the dog with me in the car. We were leaving her vet appointment. To be time-efficient, I was also going to return books to our local library, which in passing memory, boasted a drop-in slot for a drive-thru book return. Awesome. It's super hot, I don't want to get the dog nor I out of the air-conditioned car for a second.
I drove through. What? The slot is locked? I pressed a useless buzzer to no avail. Forced to park and exit the car, I then began to worry that some SPCA spy would see me leave the dog in the car. I carefully made a big deal about opening the windows (which I would do, regardless of SPCA fears), and hurried into the library. The return book spot is almost half-way in at the library. At that point, I am now near the 'current books we recommend' shelf. DANG IT. I start to grab books, where I usually browse and take my time, but the dog is in the car, and I don't want her to swelter any longer than necessary. I snatched a variety of books, and this one was included. I had no time to complain about the forbidden dropbox but simply slid my books through the automatic check out table, and left.
That being said, this is a beautiful book, and it is more of a protest poem than a picture book. The drawings are haunting and the real story that it is based upon, the death of a three-year-old Syrian boy who died with his father, who was trying to escape a war-torn country by boat, is moving and thought-provoking.
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Friday, July 19, 2019
Review: This World We Live In
This World We Live In by Susan Beth PfefferMy rating: 2 of 5 stars
I was very intrigued by the premise and the hints of the past scientific anomalies which created this past-future disaster. The writing was very good at the beginning. I sometimes like dystopian stories and this held good promise.
But it started to feel rushed and oddly slapped together at the middle-end, starting with our heroine Miranda's falling in love with Alex. It was too quick and convenient. Miranda's character was charmingly realistic, and I had the impression she was a middle schooler with her inward groans and outward arguments with her mother and brothers. Yet, her gruff charm turning into ferocious love-starved teen was a leap beyond my expectations. There was no slow growth and development. It was weird that young men and women of nearly the same age all met at the same time to fall in love with each other - Miranda, Alex; Julie and Jon; and Matt and Syl. Three love stories in one book? I supposed it's possible but it felt too clunky. The religious moments felt contrived, and a lost opportunity to become full-fledged foil within the storyline. The character I most liked was the mother because she felt the most realistic. She was self-sacrificing, sexist, tired, and focused on keeping her family together. The scene where she is dazed among the ruins of her house after a tornado was a little tiresome, "we keep the family together", etc. Her ex-husband's (Miranda's dad) cheerful near-giddy arrival and his wife with her bemoaning the potential loss of her friend Julie to a convent (yes, it's a part of the story) were weird. Syl, Matt's insta-wife, was the most unexplored character who went from mystery girl survivalist to strong, gritty realist in a blink of an eye.
I DO like the dramatic and unexpected ending. Spoiler alert: Miranda ends up murdering the sister of Alex, since Julie, the sister, had a terrible spine injury, and faced the rest of life being carried around everywhere. Miranda didn't quite explain her motivation, but it felt like a mercy killing. She hides this information and everyone assumes (for now) that Julie had died in her sleep, likely due to internal injuries. Miranda realistically closes with she may have to tell Alex one day. I liked that chilling little end. The beginning and end are the best parts of the book.
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