tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50236234762260157252024-02-19T07:29:29.023-08:00Ultraviolent LitFun, fresh book reviews of classic and contemporary fiction, with occasional detours into other realms of literary goodness.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09479750875384534726noreply@blogger.comBlogger299125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023623476226015725.post-5154688698858676012017-11-05T17:03:00.003-08:002017-11-05T17:03:39.807-08:00The Golden House - Salman Rushdie
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Nero Golden is a powerful real estate tycoon who
relocates to New York under mysterious circumstances, shortly after Obama’s
inauguration. He arrives with his three adult sons, who all have issues of their
own. The four Golden men take new identities with classical Roman names –
Petronius, Lucius Apuleius, Dionysius – and enter into the high society of the
rich and famous in downtown Manhattan.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Narrated by the Goldens' neighbor and family friend
Rene, an aspiring filmmaker, Nero and his sons seem like the perfect subject
for documentation. Rene chronicles their rise to power in New York society,
their tragic ups and downs, and their eventual fall from power. The Goldens
face conflicts involving money, women and the betrayal that takes place between
siblings – all of it leading to an impending sense of danger. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">The novel covers all the relevant plot points of
American politics in the past eight years, starting with the new era of the
American dream following Obama’s inauguration and ending with the ascendancy of
an ambitious, media-savvy villain who aspires to become the 45<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup>
president – which should sound familiar to most of us. In our current political
climate of “alternative truths”, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Golden House</i> is a timely novel of identity, truth and lies – both personal
and political.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">This novel is classic Rushdie in both plot and style –
it takes heavy themes and carries them lightly. It is a serious, literary,
political novel while remaining highly readable. The references to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Great Gatsby</i> emphasize the
glittering New York setting – it is tragic, gaudy and clever. In fact, my main
complaint is that it is sometimes overly clever, as only Rushdie can be. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">The world of the Goldens is a post-modern, post-truth
America with a focus on identity – hidden or otherwise. The unreliable narrator
emphasizes this fact, and the fact that the many narrators of our current
political situation are unreliable as well. Rushdie’s own opinions about the
cartoony villain leading the country are clear, and leave no doubt about who he
is referencing. This is a lengthy novel packed with pop culture and political
information, and yet it is a fast paced and enjoyable read, and a clever guide
to America today.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">I received this book from Random House and NetGalley in
exchange for an honest review. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09479750875384534726noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023623476226015725.post-22576647079076110382017-10-29T10:20:00.002-07:002017-10-29T10:20:28.077-07:00The History of Bees - Maja Lunde<br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Simon & Schuster, August 22, 2017.<o:p></o:p></span></span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US">The History of
Bees</span></i><span lang="EN-US"> is an ambitious cautionary tale about Colony
Collapse Disorder – bees all over the world are disappearing without
explanation, and without pollination, our food sources will disappear with
them. This isn’t exactly a dystopia, since it is already happening today, and
the world described here is a likely outcome if we don’t protect our bees from
pesticides and other invasive modern farming methods. This is one of the most
relevant and quietly terrifying environmental disasters of our time, and it is
described here with an emphasis on the personal repercussions of the collapse –
if we don’t fix it now, it is our children who will suffer.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">The novel is told in three parts, looking at the
past, present and future. In Hertfordshire, England in 1852, William is a
biologist who has failed professionally and given up on life and ambition. He
takes to his bed, leaving his family with no source of income, until he is
inspired by his daughter to design and build a new type of beehive. It is built
so that the layers can be removed and studied without damaging the colony, and he
thinks his study of bees will result in fame and fortune for his family. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Years later, in 2007, George is a beekeeper in rural
Ohio. He shuns modern farming advances, and still builds his own hives using
the design that has been passed down through generations of his family. As George
watches how powerful pesticides are destroying neighbouring bee colonies, he
learns about the newly named Colony Collapse Disorder, in which beekeepers open
up their hives in the spring and the bees are just gone with no explanation. George
hopes for the best, and expects that his son will take over the family business
– but Tom is more interested in his university writing classes. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">In Sichuan, China in the year 2098, we see the full
repercussions of the loss of the bees. Tao is one of many people who does the
hard labour of hand-painting pollen onto fruit trees, to preserve the crops
that cannot live without the bees. The government controls every aspect of
peoples’ lives, they barely make a living wage, and have almost no free time to
try to improve their lives. Tao wants more for her son Wei-Wen, but her
decision to spend a day in the fields teaching him simple math ends in tragedy.
Wei-Wen is taken by government authorities, and Tao makes the dangerous journey
to Beijing in order to find out the truth about Wei-Wen’s accident. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US">The History of
Bees</span></i><span lang="EN-US"> is a haunting story because it is already happening
in our world – this isn’t some distant future issue, but one that is affecting
us today. However, this is not only an examination of environmental disaster –
it is also about the powerful bond between parents and their children. It’s
thought-provoking in this context, because while we will do anything for our
immediate children, we are less concerned about destroying the planet for
generations to come. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">I wish the storylines had come together sooner,
because the ways that the three plots echo each other aren’t clear until the
end. The pacing is often slow, especially in some of the technical explanations
of beehives, and of the events that led to Tao’s world. However, it is definitely
worth reading when it all comes together and we see how William, George and Tao
are connected. This is a wake-up call about the bee epidemic that is told without
being pedantic – and ultimately it is hopeful that this crisis can be reversed
if we start thinking now about the future.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">I received this book from Simon & Schuster and
NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09479750875384534726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023623476226015725.post-1452194567518309292017-10-22T16:25:00.001-07:002017-10-22T16:25:41.284-07:00Manhattan Beach - Jennifer Egan
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Scribner, October 3, 2017.<o:p></o:p></span></span></h3>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Anna Kerrigan is twelve years old, living in Brooklyn
with her family during the Great Depression. Her father’s job description is unclear
to her, but his union connections bring him into contact with people from all
walks of life, including the world of organized crime. When Anna accompanies
him to one of these meetings, she is introduced to Dexter Styles, a powerful man
who controls her father in ways she doesn’t understand. Visiting Dexter’s
beachfront mansion makes a strong impression on Anna that will last into
adulthood.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Several years later, Anna’s father has disappeared –
presumably he has walked out on the family that he was unable to support financially.
Working at the Brooklyn Naval Yard, Anna is now responsible for her former
showgirl mother and her disabled sister who suffers from a debilitating and
progressive disease. The country is at war, which is why Anna has the
opportunity to work at a traditionally male job – she works on small-scale
machinery, but dreams of become the first female diver, repairing ships
underwater. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Anna has been drawn to the water ever since that day
at Dexter’s beach house, so when she gets her chance to dive, she finally feels
whole. And when she runs into Dexter at a night club shortly after, it seems
like fate. He doesn’t recognize Anna, and she doesn’t give her last name, but
they do forge an immediate connection. Anna convinces Dexter to help with her
sister, who is still alive but not truly living – together they take her to the
beach, which seems to make her better. But when tragedy strikes, Anna and
Dexter turn to each other in a romantic relationship that is as intimate as it
is dangerous. Secrets emerge about Dexter’s work, including a possible
connection to Anna’s father’s disappearance. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US">Manhattan Beach</span></i><span lang="EN-US"> has all the energy and passion of Egan’s earlier novels, but it is
also saturated with historical detail about life in New York City during the
Depression and World War II years, including a view through the cracks in the
world of organized crime. The situational details are mostly interesting, but
sometimes became long-winded and dry. I much preferred the intimate portrait of
Anna as a young girl, growing into an independent and powerful woman, taking on
new roles within her family and out in the wider world. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Anna learns to stand up for herself and make life-changing
decisions – she discovers what to hold onto and when to let go. Although many
of the characters in the novel are one-dimensional, Anna is fully formed and
makes the entire novel worth reading. These are transformative years for New
York City, for America, and for the world as a whole – and we witness it unfold
through the transformation of one girl, Anna, as she expands the definition of
what a woman is capable of becoming. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">I received this book from Scribner and NetGalley in
exchange for an honest review. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09479750875384534726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023623476226015725.post-83448532292882134912017-10-15T14:47:00.001-07:002017-10-15T14:47:28.043-07:00The Red-Haired Woman - Orhan Pamuk<h3>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Penguin Random House Canada, August 22, 2017.<o:p></o:p></span></span></h3>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Ten years ago, I read <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Snow</i> – my first book by Nobel Prize winner Orhan Pamuk – and absolutely
loved it. I haven’t been as impressed with Pamuk’s more recent work, although I’m
not sure if it’s the slower pace, weighed down by symbolism and archetypical
characters, or if my expectations are too high after my experience with <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Snow</i>. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US">The Red-Haired
Woman</span></i><span lang="EN-US"> is heavily influenced by both western and
eastern legends, specifically Sophocles’ <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Oedipus
Rex</i> and the Persian story of </span></span><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><em>Rostam and Sohrab</em>. Although these stories provide complex layers to the novel, they also sometimes make the characters feel less real and more like symbols for the themes that Pamuk is exploring here – the relationships between fathers and sons, the idea of individual freedom versus the government, and ultimately the gray areas between good and evil. It’s a lot to take on, and it explains why the story sometimes becomes dry and unable to hold the reader’s attention.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">The novel is set in Istanbul in the 1980s. Cem is
sixteen years old, and he spends his summer as the apprentice to a well-digger,
Master Mahmut, in a small town outside the city. As they desperately search for
water in the barren land surrounding them, they tell stories at night to pass
the time, including the legends mentioned above, which both man and boy become
fixated upon. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Oedipus Rex</i>, the story
of a king who kills his father and marries his mother, specifically becomes a
loose allegory for Cem’s larger lifelong struggles. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">After a day of digging wells, Cem goes into town to
visit the tent of some travelling performers who act out “morality tales” for
the crowd. When Cem meets the older, married, red-haired woman who performs in
the plays, he becomes obsessed and follows her around town. To Cem’s surprise,
the two experience one night of passion together, before an accident at work
causes Cem to flee back to Istanbul. His experiences that summer weigh him down
with a sense of guilt and shame that follows him into adulthood.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Thirty years later, Cem and his wife have the opportunity
to purchase the land where he dug the well that summer. When Cem travels back
to the small town, he discovers that his past has not stayed buried as he
expected – and the red-haired woman has a surprising secret for him. The
mystery elements tie the novel together from start to finish, although the big
reveal is certainly not surprising. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Red-Haired Woman</i> is much more concerned with its multi-layered plot, rich
in literary and historical references, than in developing the mystery or the
characters themselves. Although the novel didn’t always hold my attention, I did
appreciate the complex layers of story and history – and I think it will only
get better with each re-read. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">I received this book from Penguin Random House Canada
and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09479750875384534726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023623476226015725.post-13246120479369632542017-10-12T07:21:00.000-07:002017-10-12T07:21:27.386-07:00We All Love the Beautiful Girls - Joanne Proulx<br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Penguin Random House Canada, August 22, 2017.<o:p></o:p></span></span></h3>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Mia and Michael Slate and their son Finn are a
healthy, happy and prosperous family. They co-own a successful company, giving
Mia time to pursue her passion as a photographer, and they live in a beautiful
home in which they want for nothing. However, their perfect lives are shattered
one night when they receive an unexpected visit from their accountant – he interrupts
their cozy evening to tell them that their best friend and business partner has
been embezzling from them for years, leaving them financially destitute. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Mia, a former corporate banker, cannot believe that
Michael did not realize what was happening. She goes to bed angry, leaving her
husband to wait up for their teenage son Finn. Hours past curfew, Michael starts
to worry, and he heads out into their small town to search for his son.
Eventually, he tracks Finn to a party at his wealthy best friend’s property,
where he discovers Finn passed out in a snowbank after drinking too much. His
tragic mistake has devastating consequences that echo through the whole family.
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Finn survives the night, but loses his hand to
frostbite, and everyone copes differently with the loss. Finn begins a clandestine
relationship with his former babysitter Jess, who happens to be dating Finn’s
best friend’s older brother. Mia and Michael lose the tenderness of their
decades long marriage – instead of communicating, they retreat into rough sex
and silence. Mia enters into a dangerous flirtation with a former colleague,
and Michael begins to spend his time at an abandoned baseball diamond, playing
catch with a scruffy street kid who replaces his damaged relationship with his
son. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">The Slate family slowly unravels throughout the novel,
as they struggle with money and intimacy. All three characters take turns
narrating the story, as they all get closer to the edge of betrayal, revenge
and violence. The novel is written with honest and clear emotion, reaching deep
into the compassionate terrain of marriage, parenting and what it means to be a
family. The characters are solid and well-defined, populating a touching and
emotional world without becoming saccharine or melodramatic. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US">We All Love the
Beautiful Girls</span></i><span lang="EN-US"> explores how the choices we make
can affect everyone around us, and how people show their true colours in the
face of tragedy. While I enjoyed the Canadian content of the novel (it’s set in
Quebec), its themes have global reach, especially regarding the normalization of
violence – specifically towards women – in our current socio-political climate.
I didn’t know much about this book when I started it, and I think that’s the
best way to read it – it started out slow, and therefore it was surprising yet
appropriate when the story became increasingly savage and raw. These characters
express real heartache, and with narrators that cross gender and age
boundaries, I think this novel could speak to a wide audience as we struggle
with how to connect to each other in the world we now live in. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">I received this book from Penguin Random House Canada
and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09479750875384534726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023623476226015725.post-23496802307897779822017-10-09T15:42:00.001-07:002017-10-09T15:42:11.772-07:00The Other Girl - Erica Spindler
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">St. Martin’s Press, August 22, 2017.<o:p></o:p></span></span></h3>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">When she was fifteen, Randi Rader was kidnapped by a
stranger who picked her up hitchhiking – she escaped before too much damage was
done, but she was forced to leave another girl behind with the kidnapper. When
she went to the police for help, however, no one believed her story. Randi had
a troubled family life and several run-ins with the law, and she still carries
the guilt that because of her past, she will never know what happened to the
other girl that night.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Now an adult, Officer Miranda Rader works for the
police department in a neighbouring town in Louisiana. Despite her negative
experience with the police in the past, Miranda has vowed to use her sense of
honesty and integrity to protect innocent victims like she once was. Her current
chief of police was the only officer that believed her that night, and she
trusts him completely. So when he calls her to a crime scene in the middle of
the night, Miranda follows unquestioningly.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">The crime scene turns out to be the ritualistic
murder of a well-liked local college professor with strong family ties to the
community. Because of the way he was found, Miranda immediately realizes that
the killer was intimate with the victim. She searches the house for clues, but
doesn’t find anything leading to the killer – instead, she finds a newspaper clipping
about her own childhood kidnapping. When Miranda’s fingerprints are later found
at the scene, she realizes that someone is trying to frame her for the murder –
but she has no idea how she’s connected to the victim.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Miranda soon becomes the prime suspect of another
murder – the death of the police chief who failed to believe her kidnapping
story on that night. Her current chief and friend is forced to suspend her from
duty, although his motives are becoming unclear – is he protecting Miranda, or himself?
Meanwhile, Miranda begins a romantic relationship with her partner Jake, who
seems to support her innocence, although there is no one she can completely trust.
Even her best friend becomes a suspect, and Miranda must question the
motivations of everyone around her.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">This is a thriller, filled with twisty suspense and
edgy excitement. While the characters could have more depth, they are surprising
in many ways and often slip out of their stereotypical roles. It wasn’t
difficult to guess what was coming at the end, but it was still a completely
entertaining read. Miranda is able to trust her own instincts in order to survive
the final showdown with the killer, and with her own past. While this is a
typical thriller in many ways, the interesting characters and their individual
choices made this a satisfying summer read.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">I received this book from St. Martin’s Press and
NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09479750875384534726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023623476226015725.post-79770827353045516622017-10-01T18:04:00.000-07:002017-10-01T18:04:52.349-07:00The Atlas of Forgotten Places - Jenny D. Williams<h3>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Thomas Dunne Books, July 11, 2017.<o:p></o:p></span></span></h3>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Five Stars<o:p></o:p></span></span></h4>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US">The Atlas of
Forgotten Places</span></i><span lang="EN-US"> is a surprising, incredible novel
that really has it all – a thrilling, adventurous narrative, strong and
powerful characters, and a plot entwining historical, political and current
events. Most of all, it is an exploration of family, friendship, and the
lengths we will go to protect our loved ones –<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>and how that love unites us across borders. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">The novel is narrated by two very different women,
brought together in their search for the people they love – especially when
they learn that those two people may have gone missing together. Sabine Hardt
was an aid worker in Africa for many years, until a tragic event made her doubt
her ability to make a difference in the world. She retreated to a quiet life in
her native Germany, watching from a distance as her American niece Lily takes
her place in Uganda. Envisioning a future of helping people, Lily is wide-eyed
and optimistic in her emails to her aunt – until she suddenly disappears on her
way home to America. Sabine makes the inevitable trip to Uganda to search for
Lily, bringing back surprising memories of her past.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">While tracking Lily’s movements, Sabine meets Rose
Akulu, a young Ugandan woman working with the American aid workers, offering support
to the victims of Joseph Kony’s Lord’s Resistance Army. Rose herself was kidnapped
by the LRA as a child – she eventually escaped, under circumstances that are
slowly revealed, and returned to her village with haunting memories and a
missing arm. Members of the LRA who return home are shunned by their former
friends and family, and Rose was only able to find solace in her boyfriend
Ocen, whose brother was also taken by the LRA. Now Ocen has disappeared too,
and the evidence suggests that he may be with Lily. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Sabine and Rose do not completely trust each other,
but with the help of relief worker and mutual friend Christoph, the two women
are willing to sacrifice everything to find Lily and Ocen. As an American girl,
Lily’s disappearance is publicized by the western media – meanwhile, Rose
worries that Ocen will be collateral damage in the search for Lily. Williams
does an impressive job of creating complicated, emotionally-charged characters
who realistically reflect the situation in Uganda – white aid workers are
attempting to do good, helping people during a time of civil war, but their
role in Africa becomes an echo of the colonialism that caused these issues in
the first place. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Williams has obviously spent time in Uganda, and the
setting comes alive in a real and assured way. The novel is written in clean, straightforward
prose that clearly reflects the complex political situation in Uganda – there is
no awkwardly inserted exposition about the war, but instead it is explained as
it is relevant to the scenes and characters. There are also no simple explanations
of good vs. evil here – when children are kidnapped and forced to kill, and
then ostracized by their families when they return, we are forced to witness
the true extent of human cruelty. And there is no escape into fiction, as this
novel is based on real-world, current events that we cannot look away from. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Sabine and Rose each have distinct voices and
perspectives on the situation around them – neither one is particularly likeable,
and yet as their backstories are revealed, both are sympathetic and real. Although
these women come from extremely different circumstances, they are more similar
than they realize. And while the ending of the novel is sudden and unresolved,
it is certainly hopeful – it leaves room for many possible outcomes, including
the hope for a future in which we can be united across borders to prevent child
soldiers and the men who create them. Most of all, there is hope for people
like Rose, whose childhood was taken from her, and yet she emerged from the jungle
willing to help others discover a better way of life.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">I received this book from Thomas Dunne Books and
NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09479750875384534726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023623476226015725.post-67829122170767753162017-09-24T17:09:00.003-07:002017-09-24T17:09:38.219-07:00Girl in Snow - Danya Kukafka<br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Simon & Schuster, August 1, 2017.</span></span></h3>
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<span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p><span lang="EN-US">Four Stars<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></h3>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">On a frozen, snow-covered morning, the body of
popular high school student Lucinda Hayes is found in a local park. In the
small Colorado neighbourhood, everyone knew Lucinda – and everyone is affected
by her death, whether they liked her or not.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US">Girl in Snow</span></i><span lang="EN-US"> is narrated by three characters with connections to Lucinda.
Cameron is an anxious, unpopular boy who was obsessed with Lucinda – he drew
detailed portraits of her and watched her through her bedroom window at night.
Jade is an edgy girl with an alternative style, whose alcoholic mom and
miserable home life make her jealous of Lucinda’s seemingly perfect world – she
also admittedly hated Lucinda for stealing her babysitting job. Finally, Russ
is the officer in charge of investigating Lucinda’s murder, and he also has a strong
connection to the family of his main suspect, Cameron. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Each character works to expose the others’ secrets
while confronting their own emotions as they all search for the truth about
Lucinda’s death. The novel explores how people can see us and interpret our
lives in different ways, while never knowing the truth about who we are – not just
Lucinda, but all of the characters are judged by who they appear to be. Cameron
expresses himself through his artwork, while Jade’s sections often shift into
her dramatic screenplay in which she envisions the scenes that she wishes had
taken place, and the conversations that sounded better in her mind. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Lucinda could have been killed by anyone in her small
suburb, but as more backstory is revealed through the eyes of different
narrators, the identity of the murderer becomes inevitable. This novel is
ostensibly a mystery-thriller, but the focus is ultimately on character
development. The only exception is Lucinda, who remains fairly flat, but she
acts as a device to bring everyone else together. The story is written in
clear, concise prose, yet it is saturated with depth and emotion – Kukafka’s
words are evocative without being overly descriptive. As the characters become
increasingly intertwined, they show the unknown connections between all of us –
and how appearances can be deceiving.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">I received this book from Simon & Schuster and
NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09479750875384534726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023623476226015725.post-29520790846548545062017-09-20T19:06:00.000-07:002017-09-20T19:06:15.811-07:00The Only Cafe - Linden MacIntyre<br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Random House Canada, August 8, 2017.<o:p></o:p></span></span></h3>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Cyril Cormier grew up in Toronto with a Lebanese
refugee father and a mother from Cape Breton. They divorced when Cyril was
young, and he didn’t see much of his father Pierre, who was a successful
corporate lawyer with a new, younger wife and infant son. During an
international scandal at the mining company where he worked, Pierre went
missing under suspicious circumstances – there was an explosion on the boat he
was living on, and his body was never found.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Five years after Pierre disappeared, one of his bones
is found and he is finally declared dead. When the will is read, Cyril and the
rest of the family discover that Pierre included an unusual request – instead
of a traditional funeral, he asked for a “roast” to take place at a bar in
Toronto’s east end called The Only Café. There is also a mysterious name on the
guest list, “Ari”, that none of the family had ever heard Pierre mention. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">At the time his father is declared dead, Cyril is
interning at a national newsroom (likely modelled after the CBC) that is
working on a documentary about homegrown terrorism. When Cyril’s Lebanese
background is discovered by his bosses, they ask him to bring a personal
perspective to the war on terror. Cyril decides to investigate the events that
led to his father’s death, and the first step is meeting with the mysterious
Ari. Cyril discovers that Ari was an Israeli soldier who met Pierre in Lebanon
in the 1980s, during the Lebanese civil war. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Cyril suspects that Ari can answer questions not only
about Pierre’s past but also about whether his father is truly dead. Soon Cyril’s
personal investigation intersects with the larger story of terrorism at the
newsroom, and there are surprising connections to his friends and colleagues.
The deception stretches from the present day back to the Lebanese massacres of
September 1982, and the plot is grounded in these historical events, bringing
the current political climate in the Middle East into sharp focus. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US">The Only Café</span></i><span lang="EN-US"> is a slow-paced mystery with both historical and contemporary
relevance. It demonstrates how history is constantly repeating – with different
forms of terrorism always in the background and bubbling up to the surface over
time – and it puts a personal spin on the stories we often hear from a
distance. There is plenty of dialogue to keep the story moving forward,
although there perhaps could have been more inner contemplation and character
development. There are constantly shifting perspectives, which were sometimes
confusing and overly complex – there are only so many health, family and work
dramas that one person can go through, and they really didn’t add that much to
the story. But despite my issues with the novel, the writing was powerful
enough to continually draw me back in to this complex and timely story of
family secrets and their effects on global events. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">I received this book from Random House Canada and
NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09479750875384534726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023623476226015725.post-71593289296411900262017-09-17T15:07:00.000-07:002017-09-17T15:07:07.614-07:00Emma in the Night - Wendy Walker<div style="text-align: center;">
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">St. Martin’s Press, August 8, 2017.<o:p></o:p></span></span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US">Emma in the
Night</span></i><span lang="EN-US"> is Walker’s second novel after 2016’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">All is Not Forgotten</i>, and while the two
books share much in style and substance, I found this one more compelling and
enjoyable. Three years ago, the Tanner sisters – 17-year-old Emma and
15-year-old Cassandra – went missing with no explanation. The circumstances
were suspicious – Emma’s car was found abandoned in a parking lot near the
beach, and her shoes abandoned by the shore. There was no evidence that Cass
was with her, and yet she is gone too. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Now, three years later, Cass shows up on her mother’s
doorstep – without Emma. She tells an incredible tale about kidnapping and
captivity on an isolated island which cannot be located, and a daring and dangerous
plan for escape. Forensic psychiatrist Abigail Winter worked on the Tanner
sisters’ case years before, and she always felt that there was some obvious
clue that she was missing. Now, hearing Cass’s story and watching her
interactions with her mother, she suspects that the reason for the girls’
disappearance is close to home. With Cass’s help, Abby slowly uncovers the
dysfunctional family’s secrets of narcissism and abuse.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">The novel is told in dialogue, as Cass slowly reveals
her (perhaps unreliable) story in careful moderation – she manipulates her
audience much as Walker leads the reader on this fascinating journey. The
structure of this novel is much like Walker’s first novel – it is an unconventional
thriller in which the story takes place after the main action has concluded. It
is more like reading the case notes of a crime, delving into the obsession and
mental illness that formed these characters. There is much more telling than
showing, and yet it works. Cass’s story is perhaps even more compelling because
we did not witness the action and therefore cannot know if anything she’s
saying is true. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">The procedural aspects of the story are not all that
realistic, but it is worthwhile to suspend disbelief and trust that each piece
will eventually fit together. The slow reveal is geared towards reader
manipulation – to keep us guessing and successfully create suspense. I thought
some of the characters could have been more complex, instead of so clearly good
or evil – but Cass especially was intriguing. Her narration is detached and
cold, which keeps the reader at a distance, but it works because she withholds
her true feelings and motivations right up to the last scene.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">While <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Emma in
the Night</i> has its flaws, Walker is a talented storyteller who manages to
lead the reader without oversimplifying the story. The descriptions of mental
illness are fascinating and disturbing, especially as Emma and Cass are
affected by their mother’s behaviour in very different ways. Cass’s flat
narration has a strong emotional undercurrent that gives depth to the novel,
creating an intelligent and thoughtful mystery that crosses genres in
unexpected ways. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">I received this book from St. Martin’s Press and
NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09479750875384534726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023623476226015725.post-75127909477347521812017-09-14T19:52:00.001-07:002017-09-14T19:52:02.674-07:00Shadow of the Lions - Christopher Swann
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Algonquin Books, August 1, 2017.<o:p></o:p></span></span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj23r2F68PUnibUbzJFxa3PoIpXZj1VaWg3lxiTXGwawAHUkOKZHTuXILCNK9UcEVbSon7rKyRi4nxQolnJoD_8igRtJ1oWbx9NBXEf7CpWRuZ-MP2xYifsUaTAtCanE-YjIFZTjY338WMx/s1600/shadow+lions.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="346" data-original-width="229" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj23r2F68PUnibUbzJFxa3PoIpXZj1VaWg3lxiTXGwawAHUkOKZHTuXILCNK9UcEVbSon7rKyRi4nxQolnJoD_8igRtJ1oWbx9NBXEf7CpWRuZ-MP2xYifsUaTAtCanE-YjIFZTjY338WMx/s320/shadow+lions.jpg" width="211" /></a></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Three Stars<o:p></o:p></span></span></h4>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Ten years ago, Matthias graduated from the
prestigious Blackburne boarding school, shortly after his best friend and
roommate Fritz disappeared. Matthias and Fritz had had an argument about the
school’s strict honour code, after which Fritz took off into the woods and was
never seen again. While a search for the young man was conducted, he was
eventually declared legally dead by his family – a decision that destroyed
Matthias’ relationship with Fritz’ sister. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Ever since Fritz disappeared, Matthias has carried
the guilt for his part in their argument. Living in New York City as a
successful novelist, Matthias' career has stalled and his most recent relationship
has ended. He is at his lowest, feeling like a failure as a writer and as a
man. He never wanted to return to Blackburne, but when he is offered a job
teaching English there, it suddenly feels like a lifeline. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Two stone lions guard the gate of Blackburne school,
and when Matthias passes under them, all his old feelings return. Once he is
back on campus, he quickly gets wrapped up in an investigation into Fritz’s
disappearance – meanwhile, he is pulled into faculty politics and the tragic
death of a student. Matthias’ search also leads back to Fritz’s wealthy and
powerful family, who may know more about the past than they let on.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US">Shadow of the
Lions</span></i><span lang="EN-US"> is a coming of age story that takes several
dark and surprising turns – it shows that sometimes growing up means leaving
the mysteries of the past behind. While I found the novel perhaps relied too
much on the readers’ previous knowledge of life at a boys’ boarding school –
which I do not have – I think the story was strong and the character
development was impressive. The plot kept me mostly intrigued, although it
could have been more concise, and the ending was kind of random and
implausible. It wasn’t all that suspenseful or surprising, but that wasn’t
really the point – it was more about Matthias’ growth through these unusual
experiences. While Fritz was the boy who disappeared, the impetus of the novel
is Matthias’ search for his own lost youth and ultimately for his place in the
world. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">I received this book from Algonquin Books and
NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09479750875384534726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023623476226015725.post-32063807336267860882017-09-11T19:52:00.001-07:002017-09-11T19:52:55.139-07:00A Killer Harvest - Paul Cleave
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Atria Books, August 1, 2017.<o:p></o:p></span></span></h3>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Three Stars<o:p></o:p></span></span></h4>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Joshua is a blind teenager who believes that his
vision impairment is part of a larger family curse that also caused the deaths
of his biological parents. Now the father who raised him, Detective Logan, has
been killed while investigating the murder of a young woman. The only good news
to come from this tragedy is that Joshua is being offered corneal implant
surgery to regain his vision – he will receive the eyes of his deceased surrogate
father. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">The surgery seems to be a success, but Joshua begins
to recognize people and places that he has never seen before. He sees and feels
memories that may have belonged to the previous owner of his transplanted
corneas – and not all of the memories seem to be coming from his father. It
soon comes to light that there has been a mix up at the hospital – Joshua received
one eye from Detective Logan, and one from the suspect that was killed by Logan’s
partner on that same morning. The images that come to Joshua from the eye of
the suspect, Simon Bower, show him the darkness that exists in his new world of
sight. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">In alternative chapters, Simon’s accomplice Vincent
wants revenge for the death of his friend. Logan’s surviving friends and family
become targets in his scheme, and he is getting increasingly closer to Joshua.
Meanwhile, he is also involved in the case of the murdered young woman, and the
disappearance of several others. Although Vincent is somewhat flat as a
character, the multiple points of view work well to form a full picture of the
events of the novel. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">I found the issue of cellular memory (Joshua’s
ability to “see” the memories of his eyes’ previous owners) to be very
interesting, and even if it isn’t based in scientific fact, I could suspend
disbelief and consider the possibilities. However, I just didn’t find the plot
to be particularly thrilling or scary. It was mostly just unbelievable and not
even that exciting. The characters were undeveloped and the dialogue was
stilted and unrealistic. The layered plot is what kept me reading, but when all
the threads came together in the end, it was disappointing. I enjoyed this
novel for what it was, and I would probably read something else by Cleave, but in
the end I found both the plot and the characters lacking in depth and
excitement. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">I received this book from Atria Books and NetGalley in
exchange for an honest review. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09479750875384534726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023623476226015725.post-18040337781535178742017-09-08T21:34:00.000-07:002017-09-08T21:34:04.578-07:00See What I Have Done - Sarah Schmidt
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Grove Atlantic, August 1, 2017.<o:p></o:p></span></span></h3>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Four Stars<o:p></o:p></span></span></h4>
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</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">The ax murder of Lizzie Borden’s parents is one of
the most fascinating and famous historical crimes of all time. Here it is
retold in the intimate tone of a domestic thriller – it is the story of a woman
raised in a violent, abusive home who yearns for freedom, and the dysfunctional
family that surrounds her.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">On August 4<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup>, 1892, the Borden house is
shaken by Lizzie’s screams – she has just discovered the bloody body of her
deceased father Andrew. As the police arrive and Lizzie is comforted by her
sister Emma and their maid Bridget, they soon discover another body upstairs.
It belongs to Lizzie’s stepmother Abby, and everyone is shocked that this
respected married couple with no known enemies should be brutally murdered. From
the outside, the Borden family had seemed perfect, but the reality is very different
– an angry father, a cruel stepmother, and the spinster sisters Emma and Lizzie
who are desperate to leave home and gain independence, at any cost. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Lizzie’s memories of the morning in question are
scattered and unclear, and Emma tries to help her get her story straight. We
revisit the crime scene through Lizzie’s troubled eyes, and her balancing act
on the edge of madness adds to the unsettling tone of the novel. The events
leading up to the double murder are slowly revealed by multiple narrators,
including Emma, Bridget, and a mysterious stranger named Benjamin who has
unusual insights into the Borden family. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">This novel is well-structured and exciting as it
exposes the secrets behind the unlikeable Borden family, and it somehow lends
sympathy to Lizzie even though she isn’t particularly likeable either. All of the
characters are strongly developed, not just Lizzie, which adds to the realism
of the story. There is also a solid sense of setting, with sensual descriptions
of the sights, smells and (especially) foods that make up the background. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Although Lizzie was tried for the murder of her
parents, she was eventually acquitted due to lack of evidence – however, she
was convicted by public opinion. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">See What
I Have Done</i> is a true crime story, fictionalized through dreamlike emotion
and the saturation of the senses. The missing hours before the discovery of the
dead bodies are handled especially well, and the emotions of the survivors are
convincing, lending themselves to the haunting atmosphere of this compelling novel.
<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">I received this book from Grove Atlantic and
NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09479750875384534726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023623476226015725.post-1783556161500773092017-09-02T20:23:00.000-07:002017-09-02T20:23:55.738-07:00The Lauras - Sara Taylor<br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Crown Publishing, August 1, 2017.<o:p></o:p></span></span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiiyw8zgWVQATdOjSmEh7cEWIagAW_gASR0j4_bDoxUWkBpAq4GS5Cs73bPLr2wH_N0XBZiKxf1VfLCxAIGbh-u_qHCaP-DO3mmLtmM_jygtZMPUWFZufQmUGSKBjaQBB9qVTzfxpiFFWU/s1600/lauras.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="346" data-original-width="230" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiiyw8zgWVQATdOjSmEh7cEWIagAW_gASR0j4_bDoxUWkBpAq4GS5Cs73bPLr2wH_N0XBZiKxf1VfLCxAIGbh-u_qHCaP-DO3mmLtmM_jygtZMPUWFZufQmUGSKBjaQBB9qVTzfxpiFFWU/s320/lauras.jpg" width="212" /></a></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Five Stars<o:p></o:p></span></span></h4>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">In the middle of the night, Ma pulls thirteen-year-old
Alex out of bed after one too many arguments with Alex’s father. Alex is
dragged to the car, and the two of them set out on a road trip with no
explanations. Alex only ever saw her as Ma, but suddenly she becomes a real,
complex person with a rich, dangerous past. Mother and child follow a cryptic
map of Ma’s childhood in foster care and as a teenager on the run – they travel
across the United States and eventually to Canada, keeping old promises and
tying up loose ends from Ma’s tumultuous past. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">The story is told from Alex’s perspective, and it is
complicated further by Alex’s own coming-of-age story – Alex is gender neutral,
identifying as neither male nor female. The novel contains a realistic and
sensitive portrayal of Alex’s sexual awakening – Alex is undecided yet
unconfused about gender identity, and surprisingly self-assured for such a
young person. Alex’s identity develops alongside Ma’s past, highlighting the
contrasts between the two stories. The pilgrimage to the past is necessary to
move forward and face an uncertain yet hopeful future.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Ma’s past includes several women named Laura, hence
the title – the Lauras are friends, mentors and lovers, but all of them are an
integral part of the mother’s development. Each location to which she brings
Alex requires the telling of stories and secrets that complicate Alex’s view of
Ma. However, after years of travel and life on the run, Alex also has unfinished
business to attend to, including a reconciliation with the father that was left
behind.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Both Alex and Ma have lived hard, heartbreaking lives
– but their reactions to life’s struggles showcase strength and resilience. The
mother is tough, gritty and often seems insensitive, but she supports Alex
completely. Their entire journey is an exploration of identity, and it
questions how much of who we are comes from a parent, and how much comes from
lived experiences. Alex has always been gender neutral, but Ma’s stories and support
allow Alex to be completely secure and comfortable with the decision to not be
just a boy or a girl. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">There are many complex stories to be told on this
journey, and they are sometimes overwhelming or distracting from the main
narrative, or seemingly told as a vehicle to interject certain beliefs into the
novel – but mostly Ma’s digressions are interesting and worthwhile for Alex’s development.
The language is stark yet emotional, with lyrical prose that finds beauty even
in the darkest moments. I completely enjoyed this immersive journey with Alex
and Ma, both of whom are the kind of characters we need to read about in the
world today.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">I received this book from Crown Publishing and
NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09479750875384534726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023623476226015725.post-66619633274004941782017-08-27T21:50:00.000-07:002017-08-27T21:50:23.926-07:00Pretend We Are Lovely - Noley Reid<br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Tin House Books, July 18, 2017.<o:p></o:p></span></span></h3>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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<span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> </span></o:p></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEM9-9cXOdh_xW2prCm1FgafqS9JjIzoncoey6FL-7OfoUxyYZ6vjx1DYd-hyJYcZI6IsGurtx7CmPfqp2IGh9DkTj8_NNKm2GnNXoH9uOL316OIbvuKci0MWJIBJJFbN1a2ejX-QAuQLV/s1600/pretend.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="346" data-original-width="224" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEM9-9cXOdh_xW2prCm1FgafqS9JjIzoncoey6FL-7OfoUxyYZ6vjx1DYd-hyJYcZI6IsGurtx7CmPfqp2IGh9DkTj8_NNKm2GnNXoH9uOL316OIbvuKci0MWJIBJJFbN1a2ejX-QAuQLV/s320/pretend.jpg" width="207" /></a></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Four Stars<o:p></o:p></span></span></h4>
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<span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US">Pretend We Are
Lovely</span></i><span lang="EN-US"> explores the lives of the Sobel family in
small town Virginia in the 1980s. The parents, Francie and Tate, are recently
separated and the entire family is still dealing with the aftermath of the
death of their son/brother seven years previous – the boy died under suspicious
circumstances, and Francie carries the blame for his loss.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Francie has always struggled with food, but with her
estranged husband out of the house, her eating disorder has completely taken
over the family. She compulsively weighs each item she eats and records the
calories in a notebook kept in the kitchen. Her daughters, ten-year-old Enid
and thirteen-year-old Vivvy, cannot help but observe their mother’s obsessive
behaviour regarding food, and it affects them both dramatically. In contrast,
their father Tate brings the girls unhealthy snacks such as donuts, sneaking
them into the house behind their mother’s back. Because of both parents, the
girls end up having complicated relationships with food, often confusing nourishment
(or its denial) with love. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">We witness the lives of the Sobel family over the
course of one summer vacation, in which the girls are mostly left to their own
devices. Francie is lost in her own world of food obsession, and college
professor Tate has begun an affair with a nineteen-year-old student – likely
transferring his paternal feelings from his estranged daughters to another young
girl. Enid and Vivvy, meanwhile, are on their own – Enid binge eating while
Vivvy starves herself, and both girls experiment with the boy next door. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">As Francie spirals out of control, starving herself
and eventually disappearing, the rest of the family is damaged almost beyond
repair. The level of dysfunction at play here is difficult to read, as the
girls are taught to confuse hunger with desire – to fit in, to be loved, to be
forgiven, and much more. The alternating point of view chapters create a strong
narrative in which the painful misunderstandings between family members are
highlighted. All of them are keeping secrets, but each character knows more
about the others than they think. This novel is an intimate, voyeuristic view
of gritty and believable familial dysfunction.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">The shifting relationships between the family members
are realistic and their distinct voices are insightful and raw. Although it
took some time, I felt connected to all the characters as they evolved, despite
or even because of their flaws. The story is often depressing, and it was
painful to see the dangerous effects of the parents’ behaviour on their
impressionable children – but even so, the novel is filled with a tenuous sense
of hope that the family can come back together and even thrive. I was very
impressed with Reid’s writing and I would love to read more by this talented
author. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">I received this book from Tin House Books and
NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09479750875384534726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023623476226015725.post-33920889826076069792017-08-24T15:46:00.000-07:002017-08-24T15:46:02.176-07:00The Lying Game - Ruth Ware<br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Simon & Schuster, July 25, 2017.</span></span></h3>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><o:p></o:p></span></span> </h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2mLktN9a9efosUyhHGwaYkdR5Kbk5b3MHD30dkKmgsJS9pyzjMIcjN4BDO0jGIbQxni7SaeLN-NeKTcW5zMflpL9aMzaz1rJdirvNRtEd2DDINEXSjGzcM288sZhwWlQJbmyQnCln8jj4/s1600/lying+game.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="338" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2mLktN9a9efosUyhHGwaYkdR5Kbk5b3MHD30dkKmgsJS9pyzjMIcjN4BDO0jGIbQxni7SaeLN-NeKTcW5zMflpL9aMzaz1rJdirvNRtEd2DDINEXSjGzcM288sZhwWlQJbmyQnCln8jj4/s320/lying+game.jpg" width="216" /></a></div>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">
</span><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Three Stars<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Isa is a new mom in her early thirties with a
successful career as a lawyer, when she gets a text from a childhood friend
that brings her back to her boarding school days. The text is from her friend
Kate, who still lives in her crumbling childhood home on the marshes of Salten,
and it only consists of three words: “I need you.” Isa doesn’t hesitate when
she packs up baby Freya, tells her husband she is going to a high school
reunion, and jumps on a train to Salten.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Kate and Isa were also close to two other girls at
school, Thea and Fatima. As the novel alternates between the past and the
present, we learn about the complicated dynamic between the girls. They meet on
the first day of the school year and are quickly introduced to “the lying game,”
in which the girls award each other points for telling outlandish yet convincing
lies. There are only a few rules to the game, but the most important is that
the girls never lie to each other. They trust each other with their deepest
secrets, but how well do they really know each other?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Now, many years later, the friends are reunited in
Salten, where they town is desolate and decaying, and Kate’s family home is
falling slowly into the sea. Fatima and Thea received the cryptic text as well,
and when all the women arrive, Kate reveals why she has summoned them – a body
has washed up on the shores of the marsh, and it may be connected to the
secrets and lies of their boarding school days. The only way to keep their
secret is continuing to play the lying game.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">This is a thriller, but it has a slower, darker pace –
until the tense atmosphere is escalated at the end. It is more complex than
some thrillers, and yet it is implausible in many ways. The urgency that brings
the girls back together seems especially contrived and unnecessary. I found Isa
to be melodramatic and immature, although all the main characters are
well-developed and distinct – in fact, I think it might have been better if the
narration alternated between all four of the girls. Although she narrated the
entire novel, Isa was actually the least interesting character – but maybe she
was also the most relatable because she was so generic. However, even with
these minor flaws, I found this novel to be very entertaining and
unpredictable, and I sped through it to find out the girls’ secrets, and the
consequences of the lying game. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">I received this book from Simon & Schuster and
NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09479750875384534726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023623476226015725.post-23975031534517106552017-08-20T15:50:00.000-07:002017-08-20T15:50:01.461-07:00Conversations with Friends - Sally Rooney<br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Crown Publishing, July 11, 2017.<o:p></o:p></span></span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKmZgi9ho3Efo3eceJdtdlf3zk-qo1I12rc9_TNy-8H6sa8WHTalDOYVIHBX3DzzC_lzjJzIRK5zCqFdlUAeWrMU8u7iMoKfkgdlJZUnukiFWtmrmBJc-G7yAim_t5fOzQ0NBcDxvhfwj6/s1600/convo+friends.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="346" data-original-width="229" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKmZgi9ho3Efo3eceJdtdlf3zk-qo1I12rc9_TNy-8H6sa8WHTalDOYVIHBX3DzzC_lzjJzIRK5zCqFdlUAeWrMU8u7iMoKfkgdlJZUnukiFWtmrmBJc-G7yAim_t5fOzQ0NBcDxvhfwj6/s320/convo+friends.jpg" width="211" /></a></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Four Stars<o:p></o:p></span></span></h4>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US">Conversations
with Friends</span></i><span lang="EN-US"> is an intense character study, following
the lives of two young women who were once lovers and are now best friends. Frances
and Bobbi are twenty-one-year-old college students in Dublin, where they
perform spoken-word poetry in night clubs and interact with the various artists
and literati of the city. One night they meet photo-journalist Melissa, who
wants to write an article about their work, and their lives are changed
forever.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Frances is cool and calm in the face of strong
emotion – she is darkly funny and yet deeply serious. Bobbi is beautiful and
confident, and often self-involved when it comes to understanding the emotions
of others. When the two young women are thrown into the lives of Melissa and
her handsome actor husband Nick, their beliefs about themselves and others are
challenged in unexpected ways. Bobbi, who is confident in her attraction to
women, becomes obsessed with Melissa. Meanwhile, sexually-ambiguous Frances
finds Nick intriguing despite herself – he is apathetic yet attractive, and she
can’t help but seek him out to spend more time with him. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">At the start, Frances is mostly amused by her
flirtation with Nick – it is as if she is practicing for a more meaningful
future relationship, both in conversations and in the bedroom. She sees him as
a negative symbol of wealth and patriarchy, which is ironic because it doesn’t
bother her that her dad pays her bills. Frances’ analysis of her own thoughts
and feelings are self-conscious, and her intellectual debates with friends will
make you cringe with their self-aware awkwardness. In her naivete, Frances
explores the complications of intimacy, and the misunderstandings that stem
from email and messenger conversations – feelings are often confused, and both
Nick and Frances assume the other is cold and lacking emotion when in fact it
is simply lost in translation.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Throughout the novel, Frances’ various relationships
take on new meanings and fill new roles in her life – with Bobbi, with her
mother and father, and especially with Nick and even Melissa. Intellectual
stimulation is the most important aspect of Frances’ life, and yet she is
forced to reconcile herself to the physical world as well. She has always
placed mind over body, but eventually health concerns force her to pay
attention to her physicality and put herself first.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">The conversations between friends, lovers,
acquaintances, and even adversaries are always at the forefront of this intelligent,
thought-provoking novel. It is a novel of ideas, although they are always
applied thoughtfully to the characters and their development. At first this
reminded me of another 2017 novel, Elif Batuman’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Idiot</i> – both books feature a naïve young female protagonist,
using deadpan humour and probing intelligence to explore a troubling
relationship in the age of the internet. However, Frances is much less
endearing and less likeable, which isn’t necessary a bad thing. The problem for
me was the ending, in which it didn’t seem that Frances truly developed or
changed at all – despite all her experiences, there was no real growth, and
that was disappointing. However, the strength of this novel is in its concepts
and conversations, written in a unique prose style that I savoured throughout
Frances’ oddly compelling journey – despite or maybe because of Frances’ many
issues, I found this book impossible to put down and I will be seeking out more
by the talented Sally Rooney.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">I received this book from Crown Publishing and
NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09479750875384534726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023623476226015725.post-22729169837354636232017-08-15T18:29:00.000-07:002017-08-15T18:29:31.532-07:00Fierce Kingdom - Gin Phillips<h3>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Random House Canada, July 4, 2017.<o:p></o:p></span></span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifhvlJXAjkD4FocGjBL-N9il3ILr1xwzHqMtugym7tOm-P05D9mTwdVo0mY2TpgJdZZKwDLQVucOo7wUHpjToQPFVe_Kf3K5wYch6fmZDo8K-2hsZOSGr0aZVMHqb7qJfbHu8JDhhB_56k/s1600/fierce+kingdom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="346" data-original-width="229" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifhvlJXAjkD4FocGjBL-N9il3ILr1xwzHqMtugym7tOm-P05D9mTwdVo0mY2TpgJdZZKwDLQVucOo7wUHpjToQPFVe_Kf3K5wYch6fmZDo8K-2hsZOSGr0aZVMHqb7qJfbHu8JDhhB_56k/s320/fierce+kingdom.jpg" width="211" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US">Fierce Kingdom</span></i><span lang="EN-US"> is a terrifying novel about the lengths a mother will go to in
order to protect her child. Joan and her four-year-old son Lincoln are spending
a fun and relaxing day at the zoo, when they hear what sounds like fireworks in
the distance. At the end of the long day, they head toward the front gates and
encounter a shocking scene – there are armed gunmen at the exit, standing over
bloody bodies on the ground.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Thinking fast, Joan grabs Lincoln and runs back into
the labyrinth of the zoo – and she keeps running for the next three hours,
right up until the novel’s thrilling ending. Luckily, Joan has spent a lot of
time at the zoo, and she remembers an empty exhibit where they can hide until
the police arrive. She has her cell phone and is able to contact her husband,
who tells her that the police are on their way – but soon after she is forced
to throw her phone away to distract the gunmen, leaving her at the mercy of the
dark zoo at night.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Staying just a step ahead of danger, Joan encounters
another small group of people who are also on the run – but working together
puts her and Lincoln in more danger. Joan quickly realizes the sacrifices she is
willing to make to save her child, and she is shocked by her own actions. The
novel questions our duty towards other people in contrast to our animal
instinct to survive with our own loved ones. The zoo setting is important
because it shows the humans that are trapped there as nothing more than animals
in a cage, desperate to survive – suddenly life is pared down to the essentials
of food, shelter and staying alive.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Most of the story is told from Joan’s perspective,
but we do meet some other characters, including one of the gunmen. Learning
about his motivations for the attack is intriguing, and the behaviour between
the men becomes increasingly animalistic as well. Each narrator also has
flashbacks describing their life before the zoo attack, which are emotional and
compelling, fleshing out these characters into three-dimensional people. The
background stories increase the stakes, as we become invested in the survival
of Joan, Lincoln and the others.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">The events at the zoo aren’t always realistic, but it’s
certainly a believable situation that could happen to anyone at any time. The
difficult decisions of motherhood become clear and concise, as Joan sacrifices
everyone and everything – even herself – to protect Lincoln. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Fierce Kingdom</i> is a thrilling story,
difficult to put down and exciting from start to finish. This is a great summer
read that will likely be one of the most popular books of the season, and well
worth reading.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">I received this book from Random House Canada and
NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09479750875384534726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023623476226015725.post-63766744993114287582017-08-12T19:20:00.000-07:002017-08-12T19:20:34.773-07:00When the English Fall - David Williams<br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Algonquin Books, July 11, 2017.<o:p></o:p></span></span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxxZJ1QvG-6OlaqbcMv4YHKAcDsdkNM_tDYE2FAQNw2Uc6nKJCFWKO4PHC-n_SHGdN8M-wfDPyHro5bUaPJU629EjVlSayDo7U-w55xsiMkeWPyaNmWVIgpyntcTWP0sRleqLqDeCsyUfO/s1600/english+fall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="346" data-original-width="235" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxxZJ1QvG-6OlaqbcMv4YHKAcDsdkNM_tDYE2FAQNw2Uc6nKJCFWKO4PHC-n_SHGdN8M-wfDPyHro5bUaPJU629EjVlSayDo7U-w55xsiMkeWPyaNmWVIgpyntcTWP0sRleqLqDeCsyUfO/s320/english+fall.jpg" width="216" /></a></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Three Stars<o:p></o:p></span></span></h4>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US">When the
English Fall</span></i><span lang="EN-US"> chronicles the lives of the peaceful
farmers in an Amish community in Pennsylvania. When a catastrophic solar storm
leads to the collapse of the “English” (the Amish name for any non-Amish
people), the community continues its self-sufficient way of life. Meanwhile,
the world around them has effectively come to an end. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Modern life is at a stand-still – with no electricity
and no way of trading, the English soon run out of food. In contrast, the Amish
have storerooms full of meat and vegetables, as well as their ongoing crops in
the field. It proves to be too much of a temptation to the people around them,
who become desperate and invade the Amish farms. Instead of trying to work
together, the English come with violence that they wreak on the peaceable
community.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">The story is told through the diary of a farmer named
Jacob, who lives on the land with his wife, son and daughter. The daughter has
had seizures in the past in which she foresees the fall of the English – where she
was once an outcast for this oddity, she is now viewed as a prophet for the
Amish community. I thought that the daughter’s role could have been a much
stronger part of the story – there were some really good plot elements that
were left unexplored. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">The novel begins with the discovery of Jacob’s diary
by the military, years after the apocalypse. Again, I thought this aspect of
the plot would be developed much further – I kept waiting for the timelines to
come together, but the novel ended suddenly and without resolution. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">When the English Fall</i> has the potential
to be an excellent examination of civilization and what is left when it is
stripped down to its core – especially when a non-violent community must
consider taking up arms to defend itself. Overall, it was just too short and
lacking in depth. However, if the author chose to develop this plot further, I think
it could be something great.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">I received this book from Algonquin Books and
NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09479750875384534726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023623476226015725.post-81708676908087114772017-08-08T16:01:00.000-07:002017-08-08T16:01:28.862-07:00We Shall Not All Sleep - Estep Nagy<br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Bloomsbury, July 4, 2017.<o:p></o:p></span></span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US">We Shall Not
All Sleep</span></i><span lang="EN-US"> covers the events of three summer days in
1964, on a small island in New England. Seven Island is shared by two wealthy families,
the Hillsingers and the Quicks – although technically related by marriage, there
is animosity between the families and they do not mix with each other. However,
the events of these three days draw them together in unexpected ways.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Lila and Hannah are sisters that have married Jim Hillsinger
and Billy Quick, respectively. The sisters hold the families together, although
there is little communication between them. However, on the anniversary of
Hannah’s death, Lila finds herself drawn to her brother-in-law Billy –
especially as her husband Jim pulls away from her. Recently ousted from his
career at the CIA due to allegations of treason, Jim is desperate to control
his environment, and he begins by sending his twelve-year-old son Catta to
neighbouring Baffin Island to “become a man.” <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">The story takes place at the height of the Cold War
and McCarthyism, and the historical aspects of the novel were the most
compelling for me. Hannah was once a member of the Communist Party, and before
her death, her past came back to haunt her – her story is told in flashbacks as
she is persecuted for something she never even really believed in. There is
intrigue and mystery in Hannah’s story. Then there are the more literary issues
of class, wealth and family conflict on Seven Island. Finally, there is also
Catta’s boyhood adventure on Baffin Island. The novel jumps between these three
plots and really three different genres, and it’s sometimes hard to follow.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">There is also a very large cast of characters, who
are often confusing and difficult to keep track of. The narration moves around
rapidly, within each chapter, and I found it very distracting. There were a lot
of good parts, but ultimately there was too much going on and too many separate
stories – they would have been much more satisfying if taken separately and
embellished on, instead of being forced to fit together. The writing is strong
and ambitious, but the narration is messy and meandering. I think this novel would
benefit from having tighter focus on the main plot, but Nagy is still a talented
writer to watch in the future. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">I received this book from Bloomsbury and NetGalley in
exchange for an honest review. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09479750875384534726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023623476226015725.post-46533714072420255672017-07-31T17:46:00.000-07:002017-07-31T17:46:11.715-07:00All is Beauty Now - Sarah Faber<h3>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">McClelland & Stewart, August 29, 2017.<o:p></o:p></span></span></h3>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">In this debut novel by Canadian author Sarah Faber, the
setting is the lush and vibrant landscape of 1960s Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. From
the glamorous wealth of the Copacabana Club to the squalor of the neighbouring
fishing villages, the contradictions of Brazil come brilliantly to life. The novel
follows the privileged Maurer family as they prepare to leave sunny Rio for the
cooler climate of Canada. However, as the date of departure approaches, one
family member suddenly disappears without explanation.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Hugo and Dora Maurer have three daughters, but it is
their oldest, Luiza, who is known for her ethereal beauty. One day, while at
the beach with her younger sisters, Luiza goes out for a swim and never returns.
Luiza is presumed drowned and, although no body is ever discovered, a funeral
is held for the young woman. The Maurers stay in Rio for another year after her
disappearance, but finally begin once again to prepare to leave Brazil. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Luiza’s father Hugo is a brilliant and charismatic
man who is also bipolar – he suffers from thrilling highs and dark lows. Luiza
has always been expected to care for her father, and yet she doesn’t resent him
– instead, she idolizes his creativity and intelligence, and resents her mother
for trying to keep him medicated. As a Canadian citizen, Hugo will receive free
health care in Canada, which is why Dora is pushing to return there. However,
Hugo and the girls wish to stay in Rio, where Hugo’s extreme moods are accepted
and even encouraged in some ways. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Dora has always been loyal to her mercurial husband,
although she once had an affair that still haunts her – and her family – in unexpected
ways. The younger sisters, Evie and Magda, don’t always understand what is
going on around them, yet they are still affected by the dark moods and ominous
feelings that surround them. In the shadow of the loss of Luiza, the entire
family struggles to move forward and make peace with the past. However, when
Dora learns that there may be a way to find out more about her daughter’s final
days, she embarks on her own journey and leaves the remaining family behind.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">The flashbacks to Luiza’s last months are told in
alternating points of view, allowing each family member to express themselves –
and all the characters, including the children, are captured extremely well. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">All is Beauty Now</i> explores the ugly reality
of mental illness, and the price we pay for loving a person who struggles with
it. This is a dark, intense story filled with lush, beautiful language, and I look
forward to whatever Faber writes next.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">I received this book from McClelland & Stewart
and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09479750875384534726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023623476226015725.post-49080140249319559492017-07-27T15:00:00.000-07:002017-07-27T15:00:20.073-07:00The Recipient - Dean Mayes<br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Central Avenue Publishing, May 1, 2016.<o:p></o:p></span></span></h3>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Casey is a bright and vibrant student, backpacking
with friends when she contracts a deadly tropical disease. Her condition leads
to cardiac failure, and she is in desperate and sudden need of a heart
transplant. Casey’s parents are devastated, and begin to say their goodbyes to
their only daughter – but at the last minute, a viable heart is found and Casey
is given a second chance at life.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Healthwise, Casey is back to normal after completing
the required rehabilitation – but emotionally, she is like a completely
different person. Quiet and withdrawn, Casey begins to avoid her family. Her
agoraphobia is brought on by fear and the violent nightmares that keep her
awake at night. She resorts to extreme measures to stay awake, including drugs
and other borderline criminal activities – even her job as a computer hacker
straddles the line of legitimate work, catching the attention of local police.
However, no matter what she does, the night terrors continue to get worse.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">After Casey injures herself while in the midst of a
nightmare, her grandfather comes to live with her in order to monitor her health.
With his help, Casey decides that the only way the nightmares will stop is if
she discovers their source once and for all. She begins a frantic search to get
to the root of the problem, putting her health and wellbeing at risk once
again. Along the way, Casey makes a shocking discovery about the donor of her
heart, who was killed in suspicious and potentially violent circumstances. As
she delves deeper, Casey realizes that her dreams may be based in reality, and
she cannot trust anyone around her.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">There’s not much else I can say without spoiling the
fun of letting this thriller unfold for the reader. Casey’s story has great
pacing – it’s plot-driven, but also has interesting characters, even in the
background. The medical and technological issues are not completely explained
in a convincing way, but it didn’t matter because the story was fun and
exciting enough to carry me along. The novel is packed with intrigue, terror
and villains, and even though there are paranormal aspects, it’s easy to
suspend disbelief and just go with it. It also happens to have an Australian
setting, and the backdrop of Melbourne and the surrounding areas are interesting
while not distracting from the story. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Recipient</i> has its flaws, but the entertainment value makes it well worth the
read.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">I received this book from Central Avenue Publishing
and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09479750875384534726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023623476226015725.post-33007727192142112692017-07-23T20:46:00.000-07:002017-07-23T20:46:02.476-07:00Be Ready for the Lightning - Grace O'Connell<div style="text-align: center;">
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Random House Canada, June 6, 2017.<o:p></o:p></span></span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipuQ4uh_WEe2exal8shzWOOx82CqXnRE7v9ibLNtfdOAx9DIhG7j1NRPTqXhESatTyy_Wocmf2dTzO2TSe786sjtwJhw3c2bOdNSg0Afkzhxoj8mHToo2AI6gDTHjXBmNCJYJ7Nl3D8PAT/s1600/lightning.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="346" data-original-width="243" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipuQ4uh_WEe2exal8shzWOOx82CqXnRE7v9ibLNtfdOAx9DIhG7j1NRPTqXhESatTyy_Wocmf2dTzO2TSe786sjtwJhw3c2bOdNSg0Afkzhxoj8mHToo2AI6gDTHjXBmNCJYJ7Nl3D8PAT/s320/lightning.jpg" width="224" /></a></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Four Stars<o:p></o:p></span></span></h4>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US">Be Ready for
the Lightning</span></i><span lang="EN-US"> is a fascinating story about a
hostage situation on a New York City bus, as experienced by a young woman named
Veda, and the long-lasting connection she feels for her attacker. The novel is
punctuated by this extreme event, but it is also a close-up look at Veda’s life
before and after the incident, and her complicated relationship with her
brother Conrad and their childhood friends.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Veda and
Conrad grew up in Vancouver with loving parents and a close-knit group of
friends, including Conrad’s best friend Ted, and siblings Annie and Al. Veda
always had a crush on Ted, but it is not until he returns to Vancouver in their
early twenties that they begin a relationship, which is plagued by Ted’s
excessive drinking. Veda and Conrad had always been very close as children, but
Conrad’s violent tendencies – possibly caused by a childhood head injury – are increasingly
out of control. When Veda is injured as a bystander to one of Conrad’s bar
fights, she decides it’s time for a fresh start.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">She ends things with Ted and leaves her career as an
audiologist to move to Manhattan and stay with Al and his new wife Marie. While
out looking for an apartment and exploring the city, Veda gets on a bus that
ends up changing her life. The bus is hijacked by a mentally unstable man named
Peter who is obsessed with <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Peter Pan</i>
and thinks he can “save” the passengers by shooting them and taking them to
Neverland with him. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">We do not know the complete outcome of the hostage
situation until the last line of the novel, as it is interspersed with Veda’s
backstory in Vancouver. The two timelines gradually merge, until we are able to
see the aftermath of the shocking, unpredictable incident and its ongoing
effects on Veda and the people who love her. Although this dramatic event is at
the centre of the novel, it is most of all a character study, exploring the
relationships between siblings and the bonds of childhood friends. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">The literary connection to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Peter Pan</i> can be found in more than just Peter’s love for the story
– it can also be found in the siblings’ history of living with secrets, and
refusing to grow up. Veda is able to connect with Peter because of her own
unstable brother, although Conrad is troubled in a very different way. Veda
loves unconditionally, not only Conrad but Ted too, and her obsession with
Peter becomes yet another unhealthy relationship filled with misplaced loyalty.
There is much to explore in this novel, and the depth of character is impressive.
I really enjoyed the tight balance of thriller and psychological character
study, and I will certainly read more by Grace O’Connell.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">I received this book from Random House Canada and
NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09479750875384534726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023623476226015725.post-38231919691294007162017-07-20T19:31:00.001-07:002017-07-20T19:31:43.136-07:00The Devil and Webster - Jean Hanff Korelitz
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Faber & Faber, April 6, 2017.<o:p></o:p></span></span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwP822oPMNEQB-L0puCkC8m8dRLSuaKyiJhDIXng64HeIU4xdLHQeo7JK4mLTASyej9fGiKwJp6AALAn8e4PAUgYsFnnfqBN1Tbpt2i8z_71BuW3Wi9IIJgQOcb1FiGDLQ3MELN1F06Cu-/s1600/devil.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="333" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwP822oPMNEQB-L0puCkC8m8dRLSuaKyiJhDIXng64HeIU4xdLHQeo7JK4mLTASyej9fGiKwJp6AALAn8e4PAUgYsFnnfqBN1Tbpt2i8z_71BuW3Wi9IIJgQOcb1FiGDLQ3MELN1F06Cu-/s320/devil.jpg" width="213" /></a></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Three Stars<o:p></o:p></span></span></h4>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Naomi Roth is the first female president of Webster College,
a small liberal arts school in Massachusetts. Once a conservative missionary
school with the mandate of educating Native Americans, Webster is now popular
with progressive, politically-active students who want to make a difference in
the world. The students often hold protests at The Stump, a meeting place in
the middle of campus. However, the current protest is getting out of hand, and
Naomi is losing control.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">As a former student radical herself, Naomi encourages
her daughter Hannah to express her opinions – so she is not surprised when
Hannah, who is a student at Webster, joins the protest. She isn’t worried,
until she realizes that the students are camped out at The Stump, and gaining members
every day. They are ostensibly protesting the denial of tenure for a popular
professor, but Naomi thinks that their cause is somewhat silly – compared to
her own former radical protests – and will end after a few chilly nights.
Instead, the encampment escalates to the point that Naomi’s job is threatened. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">The protest grows, eventually leading to acts of
vandalism that destabilize the security of the campus. The issue is further
complicated when Omar Khayal, a Palestinian student, emerges as the group’s de
facto leader – and as secrets are revealed about Omar’s past, Naomi realizes
that the campus may be in serious danger. There are other complicated issues of
race, such as the fact that the untenured professor is African-American, leading
the students to suggest race as a motive for the negative tenure decision. While
the students’ dissent is at first encouraged, things soon go too far. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">As the crisis escalates and Naomi loses control of
the Webster campus, she struggles to protect those around her – especially her
daughter. Although we do see other perspectives, Naomi is the main protagonist,
and her view is compelling because she finds herself in a difficult position –
not only at Webster, but with Hannah as well. From her new position of power,
she underestimates both Hannah and the other students, even though Naomi
herself is more comfortable in the role of protester. She gradually learns the
extent that she is willing to compromise her ethical values.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">The novel struggles with problems such as a slow,
meandering pace and too much unnecessary description. The first half especially
was weighed down with details that added little to the story. However, the plot
itself is timely and compelling – but overall it moved too slowly to hold my
attention. I did enjoy the various discussions about the political protests,
and the emphasis on the importance of appearance vs. reality in current events –
especially the idea that we need to be educated about any cause we choose to
support, in a world where facts can be so easily manipulated and distorted.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">I received this book from Faber & Faber and
NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09479750875384534726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023623476226015725.post-27758986845316160622017-07-17T21:23:00.001-07:002017-07-17T21:23:43.665-07:00He Said / She Said - Erin Kelly
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">St. Martin’s Press, June 6, 2017.<o:p></o:p></span></span></h3>
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<span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span></o:p></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJKwo_I_181et89Z5QDMywShgHHIBMzxwu0vxcvFsFICH3E0BJzj9OQvMTl3oxJF1KTuQtvmHVl3PQr4v-dx0oCl-aTnjJyrhajjlkgE5UPO7Xz0mxale5nljc9e5DbxDCZk-9-naOHNJW/s1600/he+said.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="346" data-original-width="228" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJKwo_I_181et89Z5QDMywShgHHIBMzxwu0vxcvFsFICH3E0BJzj9OQvMTl3oxJF1KTuQtvmHVl3PQr4v-dx0oCl-aTnjJyrhajjlkgE5UPO7Xz0mxale5nljc9e5DbxDCZk-9-naOHNJW/s320/he+said.jpg" width="210" /></a></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Four Stars<o:p></o:p></span></span></h4>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">In 1999, Laura and Kit had a seemingly perfect
relationship. The two met in their early twenties, fell in love, and began to
travel the world. Kit is an “eclipse chaser,” and Laura became enamoured with
the hobby as well, as they experienced the magnificent events at festivals
worldwide. Although Kit has family issues, their lives seem to be on track for
the most part – happy, health and in love.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Now, in 2015, Kit and Laura are still together, but
their circumstances are very different. Married and expecting a baby, the
couple have changed their names and hidden their identities, living in fear
after witnessing a shocking crime at an eclipse festival. Years before in rural
England, the two of them stumbled across the aftermath of a violent sexual
assault. They did everything right, including calling the cops and getting
medical help for the victim – but then the suspect turned himself in and told
the police it was a consensual encounter. Not sure who to believe, Kit truthfully
tells his side of the story in court. Laura, however, knows the jury is
inclined to believe the wealthy, successful accused rapist – so she embellishes
her story to protect the victim, Beth. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">After the rapist is convicted, Beth tracks down Laura
to thank her for what she did – but Laura is afraid of Kit finding out that she
lied on the witness stand. She is nervous around Beth, but at the same time the
two women forge a strong connection based on their shared experience. Beth
begins spending most of her time with Kit and Laura, even staying at their
apartment, but Kit remains suspicious of this emotional, unstable woman. It is
not until strange things begin happening around the apartment, including a
near-fatal fire, that Laura is convinced that Beth is not what she seems.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Meanwhile, Laura is also receiving threatening
letters from the convicted rapist, who is still appealing the charges years
later. She hides this from Kit too – to protect him, but also to hide the lies
that she told. Laura is unlikeable and unreliable, but as Kit slowly reveals
his side of the story, we learn that he is very different than the naïve,
gentle man that he seems to be. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">The novel jumps around from 1999/2000 and the events
of Beth’s assault, to the present in 2015. When we learn how Laura and Kit
saved Beth from her attacker, it seems impossible that they now live in fear of
her finding them, leaving us to wonder how things could get so bad. The
alternating narrative of Laura and Kit fills in the blanks, as the shocking
reveals just keep coming. In 2015, Kit is journeying to the Faroe Islands to
see an eclipse, leaving his very pregnant wife at home – their separation is
the catalyst for Beth’s reappearance in their lives, and the culmination of
Laura’s obsession and paranoia. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">The symbolism of the eclipse hovers over every scene
in the book, emphasizing the contrast between the light and the shadows – as
the truth comes out, the reader realizes that we are still in the dark about so
many things. As the characters reveal themselves, our sympathies shift between
them, leaving us to wonder who are the “he” and “she” of the title, and whether
any of the characters can be believed. This is a character-driven novel,
peopled with complex, realistic narrators – but it also has an impressively
strong plot, that keeps the surprises coming right up until the last scene, and
the ending does not disappoint. This novel definitely lives up to the hype –
it’s everything a taut, tense psychological thriller should be. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">I received this novel from Netgalley and St. Martin’s
Press in exchange for an honest review. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09479750875384534726noreply@blogger.com0