Julie is a high school senior who had her future planned out: leave her small Washington town and move to Portland for college with her boyfriend, SamJulie is a high school senior who had her future planned out: leave her small Washington town and move to Portland for college with her boyfriend, Sam. But then Sam dies and Julie's whole future is thrown into uncertainty. She can't seem to cope with life and she can't imagine going anywhere without him. Desperate to hear his voice again, she calls his cell phone... and Sam actually picks up. Neither of them know how they're able to talk again, but Julie feels like she's been given a second chance. They both know it can't last forever, but Julie really doesn't want to say goodbye, even though she knows Sam isn't there with her and wishes she could tell the others around her who are also hurting at his loss that he's still kind of with her, even though it is only temporary.
I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway and I'm so happy I did because I enjoyed this so much!! The writing was well done, the emotions were spot on, and I got completely swept away at the perfect blend of reality vs magical realism. The story was emotional, and I could easily understand exactly where Julie was coming from throughout the entire book. While this book certainly had a plot and showed plenty of interaction between Julie and other characters, the real hook here was her inner journey and her changing relationship with Sam. It was a quiet, emotional read instead of a fast-paced one. The book jumped back and forth between Julie's memories and showing what was going on in the present. This was done really well and was seamlessly integrated into the book, which made it absolutely perfect.
Once I started reading this, I kept wanting to read more just to see what would happen next and how it would all turn out. You know going into this that it can't possibly be a "happily ever after" ending, so I had no idea where it was going and had to hope that the author would do justice to the ending of such a strong book. He did! The ending in here was perfect, somehow both uplifting and bittersweet and definitely emotional. I thoroughly enjoyed this and am looking forward to reading whatever the author writes next. This is one of the most thoughtful young adult books that I've read in a long while, and I think the story in here will resonate with both teens and adults. ...more
I absolutely loved this book! I was intrigued by its description and the book managed to be even better than I'd hoped! The Church of America has pretI absolutely loved this book! I was intrigued by its description and the book managed to be even better than I'd hoped! The Church of America has pretty much taken over the country, with extremely devout, evangelical members everywhere waiting on the predicted Rapture; Vivian's parents are two of the Church's members, but Vivian herself doesn't understand it. The day after the anticipated Rapture, Vivian discovers her parents are missing and there are two holes in the ceiling above their bed. Thousands of others have vanished nationwide as well. Unsure what's happened but convinced there must be answers somewhere, Vivian ends up going on a road trip across the country with her best friend, Harp, and a new friend, Peter, trying to keep safe in a country where religious fervor has turned people crazy.
I typically tear through books quickly, but it took almost a week for me to read this, simply because I didn't have enough time to sit down and read more of it. While I continually wished I could have read this faster, it was actually almost nice to read at such a slow pace because the writing in here was so beautiful and the content so thought-provoking. I really savored it, going at a slower pace.
The story kept me interested throughout. I had no idea whether the Rapture actually had happened or if something else was going on, and I really liked the answers that came in the end. The journey to get there, as well, was great. The friendship between Vivian and Harp was really nicely portrayed, and I liked the addition of Peter as well. There was just such a nice balance in here.
One thing that the author did extremely well was demonstrate how crazy the country grew both before and after the Rapture. The scarier part was, a lot of the truly crazy things that happened stem from things that I can totally see actually happening. I think this is what made it so brilliant, basing the story on something like this - a predicted Rapture - and then taking it a step further to show how people react when they're so busy judging others for their beliefs, or lack thereof, and what would happen if a Rapture did indeed seem to happen. The tension in here was incredible - I continually went between excitement, fear, and suspense, unsure what would happen next.
The pacing was absolutely perfect, much like the character development. Vivian grows so much throughout this book, and I loved the various realizations she came to along the way. Everything was very understated, not heavy-handed, leading to so many parts that I just wanted to drink in. Vivian, Harp, Peter, and the others they met along their journey all felt real, not just characters in a book. I wanted to keep reading about them, know what would happen next, although I was extremely satisfied with the way this one ended: it answered most of my questions but left the door open to more - exactly what a book should do!
I can see how this book wouldn't be for everyone. As tense as it was, there really wasn't a lot of action and there's a large personal/internal journey as well as the outer road trip. For me, however, this was everything that I wanted and then more. So thought-provoking, sweet, complex, and just plain engrossing.
I received a free advanced copy of this book through the First Reads program....more
2.5 stars. The book opens with Emily, a 13-year-old loner, finding a body in the woods. Instead of telling anyone about it, she decides to keep the di2.5 stars. The book opens with Emily, a 13-year-old loner, finding a body in the woods. Instead of telling anyone about it, she decides to keep the discovery to herself. The story then jumps around between different viewpoints. There's Susanna, Emily's teacher whose sister has gone missing and whose husband doesn't seem supportive; Wyatt, an older factory worker who lets himself get bullied by younger coworkers and whose only companion is his dog; Christopher, Emily's classmate and crush who's kind of a bully; and Tony, a baseball player turned detective, investigating Susanna's missing sister. As life goes on, everyone's life seems complicated and everyone seems to have secrets they don't want revealed.
I expected this book to be a thriller, in part because of the plot (a body is discovered in the very first chapter!) and also because there's a blurb on the front cover from Gillian Flynn, author of Gone Girl. Yet this book is far from a thriller; instead, it was more of a character study or character exploration. Much time is spent on each character, describing their history, their current life, their failed hopes and dreams... Everyone seemed miserable. It reminded me a lot of J.K. Rowling's The Casual Vacancy, which also had a loose plot with the main focus on the day-to-day lives of unhappy characters in a small town.
While this book was nicely written and the characters quite detailed, it seemed as if so much time was spent developing the characters that the thin plot suffered. It took over half the book for anyone else to find out about the body that Emily discovered. In the meantime, all the happened was day-to-day life, filled with bullying, arguments, frustrations, and a general sense of hopelessness instead of hope. The author successfully brought to life all the characters in a way that made them seem real instead of fictional - how could they not seem real with all their backstory and problems? - but I had a hard time truly caring about them because everyone seemed so unhappy yet unwilling to actually take action and change their lot in life. For example, Susanna realizes that her husband has never been supportive of her, has never liked her sister, and never helped with childrearing. She'd gone out of her way to hide the times when she actually saw her sister because she knew her husband wouldn't approve! Yet even after she realizes this, she doesn't really do much about it. Another example is the fact that Wyatt hates his younger coworkers but refuses to stand up for himself when they continually belittle him; instead, he tries to win their acceptance by going along with whatever they say. These are obviously traits that many people have in reality, but because all the characters in this book were so down on their luck and taking no action to change it, it was hard to become attached to any of them. It was actually kind of depressing.
I kept reading because I was curious how the murder mystery would end: who was the killer? Why was the body in the woods? How would others find out about it? Would anyone reveal a big secret along the way? Would anyone actually taken action to change their life? The ending, unfortunately, wasn't particularly climactic. The reader discovers the killer's identity through a flashback to that night; there's no big chase for the killer and no real tension as the "mystery" reached its conclusion. Because of the lack of plot and the lack of tension, I barely cared. Perhaps this is a good depiction of real life, but it didn't make for a gripping novel.
The lack of a big plot or likable characters kept this book from being memorable. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't something I particularly liked or anything I'd recommend. With that said, if you enjoyed The Casual Vacancy because of its focus on unlikeable characters and their personal problems, this is probably something you'll love.
I received a free copy of this book through the FirstReads program....more
Amity and Sorrow are sisters whose mom, Amaranth, has driven far away from the only home they've ever known, trying to get away from that life. They'dAmity and Sorrow are sisters whose mom, Amaranth, has driven far away from the only home they've ever known, trying to get away from that life. They'd been living in a polygamist cult, where their father had 50 wives, of whom Amaranth was the first. Amaranth has now realized that she needs to get them away from that life, but she believes her husband will stop at nothing to find her and is desperate to stay hidden. The three women end up staying with a farmer named Bradley, who's kind of quiet and keeps to himself, and slowly learning about the world while there. Amity is shyly exploring what the new life has to offer, but Sorrow is depressed and psychotic about wanting to return home and will stop at nothing to make this happen.
The book's pacing is VERY slow. The writing is almost dreamlike, but not in a way that I enjoyed. So little happened, yet so many words were spent lingering over details and trite interactions that I often lost track of what - if anything - was going on. There were also scenes were names weren't immediately used and "he" and "she" were used as if the reader should understand who was being referred to; on multiple occasions, I had to flip back pages to figure out what I was reading about. Because of this slowness and inherent lack of urgency to the story, despite Amaranth's constant refrain that her husband would find her, I had a really difficult time getting through chapters. It felt like no matter how much I read, nothing happened. Nothing changed. I also never believed there was any real "danger" because there didn't seem to be real tension.
Even if a plot is thin and there's not much "action" in a book, I can overlook it if the characters are amazing enough that I care about them. Unfortunately, none of the characters in this book felt well developed. There were some flashbacks in which I saw Amaranth's life before leaving her husband, but I never got a good understand of why she thought it was a good place to be to start - especially since that wasn't how she was raised. I also had a hard time relating to Amity or Sorrow. Amity was slightly inquisitive, which was nice, but other than that trait, her character didn't seem to have much depth. Sorrow, on the other hand, was extremely unlikable, to the point where I could barely read about her without wanting to scream. It wasn't just that she was sheltered and didn't understand how the world worked; after all, Amity had grown up the same way. It was that Sorrow had zero redeeming qualities. She was just a psychopath, and I couldn't understand why anyone around her put up with her, let alone cared.
I read a little over halfway through this book, not particularly enjoying it but figuring I may as well finish. Then I came to a scene in which I realized that I couldn't take any more of this; Sorrow became such an awful, evil person that I couldn't handle reading any more about her and I definitely could not sympathize. I flipped to the end, curious where the book was going and whether anything would ever actually happen. After skimming the end, I'm glad I didn't finish it; I would have been unbelievably frustrated if I'd spent any more time on this book just to get to the end. I have no idea what the point of this book was, and there are way better books out there about dysfunctional families and polygamy. Definitely not recommended.
I received a free advanced copy of this book through the First Reads program....more
It's the future, and much of India has disappeared through war. A bomb will be detonated in three days, so most of the people left are trying to flee.It's the future, and much of India has disappeared through war. A bomb will be detonated in three days, so most of the people left are trying to flee. Chaos rules everywhere, especially with the tension between Hindus and Muslims. Everyone believes that the goddess Devi has appeared among them and that she's the only hope for saving the country. Sarita, a Hindu, is busy weaving her way through the country trying to find her husband, Karun, who mysteriously disappeared a few weeks earlier. Along the way, she's joined by a gay Muslim named Jaz, who has his own reasons for wanting to join her and isn't fully upfront about it.
A lot happens in this book, even though the summary above may not sound like it. The story's focus is mainly on the growing relationship between Sarita and Jaz, as well as the backstory involving Karun; their stories just happens to occur in this strange post-apocalyptic India instead of in the present day. I think perhaps the odd contrast between the close personal relationships and the crazy world they lived in made the book feel more disjointed than it might have otherwise been. Because the surroundings never seemed like they influenced or affected the people that the characters had become or the actions they were taking, the setting felt almost like a completely separate story.
The relationships between the main characters was definitely the strongest part of the book. Although I feel like they could have been made more sympathetic, Sarita and Jaz were definitely well thought out and their personal histories described in detail. I got a good sense of each of their personalities and the motivations behind many of their actions.
The other storyline, the one about India about to be destroyed and Devi being their only hope for survival, felt extremely chaotic and didn't seem to support or enhance the interpersonal storyline at all. As Sarita wandered through the country, she ended up meeting random people who sort of moved the plot forward because they swept her into their own journeys; it felt as if things just happened, then another event happened, and then another - without Sarita or Jaz doing anything themselves to move the plot forward. Their lack of involvement in this made the plot seem weak instead of an enhancement or something of importance. Also, because so much happened and so many minor characters made events transpire, I constantly got lost in the details. On multiple occasions, I grew confused because I didn't know how X or Y had occurred or how the plot had reached a certain point. Things often fell into place way too easily, just because Sarita and Jaz happened to be in the right spot at the right time.
The only tension throughout most of the book was the journey to find Karun (which I never truly cared about because he wasn't a sympathetic character or someone I'd "seen" much of) and the secrets being kept between Sarita and Jaz. This tension was not enough to hold my interest, and I think that's the main reason this book fell flat for me. So much went on in this book, but so little of it truly went together with other parts of the book or felt connected enough for the novel as a whole to be satisfying.
I feel like this book might have an audience in those looking for absurd apocalyptic novels with a heavy focus on action. Also, there is a heavy focus on gay relationships and sex throughout the book; as this is not everyone's cup of tea, I thought I should mention it.
I received a free advanced copy of this book through the First Reads program....more
Nora Hamilton wakes one morning to find that her husband, a police officer in their small town, has killed himself. Almost immediately, Nora begins toNora Hamilton wakes one morning to find that her husband, a police officer in their small town, has killed himself. Almost immediately, Nora begins to suspect that there's more to this than meets the eyes and starts to investigate, since the pieces don't add up to her. She starts trying to piece together strange decisions he made, hoping to unravel the many secrets that she soon discovers people in the town have been keeping for years.
This book began with a lot of potential. The first chapter was done well, featuring Nora's search for her husband when she wakes to find him not in bed with her. There was tension and suspense, and it set the stage for an interesting thriller. However, what followed wasn't nearly as exciting. Nora seemed to be reaching when she found her first "clue" that indicated this was more than a simple suicide, and because she found these clues so easily and readily, there was really no suspense - except for me suspending my disbelief that it all made sense. I guess it didn't seem like there was a big revelation that set the search for the "truth" in motion.
I had a lot of trouble getting into this book, and one of the main reasons was the fact that the characters weren't particularly well developed or deep. I never got a sense of Nora's marriage or even her husband as a person; instead, her husband was nothing more than a name. Nora didn't even really reminisce about him. Nora herself, while the main character, was not much more fleshed out. She was driven to figuring out what happened to her husband because she didn't think everything added up, but she didn't make for much of a sleuth - most of her "findings" were actually handed to her by others in town - and she also lacked much of a personality. Other characters were equally as flat and occasionally bordered on caricatures, such as the police chief who just knows that to keep order, you sometimes have to go outside the law.
The writing overall was decent. The author did a nice job of painting the cold, small town as one that kept its secrets forever; however, the writing lacked suspense because there seemed to be no real action. The pacing of the writing did not lend itself to an exciting read, and I had a difficult time being thrilled by new discoveries or terse situations because I couldn't feel any real tension. Another thing that really threw me off was the fact that the majority of the book was written in first person, from Nora's perspective; every few chapters, however, there'd be an interlude written in third person showing other things happening around town. These extra chapters didn't add anything to the book, especially because I didn't always know what was happening or when it was happening, and they actually pulled me out of the novel because I had to refocus instead of staying in Nora's perspective. I also felt like clues were handed to the reader in a very clumsy fashion. Instead of simply showing the reader clues, Nora posed multiple questions about them, guiding the reader to a specific conclusion instead of letting one simply wonder and keeping you in suspense.
I kept reading this novel because I was curious to see where the mystery would end up and interested in discovering all the secrets residents had been keeping for so long. The reveals were a bit disappointing. By the end of the book, no one came across as sympathetic - not even Nora, who seemed to have known her husband about as well as the reader got to know him - and the twists thrown in near the end bordered on ridiculous rather than being chilling. It was difficult to believe that so much violence (murders, arson, etc.) had been employed to cover up previous mistakes and then kept hidden for so long.
Overall, this book was pretty disappointing. It had a lot of potential, but the flat characters, clumsy reveals, and ultimately bland plot kept it from being truly gripping or memorable.
I received a free advanced copy of this book through the First Reads program....more
When she's only 28, Eloise becomes guardian of her sister's three kids (Theo, Josh, and Claire) and moves back to her hometown of Cincinnati to raise When she's only 28, Eloise becomes guardian of her sister's three kids (Theo, Josh, and Claire) and moves back to her hometown of Cincinnati to raise them. Twenty years later, she's still living in the same house that she desperately wants to sell, if only her mom would sign over ownership the way she'd promised when she took in the kids, and the kids are still living there as well. After Claire moves away, Eloise believes that she's finally on track to get rid of the house, but her mom doesn't fulfill her promise and the kids all begin to bicker over what should happen with the house.
If that doesn't sound like much of a plot, it's because there really isn't one. The book's description mentions that Eloise's mom makes a competition to see who can inherit the house and that Claire reveals a big secret, but these events don't occur until a good way into the book and don't really increase or improve the pacing. The narration shifted around to focus on the separate lives of Eloise, Theo, and Josh, showing the issues they're dealing with individually; Claire's point of view isn't featured, although her actions and words affect others, and so she never becomes a sympathetic character - not that the others are all that likable either.
The main characters all struggled to deal with some issue: Josh is trying to come to terms with the fact that he quit a semi-famous band for an ex-girlfriend; Theo's dealing with a crush on a guy who already has a long-term, long-distance girlfriend, and she also desperately wants to inherit the house she grew up in; and Eloise is trying to finally live her own life instead of constantly putting the kids' needs ahead of her own. Although they all had moments in which they shone, there was just so much angst and drama that never felt real. Everyone was immature and generally unlikable, and I never truly cared about the characters or their superficial problems and complaints.
There were a few moments in this book that piqued my interest, seeming to delve a little deeper into motivations and character development. I liked the dynamic between Theo and a potential boyfriend, and I understood Eloise's hesitation about how she could possibly go on and finally live her life the way she wanted. But, with that said, the plot never really went anywhere and then ending seemed like more of the same without a real conclusion. It made me wonder about the point of this novel.
I've read a previous book by this author and really enjoyed it, so I know she is talented. This is not a book that displays her ability to craft a good story, and it's not something I'd recommend. It's not terrible, it's forgettable.
I received a free advanced copy of this book through the First Reads program....more
This novel traces the lives of a number of people in Sparkle, Colorado, over the course of the ski season. Jill's moved back there after she discoversThis novel traces the lives of a number of people in Sparkle, Colorado, over the course of the ski season. Jill's moved back there after she discovers her husband's a cheater, Lisa is Jill's childhood best friend who's sworn off men, Tom is Lisa's best guy friend who's in love with her but knows she doesn't see him in the same way, Cassie's a ten year old whose mother died the previous year, Mike is Cassie's father who needs a female role model in Cassie's life, and then there are a number of side characters to round out the story, including the former frat boys that Jill lives with and the relatives and friends around town. The theme tying everything together is each character looking for some sort of peace and satisfaction in their life and striving to get there somehow.
There were so many characters in the book, as evident by my summary above, but it wasn't difficult to tell them apart - at least, the main characters were introduced differently enough that they all had their own personalities and issues, even if they still felt slightly one-dimensional and stereotypical. The peripheral characters, including Jill's roommates at "the Kennel" (a trailer where there's a one-to-one dog to man ratio), all seemed to blend together, likely because there simply wasn't enough space for everyone's personality to be developed enough to feel unique. The large cast of characters also prevented any one story from being developed to its fullest potential, and a lot of the dialogue felt stilted. Everyone got a bit of page time, and the story and narration jumped around, but although problems were touched upon, nothing was dealt with in a very deep or thoughtful manner; there just wasn't time for everything. As an example, one of the things Jill is dealing with is a strained relationship with her judgmental, religious parents, who are only shown through group emails they occasionally send out and Jill receives. It was hard to understand their full importance or how hurtful they were to Jill because no redeeming qualities about them were ever shown. Jill's cheating husband, and subsequent divorce proceedings, were dealt with the same way: largely off the page, with the narration touching upon the major parts after they happened. I think this took away a lot of the emotion for me, as I could not truly feel empathy because it was all so removed from me.
Of the many stories going on, I enjoyed the one about Cassie the best. The writing in the book was very light, and I think it was best suited for Cassie's story of being a child yet forced to deal with adult problems. This isn't to say that her story was perfect, as there were a number of parts that I didn't think were completely realistic or believable, but I liked the way she started to find things to be interested in and hobbies to keep herself entertained. I also really enjoyed the dynamic between Cassie and Jill, who becomes her babysitter. The two seemed to get along very well and help each other heal from their own invisible wounds.
I think I liked the idea behind this novel more than I actually liked the novel. In Sparkle, skiing is everything, there was a giant sense of family because the town was so small, and everyone helped each other through difficult situations. I also liked the idea about this town having the ability to help individuals heal from bad situations, whether the healing mechanism was the town itself or the town's residents. The novel, while sweet, lacked the depth that could have made this an emotionally gripping read instead of a predictable fluffy one. I imagine this would be a light winter read for someone looking for exactly that, but for me the book tried to tackle way too much and fell short. It wasn't bad by any means; it simply wasn't fresh or memorable.
I received a free advanced copy of this book through the First Reads program....more
4.5 stars. After learning that her kids are both having problems (her teenager daughter is getting out of control; her pre-teen son's being bullied fo4.5 stars. After learning that her kids are both having problems (her teenager daughter is getting out of control; her pre-teen son's being bullied for his germ phobias), Susannah decides the best course of action is to move them to Sounder Island, a remote island in the San Juans. There, Susannah grows close to Betty, an older woman who moved there years before with her own husband. The island seems to have a lot of charm to life, but life is also hard because of how removed the place is from the rest of the world, and although Sounder Island seems to be improving Susannah's kids lives in many ways, Susannah begins to realize that the move is also complicating her life in ways she didn't imagine.
The book is alternately narrated by Susannah and Betty, going back and forth in time with Betty's story to also show her life when she first arrived on Sounder. They both had very distinct voices, and I loved seeing how their stories both differed and repeated. The author did a great job bringing their emotions to life and definitely did not shrink from giving attitude to Susannah's kids. Susannah arrived on the island believing that she was just running away to help her kids, but as she then has so much time to herself because of the quiet surroundings, she begins to realize that there's so many family issues that she's never really resolved. There was both an external journey and an internal one, and the stories played off each other well.
Betty's story was equally as interesting. Her life had clearly been hard, both before and after she arrived on the island, but the place seemed to speak to her perfectly. I loved how she quickly became Susannah's confidant and was able to offer advice and suggestions because she'd gone through so many of the same issues herself. Betty was such a strong character, and it was interesting to go back in time and see how she'd developed into the woman she ultimately became.
The descriptions of the island and the people there were absolutely beautiful. I don't know how much was factual and how much was imagined, but the place was brought to life very vividly. Hardships of day to day life there were described but neither dwelled upon nor glossed over. Susannah (and, earlier, Betty) was clearly in for a bigger challenge than she'd anticipated, both because of the island's remoteness and her distance from everyone else in her life. Seeing the way Susannah's relationship with her husband, who'd stayed behind, changed because of her remoteness was well done and very touching.
Although I wish there had been a little more to the ending, I really enjoyed this book overall. The story had me hooked from the very beginning; it was a quiet story overall, but it never felt slow.
I received a free copy of this book through the First Reads program....more
3.5 stars. This memoir follows the author's experience moving from New York City to Beirut, Lebanon, for a year. She had fond memories of her childhoo3.5 stars. This memoir follows the author's experience moving from New York City to Beirut, Lebanon, for a year. She had fond memories of her childhood in Beirut, and since nothing was holding her back, she headed there again as an adult to see whether it still felt like "home" to her. There, she becomes reacquainted with her Lebanese relatives and friends, explores the country, debates the meaning of "home", eats lots of food, experiences some of the "Arab Spring" firsthand, and tries to figure out what she wants in her future.
The best parts of this book were definitely the descriptions of food. The author's bio notes that she's been both a travel and food editor of magazines, and this definitely showed; her descriptions of all the Lebanese food sounded delicious and made me want to go to Beirut simply for the food! Recipes for many of the meals described were included at the back of the book, and I'm very curious to sample a few of them.
Similarly, the descriptions of all the places she visited, especially this beautiful yet peaceful home of a relative along the Israeli border, made the sights comes to life in my mind. Her love for Beirut shone on every page, and it was easy to understand the lure of the city - and country - for so many people. Although technically in the Middle East, it's not quite the sort of country you imagine when thinking about the Middle East; there were a number of striking descriptions of nightclubs, hangouts, and even the disparity between women clad in burkas and women wearing miniskirts. Over the course of the year, she visits many places around the country that sounded fascinating: a war weapons museum, an empty park no one's allowed to go in, sites mentioned in the Bible, and many more.
Despite enjoying the descriptions of places and meals, I never found the narrative between the travel parts and the internal monologue (uncertainly about where her long-distance relationship was headed and debates about whether New York City or Beirut felt more like "home") fully cohesive. They seemed to be two completely separate narratives, only joined together to make this book have both an internal and external journey; they rarely intertwined. I also never felt like the internal journey was nearly as "big" of a one as it no doubt seemed in her mind. There was no giant realization at the end of the book or thoughtful ideas here and there; instead, she ruminates about the meaning of "home" and how that is so open-ended. I'm sure this internal journey was personally a lot bigger, but I didn't feel like it worked as a "big" part of the book, especially since the lack of giant realizations made much of this internal narrative grow repetitive.
I enjoyed the book overall but because it lacked a strong, propelling plot, it wasn't nearly as powerful as it could have been. The writing was polished and elaborate, and it made me curious to visit Beirut someday, but there wasn't a specific scene or plot that will stick with me long after putting this down. Ultimately, this was a pleasant but unmemorable read.
I received a free copy of this book through the First Reads program.
Elaine and her dying husband move back to their childhood home of North Carolina, to spend his final days. After he dies, Elaine and their son, Mick, Elaine and her dying husband move back to their childhood home of North Carolina, to spend his final days. After he dies, Elaine and their son, Mick, aren't quite sure what to do, but it feels like they should stay in town for a while longer, so they do. Their only relative in town in Elaine's mother-in-law, Greta, who's never liked or approved of Elaine and has spent her entire life believing that Mick was not her husband's son - that he's the product of Elaine having an affair. Greta has refused to talk to or even be civil to Elaine or Mick for her entire marriage, but Elaine's husband had wanted to keep a relationship with his mom, so they'd meet up every so often on their own, never once talking about the other family members. Now that he's gone, Elaine feels like she should be able to just let go of that tie holding her in this city, but she also feels like she has some sort of responsibility to take care of her husband's mom. Complicating matters, Mick has now heard Greta's claims that he's not Elaine's son, so he's decided to investigate these rumors on his own.
The author did a good job showing the complicated relationships in the town. Particularly well done was Mick's former relationship with a local girl; things hadn't ended well between them, and he still feels weighed down with guilt about the way he'd treated her. Some of the strongest parts in the book were when Mick was trying to move on in his life by spending time with another girl and make up for his past by helping his ex-girlfriend's family. I loved the interactions between Mick and his ex-girlfriend's little brother; although they didn't have a ton of interactions, they did have good chemistry together and it felt very genuine.
The writing in this book was very smooth and polished throughout. My favorite came when Mick is thinking about the past: Was anything ever as intense as it seemed at seventeen? What a beautiful sentiment! The narration bounced around between characters, giving you a very rounded idea of all the action; however, although Greta does have a sweet side to her (when she's not interacting with or thinking about Elaine or Mick!), she never seems to fully redeem the judgmental, awful side of her personality. It was hard to see her as a sympathetic character or understand why anyone (either Elaine or her husband) would want to make things right with her.
Everything seemed to all fall into place - or fall out of place, depending on your perspective - as the book went on, but there didn't seem to be a real reason why all the plot twists were suddenly happening. I felt like there was no genuine momentum pushing the plot forward. For example, the biggest part of the plot dealt with Greta's accusations of Mick not being her grandson and being terrible to everyone because of it, yet Elaine was willing to look past this (after 25 years of this!) and Mick was suddenly curious about why Greta has hated them, deciding he should investigate on his own. It never seemed truly genuine or believable; it all just happened because the story required it. I also didn't find it believable that Elaine and her husband had such a "perfect" marriage, yet he'd continued to keep a close relationship with his mother that never really affected their marriage. I guess, for me, too much time had elapsed since the problems had begun to understand why they were now being addressed in a somewhat productive manner.
I would have enjoyed a little more depth to the story or a little more realistic portrayal of family problems, but the book was still decent overall. This is a quick read that definitely invokes a very beautiful setting in North Carolina but has a slightly lacking plot. Though I enjoyed parts of the book, it's not one that left a lasting impression.
I received a free copy of this book through the First Reads program....more
4.5 stars. Zoe, Kate, and Jack are all world-caliber cyclists who are now 32 and training for their final Olympic games. Zoe and Kate are friends and 4.5 stars. Zoe, Kate, and Jack are all world-caliber cyclists who are now 32 and training for their final Olympic games. Zoe and Kate are friends and rivals at the same time; their relationship is extremely complicated. Kate and Jack are married, and their daughter, Sophie, is fighting leukemia, which impacts their training and makes it difficult to balance between family and work (ie, cycling). Leading up to the 2012 London Olympics, all their friendships are tested yet again, and the strain of family pressures gets almost too much to bear.
This is definitely a novel that is more character-driven than plot-driven, despite it having a solid plot. The relationships between the three main characters are extremely complicated and portrayed in a realistic, if not typical, manner. Of the adults, Zoe and Kate are definitely the most well-developed characters. I loved how their personal lives were so complicated and so different. Kate's the family-minded woman who puts her daughter first, while Zoe is fiercely competitive and will not let anyone get in her way of winning - training as if she's cycling away from the past. The author did an excellent job showing how their relationship changed over the years, although I never fully understood why they were such close friends except for their shared love of cycling. Jack was a decent character, but despite being shown his history and personal life, I never felt as connected to him as I did to the women. To me, he seemed almost as if he was just there, letting things happen around him without truly fighting for what mattered, whereas both Zoe and Kate had things they fought for passionately.
The story weaves in and out of the past, intermingling it with the present so you get glimpses of their lives now, then snippets of characters reminiscing about events in the past. I was definitely interested in both the stories, although the flashbacks led up to one very strange outcome (to me, anyway) that heavily impacted the way they'd all turned out but didn't seem to cause continual issues between the trio. I wasn't quite sure what to make of this twist, as it seemed thrown in as a surprise and showed character development at the moment... then disappeared again until the very end of the book. It wasn't an altogether unexpected twist, taking into consideration some of the foreshadowing, but it definitely seemed done more for shock value than anything else, turning some of the book into a bit of a soap opera.
The author did an excellent job describing the world of cycling and making the race scenes exciting, especially at the final race at the end of the book. The scenes about Sophie, the daughter, battling leukemia, were done in a very different way. She is described as a Star Wars fanatic, so much of the time spent in Sophie's point of view were full of Star Wars references and allusions. This was cute but also tended to bring me out of the story for a short while because I couldn't be sure what, really, was going on. I did like seeing the world through her perspective, when she wasn't narrating in these allusions.
I did really enjoy the book overall, despite some of my complaints. This is the first book by Chris Cleave that I have read, and it's easy to see why his books have sold well and been so praised; he's a very talented writer and kept my interest piqued. While I didn't love every aspect of this book, it did make a lasting impression on me and was quite memorable. I'm sure this book will sell well and find many fans.
I received a free advanced copy of this novel through the FirstReads program....more
3.5 stars. Hannah's world starts to fall apart after her husband dies. Her best friends, who she dubs the "Grief Team", do their best to keep her life3.5 stars. Hannah's world starts to fall apart after her husband dies. Her best friends, who she dubs the "Grief Team", do their best to keep her life on track, but because they're so crazy and have so many problems themselves, this doesn't exactly go smoothly. Complicating matters, both Hannah and her three-year-old daughter start to see ghosts, and although Hannah wants to help the ghosts (and perhaps see her husband as a ghost), she can't seem to do this in a manner that makes other people believe she's still sane.
This book was definitely different from what I expected. The back cover gives no indication of the whole ghost plot, although I don't feel like this is much of a spoiler because it happens very early in the book, so I thought the plot would focus more on Hannah's crazy journey in her new life. That said, I really loved the whole ghost plot. I thought it made the book a whole lot more enjoyable and added plenty of humor throughout. The ghosts seemed to pop up whenever they felt like it, some wanting a favor, others okay with just talking to Hannah and offering her some sort of comfort or sympathy.
The main characters were all different from each other, making it easy to keep straight, although they weren't all developed in depth. Everyone had their own traits - Jay was Hannah's fashion-obsessed gay business partner; Chloe was the all-organic yuppie mom; Aimee was the actress continually waiting for her big break. Because of their shallow personalities, there was never any real depth to their conversation, although there were multiple funny exchanges because of their different character traits.
The plot was fairly light and shallow as well. A few chapters at the beginning, right after Hannah's husband dies, dealt with Hannah's grief and sadness, but because these sort of emotions don't usually work well in a light, funny book, they almost disappeared when Hannah began seeing ghosts. Obviously, his death was the catalyst for Hannah beginning to see ghosts, but it almost faded into the background as the story went on. There was very little emotion to it, and while this was a light, fluffy book, adding some real emotion could have definitely gives multiple layers to this story.
I really enjoyed a number of situations Hannah found herself in, and I actually laughed out loud at one funny exchange. The Grief Team put Hannah in ridiculous positions, and those characters actually grew on me after the beginning of the book, when they felt more like caricatures than real people; they never came full circle as characters, but they did get more entertaining than irritating as the book went on.
Now that I've finished the book, I'm not quite sure what the point of it was, since it ended so suddenly and without a real "ending" to it. I'm disappointed that there was no "real" resolution to any of the issues touched upon in the book; some of them were concluded, but it was very sudden and without much fanfare. I suppose, based on the rest of the book, I should have foreseen as much. But although that was a disappointment, there were definitely a number of good qualities about the book too. There were funny parts and one-liners, and I enjoyed Hannah's narration. All in all, it was amusing and made me laugh, and sometimes that's all you can ask for from a book.
I received a free advanced copy of this book through the First Reads program....more
Jai Pausch, the wife of Randy Pausch who gave the speech and then wrote the book The Last Lecture about fulfilling childhood dreams, wrote this memoirJai Pausch, the wife of Randy Pausch who gave the speech and then wrote the book The Last Lecture about fulfilling childhood dreams, wrote this memoir about her experience falling in love with Randy, going through his cancer diagnosis, being his caregiver, and then trying to reestablish herself after his death. It's not necessary to have read The Last Lecture to appreciate this book; it's not a follow-up so much as it is a complementary memoir, showing Jai's perspective throughout the entire ordeal and how her life continued after his.
I found this book quite inspiring and think those who've served as a caregiver could definitely find comfort in it. She does an excellent job explaining how her life changed after he was diagnosed and the stress it put on their relationship, their family, and even impacted her own identity. She doesn't dwell in self-pity but makes it clear just how difficult this was for everyone. Neither Jai nor Randy comes off as perfect - they were very different people with different approaches to life - but their strong bond was evident throughout the book, even during stressful times, and it's easy to understand why she misses him so much. Many of the beautiful parts bringing Randy to life came near the beginning: Jai notes that to Randy, giving gifts isn't about spending money but about putting heart into it, and she later describes their weekend routine of making pancakes with freeform shapes, letting their kids decide what the pancakes resembled.
Probably half of the book (perhaps slightly more) covered her time with Randy, mostly after his diagnosis up until his death, and then it covered her time trying to adjust to life without him. This build up helped give a good overview of what her life as a caregiver had entailed and how difficult it was, yet how she was still not ready for him to die. Once he's gone, she no longer has the difficult task of caring for her husband along with their three young children but has the even harder task of taking care of three kids on her own without him, his absence looming large over everyone. Her struggle to tell their kids about Randy is particularly sad to read. Though she clearly has more resources than others in the same sort of situation (a paid-for home, a nanny, family and friends, financial support), she is not unaware of this and even notes within the pages that she's aware of how not everyone is so lucky.
Some of the strongest chapters were about her trying to adjust immediately after Randy died, wanting to reclaim the "magic" that he'd brought into her life and that seemed to disappear along with him. It was both inspiring and heartbreaking to read about her solo and family trips to places they'd talked about. She also details opportunities that she'd seized after his death: redecorating, trading in a car she never liked, etc. - all trying to find hope where there didn't seem to be any.
Although I wish there had been a little more detail about her life without Randy and more details about her struggles (and the struggles of those around her) to adjust, this is such a hopeful and insightful book. The writing is beautiful, topics are handled gently but powerfully, and I believe it could give comfort to many people, just to know they're not alone in their struggles.
I received a free copy of this book through the First Reads program....more
This was such a difficult book to begin reading because, based on the subject matter, I knew it'd be sad. Raami is seven years old when the Khmer RougThis was such a difficult book to begin reading because, based on the subject matter, I knew it'd be sad. Raami is seven years old when the Khmer Rouge come to power in Cambodia. Her father's from a royal line, which makes them targets for the revolutionaries, and although Raami doesn't fully understand what's going on around her, she narrates everything she sees and experiences, trying to make sense of the world and struggling to survive as violence and turmoil everywhere increases.
The first few chapters were a little slow, simply because they set the stage for the rest of the book, but once chaos breaks out in the world, the book became so riveting. I did not want to put it down, despite its increasingly horrible events. Having such a young girl for a narrator made this book have a bigger impact and seem more insightful overall. The same way Raami struggled to make sense of what her world was coming to, I struggled to understand why such terrible events actually happened - especially knowing that the story was based on the author's actual experience. Some of the narration made Raami seem wiser than her age, but I think this illustrated how quickly she was being forced to grow up and how the world was shaping her understanding.
This book could have been completely and utterly depressing - and, on its own, it was exactly that. However, the author somehow managed to make this story more than just a depiction of the atrocities committed by the Khmer Rouge and how awful everyday life became. Instead, this is a story with glimmers of hope throughout. I loved small revelations, such as when Raami realizes that she didn't miss a book she had to leave behind: It was clear to me now that while books could be torn and burned, the stories they held needn't be lost or forgotten.
Trying to keep safe, Raami's family transformed into peasants, attempting to hide their royal lineage - and even then, they were still in constant fear. After a while, it almost became less about why chaos and violence ruled and more about the fact that this was just the way things were. It amazed me that despite the everyday atrocities, despite the fact that there seemed to be no end to violence and hardship, the characters still fought to survive. As life tried to beat all hope and light out of them, Raami's mother reminded her that they are more than the lives they'd been forced into. This made Raami realize that they were ... anchored to solid ground only by a flimsy thread of self-knowledge - this faint notion that once we had been more, that there had been more to ourselves besides loss. I loved the way the author portrayed their fight for survival and their hopes for the future, feeling like they were never truly alone.
This is not the kind of book I'd want to reread in the near future (the subject matter is so heavy), but I'm really glad I read it and think it's the sort of book everyone should read. Somehow, despite the depressing background, the story itself is uplifting. It's also eye-opening and astounding to read about what so many people (the author included) must have gone through on a daily basis under the Khmer Rouge. This book would be excellent as required reading in school or in book club discussions. The story is one that will stick with me. What an amazing book in so many ways.
I received a free advanced copy of this book through the First Reads program....more
2.5 stars. Gemma is a personal chef who's devoted to her work, cooking for a new family every weeknight and taking catering jobs on the weekends. She'2.5 stars. Gemma is a personal chef who's devoted to her work, cooking for a new family every weeknight and taking catering jobs on the weekends. She's single, thirty-seven, and doesn't expect to find a happily-ever-after ending for her personal life, so she's thrown herself into her professional life instead. All the people she cooks for are slightly crazy in their own ways: one claims to be allergic to everything, another is a fashion-forward gentleman who may or may not be gay, she has a client on Tuesdays whom she's never met but they sort of flirt with each other anyway through notes, and there's also a Russian family she thinks might work for the mob. While juggling her professional life, Gemma starts facing a personal crisis as well and tries to figure out what she wants for the future.
As my summary of the novel indicates, the plot was pretty thin. I didn't begin reading this book expecting an extremely deep or intricate plot, and I do enjoy reading chick lit (the obvious category this book falls under). However, this book fell flat for me in a number of ways. I felt like the plot never truly got going because there really was no plot. Instead, the story was mainly Gemma interacting with her weekly clients, who were all only thinly developed and relied on stereotypical attributes (a controlling wife, a cheating husband, a dysfunctional family...) instead of any real character development.
One thing that struck me as strange in this book is that Gemma's background was not developed in full either. The only major information the reader is given about her history is a teen pregnancy she'd faced, but this was never fully integrated into the rest of the book. I kept expecting this history to crop up again (like her ex-boyfriend reappearing in her life) or turn into something that Gemma had to come to terms with, but it never did. I think a history that had more relevance to the rest of the book's plot - perhaps more about how Gemma became a personal chef? - would have tied it together better.
There was definitely a lot of "filler" material in this book, but I did enjoy certain parts. Gemma built a nice friendship with one of her clients (an obese shut-in) and their dialogue felt more real than the conversations between many of the other clients. I enjoyed the cute notes that Gemma and "Mr. Tuesday" left to each other, with Gemma having to imagine the kind of man he was because they'd never actually met. However, there were so many characters in the book that these relationships - while entertaining - felt rushed because of a lack of space, and other relationships between characters never truly got off the ground or became memorable. The cooking parts, as well, were almost glossed over; food was described briefly but was more of a backdrop than an actual focal point.
While I found parts amusing (for example, it opens with a flashback to when a bitter teacher at her school dressed as a fortune teller and warned Gemma against getting married), the lack of substance or memorable characters made this novel lackluster overall. I never felt invested enough in the characters to truly care what happened in the end. The book wasn't bad; it just failed to truly capture my interest.
I received a free advanced copy of this book through the First Reads program....more
Thomas Kell is a former MI6 agent who's brought in when the new soon-to-be-appointed Chief goes missing. He follows her trail and discovers that not oThomas Kell is a former MI6 agent who's brought in when the new soon-to-be-appointed Chief goes missing. He follows her trail and discovers that not only is she harboring secrets from the agency, but others are keeping secrets from her. There's a big conspiracy, and since Kell doesn't know who all is involved (and doesn't want to spread secrets around), he begins operating on his own with a makeshift team behind him in order to find out the truth behind murders, a kidnapping, and family relationships.
It's difficult to describe the entire plot of the book because the scope was so big - for starters, it takes place in three separate countries - and there were a number of twists as it went on. I loved the plot twists as they were revealed and don't want to spoil them for other readers.
Kell is an excellent main character. He's smart, resourceful, and able to obtain information that he needs through a number of methods. His family history and personal life didn't get nearly as much page-time as his life with MI6, but this was for the best; it gave him character and depth without slowing down the pace of the book. The author did a great job taking the reader through surveillance scenes, with Kell and his team working hard (and creatively) to obtain the knowledge they sought. I loved all the little details about how their operations were conducted and the fact that not everything went completely as planned. Kell did a great job slipping into his cover, and the author provided enough details for the reader to understand what made the cover comfortable and what made it difficult.
There was plenty of action in this book, not just violence - and none of the violence was graphic. The author wrote tension well, keeping me glued to the page throughout the entire story. I never quite knew who was spying on who or why, at least not at first, and discovering answers to a new piece of the mystery was exciting. There was sharp dialogue, tense operations, great pacing, and lots of scheming and plotting. I thought this was an excellent thriller. Although the conculsion did not fully resonate with me and simply wrapped up remaining loose ends, the book did not let me down overall. It was exciting and engaging, and I will no doubt be reading another thriller by this author.
I received a free advanced copy of this book through the First Reads program....more
4.5 stars. Jason Kolarich is a lawyer who accepts a pro-bono case defending a man with severe PTSD who's accused on murdering a paralegal. The case se4.5 stars. Jason Kolarich is a lawyer who accepts a pro-bono case defending a man with severe PTSD who's accused on murdering a paralegal. The case seems simple enough, even though the defendant is not in a good enough mental state to defend himself, much less talk about anything, but as the case progresses, it becomes clear that there's more to this than meets the eye. Soon, Jason not only believes that his client is innocent, he believes that there's a bigger conspiracy out there, one that perhaps the paralegal was on to before she was murdered. The mob's involved, as are a group of homegrown terrorists, and Jason Kolarich has to figure this out to both defend his client and save the city.
This is apparently the third book in a series featuring Jason Kolarich, and although I haven't read either of the other novels, it did not hamper my enjoyment. The plot is completely contained within this book; I'm guessing the earlier books may provide more character development. It's a legal thriller, and while much of the book takes place in a courtroom, the author did a good job of keeping the pace up while ordinary events were taking place. His legal knowledge definitely came through in these parts (the author's bio notes that he's a lawyer), and none of these explanations lasted so long that my interest waned.
The book really hit its stride probably a third of the way through the book, when the case grew intense and the thriller aspect picked up. The characters themselves were not as developed as they could have been, but this is a book based on a plot, not on characters, and they were developed enough for what needed to happen in the book. I loved the interactions between Jason and the judge overseeing his case, and the way Jason and the others on this case got along. The narration went from first person (Jason's narration) to third person (when the plot veered into what others were doing, like members of the mob), and although this could have been a mess, it actually worked quite well. It helped keep me in the loop about everything going on, but didn't spoil any surprises that were yet to come. Jason's voice really shone through on his parts, having a nice blend of weariness, dedication, and dry humor; he was an easy character to like from the very beginning. The author definitely did a great job keeping the suspense going - and keeping me hooked! - until the very last page of the book. I loved the ending, too, and how everything was tied together.
A lot happened in this book, but the pages flew by for me. There seemed to be a mix of everything in here: legal cases, terrorism, underlying family issues, relationships, the mob... Everything fit together well and unraveled at the same time. New obstacles were introduced every so often, and I loved how the obstacles impacted multiple aspects of the plot. Although this was definitely a legal thriller, it had plenty of action in parts, especially near the end when everything came to a head.
Readers who like legal thrillers are probably the target audience for this novel, but it's something that I'd recommend to anyone looking for an exciting read that's not too graphic or too violent. The book as a whole made me interested in picking up the other novels in this series.
I received a free advanced copy of this book through the First Reads program....more
After her friend Elizabeth dies, Kate inherits a trunk full of Elizabeth's journals. She'd had no idea that Elizabeth had even kept journals, but she'After her friend Elizabeth dies, Kate inherits a trunk full of Elizabeth's journals. She'd had no idea that Elizabeth had even kept journals, but she'd given explicit instructions that Kate be the one to read them and decide what should be done about them. So Kate begins reading the books, which cover Elizabeth's life from her childhood until right before her death in her late 30's. Along the way, Kate realizes that there was so much about Elizabeth's life she'd never known and it begins to make her question the person she thought she remembered and the person she herself has become.
I absolutely loved this book! It was so well written, so thoughtful, and so insightful. I loved the way the author portrayed the friendship between Kate and Elizabeth and how Kate becomes more and more engrossed in the life of a woman during a time that they hadn't known each other. There were so many moments of reflection where Kate considers the person that Elizabeth seemed to be within the pages, compared to the woman Kate had known. The author did an excellent job with this balance, questioning how much a person's past impacts (or should impact) the person they eventually become and how there is so much more to a person than what you might see over the course of your friendship. It also delved into how well one can know their friends and what secrets may be hidden behind someone's facade.
Despite having no real page time in the present, Elizabeth definitely comes across strongly. I got to know her throughout the book as well as Kate and both their families. There were a few semi-forgettable minor characters who made brief appearances and felt almost unnecessary, but Kate's own journey (helped along with realizations she comes to while reading the journals) kept the story moving forward smoothly. The best parts of the book had to do with Kate's reflections on her friendship with Elizabeth and how their lives had changed throughout the years.
Although this book did not have a particularly hard-hitting or driving plot, it kept me hooked. The book was so well-written and there were so many beautiful realizations throughout the novel that I couldn't wait to see how things would next unfold. This was a quick read but not just a "light" one; it definitely made me think and ponder various questions throughout the pages. I'm still thinking about it days later! I loved the revelations and soul-searching throughout the book and think that anyone looking for a thoughtful read would enjoy this novel.
I received a free advanced copy of this book through the First Reads program....more
I received a free advanced copy of this book through the First Reads program, and what an exciting, wonderful read it was! Set in 16th century Iran, tI received a free advanced copy of this book through the First Reads program, and what an exciting, wonderful read it was! Set in 16th century Iran, this book gives life to a historical figure, Princess Pari, daughter of the Shah. When the Shah dies without designating an heir, the palace becomes a madhouse with multiple sons claiming the throne and only Pari truly in tune with the inner workings of the palace. Because she's a woman, there's no chance Pari can rule as Shah, but through clever maneuvers, she becomes powerful and a force to be reckoned with or threatened by.
The book is narrated by Javaher, Pari's eunuch and trusted servant, who's trying to clear the name of his own father, who'd been a trusted member of court until accused of treason and executed years before. Javaher is the only person Pari seems to fully trust, and it's clear that he is loyal to her because he must be - and because he wants to be. He is a strong narrator who, because of his status as a eunuch, has access to everywhere in the palace, including the harem, where men are not allowed. Because he is able to be everywhere, the reader is truly taken everywhere on this journey and get a full picture of what is happening and all the turmoil that occurs.
This book is a sweeping historical epic with a thrilling plot. I was enthralled throughout the book by all the plotting going on by the characters and all the ideas hatched for murders, treachery, and revenge. Though the book is historical fiction, it's based on historical figures and real history; the author did a beautiful job weaving together fact and fiction, creating a believable story that felt like it could truly have happened. It is fascinating to see how much effort went into putting together a coherent face of government and how trusted employees could be needed one day and disposable the next. I also loved all the layers of propriety and the various levels of positions that one could hope to attain. Because the narrator is an eunuch, there is a lot of reflection about how things have changed for him, including his outlook on life and the interactions he has with others. It was very reflective and interesting - a different perspective than usual - and he was such a likable character that I continually wanted to root for him, to have things finally go his way after all he'd lost and sacrificed.
The author writes beautifully, and it was easy to lose myself in this novel. She did a wonderful job describing everything and explaining how things worked so you could easily follow along without ever getting taken out of the scene. No doubt a lot of research went into writing this book, and it shows. There was so much attention to detail that I could almost see everything around me and also felt as if I were there, alongside the characters in the palace.
Because this is based on a true story, it does not wrap up with a nice, tidy ending, but it did leave me satisfied. I loved the fact that nothing had a simple solution and that things didn't always go exactly as planned, keeping me hooked because I had to find out what would happen next. Though I occasionally forgot a name or the relationship between certain characters, there was a handy "cast of characters" listing at the front of the book for reference, and this didn't lessen me enjoyment of the novel overall. From the very beginning of the novel, I was intrigued, and now that it's over, I don't know what to read next! Definitely a book I'd recommend to others....more