Hello all!
Thank you for being so patient with us! Our new site will be up and running by January 1, with more great reviews and book deals.
In the mean time, our list of upcoming reviews and round tables will include the Dresdin Files, Beautiful Creatures, and the Lost Wife. Check out these great titles and keep your eyes peeled for new reviews coming soon!
Thank you!
Friday, November 1, 2013
Sunday, July 14, 2013
Deal of the day!
Hello all!
Thank you for your patience as we work on our new website. In the near future we will have a new home at Bookobsessedreader.com and we will be posting reviews for more genres including Sci-Fi, graphic novels, classics, romance, inspirational, and of course young adult.
In the meantime, please enjoy this deal on My Emily by Matt Patterson. Here is the description (taken directly from Amazon):
This book tells the story of a hurting family, an amazing little girl and a mysteriously faithful God.
Emily wasn't born perfect - so one might think.
She was born with Down Syndrome and many would jump to the conclusion that she would have very little hope for a life with any significance. Two years later came the diagnosis of leukemia. What little hope remaining turned to no hope whatsoever - or so one might think.
The life of this little girl, with all its perceived imperfections, had great meaning. Her loving nature and courage touched the hearts of everyone she met. She also taught them how to value their own lives - even with their many "imperfections."
Note: A portion of the proceeds from the sale of this book will help families with special needs children, those who are battling pediatric cancers, as well as parents grieving the loss of a little one.
Click here to view My Emily for Kindle
Enjoy!
Thank you for your patience as we work on our new website. In the near future we will have a new home at Bookobsessedreader.com and we will be posting reviews for more genres including Sci-Fi, graphic novels, classics, romance, inspirational, and of course young adult.
In the meantime, please enjoy this deal on My Emily by Matt Patterson. Here is the description (taken directly from Amazon):
This book tells the story of a hurting family, an amazing little girl and a mysteriously faithful God.
Emily wasn't born perfect - so one might think.
She was born with Down Syndrome and many would jump to the conclusion that she would have very little hope for a life with any significance. Two years later came the diagnosis of leukemia. What little hope remaining turned to no hope whatsoever - or so one might think.
The life of this little girl, with all its perceived imperfections, had great meaning. Her loving nature and courage touched the hearts of everyone she met. She also taught them how to value their own lives - even with their many "imperfections."
Note: A portion of the proceeds from the sale of this book will help families with special needs children, those who are battling pediatric cancers, as well as parents grieving the loss of a little one.
Click here to view My Emily for Kindle
Enjoy!
Saturday, May 4, 2013
Beautiful Creatures
Book Title: Beautiful Creatures (Book One of the Caster Chronicles)
Author(s): Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
4.97 Out of 5 Stars
Reviewed by: Krista
Plot Background:
Ethan Wate has lived in Gatlin, South Carolina his whole life. Nothing has ever changed except for the fact that his mother died in a tragic car accident. His father, engulfed in writing a new book has become a recluse, and he has been left to be taken care of by the families housekeeper, Amma. Together, he and his best friend Link (who's mother is a crazy member of the DAR) start the school year, and everything starts to change once he meets a girl. Lena Duchannes is new in town, niece of the other town recluse, Macon Ravenwood. Suddenly, the whole world Ethan thought he knew, the town of Gatlin, has become a totally different world. Lena is a caster (in other words, she is a 'witch') who will be claimed for Light or Dark on her 16th birthday. As they try to run out the clock, and Lena fears what she will be claimed as, Lena and Ethan begin to uncover the past and try to figure out where the future will take them, all the while Lena's Dark cousin Ridley (a Siren) is keeping Link occupied. Nothing is as it seems in Gatlin, right down to the Library...
My review:
I would like to start off by saying this : WOW! When I saw this book was being made into a movie, I became interested in the plot, and decided to read the book. I will admit that I still have not seen the movie, but the book was fantastic! I am currently finishing book three, and have not been able to put them down.
The first thing I loved, was just the writing style in general. The editing of the book was amazing, it was so polished and error free that it really made the book easier to enjoy. It is a quality that I have found less and less, not only in self-published books but in fully edited and published ones as well-- so many editors skip or rush but nothing about this book felt rushed. I was also worried when I started out that having two authors would make one of their voices be lost, or that it might seem like chapters didn't match in the voice, but it was very consistent and just overall one of the most well written books I have read in a long time. This book (editing and writing style and even just overall diction) is what I aspire the books that I write to be like.
I also loved the characters. Link was such a good honest person, that even though he falls for a Siren (which makes Ethan nervous to no end), he is still just somebody you root for. I also felt that even though Ridley was bad, and annoying at times, I could see that being Dark wasn't her nature to begin with. Macon was an interesting character to me, because he is so protective but hes also Dark by nature (he is an Incubus), so he is very complex. Lena is a very interesting character as well. She is so afraid of going Dark that she almost cant even think clearly. I will admit, at times I found Lena to be a little bit annoying, but overall I liked her.
My two very favorite characters, though, were Ethan and Amma. Everyone knows an Amma, whether it is your mother, your grandmother, an aunt (which reminds me, the sisters were hilarious!), or just a family friend- Amma is somebody that is easy to picture and easy to understand. She is a seer, which explains how she knows everything (makes me wonder if my mom was a Seer also...). She does her crosswords (which appear throughout all four books), and she has a spoon called the "One Eyed Menace" that she will swat Ethan with if he is bad. I just loved her, I appreciate her and her place in the story as well.
Then, there is Ethan. I loved him. I loved that the book was in his point of view, I loved his attitude, I loved his dream connection with Lena. I just loved him. He is honest, and he is real and I just fell in love with him and how he treats everyone in his world, and I could really relate to the feeling he has of being "one of them" from the town of Gatlin, but not feeling like "one of them" and wanting to get out. The setting of Gatlin is perfect, and the Civil War reenactments and denial of losing said war made the book feel more genuine to me.
Another thing I loved was the use of flashbacks, and how easy it was to understand when they happened abruptly. Without the flashbacks, nothing would have been figured out, and it all just made perfect sense with them. I loved the order in which things were revealed and I loved the story of Genevieve and Ethan Carter Wate. I will not give away the story, but the dream sequences and the flashbacks are important, so pay attention to them.
The last thing I will mention, and this is something I noticed now that I am on book three, is the ease and the "wading in" that book one does for the reader. For example, I am nearing the end of book three, and there have been creatures and rules and people and places that have been introduced that, were they introduced in book one or two, would have felt like overload and made it hard to read-- but since they introduce new things with each book, it works perfectly. I also have to say, the ending of this book PERFECTLY sets you up for book two.
I could keep going about this book, but I will stop here.
So you may be asking yourself why, after 7 paragraphs of doting didn't I give it a 5 out of 5 Stars? Because the books get better and better with each one, so I had to leave some wiggle room. :-)
Even if you aren't a fan of "supernatural" plot lines or magic, I would recommend this one for everyone. It has the greatness of The Hunger Games, and the intrigue of an unknown world.
Click here for a Link to the Kindle edition, which is only $5.80 USD!
Happy Reading!!!
P.S. I will be posting reviews for book 2, Beautiful Darkness in the next few days, as well as a review for Dream Dark, the Novella that follows Beautiful Darkness.
Author(s): Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
4.97 Out of 5 Stars
Reviewed by: Krista
Photo Courtesy of Amazon.com
Plot Background:
Ethan Wate has lived in Gatlin, South Carolina his whole life. Nothing has ever changed except for the fact that his mother died in a tragic car accident. His father, engulfed in writing a new book has become a recluse, and he has been left to be taken care of by the families housekeeper, Amma. Together, he and his best friend Link (who's mother is a crazy member of the DAR) start the school year, and everything starts to change once he meets a girl. Lena Duchannes is new in town, niece of the other town recluse, Macon Ravenwood. Suddenly, the whole world Ethan thought he knew, the town of Gatlin, has become a totally different world. Lena is a caster (in other words, she is a 'witch') who will be claimed for Light or Dark on her 16th birthday. As they try to run out the clock, and Lena fears what she will be claimed as, Lena and Ethan begin to uncover the past and try to figure out where the future will take them, all the while Lena's Dark cousin Ridley (a Siren) is keeping Link occupied. Nothing is as it seems in Gatlin, right down to the Library...
My review:
I would like to start off by saying this : WOW! When I saw this book was being made into a movie, I became interested in the plot, and decided to read the book. I will admit that I still have not seen the movie, but the book was fantastic! I am currently finishing book three, and have not been able to put them down.
The first thing I loved, was just the writing style in general. The editing of the book was amazing, it was so polished and error free that it really made the book easier to enjoy. It is a quality that I have found less and less, not only in self-published books but in fully edited and published ones as well-- so many editors skip or rush but nothing about this book felt rushed. I was also worried when I started out that having two authors would make one of their voices be lost, or that it might seem like chapters didn't match in the voice, but it was very consistent and just overall one of the most well written books I have read in a long time. This book (editing and writing style and even just overall diction) is what I aspire the books that I write to be like.
I also loved the characters. Link was such a good honest person, that even though he falls for a Siren (which makes Ethan nervous to no end), he is still just somebody you root for. I also felt that even though Ridley was bad, and annoying at times, I could see that being Dark wasn't her nature to begin with. Macon was an interesting character to me, because he is so protective but hes also Dark by nature (he is an Incubus), so he is very complex. Lena is a very interesting character as well. She is so afraid of going Dark that she almost cant even think clearly. I will admit, at times I found Lena to be a little bit annoying, but overall I liked her.
My two very favorite characters, though, were Ethan and Amma. Everyone knows an Amma, whether it is your mother, your grandmother, an aunt (which reminds me, the sisters were hilarious!), or just a family friend- Amma is somebody that is easy to picture and easy to understand. She is a seer, which explains how she knows everything (makes me wonder if my mom was a Seer also...). She does her crosswords (which appear throughout all four books), and she has a spoon called the "One Eyed Menace" that she will swat Ethan with if he is bad. I just loved her, I appreciate her and her place in the story as well.
Then, there is Ethan. I loved him. I loved that the book was in his point of view, I loved his attitude, I loved his dream connection with Lena. I just loved him. He is honest, and he is real and I just fell in love with him and how he treats everyone in his world, and I could really relate to the feeling he has of being "one of them" from the town of Gatlin, but not feeling like "one of them" and wanting to get out. The setting of Gatlin is perfect, and the Civil War reenactments and denial of losing said war made the book feel more genuine to me.
Another thing I loved was the use of flashbacks, and how easy it was to understand when they happened abruptly. Without the flashbacks, nothing would have been figured out, and it all just made perfect sense with them. I loved the order in which things were revealed and I loved the story of Genevieve and Ethan Carter Wate. I will not give away the story, but the dream sequences and the flashbacks are important, so pay attention to them.
The last thing I will mention, and this is something I noticed now that I am on book three, is the ease and the "wading in" that book one does for the reader. For example, I am nearing the end of book three, and there have been creatures and rules and people and places that have been introduced that, were they introduced in book one or two, would have felt like overload and made it hard to read-- but since they introduce new things with each book, it works perfectly. I also have to say, the ending of this book PERFECTLY sets you up for book two.
I could keep going about this book, but I will stop here.
So you may be asking yourself why, after 7 paragraphs of doting didn't I give it a 5 out of 5 Stars? Because the books get better and better with each one, so I had to leave some wiggle room. :-)
Even if you aren't a fan of "supernatural" plot lines or magic, I would recommend this one for everyone. It has the greatness of The Hunger Games, and the intrigue of an unknown world.
Click here for a Link to the Kindle edition, which is only $5.80 USD!
Happy Reading!!!
P.S. I will be posting reviews for book 2, Beautiful Darkness in the next few days, as well as a review for Dream Dark, the Novella that follows Beautiful Darkness.
Thursday, April 4, 2013
Emma
Hello all!
Thank you for your patience getting new reviews up, we have been hard at work here at the Book Obsessed Reader, making our new website.
Here is a review on the novel Emma. The review was done by our reviewer, Jenny Wilson.
Enjoy!
Book Title: Emma
Author: Jane Austen
4 out of 5 stars
Plot Background:
This is one of Jane Austen’s less
famous novels. This is the story of a highly privileged girl named Emma
Woodhouse. The novel opens with her and her father just returning from a
wedding between her old governess and a neighbor of the family. Emma credits
herself with making the match, and is decided to find a match for the rest of
her single friends and neighbors. Mr. Knightley, a neighbor and her
brother-in-law advises against it, but Emma is determined. She fails horribly
in several attempts. Her friend Harriet loves a man whom Emma believes is
beneath her, and keeps them apart by using the local clergyman to distract her.
She convinces her friend he loves her, only to end with bitter disappointment
for more than one person. She tries to make matches among other friends; Jane
Fairfax and her friend’s husband Mr. Dixon and Harriet and Frank Churchill.
Much to her dismay, none of her matches work out. When Harriet shows an
inclination towards Mr. Knightley, Emma jealousy ends their intimacy and
realizes the depths of her own heart. When Emma is enlightened as to where
Frank Churchill’s heart really lies, she is slightly humbled. Without Emma in
the way, couples form amongst her friends that she had never seen herself.
My Thoughts:
I am a big Jane Austen fan and I
generally fall in love with the characters. However, Emma Woodhouse leaves much
to be desired in a heroine. Sure, she’s pretty and rich and everybody thinks
her pleasant, but from a readers perspective she’s meddlesome and a bit
arrogant of her own station in life. She looks down on others, and even goes so
far as to use the beloved Miss Bates as the butt of a cruel joke. Along with Emma, her father is also a very
hard character to like. I give him credit. He is a kind old man who loves his
neighbors, but he is the biggest hypochondriac I’ve ever seen or read about. He
consults his doctor on everything and advises everyone in how they should keep
their own health. He is always convinced he or a friend will be getting sick by
some minor action.
Other than some of the characters,
the novel itself is very good. There can be some moments of tediousness and it
seems like there isn’t a lot actually happening. But reading about the inner
workings of an impertinent girl is entertaining, and seeing how horrible wrong
she can be is even more so. The novel builds up suspense at the end when Frank
Churchill’s secret comes out, and from there it is a very interesting downhill
resolution. Jane Austen leaves her reader with a sense of comfort and knowledge
that everything worked out well, despite Emma. Overall I give this book a 4 out
of 5.
As always, the classics are free on Kindle:
Or the paperback copy I’ve owned for years is $4.95
Enjoy!
Saturday, February 16, 2013
Deal of the Day
Hello everyone!
Todays deal of the day is for the Beautiful Creatures series of books. Each book is marked down to $2.99 per book (Kindle edition).
I have not read these books yet, but will be reading them very soon. Many of you may have seen the trailer for the movie made from this book, but here is the plot summary of book one in case you are unfamiliar(taken directly from Amazon.com):
There were no surprises inGatlin County
We were pretty much the epicenter of the middle of nowhere.
At least, that's what I thought.
Turns out, I couldn't have been more wrong.
There was a curse.
There was a girl.
And in the end, there was a grave.
Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town ofGatlin
Ethan Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. WhenLena moves into the town's oldest and most infamous plantation, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her and determined to uncover the connection between them.
In a town with no surprises, one secret could change everything.
Click here for the Kindle edition of the book, only $2.99.
HAPPY READING!
Todays deal of the day is for the Beautiful Creatures series of books. Each book is marked down to $2.99 per book (Kindle edition).
I have not read these books yet, but will be reading them very soon. Many of you may have seen the trailer for the movie made from this book, but here is the plot summary of book one in case you are unfamiliar(taken directly from Amazon.com):
There were no surprises in
We were pretty much the epicenter of the middle of nowhere.
At least, that's what I thought.
Turns out, I couldn't have been more wrong.
There was a curse.
There was a girl.
And in the end, there was a grave.
Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of
Ethan Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. When
In a town with no surprises, one secret could change everything.
Click here for the Kindle edition of the book, only $2.99.
HAPPY READING!
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Relatively Famous
Book Title: Relatively Famous
Author: Jessica Park
1.5 out of 5 Stars
Plot Background:
Dani McKinley is your typical Michigan teen. She loves sleepovers and boys and swoons over movie stars. Her mother, Leila, is in love with her longtime boyfriend, Alan, and although Dani doesn't know her father, she feels that her life is complete without him. She never thought she would meet her father, and she never thought that when she found out who he is, she would bombarded by paparazzi Dani soon learns that her father is famed action star Mark Ocean, and after much deliberation with a high strung agent, she is swept off to stay for the summer with him in his LA home. Dani is pampered and meets new friends, while learning the truth about old friends, and the LA lifestyle threatens to change Dani forever. She learns the hard truth about her father, just as her father is learning his true feelings about her. Dani also falls in love with a few boys while in LA, but the real love she discovers is her fathers.
My Thoughts:
When I started this book, I knew it would be light and fun, which is just what I needed, but it surprised me in a few ways (not always good). As always, I will start with the good aspects of the book.
The first thing I enjoyed, was just the voice of the writer. I felt this way about Flat Out Love, but the authors voice is clear and it reminds me of my own writing voice. It is light and funny and just in general enjoyable for the reader.
I also liked the title of the book (I know this isn't really a literary aspect, but it was clever!).
One surprise for me, was character development: there wasn't much. In Flat Out Love I remember feeling like the characters were so lovable and developed, so I was expecting that in this book. Unfortunately, the development just wasn't there. Dani is sweet as candy one minute and then the next minute she is an LA diva, and it was like the transition was missing there. I found as well, that the reactions of some characters weren't realistic, but that is just a side note. I also felt like the romance between Dani and Nathan or even Dani and Jason was just missing. We, as readers, really don't get to know either boy, we can tell that Jason is a player, but we don't really see him doing much of that until the end. We know Nathan is cute and nerdy, but there aren't enough interactions between he and Dani to make a love connection. I also felt the same way about Mark and his romances. The characters showed promise, but it seemed like without the right editing they just fell flat.
As a side note: I also felt that it was strange that Renna (the agent) never comes back into the story, I thought maybe she would be in the climax in some way, but she just kind of disappears.
Another surprise for me when reading this book, that was negative for me but might be good to someone else, was the plot predictability. When I began reading the book, I called it. I said to myself "This is what will happen I would bet money." and it did. In other work by Park, the plots are less predictable, but this one was just very happy ending clean cut type of thing. No twists, no turns. I also felt that within the plot, some things turned out just a little too well. I wont give away the end, but I will say that you are a little bit like "Okay nobodys life is that perfect." There weren't even any LA mean girls, which I think could have spiced things up a lot! It was just a little too cutesy for me.
I felt like this book had a lot of potential and promise. I like Jessica Park, I want her books to do well, but I think that she needs an editor to get her work to where it needs to be to really fly. I found spelling errors throughout the book and plot errors or mistakes that would have been caught with a good editor, which is something I find a lot of when reading Kindle self-published books.
In general, this would be a good read for the beach or if you need a light quick and cutesy book to read at the airport. It is only $2.99, so if you are still on the fence it wont break the bank. Click Here for the Kindle edition of this book.
Happy Reading!!!
P.S. Dont forget to like us on Facebook!
Photo courtesy of Amazon.com
Posted by Krista Byrd
Author: Jessica Park
1.5 out of 5 Stars
Plot Background:
Dani McKinley is your typical Michigan teen. She loves sleepovers and boys and swoons over movie stars. Her mother, Leila, is in love with her longtime boyfriend, Alan, and although Dani doesn't know her father, she feels that her life is complete without him. She never thought she would meet her father, and she never thought that when she found out who he is, she would bombarded by paparazzi Dani soon learns that her father is famed action star Mark Ocean, and after much deliberation with a high strung agent, she is swept off to stay for the summer with him in his LA home. Dani is pampered and meets new friends, while learning the truth about old friends, and the LA lifestyle threatens to change Dani forever. She learns the hard truth about her father, just as her father is learning his true feelings about her. Dani also falls in love with a few boys while in LA, but the real love she discovers is her fathers.
My Thoughts:
When I started this book, I knew it would be light and fun, which is just what I needed, but it surprised me in a few ways (not always good). As always, I will start with the good aspects of the book.
The first thing I enjoyed, was just the voice of the writer. I felt this way about Flat Out Love, but the authors voice is clear and it reminds me of my own writing voice. It is light and funny and just in general enjoyable for the reader.
I also liked the title of the book (I know this isn't really a literary aspect, but it was clever!).
One surprise for me, was character development: there wasn't much. In Flat Out Love I remember feeling like the characters were so lovable and developed, so I was expecting that in this book. Unfortunately, the development just wasn't there. Dani is sweet as candy one minute and then the next minute she is an LA diva, and it was like the transition was missing there. I found as well, that the reactions of some characters weren't realistic, but that is just a side note. I also felt like the romance between Dani and Nathan or even Dani and Jason was just missing. We, as readers, really don't get to know either boy, we can tell that Jason is a player, but we don't really see him doing much of that until the end. We know Nathan is cute and nerdy, but there aren't enough interactions between he and Dani to make a love connection. I also felt the same way about Mark and his romances. The characters showed promise, but it seemed like without the right editing they just fell flat.
As a side note: I also felt that it was strange that Renna (the agent) never comes back into the story, I thought maybe she would be in the climax in some way, but she just kind of disappears.
Another surprise for me when reading this book, that was negative for me but might be good to someone else, was the plot predictability. When I began reading the book, I called it. I said to myself "This is what will happen I would bet money." and it did. In other work by Park, the plots are less predictable, but this one was just very happy ending clean cut type of thing. No twists, no turns. I also felt that within the plot, some things turned out just a little too well. I wont give away the end, but I will say that you are a little bit like "Okay nobodys life is that perfect." There weren't even any LA mean girls, which I think could have spiced things up a lot! It was just a little too cutesy for me.
I felt like this book had a lot of potential and promise. I like Jessica Park, I want her books to do well, but I think that she needs an editor to get her work to where it needs to be to really fly. I found spelling errors throughout the book and plot errors or mistakes that would have been caught with a good editor, which is something I find a lot of when reading Kindle self-published books.
In general, this would be a good read for the beach or if you need a light quick and cutesy book to read at the airport. It is only $2.99, so if you are still on the fence it wont break the bank. Click Here for the Kindle edition of this book.
Happy Reading!!!
P.S. Dont forget to like us on Facebook!
Photo courtesy of Amazon.com
Posted by Krista Byrd
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
The Motel Life
Book Title: The Motel Life
Author: Willy Vlautin
3 out of 5 Stars
Plot Background:
Two brothers living in Nevada, Jerry Lee and Frank Flannigan, are on the run after Jerry Lee was involved in a hit and run accident that killed a boy. They have been down on their luck for some time, and have been utterly forgotten by the world since their mother died. They have bounced around, living in hotels and gambling or drinking beer. They have dreams, but no idea how to get there.
My Thoughts:
This book left me with very mixed feelings. It had good and bad qualities, and was very very derivative of "Of Mice and Men" (but I will not go into that story, because it will leave me ranting). I will start with the good qualities.
The best thing about this book, and the thing I enjoyed most, were Frank's mini-stories. He would tell his brother stories, made up stories, to try to get their minds off of things. One story that I loved was about a pirate ship with a cross dressing captain who gets eaten by sharks, for example. The little stories that Frank tells are so vivid and so beautifully written, that it really takes you miles away from the real story that is happening outside his little tales, which I am sure was the point of putting them in. The author really does have a talent for writing, you can see it in those little stories, in the little moments.
I also liked Frank, he was a character that I think a lot of people can really relate to. He has been down on his luck, and even though he is a smart kid he makes stupid choices. I didn't care for Jerry Lee as much, but he was not a terrible guy.
The one thing I would have liked more of, though, were Frank's emotions. He was so detached, (again I will reference Mersault from The Stranger, but he really fits the bill). Jerry Lee is always saying how he feels, he is constantly talking and saying nothing, but Frank really doesn't show his emotions much. Part of me wants to attribute this to lack of character development, but Frank was developed more in other areas of the story. I also felt like, when certain big things happened in the plot (no spoilers this time don't worry), Frank should have reacted differently, like he lacked a human reaction. When something big happens toward the end, there was no build up and there was no great epiphany, it just happened and he leaves. I felt that this was somewhat out of character for him.
Another thing I didn't like about the story, was the mundane. The pacing seemed slow sometimes because every single step or breath that Frank took was being described. "I walked down to the store and bought four beers and three pieces of bacon. I sat down on the ground and ate the bacon with the dog. I got up and looked around." (that is an example-- NOT a direct quote). It made the story feel a little slow sometimes.
This leads me to the last thing I did not care for: climax. There was none. I kept waiting and waiting, but nothing really was building-- nothing big anyway. I love my novels to have a climax that changes the people in the story, some big moment or even small moments that make up a big moment, but none ever came. If he had maybe made the police investigation bigger, or even made the ending with Jerry Lee bigger, it might have felt more like the plot was improved.
In general, this was not an awful book, but it was not my favorite. It is only $1.99, so it is a purchase I would make soon, even if you aren't sure it is a good one to have on the back burner in case you are bored in a waiting room or something.
Click here for the Kindle Edition of the Book
Happy Reading!!!
Reviewed by Krista Byrd
Photo courtesy of Amazon.com
Author: Willy Vlautin
3 out of 5 Stars
Plot Background:
Two brothers living in Nevada, Jerry Lee and Frank Flannigan, are on the run after Jerry Lee was involved in a hit and run accident that killed a boy. They have been down on their luck for some time, and have been utterly forgotten by the world since their mother died. They have bounced around, living in hotels and gambling or drinking beer. They have dreams, but no idea how to get there.
My Thoughts:
This book left me with very mixed feelings. It had good and bad qualities, and was very very derivative of "Of Mice and Men" (but I will not go into that story, because it will leave me ranting). I will start with the good qualities.
The best thing about this book, and the thing I enjoyed most, were Frank's mini-stories. He would tell his brother stories, made up stories, to try to get their minds off of things. One story that I loved was about a pirate ship with a cross dressing captain who gets eaten by sharks, for example. The little stories that Frank tells are so vivid and so beautifully written, that it really takes you miles away from the real story that is happening outside his little tales, which I am sure was the point of putting them in. The author really does have a talent for writing, you can see it in those little stories, in the little moments.
I also liked Frank, he was a character that I think a lot of people can really relate to. He has been down on his luck, and even though he is a smart kid he makes stupid choices. I didn't care for Jerry Lee as much, but he was not a terrible guy.
The one thing I would have liked more of, though, were Frank's emotions. He was so detached, (again I will reference Mersault from The Stranger, but he really fits the bill). Jerry Lee is always saying how he feels, he is constantly talking and saying nothing, but Frank really doesn't show his emotions much. Part of me wants to attribute this to lack of character development, but Frank was developed more in other areas of the story. I also felt like, when certain big things happened in the plot (no spoilers this time don't worry), Frank should have reacted differently, like he lacked a human reaction. When something big happens toward the end, there was no build up and there was no great epiphany, it just happened and he leaves. I felt that this was somewhat out of character for him.
Another thing I didn't like about the story, was the mundane. The pacing seemed slow sometimes because every single step or breath that Frank took was being described. "I walked down to the store and bought four beers and three pieces of bacon. I sat down on the ground and ate the bacon with the dog. I got up and looked around." (that is an example-- NOT a direct quote). It made the story feel a little slow sometimes.
This leads me to the last thing I did not care for: climax. There was none. I kept waiting and waiting, but nothing really was building-- nothing big anyway. I love my novels to have a climax that changes the people in the story, some big moment or even small moments that make up a big moment, but none ever came. If he had maybe made the police investigation bigger, or even made the ending with Jerry Lee bigger, it might have felt more like the plot was improved.
In general, this was not an awful book, but it was not my favorite. It is only $1.99, so it is a purchase I would make soon, even if you aren't sure it is a good one to have on the back burner in case you are bored in a waiting room or something.
Click here for the Kindle Edition of the Book
Happy Reading!!!
Reviewed by Krista Byrd
Photo courtesy of Amazon.com
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