Hello All!
Good news, you can now follow the blog on Facebook! I will be posting updates regaurding coming reviews and links to the deal of the day, all you have to do is "like" our page at www.Facebook.com/TheBookObsessedReader !
I will also periodically be running contests/drawings to give away some books, so stay tuned to either the facebook page or visit the blog directly for more details!
Happy Reading!!!
Monday, July 16, 2012
Sunday, July 15, 2012
Deal of the Day
Hello all!
Due to scheduling conflicts this week I am posting the Deal of the Day a little bit earlier than usual. Todays deal is called A Scattered Life by Karen McQuestion. The book follows the free-spirited Skyla Plinka, a woman who has found strength and stability with her husband Thomas and their daughter in a suburban neighborhood. Skyla befriends a neighbor, Roxanne, who's life is anything but quiet and ordinary. Much to the dismay of Audrey, Skyla's over-bearing mother-in-law, Roxy and Skyla become very close friends. This story shows three very different women learning to love unconditionally, and learning how to cope with all that live can throw at you.
I highly recommend this book, and its only $1.99!
Here is a link to the Kindle edition of the book:
http://www.amazon.com/A-Scattered-Life-ebook/dp/B003EJDGBO/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1342382808&sr=1-1&keywords=a+scattered+life
Happy Reading!!!
Like this deal? Subscribe to receive email alerts or follow me on Google+!
Due to scheduling conflicts this week I am posting the Deal of the Day a little bit earlier than usual. Todays deal is called A Scattered Life by Karen McQuestion. The book follows the free-spirited Skyla Plinka, a woman who has found strength and stability with her husband Thomas and their daughter in a suburban neighborhood. Skyla befriends a neighbor, Roxanne, who's life is anything but quiet and ordinary. Much to the dismay of Audrey, Skyla's over-bearing mother-in-law, Roxy and Skyla become very close friends. This story shows three very different women learning to love unconditionally, and learning how to cope with all that live can throw at you.
I highly recommend this book, and its only $1.99!
Here is a link to the Kindle edition of the book:
http://www.amazon.com/A-Scattered-Life-ebook/dp/B003EJDGBO/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1342382808&sr=1-1&keywords=a+scattered+life
Happy Reading!!!
Like this deal? Subscribe to receive email alerts or follow me on Google+!
Saturday, July 14, 2012
Flat-Out Love
Book Title: Flat-Out Love
Julie quickly learns that there is a secret hiding just below the surface of this quirky family, although everyone continues to be tight-lipped, so she takes to the internet and contacts Finn via Facebook. She quickly falls in love with Finn, even though he is geographically unavailable and her relationships with each family member begins to deepen, until the truth comes out and the confrontation that ensues threatens all of the progress that the family has made.
My thoughts:
I have such mixed emotions about this book, it has so many good qualities and a few less than thrilling qualities so I will start with the good.
Julie Seagle is such a relatable character. So many times, I will read books wherein the heroin of the story needs to be strong to shake stereotypes of women, or they will be so overly smart that they have no other facets to their personality, or worse, they will be too dippy and annoying (giving into those negative stereotypes). But Julie is really a character that I feel like I know. She is smart, but not so smart that she is socially stunted, and while she loves a good book or a strong discussion about psychology, she also enjoys a Coolatta and nail polish. In general, she is balanced. And really, she is funny. I couldn't help but laugh at so many parts of the book, so that was a definate strength.
Another strength in the book, is the Watkins family. While I did not grow attached to the parents at all, and found scenes with them to feel just awkward, I came to like Matt, and even though he is intense and nerdy, I found myself wishing Julie would be with him (maybe its just my love for a good nerdy boy, but I kept thinking "Girl if you dont date him youre nuts!"). He felt comfortable and scenes with him felt natural, like the author didnt have to paint this elaborate love story with violins playing and Fabio standing wistfully in the corner holding roses for you to get that he was in love with Julie. The only time with Matt's plot line that was wierd was (and I will try to say this without giving away certain things), after he and love interest finally come together, after their kiss, you think that they will want to discuss things but he immediatly brings up heading to the bedroom, which is out of character for him.
I also loved the girl Celeste, she was quirky and really her character seemed to have a touch of Austism. Although she has traits of Austism, she is really only suffering from post- traumatic stress, and this is where some of my frustration in the book comes from. I have family members with disabilities, and I understand that feeling of wanting to protect them, but there were points in the book where I became truly frustrated with how MUCH the family was protecting Celeste. Perhaps this should be counted as a strength to the author, as I was feeling just how frustrated Julie was feeling, but sometimes I just felt like jumping into the pages (much like on Blue's Clues) and saying "CALM DOWN!!!". For example, Celeste has started to improve, she has put hinges on Flat-Finn and has been going out without him, and she gets invited to a sleepover. Matt doesn't even show her the invitation until Julie finds it, and it really made me feel like they were over-doing the protective thing. If you love someone, dont you want them to improve and make friends? This is where most of my mixed emotions surrounding the book come from, because on one hand I can completely understand wanting to protect your siblings, but I cannot understand wanting to hide them from the world.
Another thing that gave me mixed feelings about the book, was the point of view. It was writted in third person, but there were literally parts where I had to re-read to see if I imagined it or if it really flip-flopped to first person. I am a writer myself and I understand that picking a point of view can be challenging, but it really seemed that the line was a little blurred. Sometimes though, it really gave the book a little something extra. Certain parts, like when she was emailing Finn, really benefitted from sounding closer to first person because you knew exactly how she was feeling. For example, in between emails (which were written in the book in email form, which I will say was pretty cool) she says "Holy... Julie was pretty sure she stopped breathing. What she wouldnt do to have him here with her now, telling her these things and kissing her..." Paragraphs like this one really enhanced the storyline, and used the flip-floppy pov to its advantage.
One last strength I'd like to add that made the book more interesting is that each chapter begins with status updates from Matt, Finn, and Julie. It also includes the email/IM conversations between characters which made it feel more personal. You almost couldn't help but see how she could fall in love with Finn.
As always, here is a link to the Kindle edition (its only $3.99!), or you can use the Amazon searchbox on the side of the page (unless youre viewing the mobile site, in which case, were working on getting you a little search box too!)
Happy Reading!!!
Author: Jessica Park
3.5 out of 5 Stars
Plot Background:
Julie Seagle is starting college in a new town, Boston. After arriving and finding that her living situation is not quite what she thought it would be, she moves in with her mothers old college roommate, Erin Watkins, and her family. Upon arriving, however, Julie notices that the family is definatly a little, off. The parents Erin and Roger are emotionally distant and engrossed in their professional lives, the son Matt is nice enough, but a bit nerdy and a tech-geek, and the daughter Celeste has an attachment to a life-size cardboard cut-out of her eldest brother, Finn, and the vocabulary of a middle aged Victorian woman. Finn no longer lives in the Watkin's home, well with the exception of "Flat-Fin".
Julie quickly learns that there is a secret hiding just below the surface of this quirky family, although everyone continues to be tight-lipped, so she takes to the internet and contacts Finn via Facebook. She quickly falls in love with Finn, even though he is geographically unavailable and her relationships with each family member begins to deepen, until the truth comes out and the confrontation that ensues threatens all of the progress that the family has made.
My thoughts:
I have such mixed emotions about this book, it has so many good qualities and a few less than thrilling qualities so I will start with the good.
Julie Seagle is such a relatable character. So many times, I will read books wherein the heroin of the story needs to be strong to shake stereotypes of women, or they will be so overly smart that they have no other facets to their personality, or worse, they will be too dippy and annoying (giving into those negative stereotypes). But Julie is really a character that I feel like I know. She is smart, but not so smart that she is socially stunted, and while she loves a good book or a strong discussion about psychology, she also enjoys a Coolatta and nail polish. In general, she is balanced. And really, she is funny. I couldn't help but laugh at so many parts of the book, so that was a definate strength.
Another strength in the book, is the Watkins family. While I did not grow attached to the parents at all, and found scenes with them to feel just awkward, I came to like Matt, and even though he is intense and nerdy, I found myself wishing Julie would be with him (maybe its just my love for a good nerdy boy, but I kept thinking "Girl if you dont date him youre nuts!"). He felt comfortable and scenes with him felt natural, like the author didnt have to paint this elaborate love story with violins playing and Fabio standing wistfully in the corner holding roses for you to get that he was in love with Julie. The only time with Matt's plot line that was wierd was (and I will try to say this without giving away certain things), after he and love interest finally come together, after their kiss, you think that they will want to discuss things but he immediatly brings up heading to the bedroom, which is out of character for him.
I also loved the girl Celeste, she was quirky and really her character seemed to have a touch of Austism. Although she has traits of Austism, she is really only suffering from post- traumatic stress, and this is where some of my frustration in the book comes from. I have family members with disabilities, and I understand that feeling of wanting to protect them, but there were points in the book where I became truly frustrated with how MUCH the family was protecting Celeste. Perhaps this should be counted as a strength to the author, as I was feeling just how frustrated Julie was feeling, but sometimes I just felt like jumping into the pages (much like on Blue's Clues) and saying "CALM DOWN!!!". For example, Celeste has started to improve, she has put hinges on Flat-Finn and has been going out without him, and she gets invited to a sleepover. Matt doesn't even show her the invitation until Julie finds it, and it really made me feel like they were over-doing the protective thing. If you love someone, dont you want them to improve and make friends? This is where most of my mixed emotions surrounding the book come from, because on one hand I can completely understand wanting to protect your siblings, but I cannot understand wanting to hide them from the world.
Another thing that gave me mixed feelings about the book, was the point of view. It was writted in third person, but there were literally parts where I had to re-read to see if I imagined it or if it really flip-flopped to first person. I am a writer myself and I understand that picking a point of view can be challenging, but it really seemed that the line was a little blurred. Sometimes though, it really gave the book a little something extra. Certain parts, like when she was emailing Finn, really benefitted from sounding closer to first person because you knew exactly how she was feeling. For example, in between emails (which were written in the book in email form, which I will say was pretty cool) she says "Holy... Julie was pretty sure she stopped breathing. What she wouldnt do to have him here with her now, telling her these things and kissing her..." Paragraphs like this one really enhanced the storyline, and used the flip-floppy pov to its advantage.
One last strength I'd like to add that made the book more interesting is that each chapter begins with status updates from Matt, Finn, and Julie. It also includes the email/IM conversations between characters which made it feel more personal. You almost couldn't help but see how she could fall in love with Finn.
Okay, here comes my negative point. Predictability. I will NOT give away the end, because this is something I am sure you all will figure out, or maybe have already figured out about the reason Finn is absent, but from the minute she stepped into the room where she is staying, I knew the ending (and I promise I did not skip ahead at any time). What the author tried to make a huge bomb in the end, the reason that the family is so...quirky, is something that she hints more than enough. I will admit, plot-wise, this author had a fantastic idea. It was just the execution that was a little off. There were things that were said throughout the book that were a little bit too obvious for my liking, and that gave the ending away.
Overall, this book was not bad. Coming off of a string of such serious novels it was just what I needed, it was light and funny. I literally laughed out loud at certain points, and the characters were likable. After I finished it, I felt kind of, okay, granted I tend to get "gradutation goggles" when reviewing books and like to only remember the good parts, but it didnt leave me feeling particularly high or low. Just a quick read, perfect for a beach day or an afternoon by the pool.
Happy Reading!!!
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Deal of the Day!
Hello all, thanks for tuning in!
Todays deal of the day is FREE! What can be better than that? It is called Stuck in the Middle (Sister-to-Sister Book 1) by Virginia Smith. Heres a little plot: (taken from the Amazon Kindle store) Joan Sanderson's life is stuck. Her older sister, Allie, is starting a family and her younger sister, Tori, has a budding career. Meanwhile, Joan is living at home with Mom and looking after her aging grandmother. Not exactly a recipe for excitement. That is, until a hunky young doctor moves in next door. Suddenly Joan has a goal--to get a date. But it won't be easy. Pretty Tori flirts relentlessly with him and Joan is sure that she can't compete. But with a little help from God, Allie, and an enormous mutt with bad manners, maybe Joan can find her way out of this rut.
I recommend this book, I have read this and enjoyed it, a very good summer/beach read! I will be doing an in depth review on the series in the future.
Here is a link to the Kindle edition of the book:
http://www.amazon.com/Stuck-Middle-Sister---Sister-ebook/dp/B001GMANO4/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1342057061&sr=1-1&keywords=stuck+in+the+middle
Happy Reading!!!
If you like this deal, you can subscribe by email or follow me on Google+!
Todays deal of the day is FREE! What can be better than that? It is called Stuck in the Middle (Sister-to-Sister Book 1) by Virginia Smith. Heres a little plot: (taken from the Amazon Kindle store) Joan Sanderson's life is stuck. Her older sister, Allie, is starting a family and her younger sister, Tori, has a budding career. Meanwhile, Joan is living at home with Mom and looking after her aging grandmother. Not exactly a recipe for excitement. That is, until a hunky young doctor moves in next door. Suddenly Joan has a goal--to get a date. But it won't be easy. Pretty Tori flirts relentlessly with him and Joan is sure that she can't compete. But with a little help from God, Allie, and an enormous mutt with bad manners, maybe Joan can find her way out of this rut.
I recommend this book, I have read this and enjoyed it, a very good summer/beach read! I will be doing an in depth review on the series in the future.
Here is a link to the Kindle edition of the book:
http://www.amazon.com/Stuck-Middle-Sister---Sister-ebook/dp/B001GMANO4/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1342057061&sr=1-1&keywords=stuck+in+the+middle
Happy Reading!!!
If you like this deal, you can subscribe by email or follow me on Google+!
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Catcher, Caught
Book Title: Catcher, Caught
Author: Sarah Collins Honenberger
4.75 out of 5 Stars
Plot Background:
The story follows a teenage boy (15-16 years old, he has a birthday midway) named Daniel Solstice Landon. Daniel is like any other teenage boy, he longs to find love, enjoys reading, has friends and brothers. The one thing that is different about Daniel is that he has Leukemia, his parents are hippies against traditional medicine, he lives on a houseboat, and he is obsessed with J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye, and this is his story.
My Thoughts:
This was another book I found on Amazon's $3.99 or Less list a few months back, and am so glad I did. I also recently made it a featured Deal of the Day, so as promised here is my review!
At first glance, I thought Catcher, Caught would be a short, sappy book about a dying boy. I got my tissues and sat down on a rainy day ready to feel sorrow and sadness, however, what I found was a completely different set of emotions. Daniel is a kid that I really fell in love with in the first paragraph, his voice is clear and he is painstakingly honest. He knows he has a life threatening disease, and he is not kidding himself about his lifespan. He also knows that Holden Caulfield is someone he aspires to be like, but no matter how much he tries there are times that he finds that he cannot be as blunt or detached as Holden.
As someone who read and loved the Catcher in the Rye, I felt that the way he thinks of Holden as a friend, the way I thought of Holden as a friend when I read it, quickly makes you think of Daniel as a friend. Like we are all linked together, fiction and real, and when you read this the lines begin to blur and you begin to think of them all as friends. Maybe I was just happy to see that someone else, even a fictional character, also gets as attached to characters in a book as much as I do.
Daniel is not the only character I fell in love with. This book, overall, has fantastic character development which for me, is often what makes or breaks a book. In my opinion, it is better for a character, or set of characters, to change over the course of a book even if the person they became isn't someone you would like, than to not change at all.
This novel really showcases a huge range of character development and it really gives some insight to the variety of ways that different people handle grief. Daniel's best friend Mack goes from being a regular mischievous teenage boy to being someone turning to drugs for comfort, his girlfriend goes from being someone trying to flirt with a boy to someone deeply in love. His parents and siblings change as well, but I don't want to ruin all of the good parts for you. Simply put, I fell in love with these people, they were relate-able, even the ones (like his hippy parents) that I never thought I could relate to.
Another thing I really enjoyed was the in way that his family, his mother in particular, decided to treat his Leukemia. She tries the holistic route, which doesn't work, and she takes him to Mexico for a treatment that seemed a bit out-there, and she does everything she can to avoid chemotherapy and radiation. She sees her son already in pain and doesn't want to make what may be his last days worse, but it raises the question- was she right to avoid something that could have made him better, to avoid making his last days worse? Should she have asked Daniel for his input in his treatment, or as a parent is it always right for you to make the decision for your child, even if it means making a decision that will not save his life? These are all serious issues raised in this novel, and really and truly, I am happy to see these questions being asked.
Another great thing about this novel was... drum roll... THE ENDING!!! I loved it! I literally was sitting in my bed, reading the ending just sobbing but not sobbing because I was sad, sobbing because I had hope. My cats and boyfriend were looking at me like I was insane, but the ending gave me such a strong reaction. I will not give away the ending, but it not only makes you have hope for Daniel, but hope for his friends as well, for his family and his girlfriend to be able to move on with their lives, no matter what happens- good or bad.
My only negative I can say about this book is that I cried, which got my Kindle wet making the buttons stick, which really I cannot fault the writer for.
This book was certainly worth reading, and if you haven't already, I would highly recommend reading The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger at some point as well. Its short and would be a good read for someone looking to fall in love.
As always, here is a link to the Kindle edition. I will also include a link to The Catcher in the Rye, just in case! You can also feel free to use the Amazon search box on the right side of the page for a paper copy.
Catcher Caught: http://www.amazon.com/Catcher-Caught-ebook/dp/B003A2C3NC/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1341975261&sr=8-2&keywords=catcher+caught
The Catcher in the Rye: http://www.amazon.com/The-Catcher-Rye-J-Salinger/dp/0316769177/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1341975399&sr=8-1&keywords=the+catcher+in+the+rye
Happy Reading!!!
Author: Sarah Collins Honenberger
4.75 out of 5 Stars
Plot Background:
The story follows a teenage boy (15-16 years old, he has a birthday midway) named Daniel Solstice Landon. Daniel is like any other teenage boy, he longs to find love, enjoys reading, has friends and brothers. The one thing that is different about Daniel is that he has Leukemia, his parents are hippies against traditional medicine, he lives on a houseboat, and he is obsessed with J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye, and this is his story.
My Thoughts:
This was another book I found on Amazon's $3.99 or Less list a few months back, and am so glad I did. I also recently made it a featured Deal of the Day, so as promised here is my review!
At first glance, I thought Catcher, Caught would be a short, sappy book about a dying boy. I got my tissues and sat down on a rainy day ready to feel sorrow and sadness, however, what I found was a completely different set of emotions. Daniel is a kid that I really fell in love with in the first paragraph, his voice is clear and he is painstakingly honest. He knows he has a life threatening disease, and he is not kidding himself about his lifespan. He also knows that Holden Caulfield is someone he aspires to be like, but no matter how much he tries there are times that he finds that he cannot be as blunt or detached as Holden.
As someone who read and loved the Catcher in the Rye, I felt that the way he thinks of Holden as a friend, the way I thought of Holden as a friend when I read it, quickly makes you think of Daniel as a friend. Like we are all linked together, fiction and real, and when you read this the lines begin to blur and you begin to think of them all as friends. Maybe I was just happy to see that someone else, even a fictional character, also gets as attached to characters in a book as much as I do.
Daniel is not the only character I fell in love with. This book, overall, has fantastic character development which for me, is often what makes or breaks a book. In my opinion, it is better for a character, or set of characters, to change over the course of a book even if the person they became isn't someone you would like, than to not change at all.
This novel really showcases a huge range of character development and it really gives some insight to the variety of ways that different people handle grief. Daniel's best friend Mack goes from being a regular mischievous teenage boy to being someone turning to drugs for comfort, his girlfriend goes from being someone trying to flirt with a boy to someone deeply in love. His parents and siblings change as well, but I don't want to ruin all of the good parts for you. Simply put, I fell in love with these people, they were relate-able, even the ones (like his hippy parents) that I never thought I could relate to.
Another thing I really enjoyed was the in way that his family, his mother in particular, decided to treat his Leukemia. She tries the holistic route, which doesn't work, and she takes him to Mexico for a treatment that seemed a bit out-there, and she does everything she can to avoid chemotherapy and radiation. She sees her son already in pain and doesn't want to make what may be his last days worse, but it raises the question- was she right to avoid something that could have made him better, to avoid making his last days worse? Should she have asked Daniel for his input in his treatment, or as a parent is it always right for you to make the decision for your child, even if it means making a decision that will not save his life? These are all serious issues raised in this novel, and really and truly, I am happy to see these questions being asked.
Another great thing about this novel was... drum roll... THE ENDING!!! I loved it! I literally was sitting in my bed, reading the ending just sobbing but not sobbing because I was sad, sobbing because I had hope. My cats and boyfriend were looking at me like I was insane, but the ending gave me such a strong reaction. I will not give away the ending, but it not only makes you have hope for Daniel, but hope for his friends as well, for his family and his girlfriend to be able to move on with their lives, no matter what happens- good or bad.
My only negative I can say about this book is that I cried, which got my Kindle wet making the buttons stick, which really I cannot fault the writer for.
This book was certainly worth reading, and if you haven't already, I would highly recommend reading The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger at some point as well. Its short and would be a good read for someone looking to fall in love.
As always, here is a link to the Kindle edition. I will also include a link to The Catcher in the Rye, just in case! You can also feel free to use the Amazon search box on the right side of the page for a paper copy.
Catcher Caught: http://www.amazon.com/Catcher-Caught-ebook/dp/B003A2C3NC/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1341975261&sr=8-2&keywords=catcher+caught
The Catcher in the Rye: http://www.amazon.com/The-Catcher-Rye-J-Salinger/dp/0316769177/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1341975399&sr=8-1&keywords=the+catcher+in+the+rye
Happy Reading!!!
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Deal of the Day!
Hello and thanks for tuning in!
Todays deal of the day is a book that I will be reviewing in the future, it was definatly one of my favorites this year. It is called "Catcher Caught" by Sarah Collins Honenberger. I wont go into too much detail about the plot since I will be reviewing it soon, but in a nutshell its about a teenage boy who has leukemia and his relationship with the book "The Catcher in the Rye" by JD Salinger.
This is a short read but definatly a worthwhile one, and its only $3.99!
Here is a link to the Kindle book!
http://www.amazon.com/Catcher-Caught-ebook/dp/B003A2C3NC/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1341539805&sr=1-1&keywords=catcher+caught
Happy reading!!!
If you liked this deal, subscribe by email or follow my blog using google + !
Todays deal of the day is a book that I will be reviewing in the future, it was definatly one of my favorites this year. It is called "Catcher Caught" by Sarah Collins Honenberger. I wont go into too much detail about the plot since I will be reviewing it soon, but in a nutshell its about a teenage boy who has leukemia and his relationship with the book "The Catcher in the Rye" by JD Salinger.
This is a short read but definatly a worthwhile one, and its only $3.99!
Here is a link to the Kindle book!
http://www.amazon.com/Catcher-Caught-ebook/dp/B003A2C3NC/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1341539805&sr=1-1&keywords=catcher+caught
Happy reading!!!
If you liked this deal, subscribe by email or follow my blog using google + !
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Failing Paris
Book Title: Failing Paris
Author: Samantha Dunn
3 out of 5 Stars
Plot Background:
This book takes place over one week in the life of Sabine Wilcox, a 19-year old student from the American Southwest who is studying in Paris, France. Her past is very dark, and she has always been a girl dreaming of the beautiful life that Paris offers- she always thought of Paris as her refuge. However, when she gets to Paris, she cannot hide from her past, and she begins to spiral downward. The week begins with Sabine trying to solve the issue of what to do about her pregnancy(keep vs abort, which is difficult as abortions are not free and she has run out of funds).Along the way Sabine meets two very different men who want two very different things, and is forced to face down her dark past.
My Thoughts:
I got this book on the Kindle "3.99 or Less" list a few months back, and thought that since it is such a short book (151 pages) that it would be just a quick light read. I could not have been more wrong. This book packs a punch, it is short but it will leave you feeling heavy and I found myself having to put it down at times and walk away because I was sad/mad/grossed out.
I will start with the books strengths: the descriptions are so vivid. I have never been to Paris (although I have always wanted to), and the author does a truly amazing job of making you feel like you are in Paris, right down to the wet stones in the pavement after the rain. At times, this wonderfully vivid way of describing things left me feeling a bit sick though. I am not a real big fan of overly gratuitous sex scenes, I think if it is absolutely necissary to the story line, then go for it, but you probably wont catch me reading "Fifty Shades of Gray"-- having said that, there are some scenes in this book that would've made me a little uncomfortable from a less descriptive author, so reading them from someone who does such an amazing job with details made me feel woozy. For example, Sabine has many encounters with strange French men, she makes a sort of sport of it to have sex with strangers, so when she has sex with a man she met in a bar in an alley, I felt like I could smell the mildewing walls and the whole idea of that scene made me, well, skeeved! Overall though, aside from the sex scenes, the details really work in the books favor.
Another thing I enjoyed, was the voice of the main character. She was so detached, which at first I didn't understand. I thought to myself "If I was debating an abortion I would be a mess!", but once you get to know her past, you see why she has learned to detach herself. I also felt like she reminded me so much of Albert Camus' main character in "The Stranger"(one of my all time favorite books)- he was someone so detached, even during a murder, but when you get to know him, you see why. This detachment is something some might find off-putting, but it is sometimes good to understand that not everyone in real life is as involved or attached as you, there are really some people who think or feel this way.
As a small side note, I also enjoyed the way the book was set up. Each chapter being a different day. It gives the book clarity and it makes it easier for the reader to follow a set time-line.
So having said this, you might be wondering why I didnt give 5 stars to a book so intriguing? Well my first woe was, as I mentioned before, the overly dirty sex scenes. Not only the fact that they are there, but it made me so annoyed that the main character was seeking these situations out in the first place. I found myself wanting to slap her! I felt like, well it stinks that your pregnant, but maybe stop doing the thing that gets you that way all the time before you go mope about it girl! She is so self-destructive!
Another woe I had with the book is, in general, Sabine's interaction with other characters like her roommate or other people she meets. She seems so rude to them, and their reactions don't seem all that natural. For example, if I were going to be rude to the person who is orchestrating my stay in Paris, they might not let me stay, but she is rude to the same people and their reactions are indifference. It just seems a little bit like she is so good at the introspective things, and the book weakens when it comes to human interaction.
This is another book that for me, had huge potential, and maybe I would have liked it better if I were younger (aside from the dirty stuff), but overall I probably wouldnt read it again. If you're looking for a heavy book that will make you feel something (even if its something you dont like) then pick this up.
As always here is a link to the Amazon Kindle book or you can use the search box on the side of the page to a paper copy!
http://www.amazon.com/Failing-Paris-ebook/dp/B0069INUU4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1341433736&sr=8-1&keywords=FAILING+PARIS
Happy Reading!!!
Author: Samantha Dunn
3 out of 5 Stars
Plot Background:
This book takes place over one week in the life of Sabine Wilcox, a 19-year old student from the American Southwest who is studying in Paris, France. Her past is very dark, and she has always been a girl dreaming of the beautiful life that Paris offers- she always thought of Paris as her refuge. However, when she gets to Paris, she cannot hide from her past, and she begins to spiral downward. The week begins with Sabine trying to solve the issue of what to do about her pregnancy(keep vs abort, which is difficult as abortions are not free and she has run out of funds).Along the way Sabine meets two very different men who want two very different things, and is forced to face down her dark past.
My Thoughts:
I got this book on the Kindle "3.99 or Less" list a few months back, and thought that since it is such a short book (151 pages) that it would be just a quick light read. I could not have been more wrong. This book packs a punch, it is short but it will leave you feeling heavy and I found myself having to put it down at times and walk away because I was sad/mad/grossed out.
I will start with the books strengths: the descriptions are so vivid. I have never been to Paris (although I have always wanted to), and the author does a truly amazing job of making you feel like you are in Paris, right down to the wet stones in the pavement after the rain. At times, this wonderfully vivid way of describing things left me feeling a bit sick though. I am not a real big fan of overly gratuitous sex scenes, I think if it is absolutely necissary to the story line, then go for it, but you probably wont catch me reading "Fifty Shades of Gray"-- having said that, there are some scenes in this book that would've made me a little uncomfortable from a less descriptive author, so reading them from someone who does such an amazing job with details made me feel woozy. For example, Sabine has many encounters with strange French men, she makes a sort of sport of it to have sex with strangers, so when she has sex with a man she met in a bar in an alley, I felt like I could smell the mildewing walls and the whole idea of that scene made me, well, skeeved! Overall though, aside from the sex scenes, the details really work in the books favor.
Another thing I enjoyed, was the voice of the main character. She was so detached, which at first I didn't understand. I thought to myself "If I was debating an abortion I would be a mess!", but once you get to know her past, you see why she has learned to detach herself. I also felt like she reminded me so much of Albert Camus' main character in "The Stranger"(one of my all time favorite books)- he was someone so detached, even during a murder, but when you get to know him, you see why. This detachment is something some might find off-putting, but it is sometimes good to understand that not everyone in real life is as involved or attached as you, there are really some people who think or feel this way.
As a small side note, I also enjoyed the way the book was set up. Each chapter being a different day. It gives the book clarity and it makes it easier for the reader to follow a set time-line.
So having said this, you might be wondering why I didnt give 5 stars to a book so intriguing? Well my first woe was, as I mentioned before, the overly dirty sex scenes. Not only the fact that they are there, but it made me so annoyed that the main character was seeking these situations out in the first place. I found myself wanting to slap her! I felt like, well it stinks that your pregnant, but maybe stop doing the thing that gets you that way all the time before you go mope about it girl! She is so self-destructive!
Another woe I had with the book is, in general, Sabine's interaction with other characters like her roommate or other people she meets. She seems so rude to them, and their reactions don't seem all that natural. For example, if I were going to be rude to the person who is orchestrating my stay in Paris, they might not let me stay, but she is rude to the same people and their reactions are indifference. It just seems a little bit like she is so good at the introspective things, and the book weakens when it comes to human interaction.
This is another book that for me, had huge potential, and maybe I would have liked it better if I were younger (aside from the dirty stuff), but overall I probably wouldnt read it again. If you're looking for a heavy book that will make you feel something (even if its something you dont like) then pick this up.
As always here is a link to the Amazon Kindle book or you can use the search box on the side of the page to a paper copy!
http://www.amazon.com/Failing-Paris-ebook/dp/B0069INUU4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1341433736&sr=8-1&keywords=FAILING+PARIS
Happy Reading!!!
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