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    The Police Podcast brings together police officers, the agencies they represent and the communities...

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Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Before and Again in Books

Mar 10, 2019  
Before and Again
Before and Again
Barbara Delinsky | 2018 | Fiction & Poetry
4
4.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Emotional tale but slow and over-the-top
Driving her five-year-old daughter to a playdate, Mackenzie Cooper's life changes in a moment when she takes her eyes off the road to check her phone's GPS. In that second, she runs a stop sign, and as a result, the other driver and Lily are dead. In the aftermath, Mackenzie finds herself divorced, estranged from her mother and brother, on probation, and moving away from her friends and former life. She reinvents herself in the town of Devon, Vermont, now known as Maggie Reid. There, she does makeup for clients at the Devon Inn and Spa, while living alone in a remote cabin with her pets. Maggie has managed to build a new life for herself in Devon, where no one knows about her life as Mackenzie--plus, she likes her job and she has friends. So when one of them, Grace, finds herself in trouble: her fifteen-year-old son, Chris, is accused of hacking some powerful journalists, Maggie stands by her. It doesn't matter if this could affect her probation or her future. And that's not even the end of the trouble: some surprises from Maggie's past are coming back to her haunt her and threaten the private, quiet life she's worked so hard to create.

So, this was a tough one. Parts of this are a heartbreaking, emotional tale. Other parts I found to be far-fetched and so incredibly slow. The novel almost has two storylines, between Maggie's attempts to find some sort of peace in Devon and then the Grace and Chris tale. For me, it was tough connecting the two, despite the fact that both Grace and Maggie were being forced to confront their pasts and the sensationalism of the media. For most of the book, the two stories run parallel without really connecting, and I found it really hard to care or empathize with Grace at all. Her entire plot is a bit over-the-top. Both she and Maggie were difficult characters--prickly, with their protective shells up.

Of course, the book is also achingly hard to read at points, as Maggie's still reeling from the loss of her daughter. As a parent, I found those parts so difficult to read. But, there was so much talking and introspection from Maggie that it felt like the novel dragged on at points. With Maggie's constant reflection and rehashing, I sometimes just wanted to shake her or move things along. (Also, the endless descriptions of how makeup application worked were far too much for me.)

Still, there were definitely moments where the plot was compelling and moved along, especially near the end. I felt for Maggie, for sure, and enjoyed pieces of this novel. But overall, I found this one slow, disjointed, and hard to get into. Oh and for some reason, being someone even mildly into football, it bothered me that Maggie's probation officer was named Michael Shanahan (a former Redskins coach, among others). When things like that start bothering you, you realize it's probably not the book for you! However, this book is pretty much well-loved by most, so please realize it may have just not been a fit for me.

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review.
  
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Sassy Brit (97 KP) rated Art Something in Books

Jun 6, 2019  
Art Something
Art Something
Devon Layne | 2019
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Art Something (Strange Art #1) by Devon Layne is the first instalment of the Strange Art series, in which the main protagonist, a teenager called Arthur Étrange, lives in his own world where he expresses himself through his art. This causes most of his school mates to think him a little odd, hence his need to escape from the social side of life and immerse himself in his art.

His older sister, Morgan, not only loves and truly understands Art, but guides and protects him through the teenage trial and tribulations of life. So when she is due to go back to college Morgan worries how he’ll cope without her. Her answer? She decides to introduce Art to her friend, Annette, in the hope they’ll hit it off together. They do!

Although it’s not high on action, there is conflict in the form of issues teenagers can relate to. For example, Art’s lack of self-confidence and insecurities are exposed to the reader via his innermost thoughts and feelings. The threesome also provides that key support system to help Art overcome these obstacles with the love and understanding of two girls who have his best interests at heart.

This coming of age story is also my first ‘taboo’ book which explores a very loving and highly erotic, consensual polyamory relationship between brother, sister and their friend. Admittedly, this is not something I’d usually read, having said that, Devon Layne is a talented writer and this is a beautiful and sensual story encompassing a controversial subject. I’m looking forward to seeing how this series develops.