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Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Breathe, Annie, Breathe in Books
Feb 13, 2018
I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I picked it up on a total whim (having received an ARC) and really enjoyed it. First, I have to state that apparently this is part of Kenneally's "Hundred Oaks" YA series, which I didn't know. It definitely can stand alone, however.
Annie is finishing up high school and training for a marathon. She's never been a runner - in fact, she hates it. However, Annie is running in honor of her late boyfriend Kyle, who never had a chance to run the marathon for which he was training.
Annie is a very mature kid, which took a bit of getting used to. She was definitely in a very developed relationship early in life and she came across older than her years. However, we learn that she's been on her own a bit - her dad was never around and her Mom has been busy working multiple jobs to keep the family afloat. So her maturity works, overall.
Annie is struggling with guilt over Kyle's death. She starts to find relief in her marathon training. She also starts to find relief in Jeremiah, the brother of her training coach. Jeremiah is unlike anyone Annie has ever known.
This was a simple, YA love story. You pretty much know where it's going to go. But it was surprisingly sweet and touching and well-done. Annie is an extremely likable character. Her maturity lends her some credence not always found in YA characters. I also found myself quite swept up in Jeremiah (not unlike Annie), who was also different from the typical YA beau.
Finally, the running element was a fun add to the book. As someone training for a 5K (nowhere near a marathon, but I like to pretend, ha), it was enjoyable to watch Annie progress toward her goal.
Overall, this is probably really a 3.5 star novel, but I just enjoyed the story so much, I bumped it up to 4.
<i>(Note: I received an advanced copy of this book via Netgalley in return for an unbiased review.)</i>
Annie is finishing up high school and training for a marathon. She's never been a runner - in fact, she hates it. However, Annie is running in honor of her late boyfriend Kyle, who never had a chance to run the marathon for which he was training.
Annie is a very mature kid, which took a bit of getting used to. She was definitely in a very developed relationship early in life and she came across older than her years. However, we learn that she's been on her own a bit - her dad was never around and her Mom has been busy working multiple jobs to keep the family afloat. So her maturity works, overall.
Annie is struggling with guilt over Kyle's death. She starts to find relief in her marathon training. She also starts to find relief in Jeremiah, the brother of her training coach. Jeremiah is unlike anyone Annie has ever known.
This was a simple, YA love story. You pretty much know where it's going to go. But it was surprisingly sweet and touching and well-done. Annie is an extremely likable character. Her maturity lends her some credence not always found in YA characters. I also found myself quite swept up in Jeremiah (not unlike Annie), who was also different from the typical YA beau.
Finally, the running element was a fun add to the book. As someone training for a 5K (nowhere near a marathon, but I like to pretend, ha), it was enjoyable to watch Annie progress toward her goal.
Overall, this is probably really a 3.5 star novel, but I just enjoyed the story so much, I bumped it up to 4.
<i>(Note: I received an advanced copy of this book via Netgalley in return for an unbiased review.)</i>
Kaz (232 KP) rated The Dead Ex in Books
Nov 5, 2019
‘The Dead Ex’ was a buddy read, I had never read anything by Jane Corry before. To be quite honest with you, it will possibly be the last book I will read by this author.
Firstly, this book is split into several threads of story. We have the main character Vicki’s point of view, a little girl named Scarlett and a woman named Helen. Lately, whenever I have read a book which had more than one story thread running through it, I’ve been frustrated that one plot was good and the others, disappointing. With ‘The Dead Ex’, this was the same. I liked Scarlett’s story line and found it particularly moving. The power of this story was let down, by the weaker threads running along side it.
The characters were mostly ok, but I found some of their behaviors to be too exaggerated. This book would have been a good read for this month’s ‘Disability Read-a-thon’ (I read this just before the beginning of October), because the main character in this book, has Epilepsy. The sad thing for me though, was that this book would have been the perfect example of how NOT to portray a person with this condition.
I felt annoyed that, whenever anyone discovered that the main character had Epilepsy, she was instantly treated with suspicion. To me, this didn’t highlight the condition, but in some ways, demonized people who have to deal with Epilepsy and this wasn’t fair.
The plot of this novel was, for the most part, intriguing and I wanted to continue reading to find out what was going to happen. Whilst the many threads of story were tied up in a satisfactory way, there were a couple plot twists, which I felt to be weak, or really silly.
Overall, I think that this book was trying to highlight many social issues. Unfortunately, this need to cram a lot into the pages of this book, resulted in a weak and messy read.
This book was ok, but nothing that I would recommend rushing out to read.
My Rating: ** 1/2 Stars
Firstly, this book is split into several threads of story. We have the main character Vicki’s point of view, a little girl named Scarlett and a woman named Helen. Lately, whenever I have read a book which had more than one story thread running through it, I’ve been frustrated that one plot was good and the others, disappointing. With ‘The Dead Ex’, this was the same. I liked Scarlett’s story line and found it particularly moving. The power of this story was let down, by the weaker threads running along side it.
The characters were mostly ok, but I found some of their behaviors to be too exaggerated. This book would have been a good read for this month’s ‘Disability Read-a-thon’ (I read this just before the beginning of October), because the main character in this book, has Epilepsy. The sad thing for me though, was that this book would have been the perfect example of how NOT to portray a person with this condition.
I felt annoyed that, whenever anyone discovered that the main character had Epilepsy, she was instantly treated with suspicion. To me, this didn’t highlight the condition, but in some ways, demonized people who have to deal with Epilepsy and this wasn’t fair.
The plot of this novel was, for the most part, intriguing and I wanted to continue reading to find out what was going to happen. Whilst the many threads of story were tied up in a satisfactory way, there were a couple plot twists, which I felt to be weak, or really silly.
Overall, I think that this book was trying to highlight many social issues. Unfortunately, this need to cram a lot into the pages of this book, resulted in a weak and messy read.
This book was ok, but nothing that I would recommend rushing out to read.
My Rating: ** 1/2 Stars
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Twenty-One Truths About Love in Books
Mar 19, 2020
Dan Mayrock is an obsessive list maker who has quit his job as a teacher and opened a bookstore. But now he's in financial trouble and afraid to tell his wife, Jill. Jill was previously married and Dan feels he can never quite live up to Jill's late husband. And then, Jill gets pregnant. Now Dan feels even more pressure to be the best he can be for Jill.
The shtick of this book is that it's told entirely in list form. No dialogue, no narrative, nothing. Just lists. It did wear a little thin at times, but it was an interesting way to learn about someone's life. You learn about Dan's finances, feelings, and amazingly, a lot about his past.
For me, what really got me about this book is that I just couldn't warm to Dan. I think most people find this book heartwarming and cute, but I found him--and it--annoying and whiny. He doesn't want to tell his wife about his financial problems with the store, so he concocts some ridiculous scheme to "help" the family instead. It was just too much for me. Man up, tell your wife, and take responsibility for your actions. I didn't find it cute, and if I was his wife, I would have kicked him to the curb.
It's a shame, because a lot of the book was filled with really funny and spot-on observations about life. I especially loved Dan's ruminations on teaching and meetings. They were incredibly true to life. There are a lot of humorous and touching moments in this book, but I could never really push past the fact that he was a spineless liar.
"'Let's start off with an icebreaker' are words no human being has ever wanted to hear."
Overall, I enjoyed pieces of this book, but found myself skimming others. I liked the idea of it, but could never warm to Dan and since the whole book was his lists and life, it was hard to enjoy without liking him. I need a book from the POV of his older Bingo buddy, Bill. Now he was a cool dude.
The shtick of this book is that it's told entirely in list form. No dialogue, no narrative, nothing. Just lists. It did wear a little thin at times, but it was an interesting way to learn about someone's life. You learn about Dan's finances, feelings, and amazingly, a lot about his past.
For me, what really got me about this book is that I just couldn't warm to Dan. I think most people find this book heartwarming and cute, but I found him--and it--annoying and whiny. He doesn't want to tell his wife about his financial problems with the store, so he concocts some ridiculous scheme to "help" the family instead. It was just too much for me. Man up, tell your wife, and take responsibility for your actions. I didn't find it cute, and if I was his wife, I would have kicked him to the curb.
It's a shame, because a lot of the book was filled with really funny and spot-on observations about life. I especially loved Dan's ruminations on teaching and meetings. They were incredibly true to life. There are a lot of humorous and touching moments in this book, but I could never really push past the fact that he was a spineless liar.
"'Let's start off with an icebreaker' are words no human being has ever wanted to hear."
Overall, I enjoyed pieces of this book, but found myself skimming others. I liked the idea of it, but could never warm to Dan and since the whole book was his lists and life, it was hard to enjoy without liking him. I need a book from the POV of his older Bingo buddy, Bill. Now he was a cool dude.
Kyera (8 KP) rated Alex & Eliza in Books
Jan 31, 2018
Alex and Eliza is a historical fiction novel about a love story for the ages. As much as I love history, I don’t pick up historical fiction very often and reading this book makes me want to. It is a wonderfully written young adult novel that makes America’s history more relatable. Some historical texts tend to be dry and don’t lend themselves to casual reading. My belief is that this novel (and others like it) might spark an interest in history that will lead teens, or really anyone, to seek out further information.
As this is a work of fiction, the author takes liberties with the plot and adds a fair amount of drama. Historically, there is not a lot known about the courtship between Alexander Hamilton and Elizabeth Schuyler. As you may be aware from history lessons, or your obsession with Hamilton the musical, the two fell in love quite hard and fast. It was nice to see the author’s take on their first meeting, interactions, and ultimate wedding.
This love story reads true and will warm your heart, even if you are aware of the future turmoil in their lives. I enjoyed getting to know Alexander and Eliza so much over the course of this book. The author also does a fantastic job of introducing and developing the supporting characters in this love story. They don’t feel like flat portrayals, but dimensional people that you love (or hate, as the case may be).
For those readers familiar with Hamilton, you will not find that this is the young adult novelization version of the musical. I’ve heard many readers dismaying that fact and it is unfair to the author to make those comparisons. They are two different mediums that each share their love and admiration for the powerhouse that was Alexander Hamilton. The musical follows and chronicles much of Hamilton’s life, whereas this book is a love story. It tells the tale of two souls who found their match, despite all the odds and fell in love.
While the dialogue at times can be cumbersome and strange, it is likely because the reader is used to the modern way of speaking. If you were to read letters that were composed during that era, you likely would notice they have a much more formal, or flowery, way of speaking. Although I found some of the lines to be a bit over the top, overall I felt that they were authentic to the time period in which the book takes place. It would have been unfortunate if the story had been written as if these historical characters were speaking in modern times.
I highly enjoyed this read and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys history. I believe that it is a very accessible book and would lend itself well to those who are hesitant to delve into historical fiction. It does a wonderful job of blending the love story with purposeful doses of actual historical events. Whether you are a fan of the musical, historical fiction, American history or something else – I urge you to give this book a chance.
As this is a work of fiction, the author takes liberties with the plot and adds a fair amount of drama. Historically, there is not a lot known about the courtship between Alexander Hamilton and Elizabeth Schuyler. As you may be aware from history lessons, or your obsession with Hamilton the musical, the two fell in love quite hard and fast. It was nice to see the author’s take on their first meeting, interactions, and ultimate wedding.
This love story reads true and will warm your heart, even if you are aware of the future turmoil in their lives. I enjoyed getting to know Alexander and Eliza so much over the course of this book. The author also does a fantastic job of introducing and developing the supporting characters in this love story. They don’t feel like flat portrayals, but dimensional people that you love (or hate, as the case may be).
For those readers familiar with Hamilton, you will not find that this is the young adult novelization version of the musical. I’ve heard many readers dismaying that fact and it is unfair to the author to make those comparisons. They are two different mediums that each share their love and admiration for the powerhouse that was Alexander Hamilton. The musical follows and chronicles much of Hamilton’s life, whereas this book is a love story. It tells the tale of two souls who found their match, despite all the odds and fell in love.
While the dialogue at times can be cumbersome and strange, it is likely because the reader is used to the modern way of speaking. If you were to read letters that were composed during that era, you likely would notice they have a much more formal, or flowery, way of speaking. Although I found some of the lines to be a bit over the top, overall I felt that they were authentic to the time period in which the book takes place. It would have been unfortunate if the story had been written as if these historical characters were speaking in modern times.
I highly enjoyed this read and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys history. I believe that it is a very accessible book and would lend itself well to those who are hesitant to delve into historical fiction. It does a wonderful job of blending the love story with purposeful doses of actual historical events. Whether you are a fan of the musical, historical fiction, American history or something else – I urge you to give this book a chance.
Jordan Binkerd (567 KP) rated Zombicide: Black Plague in Tabletop Games
Jul 21, 2019 (Updated Jul 21, 2019)
Improved ruleset vs. the original game (3 more)
Fantasy theme
Excellent miniatures!
Improved components vs. the original game
Primarily a combat simulator (1 more)
Low complexity
Improved rules and components, plus the fantasy theme? I wish I discovered this before the original.....
My wife and I love the original Zombicide and have most of the content for the modern setting, minus Kickstarter exclusives and the guest artist characters. So when we found ourselves at the local ComicCon and there was a copy of Black Plague in the game library? We jumped all over that! Compared to the original game, they've fixed several of the rules that bugged us about the game, especially regarding shooting and resources. They've also upgraded the dashboard system to a plastic thing with pegs, which is so much better than the originals that we've seriously considered buying them on eBay and Photoshoping cards for the modern characters so that we can incorporate the upgraded dashboards. We did incorporate a lot of the rules changes into our own games. So if you want to get into Zombicide and can only pick one setting, make it this one.
Like I said, we love Zombicide. But there are a lot of people in the gaming community that feel it lacks something in the way of complexity and strategy. They're not necessarily wrong. It's primarily a tactics game: here's your mission and goal, here's the situation, go! Is it easy? Sometimes. Depends on how lucky you are. Sometimes the zombies spawn in ways and locations that play right into your hands. Sometimes the Abomination spawns right in front of you and you either die immediately or the game bogs down while you scramble to outmaneuver him or find the (scarce) resources to defeat him. It can be pretty random and frustrating at times, and there are people who avoid randomness like the plague in their gaming. But like I said, my wife and I love the system, and this is the best version of it that I've seen.
Like I said, we love Zombicide. But there are a lot of people in the gaming community that feel it lacks something in the way of complexity and strategy. They're not necessarily wrong. It's primarily a tactics game: here's your mission and goal, here's the situation, go! Is it easy? Sometimes. Depends on how lucky you are. Sometimes the zombies spawn in ways and locations that play right into your hands. Sometimes the Abomination spawns right in front of you and you either die immediately or the game bogs down while you scramble to outmaneuver him or find the (scarce) resources to defeat him. It can be pretty random and frustrating at times, and there are people who avoid randomness like the plague in their gaming. But like I said, my wife and I love the system, and this is the best version of it that I've seen.
Ivana A. | Diary of Difference (1171 KP) rated Geek Girl (Geek Girl, #1) in Books
Nov 1, 2018
Full review can also be found on my blog: www.diaryofdifference.com
Even though I kept hearing great things about Geek Girl, I never really happened to read it. A month ago, my teen sister borrowed the whole Geek Girl series and told me this is something I must check off my list. And here I am one month later - loving the first book!
Geek Girl tells the story of a young teen Harriet, who is a geek and gets bullied at her school. She might know all the science answers, but she has no clue why people are laughing at her when she goes outside with a cartoon hoodie.
But when Harriet gets discovered by a modelling agency,she realises how things can get different, and she has to choose whether she wants to risk losing everything by changing who she really is.
A very funny and geeky read, where I couldn’t stop but giggle a few times. One moment really got me though:
‘’If somebody offers to shave your legs,’’ she snaps, ‘’let them.’’
Harriet is a typical geeky high-school character, and you can’t help but love her weirdness, her silliness and the ways she believes in.
The read was somewhat predictable from the beginning, and there wasn’t any big plot twist or cliff-hanger, but I believe that this book didn’t really want to achieve that anyways.
This was a perfect read for me to relax and enjoy reading - reminded me of my high-school days and made me remember a lot of similar moments.
I am recommending it to all of you out there - that love being different and are not afraid to stand up for yourselves, no matter how much people laugh at you.
Even though I kept hearing great things about Geek Girl, I never really happened to read it. A month ago, my teen sister borrowed the whole Geek Girl series and told me this is something I must check off my list. And here I am one month later - loving the first book!
Geek Girl tells the story of a young teen Harriet, who is a geek and gets bullied at her school. She might know all the science answers, but she has no clue why people are laughing at her when she goes outside with a cartoon hoodie.
But when Harriet gets discovered by a modelling agency,she realises how things can get different, and she has to choose whether she wants to risk losing everything by changing who she really is.
A very funny and geeky read, where I couldn’t stop but giggle a few times. One moment really got me though:
‘’If somebody offers to shave your legs,’’ she snaps, ‘’let them.’’
Harriet is a typical geeky high-school character, and you can’t help but love her weirdness, her silliness and the ways she believes in.
The read was somewhat predictable from the beginning, and there wasn’t any big plot twist or cliff-hanger, but I believe that this book didn’t really want to achieve that anyways.
This was a perfect read for me to relax and enjoy reading - reminded me of my high-school days and made me remember a lot of similar moments.
I am recommending it to all of you out there - that love being different and are not afraid to stand up for yourselves, no matter how much people laugh at you.
Debbiereadsbook (1582 KP) rated What a Latte Books in Books
Mar 2, 2020
sweet and cute, a lovely read!
I had the enormous honour to beta read this book.
Laura opens her dream business, a book/coffee shop. A book she doesn't remember ordering pulls her attention and draws her into a wonderful story of love. But Laura doesn't expect to ever find the kind of love she reads in the book. Then, she meets Simon and Laura begins to wonder, what is real and what is not.
I thoroughly enjoyed this delightful tale of a a book shop owner falling in love, not only in the pages of this mysterious book, but in real life too. when the connection between the book and Laura's friends becomes clear, a LOT of things begin to make more sense. I'm not saying they didn't before then, but it's like a light bulb moment, and the penny drops and all the little hints and clues come together and you can see the bigger picture.
Its on the sweet side, with just some kissing, but I liked that (which Ms Morgan found kinda funny, considering what I usually like to read) The book does NOT need the explicitness, because it is sweet, and cute and all kinds of warm and fuzzies that makes you glow inside after reading it!
The love between Laura and Simon grows, steadily thoughout the book, and I liked that it wasn't rushed. There were powerful feelings, from the very begininng, from Laura and between her and Simon, but it takes time for those feelings to become clear for her.
Only Laura has a say though, and I think if he had, I would have enjoyed this just that little bit more.
Still a delightful tale, of finding love wherever you find can.
4 stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
Laura opens her dream business, a book/coffee shop. A book she doesn't remember ordering pulls her attention and draws her into a wonderful story of love. But Laura doesn't expect to ever find the kind of love she reads in the book. Then, she meets Simon and Laura begins to wonder, what is real and what is not.
I thoroughly enjoyed this delightful tale of a a book shop owner falling in love, not only in the pages of this mysterious book, but in real life too. when the connection between the book and Laura's friends becomes clear, a LOT of things begin to make more sense. I'm not saying they didn't before then, but it's like a light bulb moment, and the penny drops and all the little hints and clues come together and you can see the bigger picture.
Its on the sweet side, with just some kissing, but I liked that (which Ms Morgan found kinda funny, considering what I usually like to read) The book does NOT need the explicitness, because it is sweet, and cute and all kinds of warm and fuzzies that makes you glow inside after reading it!
The love between Laura and Simon grows, steadily thoughout the book, and I liked that it wasn't rushed. There were powerful feelings, from the very begininng, from Laura and between her and Simon, but it takes time for those feelings to become clear for her.
Only Laura has a say though, and I think if he had, I would have enjoyed this just that little bit more.
Still a delightful tale, of finding love wherever you find can.
4 stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated Instax Mini 11 in Tech
Jul 16, 2020
First off, I want to say how cute this little Instax camera is. It's definitely trendy enough. While it is a mini camera, it is quite bulky still compared to digital cameras from back in the day.
I found it easy enough to load the film (which can get quite expensive to buy). Most of the instructions were clear although it came with some round things, and I'm still not sure what those are supposed to be.
Picture quality isn't that great unless you get pretty close up. However, it does remind me of the picture quality you'd get from taking pics in the 90s when taking them from a closer up range.
This camera includes a selfie mode unlike it's predecessor. You just mess with the front lens bit, and viola, you have selfie mode. The picture quality of that was about the same as the up close photos.
The flash does work great, and for the price, this is a decent little camera. It also holds up to the rough and tumble of everyday life. In fact, I put mine in my bag and forget it's there a lot of the time, so there's plenty of bumps along the way for it.
I think this would be a great camera for those aged between 8 - 14 who want an easy and affordable camera that takes real pictures instead of digital ones. I think the 14+ crowd would enjoy it too, but I feel like that's the age group that would get the most enjoyment from it the most. For a fairly cheap camera, it gets the job done while looking cute!
(I received this camera for free from Smashbomb in a giveaway in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.)
I found it easy enough to load the film (which can get quite expensive to buy). Most of the instructions were clear although it came with some round things, and I'm still not sure what those are supposed to be.
Picture quality isn't that great unless you get pretty close up. However, it does remind me of the picture quality you'd get from taking pics in the 90s when taking them from a closer up range.
This camera includes a selfie mode unlike it's predecessor. You just mess with the front lens bit, and viola, you have selfie mode. The picture quality of that was about the same as the up close photos.
The flash does work great, and for the price, this is a decent little camera. It also holds up to the rough and tumble of everyday life. In fact, I put mine in my bag and forget it's there a lot of the time, so there's plenty of bumps along the way for it.
I think this would be a great camera for those aged between 8 - 14 who want an easy and affordable camera that takes real pictures instead of digital ones. I think the 14+ crowd would enjoy it too, but I feel like that's the age group that would get the most enjoyment from it the most. For a fairly cheap camera, it gets the job done while looking cute!
(I received this camera for free from Smashbomb in a giveaway in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.)
ClareR (6037 KP) rated Lying Beside You in Books
Oct 2, 2022
Lying Beside You is the third book in the Cyrus Haven series - and I’ll admit now that I haven’t read the first two. It didn’t affect my enjoyment though. There are enough hints at the background that I could understand what was going on and who was who.
Cyrus is a busy forensic psychologist and criminal profiler, and to add more to his load, he has a lodger with a distressing background (which is only hinted at, but that’s all you’ll need), and his brother is due to be released from a secure institution. His brother has lived and been treated there since he murdered the rest of his and Cyrus’ family.
I found it fascinating how Cyrus seemed to be able to forgive his brother for his actions - particularly as he’d learnt from his job how his brother wasn’t in control of himself at the time. On the other hand, he seemed hesitant to have him back out in society and in his house. But he’s designed to it. I liked how it showed how complex his feelings towards his brother were.
And what a nice person Cyrus is generally. His lodger has had a very bad experience (which we don’t find out about in this book). He’s patient and tries to help her, and understands that she needs time and space. He’s a great character actually.
You might get from this that I specifically like the characters in books, and that I just see plot as a nice aside. Well, you wouldn’t be wrong. But this has enough exciting plot to keep the crime fiction fans very happy. It all gets quite frenetic towards the end, and I had no idea who the perpetrator was up to the big reveal.
It’s a great book - many thanks to the Pigeonhole and Michael Robotham.
Cyrus is a busy forensic psychologist and criminal profiler, and to add more to his load, he has a lodger with a distressing background (which is only hinted at, but that’s all you’ll need), and his brother is due to be released from a secure institution. His brother has lived and been treated there since he murdered the rest of his and Cyrus’ family.
I found it fascinating how Cyrus seemed to be able to forgive his brother for his actions - particularly as he’d learnt from his job how his brother wasn’t in control of himself at the time. On the other hand, he seemed hesitant to have him back out in society and in his house. But he’s designed to it. I liked how it showed how complex his feelings towards his brother were.
And what a nice person Cyrus is generally. His lodger has had a very bad experience (which we don’t find out about in this book). He’s patient and tries to help her, and understands that she needs time and space. He’s a great character actually.
You might get from this that I specifically like the characters in books, and that I just see plot as a nice aside. Well, you wouldn’t be wrong. But this has enough exciting plot to keep the crime fiction fans very happy. It all gets quite frenetic towards the end, and I had no idea who the perpetrator was up to the big reveal.
It’s a great book - many thanks to the Pigeonhole and Michael Robotham.
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Imperfect Women in Books
Sep 17, 2020
An engaging and suspenseful look into the power of secrets
Eleanor, Nancy, and Mary have been best friends since they met at Oxford. But then Nancy is murdered, leaving behind an adoring husband and a daughter. Her life, from the outside, was seemingly perfect. But Eleanor knows that the night Nancy died, she was going to meet her lover, hoping to break it off. And as the investigation into Nancy's death continues, both Eleanor and Mary struggle with their grief, the memories they have of their friend, and what her death means for those left behind.
"Eleanor felt a jolt of terror pass through her as she realized that everything about Nancy's death was worse than any other death anywhere. They would all suffer, and nothing would ever be the same again."
This was a truly fascinating book: it's part character-driven mystery and part insightful look at the role of women in society. It's told from the point of view of the three friends, but not the usual quick back and forth: we get large chunks of the story told from one woman at a time. Truths unfold slowly, as we learn bits and pieces about Eleanor, Nancy, and Mary--from themselves and each other.
The focal point of the story is Nancy's rather gruesome murder, but Hall fills her tale with thoughts and ruminations on women and how they are seen in society--and how they feel they are perceived. In some ways, it felt like a bunch broad generalizations applied to women, yet as I read, I found that most of them really rang true. I was furiously highlighting passages, nodding my head yes!
At times, it was hard to see where this book was going. Murder? Deep thoughts? It certainly straddled the line on both. In terms of Nancy's murder, I had a good chunk figured out early on, but the story certainly kept me engaged, reading and wondering if I was right. All three flawed (imperfect, indeed) women were interesting in their own way, and I liked each woman's section. I found this to be a very well-written book, but it's not a snappy thriller.
If you want a fast whodunit, this isn't for you. But if you want a well-done and thoughtful read, I recommend Hall's latest. It's a suspenseful and insightful look at love, marriage, and friendship. 4 stars.
"Eleanor felt a jolt of terror pass through her as she realized that everything about Nancy's death was worse than any other death anywhere. They would all suffer, and nothing would ever be the same again."
This was a truly fascinating book: it's part character-driven mystery and part insightful look at the role of women in society. It's told from the point of view of the three friends, but not the usual quick back and forth: we get large chunks of the story told from one woman at a time. Truths unfold slowly, as we learn bits and pieces about Eleanor, Nancy, and Mary--from themselves and each other.
The focal point of the story is Nancy's rather gruesome murder, but Hall fills her tale with thoughts and ruminations on women and how they are seen in society--and how they feel they are perceived. In some ways, it felt like a bunch broad generalizations applied to women, yet as I read, I found that most of them really rang true. I was furiously highlighting passages, nodding my head yes!
At times, it was hard to see where this book was going. Murder? Deep thoughts? It certainly straddled the line on both. In terms of Nancy's murder, I had a good chunk figured out early on, but the story certainly kept me engaged, reading and wondering if I was right. All three flawed (imperfect, indeed) women were interesting in their own way, and I liked each woman's section. I found this to be a very well-written book, but it's not a snappy thriller.
If you want a fast whodunit, this isn't for you. But if you want a well-done and thoughtful read, I recommend Hall's latest. It's a suspenseful and insightful look at love, marriage, and friendship. 4 stars.