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Rachel King (13 KP) rated Wedlocked in Books
Feb 11, 2019
While the cover of the book gives the impression that the story is exclusively about the main character Rebecca's bad marriage. The book actually encompasses her life leading up to the bad marriage and what happens as a result of the rocky nuptials. The actual ceremony is understood to have happened sort of "between the lines," so to speak. The book is a before and after image in prose.
The prologue to the book is the immediate aftermath of the ceremony when Rebecca is undergoing the realization of her mistake. I was a bit confused at this point since I could not figure out if the ceremony took place or not. The next chapter starts in Rebecca's childhood, growing up with two sisters and a very marriage-minded mother in a strict Jewish household. To her mother's dismay, Rebecca is quickly influenced by her grandma Emma into a love for acting, movies, and theater. From there, the book walks us through Rebecca's pursuit of an acting career and near-absence of dating material.
Though Rebecca is likable enough, I had a difficult time relating to her career struggles, since I have little interest in that side of the business. I also did wonder if she was really as talented as she claimed to be, since her struggles were so great.
When a man, Evan, finally lays claim to Rebecca's heart, both Rebecca and Evan handle the relationship poorly and Rebecca abandons her suffering career with a broken heart. The man she eventually becomes "wedlocked" to, Craig, then shows up in her life, and a rebound relationship becomes a permanent one before Rebecca thinks to learn a bit more about her new husband. A honeymoon from hell makes the reality of her situation quite clear as Craig's bad behavior and numerous secrets get him in trouble with the Italian government, until a new friend, Michael, flies in to save the day.
Without spoiling the ending, I think Rebecca handled her problems remarkably well, with a little help, and ended the book with a humorous twist. If I suspend my opinions of the Hollywood-influenced methods of dating, marriage, and divorce that is so common in America today, the book was an entertaining read, and likely would make an even better movie.
The prologue to the book is the immediate aftermath of the ceremony when Rebecca is undergoing the realization of her mistake. I was a bit confused at this point since I could not figure out if the ceremony took place or not. The next chapter starts in Rebecca's childhood, growing up with two sisters and a very marriage-minded mother in a strict Jewish household. To her mother's dismay, Rebecca is quickly influenced by her grandma Emma into a love for acting, movies, and theater. From there, the book walks us through Rebecca's pursuit of an acting career and near-absence of dating material.
Though Rebecca is likable enough, I had a difficult time relating to her career struggles, since I have little interest in that side of the business. I also did wonder if she was really as talented as she claimed to be, since her struggles were so great.
When a man, Evan, finally lays claim to Rebecca's heart, both Rebecca and Evan handle the relationship poorly and Rebecca abandons her suffering career with a broken heart. The man she eventually becomes "wedlocked" to, Craig, then shows up in her life, and a rebound relationship becomes a permanent one before Rebecca thinks to learn a bit more about her new husband. A honeymoon from hell makes the reality of her situation quite clear as Craig's bad behavior and numerous secrets get him in trouble with the Italian government, until a new friend, Michael, flies in to save the day.
Without spoiling the ending, I think Rebecca handled her problems remarkably well, with a little help, and ended the book with a humorous twist. If I suspend my opinions of the Hollywood-influenced methods of dating, marriage, and divorce that is so common in America today, the book was an entertaining read, and likely would make an even better movie.
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated After Night Fall in Books
Mar 18, 2019
Page-turner with some irritating characters
Marissa Parlette is newly engaged to Nathan, an EMT, and working on integrating herself into his life and that of his young daughter, Anna. She is also trying to slowly reconcile with Nathan's neighbor, Lauren, who also happens to be Marissa's childhood best friend. The two parted ways after an incident in college. But then--after a dinner party at Nathan's to celebrate his birthday--Marissa awakens early and finds Lauren's battered body at the bottom of the cliff behind her house. What happened to Lauren? Did she jump? Fall? Or was she pushed? Marissa starts to investigate what happened, but soon finds she can't trust anything or anyone, including her own fiance.
This was my second A.J. Banner book, and it was a bit of a strange one. I didn't enjoy it as much as The Twilight Wife, but it is definitely a quick and interesting read. I flew through the pages, as Bannon is extremely good at casting suspicion on everyone in the novel. It becomes apparent quickly that Lauren's death wasn't an accident, so you start trying to guess who did it, and while everyone seems a suspect, I had difficultly figuring out "whodunnit," which was fun.
Not so fun was the fact that Marissa, our main character, drove me a bit crazy. I understand that she would be upset by the death of her former best friend, but she became utterly obsessed, investigating in a strange tunnel vision sort of way that seemed almost deranged. Yet, it seemed like she was clueless in some ways, unable to grasp some facts that were pretty easy for the rest of us to figure out. She was also rather self-centered, insecure, and whiny, and I had a tough time rooting for her. I really didn't enjoy any of the characters, honestly, beside Nathan's daughter, Anna. (Poor kid; she didn't deserve having to live with any of those people.)
Overall, I enjoyed the page-turner aspect of this one, and the fact I was constantly kept guessing. The characters and their weird motivations? Eh. Not so much. Still, this was a quick, easy read.
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review (thank you!).
This was my second A.J. Banner book, and it was a bit of a strange one. I didn't enjoy it as much as The Twilight Wife, but it is definitely a quick and interesting read. I flew through the pages, as Bannon is extremely good at casting suspicion on everyone in the novel. It becomes apparent quickly that Lauren's death wasn't an accident, so you start trying to guess who did it, and while everyone seems a suspect, I had difficultly figuring out "whodunnit," which was fun.
Not so fun was the fact that Marissa, our main character, drove me a bit crazy. I understand that she would be upset by the death of her former best friend, but she became utterly obsessed, investigating in a strange tunnel vision sort of way that seemed almost deranged. Yet, it seemed like she was clueless in some ways, unable to grasp some facts that were pretty easy for the rest of us to figure out. She was also rather self-centered, insecure, and whiny, and I had a tough time rooting for her. I really didn't enjoy any of the characters, honestly, beside Nathan's daughter, Anna. (Poor kid; she didn't deserve having to live with any of those people.)
Overall, I enjoyed the page-turner aspect of this one, and the fact I was constantly kept guessing. The characters and their weird motivations? Eh. Not so much. Still, this was a quick, easy read.
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review (thank you!).
Whatchareadin (174 KP) rated First Comes Love in Books
Apr 9, 2019
First Comes Love is the story of a family. A family that is devastated by an extremely tragic event, the death of a child and brother. The story takes place 15 years after this event, and is told through the eyes of the two remaining children, Josie and Meredith. Each sister has a different personality and they definitely see the world from opposing perspectives. When secrets that have been plaguing the sisters for so long come to the surface, the only thing that will keep their relationship together is the love that brought them into this world.
I am a big fan of Emily Giffin. Her books always bring out a host of emotions in me. Happiness, sadness, understanding, compassion. And this title did not disappoint. The newest from the author, it covers the relationship between two sisters in the aftermath of their older brother's tragic death fifteen years earlier. Both still haunted by the events of that night and the outcomes that came from it, will they be able to find the love they have for each other to sort out what is going on.
Josie is the oldest of the two and she is single and a first grade teacher. Starting out her new school year,she finds out that her ex-boyfriend's daughter is going to be in her class. This brings back a whole host of memories from when we they were together and the reason they broke up. Determined not to let this get her down, she makes a very important decision that will change her life forever, the only problem, she's not getting the support she wants, especially from her sister Meredith.
Meredith is the youngest child. She is married to Nolan and has a young daughter named Harper. From the outside, Meredith looks as though she has her life together. She is a lawyer and her and Nolan are living in her childhood home that they bought from her parents. But something is clearly missing from Meredith's life, she's just not sure what it is and how to find it. Hating to be overshadowed by Josie's need for things to be all about her, she takes some time for herself to recognize what is going on in her life and what she can do to fix it.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for giving me this advance copy of First Comes Love
I am a big fan of Emily Giffin. Her books always bring out a host of emotions in me. Happiness, sadness, understanding, compassion. And this title did not disappoint. The newest from the author, it covers the relationship between two sisters in the aftermath of their older brother's tragic death fifteen years earlier. Both still haunted by the events of that night and the outcomes that came from it, will they be able to find the love they have for each other to sort out what is going on.
Josie is the oldest of the two and she is single and a first grade teacher. Starting out her new school year,she finds out that her ex-boyfriend's daughter is going to be in her class. This brings back a whole host of memories from when we they were together and the reason they broke up. Determined not to let this get her down, she makes a very important decision that will change her life forever, the only problem, she's not getting the support she wants, especially from her sister Meredith.
Meredith is the youngest child. She is married to Nolan and has a young daughter named Harper. From the outside, Meredith looks as though she has her life together. She is a lawyer and her and Nolan are living in her childhood home that they bought from her parents. But something is clearly missing from Meredith's life, she's just not sure what it is and how to find it. Hating to be overshadowed by Josie's need for things to be all about her, she takes some time for herself to recognize what is going on in her life and what she can do to fix it.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for giving me this advance copy of First Comes Love
Whatchareadin (174 KP) rated The Sunshine Sisters in Books
Apr 9, 2019
Ronni Sunshine was not a very good mother. Her career as an actress was always most important to her. But when life throws her a curve ball she isn't expecting, she will call her three daughters home together to try to make up for lost time.
Each daughter dealt with their mother's selfish ways the best way they knew how. Nell, the eldest,was unemotional; Meredith, in the middle, took everything to heart; and Lizzy, the youngest ignored her mother and did whatever she wanted to do anyway. They have all gone on to lead separate lives, and rarely spoke to each other. Their childhood and their relationship with they mother have shaped them into the women they became as women. Nell has lived her life being a mother to her son and running a farm, even though she loves her work and her son, is she really happy? Meredith is engaged to be married and has a great job, but is this the life she envisioned? Lizzy is a celebrity chef and is married with a son, but her life isn't as perfect as it looks from the outside.
Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this book.
I love Jane Green's books. They always send a wave of emotions. This book grabs at your heart strings and makes you feel for these characters How do you reconnect with family when you've been apart for so long. I don't think there has ever been a time when I didn't speak with my mom and my sister. I don't know what I would do if anything would happen to either one of them. The character I most connected with in this story was Meredith. I've always been the type of person to always make sure the people around me are taken care of before I've taken care of myself.
This book immediately makes you think of family and how to stay connected to them. Make sure your relationships are well maintained before it's too late. Life is so short and the next day is not promised to anyone. For those you love, you need to always keep them close so that when they go, as we all will someday, you will not feel as though there was something that you should have or could have done
Each daughter dealt with their mother's selfish ways the best way they knew how. Nell, the eldest,was unemotional; Meredith, in the middle, took everything to heart; and Lizzy, the youngest ignored her mother and did whatever she wanted to do anyway. They have all gone on to lead separate lives, and rarely spoke to each other. Their childhood and their relationship with they mother have shaped them into the women they became as women. Nell has lived her life being a mother to her son and running a farm, even though she loves her work and her son, is she really happy? Meredith is engaged to be married and has a great job, but is this the life she envisioned? Lizzy is a celebrity chef and is married with a son, but her life isn't as perfect as it looks from the outside.
Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this book.
I love Jane Green's books. They always send a wave of emotions. This book grabs at your heart strings and makes you feel for these characters How do you reconnect with family when you've been apart for so long. I don't think there has ever been a time when I didn't speak with my mom and my sister. I don't know what I would do if anything would happen to either one of them. The character I most connected with in this story was Meredith. I've always been the type of person to always make sure the people around me are taken care of before I've taken care of myself.
This book immediately makes you think of family and how to stay connected to them. Make sure your relationships are well maintained before it's too late. Life is so short and the next day is not promised to anyone. For those you love, you need to always keep them close so that when they go, as we all will someday, you will not feel as though there was something that you should have or could have done
Debbiereadsbook (1421 KP) rated Frostbite (The Gifted Ones #1) in Books
Apr 11, 2019
first I've read of this author, I need more!
Verified Amazon purchase March 2019
Dorian has been dreaming of and hearing the song of the wolf who can only be his mate. Drawn to the mountains that are nestled in his friend Tobias’ lands, he has no choice but to go. There is, though, the small matter of Frostbite, a semi-legend slash horror story about a white wolf who has been killing alpha wolves. But Cyrus has been defending himself, and Dorian is, in his eyes, another threat. When Dorian is unaffected my Cyrus’ magic, he knows that Dorian is his mate. There is just the fact of whether he WANTS a mate, and whether Tobias will accept him into the pack, legends and all.
I came across book two of this series on social media, I forget which. THAT book was free, and this one was only 99p, (27/03/19) so I grabbed them both and I am so glad I did!
I thoroughly enjoyed this one!
It’s sufficiently different to make it interesting, with the alpha male wolves being able to have children with females, but only their FATED MATE can be male. Dorian was married to a human woman; they had a child who died. Cyrus never had any children, he didn’t to pass the horror of HIS childhood upon another.
Dorian KNOWS Cyrus is his mate, he can hear his sorrow and loneliness in his song. Cyrus, however, needs to come to Dorian. CYRUS needs to ask to join the pack. Tobias is, to be fair, quite a . . .laid back Alpha. Well, laid back til you cross his pack and put anyone in it in danger. He accepts Cyrus, and the other omegas take him under his wing. Cyrus had been without anyone for a long time. Now he has a MATE, and a PACK that has accepted him, and his story. And when Cyrus’ past comes to attack that family and pack, they all gather up, and show Cyrus just what that means.
We are introduced to the legend of Diablo, which is book two and we are given hints about Tobias, who is maybe not just wolf, but just WHAT, that remains to be seen!
First I’ve read of this author, I need more!
A thoroughly enjoyable, well worth the 99p I paid for it, read.
4 solid stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
Dorian has been dreaming of and hearing the song of the wolf who can only be his mate. Drawn to the mountains that are nestled in his friend Tobias’ lands, he has no choice but to go. There is, though, the small matter of Frostbite, a semi-legend slash horror story about a white wolf who has been killing alpha wolves. But Cyrus has been defending himself, and Dorian is, in his eyes, another threat. When Dorian is unaffected my Cyrus’ magic, he knows that Dorian is his mate. There is just the fact of whether he WANTS a mate, and whether Tobias will accept him into the pack, legends and all.
I came across book two of this series on social media, I forget which. THAT book was free, and this one was only 99p, (27/03/19) so I grabbed them both and I am so glad I did!
I thoroughly enjoyed this one!
It’s sufficiently different to make it interesting, with the alpha male wolves being able to have children with females, but only their FATED MATE can be male. Dorian was married to a human woman; they had a child who died. Cyrus never had any children, he didn’t to pass the horror of HIS childhood upon another.
Dorian KNOWS Cyrus is his mate, he can hear his sorrow and loneliness in his song. Cyrus, however, needs to come to Dorian. CYRUS needs to ask to join the pack. Tobias is, to be fair, quite a . . .laid back Alpha. Well, laid back til you cross his pack and put anyone in it in danger. He accepts Cyrus, and the other omegas take him under his wing. Cyrus had been without anyone for a long time. Now he has a MATE, and a PACK that has accepted him, and his story. And when Cyrus’ past comes to attack that family and pack, they all gather up, and show Cyrus just what that means.
We are introduced to the legend of Diablo, which is book two and we are given hints about Tobias, who is maybe not just wolf, but just WHAT, that remains to be seen!
First I’ve read of this author, I need more!
A thoroughly enjoyable, well worth the 99p I paid for it, read.
4 solid stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
Kayla Ackerman (15 KP) rated Halloween (2018) in Movies
Jun 5, 2019
Hints at the original just enough to make you go "oooh I got that reference!" without being too overbearing. (4 more)
Amazing soundtrack, they took what we all know and love and used it to gain inspiration for new music, rather than just remixing the original.
Halloween was brought into modern times without succumbing to the Hollywood Horror cliches that plague the cinema today.
They made an excellent decision to ignore the many previous sequels, which allowed them to create a plot that made sense, and welcomed newcomers who haven't followed the entire franchise.
Jamie Lee Curtis, and everything that she had to do with this film. Heck yes.
This is a Halloween film. It's revamped and revitalised, but it still feels like it belongs, it's got those good vibes that you associate with the first Halloween, and if you say it doesn't then you probably missed the point because you were rocking those nostalgia goggles a little too hard. This isn't a film made for nostalgia, this is an extension of the franchise, not a copy. There are throwback and recalls to the original, it is heavily inspired by it in all the right ways, but they took it and modernised it and they did a damn good job. Is it the best film ever? God no, its a still a horror, but it is so difficult to take a beloved classic and try to make something new, and they did such a good job. I feel a sense of irrational pride that they even attempted this and managed to not massacre that Halloween vibe, like a certain other attempt did. This was a highly enjoyable experience and I got so hyped feeling the Halloween energy pouring off of this shiny new film.
This film is like visiting your childhood home after many years and finding that someone completely redecorated. If you long for things to stay the same all the time, you're gonna have a bad time. But if you appreciate someone elses vision and attempt to make improvements, then you can enjoy the whole experience, from exploration of the new, to recognition of the familiar hidden behind it all.
This film is like visiting your childhood home after many years and finding that someone completely redecorated. If you long for things to stay the same all the time, you're gonna have a bad time. But if you appreciate someone elses vision and attempt to make improvements, then you can enjoy the whole experience, from exploration of the new, to recognition of the familiar hidden behind it all.
Darkwriter1408 (8 KP) rated The Incredibles (2004) in Movies
Jun 13, 2019
Family friendly (3 more)
Funny
Good fight scenes
Good use of superheroes
Brilliant family film that all will enjoy!!
So they live in a time where heroes are forbidden and Mr incredible is struggling to adjust. Disney have done a really good job in the scripting to show in his dialogue the problems he's facing. The animation as well is really impressive within his facial expressions.
After dismissing one of his fans from when he was a public hero, he receives an anonymous letter offering a heroes job. Now, for anyone else who shares my point of view. If I received a anonymous job offer worth thousands off of a stranger, I'd be speaking to my partner as that is creepy! Instead Disney took the approach of he is that desperate for the recognition of being a super he accepts without any thought or hesitation.
After dismissing the initial issue upon his first job, he begins a sort of partnership with this stranger only for it to be revealed as his childhood fan who he dismissed. The villain naming himself as syndrome has invented his own gadgets granting him powers like flight, zero gravity lasers and others.
Syndrome develops a robot that is essentially impenetrable. He holds a remote to dismantle it and has a genius master plan to get rid of all supers and essentially become the only super available. The rest of mr incredibles family get wind of what has happened and go to rescue him only to get caught as well and essentially be at syndromes disposle. Now let us just dismantle that one moment, a company as big as Disney has decided that this robot can be controlled by a remote, it has it's own computer processor so is aware of everything and is impenetrable. Am I the only one who sees the flaw that it can think for itself.? No? That's alright then.
The actors voice overs are really good and give the sense of urgency and emotion throughout there performces. This only adds to the big final battle. With a few funny moments in the film and bit of a slow moving middle filled with a sped up montage of mr incredibles training, I would say this film is definitely a very good family friendly film that will give a laugh and a very good evening with all the food on the table.
After dismissing one of his fans from when he was a public hero, he receives an anonymous letter offering a heroes job. Now, for anyone else who shares my point of view. If I received a anonymous job offer worth thousands off of a stranger, I'd be speaking to my partner as that is creepy! Instead Disney took the approach of he is that desperate for the recognition of being a super he accepts without any thought or hesitation.
After dismissing the initial issue upon his first job, he begins a sort of partnership with this stranger only for it to be revealed as his childhood fan who he dismissed. The villain naming himself as syndrome has invented his own gadgets granting him powers like flight, zero gravity lasers and others.
Syndrome develops a robot that is essentially impenetrable. He holds a remote to dismantle it and has a genius master plan to get rid of all supers and essentially become the only super available. The rest of mr incredibles family get wind of what has happened and go to rescue him only to get caught as well and essentially be at syndromes disposle. Now let us just dismantle that one moment, a company as big as Disney has decided that this robot can be controlled by a remote, it has it's own computer processor so is aware of everything and is impenetrable. Am I the only one who sees the flaw that it can think for itself.? No? That's alright then.
The actors voice overs are really good and give the sense of urgency and emotion throughout there performces. This only adds to the big final battle. With a few funny moments in the film and bit of a slow moving middle filled with a sped up montage of mr incredibles training, I would say this film is definitely a very good family friendly film that will give a laugh and a very good evening with all the food on the table.
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated The Clairvoyants in Books
Feb 13, 2018
Martha has had an interesting childhood and upbringing. As a young girl, she saw the ghost of her aunt, a nun, in her grandfather's barn. As a teen, the dead frequently appeared to Martha, though she rarely knew what to do with these apparitions. Also in her teen years, Martha's younger sister, Del, wound up sent to an institution. Incredibly close as children, Del's slow decent into some sort of madness also haunted Martha. So she decides to depart her family's farm and move inland to college. Once in Ithaca, Martha falls in love, is reunited with Del, and frequently sees the ghost of Mary Rae, a missing woman from a neighboring town, who stands beneath Martha's window for hours, wearing her coat and with her hair covered in ice. Martha had hoped to escape the dead in Ithaca, but it seems like somehow everything is going to converge on her nonetheless.
This book was not at all what I had expected; it's less a supernatural thriller and more a literary treatise as we watch Martha deal with the events in her life. The chapters switch between present-day in Ithaca and flashbacks to Martha's life growing up. Sometimes it's a little confusing, but also quite interesting. I had expected the book to be more of a mystery as we try to figure out what happened to Mary Rae, but honestly, it's pretty apparent from the beginning who is responsible for her disappearance, even if the "how" is unknown. Still, the book is incredibly suspenseful and very compelling; I found myself trying to read it every chance as I had.
The psychological/mystical aspect isn't really as much at play here as you'd think from the summary, but that's okay. I didn't find it as creepy as some of the other reviews, but as I stated, still very spellbinding. There's an "aha moment" when you're reading and things come together that is masterfully done. While I wasn't in love with the character of Martha, I was intrigued by both she and Del, and I found all of the characters to be fascinating and intricate in their own way. The ending was a little quick for me, but somewhat redeemed by one particular portion (don't want to give away a spoiler). Overall, this was a different book--unlike ones I typically read--and while I didn't find it amazing, it was an engrossing and suspenseful novel. 3.5 stars.
This book was not at all what I had expected; it's less a supernatural thriller and more a literary treatise as we watch Martha deal with the events in her life. The chapters switch between present-day in Ithaca and flashbacks to Martha's life growing up. Sometimes it's a little confusing, but also quite interesting. I had expected the book to be more of a mystery as we try to figure out what happened to Mary Rae, but honestly, it's pretty apparent from the beginning who is responsible for her disappearance, even if the "how" is unknown. Still, the book is incredibly suspenseful and very compelling; I found myself trying to read it every chance as I had.
The psychological/mystical aspect isn't really as much at play here as you'd think from the summary, but that's okay. I didn't find it as creepy as some of the other reviews, but as I stated, still very spellbinding. There's an "aha moment" when you're reading and things come together that is masterfully done. While I wasn't in love with the character of Martha, I was intrigued by both she and Del, and I found all of the characters to be fascinating and intricate in their own way. The ending was a little quick for me, but somewhat redeemed by one particular portion (don't want to give away a spoiler). Overall, this was a different book--unlike ones I typically read--and while I didn't find it amazing, it was an engrossing and suspenseful novel. 3.5 stars.
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated The Survivor's Guide to Family Happiness in Books
Feb 13, 2018
Nina Popkin's mother has recently passed away and she's also freshly divorced. Adopted as a child, her mother's death rekindles Nina's desire to search for her birth mother. She's always felt as she's never belonged anywhere, searching strangers' faces and eyes for her potential birth mother. Amazingly, Nina manages to find her biological sister, Lindy, whom she actually knew as a kid from her neighborhood. But Lindy, who is obsessed with creating a perfect house and life, isn't too thrilled about her wayward sister bursting into her life. Lindy has three kids, a busy salon to run, and a lot of (hidden) anxiety to deal with. But Nina is force to be reckoned with and she's determined to bring Lindy on her journey to find their mother. But will this journey finally bring Nina the sense of peace and belonging she's always desired?
Dawson's novel is told from the varying points of view of its main women: Nina, Lindy, and their biological mother. It's a humorous--and sometimes heartbreaking--look at family and the different forms it can take. Dawson has created a cast of characters who seem incredibly real. She captures the little details just right, from family life with kids, to Nina's romantic woes. Nina is a trip: you can't help but love her and her relentless optimism. Even when the novel drags a bit in the middle, when you feel like Nina and the plot need a bit of a push, it recovers through its humor and Nina's personality. Perhaps the only part I found slightly weird was that Nina and Lindy's childhood neighborhood was so full of adopted children that they grew up knowing each other (though not knowing they were sisters), but perhaps that was truly par for the course for the era... who knows.
In the end, I really enjoyed this novel. It combines several other supporting characters, including the children of Nina's boyfriend, into a great read. At times it's truly laugh out loud funny, even if it gets a bit preposterous. But it's also heartfelt and touching and a lovely look at the bonds of family.
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Netgalley (thank you!); it is available everywhere as of 10/25/2016.
Dawson's novel is told from the varying points of view of its main women: Nina, Lindy, and their biological mother. It's a humorous--and sometimes heartbreaking--look at family and the different forms it can take. Dawson has created a cast of characters who seem incredibly real. She captures the little details just right, from family life with kids, to Nina's romantic woes. Nina is a trip: you can't help but love her and her relentless optimism. Even when the novel drags a bit in the middle, when you feel like Nina and the plot need a bit of a push, it recovers through its humor and Nina's personality. Perhaps the only part I found slightly weird was that Nina and Lindy's childhood neighborhood was so full of adopted children that they grew up knowing each other (though not knowing they were sisters), but perhaps that was truly par for the course for the era... who knows.
In the end, I really enjoyed this novel. It combines several other supporting characters, including the children of Nina's boyfriend, into a great read. At times it's truly laugh out loud funny, even if it gets a bit preposterous. But it's also heartfelt and touching and a lovely look at the bonds of family.
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Netgalley (thank you!); it is available everywhere as of 10/25/2016.
Goddess in the Stacks (553 KP) rated The Rules of Magic in Books
Feb 19, 2018
So I actually didn't know that Practical Magic the movie was based on a book. But when I saw The Rules of Magic billed as the prequel to a movie I had loved, I knew I had to read it. And I'm so glad I did. The Rules of Magic is, well, magical. Magical and nostalgic and spell-binding. Most book worlds feel different than their respective movie-worlds, but this felt like a logical prequel. (It may be because I haven't seen the movie in some time - I intend to remedy that soon, and I might just have to read the book as well.)
Practical Magic, the well known movie with Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman, centers around the two girls and their elderly aunts. The Rules of Magic is the aunts' story. And what a story. It begins in New York, as the older of the two aunts is turning 17. On an Owens' girl's seventeenth birthday, they receive an invitation to spend the summer at the Owens home in Massachusetts. Frances, the older of the two girls, receives the invitation, and her two siblings won't let her go alone, so all three of them (yes, three, the movie doesn't mention their brother that I recall, though I suppose Bullock and Kidman's characters had to come from somewhere!) pack up and head to Massachusetts, where they meet their Aunt Isabelle. Over the course of the summer, they learn their family history, and get verification that they are indeed witches. (They'd had certain powers throughout childhood, though their mother tried to deny it.)
It was Vincent's storyline that intrigued me, since I knew where Frances and Jet ended up. There was an unexpected curveball that I won't spoil here, but I enjoyed it. It was Jet and Frances' storylines that had me crying at the end of the book, though. Not the very last chapter - it ended on a hopeful note - but the few chapters preceding it had me in tears. (It was midnight, and everyone else was asleep, so I had myself a good cry over my book, and then had to try to sleep on a wet pillow.)
If you enjoyed Practical Magic the movie, you should read this book. It's a perfect prequel.
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
Practical Magic, the well known movie with Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman, centers around the two girls and their elderly aunts. The Rules of Magic is the aunts' story. And what a story. It begins in New York, as the older of the two aunts is turning 17. On an Owens' girl's seventeenth birthday, they receive an invitation to spend the summer at the Owens home in Massachusetts. Frances, the older of the two girls, receives the invitation, and her two siblings won't let her go alone, so all three of them (yes, three, the movie doesn't mention their brother that I recall, though I suppose Bullock and Kidman's characters had to come from somewhere!) pack up and head to Massachusetts, where they meet their Aunt Isabelle. Over the course of the summer, they learn their family history, and get verification that they are indeed witches. (They'd had certain powers throughout childhood, though their mother tried to deny it.)
It was Vincent's storyline that intrigued me, since I knew where Frances and Jet ended up. There was an unexpected curveball that I won't spoil here, but I enjoyed it. It was Jet and Frances' storylines that had me crying at the end of the book, though. Not the very last chapter - it ended on a hopeful note - but the few chapters preceding it had me in tears. (It was midnight, and everyone else was asleep, so I had myself a good cry over my book, and then had to try to sleep on a wet pillow.)
If you enjoyed Practical Magic the movie, you should read this book. It's a perfect prequel.
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com