Jodi Picoult is like crack. She has these nifty plot-twist court-drama zingers and a bunch of really uptight, believable, and irritating characters. IJodi Picoult is like crack. She has these nifty plot-twist court-drama zingers and a bunch of really uptight, believable, and irritating characters. I think this is one of her earlier works, and it shows (in a good way): the zinger is less deliberate, the relationships are more convincing, the characters are less annoying. And the end is... what I needed it to be. That said, sure there are plot holes. Sure there are character assassinations that don't quite work. But in the end, I think this may be my favorite of her books so far. The theme is even consistent throughout: truth (with or without dare). That's kind of nice, innit?...more
This book is a thinly veiled and well-subplotted twist on the Columbine High School incident. It explores school culture and satellite characters (parThis book is a thinly veiled and well-subplotted twist on the Columbine High School incident. It explores school culture and satellite characters (parents, law enforcement, school teachers and administrators) and webs them all together believably, although not as shockingly as the dust-jacket text might imply.
Plenty of things recommend this book. For one thing, happily, the author resists the temptation to give a pass to characters who defend their kids even when the kids themselves have been jerks (i.e., the mass-murderer's dad doesn't rush to his son's defense right away; several of the self-righteous parents of murdered bullies are depicted in a none too flattering light). In that respect, the parent/child relationships are dealt with honestly. Also, the flashbacking works really well, stitching in the foreshadowing in a way that never feels forced.
The victim letter that really changes Peter, toward the end, is excellent. I believed utterly that reading such a thing could have an impact on him. But I was buying it somewhat less that Josie, who had lived all her life with That Mother, wouldn't understand the ramifications of telling the truth in open court. Also, her motivations were a little too much show-not-tell. Sometimes it's nice to have the moment of decision pondered a tad more than "So she did." (I might have misquoted that, but it's the pivotal moment for Josie, in the flashback near the end.) All us readers can assume her whys and wherefores, but not comfortably. I guess I didn't get Josie all that much.
Which brings me to the negatives. First, as an expose of the public school culture itself, this book isn't really that hard-hitting. It takes itself too seriously to have the visceral impact of something like "Heathers," for instance. Plus there are all those scenes from adults' points of view. Blegh. If I have to hear from Josie's mom one more time, I think I'll scream. Of course, once she got her head out of her tookus and decided that maybe her kid was a mite more important than her career, she was somewhat more palatable. But just for reference: Picoult has a frustrating tendency to write mothers who have their priorities all out of whack. I have no sympathy for these characters, which makes it hard for me to enjoy the novels as much as I would like.
Also, and this is a total nitpick: you can't program a 3D first-person-shooter using HTML. Picoult might have done a boatload of research on high-school shootings and legalese, but her technical research was lacking mightily. Pretty much everything she has to say about Peter's computer life (which, for him, is supposed to be important) is bunk. Just know that going in.
For all that, though, I did enjoy the book. It was well crafted and plotted; it built to some powerful and/or intriguing bits (the aforementioned letter that Peter receives in jail; the grotesque subplot involving the homecoming queen; the gay math teacher subplot; the defense attorney's believable and amusing relationship with his wife and infant son). I read it all and liked about 85 percent of it, so that's definitely saying something....more
This is our current favorite. It has those tactile 3D ladybug bits o plastic that the kiddos can touch and count. Plus there's a featured animal on eaThis is our current favorite. It has those tactile 3D ladybug bits o plastic that the kiddos can touch and count. Plus there's a featured animal on each page, usually a recognizable one: duck, bird, caterpillar, frog, etc. Colors are lively; illustrations are simple but attractive; text rhymes and encourages page turning (that is, sentences start on one page and end on the next, which discourages too much lollygagging on just one page, which my kids are wont to do). Moreover, this book, so far, is indestructible! ...more
I wish Emma Holly would write something other than porn. She's a very strong writer, but there's only so much you can do with Tab A and Slot B (or eveI wish Emma Holly would write something other than porn. She's a very strong writer, but there's only so much you can do with Tab A and Slot B (or even several tabs, slots, and so on).
I'm also dismayed that she hopped right on the bandwagon and seems to be doing nothing but paranormal erotica lately. I suppose there's a readership for that, but it would sure be something to see Ms Holly stretch, as a writer. She has the mad skillz. (Which is why I made myself give this rehash TabA/SlotB three whole stars. The writing is that good.)...more
I read this book because I'd just finished American Gods and was temporarily in love with Gaiman. Happily, this book couldn't have been more differentI read this book because I'd just finished American Gods and was temporarily in love with Gaiman. Happily, this book couldn't have been more different.
There are too many excellent things about this book to list. Suffice to say, I never wanted a hell hound of my very own until I read about this one.
In the whole genre of speculative fiction -- and I've read a metric shitload of it -- this is the first book I recommend to others, followed by Stephenson's Diamond Age. I think that reading those two books pretty much sums up modern speculative fiction (apologies to Murakami and Garcia Marquez and Tolkien and the other literati faves)....more
**spoiler alert** I wept. Stayed up until 2 a.m. and cried my eyes out. And I typically don't do that. Reading this book hurt such that I can't in goo**spoiler alert** I wept. Stayed up until 2 a.m. and cried my eyes out. And I typically don't do that. Reading this book hurt such that I can't in good conscience recommend it for any parent.
I never developed the sympathy for the mother, Sara, not even at the end, when the author tried to wrest it from me. Picoult had done such a good job of making me hate Sara early on that when she tried to lure me into loving her, I didn't bite. And that's about all I can come up with in terms of criticism. It's a significant criticism, but it fades in importance beside all the wows of this novel.
At its core, this was not a philosophical novel; it was a character piece. And of all the characters, I loved Jesse most. I just wanted to put my arms around him and hold on tight until he stopped complaining about it. And when Brian finally did, well, that was the high point for me.
I hope they never make a movie of this book, because it wouldn't translate across media. See, the genius here, for me at least, is not the plot or the philosophical themes or even the characters (though they were strong). It's the scene-level writing. This book contains no wasted words, no metaphors that aren't also foreshadows. Every scenelet is layered and sparklingly in-voice, every mini-tragedy is excruciating. Point of view is deep and intimate.
I want to write like this when I grow up. (I should qualify that by saying that I'm 33 now, so I have a lot of ground to cover in a somewhat shorter time, eh?) Color me impressed....more
What a nadir for this series. Mystery? There wasn't one. Mr Secret Identity? I'd spoil it for ya, but it wouldn't really be a surprise. Or in any way What a nadir for this series. Mystery? There wasn't one. Mr Secret Identity? I'd spoil it for ya, but it wouldn't really be a surprise. Or in any way interesting. At all. The whole who-is-Zook's-baby-daddy thing? I'd spoil that for you as well, but again: it would be a big ol' letdown.
Even the funny bits weren't funny in this book. Ms Evanovich apparently got ahold of an online dictionary for MMORPG slang and made up a subplot based on it. She got some of the terms way wrong. It was painful to read those parts.
Ranger? Was a source of information in this book. Thassit. All that character-building stuff she did for him in her previous books was absolutely and completely wasted. You could have replaced him with a decent internet search engine and a set of lockpicks.
"Brenda" was flat as a character and as a subplot, made even more heinous by the fact that her subplot was only loosely tied to the main plot.
Secondary characters throughout were, like the ammo used in the potato launchers, half-baked.
That's it. I'm done with Janet Evanovich. I was a huge fan early on, but she's been wimping out the last, oh, six books or so. This one wasn't even worth the time, no less the money....more
Ahhhh. This is what I was looking for. Good Regency, nice adherence to the rules of the era, effective use of intimacy, and believable characters thatAhhhh. This is what I was looking for. Good Regency, nice adherence to the rules of the era, effective use of intimacy, and believable characters that don't pop right out of character to deliver the happy ending.
*happy sigh*
Granted, I didn't exactly fall in love with any of the characters, but it was an utterly enjoyable bathtub read just the same.
So that's two out of three so far for Elizabeth Boyle. Shall keep her on my radar....more
**spoiler alert** This book was excellent. I'm not saying it changed my life, but I'll put it this way: I will never again scrub my face with manmade **spoiler alert** This book was excellent. I'm not saying it changed my life, but I'll put it this way: I will never again scrub my face with manmade teeny-plastic exfoliants. It'll be nutshells all the way for me, baby.
I think what sets this book apart from the earnest-environmentalist subgenre is its wholesome lack of preaching. The author basically says, "Look, this is how it's gonna be. The entire Gulf Coast will, within so many years, turn into postnuclear slag." And he leaves it at that. No addendum like, "But we can stop this now if only we use energy-efficient light bulbs!" Nope, he just gives the eventualities and lets us fill in the here-and-now ramifications. I like that.
Plus, he has a way of writing postnuclear slagnation kind of poetically.
And yeah, although his ultimate conclusion is that the best thing for the Earth would be a massive reduction in People, he doesn't make me feel bad just 'cause I happen to be one of them People. He took me on a trip to the future and brought me back nice and safe and with a lot to think about....more
**spoiler alert** The first half is pretty freakin hilarious. (Katz, although based on a real person, is whoa funny. I'd totally take him hiking with **spoiler alert** The first half is pretty freakin hilarious. (Katz, although based on a real person, is whoa funny. I'd totally take him hiking with me, Snickers bars and laundromat-panty jokes, and all.) The narrative stalls a bit after Katz departs (temporarily, thank goodness), but it picks back up for the last push. Interspersed throughout are these poignant little bits about how human beings have mucked up the Environment. It does give one pangs of eek, but it didn't make me want to flagellate myself. As a preachy environmental book, this one is fairly low-impact. You take what you get from it.
It's true that Bryson, the narrator, is a little hoity and condescending. At some points, he's even a bit of a jerk (the whole incident with the security guard was sort of uncomfortable, made more so by the fact that he obviously thought himself terribly superior and clever). However, that doesn't often distract from the charm. Besides, I thought Katz was the real hero of this romance.
In sum: It didn't make me want to go hiking, but it did make me actually read multiple-hundreds of pages about someone else hiking, and that was quite a feat....more
I liked this book and would recommend it. It’s popcorn, sure, and full of cliché: the hero is brooding, damaged, and rogueish (I think she even uses tI liked this book and would recommend it. It’s popcorn, sure, and full of cliché: the hero is brooding, damaged, and rogueish (I think she even uses the “rake” word to describe him), and the heroine is prudish, sensible, and self-deprecating. However, the author fleshes out these character types very well. The pacing was easy on the eyes and brain; I think it took me maybe three hours to read, all told. Very nice popcorn.
So what if the ending lingered rather too long and got a smidge boring (there was no reason to include the bit about ages; the editor should be smacked for leaving that shit in)? So what if the alternate man, the one Amanda decided not to marry, seemed to be a better bet all around? So what if the main thing the hero and heroine had going for their relationship was the hawt smex? It all worked out. And I totally believed that a woman like Amanda would choose the flashy sexy super-rich dude over the gallant sweetheart who loves her and would take good care of her.
Pffft. I’m being overly critical, aren’t I? Long and short is, this is a decent romance. Fans of the genre will enjoy it.
One last thing: Although I enjoyed this book, I may not read more by this author. She was a Miss Somethingorother beauty queen, which in itself isn’t damning (some very decent folks make a living off their looks). But she feels compelled to mention it in her brief end-of-book bio, right up there where most authors list their pets and offspring, and she has the audacity to write about a plump, unattractive heroine. These two factoids don’t gel for me, and I wonder that she wasn’t laughing at her readers all the way to the bank on this novel. ...more
This book was such fun. It took an impossible situation and made it work. What I enjoyed most was the hero's development. He simultaneously became selThis book was such fun. It took an impossible situation and made it work. What I enjoyed most was the hero's development. He simultaneously became self-aware and realized that being with the woman he loved was more important than upholding the strictures of society.
And then the ending went and ruined all that lovely development. Yep, in true genre fashion, the ending wrapped everything up in a pretty and implausible bow. I had a tough time stomaching it. How much better it would have been if they'd just said, "Dude, we're meant for each other. Screw the rest of the world; we can do this."
And I could have missed something, but I think the author forgot to mention the heroine's real name. That, if nothing else, ruined it for me. And that's a pity, because the first eighty percent of the book was delightful....more
Caroline's single-mindedness made the development of an all-consuming love story pretty unbelievable. I saw Zachary's character progression a lot moreCaroline's single-mindedness made the development of an all-consuming love story pretty unbelievable. I saw Zachary's character progression a lot more clearly. Indeed, the whole book was about how Zachary developed into a responsible adult, whereas Caro's big transformative "hey, maybe painting isn't the end-all" moment happened offscreen in one of those "some time later" bits. Also, the Big Moment when she decided to sleep with him instead of argue with him also zoomed past me. It might have been there, but it was tiny.
All that said, Ms Enoch has a way with banter. I enjoyed the book, especially the secondary characters Anne and Edmund. In fact, I wouldn't mind seeing more Witfelds pop up in later novels, if Ms Enoch is so inclined. Mostly I glazed over during the cattle breeding discussion, so I don't have much to say about historical accuracy or believability where that's concerned. I find it difficult to believe that Lawrence would take a female apprentice, nevermind who spoke on her behalf. But whatever; it makes the story move.
In all, a pleasant enough romance. It entertained....more
In the introduction, the author spends a few paragraphs trying to suss out the difference between passionate and maudlin. Too bad he didn't come to a In the introduction, the author spends a few paragraphs trying to suss out the difference between passionate and maudlin. Too bad he didn't come to a conclusion there.
The story is simple: disaffected woman who already thinks her husband is a bore (which begs one to wonder why the hell she married him in the first place) meets up with a hip artiste photographer whilst her husband and children are away and proceeds to boink said artiste on the family kitchen table (and other places). He goes away. She stays with her family and lies to them for twenty-odd years. The end.
I think the author was trying to make these two, the unfaithful wife and the roving photographer, into heroes. Well, he failed as far as I am concerned. Yes, Francesca's life seems a little boring. Fine. She could have changed that without resorting to an affair. And Robert could have exerted a shred of control and not fucked the farmer's wife the second day he knew her. But neither of these characters was interested in doing the right thing. They were both interested in doing the high-passion poetic thing. And then at the end, Francesca tells her children what she did. Gah. She even defends her raunchy behavior and tells them, "If you love me you must love what I have done." Great job, lady; I'm sure that would make real adult children respect their parents all the more.
I think the thing about this book that most disappointed me was the fanfare that accompanied it. It came out when I was working in a book store many years ago, and I can't tell you how many copies of this thing I sold, mostly to middle-aged women (and men!) with dewy romantic stars in their eyes. I heard people say how moving and eternal this story was, now noble the characters were for not abandoning Francesca's family. So after all these years of hearing the book (and later the movie, which I haven't seen) talked up, I bought it and read it. Now I wish I could have those three hours back to invest in a real romance with real compelling characters.
Pros: It's short. It's simple. It doesn't use too many big words....more
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