Review: A Sudden Light by Garth Stein

Published September 30, 2014
Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Synopsis: In the summer of 1990, fourteen-year-old Trevor Riddell gets his first glimpse of Riddell House. Built from the spoils of a massive timber fortune, the legendary family mansion is constructed of giant, whole trees, and is set on a huge estate overlooking Puget Sound. Trevor’s bankrupt parents have begun a trial separation, and his father, Jones Riddell, has brought Trevor to Riddell House with a goal: to join forces with his sister, Serena, dispatch Grandpa Samuel—who is flickering in and out of dementia—to a graduated living facility, sell off the house and property for development into “tract housing for millionaires,” divide up the profits, and live happily ever after.

But Trevor soon discovers there’s someone else living in Riddell House: a ghost with an agenda of his own. For while the land holds tremendous value, it is also burdened by the final wishes of the family patriarch, Elijah, who mandated it be allowed to return to untamed forestland as a penance for the millions of trees harvested over the decades by the Riddell Timber company. The ghost will not rest until Elijah’s wish is fulfilled, and Trevor’s willingness to face the past holds the key to his family’s future.

Review: How would I describe this book? A family drama, ghost story and historical fiction all rolled into one. The characters are rich and dramatic, the plot line interesting with twists and turns, lies and deception, mystery and emotion. I really liked the flow of this story, there was some repetition of themes and ideas but they were purposeful and helped to build the plot. This story was very different than anything I have read and that's a huge plus for me. 

What a smart 14 year old Trevor is! First off, he starts seeing ghosts and doesn't panic. Um, I am well past 14 and if I saw what he did, I would hid under the bed. Seriously. He pieces together so many different parts of a puzzle and comes to the real conclusion. But will anyone believe him? 

Serena really made me angry throughout this story. She is rude and crazy from the get go. And the way she treats Grandpa Samuel was really what made me the most angry. Probably because I work with the dementia population, but I had to skim over certain sections of her text because I was annoyed. This was all a part of her character that develops and makes more sense as the story goes on. 

All in all, I would recommend this read. This was my first Garth Stein book despite having The Art of Racing in the Rain on my bookshelf for a while now. Looking forward to my next Stein book!

* I received a copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Guilt by Degrees by Marcia Clark

Publish Date: May 8, 2012
Publisher: Mulholland Books
Series: Rachel Knight #2

Synopsis: Someone has been watching D.A. Rachel Knight—someone who's Rachel's equal in brains, but with more malicious intentions. It began when a near-impossible case fell into Rachel's lap, the suspectless homicide of a homeless man. In the face of courthouse backbiting and a gauzy web of clues, Rachel is determined to deliver justice. She's got back-up: tough-as-nails Detective Bailey Keller. As Rachel and Bailey stir things up, they're shocked to uncover a connection with the vicious murder of an LAPD cop a year earlier. Something tells Rachel someone knows the truth, someone who'd kill to keep it secret.

Harrowing, smart, and riotously entertaining, Guilt by Degrees is a thrilling ride through the world of LA courts with the unforgettable Rachel Knight.

Review: Another home run with this book, the second in the Rachel Knight series. This book was a page turner from beginning to end. It was more suspenseful than the first in the series, especially when it came to the protagonist. She was a lot more involved in the drama and the action with this case. In terms of the plot, it was a bit confusing that the story was alternating between two characters, one of which you really didn't know. But once you find out who they are and how they connect to the rest of the story/case, it makes a lot more sense to the story. 

This series is quickly becoming one of my favorites and I am looking forward to continuing read about Rachel Knight!

Recommended For: Fans of crime fiction, mystery.

*Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Meet Me in Barcelona by Mary Carter

Publish Date: July 29, 2014
Publisher: Kensington

Synopsis: A surprise trip to Barcelona with her boyfriend, Jake, seems like the perfect antidote to Grace Sawyer's current woes. The city is dazzling and unpredictable, but the biggest surprise for Grace is discovering who arranged and paid for the vacation.


Carrie Ann wasn't just Grace's foster sister. Clever, pretty, and mercurial, she was her best friend--until everything went terribly wrong. Now, as she flees an abusive marriage, Carrie Ann has turned to the one person she hopes will come through for her. Despite her initial misgivings, Grace wants to help. But then Carrie Ann and Jake both go missing. Stunned and confused, Grace begins to realize how much of herself she's kept from Jake--and how much of Carrie Ann she never understood. Soon Grace is baited into following a trail of scant clues across Spain, determined to find the truth, even if she must revisit her troubled past to do it. . .

Mary Carter's intriguing novel delves into the complexities of childhood bonds, the corrosive weight of guilt and blame, and all the ways we try--and often fail--to truly know the ones we love. (from goodreads.com)

Review: This book went a totally different way than I was expecting!! This sounded like it was going to be a fluffy, chick lit but wow....not the case. I finished this book in one day, stayed up way way way too late because I just had to know how it ended! There were so many twists and turns and mysteries here that it was a major page turner. 

I found Grace to be annoying and paranoid throughout this whole book. Does she have good reason to be during some situations? Yes. But other times she just seems very insecure and whiny, frequently jumping to the worst conclusion without any evidence. Carrie Ann was extremely mysterious. It takes a bit to get the whole background story on who she is and why she and Grace are not in touch. And then things get interesting. Each secondary character adds something to the plot.

I don't want to give any of the plot away but what a mystery! I would highly recommend this book!

*Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Close Your Eyes, Hold Hands by Chris Bohjalian

Publish Date: July 8, 2014
Publisher: Doubleday Books

Synopsis: Close Your Eyes, Hold Hands is the story of Emily Shepard, a homeless teen living in an igloo made of ice and trash bags filled with frozen leaves. Half a year earlier, a nuclear plant in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom had experienced a cataclysmic meltdown, and both of Emily's parents were killed. Devastatingly, her father was in charge of the plant, and the meltdown may have been his fault. Was he drunk when it happened? Thousands of people are forced to flee their homes in the Kingdom; rivers and forests are destroyed; and Emily feels certain that as the daughter of the most hated man in America, she is in danger. So instead of following the social workers and her classmates after the meltdown, Emily takes off on her own for Burlington, where she survives by stealing, sleeping on the floor of a drug dealer's apartment, and inventing a new identity for herself -- an identity inspired by her favorite poet, Emily Dickinson. When Emily befriends a young homeless boy named Cameron, she protects him with a ferocity she didn't know she had. But she still can't outrun her past, can't escape her grief, can't hide forever—and so she comes up with the only plan that she can. 

A story of loss, adventure, and the search for friendship in the wake of catastrophe, Close Your Eyes, Hold Hands is one of Chris Bohjalian’s finest novels to date—breathtaking, wise, and utterly transporting. (from netgalley.com)
Review: This was my first Chris Bohjalian book and I don't know why I waited so long to pick one up! The writing in this story was raw, real, and graceful. Told in first person narrative, it really made you feel connected to the main character. I stayed up far past my bedtime many nights in a row because I just couldn't put this book down! Phenomenal read, I really won't be able to say that enough!

I cannot even imagine being in Emily Shepard's shoes. The only surviving member of her family, not allowed back into her own home or even her own town, and feeling hated by everyone just because of her name. Though this story is narrated by a teenage girl, I never got a whiny, high school voice through the writing. She is very adult in very real and very scary situations. Sure, a handful of times the way she acted screamed immature, but these were few and far between. I loved seeing her maternal side as she cares for Cameron and the desperation she had to keep him safe and cared for. 

The title of this book was perplexing. You start to read and assume that it will weave into the story somehow. When it is finally revealed, it is extremely hard hitting. I had to re-read this paragraph a few times to grasp the severity and the correlation from the title to the character's situation. As Emily said, "It seems to me that if you didn't know the context of those words, they were kind of pretty."

This has to be one of my favorite reads of the year so far. I highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone!
Recommended For: Fans of contemporary novels, adult fiction. Even young adult contemporary fans though it does contain some adult content. Everyone should pick this book up!

*Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. 

Review: The City by Dean Koontz

Publish Date: July 1, 2014
Publisher: Random House; Bantam Dell

Synopsis: The city changed my life and showed me that the world is deeply mysterious. I need to tell you about her and some terrible things and wonderful things and amazing things that happened . . . and how I am still haunted by them. Including one night when I died and woke and lived again.

Here is the riveting, soul-stirring story of Jonah Kirk, son of an exceptional singer, grandson of a formidable “piano man,” a musical prodigy beginning to explore his own gifts when he crosses a group of extremely dangerous people, with shattering consequences. Set in a more innocent time not so long ago, The City encompasses a lifetime but unfolds over three extraordinary, heart-racing years of tribulation and triumph, in which Jonah first grasps the electrifying power of music and art, of enduring friendship, of everyday heroes.

The unforgettable saga of a young man coming of age within a remarkable family, and a shimmering portrait of the world that shaped him, The City is a novel that speaks to everyone, a dazzling realization of the evergreen dreams we all share. Brilliantly illumined by magic dark and light, it’s a place where enchantment and malice entwine, courage and honor are found in the most unexpected quarters, and the way forward lies buried deep inside the heart.

Review: I know I am behind at releasing my review for this book, but it took me that long to read it. I had a lot of trouble getting through this one. The story line seemed to drag on, there were more details present than I thought necessary. It wasn't until the last 15 pages or so that I really started to enjoy the story and wanting to know what came next. This did leave me with a better taste in my mouth about the story as a whole, but it came a little too late.

This story is a retelling of Jonah's life by a 59-year-old version of himself. He goes through some major traumatic events as a child but he finds an outlet with piano playing. It turns out he is a real piano prodigy. He forms relationships with others in the community, including his neighbor Malcolm, through his music. Koontz does a great job at weaving relationships between Jonah and other characters including his mother and grandfather, his neighbors Mr. Yoshioka, Malcolm and Amalia; the woman who is the city,  Miss Pearl. My favorite character in this book had to be Mr. Yoshioka. He was just such a friendly, genuine man who really cared about Jonah. Other characters, including Jonah's father, Fiona, and Drackman, seemed to be placed in the story to add some thrill and suspense but they just fell flat for me. We never really find out enough about them to add much to the story.

Koontz is well known for his thriller novels however this novel went a different way. Even so, he tried to fit in some elements of horror with a creepy ass character named Fiona. Being completely honest, these scenes did leave me a little shaken up and scanning the room to make sure no creepers were sneaking up on me. However, it seemed so forced and didn't add much to the story. Overall, I was disappointed in this story. It was a 2 star until the last 15 pages during which I bumped my rating to a 2.5. 

Recommended For: Die hard fans of Dean Koontz

2.5 stars, actually.

 *Dislaimer: I received this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Mother, Mother by Koren Zailckas

Publisher: Random House
Publish Date: Paperback release date of July 8, 2014

Synopsis: Josephine Hurst has her family under control. With two beautiful daughters, a brilliantly intelligent son, a tech-guru of a husband, and a historical landmark home, her life is picture perfect. But living in this matriarch’s determinedly cheerful, yet subtly controlling domain hasn’t been easy for her family, and when her oldest daughter, Rose, runs off with a mysterious boyfriend, Josephine tightens her grip, gradually turning her flawless home into a darker sort of prison. 

Resentful of her sister’s newfound freedom, Violet turns to eastern philosophy, hallucinogenic drugs, and extreme fasting, eventually landing herself in a psych ward. Meanwhile, her brother, Will, recently diagnosed with Asperger's, shrinks further into a world of self-doubt. Their father, Douglas, finds resolve in the bottom of a bottle—an addict craving his own chance to escape. Josephine struggles to maintain the family’s impeccable façade, but when a violent incident leads to a visit from child protective services, the truth about the Hursts might finally be revealed.

Review: I admit, when I started this book I thought to myself "Thriller? Psychological? I wouldn't call it that at all." But, whoa boy, once I really got into it, that psychology and thrill just snuck right up on me. This is a fast-paced thriller that I could NOT put down! I read this in one day because I really just had to see what happened next and how it all ended.

Dysfunctional does not even begin to describe this family. The mother, Josephine, is a few crayons short of a box; the father, Douglas, is an absentee alcoholic; the eldest child, Rose, is a runaway; the middle child, Violet, turns to drugs and ends up in a psychiatric hospital; the youngest child, William, is a 12 year old child diagnosed w/Asperger's whose mother flosses his teeth and bathes him. Wow. Just typing that out was overwhelming. 

I would have to say that my least favorite character in this novel was Josephine. As soon as I started really getting to know her character, all I could think of was Munchausen by Proxy syndrome (for those not familiar: a form of child abuse wherein the caregiver falsifies or exaggerates a child's illness to gain attention for themselves.) No wonder her whole family has issues and doesn't want to be near her!! Those crayons she is missing hold the whole box together. So many times I just wanted to yell at characters in this story and expose her for what she really was. And the fact that she dressed and bathed her 12 year old son, as well as pinched his bottom and flossed his teeth, gave me the creeps. She was all Joan Crawford on these kids (no lie- it's referenced in the book!) As the lies and the stories all start to weave together and the truth finally comes to light, it all makes sense. But the thrill was getting to that point, trying to figure it out, riding the tide to the end. 

One thing I really must say I enjoyed about this book is the fact that the story carried on after the main event. So many books that I have read get to the climax of the story and abruptly stop which leaves me wondering what happened next. Zailckas continues the story on, chronicling what happened to each of the family members and how they coped. It was nice not to be left in the dark for once.

I don't want to give too many details on the story at risk of giving something away, so I highly recommend picking this book up and checking it out for yourself.!

Recommended For: Fans of a good psychological thriller

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

*Disclaimer: I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.