Book Review: Heartbeat by Elizabeth Scott

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Book Review: Heartbeat by Elizabeth Scott

Heartbeat

Grief and anger explode off the page in Heartbeat, a young adult novel that fairly sizzles with its main character’s rage. 17-year-old Emma is consumed by pain over the loss of her mother, who is brain-dead but being kept alive by machines for the sake of her unborn baby. Emma’s stepfather Dan brings Emma to the hospital each day to visit her mother, but Emma can barely control her hatred and resentment toward Dan and toward the baby. Once completely devoted to her studies and determined to be top of the class, Emma now goes through the motions and can’t be botheredwith schoolwork. Once happy and in a loving relationship with her kind stepfather, Emma now blames him for her mother’s death, and literally locks him out of her room and her life.

The sole link to her former happy life is Emma’s best friend Olivia, who provides her with daily chitchat and distraction. And then Emma meets Caleb, the only person at her school who’s anywhere near as messed up as she is, and Emma gradually learns that pain and grief come in all different forms — but so does love.

Heartbeat is painfully sad to read, and yet it’s also quite beautiful in many ways. In learning the depths of Emma’s loss, we see her memories of the time before, and just how happy a family full of love can be. By peeling back layer after layer of family memories and experiences, the author shows us how devastating all of this is for Emma — not just the loss of her mother, but the loss of the love and safety she she once felt in her home and with her family.

Emma’s rage is the flip side of that love and is the way that she channels the grief that overwhelms her. Emma’s memories of her relationship with her mother are lovely and wistful, and the suddenness and senselessness of her loss come across with a visceral impact. Emma will never get her mother back, but by the end of Heartbeat, she’s beginning to find glimmers of hope for a future that might still have meaning and even love in it.

Heartbeat shows us the anger of a someone who’s lost the person at the center of her life. I read Heartbeat with tears in my eyes — but despite the pain and loss, there’s an honesty and fierceness in the writing that makes this an important and emotionally compelling book. I recommend Heartbeat for anyone who appreciates young adult fiction that doesn’t shy away from difficult subjects. It is not an easy book to read, but it is strong and memorable, moving and definitely thought-provoking.

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The details:

Title: Heartbeat
Author: Elizabeth Scott
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Publication date: January 28, 2014
Length: 304 pages
Genre: Young adult contemporary
Source: Review copy courtesy of Harlequin Teen via NetGalley

19Jan2014

Book Review: Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Book Review: Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge

Cruel Beauty What do you get when you put Beauty and the Beast, Bluebeard, and Greek mythology in a blender?

Probably something that looks a lot like Cruel Beauty!

In this new YA fantasy novel, 17-year-old Nyx is doomed to marry the demon who rules her land, as the price due for a bargain her father made before her birth. Nyx has spent her whole life dreading and preparing for her fate, filled with anger at her father for sacrificing her so easily and filled with dismay, knowing that she has no chance of surviving. Nyx’s purpose is not just to wed the ruler, but to bring about his destruction, in order to free her people and avenge her mother’s death.

Easier said than done. When Nyx finally arrives at the ruined castle, she meets her new husband — incredibly handsome, of course — as well as the shadow servant, Shade, who is forced to obey but seems to be on her side. Secrets abound, and Nyx realizes that her task will be even harder than she imagined… especially when her hatred for her husband and captor starts turning into something else.

In Cruel Beauty, there’s a whole mish-mosh of fairy tale and mythology stirred together. The land of Arcadia worships the Greek gods, and their stories and curses inform the actions of Nyx and the rest of the characters. The main tale of the girl promised to the hideous creature and then falling in love is straight out of Beauty and the Beast, although twisted and turned quite a bit along the way. There’s a magical system as well, as Hermetic works (related to the god Hermes) are what allow people to harness the elements of air, earth, fire, and water.

So does it all work? For the most part, I’d say yes. The plot gets overly complicated with so many different fantastical and mythological sources contributing to the mix. The Hermetic concepts take up space and seem to be very important early on — but don’t really matter much by the end of the story. There’s magic and dark spirits and curses and bargains… and the plot ends up practically tying itself into knots to make it all connect and work out in the end.

But, despite the convoluted story line, I enjoyed Cruel Beauty quite a bit. I think it helps that I read it straight through, all in one day. Yes, it’s that compelling — one of those books where you vow to stop after one more chapter… and suddenly an hour or two have slipped by. If I’d read it in smaller chunks or over the course of a week, maybe I would have taken more time to think about the plot developments and poke holes at certain pieces. But gobbling it up all at once, nothing bothered me too much…

Because wow. That’s some love story! Nyx and her captor do a slow burn, gradually moving from mistrust and outright dislike to grudging respect and amusement, and finally, kindness and affection — despite Nyx’s horrible sense that she betrays her family and her people by feeling anything for this strange and seemingly cruel man. Their passion is palpable, and feels like the kind of epic love that can make someone risk eternal suffering for the sake of the other.

Oh, and can we just take a minute to gaze at that cover? Gorgeous.

Overall, Cruel Beauty is probably over-plotted, but it’s a thrilling and oddly moving narrative none the less. If you enjoy fairy tale retellings, magical worlds, and dark secrets, this is one new release that you shouldn’t miss.

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The details:

Title: Cruel Beauty
Author: Rosamund Hodge
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Publication date: January 28, 2014
Length: 352 pages
Genre: Young adult fantasy
Source: Review copy courtesy of Balzer + Bray via Edelweiss

17Jan2014

Book Review: The Vanishing by Wendy Webb

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Book Review: The Vanishing by Wendy Webb

The Vanishing Julia Bishop is left friendless and penniless after her husband is exposed as the “midwestern Bernie Madoff” and then kills himself. Faced with foreclosure, unpaid bills, stalkers, and death threats, Julia’s life is bleak indeed until a stranger shows up with a bizarre proposal: Adrian Sinclair offers Julia a position as companion to his elderly mother, famous author Amaris Sinclair — who supposedly died ten years earlier. If she accepts, Julia will be given a chance to escape her old life and live at Havenwood, a huge mansion in the wilderness of northern Minnesota. She’ll spend her days with the woman who first inspired her to write, and most importantly, she’ll get a fresh start just when her life seems utterly hopeless.

Havenwood is beautiful, elegant, and mysterious. Isolated in the woods, it’s the perfect hideout, but seems to be hiding secrets of its own. Why does everything seem so familiar? Why does Julia keep hearing strange voices? Whose footprints are in the snow? Why is the family so excited about Julia’s arrival? And who is that hot guy out by the stables?

As days go by, Julia realizes that the the strange occurrences at Havenwood may be sinister, and even dangerous. Despite her fondness for the family (and the hot guy in the stables), she suspects that her job offer may have strings attached that are not in her best interest. As the spookiness mounts, the only answers may lie in uncovering the past…

… and that’s about as much synopsis as you’ll get out of me!

The Vanishing sets a tone of gothic mystery and eerie supernatural goings-on, and at the same time tells the story of a seemingly ordinary woman whose life has gotten completely messed up and out of control. Havenwood is beautifully described, and made me yearn for my own wilderness adventure — in a gorgeous mansion, of course!

It’s hard to suspend disbelief throughout the story, as plot pieces begin to mount that don’t quite make sense. Really, Julia is willing to head off to parts unknown with a complete stranger, no cell phones or outside contact allowed? And really, she believes this stranger has just randomly selected her as a trusted companion for his mother because he feels sorry for her? And the instant sparks that fly between Julia and the hot stable guy? (Okay, his name is Drew, and he’s part of the family whose property it is, but still…) I thought insta-love was just a YA plot device!

Granted, a lot of these issues are ameliorated by the unraveling of the central mystery, but those answers come so late in the book that they don’t really outweigh the sheer lack of believability earlier on. Somehow, even though there are answers, I didn’t find them convincing enough to balance out my impatience and incredulity.

What really drove me crazy, though, was Julia’s insistence on behaving like a doomed female character from a horror movie. Oh, the power’s gone out and there might be an intruder? Gee, the hot guy told me to stay in my room and lock the door… so I think I’ll grab a lantern and explore the pitch-black hallways all by myself instead. Hmm, I’ve seen disturbing visions and heard scary noises in the library and east wing? Let me go back there and poke around some more! Just cut it out, Julia, okay?

Overall, as the story delves deeper into the history of Havenwood and its connection to the Spiritualist movement of the 1800s, it becomes both more interesting and more eerie. I enjoyed the use of historical documents and the recaptured memories of a fateful seance, which we first see in the book’s introduction, as well as the sharp contrast of an elegant manor house set in a dangerous and untamed landscape.

I never felt terribly engaged in the love story and had a hard time accepting many of Julia’s actions or beliefs. Still, while some of the plot elements felt far-fetched and not well grounded, The Vanishing held my attention and still managed to deliver a few good chills along the way.

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The details:

Title: The Vanishing
Author: Wendy Webb
Publisher: Hyperion
Publication date: January 21, 2014
Genre: Gothic fiction
Source: Review copy courtesy of Hyperion via NetGalley

15Jan2014

A book with the kiddo: Dinosaur Summer by Greg Bear

Posted in Book Reviews, Q&A With The Kiddo by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Book Review: Dinosaur Summer by Greg Bear

Dinosaur Summer takes the 1912 novel The Lost World (by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle) as its starting point, imagining a world in which The Lost World is not fiction, but rather a history of a real discovery of dinosaurs living in an isolated world on a South American plateau.

It is 1947 when Dinosaur Summer opens, and the world has pretty much lost interest in the marvels of Conan Doyle’s discoveries. Dinosaurs had become so commonplace in the years since 1912 that all circuses had to have them — but in the post-war years, there just isn’t enough public demand to keep the dinosaur circuses running, and finally, the very last one is about to close for good.

15-year-old Peter Belzoni lives with his father Anthony, who is wild, impetuous, and prone to drinking too much. Anthony decides to bring Peter on the adventure of a lifetime by securing gigs for both of them with National Geographic, to photograph and write about an epic undertaking: the return of the last circus dinosaurs to their original homes on the El Grande plateau. Accompanying the expedition are filmmakers, trainers, and various local guides and authorities — and as the team sets sail and then journeys through the jungles and rivers of South America, the trip becomes more and more dangerous.

I read this book with my 11-year-old son, based on the recommendation of an old friend who is a terrifically well-read sci-fi connoisseur. But note: Dinosaur Summer is not a kids’ book! As far as I can tell, this is adult science fiction — but with an angle that definitely appealed to my kiddo.

We enjoyed the action, the drama, the danger, and the humorous dialogue. In Dinosaur Summer, the lost world of El Grande has evolved on its own, in isolation from the rest of the world. Consequently, the animal species are unique (and fictional, for the most part). The author helpfully includes a “What’s Real, and What’s Not” afterword, and the kiddo and I had a good time looking up illustrations of similar dinosaur, reptile, and mammalian species. Most memorable (and life-threatening) are the death eagles (yikes), and weirdest are communisaurs, mole-like dinosaurs who live in hives serving a queen.

Dinosaur Summer has drawings throughout by illustrator Tony DiTerlizzi. You can see a few from the book on his website.

A few minor quibbles: The story occasionally bogs down in details about political conflicts between the Venezuelan government, the army, the indigenous tribes, and the oil companies. Likewise, much of the catalyst for the expedition has to do with Hollywood interest, and there are a lot of characters introduced connected to the movie studios, to the point that the action drags a bit as we are introduced to producers, cameramen, studio heads, and more. Frankly, the names become overwhelming at times — although it was amusing to see some real-life Hollywood folks included here as characters in the story. (Most notably, special effects pioneer and movie great Ray Harryhausen is featured prominently as both a member of the expedition and a mentor to Peter, and I can only imagine how much he must have enjoyed the tribute when the book was published.)

Of course, it’s entirely possible that the draggy bits mentioned above wouldn’t have been an issue if I’d just sat and read this book on my own. It’s just that in reading it aloud, the passages and chapters that were so crammed with Hollywood names and political drama just didn’t flow. I will say, however, that this didn’t seem to bother my kiddo in the slightest — I think he just ignored the parts that he didn’t get, and focused on the action… of which there is plenty!

Some of the scenes toward the end are on the gory side for a bed-time story, not that my son seemed to mind. Still, I felt a teeny bit like a bad mother reading to him about dinosaurs chomping and eviscerating right before tucking in his blankets and turning off the light!

All in all, both my son and I were fascinated by Dinosaur Summer, which nicely blends high-stakes adventure with a surprisingly touching story of a boy growing up, figuring out who he is, and developing a more adult relationship with his difficult father. I recommend this book for adults looking for an old-school adventure, as well as for middle school to teen readers who don’t mind having to work a bit for a good story.

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The details:

Title: Dinosaur Summer
Author: Greg Bear
Publisher: Warner Books
Publication date: 1998
Genre: Science fiction
Source: Purchased

12Jan2014

Book Review: Harrowgate by Kate Maruyama

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Book Review: Harrowgate by Kate Maruyama

A horror story that is really a tale of love and loss, Harrowgate surprised me with its deep emotional impact and sheer hypnotic pull.

As Harrowgate opens, geologist Michael is rushing home to his pregnant wife Sarah. He’d been out in the field on a remote assignment, and after receiving a cryptic message about an emergency, it has taken him close to two weeks to navigate the Jeep rides and multiple airplane transfers that finally bring him to his New York apartment building. Unable to reach his wife or anyone else, Michael is unsure what to expect. It’s early for the baby to arrive, but surely not so early as to be dangerous. Or is it? Michael is relieved to arrive home and find his wife and healthy son waiting for him — but his bliss is tempered by the presence of an odd stranger, a doula named Greta, who seems to have some sort of hold over Sarah.

At first, Sarah insists that Michael shouldn’t touch the baby — but soon after, Greta urges Michael to be with Sarah and baby Tim as much as possible, to not leave the apartment for any reason, not even to pick up diapers or groceries. Greta’s encouragement sounds more like a warning or a threat, though, and there’s something not quite right about this person who just keeps showing up.

Questions begin to pile up: Why doesn’t Sarah want Michael to answer the phone or go out? Why does the doorman give him such pitying looks? Is Sarah so exhausted by new motherhood that she hasn’t noticed the refrigerator full of spoiled food?

The answers, as they come, are chilling and awful. Michael uncovers the truth about his family’s tenuous grip on happiness — but knows too that this happiness has a dark side, and that his ability to hold onto his family may be slipping away.

To go into any further plot details would be a huge disservice, as Harrowgate is a book to be explored and savored, best enjoyed without any advance knowledge of what is really going on. Looming dread and dismay permeate the book, and while this isn’t a gore-filled horror novel, it does leave the reader thoroughly spooked.

There’s something so creepy about horror stories revolving around birth and babies. Perhaps it’s the contrast of joy and innocence with the darkness looming on the other side. I’ve heard this book compared to Rosemary’s Baby or Breed, but beyond the New York setting and the strange events around a birth, the storylines have little in common.

What Harrowgate actually put me in mind of the most, while reading, was The Silent Land by Graham Joyce, one of my very favorite books. In both, there’s a central story of love that should be perfect — except the reader can feel the edge of something wrong surrounding everything joyful that happens.

And there is quite a lot of joy in Harrowgate, despite the fact that it’s also very, very sad. At its core, Harrowgate is a love story. The love between Michael and Sarah, and the love they both feel for their baby Tim, creates a power in the little haven inside their apartment that keeps the rest of the world at bay.

While I wish the ending has explained things a little more clearly, I was mostly satisfied with the wrap-up. The emotional depths explored in this book carry such strong notes of tragedy and relentless loss, and yet the journey Michael takes in exploring how very much he loves his wife and child is also quite lovely to read.

You don’t have to be a horror fan to enjoy Harrowgate. For anyone who enjoys a touch of creepy gothic mystery set within a familiar landscape, I’d recommend giving Harrowgate a try. Well-written and compelling, this brief novel sucked me in and made it impossible to quit reading before the end.

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The details:

Title: Harrowgate
Author: Kate Maruyama
Publisher: 47North
Publication date: 2013
Genre: Horror
Source: Borrowed from a friend

11Jan2014

Book Review: Snowblind by Christopher Golden

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Book Review: Snowblind by Christopher Golden

In the small town of Coventry, Massachusetts, falling snow does not bring a winter wonderland. In a devastating blizzard, eighteen people from Coventry die tragically through accidents or simply getting lost in the blinding storm. Twelve years later, another blizzard is on the way — but heavy snows and winds are not all that’s coming to town. As the storm builds, the dead begin to return. What do they want? And who will survive this time around?

In Christopher Golden’s Snowblind, the darkening skies are ominous, and it quickly becomes clear that no one is safe. For the love of all things great and good, stay inside, people of Coventry! But even staying indoors offers no guarantees against the storm: There are bad things out there in the wind and snow, and all they need is one small crack, one little draft, to slip inside the house and come for you.

Reminiscent of the scope of a Stephen King novel, in the early chapters we meet a sprawling array of characters, including police officers and school teachers, auto mechanics and thrill-seeking teens, and children just old enough to want to hide their fears, but young enough to know that the faces they see out in the storm are real.

The first part of the book, set during the first blizzard, is excellent. We don’t know what’s coming — but it’s clear that whatever it is, it’ll be bad. As we meet the characters and then see them, one after another, head out into the snow, the tension builds. Something is out there, and it’s deadly. Reading these chapters, I was on the edge of my seat — and despite living far away from any hint of winter weather, I couldn’t help jumping a bit whenever I heard the wind blow outside.

About a third of the way in, the action jumps to twelve years later, and here I felt the story sagged a bit. It’s interesting to see what’s become of the survivors of the earlier blizzard and how they’ve moved on — or not — with their lives. Children have grown into damaged young adults; a young woman who’d lost her love is now bitter, middle-aged, and prone toward overindulging on her nightly glasses of wine; a couple has never quite gotten past their guilt and memories from years earlier; and a rookie cop is now a detective who swears he won’t let another kid die on his watch. And yet, there’s quite a lot of build-up before the new storm arrives, and the action grinds more or less to a halt in places in favor of exploring the characters’ emotional states.

The final storm and conclusion isn’t quite as scary as I would have liked. The set-up is terrific, but the explanation of what really happened in the storm and the characters’ struggles to survive don’t convey quite the level of terror that a book like this really needs. Perhaps the climax is too scattered: because we’re tracking so many storylines, there’s no one scene or focus that really shouts “this is it!”

I liked Snowblind very much, and thought the initial set-up and early scenes were excellent — just the right mix of character introduction, impending threat, and disastrous outcome. Because there are no answers at that point, just the sense that something VERY BAD is out in the blizzard, it’s scary indeed to read. Unfortunately, the rest of the book doesn’t quite live up to the earlier section, and the conclusion didn’t feel like a very satisfying pay-off, fright-wise.

Of course, I had the benefit of reading Snowblind from the comfort of my warm home, on a day with clear blue, sunny skies. Had I been reading it with all of this month’s winter storms brewing outside, I might not have maintained quite such a level of calm. If you read Snowblind, stay warm, and watch out for drafts! And if you hear scratching on your roof, don’t worry: It’s PROBABLY just the wind.

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The details:

Title: Snowblind
Author: Christopher Golden
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Publication date: January 21, 2014
Genre: Horror
Source: Review copy courtesy of St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley

7Jan2014

Book Review: What Nora Knew by Linda Yellin

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Book Review: What Nora Knew by Linda Yellin

What Nora Knew For 39-year-old Molly, romance is something you see in the movies. Still bitter about her divorce five years earlier from her cheating ex-husband, Molly is in a nice, comfortable relationship with a nice, comfortable chiropractor. Working as a features writer for an online magazine, specializing in pieces about zany challenges like skydiving, taking a vibrator through a security checkpoint, or learning to be a Rockette, she excels at being daring in every aspect of her life — except when it comes to love. When Molly’s boss gives her an assignment to write about love, using Nora Ephron as a guidepost, she fails utterly, but finally gets the kick in the pants she needs to take a long, hard look at her life and her attitude toward love. And, as you’d expect, Molly finds herself drawn to the guy she doesn’t want to be drawn to, and finally has to confront what’s stopping her from taking the big leap… and taking a big chance on crazily romantic, head-over-heels, passionate love.

So what did I think? Let’s start with what I liked: What Nora Knew is a fast-paced, frenetically fun look at being single and being in the dating pool, from the vantage point of a woman on the verge of hitting the big 4-0. The main character is savvy and smart, and has been around the block enough times to have learned some very hard truths about the odds of finding “the one”. I liked that she’s a woman with a career that’s important to her, and that she’s willing to fight and take chances to make her writing dreams come true. The taste of New York is upbeat and exciting, and I enjoyed the use of Nora Ephron’s big romantic movies — Sleepless in Seattle, You’ve Got Mail, and When Harry Met Sally — as a template for finding and recognizing the person who makes you want to take a chance.

There are some very quippy, quirky moments that strike a great note of cynicism blended with humor. The tone overall is light and brisk, with many quote-worthy moments — such as this interview between Molly and an older gentleman on the subject of finding true love:

“How did you know she was the one?”

He shrugged. “You marry someone. Wait thirty years. If she’s still there — she’s the one.”

What didn’t I like? Well, let’s face it, in this type of book, you just never see people worrying about their paychecks or their rent. Molly works for a living, but she also comes from a well-off family, gets invited to the Hamptons for summer weekends, and eats in the best restaurants — even if it is on the company expense account. I got a little tired of reading about rich people doing rich people things. A trip to Tiffany’s? Ho hum.

I didn’t really buy the love interest or the chemistry between the two. Molly’s destined guy is pretty much an enigma throughout the book; he’s a bestselling author who speaks in platitudes, and Molly seems to be faulted in the book for not taking him at his word — but honestly, I never knew if he was on the level and could totally get why she’d mistrust him as well.

In this type of book, with romance as the focus, being single pretty much equals being a loser. Even Molly’s hard-nosed businesswoman sister and 80-something-year-old grandmother find romance — clearly, the problem must be Molly. The idea that if you don’t fall into passionate and romantic love, then there’s something wrong with you really is not going to help the self-esteem of any single women reading this book. So if we all try to emulate a fictional character in a Nora Ephron movie, we’ll finally find the true love we’ve been promised? This may work in a novel that aims for madcap, but I’d hate to see someone apply this philosophy in real life.

The humorous tone works on and off throughout the book. It does get to be a bit much at times, and I often felt that the author went overboard with attempts to portray Molly’s escapades as wacky and wild. But who knows? Perhaps I’m just too serious and cynical by nature to be able to throw caution to the wind and just go with it.

It’s a cute premise, and not without a great sense of fun, but overall? I’d have to put What Nora Knew squarely on the chick-lit shelf — and in general, I’m not a fan of chick-lit. It’s a fluffy diversion, and if you like this sort of thing, you’ll have a good time. For me? It’s not the type of book I’d usually seek out, and it won’t make any of my “best of” lists, but it kept me entertained while I was reading it, and that’s something.

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The details:

Title: What Nora Knew
Author: Linda Yellin
Publisher: Gallery Books
Publication date: January 21, 2014
Genre: Adult fiction
Source: Review copy courtesy of Gallery Books via NetGalley

7Jan2014

Book Review: The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Book Review: The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker

I’m so excited to be a part of the blog tour for the paperback release of The Golem and the Jinni!

The Golem and the Jinni was certainly one of the buzziest books of 2013. Written by a debut author, this book started showing up everywhere! For myself, I sat up and took notice as soon as I read the title (and saw that gorgeous cover) — then paid even more attention as the initial reviews rolled in, all marveling over the originality of the story and the beauty of the writing.

Well, guess what? All that praise? Totally justified.

I finally read The Golem and the Jinni as one of my last books in 2013 — and wanted to kick myself for waiting so long to read it!

In brief, The Golem and the Jinni is the story of two mythical beings from two very different cultures: The Golem is a creature from Jewish mysticism, a human-like creature of clay whose purpose is to obey and protect its master. (Most famously, there is the legend of a golem created by the Rabbi of Prague in the 16th century to defend the Jewish ghetto against attack. Once the golem’s mission was completed, it returned to inanimate clay.) The Jinni is a legendary being from Arabian tales, a desert spirit of fire with the ability to take on different forms — but don’t confuse the Jinni in The Golem and the Jinni with the big blue guy from Disney’s Aladdin!

In this lovely novel, a female golem and a male jinni — both with human appearance — find themselves, accidentally and unwillingly, in New York in 1899, and must find a way to blend in, survive, and adapt to living among humans. Chava, the golem, is taken in by a kindly rabbi and finds a home in the Jewish Lower East Side, by all appearances a modest young widow who keeps to herself while working in a bakery and taking in mending. Ahmad, the jinni, can work wonders with metals of all kinds and finds refuge and employment with a tinsmith in the Little Syria neighborhood, but is filled with rage at his lack of freedom and spends each night wandering the city. When Chava and Ahmad cross paths, they recognize in each other a kindred spirit, and form a bond that’s full of disagreement and polarity, but also a deep understanding of what it means to be trapped, to hide one’s true nature, and to long for freedom and purpose.

I loved everything about The Golem and the Jinni. The writing here is lovely, conveying the feeling of listening to a master storyteller. There’s a sense of mythology and otherworldly power pervading the story, and yet it is most firmly rooted in the day-to-day realities of life in the early days of the 20th century. New York comes alive within the pages, filled with immigrant communities, ethnic loyalties, the sights and smells of a cramped city without modern conveniences; yet it is also a city striving to improve itself and modernize from moment to moment. From the Bowery to Central Park, the characters explore the nooks and crannies of Manhattan, its beauty and its ugliness, as well as the people who call it home.

We come to care deeply about Chava and Ahmad, and yet can also understand the sentiments and superstitions of the people who meet them and, without understanding why, sense innately that these two are different and perhaps dangerous. Embedded within the story is an examination of what it means to have a purpose in life, and whether anyone can truly overcome his or her essential nature and make themselves over into someone new. As Chava and Ahmad struggle to change their destinies and find freedom, they confront their own limitations and must either find a way to start fresh — or admit defeat, and allow themselves to be destroyed.

There are small moments of great beauty — for example, Ahmad’s ability to create delicate silver and gold animals using only his hands — as well as excitement, danger, and even peace. The scenes of bustling New York are set in contrast with Ahmad’s memories of his lost life in the desert, pursuing a Bedouin encampment and ultimately falling victim to its vengeance. In The Golem and the Jinni, the author skillfully weaves together a modern-day tale with something out of legend, and the blending is masterfully done.

I simply can’t recommend this book highly enough! Start to finish, The Golem and the Jinni is captivating and magical, and an absolute treat to read.

About the Author:

Helene Wecker grew up in Libertyville, Illinois, a small town north of Chicago, and received her Bachelor’s in English from Carleton College in Minnesota. After graduating, she worked a number of marketing and communications jobs in Minneapolis and Seattle before deciding to return to her first love, fiction writing. Accordingly, she moved to New York to pursue a Master’s in fiction at Columbia University.

She now lives near San Francisco with her husband and daughter. The Golem and the Jinni is her first novel.

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The details:

Title: The Golem and the Jinni
Author: Helene Wecker
Publisher: HarperCollins
Publication date: 2013
Genre: Adult fiction
Source: Review copy courtesy of TLC Book Tours.

For further information, visit the author’s website or stop by TLC Book Tours to view other blog tour hosts.

5Jan2014

Book Review: How To Save A Life by Sara Zarr

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Book Review: How To Save A Life by Sara Zarr

Love and loss, belonging and alienation — these weighty topics are the backbone of How To Save A Life, a moving but never oppressive young adult novel by talented author Sara Zarr.

Jill, a high school senior, is so choked by grief over her father’s death ten months prior that she’s practically consumed by the anger she carries with her. Having pushed all of her friends away and barely hanging onto her on-again, off-again boyfriend Dylan, Jill lives with her mother Robin in their lovely Denver home, struggling to make it through each day without having to confront her loss all over again. Meanwhile, Robin has so much love to give that she decides to adopt a baby — a spur of the moment decision that sends Jill around the bend.

Mandy is the pregnant 19-year-old, almost too naive for words, who comes into Robin and Jill’s lives, carrying a burden of secrets and lies and desperate need. Mandy’s life has been a horror, with a mother incapable of mothering, who has subjected Mandy to a string of her awful boyfriends and filled Mandy’s head with constant lectures on how to attract a man, how to catch a man, how to keep a man. Mandy insists on an open adoption — but no lawyers or social workers — and when Robin eagerly agrees, Mandy catches a train from Omaha to Denver and moves in with Robin and Jill.

As we see events unfold in alternating chapters narrated by Jill and Mandy, we are privy to each girl’s slightly skewed and unhealthy view of their worlds. Jill’s sad truth is that as much as she loves her mother, her father was the one she was closest to, the one who taught her everything, was her champion and idol, and she is only half of herself without him. Mandy has nothing, and as she settles into what is intended to be a temporary arrangement with Robin and Jill, she realizes that she’s never felt a sense of home before in her life, and realizes how very much she wants that — not just for her unborn baby, but for herself.

Jill is initially aghast at what she sees as a poorly thought-out, spontaneous decision by Robin, and she is hostile and suspicious around Mandy. But little by little, Jill and Mandy start to connect, and Jill realizes that maybe she can help Mandy as well as her mother, and who knows? maybe even herself.

The voices of the two girls are distinct and authentic, and although Mandy struck me as too odd to be real at first, it quickly becomes clear that there are reasons why she acts and thinks the way she does. Robin is wonderful and supportive — in fact, she may be slightly too ideal to be true, but that’s hardly important here. What matters is that the author gives each girl a strong foundation and believable character growth. Jill and Mandy bring much needed change to each others’ lives, and in a way force each other to snap out of their unhealthy or isolating behaviors and mindsets and start thinking about the future.

The narrative flows quickly, and we come to care deeply about all three of the women involved: Jill, Mandy, and Robin. There’s heartbreak and pain, but also tentative steps forward, the easing of sorrow, and the creation of new lines of connection and belonging.

I found How To Save A Life moving and engaging, emotionally rich yet not without moments of humor and fun as well. I read Sara Zarr’s recently published Roomies (written with coauthor Tara Altebrando) last month, and loved it as well. Based on these two wonderful novels, I’m eager to read more by this author as soon as I can.

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The details:

Title: How To Save A Life
Author: Sara Zarr
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Publication date: 2011
Genre: Young adult contemporary fiction
Source: Library

3Jan2014

Book Review: Perfect by Rachel Joyce

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Book Review: Perfect by Rachel Joyce

Perfect Synopsis (Goodreads):

On a foggy spring morning in 1972, twelve-year-old Byron Hemming and his mother are driving to school in the English countryside. On the way, in a life-changing two seconds, an accident occurs. Or does it? Byron is sure it happened, but his mother, sitting right next to him in the car, has no reaction to it. Over the course of the days and weeks that follow, Byron embarks on a journey to discover what really happened-or didn’t-that fateful morning when everything changed. It is a journey that will take him — a loveable and cloistered twelve-year-old boy with a loveable and cloistered twelve-year-old boy’s perspective on life — into the murkier, more difficult realities of the adult world, where adults lie, fathers and mothers fight without words, and even unwilling boys must become men. By the end, Byron will finally reconcile the dueling realities of that summer, a testament to the perseverance of the human spirit and the power of compassion.

Having read the author’s previous novel, The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, I expected to enjoy Perfect. Sadly, this wasn’t the case.

Perfect is written in the third-person, with alternating chapters focusing on Byron during that fateful summer of 1972 and a middle-aged adult named Jim struggling through his present-day menial job and serious OCD and emotional problems. As the story unfolds, Byron watches his mother disintegrate as her perfect facade begins to show cracks, and we also see Jim start to find a connection to an unusual woman who makes a dramatic entrance into his life.

In Byron’s part of the story, Byron and his best friend become fixated on a news story about the world clock being adjusted by two seconds in order to realign with the earth’s rotation. These two seconds take on a major significance for the boys, so that when the accident occurs, Byron is convinced that it’s because of the two extra seconds. It just doesn’t work. I was never convinced that these boys (or any boys) would fixate on this issue to the degree that they do, and it’s an odd element that adds nothing to the story.

Both Byron and the adult Jim are less than reliable observers, and so in both parts of the narrative, we view the action from very shaky ground. Unfortunately, this also has the effect of distancing the reader from the story. I always felt that I was getting a report on events, rather than witnessing them myself, and thus felt no immediacy or sense of connection as Byron’s family life spirals out of control.

Byron’s mother Diana is the central figure in the confusing and tragic events of the summer of 1972, but she remains an enigma. We know that she had a somewhat disreputable past; we see that her husband controls her every move; we learn that she has reinvented herself since being married and strives to always be a perfect wife and mother. Once Diana’s perfection is marred by the accident that may or may not have occurred, she slowly slips away from herself and her family, as without that illusion, she is left with nothing.

The portrait of Jim is interesting, as we learn bit by bit what happened to leave him in such a state, unable to function without his all-consuming rituals, constantly afraid of disaster. However,the love story that leads him to redemption is not credible in the least. How many books have we read featuring a flamboyantly eccentric, loud woman who comes into a meeker character’s life and shows him that love is possible? I don’t know about you, but I feel like I’ve seen this story a hundred times before. It’s not fresh, and it doesn’t work in this novel.

As in The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, the big reveal at the end of the book is meant to be a shocking twist. It is not. By mid-way through the book, it was plain to me what was really going on, and I didn’t feel that there was any true pay-off in what is intended to be a big, emotionally charged scene.

Not to say, however, that Perfect lacks interesting or redeeming qualities. There’s a twisted relationship that develops in the aftermath of the accident, and it is fascinating to see how Diana’s doubts and guilt lead her to become the victim of an opportunistic stranger, with Byron’s attempts to help only exacerbating and hastening Diana’s downfall. The changing landscape of the moors and villages in Perfect serve to reflect the social dynamics of the time, and as the economy worsens over the decades, we see that reflected in the surrounding housing communities and countryside as well. The tension between the wealthy private school families and the lower-class townies comes into play in the main storyline, and adds an interesting dimension to the unfolding drama and the tragic events that occur.

Despite being a quick read, Perfect simply doesn’t satisfy. The quirky characters and cause-and-effect plot devices never feel real or believable, and as a result, I was unmoved by the confrontations and resolutions that should have been emotionally rich. Lacking any connection to the characters and just not buying some of the major events and their catalysts, I would have to consider Perfect a disappointment.

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The details:

Title: Perfect
Author: Robin Joyce
Publisher: Random House
Publication date: January 14, 2014
Genre: Adult contemporary fiction
Source: Review copy courtesy of Random House via NetGalley