Tag Archives: Book Review

June 30, 2013 · 10:11 pm

The Fault in Our Stars: Review

The Fault in Our StarsThe Fault in Our Stars by John Green
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

How do you deal with death when you have barely begun to live? That is the question that John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars tackles as readers experience a small glimpse into the life a teenage cancer patient. The book is the story of a girl battling terminal cancer and her daily struggles and joys. Readers grow fond of Hazel Grace as she meets her true love (another teenage cancer patient) and attempts to come to terms with death and the lives of those left behind.

While some may narrowly view this work as a Young Adult “cancer kid” book, I believe it offers something for older readers as well. The themes of life (and a life well lived) as well as death (its impact on us as well as our loved ones) are issues that are not unique to “cancer kids”. They are the universal issue of being human. How do we make peace with the universe? How do we define ourselves in our space in the universe? Addressing these issues from the POV of a teenage girl with cancer makes the reader pay more attention and offers a more intense emotion connection (both b/c of the “unfairness” of a short life and the emotional vibrancy of the teenage years and first love). Still, as I read (or rather listened) to The Fault in Our Stars I found myself relating Hazel Grace and caring about where her journey would end.

Hazel Grace’s voice is masterfully written by Green. But he also crafts fully realistic character’s with their own emotional challenges to surround her: Her friend Isaac– who looses his sight but keeps his life: Her mother– who “think” is defined by the cancer and her role as caregiver; and of course, Augustus–the boyfriend who is dealing with his own cancer issues.

Green weaves these characters together around the center, Hazel, without making it all about Hazel. He also uses literature and symbolism and dialog that are very engaging.

I would recommend this to old and young alike.

PS. As a mom, I am not s big fan of teenage sex in books for teens. But, I get it in this case.

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June 28, 2013 · 3:01 pm

Dan Brown’s Inferno: A Review

Inferno (Robert Langdon, #4)Inferno by Dan Brown
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

In Inferno we are treated to the latest installment of the Robert Langdon series. Langdon finds himself in an Italian hospital with what he thinks is a gun shoot wound and missing memories of the last few days. Over the next several hundred pages we follow Langdon and his female sidesick, Siena Brooks, on whirlwind adventure featuring the woks of Dante’s Inferno. The two are set out to figure out just what Langdon was doing in Italy and start tracking a life-altering plague.

In the “PULP FiCTION” category I give this book four stars! But, it is certainly not a book that is going to stand the test of time.

I think this my favorite of Dan Brown’s books. After all it has so many of my favorite things, Venice, Constantinople, literature and plagues, what could be better? (Maybe a vamp or two, but let’s not get CRAZY!)

All and all, it was typical Dan Brown lots of running around Europe with twists and turns–nothing is as it seems. You know the drill. I must say the twists and turns got to be a little much me around chapter 80. But, by that time I was committed to finishing it.

One thing, wouldn’t Langdon get sick of this? Or at some point wonder why its always him? Or is he just too jaded to care any more. How many top secret adventures can a mild manner professor really have???

I also have to admit I have never read Dante and now I think I really must! So thats going to be a project in and of itself.

Anyway, its a good summer read, so go for it.

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June 13, 2013 · 1:32 pm

Review: Dead Ever After

In Harris’ final Sookie Stackhouse book, she managed to neatly tie up the saga. Going into this book, Eric was slated to marry another vamp against his will and Sam was brought back from the dead. (By the way, book 12 was really bad! And, all set up for this one.)

It seems that a fair number of long time fans of the series did not like this ending. Personally, I did not hate as much as many people did. A little weak–but not horrible.

While reading the final book, I also realized how many men Sookie bedded. She starts the series as this sweet little southern girl who is a virgin and ends with an amazing amount of lovers in a short time. I know its fiction, but good heaven woman— slow down!

***SPOILER ALERT***STOP READING NOW-Because I am going to write freely about the plot!

I love Eric as much as everyone else. And, he was barely in this book. And, Sookie did not end up with him. But, I am not truly surprised. She truly wouldn’t end up with him. He was too intense for her to be with him long term and unless she was going to be a Vamp (which she did not want) they would have to part ways. Making it forced on him was actually a nice plot move in my opinion.

As for her being with Sam, from the first book, I felt as if those two were going to get to together. I mean, they just had such a solid friendship. The only question is why it took so long. Answer: To sell more books!

All and all, I think it was a fine ending–not great, not surprising, but fine.

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June 11, 2013 · 8:23 pm

Review of And the Mountains Echoed


This is another in the series of books by Khaled Hosseini
(think Kite Runner)
about people from Afghanistan. This book spans about 60 yrs and takes us from Afghanistan to Europe and the United States.

First, the things I liked. Hosseini opens the book with a children’s story about a giant taking away a man’s child. I found the story at the beginning of the book to be an amazing introduction to the book. It set the tone and provided structure for the rest of the book. Most of the book consisted of vignettes about people who are linked together when a brother and sister are separated. Without the introduction, I think the individual stories would have been too disjointed.

I also loved the language and images the author uses to tell his story. For example, In chapter 4 he writes the line”a life lived from the backseat”. It is a very gripping image of a person who is somehow afraid to strike out in life and stays behind watching others live. Again, masterful writing is seen when Hosseini writes, “…it would be the dripping faucet at the back of her head”. These lines reflect Hossieni’s ability to use words to bring forth images in a dramatic way.

All this being said, I liked the book. But, I did not love it the way I did his previous works, The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns).

I am sure there will be many people are not happy with me for only giving 3 stars. But the others were better in my opinion.

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