Review: Heart Sick by Chelsea Cain

 










Heartsick by Chelsea Cain

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I've read quite a few serial killer type books because I find the psychology fascinating so I was interested in the Gretchen Lowell books since they focused on a female serial killer. I have to tell you, this book was definitely better than the vast majority of serial killer type books that I've read. It was SO good. I was so impressed with this book - it was well written, the storyline was compelling and the characters were outstanding!

I read this one via audiobook and definitely recommend this particular audiobook. It was SO well done and the narrator was excellent! I think that having the book told to me rather than reading it really helped it come alive for me.

The characters are really what made this book special for me. They are the foundation upon which the entire story is built and it is done so effectively that I found myself amazed at how quickly I found myself falling into the book's world. The story was compelling - rather different than most of the 'serial killer' type books out there. And, Gretchen Lowell is without a doubt one of the most memorable, sadistic characters that I've ever come across. Wow. You just won't believe this woman! She gets under your skin and makes it CRAWL!

I really can't recommend this book AND this audiobook more. It really is good. Very interesting and kept my interest throughout. I just downloaded the audiobooks to the next two books in this series and I can't wait to devour those as well!

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Review: The Passage by Justin Cronin

 









The Passage by Justin Cronin

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


It's taken me almost a month to feel ready to write this review. I wanted to sit with the novel a bit before I came and put my thoughts out there.

I began hearing about this novel months before it came out and there was a lot of hype about it which always makes me weary because I worry that I'll be disappointed. I waited and waited and waited for the release date and giggled when I got the note from the library that it was waiting for me.

And it is quite a book. Very overwhelming. Very hefty. Just huge.

But, from the moment I began reading, I was sucked into the story and couldn't put it down. For awhile, it was book heaven. Excellent premise, interesting characters ... all the elements that I love in a good book. I kept thinking to myself that I love that this book is so long since I was loving it so much, I didn't want it to end. And, then, suddenly ... it seemed to begin to drag for me. I'm not sure exactly what happened but I do know that it went from being extremely compelling to just okay in what felt like one fell swoop. And I was disappointed.

The bottom line is that there are pretty major flaws in this book when I look at it in its entirety, which keep me from giving it 5 stars. Which is unfortunate because it really could have been a 5 star book. It's sad to see such potential peter out into ehhh. The worst part is that the pacing kind of jarred me and my experience of the book. I'd be flying through, loving it then SLAM the pace would slow down to a crawl and I'd be forcing myself to get through it. Moments later, it would race back up and I'd be loving it again. That inherent inconsistency in pacing really took away from the impact of the book.

Cronin obviously has a lot of potential but I was disappointed that he wasn't able to sustain the momentum for the entirety of the book. That pacing problem was a huge issue for me and ultimately made the book a lot less enjoyable for me. However, I do think that the premise is wonderful and I am glad that I read the book. I plan to continue to read the series.

This book has been compared to The Stand by a lot of a reviewers and I have to agree that there are certainly elements of both books that lend themselves to the comparison. However, The Stand is a much more solid book than The Passage, in my opinion. They are both good but if you choose to only read one of them, read The Stand.

I do recommend this book but with reservations. It's not for everyone. Simply reading it is quite a commitment and I feel like its important for readers to know its flaws going in so that they don't feel the overwhelming disappointment that I did. Because I still really wish that I'd loved this one!!!!

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Review: Geek Love by Katherine Dunn

Geek Love by Katherine Dunn

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Wow. I'm not even sure where to start on this book. It was probably the most unusual, odd book that I've EVER read. It's a really well written book with a really, ummm ..., interesting story. It's a difficult book to categorize or really explain. I tried explaining it to my husband and his only reaction was "um, OK, that sounds really weird." And it IS really, really, really weird.

I was fascinated with the idea and concept of the book. That, along with the strong writing, kept me reading. There were moments when I wanted to put it aside because it just wasn't a particularly enjoyable book to read. It wasn't bad. It just wasn't good.

The good ultimately did not cover up the bad for me but I'll lay it all out here so that you can decide if its a book you ultimately want to read.

The Good:
1. The premise really is amazing. What a unique concept. Like nothing I have ever read before. And, it really is fascinating in an odd way that kind of makes you feel sick to your stomach. Carnies, 'freaks,' unusual family situations. It's all here and its built to make you uncomfortable. That part of the novel is done amazingly well.
2. The writing was amazing. That Katherine Dunn was able to keep my interest for the entire book is a testament to her writing. She is just a good writer. Despite the weirdness of her subject.
3. The themes around normalcy, manipulation, obsession and isolation were really interesting. This novel gave me a great deal to think about in terms of human nature. It made me think about uncomfortable things in a new way.

The Not So Good:
1. The characters were so out there that they became almost caricatures to me. They stopped being human and became monsters. ALL of them. There is very little humanity present in this novel, in my opinion. And what humanity is present is not anything but scary. At times, the circumstances of the novel and the characters became so bizarre that I had difficulty envisioning the world created by Dunn. It was so out there that it lost me somehow.
2. The story itself meanders around in a way that was disorienting in some ways. Certain aspects of the story were given great attention while others were introduced and then never really given much attention. It just made the story feel disjointed to me and made the pacing of the novel fall short of what it could have been.

All in all, I'm glad that I read this book but I'm not sure I would have if I'd read more about the book. It's a well written novel that is certainly memorable. However, its flaws were distracting and ultimately took away from the potential of the novel as a whole.

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Review: Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri

 










Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I've heard so many wonderful things about this short story collection that I was eager to see if it would help me get over my usual reaction to short stories which is typically less than positive. The short story just doesn't typically appeal to me and my reading sensibilities. I rarely feel satisfied by a short story. I think I'm just more suited for the novel.

Anyway, I have mixed feelings about this collection. There were a few stories that were WONDERFUL and others that were ehhh. I would say that I loved 2 or 3 and the rest were just not my cup of tea. I will say that they were all very well written. Lahiri is an amazing writer. She knows how to put words together in a very compelling way. However, some of the stories just didn't interest me and I couldn't get past that and into enjoying the story.

If you love well-written stories and the short story is interesting to you, then I definitely recommend this collection. However, I couldn't help but feel a bit let down as I closed the book as I ultimately feel as if the collection was just a tad bit overrated.

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Review: The Lost Hours by Karen White

 









The Lost Hours by Karen White

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


For some reason, this novel seemed to go in a completely different direction than I expected but I really enjoyed the experience of reading it. I liked the way the plot would twist and turn. I enjoyed the unraveling of the central mystery as well. But, in the end, it was the psychological aspects of the novel that seemed to shine for me. The journey through change, grief and personal adversity all felt very real to me and drew me into the story & the characters. I loved the characters - flaws and all. They moved me and made me care about them in a way that actually surprised me, given the specifics of the plot. I was also very moved by the underlying issues of loss and grief which seemed to resonate with me as I read the novel. I was reminded how important it is to tell our stories, spend time with family and learn more about our personal and family histories. In some ways, as I read, I was reminded of my beloved grandmother and how glad I am that I had so much time with her and that I made a point of talking to her and learning her stories. I'm not sure if the actual book made as much of an impression on me as the themes did, in the end. Either way, I really enjoyed it and recommend it.

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Review: Straight Man by Richard Russo

 









Straight Man by Richard Russo

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I think I may have mentioned this a few times before but I am a huge Russo fan and tend to love every word that he writes. This is yet another solid Russo novel that I really enjoyed. However, I did not love it nearly as much as Empire Falls, Bridge of Sighs, etc. Perhaps it was due to the fact that its really more of a comedic novel which usually isn't my favorite kind of novel. I find that humor can translate oddly in a novel so I often don't find the same things funny as others do. However, there were some absolutely hilarious moments in this novel. Moments that had me laughing out loud which is very unusual for me.

Funny, satirical, and ultimately quite clever. I really enjoyed the pacing of the novel and felt the characters were very memorable. Not particularly realistic in some ways (nor was the plot, frankly) but it was so entertaining that I really didn't care about that! I just enjoyed the process of seeing what the heck he had planned for me next.

Really funny, really engaging and I almost felt like I was able to see a new side of Russo through this novel. I love his writing style and Straight Man is a great escape!

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Review: Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

 










Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I loved how Laurie Halse Anderson took a current issue facing adolescents and made it come alive for me. It was fantastic! I found it to be so compelling that I didn't want to put it down. I found it both breathtaking and yet heartbreaking. I felt the book physically which is always a treat. Excellent book that I definitely recommend. I will say that the author uses some interesting methods to tell her stories which I love but know that many other reviewers were not as enthusiastic about. I've only read a few of Anderson's books but I plan to keep checking them all out because I have found that she does not disappoint!

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