Review: This Is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper

This Is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Let me say up front that this is not a book for everyone ... but for me, it was OUTSTANDING! It's wry, sarcastic, witty and unabashedly profane! I loved every moment of the novel. The pacing of the book is fast as is the dialogue! It's ultimately a wild ride that takes you all over the place but leaves you feeling satisfied. I think this is one of those books that could be characterized as 'guy lit' but its so much more! I found myself relating to many of the characters (the fertility issues come to mind) and even seeing people from my life in the characters (good and bad). I loved that the characters were flawed and real. Nothing fake about any of them. They were real and their interactions felt very real to life.

Tropper's ability to combine the heartbreaking with the hilarious is what really brings the novel to life. Let's face it ... that IS life. I found that the novel brought out some incredible observations about loss, disappointment, growing up, messing up and redeeming yourself. Once you look behind the sarcasm and wit, you find something very deep and beautiful about how we live our lives. I really love this one!

I recommend it to anyone who is not put off by sarcasm, sexually explicitness, edgy/profane language. If those things bother you or offend you, this is one you should skip. However, if you're up for all of those things, then grab this one immediately ... you will NOT regret it!

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Review: Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I'm wondering if my take on this book was impacted by all of the buzz it got. I was expecting something amazing and found something that was just good. And this is a good book. But, it's nothing special or life altering.

The alternating points of view bothered me a bit. I had trouble following who was who as I moved through the book. Perhaps due to reading it as an ebook, perhaps the formatting was off? There was no way to tell the difference between narrators which I found annoying at best.The point of view issue really took this from a 4 to a 3 for me. I really wish there had been a better method for the alternating ...

I also had a difficult time connecting to Hannah which I think might have made the book more enjoyable for me. I just didn't particularly care for her. I didn't find very much depth in the character which I think could have really helped the book. She was the central character and yet there wasn't much there. I also didn't find a connection with any of the other characters. They were literally just words on a page for me so the impact that they were supposed to have was minimal at best.

I think the subject matter was handled well and Asher told a good story with a fantastic message. This book presents a complex and thought-provoking story and its definitely a good, solid read. It just isn't all that I had hoped it would be.

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Review: Secrets of Eden by Chris Bohjalian

Secrets of Eden by Chris Bohjalian

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Yikes. I really wanted to like this one. Unfortunately, I just didn't like it. It was readable but missed the mark in so many ways that it was distracting. Perhaps its my years of working with domestic violence victims but I felt that that aspect was not done well in this novel. It was very 'vanilla' and typical of most domestic violence stories. There wasn't anything interesting or compelling about this particular story.

Even worse than the domestic violence aspect being done badly, the characters were caricatures, not real flesh and blood, engaging characters. It wasn't just that they were unlikeable (although several of them WERE), they were just cardboard and boring! I figured out the 'big reveal' very early in the novel which is always disappointing. The alternating narrator tool used by Bohjalian just wasn't very effective in this novel - it made the plot feel repetitious and only made the cardboard feel of the characters stand out all the more for me. I had to force myself through the end of this one. I just didn't care all that much what was coming.

I have really enjoyed some of Bohjalian's books so I'm hoping that this is just a dud (although he's had a couple of duds for me now). Perhaps I'll just have a up and down relationship with his work - love some, dislike others! Either way, I just cannot recommend this book. There are so many other books that would be a better use of your time & energy. Skip this one, is my advice!

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Two Short Reviews

Bossypants by Tina Fey

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I rarely find that comedy translates well in writing. I rarely find myself truly laughing at something I'm reading. I just think comedy is better when its happening live, in front of you. I keep trying books that friends tell me will crack me up, only to find myself disappointed over and over. Apparently, Tina Fey is the exception to all of this (at least for me). She's just funny ... funny pours out of her and into the pages of this book. There were several places where I laughed out loud! She's fantastic in Bossypants & if you like her, you'll enjoy this book.




Dead Reckoning by Charlaine Harris

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really love this series but I think its beginning to be time for Sookie & friends to be put out of their misery. I enjoy reading the Sookie Stackhouse books but they aren't nearly as good now as they were in the earlier books. Which isn't to say that I won't keep reading ... I probably will because I love the characters and the world. I just think it may be time for Charlaine Harris to think about venturing out of Sookie-land and into something new. Or to really think about how she can steer Sookie and friends back to where they need to be. At this point, there is an element of 'dialing it in' to her writing. It's still entertaining but it could be so much better. As always, I sped through this one in 24 hours ... they are always light, quick reads for me. I'm rating this one 4 stars, for what it was - a light, enjoyable read. It's not great literature but it was DEFINITELY entertaining!


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