Annette's Book Spot: tragedy

Showing posts with label tragedy. Show all posts

Monday, July 6, 2020

Book Review: The Dilemma, by B. A. Paris

The Dilemma by B. A. Paris book cover and review

The Dilemma is the third novel by Paris that I have read, and while it is different than the previous books, it still sucked me in.

I'm going to be pretty vague about this story because I think it is required. Livia has been preparing for her 40th birthday party for most of her adult life. She was robbed of the fairytale wedding she desired, so this party will make up for it.

The only problem is that her daughter, Marnie, will not be able to travel home for the party. But Livia knows something about Marnie that will devastate her husband, so she's secretly glad Marnie isn't coming home.

Meanwhile, her husband, Adam, has pulled strings and made it possible for Marnie to attend. He's so excited about surprising Livia. But as the party approaches, he knows something that he should tell Livia, but he doesn't want to ruin the party, and besides, he isn't sure about his information.

So they both know something horrible about their daughter. Is it the same thing? Should they tell each other? When? So that is The Dilemma.

There isn't a huge amount of tension, like Paris' other books, but the reader can just see this huge trainwreck coming. And you want to see how it's going to come about and who the casualties will be.

I thought it was weird that this woman was so obsessed with having this huge party for herself. I guess I just don't have that attention-seeking personality. Because Livia was really something when it came to this party.

I cared about these characters and wished there was some way to make it all go away. Nicely told from multiple perspectives, The Dilemma will keep you turning pages.

Published by St. Martin's, June 30, 2020
eARC obtained from NetGalley
352 pages

Rating: 4/5

Thursday, February 13, 2020

Book Review: The Whole Thing Together, by Ann Brashares

The Whole Thing Together by Ann Brashares book cover and review

The Whole Thing Together is a story of family, both the good and the bad. Even though the family ties are complex, the characters are wonderfully drawn, and the story easy to follow.

Sasha and Ray live in the same bedroom, but not at the same time. Sasha's dad and Ray's mom were once married. They each remarried and gave birth to Sasha and Ray within a few months of each other. And now these families share a summer house on alternating weeks.

There are three older sisters from the original marriage, who, of course, know both Sasha and Ray. But Sasha and Ray have never met. And then they do.

It's a complicated and compelling relationship. The three older siblings each have distinct personalities that add to the drama. And there are other secrets. And romance. As these dysfunctional parents persist in their refusal to be in the same house with each other, circumstances propel them together with disastrous results.

Brashares, as usual, unwinds this twisted tale, engrossing us in the lives of each character. I was quickly absorbed in the story and found The Whole Thing Together to be a quick and entertaining story.

Published by Delacorte, 2017
Copy obtained from the library
304 pages

Rating: 4/5

Tuesday, April 17, 2018

Audio Book Review: Red Hook Road, by Ayelet Waldman

Red Hook Road by Ayalet Waldman book cover and review

I wasn't supposed to like Red Hook Road. But I did.

Red Hook Road begins with a tragedy. Becca and John are killed in an accident on Red Hook Road just hours after they are married. For the rest of the book, both families are trying to come to terms with their grief. Does that sound like a good book?

After the beginning, when I realized what this book was going to be about, I almost gave up. But I'm more patient with audiobooks, and the writing was really great. I was caught up in these people's lives. I could see the beautiful coastal village in Maine. The details are what kept me involved.

Red Hook Road isn't an action book, although there is a bit of suspense at the end. It's a study of the characters and their interactions with each other--how they helped each other through. And in some cases, how this tragedy divided them. Of course, it was sad at times, but there is a good balance of uplifting scenes too.

Like I said, this isn't my "type" of book. But I love stretching my wings and finding something that I really enjoy, even if out of my comfort zone. Pick up Red Hook Road if you like atmospheric stories of family and love. I would highly recommend the audio version. Kimberly Farr does a great job.

Published by Doubleday, 2010, Random House Audio.
Audiobook obtained from the library
352 pages

Rating: 4/5

Monday, January 30, 2017

Audio Book Review: Before the Fall, by Noah Hawley @noahhawley

Noah Hawley is an amazing writer. Before the Fall, when you really sum it up, doesn't have a huge, intricate plot, but Hawley's writing just pulls you in and puts you there. Has anyone read any of his other books? I need to read something else by him.

Before the Fall begins with a private plane crashing into the sea. Scott, our main character, and a little 4-year-old boy survive, only because Scott swims with him (with an injured shoulder) for miles and miles. It's truly a miracle.

The rest of Before the Fall introduces us to the other people on the plane who perished, as well as a news reporter and an NTSB investigator as we slowly piece together exactly what happened. Was it an accident? Murder? The families on the plane are extremely wealthy, and one person is about to be indicted. The media (one reporter in particular) go after anyone connected, and soon are targeting Scott, a struggling artist, as someone who might be responsible.

Each person is meticulously described, And, while I sometimes feel overly descriptive texts to be annoyingly slow, I just found myself grabbed by the descriptions of characters and settings. You get these people. You understand them. And I felt so sorry for Scott. He really is a nice, honest person. And he becomes a target of the media.

As a side note, I love the cover. I think it's perfect for this book. And the audio version, narrated by Robert Petkoff, is excellent.

I was worried that I wasn't going to be happy with the ending. After all the curiosity I had, I wanted to KNOW. Well, I now know. It's not that it mattered what happened, I wanted to know what happened and, more importantly, I wanted to know that Scott was going to be okay. I can enthusiastically recommend Before the Fall to adults, as well as teens who would appreciate this atmospheric story.

Published by Grand Central, 2016 (audio by Hachette)
Audiobook obtained from the library
400 pages

Rating: 5/5

Wednesday, September 3, 2014

Audio Book Review: Dark Places by Gillian Flynn

While I found Dark Places to be a bit detailed at times, this is a dark twisted story that you won't be able to put down.

Libby Day is our first narrator. Her mother and two sisters were brutally murdered by Libby's brother when she was seven years old. She was in the house, and her testimony helped put her brother, Ben, in prison. It's 25 years later and Libby has had a hard life, with no friends, no job, no money and little motivation to better herself.

Libby is approached by a man who is the leader of The Kill Club, an organization that is obsessed with notorious crimes. They want Libby to speak at their convention. Because Libby is desperate for money, she agrees to this. After speaking with the people at this meeting, basically "groupies" of her brother, she begins to question her brother's guilt. In order to get paid more, she reluctantly agrees to begin investigating what really happened.

We also get the point of view of Libby's mother, Patty. Her narration takes place beginning the morning of the day of the murders.

Ben also narrates. He tells his story also from the day of the murders.

No one seems innocent. A lot of the characters are warped and you can think, "Oh. So now I know who did it and why." But you will be wrong. I don't really want to say too much about the characters, because that's part of the discovery. Suffice it to say that they are vividly written and mostly unlikable.

The build up to the event is detailed, but you don't always know what parts are going to be important to the outcome, so bear with it. The story is exposed very slowly, and I just kept listening more and more. I usually only listen to audio books in the car, and I found myself looking forward to my next car trip so I could continue. I ended up finishing it by just listening at home. I couldn't wait.

The audio is narrated by three different people, one for each point of view, and they are all excellent. I think there may be a fourth narrator because there is an additional POV at the very end.

Much like Gone Girl, I really don't think you are going to be able to predict what really happened on that day. It's unbelievable. If you liked Flynn's other books, or like twisted mysteries that are sure to surprise, you should really check out Dark Places.

Published by Broadway Books, 2010, Random House Audio
Copy purchased from Audible
349 pages

Rating: 4/5

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Book Review: A Wounded Name, by Dot Hutchison

If you are interested in a fairly accurate modern retelling of Hamlet, then A Wounded Name fits the bill!

Hamlet's castle, in this case, is a boarding school. The story is told from Ophelia's perspective, which gives it and interesting twist -- as well as a more paranormal feel since Ophelia sees all kinds of ghosts and spirits. One of these is her dead mother, who wants Ophelia to join her at the bottom of a lake where there is a hidden city waiting for them.

It's been a REALLY long time since I've read Hamlet, but it's a classic, and I know the story. I'm a little shaky on some of the details. But I don't remember this hidden underwater city being part of the plot of the original, and it was the part that I found confusing. I didn't see what it added to the story, other than reinforcing the fact that Ophelia is apparently crazy, or at least her family thinks so.

All of the major characters are here -- even using the same names, so it's very easy to follow the story. Hamlet is called "Dane" and his father is referred to as "Hamlet."

The writing is beautiful. Sometimes too beautiful. All of the major lines we had to memorize in high school are in this book, as well as some other quotes almost directly from Shakespeare. But, even Hutchison's own writing is eloquent. Sometimes maybe too eloquent.

While I enjoyed reliving the story of Hamlet, and the book really ramped up at the end after a pretty slow, meandering start, I still had some issues. Mainly with the sense of time and place. The writing is so close to Old English, that I had trouble remembering that we are in modern times. It doesn't help that NOTHING modern is referred to for quite a while. I found myself distracted from the story because I was trying to figure out approximately what year it was. A little ways in, it mentions "Fortune 500 Companies" so I knew we weren't too far in historical times. Later, a motorcycle and a Limousine are mentioned. Finally on page 96, a cell phone is referred to and on page 114, email.

I also couldn't picture this boarding school. I didn't even realize it was supposedly in the U.S. until very close to the end of the book. Someone gets sent to France, but we never get a sense of WHERE they are leaving from. There aren't many descriptions of the actual school and home that they live in, other than to say there are three floors.

I have trouble if I can't picture things when I'm reading. I need to see the characters within the setting -- both place and time. I really missed that in A Wounded Name and didn't really enjoy the story because of it. As a side note, the cover of the book is perfect -- it really conveys the feeling of the story. The title, however, I don't really understand.

Anyone who is interested in a Hamlet retelling will enjoy this straightforward take on a modern version with a few additional embellishments.

Published by Carolrhoda Books, September 1, 2013
Copy obtained from Library Media Connection Magazine
311 pages

Rating: 3/5

Monday, August 12, 2013

Audio Book Review: Blackberry Winter, by Sarah Jio @sarahjio

Sarah Jio is a great storyteller. Blackberry Winter is the third book by her that I've read, and I just always sink right into the story easily, and am left with such a warm, wonderful feeling when I'm finished.

Blackberry Winter follows two main characters, and two different time periods. But the Seattle setting is the same for both stories -- and that's where they meld together.

Vera has a 3-year-old son, Daniel she is raising alone. It's 1933 and Vera is poor. She must leave her son home alone, while she works the night shift as a hotel maid. She still doesn't make enough money -- and is behind on her rent. They live in an apartment above a saloon. When a freak May snowstorm hits, Vera has trouble getting home from work and when she gets there, Daniel is gone. With no help from the authorities, Vera's desperation to find her son causes her to make some mistakes, but the reader can only keep hoping for the best for her.

Claire is a reporter for the Seattle Herald newspaper, and when a freak snowstorm hits in May of 2010, her editor wants her to do a feature article comparing this storm to the one that hit on the very same day in 1933. Claire finds an article about a little boy who went missing during the 1933 snowstorm, and decides this will be her angle. As Claire investigates, she feels a connection to these people from 1933. But, we also find out that Claire, herself, has suffered a huge loss, and she and her husband are drifting farther and farther apart.

There are a lot of coincidences that bring these two stories together. And, yes, some are a bit much. But it's a STORY, so just enjoy it. If you don't like contrived situations and happy endings that you may figure out early, then you should avoid Blackberry Winter. But if you enjoy a feel-good story with characters that you can root for and care about, then you shouldn't miss Blackberry Winter.

The narrator for the audio version is Tara Sands, and she did a good job. I would recommend the audio version if you like audio books.

Published by Plume, 2013. Audio by Brilliance Audio
Copy obtained from the library
320 pages

Rating: 3.5/5

Thursday, June 13, 2013

Book Review: The Tragedy Paper, by Elizabeth Laban

The excellent use of foreshadowing keeps you turning the pages of The Tragedy Paper. The goal is to figure out what tragedy happened last year and how it affected the characters.

The tradition at The Irving School is that the past years' seniors leave a gift for the new seniors in their rooms. When Duncan arrives at school, he gets what is considered the worst room. But he is left a bundle of CDs from the previous tenant, Tim Macbeth, that tells the story of "what happened last year" and also convinces Duncan that this room might not be so bad. Tim also happens to be an albino, which contributes to the ending but just seemed sort of random to me. I really think there should have been some more impact to his daily life because of his condition.

The senior English assignment is to write a Tragedy Paper, relating a real-life event to the literary tragedies. It's nice how this assignment parallels our unfolding story. The other part of the story is that every year the seniors plan a secret "game" to culminate their year. As we get closer to the end of the story, it is fairly obvious that last year something happened at this game.

While Duncan is listening to the CDs, he's also attending classes, re-kindling a relationship with a girl, and helping to plan this year's game.

I wanted to know what happened to Tim and his friend, Vanessa, as much as Duncan did. I thought Laban did a good job of letting go of just enough of the story to keep you interested. I just didn't think the tragedy was all that tragic. The end kind of fizzled for me, and looking back on the story, I don't think The Tragedy Paper will stick with me for long.

I enjoyed the reading experience, and I can still recommend The Tragedy Paper to some select students, but I wouldn't say it stands out.

Published by Knopf BFYR, January 8, 2013
Copy won from RandomBuzzers
304 pages (qualifies for my Books You Can Read in a Day Challenge!)

Rating: 3/5

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Audiobook Review: Unbroken, by Laura Hillenbrand @laurahillenbran

Oh my gosh, what a book! I have to be honest -- it took me a LONG time to settle into Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption. But also let me tell you -- for anyone who is interested AT ALL in the history of WWII, and specifically the war in the Pacific, this is a must read.

Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption is the true story of Louis Zamperini, a WWII veteran, whose plane crashed into the Pacific. We learn that bit of info in the prologue, so I'm not giving anything away. I will tell you that the crash happens somewhere before the half-way point in the book, so there's a lot more to the story. What an incredible tale.

Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption begins with Louis' childhood, and doesn't end until....well, the end. Basically, it covers his entire life. In painstaking detail. Louis participated in the Olympics as a runner in 1936, and was a hopeful for the 1940 Olympics, which never happened because of the war. The entire story is interesting. Louis was a devil child and was transformed when he realized he was a natural runner.

But let's talk about my difficulty with Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption. I really hated the third person narrative style. The narrator is omniscient, and there is absolutely no dialog. I felt like the story was a news report. I kept waiting for the introduction to be over, so the story could start. You know, the dialog and direct relationships among the characters. This never happens. Everything that happens is "reported."

However, I suddenly found myself mesmerized by the story. I got involved in Louis' life, despite the point of view. Once I got past my frustration and realized that this was the book, and it was a best seller, and I was going to endure it -- I loved it.

There are a lot of characters, and a lot of side stories about these characters, and Hillenbrand makes it all make sense. I was never confused. I thought the "organization" of the story was brilliant, given that this is a very complicated story with lots of details. I can't imagine the time and dedication it takes to write a story like Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption.

The story itself is literally unbelievable. If this were fiction, I would say the author went over the top. This is too far-fetched to buy into. The survival instincts in these men were so strong. I have not one doubt that I would have given up if I were in this situation. I can't even imagine what it takes inside a person to survive the utter decimation of the physical body. I had always heard that the Japanese were cruel. Hillenbrand does a great job in discussing the culture and background that made this army behave the way they did, although it doesn't make it easier to read about it. You may need to take some breaks from your reading at times. Essentially, Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption is a story of the triumph of the human spirit; I can't think of any better example of literature with this theme.

The audiobook was narrated by Edward Herrmann (yes, the actor) and he's the perfect voice for this narrative style. Like I said, much like a reporter, but he did add more emotion and enough nuance to keep my interest.

Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption is a long book, at about 500 pages, but as I said, this is at the top of my list now for historical fiction recommendations.

Published by Random House, 2010 (audiobook by Random House Audio)
Copy obtained from the library
496 pages

Rating: 4.5/5