Book Review: Room by Emma Donoghue

Room by Emma Donoghue

Hardcover, 336 pages

Little, Brown and Company (September 13, 2010)

Source: 

I received a copy of this book for my participation in the Manic Mommies Book Club

Summary from the author's website:

ROOM (2010) is the story of a five-year-old called Jack, who lives in a single room with his Ma and has never been outside. When he turns five, he starts to ask questions, and his mother reveals to him that there is a world outside. Told entirely in Jack’s voice, ROOM is no horror story or tearjerker, but a celebration of resilience and the love between parent and child.

My Thoughts:

Unlike most books, I did not read a synopsis of Room before I started the book.  I heard all of the buzz and critical acclaim for this novel, and looked forward to the opportunity to read it.  On a trip to Houston this year, I tossed it in my bag and found myself completely engrossed from page one.  It was the fastest three-hour flight that I had ever experienced.

Told from the perspective of a five-year-old, Room was really breathtaking.  It took me several pages to adjust to Jack's perspective, but once I understood the approach, I was hooked.  Donoghue's ability to convey very adult situations using both Jack's description, as well as dialogue between Jack and his mother was very interesting.  Admittedly, I found myself imagining the world through my daughter's eyes - with limited vocabulary and limited understanding of human motives, a child's abilty to describe their world is very simple, but often very enlightening.

It is difficult to offer a fully critique of Room without providing any spoilers, but in order to really enjoy the book I think that it is crucial that the reader not know what is going to happen.  Personally, I would have preferred that the first "part" had been extended, because this storyline felt the most real and raw to me.  However, I do appreciate Donoghue's approach to telling the story and understand the importance of exploring the emotions that occured during the second phase of the novel.

When I finished Room - on the flight back home - I wished that I had someone that I could have chatted with about the book.  It was such a powerful story and Jack's perspective made such a great impression upon me.  The novel is very deserving of the attention that it has received!

4 Stars!

Book Review: Helen of Pasadena by Lian Dolan

Helen of Pasadena by Lian Dolan

Paperback, 288 pages

Prospect Park Books (November 1, 2010)

Source: 

I received a copy of this book from the publisher, for my participation in the Manic Mommies Book Club

Summary from the author's website:

Helen Fairchild, is leading a privileged Pasadena existence: married to a pillar of the community; raising a water polo- playing son destined for the most select high school; volunteering her time on the most fashionable committees. It only bothers Helen a tiny bit that she has never quite fit in with the proper Pasadena crowd or finished that graduate degree in Classics or had that second baby. The rigid rules of society in Pasadena appeal to Helen, the daughter of Oregon “fiber artists,” even if she’ll never be on the inside.

And then along comes a freak accident, killing her philandering husband and leaving Helen broke, out of her “forever” house, and scrambling to salvage her once-rarefied existence. Enter Dr. Patrick O’Neill, noted archaeologist, excavator of Troy, and wearer of adorable nubby sweaters. A job as Dr. O’Neill’s research assistant is the lifeline Helen needs to re-invent herself professionally, personally, and romantically. Helen’s world widens to include a Hollywood star, a local gossip columnist, an old college nemesis, a high-powered Benefit Chair, an unforgiving admissions director, the best real estate agent in the biz, and, of course, the intriguing Patrick O’Neill. While uncovering secrets about Ancient Troy alongside her archaeologist, Helen discovers something much more: a new sense of self and a new love.

My Thoughts:

Helen of Pasadena was a very enjoyable read.  I have to admit that I cracked up at the beginning of the book when the demise of Helen Fairchild's husband was explained.  Although the aftermath of his death left Helen in horrible circumstances, I was still pleased with the way that Karma stuck it to him.  Helen herself, was portrayed as a very strong woman - forced to pick her self up and recreate a life for herself, both personally and professionally.  She was fortunate to have very solid friendships to rely upon after her husband's death.

Lian Dolan was successful in weaving a bit of archeology into the story.  I'm always happy when I feel that I learn a bit from a novel, instead of it being self-indulgent.  In all, I found the story very well thought out, while it still managed to be a light and easy read.  I think that Dolan did very well as a first time novelist.  Her sense of humor was critical to making Helen of Pasadena a success.  I'm looking forward to reading future novels by this author!

Book Review: The Four Ms. Bradwells by Meg Waite Clayton

The Four Ms. Bradwells by Meg Waite Clayton

Hardcover, 321 pages
Ballantine Books (March 22, 2011) 

Source: 

I received a copy of this book for participation in the Manic Mommies Book Club, hosted by Mari from Bookworm with a View

Summary from Goodreads:
Meg Waite Clayton’s national bestseller The Wednesday Sisters was a word-of-mouth sensation and book club favorite. Now the beloved author is back with a page-turning novel that explores the secrets we keep, even from those closest to us, and celebrates the enduring power of friendship.

Mia, Laney, Betts, and Ginger, best friends since law school, have reunited for a long weekend as Betts awaits Senate confirmation of her appointment to the Supreme Court. Nicknamed “the Ms. Bradwells” during their first class at the University of Michigan Law School in 1979—when only three women had ever served full Senate terms and none had been appointed to the Court—the four have supported one another through life’s challenges: marriages and divorces, births and deaths, career setbacks and triumphs large and small. Betts was, and still is, the Funny One. Ginger, the Rebel. Laney, the Good Girl. And Mia, the Savant.

But when the Senate hearings uncover a deeply buried skeleton in the friends’ collective closet, the Ms. Bradwells retreat to a summer house on the Chesapeake Bay, where they find themselves reliving a much darker period in their past—one that stirs up secrets they’ve kept for, and from, one another, and could change their lives forever.

Once again, Meg Waite Clayton writes inspiringly about the complex circumstances facing women and the heartfelt friendships that hold them together. Insightful and affecting, The Four Ms. Bradwells is also a captivating tale of how far people will go to protect the ones they love.

My Thoughts:

Once upon a time, way back in junior high and high school, I had a dream that I would become a Supreme Court Justice.  I have an uncle that still suggests that I should become a lawyer.  The Four Ms. Bradwells made me very nostalgic and dreamy - it even filled me with a little bit of regret for what might have been.  I think for this reason alone, Betts was my favorite character in the book.  I admired her ambition, her intellect, her love for her only daughter, and I grieved that she didn't have her husband to share it with.

The friendship between the four women was so interesting to me.  I do not have similar relationships to compare this to, and it made me wish that I had similar friends that I grew up with, that knew (most of) my secrets and who were there to rescue, protect and encourage me whatever the circumstance.

I really enjoyed The Four Ms. Bradwells.  Although it brought up feelings of regret and what-if in my own life, I think that the author's ability to vividly describe the four women and to give the reader something to relate to made it a success.  I'm looking forward to hearing the thoughts of other members of the Manic Mommies Book Club this week - I'd like to know if I was the only one who found a little piece of themselves in Betts, Laney, Mia or Ginger.

Have you read The Four Ms. Bradwells, or is there another book that you've read that had you looking back at your childhood dreams with a new light?

Book Review: The Wolves of Andover by Kathleen Kent

The Wolves of Andover by Kathleen Kent

Hardcover, 320 pages

Reagan Arthur Books (November 8, 2010)

Source: 

I received a copy of this book from the publisher for participating in the Manic Mommies Book Club

Summary from GoodReads:
In the harsh wilderness of colonial Massachusetts, Martha Allen works as a servant in her cousin's household, taking charge and locking wills with everyone. Thomas Carrier labors for the family and is known both for his immense strength and size and mysterious past. The two begin a courtship that suits their independent natures, with Thomas slowly revealing the story of his part in the English Civil War. But in the rugged new world they inhabit, danger is ever present, whether it be from the assassins sent from London to kill the executioner of Charles I or the wolves-in many forms-who hunt for blood. A love story and a tale of courage, The Wolves of Andover confirms Kathleen Kent's ability to craft powerful stories of family from colonial history.

My Thoughts:

I'm a little rusty in my review writing, but it certainly doesn't mean that I've stopped reading!

I read The Wolves of Andover as part of the Manic Mommies Book Club and I am looking forward to discussing the book with the group on Wednesday night.  While it wasn't my most favorite book this year, I did enjoy it.  Kathleen Kent's writing is beautiful and emotional and feels very true.  I am a long-confessed lover of historical fiction and The Wolves of Andover provided a glimpse of a piece of history that I was not at all familiar with - I love it when I learn something new.

The book provided Martha as a very strong character - secretly longing to be married, but at the same time having an abrasive personality that sometimes offended more than it attracted.  Inevitably, Martha did attract Thomas Morgan, who was the character that I enjoyed most of all.  His strength and his larger-than-life physical presence did not overshadow his generous and caring heart, and the secrets that he held fortunately did not keep him from expressing his emotions.

Kathleen Kent's writing is skilled and I felt that I lived the events, and came to know the characters.  My only complaint was that the transition between storylines - Britain to the Colonies, the hunters to the hunted - felt a bit disjointed at times.  This personally took a bit away from the overall experience of the book.

Thanks so much to the Manic Mommies Book Club and Hachette for allowing me to have the opportunity to read and review The Wolves of Andover.  I very much enjoyed the writing and the story and would recommend the book to lovers of historical fiction.

Blog Note: I am an Amazon Associate. I will make a small profit if you purchase a book after following one of the links in this post. Profits will be used to support giveaways and site maintenance.

Book Review: Backseat Saints by Joshilyn Jackson

Backseat Saints by Joshilyn Jackson

Hardcover, 336 pages
Grand Central Publishing (June 8, 2010)

Source: 
Review Copy received from Hachette Book Group for participation in the Manic Mommies Book Club

Summary from the author's website:

Ro Grandee is the perfect Texas housewife. She's determined to be nothing like her long-missing mother, the one who left her with only a heap of old novels and her father's fists for company, so Ro keeps quiet and takes her husband's punches like a lady. But Ro wasn't always this way. Underneath her pastel skirts and hidden bruises lies Rose Mae Lolley, teenaged spitfire, Alabama heartbreaker, and a crack shot with a pistol. Rose Mae is resurrected when a gypsy's tarot cards foretell doom for dutiful Ro: her handsome husband is going to kill her. Unless she kills him first.

Armed with only her wit, her pawpy's ancient .45, and her dog Fat Gretel, Rose Mae hightails it out of Texas. In a journey that is by turns harrowing and exhilarating, she uncovers long buried truths about her family and herself, running from the man who will never let her go, on a mission to find the mother who did.

My Thoughts:

First, I am admitting that when I first saw the title of the book I inferred that "backseat" would have something to do with action that a teenager might see in a backseat... And I was wrong.

Backseat Saints was an entertaining and thought-provoking book and I really, really liked it.  I have been fortunate to have read so many books this year that have strong and believable characters, and this book ranks right up there at the top.  The story of Ro Grandee could have easily been a flat, predictable tale of the battered wife - suffering the blows and one day deciding that she wasn't going to take it any more.  Instead Joshilyn Jackson weaves in Ro's history to give the story a different direction and gives Ro a different path to choose.  Predictable, this story was not - I was amazed by the skillful ending.

I have not read other novels by Joshilyn Jackson, but I am a new fan.

Thanks so much to Hachette Book Group for the opportunity to read Backseat Saints.

Blog Note: I am an Amazon Associate. I will make a small profit if you purchase a book after following one of the links in this post. Profits will be used to support giveaways and site maintenance.

Book Review: How Clarissa Burden Learned to Fly by Connie May Fowler

How Clarissa Burden Learned to Fly by Connie May Fowler

Hardcover, 288 Pages
Grand Central Publishing (April 2, 2010)

Source: 
Review Copy received from Hachette Book Group for participation in the Manic Mommies Book Club

Summary from the Author's Website:

Set amidst the lush pine forests and rich savannas of Florida’s Northern Panhandle, HOW CLARISSA BURDEN LEARNED TO FLY tells the story of one woman whose existence until now has seemed fairly normal: she is 30-something, married, and goes about her daily routine as a writer. However, it is soon discovered that ghosts, an indifferent husband, and a seemingly terminal case of writer’s block are burdening Clarissa’s life. She awakes on the summer solstice and, prodded by her own discontent and one ghost’s righteous need for truth, commences upon a twenty-four hour journey of self-discovery. Her harrowing, funny, and startling adventures lead Clarissa to a momentous decision: She must find a way to do the unthinkable. Her life and the well-being of a remarkable family of blithe spirits hang in the balance. Connie May Fowler demonstrates her keen abilities as a storyteller in this remarkably original novel about an unexpected mid-life awakening. This is an empowering story that will resonate and be discussed for years to come.

My Thoughts:

I can understand why How Clarissa Burden Learned to Fly is being selected for book clubs - there is a tremendous amount to be discussed in this novel.  The depth of topics, in a relatively fast read, is extensive and includes hints of mid-life crisis, marital distress, a search for the end to writer's block, ghosts seeking an opportunity to transition to their final realm, hope for redemption, and struggles against violence of the past.

Clarissa's character is wounded and she is searching for a way to improve her circumstance.  Fowler was extremely successful in weaving the storyline around Clarissa, even though there were multiple plots that were occurring throughout the story.  Early in the story, I began to route for Clarissa and wanted to help her on her journey.  To say that Clarissa's husband was not a likable character is an understatement.  He had a demeaning attitude toward Clarissa and his so-called career only helped to make Clarissa doubt herself more.

I was especially shaken by the vivid descriptions of the violence that occurred 200 years ago to the residents of Clarissa's home.  The description was lifelike and stirred a great deal of emotion.  Though the scene was only a small part of the novel, it stood out as a critical event and helped to tie each of the characters together.

The author asks the reader to take a bit of a leap of faith.  The presence of ghosts in the story, and the way they work to impact the lives of the living takes a bit of imagination and suspension of reality.  Despite this leap, however, the approach worked very well and helped to make the story whole. 

I enjoyed the novel very much, and recommend it to lovers of women's fiction, lovers of stories that show the empowerment of women, and stories that give a bit of a glimpse into how the past might intersect with our lives today.  Thanks to Hachette Book Group and the Manic Mommies Book Club for giving me the chance to read this book!

Blog Note: I am an Amazon Associate. I will make a small profit if you purchase a book after following one of the links in this post. Profits will be used to support giveaways and site maintenance.