The Lovely Bones

I chose to read The Lovely Bone (by Alice Sebold) mainly because it was made into a movie, and the movie previews looked interesting. Going into the book I expected (from the trailers) that it would be a murder mystery, with the victim (Susie) assisting her father's quest for the murderer from beyond the grave.

What I did not expect to find was that the book was about moving on and how the characters found the strength to live, despite the death of their daughter/sister/neighbour/crush.

Don't get me wrong, the father tried in vain to bring the murderer to justice. They even knew who it was after 2 years, but the man escaped. When that happened, I didn't know what to expect for the remaining half of the book. Would they chase him across the state and drag him to face time for his crimes?

Instead, they lived their lives. First, for Susie, then for each other. The remaining children banded together to take care of their father after their mother left. In the end, they lived for themselves. They were survivors. And while they never brought the murderer to justice, justice was found in the fact that they did not allow this tragedy to kill them too. They became a family again after 6 years of estrangement and a heart attack. While they never forgot Susie, she no longer consumed their lives.

I still want to go see the movie, but I doubt that the movie will capture this aspect of the book. How can they? There was too much going on: what Susie saw and how she followed the thoughts and lives of her family members, friends and acquaintances as they grew, first apart and then back together.

I enjoyed this book. I went in expecting one thing and came away with a much greater appreciation for life. Susie always yearned for the life she never had in the book; after reading that, how can you not appreciate your own life? Susie never experienced love - can I take mine for granted?

It makes you think, too, about life after death. And those that have gone on already. Are they there watching over us like Susie watched her family?

Poltergeist

In her second book of the Greywalker series, Kat Richardson revises Harper Blaine's character to solve the mystery of a ghost-haunting that doesn't involve a real ghost. However, since Harper's client doesn't believe in ghosts, despite the fact that the group created one, Harper is charged to prove that the ghost does not exist. The plot thickens when one of the group members is murdered.

Utilizing the help of her friends Mara and Ben, as well as that of Carlos, a necromantic vampire, Harper needs to find and stop Celia's ghost from hurting others, as well as conceal her abilities from Solis, the human detective on the case of the murdered group member.

In this book Harper is more adept at sliding into the Grey and can actually slip through time (only the ghostly timeline; if there is a building in Harper's time but not in an earlier one, she can slip through time to go "through" the building instead of around).

Harper's relationship issues still haven't been resolved at this point. She chats with him briefly on the phone a couple times and then at the end he shows up. I think he offers her a companionship that she needs but doesn't want the relationship that goes with it.

I still liked this book and series, but I honestly stopped reading it for a month when I was about 85% of the way through, simply because I had a paranormal overload and needed a break. The story drags on a little and most of the action happens in the beginning and near the end. The middle of the book is just fact-finding and sleuthing that is necessary for a private investigator to solve a crime.

There is still a third book in her series called Underground, which I will get around to reading eventually. :)

Stardust

First post of the New Year!


This is the first book that I've ever read by Neil Gaimon, much to Vyxen's shock and horror.


In this story, the half-fairy hero Tristran Thorn sets out on a fool's quest to find the fallen star for his one true love. Since he is not the only one searching, he must outwit his enemies to stay alive and to keep his star safe from their clutches. Along the way Tristran encounters witches, a unicorn, a cloud-sailing ship and receives help from a tree.


I was surprised and more than a little confused when I was reading this book. However, the story, no matter how obscure it seems at the time, flows together to wrap up in the end. Considering how the story begins (a female fae seducing a human male, although he is attached to a different female), I wasn't sure what I was getting myself into.

There does seem to be more to the book than what I got out of it. For example, there were references to the Unseelie court and the Castle Fellowship that I didn't understand. However, I'm a sucker for a good fairy tale, an errant knight on an impossible quest for his fair lady.

I'll definitely read this again at another point. And hopefully I'll manage to understand more of it next time!

The Thirteenth Tale

The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield is the fictional biography of an elderly author, told from the biographer's perspective. Known for her best-selling stories, Vida Winter is on her deathbed and the ghosts of her past demand a true accounting of her life.

Chosen for her amateur biography of sibling writers, Margaret Lea immerses herself into the telling of Vida's life. However, Vida demands that the story be told in its proper order: the beginning in the beginning, the middle in the middle and the end at the end. Not satisfied, Margaret sets out to determine the ending before Vida arrives. Consequently, Vida is also racing against time to tell her story before she dies.

Margaret also has some secrets of her own that come to light in this book. As you read on, you learn more about her own twinness and the burden she carries in her heart and at home.

I was enthralled by this story from the first page. The language, so reminiscent of older-style books, captured my attention right away. The story of Vida was a mystery in itself, with the mystery already solved from her point of view. However, from Margaret's, it was new and fresh and needing a solution. There are a few twists and turns that were surprises, some less so.

One of the best parts of the book is that there is a finalization to the story at the end: all the loose ends are tied up, all major items are solved and even some of the little bits are accounted for. It actually ended, something that I haven't seen too much of lately (having read countless series).

Overall, I absolutely adored this book. I found myself thinking about the story when I wasn't reading it: trying to solve the mystery or rationalizing what was going on or even just attempting to wrap my head around some of the oddness of the characters and their personal habits. A second reading will definitely occur, just so I can see some of the clues as they're presented and recognize them for what they are.

The Wayfinders: Posted!!

Now I can finally post my review! Well, more like my review is finally finished and handed in. :D

Either way, you can now read it on the Books & Co website!!!

Greywalker

I just finally finished reading Greywalker by Kat Richardson. Loved it.

Harper Blaine, the heroine, is a private investigator who in the course of work died for 2 minutes. As a result, the paranormal realm "sticks" to her allowing her to walk with one foot in the daylight and one foot in the Grey.

As a heroine, Harper is witty and smart. You learn about walking in the Grey as she does, but the author doesn't dumb it down, and she also doesn't make the main character seem like a ditz or idiot in order to explain everything. In fact, since Harper's mentors include a two university professors (one of which is a witch - haha!) and so they have a tendency to overdo it with the science jargon.

Another thing I like: Harper catches on fast. There were times when I was practically yelling at the book, because the forshadowing was so strong that I was worried Harper was an idiot. Nope - instead, she was figuring it out as well, and was, in fact, two steps ahead. You don't follow all of Harper's moves, despite it being written in the first person.

One of the things that I found I didn't like was the action scenes. Things are flying out of nowhere and maybe it's a lack of imagination on my part, but I found myself lost when she was in the Grey and battling creatures. I'd have to wait until she spoke with her mentors to be able to actually understand what was happening.

Also, I found her a little hard to relate to, and even emotionally barren. She's a PI and thus needs to be able to keep her mouth shut on certain issues, but she does it at the cost of friendship. She also shuts out her (then - and maybe later) boyfriend, Will. Personally, I would've been a wreck, but she takes it in stride. She expresses fear and anger well enough, but not her softer side. But, that could just be me.

Overall? Loved it. I liked the paranormal suspense and liked the characters.

PS - I have a prediction: Quinton is a werewolf. Let's see if I'm right when I read the next book by Kat Richardson in her series: Poltergeist!

*** Fun Fact: Kat Richardson is on twitter! ***

The Wayfinders: Update

Heya! So, I've finally finished The Wayfinders by Wade Davis and the review is written. It's in the process of being edited by my wonderful friend Vyxen and once that's done and posted on the Books & Co website I'll post it here too. :)

Wonderful news! Devon Monk's book, Magic in Shadows, is in my grubby little hands! Well, not literally, at least not yet, but tomorrow! I have seen the future and it is at Books & Co!

The next series of books to be reviewed will be the Greywalker series by Kat Richardson.

Stay tuned....