Tag: fiction

Review: The Best Man

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The Best ManKristan Higgins, The Best Man

Faith Holland hasn’t been back to her hometown for three years — ever since her fiancé Jeremy revealed that he was gay and left her at the altar. Now she’s coming home to refurbish an old barn on her family’s vineyard, but she’s not sure she can handle being around Jeremy again. Unfortunately, she keeps running into his best friend, Levi Cooper, whom Faith blames for ruining her wedding by encouraging Jeremy to come out. Meanwhile, Levi is annoyed that he keeps running into Faith; he remembers her as the goody-goody who would have (albeit unknowingly) ruined his best friend’s life. Neither of them expected that they would feel so attracted to each other; but can Faith and Levi ever build a future together when they have such a complicated past?

I really like Kristan Higgins’ contemporary romances, so of course I had to buy this one as soon as it came out. There are a few differences between this book and the other Higgins novels that I’ve read, but I think they’re good differences. First of all, normally Higgins writes from the heroine’s point of view, but in this book she uses a 3rd-person p.o.v. that follows Faith and Levi in turn. I was glad that she focused on the hero and heroine equally, so that I could get some insight into both characters and understand where they were both coming from. I also really liked Levi, because he’s not quite the stereotypical romantic hero. He’s occasionally crude, shallow, and quick to judge, which makes him a real person rather than an idealized fantasy. Overall, I devoured this novel and am looking forward to Higgins’ next book!

Review: Death in the Stocks

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Death in the StocksGeorgette Heyer, Death in the Stocks

When a dead man wearing evening dress is found locked in the stocks on the village green, the local police are only too happy to turn the case over to Scotland Yard. The corpse is Arnold Vereker, a universally despised man who kept a tight hold on the family purse strings. When Superintendent Hannasyde questions Vereker’s young relatives, they all declare themselves extremely happy that their unpleasant half-brother is dead at last. Hannasyde doesn’t know what to make of Antonia, Kenneth, and their various love interests, but he suspects that there are secrets hidden beneath their lighthearted jokes. He sifts through the muddle of motives and alibis with help from Giles Carrington, the Vereker family’s solicitor, who has his own reasons for wanting to uncover the murderer.

I’m a longtime fan of Georgette Heyer’s romances, but I’m quickly coming to love her mysteries as well! As someone who loves a good period piece, I found this an extremely fun book to read. The mystery is perfectly fine, with some interesting little twists and red herrings; I figured out some pieces of the puzzle but didn’t ultimately guess whodunit. However, the real pleasure of this book is the characters, their witty conversations and their blossoming romantic attachments. While the Verekers and their friends take center stage, though, Superintendent Hannasyde is also an intriguing sleuth, and I look forward to reading about more of his cases in subsequent Heyer novels.

Review: Adorkable

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AdorkableSarra Manning, Adorkable

Jeane Smith has never been what you’d call a normal teenager. She dyes her hair weird colors (it’s currently gray, like an old lady’s), buys her clothes at jumble sales, and has a blog on youth culture that’s turned into a full-fledged brand. Jeane has no patience for the boring, vapid teenagers who go to her school, so she’s shocked when all-around golden boy Michael Lee approaches her and informs her that his girlfriend and Jeane’s boyfriend appear to have a thing for each other. At first Jeane is angry and suspicious, which causes her to turn her wrath on Michael. In turn, Michael is extremely put off by Jeane’s in-your-face attitude. But when one of their arguments inexplicably turns into a makeout session, Jeane and Michael begin spending more time together and growing closer to each other in the process.

I really liked Manning’s novel You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me, so I was excited to read this one when it came out. I ended up devouring it in a single day — it may not be great literature, but it sucked me in! What I really like about these characters is that they’re not too good to be true. They have real flaws, to the extent that they’re downright unlikeable at times: Jeane is obnoxious, Michael is cocky, and they’re both extremely self-centered. But the beauty of the story is that it lets you see that they are both lovable despite their faults. I also liked that Jeane and Michael’s relationship is not the perfect, magical love that so often seems to appear in romance novels (both YA and adult). For example, Michael still has a deep attachment to his first love, and his relationship with Jeane doesn’t make that previous relationship any less significant. So I would definitely recommend this book to fans of YA romance.

Review: The Welsh Girl

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The Welsh GirlPeter Ho Davies, The Welsh Girl

Set in North Wales just after D-Day, this novel weaves together the stories of three people who are all struggling with the ways in which the war has made them question their identity. Esther is the eponymous Welsh girl who works as a barmaid but dreams of life outside her tiny village. When an English soldier takes advantage of her, Esther has to face her future and determine what kind of woman she will become. Karsten is a young German soldier who has surrendered to the English and must now live with the shame of being a coward; as he sees the Allies reclaim more and more of Europe, he also questions his belief in German supremacy. Meanwhile, Rotheram is a German man with a Jewish father who fled Germany in the early days of the war. He now works as a translator for the British and interrogates German prisoners, but he is conflicted about where his loyalties truly lie.

Lately I’ve been really interested in books that are set during World War II, so I had high hopes for this novel. Unfortunately, it didn’t live up to my expectations, which is largely the fault of the cover blurb. I thought the book would mostly focus on the relationship between Esther and Karsten and the obstacles they’d have to face being on opposite sides of a war. But while a relationship does grow between them, it doesn’t actually happen until well after the halfway point of the novel. Most of the book is just setting up the conflict, as Esther’s background, the Welsh attitude toward the war, and Karsten’s military career are described in plodding detail. I wouldn’t actually call the book romantic at all — which is not a problem, except that the blurb led me to believe otherwise! I do think that the novel raises some interesting thoughts relating to World War II and war in general, so it was probably worth reading for those insights. (There was also a line near the end of the book about the liberation of Bergen-Belsen that got me right in the gut.) But overall, although I wanted to like this book, it just didn’t do anything for me.

Review: The Sisters Brothers

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The Sisters BrothersPatrick deWitt, The Sisters Brothers

The eponymous Sisters brothers are Charlie and Eli, two of the most notirous hired gunmen in the West. Eli narrates the story of their adventures as they set out to perform a job for their boss, the Commodore. They have orders to kill a man named Hermann Kermit Warm, who is reported to be in San Francisco. As Eli and Charlie travel towards their target, they encounter many strange and interesting people, including a boy who is determined to get to California despite all his relatives being dead or gone; a pretty bookkeeper who is dying of consumption; and a dentist who introduces Eli to the wonders of toothbrushes. Eli also ponders the nature of life and begins to wonder whether he really wants to continue his career of violence. Will the Sisters brothers ever catch up with Hermann Kermit Warm, and if so, will Eli be able to finish the job?

I’m happy to say that I can add to the large number of positive reviews I’ve seen for this book. Even though I wouldn’t call myself a fan of Westerns, I enjoyed the setting of this book because it provided a perfect backdrop for Eli’s interior journey. Although he and Charlie encounter other people from time to time and even stay in towns occasionally, the bulk of the action seems to take place when they’re alone with each other. This gives Eli plenty of time to reflect on his bond with Charlie and discover what links them together, as well as what makes them different. The plot is definitely secondary to this central relationship. I also really liked the moral complexity of the characters. Even though Eli is the main protagonist, the book never quite lets you forget that he is accustomed to killing people in cold blood; in fact, he and Charlie do some pretty despicable things in the novel. I’m very impressed that the book managed to make the Sisters brothers likeable despite their many faults. Overall, I’m definitely glad that I read this book and will look forward to seeing what deWitt writes next.

Review: Murder Your Darlings

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Murder Your DarlingsJ.J. Murphy, Murder Your Darlings

Dorothy Parker is famous for her elegant quips, biting wit, and copious consumption of alcohol, but this novel also imagines her as an amateur sleuth. When Dorothy shows up at the Algonquin for lunch with her fellow literati, she sees a man’s feet sticking out from under the Round Table. But he’s not dead drunk, as Dorothy first assumes — just dead. Dorothy and her friends soon learn that the corpse is Leland Mayflower, a famous critic with many professional rivals. The police are intent on arresting a shy young Mississippi writer named Billy Faulkner, but Dorothy thinks they’ve got the wrong man. Along with Robert Benchley and the rest of the Algonquin’s “vicious circle,” Dorothy sets out to find the real killer, tossing off jokes and martinis with equal speed along the way.

I don’t know too terribly much about Dorothy Parker, but when I saw the premise of this book, I knew I had to check it out. It’s an extremely fun read, mostly because of the rapid-fire dialogue between Dorothy and her literary friends. I especially loved Robert Benchley’s character, whom I pictured as a slightly more intelligent Bertie Wooster. The mystery itself is definitely secondary to the setting and all of the famous characters, but it’s still well-plotted. My only complaint is that the ending dragged on for too long. After the guilty party’s identity is revealed, there are several more chapters in which Dorothy, the police, and a mob boss all chase the murderer around New York City. It got a bit tedious for me; I don’t enjoy a long denouement once the villain is unmasked. But overall I enjoyed this book a lot, and it’s inspired me to finally read some Dorothy Parker!

Review: Warm Bodies

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Warm BodiesIsaac Marion, Warm Bodies

In this unusual take on the zombie novel, the protagonist is one of the walking dead. Sometime in the near future, civilization has collapsed, and the world is a perpetual battleground between the living and the undead. “R” and his fellow zombies live in an abandoned airport, where they shuffle around mindlessly and occasionally hunt the living to satisfy their desire for human brains. But “R” is different; though he can’t speak or move like a living person, he is a thoughtful and sensitive soul who can’t help wondering why the world is in such terrible shape. Then he meets Julie, a living girl who sparks an unusual desire in him: instead of eating her brain, he wants to protect her. As “R” and Julie slowly get to know one another, they decide that it’s time to heal their damaged world — and maybe heal each other in the process.

I am emphatically not a reader of zombie novels, but so many people have raved about this one that curiosity got the better of me. Overall I thought the portrayal of zombies was very clever. In the world of this novel, they’re not necessarily mindless monsters; they just can’t communicate with the living (and, of course, they eat brains). But some things did confuse me: for example, “R” says he can’t remember anything about his former life, yet he’s able to make complex literary references (he mentions Moby Dick at one point). Why can he remember these details but not the bigger picture of his life? But speaking of literary references, I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the characters’ names are “R” and Julie — there’s even a balcony scene! The book also mentions John Lennon’s “Imagine,” which got me to thinking…in a sense, this book hypothesizes what kind of world might exist if the lyrics of “Imagine” came true. Imagine there’s no countries, no religion, no possessions…and you might get a world close to this one. (Of course, Lennon also imagines world peace, so it’s not exactly identical.) Anyway, I have mixed feelings about this book, but I did find it quite thought-provoking.

Review: Eleanor & Park

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Eleanor & ParkRainbow Rowell, Eleanor & Park

Eleanor is a chubby new girl with out-of-control red hair and weird clothes. Park is a quiet half-Korean boy who clings to his position at the edge of the cool group. In the normal course of things, they would have no reason to speak to each other. But the first day that Eleanor gets on the bus, she is immediately taunted and ostracized by the other students — and Park surprises himself by letting her sit next to him. Tentatively, Eleanor and Park begin to build a friendship, which gradually deepens into an intense love. But the odds are stacked against them: Park’s parents don’t warm to the prickly Eleanor, and Eleanor’s family life is such a disaster that Park can’t even come to her house. Plus, they’re both smart people and know that high school relationships rarely last forever. Will their relationship be able to survive these obstacles, or will love ultimately tear them apart?

After loving Rowell’s debut novel, Attachments, I naturally had to check out this book too…and happily, it is equally awesome! Both Eleanor and Park are wonderful, likable characters, and it was lovely to see each of them through the other’s eyes. I completely believed in their passionate love for each other, which is unusual for me with teen romance. I tend to scoff at happily-ever-after endings in YA, because very few high school relationships actually work out over the long term. But this book swept me away with its giddy intensity, and I found myself happily rooting for Eleanor and Park to make it. I also really enjoyed the pop culture references that are sprinkled throughout the book; it’s set in the 1980s, so there are many mentions of New Wave and cassette tapes and feathered bangs. I would definitely recommend this book to fans of romance or chick lit, even those who don’t normally read YA.

Review: Lessons in French

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Lessons in FrenchHilary Reyl, Lessons in French

In 1989, Kate is a fresh-faced college graduate who dreams of becoming an artist someday. So she’s overjoyed when she is hired as an assistant to Lydia Schell, a famous American photographer currently living in Paris. Kate is excited to make the most of this opportunity, but she soon discovers that Lydia is an extremely demanding boss. For example, Kate not only coordinates Lydia’s schedule and runs her errands, but she is also expected to help Lydia’s husband Clarence with the book he is writing about 19th-century French fashion. The longer Kate stays with the Schells, the more she realizes that their seemingly successful family is fraught with dysfunction. As Kate tries to please all parties, she is pulled in so many conflicting directions that she begins to lose her own identity in the process.

I liked the basic idea of this book — naive American girl moves to Paris and learns about herself and the world — but overall it fell far short of my expectations. My biggest problem was that every single character, including the heroine, is absolutely insufferable. Kate is a total doormat, doing every single thing the Schells tell her to do regardless of how demeaning (and how unrelated to her job description). She’s also too stupid to see some really obvious things about the Schells that are going on right under her nose. I spent the whole book wishing she’d grow a spine, and while she sort of does at the end, it’s definitely too little, too late. As for the Schells, they’re pretentious pseudo-intellectual snobs with no redeeming qualities whatsoever. I did like the 1989 setting, with the Berlin Wall coming down and the Gulf War about to begin, but it didn’t play a very big part in the novel. Basically this book made me feel angry and frustrated, and only the somewhat competent writing style kept me reading until the end.

Review: The Winter of Her Discontent

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The Winter of Her DiscontentRosie Winter and her best pal Jayne are struggling actresses trying to make it in New York City in the middle of World War II. But between the recent murder of Paulette, a fellow actress who lived in their boardinghouse, and their mobster friend Al’s confession that he did the deed, Rosie and Jayne aren’t exactly focused on chasing their dreams of fame. Rosie is convinced that Al’s innocent, so she gets herself cast in the show that Paulette was starring in before she died. She soon learns that the show seems plagued by bad luck: dancers slip and injure themselves, actresses are hit by cars, and even Rosie’s nemesis Ruby suddenly falls ill. As Rosie investigates Paulette’s murder and tries to find out what’s behind all the “accidents,” she eventually discovers a lot more than she bargained for — all while trying to survive rationing, blackouts, and not knowing whether her ex-boyfriend Jack is dead or alive.

I really liked the first book in this series, The War Against Miss Winter, so I immediately set out to acquire the rest of them! This is book 2, and it largely met my expectations, though I don’t think it’s quite as good as book 1. I enjoy Rosie’s blunt voice, which is littered with 1940s slang, and I think that both she and her best friend Jayne are very interesting characters. The mystery aspect of this book is definitely secondary to the character development and the WWII setting, but I thought it was rather clever. I also liked the showbiz setting of much of the novel, but obviously that won’t be appealing to everyone. At this point, I’m curious to see what’s next for Rosie, especially in her romantic relationships. She’s still carrying a torch for Jack and trying to find out where he is, but it’s a little hard for me to be invested since Jack hasn’t been “on page” yet. I’m also intrigued to follow her career, since it seems she’s bound for the South Pacific with the USO in book 3. I’m looking forward to continuing with Rosie’s adventures!