Wonder

Wonder by R. J. Palacio
Knoph 2012

This is a heart warming tale about a boy trying to fit in. I would recommend it to every middle school kid, and their parents. It is well written and describes how just a little bit of empathy and kindness can transform each and every one of us.

For more comments and reviews, follow the link to "Wonder" on Goodreads.com.

The Sense of an Ending

The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes
Knopf 2012

When reviewing The Sense of an Ending, one wonders if they should focus on the writing, or the content.  Many reviewers have praised Barnes for his literary skill.  Other reviewers have berated him for his inconsistent plot.  All may be right.  Perhaps more important it that this novella causes such long winded debates, such disparaging opinions, harsh critiques, and high praise.

Certainly Julian Barnes must be praised for his writing.  In fewer than 200 pages he brings characters to life and creates a meditative, mysterious plot.  Not a word is wasted.  Not a thought left languishing.

Whether Barnes succeeds in creating a satisfying mystery is another question.  The plot does have holes.  There are inconsistencies that cause readers to question whether they just “didn’t get it” or if the philosophy behind the novel simply went over their heads.  Barnes’ meditation on memory and its place in reconstructing our lives offers some answers; though not enough for some readers.

If you are wondering whether you should read this novella or not, if you are wondering if you will “get it”, then yes, yes you should read it.  At worst you will find yourself angered by the protagonist and maybe annoyed with the presumptions of the author.  But there is no doubt you will appreciate Julian Barnes skill as a writer and you may find you agree with the Booker Prize distinction.

The Secret Keeper

The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton
Atria Books 2012

Once again Kate Morton weaves a tale of love, family and secrets across the years.   The story starts when Laurie Nicolson returns to her family’s farm for her mother, Dolly’s, last days.  Memories churn to the surface and Laurie becomes obsessed with finding the answer to one crucial memory.  When she was 16 years old she witnessed her mother commit a crime.  Now before Dolly passes on, Laurie is determined to find out why.

Fans of Kate Morton will be able to guess what follows.  Laurie’s sudden desire to reopen the past is met with convenient clues, hale and healthy acquaintances of her mother’s, and even a back-story set in Australia.   It may seem formulaic, but Kate Morton still writes an intelligent and entertaining story that is worth the read.

The Secret Keeper takes readers from present day London to the Blitz of 1941.  Dolly is a young woman intent on starting a life of her own during some of the darkest days of World War II.  Her story, which Laurie slowly unravels with the help of her brother, is filled with romance and tragedy.  The characters are well developed, though not always likable.  The history of war torn London is detailed and realistic.  The mystery of Dolly’s crime isn’t totally unique though.  Morton manages to throw a few interesting twists into it but a keen reader can probably guess at the ending.   Admirers of her work will still be pleased.  Newcomers should also enjoy the book, however if they don’t, they should try The Forgotten Garden for Kate Morton at her best.

Matched

Matched by Ally Condi
2010 Dutton Books

A refreshing satisfying YA dystopian novel. 
This is the story of Cassia, a young girl growing up in a future where free-will has disappeared.  Everything in her world is decided for her.  From what she studies, what she eats, how she exercises, to who she will marry.  "Society" no longer leaves life or death or reproduction in the hands of the people but instead controls everything.

Sound familiar?  It is.  You can find similar stuff in Lois Lowry's The Giver or in a Margaret Atwood novel, and it may be that those are better, but Ally Condi does a fine job.  The characters and their relationships are well developed.  The plot moves along at a good pace with all the required twists and turns.  Her descriptions are decent, though not as detailed as an adult reader might want.  And the end is satisfying in a way that other YA novels (like the Meyer ones) are not.  Cassia is a heroine, make no mistake.

This would be a good introduction to dystopian or science fiction literature for teens and tweens.  Kind of a Hunger Games without the crossbow and vicious to-the-death gaming.

The Leftovers

The Leftovers by Tom Perrotta

2011, St Martin's Press

The Leftovers is certainly one of the best books of 2011.  It is the story of what happens after millions of people across the world suddenly, and inexplicably, disappear into thin air.  The book doesn’t explain why this happens or why it happens to some and not others, what The Leftovers does describe is the lives of those who were left behind.  Tom Perrotta centers his novel in a town called Mapleton where a random selection of people disappeared in a Rapture-like event.  (In simple Christian terms, this Rapture refers to a moment when devote believers will be whisked away to Heaven.  Those who are not, will be left here on Earth to await The End.)  At the heart of the story is the Mayor, Kevin Garvey, and his family.  The novel opens about three years after “The Rapture.”  Kevin’s wife Laurie has left him to join up with the local Guilty Remnants cult.  They are a rather frightening group who believe The End is near and don’t see the point in wasting breath so they take vows of silence and chain smoke.  They also creep around watching people and get creepier as the book progresses.  His daughter, Julie, after losing her faux best friend and watching her mother sign up with the white clad Remnants, not surprisingly goes from a straight A student to a troubled Goth girl.  And his son Tom somehow manages to join one cult only to end up in the midst of another.  Along the way Kevin meets Nora who is trying, through a bizarre Sponge Bob ritual, to get over the loss of her husband and two young children who dematerialized during dinner.  The scene Perrotta writes of their disappearance, as well as the one of Julie’s friend, is heart rending in its honesty.  

Perrotta illuminates the suburban world in all its glory, desperation, banality, and hope.   His prose carries the reader along without boredom, or as happens more often, disgust or ambivalence.  The characters are people, like those who live next door or share a bus seat or steal your parking spot.  Perrotta has a talent for exploring the powerful emotions and motivations of ordinary people.

Perrotta seems to have found his niche with suburban angst.  His other novels, The Abstinence Teacher and Little Children, are also available at Clift Rodgers and I’m guessing, worth a a read.  He will also be part of the Boston Book Festival again this year on Saturday, October 27th.  Last year his short story, The Smile on Happy Chang’s Face, was the BBF’s One City, One Story selection.  This year he is one of the presenters.  

Gone Girl

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
2012 Crown Publishers

I just finished this book last night.  Usually I wouldn't try to write a review this soon, but I am not sure how I would write one without giving away the plot anyway, so I decided I might as well blog about it.  Basically it is the story of a marriage gone very, very wrong.  Nick's wife Amy goes missing after they move back to his hometown in Missouri.  Or did she?  ...

This isn't my usual type of read; murder, abduction, the who-done-it type stuff.  However, the way this one was climbing up the best seller lists plus the fact that some very well-read people recommended it to me, made me think I had to give it a try.

I did like it.  The writing was good  The plot twisted.  I am continuously in awe of writers who can create these intricate plot lines, who can know that the clue in chapter two would become essential to chapter twelve.  I know that trying to keep all those loose ends together can be difficult.  Managing to weave them into a cohesive plot line is remarkable.  Flynn's characters were also good (not literally), and twisted.  One minute you feel for them, think you understand them, and the next, Flynn turns things on its head.

Unfortunately, by the end of the book I was getting bored.  It became almost routine to read something and then in the next chapter have it turned around on you.  And I didn't like the ending.

Not sure what else I can say without giving it all away.  Email cliftrodgers@comcast.net and tell us your view!

The Night Circus

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
Random House 2011

Bold and unique, like describing a bottle of fine red wine or some Gordon Ramsey entrée, that’s what Erin Morgenstern’s Night Circus is. 

Morgenstern tells the tale of two star crossed illusionists, deeply in love and irrevocably competing under the black and white stripes of a circus tent.  This is the Le Cirque des Reves however, the Circus of Dreams, and quite unlike any other.  Celia and Marco are trained by two distinct gentleman (in Celia’s case, her father) and unbeknownst them, pitted against each other in a battle of style.  It is their magic that fuels the Night Circus.

In this debut novel, Morgenstern takes a fresh look at fantasy literature.  She allows it to flow in a hypnotic pattern that draws the reader along.  The chapters move between time, weaving the storyline together and creating a very exclusive mood and atmosphere for the novel.  This and her descriptive powers are Morgenstern’s true talents.  From the magic and aromas of the circus to the extravagant dinners with Chandresh (the circus’ enigmatic proprietor) she creates scenes that will haunt the reader long after the novel is finished.  It is no wonder that Summit Entertainment snatched up the movie rights.

The characters, unfortunately, remain a bit flat.  Celia and Marco are described as sharing an intense love but it somehow never quite makes it across to the reader.  The young twins as well, who are introduced as a new and mysterious piece in the competition, seem to travel along as mere flotsam.  Even Tsukiko, whose true role is revealed late in the novel, never quite blossoms into what she could.  Her back story is hastily described and the reader is left wanting more.

So who will enjoy this book with its remarkable scenes, tepid characters, and vividly imagined illusions? Is it for fans of Harry Potter and Twilight?  Is it for fans of literature and the written word?  Probably on some levels, it will appeal to all of them.  The magic of Harry Potter is certainly there.  Perhaps even more beautifully told.  But the depth of the characters and the plot can’t come close to Rowling’s.  (I don’t believe Ms. Morgenstern was really trying to anyway.)  The Twilightesque romance?  As much as this reviewer disliked “those” vampire novels, the passion between Bella and Edward certainly overshadows anything between Celia and Marco.  Other titles that come to mind are Magicians by Lev Grossman, The Bartilmaeus Trilogy by Jonathan Stroud and one I intend to read again, Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norell by Susanna Clarke.  The Grossman title, like Morgenstern’s, has a flaw in its character development.  Unlike Morgenstern’s, Grossman’s unfortunately also lacks descriptive beauty.  Stroud’s YA stories about a djinni and the young magician who enslaves him are remarkable, and unforgettable.  Similarly, Clarke’s 2006 novel about two 19^th century magicians is one that never fully left me.  Pieces of it, images or scenes, will still float unbidden to mind.  I imagine that someday I will be saying that about The Night Circus as well.  In a way, it is almost too bad that Hollywood will turn it into a blockbuster; I quite like the images Morgenstern’s words created.