Age Level: Adult
Format: Book
On a seemingly random chance encounter, Miss Emily “Fido” Faithfull bumps into her old friend Mrs. Helen Codrington in 1864 London after seven years of no communication. Fido, a pioneer in the British women’s movement, soon learns that Helen, unhappily married to Vice-Admiral Harry Codrington, is having an affair with Colonel Anderson, a young army officer. What follows is a narrative filled with intrigue, lies and suspicions that completely changes the lives of everyone involved. Based on a true divorce case that rattled London in the 1860s, The Sealed Letter combines historical fiction with actual facts and real people into a compelling, very well written novel.
I absolutely loved this book. The smooth-flowing story line makes it very hard to stop reading. Readers can easily draw comparisons between scandals and situations presented in the novel with contemporary scandals; one comparison drawn by the author is the Clinton affair. The Author’s Note provides interesting information on the main characters’ lives as well as information on Britain’s divorce laws. I highly recommend this book to anyone who reads historical fiction or to anyone who would like to try something a little different – with so many issues and themes playing a part, Donoghue’s novel should hold wide appeal to readers. One word of caution: when letters written by the various characters are presented in the narrative, the cursive type used is at times very hard to read. I look forward to reading another book by Donoghue.
Reviewed by Jessica
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Friday, October 24, 2008
The Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry
Age Level: Adult
Format: Book
My name is Towner Whitney. No, that's not exactly true. My real first name is Sophya. Never believe me. I lie all the time.
At the novel's beginning, Towner lives in California in self-imposed exile. Called back to Salem, Massachusetts due to her great-aunt Eva's disappearance, Towner is not happy to be home. Several years before, her twin sister Lyndley drowned, leaving Towner suffering from hallucinations and loss of memory due to various therapies. Towner's family also has a reputation in Salem as lace readers, not witches per se, but readers of a person's future through a piece of lace. The discovery of Eva's body forces Towner to stay in Salem, where her past and her family haunt her waking and dreaming moments. When a second female disappears in Salem, who has a connection to Towner's abusive uncle through the church he established, Towner helps cop Rafferty with the case. Her involvement forces her to confront what she remembers of the past and slowly begin to understand how to survive life.
Told in first person (Towner's perspective) and third person, the occasional lack of a reliable narrator forces the reader to question events that happened in the past and puzzle out the truths among Towner's confused memories. It is this uncertainty that makes this novel such a remarkable story about loss and identity. Some readers may have a hard time getting through the narration - at times, Towner will jump from past to present and seem a tad incoherent - but it was an interesting journey through one woman's psyche, severely damaged by tragedy. Some revelations at the end are surprising, though clues do appear in both Towner's thoughts and the third person narrator's descriptions. Readers looking for a light, fluffy read will not enjoy this book, for there is really nothing light and fluffy about the plot line; those who like a touch of mystery, intrigue and romance should give this novel a try.
Reveiewed by Jessica
Format: Book
My name is Towner Whitney. No, that's not exactly true. My real first name is Sophya. Never believe me. I lie all the time.
At the novel's beginning, Towner lives in California in self-imposed exile. Called back to Salem, Massachusetts due to her great-aunt Eva's disappearance, Towner is not happy to be home. Several years before, her twin sister Lyndley drowned, leaving Towner suffering from hallucinations and loss of memory due to various therapies. Towner's family also has a reputation in Salem as lace readers, not witches per se, but readers of a person's future through a piece of lace. The discovery of Eva's body forces Towner to stay in Salem, where her past and her family haunt her waking and dreaming moments. When a second female disappears in Salem, who has a connection to Towner's abusive uncle through the church he established, Towner helps cop Rafferty with the case. Her involvement forces her to confront what she remembers of the past and slowly begin to understand how to survive life.
Told in first person (Towner's perspective) and third person, the occasional lack of a reliable narrator forces the reader to question events that happened in the past and puzzle out the truths among Towner's confused memories. It is this uncertainty that makes this novel such a remarkable story about loss and identity. Some readers may have a hard time getting through the narration - at times, Towner will jump from past to present and seem a tad incoherent - but it was an interesting journey through one woman's psyche, severely damaged by tragedy. Some revelations at the end are surprising, though clues do appear in both Towner's thoughts and the third person narrator's descriptions. Readers looking for a light, fluffy read will not enjoy this book, for there is really nothing light and fluffy about the plot line; those who like a touch of mystery, intrigue and romance should give this novel a try.
Reveiewed by Jessica
Friday, September 12, 2008
The Monster of Florence by Douglas Preston with Mario Spezi
Age Level: Adult
Format: Book
A killer stalked the Florence countryside for nearly two decades, preying on young couples in parked cars. The killer, nicknamed the Monster by Italian journalist Spezi, used the same weapon, ammunition from the same two boxes, and left no incriminating evidence at each murder scene. Italian authorities were baffled; Italian citizens were terrified. When Preston, a best selling mystery/thriller author, moved to Italy in 2000, he met Spezi, whose interest in the Monster case had not waned in the passing years. Together, Preston and Spezi tell the story of the Monster investigation, from the first crime scene Spezi visited in the early 1970s, to the various theories introduced by the authorities. Their quest to discover the Monster of Florence's identity leads both of them into danger from the Italian authorities.
The Monster of Florence , simply put, is a hard book to put down. Preston and Spezi's story brings to light an investigation full of corruption and hidden agendas. Some of the characters in the book are so hard to believe, until I remembered that these characters are in fact real people. It is an amazing story, and one of the best true crime investigative stories I have read. I think I will have to read one of Preston's mysteries soon!
Readers who enjoy this book may also want to try Patricia Cornwell's Portrait of a Killer. Cornwell, also a well known mystery/thriller author, conducted her own investigation into the murders attributed to Jack the Ripper and came to a very interesting conclusion.
Reviewed by Jessica
Format: Book
A killer stalked the Florence countryside for nearly two decades, preying on young couples in parked cars. The killer, nicknamed the Monster by Italian journalist Spezi, used the same weapon, ammunition from the same two boxes, and left no incriminating evidence at each murder scene. Italian authorities were baffled; Italian citizens were terrified. When Preston, a best selling mystery/thriller author, moved to Italy in 2000, he met Spezi, whose interest in the Monster case had not waned in the passing years. Together, Preston and Spezi tell the story of the Monster investigation, from the first crime scene Spezi visited in the early 1970s, to the various theories introduced by the authorities. Their quest to discover the Monster of Florence's identity leads both of them into danger from the Italian authorities.
The Monster of Florence , simply put, is a hard book to put down. Preston and Spezi's story brings to light an investigation full of corruption and hidden agendas. Some of the characters in the book are so hard to believe, until I remembered that these characters are in fact real people. It is an amazing story, and one of the best true crime investigative stories I have read. I think I will have to read one of Preston's mysteries soon!
Readers who enjoy this book may also want to try Patricia Cornwell's Portrait of a Killer. Cornwell, also a well known mystery/thriller author, conducted her own investigation into the murders attributed to Jack the Ripper and came to a very interesting conclusion.
Reviewed by Jessica
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Sleepless by Terri Clark
Age Level: Teen
Format: Book
Trinity has a secret. She has the ability to walk through other people’s dreams. Many would think that this would be a fun and cool ability, but for Trinity it’s a curse. This ability has made her grow up far faster than she would have liked, especially when, through her dreams, she is told that a girl she knows, named Kiri, is going to die if Trinity can’t find her. Now Kiri’s murderer is out to kill Trinity . . . through her dreams.
This is not just a typical piece of fluff. Yes, there is romance in the book between Trinity and a guy named Dan, but there’s more to this story than meets the eye. The story brings to mind the Nightmare on Elm Street movies. The action is very fast-paced. And there’s also quite a bit of suspense.
All in all, Sleepless is a quick read that will keep you turning the pages to see how Trinity will manage to survive when a killer is stalking her dreams.
Reviewed by Sara.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Night World #1 (Secret Vampire; Daughters of Darkness; Spellbinder) by L.J. Smith
Age Level: Teen
Format: Book
There are three different books in Night World #1.
In Secret Vampire, we meet Poppy and James who are best friends. But James has a secret – he’s a vampire. And when Poppy is diagnosed with cancer, James offers her a chance at eternal life.
In Daughters of Darkness three vampire sisters run away to live with their aunt and among humans. Their brother, Ash, is sent to bring the girls back, but he falls in love with their beautiful friend.
And finally, in Spellbinder, two witch cousins fight over the same crush. It’s a battle of white magic vs. black magic.
I highly enjoyed all three of these stories. They’re fun, and they pulled me into a world where those that live in the Night World (vampires, witches, shape shifters, etc) are not allowed to really have any interaction with humans – at the very least, they’re definitely not allowed to date. All three stories are intertwined. The main characters in all three of the stories are somehow related. Any fan of vampire/paranormal fiction would probably enjoy these titles. I can’t wait until Night World #2 is released!
Reviewed by Sara.
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