OLIVE KITTERIDGE by Elizabeth Strout

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Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout is an amazing book. There are so many adjectives that apply — wonderful, glorious, magnificent, fantastic, and so on. I didn’t think I would love it so much because I am not a fan of short stories but these worked so well, possibly because they all take place in Crosby, Maine and Olive Kitteridge links all of them together. Some of the chapters are primarily about Olive but the others that focus on other Crosby inhabitants feature conversation about Olive and/or a “cameo” appearance by her, interacting with the chapter’s main characters. Both the town and Olive hold these stories together. 

Olive strives to know and understand herself and through this self-awareness, she hopes to become a better person. We watch as she evolves over time, privy to her innermost thoughts and desires. She is a complex character and Strout takes time developing her to the fullest. Olive Kitteridge ultimately becomes the reader’s close friend, someone you don’t want to lose touch with or say goodbye.

The writing is exceptional as is the use of imagery, metaphors and similes.

The girl was neat as a pin, if plain as a plate.

Lots of people had favorite songs, and Angie would sometimes play them, but not always. Henry Kitteridge was different. She always played his song because whenever she saw him, it was like moving into a warm pocket of air.

The natural rubber band around people’s lives that curiosity stretched for a while had long ago returned to encompass their own particularities. Two, five, then seven years passed by—and in the case of Olive Kitteridge, she found herself positively squeezed to death by an unendurable sense of loneliness

The scenery is vividly and richly described, to the point that the reader feels he/she is there. The characters have depth and are well developed. While I wasn’t as eager to learn about other people as I was about Olive and her family, I found myself sucked right in to these chapters featuring other people’s stories. Strout does an amazing job inviting the reader in to these stories and keeping interest high. I became intrigued to see how Olive was worked into the chapters about other people — how the connection was made.

It has been a long time since I read a book like this — so masterfully structured and crafted. Right away I knew that I would savor every sentence. I look forward to reading all of Strout’s works. She is a masterful storyteller with incredible insight into human nature.

It seemed to him he should have some opinion about this, but he did not know what to think. When had he stopped having opinions on things?

She didn’t like to be alone. Even more, she didn’t like being with people.

...after a certain point in a marriage, you stopped having a certain kind of fight, Olive thought, because when the years behind you were more than the years in front of you, things were different.

THE LAST TIME I SAW YOU by Liv Constantine

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The bar was set high by the debut novel The Last Mrs. Parrish. The odds were that the Constantine sisters’ second book would not be quite as good. While I knew that going in, I was still very disappointed by The Last Time I Saw You. 

There were too many characters to start off and it was easy to get them confused. But more importantly, I didn’t feel like I got to know anyone that well, especially the protagonist. Actually Kate was kind of pathetic and someone I would never want to get to know. 

The book opens with the murder of Kate’s mother Lily and we follow the investigation and also the stalking of Kate.  Kate suffers from an anxiety disorder which adds to the tension and stress of receiving strange notes and packages by the stalker. Here is one such sinister note -

Such a beautiful day for a funeral. I enjoyed watching you watch them lower your mother into the ground. Your beautiful face was mottled and swollen from crying. But I delighted in seeing your world fall apart. You think you’re sad now, just wait. By the time I’m finished with you, you’ll wish you had been buried today.

Kate and Simon are having marital problems and prior to the murder were separated but now he returns to the house to protect Kate and their daughter Annabelle. Kate’s best friend Blaire attends the funeral and reconnects with Kate after a falling out years ago in which Blaire tried to talk her out of marrying Simon. Blaire was close to the family, almost like a sister to Kate, spending time with the family.  For instance, she spent summers with them at their beach house and even had her own room.

I was unable to engage with any of the characters as I felt they were all two-dimensional. The book was filled with cliches and had a soap opera feel to it. I did not find it at all suspenseful but instead, dull. I am hoping that their next book is more like their debut.

ELEANOR AND PARK by Rainbow Rowell

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I adored this book! It was sweet, charming, relatable, and sincere. It took me back to those awkward days of high school and first love. Eleanor and Park is a coming-of-age love story between two 16 year old teens. But the book has more to offer than that as it deals with some very important and relevant issues, including poverty, bullying and abuse.

Eleanor and Park are two quirky teen misfits trying to find their place in the world. As the reader will learn, they are both very special, caring and lovable people. Rowell writes in a very natural and honest way and the reader can’t help but feel along with the main characters. Eleanor is the new kid in school and she is bullied on the school bus. The driver urges her to sit down and at Park’s request she sits next to him. 

That girl—all of them—hated Eleanor before they’d even laid eyes on her. Like they’d been hired to kill her in a past life.

Over the course of days, weeks and months, they bond over comic books and music. And then their relationship grows even stronger and deeper and Park just wants to protect and love her.

All I do when we’re apart is think about you, and all I do when we’re together is panic. Because every second feels so important. And because I’m so out of control, I can’t help myself. I’m not even mine anymore, I’m yours, and what if you decide that you don’t want me? How could you want me like I want you?

The story is told in short alternating narratives of Eleanor and Park and it flows well. I enjoyed the writing and it made me smile often. 

Eleanor looked like her mother through a fish tank. Rounder and softer. Slurred. Where her mother was statuesque, Eleanor was heavy. Where her mother was finely drawn, Eleanor was smudged.

She almost sounded sane, Eleanor thought. If you didn’t know that she was acting rational on the far side of crazy.

Rowell perfectly captures teen love — how it develops and how it feels. It is uncanny at how genuine and authentic Eleanor and Park’s dialogue sound, both inner and outer. Rowell also does justice to teen insecurities and worries.

She saw him after seventh hour in a place she’d never seen him before, carrying a microscope down the hall on the third floor. It was at least twice as nice as seeing him somewhere she expected him to be.

Eleanor sitting next to him on the couch made Park feel like someone had opened a window in the middle of the room. Like someone had replaced all the air in the room with brand-new, improved air (now with twice the freshness).

This is my first Rainbow Rowell book and I plan on reading more soon.

THE CURIOUS HEART OF AILSA RAE by Stephanie Butland

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The Curious Heart of Ailsa Rae has a highly unusual premise, which makes this book stand out from most others.  It is also features a strong protagonist and a heartwarming story.  Alisa Rae was born with a heart having only three ventricles and as a result, she is in and out of surgery on a regular basis. The book begins with her dying and she is waiting for a transplant that finally comes through for her. Ailsa yearns for an ordinary everyday life like most people have.

The book centers around her life as a organ donor recipient, something I actually knew nothing about so it opened up a whole world for me. We meet Ailsa both before and after her heart transplant and see what such surgery does to a person’s life. 

Ailsa has an amazing relationship with her mother Hayley, who happens to be a pharmacist,  and is her rock of emotional support. With Hayley, the reader gets a second perspective of the organ donor experience and what a mother goes through with a child having a defective heart. There is actually a third major character — Ailsa has named her new heart Apple and we are regularly updated on how Apple reacts to situations. Ailsa has always lived with Hayley but she feels now, after the successful surgery, that it is time for her to begin her life and be on her own. In that sense, The Curious Heart of Ailsa Rae is like a coming-of-age story and a story of transformation.

There can be no doubt that Ailsa is a very brave person that has learned to cope with the hand she was dealt. After the transplant, she has to learn how to live though she has always had to lead a very guarded life but now she still has to be because she has to be on immunosuppressant medication for life and cannot afford to get sick. Her life has a new perspective since it now has a future.

The Curious Heart of Ailsa Rae is a well-written feel-good story that will open your eyes to the world of organ donation. We get to know Ailsa Rae in depth and she makes it a stand-out story.  The book makes use of blog posts and polls she conducts among her blog readers, which I found realistic as well as entertaining. I highly recommend this book and think it could very well lead to more people checking off the box on their driver’s license to donate their organs. 

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press/St. Martin’s Griffen and NetGalley for an advance reader copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

ALL THAT’S BRIGHT AND GONE by Eliza Nellums

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It’s unusual for a protagonist and narrator to be 6 years old but that’s what makes All That’s Bright and Gone so special. It’s fascinating to see the world through the eyes of a young child and be privy to her thoughts. We get to see how a child interprets a sentence/thought literally, which is not always correct. For instance, Aoife’s Mama tells her that her Uncle Donny has a silver tongue but Aoife says she saw it and it’s pink. When her neighbor is able to watch Aoife while her Uncle Donny is away, he calls them lifesavers and Aoife notes that it’s a candy. Eliza Nellums does an amazing job capturing a child’s voice and thought process.

Aoife has a very special imaginary friend named Teddy and guess what, he is a bear and he is able to change his size. For example, when they are at the park, Aoife says he shrinks to his smallest bear size which is the same height as her and they play together. Aoife sends Teddy downstairs to check for intruders because he can make himself bigger than they are and eat them. And if she is ever confused about something, Teddy is able to clear I it up for her. Essentially, Teddy is her constant companion — he is her best friend, protector and adviser.

The reader gets to know Aoife very well and cannot help but feel for her as well as root for her. She is innocent and adorable, often saying things that will make the reader smile. For example, Aoife admits to trying to be a big girl at the hospital but would rather go home to see her stuffed animals. Also, she says that God makes people different colors like a rainbow but doesn’t understand why no one is a fun color.

The first sentence of All That’s Bright and Gone pulled me in and piqued my curiosity. Aoife states that her brother is dead. This reader had to stay to find out more, like the When and Why for starters.

Aoife knows her Mama gets “confused” and that’s why she is in the hospital. She believes that if she can find her brother’s killer then her Mama can come home. Aoife enlists the help of her next door neighbor Hannah, who loves to play detective and solve mysteries. She learns all about finding clues, evidence, suspects, and material witnesses. 

This six year old girl understands more than her age would lead you to believe. She does a lot of growing up in the course of the story, learning about her Mama’s past, her father and what happened to her brother. All That’s Bright and Gone is a story about family, mental illness, love, secrets, and misunderstandings. Come along on Aoife’s adventure with her sidekick Teddy the bear and help her solve the mystery. You’ll be glad you did.

Thank you to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for an advance reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

THE CACTUS by Sarah Haywood

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3.5 stars

I was a little disappointed by The Cactus and cannot really understand the comparisons with Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine and Don Tillman from The Rosie Project.  In fact, I think the comparisons are way off for the simple reason that Eleanor and Don were both likable from the start as well as funny. That our protagonist is someone I would not want to get to know made it difficult for me to get through the book. Think of a person who is like a cactus.  Need I say more?

Susan is 45 and pregnant. She has just lost her mother and dislikes her brother. She likes to live a highly organized life and be in control. But she’s having a baby and won’t be able to be completely in charge anymore. 

I like to know exactly what’s going to be happening and precisely when it will happen. That way you can guard yourself against unwelcome surprises and ensure that everything proceeds satisfactorily. 

I’ve single-handedly created the ideal life for myself in London. I have a home that is adequate to my current needs, a job that is appropriate to my skills and easy access to cultural stimulation. Except for my working hours, I have control over every aspect of my existence.

The Cactus is a story of transformation.  Susan prefers her own company and believes that others will let you down in the end. 

I could have suggested that he walk the fifteen paces from his own desk to mine, but I don’t like to encourage that sort of thing.

Recent events had proved what I’d known all along; other people couldn’t be trusted.

Susan also believes that she doesn’t need a husband or a man for any reason, including raising her child. She can do it all herself.

I’ve never, ever had any desire to share my life with anyone. I enjoy my own company, I value my independence, I like doing things my way. I don’t want some great lumbering man messing up my house and getting under my feet.

I find, though, that men invariably expect more than I’m prepared to give. Some want

romantic love, a meeting of minds, a sharing of thoughts and feelings; others want veneration, deference, subservience. I’m not cut out for any of that kind of nonsense...

Through the course of The Cactus, Susan’s world grows, her life becomes fuller and she becomes better able to handle uncertainty. Eventually she does become more likable when the reader gets to know her better.

I’m not ruling anything in or anything out; I’m going to wait and see. The world seems bigger, louder and more colorful than it did a few weeks ago, a few days ago. At the moment, I’m not entirely sure who I am in relation to it. But that’s fine.

The writing is witty and clever with laugh out loud moments sprinkled throughout the story.

I remember you saying families were like prisons but without the hope of a release date.

Dealing with members of the opposite sex isn’t that dissimilar from training a dog; you need to be firm and persistent.

If it wasn’t for the fact that I have colleagues, office life would be bearable.

              

             

             

             

THE TURN OF THE KEY by Ruth Ware

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I have yet to read a Ruth Ware book that I didn’t thoroughly enjoy and The Turn of the Key is no exception!

Rowan Caine gets the job she desperately desires — to be a nanny to four children at a remote mansion in the countryside.  What makes the position even more attractive is that it pays extremely well, which brings to mind the old cliche that if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. 

The warning signs are all there. At the end of the job interview, one of the children pleads with Rowan that she shouldn’t live there because it’s not safe and the ghosts won’t like it.  Four nannies have left in the past fourteen months. What drove them away? There are rumors and tales that the house (named Heatherbrae) is haunted. Could it be true? In the end, the salary overrides any hesitation or doubts.

The house is a character in the book as it plays a major role. Heatherbrae is a “smart” house, filled with surveillance equipment and the ability to turn on and off anything electrical by command, using an app named “Happy.”  There are  a few incidents where it seems to malfunction but such things do happen, right? The Turn of the Key serves as a warning to advancing the capabilities of a smart house because it shows the reader how things can go very wrong.

If the house isn’t trouble enough, Rowan has her hands full with a baby and two children that constantly challenge her. (The fourth one does as well but doesn’t show up until later). During a respite from the two children, Rowan refers to them and their behavior in the most unappealing way — “..Ellie’s uncomfortable misery, and Maddie’s bitter campaign of vengeance.”

The book starts off slow and I found myself expecting a twist or turn on every page. In fact, I felt as if I was waiting in anticipation for much of the book, which added to the suspense and intrigue. Trust me, your patience will pay off with all sorts of twists that will surprise and astonish you!

THE LAST HOUSE GUEST by Megan Miranda

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I was disappointed in The Last House Guest because of the lack of character development.  I did not feel that I knew anyone and more importantly, I didn’t care what happened to any of them.  As such, it was difficult to become invested in the story. I continued reading The Last House Guest because I thought maybe further along or the ending would blow my mind (or come close).  But sadly, I did not find the payoff sufficient to make the whole read worthwhile. While I was surprised, I didn’t feel like the revelations were “twists” that were A-ha moments or ones that put me on the edge of my seat. 

ALL THE FLOWERS IN PARIS by Sarah Jio

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Wow - what a ride! I just loved All the Flowers in Paris.  The story and characters will be front and center in my mind and in my heart for some time to come. 

There are two alternating timelines in this book. One takes place in Nazi-occupied Paris in the early 1940s. It centers on Céline who is of Jewish descent and her young daughter Cosi.  It is a story of survival and the lengths a mother will go to for her daughter.  

The second timeline is the present day Paris and tells the story of Caroline who is in an accident and as a result, has amnesia. 

“‘Hello?’ I call out, both to anyone who can hear me and, I suppose, to myself. I am deeply and sorely lost. I am a strange soul trapped in an even stranger body. The only thing I know is that I am alive, and that I am, in, well, Paris.”

“...I am currently a person without a story. But I feel more like a person without a soul.”

Caroline feels lost though people tell her how much happier and friendlier she is since losing her memory. She wants to remember her life yet does not want to return to being sad and miserable.

“What if my memory comes back and I hate my life, or worse, hate myself? From all I can tell, I was miserable before. I don’t want to be that woman.”

While these two timelines tell two disparate stories, Jio eventually and effortlessly joins them together, which makes for a very satisfying outcome for the reader. 

These stories touched me on several levels - the horrors of the Nazis and their occupation of Pairs, a fight for survival, coping with loss, second chances, and a mother’s determination to protect her daughter.

For most of the book, the present day story seemed somewhat mundane compared to story taking place in  the 1940s.  As such, they felt mis-matched - a life and death thriller juxtaposed with a humdrum romance. I found my emotional response varied between disgust and almost indifference depending on which timeline I was reading. Ultimately they do fit and in fact, join together nicely.

“To think that all around me—the letters in my apartment, Monsieur de Goff—are remnants of such an ugly time in history. It makes my amnesia pale in comparison. In fact, for those who suffered trauma, as Monsieur de Goff reportedly had, amnesia could even be a gift.”

I was unable to put this book down.  It was extremely well-written with highly developed characters that will live in your heart. 

“I’ve always loved the city in winter, particularly the way the rooftops look as if they’ve been dusted with a heavy layer of confectioner’s sugar, turning the formerly anemic balcony gardens of winter into scenes straight out of a fairy tale.”

“.... sweeping a few stray rose petals off the cobblestones in front of the shop. I always feel bad for fallen petals, as silly as that sounds. They’re like little lost ducklings separated from their mama.”

All the Flowers in Paris was both heartwarming and heartbreaking. I cannot recommend it highly enough!

..the truth is, these days we’re all in trouble.” He’s right, of course. We’re all sailing in a ship that’s taking on water. Life rafts are sparse.

We will see her again. That’s what love does. It binds people together with ties that are stronger than time, stronger than war and destruction, evil, or pain.

Thank you to Random House Publishing - Ballantine Books and NetGalley for an advance reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

SECRETS OF THE CHOCOLATE HOUSE by Paula Brackston

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I loved The Little Shop of Found Things and was very excited to read the second book in the Found Things series. Paula Brackston does not disappoint! Secrets of the Chocolate House is an extremely enjoyable read that I don’t think requires reading the first book. Brackston seems to provide the necessary information to new readers while also reminding the “old” readers. It was delightful to meet up with Xanthe again and to accompany her as she travels through time. It was also fun to see the Appleby clan, especially Samuel. 

Xanthe has a gift. Certain objects “sing” to her, prompting her to travel to a certain time where her help is needed. She feels compelled to heed the call because otherwise the outcome could be regrettable and the future thrown off its proper path.

Secrets of the Chocolate House begins with the discovery of an old chocolate pot that “sings” to Xanthe and produces quite an adventure that challenges her resourcefulness and perseverance. Xanthe must deal with danger, intrigue and questions of who to trust and who to fear. She learns she is not the only time traveler or spinner. However, this other spinner is evil and wants to hurt her beloved Samuel. What can she do to save him?

I really appreciate that Brackston developed the time travel element. We learn more about spinning, for example that objects cannot travel forward in time because they will degrade or deteriorate. Xanthe learns to have a little more control over how to travel to specific times. Also, it was interesting for her to “compare notes” with another spinner and have a mentor to further her abilities. 

The story is well structured and the characters are well developed. I particularly like Brackston’s writing style and her use of imagery. I cannot wait for the next book in the series to see what object sings to Xanthe and where it takes her. 

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an advance reader copy in exchange for my honest review.