Today's review

Just another 'misery' memoir..., December 20, 2009

I read all the positive reviews of this memoir co-authored by the four Welch children whose father died suddenly when they were very young. Unfortunately, after selecting and muddling through the book, I came away with a very different opinion about it. Mostly -- who cares? Yes, it was sad that the children lost their father. And yes, sad also that he wasn't really rich after all and that the circumstances surrounding his death were questionable. Even sadder was when their mother was diagnosed with cancer. But, ultimately, there was nothing unusual or earth shattering here that made this story or this family any more interesting than any other family that experiences tragedy and inexplicable death.

The truth is, I'm sorry for them, but really this isn't a story that was so unique that it HAD to be told and I wonder why it was published. I had a struggle to get through it, found it redundant and a bit boring, and didn't like that every child in the family had to tell the same event from his/her own point of view. Glad they all turned out "all right", however, there are a lot of children who face this type of tragic event and don't go through the self-destructive, dysfunctional way of dealing with it. I think anyone who typically reads what I call 'misery memoirs' will recognize The Kids Are All Right: A Memoir as the same sad story they've read before -- just with a different title and author.

Sorry, but I would pass on this one because, in many cases, your own family history might provide a more interesting book.

Today's review...

The Perfect Couple by Brenda Novak

Short on suspense and heavy on romance, December 5, 2009

This was a fast-paced but predictable thriller with way too much romance for me. I liked the premise: attractive young couple next door as murdering pair of psychos -- but the whole angle involving the "love at first glance" bit between the mother of the kidnapped girl and the private investigator hired to find her was just too distracting and took away from the suspense in the narrative.

Sam is lured away by the next door neighbors and held prisoner while her mother, Zoe, and various other characters try to find her. The action moves along well, but with no surprises. Colin and Tiffany are not the perfect couple -- they are not even perfect psycho killers. They make one mistake after another as they try to outwit the detectives and others assigned to the abduction investigation. Jonathan Stivers, the PI who donates his time to a victims' organization, is called into the case to help the police. He probably would have been better at detecting had he been less interested in Zoe and she in him. The other characters in the story are not well-developed and are stereotypes of the sadistic psychopath and the abused wife. The actual investigation is never fully explained as the police don't make any headway in finding the girl even though she is right next door. I simply felt in a hurry to get to the conclusion of the story knowing how it would all end.

All in all - not a terribly exciting mystery thriller even with the grisly details.

Today's review...

The Wrong Mother
by Sophie Hannah

Complex and thought provoking tale of the dark side of motherhood..., December 4, 2009

By	Denise "DC" (Missouri, USA) - See all my reviews

This was interesting and compelling but ultimately an overly long novel about families and murder. The introduction and premise were intriguing -- a woman is watching television when she sees news of a case involving a mother and daughter who are dead, perhaps a murder suicide. She starts when she hears the name of the surviving husband and gasps in disbelief -- the name is familiar for it is the man with whom she had an affair on a week-long fling in the previous year. When she sees him on the TV, however, she can't believe it -- it is NOT the man she had been with. Sally Thorning decides to begin her own investigation of the case and it leads her to an examination of her own marriage and motherhood. Who was the man she spent a week with and what is the connection she bears to the dead mother and daughter -- co-incidentally a mother that she resembles. Who killed them and why? Is Sally in danger? The resultant investigation probes into the lives of mothers and their children -- how hard is it to raise a child and balance work and home? Shouldn't every woman love being a mother and be able to put her children first?

The somewhat pedantic story never quite rises to the level of suspense that is anticipated and is told from several shifting viewpoints that slow down the pace and bog down the narrative. The brief glimpse the reader has into the personal lives of the police are but teasers as this aspect of the novel is not given much depth. Thus the investigators remain cardboard characters whom we don't get to know. The story ends in such a manner as to indicate that there will be a sequel perhaps involving these same detectives.

All in all the climax and denouement are not exactly predictable, the "who" in the whodunit seems to come out of nowhere, and the last few pages race toward the conclusion in an unsatisfying manner. It was all a bit of a let down at the end.

I'll give it 3.5 stars and probably will look into a follow up by this author.

Today's review...

The Sugarless Plum by Zippora Karz

Insightful and fascinating autobiography of a prima ballerina, November 25, 2009

This memoir of her career as a ballerina with the New York City Ballet is an insightful and moving look inside the life of Zippora Karz. Her association with this famed company began at age 18 in the corps de ballet and continued for the next sixteen years as she was noticed and groomed for principal and solo roles by the incredible choreographers of the NYCB. Her insider's description of the life of a dancer rising to the peak of her profession was fascinating and the details of the inner workings of the huge ballet company were really interesting.

Although Zippora was amazingly talented and was dancing her dream, her life was anything but easy. Her technique, passion, intensity, and perfectionism -- all part of the work ethic that a truly disciplined ballerina needs to have -- got her noticed and cast in many of the company's ballets at that time. The incredible class, rehearsal and performance schedule began to take its toll, however, and when Zippora first started experiencing symptoms of thirst, excessive urination, extreme hunger, sores that wouldn't heal, exhaustion and muscle fatigue -- she thought that's all it was -- overwork. Despite her denial that anything medically was wrong, Zippora did finally obtain blood work that provided her with a diagnosis of diabetes -- but, because she was 21 years old at the time, the doctor mistakenly assumed it was Type II rather than Type I DM and Zippora did not initially receive the correct treatment regimen. She went through years of illness but danced on despite her failing health and her dangerous blood sugar fluctuations. She tried all types of special diets, insulin injection (guesswork), homeopathic treatmets, and many other remedies until finally meeting the physician who would help her learn to control her diabetes and balance her exercise, diet, and insulin needs. After getting her blood sugar within normal limits, Zippora was able to continue her work with the NYCB and retired after having performed many incredible roles with the company. Her triumph over diabetes was made even more complete when she took on the roles of educator, advocate, and speaker for those affected with the incurable disease.

I liked this book particularly for the glimpse it gave into the heart and soul of a prima ballerina. The life sounds romantic and fantastic, but behind the scenes we see that the passion to dance must be translated into many hours of hard, grueling work in order to present the beauty of ballet that is seen on stage. To be a dancer on that level requires determination, self control, and discipline -- not to mention incredible physical strength and endurance.

I'd recommend this book to any aspiring dancer just for the descriptions of the life of a ballerina, but also to any young person who is diagnosed with diabetes. The book is a testament to Zippora Karz's ability to use her life experiences as a way to inspire and encourage others to dream big and to achieve physical and emotional balance -- with or without the threat of serious illness.

Today's review

The Secret Life of CeeCee Wilkes by Diane Chamberlain

Secrets, lies and courage..., November 24, 2009

What a great read! I really enjoyed this mystery about a woman who risks everything to finally do the right thing.

The story takes the reader back to 1977 and unfolds over a span of 20 years, but starts when Corinne sees her mother, Eve, on television confessing to intimate knowledge about a long ago kidnapping and disappearance of a pregnant woman named Genevieve Russell. Construction crews have unearthed Genevieve's remains and have arrested and charged a man with her murder.

CeeCee Wilkes is 16-years-old when she is seduced by an handsome older man, Tim Gleason, and is manipulated into helping him and his brother with the crime. Left to guard the prisoner at a remote cabin in the woods, events transpire that force CeeCee on the run with the newborn infant in tow. Unable to bring herself to leave the little girl with her father, CeeCee makes a decision to raise the child as her own. Years pass. CeeCee, now known as Eve, has created a pleasant, comfortable life for herself and thinks she has moved far beyond those days in the forest -- so far that she has almost forgotten that they ever happened.

This is a wonderfully intimate portrayal of family relationships and the love a mother has for her daughter. I really liked the characters in this book -- flaws and all. (Also found it interesting that Eve had rheumatoid arthritis -- as does the author).

This is only the second novel I've read by Diana Chamberlain, and I can say that she has definitely become an author whose books I need to go back and find and read. Next up for me is Breaking the Silence.

I loved this story about secrets, lies, and courage. Highly recommended!

Today's review

I See You Everywhere by Julia Glass

3.5 stars for this moving novel about the connection between sisters..., November 18, 2009

This is a convoluted but well-written novel about the nature of a relationship between sisters and the capriciousness of life.

Two sisters -- as dissimilar as "chocolate and seaweed" -- grow up and go their separate ways into adulthood. One sister works in the promotion and critique of art and the other is a free-spirited biologist who roves the world to work protecting animals. The story spans the 25-year history of their lives both when together and when apart. We have a glimpse of how the sisters relate in person and how they communicate when the other is away and busy with her own life. Louisa and Clem try to stay connected without necessarily being close, honest without being brutal, involved without being present. But each woman is always evaluating and judging herself compared to her sister. Each has expectations of what the other should or should not be doing or how she should "be" and there are many disappointments.

Each chapter is told from the point of view of a sister and the book jumps around in time from chapter to chapter. I often had to read several paragraphs before I was sure which sister was speaking -- honestly, I find that annoying. I like my novels to proceed in an orderly fashion with a single narrator.

I did enjoy this somewhat depressing novel, and without giving any spoilers, it was an in-depth exploration of how life can catch a person by surprise. There are no guarantees or insurance against the fickleness of fate. The ups and downs in the lives of Louisa and Clem are rich with poignancy and the thread of connectedness that keeps the sisters bound. Recommended.

Today's review

The Neighbor by Lisa Gardner

4/5 stars What happened to Sandra Jones?, November 10, 2009

This is an entertaining, fast paced mystery thriller that delves into possibilities surrounding the middle-of-the-night disappearance of a young, pretty wife and mother. Sandra Jones, a teacher, vanishes while her husband, Jason, is at work leaving her purse and cell phone on the counter and her precious daughter, Ree asleep in her room. When the police arrive for the investigation, husband Jason is the initial suspect. But, wait -- a "neighbor" a few houses down is a registered sex offender! The list of possible persons of interest continues to evolve as an internet savvy 8th grade male student and his computer whiz uncle also appear suspicious. I won't rehash the rest of the plot as other reviewers have done an excellent job of that, but I enjoyed the changing points of view and the revelations of the back story that attempts to explain this interesting marriage and the childhoods of Sandra and Jason. Details are dealt out meagerly at first and then the loose ends come together for an interesting conclusion. Some unanswered questions remain, but I can live with that! This is a book that can be read in a day or two and it provides some information about computer hard drives, cell phone records, and the life of a sexual offender. I liked that the detective, DD, did not have a "romance" in the story and that the case stayed focused on the married couple and their lives. Recommended as a multilayered thriller that might keep you up past your bedtime.