THE SUNDAY REVIEW | A LITTLE LIFE - HANYA YANAGIHARA

Brace yourself for the most astonishing, challenging, upsetting, and profoundly moving book in many a season. An epic about love and friendship in the twenty-first century that goes into some of the darkest places fiction has ever traveled and yet somehow improbably breaks through into the light. Truly an amazement—and a great gift for its publisher.

When four classmates from a small Massachusetts college move to New York to make their way, they're broke, adrift, and buoyed only by their friendship and ambition. There is kind, handsome Willem, an aspiring actor; JB, a quick-witted, sometimes cruel Brooklyn-born painter seeking entry to the art world; Malcolm, a frustrated architect at a prominent firm; and withdrawn, brilliant, enigmatic Jude, who serves as their center of gravity. Over the decades, their relationships deepen and darken, tinged by addiction, success, and pride. Yet their greatest challenge, each comes to realize, is Jude himself, by midlife a terrifyingly talented litigator yet an increasingly broken man, his mind and body scarred by an unspeakable childhood, and haunted by what he fears is a degree of trauma that he’ll not only be unable to overcome—but that will define his life forever.

In rich and resplendent prose, Yanagihara has fashioned a tragic and transcendent hymn to brotherly love, a masterful depiction of heartbreak, and a dark examination of the tyranny of memory and the limits of human endurance. - Goodreads

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The first thing I need to say is that no matter what I write, my review will not do this book justice. The second thing I need to say is that this book will destroy you. And you will be grateful.

A Little Life is a story of friendship, of loyalty and of finding the strength to face the unimaginable - both good and bad. It begins with four friends, Willem, Jude, Malcolm and JB, who are college grads trying to make their way in New York. The story follows these four (mainly Jude and Willem) through nearly 40 years of their lives - but the story will spend as much time in the past as it does moving forward. Which it must in order for us to understand the gravity of decisions made and trust forged and broken. 

At the centre of this story is Jude St. Francis, a young man whose incredible intellect is housed in person who is so deeply damaged (physically, mentally and emotionally) that even his friends don't know the horrors his past contains.  

Jude is not easy to get to know. It isn't until about halfway through the book that you begin to see him take shape. Yanagihara took her time, she teased out his story one small thread at a time, just enough to keep the story moving and not a millimeter more. But despite her slow, deliberate and purposeful pace, I found that she addressed my questions almost as soon as I'd formed them in my mind. I'd wonder about a particular aspect of a character or the plot, and within half a chapter, she would have started providing answers (or at least discussed the lack thereof). The information she holds back she holds back because there's a better time and place in the story to reveal it, and I learned to trust that she knows what she's doing. 

Next to Jude, the most important character in the book is Willem. In contrast to Jude, who is aggressively private, Willem is open - sunny, even. Though he is promiscuous with women, he is fiercely loyal to his friends - above all to Jude. He is Jude's friend, roommate and protector. The book is formed around these two characters, and their steadfast friendship will serve as a beautiful counterpoint to the immense pain you will discover between the covers of this book.

Though the premise sounds simple - the story of four college friends growing up - it is anything but. This book tackles every shade of human experience and emotion you can imagine, along with a few you probably can't. So don't let the description fool you; this book will shock you. And I suspect that no matter who you are, there is a line, a page, a chapter (maybe even more than one) in this book that will stop you in your tracks and make you feel like Yanagihara wandered into your head and stole your innermost thoughts. As Alan Bennett put it:

“The best moments in reading are when you come across something - a thought, a feeling, a way of looking at things - which you had thought special and particular to you. And now, here it is, set down by someone else, a person you have never met, someone even who is long dead. And it is as if a hand has come out, and taken yours.” - Alan Bennett, The History Boys

This is an intensely personal book - not only because it deals in the secrets and personal lives of its characters, but because it will become personal to everyone who reads it. If you are human, this book will affect you.

It's also a very long book, and what makes it even more challenging is that, while the writing is a flowing style that would normally have you reading all night, the content won't allow for marathon reading. I found that I couldn't read more than 50 pages (100 tops but that was really hard) at a time. The emotional impact was such that it became physically uncomfortable to keep reading and I had to step out of the book and give myself some respite.

Which leads me into a very important piece of advice: Do not start this book when you're feeling vulnerable or have PMS. It is not that kind of book. It is beautiful and terrifying and you will feel, at times, like you can't take anymore. It will shake you to the core. It will tear out your heart and tap-dance on it with stilettos.  But it will be worth it. Every tear you shed, every desperate attempt to abandon these characters, every time you go back to them because you just have to know what happens - in the end this book is worth it. These characters are worth it. Because they come alive on the page, and you will be as invested in their lives as if they were part of your own family.

I read this book as a buddy read with Julianne from Outlandish Lit, and honestly I don't know if I could have handled it without her! I know it affected her deeply as well. She talks a little bit about her experience with the book in this post. 

A further word of warning: While I don't want to go into specifics as it's important to let Yanagihara unfold the story as she sees fit, this book tackles deeply upsetting and disturbing topics, and does so in great detail. If you find it difficult to read graphic content, or if you are triggered by the topic of abuse (and its considerable psychological aftermath), proceed with extreme caution!

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Book Title: A Little Life
Author: Hanya Yanagihara
Series: No
Edition: Hardback
Published By: Doubleday
Released: March 10, 2015
Genre: Fiction, Character-Driven
Pages: 720

Date Read: March 26 - April 18, 2015
Rating: 10/10

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RELEASE DAY REVIEW | MISS EMILY - NUALA O'CONNOR

The American debut of an award-winning Irish writer that brings to life Emily Dickinson and will enthrall fans of Longbourn and Mrs. Poe.

Nuala O’Connor’s enchanting American debut novel, Miss Emily, reimagines the private life of Emily Dickinson, one of America’s most beloved poets, through her own voice and through the eyes of her family’s Irish maid.

Eighteen-year-old Ada Concannon has just been hired by the respected but eccentric Dickinson family of Amherst, Massachusetts. Despite their difference in age and the upstairs-downstairs divide, Ada strikes up a deep friendship with Miss Emily, the gifted elder daughter living a spinster’s life at home. But Emily’s passion for words begins to dominate her life. She will wear only white and avoids the world outside the Dickinson homestead. When Ada’s safety and reputation are threatened, however, Emily must face down her own demons in order to help her friend, with shocking consequences. - Goodreads

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Emily Dickinson's work was my introduction to poetry. When I was a child, my mother embroidered and framed my favourite Dickinson poem and hung it on my bedroom wall, where it remained for years. And yet, until this book, I knew very little about the poet or her life. 

What I did know before going into this book could have fit on the back of a (very small) postcard: reclusive (possibly agoraphobic), rarely socialized yet wrote insightful poetry about the human condition, never married or had children (possibly homosexual). You'll notice my lack of certainty throughout. 

So going into this book, I had little in the way of preconception, except I knew there was a risk of a somewhat depressing read. Of course the other thing I didn't know going into this book was just what its author is capable of. I'd never heard of her, let alone read any of her work, so I had no idea that I was about to step into such a vibrant, finely-drawn world.

In Miss Emily, Nuala O'Connor re-imagines Emily's home life from the perspective of Emily's Irish maid, Ada, and from Emily's own point of view. The two women, despite being employer and employee, become fast friends. Which doesn't sound like much when it's summed up that way, but the depth of emotional connection and loyalty that develops between these two as the story progresses made it one of the best female friendships I've encountered thus far on the page. 

O'Connor's choice to split the narrative and utilize Ada's character to move the plot forward and beyond Emily's limited realm was brilliant. Through Ada we are able to see not only what her own life was like (she is an Irish immigrant who had to work hard to earn her place in the new world), but the many positive qualities Emily herself possessed. She forms the canvas onto which Emily's story can be painted in bright colour. 

There are some difficult characters and even more difficult events in this book. The time period itself also lends challenges - both in terms of day-to-day life and the position of women and, even more so, female servants. This is an aspect that cannot be overlooked, and one that will trigger frustration in the reader on Ada's behalf. This isn't a sweet, chaste story, but one that shows both the idyllic and hellish aspects of dealing with the opportunities and limitations both Emily and Ada encountered. 

I didn't expect this book to be as easy to get into, nor did I expect it to draw me in and refuse to let me go. For a book about a reclusive poet, this book is packed with everything that makes a good story: romance, family drama, and a dastardly villain. It's a quick read; you could easily devour the whole story in a day of summertime reading. In fact, I recommend doing so. 

This book will particularly appeal to fans of Emily Dickinson as well as those who enjoy creative historical fiction that focuses as much on the human commonalities we share with historical figures as it does on contrasting the world they lived in with the one we currently inhabit. Definitely one of this summer's most surprising (in a good way) new releases.

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**Thanks to Penguin Random House Canada for providing a review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!**

Book Title: Miss Emily
Author: Nuala O'Connor
Series: No
Edition: Paperback
Published By: Penguin Canada
Released: July 14, 2015
Genre: Historical Fiction, Poetry
Pages: 242

Date Read: May 18-24, 2015
Rating: 9/10
Follow the Author on Twitter: @NualaNic

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THE SUNDAY REVIEW | THE LITTLE PARIS BOOKSHOP - NINA GEORGE

“There are books that are suitable for a million people, others for only a hundred. There are even remedies—I mean books—that were written for one person only…A book is both medic and medicine at once. It makes a diagnosis as well as offering therapy. Putting the right novels to the appropriate ailments: that’s how I sell books.”

Monsieur Perdu calls himself a literary apothecary. From his floating bookstore in a barge on the Seine, he prescribes novels for the hardships of life. Using his intuitive feel for the exact book a reader needs, Perdu mends broken hearts and souls. The only person he can't seem to heal through literature is himself; he's still haunted by heartbreak after his great love disappeared. She left him with only a letter, which he has never opened.

After Perdu is finally tempted to read the letter, he hauls anchor and departs on a mission to the south of France, hoping to make peace with his loss and discover the end of the story. Joined by a bestselling but blocked author and a lovelorn Italian chef, Perdu travels along the country’s rivers, dispensing his wisdom and his books, showing that the literary world can take the human soul on a journey to heal itself.

Internationally bestselling and filled with warmth and adventure, The Little Paris Bookshop is a love letter to books, meant for anyone who believes in the power of stories to shape people's lives. - Goodreads

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If I'm completely honest, I mostly requested this book because it has the words "Paris" and "bookshop" in the title. I've been on a major armchair travel kick lately, and France is top of my vicarious visiting list. Plus, I always want to read books about books. Win-win.

But I also hoped that the book would fit into the "summer read" category of books, and that it might have some quirky whimsy mixed in (like my favourite French film, Amélie). It delivered on both counts, though with more depth than I had expected.

The book is set against some of the most iconic French backgrounds: the Seine, Paris and Provence. Our main character, Jean, is the proprietor of a book barge docked on the Seine, a floating bookshop that goes by the name The Literary Apothecary. Jean himself is the Apothecary, boasting an amazing ability to diagnose a reader's particular ailment of the soul and prescribe the book that will give them what they need. Not necessarily the book they want to read, but the book that will fill whatever void in their life needs filling.

Though Jean's career centres around his expertise at providing literary cures to all kinds of spiritual ailments, in the end his own are in need of the most repair. A sequence of events culminates in a rash decision to cast off in search of an old lover and an ability to feel alive again.

This is not an easy journey, and takes him in directions he does not expect. He is accompanied on his quest by two cats and an overwrought young author with a nervous temperament and an urgent wish to escape the pressure of writing a follow-up to his bestselling debut novel. Along the way they acquire two more passengers, both on their own searches, both destined to find more than they even knew to ask for.

In addition to being an engrossing plot full of characters who will win your heart, this book is chock full of lines and passages that will jump from the page, cause you to pause and savour them. I flagged every such line I came across, with the end result of a book pasted with nearly a hundred colourful flags.

There were parts to this story that were less interesting or flat out irritating (I did not enjoy Manon's journal entries - I found them dull and self-engrossed, though they may be more enjoyable to a different reader), but these usually didn't last long and were a worthwhile price of admission.

The Little Paris Bookshop is about nothing more or less than the emotional experience of being human - and the necessity of feeling. It's also a book that will appeal in different ways to different readers, and that will provide plenty of scope for considered discussion.

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**Thanks to Random House Canada for providing a review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!**

Book Title: The Little Paris Bookshop
Author: Nina George
Series: No
Edition: Hardback
Published By: Crown
Released: June 23, 2015
Genre: Fiction, Character-Driven, About Books
Pages: 400

Date Read: June 29-July 9, 2015
Rating: 7/10

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THE SUNDAY REVIEW | IN THE UNLIKELY EVENT - JUDY BLUME

In her highly anticipated new novel, Judy Blume, the New York Times # 1 best-selling author of Summer Sisters and of young adult classics such as Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret, creates a richly textured and moving story of three generations of families, friends and strangers, whose lives are profoundly changed by unexpected events.

In 1987, Miri Ammerman returns to her hometown of Elizabeth, New Jersey, to attend a commemoration of the worst year of her life. Thirty-five years earlier, when Miri was fifteen, and in love for the first time, a succession of airplanes fell from the sky, leaving a community reeling. Against this backdrop of actual events that Blume experienced in the early 1950s, when airline travel was new and exciting and everyone dreamed of going somewhere, she paints a vivid portrait of a particular time and place—Nat King Cole singing “Unforgettable,” Elizabeth Taylor haircuts, young (and not-so-young) love, explosive friendships, A-bomb hysteria, rumors of Communist threat. And a young journalist who makes his name reporting tragedy. Through it all, one generation reminds another that life goes on.

In the Unlikely Event is vintage Judy Blume, with all the hallmarks of Judy Blume’s unparalleled storytelling, and full of memorable characters who cope with loss, remember the good times and, finally, wonder at the joy that keeps them going. - Goodreads

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I've only read one of Judy Blume's books for young readers (I know, I know), but when this book crossed my path, I was incurably curious.

It's an adult book, but I was surprised to discover that the majority of the characters from whose perspective it is written are teenagers. I suppose it's not a young adult book because of the way it's written and the length, but it feels like it's just barely over that line into adult fiction.

The majority of this story takes place in the 1950s, a time when air travel was new, girls were brought up to be "good," and pregnancy out of wedlock was still scandalous. Though the book has many characters and switches perspectives frequently, at the centre is Miri Ammerman, a 15-year-old who is living the most tumultuous year of her life.

It begins when she is out shopping with her mother, and a plane falls from the sky, nearly crashing right into them.Which is shocking enough, but that's not the end of it - two more planes crash into the town over the next several months. What follows is an account of how the community as a whole deals with the trauma, and how our key characters handle it (or don't).

Underpinning this traumatic event are the ongoing stories of Miri's family and the friends, and the secrets they're keeping. There's the mystery of Miri's father, who has never been a part of her life, and who her mother never talks about. There's Miri's best friend, whose mental and physical state take a sharp downturn following the crash. There's Miri's boyfriend, who lives in an orphanage and whose history isn't something he readily discusses. And there's Miri's mother, a beautiful woman who had Miri when she was a teenager, yet never seems to have any long-term relationships. Finally, there's the mystery of the crashes - is it really possible that they were just a freak coincidence, or is there something more sinister at play?

Blume does an excellent job of evoking her time-period. That she chose a catastrophe that played on the relatively recent advent of mass air travel was brilliant, since we tend to distrust what is new. Some of the theories cooked up by paranoid townspeople seem ridiculous now, but at the time, given how little many people understood of the workings of planes, was probably realistic. This naive view of the world and new technology is reflected in Miri's wide-eyed innocent and idealistic outlook on the world.

As I said at the beginning of this review, I have only read one other of Blume's books, but I think this story will have a familiar feel for her fans. Like her well-known books for teenagers, this book shows us the fallibility and vulnerability of its characters, as well as their strength and loyalty. It tackles important issues that affect people at different points in life, and reminds us that while we might make mistakes, particularly in intense circumstances, we're all striving to do our best by the ones we love.

I think the book was a bit longer than it needed to be, and there were a few too many characters. But nonetheless, it's got a lot of depth and substance to it, and is well worth the effort.

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**Thanks to Random House Canada for providing a review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!**

Book Title: In the Unlikely Event
Author: Judy Blume
Series: No
Edition: Hardback
Published By: Doubleday Canada
Released: June 2, 2015
Genre: Historical Fiction, Family, Character-Driven
Pages: 416

Date Read: June 13-29, 2015
Rating: 8/10

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THE SUNDAY REVIEW | THE FEVER - MEGAN ABBOTT

The panic unleashed by a mysterious contagion threatens the bonds of family and community in a seemingly idyllic suburban community.

The Nash family is close-knit. Tom is a popular teacher, father of two teens: Eli, a hockey star and girl magnet, and his sister Deenie, a diligent student. Their seeming stability, however, is thrown into chaos when Deenie's best friend is struck by a terrifying, unexplained seizure in class. Rumors of a hazardous outbreak spread through the family, school and community.

As hysteria and contagion swell, a series of tightly held secrets emerges, threatening to unravel friendships, families and the town's fragile idea of security.

A chilling story about guilt, family secrets and the lethal power of desire, The Fever affirms Megan Abbot's reputation as "one of the most exciting and original voices of her generation" (Laura Lippman). - Goodreads

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This is going to be a short review. Not because I'm lazy or because my faculties have suddenly failed me, but because the less you know about this book going into it, the better.

When I started this book, I didn't even really know what genre it fit into. Mystery? Horror? Paranormal? Conspiracy theory? All of the above? By the time I was three quarters of the way through, I still wasn't sure.

The book starts with a girl having a seizure in class and ending up in a coma. Terrified, her classmates begin circulating information and rumours, trying to figure out what happened. Before anyone even has a chance to figure out what happened to her, another girl has had a seizure. Soon, three, then four girls are experiencing symptoms. The town is in a panic. Parents are demanding answers and placing blame, the CDC and law enforcement are conducting interviews, and every teenaged girl is wondering if she's next.

As the book continues, theories get wilder and wilder, progressing from suspicions about an HPV vaccine to the supernatural. And as a reader, I came up with plenty of wild theories myself.

I liked that this book kept me guessing - that every time I thought the book had finally showed its hand, the narrative shifted. And though the characters made me uncomfortable, they were consistently developed and fit into this odd plot arc flawlessly.

I read this book with another blogger and good friend of mine, Julianne from Outlandish Lit. This was a great book for a buddy read. The chapters are a manageable length, and the plot moves along fast enough to provide talking points at every chapter break.

I'd definitely recommend this book for anyone who enjoys twists and turns in their plot, and if you're looking for a buddy or YA book club selection, give this some consideration.

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Book Title: The Fever
Author: Megan Abbott
Series: No
Edition: Hardback
Published By: Little Brown & Company
Released: June 17, 2014
Genre: Fiction, Mystery, Young Adult, Suspense
Pages: 303

Date Read: February 27-March 17, 2015
Rating: 6/10

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THE SUNDAY REVIEW | FINDING AUDREY - SOPHIE KINSELLA

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Shopaholic series comes a terrific blend of comedy, romance, and psychological recovery in a contemporary YA novel sure to inspire and entertain.

An anxiety disorder disrupts fourteen-year-old Audrey’s daily life. She has been making slow but steady progress with Dr. Sarah, but when Audrey meets Linus, her brother’s gaming teammate, she is energized. She connects with him. Audrey can talk through her fears with Linus in a way she’s never been able to do with anyone before. As their friendship deepens and her recovery gains momentum, a sweet romantic connection develops, one that helps not just Audrey but also her entire family. - Goodreads

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This is the new novel by Sophie Kinsella (aka Madeleine Wickham), who you will probably know for her "chick-lit" novels, in particular the Shopaholic series which follows the preposterous and hilarious mis-steps of one Becky Bloomwood. Finding Audrey is Kinsella's first foray into the young adult genre, and though it echoes the feel of her other work, it takes on more serious issues. 

Our main character, as we slowly learn, is dealing with (and forgive me if I get this terminology wrong) a severe anxiety disorder following a traumatic event. Her symptoms include social anxiety (she finds it hard to be touched by, in the same room as or make eye contact with people outside her family and wears dark sunglasses at all times) and panic attacks.

When we meet her she isn't able to leave the house alone and can't handle talking to strangers or being in public places. She's in therapy, which is helping her cope, and she is learning how to mitigate her debilitating and frightening panic attacks.

Enter Linus, a friend of her brother's who comes over to play video games. He winds up being the first new person Audrey has wanted to talk to (let alone be in a room with) in months. But it's not easy to get to know someone when you have an anxiety disorder. You can't control your physical reaction to the situations that cause anxiety, even when you really, really want to.

This is Audrey's story, but it's also the story of her family, and how they attempt to help her while dealing with their own issues - both related to Audrey's condition and not. Each, in their own way, tries to understand and help Audrey.

I found exactly what I expected in this book - an entertaining read that, sure, didn't have a whole ton of depth, but was a fun counterpoint to the more weighty novels I've been reading recently. The tone and feel were reminiscent of her other work, so if you are a Kinsella fan, this will likely be the perfect summer read for you. 

I was also pleased that it had a bit less of the Shopaholic series' more irritating character flaws (I had trouble with Becky's vapidness and Luke's condescension). It did still have some troublesome characters - I had a particularly hard time with the mother, who was too over-the-top for me. I found it hard to stick with any sections focusing on her or take her remotely seriously. I wished she'd been toned down a bit because her character had the potential for such depth - it was hinted at towards the end and I wanted more of that conflicted character.

The other aspect of this book which needs to be addressed is actually one I come to second-hand. I don't suffer from an anxiety disorder, nor have I been close enough to someone who does to have an accurate understanding of the common symptoms or treatment. However I have seen and heard mixed responses to Kinsella's portrayal of a character suffering from an anxiety disorder. I've seen criticism of both the description of her symptoms (as being inaccurate) and how Linus' influence affects her. I had a few moments in the story that didn't quite ring true for me, but because my knowledge is so peripheral, it wasn't a deal-breaker. However, I do think this is one area where your response will very much depend on your own experience and knowledge of the underlying condition.

Overall, I enjoyed this story. It was both easy to get into and a quick read. It'll definitely scratch that Kinsella itch! Finding Audrey is the perfect book if you're looking for something light and entertaining, with characters who are charismatic and easy to get to know.

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**Thanks to Random House Canada for providing a review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!**

Book Title: Finding Audrey
Author: Sophie Kinsella
Series: No
Edition: Hardback
Published By: Doubleday Canada
Released: June 4, 2015
Genre: Young Adult, Fiction, Family
Pages: 288

Date Read: June 4-9, 2015
Rating: 6/10

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THE SUNDAY REVIEW | THE SHORE - SARA TAYLOR

Welcome to The Shore: a collection of small islands sticking out from the coast of Virginia into the Atlantic Ocean. Where clumps of evergreens meet wild ponies, oyster-shell roads, tumble-down houses, unwanted pregnancies, murder, storm-making and dark magic in the marshes. . .
 
     Situated off the coast of Virginia's Chesapeake Bay, the group of islands known as the Shore has been home to generations of fierce and resilient women. Sanctuary to some but nightmare to others, it's a place they've inhabited, fled, and returned to for hundreds of years. From a half-Shawnee Indian's bold choice to flee an abusive home only to find herself with a man who will one day try to kill her to a brave young girl's determination to protect her younger sister as methamphetamine ravages their family, to a lesson in summoning storm clouds to help end a drought, these women struggle against domestic violence, savage wilderness, and the corrosive effects of poverty and addiction to secure a sense of well-being for themselves and for those they love.

     Together their stories form a deeply affecting legacy of two barrier island families, illuminating 150 years of their many freedoms and constraints, heartbreaks, and pleasures. Conjuring a wisdom and beauty all its own, The Shore is a richly unique, stunning novel that will resonate with readers long after turning its final pages, establishing Sara Taylor as a promising new voice in fiction. - Goodreads

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I'm going to be the voice of dissent on this novel. If you look at the chatter in the blogosphere or check out ratings on Goodreads, you'll see that this book has been a hugely successful breakout debut, well-loved by critics and readers alike.

And I can see why, I really can. It has a lot going for it. The writing is excellent (particularly taking into account the young age of its author). The characters are well-conceived. The setting is flawless and you will squirm as you read about the abuse and humiliation some of the characters suffer.

I like the concept behind this book, too. It's almost a selection of short stories, except that they're loosely connected by blood and ties to the shore - a marshy, secluded area on the Virginia coast that, despite its economic limitations, manages to hook and hold onto generation after generation of inhabitants.

Despite the many positive things this book has going for it, I still found I had trouble reading it. For a few reasons - some of which weren't the fault of the book, but still affected my reaction to it.

First, the family tree. It's poorly drawn and missing people, which makes it hard to figure out who's who - particularly when the book jumps around through time and characters. And nearly every chapter is written about a different character, which makes it confusing and compromises emotional connection.

Second, the sheer amount of abuse (not to mention unfortunate circumstances and poor decision-making) is a bit much. This book spans nearly 200 years, but nearly everyone in this book is in an unhappy or abusive relationship. After a while this starts to feel like being hit over the head with a mallet. Not the most subtle of approaches, and it further deadened the emotional impact for me. Eventually there were a few story lines that weren't quite as dismal, but if this hadn't been a review book, I probably would have given up before getting to them.

Finally, I really didn't like the two chapters set in the future. The first one seemed to veer dramatically sideways into the realm of science fiction, and the apocalyptic plot felt like a story I've been reading and watching a lot in the past couple of years. There's nothing wrong with that of course, if it's done well, but this book didn't need it. And the final story was the one that I struggled with the most. It's set about a hundred and thirty years in the future, so things have changed a lot. The shore has protected its inhabitants by isolating them, cutting them off from modern conveniences and outside contact. The scene was evocatively set and felt true to a culture forced to return to subsistence survival for over a century. But what really threw me was the language. 

Somehow this tiny community on an island off the coast of Virginia had evolved linguistically to take on a mixture of Olde English and Scottish vernacular (or maybe Irish? I’m not sure, but one of those). While I understand that Taylor was trying to set the tone of this story apart from the rest of the book, this linguistic evolution just doesn’t make sense. Language evolves based on cultural changes and advancements combined with how groups in close geographic proximity intermingle. But this was an isolated community in America. Unless a ship of Scottish refugees (from a bygone era) washed up on the shore, how did terms like "twixt," "kenned," "babbies," "afore," and "mam and da" enter into common usage when they were absent in present-day representations of the area?

I think I would have liked this book more if it was less tied to bloodlines and more focused on the land - and if it had been chronological so I didn't have to spend so much time trying to figure out where in the family tree each story fit. I also could have done without both stories set in the future - the penultimate story would have provided a more than satisfying ending.
 
I know I'm in the minority with my opinion of this book. Add to that the fact that family sagas aren't my thing, and yet I've somehow ended up reading a lot of them lately. So I'm a bit burned out on complex family trees and stories that take place over generations, jumping back and forth through time and between characters. None of this is the fault of this book, but it made me much less patient with deciphering the familial connections between the characters and having to get to know new ones each chapter. I wanted fewer stories with more depth. Or just a straight up book of short stories only loosely tied together.

That said, this wasn't a bad book. It wasn't for me, but the writing cut like a knife, while at times being incredibly beautiful. I think this book will be loved by those who are into complex family sagas and who have more patience for victims who don't always get revenge or a better future, and can forgive an overabundance of the negative and some inconsistencies. I also think that this book shows incredible potential on the part of its author, and though it isn't in my favourites, I will definitely give her another shot.

Because I want you guys to have the benefit of perspectives that weren't informed by the things that bothered me specifically, here are some more favourable (or just different) reviews you might want to check out if this is a book you're curious about and considering reading:

• Katie at Bookish Tendencies
• Julianne at Outlandish Lit
• Shannon at River City Reading

Have you read The Shore? What did you think of it? I'd love to hear about it in the comments - this was a particularly difficult review to write, and I've been editing and re-editing for days!

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**Thanks to Random House Canada for providing a review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!**

Book Title: The Shore
Author: Sara Taylor
Series: No
Edition: Hardback
Published By: Bond Street Books
Released: May 26, 2015
Genre: Fiction, Historical, Family
Pages: 320

Date Read: May 24-June 3, 2015
Rating: 5/10

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THE SUNDAY REVIEW | LIFE AFTER LIFE - KATE ATKINSON

 

"Is there Life After Life, chance after chance to rewrite one's destiny? That is the question posed by Atkinson's tale and brought to life by the miracle of her talent." --Toronto Star

What if you had the chance to live your life again and again, until you finally got it right? 

During a snowstorm in England in 1910, a baby is born and dies before she can take her first breath. 

During a snowstorm in England in 1910, the same baby is born and lives to tell the tale.

What if there were second chances? And third chances? In fact an infinite number of chances to live your life? Would you eventually be able to save the world from its own inevitable destiny? And would you even want to?

Life After Life follows Ursula Todd as she lives through the turbulent events of the last century again and again. With wit and compassion, she finds warmth even in life's bleakest moments, and shows an extraordinary ability to evoke the past. Here is Kate Atkinson at her most profound and inventive, in a novel that celebrates the best and worst of ourselves. - Goodreads

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This book has been on my radar for a very long time, but every time I've picked it up, I've had to put it back down to finish another book first, and that just seemed to keep happening. When A God In Ruins appeared on the horizon, I figured this was the perfect kick in the butt I needed to finally pull this one off the shelf and finally find out what all the fuss was about. Very glad I did.

Now, if you've been around my blog for a while, you'll know that I don't normally do a whole log of historical fiction. I don't normally do science fiction (even sci fi lite), either. So this book, in terms of its premise, was a complete departure for me. But. There are a few things that saved it and made it very much my kind of thing.

First of all, the historical period that forms the background to this memorable set of stories (that particular choice of words will be explained further into this review) is England from just prior to the first world war up until the 1960s. This is one of the few historical periods (and locations - the location is important) I have a genuine interest in.

Going into the book I was also very nervous about the time travel aspect of the book. The main character, Ursula, experiences a strange phenomenon whereby if she dies she goes back in time and gets a do-over. I'm usually pretty suspicious of books with any kind of time travel, because there's nearly always some glaring inconsistency created by the time travel that distracts me from the plot early on and by the end has me hating the whole experience. I just can't suspend disbelief to the level of ignoring plot holes so large you could drive a Mack truck through them. Fortunately, the time travel aspect in this book was dealt with perfectly. Atkinson uses it as a way to rewind the story and tell a similar but different one, so at any point in the book you're only reading one linear plot.

What I enjoyed most was that because of the do-overs built into the story, if you don't really like how her life is going, all you have to do is wait. In a few chapters, she'll be a different person in a different life - maybe even in a different place.Which was good, because I didn't get along with every incarnation of Ursula. Some I actively disliked, and others I just felt so terrible for that it was nearly impossible to keep reading. The story, in addition to rewinding and being written over, also jumps between time periods and characters, which helps us connect to and understand other members of Ursula's family and community.

The only problem I had with this book was that by the end it was getting a little bit difficult to keep track of the details that still applied to the current version from the past two or three. I wasn't too confused to be able to follow and enjoy the book, but I did feel like the size of Ursula's family and the addition of friends and community members meant that keeping track of what was the same and what had changed whenever her story rewound was difficult. That said, it's very likely this was more a result of my advanced age and failing faculties than of the book itself, and you probably won't have any trouble with it at all.

On a personal note, this book fascinated me because of my not-too-distant British roots. I feel a connection to England during the wars - particularly since some of my extended family lived through them. I've heard stories of how my paternal grandmother's love of reading was born during the blitz when she passed long hours in bunkers by reading books. Though reading about the horrors of the war isn't exactly fun, it does fill me with awe and respect for those who "kept calm and carried on."

I think that this book is a must-read for anyone who enjoys richly character-driven plots, historical fiction, and likes the idea of jumping between stories, time periods and perspectives. It's masterfully conceived and executed, and even the unlikable characters become interesting as you learn more about their inner workings in various permutations. It takes a little while to get into, but is well worth the effort.

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Book Title: Life After Life
Author: Kate Atkinson
Series: Yes
Edition: Paperback
Published By: Anchor Canada
Released: January 1, 2013
Genre: Fiction, Paranormal, Historical Fiction
Pages: 480

Date Read: April 30-May 12, 2015
Rating: 7/10

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THE SUNDAY REVIEW | WE ARE ALL MADE OF MOLECULES - SUSIN NIELSEN

Thirteen-year-old Stewart is academically brilliant but socially clueless.
Fourteen-year-old Ashley is the undisputed “It” girl in her class, but her grades stink.

Their worlds are about to collide when Stewart and his dad move in with Ashley and her mom. Stewart is trying to be 89.9 percent happy about it, but Ashley is 110 percent horrified. She already has to hide the real reason her dad moved out; “Spewart” could further threaten her position at the top of the social ladder.

They are complete opposites. And yet, they have one thing in common: they—like everyone else—are made of molecules. - Goodreads

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This is a story about the making of a family. It starts with Stewart, a 13-year-old whose mother recently passed away. He's brilliant, but small for his age. He has a hard time socially, even though he is very perceptive and has a huge amount of love for his family. I guess you'd call him naïve - he really does see good (or the potential for it) in everyone, and wants to help everyone around him find happiness, whether they deserve it or not.

Stewart's father is dating a colleague who has a 14-year-old daughter named Ashley. Unlike Stewart, Ashley is the most popular and pretty girl in her grade (though she's somewhat wanting in the brains department).

When Stewart's dad and Ashley's mom decide to move in together, it doesn't turn out to be the instant blend the two adults hoped. Ashley resents the interlopers, and Stewart and his dad have a hard time fitting in to their new home's minimalist aesthetic and remembering not to leave their socks lying around the living room. It's challenging, to say the least.

The book switches perspectives between Stewart and Ashley, which is a brilliant juxtaposition since these two characters couldn't be more different. To say they have different experiences of high school is an understatement, since they exist on opposite ends of the social spectrum. 

I don't want to give away the details of the plot, because it really is a joy to discover for yourself. What I will say is that it deals with a lot of capital "I" Issues - both at school and at home. One thing that really stood out to me was the authenticity of the teenaged voices. I think there can be a temptation for authors to create teenagers who are much more mature than their age. By which I mean that the author removes some of the impulsiveness and poor decision making, moralizes some of the tricky situations or just gives their characters way more insight than any teenager realistically possesses. And that's fine - as an adult reader of YA, I often appreciate it. But it does require suspension of disbelief, because you know it's not how real teenagers think or behave. This book managed to strike the perfect balance between being appealing to readers my age and still feeling like these kids really were kids.

This was particularly evident when it came to the difficult social situations each had to face. Of course these situations were different - Stewart had to deal with being picked on because of his size and being a "nerd" while Ashley had to deal with pressure to do anything to fit in - even if it made her uncomfortable or put her in a dangerous situation. Different types of social pressure, both very difficult to navigate with a mere 13 or 14 years of brains and life experience.

I loved how Nielsen dealt with the problems faced by these two. I loved that Nielsen did not try to sugar coat the fact that sometimes you do need to fight dirty, that the moral high ground and knowing you're in the right isn't going to get you through high school. Sometimes it feels really great to give someone a dose of their own medicine, and sometimes they deserve it.

I was also really impressed with the parental characters. So many YA books just ignore parents altogether or conveniently write them out when they want to allow the plot to progress, and this always feels unrealistic to me. Not in this book. The parents were present and involved in their kids' lives, but Nielsen also allowed them to have their own separate lives as well. I also loved that she gave these two great adult role models and support, but also let them figure out their problems on their own.

While I was reading this book, I was taken right back to high school - I remembered the emotions, the humiliations, the excitement of a cute boy talking to you and the stomach flip of going back to school and facing people you know are going to make it hell in one way or another. I went to three different high schools, but one thing never changed: being a teenager is tough.

As you can tell, I thought this book was fantastic. Not only is the story well-paced and gripping, but the characters are excellently developed and there are some really funny touches (like how Stewart's cat is called Schrödinger or how Ashley constantly messes up words - unconstipated for emancipated, joie de beaver instead of joie de vivre). If I were a parent, this is definitely a book I'd give to my kids when they hit high school, and one that I think represents some important conflicts most kids will encounter. And while it's not a how-to on getting through it, it does show the value of creativity, teamwork, courage and second chances.

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**Thanks to Random House Canada for providing a review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!**

Book Title: We Are All Made of Molecules
Author: Susin Nielsen
Series: No
Edition: Hardback
Published By: Tundra Books
Released: May 12, 2015
Genre: Fiction, Young Adult, Family
Pages: 256

Date Read: May 11-13, 2015
Rating: 9/10

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RELEASE DAY REVIEW | BOO - NEIL SMITH

From Neil Smith, author of the award-winning, internationally acclaimed story collection Bang Crunch, comes a dark but whimsical debut novel about starting over in the afterlife in the vein of Alice Sebold's The Lovely Bones.

When Oliver "Boo" Dalrymple wakes up in heaven, the eighth-grade science geek thinks he died of a heart defect at his school. But soon after arriving in this hereafter reserved for dead thirteen-year-olds, Boo discovers he’s a 'gommer', a kid who was murdered. What’s more, his killer may also be in heaven. With help from the volatile Johnny, a classmate killed at the same school, Boo sets out to track down the mysterious Gunboy who cut short both their lives.

In a heartrending story written to his beloved parents, the odd but endearing Boo relates his astonishing heavenly adventures as he tests the limits of friendship, learns about forgiveness and, finally, makes peace with the boy he once was and the boy he can now be. - Goodreads

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I didn't know much about this book going in, but I'd seen it all over the bookish interwebs and my interest was piqued. 

This is the story of Boo (real name Oliver), who dies suddenly (not a spoiler, it happens in the first chapter) and finds himself in an odd place that turns out to be "heaven" for American 13-year-olds. Soon another boy he knew at school, Johnny, shows up, and the two of them try to piece together what happened to them. 

First things first, about this whole heaven place. It only contains 13-year-olds (American ones, at that). So you can't see the grandparents who passed away before you were born or a parent who might have met with an accident - you can't even play with your childhood dog. Not only that, but there are lots of things heaven doesn't get - junk food, non-fiction books, pets or cars. And the kids stay how they were when they died - not the best they ever were, but whatever their physical condition was when they passed away. So if they were in a coma for a month and had their head shaved due to a bullet wound (like Boo's friend Johnny), that's how they're stuck. Even if they were athletic pre-coma. What kind of heaven is that? I'd want mine with endless cheesecake that never made me fat and perfect hair without having to do anything to it.

They're stuck in this "heaven" for 50 years. But they never get to change or grow up, they're stuck just as they were in life. Imagine being a 60-year-old in a 13-year-old's body? No thank you. 

Plus, even though from the beginning of the book there's nothing to indicate time period, it turns out part way through that it's the 1970s. Inexplicably. I don't know why it's set in the '70s - it could just as easily have been today. It wasn't necessary to the story and didn't feel like much was really done with the time period. So that threw me off a little - I kept having to consciously remind myself that this wasn't current-day.

Despite some issues with the setting and time period, the characters were irresistible. Boo is such an interesting kid - smart, but with a winning side of social awkwardness and vulnerability. He's spent his childhood being picked on, of course, given that he doesn't look or act like a "normal" kid. You can't help but become attached to him, and his friendship with Johnny makes you believe that kids can be decent and kind after all. Plus there are some great kids they meet in heaven - Thelma, the first person Boo sees when he wakes up, loud-mouthed Esther, and Peter Peter who runs the town museum of curious objects (things that normally aren't allowed in heaven, but that somehow showed up anyway).

As I was reading this book, I kept thinking of The Maze Runner - the enclosed space full of only kids with no way out - even the new expressions they've evolved for use specifically in heaven. Of course, this wasn't as silly and irritating as I found the new language in The Maze Runner (I had a lot of issues with that book), but still, the fact that it kept popping into my head even though I tried to keep it out did somewhat dampen my enjoyment. 

I only finished this book yesterday, and I'm sure that in time I'll settle into a firmer opinion of it, but for right now I must admit to having a hard time deciding what I think. I absolutely loved Boo, and I cared about his friends. Likewise I wanted to know what had actually happened to him and Johnny - the mystery of their deaths being central to the story. But I also found that there were times when the story dragged for me, and the setting fell a bit flat. I wanted just a little bit more out of the experience. In the end I would still recommend it, because it tackles some difficult and important topics, and offers characters worth getting to know, but it wasn't quite the 10/10 I was hoping for.

Some quotes from the book:

"'What about you boys?' Esther says. 'Feel any different than down in America?'
'I feel a bit more social,' I say, 'but I fear it comes at the cost of a lower intelligence quotient.'
'Well, is it better to be dumber with friends or smarter without?' Esther asks." - p. 74

"As time passes in heaven, the stars do not change places, not till the day when Zig [God] changes the complete backdrop. I tell my students this is a metaphor for life: we go along thinking nothing will be different, till the day everything suddenly changes at once." - p. 268

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**Thanks to Random House Canada for providing a review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!**

Book Title: Boo
Author: Neil Smith
Series: No
Edition: Paperback
Published By: Knopf Canada
Released: May 12, 2015
Genre: Fiction, Young Adult, Paranormal
Pages: 310

Date Read: May 5-11, 2015
Rating: 7/10 (except this might change later, this one flumoxed me)

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THE SUNDAY REVIEW | THE CHILDREN'S CRUSADE - ANN PACKER

From the New York Times bestselling, award-winning author of The Dive From Clausen's Pier, a sweeping, masterful new novel that explores the secrets and desires, the remnant wounds and saving graces of one California family, over the course of five decades.

Bill Blair finds the land by accident, three wooded acres in a rustic community south of San Francisco. The year is 1954, long before anyone will call this area Silicon Valley. Struck by a vision of the family he has yet to create, Bill buys the property on a whim. In Penny Greenway he finds a suitable wife, a woman whose yearning attitude toward life seems compelling and answerable, and they marry and have four children. Yet Penny is a mercurial housewife, at a time when women chafed at the conventions imposed on them. She finds salvation in art, but the cost is high.

Thirty years later, the three oldest Blair children, adults now and still living near the family home, are disrupted by the return of the youngest, whose sudden presence and all-too-familiar troubles force a reckoning with who they are, separately and together, and set off a struggle over the family's future. One by one, the siblings take turns telling the story--Robert, a doctor like their father; Rebecca, a psychiatrist; Ryan, a schoolteacher; and James, the malcontent, the problem child, the only one who hasn't settled down-their narratives interwoven with portraits of the family at crucial points in their history. - Goodreads

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First things first, let's just take a moment to admire that cover, shall we? Okay, now, on to my thoughts. 

This book begins with Bill Blair. Fresh from military service, he is looking for a new start at life in California. He finds a tract of land where he can picture a house under the shade of a huge oak tree. He falls in love with the land, and with the life he can imagine there. His imagined life soon comes to include Penny, a young woman he meets by chance. 

Cut to several years and four children later. The house is built, Bill is a pediatrician with a thriving practice and Penny is struggling to handle four children and still find time for her artistic passions. Our first real introduction to the Blairs is when the children are still quite young. Robert is the oldest, serious and prone to nervous stomachaches. Then comes Rebecca, observant and smart as a whip. Next is Ryan, a soft-hearted, affectionate boy - and the only of the four children to attend an alternative school. The youngest, James, is a ball of energy. He's the most demanding of attention, often causing mischief and upsetting Penny. 

It's hard to describe this family without giving away any of the details of the adults they will become. Because the details are the entire point of this story. I found it fascinating to see how the personalities and characteristics each had as children translated into the life choices they made as adults - often leading them to their careers and partners. Each sibling is unique, yet their communal upbringing has shaped each life and created a shared history that affects every interaction the siblings have.

I loved how this book was structured. The perspective of the book shifts seamlessly between family members, and shows us the inner workings of each. This allows us to really get to know and care for every character. None of them are perfect - nor is their family (but what family is?), and yet they balance one another well, and each has one aspect of their personality that sets them apart from the others. 

As an only child, I found this insider's view of a lively brood of siblings riveting. The ways their roles reflect their relationships with one another, and how they can never quite manage to change them - no matter how many years or life changes intervene. 

This was undeniably a great read. I'm not big on family sagas - I don't know what it is, but they often lose me. Something about the pacing and focus that can drag for me, even when it's well done. That said, this was one of the best I've read, and I found that I was more drawn into the story and more attached to the characters than I expected to be. If you are a fan of family sagas (or if you haven't been in the past but want to try again), this is one you will definitely want to pick up ASAP. 

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**Thanks to Scribner on Netgalley for providing a review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!**

Book Title: The Children's Crusade
Author: Ann Packer
Series: No
Edition: Electronic
Published By: Scribner
Released: April 7, 2015
Genre: Fiction, Family, Character-Driven
Pages: 448

Date Read: April 6-May 4, 2015
Rating: 8/10

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THE SUNDAY REVIEW | THE SWEETNESS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PIE - ALAN BRADLEY

Winner of the 2007 Crime Writers’ Association Debut Dagger

A delightfully dark English mystery, featuring precocious young sleuth Flavia de Luce and her eccentric family.

The summer of 1950 hasn’t offered up anything out of the ordinary for eleven-year-old Flavia de Luce: bicycle explorations around the village, keeping tabs on her neighbours, relentless battles with her older sisters, Ophelia and Daphne, and brewing up poisonous concoctions while plotting revenge in their home’s abandoned Victorian chemistry lab, which Flavia has claimed for her own.

But then a series of mysterious events gets Flavia’s attention: A dead bird is found on the doormat, a postage stamp bizarrely pinned to its beak. A mysterious late-night visitor argues with her aloof father, Colonel de Luce, behind closed doors. And in the early morning Flavia finds a red-headed stranger lying in the cucumber patch and watches him take his dying breath. For Flavia, the summer begins in earnest when murder comes to Buckshaw: “I wish I could say I was afraid, but I wasn’t. Quite the contrary. This was by far the most interesting thing that had ever happened to me in my entire life.”

Did the stranger die of poisoning? There was a piece missing from Mrs. Mullet’s custard pie, and none of the de Luces would have dared to eat the awful thing. Or could he have been killed by the family’s loyal handyman, Dogger… or by the Colonel himself! At that moment, Flavia commits herself to solving the crime — even if it means keeping information from the village police, in order to protect her family. But then her father confesses to the crime, for the same reason, and it’s up to Flavia to free him of suspicion. Only she has the ingenuity to follow the clues that reveal the victim’s identity, and a conspiracy that reaches back into the de Luces’ murky past.

A thoroughly entertaining romp of a novel, The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie is inventive and quick-witted, with tongue-in-cheek humour that transcends the macabre seriousness of its subject. - Goodreads

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I thoroughly enjoyed Flavia de Luce. An eleven-year-old budding chemist, Flavia is part of a privileged family and lives in a mansion (seriously, it has wings and her own chemistry lab) with her father, sisters and the gardener/jack-of-all trades, Dogger. 

Flavia is something of a loner. Her mother died, and her father is distant. Her older sister Ophelia is vain and only interested in primping and flirting. Daphne, Flavia's other sister, lives in the fictional worlds of her beloved books and has little attention for the real world. Flavia's discovery of a chemistry lab that had belonged to a now-deceased family member led her to an interest and area of expertise all her own (and as a bonus, it also provides her with the means for petty revenge against her irritating siblings). 

One morning Flavia wanders out into the garden... and discovers a dead body. As a curious and tenacious child, Flavia cannot help following clues, despite being instructed by the police to leave the investigation alone. 

Before long she has found some disturbing information tying her father to the murder victim, and is forced to face the possibility that her father is at the very least caught in a murderous web, and at worst is a murderer. 

Flavia is such a winningly precocious character that I couldn't help but be won over by her. It helped that she was strongly reminiscent of some of my favourite childhood literary idols - from Nancy Drew to Trixie Belden to Harriet the Spy. Though the plot does challenge credulity at times, I found it easy to want to suspend my disbelief and trail Flavia as she fearlessly sets off to find out exactly what happened to the man in the cucumber patch. 

Related backlist reads:

• The Nancy Drew mysteries by Carolyn Keene (for young readers)
• The Trixie Belden mysteries by Julie Campbell and Kathryn Kenny (for young readers)
• Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh (for young readers)
• The Maisie Dobbs books by Jacqueline Winspear (my review of Maisie Dobbs)
• The Maggie Hope books by Susan Elia MacNeal (my review of Mr. Churchill's Secretary)

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Book Title: The Sweetness At the Bottom of the Pie
Author: Alan Bradley
Series: Yes - Flavia de Luce
Edition: Paperback
Published By: Anchor Canada
Released: November 10, 2009
Genre: Fiction, Mystery
Pages: 400

Date Read: March 22-April 2, 2015
Rating: 7/10

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BOOK REVIEW | NOTHING LIKE LOVE - SABRINA RAMNANAN

A sparkling, witty and confident debut from a rising Canadian star whose Trinidadian roots and riotous storytelling heritage inform her completely delightful novel.

It is 1974 in the town of Chance, Trinidad--home to a colourful cast of cane farmers, rum-drinkers, scandal-mongers . . . and a bright 18-year-old schoolgirl named Vimla Narine. After passing her A-levels with extraordinary results and accepting the coveted teaching post at Saraswati Hindu school, Vimla is caught with the village pundit's son, Krishna Govind. At night. Holding hands. By morning, even the village vagrant has heard the news and the Govinds and Narines find themselves at the heart of Chance's most delicious disgrace since a woman chased her cheating husband from the district with a rolling pin.

Very quickly, Vimla's teaching post is rescinded, her mother goes on strike from everything, her father seeks solace in the rum shop and Vimla is confined to her home. While Vimla waits for Krishna to rescue her, Krishna's father exiles his boy to Tobago with a suitcase of Hindu scriptures and a command: Krishna will become a man of God. It is his duty.

Just when Vimla thinks her fate couldn't be worse, her best friend, Minty, brings word that Krishna has become betrothed to the beautiful Chalisa Shankar. And Chalisa wants to meet Vimla. Together, Vimla and Minty devise a scheme to win Krishna back that involves blackmailing a neighbour, conspiring with Chalisa, secret trysts in cane fields--and unearthing surprising truths that could change Vimla's, Krishna's and Chalisa's lives forever. - Goodreads

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Set in Trinidad in the 1970s, Nothing Like Love seamlessly layers place and time to create a dynamic setting for a passionate love story. The story centres on two young lovers, Vimla and Krishna, who are the very definition of star-crossed.

After the couple are caught sneaking out to the cane fields in the middle of the night, Vimla's reputation is destroyed and Krishna's family set up an arranged marriage for him with a rich, beautiful young woman called Chalisa from a nearby town.

Neither Chalisa nor Krishna want to be married, but as soon as the marriage is set, Krishna is sent to stay with his aunt in Tobago until the details of the wedding can be arranged. Vimla is left behind, not knowing whether Krishna is still in love with her or whether he intends to comply with his family's wishes and marry Chalisa.

As she waits, the town around her (a town called Chance) hums with rumours - not only about her, but about her parents, her neighbours and about Krishna's new fiancee. Chance is a town that runs on gossip, and everyone has secrets. We become privy to all of them, and get to watch in fascination as scandals brew and break on all sides.

Meanwhile Chalisa is straining against her prescribed role and trying to find a way out of the arranged marriage. What she really wants is to pursue her dream of becoming a famous singer and dancer - and maybe even get to be with the man she really cares for.

Though love stories aren't typically my favourite, I really enjoyed this one. I loved how the characters were so colourful. Even the most unlikeable of this cast cannot be faulted for being boring.

I also couldn't get enough of Ramnanan's Trinidad. Her descriptions of the country - its flora and culture - were so lively that at times I could almost smell the flowers and feel the sun on my face. If you're one for literary tourism, this is a book you'll want to pick up and save for a rainy day.

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**Thanks to Random House Canada for providing a review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!**

Book Title: Nothing Like Love
Author: Sabrina Ramnanan
Series: No
Edition: Hardback
Published By: Doubleday Canada
Released: April 21, 2015
Genre: Fiction, Character-Driven
Pages: 424

Date Read: April 12-25, 2015
Rating: 7/10

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