September, 2013

"Six Women of Salem:  The Untold Story of the Accused and Their Accusers in the Salem Witch Trials" by Marilynne K. Roach

This book explores the lives of six women involved in the Salem witch trials.  I had a hard time enjoying this book.  I found Part 1 to be a bit dry and boring.  The author would begin by telling one story and then drift off into another before getting back to the original person.  I found this a bit maddening and highly annoying.  The storytelling aspects of the story were great, but unfortunately that was only a small part of each chapter.

"Sky Jumpers" by Peggy Eddleman         

After World War III, a group of people came together in White Rock.  Hope, an athletic twelve year old, feels inadequate in a town that puts inventing above everything else.  When the town is besieged by raiders, Hope and her friends sneak out of town and travel through snow and mountains to the next village seeking help.

     I thought this was a great book.  I think pre-teens and young teenagers will highly enjoy the story.  I did think it odd that Hope traveled cross country with an injured kid and a five year old.  This seemed less than realistic.  Otherwise, I have no complaints.  Highly recommended.

"Deja Vu" by D. J. Starling          

This book starts out with the characters pining for a boyfriend or other romantic entanglement.  I am the type of person who has never needed someone else to make me complete.  I found this extremely off putting and consequently put down the book.  I'm sure some will enjoy this book, but it definitely wasn't for me.

"Still Missing" by Chevy Stevens         

Abducted while showing a house to a potential buyer, Annie finds herself trapped with a psychopath.  Forced to obey strict rules and never given the opportunity to escape, she falls into the routines only to protect herself, and later, her child.  The story is told in therapy sessions, after she escaped after suffering for over a year.

     This book was definitely a page turner.  It was exciting and featured a shocking conclusion.  After a while I did feel that the therapy session became a bit old, I wish it had been mixed in with other points of view.   If I hadn't been so interested in Annie and her story I probably would have put the book down after a while.  Overall, not a bad read.

"When Mountains Move" by Julie Cantrell         

This novel begins where "Into the Free" left off.  Millie has chosen to marry Bump and move to Colorado with him.  Colorado is beautiful, yet different from what she expected.  Faced with a ramshackle cabin, no plumping and no electricity, Bump and Millie work hard to make the land habitable.  When Millie discovers that she is pregnant, she is horrified to find out that the baby was conceived months before her wedding when she was raped.

     This was a beautifully written, moving novel.  The characters are very realistic and the setting outstanding.  The author really brought their world to life.  I can't wait to read more by this author.  Overall, highly recommended.

"Touched by Fire" by Irene N. Watts         

When Miriam's family flees from Russia to Germany, they work hard to save enough money for the family to travel to America one-by-one.  After her dad settles in New York City he saves enough money to bring over Miriam, her mother and brother.  At the last minute her brother refuses to get on the boat, leaving Miriam to travel on her own.  Once settled in America, Miriam gets a job at the Triangle Shirt Waist Company.  A year later, she is working when a fire starts, devastating the lives of many.

     Overall I thought this was a great book.  It was well written and the characters were interesting.  I wish there was more content, the book just left me wanting more.  I didn't particularly like the epilogue, it was written in a childlike voice, which just did not resonate with the rest of the story.

"The Boxer's Story:  Fighting For My Life in the Nazi Camps" by Nathan Shapow         

Nathan's dreams of becoming a boxer were ended with the Nazi occupation of Latvian.  Placed into a ghetto and then sent to several concentration camps, Nathan's story is one of survival.

     I hate to give harsh criticism of a holocaust survival story but overall, I thought this book was only OK.  The author skipped from one place to another without giving many day-to-day details.  He told us that life was bad, but didn't really show us.  He also continually talked about his physical prowess.  I'm sure that was something to be proud of, and kept him alive, but after a while it became a bit redundant.  Overall, not a book I see myself rereading.

"The Boy Who Said No:  An Escape to Freedom" by Patti Sheehy         

As a young boy in Cuba, Frankie saw all of the changes that took place when Castro came into power.   He spent nearly 10 months in Fidel's literacy program, where young boys were supposed to teach peasants how to read.  He was then sent to a top school, where he was taught the virtues of communism.  After leaving the school and returning to public school, he was drafted into the army, where he was chosen to work in Special Forces.  During all of this time he fell in love and decided to do whatever it took to escape Cuban and join his girlfriend in America.

     Overall, this was a fascinating book, it was hard to put down.  I was amazed by the courage and determination of Frankie, and the lengths he went through to escape.  My only criticism is the epilogue.  All it really said was that I had to wait until the next book to find out anymore about Frankie.  I found this extremely annoying and disappointing.   Although the book was an incredible read, I doubt that I'll pick up the next one.

"Traces of Mercy" by Landon & Kelley         

At the tail end of the civil war, a woman is found bloodied and bruised, dressed in men's clothing.  Waking up at a clinic, she cannot recall who she is or any details about her life.  After healing, she is sent to a convent, where she is given the name Mercy, after a religious medal she is wearing.

     Overall, I did not like the main character.  There was just something about her that rubbed me the wrong way.  That being said, the book was well written and moved at a brisk pace.  I don't see myself reading the next book in the series, but I believe some will like Mercy and will enjoy her story.

"Wild Boy" by Rob Lloyd Jones         

Wild Boy, born with hair all over his body, was first sent to a desolate orphanage until he was discovered by the circus.  Here, he is part of the freak show, until one day he intercepts a letter, talking of a mysterious machine and warning of death.

     Overall, I thought the book moved a bit slowly.  However, the characters were very interesting and dynamic.  I think young teenagers will highly enjoy this book, especially boys.

"Five Days at Memorial" by Sheri Fink

        If you were faced with a crisis, who to save, who to let die, or even who to hasten towards death, what would you do.  During Katrina, the doctors of Memorial Medical Center were faced with exactly that dilemma.  As the flood waters rose, the electricity failed, the heat was suffocating and the doctors and nurses were unable to provide basic care to their patients.  Many of these patients were elderly, inform or bedridden.

        This book was just fascinating.  It did a great job of showing both sides of the story, and really sparks a debate.  Well written, it moved from a variety of voices, highlighting multiple points of view.  Overall, highly recommended.

"Escape From Communist Heaven" by Dennis Dunivan         

When the American's abandon South Vietnam and the North takes over, Viet Nguyen and his family must give up most of what they have.  While life used to be comfortable, life is now full of hunger and fear.  When he is caught selling on the black market, Viet Nguyen is sent to a labor camp, where is he given very little food and expected to work extremely hard. 

This book was very well written and engaging.  I think that it would be a great book for teenagers and young adults, who may not know little about Vietnam and it's war.  Overall, highly recommended. 

"All Our Yesterdays" by Cristin Terrill         

Em and Finn are imprisoned within a secret military base.  After escaping, the two  go back in time to stop The Doctor from creating the time machine in the first place.  While Em and Finn are hunting down James, the Doctor's younger self, much more is revealed about the past and the relationships between Em, Finn, and James.        

It is really hard to give a description of this book.  However, it was very suspenseful, thought provoking and a fast read.  I thought the characters were very realistic and their story heartbreaking at times.  I would have like to have read more about the time right before they were captured.  Overall, highly recommended.

"Red Rising" by Pierce Brown         

In a future where democracy has failed, a rigid caste system determines your worth and abilities.  Born a red, Darrow is in the lowest caste.  Tasked with making Mars inhabitable, he pushes himself and crew to dig as deep and fast as possible.  When his wife is killed, he risks his life to bury her body, earning himself a hanging.  Rescued by a rebel group, he is transformed into a gold and sent to The Academy, where he will battle other golds for dominion and power.         

I think this was a very interesting future world.  The characters seemed a bit stereotypical and could have used more development.  I would have liked to have read more about Darrow's transformation from red to gold and the training he underwent to live in gold society.  I think the time at the academy seemed to move rather slowly, as there were bursts of excitement between periods of inactivity.  I do think I will read the sequel, if only to find out how Darrow transforms his world.

"The Tulip Eaters" by Antoinette van Heugten         ***Spoilers***

Nora comes home from work only to discover that her mother is dead and her six month old daughter Rose is missing.  After finding a dead Dutchman in the house near her mother she is utterly confused.  When the police are unable to find Rose, Nora uncovers a dusty box in the attic which suggests that her mother was a Nazi sympathizer.  Convinced that the murder, kidnapping and her mother’s past are connected, Nora zips off to Amsterdam, determined to find her daughter.

     I absolutely hated that Nora just walked away from her daughters kidnappers and did nothing.  I don't think any sane mother would do this.  There would be no way to insure that her daughter wouldn't be taken again.  I wish the author had spent more time in the past telling Anneke's story.  It would have made the book more powerful and would have revealed the truth in a more logical fashion.  Overall, not a bad book.  I look forward to reading future novels from this author.