August, 2018

"Moloka'i" by Alan Brennert        

When Rachel, a 7 year old Hawaiian develops splotches on her skin, her family immediately suspects that she is a leper. They try and hide her condition from the health authorities, but in a fit of anger, her sister calls her a dirty leper. Rachel is taken from her family and sent to Kalaupapa, the quarantined leprosy colony on the island of Moloka'i. Rachel reunites with her uncle, and settles into a kind of life in the girl's home. This book follows her as she grows, loses endless friends, marries and has a child, only to have the child taken at birth.       

Although the subject matter of the book was utterly fascinating, I felt that there was a detachment with the characters.  I felt like I didn't know the characters, they lacked personality and depth.  At times the book moved too fast, skimming large chunks of time.   Overall not a bad book, but not one I would reread.

"Daughter of Moloka'i" by Alan Brennert         

This is the sequel to Moloka'i. It tells the story of Rachel's daughter, Ruth. At a year old, Ruth was taken from Kalaupapa to the Kapi'olani Home for Girls. At a young age, she was adopted by a Japanese couple. Their family left Hawaii and moved to California's farmland. When WWII struck, the family was interned at the Manzanar Relocation Camp. Years later, Ruth receives a letter from a woman claiming to be her birth mother.         

This book had some of the same problems that Moloka'i had. The characters seemed detached and superficial. I never felt like I knew who the characters were. Relationships with secondary characters also seemed superficial. Time also moved quickly in this book, skipping through what may have been important moments. Overall, not a bad book, but not something I would reread or recommend.

"Tell Me You're Mine" by Elisabeth Noreback         

When Stella was little more than a teenager, her year old baby went missing at the seaside. Investigators determined that the baby drowned and closed the case. Stella slowly regained her life, marrying, having a second child, and establishing a career as a successful psychotherapist. When Isabelle steps into her office Stella immediately, believes that she is her lost daughter.         

I thought this was a well paced book. The author did a good job of building up suspense and slowly unraveling the story. I thought Stella was a hard to like character, and wished she was a bit more relatable. Otherwise, I thought this was a well written and engaging book. Overall, well worth reading.

"A Spark of Light" by Jodi Picoult         

When Hugh, a hostage negotiator, arrives at an abortion clinic, he is shocked to find that his daughter and sister are trapped inside with an active gunman. Moving backwards through time, the book slowly unravels the story of those inside and out of the clinic.         

I don't understand why the author chose to move backwards in time. It really took away from the book and the story. The entire book felt like a runaway train, with the characters and story all mixed up and muddled. What could have been a great book, was just a mess. Overall, a bust.

"Shivering World" by Kathy Tyers         

Graysha accepts a terraforming position on a hazardous planet with the hope that rumors about illegal genetic research are true. However, Graysha's mother is the head of the Eugenics Board, and getting the locals to trust her is seemingly impossible. Without the research, Graysha's genetic disorder will continue to slowly kill her.         

This was a very well developed world with full, rich characters. The story was well paced and kept me reading long into the night. I look forward to reading more from this author. Highly recommended.

"The Tomb" by S. A. Bodeen         

Kiva lives a pampered life as one of the elite in ancient Alexandria. Her former best friend Seth is killed and she is chosen as a companion sacrifice. However, when she wakes on a space station, she is told that she has spent her life in virtual reality and has been chosen to go on a vital mission.         

I know that this is a young adult book, but it was just overly simplistic. Kiva only had a slight reaction to being told that her entire life was a lie. For a hormonal teenager, this just did not feel realistic. It made no sense, even with an explanation, that a life or death survival mission would be left up to two 15 year olds. Maybe this book should be marketed to an even younger age group. Overall, a bust.