{Review} UNWELL by Marie Chow

ISBN #: 978-1494941208

Page Count: 306

Copyright: January 7, 2014

Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

Description:

(Taken from Amazon)

How do you tell your child that you won’t be there when they grow up? UNWELL is the raw, honest story of a mother who writes to her unborn child, sharing her decision of choosing not to be a mother. She doesn’t choose abortion. Nor does she consider adoption. Instead, she decides to give her child a fighting chance in life, without the angst and drama that’s shaped her own bittersweet life.

With a poignant lack of emotion, the young mother shares her life story. As the child of Asian parents who moved to America early in her life, the mother shares how her life disintegrated after her parents’ divorce. From upper middle class suburban to sharing her mean aunt’s house to a one bedroom apartment in a shabby neighborhood, this mother endures the indignity that comes with the change of status. From her father’s absence to her mother becoming a married man’s mistress, her story reads like a tragic Victorian novel set in the 21st century, but that’s where the similarity ends—she is definitely not a shy country miss and she certainly did not take the easy way out.

Charlene's Review:

Unwell is a haunting story of a Chinese American woman chronicling her life for the unborn child she is carrying, and that she has chosen to never know. It is the story of her life, its choices, and their consequences. While unsettling, Ms. Chow takes the reader on a journey that most can appreciate on some level.

To say I liked this book’s content would be a travesty. I was deeply touched by her raw honesty, and appalled at the same time by the naked emotions portrayed with such flat affect. After finishing the book, it made much more sense in the cultural aspect, and I felt compassion for someone so damaged by her world. We never learn the identity of the narrator, which adds to the mystique of the story, and yet, it also added to the discontent this reader felt.

I wish we had been given a glimpse of what transpired after the birth; how the young woman made her escape, and how her story continued. I finished it feeling rather undone by it all. Having said that, this is a tremendous work of literature. Gritty and poignant, Ms. Chow has a personal style that flows freely and grips the reader, whether they like it or not.


*A physical copy of this book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

{Review} THE INTERCEPT by Dick Wolf

ISBN #: 978-0062068491

Page Count: 433

Copyright: May 28, 2013

Publisher: Harper; 1st Edition (Mass Market Paperback)

Book Summary:

(Taken from back cover)

Dick Wolf makes his literary debut with this driving thriller reminiscent of the classic The Day of the Jackal, an extraordinary tale filled with the ingenious twists and high-wire suspense we have come to expect from this master storyteller.

Days before the July Fourth holiday and the dedication of One World Trade Center at Ground Zero, an incident aboard a commercial jet reminds everyone involved that vigilance saves lives.

But New York Police Detective Jeremy Fisk - from the department's Intelligence Division, a well-funded anti-terror unit modeled upon the CIA - suspects that the event is a warning sign that another, potentially more extraordinary scheme has been set in motion. So when a passenger from the same plane disappears into the crowds of Manhattan, it's up to Fisk and his partner, Krina Gersten, to find him before the celebrations begin ... and time is running out.

Mandy's Review:

For those of you who don't know, or who didn't look at the picture of the above cover closely enough, Dick Wolf is the creator of Law & Order. That was the main reason why I said "yes" to reading and reviewing his novels. We know the man can write an hour-long episode for television, but can he write a full-length novel with the same suspense and drama?

Jeremy Fisk is great at what he does. He's already proven himself to his superiors before this novel begins. Who we do get to meet for the first time is his partner, Krina. Jeremy pulls her in off the streets for a tactical assignment because she can work undercover and remain unassuming. Over the years, they form a romantic relationship and are able to keep it under wraps.

Krina always winds up with the crappy assignments because she's a woman. No doubt about it, her chance of gaining ground in the "all boy's club" is minimal. So when she's assigned as a "camp counselor" to The Six, the heroes of an attempted plane hijacking, she's pissed but she does her job well. It's this job, though, that causes Krina to seriously consider a job change after the current one is finished. Jeremy's not excited to hear about her potential career change and is trying to find a way to convince her otherwise.

Dick Wolf utilizes the familiarity of America's fear and concern of terrorism to write an emotional roller-coaster ride. There were many twists and turns, but they didn't pile on top of each other as some authors write them. This book flowed naturally and quickly, keeping my attention the entire time. Like the aforementioned roller coaster, you're in the middle of one twist and be just about out of it when you see another one coming at you from ahead. Very exciting and highly recommended. It's nice to know that Dick Wolf can write more than just an episodic television drama. I'm ready to read the second Jeremy Fisk novel, The Execution, and let you know my thoughts. Stay tuned!


*A physical copy of this novel was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

{Review} UNDERLAKE by Kia Heavey

ISBN #: 978-0615956046

Page Count: 326

Copyright: February 27, 2014

Publisher: Unfiltered Creative

Description:

(Taken from back cover)

Pampered and cultured Katie Welch has had the same friends her entire life, but lately she doesn't fit in anymore. Then her mother drags her to a remote farm town where the local kids are friendly, but they don't know the real her. Even the grownups in her life seem to have lost their way. In the throes of growing up and growing apart, Katie discovers the most unusual boy swimming in her lake and for the first time in memory, she connects. John is refreshingly old-fashioned and wise in ways Katie has never encountered before, but it's clear he's hiding something. Katie is just so happy to have someone she can relate to, she's willing to defy her mother and ignore the warning signs. She does so at her own risk.

Charlene's Review:

When Katie Welch’s mom drags her out into the country, Katie is determined to be miserable. She makes a few friends, and is enamored by a strange boy that she watches swimming in the lake. She finds herself falling in love with the farming town, and with her new friends, especially John, the lake boy. John has a dark secret, though, and falling for him could mean the end of the life Katie holds so dear.

Underlake is a complex story written to delight and empower the reader. Classified as Young Adult, I felt it was beautifully done for girls searching for their own voice. Katie is a young girl that most girls can identify with as she struggles with following the crowd versus personal values. Combining the mythical with a coming-of-age story, and a nod to Christian fiction, Ms. Heavey writes a story that captivates the reader. The ending is not at all what I expected but left me pleasantly surprised, not disappointed.

Having a heroine that isn’t afraid to stand out and be different was refreshing. Ms. Heavey starts the book with the dedication, "For girls everywhere who are less than thrilled with the popular things." I was very impressed with the values expressed by Katie in the book, and while the church and personal beliefs were discussed, it never felt preachy, but just another aspect to the storyline.

Underlake is a refreshing change of pace in a fast-paced, feel-good world of conformity. I highly recommend it for young girls and will be gifting mine to my niece.

5 out of 5 stars!


*A physical copy of the book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

{Review} TIME REGULATION INSTITUTE by Ahmet Hamdi Tampinar

ISBN #: 978-0143106739

Page Count: 432

Copyright: January 7, 2014

Publisher: Penguin Classics

Book Summary:

(Taken from Goodreads)

A literary discovery: an uproarious tragicomedy of modernization, in its first-ever English translation

Perhaps the greatest Turkish novel of the twentieth century, being discovered around the world only now, more than fifty years after its first publication, The Time Regulation Institute is an antic, freewheeling send-up of the modern bureaucratic state.

At its center is Hayri Irdal, an infectiously charming antihero who becomes entangled with an eccentric cast of characters—a television mystic, a pharmacist who dabbles in alchemy, a dignitary from the lost Ottoman Empire, a “clock whisperer”—at the Time Regulation Institute, a vast organization that employs a hilariously intricate system of fines for the purpose of changing all the clocks in Turkey to Western time. Recounted in sessions with his psychoanalyst, the story of Hayri Irdal’s absurdist misadventures plays out as a brilliant allegory of the collision of tradition and modernity, of East and West, infused with a poignant blend of hope for the promise of the future and nostalgia for a simpler time.

Kathy's Review:

Hayri is just an ordinary guy - no special talents, and not blessed with wealth. Yet he falls into a variety of strange circumstances. It seems like he is swept along by life, rather than an active participant. I think the heart of this book examines this concept – how much of our lives are shaped by our actions, vs. the actions of others which affect us? Hayri falls into the Time Regulation Institute (which really only makes its first appearance in the second half of the book) because of who he knows and through a series of misconstrued stories about him others have exaggerated on his behalf.

For me, this book was a little bit hard to follow because I am not familiar at all with Turkish culture and the titles they give one another. The title “Bey” follows many of the men’s names and seems to be a title of respect. But that made it hard to keep up with who was who. I found many of the events within the book to be amusing, but I also didn’t really understand a lot of what was going on.

For that reason, I’m going to limit my recommendation to people who might have an interest in history, or desire to know more about Turkish culture and literature or who enjoy literary fiction and are looking for something different.


*A copy of this book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

{2014 TBR Pile Challenge Review} Juliet, Naked by Nick Hornby

ISBN #: 978-1594484773

Page Count: 406

Copyright: September 7, 2010 (Reprint)

Publisher: Riverhead Trade

Book Summary:

(Taken from Amazon)

Nick Hornby returns to his roots-music and messy relationships-in this funny and touching new novel which thoughtfully and sympathetically looks at how lives can be wasted but how they are never beyond redemption. Annie lives in a dull town on England's bleak east coast and is in a relationship with Duncan which mirrors the place; Tucker was once a brilliant songwriter and performer, who's gone into seclusion in rural America-or at least that's what his fans think. Duncan is obsessed with Tucker's work, to the point of derangement, and when Annie dares to go public on her dislike of his latest album, there are quite unexpected, life-changing consequences for all three.

Nick Hornby uses this intriguing canvas to explore why it is we so often let the early promise of relationships, ambition and indeed life evaporate. And he comes to some surprisingly optimistic conclusions about the struggle to live up to one's promise.

Kathy's Review:

(Reprinted with her permission from her personal blog, Grown Up Book Reports)

I had it in my 2013 Challenge list. However, due to other books taking priority, and maybe due to the fact that this one didn’t really grab me as much as some of my other 2013 titles (11/22/63, anyone?), I never got around to reading it.

Even this year, I started it early in the year and it took me four months to get through it. I usually have a book like this – one where I start, lose interest, then start reading other stuff. I’ve had about two months’ worth of library reads, so this one, which I own, was bumped down the list to accommodate my library books.

So, what can I say about this book? Juliet, Naked refers not to an unclothed woman, as maybe some male readers might hope. ;) Rather, it is the title of a new album by reclusive American singer/songwriter Tucker Crowe, who had a big hit back in the day and then faded into obscurity, except for his small but passionate fan base. One such fan is Duncan, an Englishman who is part of an obsessive fan base that speculates on the current whereabouts and lifestyle of Crowe. He goes so far as to take his girlfriend, Annie, who is a reluctant Crowe fan by association, to America to do a tour of some of the famous places Crowe either recorded at, or played live at. Duncan even visits  the home of the titular Juliet (Julie), who isn’t home at the time, but it doesn’t matter to Duncan. This is a Mecca-like experience for him.

Annie isn’t nearly as feverish about Crowe, but learns to like the obscure artist’s music through Duncan. When Naked is released after 20 years of no new music, it sets his fan base into a frenzy. Duncan, having obtained a copy before some of the others, writes a very high-falutin’ review on the fan site. Annie, who has reached her breaking point with Duncan, is inspired to write a review basically saying the album is crap. Lo and behold, Crowe reads her review and contacts her via e-mail. Thus begins an intercontinental flirtation between Annie and the musician.

That is a synopsis of some of the action of the novel. Hornby depicts Crowe as having some of the stereotypical characteristics one would expect from a rock musician – namely, several ex-wives and children with each of them; recovering from alchoholism; but other than that, he leads a normal and rather boring life. Annie, whose life is also normal and rather boring, can’t fathom what Crowe is even doing talking to her. It’s not only a clash of lifestyles but of continents. That there’s any kind of common thread is surprising to both of them.

This book examines life from the perspective of Annie, Duncan and Tucker at times, and explores the dynamics of relationships of convenience, of trying to heal broken family ties, and of what happens to your perception when your idol turns out to be a pretty ordinary guy.

For a Nick Hornby book, I’d say this was just ok. I was expecting it to be more than it was. If I were to say yay or nay on this one, I’d probably say nay. Pick something else by Hornby, like High Fidelity or About a Boy. Or better yet, rent those movies. :)