Grade: A
Highly recommended.
Little Girl Gone is a dark, depressing story about a young girl from a messed up family heading nowhere quickly. We meet Madora, a 17 year old girl who goes to a party with a friend and gets gooped up on something. She meets a man named Willis who says he can rescue her if she comes with him. Off Madora goes with Willis to his trailer in the middle of nowhere for five years. Madora becomes Willis' attendant, taking care of her captor without realizing that he has indeed kidnapped her. While driving around, Willis spots a pregnant teen and sets his eyes on her. He must have her and rescue her too, so he takes her and keeps her prisoner in a crappy trailer on his property. Madora finds solace in a little pit bull puppy, Foo, that she saves from certain death in a box on the side of the road. Along with Foo, a young boy Django Jones comes along and slowly befriends Madora. Django helps Madora see Willis for his true self and helps her remember who she really is.
Little Girl Gone is a fast paced story and reminded me a bit of Joyce Carol Oates. This is a dark and creepy story about a sick and perverted man kidnapping young girls while telling them that he's saving them from a worse fate. We get to see Stockholm Syndrome in action without the plot feeling heavy handed or trite. Sure you can kind of tell where the story is going, but that won't stop you from reading. This was my first Drusilla Campbell read, and it was the mention of the pit bull that piqued my interest. Those who know me know I have a big soft spot for pit bulls. She's an Australian author although you'd never tell. I really like her writing style and think you guys will too.
Wednesday
Home Front by Kristin Hannah
Grade: D+
Not particularly recommended.
I'm sure I gave at least one book in The Hunger Games trilogy a D+, so I should say that this Kristin Hannah was slightly better than that.
Home Front is the story of Jolene, an army helicopter pilot, and her family; husband Michael, a lawyer, daughter Betsy, a bratty teenager, and Lulu, the four year old. Jolene and her neighbor and bestie Tammi are sent off to Iraq, leaving their husbands as single parents. Michael disapproves of the war and has a hard time dealing with Jolene being called to duty. Betsy is just a miserable teenager who acts out because she misses her mom and is scared that she won't come home. The war continues and Jolene comes home, but nothing is the same.
This book read like a slightly better Jodi Picoult book. The writing is just meh, and the plot twists predictable and sappy. Kristin Hannah also has a love affair with the word mulishly, as it is used over and over and over again. I did read an ARC edition so hopefully that changed. The characters are trite and straight out of a Lifetime movie. Naturally Michael is anti war, because what else would you expect from a military spouse whose wife is a proud soldier. And naturally with Michael being a lawyer, he would get a case involving PTSD, because how else would he learn what his wife is going through. It's only fitting that Jolene goes from being a control freak mom to having to learn to let someone else be in charge, no matter what your magic binder of directions says.
I was hoping for a fun beach type read, but instead got this, nearly 400 pages of mediocrity. I should have known from the cover being all pink and pretty, and also the book being the same size and thickness of a Jodi Picoult, but the ladies in my book group looooooooove Kristin Hannah, so I gave her a try. Not helping matters was my darling husband who just glanced at the book on the kitchen table and asked if it was a box of tampons. I'll give her another chance since the book group has chosen Night Road as the other Kristin Hannah selection. She gets one more chance and that's it. Life is too short to spend reading books by bestselling authors hoping that there is a good read amongst all the dreck.
Not particularly recommended.
I'm sure I gave at least one book in The Hunger Games trilogy a D+, so I should say that this Kristin Hannah was slightly better than that.
Home Front is the story of Jolene, an army helicopter pilot, and her family; husband Michael, a lawyer, daughter Betsy, a bratty teenager, and Lulu, the four year old. Jolene and her neighbor and bestie Tammi are sent off to Iraq, leaving their husbands as single parents. Michael disapproves of the war and has a hard time dealing with Jolene being called to duty. Betsy is just a miserable teenager who acts out because she misses her mom and is scared that she won't come home. The war continues and Jolene comes home, but nothing is the same.
This book read like a slightly better Jodi Picoult book. The writing is just meh, and the plot twists predictable and sappy. Kristin Hannah also has a love affair with the word mulishly, as it is used over and over and over again. I did read an ARC edition so hopefully that changed. The characters are trite and straight out of a Lifetime movie. Naturally Michael is anti war, because what else would you expect from a military spouse whose wife is a proud soldier. And naturally with Michael being a lawyer, he would get a case involving PTSD, because how else would he learn what his wife is going through. It's only fitting that Jolene goes from being a control freak mom to having to learn to let someone else be in charge, no matter what your magic binder of directions says.
I was hoping for a fun beach type read, but instead got this, nearly 400 pages of mediocrity. I should have known from the cover being all pink and pretty, and also the book being the same size and thickness of a Jodi Picoult, but the ladies in my book group looooooooove Kristin Hannah, so I gave her a try. Not helping matters was my darling husband who just glanced at the book on the kitchen table and asked if it was a box of tampons. I'll give her another chance since the book group has chosen Night Road as the other Kristin Hannah selection. She gets one more chance and that's it. Life is too short to spend reading books by bestselling authors hoping that there is a good read amongst all the dreck.
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Grade: A+
Highly recommended for fans of historical fiction, WWII stories, and those who enjoy the beauty of words and books.
The Book Thief should include coupons for kleenex because hoo boy are you going to need them! I'm talking crying oceans of tears.
The Book Thief is a story about a foster child, Liesel, sent to live in a poor town near Munich after her parents were accused of being Communists. Liesel's foster family is a cast of characters to say the least. Her mother does the laundry for those who can afford it and swears like a trucker. Her father is a painter and accordion player with a heart of gold. Liesel meets a neighborhood boy named Rudy and together they navigate the crumbling town of Molching, stealing books and fruit. Along the way comes Max Vandenberg, a Jewish man in desperate need of help. Death is our narrator.
The prose of Markus Zusak is beautiful and just goes to show how you can craft short sentences into beauty. Considering how heavy the subject matter is in this book, Zusak turning it into beauty shows what a talented writer he is. The writing is so superb that you can close your eyes and imagine the streets of Molching, the Hubermann's house, the Mayor's library, etc. Bonus points for teaching me how to swear in German! The Book Thief has won quite a few awards, although I have to disagree with it being considered a YA novel. Had I read this in junior high or high school I doubt that I would have appreciated the prose.
If you can get through the book without crying buckets of tears, I'm not sure if we read the same book. This book is deeply affecting, will haunt you, and does take time to fully process, but it's so worth it. The Book Thief is one of those titles that I'm all evangelical about.
Highly recommended for fans of historical fiction, WWII stories, and those who enjoy the beauty of words and books.
The Book Thief should include coupons for kleenex because hoo boy are you going to need them! I'm talking crying oceans of tears.
The Book Thief is a story about a foster child, Liesel, sent to live in a poor town near Munich after her parents were accused of being Communists. Liesel's foster family is a cast of characters to say the least. Her mother does the laundry for those who can afford it and swears like a trucker. Her father is a painter and accordion player with a heart of gold. Liesel meets a neighborhood boy named Rudy and together they navigate the crumbling town of Molching, stealing books and fruit. Along the way comes Max Vandenberg, a Jewish man in desperate need of help. Death is our narrator.
The prose of Markus Zusak is beautiful and just goes to show how you can craft short sentences into beauty. Considering how heavy the subject matter is in this book, Zusak turning it into beauty shows what a talented writer he is. The writing is so superb that you can close your eyes and imagine the streets of Molching, the Hubermann's house, the Mayor's library, etc. Bonus points for teaching me how to swear in German! The Book Thief has won quite a few awards, although I have to disagree with it being considered a YA novel. Had I read this in junior high or high school I doubt that I would have appreciated the prose.
If you can get through the book without crying buckets of tears, I'm not sure if we read the same book. This book is deeply affecting, will haunt you, and does take time to fully process, but it's so worth it. The Book Thief is one of those titles that I'm all evangelical about.
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