Dark: Living in a Communist Bloc Country.
Darker: Living in a Hospital in that country.
Darkest: Living in a Hospital in that country in trapped in a deformed body, lacking 3 limbs.
Escape Route: Use of highly intelligent mind to read, and create scenarios of the imagination.
For all of the darkness, this is a unique, and sometime humorous perspective of a teenage boy.
My carps would be that (1) Ivan seems way too omniscient and knowledgeable for someone with limited resources; and (2) There was more emphasis than I would have liked on Ivan's "hui".

Given the subject matter, I was prepared to not like this book. However, part way in, I became fascinated by this journey through Kyung's psyche, which Jung Yun deftly reveals as she explores the relationships between the Korean-American Kyung and his Korean immigrant parents, after an incident which presses them to interact.
SHELTER is part mystery, and part psychological drama in a compelling read.

A quote by Sholmie about the university study of Judaism, sums up my feeling about the primary characters in this book. Daniella & Sholmie seem real and interesting in the beginning of this book. But their transitions from eager, devout, independent figures to cowed, timid, cultish figures who would allow great harm done to their children was not convincing to me. The end became a didactic on the evils of a cultic Judaism with a laundry list of abuses heaped on innocent children. It was obvious Ms Ragen had thoroughly researched this odious subject, and knew it well. The problem for me was that I could muster no sympathy here for the characters of Daniella. and Sholmie. This was surprising to me, as I had really enjoyed, and felt empathy for the characters in Ms Ragen's book, "The Sisters Weiss".

Follow Ella on a delightful, magical mystery tour through the warren of Rabbit Back Literature Society, where she encounters a party of quirky characters, who are not what they seem. She becomes curiouser and curiouser , as she struggles to discover the truth about the society, and herself in a world populated with Finnish folklore, punctuated by stark reality.

Absorbing, well crafted novel by an author very familiar with Flannery O'Connor's life, and quite understanding of her work. The novel's plot hung in the realm of possibility for me, with the exception of the seminal event at Andalusia. The manner in which this occurred seemed out of tune to the truth.

In the first chapter or so, the language seems a bit overwrought, and did not ring true to me. The California setting seemed a bit bland and stereotypical. The book really got interesting to me as I experienced Asha's discovery of Indian life and culture. Very touching ending. Audience for this book is most likely to be women. While engaging, the main characters are not as robust and well drawn, as the characters in White Tiger, also set in India.