Where to begin? While this book had some good intentions, and a different view, try as I might, I could not get past what I consider to be its major flaws, It’s style of prose and focus. By page 54, I was counting the number of words contained in sentences rather than be patient with the author. When I reached 87, yes in one sentence, i wanted to bang my head on the floor. Way more info in one way, and not enough in another. Descriptions don’t need to be that detailed, I understand that fauns have fur and hooves and one can then assume I don’t need it explained many times again. However at the same time not enough info. (How were they able to fuel their vehicles much less how they charged their communications systems? I am not a big fan of sci-fi. I just could not get thru the long drawn out explanation of the obvious while was left wondering about what the book was supposed to be about, destruction of our planet as we know it due to the irresponsibility of humans.
Sorry I did not finish this book. I gave it two stars for originality only.

A good piece of historical frolic. I have grown very fond of fiction based on fact. This sweet book takes the reader back to simpler times, but times where women were kept from the unseemly sides of life and often held in seclusion for what was labeled their own protection. But these three heroines, Constance, Norma and Fluerette were thrust into a snare of a brutal silk factory owner by sheer chance. Ranging from Constance's determination to set out justice for herself and her sisters, free from harassment, to Fleurette's pubescent fantasies of daggers and dancers and dangers and nicely balanced by Norma's desire to be left alone to pursue her farm and pigeons, Ms Stewart has given us a wonderful story of women who can protect themselves, mostly, but ultimately. This was a refreshing, enjoyable peek into what was a woman's world at the turn of the century. Her descriptions brought to life the streets of chaos and turmoil from new age of industry and all its consequences. Her character development allowed the reader to feel the characters and hide with them as their assailants lobbed bricks through the windows and one could almost taste the acrid air within the factories. I will miss these three ladies and wish I could have watched as Constance grew into her new and for that period of time, exciting career as one of our first female deputy sheriffs!

I think the rating of the book will largely depend upon the expectations of the reader, some may be disappointed with the lack of the usual sex and violence many seek today. But if what you are looking for is a book with heart and sincerity along with reality and fact and a sense of warmth and resolve... I recommend it with a fond smile.

It doesn't surprise me Erica Jong has written a satire and aimed it directly at what she feels is a pressing issue of our human plight. Death... As in Fear of Flying she has aimed her arrows at truth and the ability to laugh while we crying and see as we are blinded and believe while we run for our lives. Ok, she stands up and puts out there for all to see... Her fear! What else did you think she was going to say... "Death is fun?" No, it's hard and confusing and very very messy. Yes, at 60 we all find ourselves toying with our demise... And at the same time we are seeing it all around us. We are human and so we truly believe that we are special snowflakes that nothing bad will come to us. And we also believe that we will handle what we must in the best possible way and somehow impart a deep wisdom no other has ever uttered.

Well, hang on to your hats ladies, cuz you too will find out one day that we are all a part of a grand simmering mix of desires and fears and sentiments. This book, thru Vanessa, shows what goes through our minds whether we wish to admit it or not. We are all afraid and we are all brave and just because we fear does not mean we don't live and love and go on. What has lapsed since Fear of Flying, is fear of being seen as human... Being the Perfect person is contrary to our human nature... It's good to know that we can show all our sides... Being wise is more about living honestly than having a nice quote on the wall.

I am ashamed to say it took me 3 months to finish this book. It had great promise... WWII, spies, Jewish refuges, love, Egypt and a promise of insight into the current Middle Easter crisis. It just never lived up to its promises. It's biggest fault was it seemed the dialog and character descriptions were geared to a younger audience. The plot had incredible potential, but was not complicated or realistic enough for me. The love story seemed stunted an then suddenly very explicit as though the author thought that perhaps she should throw it in to hold our interest. By the time it was presented, I had lost interest in the characters. The whole story line could have been much more developed. I felt as though the author was afraid to give her readers a real taste of what went in at that time period, location and political environment. Perhaps that she felt we could not handle real fact and it was presented like a fairy tale for middle schoolers. The author has potential... But needs to take into account, "The reason we read fiction based on fact is we wish fact with our fiction."

This book had the makings of a great read. WWII, spies, Jewish refuges, love, Egypt and the promise of I site into the current conflict in the Middle East. All of which I find interesting and intriguing. But alas the character development was not there, the plot never measured up to its promise and the dialog seemed written for a younger audience. I had to really force myself to finish it. It all seemed to be too predictable. Too many lone forces to carry out what should have been a much more complicated plot. Just too simplistic to be believed. The love angle withered, then became too explicit for the level of interactions of the characters. I believe the writer just never really relaxed into her own characters. It took me 3 months to finish it due to several other books which I found far more compelling reads. A great plot which sagged from a lack of character development.

This books resounds with lyrical passages, historical and at the same time it conveys a rich sense of person. The characters are well developed and easily loved, even those one would consider as the antagonists can be seen as sympathetic. The plot is set in a period of unrest and turmoil. Apartheid and South Africa come alive as Ada ventures beyond the safety of the only home she has ever know, as a simple housemaid's daughter. The reader is engaged from the first page as this gentle, insightful, and brave young woman begins her life. Thru her narrative, we come to know the other characters.

Women of this time were considered of less value and yet it is these strong women who must contend with the new laws against the commingling of the races. To be a woman is not of value and to be a black woman is less, but to bare or be a biracial child is criminal. Wrapped in these terms, Ada and Cathleen, her Madam, must face these laws and find a way to survive. The relationship of these two women will inspire and awe the reader.

This book allows us to see their relationship first and the world second. It is an extraordinary story of bonds that can't be broken and love that surpasses their circumstances. And yet, it is written as a rhapsody, as beautiful as any piece of music. It spreads across the pages as nimbly as Ada's fingers fly across the keys, with Cathleen standing behind her back and Dawn, her daughter standing on the threshold of a new future for South Africa.

Every so often I come across a book which haunts my memory, this is one that will fill and haunt the reader at the same time.

While I thought the suject matter was of great interest and timely, the characters and their struggle believeable, and the setting of great beauty, the prose in this novel overwhelmed it. I felt that Ms. Joseph's use of every discriptive possible to the point of distraction, was a major flaw. It left the reader wading through a maze of adjectives thereby almost forgetting the story itself. The beauty of the jungle was not enhanced, nor was a character more understood by the fact that everything was over explained. I would rather have had more character interaction and less "color". It was difficult to follow what was important to the storyline as we wandered off lost among the details.

This was an important story to tell, the struggle of a family trying to rebuild a life together after such a horrific act. It was big and powerfull. Caleb had so many ghosts to contend with and had to do so while he also went through what any teenager faces. The fact he still had attachments to his kidnapper added to his conflict and made the story one I was interested in.

I felt I could have enjoyed it as a whole if the author had not tried so very hard to make it a conceptual work of art. Sometimes less is more, leave to us, the reader, some sense of imagination and discovery. I love good prose, I want good prose, but also want the author to trust me enough to understand I don't need to know the color of every dress, every flower or how much the jungle dripped at every moment.

Sorry, this good story just felt tedious.

Nancy Richler presents the reader with a wonderful story of how families are the very soul of a person. She tenderly renders her characters so that we see their strengths and thus, also their weaknesses. These two families struggle with the identity of a young woman who arrives from Israel after World War II to marry a complete stranger she has only been introduced by a supposed cousin through correspondence. Today, this seems far from ideal. Yet in post WWII, it is the answer to any future at all for all too many survivors. The disaster which so many displaced Jews faced, causes many of the victims to have to prove their identity to find a way to survive the aftermath of the Holocaust and leave Germany. Most had survived horrendous circumstance, leaving them shattered, alone and desperate.

Enter, Lilly, a young woman spurned by the young man she thought would save her and help her build her new life. Amazingly, Sol's brother steps in and asks her to marry him instead. She agrees. One might think this book is now going to be about how she pines away after the man who left her to stand alone at the train station, but they would be wrong.

These two brothers both have fallen in love with her spirit and determination to overcome her humble and horrific past. She has traveled thousands of miles to arrive to be assimilated into their family.

Lilly, however has a secret that she feels would shock this family and change her her chances of acceptance. Upon this fact so turns the future of all. The choices this family makes with their heads, while not considering their hearts, isolates them all. Theirs is not a flaw of lies but rather of omissions. All too soon the walls will begin to shift and Lilly will be faced with a terrible decision that will haunt her new born daughter for the rest of her life.

I could not put this book down, I read it almost straight through. The character are so richly presented, the plot so well constructed and the ultimate outcome so beautifully told. I dog eared many pages and highlighted several passages. MS. Richler has given us a book filled with heart and wisdom and yet rings boldly the sound of reality.

This is a book I plan to present to both my book clubs. If it were published, it would on my gift list as well. Enjoy!

I just could not get into this book... it is so convoluted with history about con men, how the sting came into play and on and on... I guess I wanted to know a bit more information about the characters, not dry facts I could look up in an encyclopedia or even better, use Wikipedia! I give a book 50 to hundred pages before I decide its not for me... this one I gave more... a real yawner... put me to sleep many nights... sorry...

This was an exciting thriller. It had a chilling story line and believable characters. However, I would have happily traded some of the "twists and turns" of the plots, (there seemed to be several) for a better exploration of the relationship between the mother, Grace and the daughter, Jennifer. I think that Ms. Lupton could have done both. She gave these characters the opportunity to be able to step outside themselves and she easily could have allowed them to explore being a mother and a daughter while the rest of the family raced against the clock to save them. I also felt that Jennifer would have more likely suffered brain damage rather the cardiac damage by the actions taken against her. So much of the story was about "who done it", there was ample time and opportunity to explore the tenuous relationship between a teenage daughter and her mother. The reader never doubted their love for each other or the need to protect Adam, but so much could have been done to allow the reader to come away with a better knowledge of the emotions between the two main characters. Exciting it was, but excitement just was enough for me.

This book was full of suspense, insight and it was beautifully written. The author gave us real characters with situations that felt authentic and whose reactions were believable. Once I started it, I could not put it down. Teenagers often are exposed to their awaking sexual beings at exactly the same time as they are at their most vulnerable and are experimenting new adult feelings. Most often, they feel strongly and act irrationally, a dangerous combination. These teens must face the dangers of being able to act as adults without any concept of the consequences. Some fail, some succeed. I applaud Ms. Dermont for approaching such difficult topics with such a sensitive pen. She clearly sees the delema a young boy faces.

Jason has strong feelings for Cal, and yet he denies those feelings to point that Cal, having been rebuffed, commits suicide. Two lives destroyed, two families torn... He is then subject to expulsion from school and sent to another... where upon he meets perhaps, the love of his life, another trouble young girl who stands apart and bears to brunt of his fellow classmates humiliating taunts.

Both these young adults and their fellow students are on their own. Without any real rudders in their lives, they learn the hard way what choices we make as young adults will change the course of more than just themselves.

This book is written with such insight and tenderness with the unforgiving sea as an ultimate contrast to the indulgence of youth. I loved it!

Where to begin... This book left me feeling like the author thinks the average reader is fourteen and afraid of big thoughts! It is so over explained, over simplified and over indulged. The charachers are exactly what one would expect... overly evil as the mother portrays, overly nerotic and unobservant as the father portrays and the kids seem to have more sense than anyone. The story could have been powerful if the main plot left the reader with something to think about. Perhaps the characters could have been more complicated, not so clearly the bad mother, the confused and struggling girlfriend and the father more tuned in and less reactive. Why not explore the run-a-way son his internet contact instead of having it be such a straight forward explanation. There too, the girl"s father is the typical bad "doesn't understand" sort. I did not find any of the characters compelling. Sorry.

I finished this book and have mulled it over and yet I still find myself unable to decide whether it was a hit or a miss. This is a story of the underbelly of Russian life It plays on your, emotions, pushes your buttons and left me puzzled as to what I wanted from it. It was hard to relate to any of the characters. This alone should have made me put it down, but it did not. From the start the Nick Platt, the lead character, lets us know that there is a deep secret he is going to try and explain and use to justify his actions. His motive seems suspect from the start. This is his confession. He then takes the reader on a ride of intrigue, lust, passion and betrayal.

It is fast paced and believable, yet I came away disappointed. I wanted stronger characters, a real hero... I wanted someone to measure up to my standards for fictional characters. Yet these characters seem like real people and behave like real people and have flaws like real people, just like me. They made selfish choices, deceived the vulnerable and took advantage of a system which set them up to fail rather than flourish... sounds like real life. Was it just a story based on what we believe could only happen in Russia or was it in fact a look too real at what happens to us when we only view the surface and act on immediate impulses?

Perhaps what this book really has to offer is a look at human nature stripped down its basic essence of what we want verses what we need.

What do we want from a book? This one left me with a chill as deep as the Russian cold, looking over my shoulder and looking deeper into the eyes of strangers. Having given us Nick's confession, the author has delivered up a tale with none of the usual suspects, much less the usual outcome.

"The True Memoirs of Little K" wound its way through one of history's greatest time periods. Fiction based upon history has a way of bringing cold facts the breathe of life necessary for us to live history not just observe it. Adrienne Sharp's attention to detail and lyrical voice made the turmoil of Russia's upheaval more meaningful and real. Often historical fiction can be melodramatic, but in this case her portrayal of Little K rings clear. Bravo, I loved it!

This was a good "beach/winter's night book"! It was an easy read, the characters were well developed, the plot thickened and there was a surprise or two. I don't believe that people are all good or all evil... Most of us have huge arguments within. We are not always going to make good decisions. I loved the author's style and descriptions. Having been to Trinidad and Boston, it brought me back to the wonders of the tropics, the bustle of the city and it took me easily to Italy and described its excitement also. Women were so trapped in society's "should and should nots" in this era. It was easy to see why Ericka was torn between wanting a child and wanting a career, something we all take for granted. It was difficult to watch her leave her child, and strike out on her own. It was also interesting to see the progression of her two male interests, her husband and her physician, as they vied for her affections. None of them understood the magnitude of their choices.

The only thing that I felt missing was the possibility of the legal ramifications to each. That would have made this book a 5 and a real spell binder. As it stands it is a beautiful love story and a satisfying read.

A good book is many things, interesting characters, a plot that draws you in, text that builds a sense of the scene the characters live within, the circumstances faced by these characters and most importantly, how the characters solve the situation they are faced with. "Loosing My Cool" took me to a world I know little about and for all intents, a world I did not understand or even wished to visit. I must admit, I was in awe of the author by the end of this book. A young man coming of age filled each and every page. It occurred to me that I was watching and listening to him as though he were my own son. A magnitude of words have been written about peer pressure, it is not a new idea that children fall prey to influences beyond the realm of home and their parents perceptions. But this book spoke with such a new, clear, honest and brave voice, I was compelled to listen. What young people are faced with in the fast, free, drug laced easy virtue of today's world is beyond what a parent can imagine. What this book does is allow a teenager to see the reality of that world. I think is should be required reading for every high school student. The seeds planted by caring parents need fertile ground to grow upon. Today's teenager can either give in and live in fear of the pressures of their peers and flounder, or they can grasp the vast and varied philosophies of the world and find their place to succeed, They can not think like us, they are living a different experience, but more importantly, we don't need them to think like us. What this book tells us is that they need their culture as a new starting point. Understanding that thinking and evaluating what life offers, is the real freedom. I love the simple wonder of this book! Even at the tender age of 64, Thomas Chatterton Williams gave me a new view of a world I was in opposition to, and made me rethink my viewpoint. Well done!

With all the fury the title conveys, this book thrusts the reader into a story of one family's power over a small town. The Linder family members are the pillars of the community. But now their past history races against the coming storm, which will once again impact the whole town.

As with most small towns, the Linder's lives are intertwined with people's misconceptions of good and evil, have and have not, and love and betrayal. As the storm clouds begin to gather, Jody Linder's world is rocked by the news that the man who murdered her father twenty three years ago, has been released from prison on a legal technicality and is headed directly for her.

As Jody struggles to understand what really happened that night when her father died and her mother went missing, she is faced with the fact that she must re-evaluate her family and herself. The town, long silent about what they witnessed, must also own up to the truth about themselves and how they see the Linders.

This was a book I found hard to put down. It is written with beauty and symbolism. The austere plains allow a coming storm to be viewed from a great distance and not fully comprehend its magnitude. Thunder and lightning give only glimpses of enlightenment, and Nancy Pickard use of how we perceive what we want to see, make this book intriguing and give us much to think about. Her characters have depth and allow us to understand their actions even while we question their motives. This book should be well received and passed on from friend to friend. It would be a good book club read.

This book brings to light the plight of facing the results of life choices. Told through thirteen different character's stories, which in their own way speak of small town American. Each have their unique connection to Olive. As she struggles to see herself, and understand the perceptions of those around her, she gives us a glimpse into how alone and yet how connected we all are. I enjoyed the fact that each character's story can be read and stand on its own, and also the fact for better or worse, Olive makes an indelible impression on each. Most of us have no idea how we appear to others, and most of us think others are thinking what we are and for the same reasons. Olive is as fragile as anyone, cloaked by a sizable dose of spunk, a dash of courage and an ability to see through the fluff. Olive leaves us with much to ponder, a sure sign of a good read.