REVIEW || 'Pretty Baby' by Mary Kubica
“How much maltreatment and exploitation could someone handle before losing self-control?”
★★★ [3] Stars
“How much maltreatment and exploitation could someone handle before losing self-control?”
★★★
3/5 Stars
That quote perfectly encapsulates the heart and soul of Pretty Baby. After reading her debut novel, The Good Girl, I fell in love with Kubica’s style of writing. Finally I’d found a dark & twisted novel that didn’t feel like a stepchild to Gone Girl. (Speaking of…I really did enjoy Gone Girl, but I am so tired of seeing “Fans of Gone Girl, you’ll LOVE this one!” everywhere on the shelves of Barnes & Noble. Let. It. Go.) Anyways, when I realized Kubica published a second novel last summer, I nominated it as a “to-read” for my monthly book club. (“Book club” is a loose term – it’s more of a wine/dine club where three longtime friends casually discuss a book and how it compares to their lives, etc. Sometimes we even take prom pics on each other’s staircases…it sounded like a good idea at the time.)
We chose Pretty Baby as our December read, so I spent most of my holiday travel time reading it. To say I was disappointed would be an understatement; I had high hopes for Kubica after a strong first novel, but I’m sad to say she let me down. The story centers around Heidi Wood, a depressed woman with a severe savior complex, and Willow, a homeless teenage runaway with a dark and disturbing past. On the way to work every morning, Heidi watches Willow (and her 4-month-old baby) from her seat on the train, slowly working up the nerve to talk to the girl and offer help. Heidi’s innate need to save the world takes over as she invites Willow and the baby in to her home.
Tensions rise between Heidi and her family as Willow becomes a permanent fixture in their pricey, Chicago condo. After clues about Willow’s past begin to surface, Heidi ignores them and decides to live in ignorance of the truth. But which truth – Willow’s or her own?
That question makes the book sound more like an “edge-of-your-seat” gripper than it really was…everything from Heidi’s past was given to the reader early on (and then repeated MULTIPLE times), so I never felt the intended anxiety around her character. While I don’t pretend to understand what Heidi was feeling in terms of grief or depression, I can say that I found her coping mechanisms to be childish and selfish. Her neglect of her child and husband in favor of fulfilling her deepest desire really irked me. What happened to her at the end was neither surprising nor upsetting – it was fitting.
Willow’s story was tragic, and my heart hurt for her as I read each flashback of her childhood. I feel Kubica could have done so much more with this character – Willow was set-up to be a complex, multi-faceted character, and I feel she fell flat in the end. Really the novel’s ending fell flat in all accounts. Everything was predictable; I never really had that jaw-dropping, stomach-flipping moment I was anticipating throughout. Had Kubica tied together the loose ends (with Heidi’s best friend of her daughter, for example), I believe she could’ve crafted the perfect denouement to her sophomore work.
All in all, I give the book 2.5 of 5 stars. Fingers crossed that her next book (publishing this May) doesn’t leave as much to be desired…..regardless, I know I’ll be one of the first to devour it.
8 Reasons Why You Should Read Stephen King’s ‘Mr. Mercedes’
With more than 60 novels to his name and a career that spans a near half-century, Stephen King is arguably one of the best-known authors alive today. However, despite his rightful claim to a seat on the literary throne, many avid readers shy away from King’s books. Be it a weak stomach, a dislike of things that go “bump” in the night, or a fear of the unknown, some people just can’t take the plunge. Wary readers fear no more! King’s 2014 crime fiction novel, Mr. Mercedes, strikes the perfect balance between mystery and suspense. Departing from his traditional horror-based roots, King crafted a story worthy of your attention. Let’s explore the reasons why it’s time you dive in and experience the world of Stephen King. And don’t worry – you shouldn’t have to sleep with one eye open after reading this one.
Reason one: to see a different side of Stephen King.
He shines in the mystery, crime fiction realm with this novel. It’s a refreshing break from King’s usual suspects that often feature supernatural phenomenon. Mr. Mercedes is a believable story with real villains and real heroes.
Reason two: Detective Bill Hodges provides a relatable protagonist.
With a character reminiscent of the 80’s cult fiction Detective Cagney, it’s hard not to relate to Bill Hodges in some way. As a retired officer of the law, Hodges is hardened and almost flippant in regards to self-worth. Battling with a lingering feeling of regret and the crippling tendencies of his undiagnosed depression, Hodges is in no way a perfect protagonist. But that’s what makes it work. He’s honest, imperfect and raw – a true “every man.”
Reason three: the storyline isn’t all that unbelievable.
This is partially due to the fact that pieces of the book were based on real events. King’s inspiration for having a car act as the murder weapon stems from the story of a woman who drove through the front of a McDonalds. Along with drawing ideas from true stories, the book’s believability can be attributed to King’s ability to seamlessly weave together a series of completely possible, however unfortunate, events to create the perfect mystery.
Reason four: it’s a perfect balance of CSI, Criminal Minds and True Detective.
Combine the continuous trail of evidence and clues popular in CSI, the back-and-forth narration between detective and perpetrator in Criminal Minds, with the obsessive compulsion to close a stale case from True Detective, and you end up with a well-crafted crime novel.
Reason five: Brady Hartsfield is a modern-day Norman Bates.
Though Hartsfield’s personality and situation aren’t exactly the same, it’s fair to say he is as close to Bates’ level of sociopath as any antagonist in the past 50-some-odd years. Hartsfield’s backstory alone will have you on the edge of your seat. *Side note: if you don’t know Norman Bates, go ahead and pick up Robert Bloch’s Psycho while you’re out.
Reason six: the random and peculiar team of “sidekicks.”
Every great detective has a sidekick, or, in this case, a team of sidekicks. Jerome and Holly are the complete opposite of any duo you’ve ever seen. The unlikely pairing of a mentally unstable middle-aged woman with an intellectual prodigy of a teenager somehow works. King wraps the team up in a pretty little package and delivers it to you in a very intentional, surprising way.
Reason seven: it’s a well-staged cat-and-mouse mystery.
In its simplest form, Mr. Mercedes is a classic tale of good chasing evil, light chasing dark. However elementary it may initially appear, once you dive in, King will have you questioning who’s really chasing whom.
Reason eight: to prepare for the next chapter.
Lucky for us, King announced that Mr. Mercedes would not only have a sequel, but that he’s continuing the story through a trilogy. The second installment, Finder’s Keepers, debuts early June.
REVIEW || 'Inferno' by Dan Brown
“Dante's poem, Langdon was now reminded, was not so much about the misery of hell as it was about the power of the human spirit to endure any challenge, no matter how daunting.”
★★★★ [4] Stars
“Dante’s poem, Langdon was now reminded, was not so much about the misery of hell as it was about the power of the human spirit to endure any challenge, no matter how daunting.”
Let's just cut to the chase - I'm a Dante Alighieri fanatic. I have read The Divine Comedy in its entirety several times as well as Vita Nuova. Inferno is one of my favorite literary works of all time. My high school literature teacher is to thank for my continued obsession with Dante and his classic works. My obsession carried through to my college studies - I went as far as adding a much needed cultural break to my strict, rigid journalism courses by enrolling in a course entitled "The World of Dante." Needless to say, when my mother received the "pre-sale" email from Barnes and Noble regarding Dan Brown's newest work, she forwarded the purchasing information to me immediately!
As a true book nerd and lover of the written word, I'm ashamed to admit that until I read Dan Brown's Inferno, I had only watched the movies based on his controversial, critically-acclaimed novels. The arguments and debates surrounding his earlier works inspired me to dive in to Inferno head first.
My initial thought upon closing the book - I feel as if I have just visited Italy. Having never actually been to Europe, it was hard for me to picture all the different locations. Sometimes Brown's descriptions were a bit too lengthy. At times, it appeared he only added details to extend the length of the novel. I know he intended to paint a perfect picture for the audience, but it was a bit too tedious for me.
The premise of the book was absolutely fascinating and timely. I thoroughly enjoy books that I cannot predict, and Brown's Inferno perfectly satisfied that love. I actually really enjoyed Sienna Brooks as a character. Her frailty as a young, misunderstood woman really appealed to me. Though she developed very little, I feel she grew more than any other character in the novel. Brown exposing her motives and the desires that drove them was a refreshing relief. My loathing of her deceptive character greatly diminished, and I actually began to understand her actions (not saying I agree with them, just saying she made me think).
Overall, this book has convinced me to read his other novels. Not my favorite read of all time, but it was definitely intriguing. It gave me an opportunity to live through Dante yet again. Any book that gives me that chance has a permanent place on my bookshelves.
REVIEW || 'The Casual Vacancy' by J.K. Rowling
“It frightened people when you were honest; it shocked them.”
★★★ [3] Stars
“It frightened people when you were honest; it shocked them.”
★★★
3/5 Stars
I absolutely adore JK Rowling. Her writing style is brilliant, and her imagination knows no bounds as evidenced by the worldwide phenomenon of Harry Potter. She stole my heart long ago as an elementary school girl, and I knew that regardless of the novels central themes or plot, I would adore this book.
Then I started reading the book. The first 200 pages or so were pretty slow...Rowling spent so much time setting the stage for several different families that she almost forced me to lose interest. The best way to compare the structure of this book is to compare it to the likes of the movies "Valentine's Day," "Love Actually" or "New Year's Eve" in that there are so many intertwined stories. Don't compare the cheesy love story aspects of those movies with the deep, dark authenticity of this book.
After the first 200 pages, I could not put the book down. It kept pulling me in...to me, the underlying theme in this novel is truth. This work exposes the raw truth behind every person. It touches on just about everything you can imagine - rape, death, cheating, lying, dating, marriage, adoption, abuse, neglect, drugs, addiction, mental instability. I'm not sure it missed any potential skeletons hidden in closets around the world.
I find it brilliant that Rowling used personal influences to help build her characters. In interviews, she has stated that at least two of the characters combined are her estranged father. The fact that she has these real-life experiences to base her characters on provides unmeasurable depth.
I feel as if the book moved slowly in the beginning, then once the action began, it happened all at once. Especially the last 100 pages. I was in a constant state of shock with every new development. That's my main reason for knocking the book from a perfect 5 - plot development. I feel that JKR wouldn't have lost so many initial readers had there been some type of action to draw people in. Those of us that respect her as an author owed it to her to see it through. I am one of those people, and I was definitely not disappointed.
I would recommend this book to someone who is ready to take the plunge from the perfect bubble that was "Potter World." If you're not able to wrap your brain around the fact that JKR will succeed as a writer outside of Harry Potter, first of all, you're not a true fan. Secondly, I am sad to say you're missing out on a brilliant, truthful, raw piece of literature.
Well done JKR, well done.
REVIEW || 'Dark Places' by Gillian Flynn
“The truly frightening flaw in humanity is our capacity for cruelty - we all have it.”
★★★★★ Stars
“The truly frightening flaw in humanity is our capacity for cruelty - we all have it.”
★★★★★
5/5 Stars
One of my favorite books I've ever read...
Gillian Flynn is an artist unlike any other. I can not put her books down. I decided to read her novels in order, beginning with Sharp Objects. Once I started that novel, I knew I was hooked.
Dark Places was a beautiful second piece of work for this author. Many writers find it difficult to overcome the success of their first award-winning novel. Flynn, however, does not disappoint.
Flynn's way of drawing the reader in to her dark, twisted world is just incredible. Her use of flashback in alternating chapters keeps the reader on his/her toes throughout the entire novel. This book offers insight in to each of the main characters. You are able to see the thoughts/processes from the eyes of different characters.
Libby Day is a tragic, relatable heroine. Her growth and progression through the novel really captivated me. Her actions throughout the book are believable - nothing too dramatic, and nothing too ordinary. How Gillian Flynn can write these novels without actually experiencing the tragedy within them is beyond me.
She is a remarkable author. I would recommend this book to anyone who appreciates true literary brilliance.