Wonderful book. What more can be said about it that hasn't been said already? Wonderful book. What more can be said about it that hasn't been said already? ...more
Wonderful poetry, wonderful story about stereotypes and not judging. Finding family and friends where you might not ordinarily look for them. I would Wonderful poetry, wonderful story about stereotypes and not judging. Finding family and friends where you might not ordinarily look for them. I would have rated it higher if not for the gut punch at the end. ...more
Totally cute! First loves, musicals, and a little deaf orphan waiting for Mary Poppins to adopt him! Adorable! Also worth mentioning, the father and sTotally cute! First loves, musicals, and a little deaf orphan waiting for Mary Poppins to adopt him! Adorable! Also worth mentioning, the father and son who can't just make a presentation about a monument in DC, but instead have to make a scale model of the National Mall, political conversations about the interned Japanese in WWII, and a variety of races and sexual orientations happily existing in a book without shouting LOOK AT US! WE'RE DIFFERENT!
The negative: Red Sox. Though I did like the insinuations that the CIA are head hunting for them. :)...more
A realistic book about a historical mystery and the author's attempt to figure out why there are caged graves. Were they witches? Did they try to retuA realistic book about a historical mystery and the author's attempt to figure out why there are caged graves. Were they witches? Did they try to return from the dead? Are they actually full of buried treasure? Verity has spent most of her life out of town and was blissfully unaware that her mother and aunt are buried in cages. She returns to meet and marry a man, Nate, she hasn't met. He's not what she hoped for, and she starts flirting with the doctor's apprentice, Hadley. As she gets to know Nate, he impresses her more. As she tries to figure out why her mother and aunt were buried in their cages, she hears ugly rumors and partial truths. The more she digs, the more her own safety is at risk. (view spoiler)[ I'm glad Hadley wasn't as guilty as I thought he was. Though he did harbor his brother. I'm also surprised Verity's new aunt was the mastermind. Nice twist. (hide spoiler)] I'd love to go traipse through PA and find the real caged graves....more
What to say about this book? First off, it is not (really) about the Ivory Billed woodpecker that seemed to reappear a few years ago. Named the LazaruWhat to say about this book? First off, it is not (really) about the Ivory Billed woodpecker that seemed to reappear a few years ago. Named the Lazarus woodpecker in this book for its ability to rise from the dead, it represents just about every thing and every one in this book. I think my favorite part of the book was the religious symbols throughout the story.
So if it's not about a woodpecker, what is this book about? It's about Gabriel (religious symbol!), the younger brother of Cullen, our main character. Cullen's already a bit of a sullen teenager when the story begins. His cousin has just died of a drug overdose (not entirely sure why, didn't really seem to tie into anything else in the story), his parents are kind of not really there, and his town is a sleepy small town, big on gossip and a few local legends. At least that part was completely relatable. I've never been to Arkansas, but I grew up in "Lily." So Cullen's just trying to survive high school while dreaming about the hot girl who only dates (and curses?) "ass hats." His best buddy Lucas and Gabriel seem to be the only ones who get him. Until Gabriel vanishes. No one's sure what happened. Foul play seems unlikely (things like that don't happen in sleepy towns), but Cullen especially can't picture his brother just leaving- though he does think that option is a bit romantic. The rest of the town is fascinated with a claim that the Lazarus woodpecker has returned.
Meanwhile, halfway around the world, another young man loses his faith while on a mission to serve God. In the process he discovers an ancient Biblical text of Enoch. In his lost faith he returns to the States and goes to college, (view spoiler)[ where he kills himself. (hide spoiler)] His scribblings on the Book of Enoch appeals to his college room mate as a quest to be undertaken (view spoiler)[to honor his death. (hide spoiler)] Eventually the room mate and Cullen's lives intersect in a realistic yet happenstance kind of way.
I didn't set out to read that book. I thought I'd get a coming of age story about the environment and likely a younger brother who gets caught up in the quest for a mysterious woodpecker. Yeah, not so much. I didn't mean to read such an emotional story about friends and family. I hadn't anticipated learning a new insult (though I don't think "ass hat" has caught on as much as the author and his fans might have hoped). I certainly wasn't picturing a religious mission to Africa or a rare Biblical text. Despite all this, did I enjoy the story I wound up with? You bet I did. ...more
Read this in 2 days! I can't remember the last time I did that!
The odd thing is that I would say I didn't really like the writing style, but the emotRead this in 2 days! I can't remember the last time I did that!
The odd thing is that I would say I didn't really like the writing style, but the emotions behind it got to me through the whole book. Given that I spent a great deal of time over the past 2 weeks dealing with addicts, you'd think I wouldn't want to come home and read about addicts. If it's done well enough, though, it feels recharging rather than depleting. This was recharging. It was emotional and true. Some people get better, some don't. Some people can come to terms with their pasts, some can't. My 2 big complaints were that the style didn't quite flow for me. I can't explain why, though some of the dialogue may have played a part. I also think Raphael and Zach were too much alike. I got that they were supposed to have similar trajectories, but I think it was overdone.
All in all, a great book, and another win for my recommendation shelves....more
I liked this better than Shiver. Sam was much less mushy, Grace had much more going on. The biggest problems were my own memory as to Cole, Olivia, IsI liked this better than Shiver. Sam was much less mushy, Grace had much more going on. The biggest problems were my own memory as to Cole, Olivia, Isabel and Jack's stories from Shiver. No huge feat of literature, this, but enjoyable for summer time reading....more
I just reread this book 20 years after I first read it. How is that possible? How can so many years have flown by? At any rate, while I sit here feeliI just reread this book 20 years after I first read it. How is that possible? How can so many years have flown by? At any rate, while I sit here feeling bad about how old I'm getting if 20 years can pass between readings... let me write a review.
(view spoiler)[I first read this book one summer (many years ago...) and was clearly a clueless reader. Innocent, perhaps. The story starts out with Sal missing her mom who took off a year ago and hasn't been seen since. Her paternal grandparents take her on a road trip to trace her mom's steps. Sal wants to bring her mom home. This where I went clueless all those years ago. I think I suspected that Sal's mom was in no position to return home, but I don't think I believed that she couldn't come home. Across all that time, I remembered that conclusion because it so surprised me. But there's much more to this story than just it's tragic ending. (hide spoiler)]
On the road trip, Sal's grandparents ask for a story, so Sal tells them about her time since her mom disappeared and she and her father moved to suburbia. In that time, she makes a friend and discovers that her friend's family takes their mom for granted, resulting in her mom disappearing. As Sal tells the tale, she wonders how she had treated her mom, and how clueless she may have been to her mom's needs. Traveling with her grandparents, she realizes that decisions can be made that change your life, and you may kick yourself for them, but you can't let guilt eat you up for an innocent choice. I think this was the best part of the story for me as an adult; you can't live in a bubble. Small choices, like going for a swim, or climbing a tree, may irrevocably change your life, but not doing those things won't make your life better. It's just how life goes. I think that's a pretty impressive lesson for a YA novel. Even if I didn't get it 20 years ago, I got it now. Some things improve with age....more
Jennifer W
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