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"My Sister's Keeper" by Jodi Picoult

2/16/2014

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Title: My Sister's Keeper

Author: Jodi Picoult
Genre: Fiction
# pages: 448
Date published: 2005
5-star rating: 3 stars
Would you recommend it: Yes


My Sister’s Keeper
: it’s a title I’ve heard over and over in the last five years, from insistent urgings from my family and friends to read the “outstanding” novel, countless utterings of, “Oh my gosh, you haven’t read that?! Well at least tell me you’ve seen the movie.” I even received a copy for my birthday, and then when it was lost somewhere in the black hole that is my room, received another for Christmas. This winter break I finally took the plunge; the time had come for me to read the book that was beloved by millions, if only to stop the constant pressings of my mother.

My Sister’s Keeper is the story about two sisters: Anna, conceived in order to be a bone marrow donor for her sister Kate, who was diagnosed with leukemia. But it does not end there. By age thirteen, Anna has undergone countless surgeries, transfusions, and other medical procedures all to save the life of her sister. Anna has never had a choice in any of these procedures—until now. This novel is primarily a story about family, pain, and the coming-of-age of a young girl who is not sick but might as well be.

I flew through this book; in fact, I couldn’t put it down. Jodi Picoult’s writing flows so easily and poetically, it completely absorbs the reader in the story, making it difficult to think about anything else.

That being said, I wasn’t blown away by My Sister’s Keeper. Perhaps it was the constant ravings of my family and friends that ballooned my expectations, setting the bar too high for any book to reach. Or maybe it simply isn’t an exceptional novel. I know this opinion is an unpopular, but let me explain. The idea behind the novel is definitely captivating and unique, but I found it to be improbable, even contrived. I could almost see Jodi Picoult’s mind at work, as she sat at her writer’s desk, crafting the story. As with poor acting in films, a contrived plot in a novel takes away the magic and the feeling that what you are reading, or watching on the big screen, is real.

Another complaint I have with My Sister’s Keeper is the dialogue. The profound musings of thirteen-year-old Anna seem too mature, not in a precocious way, but in a way that seems unrealistic and distracts from the novel. All the characters seem to speak in this same, highly intelligent voice, which suggests that Picoult simply gave each character her own voice and did not even try to distinguish between the differences in their ages or gender.

Overall, My Sister’s Keeper is a quick, well-written read that will entertain and engage. Even so, it doesn’t deserve the endless hype and fanfare that is has received in recent years; let along a major motion picture. Perhaps if this novel was less publicized and less popular, and I had lower expectations, this review would have been different. But sadly, I was disappointed. 


Review by Brittany Duncan, A&S '16

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"The Needle in the Blood" by Sarah Bower

11/23/2013

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Title: The Needle in the Blood
Author: Sarah Bower
Genre: Historical Fiction/Romance
#Pages: 576
Date Published: 2007
Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars
Recommended?: Yes





The year is 1067. Bishop Odo of Bayeux commissions an unimaginably large tapestry to commemorate the conquest of Britain by his brother, William the Conqueror. One of the women enlisted to work on the tapestry is Gytha, former lady-in-waiting to the fallen Saxon queen. After the war, Gytha’s life had fallen into chaos, and she swears vengeance on Odo, declaring herself his greatest enemy. But despite their best attempts to the contrary, they fall hopelessly in love.  Consequently, their lives are thrown into turmoil as friends become enemies and enemies become lovers. Like the stunning and complicated tapestry that has brought them together, all is not as it seems.

The Needle in the Blood is foremost a magnificent love story, epic in its passion and daring in its tales.  Overpowering in its ferocity, it proves difficult to find the right words to describe the relationship between Gytha and Odo. Powerful, furious, fierce are the best I can do; if you are looking for a lighthearted romantic novel, look somewhere else.

In spite of these relationships’ passion, I was not completely satisfied with Bower’s definition of love. She uses the term frequently throughout the novel: too frequently in my estimation, and often in place of the word ‘lust.’ Which is unfortunate, since the words obviously have very different meanings. In this novel, then, love became the overarching word that encompasses not only the yearnings of the heart, but of the body as well. This ambiguity distracts from the story at times; I found myself getting angry when characters swore love for another but then acted in a manner contrary to that declaration, choosing to save themselves rather than each other, or too quick to believe rumors rather than talk to his or her partner, all the while still depicted as madly in love.

Bower’s use of the present tense in a historical fiction novel takes some getting used to, but once I did, I fully understood her choice to write in this way. It makes the story come alive and the characters seem relatable and vivacious. Bower’s writing is nothing short of beautiful. Her stunning descriptions grab the reader from the beginning. I felt as if I was right there, in the Battle of Hastings, taking part in the birth of Britain.

I would highly recommend The Needle in the Blood to readers looking for a powerful, intense story, strikingly told by an author with the skills needed to bring the medieval period to life.

 






Review by Brittany Duncan, A&S '16

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"The Paris Wife" by Paula McLain

3/25/2013

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Title: The Paris Wife
Author: Paula McLain
Genre: Historical Ficiton
#Pages: 314
Date Published: 2011
Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars
Recommended?: Yes


The Paris Wife is brilliant, beautiful, and heart wrenching. Set in 1920s Paris, a time of transition and innovation, this novel tells the true story of Ernest Hemmingway’s first wife, Hadley Richardson. Hadley is a practical women – honest and all things good. She brings out the best in Ernest and loves him to a fault. Their marriage is one with many obstacles, such as Ernest’s severe mood swings, his fierce commitment to his career, and even infidelity. Sometimes I wished she would finally snap and let Ernest have it. I wanted her to scream at him, to make him truly understand how much he hurt her. But no, that is not Hadley’s way. She is ever the perfect wife.

Despite its beautiful descriptions of Paris and the incredible era of the ’20s, this book is a love story above all else. In fact, Paula McLain stated her whole idea for this book started when she read A Moveable Feast, Ernest Hemmingway’s memoir of his and Hadley’s days in Paris.  In the final pages, he writes of Hadley, “I wished I had died before I ever loved anyone but her.”

Surrounded by greats like Gertrude Stein and F. Scott Fitzgerald, Hadley and Ernest live exciting lives. The novel is so full to the brim of famous names from the “Lost Generation” that I found myself often pulling out my computer to research the many secondary characters that make cameo appearances. It was as though I was transported back in time, and I wanted to learn more about these fascinating people. Paula McLain’s commitment to staying true to the facts is admirable. I became enraptured by the story of the Hemmingways and sought out more information about them. I was surprised to learn how much of The Paris Wife is factually accurate. 

The Paris Wife goes deeper than simply telling the story of the often forgotten first Hemmingway wife. It delves into the universal struggles of marriage and love. Despite their fame and the fact that this story takes place ninety years ago, Hadley and Ernest go through many of the struggles couples go through today. This brings the novel down to earth and renders it relatable to a modern audience. When reading this novel, I could feel Hadley’s love, strength, and heartache. Paula McLain breathes life into her, finally giving her a voice and a presence that will live on, allowing her to move out of the shadow of Ernest Hemmingway and be given her own identity. I came to love her and her story will stay with me for a long time to come.

Review by Brittany Duncan, 


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"My Name is Memory" by Ann Brashares

2/17/2013

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Title: My Name is Memory
Author: Ann Brashares
Genre: Fiction
# of Pages: 336
Date Published: 2010
Rating: 3 out of 5 Stars


Ann Brashares, who also wrote the much-acclaimed Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series, composes a unique and intriguing love story in My Name is Memory. Daniel has “the memory.” He can remember all of his past lives – from 520 A.D. to present day. Through countless deaths, parents, wives, and wars, he remembers it all. But despite living these different perspectives that span human existence, one thing remains constant in Daniel’s remembrance: his love for a soul, which he calls Sophia. From 552 A.D. Asia Minor to 1918 England to 1972 Virginia, Daniel and Sophia’s souls are constantly seeking each other, only to lose each other time after time again.

The book takes place in the present day, with Daniel and Sophia, named Lucy by her current parents, meeting in high school. However, in order for them to finally be together, they both must conquer the competing forces that have kept them apart for so long.

This book was fairly entertaining and well written but dragged on a bit in the middle. One can only take so much whining about how much Daniel and Lucy love and yearn for the other. Nothing of consequence happens within the first 300 pages; it is simply a summarized account of a number of their past lives and a never-ending stream of pained thoughts detailing their unrequited love.

Don’t get me wrong, the anecdotes of their past lives were interesting and varied. I enjoyed reading them and putting the pieces together. It just took Brashares too long to reach the climax of the novel – not to mention the unfinished ending. I have never been one to adamantly despise ambiguous endings, as long as they make sense with the rest of the story and leave the reader with a sense of thoughtfulness to take with them. However, the ending of My Name is Memory was far from thoughtful. I wouldn’t even call it ambiguous. It just ended, as if no further explanation or musing was necessary. As far as I know, there is no sequel to this book. The main action of the novel was completely cut short.

Despite the disappointing ending of this novel, I did enjoy the ride to the end and would recommend this book to lovers of romance novels. Only people who have an affinity for this genre will be able to stand the repetitive stream of consciousness that revolves around Daniel and Sophia’s love. 


Review by Brittany Duncan, A&S '16

Illustration Below by Tashrika Sharma, A&S '15


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If you liked this book, we recommend: Reincarnation by Suzanne Weyn
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"Chinese Cinderella" by Adeline Yen Mah

12/4/2012

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Title: Chinese Cinderella
Author: Adeline Yen Mah
Genre: Autobiography
Number of pages: 197
Date Published: 1999
Rating (out of 5 stars): 2
Recommended: No

Set in 1940s China, Chinese Cinderella is author Adeline Yen Mah’s memoir of her difficult childhood as an unwanted daughter. After her mother dies giving birth to her, Adeline’s family considers her bad luck and detests her presence. With only a disempowered aunt and an elderly grandfather to lean on, Adeline endures the seemingly endless torment of her siblings and nasty stepmother. Taking place over the course of eleven years, Chinese Cinderella employs many well-chosen anecdotes that give the reader a sense of what life was like for the young Adeline. Never invited on outings, forbidden from visiting friends’ houses or bringing friends home, and consistently told that she will never amount to anything, Adeline Yen Mah’s story is surely one that will break your heart. Turning to academics for asylum, Adeline teaches readers what it means to be strong and to persevere.

Although Chinese Cinderella is an uplifting story about a young girl succeeding against all odds, it still did not wow me. I found the dialogue to be unrealistic and even a bit silly at times. At the beginning of the novel, when the children were only about six-years-old, the dialogue seemed too mature and analytical for such young characters. The conversations between them became too much like a summary of the book, as if the characters were trying to explain to the readers what was going on in the story. I cannot see a person talking in such a high-level descriptive manner in real life, which is a huge problem. The language disconnect does not allow the reader to relate to the characters or see them as anything aside from mere words in a book.

It did not take me long to read Chinese Cinderella, not because I was so enthralled that I couldn’t put it down, but because it is so short. At only 197 pages, with a lot of white space and family photos in the middle, Chinese Cinderella is not much of a time commitment. Although this novel is placed in the young-adult category, I would only recommend it to pre-teens. This novel has important messages of determination and work ethic, and is interesting because it gives the often told Cinderella story a new twist, but the writing style and actual content of the novel were boring and even a bit annoying. So unless you are 12-years-old and love the fairytale of Cinderella, don’t bother with this book.

Review by Brittany Duncan, A&S '16

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