Somebody Else's Daughter by Elizabeth Brundage

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Title:  Somebody Else's Daughter
Author:  Elizabeth Brundage
Publisher:  Viking

Language: English

Format:  Hardcover

Pages:  352 pages
ISBN-10:  0670019003

ISBN-13:  978-0670019007

Source:  Purchased, Booksale

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A conversation between father and son:

Father:  Hey, what are you reading?

Son:  Hi Dad, I'm reading Somebody Else's Daughter by Elizabeth Brundage.  You were reading this a week ago, I think, and it got me curious.

F:  Is that where that girl Willa was adopted by a rich couple after her own parents decided they could not take care of her?  Is that the one?

S:  Yeah, the one where her biological father comes to teach in her school and becomes her teacher.  Really freaky and interesting right?

F:  I agree, and it does have a very interesting plot, if you ask me.  What do you think about it so far?

S:  I think it's got potential.  The characters were not just realistically crafted, we can read about their thoughts and see their views and opinions on different issues.  Their feelings, emotions, all their hang-ups - we see them without needing to resort to a first-person point of view.  And the scenes and setting are very graphic and detailed and I feel like I'm all part of it, Dad, I feel like I'm living inside the story and witnessing the story first-hand.  

F:  Well that's great, I'm glad you like what you're reading.

S:  I just have a little problem with the book though, because the flow is kind of really slow and I feel like it's getting to be a drag.  I would really love to see what happens to the whole story and get to know the ending but I'm almost in the middle and it's still boring.

F:  You know son, what I liked about that book is the fact that it slowly built momentum - it laid the groundwork for the whole premise and those dragging parts formed the foundation for an explosive final confrontation that will make all the characters - and the mysteries - come full circle.  You need to have patience, I assure you a reward will be in order by the time you reach the ending.

S:  OK Dad, anyway, I noticed that this book is filled with really serious and overwhelming issues, but I'm glad that it does not completely smother the story.  A perfect balance is stricken between shedding light on these issues and progressing through the story that you can relate both with each other and not get lost.

F:  Yes, I liked that about that book too.  You know, the story is really not entirely about Willa Golding's adoption or how she felt about it - although there's that - but more about the treatment of women in this modern era.  How feminism is now almost just a superficial thing because on principle, women have ' equal rights' as men, but basically, women are still treated the same as in the old times - with contempt.  They are still humiliated, belittled, and less appreciated or compensated than men. There's also a lot about other things like drug addiction; the pretensions, greed, and dysfunction that the upper class cling to; teenage angst; many other issues that get embroiled in this book it's a savage and interesting satire.

S:  It does have a lot going on Dad, and I really do hope I could get past the drag like you did.

F:  You will, I'm sure of it.  You know what?  I'm really proud of you son, you are turning out to be a very bright young man.  But tell me, reading the book and having this conversation with me, what do you think Somebody Else's Daughter is really all about?

S:  From what I've read so far, I think that every woman is somebody else's daughter, and before you do anything that might hurt them, think of your own daughter - in my case my future daughter - or how you want your own daughter to be treated.  Maybe that is why feminism is such a haunting presence in this book because all women are daughters of men and it is us men who are making light of such an issue when in our homes our daughters depend on us - to use a cliche - 'to make the world a better place for them.'

F:  That is a very sensitive observation coming from you.  Now I'm going outside now to fix that broken part of our fence, but I want you to remember from now on that answer you gave me.  I want you to remember that before you do something to upset your mother or hurt other women.  Practice what you preach son, that will take you a long way.  

I, Emma Freke by Elizabeth Atkinson

(Photo taken from Goodreads)

Title:  I, Emma Freke
Author:  Elizabeth Atkinson

Publisher:  Lerner Publishing Group
Publication Date:  11/1/2010 

Language: English

Format:  Digital copy

Pages:  234 pages
ISBN-10:  0761356045 Hardback

ISBN-13:  978-0761356042 Hardback

Source:  Advanced reader's digital copy from Lerner Publishing Group, via NetGalley

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This book made me laugh from the first mention of 'I, Emma Freke' up until its last pages.  The childish way of storytelling and the way that the main character, Emma, claims to be an adult is endearing, funny, and hit very close to home.  I mean, who has never experienced being out of place and thinking that being an adult is way cooler than remaining a kid/teenager?  Ladies and gentlemen, let's hear it from I, Emma Freke by Elizabeth Atkinson. 

Summary from NetGalley:

"What's in a name? I, Emma Freke is a charming search-for-identity story about Emma―the only "normal" member of her quirky family. Her flighty, New Age mom seems to barely have time for a daughter, especially one who annoyingly spoils her mom's youthful façade. Emma's well-meaning grandpa is clueless. And her only friends are the local librarian and a precocious 10-year-old adopted by the two old ladies next door.
Smart, shy, and nearly six feet tall, Emma struggles to fit in at school, so she jumps at the opportunity to "home school" until that too turns into another of mom's half-baked ideas. The real crisis comes when she gets an invitation to The Freke Family Reunion, and her fellow Frekes aren't at all what she expects. While Emma desperately tries to find her niche, she discovers that perhaps it’s better to be her own "freak" than someone else's Freke."

I can so relate with Emma.  Maybe not with the name, although I do have some issues with mine (my real full name sounds to me like a character from a Spanish television series), but with the appearance.  I used to be the tallest girl in class in my late elementary and high school days.  Everyone would look strangely at me, and everyone asked me if I play some sport or another.  They always seem to think I'm playing volleyball or basketball so when I tell them I'm not really interested in sports, they say the same thing every time:  "Too bad, your height will make you a star."  As if not being a very good athlete won't affect my playing in any way.  When joining clubs, other people always think that just because I'm taller than everyone else (yes, including most guys) makes me more mature and smart and they all want me to head one club after another, forgetting that running one club precludes you from heading another (I was editor-in-chief of the school paper, and they all want me to be president of the Science Club even if I'm not that much of a Science geek, the Drama Club even if I was only there once, and other clubs I don't even have interest in).  It also sort of affects the 'making friends' part because teenagers are almost always intimidated by my height, and their first impression of me is always 'bitchy' or 'snobbish' even if I'm none of those things.  For Emma, most of the above are true, but kids her age tend to think they are 'above' her, or that she's not very important, and  I can totally say that she is partly to blame because she herself tends to hide inside her shell when confronted by other teenagers.  She doesn't give others a chance, immediately assuming that they are just laughing at her, and that they don't like her.  She never even gave being sociable a try.  And, already aware that her name sounds funny, she even adds to its ridicule by saying "My mom forgot to say it out loud when I was born."  Can't she just stop making a big deal out of it?  Stevie had it spot on when she said that "names and words only hurt if you let them."  But then, with Emma's lack of self-esteem and real maturity, I guess that's predictable.

This book was a cute tongue-in-cheek story of a typical egocentric teenager's dilemma:  Not fitting it, feeling like they don't belong.  There's really nothing new in here, except maybe for the Freke family reunion that showed a bunch of people acting like sheep and going with the herd.  Emma was placed in two extremes:  Her independent and indifferent life with her mother, and the structured, organized, and freakishly collective life with the Freke family.  Somehow it's like saying that the grass is greener on the other side, only to find that it's just the same.  Hopefully, these two extremes would help Emma choose her own path and her own spot on the grass.  But however cute and light and very readable this story is, it's not entirely new and there is a large array of young adult fiction books devoted to this kind of issue.  But then again, this is not a contest to see which book is best, and I can say that, for this book's part, it certainly made the grade.  I loved the plot, the voice, and the characters are thoroughly detailed they are virtually human.  I really enjoyed the humorous description of Emma's life, and there are some really laugh-out-loud moments that some 'teenage issues' books do not have.  There were some parts that I felt was hurried, especially towards the ending, and I thought it would have been better if another twist was added or another chapter was written to make the story come full circle, but I guess it's for the best to leave the story at that, and let the reader think for themselves.  Although the storyline is quite light, it still never fails to elicit empathy for Emma, as well as for teenagers like her who have difficulty fitting it.  It makes the reader see this 'shallow' crisis through the sufferer's eyes and not just giving a story of hope and inspiration, it also teaches them how to treat these young adults well.

This book was just released November of last year, and I urge you to go get a copy of this one.  You won't regret reading and re-reading this book.

 

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I received this book free of charge from the publisher, Lerner Publishing Group and Netgalley, in exchange for an honest and truthful review. This, in no way, affected my opinion or review of this book.

The Folk Keeper by Franny Billingsley

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Title: The Folk Keeper

Author: Franny Billingsley
Publisher: Atheneum
Language: English
ISBN - 10: 0689844611
ISBN - 13: 978-068984461
Rating:







Corinna Stonewall deigned avoid her fate as a servant girl, and knowing that boys have it better, she dons boy's clothing, cuts off her hair everyday (her hair grows two inches every night), and learns the trade of the Folk Keeper. The folk keeper tends to the feared Folk, who lives underground constantly angry and ravenous, spoils the milk, rots eggs and meat, and ruins crops. But when she is summoned to Merton Hall to be its new Folk Keeper, she discovers haunting, dangerous, and liberating secrets that involve the Lord of Merton Hall - and herself.

Packing a girrrl power, fantasy, mystery, and romantic punch, this story will undoubtedly bring you back to the days when you used to beg your mom or dad to read a bedtime story to you. However, as soon as you settled into that feeling, Corinna's narration through her journal, Corinna's Folk Record, will have you bristling at her haunting, self-aware, vengeful, and hard-hearted recollection of events past. The imagery and tone of this story will have you turning the pages faster than you would like to reach that final resolution that will surprise, delight, and touch every reader.

From her journal entries, one might infer that Corinna is a strong, fearless young woman. But as the story progresses, one will realize just the opposite - Corinna is a sensitive, insecure, frightened little girl who covers her feelings of ineptitude with hardness. Every inch of her life, every spot of her personality, everything about this story is all about disguises. Corinna hides her fears, and she disguises her gender, and then she eventually learns things about herself which has been disguised by history.

I would just like to comment though, on the flatness of the other character's personalities. Finian and the Lady Alicia would have been more likable had more depth been written into their characters. But then, this story is told through the entries in Corinna's journal, which may explain for the lack of perspective into these other characters.

Until now, I am struggling to find words good enough to describe the enjoyment to be had from this book. I read this a long time ago, and yet when I remember the story, I get all excited, like coming across a beautiful piece of artwork that I could not bear to leave behind. Unfortunately, my copy was lent to a former friend who never returned it to me. I am definitely going to get another copy of this one, and reread it all over again.

Bloodline by Sidney Sheldon

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Title: Bloodline

Author: Sidney Sheldon
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Language: English
ISBN - 10: 0446357448
ISBN - 13: 978-0446357449
Rating:









All of us dream of somehow inheriting a vast fortune, but for Elizabeth Roffe, this inheritance comes with an invisible enemy. Inheriting Roffe Industries after her father's mysterious death, things start happening that convinces Elizabeth that someone, or some people, are trying to take over her fortune - even if it means taking her life.

If the above plot has not moved you yet, then you probably have problems. The first few pages of this book is strongly gripping, forcing you to turn the pages and read it in one sitting. The ugly duckling to graceful swan that is Elizabeth's life is magical and full of beautiful imagery, her relationship with her stoic father very realistic and sympathetic. Fast-paced and dripping with exciting dialogue, this book will lead you on a thrilling roller coaster ride, only to have the ride stop at the top of the highest loop, the operator telling you that the ride is over.

What happened to Elizabeth's cousins? To the other characters? I can't believe that a book with so much promise could end so utterly disappointing. Yes, it did solve the mysteries but it just fell flat. The author has created such vivid characters that one would think they would each be given endings befitting their flamboyance. I would have thought that great character development + original plot + sharp dialogue + brilliant author = smashing novel. But I was wrong, glaringly, stupidly wrong. Without giving away a spoiler, I would have thought that the discovery of the bad guy would be more complicated than what happened. It's so disappointing to learn that while guessing whodunit, it turns out, it's not even worth knowing, as this book is hardly worth reading. Flat, flat, flat.

Obviously, I am very bitter about the ending, hence the low rating. But bad ending aside, this book is a superb story of maturity, love, wisdom, dysfunctional families, coveted fortunes, and gruesome murders and attempted murders. The author's storytelling is excellent, letting the reader see for him/herself what happens in each chapter, letting the reader feel and not just know, each word's impact in this story. I tried to get past the throng of questions and unresolved issues I had with the ending and the characters, but I just can't. I felt that it ruined the whole book for me. If you can be satisfied with how this turned out, then I admire you. Maybe it's my 'impatient reader' attribute kicking in again.

If you're planning to read this book, go ahead. As I say over and over again, preference is relative. What may be dull and flat for me may be the most exciting for another person. After all, I have seen a number of good reviews on this book, I just can't be swayed by other people's opinion. Maybe I'm just a stubborn ox.

The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards

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Title: The Memory Keeper's Daughter
Author: Kim Edwards
Publisher: Penguin
Language: English
ISBN - 10: 0143037145
ISBN - 13: 978-0143037149
Rating:









Dear Ms. Edwards,

I hope you are well. I have read your book, The Memory Keeper's Daughter, and this letter was written to tell you what I think about it. You probably don't have much time to reply to letters to you, even read them, but I just wanted to get this off my chest.

I got a copy of your book because I was very intrigued by the premise of the plot: A young woman Norah, in the '60s, gave birth to twins with only her orthopedic surgeon husband, David, and Caroline, a nurse, to attend to her labor. The first child, a baby boy, was perfect and healthy; but the next child, a girl, was born with Down syndrome. David then made a hasty decision to ask Caroline to take the baby girl, Phoebe, to an institution. Caroline, however, decided to take care of Phoebe and disappeared. I liked what you wanted to do with the story, to show how one lie can insidiously destroy a family, the difficulties of having a child with Down syndrome in the 1960s, and a mother's pain in losing a child.

I was very intrigued that going through several pages, I had a false sense of excitement for this book, not noticing that the story was sort of imbalanced. You kept telling us about how David or Norah or Caroline feels, but never showing us how. I wanted to cry with Norah and with David, but I just can't because it felt like you were just telling me to cry, instead of showing me a reason to cry. It felt imbalanced when you kept telling me about how Caroline had to fight a lot to help Phoebe get a normal life, instead of showing me what those fights were. I can see that you are a good story teller, but I hope that in other books, you can prove that you are also good with story imaging.

As for the characters, I could not see much depth, except for Phoebe, which is probably because you decided that a girl with Down syndrome should be portrayed skillfully to become realistic - which shows that you do have talent for character creation, but you seem to become too engrossed with your storytelling than bother with the other characters. Somehow, it appears, that your sympathy for Phoebe's plight overshadowed your writing, that you felt you wanted to lash out on the other characters, especially David's family by making them appear unlikeable, stereotypical, and bland. There was no credibility in their characters, each of their actions and histories questionable: David's past should have made him more of a man instead of the coward you made him out to be; Norah's intentions when she agreed to marry David did not seem to be out of love, but more like she just married a man like him who could give her the stability she wanted. Paul, pining for how life would be like if his sister lived, felt like he's just reacting to whatever his parents did, not having his own personality.

But in spite of those flaws, I did enjoy your book and even felt as trapped as David in keeping those lies. But to say that I loved all of it would be a lie: for me, the first and last parts are the only good ones. The premise of the plot was unique and remarkable, but the plot itself, not very much. And as I got closer to the end, it did not bother me that much.

Please don't take this personally. I only wanted to comment on the story you wrote, and I hope this would help you in writing your next book. I look forward to another unique story from you, and when that time comes, I hope it will be way better than this one.

Sincerely,

The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood by Rebecca Wells

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Title: The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood

Author: Rebecca Wells
Publisher: Harper Paperbacks
Language: English
ISBN - 10: 006075995X
ISBN - 13: 978-0060759957
Rating:







Unfortunately, I bought this for myself, albeit on sale. I thought this was going to be a fun read as it's obviously something about friendship, mothers and daughters, that type of thing. However, once I began to read, I'm afraid I could not wait to put it down.

This is a story of 40-year old Siddalee Walker whose relationship with her mother was tested when she unknowingly humiliated her mother in the papers. Siddalee began to doubt her own capacity to love, and her mother sends her a scrapbook, named "The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood." The book contained various personal mementos of her mother and her three friends that was hoped to help Siddalee in understanding her mother without putting too much emotional effort in the process.

However, although she has the scrapbook, she does not understand everything in it, and only the readers are given the opportunity to learn about each mysterious fragments through Vivi's own recollection of the past. That was my first issue with this story. If the readers are the only ones to learn about Vivi's own memories and not Siddalee, how can she be as magnanimous and understanding of her mother's flaws? How did she gain understanding in the first place? Merely sorting through another person's memorabilia does not help one become enlightened about that person's self.

Another problem with this story is that it was all too predictable. And harrowing. And long. Mother had a problematic past. Daughter could not understand mother's hardness. Daughter finds out about mother's childhood. Mother and Daughter reconcile. That's been done in a dozen other books and I thought this one would be different. Turns out, I'm wrong. In an effort to take us back to Vivi's past, we are introduced to her three other friends. We are shown their wild, adventurous lives; but theirs was a life of privilege compared to other children at that time - Vivi did suffer physical and mental abuse from her parents, but don't we all - that their characters did not appear lovable, and instead, they seemed spoiled, bratty, and insensitive.

The story tried to create too much tension in every conflict, that made it as shallow as its characters. I have been touched by some dramatic stories of abuse and learning to stand up amidst all the pain, but this one made it seem like Vivi was too caught up in her own high school life and drama that she was too busy to grow up and live up to her responsibilities as an adult, a wife, and a mother. The story provided us with an excuse as to how she reacts with such hysteria in everything that happens, and with why she drinks and smokes every chance she gets. Hardly encouraging reading.

It did not help matters any when I found out this was just a sequel. Wow, the author was not done writing yet? Obviously she's not, and obviously, she's still got a lot on her mind. The book was full to the brim of exhausting selfish details about the ya-yas I was tempted not just a few times to put it down.

On the bright side, I like the imagery and the imagination behind the story. You could visualize beautiful South in all its heat and magic, and you could almost feel the cold of Seattle. In terms of vision and powers of description, I have to hand it to the author. In the future, I hope the author could extend her powers of description and imagination not just to the scenes and settings of her stories, but to the story itself - that it not become too boringly predictable and unlovable. This book had potential, but it just could not carry the weight of all the character's idiosyncrasies and the author's exhausting ideas.

Overall I'm happy that I did not have to spend too much when I bought this book. Maybe it's just me, but I did not enjoy this story about a supposedly strong Southern woman with secrets. But if this is your cup of tea, go ahead and dive in. You might just like it.