Book Review: My Name Is Memory by Ann Brashares

Photo taken from Goodreads

 Book Info

Title:  My Name Is Memory 

Author:  Ann Brashares
Publisher:  Hodder & Stoughton
Language: English

Format: Paperback

Pages:  416 pages

ISBN-10:  0340953519

ISBN-13:  978-0340953518

Source:  Gift from The Boyfriend

Buy this book on Amazon

Summary

From Goodreads:

"Daniel has spent centuries falling in love with the same girl. Life after life, crossing continents and dynasties, he and Sophia (despite her changing name and form) have been drawn together-and he remembers it all. Daniel has "the memory", the ability to recall past lives and recognize souls of those he's previously known. It is a gift and a curse. For all the times that he and Sophia have been drawn together throughout history, they have also been torn painfully, fatally, apart. A love always too short.

Interwoven through Sophia and Daniel's unfolding present day relationship are glimpses of their expansive history together. From 552 Asia Minor to 1918 England and 1972 Virginia, the two souls share a long and sometimes torturous path of seeking each other time and time again. But just when young Sophia (now "Lucy" in the present) finally begins to awaken to the secret of their shared past, to understand the true reason for the strength of their attraction, the mysterious force that has always torn them apart reappears. Ultimately, they must come to understand what stands in the way of their love if they are ever to spend a lifetime together."

Review

I have always wanted to write a book.  I know that I have some really interesting plot ideas that would not just sell, but would also be a favorite of millions of readers - okay so that is just wishful thinking on my part.  The problem is that I do not have the patience to sit down and write a story worthy of a whole book.

The premise for My Name is Memory is actually one of those things that I used to think about that would make a really great book idea, and judging from what I have read from Ann Brashare's latest work, I am very right.  

The premise is this:  Reincarnation.  Soul mates.  Borrowed time.  How do you reach that one person whom you are destined to love forever across time?  In this novel by Brashares, the question of whether our souls could recognize other souls through lives and time is explored while set against a heart-wrenching love story.

I have to admit that there were some aspects of this story that I was not too crazy about:  First and foremost, is the seemingly never-ending cycle of living and dying - especially with Daniel - only to let that one important soul slip through his fingers.  He had been yearning for Sophia's love and forgiveness that he tends to throw away one life to get to another just so he could have another shot at being with her.  However, because fate could not care less, there has never been that good a time for them to get together.  That plot is interesting but it seemed that there was never a plan to bring this cycle to an end and finally give Daniel and Sophia the life together that they deserve.

But as disappointing as the never-ending cycle of living and dying is, the story still packed quite a punch.  The voices were very compelling and solid, realistic yet tinged with haunting magic akin to that of fairy tales.  The characters were highly sensitive and relatable.  I was so rooting for Daniel to finally have his chance with Sophia that I dreamed of talking to him and telling him what he should do, what he should look out for, and what he must do next.  On the other hand, Sophia was such a delicate but strong woman I so wanted to be like her - just not as vulnerable.  Because Brashares had ample experience writing young adult fiction, I would like to believe that it's because of that reason that she was able to write this whole novel without making it sound too heavy or sad or dramatic but at the same time still retaining the urgency and mystery in its tone.

Overall I would recommend to everybody to read this book.  However, be prepared to let this book control you, and not the other way around because I guess that's the only way that you would be able to accept wherever this book takes you and ignore its minor flaws and enjoy the big picture.

Rating

If you have any questions on this particular rating, please refer to my ratings system here.

Notice 

All opinions expressed in this book review are my own and not influenced by any party in any way. 

Please contact me for questions, comments, and suggestions.  

Book Review: Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger

Photo taken from Goodreads

 Book Info

Title:  Her Fearful Symmetry 

Author:  Audrey Niffenegger
Publisher:  Scribner
Language: English

Format:  Hardcover 
Pages:  416 pages

ISBN-10:  1439165394

ISBN-13:  978-1439165393

Source:  Purchased, Booksale

Buy this book on Amazon

Summary

From Goodreads:

"Julia and Valentina Poole are semi-normal American twenty-year-olds with seemingly little interest in college or finding jobs. Their attachment to one another is intense. One morning the mailman delivers a thick envelope to their house in the suburbs of Chicago. From a London solicitor, the enclosed letter informs Valentina and Julia that their English aunt Elspeth Noblin, whom they never knew, has died of cancer and left them her London apartment. There are two conditions to this inheritance: that they live in it for a year before they sell it and that their parents not enter it. Julia and Valentina are twins. So were the estranged Elspeth and Edie, their mother.

The girls move to Elspeth's flat, which borders the vast and ornate Highgate Cemetery, where Christina Rossetti, George Eliot, Radclyffe Hall, Stella Gibbons and Karl Marx are buried. Julia and Valentina come to know the living residents of their building. There is Martin, a brilliant and charming crossword-puzzle setter suffering from crippling obsessive compulsive disorder; Marijke, Martin's devoted but trapped wife; and Robert, Elspeth's elusive lover, a scholar of the cemetery. As the girls become embroiled in the fraying lives of their aunt's neighbors, they also discover that much is still alive in Highgate, including - perhaps - their aunt. "

Review

I have been putting off finally reading this book for the longest time.  I was very intrigued by the synopsis of this book when I picked it up in the bookstore one day.  But because I already had a lot of books to buy that day, I decided to pass on it for the time being.  When I got home, I looked it up on the internet and found predominantly negative reviews for this second book by Audrey Niffenegger.  Disappointed, I thought it best to just forget about it.  Then a month or so after, I found a hardcover copy in my favorite secondhand bookstore and without thinking, took it to the cash register and purchased it.  Later, while thinking about the wisdom of my actions, I thought, What the heck, if I didn't like it, at least I did not pay that much for it.

And now, I can say, finding a copy of Her Fearful Symmetry in that secondhand bookstore was destiny.  In my opinion, this is one of the best books I have read so far.  

At its heart, this book is not just a simple ghost story, it is a story of human follies - wanting one thing but ending up with something else; wanting what you can never have; playing a joke on others but it turns out the joke is on you.  The ghost story in itself is an amazing sketch of the hilarity of the unachievable - you lay in wait for death, but as soon as it comes it eludes you again and you find that you're stuck, with nowhere to go.

Reading through the whole story, I think I could guess at what most people found disappointing:  It is that the book have failed - not their expectations - but their predicted outcome.  At the risk of giving a spoiler, I would say that the ending is not quite what I expected either, but definitely something I could justify and actually preferred.  When reading a book, most of us begin forming the story's outcome in our minds, writing our own twists and turns and usually, a good book would fill that expectation and more.  This book, on the other hand, refused to give the reader the satisfaction of being able to map out its story in advance.  You read through the chapters and just as you were beginning to form certain ideas about where the tale is going to lead, it suddenly takes you on a different route.  Chapter after chapter of unpredictable and sometimes disconcerting twists have finally lead me to realize that Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger is not just a mere book - it has a life of its own, and it will not bend to whatever reader's imagination, the reader would have to bend to this book's contents instead. 

And because this book is alive, the writing, the characters, the scenes seemed very alive and real.  It is not difficult to pretend that what you are reading is real if it is actually based on reality, but with the ghost story inserted within its pages, this book manages to suspend disbelief and yet thrive on it, as if everything that is happening is actually true, or could be true.

This book is definitely a good read if you are willing to keep an open mind and willing to let go and just let this book run your senses - let the book control you, and you will understand what exactly made this book by Niffenegger such a magical reading experience.

Rating

If you have any questions on this particular rating, please refer to my ratings system here.

Notice 

All opinions expressed in this book review are my own and not influenced by any party in any way. 

Please contact me for questions, comments, and suggestions.  

Book Review: Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

Photo taken from Goodreads

 Book Info

Title:  Wuthering Heights 
Author:  Emily Bronte

Publisher:  Penguin Classics, Deluxe Edition

Language: English

Format:  Paperback 

Pages:  352 pages

ISBN-10:  0143105434

ISBN-13:  978-0143105435

Source:  Purchased, Fully Booked

Buy this book on Amazon 
*Part of my Mini Reading Challenge* 

 

Summary

From Goodreads:  

"Wuthering Heights, Emily Bronte's only novel, is one of the pinnacles of 19th-century English literature. It's the story of Heathcliff, an orphan who falls in love with a girl above his class, loses her, and devotes the rest of his life to wreaking revenge on her family."

Review

I admitted recently that I have never read this book ever.  And so, I am remedied that problem by getting a copy of this book, specifically this one with the cover design by Ruben Toledo - which I thought was pretty chic.  My mother, who is a big Bronte Sisters fan (but obviously not very much because she did not have her own copy of this one that I could have just borrowed), was so thrilled that I got a copy and read it before I did.  She told me that in her elementary days, they were made to write a book report on their favorite book, and this was the book she chose to write a report on.  Her teacher, upon learning that she chose Wuthering Heights, reacted odd and commented, "That is really what you want to read?  Do you really understand this story?"  My mother felt a bit strange that a teacher would ask that of her because she really loved this book and also told me that it might get tough to connect to this book at first, but once you understand what it's all about, it would blow your mind.

And it did.

Unfortunately, I could not just read this in one sitting - not the book's fault - but I often reluctantly put this down for when life happens.  When I finished reading this, I had a long chat with my mother about this book and she was glad that I liked it too.  She even asked me when I'll be writing a review.  I told her that actually, it felt disrespectful that I would attempt to review a classic, since in my opinion, next to the Bible, the classics are the most reverent books ever written.  But she said that I should write a review, do an article where a modern eye critiques a classic book, and try to convince people to read this and not be daunted by its supposedly 'queer' story.

The Bronte Sisters were a group of people who were never allowed to make free with their lives as we are now.  They could not just get out of the house and do whatever they wanted, and so, they poured their boredom into writing.  One thing that would stand out to me about Emily in this book:  She was a very observant person.  And now I understand where 'Emily The Strange' came from.  Why?  Not because Heathcliff and Catherine were monsters, but because this story is such a powerful love story that proves love conquers all - even transcending the mind and only listens to the heart. 

I do not know if I got it right, but I thought that a love story between two obviously insane people - one out of the abuse he received from childhood, one inheriting a familial flaw - is not just humorous, but also very touching and compelling. Another thing adding to the humor was the fact that it was told through Nelly Dean's and Mr. Lockwood's eyes, two people who were very outside what was really happening between the key characters of the story, especially Mr. Lockwood who I think is a good description of a reader who had just begun reading this book and felt lost.  Mr. Lockwood was very much the clueless tenant which somehow reflects the reader in the first few pages of this book, until the story unfolds and clarity slowly creeps into the reader's mind - and then the similarity with Mr. Lockwood fades as the reader has acquired new knowledge about the story, yet Mr. Lockwood remains ever the confused gentleman.

Either this is the most confusing story ever written, or one of the best love stories of our time, but I have to hand it to Ms. Bronte - she knew how to create alive and vivid characters.  They all jumped out of the book and seemed to live in the real world for all their strangeness and individuality.  Their voices were very distinct and different.  You never confuse any of the characters, not even Catherine and her daughter, Catherine II.  Even the narrators, Mr. Lockwood and Nelly Dean had their own nuances in their narration that you knew exactly who was talking and their attitudes also made it easier for the reader to realize whether the narrator saw it accurately or was too forgiving/undiscerning as in the case of Nelly Dean.

I sometimes wonder whether Ms. Bronte realized what a powerful book she had written, seeing as it was the only novel she completed and her only main audience were her two sisters Anne and Charlotte.  She has written great characters studies, and not only were the main characters given unique personalities, but the minor ones as well.  Her strict attention to detail from the characters to the setting to the writing itself was remarkable and interesting.  This is not just a romantic novel - it is also an intelligent manifesto on then society's stratified status and she also poked fun on both the educated and uneducated people, always giving a touch of humor to every chapter.  This the kind of book that makes you want to just write a letter to its author, or as Holden Caulfield said in The Catcher In the Rye:  "What I really love about a song, or a book ...if it's really good. I mean if the writer is really talking to you. Then you feel like they're this really great friend of yours and you can just call them up on the phone whenever you want."  That is exactly how I feel about this.  If Ms. Bronte were alive, I would definitely write her a letter to tell her what a great novel she has written.

Rating

If you have any questions on this particular rating, please refer to my ratings system here.

Notice 

All opinions expressed in this book review are my own and not influenced by any party in any way. 

Please contact me for questions, comments, and suggestions. 

Plan B by Charnan Simon

Photo taken from Goodreads

Book Info

Title:  Plan B 

Author:  Charnan Simon

Publisher:  Lerner Publishing Group

Publication Date:  3/1/2011 

Language: English 

Format:  Digital copy 

Pages:  104 pages 

ISBN-13:  9780761361497

Source:  Advanced reader's digital copy from Lerner Publishing Group, via NetGalley
*Part of my Mini Reading Challenge*  

Buy this book on Amazon 

Summary

From Lerner Publishing Group:  

"Is this happily ever after?

Lucy has her life planned out: she'll graduate and then join her boyfriend, Luke, at college in Austin. She'll become a Spanish teacher and of course they'll get married. So there's no reason to wait, right? They try to be careful. But then Lucy gets pregnant. Now, none of Lucy's options are part of her picture-perfect plan. Together, she and Luke will have to make the most difficult decision of their lives."

Review

After reading After - isn't that funny? - by Amy Efaw, I was hoping to read a similar story with a different take, something more accepting of their situation, unlike Devon and her denial.  I wanted something like Juno or like Allison in Knocked Up.  That is why I decided to request for this book on NetGalley.

This book had so much potential, but never unraveled.  And I am not complaining about this book's length.  Good stories do not need hundreds of pages.  But it would have been great if the author was able to elaborate further on the effects of teenage unprotected premarital sex.  Luke and Lucy were very credible as lovesick and lovestruck teenagers.  They were very in love with each other, but the quick shift into Lucy's pregnancy also created a confusing shift in their characters.  I felt that Luke's sudden change from scared and irresponsible boy to dependable and mature adult was too hurried and unreal, in that it still felt like he was still acting under his parents' influence.  It did not feel like how a real responsible teenager would act under the circumstances.  I'm not saying that a real teen would immediately accept whatever happened, but the phases that he would go through would be very obvious and notable that when he finally accepts his responsibility, everything has fallen into place naturally.  Lucy, on the other hand, was the perfect scared and confused pregnant teen.  Between these two, I would have preferred more communication and action to have happened before the final outcome.  

Another problem I had was that this book was supposed to show Luke and Lucy's Plan B.  However, even towards the end, they were still undecided about what that plan would be.  The readers are left hanging as to the characters' futures and though sometimes it's good to make your own guess, I would have liked a more black and white ending for this story as I felt it required more specific answers for its very specific topic.  

On the bright side, the author was able to perfectly portray the causal relationship between unprotected sexual contact and growing number of teenage pregnancy - and in such limited number of pages at that.  Regardless of the issues I presented above, this story is a good, light, but educational read for teenagers in teaching them about safe sex.  Most reproductive health classes would appear too superficial and feigning concern for the issues but reading this book, not only would teenagers be able to accept and understand the impact of safer sex, they would also be entertained by this light and compelling read that was able to summarily delve into their world without any judgment and prejudice.

And regardless of my negative points, I would still say that I enjoyed this book, although not as much as I enjoyed After, but good enough. 

Rating

If you have any questions on this particular rating, please refer to my ratings system here.

Notice

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

Please contact me for questions, comments, and suggestions.   

 

Prom by Laurie Halse Anderson

(Photo taken from Goodreads)

Title:  Prom
Author:  Laurie Halse Anderson
Publisher:  Puffin

Language: English

Format:  Paperback

Pages:  224 pages
ISBN-10:  0142405701

ISBN-13:  978-0142405703

Source:  Purchased, Booksale

*Part of my 2nds Reading Challenge* 

Buy this book on Amazon

Rating:

The Story According to Goodreads

"High school senior Ashley Hannigan doesn't care about prom, but she's the exception. It's pretty much the only good thing at her urban Philadelphia high school, and everyone plans to make the most of it—especially Ash's best friend, Natalia, who's the head of the committee. Then the faculty advisor is busted for taking the prom money, and Ash suddenly finds herself roped into putting together a gala dance out of absolutely nada. But she has help—from her large and loving (if exasperating!) family, from Nat's eccentric grandmother, from her fellow classmates. And in putting the prom together, Ash learns that she has choices about her life after high school."

This story was so laugh-out-loud funny, I got weird looks even in the house.  I was able to finish this book in one sitting as it was fast-paced, well-written, and draws you into the story itself you feel like you're part of it.  Laurie Halse Anderson has been known for her serious, strong, and powerful writing as demonstrated on Speak and Wintergirls, and her book Forge is one of the 2011 candidates for the John Newbery Medal.  I cannot really imagine her writing something as light as Prom, and yet, when I read it, I do believe Anderson is capable of creating such a fun read.  Although telling a story about typical teenage dilemma, hiding behind the surface is a deep perspective on identity, friendship, family, and relationships. 

Almost a modern Cinderella story, this story assembles an interesting mix of characters:  Ashley herself is pretty witty and cool.  You can see her transformation throughout the book from an irresponsible girl who only cared about her boyfriend and having a terrific future with him without thinking about how to achieve that future to a young woman who knows what to do, how to deal, and what she wants out of life.  Her friends are a cool bunch of girls, very down-to-earth and witty - the kind of girls I would love to hang out with in high school.  Her family and the rest of the school round up the funny, endearing, and quirky cast that is Prom.  Each character is drawn vividly, with individual issues and strengths, and you can relate with each of them.  Their dialogue is crisp and distinguishable, and so is the narration from Ashley's point of view.  The voice is solid and accurate for Ashley's personality and transformation.

As for the writing, it was highly convincing and appealing, that even the seemingly shallowest of conflicts - not being able to go to prom - is highly emphasized that the reader could feel the intensity of the problem.  Although actually superficial, the conflicts are raised in a way that makes the reader sympathize with what is happening, to feel for the characters.  Because this is a book for teenagers, an adult might dismiss this as a superficial teenage novel; however, reading this book, you cannot judge this as trivial or insignificant to serious teen-related matters of current times because this is a foundation of that subject.  Ashley has no idea about her strengths or her capabilities and therefore, feels inferior which results to unreliability and irresponsible behavior.  However, once she gets past that and discovers self-awareness, she decides to take control of her life and steer it into a remarkably different and better route than what she has been planning for herself.  If teenagers were even only half as self-aware and empowered as Ashley was by the ending, they would also be able to make better choices and work for their goals.  This book is not just about the prom - it's about encouraging a person to acknowledge who and what he/she really is, accepting him/herself, and recognizing his/her strengths and capabilities in order to effectively mold his/her life the way it should be.  And that, in my opinion, is what Anderson writes mostly in her other more serious books.  So yes, I can now imagine her really writing this book.

And by the way, I loved what was written in the About the Author section:  "...The night of her senior prom, she was shoveling manure on a pig farm in Denmark..."   As for me, I did not go to prom.  I was busy reading.

I Finally Found the Reading Challenges for Me!

I finally found a reading challenge I can do!  Yay‼  Katy from A Few More Pages is hosting the 2011 Seconds Challenge.  I've read books from some authors that makes me want to go read their other works but I never get around to doing it.  This might help me with that and hey, an excuse to read more books is always welcome, right?

For this challenge, because I don't want to go way over my head, I'm going to do the second level:  A Few More Bites which requires me to read six books.

Actually, I already have two books I could line up on this challenge!  I promise not to read them until January 1, 2011 (as if I can read them before 2010 ends):

Prom by Laurie Halse Anderson
An Abundance of Katherines by John Green
Sea Glass by Anita Shreve
The Last Summer (of You and Me) by Ann Brashares
The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon



I'm going to add to the list as I go, but at least I already have two five prepared, three of which are already done.  I'm so excited!

Also, since I'm going to get into these reading challenges, I've decided to join Lazy Girl Reads' Mini Book Challenge for 2011 that runs from January to April 2011. 

Basically you have to read four books that have each of the following themes:

1.  Something old - Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
2.  Something new - Plan B by Charnan Simon
3.  Something borrowed - My Name is Memory by Ann Brashares
4.  Something blue - Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenneger

I thought it would be fairly easy to complete but I'll make up my book list as I go, I have a few titles in mind already but I thought I could give it a little time, I might find better books for this one :D DONE!!!

Here is the award that Lah from Lazy Girl Reads sent everyone who completed this challenge, which includes me :D

So there you have it, two reading challenges for 2011.  Might not be much, but I just wanted to wade in the water for a while.  I don't want to sign up for more than I could handle as I can become impossibly busy sometimes.