Book Review: Bleeding Violet by Dia Reeves

Photo taken from Goodreads

Book Info

Title:  Bleeding Violet

Author:  Dia Reeves
Publisher:  Simon Pulse

Language: English

Format: Paperback

Pages:  480 pages

ISBN - 13:  978-1416986195

Source:  Purchased, National Book Store

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Summary

From Goodreads: 

"Love can be a dangerous thing...

Hanna simply wants to be loved. With a head plagued by hallucinations, a medicine cabinet full of pills, and a closet stuffed with frilly, violet dresses, Hanna's tired of being the outcast, the weird girl, the freak. So she runs away to Portero, Texas in search of a new home.

But Portero is a stranger town than Hanna expects. As she tries to make a place for herself, she discovers dark secrets that would terrify any normal soul. Good thing for Hanna, she's far from normal. As this crazy girl meets an even crazier town, only two things are certain: Anything can happen and no one is safe.'

Review

Chief Complaint:

1.  Mental illness
2.  Cold and distant mother
3.  Mysterious and monstrous events and creatures

History of Present Illness:

The patient, Hannah Jarvinen, is a transy - a newcomer - in Portero, her mother's hometown.  For years, her mother had seemed like a myth to her, and now, she's with her, but does not seem to care.  Her mental instability does not help either, as her hallucinations worsen.  But stranger things are happening in Portero, and Hannah is eager to prove she can fit in, mental illness or not, mysterious and deadly creatures notwithstanding.

Assessment:

Bleeding Violet by Dia Reeves is quite a story!  The line between sanity and insanity is blurred and masked together - quite brutally, I might add - to create such a disturbing, yet brightly riveting book.  Although I'm not a fan of the fantasy/paranormal genre, this novel completely blew me away.

The plot was very exciting, how many times have you read a book about a person who hallucinates, but whose real world is teeming with even stranger occurrences than what she sees in her head?  It was very engaging, as Hannah bordered between sarcasm and utter sweetness.  Her voice, however, was somewhat flat if a bit brutal, but that is to be expected from a person suffering from a mental illness, which actually lent a more authentic feel to the story.  The melodramatic way with which all the characters act also serve to emphasize the peculiarity of the setting and the situations that they encounter.

Therefore, I am diagnosing this book as:

1.  Crazy awesome, stage V
2.  Emotionally unemotional.
3.  Lingering in your thoughts, status post reading the book, for at least a week.

Recommendation:  Read this book at your own risk, and prepared to be amazed.

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: The Mountains Bow Down by Sibella Giorello

Photo taken from Booksneeze

Book Info

Title:  The Mountains Bow Down

Author:  Sibella Giorello

Publisher:  Thomas Nelson 

Language: English

Format:  Paperback

Pages:  384 pages

ISBN-13:  978-1595545350

Source:  Publisher, Booksneeze

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Summary

From Booksneeze:

"Everything’s going to work out. Time away always makes things better . . .

That’s what FBI Special Agent Raleigh Harmon believes as she boards a cruise to Alaska. A land of mountains and gems and minerals, the Last Frontier is a dream destination for this forensic geologist who's hoping to leave behind a hectic work schedule and an engagement drained of romance.

But when a passenger goes missing and winds up dead, Raleigh's vacation suddenly gets lost at sea. The ship's security chief tries to rule the death a suicide, but Raleigh’s forensics background points to a much darker conclusion: Somewhere onboard, a ruthless murderer walks free.

Engulfed by one of her toughest cases yet, Raleigh requests assistance from the FBI and receives her nemesis—handsome Special Agent Jack Stephanson. As the cruise ship sails through the Inside Passage, Raleigh has five days to solve a high-profile murder, provide consultation for a movie filming onboard, and figure out her increasingly complicated feelings for Jack—who might not be as arrogant as she originally thought.

And that's only her work life. Family offers even more challenges. Joined on the cruise by her mother and aunt, Raleigh watches helplessly as disturbing rifts splinter her family.

Like the scenery that surrounds the cruise ship, Raleigh discovers a mystery so daunting that even the mountains might bow down before it."

Review

I believe that the best Christian fiction are those that teach you something without coming off as preachy and holier-than-thou.  This book, The Mountains Bow Down by Sibella Giorello, is a perfect example of a Christian-oriented novel that subtly blends fiction with Christianity.  The story is about Raleigh Harmon, a workaholic FBI agent who goes on a vacation (sort of) and gets on a cruise, only to find herself caught in the middle of a mysterious death of another passenger that she stubbornly insists is not just a simple case of suicide, despite popular belief. 

Fast-paced, riveting, and emotionally-charged, this story will take the reader to an intense ride through an Alaskan cruise, following Raleigh as she struggles to work out the mysterious death of a co-passenger, the worsening rift in her family, and the disconcerting presence of former rival and now co-investigator for the passenger's death Special Agent Jack Stephanson.

Raleigh seems to be the woman every girl wants to grow up to be:  Beautiful, brave, intelligent, and strong.  However, what a young girl does not know is that every woman has her share of problems, and Raleigh's in particular, is very heavy.  This story shows that beneath her seemingly perfect facade is a cracked mirror that she tries hard to stop from shattering.  This emotionally-charged book explores a person's faith in faith, that when everything seems impossible, it is the time when God's presence is felt the most. 

But far from the very serious tone of the synopsis and theme, this book is full of humorous quips and observations, contributed by the various characters all equally vivid and realistic.  Each person affects the story in no small way, every action and dialogue contributing to the tumultuous ending.  Reading about each character, the reader will feel like he/she has known that person personally, like that character is standing right in front of you and addressing you instead of the other person that he/she is supposed to be interacting with in the book. 

Raleigh's voice is consistent with her personality and the flow of her story.  She gives a fast-paced account of her adventure and reflects constantly about her actions.  We understand that she is a very introspective person.  And we also learn that far from being the woman who has an answer to everything, we see how vulnerable she is.  This significant aspect of the book is what allows the Christian values and lessons to peek through the pages, without sounding too self-righteous, even a non-believer would approve. 

If you are tired of the usual suspense thriller fare offered by other contemporary writers that seem to have 'less soul,' I highly recommend that you read this book.  It has every element that an exciting thriller novel has, but this offers more:  heart, soul, and faith.

Rating

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

Notice 

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
 

Please contact me for questions, comments, and suggestions.

After by Amy Efaw

 (Photo taken from Goodreads)

Title:  After
Author:  Amy Efaw
Publisher:  Speak
Language: English

Format:  Paperback

Pages:  368 pages
ISBN-10:  0142415901

ISBN-13:  978-0142415900

Source:  Purchased, Fully Booked

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Rating:

I had mixed feelings when I finished reading this book.  So before I did my review, I looked around the internet to find other helpful reviews in order to help me put my mind on track.  Reading through several articles, I understand that this book received mixed reviews.  I also understand that most of the negative reviews say that this book was more like an episode in Law and Order:  SVU, or that this book had too much dialogue, and the plot was good, but execution was horrible.  Having read this book, I think I know where those negative feedback were coming from, but I tend to disagree about this book being not much of a good read.  Getting this book, I knew up front what I was going to face:  Heavy issues and of course, heavy emotions.

While browsing through the bookstore, this book caught my attention because of its attractive cover, and then it kept my attention because of the synopsis:  This Devon girl was the driven athlete, exemplary student - an all-around perfect teenager.  But her seemingly perfect life was halted when she was found bleeding all over her living room sofa, and a newborn baby discovered in the trash near their home.  Suddenly, her life full of bright futures does not seem too bright at all as she was charged with attempted murder.  The second I read that, I was like, Wow something with psych stuff again!  You know how crazy I am about books with some heavy issues and psychological problems, so getting this book was definitely in the bag.

If the author were to write a completely comprehensive story focusing on neonaticide, a mere 368 pages would not suffice.  I do note, however, that the author certainly performed impeccable research on her desired topic.  The legal aspects, psychiatric viewpoint, and every last detail was covered.  But as I see it, focusing mainly on the 'dumpster baby' phenomenon is not her aim.  What I think she wanted to do is to write a story about what hypothetically goes on inside a young woman's - who gave birth and threw out her baby in the trash - mind.  Other readers said the book was mostly dialogue and too introspective, but that's exactly the point:  When you watch the news on television and teenage girls claim that they really have no idea they were pregnant until they gave birth, your initial remark would probably be:  "She's lying," "She can't be serious!" or "No way she's telling the truth!  She's saying she never felt any pregnancy symptoms? What a stupid alibi."  But really, how can we be sure that they are not telling the truth?  If you read this book, you'll observe that most of the story goes on in Devon's head, because that's where the real story occurs:   Her thought process all throughout pregnancy, while giving birth, and after - especially after - giving birth and doing away with the baby. 

Devon is actually the perfect study of a teenage-baby-throwing-mom (in the interest of brevity, and for my fingers' sake, I will now refer to perpetrators of these dumpster babies as 'DBP').  The factors that may influence a girl like her to think and decide the way she did are written on her character:  Immature and 'slutty' mother who was never there, always left alone in the house, lack of confidence for her support system, and a perceived notion that she needs to be 'unlike her mother.'  So when people complain that they cannot feel sympathetic towards Devon, it's understandable, because you don't like a DBP in the first place.  But once understanding those factors, and what goes on in Devon's head - once you understand the whole story, it's difficult not to feel anything for Devon.  Difficult not to have even a little compassion for what she just went through.

As for the opinion that the characters were mere 'caricatures' I beg to disagree.  The characters are as human as they can be.  We can relate with each of them on certain levels,  and they even have their own quirks and their individuality is very emphasized. 

As for the ending, which may be quite disappointing and is actually the biggest reason why most reviews were negative, I think it is disappointing because it left you hanging, but I wouldn't have it any other way.  Why?  Because Devon was in denial.  What she did in the ending signified that she has finally and completely snapped out of her state of denial and finally ready to face the truth and result of her actions and decisions.

I knew what I was going up against when I started to read this book.  I knew that as a book that writes about such a serious issue, I have to take this book seriously.  And to take this book seriously, I have to get past the words themselves and understand what this book is really about.  Of course it involves neonaticide, but the whole point is exactly what goes inside a DBP's mind, and how she copes with it after.

Every Little Thing by Pamela Klaffke

 

Photo taken from Goodreads 

Title: Every Little Thing
Author:  Pamela Klaffke
Publisher: Harlequin
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0778329232

ISBN-13: 978-0778329237

Publication Date:  1/25/2011

Advanced reader's e-proof received from NetGalley

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Rating:

  

The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood.  Life on the Refrigerator Door.  The Last Time I Saw Mother.  It seems like I've been gravitating to mother-daughter books lately, and here is another one.  I received an ARC of this story from NetGalley and read and finished it in one sitting.  The book is not that long, the story itself just below 250 pages, and I guess it was okay.  Not bad, but not exactly groundbreaking.  Just enough to tide you over the next read. 

To understand what I'm talking about, let me tell you a little about the story first.  This is about Mason MacDonald, the infamous magazine columnist Britt Castleman's daughter - a woman who loved to write about everything, good and bad, including everything about her daughter.  Mason grew up despising her mother's lack of sense of privacy, broadcasting all that happens to her and especially to her daughter, that the latter ended up leaving.  On Britt's death, however, Mason returns and is confronted by several problems, some of her own doing, and she discovers that though she knows she should not do the things her mother did, she might have to do some in order to cope.

I found the plot promising, which is why I really wanted to read it.  The writing is good, everything's crystal clear.  Some graphic sexual scenes, but still readable.  The dialogue is crisp, a bit of foul language but not too much that it's difficult to read.  Most of the characters are likable; however, I felt that Mason was a bit too whiny for her own good.  Why does she have to bitch about everything that happens to her?  Why does she have to blame everyone else except herself?  Since this is a bit of a coming-of-age story, yes she does grow out of her whining but still, it was too much when she did it, like she did not want to own up to her own faults and just went on doing her goth thing so she could hate the world for what she has become.  It was irritating that she had to wonder why her friends weren't paying her as much attention as she would have liked - they're grown-ups, they have jobs, of course they wouldn't have been there for her as often!  It wasn't like the world revolved around her.    This Mason gal should know that by now, she's past thirty already.  If I did not have any idea about her age I'd make her for an early twenties girl who doesn't know any better.

But that's not just where my problem with this book ends.  This story had potential, and I wouldn't have changed some parts, but those parts when she rebelled about her condition seems too made up, and even though there might be women out there who won't be afraid to stand up for whatever choices they make, what Mason does in this story is just a bit too over-the-top to be believable.  But maybe that's just me.  Maybe I'm just too square to accept the fact that what happened in the story is the norm, and I'm just too uptight to believe it.  Read this book and be the judge.

But whiny Mason and over-the-top developments aside, I enjoyed the light vibe of this book, and though it's supposed to be about how one daughter copes with her mother's death and understanding her mother, it was not too heavy that you cannot read it without having those painful chest constrictions - you still get to enjoy the book's humor and mockery, and makes this story an easy and touching read.

Life on the Refrigerator Door by Alice Kuipers

(Photo taken from Pan Macmillian)

Title: Life on the Refrigerator Door

Author: Alice Kuipers
Publisher: Macmillan
Language: English
ISBN - 13: 9780330456456
Rating:







Telephone conversation with a mother and her daughter who lives overseas:


Mother: Hi honey, how was your birthday? Did you receive the present I sent you?

Daughter: Hello Mom! My birthday was okay. I went out with some friends. I miss the dinners you and Dad used to do on my birthdays though. Yeah, I got it yesterday morning. I'm going to read it later tonight. I did notice that it's got no plastic packaging anymore. Did you get it secondhand?

M: No hon, I just read it first before I sent it to you. I was supposed to buy it for myself but when I read it, I knew you'd love it, and I didn't have a present for you anyway, so...

D: Mom, you know you didn't have to do that! You might want to read it again and now it's with me. Wait, you're sure you did not send this to me because you think it sucks, did you?

M: Of course not! I loved the story and I just told you, I thought you'd love it. It's got those cute little drawings and I know how you love to draw. And it's one of those mother-daughter stories so we can both relate. Very poignant and moving. But it's not boring. Seriously, it's really good.

D: Yeah it does seem interesting. I just read the blurb and I can't wait to read it later. It does sound a bit emotional. Is this a tear-jerker Mom?

M: It has its moments. It's written in a really unique way, and the author did a terrific job at it. The style it was written would make you think its storytelling would be too limited, but it turned out really well, I couldn't put it down! I read and finished with it in an hour, but I felt like the story lingered in me for another week. Oh honey, I missed you so much after reading it.

D: Wow, now you've got my interest piqued. I miss you too Mom, but with work and stuff, it's not easy to just drop everything and go home.

M: I know. It's just that the book made me realize how much time we've been spending apart, and with your Dad gone... I've just been a bit lonely lately honey.

D: I miss Dad too. And lately, I have been feeling a bit sad too. I couldn't sleep much. Kept thinking of you...


Silence.


D: Mom? Are you still there? Are you crying?

M: I'm fine, honey. Make sure to read the book okay? And call me back and tell me what you think of it. I have to go, I need to go out shopping.

D: Are you sure you're okay Mom? I promise I'll read it and call you. And I think I'm going to ask my boss for a vacation. I do want to see you again.

M: Oh honey, you're really going to do that? You don't know how much that means to me! Call me back and tell me if your boss let you go on leave. And about the book too. I love you baby.

D: I love you too Mom. I'll call you.

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

(Photo taken from Goodreads)

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.