We'll Never Be Apart by Emiko Jean

A YA thriller, We'll Never Be Apart is one of those books that has left me unsure exactly how I feel about it.

The story is an intriguing one. Alice Monroe is in a mental ward on Savage Isle, locked in with her fractured memories of the fire that killed her boyfriend, a fire that was set by her twin sister. The story is told through present day scenes, as well as journal entry flashbacks. As Alice regains more of her memories, the readers learn more about what happened.

So why am I left giving this book a middling score?

On the one hand, I found it really gripping. I read it in about twenty four hours, and felt my heart in my throat in a couple places towards the end as the action really started to pick up. I definitely wanted to keep reading to find out the truth behind what happened.

On the other hand, it read as frankly ridiculous at times. Even accounting for sweeps of the imagination and unreal, given the setting and protagonists, parts of it just seemed overwrought and so unlikely. To me, the main twist was slightly predictable, but mostly reasonable given the context of the story itself, but so many little moments just jolted me out of the story with how unlikely they truly were.

Also, I found it completely impossible to like Cellie, the twin sister, at all. I suspect this was done purposefully by the author, but having a main character so unlikable with seemingly no true redeeming qualities can make for a less than engaging read. I did not completely find myself on the side of most of the other main characters as well, which was also an issue. I completely understand that because of their circumstances, the author wanted readers to find them sympathetic in their flawed natures, but Jean went, in my opinion, too far in emphasizing those flaws.

In the end, this was a suspenseful, flawed book with an interesting twist that kept me flipping pages, and left me somewhat unsatisfied. I'd be curious to see what Emiko Jean comes out with next as she grows more as a writer.

2.5/5 stars

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith

This is a fun, clever read that was sent to me by a dear friend, and book twin, Nicole, who knows my tastes very well. I enjoy horror, as well as twists on classics, and this book fit the bill perfectly, besides being very funny to boot.

The characters are the same in name, and mostly in deed, save for some being expert fighters of the dreaded zombie hordes that swarm through England. The classic romances, and lines are all there, with some bawdy humor and a multitude of cracked skulls, beheadings, and honor duels mixed in as well.

I feel like this is a book that you can enjoy if you haven't read the original, but that you get more joy out of if you have partaken in Austen's classic previous to the reading of this zombie-infested version.

I'm definitely looking forward to the movie of this book.

3.5/5 stars

Five Friday: Five Good Reads That Start With "A"

(I tried to pick books I hadn't talked about at length on this blog before, which is why books like And Then There Were None aren't in this post.)

1. As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales From the Making of The Princess Bride

The Princess Bride is one of my all-time favorite movies, and this trip down memory lane is a true delight. This is one of those books that, as I sometimes say to my students, makes your heart feel happy.

 

2. The Art Detective: Adventures of an Antiques Roadshow Appraiser

Mould discusses not only unique finds, but forgeries, lost art, and mysterious paintings. It's a fascinating read.

3. Asylum by Madeleine Roux

This is a super creepy YA book that is the start to a trilogy. I haven't read the other two yet, but definitely want to.

 

4. After Her by Joyce Maynard

This book draws its inspiration from a real crime spree, and is a haunting and expertly plotted mystery wrapped up in a coming of age tale.

5. American Lightning: Terror, Mystery, The Birth of Hollywood, and the Crime of the Century by Howard Blum

I am a big fan of Blum's true crime books. In American Lightning, he weaves together a bombing, the American Sherlock Holmes, Hollywood, and the famous Clarence Darrow.

What Has Become of You by Jan Elizabeth Watson

This is a psychological thriller with some mystery thrown in, centered around the character of Vera Lundy, a teacher who also wants to be a true crime writer. Vera's deep interest in true crime began when she was a child, and has led her to seek connections among recent murders of young girls.

Meanwhile, Vera is subbing in as an English teacher at a prestigious private girls' school, where she meets a girl named Jensen Willard, who continuously turns in long journal entries that have a troubling undertone. When tragedy hits Vera's classroom, she is forced to confront truths about her students and herself.


Vera comes across as a bit of a twisted Harriet the Spy, especially in regards to what we learn about her past. I actually wanted to learn more about these important events from when she was a teenager, as they seem fundamental to who she became as an adult. Vera herself even says she sometimes feels she is still the same fifteen year old girl on the inside. The past events are teased out, but I would have liked to see them fleshed out even more.

As a teacher myself, there were a lot of instances when I was grimacing at the choices Vera was making in regards to her class and her students. She desperately wanted to be "the cool teacher". But it made sense in the lens of what she went through as a teenager.

Watson does a great job with the slow burn. The story gradually builds until you realize you haven't put the book down in hours. The lines between fiction and truth begin to blur, and you're not sure what to believe anymore. I found the ending satisfying and fitting, though I know not all readers did.

3.5/5 stars

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Debut Authors Who Have Me Looking Forward to Their Sophomore Novel

(hosted by The Broke and Bookish )

Top Ten Debut Authors Who Have Me Looking Forward to Their Sophomore Novel

1. Paula Hawkins

2. Jessica Knoll

 

3. Amy Butcher

 

4. Ami Polonksy

 5. Joel Dicker

6. Maggie Mitchell

 

7. Christopher Bollen

8. Christopher J. Yates

9. Jane Shemilt

10. Kate Bolick

Dead by Sunset by Ann Rule

As someone who loves reading true crime, I knew I had to fix the fact that I had never read a book by Ann Rule.

Dead by Sunset follows the murder of Cheryl Keeton, and the life and crimes of her ex-husband, Brad Cunningham. The story has many twists and turns, and at times would read as completely unbelievable in the hands of a lesser author. Rule expertly takes us through the tales of Brad's many wives, his outbursts, threats, and exploits, his ego and lies.

Rule has clearly done her research, not just by sitting in at the trial, but through exhaustive interviews and documentation. She brings this stranger than fiction tale to life.

4/5 stars

October Roundup

This October, I read thirteen books:

  

 

I received one new book as a gift:

 












And won one new book from the Spooktaculer Giveaway Hop, thanks to Read Now Sleep Later :

In total, I finished 6/7 books for the R.I.P. challenge, and am 2/3 of the way through the last one on my list, thus completing Peril the First:

  

1) Loonies by Gregory Bastianelli -Done
2) Dead by Sunset by Ann Rule
3) The Postman Always Rings Twice by James M. Cain-Done
4. The Best American Crime Reporting 2007 edited by Linda Fairstein-Done
5) The Hiding Place by David Bell-Done
6) People Who Eat Darkness by Richard Lloyd Parry-Done
7) The Kind Worth Killing For by Peter Swanson-Done

What did you read this October?