Review: The Wonder; and Mini Reviews: Anatomy of Evil, and The Art of the Con

Title: The Wonder
Author: Emma Donoghue
Publication Date: September 20, 2016
Genre: Psychological Mystery/Suspense
Recommended If You Like: the mysterious, religion, medicine, ethics

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my opinion of the book or my review itself.

The Book:

Lib Wright is a nurse trained under Florence Nightingale, who has been sent to keep watch on a young girl who has refused to eat for months--Anna O'Donnell is convinced she is being kept alive solely through manna from heaven. Lib is highly skeptical, and expects to solve the mystery quickly and go back to her old life. But the case runs far deeper than first appears, and Lib finds herself pulled in ways she never anticipated.

What I Liked:

This is a suspenseful book. From the start, readers are pulled in, not only through the mystery of how Anna has survived so far, but through investment in the characters.

These are complicated, complex characters. Nothing is how it first appears, not even Lib. There are constant surprises--sometimes the characters even surprise themselves.

Anything I Didn't Like?

Really, there was nothing I didn't like about this book. It is a beautifully written, gripping read.

So...?

What could have been a slow, dragging read in a lesser author's hands (girl won't eat, nurse tries to get girl to eat) becomes a twisting, deeply felt mystery and relationship study in Donoghue's capable hands.

Donoghue does not shy away from the difficult issues of religion, obligation, ethics, familial ties, sin, and science. This is a powerful read that will surprise you, and stay with you long after the final page is turned.

It is not an easy task to put a new spin on the tale of Jack the Ripper, but Thomas does an excellent job. 

His genius lies in inserting his already established and well-liked detective characters, Cyrus Barker and Thomas Llewelyn, into the fray. Barker, a private enquiry agent, and Llewelyn, his assistant, are drawn into temporarily working with Scotland Yard in an attempt to catch the fearsome Ripper. 

Barker and Llewelyn are great characters, reminiscent of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, and Thomas' take on the Jack the Ripper mystery is a strong one. I really appreciated and admired that Thomas did not shy away from offering his own solution to the unsolved crimes.

Amore does a very good job of discussing the overarching issues of art forgery and fakery through specific cases throughout the modern age.

Covering everything from the use of ebay to the purchase of old canvases at flea markets, forged signatures to expansive lies surrounding provenance, Amore creates a really interesting and comprehensive read.

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Literary Villains

As always, Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the wonderful The Broke and The Bookish.

This week is all about villains! Here are my top ten literary villains. (Just a note, this does include spoilers for Gone Girl and Psycho--these books are #9 and #10 on this list)

1) Professor Moriarty (Sherlock Holmes)

 

The ultimate arch nemesis for the ultimate detective

2) Unknown (And Then There Were None)

 

The villain hiding among the victims

3) Dracula

The original ancient night villain lurking in the shadows

4) Mr. Hyde (Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde)

The villain hiding inside the seemingly normal man

5) Irene Adler (Sherlock Holmes)

Not so much a villain in her literary story as a strong smart woman living outside the law

6) Richard Aldiss (Dominance)

A genius literary professor who may or may not be a murderer 

7) Frankenstein's Monster

 

A villain made a villain by circumstances beyond his control

8) The Hound (The Hound of the Baskervilles)

  

The terrifying specter in the darkness of the moors

9) Amy Dunne (Gone Girl)

The villain you don't see coming

10) Norman Bates (Psycho)

The creepiest of psychological villains

Who are some of your favorite literary villains?

September Roundup!

This September, I read sixteen books. Five of these counted for my Netgalley/Edelweiss challenge, four for the Tackle Your TBR Readathon, and five for the Mount TBR challenge.

My top reads of the month were:

What were your favorite reads of this September?

Dear Mr. M, and The Black Dahlia (A Crime Graphic Novel)

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my opinion of the book or my review itself.

Title: Dear Mr. M
Author: Herman Koch
Publication Date: September 6, 2016
Genre: Psychological Suspense
Recommended If You Like: a book within a book, a (fictional) true crime, musings, psychology, the mind of a writer

The Book:

M is an author who got success writing about a real-life mysterious (and unsolved) disappearance of a teacher. Struggling to write anything else that popular, M is now being carefully watched by his neighbor, who seems to have something he is dying to contribute.

What I Liked:

This is such an interesting concept. There are multiple unreliable narrators, including M himself, and readers are never sure who to trust (if anyone). And I love a good book within a book, especially if it's a mystery/crime story.

The ending packed a powerful punch too. I definitely didn't see it coming.

Anything I Didn't Like?

The book seemed to drag on sometimes. Koch seems to love to muse, and his musings can be meandering and quite long.

So...?

I have to admit, I almost didn't finish this book two or three times in the beginning, but something about it just kept me drawn in. Koch certainly knows how to build suspense, and that suspense keeps you hooked. You have to know what is going to happen.

This is a recently released graphic novel, and a really well-done one. I read it in one day, not wanting to put it down.

If you have read James Ellroy's novel, you will be familiar with the storyline, as this graphic novel is adapted from that novel. The Black Dahlia is narrated by a cop, who has his life turned upside down when he and his partner are brought in to help investigate the Black Dahlia murder. 

Ellroy takes the true crime of the Black Dahlia, and puts his own spin on it. Where he takes it can sometimes go a bit off the rails, but he makes it work, and the graphic novel keeps that spirit. The artistry of the illustrations is really excellent, and makes you feel like you are right in the noir.

I would definitely recommend this graphic novel.

Top Ten Tuesday: Ten Books On My Fall TBR List

As always, Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the wonderful The Broke and The Bookish.


In the fall, especially in October, I love to read creepy, scary books! Here are ten off my TBR shelves, Kindle, or borrowed from the library that I hope to read this fall.

Features: a haunted house, a cult, and a diary left behind

Features: the murderous nightmarish tale that inspired one of Hitchcock's creepiest movies

Features: an obsessed fan of a brilliant author

Features: ghosts, a creepy amusement park, and murder

Features: mystery and murder from the creator of Sherlock Holmes

Features: Jack the Ripper

Features: obsession, rage, murder, and ghosts

Features: a mansion, a sinister family legacy, and madness

Features: a haunted apartment built adjacent to a graveyard

Features: death, secrets, comparisons to Twin Peaks

What's on your fall TBR list?

Banned Books Week: Books I've Loved That Have Been Banned and/or Challenged

In honor of Banned Books Week, I wanted to recommend some banned and/or challenged books I have read. If you have any you would add, please feel free to talk about them in the comments. I feel the more we can encourage people to read these books, the better!