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just_one_more_paige
This review was originally published on the book review blog justonemorepaige.wordpress.com.
This is my first post as part of a promotional blog tour. Did you read that? Let me write ii again, just in case. This is my first post as part of a promotional blog tour!! That’s right, that means I was sent this book in exchange for a review. And I literally cannot tell you how freaking exited that makes me. Seriously. But that’s not the point of this post – this is all about the book, Immer, so let’s just right in to that.
The description of this book really caught my interest. A version of the world where fairies and vampires and werewolves are real…and everyone knows they exist. Fairies have the power to heal and work in healthcare. Vampires are still pretty secretive, because of course. And wolves have become the police “Force” that protects humans and keeps the peace. I mean, I won’t lie, that’s a world I’d love to live in.
This story focuses on the wolves, and in particular, Alpha Will Jaxon. He’s the head of the Force in his city and is working undercover to bring down an illegal drug syndicate that is using trafficked women to sort and package product. As part of his initiation, he is required to take part in “grabbing” one of these women. Halfway through the abduction attempt, the woman, Rayne, looks into Will’s eyes and the fear he sees stops him cold – he lets her escape. Although he is able to explain it away and preserve his cover, he can’t get the woman out of his mind. At the same time, as Rayne recovers from the traumatic experience, she is convinced she saw something different in the eyes of the man that tried to kidnap her. She is sure he was a wolf, but can’t justify it, since they are supposed to be protectors. The rest of the book takes exactly the “romance” course you’d expect. Will cannot stop thinking about (or stay away from) Rayne. And though their contact is born from his overwhelming guilt about what he did to her and his attempts to right it, he finds, as things progress, that those feelings are changing into something deeper. Though Rayne starts out terrified and uncomfortable around him, she accepts his help, hoping that learning to defend and protect herself will give her back her sense of security. And as we see with Will, her feelings begin to change and deepen as well. But for each of them, their own guilt and confusion over how their “relationship” started, and the differences between them and their two worlds, threaten to crush those budding feelings.
Overall, this was a successful, if slightly unorthodox, paranormal romance. I say unorthodox because the, usually quite omnipresent, “steamy” side of this genre was particularly quiet. That is not to say that the romantic tension was not there, or not done well. In fact, let me tell you, McFarland knows how to string a reader along. There were so many times that I got my hopes up, was so excited for impending release, only to have it be snatched away. It was super stressful, but in that good romantic book stress way, of course. To that end, I think the author did a great job setting the mood and building the atmosphere. The beginning, the “world building” part of the book, was a bit juvenile. By which I mean that the exposition was just a little too unpolished/unsubtle for my taste – lots of telling and not enough description/showing to allow the reader to really use their imagination with the place. Towards the middle, there were a few times where I felt like things got slightly repetitive. There were some scenes and inner dialogue that were super similar and essentially the same plot device, that could have been condensed down without losing much. There were some scenes though, like when Will and Rayne played outside in the snow, that were just super cute. By the last 15% or so the plot had really picked back up and I was speed reading like crazy to see what would happen. It was a nice dramatic ending, as one would expect from the crime/thriller aspect of the novel. From the romance side though, after all the build-up I felt like the “moment” for Will and Rayne was just too fast and I wanted more! I mean that’s not the worst problem ever, in fact I suppose it could be seen as a kind of compliment, but it all just happened so fast. I would have loved to see more of the happily ever after, the “completion,” if you will, of Immer. I respect the author’s choice not to write that, but still…I can wish for it.
My biggest gripe with this book was with the writing itself. There were times where I could tell it was just editing issues, small typos and things like that, that are annoying but don’t necessarily affect the bigger picture. But if I’m being honest, the entire book was written in a very “first attempt” sort of way. There was very little nuance in the word choices, the depth of dialogue (both inner and between characters), and just generally I could a lot of the same issues that I see in many YA novels, the writing that assumes readers needs everything explained in detail because we will not be able to come to a conclusion on our own without it. It’s a frustrating style, but it’s also something that you can work to tune out (I’m getting pretty good at it actually), and allow yourself to enjoy the story underneath the surface. Looking past that, you can tell this is a story that means a lot to the author. It’s almost as if she wrote these characters, especially the main one, to portray a world and a story she’d love to live: a world where fantasy creatures are real, there’s a little drama and a great love, and she owns a books store. It doesn’t sound half bad.
This is my first post as part of a promotional blog tour. Did you read that? Let me write ii again, just in case. This is my first post as part of a promotional blog tour!! That’s right, that means I was sent this book in exchange for a review. And I literally cannot tell you how freaking exited that makes me. Seriously. But that’s not the point of this post – this is all about the book, Immer, so let’s just right in to that.
The description of this book really caught my interest. A version of the world where fairies and vampires and werewolves are real…and everyone knows they exist. Fairies have the power to heal and work in healthcare. Vampires are still pretty secretive, because of course. And wolves have become the police “Force” that protects humans and keeps the peace. I mean, I won’t lie, that’s a world I’d love to live in.
This story focuses on the wolves, and in particular, Alpha Will Jaxon. He’s the head of the Force in his city and is working undercover to bring down an illegal drug syndicate that is using trafficked women to sort and package product. As part of his initiation, he is required to take part in “grabbing” one of these women. Halfway through the abduction attempt, the woman, Rayne, looks into Will’s eyes and the fear he sees stops him cold – he lets her escape. Although he is able to explain it away and preserve his cover, he can’t get the woman out of his mind. At the same time, as Rayne recovers from the traumatic experience, she is convinced she saw something different in the eyes of the man that tried to kidnap her. She is sure he was a wolf, but can’t justify it, since they are supposed to be protectors. The rest of the book takes exactly the “romance” course you’d expect. Will cannot stop thinking about (or stay away from) Rayne. And though their contact is born from his overwhelming guilt about what he did to her and his attempts to right it, he finds, as things progress, that those feelings are changing into something deeper. Though Rayne starts out terrified and uncomfortable around him, she accepts his help, hoping that learning to defend and protect herself will give her back her sense of security. And as we see with Will, her feelings begin to change and deepen as well. But for each of them, their own guilt and confusion over how their “relationship” started, and the differences between them and their two worlds, threaten to crush those budding feelings.
Overall, this was a successful, if slightly unorthodox, paranormal romance. I say unorthodox because the, usually quite omnipresent, “steamy” side of this genre was particularly quiet. That is not to say that the romantic tension was not there, or not done well. In fact, let me tell you, McFarland knows how to string a reader along. There were so many times that I got my hopes up, was so excited for impending release, only to have it be snatched away. It was super stressful, but in that good romantic book stress way, of course. To that end, I think the author did a great job setting the mood and building the atmosphere. The beginning, the “world building” part of the book, was a bit juvenile. By which I mean that the exposition was just a little too unpolished/unsubtle for my taste – lots of telling and not enough description/showing to allow the reader to really use their imagination with the place. Towards the middle, there were a few times where I felt like things got slightly repetitive. There were some scenes and inner dialogue that were super similar and essentially the same plot device, that could have been condensed down without losing much. There were some scenes though, like when Will and Rayne played outside in the snow, that were just super cute. By the last 15% or so the plot had really picked back up and I was speed reading like crazy to see what would happen. It was a nice dramatic ending, as one would expect from the crime/thriller aspect of the novel. From the romance side though, after all the build-up I felt like the “moment” for Will and Rayne was just too fast and I wanted more! I mean that’s not the worst problem ever, in fact I suppose it could be seen as a kind of compliment, but it all just happened so fast. I would have loved to see more of the happily ever after, the “completion,” if you will, of Immer. I respect the author’s choice not to write that, but still…I can wish for it.
My biggest gripe with this book was with the writing itself. There were times where I could tell it was just editing issues, small typos and things like that, that are annoying but don’t necessarily affect the bigger picture. But if I’m being honest, the entire book was written in a very “first attempt” sort of way. There was very little nuance in the word choices, the depth of dialogue (both inner and between characters), and just generally I could a lot of the same issues that I see in many YA novels, the writing that assumes readers needs everything explained in detail because we will not be able to come to a conclusion on our own without it. It’s a frustrating style, but it’s also something that you can work to tune out (I’m getting pretty good at it actually), and allow yourself to enjoy the story underneath the surface. Looking past that, you can tell this is a story that means a lot to the author. It’s almost as if she wrote these characters, especially the main one, to portray a world and a story she’d love to live: a world where fantasy creatures are real, there’s a little drama and a great love, and she owns a books store. It doesn’t sound half bad.
For the first quarter of the book, I think I rolled my eyes so many times I lost count. Ove was such an extreme caricature of a crotchety old man that it made it essentially impossible to take seriously. Also, considering that the author specifically called him out as being 59 years old, I kind of felt like he was too young to be so dramatically into the “things just aren’t like they used to be” golden olden days perspective. I just felt like Ove was way too one dimensional to be realistic. It was, at times, like the “annoyed at millennials” meme guy was brought to life and this was his story.
Regardless, I pushed forward quickly because the writing was straightforward, smooth, and just generally easy to read. As the story progresses, we learn more about Ove, his childhood, his wife, his life, and how he got to the point where he was the most curmudgeonly man to ever live. It helped. I enjoyed some of the quirky story points, the alternating past and present chapters all titled “A Man Called Ove and…” versus “A Man Who Was Ove and…” Ove’s many failed attempts to rejoin his wife are charming, in a depressingly comical way, an ambiance that I imagine is not something everyone can easily achieve in their writing, so I give credit to the author for that. And the growing cast of characters that we, along with Ove himself, get to meet and become halfheartedly entangled with, are all cute in their own ways. But like Ove himself, none of them really develop into anything deep or nuanced enough to seem very real.
I will admit that I got pulled in to the point that, during the last few chapters where we see all our characters’ stories wrap up, I cried. I mean, take that with a grain of salt because I’m know to cry often and with very little provocation, but I did find that the endings were touching in various ways (unexpected, considering the very rocky start). Still, and this is clearly my primary critique of the book, everything was wrapped up in an easy, surface level only, sort of way. But since that’s all we really got of the characters anyway, it fit in fine and I wasn’t left wondering at all.
Coming away from this, I'll say that the book was definitely endearing. If you are looking for a sweet, easily heartwarming tale with just a hint of emotional depth but nothing overwhelming, this is the book you want to read. But I don’t think it’s one that will stick with me for long. And if you are looking to read Backman, but don’t already feel strongly about which book to pick up first, I’d recommend My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry instead of this one, for sure.
Within this mostly mediocre read, there was one sentiment that really struck me. There's a section that describes love, that particular relationship with the single most important person in your life, in a way that was a surprising mix of mundane, insightful and completely relatable. So to end, I’d like to share it: “Loving someone is like moving into a house… At first you fall in love with all the new things, amazed every morning that all this belongs to you, as if fearing that someone would suddenly come crashing in through the door to explain that a terrible mistake had been made, you weren’t actually supposed to live in a wonderful place like this. Then over the years the walls become weathered, the wood splinters here and there, and you start to love that house not so much because of all its perfection, but rather for its imperfections. You get to know all the nooks and crannies. How to avoid getting the key caught in the lock when it’s cold outside. Which of the floorboards flex slightly when one steps on them or exactly how to open the wardrobe doors without them creaking. These are the little secrets that make it your home.” p.305-306
Regardless, I pushed forward quickly because the writing was straightforward, smooth, and just generally easy to read. As the story progresses, we learn more about Ove, his childhood, his wife, his life, and how he got to the point where he was the most curmudgeonly man to ever live. It helped. I enjoyed some of the quirky story points, the alternating past and present chapters all titled “A Man Called Ove and…” versus “A Man Who Was Ove and…” Ove’s many failed attempts to rejoin his wife are charming, in a depressingly comical way, an ambiance that I imagine is not something everyone can easily achieve in their writing, so I give credit to the author for that. And the growing cast of characters that we, along with Ove himself, get to meet and become halfheartedly entangled with, are all cute in their own ways. But like Ove himself, none of them really develop into anything deep or nuanced enough to seem very real.
I will admit that I got pulled in to the point that, during the last few chapters where we see all our characters’ stories wrap up, I cried. I mean, take that with a grain of salt because I’m know to cry often and with very little provocation, but I did find that the endings were touching in various ways (unexpected, considering the very rocky start). Still, and this is clearly my primary critique of the book, everything was wrapped up in an easy, surface level only, sort of way. But since that’s all we really got of the characters anyway, it fit in fine and I wasn’t left wondering at all.
Coming away from this, I'll say that the book was definitely endearing. If you are looking for a sweet, easily heartwarming tale with just a hint of emotional depth but nothing overwhelming, this is the book you want to read. But I don’t think it’s one that will stick with me for long. And if you are looking to read Backman, but don’t already feel strongly about which book to pick up first, I’d recommend My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry instead of this one, for sure.
Within this mostly mediocre read, there was one sentiment that really struck me. There's a section that describes love, that particular relationship with the single most important person in your life, in a way that was a surprising mix of mundane, insightful and completely relatable. So to end, I’d like to share it: “Loving someone is like moving into a house… At first you fall in love with all the new things, amazed every morning that all this belongs to you, as if fearing that someone would suddenly come crashing in through the door to explain that a terrible mistake had been made, you weren’t actually supposed to live in a wonderful place like this. Then over the years the walls become weathered, the wood splinters here and there, and you start to love that house not so much because of all its perfection, but rather for its imperfections. You get to know all the nooks and crannies. How to avoid getting the key caught in the lock when it’s cold outside. Which of the floorboards flex slightly when one steps on them or exactly how to open the wardrobe doors without them creaking. These are the little secrets that make it your home.” p.305-306
If you'll pardon the language, I finished this book and said, out loud sitting by myself in my living room, "F*** YES!" I mean, I knew the plot was one that I'd love when it involved England, magic, and alternative history/politics. But I really was not expecting it to be this good. I read this book fast..the pacing and twists were written perfectly and it was so hard to put it down. I think, if this hadn't been one of the craziest weeks I've had in awhile, that I might have been able to get through it in a single day.
As I mentioned, this is an alternate, magical story of the history and present day politics of Great Britain. The "Equals," those born with Skill (essentially magical abilities) rule the country through a sort of magical parliament system, after having overthrown the regular king years ago. Since then, the normal human population has been subjugated in many ways, including the horrifying system of slavedays, in which each un-Skilled citizen has to devote 10, consecutive, years of their lives working as slaves. During this time there are supposed to be certain rules that are followed, but in reality the conditions are terrible and the number of human and family rights violations are innumerable.
But things are looking like they might change and there are two families at the center of things. The Jardines, the most powerful Equal family, are led by a terrifyingly power hungry and cruel father, whose three sons each have their own goals, agendas, and grudges that have made each of them start to question and want to change the current hierarchical system of their country. The Hadleys are an un-Skilled family who tried to plan a way to make it through their slavedays together, but ended up caught up in various movements and intrigues that have ended up with them scattered.
This is a book of political intrigue. There is magic, there is a little forbidden romance, but before all that, this is a thrilling political page turner. In great detail, Vic James creates an alternative world that have just as many levels of power and machinations as any "normal" government today. There are those who have power and want to keep it (Whittam and Bouda), those who have power and want to help the powerless (Meilyr and Dina), those who have power and just want to live their lives and help, specifically, those they care for (Gavar and Jenner), those in power who do the wrong things and continue to take advantage in order to get to what are the right ends (Lord Rix) and those with power who have secret plans and make lots of unexplained choices/moves that you just cannot wait to see where they go next (Silyen). And on the other side, there are those without power who just want to duck their heads and get through (many of the Millmoor inhabitants), those without power who stay as close as they can to those who do and look down on other just like them (Millmoor guards, the un-Skilled parliamentary Speaker's son), those without power who use what they do have to fight for everyone else without power (Luke, Asif, Renie - the whole Millmoor Club), those without power who just want to live their lives and help, specifically, those they care for (Daisy, the Hadley parents), and on this side there is the loose cannon, whose motivations may seem a little more clear but you just know they have the capability to do more and you can't wait to see where it goes (Abi). This book did a beautiful job creating all these separate threads and weaving them into something much bigger and greater, in a way that was both easy to follow and still required a considerable amount of attention and intellect on the part of the reader - a tough balance that many books never find.
Honestly, I loved this book. There were some odd parts in the writing where certain phrases and moments seemed jarring or even possibly unnecessary (and to be honest, I get the title, but think it's a little silly/shallow), but on the whole those were drowned out by the wonderfulness of the story as a whole. I know there is a whole genre of actual political thrillers, but I feel like the added aspects of alternative history and magic just make them so much better. James could easily have written a normal one, but that she went this direction is just lucky for me! I cannot wait to see where these characters go next!
As I mentioned, this is an alternate, magical story of the history and present day politics of Great Britain. The "Equals," those born with Skill (essentially magical abilities) rule the country through a sort of magical parliament system, after having overthrown the regular king years ago. Since then, the normal human population has been subjugated in many ways, including the horrifying system of slavedays, in which each un-Skilled citizen has to devote 10, consecutive, years of their lives working as slaves. During this time there are supposed to be certain rules that are followed, but in reality the conditions are terrible and the number of human and family rights violations are innumerable.
But things are looking like they might change and there are two families at the center of things. The Jardines, the most powerful Equal family, are led by a terrifyingly power hungry and cruel father, whose three sons each have their own goals, agendas, and grudges that have made each of them start to question and want to change the current hierarchical system of their country. The Hadleys are an un-Skilled family who tried to plan a way to make it through their slavedays together, but ended up caught up in various movements and intrigues that have ended up with them scattered.
This is a book of political intrigue. There is magic, there is a little forbidden romance, but before all that, this is a thrilling political page turner. In great detail, Vic James creates an alternative world that have just as many levels of power and machinations as any "normal" government today. There are those who have power and want to keep it (Whittam and Bouda), those who have power and want to help the powerless (Meilyr and Dina), those who have power and just want to live their lives and help, specifically, those they care for (Gavar and Jenner), those in power who do the wrong things and continue to take advantage in order to get to what are the right ends (Lord Rix) and those with power who have secret plans and make lots of unexplained choices/moves that you just cannot wait to see where they go next (Silyen). And on the other side, there are those without power who just want to duck their heads and get through (many of the Millmoor inhabitants), those without power who stay as close as they can to those who do and look down on other just like them (Millmoor guards, the un-Skilled parliamentary Speaker's son), those without power who use what they do have to fight for everyone else without power (Luke, Asif, Renie - the whole Millmoor Club), those without power who just want to live their lives and help, specifically, those they care for (Daisy, the Hadley parents), and on this side there is the loose cannon, whose motivations may seem a little more clear but you just know they have the capability to do more and you can't wait to see where it goes (Abi). This book did a beautiful job creating all these separate threads and weaving them into something much bigger and greater, in a way that was both easy to follow and still required a considerable amount of attention and intellect on the part of the reader - a tough balance that many books never find.
Honestly, I loved this book. There were some odd parts in the writing where certain phrases and moments seemed jarring or even possibly unnecessary (and to be honest, I get the title, but think it's a little silly/shallow), but on the whole those were drowned out by the wonderfulness of the story as a whole. I know there is a whole genre of actual political thrillers, but I feel like the added aspects of alternative history and magic just make them so much better. James could easily have written a normal one, but that she went this direction is just lucky for me! I cannot wait to see where these characters go next!
This review originally appeared on the book review blog justonemorepaige.wordpress.com.
I'm not usually as interested in urban fantasy as I am in other fantasy sub-genres. For some reason I tend to find them cheesier or less well written (maybe that's a product of my inability to pick good ones, but whatever the reason, that's been my experience). However, when I read that this was a reworking of an old Russian tale, I decided to try again. I read The Bear and the Nightingale earlier this year, a novel similarly based on an old Russian tale, and really enjoyed it. Plus, on the more superficial side, the cover of this book is gorgeous.
The story is the of a young girl, Vassa (Vasalissa, in the original), who is living with a stepmother and stepsisters, who are not all completely fond of her, because her father has left. When all the lights go out one night, she is sent out to BY's, a chain of creepy convenience stores. In order to make BY's stop dancing (on its giant chicken legs) long enough for you to walk in, you have to sing to it. And each store is constantly surrounded by decapitated heads on poles - the punishment for those who shoplift. The owner of this particular BY's, Babs Yagga (originally the witch Baba Yaga) forces Vassa into a deal: work for her for 3 nights and she can have the lightbulbs she needs. But crazy things happen in and around this store. Each night Vassa is given an impossible task to finish, which she only succeeds at with the help of two characters. The first is her magic wooden doll, Erg, a gift from her mother before she died. The second, a mysterious man on a motorcycle that drives the perimeter of the store lot over and over, can only communicate with Vassa through dreams, and has a secret about who he is and how he ended up working for Babs. Throughout her 3 days and nights in the store, Vassa makes friends with some enchanted swans, deals with Babs' "employees" (two severed hands named Dexter and Sinister), has to figure out how to rescue two otherwordly attorneys, and tries save the world from the longer and longer Nights that Babs is forcing them to endure.
This was a super unique reading experience. The blurb about the author on the inside cover says that she is an artist as well as a writer. That definitely comes across. I feel like this book was written as a surreal art piece - the kind where you can see the outlines of everything and are pretty sure you know what's happening, but you can't necessarily be sure because some of the details are not where you think they should be or are blurred and misshapen. I felt like I was reading the script to a B level horror movie that is destined to become a cult classic. And I mean that as a compliment. It was all very gory, creepy, and totally weird, with some pretty awkward dialogue and interactions. (I know I just said I meant that as a compliment, but only gave the book 3 stars on Goodreads. To clarify, I mean: if you love a good cult classic B horror movie than you will love this book. It’s just not my genre of choice. So I recognize the genius, but it just wasn’t my favorite.)
There were some things I loved: the chapter art was gorgeous, Night personified was so creative and beautifully written, and the interactions between all the characters were very fairy tale like, which was perfect for the atmospheric feel. And seriously, the atmosphere was probably the best part – this author can set a mood and bring it to life masterfully (again, I credit that to her artistic sense). But there were a few things that threw me off just a little. I feel like there were some super impressive, out of the blue, connections that Vassa made with very little evidence and perhaps she got to those conclusions unrealistically quickly given how much information she had. At the same time, there were other realizations and observations that she was very slow to pick up on. And the variations there made the plot a little discordant to me. Also, Erg. I loved some of the small quirks about her, that she loved to eat (so much), but she communicated in a flat, one-dimensional sarcastic way that I was not really a fan of. It seemed too overdone and fake. If I think about it, it makes sense as a tone of communication for a wooden doll brought to life by magic, but it rang a little strangely while I was reading.
This is definitely a book I would recommend reading, but at the same time, not one I would recommend unreservedly. I think you need to like a certain “underground” genre feel to your reads, to really love this book. But as a retelling, I appreciated the nods to the original as well as the creative additions and shifts to make it current day and urban in setting. And I adored the ambiance it created – I fell right into it and, like Vassa’s experience the “Night glove[d] me in the hush of dark creatures and moonlight scripted on puddles in the gutter.” p.287
I'm not usually as interested in urban fantasy as I am in other fantasy sub-genres. For some reason I tend to find them cheesier or less well written (maybe that's a product of my inability to pick good ones, but whatever the reason, that's been my experience). However, when I read that this was a reworking of an old Russian tale, I decided to try again. I read The Bear and the Nightingale earlier this year, a novel similarly based on an old Russian tale, and really enjoyed it. Plus, on the more superficial side, the cover of this book is gorgeous.
The story is the of a young girl, Vassa (Vasalissa, in the original), who is living with a stepmother and stepsisters, who are not all completely fond of her, because her father has left. When all the lights go out one night, she is sent out to BY's, a chain of creepy convenience stores. In order to make BY's stop dancing (on its giant chicken legs) long enough for you to walk in, you have to sing to it. And each store is constantly surrounded by decapitated heads on poles - the punishment for those who shoplift. The owner of this particular BY's, Babs Yagga (originally the witch Baba Yaga) forces Vassa into a deal: work for her for 3 nights and she can have the lightbulbs she needs. But crazy things happen in and around this store. Each night Vassa is given an impossible task to finish, which she only succeeds at with the help of two characters. The first is her magic wooden doll, Erg, a gift from her mother before she died. The second, a mysterious man on a motorcycle that drives the perimeter of the store lot over and over, can only communicate with Vassa through dreams, and has a secret about who he is and how he ended up working for Babs. Throughout her 3 days and nights in the store, Vassa makes friends with some enchanted swans, deals with Babs' "employees" (two severed hands named Dexter and Sinister), has to figure out how to rescue two otherwordly attorneys, and tries save the world from the longer and longer Nights that Babs is forcing them to endure.
This was a super unique reading experience. The blurb about the author on the inside cover says that she is an artist as well as a writer. That definitely comes across. I feel like this book was written as a surreal art piece - the kind where you can see the outlines of everything and are pretty sure you know what's happening, but you can't necessarily be sure because some of the details are not where you think they should be or are blurred and misshapen. I felt like I was reading the script to a B level horror movie that is destined to become a cult classic. And I mean that as a compliment. It was all very gory, creepy, and totally weird, with some pretty awkward dialogue and interactions. (I know I just said I meant that as a compliment, but only gave the book 3 stars on Goodreads. To clarify, I mean: if you love a good cult classic B horror movie than you will love this book. It’s just not my genre of choice. So I recognize the genius, but it just wasn’t my favorite.)
There were some things I loved: the chapter art was gorgeous, Night personified was so creative and beautifully written, and the interactions between all the characters were very fairy tale like, which was perfect for the atmospheric feel. And seriously, the atmosphere was probably the best part – this author can set a mood and bring it to life masterfully (again, I credit that to her artistic sense). But there were a few things that threw me off just a little. I feel like there were some super impressive, out of the blue, connections that Vassa made with very little evidence and perhaps she got to those conclusions unrealistically quickly given how much information she had. At the same time, there were other realizations and observations that she was very slow to pick up on. And the variations there made the plot a little discordant to me. Also, Erg. I loved some of the small quirks about her, that she loved to eat (so much), but she communicated in a flat, one-dimensional sarcastic way that I was not really a fan of. It seemed too overdone and fake. If I think about it, it makes sense as a tone of communication for a wooden doll brought to life by magic, but it rang a little strangely while I was reading.
This is definitely a book I would recommend reading, but at the same time, not one I would recommend unreservedly. I think you need to like a certain “underground” genre feel to your reads, to really love this book. But as a retelling, I appreciated the nods to the original as well as the creative additions and shifts to make it current day and urban in setting. And I adored the ambiance it created – I fell right into it and, like Vassa’s experience the “Night glove[d] me in the hush of dark creatures and moonlight scripted on puddles in the gutter.” p.287
This review originally appeared on the book review blog justonemorepiage.wordpress.com.
Like most people (I assume), I didn't really know much about (read: had literally never heard of) Anna Kendrick until after I saw Pitch Perfect. And even that I didn't do on my own. In fact, two of my best friends, upon hearing I had never seen it months after it had been out on DVD, dragged me to Walmart to buy it and "forced" me (I mean it's not like I put up much of a fight, but they were super intense about making me watch it ASAP) to watch it. And I mentioned multiple times before we started it that I was super nervous that after all their talking it up, it would fall short of that insanely high bar they set, and I'd be disappointed. Well, I needn't have worried. It is now one of my, and for sure one of my husband's, favorite movies of all time. So of course, I started following Anna on Instagram, was pysched beyond words about the announcement of a second Pitch Perfect, and have super enjoyed further films with her (I mean really, with a cast like they had for Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates, I have no idea how it could not have been amazing and hilarious). So when I heard she wrote a book I was 100% in.
I had slightly suspected this before reading Scrappy Little Nobody, but it's confirmed now for sure, Anna Kendrick is my spirit animal. I may not be the first, or the most vociferous, person to say this...but I stand by it anyways. I "read" the book in audiobook version and am very happy with that decision. Anna reads it herself and, so far, is my absolute favorite self narrated author. Not really a surprise, but I'm glad that, yet again, my expectations were met. She read realisticly quickly and clearly, with the perfect amount of sarcasm and snark, and by far the best inflection and enthusiasm of any audiobook voice I've experienced (which is starting to become a non-trivial amount).
I learned a lot about her life and "journey to the spotlight," if you will. For example, I had literally no idea that she started on stage, and as a child actor (despite her very clearly outlined reasons for hating that phrase). I loved hearing about her journeys into "the city," NYC, from Maine, first with her parents and then just with her older brother. We follow her experiences being on Broadway as a child, moving into independent film, and her decision to move straight to LA after high school. Then we get into the more well known "era," if you will, of Up in the Air, Twilight, Pitch Perfect. And along the way, she sprinkles in the typical "celebrity book" stories of dating, making friends, the awkward ways she spends her time, the small obsessions she has, etc. I laughed out loud at her chapter on making plans for incredibly elaborate, but entirely fictional, holiday parties. I was surprised and interested to hear her insights into being a celebrity - that she was surprised at how much she still does for herself (she buys her own toilet paper still, thank you very much) and the paradoxes of that life, like spending $1000 she doesn't have on a pair of shoes to look like she was famous enough to be asked to wear them by the designer and then, when she finally makes enough to afford that, being well known enough to get them for free. I identified so strongly with her woes over always being the smallest person in a class, her self-reflection on the years of doing the party thing to fit in but secretly being the "good girl," dating the guys that aren't actually into her. I really identified with many of her struggles: the guilt and anxiety, what it means to be an adult and how to get there, and, the biggest thing, the imposter syndrome. I think it's fairly common for our generation, the "millennials," to feel that apprehensive "waiting for someone to discover that I don't actually deserve to be where I am" feeling. It's both comforting and terrifying to know how widely it's shared. Although there are definitely a few parts where things she wrote/said were a little problematic for me, in different ways, she is telling her story as she lived it and knows it and in general throughout it all, I loved her tone, her voice, her snark. It really spoke to me.
This is the first book of this genre that I have read from someone more or less my age. Maybe that's part of the reason I felt so strongly connected to Anna's struggles and stories. Maybe that's why everything was so awesomely relatable for me, despite the innumerable differences in our lives and experiences. Or, perhaps I was bias coming in because I already have such a huge soft spot for her. But regardless, I loved this book. It was fun and real and familiar and everything I wanted it to be.
Like most people (I assume), I didn't really know much about (read: had literally never heard of) Anna Kendrick until after I saw Pitch Perfect. And even that I didn't do on my own. In fact, two of my best friends, upon hearing I had never seen it months after it had been out on DVD, dragged me to Walmart to buy it and "forced" me (I mean it's not like I put up much of a fight, but they were super intense about making me watch it ASAP) to watch it. And I mentioned multiple times before we started it that I was super nervous that after all their talking it up, it would fall short of that insanely high bar they set, and I'd be disappointed. Well, I needn't have worried. It is now one of my, and for sure one of my husband's, favorite movies of all time. So of course, I started following Anna on Instagram, was pysched beyond words about the announcement of a second Pitch Perfect, and have super enjoyed further films with her (I mean really, with a cast like they had for Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates, I have no idea how it could not have been amazing and hilarious). So when I heard she wrote a book I was 100% in.
I had slightly suspected this before reading Scrappy Little Nobody, but it's confirmed now for sure, Anna Kendrick is my spirit animal. I may not be the first, or the most vociferous, person to say this...but I stand by it anyways. I "read" the book in audiobook version and am very happy with that decision. Anna reads it herself and, so far, is my absolute favorite self narrated author. Not really a surprise, but I'm glad that, yet again, my expectations were met. She read realisticly quickly and clearly, with the perfect amount of sarcasm and snark, and by far the best inflection and enthusiasm of any audiobook voice I've experienced (which is starting to become a non-trivial amount).
I learned a lot about her life and "journey to the spotlight," if you will. For example, I had literally no idea that she started on stage, and as a child actor (despite her very clearly outlined reasons for hating that phrase). I loved hearing about her journeys into "the city," NYC, from Maine, first with her parents and then just with her older brother. We follow her experiences being on Broadway as a child, moving into independent film, and her decision to move straight to LA after high school. Then we get into the more well known "era," if you will, of Up in the Air, Twilight, Pitch Perfect. And along the way, she sprinkles in the typical "celebrity book" stories of dating, making friends, the awkward ways she spends her time, the small obsessions she has, etc. I laughed out loud at her chapter on making plans for incredibly elaborate, but entirely fictional, holiday parties. I was surprised and interested to hear her insights into being a celebrity - that she was surprised at how much she still does for herself (she buys her own toilet paper still, thank you very much) and the paradoxes of that life, like spending $1000 she doesn't have on a pair of shoes to look like she was famous enough to be asked to wear them by the designer and then, when she finally makes enough to afford that, being well known enough to get them for free. I identified so strongly with her woes over always being the smallest person in a class, her self-reflection on the years of doing the party thing to fit in but secretly being the "good girl," dating the guys that aren't actually into her. I really identified with many of her struggles: the guilt and anxiety, what it means to be an adult and how to get there, and, the biggest thing, the imposter syndrome. I think it's fairly common for our generation, the "millennials," to feel that apprehensive "waiting for someone to discover that I don't actually deserve to be where I am" feeling. It's both comforting and terrifying to know how widely it's shared. Although there are definitely a few parts where things she wrote/said were a little problematic for me, in different ways, she is telling her story as she lived it and knows it and in general throughout it all, I loved her tone, her voice, her snark. It really spoke to me.
This is the first book of this genre that I have read from someone more or less my age. Maybe that's part of the reason I felt so strongly connected to Anna's struggles and stories. Maybe that's why everything was so awesomely relatable for me, despite the innumerable differences in our lives and experiences. Or, perhaps I was bias coming in because I already have such a huge soft spot for her. But regardless, I loved this book. It was fun and real and familiar and everything I wanted it to be.
I got this book in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. So I'm going to be honest.
There were a lot of good intentions here, but this book was just plain bad. I love fantasy, high fantasy, the creation of whole worlds and characters. I was really interested in this book based on the description and the rest of the reviews being so positive. So when this is what I got, I was really disappointed. And I don't think I have been this close to DNF-ing a book in years. Like I said, there were good intentions - the ideas were there (even if they still would likely have been a bit too cheesy) and the plot was fairly thought through/developed and the scope was wide and ambitious. Perhaps too ambitious for the author to actually be able to tackle. This was supposed to be a parallel world, rock solid feminist, romance, high fantasy novel. It can be done, I think, even if things stayed a little cheesy, but it wasn't done here.
I spent the first third or so of the book (32%, according the Kindle) being completely confused by the Ahe'ey world and society and class breakdown because it took that long for the author to explain it. And even after that, it was like she kept changing rules and structures and personality traits to fit what she thought was necessary for the plot advancement, so nothing was really ever fully clear or understandable. The character development was so poorly done, there was no consistency in feelings/reactions/relationships at all and I never really got to a point where I cared what happened for/to/between any of the characters. And from a romance angle, the main relationship's consummation was not even written well. Everything was over-explained and overdone and I've never read so many tropes in one place.
Nature vs nurture was discussed ad nauseum (and not well - like so overtly that if I actually read the words "nature" or "nurture" or "genes" of "slave to your genes" or "defy your genes" one more time I might have thrown my Kindle). Every relationship was strained or emotionally abusive, manipulative and hypocritical, and the amount of procreation among family members was really disturbing (I don't care what "science" or "gene manipulating" was made to make it ok, it's still didn't feel ok reading about it). It's a weird bastardization on the female power story, like the one we see in Wonder Women, and everything is just absurd to the point of ridiculousness.
And the part that makes me the most sad is that this is a book supposedly written about and in support of women's rights, but honestly the best parts for that just added up to be a whole lot of long winded and pompous speeches (more like lectures) that really didn't even make ME feel like I wanted to women to win or be in control. I mean, sure the land of Ahe'ey was led by all women, but they handled it as poorly as the men in charge of our own world handle it, which isn't really a ringing endorsement of female competence and power. And the literal grab bag of hot button equality issues (race, gender, sexuality, class, and more) just made each one that was addressed less impactful because it was too much and too in your face and, as I mentioned, all handled with pompous and condescending monologues and arguments mostly outside the actual plot. Also, in the end, our main character more or less abandons her causes in our world (America/NYC) in order to "support" her love interest (who SPOILER in the end she is genetically compatible with, in a twist that I literally saw coming from about a quarter of the way into the book, and the whole thing is a moot point and really makes you question the point of the entire attempt at a feminist dialogue to begin with). I wanted, so badly, to support the general feminist ideals that were technically espoused here, but I feel like the main character herself couldn't get a handle on her thoughts/feelings in that regard and it was executed so poorly that I just couldn't.
And one last complaint, on a personal annoyance level, I just don't understand why it was necessary to throw in like 6 basic Spanish phrases. It was completely gratuitous, like the author wanted to prove she passed her first semester of Spanish class in college... Ugh.
In any case, don't let the description fool you. This book tries really hard but doesn't achieve anything it wants to. I've never written a review this...scathing...before. And I feel bad because I know how much time and effort goes into writing something like this (and this long), but honestly it would not be truthful for me to try and find something nicer to say. I was just very disappointed and definitely feel like reading this was a waste of my time.
There were a lot of good intentions here, but this book was just plain bad. I love fantasy, high fantasy, the creation of whole worlds and characters. I was really interested in this book based on the description and the rest of the reviews being so positive. So when this is what I got, I was really disappointed. And I don't think I have been this close to DNF-ing a book in years. Like I said, there were good intentions - the ideas were there (even if they still would likely have been a bit too cheesy) and the plot was fairly thought through/developed and the scope was wide and ambitious. Perhaps too ambitious for the author to actually be able to tackle. This was supposed to be a parallel world, rock solid feminist, romance, high fantasy novel. It can be done, I think, even if things stayed a little cheesy, but it wasn't done here.
I spent the first third or so of the book (32%, according the Kindle) being completely confused by the Ahe'ey world and society and class breakdown because it took that long for the author to explain it. And even after that, it was like she kept changing rules and structures and personality traits to fit what she thought was necessary for the plot advancement, so nothing was really ever fully clear or understandable. The character development was so poorly done, there was no consistency in feelings/reactions/relationships at all and I never really got to a point where I cared what happened for/to/between any of the characters. And from a romance angle, the main relationship's consummation was not even written well. Everything was over-explained and overdone and I've never read so many tropes in one place.
Nature vs nurture was discussed ad nauseum (and not well - like so overtly that if I actually read the words "nature" or "nurture" or "genes" of "slave to your genes" or "defy your genes" one more time I might have thrown my Kindle). Every relationship was strained or emotionally abusive, manipulative and hypocritical, and the amount of procreation among family members was really disturbing (I don't care what "science" or "gene manipulating" was made to make it ok, it's still didn't feel ok reading about it). It's a weird bastardization on the female power story, like the one we see in Wonder Women, and everything is just absurd to the point of ridiculousness.
And the part that makes me the most sad is that this is a book supposedly written about and in support of women's rights, but honestly the best parts for that just added up to be a whole lot of long winded and pompous speeches (more like lectures) that really didn't even make ME feel like I wanted to women to win or be in control. I mean, sure the land of Ahe'ey was led by all women, but they handled it as poorly as the men in charge of our own world handle it, which isn't really a ringing endorsement of female competence and power. And the literal grab bag of hot button equality issues (race, gender, sexuality, class, and more) just made each one that was addressed less impactful because it was too much and too in your face and, as I mentioned, all handled with pompous and condescending monologues and arguments mostly outside the actual plot. Also, in the end, our main character more or less abandons her causes in our world (America/NYC) in order to "support" her love interest (who SPOILER in the end she is genetically compatible with, in a twist that I literally saw coming from about a quarter of the way into the book, and the whole thing is a moot point and really makes you question the point of the entire attempt at a feminist dialogue to begin with). I wanted, so badly, to support the general feminist ideals that were technically espoused here, but I feel like the main character herself couldn't get a handle on her thoughts/feelings in that regard and it was executed so poorly that I just couldn't.
And one last complaint, on a personal annoyance level, I just don't understand why it was necessary to throw in like 6 basic Spanish phrases. It was completely gratuitous, like the author wanted to prove she passed her first semester of Spanish class in college... Ugh.
In any case, don't let the description fool you. This book tries really hard but doesn't achieve anything it wants to. I've never written a review this...scathing...before. And I feel bad because I know how much time and effort goes into writing something like this (and this long), but honestly it would not be truthful for me to try and find something nicer to say. I was just very disappointed and definitely feel like reading this was a waste of my time.
This review originally appeared on the book review blog justonemorepaige.wordpress.com.
This book was definitely not from a genre I normally read...most clearly evidenced by the fact that I do not even have a mystery/thriller "shelf" here on Goodreads and that it had to be added to contemporary lit. But it was chosen as the book for one of the book clubs I am in, which presented a wonderful chance to try something a little different.
Despite the fact that I wasn't incredibly keen on reading the book in the first place, it turned out to be a not unenjoyable read (forgive me the double negative - I felt it was what best captured my lukewarm, yet not negative, feelings). In fact, I thought that the dialogue was some of the most interesting I've read recently, as far as how closely it follows a real life method of speaking. It was a little confusing to read, at times, but the breaks in certain spots, the trailing off, the obvious use of facial expressions to enhance the words, the references to previous events and thoughts that aren't fully spelled out and require a lot of attention from the reader to put together...all of it is a great representation of real life interactions. And the plot's focal point was, I felt, very apropos to the world today - looking into the POV of those who espouse extreme nationalism and their reactions to the increasing immigration and international co-mingling of the modern world.
However, the rest of it was a very typical, from my limited experience, spy thriller. Which is not what I expected, based on the blurb on the back, which made it sound much more like a humorous, bumbling sort of thriller. There was a whole government conspiracy situation, a timeline announced until a terrible act is committed, a race to "save the world" (if you'll excuse the use of that phrase), and a number of characters and interactions between them all that bordered on being too confusing to follow. The pacing in the middle wasn't bad, though to be honest, it started a bit slow and the last "after the fact" chapter, was absurdly wordy - like the author was trying to prove that even though he wrote a thriller, he could also write in a "highbrow" way. I actually enjoyed, as a reader, the quick cuts between scenes, even when things were cut off in the middle of conversations or at "cliffhanger" moments. I assume that's fairly common for this genre, to keep the interest and blood pressure of the reader high and the need to focus on the story and turn the next page consistent. I still think it was written slower, or at least less breakneck-paced, than most thrillers, but the cut points and paired perspectives were well chosen.
I guess my overall impression is that this is a pretty run of the mill thriller. However, it was well written and edited. The conclusion - the way things fell out between characters, who walked away and who didn't, who stepped up and who ended up "under the bus," and the general denouement - was also satisfactory and seemed realistic and fitting under the circumstances. I believe that this is the start of a series of spy thrillers based around these"slow horses." And though this one was ok, I do not think I'll be reading the next ones (which is almost too bad, after the effort I put into getting all the characters names, backgrounds, and secrets sorted out). If you are into this genre, I'd say that it's a solidly written story and you should go for it. If you aren't, I'd say it's probably not transcendent enough to make it worth your time.
This book was definitely not from a genre I normally read...most clearly evidenced by the fact that I do not even have a mystery/thriller "shelf" here on Goodreads and that it had to be added to contemporary lit. But it was chosen as the book for one of the book clubs I am in, which presented a wonderful chance to try something a little different.
Despite the fact that I wasn't incredibly keen on reading the book in the first place, it turned out to be a not unenjoyable read (forgive me the double negative - I felt it was what best captured my lukewarm, yet not negative, feelings). In fact, I thought that the dialogue was some of the most interesting I've read recently, as far as how closely it follows a real life method of speaking. It was a little confusing to read, at times, but the breaks in certain spots, the trailing off, the obvious use of facial expressions to enhance the words, the references to previous events and thoughts that aren't fully spelled out and require a lot of attention from the reader to put together...all of it is a great representation of real life interactions. And the plot's focal point was, I felt, very apropos to the world today - looking into the POV of those who espouse extreme nationalism and their reactions to the increasing immigration and international co-mingling of the modern world.
However, the rest of it was a very typical, from my limited experience, spy thriller. Which is not what I expected, based on the blurb on the back, which made it sound much more like a humorous, bumbling sort of thriller. There was a whole government conspiracy situation, a timeline announced until a terrible act is committed, a race to "save the world" (if you'll excuse the use of that phrase), and a number of characters and interactions between them all that bordered on being too confusing to follow. The pacing in the middle wasn't bad, though to be honest, it started a bit slow and the last "after the fact" chapter, was absurdly wordy - like the author was trying to prove that even though he wrote a thriller, he could also write in a "highbrow" way. I actually enjoyed, as a reader, the quick cuts between scenes, even when things were cut off in the middle of conversations or at "cliffhanger" moments. I assume that's fairly common for this genre, to keep the interest and blood pressure of the reader high and the need to focus on the story and turn the next page consistent. I still think it was written slower, or at least less breakneck-paced, than most thrillers, but the cut points and paired perspectives were well chosen.
I guess my overall impression is that this is a pretty run of the mill thriller. However, it was well written and edited. The conclusion - the way things fell out between characters, who walked away and who didn't, who stepped up and who ended up "under the bus," and the general denouement - was also satisfactory and seemed realistic and fitting under the circumstances. I believe that this is the start of a series of spy thrillers based around these"slow horses." And though this one was ok, I do not think I'll be reading the next ones (which is almost too bad, after the effort I put into getting all the characters names, backgrounds, and secrets sorted out). If you are into this genre, I'd say that it's a solidly written story and you should go for it. If you aren't, I'd say it's probably not transcendent enough to make it worth your time.
This review originally appeared on the book review blog justonemorepaige.wordpress.com.
I’ve heard a lot about this book and all I have to say is that I regret taking so long to get to it. I postponed for a long time because I just am not really into science so I thought a lot of it would be boring. And if I’m honest, I also was a bit self-conscious that there was a lot of it that I wouldn’t understand. I definitely shouldn’t have worried. And I encourage anyone who is unsure about the book because they think it’ll be too boring and technical, too science-y, to go to their local bookstore or library and pick it up now, because those concerns are baseless.
This book was both a phenomenal introduction and basic summary of cell and tissue research and an exploration of the history of racism and marginalization, unto the present day, in the United States and specifically in the field of scientific research and medicine. This is, as is mentioned many times throughout the novel, a story that perfectly mixes the scientific and the human interest. Though it is based in a story of science, it simultaneously illustrates many aspects of the minority experience in this country. Skloot weaves together, nearly flawlessly, the story of Henrietta Lacks (and her family) and the story of HeLa. Henrietta was an African-American woman, a poor Southern tobacco farmer. HeLa is the name given to the sample of cancerous cervix cells taken, without Henrietta’s knowledge, when she was at Johns Hopkins receiving medical care for her cervical cancer. These cells were the first that scientists were able to keep alive (and grow) and have since been vital in an innumerable number of scientific discoveries and advancements, such as developing the polio vaccine, uncovering secrets of various cancers and effects from atom bomb radiation, and helping advance procedures such as invitro fertilization and cloning. HeLa cells have been bought and sold by the billions, while no one knew (or even thought to ask) about Henrietta Lacks or her family.
I learned so much from this book. Even considering that I only really absorbed three quarters of the specifics about the science discussed, I can truthfully say I have a grasp, if still minimal, of the theories and mechanics behind cell and tissue research. And, though my prior knowledge of this was still better than on the scientific side of things, I still learned a lot about the history of science and minorities in the US, particularly surrounding the [abysmal] treatment of African Americans in the South, who suffered grievously in the name of science and the “betterment of the population in general.” We see this clearly not only in the way that Henrietta’s cells were taken and used without her knowledge, but also in how little her family was told over the years as her identity was publicly shared and ever more scientists and journalists contacted the family asking for samples and stories, respectively, while never offering information in return. The way this affects the family both past and present, as far as institutionalization, health scares, emotional distress, social disadvantage, and many other important ways, is something that we are all responsible for addressing. When Skloot began her research, it took years for the family to trust her enough to share their stories and fears, and agreed only when Skloot promised that she would keep them completely involved and informed. For the most part, all they wanted was information about their mother/grandmother and clarification of what taking her cells meant and what they had done for the world…and no one had ever taken the time to give that before. It’s heartbreaking to see something so important worldwide be mostly unshared, and misunderstood, by those closest to it.
You can tell how much the author cared about the topic, how much time she put into the research and writing of this book (10 years!!), and how careful she was to make sure that she told a straightforward, unbiased, inclusive version of the HeLa cell. Skloot talks, in a quick interview at the end of the audiobook, about how she wanted to present a complete story: one that included science’s “side,” the family’s story, and the related interactions. She also wanted to make sure that she gave a truthful picture of the situation. As we read and see the disadvantage of the Lacks family, despite everything gained by science from their mother (gains both educational and financial), we emotionally want restitution and to take down the big bad researchers. It’s hard not to. But Skloot does a great job presenting that, within the consent requirements and laws of the time, and in some cases still today, there was nothing unlawful about the actions of the doctors as Johns Hopkins, or following that, the researchers that cultivated, disseminated, and studied her cells. It does not sound morally right, and there are many layers of racial advantage that must be taken into account, but it was technically above water. And although we can be angry that Henrietta’s (and therefore her family’s) cells were taken and information was released without consent, and we can demand that informed consent and full disclosure and education for all patients being required in the future, we also must accept that HeLa cells have been absolutely invaluable to science and health throughout the world.
Many things have and still are changing in the world today, related both to racism/marginalization and the regulations of scientific research conducted on human subjects, but there is still a long way to go. The Afterward was a phenomenally written ending to this story. We get to see, in a bigger picture, how frighteningly complex the issues of cell and tissue research and donation are. Skloot talks through both sides of the argument, for and against, informed consent and financial stake in this situation. The moral, ethical, and legal battles surrounding this issue, the idea of the commercialization of tissue research (and research in general), the interdisciplinary nature of the issues, and the ever-present power struggle between individuals and corporations with boundless resources are all incredibly sensitive topics. After reading this novel, I understand how this is something that will take years more to work through a solution. Skloot said her goal for this book, along with telling the world Henrietta’s story and encouraging scientists to start to think about where their samples come from, was to work for awareness and an exploration of the complexity of this cell and tissue donation/research issue. And I believe she absolutely achieved that. Expertly written and beautifully told, I would highly and widely recommend this read.
I’ve heard a lot about this book and all I have to say is that I regret taking so long to get to it. I postponed for a long time because I just am not really into science so I thought a lot of it would be boring. And if I’m honest, I also was a bit self-conscious that there was a lot of it that I wouldn’t understand. I definitely shouldn’t have worried. And I encourage anyone who is unsure about the book because they think it’ll be too boring and technical, too science-y, to go to their local bookstore or library and pick it up now, because those concerns are baseless.
This book was both a phenomenal introduction and basic summary of cell and tissue research and an exploration of the history of racism and marginalization, unto the present day, in the United States and specifically in the field of scientific research and medicine. This is, as is mentioned many times throughout the novel, a story that perfectly mixes the scientific and the human interest. Though it is based in a story of science, it simultaneously illustrates many aspects of the minority experience in this country. Skloot weaves together, nearly flawlessly, the story of Henrietta Lacks (and her family) and the story of HeLa. Henrietta was an African-American woman, a poor Southern tobacco farmer. HeLa is the name given to the sample of cancerous cervix cells taken, without Henrietta’s knowledge, when she was at Johns Hopkins receiving medical care for her cervical cancer. These cells were the first that scientists were able to keep alive (and grow) and have since been vital in an innumerable number of scientific discoveries and advancements, such as developing the polio vaccine, uncovering secrets of various cancers and effects from atom bomb radiation, and helping advance procedures such as invitro fertilization and cloning. HeLa cells have been bought and sold by the billions, while no one knew (or even thought to ask) about Henrietta Lacks or her family.
I learned so much from this book. Even considering that I only really absorbed three quarters of the specifics about the science discussed, I can truthfully say I have a grasp, if still minimal, of the theories and mechanics behind cell and tissue research. And, though my prior knowledge of this was still better than on the scientific side of things, I still learned a lot about the history of science and minorities in the US, particularly surrounding the [abysmal] treatment of African Americans in the South, who suffered grievously in the name of science and the “betterment of the population in general.” We see this clearly not only in the way that Henrietta’s cells were taken and used without her knowledge, but also in how little her family was told over the years as her identity was publicly shared and ever more scientists and journalists contacted the family asking for samples and stories, respectively, while never offering information in return. The way this affects the family both past and present, as far as institutionalization, health scares, emotional distress, social disadvantage, and many other important ways, is something that we are all responsible for addressing. When Skloot began her research, it took years for the family to trust her enough to share their stories and fears, and agreed only when Skloot promised that she would keep them completely involved and informed. For the most part, all they wanted was information about their mother/grandmother and clarification of what taking her cells meant and what they had done for the world…and no one had ever taken the time to give that before. It’s heartbreaking to see something so important worldwide be mostly unshared, and misunderstood, by those closest to it.
You can tell how much the author cared about the topic, how much time she put into the research and writing of this book (10 years!!), and how careful she was to make sure that she told a straightforward, unbiased, inclusive version of the HeLa cell. Skloot talks, in a quick interview at the end of the audiobook, about how she wanted to present a complete story: one that included science’s “side,” the family’s story, and the related interactions. She also wanted to make sure that she gave a truthful picture of the situation. As we read and see the disadvantage of the Lacks family, despite everything gained by science from their mother (gains both educational and financial), we emotionally want restitution and to take down the big bad researchers. It’s hard not to. But Skloot does a great job presenting that, within the consent requirements and laws of the time, and in some cases still today, there was nothing unlawful about the actions of the doctors as Johns Hopkins, or following that, the researchers that cultivated, disseminated, and studied her cells. It does not sound morally right, and there are many layers of racial advantage that must be taken into account, but it was technically above water. And although we can be angry that Henrietta’s (and therefore her family’s) cells were taken and information was released without consent, and we can demand that informed consent and full disclosure and education for all patients being required in the future, we also must accept that HeLa cells have been absolutely invaluable to science and health throughout the world.
Many things have and still are changing in the world today, related both to racism/marginalization and the regulations of scientific research conducted on human subjects, but there is still a long way to go. The Afterward was a phenomenally written ending to this story. We get to see, in a bigger picture, how frighteningly complex the issues of cell and tissue research and donation are. Skloot talks through both sides of the argument, for and against, informed consent and financial stake in this situation. The moral, ethical, and legal battles surrounding this issue, the idea of the commercialization of tissue research (and research in general), the interdisciplinary nature of the issues, and the ever-present power struggle between individuals and corporations with boundless resources are all incredibly sensitive topics. After reading this novel, I understand how this is something that will take years more to work through a solution. Skloot said her goal for this book, along with telling the world Henrietta’s story and encouraging scientists to start to think about where their samples come from, was to work for awareness and an exploration of the complexity of this cell and tissue donation/research issue. And I believe she absolutely achieved that. Expertly written and beautifully told, I would highly and widely recommend this read.
This review was originally published on the book review blog justonemorepaige.wordpress.com.
This book is exactly the type that I love, with great high fantasy elements and a fantastic group of friends at the center. This one definitely leans towards young adult, but there are certain parts of it that are handled much more maturely and I appreciated and enjoyed that quite a bit. Plus, the general pacing, plot development, and character growth and interactions were written, for the most part, in a non-typical format for this genre that must be respected for it's level of reality.
Tallis has grown up particularly poor and on the sidelines in a small that that is itself poor and on the sidelines. But with an air of "different" about her, a mysterious past that she is just coming to know about herself, the disdain and dismissal of her father, a tragedy involving her mother, the slow accumulation of a few close friends, Tallis' life is not destined to take a normal path. When the feral elves, called tremps, that live in the woods surrounding her town attack, hissing Tallis' name, she and her friends decide it's time to find some answers.
As I
This book is exactly the type that I love, with great high fantasy elements and a fantastic group of friends at the center. This one definitely leans towards young adult, but there are certain parts of it that are handled much more maturely and I appreciated and enjoyed that quite a bit. Plus, the general pacing, plot development, and character growth and interactions were written, for the most part, in a non-typical format for this genre that must be respected for it's level of reality.
Tallis has grown up particularly poor and on the sidelines in a small that that is itself poor and on the sidelines. But with an air of "different" about her, a mysterious past that she is just coming to know about herself, the disdain and dismissal of her father, a tragedy involving her mother, the slow accumulation of a few close friends, Tallis' life is not destined to take a normal path. When the feral elves, called tremps, that live in the woods surrounding her town attack, hissing Tallis' name, she and her friends decide it's time to find some answers.
As I
This review was originally published on the book review blog justonemorepaige.wordpress.com.
This NY Times Bestseller has been on my TBR list for quite some time, so I was excited to find a copy of this at a local used book store. When I got home, I left it out on my couch, not letting myself put it onto a shelf before I read it. It’s so small…I was just afraid that it would get lost between the other books and I would overlook it and never get around to reading it. Honestly, I can't give any definitive statement on whether that helped me start the book any faster than I would have otherwise (though I suspect it did, since there were some under the breath complaints about it being in the way from a certain someone I live with). However, what I can definitively say is that I can see why this was a bestseller.
This book was beautifully and aptly named. This is the story of a family of five and, from each of their perspectives, the things they hold inside and have never shared with each other. The book begins “Lydia is dead. But they don’t know this yet.” And from there the author gracefully weaves together the past and the present as the full, or at least as close to full as possible, story emerges. Ng's writing is smooth and easy, not quite the lyrical prose that I was expecting from the many reviews I had read, but definitely a style that comfortably pulls you along. In fact, I enjoyed how unobtrusive the writing is – conveying both the development of the story and the characters’ feelings in a clear, vibrant way, but never once allowing the words themselves to overpower or steal focus from what they were describing. Masterful in a subtle way not usually seen in highly praised literature.
As the book progresses, we learn about Lydia’s parents, how they grew up and how their lives had turned out differently than what they had hoped for themselves. Over time, we see how these unreached goals or plans turn into expectations and interactions with their three children that are neither what the parents really mean nor what the children wish they were. This novel was remarkable in the scope of the perspectives it presents. Seeing what the parents came from and how that colored their points of view, future hopes, and actions was insightful and did allow the reader to feel some empathy for them. At the same time, we saw the way those hopes and actions were perceived and handled by each of the three children – the pressure that they felt to stand up to their parents’ dreams, feeling sidelined or ignored, being pushed to have an outer persona that didn’t reflect what they actually wanted or, especially socially, what things were actually like. And the reader definitely feels empathy for them as well. To be able to simultaneously write from both the adult and child perspectives in a believable and sympathetic way is impressive.
An emotionally explorative and stirring novel of family, loss, and coming to terms with what your life is and what it is not. Ng looks both forwards and backwards in this story to discover and explain how each of the five got to where they are and how to they plan to get to where they want to be. It’s an emotionally story that touches on numerous themes of family, evolution of self, and maturation that will be recognizable and relatable to many people, on many levels, at many stages of life. And though that recognition may hurt to read at times, it's important and necessary for each of us to experience and learn from it so that we can take this chance to do better ourselves.
This NY Times Bestseller has been on my TBR list for quite some time, so I was excited to find a copy of this at a local used book store. When I got home, I left it out on my couch, not letting myself put it onto a shelf before I read it. It’s so small…I was just afraid that it would get lost between the other books and I would overlook it and never get around to reading it. Honestly, I can't give any definitive statement on whether that helped me start the book any faster than I would have otherwise (though I suspect it did, since there were some under the breath complaints about it being in the way from a certain someone I live with). However, what I can definitively say is that I can see why this was a bestseller.
This book was beautifully and aptly named. This is the story of a family of five and, from each of their perspectives, the things they hold inside and have never shared with each other. The book begins “Lydia is dead. But they don’t know this yet.” And from there the author gracefully weaves together the past and the present as the full, or at least as close to full as possible, story emerges. Ng's writing is smooth and easy, not quite the lyrical prose that I was expecting from the many reviews I had read, but definitely a style that comfortably pulls you along. In fact, I enjoyed how unobtrusive the writing is – conveying both the development of the story and the characters’ feelings in a clear, vibrant way, but never once allowing the words themselves to overpower or steal focus from what they were describing. Masterful in a subtle way not usually seen in highly praised literature.
As the book progresses, we learn about Lydia’s parents, how they grew up and how their lives had turned out differently than what they had hoped for themselves. Over time, we see how these unreached goals or plans turn into expectations and interactions with their three children that are neither what the parents really mean nor what the children wish they were. This novel was remarkable in the scope of the perspectives it presents. Seeing what the parents came from and how that colored their points of view, future hopes, and actions was insightful and did allow the reader to feel some empathy for them. At the same time, we saw the way those hopes and actions were perceived and handled by each of the three children – the pressure that they felt to stand up to their parents’ dreams, feeling sidelined or ignored, being pushed to have an outer persona that didn’t reflect what they actually wanted or, especially socially, what things were actually like. And the reader definitely feels empathy for them as well. To be able to simultaneously write from both the adult and child perspectives in a believable and sympathetic way is impressive.
An emotionally explorative and stirring novel of family, loss, and coming to terms with what your life is and what it is not. Ng looks both forwards and backwards in this story to discover and explain how each of the five got to where they are and how to they plan to get to where they want to be. It’s an emotionally story that touches on numerous themes of family, evolution of self, and maturation that will be recognizable and relatable to many people, on many levels, at many stages of life. And though that recognition may hurt to read at times, it's important and necessary for each of us to experience and learn from it so that we can take this chance to do better ourselves.