Review: Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

Rating:  6.5/10 
Read:  June, 2011
Recommended To:  Young adults & YA Fiction lovers
Categories:  Fiction, Young Adult, Mental Illness, Fiction Dealing With Suicide

Hannah Baker decides, before she commits suicide, to record, on cassette tapes, the 13 reasons why she decided to kill herself.  In her strange suicide note, she talks to and about 13 people, and how those people contributed to the reasons why she chose to commit suicide.  She didn't leave them to be found with her body though, instead, she mailed them to the first person on the list, the person who is part of reason number one.  She left instructions for the person to listen to all the tapes, and then mail them to the next person on the list.

The story starts as Clay Jensen, Hannah's crush, finds the box of tapes on his front porch.  He pops the first one in, and finds out that he is one of the people on her list, and if he listens, he'll find out why.  The story weaves back and forth between the narrative on the tapes, and Clay's life as he listens to them, and discovers the 13 reasons why Hannah Baker decided to kill herself.

Personal Thoughts

 When I read the description of this book, I was really intrigued by the idea.  It was a fresh take on a subject that has been tackled before, sometimes well and sometimes badly.  When I finally got the book, I was really excited to delve into it.  As most young adult books, it was a fairly easy read.  The writing was simple (in a good way), and fast-paced, which is a sign of someone who knows how to write for the young adult audience.  Yet, it wasn't written in a "dumbed-down" kind of way, which some YA writers tend to do; being young isn't the same as being dumb, I appreciate when a writer realizes that, and doesn't write as though it is. 

So, it was well written for a YA novel, I liked it.  I didn't love it.  Part of the reason I usually like to read Young Adult novels once in a while is because it takes me back that time in my own life usually, when I first really fell in love with books.  I didn't feel that with this book; the characters were realistic, but I guess they just weren't characters that I really connected much to, because they didn't remind me of anyone I knew.  I also felt like it just could have been... more.  I don't know how else to say it.  I don't know specifically what I would change, or what was lacking.  I just felt like it didn't quite explore the concept as much as it could have.

Pros

* Fast-paced, quick read, that doesn't drag at all

* Interesting way of tackling the subject of suicide, while making it particularly relevant to teenagers

* The dynamic of switching between the tapes, and Clay's struggle to listen to them while going about his normal life, and facing the other people on the tapes, really works for this story.

Cons

* It was good, but it could have been better.  The idea was a 10, while the execution was a 6.  Not badly written, but just not fully-explored.

* It didn't have much of an emotional impact on me, which was surprising considering the nature of the book.


OTHER BOOKS BY JAY ASHER:
 

Review: Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah

Rating:  8/10 
Read:  July, 2011
Recommended To:  Women of all ages; men can and should read it too, but the core of the story is a friendship between two women, so I really recommend reading it if you are a woman. 
Categories:  Fiction, Friendships, Love, Family-Relations

Firefly Lane is a gripping, emotional, powerful novel about love, loss, and most importantly, friendship.  We meet the main characters, Kate & Tully, two girls on the cusp of becoming teenagers, living together on Firefly Lane, in the summer of 1974.  Kate, a shy, awkward loner, is befriended to her surprise by the popular, outgoing Tully, and despite their differences, they two become the best of friends.  The book follows the journey of their friendship through the decades as they grow up and become adults, as their friendship changes and grows, as jealously, betrayal & anger threaten it.  As their lives and friendship go through changes time & again over the years, the girls learn that making the promise to be best friends forever is a lot easier than keeping it.

Personal Thoughts

One warning; before you start reading this book, make sure you have a box of tissues handy.  I, unfortunately, didn't realize I was out of tissues, and ended up using 1/2 a roll of toilet paper drying up my tears!  I was not expecting this book to hit me so hard emotionally, and I could explain why it did, but that of course would ruin the story!  So, I will just say that I'm not usually one to cry over a book, but this one was something special.  Rarely is someone able to capture the essence of friendship in a realistic way the way that Kristin Hannah did in this book.  I find a lot of relationships in novels that I have read feel way too forced to fit in with the plot line; the author tries so hard to fit them into a little box, and the relationships between people therefore do not come across as natural, or realistic.  The characters and their relationships are just a means to a end; they are there to support the plot.  But, in Firefly Lane, I felt like the friendship between Kate & Tully was realistic, felt natural, and the plot line was there to support the story of their friendship, rather than the other way around; it makes for a novel that is character-driven, and emotionally rich.

Pros

* Very realistic, well-crafted characters, and natural, believable relationships between the characters.

* Emotionally rich & captivating.

* Good balance between story & dialogue.

* Kristin Hannah's descriptive, poetic style of writing really helped to set the atmosphere of the novel; reading certain passages really invoked a lot of my own memories of childhood, and I could really imagine the scenes as they occurred.

Cons

* Okay, this is a big one, and which is the main reason why I only gave this book 8/10; it is long.  There are times when it drags a bit.  I started to get frustrated part way through, because even though I was enjoying the writing, it felt like it was taking forever at times for the storyline to move along.  There is a lot of time covered in this novel, so I don't think it could have been realistically shortened, but in my opinion, this would have been better off as a 2 or 3 book series, instead of shoving it all in one big book.  The way the story was told, it easily could have been done.

* While, for the most part, I appreciated Kristin Hannah's gift for descriptiveness, at times, it was too much; she described the outfits everyone wore in great detail constantly, which ends up being a lot of outfits over the 30 years covered in the book.  Sometimes, description really adds to a story; sometimes it really takes away.  This is an example of it detracting.  I understand that it's necessary to make some comments on clothing to set the atmosphere, especially with the changes in fashion over the decades covered, but I really did not need minute detail that didn't affect the actual story whatsoever.

OTHER BOOKS BY KRISTIN HANNAH:
 

Review: Lucky by Alice Sebold

Rating:  9/10
Read:  2000 or 2001 & July, 2011
Recommended To:  Every woman and man; whether you have been a victim of sexual assault, know someone who has been assaulted, or have ever felt scared, alone, or terrified in a situation where you felt threatened, whether you find yourself within the pages, or just a better understanding of someone else you know, or people you don't know.
Categories:  Memoirs & Biographies, Triumph Over Trauma, Crimes & Criminals, Emotional

Alice Sebold is probably best known for her novel "The Lovely Bones", a best-seller turned blockbuster movie, in which the story that unfolds is told by a 14 year girl in the aftermath of her rape and murder.  In "Lucky", Alice Sebold reveals the details and aftermath of her own rape; as a college student, she was attacked in a park near campus, and brutally beaten and sexually assaulted.  Alice candidly opens up about her rape, the emotional aftermath and the effect it had on her life, as well as her pursuit of justice against her rapist.

Personal Thoughts

I will admit to being a bit of a "memoir-a-holic".  Despite that, rarely do I really love a memoir, or does one become one of my favourite books.  A lot of people have really interesting life stories, stories that *should* be documented, but the book falls short of being amazing simply because they aren't writers.  I can't blame them for that, but it is for that reason that, although I am drawn to the stories in many memoirs, and might find some emotional connection to them, I rarely love them.  The writing really needs to be good to capture me, even when it comes to a memoir.

I think that is one of the reasons that this memoir really stands out to me.  I can't remember exactly when it was that I first read it, and I couldn't recall the exact details of the story before I decided to read it again recently, but one thing stuck with me; I remember how it made me feel.  It moved me.  I found myself caught up in each moment as I read along, I remember getting upset at a particular part in the book that always stuck out to me; where a woman starts claiming she was Alice Sebold's "best friend" during college, though Alice didn't even recognize her (nor her Alice), I was so shocked that someone would try to appear cool-by-proxy for having known a rape victim.  I remember that the writing was exceptional, that Alice Sebold was a fantastic narrator of her own story, and that the story was told with candor and honesty.  

Despite all I remembered, I was not prepared to be just as moved the second time around.  The imagery of the rape itself, though hard to read, is powerful beyond belief.  She could have glossed over the details, but she bravely shared them, and it was an important part of the story.  It really adds to the emotional atmosphere of the book; the scene is present with you throughout the rest of the story, and experiencing the rest would not be the same without those details.  It is a hard book to read, as it should be; rape should never be an easy thing to read about, but I think it is an important book to read.

I won't even bother with a "Pro & Con" list as I usually do; I'm all pro with this book.  The only con is that it is hard to read, and some people might not be able to do it, but by opening up and sharing this traumatic and tragic experience, Alice Sebold is giving voice to millions of victims of sexual assault who, for whatever reason, can't share their own stories.

OTHER BOOKS BY ALICE SEBOLD:
   

Review: The Shack by William Paul Young

Rating:  3.5/10 
Read:  July of 2011
Recommended To:  Self-Help lovers, religious people, people who struggle with their religious beliefs, those who have suffered a loss and questioned why, people who don't mind being patronized and force-fed moral and existential lessons, anyone who likes a story with a moral, and maybe a little mystery.
Categories:  Fiction, Religious Fiction, Mysteries, Life Lessons/Self Help, Books I Will Never Read Again


The Shack.  The Shack.  Where to begin?  I am very often reminded when reviewing books of that old adage, "if you have nothing nice to say, don't say anything at all".  I try to always have at least something nice to say about every book I read, and even when I don't enjoy something, I can usually appreciate something about it.  Then again, most books I don't enjoy don't actually irritate me, or seem to written in a condescending, patronizing way.

I'm getting ahead of myself though; The Shack is a book about struggling with belief in the good of God in the face of grief, masquerading as a mystery novel.  Mackenzie Allen Phillips has been a broken man, haunted by sadness since the day his daughter Missy was abducted, and the only trace of her that was found was a blood stained red dress found on the floor of an abandoned shack.  Years later, Mack is still struggling with his grief, as well as his faith, when he receives a letter purportedly from God, asking him to meet him up at the Shack where Missy's bloodstained red dress was found.  What follows is the story of what happens to Mack when he goes up to the Shack to meet with God.

Personal Thoughts

I realize that my personal thoughts have already leaked through, but I would hate for someone to read the description, and not get to the part where I complain.  My job, after all, is to help you make a choice about whether or not you want to read this book, and I gotta say, you probably don't really want to.  Or maybe you do.

As I said, this book is masquerading as a mystery novel.  How so, you might be wondering?  Aside from the mystery of Missy being abducted, which is strictly background information for the central plot, there is no mystery.  To read the description of the book, you would think otherwise, but there really isn't; everything that occurs after the point where Mack receives the letter from God is predictable.  I kept thinking that there must be some twist coming up, something other than having these moral life lessons spoon-fed to me through colour-less descriptions and flat characters; and yes, considering that God is a character, I feel bad saying that, but it's true.  They were completely predictable, and one dimensional.  The descriptions of the people, places and things were mostly lackluster, bland, repetitive, and unoriginal.

Don't get me wrong, I love books that make me think, that somewhere in the story are able to teach me a little something about life or myself or other people.  I do not, however, like being very obviously "taught a lesson", or in this case, multiple lessons, in a pandering, in-your-face way.  If I did, I would just buy myself a self-help book, instead of disguising the book in a veil of "mystery".  I know a lot of people absolutely love this book, and for that reason, I have to think: there must be something good in there for someone.

Pros:

* It was short.  In this case, a very good thing.

* I can see the possibility of this being comforting to certain people, and being perhaps a good book for young adults who are starting to struggle with questions of this nature.

* It is not the worst-written book I have ever read.  At times, passages are well composed, if not quite "well written".

Cons:

If you've read above, I need not add more.  I didn't hate the book; heck, 3.5/10 is far from the worst rating I have given a book before.  Perhaps, if I had read it when I was younger, or if I was at a different place in my life where I could relate to it better, I might not have been as irritated.  Probably not, but it's possible!

Review: Everything is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer

Rating:  7/10  
Read:  July of 2011
Recommended To:  Historical fiction fans, people interested in WWII & the Holocaust, those who like their tragedies with some light-hearted humour thrown in.
Categories:  Fiction, Historical Fiction, Holocaust, Comedic-Drama

The story is the fictional account of a journey, taken by a man (also fictional; though also named Jonathan Safran Foer), to uncover the story behind a yellowing photograph taken during WWII, of his father and some other people, including  a woman who may or may not saved his father from the Nazis during the Holocaust, and who may or may not be named "Augustine", which is the only name that appears on the back.  The book follows Jonathan's attempt to locate Augustine, and to learn more about his grandfather, and where his family came from.  Jonathan is accompanied by an old man haunted by his own memories of the war, his grandson-turned-translator, whose appearance in the novel accounts for much of the comedy throughout, and a horny-but-lovable dog named Sammy Davis Junior, Junior.  Throughout the novel, the story of his journey to find Augustine is intertwined with Jonathan's imagined, eventful, and sordid account of his ancestors spanning back generations.

Personal Thoughts:

I was really torn when it came to rating this book.  I enjoyed it, but because it wasn't what I was expecting from the description, so I found myself a bit unsatisfied when all was said and done (or written and read, I suppose).  Sometimes, when you get an idea in your head of what something is going to be like, and it isn't what you originally thought it would be, you can't help but let that affect your opinion of it.  I might have enjoyed this more, if I didn't already have expectations.

Now, that's not to say I didn't like it.  It took a few pages to get used to the writing style, but once I did, it was a good, quick & easy read.  Jonathan Safran Foer's writing is colourful and energetic.  Writing with a blend of tragedy and comedy is hard, the timing and the weight of the mix are crucial, and Jonathan Safran Foer was able to pull it off gracefully.  In this way, I found it slightly reminiscent of Dave Eggers, but with a Tom Robbins sensibility, and a Douglas Coupland-esque mix of characters.

In the end, despite the memorable characters, and the almost-perfect blend of tragedy and comedy, I felt that it fell *slightly* flat.  I wasn't quite satisfied with the outcome, though I can't pinpoint exactly what it is that was disappointing.  It is clear from the beginning that they do not find Augustine, though in the end, that is really beside the point.  She is just the catalyst for the story that unfolds.  So, that is not what left me feeling unsatisfied, but rather I feel it was a bunch of little things that just built up through-out the book.  Frankly, I just felt like it could have been more than it was. 


Pros:
* Quick and easy read, while still being thought-provoking.
* It has some very touching, and sad moments, while never getting too melancholy.
* Fantastic blend of tragedy and comedy.
* I can honestly say this is the first time I have ever seen such a serious topic tackled in this kind of comedic manner.  It makes the book, and therefore the history behind it of WWII & the Holocaust, accessible to some people who might not normally be interested, or might usually find it too hard to read about.

Cons:
* It was a bit unsatisfying (as explained above). 
* At times I felt like some of the storyline, especially in relation to the "back story" of the ancestors, seemed to be a little ridiculous, and detracted a bit from the overall story.  I appreciated the comedic slant to it, but sometimes I felt like I just wanted those sections to wrap up so I could continue reading about the main plotline of searching for Augustine.  I felt like they sometimes were a sidetrack that felt unnecessary, and did not add much to the story overall.


MORE BY JONATHAN SAFRAN FOER:

Review: Snow Flower & the Secret Fan by Lisa See

Rating:  9.9/10
Read: May of 2009
Recommended To:  Historical fiction fans, people who love a good book that focuses on relationships between characters, everyone who has ever let or had a misunderstanding ruin a friendship, people who enjoy culturally educational books.
Categories: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Chinese Fiction

"Snow Flower and the Secret Fan" is set in 19th century China, in the remote Hunan county.  It is the story of a friendship, which begins when at the age of 7, Lily is paired with a laotong, or "old same", someone who is meant to be the ideal emotional match for a lifelong friendship, by the name of Snow Flower.  The girls communicate with each other using a secret language created by Chinese woman, called "nu shu", by sending each other messages hidden in the folds of fans, and written on handkerchiefs.  The book follows them from when they are young girls to as they grow older, always remaining in contact with one another as they provide solace and emotional support to each other through life's hardships, from their footbinding, to the hardships and joys of marriage and motherhood.  They fond a strong and unique bond, believing in the strength of their laotong relationship, until a misunderstanding occurs, that will forever alter their friendship.

Personal Thoughts:

 

The story is one both hauntingly beautiful, and tragic. I became absolutely absorbed in it from the very beginning.  It was beautifully written in such a way, as the best way I can think to describe is that I felt as though I were a ghost watching it unfold before my eyes. The friendship between Lily & Snow Flower, which is the main focus of the book, is completely wrapped up in the traditional world of the women in China during the 1800's, which allows the author to really weave a story that is interesting, as well as culturally educational.  

While I had previously read a few Chinese fiction novels, it was a genre I really wasn't drawn to beforehand, and had only dabbled in with mixed results.  Lisa See really opened me up to the genre with this novel, and I have since consumed quite a few more, including others by Lisa See.  This book still remains my favourite by her; not only that, but one of my favourite books, period.

Lisa See's ability to create a believable atmosphere is phenomenal. It is not just descriptive of the relationships & the setting, but poetic & captivating. She is able to tell a story that is both modern & historic, describing a friendship that is formed by historic traditions centuries ago, but that any modern woman could relate to & understand.

Before you pick this up, be prepared; it is an emotional journey, filled with sadness, heartbreak, love, friendship, and hope. It has definitely taken it's place in my heart as one of my favourite books ever, and I hope it will find a place in yours as well.


Pros:  
* Not too long, but still a fully-developed story that feels fully explored.
* Beautifully written, and very descriptive, without extraneous and "page plumping" passages.
* Characters are well developed.
* An in-depth exploration of the complexities of friendship.
* Culturally educational.


Cons:
It's not very often I am unable to come up with criticism for a book; believe me, I am usually jaded and very critical.  I really loved this book though, and can't imagine anything being different.  I guess if anything, I can say that if it had been an even longer story, I don't think I would have complained.  I feel the story was fully explored, as I said above, but I am sure that the story could have been drawn out a little more without dragging on. 


MORE BY LISA SEE:
 

2011 Reading List

 1.  Just Kids - Patti Smith
 2.  The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins
 3.  Runaway Devil - Robert Remington & Sherri Zickefoose
 4.  Suicide Girls in the Afterlife - Gina Ranalli
 5.  We Have Always Lived in the Castle - Shirley Jackson
 6.  Cult Insanity: A Memoir of Polygamy, Prophets, and Blood Atonement - Irene Spencer
 7.  The History of Love - Nicole Krauss
 8.  The Darkest Night: The Murder of Innocence in a Small Town - Ron Franscell
 9.  Like the Red Panda - Andrea Seigel
10.  Rapture - Susan Minot
11.  The Book of War Letters - Paul & Audrey Grescoe
12.  Stolen Innocence - Elissa Wall
13.  A Child Called It - Dave Pelzer
14.  The Time in Between - David Bergen
15.  The Black Dahlia - James Ellroy
16.  Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress - Dai Sijie
17.  The Kid - Kevin Lewis
18.  The Bright Forever - Lee Martin
19.  Scar Tissue - Anthony Kiedis
20.  Cries Unheard: The Story of Mary Bell - Gitta Sereny
21.  Night - Elie Wiesel
22.  The Tormented Mind - Caroline Fei-Yeng Kwok
23.  The Bonesetter's Daughter - Amy Tan
24.  Once in a House on Fire - Andrea Ashworth
25.  Before I Fall - Lauren Oliver
26.  Leave the Light On: A Memoir of Recovery - Jennifer Storm
27.  The Memoirs of a Survivor - Doris Lessing
28.  The Nature of Water & Air - Regina McBride
29.  Beyond the Narrow Gate - Leslie Chang
30.  Little Women - Louisa May Alcott
31.  The Sudden Weight of Snow - Laisha Rosnau
32.  Middlesex - Jeffrey Eugenides
33.  The Lost Daughter of Happiness - Geling Yan
34.  Chasing Windmills - Catherine Ryan Hyde
35.  The Picture of Dorian Gray - Oscar Wilde
36.  Norwegian Wood - Haruki Murakami
37.  3 Willows: The Sisterhood Grows - Ann Brashares
38.  Behind Closed Doors - Jenny Tomlin
39.  The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
40.  Japanese Fairy Tales - Yei Theodora Ozaki
41.  Courtney Love: The Real Story - Poppy Z. Brite
42.  Alice's Adventures in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll
43.  Through the Looking Glass - Lewis Carroll
44.  Snow Falling on Cedars - David Guterson
45.  Still Missing - Chevy Stevens
46.  Water for Elephants - Sara Gruen
47.  Spring Moon: A Novel of China - Bette Bao Lord
48.  Blackbird: A Childhood Lost & Found - Jennifer Lauck
49.  The Effects of Light - Miranda Beverly-Whittemore
50.  Waiting - Ha Jin
51.  My Father's Daughter - Tina Sinatra
52.  The Perks of Being a Wallflower - Stephen Chbosky
53.  Love is a Mixtape - Rob Sheffield
54.  Girl, Interrupted - Susanna Kaysen
55.  Fingersmith - Sarah Waters
56.  The Weight of Silence - Heather Gudenkauf
57.  Thirteen Reasons Why - Jay Asher
58.  Lucky - Alice Sebold
59.  The Shack - William Paul Young
60.  Everything is Illuminated - Jonathan Safran Foer
61.  Firefly Lane - Kristin Hannah
62.  Room - Emma Donoghue
63.  The Magpie Bridge - Liu Hong
64.  The Retreat - David Bergen
65.  Denial: A Memoir of Terror - Jessica Stern
66.  All Will Be Revealed - Robert Anthony Siegel
67.  Real World - Kirino Natsuo
68.  The View From Castle Rock - Alice Munro
69.  The Year of Fog - Michelle Richmond
70.  The Class Project: How to Kill a Mother, The True Story of Canada's Infamous Bathtub Girls - Bob Mitchell
71.  Juliet, Naked - Nick Hornby
72.  Demons in the Spring - Joe Meno
73.  In Search of My Homeland - Er Tai Gao
74.  Autobiography of a Geisha - Sayo Masuda
75.  The Birth of Venus - Sarah Dunant
76.  The Basketball Diaries - Jim Carroll
77.  Talking to Girls About Duran Duran - Rob Sheffield
78.  Not Yet - Wayson Choy
79.  Downtown Owl - Chuck Klosterman
80.  Myself Through Others: Memoirs - David Watmough
81.  Sarah's Key - Tatiana de Rosnay
82.  The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
83.  House of Leaves - Mark Z. Danielewski
84.  Yakuza Moon: Memoirs of a Gangster's Daughter - Shoko Tendo