Book Review: Escape Velocity by Robin Stevenson

Escape Velocity by Robin Stevenson

Genre: Contemporary Young Adult
Pages: 240
Acquired: 10/18/11
Book of Your Shelf? No
Why I read it: First Reads
Series: No

Lou is a teenager living in Alberta with her father, and she's miserable. She has no life, no friends, and her father's deteriorating health and prescription drug addictions are driving her mad. Her mother, a famous poet and author, left minutes after she was born. They reconnected when she was a older, but things have happened since that makes it difficult for them to speak to each other. When the unthinkable happens and Lou's dad ends up in the hospital after a stroke, she is shipped off to live with the mother she hardly knows. Lou decides to make the best of the situation and tries to figure out why her mother left. She is convinced the answer will be found somewhere in her mother's writing, but the conclusion Lou draws is not a happy one.

Lou rubbed me the wrong way. The author seemed to be trying to make her optimistic and hopeful, but it just didn't seem to come across the pages right. She had few original ideas and it often seemed like she just didn't get it - any of it. The situation between her and her father seemed extremely unrealistic and I had a hard time relating to them. The strain between Lou and her mother really held the story together for me. With both of them trying to figure their lives and themselves out, they keep missing what really matters most in their relationship.

I saw most of the final twist coming, but it was a bit more dramatic than I anticipated. The book ended nicely for me - it left things open to continue in the imagination, but closed enough to give me resolution.

3/5

Book Review: The Keening by A. LaFaye

The Keening by A. LaFaye

Influenza used to be one of the most dreaded diseases in the world. When Lyza's mother succumbs to the disease, it is up to Lyza, a teenage girl, to take care of her father and prevent the rest of the family from putting him in the work farm for people who are not quite there mentally. Lyza struggles to find a way to save her father, remember her deceased mother's wishes, and figure out who she really is.

The character of Lyza was fascinating. She reminded me of myself so much as a teenager. Knowing where you wanted to go and who you wanted to be, but not having a clear picture of how to get there. I loved the way she related to her mother and father, and was willing to sacrifice anything to save her father from being committed to the work farm.

The story concentrates very much on Lyza and her father, rarely leaving the small world of their family, and then only when necessary. This was the perfect way to write this very intimate story of the love between a daughter and her father, and their search to find their way in a world that has suddenly changed.

4/5

Book Review: The Writing Circle by Corrine Demas

The Writing Circle by Corrine Demas

This review was probably one of the hardest I had to write. I was so torn on what I thought of the book overall. I loved some of it, but at the same time I found it rather annoying and frustrating. The story follows a group of writers that get together to share their thoughts and their stories with each other. The story follows their lives as their lives quickly become intertwined on a variety of levels - from romance, to hate, to respect, to lasting friendship.

The book is rather confusing at first. It was very difficult to follow the changing narrators at first, but as the story continues and you begin to know the characters, it becomes a wonderful way to tell the story. I think the part that threw me off the most was when people from outside the writing circle became narrators and also became very central to the story. There was almost too much going on to know where you were supposed to be.

After thinking on the book for a few days, I literally could not get it off my mind, I decided that I enjoyed the book enough to be glad that I read it, but not enough to try and read another like it.

3.5

Book Review: Mothers and Other Liars by Amy Bourret

Mothers and Other Liars by Amy Bourret

An early review book that I hesitated to request, but am glad that I did. Ruby Leander has a secret, some would call it horrible, some would say deep dark, but I don't think any of those could really apply. Her daughter, Lark, isn't really hers. She found her in a trash can as she traveled to her new life out west. Assuming the baby had been abandoned, Ruby is shocked when nine years later, she finds that Lark's real parents have been looking for her all this time.

The story follows Ruby's decision to do the right thing and how it impacts the lives of all around her. Ruby and Lark go through a roller coaster ride of emotions as Ruby is charged with kidnapping and faces never seeing her beloved Lark again.

While I found much of the plot line to be strain believablilty, it still brought me into the lives of this small family. Their emotions were written plainly on every page and touched my heart. Ruby struggles with her decisions, constantly second guessing herself if what she decided was best for Lark. Lark struggles to find who she really is now that she knows her true history. Every day brings a new challenge into their lives and they overcome them as best they can.

3.5/5