Saturday, March 29, 2014

The Weight of Blood by Laura McHugh




This is the debut novel by this author. I had to remind myself of this after I finished, because her work is polished and flows well.

The setting of the novel is more rural than rural Missouri, in the Ozarks. We first meet Lucy Dane, the seventeen year old protagonist, as she is dealing with the disappearance, and then death of a friend (Cheri). Soon, however, we find that this isn't the first time Lucy has had a significant disappearance in her life: her mother vanished when she was too young to remember it. Lila Dane never returned. Lucy stumbles across something that compels her to try and figure out what happened to Cheri, and along the way begins to pry open the past about her mother.

McHugh does a great job of introducing us to the key characters and their personalities. I felt as though I could see into their souls, to the good and bad of each. Part of the reason for this was the writing from different points of view. While we spend the most time in Lucy's head, Lila and others also have their chance to show us what they see. Sometimes I find this annoying in a novel, but I welcomed it in The Weight of Blood. When I saw the names at the beginning of the chapters, I thought, "ooh, now I get to find out what they think about the situation."

Once I started reading, I didn't want to put it down. The action is realistic, and while there is some graphic violence, none is gratuitous. The plot moves at a steady pace, picking up at the climax, as it should. There's no wasted space in this book, no embellishments or unnecessary characters.

I would definitely read any future works by this author.

Reviewed by: Lorien Goodale

Midnight Witch by Paula Brackston





Set in Edwardian London, this is basically a romance and sort of a "coming of age" novel. Lilith Montgomery is a witch, in an upper class family, who has just inherited the head witch position of her coven, upon her father's death. She immediately also finds herself with a number of adult problems at a young age.

I enjoyed the book. The writing is beautiful prose, the setting fascinating, and I really liked the character of Bram. Lilith is almost too perfect, but I liked being in her head.

Although this is a fantasy, it is so far from reality that it is hard to suspend disbelief. Most fantasies are grounded in some way, but this one isn't. Lilith breaks all kind of rules, with basically no significant consequences in her life.

I also found the point of view a bit off-putting. A lot of chapters are written following Bram, but in 3rd person.

I would recommend this book for someone who enjoys reading about the paranormal, especially in historical settings.

Reviewed by:  Lorien Goodale

One Hundred Names by Cecelia Ahern








At the beginning of the book, you find out that something horrible has happened to the protagonist, journalist Kitty Logan. The following pages have a gradual unfolding of why, what and how, as well as the resulting changes in her life.

One of the things I liked best about this book was that I felt I got to know Kitty very well, with all her good and bad qualities. The other characters were also distinctive and interesting, from all kinds of backgrounds and ages. The setting is Ireland, which was fun, since I have rarely read books set in that country.

In reading the novel, I found myself examining my own motives for doing things, while at the same time being entertained. There's a theme of redemption, "it's never too late", about the book. And that change for the better is clearly due to the actions of the characters, not just chance.

I did think that some of the resolutions of various dilemmas at the end are a bit too pat, too convenient, and unrealistic.

If you are looking for a well-written book about people with realistic problems, a little romantic and a lot hopeful, this would be a great choice.


Reviewed by: Lorien Goodale