Mermaid: A Twist on the Classic Tale Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I should begin by sharing that I am a fan of all things mermaid related. My home is filled with statues and collectibles, and I have more than one mini-shrine devoted to the Disney adaptation of the classic story. That said, this particular novel took a few chapters to really capture my interest.
Carolyn Turgeon takes Hans Christian Anderson's classic, yet dark, children's story and turns it into a mature adult novel that switches its viewpoint between the mermaid who rescued the prince and the princess whom the prince thought saved him. True to the descriptive title, "A Twist on the Classic Tale," the author changes a few details, some as minor as the age of the mermaid, others as major as the dynamics of the relationship between the prince and mermaid. Yet, in the end, she finds a way for everyone to "live happily ever after." Recommended.


Click Here to see more reviews about: Mermaid: A Twist on the Classic Tale

Click here for more information about Mermaid: A Twist on the Classic Tale

Read More...

The Hummingbird's Daughter Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I read a lot of books. Some are just for fun, some are silly, some are educational, some are not very good. But, every now and then, I find one that is so special that I will read it again, and probably again a few more times.
You can read a "summary" of the book in other reviews, both publishers' and readers'. So, why did I like it and why should you read it.
First, the story is incredible. A child born in poverty begins to show amazing intelligence, skills...and grows to womanhood having had profound effect on her country of birth. Truth is indeed "stranger than fiction".
Second, the author has an amazing talent with words. He gives you the sights, sounds, smells of the world in which Teresita lived. He also uses words to bring each person to life. I actually called a friend to share a quote...Tomas Urrea to Lauro Aguirre...."Although it is true that you are insufferable and irritating, and rightly famed for your endless posturing and platudinous pontificating..." (don't worry, potential reader, though, the book is not full of big words, just, occasionally, one creeps in...I loved that quote because it reminded me of someone.)
Third, I was able to experience a time and place distant from me.Some of what happened was horrific, but, it happened. I was able to begin to understand.
Finally, I loved this book, and will read it again because it contains a message of love and hope that I can understand.
Books do many things, entertain, enlighten and sometimes enrich.
This book enriches, enlightens and entertains.

Click Here to see more reviews about: The Hummingbird's Daughter

Click here for more information about The Hummingbird's Daughter

Read More...

Where She Went Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Why I Read this Book: This book is a must read for anyone who's read If I Stay. In fact, if you've already read If I Stay, chances are you been anxiously awaiting the release for the sequel. There was a pretty big cliffhanger at the end of If I Stay and if you're like me, you need to know what happens next. And you get that closure in Where She Went.
What I Liked: If I Stay was a great emotional and thought-provoking read. And because I was late jumping on the reading bandwagon (I didn't read that book until late last year), lucky for me I didn't have too long to wait for the answers that are found in Where She Went. If I Stay was first published in January of 2009, so some people have been waiting over 2 years for closure. Well wait no more, the time has finally come! Today is release day for Where She Went.
I really liked that this book was told from Adam's POV (1st person narrative). If I Stay was completely Mia's story; her traumatic experience, her story, her flashbacks. In Where She Went, we finally get Adam's side of the story; from back when Mia was in a coma from the accident until now, 3 years later. It was good to see where and how Adam and Mia each ended up 3 years after her tragic accident.
Adam pours his heart and emotions into his lyrics and shares them with the world. Every other chapter leads with a sampling of Adam's lyrics. Angst, torment and bitter emotions drip from his words.
One of my favorite lines (that accurately describes Mia's present journey) is Gran's theory on why Mia was afraid of butterflies when she was younger:"She said it was because one day I was going to have to go through a metamorphosis like a caterpillar transforming into a butterfly and that scared me, so butterflies scared me."What I Didn't Like: Adam was a bit annoying at times with his whining. His character has had to grieve and he's had some growing up to do. He knows that Mia hasn't had an easy road but the void is not easy for him to digest.
Overall Impression: Where She Went is a great companion novel. I got the emotional read I was expecting and the closure I needed. Gayle Forman brings a wide range of emotions to these pages, even the raw and gritty kind, and sometimes they come in waves. Have the tissues ready.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Where She Went

It's been three years since the devastating accident . . . three years since Mia walked out of Adam's life forever. Now living on opposite coasts, Mia is Juilliard's rising star and Adam is LA tabloid fodder, thanks to his new rock star status and celebrity girlfriend. When Adam gets stuck in New York by himself, chance brings the couple together again, for one last night. As they explore the city that has become Mia's home, Adam and Mia revisit the past and open their hearts to the future - and each other. Told from Adam's point of view in the spare, lyrical prose that defined If I Stay, Where She Went explores the devastation of grief, the promise of new hope, and the flame of rekindled romance.

Click here for more information about Where She Went

Read More...