Synopsis:
A bereft woman’s mother’s desperate act triggers a violent spiral affecting a whole community.
Review:
The Tree of Hands was lesser Ruth Rendell. It dates back to 1986 and she’s really grown as a writer since then. It definitely has her trademark nuanced characterizations but the story wasn’t as gripping as later works like The Rottweiler have been.
Many of you know Lisa Roe, Online Publicist. This is part three of a guest post remembering Dewey. Parts one & two can be found at two other blogs.
Part One
Part Two
And this is the persona I’ve adopted. I am strong and do not break. I glance at death, then quickly look away. Avoid the high emotional scenarios. Keep on keepin’ on.
But, I’m grown up, now. And doesn’t age require us to rationalize reality? Be an adult, think like one. Leave childish tendencies behind. No more farms or dashes to the ocean. No more disillusioned kid. Dewey is gone.
Gone so suddenly, that all we’re left with are sharp, shocked, intakes of breath. Furrowed brows and attempts to make sense of it. “Wh….’s” left hanging in the air. Unfinished versions of ‘what?’, ‘why?, ‘where?’, ‘when?’.
My heart is heavy when I read a memorial post. My shoulders slump as I scroll through the archives of her blog, for fear that it, too, will disappear. But I keep on keeping on. Shields up, avoidance on. Then, I came across her name while reorganizing files the other day. And I sobbed.
Her name is in my files, on email lists, reading lists, lists to follow up on, emails to reply to. Her name. Dewey. Not her name, yet, her name all the same. The pun that brings to mind a blanket of delicate water beads on fresh, morning foliage.
Her online existence is as alive to me now as it was before she left. In her wake, she’s left a life suspended. Giveaways organized, date stamped, and incomplete. Stacks of TBR’s, and overdue library books by the front door. She announced her Giving Season, acknowledging all celebrations of faith for the holidays. There’s so much to do! So much to do.
She is the visionary that worked tirelessly to keep us all together. She is the inspiration who greeted me when I first started out by applauding my dream and my work. She warmly invited me in, offering advice and guidance.
Do I cry because I never knew her name? Never knew she was suffering so badly? Knowing that this outpouring of adoration and respect will forever reverberate the walls of cyber space, and worrying that they will never quite find their mark? Or, do I cry because my sadness is exposed for all to see?
I see Dewey in my mind, now. The internet, her farm. Forever frolicking the pages of books and blogs.
I’m just one of the many bloggers who are missing Dewey. I missed out on Weekly Geeks because I can’t get it together now that I’m a mom, but I donated a prize to the 24-hr readathon and guest hosted the Bookworms Carnival back in the early days. She really brought us bookbloggers together and I hope we will keep our community growing in her honor.
Gorgeous buttons and badges here and here. And check out Becky’s blog for more ways to remember Dewey.
Synopsis:
When a missing persons investigator goes missing herself, she discovers a world where the lost can be found–but can she find her way back home?
Review:
There’s No Place Like Here is the second book by Cecelia Ahern, author of the immensely popular PS, I Love You, which I have not read. I picked up an ARC of this book at Book Expo, but put off reading it because I was anticipating something light and fluffy and not worth my time.
I was certainly mistaken. There’s No Place Like Here captivated my attention from page one, with the distinctive voice of protagonist Sandy Shortt (who is tall with black hair), and Ahern’s imaginative premise. I loved the use of magical realism in dealing with very deep issues of memory, loss, and longing.
We’ve all wondered where our lost socks go. And some of us have ached more poignantly for someone who has simply disappeared. Ahern imagines an answer to these questions, but what could have been a precious conceit comes to life with vivid emotional honesty.
Tangentially, There’s No Place Like Here was a refreshing change of pace from the grim ‘n’ glum fantasy I’ve been consuming lately. And it’s a reminder to me that my taste in reading is much broader than I sometimes think.
Synopsis:
When Clay receives a box of cassette tapes recorded by a girl who recently committed suicide, he wonders why he was chosen as one of her thirteen reasons.
Review:
Compelling premise ultimately founders on muddled execution. Asher throws in at least four separate social problems as part of Hannah’s reasons for her suicide, and the construction ends up feeling far too contrived. This has the odd effect of making the story seem small, as though all of the suffering endured by the various characters occurred so that Clay could become a better person. Add that to Asher’s frequently muddled prose, and the result is a chaotic blur, not a cohesive story.
Synopsis:
Bereft and aimless, an ex-meth head signs up to test a new drug promising to cure anxiety of all kinds.
Review:
I picked up Sunless because it promised a Chuck Pahlaniuk-esque satirical romp through all the woes of our modern age, dressed up in off-kilter post-apocalyptic trappings and with an addictive prose style.
Instead, I suffered through a lazily written, incoherently plotted, almost aggressively aimless stylistic exercise that I had to force myself to finish reading. Thankfully it’s not very long, so I could get through it in a subway ride. There was no forward movement in the plot, and since there was a plot, author Gerard Donovan can’t hide behind the “it’s about character” defense. Nor was the prose such that I wanted to keep reading just to see what he’d do with language–while that’s not my favorite kind of read, I can at least appreciate someone who loves words and wants to push them to the limit.
No, Sunless wants to be what I initially hoped it would be, and fails miserably.
Synopsis:
A shy 14-year-old Latin scholar finds a passage into Manhattan’s underworld, where, guided by an unhappy ghost named Euri, he hopes to find out how his mother died once and for all.
Review:
Greek mythology concerning the after life deftly mixes with New York City’s colorful history in The Night Tourist, a marvelous adventure tale that’s as fresh as they come.
Suitable for young readers emotionally mature enough to handle themes of death and grief, The Night Tourist is rich enough to satisfy teen readers and adults with all of its allusions to classical literature and historical New York Personages.
Consider this a solid rave for a book that comes out on September 18th.
Synopsis:
A small boy deals with the death of his mother by setting his imagination free.
Review:
Up High in the Trees is a beautifully written book about a most engaging child, but it failed to move me. I’m not really sure why. Sebby, his brother Leo, his sister Cass, and his father are all dealing with a grievous loss, each choosing to isolate themselves in a different way. The overall story shows a family splitting apart then coming back together because of the choices that Sebby makes. Continue reading
Synopsis:
When Frances’s birth mother contacts her asking to “finish it,” Frances must come to terms with the terrible crime that caused their separation, and learn how to forge her own path in life.
Review:
I devoured Breathe My Name, which will be published in early November 2007 by Razorbill. Not only is it an outstanding coming-of-age tale, Breathe My Name has a gorgeous, poignant love story that really drew me in. This is one I’m happy to give some advance praise to!
Synopsis:
After she befriends secretive An-Ling, a menopausal wife and mother’s family collapses under the weight of a lifetime of lies that may have lead to An-Ling’s murder. Continue reading
