Category Archives: American Literature

Dare Me by Megan Abbott

American Literature April 9, 2013 Superfast Reader

Synopsis: When a new coach kicks head cheerleader Beth out of her spot, her sidekick and quasi-faithful lieutenant braces herself for the impact, even as she becomes enthralled with the coach herself. Review: I heard about Dare Me from a friend and got really excited over the premise–cheerleader noir–but a day later she said, “Don’t bother, I loved the first half and then it fell apart.” I started reading and it was SO AWESOME that I was like, “What is she talking about? How could…

Far From the Tree by Andrew Solomon

American Literature April 3, 2013 Superfast Reader

Synopsis: Subtitled: Parents, Children, and the Search for Identity. Review: I had been keen to read Far From the Tree when it started getting buzz pre-publication. But I was horrified (HORRIFIED I TELL YOU) that the Kindle price was set at $16.99. I do not pay that, not for anyone (okay, I paid it for just one person). Finally, the price dropped to $9.99 and I hit the purchase button with alacrity and style. And of course the price has dropped further so I wish…

Does Jesus Really Love Me? by Jeff Chu

American Literature April 2, 2013 Superfast Reader

Synopsis: Subtitled: A Gay Christian’s Pilgrimage in Search of God in America. Review: In the interest of full disclosure, I’ve met Jeff Chu on several occasions and am pretty sure at least one of them was a Thanksgiving potluck, so I read Does Jesus Really Love Me? with a bit of personal interest. The first compliment I’ll pay to the book is that I found it fascinating and riveting way beyond the mutual friends we share. The second compliment I’ll pay is that this book…

Suburbianity by Byron Forrest Yawn

American Literature April 1, 2013 Superfast Reader

Synopsis: Subtitled “What Have We Done to the Gospel? Can We Find Our Way Back to Biblical Christianity?” Review: I don’t live in the suburbs but there was still a lot in Suburbianity that resonated with me. I really appreciated the incisive dissection of the way that the American church has taken Christ out of Christianity, a topic that was well-addressed by Michael Horton in Christless Christianity, and which is developed even further here. I felt newly inspired by the beauty and clarity of the…

Requiem by Lauren Oliver (Delirium Trilogy)

American Literature March 19, 2013 Superfast Reader

Synopsis: In a world where love is cured by surgery, two former best friends find themselves on opposite sides of a brewing class war. Review: I really don’t even know what to say about Requiem. I thought Delirium was a better-than-average entry into the Hunger Games dystopian genre. And I loved Lauren Oliver’s standalone Before I Fall. But this trilogy fizzled out for me. I’m tired of love triangles, team this and team that, and free zones, and teenage girls involved in guerrilla tactics. Nothing…

Quintessence by David Walton

American Literature March 19, 2013 Superfast Reader

Synopsis: In an alternate version of Europe during the pre-Elizabethan years, with the Inquisition raging in Spain, an alchemist and a scientist and a headstrong girl bonded to a magical creature travel to the edge of the world to find quintessence, a substance that can unlock the powers of the universe. Review: Quintessence was great fun, a novel that felt as deeply “researched” as any historical novel, and with a fully realized magical world that kept unfolding until the very last pages. Catherine, the girl…

Bad Pharma by Ben Goldacre

American Literature March 18, 2013 Superfast Reader 1 Comment

Synopsis: Subtitled: How Drug Companies Mislead Doctors and Harm Patients. Review: In Bad Pharma, just as he did in Bad Science, Ben Goldacre proves more than capable of making science accessible to non-science minded people like me. I do some work in the health care field, on a clinical level, but my ability to interpret research for myself isn’t as developed as I’d like it to be. I felt like I learned a lot about critical analysis, and finally I understand Relative Risk and the…

The Daylight War by Peter V. Brett (The Demon Cycle, Book 3)

American Literature March 18, 2013 Superfast Reader

Synopsis: As Ahmann Jardir amasses an army to fight the demon war he believes is coming soon, Arlen Bales refuses to be called the Deliverer even while the people around him beg for a hero to save them from Krasia and the threat coming up from the Core. Review: The Warded Man was such a strong debut that I will continue to believe in, support, and read Peter V. Brett–despite my disappointment with this third installment in a series I’m heavily invested in. The Daylight…

Escape Theory by Margaux Froley

American Literature March 12, 2013 Superfast Reader

Synopsis: After the apparent suicide of a popular senior, boarding school peer counselor Devon starts wondering if there was something more going on and decides to find out the truth about the boy she loved from afar. Review: Escape Theory is smart and well-written, with varied characters and an interesting setting. Devon is haunted by an encounter she had with Hutch, the suicide whose friends and girlfriend she’s now counseling, and because that one night stands out in her mind as a defining moment, she…

A Thousand Pardons by Jonathan Dee