Category Archives: American Literature

Under the Dome by Stephen King

American Literature

Synopsis: An impenetrable dome smashes down over a small Maine town, completely isolating them from the world. Review: I devoured Under the Dome, thoroughly enjoying King’s blend of deft characterizations, manic plotting, and outrageously broad social satire. Imagine the world coming to an end–but only over a few square miles, while the rest of America watches helpless to intervene. In true King fashion, he takes an external horror device and uses it to expose the evil within. I’d call him a Calvinist, except it seems…

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The Comedians by Graham Greene

American Literature 2 Comments

Synopsis: A hotelier, a nominal candidate for the US presidency, and a conman’s lives converge in Haiti during the height of the reign of Papa Doc Duvalier and his Tontons Macoute. Review: While I was captivated by Graham Greene’s remarkable prose prowess in The Comedians, I wasn’t as enthralled by the story as I wanted to be. My interest never dipped below the purely intellectual into the realm of emotion. There was something much too male about the story’s tone and construction for my tastes,…

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Karma For Beginners by Jessica Blank

American Literature

Synopsis: When her mom moves them onto an ashram, a fifteen-year-old girl rebels by falling in love. Review: I was expecting Karma For Beginners to be light and frothy and comic, but the story actually delves into some really dark psychological territory. Tessa’s free-spirited mom has been following her bliss and dragging Tessa along for the ride as long as Tessa can remember, but the ashram ends up being the place where Tessa finds her own true identity. She falls in love with the unreligious…

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Commencement by J. Courtney Sullivan

American Literature

Synopsis: A quartet of unlikely best friends deal with a post-feminist, post-grad life out of Smith College. Review: The appeal of Commencement is in its depiction of Smith College, caught between poles of conservative femininity and radical lesbianism. Each of the four protagonists deals with life issues that have something to do with the plight of the modern women. Their struggles are portrayed with nuance and pathos, but I wondered if the story would have resonated had it been set in a less idiosyncratic place.…

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The Van Alen Legacy by Melissa de la Cruz

American Literature 3 Comments

Synopsis: Yet another installment in the Blue Bloods series, which follows a group of vampires reincarnated as wealthy New York City prep school kids and their families. Review: Against my better judgment, I decided to give The Van Alen Legacy, book four in the Blue Bloods series, a try. I wasn’t wild about the first three books, but they had an appealing energy so I thought I’d give the series one more chance. I just couldn’t get into it. I couldn’t find any other reasons…

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His Eyes by Reneé Carter

American Literature

Synopsis: Hired to “babysit” an 18-year-old young man blinded in a riding accident, a high school girl finds herself falling in love. Review: His Eyes is a sweet little story. It has some flaws in the plotting, with one particular character who becomes unrealistically monstrous, but its heart is in the right place. The love story had a lot of warmth to it, and the family dynamics were intriguing all around. Many thanks to Reneé Carter for the review copy.

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A Little Help From My Friends by Anne Dayton and May Vanderbilt (Miracle Girls)

American Literature

Synopsis: Shy girl Zoe can’t handle her parents’ separation and looming divorce, and she doesn’t know what to do about the attention she’s getting from hot new guy Dean. Review: A Little Help From My Friends was more plot-lite than the previous installments, which I kind of liked. Nothing super dramatic happened, and instead the drama focused on Zoe’s burgeoning independence. The writing is breezy and accessible, as usual, though God played a much smaller role than in previous books. At one point, Ana tells…

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NurtureShock by Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman

American Literature

Synopsis: Subtitled “New Thinking About Children,” shows how some of the new paradigms in education and childrearing are not supported by research data. Review: I had already read some of NurtureShock, since several of the chapters began as articles in “New York” magazine. It’s pretty fun to watch the authors pick apart some current sacred cows, like the purported virtues of educational baby DVDs, or the merits of testing kindergarteners to track them into gifted programs, or the benefits of teaching thankfulness. As a parent…

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Once Was Lost by Sara Zarr

American Literature

Synopsis: After her mother enters rehab and a neighbor girl goes missing, a pastor’s daughter has a crisis of faith. Review: Once Was Lost is yet another strong, character-driven young adult novel by Sara Zarr. I really like how she can tackle dark, complex issues without letting that darkness shroud her writing. You’re never attracted to the dark side in one of her books–you’re always longing for the characters to find the light. As a pastor’s daughter, Samara faces challenges her peers don’t. She has…

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Cirque du Freak: A Living Nightmare by Darren Shan

American Literature

Synopsis: The arrival of a freak show to town turns young Darren’s life upside down as learns that vampires are real–and not necessarily evil. Review: I had to stop reading A Living Nightmare after a vampire called one of Darren’s young friends “evil.” (I’m a mom, I can’t help but be tender-hearted.) Middle grade and YA horror have never been genres I enjoy, because I’m always uncomfortable with darkness being peddled to children. Additionally, I try to avoid books that call evil good and vice…

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