Category Archives: American Literature

The Shape of Mercy by Susan Meissner

American Literature October 16, 2008 Superfast Reader 4 Comments

Synopsis: A wealthy young woman takes a job transcribing the diary of a victim of the Salem witch trials, discovering a powerful love story that changes her perspective on her privileged life. Review: Deftly interweaving the very different stories of three headstrong women, Susan Meissner has crafted a novel that delivers a powerfully moving reading experience. I found myself on the verge of tears many times, overcome by Lauren’s journey as she inhabits the world of Mercy, a young woman fated to die by hanging…

Follow-up Interview with Jeffrey Overstreet

American Literature October 7, 2008 Superfast Reader

I interviewed Jeffrey Overstreet, author of Auralia’s Colors last year. Now, with the release of Cyndere’s Midnight, the second book in the Auralia Thread, I had him answer a few more questions. The Keeper is seeming a bit more Yahweh-esque in Cyndere’s Midnight. Without revealing too much by way of spoilers, how are you fighting against the “Christian fiction” pigeonhole? Well, I object when reviewers start calling the Keeper “God”, or Auralia “Jesus.” It’s true that every character in The Auralia Thread dreams of this…

Cyndere’s Midnight by Jeffrey Overstreet (The Auralia Thread)

American Literature October 7, 2008 Superfast Reader

Synopsis: Auralia and her colors are missing and the beastmen are amassing an army, while bereaved ruler Cyndere dreams of transforming the world. Review: So tough to do a one-liner of a fantasy series installment. My review of Cyndere’s Midnight will go up at The Curator next week. In the mean time, just go read the book, willya? I am such a fan!

Impossible by Nancy Werlin

American Literature October 3, 2008 Superfast Reader 16 Comments

Synopsis: A young woman discovers that she is cursed to go mad on the birth of her first child unless she can complete three impossible tasks. Review: Woven from the lyrics of the ballad Scarborough Fair, made famous by Simon and Garfunkel, Impossible successfully places a fairy tale in the context of modern life without sacrificing any magic at all. Lucy Scarborough was raised by foster parents after her mother, Miranda, went mad on Lucy’s birth. Now Lucy finds herself pregnant at 17, and discovers…

In the Face by Lorelei Armstrong

American Literature October 1, 2008 Superfast Reader 1 Comment

Synopsis: When a famous movie star appears to have dumped a body on his plastic surgeon’s balcony, a simulation-obsessed detective delves into a seamy world where there are no limits to what people will do for fame. Review: Babies getting plastic surgery–that’s all I needed to hear to get interested in Lorelei Armstrong’s debut, In the Face. Melding a hard-boiled style in the tradition of James M. Cain and Andrew Vachss with a cyberpunk sensibility, Armstrong delivers a fast-moving, intellectually stimulating thriller with a strong…

The Reason for God by Rev. Timothy Keller

American Literature September 28, 2008 Superfast Reader 7 Comments

Synopsis: A rebuttal to the key arguments against Christianity and apologia for the tenets of the Christian faith. Review: Rev. Tim Keller is legendary among Christians here in New York City. He is the pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church, a large church that has planted a number of daughter churches throughout the area, including the one that we attend. He is known as a great explicator of Scripture and people often attend services at Redeemer on top of their regular church attendance just to hear…

Sweethearts by Sara Zarr

American Literature September 20, 2008 Superfast Reader 6 Comments

Synopsis: Jenna thought her childhood best friend Cameron was dead, but when he shows up at her high school 8 years later, she must confront demons long buried and deal with unresolved issues with her family. Review: I was very impressed with the way Sara Zarr built the suspense in Sweethearts. I was aching to find out where Cameron had been, aching for Jenna to talk to him, aching to see their childhood love burst into adolescent fruition. I could almost barely stand to read…

The Miracle Girls by Anne Dayton and May Vanderbilt

American Literature September 18, 2008 Superfast Reader 6 Comments

Synopsis: New girl Ana struggles with overprotective parents who push her to succeed, but when she winds up in detention she discovers she is not the only girl in school who has survived a near-fatal incident. Review: I bigtime heart Anne and May, the Good Girls, so I was thrilled to read The Miracle Girls, the first in their new young adult series. Anne and May write Christian fiction that isn’t preachy, and The Miracle Girls makes Ana’s Christianity just part of her life, not…

Home by Marilynne Robinson

American Literature September 18, 2008 Superfast Reader 3 Comments

Synopsis: Prodigal Jack Boughton has returned to Gilead, bringing joy to his dying father and an ache to his lonely sister’s heart. Review: It breaks my heart to say this, but I don’t think Home lives up to Gilead. Mailynne Robinson’s prose is still astonishing in its simplicity, and the characters are just as sharp as ever. Even her digressions are riveting. But when it was over, I did not feel it added anything to Jack Boughton’s story. If anything, it reads like an appendix…

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare (The Mortal Instruments, Book 1)

American Literature September 17, 2008 Superfast Reader 3 Comments

Synopsis: A teenage girl discovers that she comes from a lineage of demon hunters, and finds herself drawn into the ongoing battle between good and evil. Review: I picked up City of Bones after reading a rave review of the next book in the series on the Queens Public Library’s email newsletter for YA picks. It sounded like a fun read, and I was not disappointed. I just got a book light so I can read in bed while Superfast Baby snoozes in her crib…

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