Tag Archives: Family Dynamics

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

British Literature November 6, 2009 Superfast Reader 2 Comments

Synopsis: His true love thwarted by unfeeling family and Cathy’s callow thoughtlessness, foundling Heathcliff wreaks havoc on all who fall under his sway. Review: Wow, I had no idea what I was in for when I started Wuthering Heights! I knew it was a classic of Gothic romanticism, but I was expecting a florid love story of the kind I don’t usually enjoy. Instead I got a pile-on of selfish people behaving very, very badly and I loved every minute of it. What i liked…

Karma For Beginners by Jessica Blank

American Literature October 30, 2009 Superfast Reader

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…

The Water’s Lovely by Ruth Rendell

British Literature October 28, 2009 Superfast Reader 3 Comments

Synopsis: Convinced her sister murdered their stepfather, a young woman unravels when her relationship ends while her sister’s flourishes, and she wonders whether she should finally tell. Review: The Water’s Lovely is one of Ruth Rendell’s quieter books, with a fineness to it despite the emotional (and sometimes physical) violence that lurks in most of the relationships. While most of the characters have deep emotional flaws, some of them are appealingly good, even brave and admirable, and that’s what kept me really engaged in this…

His Eyes by ReneÃ© Carter

American Literature October 26, 2009 Superfast Reader

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 ReneÃ© Carter for the review copy.

Once Was Lost by Sara Zarr

American Literature October 22, 2009 Superfast Reader

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…

The Birthday Present by Barbara Vine

British Literature October 12, 2009 Superfast Reader

Synopsis: An MP arranges a kinky, consensual abduction for his mistress, but when a chance car accident takes her life, he chooses to keep silent, with devastating results. Review: Everything is connected–except when it isn’t. In The Birthday Present, Barbara Vine follows a scandal-that-wasn’t over the course of four years to show how a secret poisons everyone it touches, and how unrelated events can become part of a story because they appear to fit. The story is told mostly by Rob, brother-in-law to Ivor Tesham,…

Girl in the Arena by Lise Haines

American Literature October 12, 2009 Superfast Reader 6 Comments

Synopsis: After the death of her mother’s seventh husband in the gladiatorial arena, a teenage girl finds herself betrothed to his killer–unless she can fight her way out of it. Review: When I first picked up Girl in the Arena, I was expecting some kind of Hunger Games ripoff. That’s not a bad thing, per se–I love those kinds of books. But my expectations weren’t that high, and so I was more than pleasantly surprised when I discovered how original, complex, and downright literary Girl…

The Falls by Joyce Carol Oates

American Literature October 2, 2009 Superfast Reader

Synopsis: A close look at several generations of a family living in Niagara Falls, begun by a woman widowed by suicide on her wedding day who married one of the men who helped her look for her dead husband’s body. Review: I don’t want to waste much time on a review of The Falls at all, because quite frankly it bored me. The characters were well-drawn, the prose thoughtful, the situations dramatic, but none of it added up to a damn story. I didn’t know…

The Boy Next Door by Irene Sabatini

African Literature September 8, 2009 Superfast Reader 5 Comments

Synopsis: A Zimbabwean woman strikes up a friendship with a white neighbor suspected of arson, and their lives become inextricably linked. Review: First-time author Irene Sabatini has a marvelous (or should I say, “lekker”) ear for the distinct vernacular rhythms of her native Zimbabwe. In The Boy Next Door, she chronicles a most unconventional love story that begins against the backdrop of the transition from Rhodesia to Zimbabwe. Later, the story settles amid an Africa in flux, dealing with issues of racial and national identity,…

North! Or Be Eaten by Andrew Peterson (Wingfeather)

On Reading August 21, 2009 Superfast Reader 5 Comments

Synopsis: Book two in the fantastical journey of the children who are the Lost Jewels of Anniera, a kingdom of legend, as they flee for their lives from those who would see them defeated. Review: As the name might suggest, North! Or Be Eaten is a whimsical adventure filled with inventive language and fantastical creatures. I was really impressed by Andrew Peterson‘s skill in surprising me on every page. The book is quite wholesome, but also has a delightful edginess–not in terms of being overly…

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