A very different but likable book
927583
I really enjoyed this book.  India is delightful and the other characters are interesting.  I am looking forward to the sequel.
2433808
This book defies conventionality and is unlike anything that I have read except "Alice in Wonderland".  That makes it difficult to review.  Helen is on a journey not only to find herself, but find her missing  husband.  The cast of characters that she encounters are not only  entertaining, but pieces to the puzzle of a murder.  I found myself bored  at times and intensely interested at others.  I enjoyed the ways in which  this book was different, including the drawings and lithographs that were  on every 10 pages or so. This is definitely a different type of read, and  for that alone I liked it.
2437510
This book will be liked by people who are tired of all the cliche books. It is different and interesting, while not too heavy.
1446335
Heart warming, a good change from typical love story
2932040
The hero is likable and the premise of the book unique. I love when a book has a story line that is so different than any others. Even the ending has a twist.
3194873
I enjoyed Ardently which is by the same author and when looking for other books by the author found Coming of Age.  I hesitated before buying it since I don't like a lot of the P&P Variations on the market and the plot of this book I wasn't sure I would enjoy.  I finally gave in and bought it since the reviews were good and I had enjoyed her other book.  I'm glad I did, since I enjoyed this book immensely - in fact I read it in one long day.  The plot is very different and there are some new enjoyable characters in the book - such as the elderly Darcy, the governess and Darcy's aunt.
1001581
Let me begin by saying this isn't great literature nor are some of its premises totally original and unique.  However, the rewarding surprises, and there are many, come from some of its more subtle and clever messages.
From the title one might expect a plot evolving  from a little book store in Paris, but its a lot more than that. True, Jean Perdu (lost John) sells books, but his Literary Apothecary shop is on a barge moored on the Seine. He is a man of many talents in spite of, or perhaps because of, his deep depression after losing the woman he believes was the love of his life.
Although he prescribes books to heal everyones psychic ills, he seems unable to get a grip on his own.
I could not help thinking of French toast as I read (Pain Perdu), and was sure the authors choices of names were anything but accidental.  I wondered if Jean Perdu would be somehow rejuvenated in the ame way that stale bread becomes a delectable treat.  Quite a challenge.
I was heartened that the author didn't try to use fake French accents but used language(s) genuinely where possible.
Perdu is surrounded by a wide range of characters in Paris, and manages to confront even more on his river odyssey towards Provences lavender-infused atmosphere.  Always seeking release and redemption, Perdu leads us through some untypical French scenes involving a Tango exhibition, French cooking, a Riverlogue as his houseboat proceeds, dispensing books along the way and he finally faces the inevitable stages of grief.
Its always a pleasure for me to read books about books, and its especially more enjoyable when the author hands them out as a dose of philosophical cure.
The story is not without a few contradictions and mind-benders as when the practical side of life appears: after having left home on a whim - passports appear, living without a visible mens of support while fueling the barge - but the reader has to let go of reality a bit in order to enjoy the voyage.
Some of the characters seem bizarre in order to entertain, just as some of the scenes are almost farcical as Perdu advances in his search for the mysterious author of the book that saved his sanity.
Managing to remain just this side of the maudlin, the author takes the reader along a path of what I found to be  inner discovery, with a lot more depth than a superficial read allows .
Im sure not everyone will be able to separate the saccharine from the sense,  but I had so much enjoyment (and even fun) reading the lines and between them, that I would rate the book high both technically and for reading pleasure.
One small note:  I wish it had a more appealing, clever title.
These comments are based on a reading of the book provided in exchange for an honest review.
376757
I was asked by the author if I would be interested in reviewing his new book,  4 Years Trapped In My Mind Palace. The title is quite a mouthful!  But the book was unusually special. So different and unique. I really did enjoy it. The premise behind it was why it was so different but it is more what the author DID with it that will stretch your minds. There are many layers to the narrative and you need to really think about the situation this young boy and his parents are stuck in to see them. I love that there is bit of romance, a bit of hocus pocus  and a lot of supernatural thrown in. The writing is quite good and I didn't see any editing error that I noticed. I cant not imagine the horror of being stuck inside your own body with no way to communicate to get some sort of outside stimulus for your self. Frightening beyond belief and yet it has happened and probably will continue to.
 Loved the characters, especially Solomon with his belovedBetty. They are warmly drawn and I think how his parents responded to his situation would not be too unusual. As they thought their boy Aaron was not inside that body any longer. It took a lot of hocus pocus to get things straightened out but what an interesting ride it was.
 One should also read the comments by the author at the back of the book. VERY interesting indeed and entertaining to see how he worked the interwoven timelines.  This is a book I would highly recommend but just remember, this is not a Beach Read . It is full of substance although there is a dash of magic throughout.
3990755
this was a very good book.  i was different than most books i have read.  the book doesn't quite grab you at the begining, but as you get into it, the book picks up and it becomes a very enjoyable book.  it is very magical and mistical.
248481
I haven't read a book like it before it was different but it held my interest to see what happened. I will probably read this author again.
586649
This book was totally different than other books I have read, but  it was enjoyable to read.  Some explanations were a little long in getting to the point, so I skipped past them.

The book would probably appeal more to a younger reader than myself.
2634575
I wasn't sure what to expect when I started to read "An Unlikely Place". It's a romanance at its heart, granted not in the traditional sense. The setting is in the future where Earth has become an inhospital place with most of the population wiped out from an illness.

The lead character has lost her husband and daughter to the illness. She, with other humans, are saved by an alien race and placed on other worlds to live. When she finds herself attracted to an alien, who looks very much human, other humans aren't too thrilled about it.

The story takes place from the lead character's point of view, and in a sense, reminded me a lot of Twilight in the regard that a human is falling in love with someone who isn't quite human, and much of the narative is about her feelings.

The book was well written, and the author certainly knows how to draw out the emotions of the reader.

I would give two bits of warning: First of all, this is *not* a book for kids. It has very adult themes. Secondly, don't judge a book by its cover. It took me a while to understand the cover, and even then, I think it is too dark and hard to make out what it is.
2262510
It was very interesting to read something so different from the author.
3735494
I liked this book. It was definitely different than a lot of other books. I wasn't sure what to expect when I first started reading it. It's almost like a tame Downton Abbey, but better. I felt like we saw a lot of the Duke's personality but not as much of the one he ends up with.
3772565
I enjoyed this book because it was different to what I usually read. However I did find Minnies personality frustrating at times. Her social ineptness remained me of a person suffering from high functioning Autism. Her honesty and moralistic attitude was a welcome breath of freshness rarely seen.
4269478
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
 This was a bit different from what I normally pick up to read, however throughly enjoyed my departure from the norm.  Well developed, very likable characters and a delightful read.
1859139
This is a very unusual sort of book, at least compared to what I normally read. I don't read a lot of literary fiction, I prefer a straight-forward kind of story, but I found this book very thought-provoking. I couldn't just read it as a story, I had to think deeper about what the author was trying to say or what she seemed to be saying. This is the sort of story that what you see in it depends on what you bring to it. For example, when Annalise first enters the world above the clouds she runs into a hag named Hagski who starts running her through a bunch of nonsense rules about rules.  When I read this I immediately thought of government red tape and how so much of the good that government agencies could do becomes pointless because of all the paperwork and requirements that must be met. I have a feeling that a teenager reading this would see something very different.

I especially enjoyed the section about the Utopia Falls and how the people there have learned to let go of the need for power or money or pride, and see no one as more important than anyone else.  Annalise learns that silence is all around us and that much can be learned just be being still and listening and the satisfaction of a job well done. This is a book worthy of much thought and discussion both in and out of the classroom.

For those looking for the opportunity to jot down some of their own thoughts and ideas based on Annalise's experiences as well as their own, there is a journal that complements the book. There are beautiful illustrations to color as well as prompts for writing about one's own thoughts and feelings about different aspects of Annalise's experience, such as really listening to something rather than just trying to get a noise to stop.

I recommend both these books for those who want to look at the world in a new way, see things you've never noticed before and enjoy the beauty that surrounds us.