a frightening, beautiful adventure in self-discovery
936917
This book pulled me in like none I had read before. Yoshimoto succeeds in making the reader part of the story, a story that can perhaps to some appear simplistic or uninteresting, but to others will certainly become  magnetic as it recounts to them, through the unsophisticated yet magically  beautiful words of a young Tokyo woman, their own most intimate  experiences, thoughts, fears, hopes. Yoshimoto tells a story of  self-discovery, and her great achievement lies in describing the simplest,  everyday thoughts and feelings that most of us would be embarrassed to  share with anyone for fear that they are too ordinary, that they are not  profound enough, that they don't change the world. Yet Yoshimoto, by simply  describing them, validates them, and makes them beautiful. Reading Amrita I  was almost frightened by the image of myself that I saw in the pages.  Unlike some other reviewers, I think that Amrita takes the unique,  unpretentious narrative style developed in Kitchen and NP, and transforms  it into a vehicle that takes the reader on an unforgettable, unpredictable  journey. But it is a spiritual journey, a celebration of being human. In  Amrita you won't find anything glamorous. The main character is a Japanese  twenty-something who works in a neo-hippy bar and spends her time reading  and watching TV. Her wisdom emerges in her reflections on the unusual world  that surrounds her. Throughout the book, she remains a perfectly ordinary,  typical person like any one of us. I am not surprised at the low ratings  that some reviewers have given to this book. I can easily see how one might  dislike it, not understand it. It is a perfect example of "either you  hate it, or you love it." I love it. This book is very personal and if  you can identify with Yoshimoto's voice, the young woman from Tokyo, you  will be shaken to the core of your soul.
787308
This personal journey in three parts is the work of a thoughtful, adventurous soul. We know the author as an actress who is able to expose the deep interior life of her characters (from Eleanor Roosevelt to Calamity Jane and others) through her professional work. In this book, we discover more of the interior life of Jane Alexander, the woman, the individual, captivated by the natural world, in love with birds, supportive of people who share her passion for the Earth and all its life-forms. We also learn that she is a world traveler, an adventurer, a friend of field scientists, and an environmentalist.

She begins with a thoughtful Author's Note that immediately tells the reader that this is a confident writer and advocate for animals who intends unapologetically to adopt the unusual practice of capitalizing the names of all animal species throughout the book. It is an important and telling choice. In the Prologue, she foreshadows Part I when she writes of meeting then-thirty-year-old Alan Rabinowitz, who was working on Jaguar preservation in Belize. She continues her portrait of Rabinowitz and his grueling endeavors in Part I as she travels through Mexico, Belize, Thailand, Idaho, Nepal, Myanmar, India, and Brazil. Each chapter provides a portrait of the area and an account of the challenges of preserving endangered wildlife therein. She reveals in Part 2 more of her own childhood and life, with chapters on Birds, Peru, Papua New Guinea, Hawaii, Galapagos, Newfoundland, Amazonia, East Africa, and Madagascar. In Part 3, she organizes her observations around a smattering of other subjects: Desert, Killers, Bhutan, Bahamas, Ecuador, and Ocean.

Although few have both the adventurous spirit and the resources to travel and learn first-hand in the way that Alexander has, there is no overlay of privilege about the author or the book. The writing is refreshing and accessible. The adventures are remote and intriguing. But, despite the authors admonition that you cannot be a conservationist and a pessimist. It is an oxymoron. The endeavor of conserving anything is one of optimism and hope, there is a strong thread of sadness that runs through the volume. Indeed, how could there not be given the tremendous devastation humans wreak upon our planet and its creatures? The stories told contain many extinctions and habitat losses and too few successes. The book is eye-opening in its revelations of destruction in almost any direction you turn. Nevertheless, it is good to learn that Alexander holds on to her optimism. An Appendix of organizations involved with the protection and conservation of wild things and wild places follows the main text. I will send checks to a few of them and work on my own optimism. I do recommend the book.
3840432
Terrifying and beautiful.

Picked up this book knowing nothing other than having read The Hours and enjoyed it. I'm glad I didn't read the synopses or the reviews first, because they would have ruined the suspense. I enjoyed unfolding the characters, figuring out what book "the book" was, who Walt was, and deciphering the structure of how the stories and characters linked together. I don't know why reviewers think telling you what happens is the point of the book. I don't know why the publisher wrote the ham-handed jacket or why any author would approve it, if they had a choice. I have to assume the author had no choice about it.

What I like about the writing here is that it's spare. No wasted words, no run-on sentences. It's crystal-clear in time, place, and character. I immediately identified with each of the characters, felt sympathy for them, worried for their futures, felt scared and yet intrigued enough to read on. I'll admit, I had to close the book more than once and take a breath, but I didn't want to put it down.

In the first and second novellas, I felt like the plot was driven by the characters alone. I could see the natural evolution, but it's more about the journey than the destination. Still, I didn't feel let down by the endings of each story, as I often do when stories end. In the third novella, I wasn't sure where we were going, but I wanted to find out. To me, that is one of the most important qualities in a book. And while this ending was perhaps the least surprising of all, it made sense.

Overall, I was impressed by how polished this book is on every level, from the characters' pitch-perfect speech to the detailed scenery and the structure of the three novellas put together. But don't be mistaken: some readers will find much of the material too dark or disturbing. I have friends who would enjoy the writing, but who would not be able to handle the plot. I can't recommend this book to them. But I wish I could give them the beauty, if only they could understand why it's all more the beautiful because of the fear.
562328
Ariel's battle with boredom and a sense of disconnect from her everyday life comes to an abrupt and terrifying halt one night when her mother, Nadima, is kidnapped by two horrifying creatures whose existence ought to be impossible, but isn't:  demons with an apparent malevolent agenda, who seem to have targeted Ariel's mother for a reason.  Set on a frightening journey to find and rescue her mum, Ariel soon learns there's another world hidden behind the visible one, where the fight for the human spirit is waged by those who are strong enough and brave enough to face the challenge to see and to discover the true meaning and purpose in their lives.

In this exciting allegorical YA urban fantasy/magical realism novel, author Tahlia Newland weaves philosophical questions about perception, fear, compassion and love into a fast-paced fantasy adventure that is a highly entertaining and metaphysically fascinating tale for readers of all ages.  Much as she did in You Can't Shatter Me, her exceptional novella about bullying, author Newland exhibits great skill in allegorical storytelling, creating a seamless blend of the tale's deeper philosophical considerations and the fantasy adventure and magical realism main story arc, so that the former never comes across as a message added to the story, but is simply an organic part of it.  As such, it is, first and foremost, an enjoyable fantasy adventure quest, but one that also offers more for the reader interested in delving beneath the surface.  For me, this made Lethal Inheritance an even more fascinating read because, while I enjoyed it for all the traditional reasons - strong writing, realistic character development, smooth plot pacing, creative world-building - as someone with a background in Catholic theology and some education in Comparative Religions, I also appreciated the subtle insight into Tibetan Buddhism as Ariel began her journey on the path to enlightenment in this first book of the Diamond Peak series.  Her experience with the Serpentine and her battles against the Emot demons brought to mind concepts, familiar to Judeo-Christian readers, of mastering the negative passions like fear and anger and the idea of sin or evil being "passed down" or strengthened and spread to consecutive generations, and I could easily find similarities between the Buddhist view of the soul and my own Thomistic understanding of the same.

A well-written, yet also easy-to-read, fantasy that I believe will be appealing to YA and adult readers alike, I highly recommend this novel to fantasy readers of any worldview who enjoy an epic adventure with real world symbolism and depth.  I was fortunate to have been able to read an advance copy of the story as its copyeditor and I eagerly look forward to the next book in the series.
259929
Kingdom Come, Ca is a seductive and compelling journey across genres; magical realism ,thriller, psychological mystery.  I couldn't put it down. Judy Strick is a natural born writer, a riveting teller of tales who takes us on a mysterious journey  of growth and revelation,  through the uncovering of toxic secrets. She introduces us to a small mountain town in the middle of nowhere, CA;  with a colorful and unforgettable cast of characters headed by Ruby Wellman , a forty year old artist, a loner, who paints surreal worlds- the kind of worlds she would like to inhabit. Finn McCord is a six year  pathologically withdrawn child  with only imaginary friends. They meet as neighbors, finding an unspoken connection that manifests itself, with growing intensity, through Finns nightmares and Rubys paintings. Strick subtly questions our perceptions of reality, without lapsing  into the lurid or unbelievable.  A dyed in the wool page-turner.
- Elizabeth Forsythe Hailey
261426
This may be the best book I have read in recent memory. Bleak but magical and mesmerizing. At its core, it is a parable of the ways in which we define ourselves by searching for those elusive things that haunt and obsess  us the most. A lost parent, critical acclaim, a place to call home, a happy family life, Bigfoot.... No one is immune from the compelling need to search, including quite possibly Bigfoot himself. Ultimately, this book  enigmatically yet eloquently lays bare the truth that we are all stumbling through the dark woods searching for that most elusive thing of all: forgiveness.
3508907
Adolescence is often described as a journey of discovery, a journey in which we attempt to define ourselves.  We collect the traits impressed upon us by others and then stretch and test those impressions in order to forge the adult we will become.  In Willy, the latest novel by Robert Dunbar (The Pines, Martyrs & Monsters), we witness the coming of age of a troubled young man who must make this journey in relative isolation and under the tutelage of one who may not be the savior he appears to be.

Our unnamed narrator is sent to an obscure private school, the apparent end-of-the-line for both the disturbed boys that are deposited there and for the disaffected and cynical adults that maintain the crumbling facility.  The narrator is a sensitive and introverted youth who has apparently had behavioral problems in other schools as well as thoughts of suicide.  He is encouraged to keep a journal of his thoughts by his former psychologist--it is this journal that forms the narrative of the novel.  Soon he meets his new roommate, Willy, a brilliant and charismatic young man who takes the narrator under his wing and forces him out of his self-imposed exile.  Through the journal we witness the narrator's blossoming as both a writer and as a person.  Willy challenges him to reach beyond the "reality" of the isolated and warped school community.  As Willy and the protagonist grow closer, the narrator begins to believe that Willy may be leading him toward a reality far darker than he is prepared to experience.

Dunbar's characterization and prose brilliantly capture the internal world of the narrator.  The world that we view through his eyes is stark, sinister, and secretive.  Dunbar fully immerses the reader in the narrator's point of view.  There are no false notes, no instances in which the reader is taken out of the mind of the protagonist.  However, this limited point of view makes portions of the book extremely cryptic.  Many plot questions are left unanswered--or, if answers are available, they are hidden by a narrator who often lacks the capacity to report the full import of what he is witnessing.  For some readers these questions will inspire multiple readings and spirited discussion.  For others it may invoke frustration and confusion.

Nevertheless, Dunbar's prose is lyrical, suspenseful, and immersive.  Willy is a tour-de-force of style, character, and atmosphere and is definitely an example of an author attempting to stretch the boundaries of the genre.

Reviewed by Shroud's Shedrick Pittman-Hassett
185867
A powerful coming-of-age fantasy tale which focuses on the adventures of Teyth and Atreu, twins who must Ascend the mountain that dominates their world ahead of an unfolding war. The moment of Zenith promises to reveal many truths to them, truths which will shape and scar them forever.

There is much to commend in Strasser's command of narrative and dialogue as he draws us into the Ascent with Atreu - oddly, the other twin Teyth is abandoned as a point of view and only reappears later on in the narrative. Meantime, we experience Atreu's learning about the world through a series of pointed, poignant and formative encounters with a slew of minor characters as he embarks on his epic, year-long journey scaling the mountain. There are separate races fighting over control over the mountain and its secrets, and the young Ascender is embroiled in the conflict as his journey progresses, providing the necessary conflict alongside the struggle to reach the peak - Zenith - at the appointed time.

While the quest is clearly meant to encompass spiritual enlightenment as well as being a compelling adventure and a cultural exploration, the insights that are indeed gained at the culmination of the book left something to be desired - perhaps fodder for the sequel, I felt. Ultimately a rich and strongly written fantasy tale, highly recommended to lovers of the genre. I received a complimentary copy of this thoroughly enjoyable tale in exchange for an honest review.
3213208
The first time I read The Talisman, I had some trouble getting into it.  Being primarily a fan of Stephen King, I noticed a different voice telling about half of the story.  Plus, the exposition goes on a bit long, with many tedious details describing the setting.  But once the narrative gets rolling, which happens when Jack finally embarks on his travels, it turns into a thrilling experience.  The Talisman is a journey epic for the ages, the tale of young Jack Sawyer, an 12-year-old boy who must travel across the country on a quest to retrieve a magical object that will cure his mother's cancer.  However, he soon discovers that his mission is far more important than that.  He learns that our world has many parallels, and in those worlds many of us have Twinners who are nearly identical to us.  In a vivid creation of fantasy by King and Straub, Jack discovers how to "flip," or journey from our world to a land called the Territories, which combines a landscape similar to that of Tolkien's Middle Earth with an early, undeveloped America.  If he fails his quest, all of the worlds will fall to evil.

In the tradition of The Odyssey, Jack encounters numerous obstacles on his journey, hindered not only by the book's villain, Morgan Sloat, but by a variety of situations and adversaries.  He becomes trapped in dangerous spots in our world, such as The Oatley Tap owned by Smokey Updike and the dreadful Sunlight Home of Morgan's right-hand man, Sunlight Gardener.  He faces less ordinary dangers in the Territories, like living trees that like to eat people, as well as Morgan's Twinner, who tears through the sky itself and blasts lightning bolts at him.  Jack grows as a character through these hardships, becoming much greater than the timid boy afraid to leave his mother at the beginning.  As is so often the case in life, the cost of this growth is great personal sacrifice.

The plot is well planned, with the mystery surrounding the death of Jack's father underscoring the premise of Jack saving his mother and the Queen of the Territories.  It isn't made clear exactly what the Talisman is, but given the connections this book has to Stephen King's Dark Tower series, it may be a magic ball from the Wizard's Rainbow, a group of powerful, colored orbs that can be used for seeing, traveling, creating, or destroying.  Whatever it actually is, Jack's journey across worlds to find it is a compelling work driven by two of every boy's childhood fantasies; defeating the forces of evil and...what else?...saving your mother's life.  If you have some patience with this book, you'll discover that it's a real treasure chest of creativity and imagination from two brilliant minds.  For me, it's become one of those books I have to re-read about once a year, and it just seems to get better with age.
1575264
Exotic as a falling feather from a winged serpent, this book hypnotizes the reader into living in a world other than the one we have assumed we knew. "It's a wonder any of us are anywhere," is a throwaway observation Megan makes at one point, yet profound. The dead and the living are potentially present in any moment, or on any page.

Subtle as a slow tide, gentle as a mother's soothing touch good night, Ginger Bensman slips the reader into Megan's skin. We become the girl, the woman, living with random touches of deja vu from an other life, a former incarnation. High on adventure, with reckless courage - or feeling an irresistible need to close the circle - we trace the links back.

The writing is demanding, textured, immersive. Readers accustomed to light entertainment will struggle to get into the story - but be assured, it is absolutely worth the effort. Characterization is superb, Megan's family showing the quality here from the opening. The pace begins at a gentle meander, but the coils tighten steadily, and we strain, breathless, through the last quarter of the book.

This book is one of very few that I would consider comparable to, say, Mark Helprin's 'Winter's Tale', or William Horwood's 'Skallagrigg' - except that I'm not sure that the comparison should not rather be the other way around. 'To Swim Beneath the Earth' is much more tightly written than Mark Helprin's usual sprawling style. Perhaps Kazuo Ishiguro's 'Never Let Me Go' is comparable, or Barbara Kingsolver's magnificent 'The Poisonwood Bible'.

In seeking to turn the reader into a living reincarnation Ginger Bensman does not merely succeed, she triumphs. Very highly recommended - but make sure you have the time to yourself to properly enjoy this exceptional book.

*I was given this ebook in exchange for an honest and objective and non-reciprocal review.*
4528441
This is a fascinating story of a travel undertaken by seven children in order to save their native Teletsia. A journey of epic proportions in which even the youngest of the seven discover hidden heroic - and humane - qualities they did not know they possessed. It is an inspiring story which stays with you months and years after you've finished it. Hard to put aside,  when finishing reading it, one has the feeling of loss usually associated with having to leave trusted and loved friends.  The adventures of the seven kids somehow engulf every day reality, lending it a deeper meaning and even a sense of enjoyment despite adversities. Linda Williams' book resembles Gregoire de Kalbermatten's "The Legend of Dagad Trikon" in that they both feature a revival of heroic tales (not unlike J.K.Rowlings's Harry Potter Series), and center around a collective hero - in which the virtues of feminine intuition and wisdom play a significant part.
284930
Upon reading this I declared it one of my favourite books, and I hold to this declaration.  From its eerie, portentous, and incredibly amusing beginnings, Moby Dick balances academia and a sense of adventure, with the one of the most mythical elements of reality: the fantastic whale.  The style is lyrical and madly rambling, but evocative and profoundly beautiful.  The story unfolds like a mystery, building at last to the climactic encounter with the elusive White Whale.  The characters are strange and wonderful.  The sea is alluring and terrifying.  The whale is what we make it.
3762953
This is my second reading experience with Bradford Morrow, and it proved to be yet another memorable one. After reading Fall of the Birds, the chance of reading some gothic, some yummy noir by the same author was extremely tempting. I'm glad I fell pray to the temptation.

The 12 stories range from the troubling and touching to the disconcerting and unnerving, all in beautiful writing and emotionally gripping imagery. Some I've personally liked more then others, some are a tad too disturbing while others I fully and wholeheartedly loved. Together though, they form an interesting, exciting and scary journey into the human mind, an exploration into dusty nooks of the human soul.

The Hoarder, the first story of the collection, starts out deceivingly tame. Touching, beautiful, and deceitfully tame; as it progresses, the degree of  troubling slowly ascends to bring the reader a shock, then slowly subsides only to flare up again at the end. After that adventure, I was edified in respect to the type of read this collection would be: bold, fearless, subtle here and brutal there - in fewer words, a delight.

Amazing Grace and The Road to Nadeja were my personal favorites of the collection because the light they shine on the characters involved shows more then devious urges or pathologic needs; they show the simple but crushing darkness of solitude and the value of hope (pun intended regarding the second title). While dark and certainly troubling, they also have a bit of that inherent human shimmer of light.

Some of the stories, like Whom no hate stirs none dances, The Uninnocent or Tsunami, were on the disturbing side, some a lot disturbing in fact. I would have a hard time saying I enjoyed reading them, but I found it to be a truly interesting experience, and despite their somber and/or chilling quality they had a fascinating tone, so fascinating in fact that despite the fact I was cringing nearer the end I wouldn't have been able to stop reading them.
In fact, I will confess to having read some of the stories twice, or even three times before writing down these words. And I believe I will reread them again after I'll be done writing these words, they're so well written and so charismatic that I can't really move on. They're clinging to my thoughts with these shadowy tentacles, it's really strange but darkishly beautiful.

All things considered, I say if you like noir and you have the stomach to cringe at the multiple facets of the human soul without being horrified, you should definitely read this. But it's not a beginners dish, in my humble opinion, it's more like a treat for the connoisseur.
3595161
This is one of the best books I've read this year. Jo is a woman who seems to have it all, yet feels bored and restless. I feel that many people will identify with her longing to relive her youthful days of adventure. The characters are vividly drawn, and interesting. This book examines a very frightening moral dilemna whose implications are startling. I cannot recommend it highly enough.
99229
Ingredients: one part diary of a Washington insider, one part introductory science textbook, one part love story, one part wilderness guide, and one part scary-as-hell thriller. Mix well, serve on ice. Enjoy.

I have to admit, I was initially skeptical of this book; climate change, while terrifying, doesn't readily lend itself to the adventure/thriller genre.  However, Atcheson is so deft at weaving together the various threads of his story that I was almost halfway through the book before coming up for air. Even now, after a re-reading, I'm simply amazed at the range of emotional levers that Atcheson is able to pull: righteous anger at the do-nothing Washington establishment, sadness over love lost, excitement over new romantic interests, an intense desire to go fly-fishing, and plain-old fear.

Simply put, this is a must-read not only for those interested in climate change. This is a book for anyone who likes a nail-biting, keep-you-up-all-night, hold-your-breath-until-you-turn-blue type of thriller. Count me among those eagerly anticipating the sequel.
1078362
How many books do you know can tempt fate, carry human drama on the head of a pin or inside the blooming rose of an exploding star? Thomas Jeffrey Vasseur's varied collection of stories, DISCOVERING THE WORLD, is the kind of book that makes you feel uncomfortably at home, even when the characters or scenery bear no real resemblance to your own every day life...whether in California, Vietnam, the Far East waters, or in an open field in Kentucky, we are somehow re-living a familiar story; the author's ease and intimate language makes us eager participants in every story.
This book takes the kind of risks university workshops hope to inspire. We believe in the characters and we want more. We are constantly surprised, but never overwhelmed by Vasseur's need to say something. There's a voraciousness to the book's stunning range of subjects, yet the author's voice keeps it grounded to the past and present world, this world in which we find there remains an endless need to discover. DISCOVERING THE WORLD spreads out before us "like a lush, but not limitless jungle...which concealed much beauty, probably more pain..."
2129342
In CHASING THE DARK author Lisa Rusczyk gives readers a first-person account of a woman who is living a life full of chaotic highs and deadly lows until she begins a trip that will shake her to the core and give her reason to evaluate her journey in life.

The main character Melanie must confront her fascination with death and take advantage of the opportunity she has to really live before it's too late. Along the way she has her friends, including a mysterious man named Sora, to take this adventure with her--but the more she starts to take stock of herself, she is confronted with the truth that those around her are not allowing to shine through.

CHASING THE DARK has some really powerful messages in it, including the importance of believing in oneself and making changes in ones life not for others but because it is the right thing to do. Melanie learns firsthand that when you focus on the end of things you aren't able to appreciate the journey before you get there or those you meet along the way.j

This book is an incredible literary adventure that will keep you wondering until the last page.