Gritty, powerful novel
933348
I loved this book.  Not my normal type of read as it was dark and gritty, with sexual themes that are not my usual cup of tea.  But I love the post apocalyptic world the author built and how detailed and realistic she made it with respect to puzzling their way out of situations, using libraries, thinking of how to survive and downstream consequences such as the nuclear power plants.  Just a brilliant amount of authenticity this author has given to the book.

Rachel and Adam's story is a wonderful story weaved seamlessly into the fabric of the larger tale.

I am in love with this series.
837815
I am not sure what I expected when I first began to read The Walled City, by Ryan Graudin, but it was certainly not what I got.  It is gritty, violent, and faces the most unpleasant of subjects head-on, weaving through three different points of view, with totally different lives, to create what eventually becomes a satisfying whole.

While it reads as a dystopia, The Walled City is actually based upon an actual place that once existed in Hong Kong.  Once you finish the book, I highly recommend reading a bit about Kowloon.  It is equal parts horrifying and fascinating, and it will give a real appreciation of how much research the author did to recreate the unimaginable living conditions in her novel.  Its a history buffs dream.

All of the characters are well-developed, and all three plot lines are intriguing and filled with detail.  The reader can almost feel the desperation faced by the residents of The Walled City themselves.  There is good flow and almost seamless transitions from one point of view to the next.  The reason I gave it four stars, instead of five, is that some of the relationship dynamics seemed a bit forced, but otherwise it is a good, solid read.

I recommend The Walled City for those in high school and above, or very advanced older middle school readers, due to the intensity of some of the subject matter.

This review is based upon a complimentary copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
501064
Having read some of Rob Thurman's other books, I was very much looking forward to this one.  And it did not disappoint.  It's a powerful story of loss and sacrifice, grief and guilt, all tied up by an overpowering sense of what the real meaning of family is.  The action is gritty and surprising at every turn, but the real power of this book is the steady relationship that develops throughout the story.  By the end, I was fully invested in these characters, mourning their losses and celebrating their victories.  The ending is surprising and satisfying, leaving me feeling like things came full circle while still making me hungry for more.
1995918
I just finished this and my reaction was that it was one of the most compelling and well-written novels I've read in quite awhile, and I read a fair amount.  The story is about a man and his daughter and son who live "off the grid" in Scotland or Northern England, aiming at self-sufficiency in their hand-built house. The man makes his living by unsanctioned fights and his children are taken out of the local school and tutored by a friend.  As for the theme, I would say it deals with revenge and bullying, and how no matter how hard one tries to disentangle from the outside world, it will always catch up with you.  The man who claims to own the land they live on is the classic bully and there is a sense of impending conflict and doom that had me reading this in virtually one setting. I thought the main theme was economic, the injustices the rich and their henchmen impose upon the poor and those who oppose their greed.  Also, the shrinking of the "commons," what used to be publicly owned is now privatized, leading to even more hardships for those who don't have the capital.  A very relevant message today.
I've read 5 of the 2017 Booker Prize longlist/shortlist this year, and this is my favorite so far.  It's on the shortlist and I hope it wins!  And Hollywood is brain-dead if they don't snatch this up and turn it into a fantastic movie.
2651924
Somewhere Out There is a highly charged, emotional book about three women, Jennifer, Brooke, and Natalie. When Brooke was 4 and Natalie 6 months old, their mother, Jennifer, was destitute, raising her daughters in a car, stealing to keep them fed. When Jennifer makes a heart-wrenching decision, their little family is ripped apart, creating consequences and upheaval that still impact their lives over 30 years later. This is such a poignant story, as we follow the journeys of all three women...moments of heartbreak as well as determination, strength and weakness, love and loss and fear. Each of their stories are told with both brutal honesty and empathy in a gripping novel that keeps us turning pages.
1349315
Powerful, gut-wrenching insight into the inner mind of a child sex slave. You'll want to scream your indignation at those who excuse their own exploitation of the vulnerable. This plucky ten-year-old is in a strange land far from those she loves, mistreated by people who had promised new opportunities, alone without documentation, without English, without education, invisible to "the system." The book touches on faith near the end when a priest and nun step in, but this is far more gritty and realistic than any inspirational fiction I ever read. The spiritual resolution is anything but satisfying, but I'm sure accurately reflects the frustrations of their ministry with sex workers. Although the setting is UK ("uukay" to the newly-arrived Eyo), I doubt the US system is any better at coping with a capacity for evil in men that sickens the heart.

There were some grammatical problems I attributed to the author not being a native speaker of English. Since most characters were Nigerian, the non-standard use of "wouldn't" instead of "won't" simply added to the flavor. However, it was a bit disconcerting for native Brits to make the same mistake. Perhaps I lack the necessary subtlety, but the ending wasn't explicit enough for me. Was Eyo walking toward the house or away from it? I know which way I wanted her to go, but the ending set up to make me expect something else.

Highly recommended but expect to be shaken.
626250
This is a gritty, in your face real novel that takes you through a range of emotions: from hatred, disgust, sadness and sensible. I love how the story gives the first person view of working in law enforcement and what it takes to actually uphold the duty to protect and serve.  The simplistic form of writing makes the story hard to put down. Riveting is an understatement. I would definitely recommend for anyone to read - but only if they can handle real world life stories!
1308360
I will start with saying, that it took me actually a few days to read this book. Not because I didn't like it. Quite contrary. I loved it. But the story is deep and difficult and I just felt, I had to absorb it piece by piece.

This is powerful and intense novel, with many interesting, yet complicated characters. It is very thought provoking novel.

I really liked the character of Mia. And I loved her passion for photography. Maybe because she was artsy soul, i felt quite close to her.
Each person in the story was unique and it was great to see their thoughts and points of view on the same situations.
Synopsis: Mia and her daughter Pearl move yet again and this time they settle down in Shaker Heights. They rent apartment from Richardson's family. Soon Pearl becomes friends with Moody and other kids of Richardson's.
The story shows the dynamic of both families, but also the small community, that runs by certain rules.
When Mia's past is brought back she knows that sometimes "you need to start over from scratch".
1519924
A great read! Definitely hard to read -- it's gritty and Anna's pain is palpable -- but really, really well done. The book starts with sixteen-year-old Anna leaving a life of prostitution and returning home to her not-so-perfect family. As Anna tries to figure out what "normal" means and finds a friend in neighbor Jackson, she also fears anyone finding out about her past. One of the most touching parts of the book was Anna's relationship with the family dog, who hasn't been treated so well. I also really loved Anna's changing relationship with her mother. This is a hard read, but definitely worth it!
278521
This is a powerful book. The title comes from a phrase in the definition of life found in a medical reference book. The setting is Chechnya during one war after another, one bloody "liberation" after another. The hero is Sonja, a young woman surgeon who abandons a wonderful life in London, where she trained, to return to Chechnya to find her missing sister. But there are several heroes and heroines in this book.

Terrible things happen, and I'm not very good at reading about human suffering. The plot is replete with betrayals among friends and neighbors, lost loved ones, blown-off limbs, burnt-down villages, damaged souls, torture sessions and executions.

But the skill of the narration kept me going, as well as the compelling characters -- the old scholar who devotes his life to writing thousands of pages of a history of Chechnya; his son, the informer, who causes half his village to disappear; the doctor's beautiful young sister who's tricked into prostitution; the little girl who loses everything but survives with her many souvenirs from refugees.

Everyone's lives are so intertwined that heroism and guilt are weirdly shared among them.

This book deserves all the praise it has received, as well as all the ambivalent reactions.  Yes, it's wonderful and terrible. I recommend it to courageous readers, not to those in search of escapist reading.
167142
This is a book about relationships and trust.  One could cloyingly say it is about the human spirit but it is simply about 4 people, living in times that make trust nearly impossible.  The characters are utterly absorbing and the descriptions of life in a caste system are compelling.  It is not a happy novel, it is instead deeply disturbing.  But Mistry stunningly transports his reader to this place, inside the lives of these people where you smell the smells, feel their pain, and search for a way to find meaning in their lives.  This book is painful, but it deserves to be read.
2445581
This novel kicks off with an incredibly powerful first chapter that pulled me in immediately, even though it was obvious this would be an emotionally difficult read. The Mother is part story of a mothers grief, part courtroom drama, part portrait of griefs impact on a marriage, and part statement about race, poverty, and what happens to people born into a rough life on the streets.

Edwards simple, yet impactful writing and powerful images take the reader on the emotional roller coaster ride of the trial along with Marciafeeling how each subtle change in momentum sends Marcias emotions either tumbling or soaring. As the story progresses, the books feel changes from quieter to more action-packed, culminating in a particular scene that that felt out of place. I really loved that quieter book and a part of me wishes the ending had maintained the same emotions-focused feel. Despite my lack of love for some aspects of the ending, The Mother is a powerful book in a compact package and would make an excellent book club selection.

Check out my blog, Sarah's Book Shelves, for more reviews.
3594956
This a powerful novel that you won't forget. Craft gives you a glimpse into the life of a suicidal man and his family, and how his depression and self-destruction impacts everyone around him. The novel kept me in suspense throughout, and drew me deeper and deeper into Ronnies world, showing the heartbreak of alcoholism and how it slowly poisons a family and destroys a marriage. Yet through it all, I was moved to see the love Ronnie had for her husband, even as he destroyed their life together.  The backstory was powerful, with family secrets exposed, and some tender moments that linger on long after the story ends. It was interesting to see the viewpoints of both of their mothers and how they were affected by Jeffs depression too. My heart ached for Ronnie, their boys, Beverly and Janet, and yes, even for Jeff.  I kept hoping he would save himself, but unfortunately I knew instinctively how it would end. My heart goes out to the author, who based this story on her own painful experience. Heartbreaking and memorable. Im adding this book to my favorites.
1833993
This book is exceptionally written and features some of the most beautiful prose I've ever encountered. The story is dark, gritty, and powerful, and will leave readers itching for more.
2887428
Sayed Kashua has written a deeply moving and powerful novel.  The  center of the theme is Tolstoy's novella, "The Kreutzer Sonata."  The music piece by the same name was composed by Beethoven.  Tolstoy's piece examines the irrational jealousy of a husband who kills his wife in a fit of passion.  Kashua has taken these dynamics and transplanted them to present day Jerusalem amid the background noise of the "Palestinian Question" in Israel.

A successful Palestinian, a lawyer who is an Israeli citizen, buys a copy of Toltoy's novella, and in it finds a love note written in his wife's hand.  Assuming that she is carrying on an elicit affair with Yonathan, whose name is in the used book, the lawyer becomes consumed with discovery the treason and punishing his wife.  Yonathan is a poor Palestinian social worker from the humble Triangle region.  He aspires to become a photographer, and changes his identity so that he can pass as Jewish.  The identity he steals is that of a patient who hovers in a vegetative state after a failed suicide attempt.

The story is told beautifully in counterpoint - going back and forth between the two Palestinian protagonists.  It is at once a psychological thrill and a deep exploration of the sociological dynamics at work within present day Israel and even within the fractured Arab community.  Kashua has a keen eye and ear for detail, so the dialogue captures fine nuances of conflict and attempts at communication.

In the Epiloque, just when it appears that the lawyer's suspicions have been laid to rest, he stops by a photo exhibit, and the scab is pulled off the and doubts reappear.  The reader is left hanging in suspense - much as Yonathan had hung suspended from his bedroom ceiling in his suicide attempt.  It has the feel of a musical coda that ends with an unresolved dissonance.  Very apt.

Reading this book was a rich and enriching experience.
1721919
powerful and raw, this is a sci-fi book that even non-sci-fi lovers, like myself, can enjoy.  my only complaint is that i didn't read it sooner!

Edana, or Dana as she is nicknamed, is a modern black woman married to a white man, both struggling writers.  on her 26th birthday, Dana is inexplicably transported into the South of the early 1800's where slavery is still practiced in full force.  she is "called" there by a red-headed boy named Rufus, who is drowning and she saves his life.  ironically, he turns out to be one of her slave-owning ancestors and it becomes clear that it is her duty to protect him.  this begins the series of time travels, as Dana is called back each time Rufus is in danger, 6 times over the years to save his nearly pathetic life. each time causes Dana to be stuck in the world that does not welcome her, until her own life is threatened and she is spirited back to her own time.  in this way, she learns what it means to be a slave, a woman, a wife.  as such, expect a tale with lots of life and lots of near-death, lots of fear and raw emotion.

  "I hadn't known quite as well then what there was to fear.  I had never seen a captured runaway like Alice.  I had never felt the whip across my own back.  I had never felt a man's fists."

with startling honesty and depth, Butler grabs you from the beginning and never really lets go, even after the book is over.  there is so much strength and conflict that is nearly overwhelming, between characters, between and within the races, and between the times.  on top of that, Kindred is well constructed AND well written, bringing together so many powerful themes into a profound tale of fiction: abuse, racial and sexual tensions, literacy, physical and emotional courage, which all serve to show us what it might have been like to be a slave.

  "My back began to ache dully, and I felt dully ashamed.  Slavery was a long slow process of dulling."

the relationship between Dana and Rufus is one that caused the most conflict for me as a reader.  as much as i didn't want to, i found myself in the same position as Dana, having compassion for Rufus.  his upbringing and surroundings pushed and pulled him into the expected behaviors of a white slave-holder - sometimes abusive, cruel and unpredictable.  and yet, it was so obvious that he wanted to be good.  in his own way, he loved his slaves, and this becomes pivotal in the outcome of the book.  i kept thinking of the quote "Forgive them, for they know not what they do."

the other struggle that i felt with overwhelming surprise was how easy it had become for Dana to fit in as a slave.  she finds herself conflicted with how seemingly "real" the time there feels and she comes to even call it home.  during one of her reminisces comparing her two lives, she explains that "(Slavery's) time was a sharper, stronger reality.  The work was harder, the smells and tastes were stronger, the danger was greater, the pain was worse."  and i felt that, too.  it made my life in this century feel less significant, much like i imagine she felt when she returned to the 1970's apartment that she shared with her husband.

Kindred is not a feel good book, nor an easy read, but altogether, this was a stunning work, one that begs to be read and that i would recommend for everyone.
4838032
Chris Abani has written an amazing novel that you won't soon forget. It's gritty and raw, indeed. This novel will reach deep inside of you and won't let you go until long after you've read the last page. I will surely read it again and I would love to see it made into a movie.