A Very Touching And Unnerving Story
939017
After reading Allan Eckert's books on the frontier, I was pleased to find he also wrote a book about the passenger pigeon, a subject that has always fascinated me as a history teacher and an environmentalist. I read The Silent Sky and was deeply moved. So moved in fact that I was almost ashamed to be human. The greed and outright murderous lust thousands of Americans had for such an easy prey as the passenger pigeon was shameful and hard to comprehend. Unfortunately, the passenger pigeons were so timid, easy to hunt and numerous that they were incredibly easy pickings for the pioneers of the 19th century who unbelievably decimated a species that at one time numbered in the tens of billions. Eckert is an awesome writer and really hits you in the gut with such a touching story that you feel fascination, anger, guilt (for being human) and sorrow at the same time. In what I have learned from this incredible book, it really is a silent sky out there today compared to just over a century ago. Anyone with an interest in American History and the environment just has to read this book. Eckert, as a writer and researcher is truly gifted.
3742545
This was a very sad but touching story.  It left me in tears for the little boy (Paul) and his brother (John).  Make sure you have tissues handy when you read because if you don't cry then you are not alive.  No child should ever be treated this way.  Paul Mason is a rock and if he reads this review I want him to know that his book made me feel like I was there going through the nightmare he experienced.
1824447
This is a story I would have not have expected from our lovely Grace.  It is a very tough and harsh telling of war and how ugly it is.  Yet, it also tells of love and forgiveness and how two very broken souls can save one another.  Each main character has endured war but each very differently.  He in a dirty dungeon in the mountains of France and she in the bedroom of her mean, old, perverted husband.  By sheer happenstance, they come together and find comfort in each other that they never thought possible.  It is a lovely tale of love found in the most unlikely of places.  Again, our prolific Ms. Burrowes shows her incredible chops at writing and we are all the better for it.  Read this series, it is remarkable.
2940710
This is Schindler's List for children, a chilling account of the Holocaust from the point of view of a young girl. Yolen skimps on few details, and you can tell that her story comes straight from the heart.
Hannah, a  modern Jewish girl, is irritated by the Passover Seder and the  "remembering" of the Holocaust, which some of her relatives lived  through. But when she opens the door for Elijah, she is transported through  time and space to a village in Poland.
Soon the Nazis arrive, and Hannah  (called "Chaya" by everyone in this new time) must both try to  survive and to keep her friends alive in the deathcamps.
I tried very,  very hard to summarize this story, but the spiritual and emotional tones  are simply impossible to talk about. This is an intense book, the  descriptions of it simply can't express the greatness of this plot.
A  haunting tale of life, death, memory and sorrow. Even though this is a  children's book, it may be disturbing for younger readers--you might want  to talk to your children about it afterward.
135939
I'm amazed at all the swirling of opinion about this book--It's really not that complicated.  The Smarts went through one of the worst possible things that can happen to a parent but they were miraculously spared the ultimate tragedy.  This is the story of their ordeal.  They come across as very normal, caring parents, and they seem to really have their hearts in the right place when it comes to the well-being of all their children, and for the missing children (and their parents) who have not yet or will never be found.  It's really a tear jerker.  I think they couldn't have put presented their story any more tastefully.
21035
This novel about a girl dealing with the death of her best friend is thoughtful and moving, as well as being, at times, extremely creepy.  I had chills down my spine when I finished it.

The author interweaves history, folktales, and legends with gospel music and biblical references, beautifully capturing the complexity and soul of the South.  The characters are relatable and very real, especially the protagonist, Jane, struggling to hold on to her faith after the loss of her friend.

I highly recommend this book to both teens and adults.
4695544
In the beginning I found Morning Song to be very unsettling, because these characters held raw emotions that most people would keep intact without acting upon. Then I realized that exploring these emotions is the mark of a good writer.
I would not recommend this book to the faint of heart, or someone expecting a simple romance. It wasn't.  Regardless, this book haunts me and now I can't find another book that grasps me as this one did.
706871
I've read a lot of horror novels, but this is, by far, the most frightening and disturbing one. And it is not only because we have to witness a horrible crime, based on the cruel murder of Sylvia Likens. Of course, the story of the book is a horrifying one: Back in the 1950's, we meet David and his friends and family, living a rather normal life. Yes, there are some ugly secrets behind the surface, but everyone has chosen not to notice. All of the boys likes the neighbor Ruth, a single mother that treats them like adults, not like annoying little children. This woman seems to be the perfect stepmother for Meg and her sister Sarah, who have just lost their parents. But the beautiful and strong Meg brings out something horrible in Ruth. It starts with arguments, with punishments - it ends with physical and mental abuse of an almost unbearable cruelty, and with Meg being locked up and tortured in a bomb shelter in Ruth's cellar...

It is really hard to read through all the incredibly horrible things that are done to Meg, and it certainly doesn't help that many of the most disturbing cruelties are done by children. All the kids in the neighborhood are taking part in the torture - everyone knows, but no one helps, and none of their parents seems to care enough to notice what is going on the cellar next door. But the most frightening thing about the book is, in my opinion, that the reader is forced to go through the main character's feeling, and starts to feel the same thing. The story is absolutely shocking, but I felt such a strange and horrible fascination, that I couldn't stop reading anymore and actually finished it in one day. It is the same mixture of pure disgust and overwhelming captivation David goes through, and this was what makes the reader realize that everyone can be drawn into a horrible event like this - and that it can (and of course, does) happen again, anywhere, anytime.

This book is one of the best examples that no monster, no paranormal activity, no evil spirit can be more frightening than the human mind - and that bad things are not only done by bad people. David is a good boy and he feels true sympathy for Meg, but he can't resist until it is too late. And no one can truly say that he would have acted differently if he were in his shoes, because... you never know unless you have been there.

The Girl next Door is one of the most horrible and impressive books I've ever read. It is a book you will never ever forget about - even if you wish you could. And it shows a very important truth about human society, that Meg's history can repeat in everyone's house next door, and that we have to do everything to prevent this.
2375964
This was a very moving story about gender identity and the disappointments of childhood.  The characters were well developed and I found myself identifying with several of them.  This story is sad in many ways but my enjoyment of the book stems from its unusual story line and the way Tremain weaves her narrative.  I highly recommend it but it's not for the faint of heart.  There are very sad, lonely sections of the story that touch the heart quite deeply.  She has woven a complex tale that any serious reader would enjoy.
532796
This was a very good book about a very touching story.  Left some things unanswered, but good nevertheless.
4692403
This is a suspenseful story about a young woman on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Cass (Cassandra) is happily married, has lots of friends with one BFF, Rachel. She works as a teacher and is very good at her job. Both her parents are dead, her mother from early onset dementia. Her husband Matthew does not know about her mother's death. Cass is driving home one night and she sees a car on a road that is used as a shortcut through the forested area. Although she stops to check on the driver, she leaves the scene.  The next day, she finds out that the driver of this car, "Jane", has been killed. Cass is riddled with guilt about not stopping. Could she have saved this woman from death if she had stopped? She starts to forget things, lose things, and can feel reality sinking away? She begins to fear that she is developing early onset dementia as well.

This is written in the first person, and you can feel Cass' fear and terror as she begins to realize that she may be going developing dementia or having a nervous breakdown. There is a lot of twists and turns in this story that keep you wondering what is going to happen next. The story takes a bit to develop but stick with it because everything comes together in an amazing conclusion. I loved this book, but it is scary to realize that you never know who your real friends are. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book via Netgalley. The opinions expressed are my own.
2541204
Barbara Stark-Nemons Book, Even In Darkness, is a wonderful story, based closely on real life family members, about a horrifying time in world history. The build-up to the eventual concentration camp experience, which her main character suffers, is mesmerizing dread and a reminder of how unmitigated prejudice against those with different beliefs, or appearance can lead to unspeakable evil. Stark-Nemons beautiful rendition of her main characters ability to retain and express her own humanity through the enveloping darkness allowed me to finally summon the courage to face the grim truths housed in a museum that is only two miles away from my home in Arlington, Virginia. As a non-Jew, its not that I didn't know. In 1965, just twenty years after the end of WWII, and when I was a tender aged 16, a school I attended showed us an Allied film of the liberated camps. It was unforgettable.  My recent visit to the U.S. Holocaust Museum also is unforgettable, but its existence is important.  Its a lesson for all of humanity.  (Marcia Mabee is the author of Naked Mountain)
473768
This story of a family living with abuse touched me in ways that I nevert could have imagined. By shifting the narration from one person to another, the author helps us to see how the abuse impacted the individuals, as well as their interactions with each other and the outside world.  And, how each coped in her own way.  You will need an extra large box of tissues as you follow this story to it's conclusion.  How skillfully we hide our family  pain from the outside world!!
320265
OMG this story was so heart breaking, it truly kept me attached to my kindle till I could finish.  My younger sister was molested by our father, which I never knew till years later, and this story made me realize how horribly this could have affected her throughout her entire life.  This was a huge eye opener, and very thought provoking.  Holder was such a blessing, and I doubt I would have been able to guide someone through something this so traumatic as well as he did.  My best regards to the author, for a remarkable story.  It will keep me thinking for a very long time.
4469966
Have you ever had that feeling that something isn't right? Maybe a deep unrest, maybe a dream gets you unsettled for the day. This is the story Carol Keen is telling. She definitely makes you feel the unease. Part of the story is related to her gift to read and understand animals. And her dog seems to know that, because he provides her with warnings that save her life and probably that of the whole town. A nicely told story about an evil that overtakes a town, an evil so bad that the town psychic ran away and consequentially got her life right with God.

The story really is full of forebodings and some disturbing issues having to do with demon possession, so be aware of that. It is a frightening read for a younger, less mature person. But there is a light-hearted side with the dear pets, good friends and a sweet budding romantic relationship.

What I didn't like is that I got the impression that the story was about animals and Tiffanys ability to understand them.  But I feel like there was more about a romance than about her relationship with the animals. One of the reasons I chose to review this, was that reason.  (There was another issue I had with technical problems, but I've been informed by the author that i may have received a corrupted copy. Not sure about the copy that is being sold  - so I am withholding my additional comment until I can read a correct version.)
2476019
Excellent story. This was a tough book to pick up and start reading, I am more of a mystery fan but when I picked it up and started reading this journey I could not put it down, even though, unlike a mystery I knew how it would end before I started.

I had no idea of the challenges I might face in our current health system but this is an eye opener and I would never have planned for these sort of challenges I never knew existed.  Robert did an excellent job of documenting his account of his new job as a caregiver and it is both informative and it is very touching.

I agree with the other reviewers that this is a must read for any potential caregiver, which could be any of us.
2602370
It may have been the fact that I'm very close to a family so much like this one it is eerie. In the family I know, there are two teenage girls and the older one has gone right off the rails in the same way as the girl in this story. She even has the same name- Leah.
I think this book is an excellent read for the many families dealing with teenage girls going through bad patches. My own daughter became extremely difficult to deal with in her teenage years. There is so much to identify with in this story and knowing that other families have the same problems does give you a sense of at least being less alone - you are not the only ones facing these horrors and the powerlessness is terrifying. How many of us have driven around in the night trying to work out where on earth they are.

I found myself engrossed in the story. I liked its realism; the way Leah was so changeable, so nice one minute, so impossible the next, just as these girls this age so often are in real life. I also appreciated being shown how it rubbed off on the younger sister. Younger siblings are often the forgotten victims of this kind of situation.
This is exactly the hell, that many families really do experience with their daughters. It is just so painfully honest and raw.