Daughters of Eve-esque
354326
Ever read Daughters of Eve in jr high? This reminded me of that but for adults. I really enjoyed the shift in narrator (each chaper written by 1 of 3 characters) but it was somewhat predictable. Still, I couldn't put it down when I was reading it and would suggest it to friends. I'd give it 3 1/2 stars if I could and would suggest it for a good, anst-y read.
507239
I remember reading and liking THE PHYSICK BOOK OF DELIVERANCE DANE even though it was a bit heavy-handed. THE HOUSE OF VELVET AND GLASS follows in that same style, requiring a great deal of patience for those not used to reading these more character-driven books. You get an exceedingly rich and developed world and characters but the plot here is rather short. Thats not necessarily a bad thing because the book does have a way of drawing you in.

Sybil is effectively a spinster who basically missed her opportunity to marry and has settled into her forced-upon role of taking care of her father and their house for the rest of her time on earth. She attends seances on the anniversary of her mother and sisters death on the Titanic and ends up awaking in herself an ability to scry (except that comes with a rather dastardly opium habit).

The first half of the book is just character-building and developing Sybil most of all, but also her father (through flashbacks to his very young self), and her mother and sister (through flashbacks to their time on Titanic). Howe is rather adept at really fleshing out secondary characters with limited page time. Through their actions and minimal dialogue shes able to paint pictures of people who are hardly present in the story but are fully tangible within it. With Benton and her brother come even more characters to get absorbed into and its really interesting just to watch them all interact with each other. Despite the fact that not a whole lot is going on Howe has made these characters so incredibly lifelike that they burst out of the page and perform for you while you read.

For the plot itself it really doesnt pick up until around the halfway to two-thirds mark where Sybil has a revelation about the seance and her scrying really comes into play. Once those moments hit I felt propelled to the end of the book, as if reading were no chore at all. I do admit it was a little bit of a slog for me to get to that point because Im normally not one for character-driven books so to watch a plot that has a little bit of drama but largely doesnt move for a large portion of the book is hard for me to get through. But I was patient and the ending, really, was worth it.

The ending really was spectacular, most especially the flashback with Sybils mother and sister. Youre not left with them, as you would expect of a story involving people on Titanic, in their last actual moments of life aboard a foundering ship. Youre left with their self-proclaimed happiest moment of their lives and its so uplifting, despite what you know happens off the page. But you already know what happens to them from the very beginning. To know that they were happy, in the last few happy moments of the ship, provides an uplighting closure that I don't think is all that common of a Titanic story.

Overall I really liked the book. Its not my usual cup of tea but the payoff is worth the wait in reading through it. You get richly developed characters that are as human as humanly possible, a turn of the century Boston, Shanghai (well, latter 19th century), and Titanic that pop off the page in exquisite detail, and a story that, while taking a while to build, culminates in the best possible way for this story to end. It makes me eager to read more of Howes work.

4
130456
I wouldn't normally choose this type of book - apocalyptic thriller. It could easily fall into a touch sci-fi. I find it interesting that there was no mention of this book being part of a serial. If it isn't, it had the worst ending, a non-ending, that I have read in quite some time. You are compelled to root for Marlene and Joni, her sister-in-law, along with their ever growing group of child-followers. A few of their adventures are a bit over the top, but most seem to be realistic and within the bounds of how your everyday business woman/mummy would survive. Marlene is at times likeable, then detestable. She is just trying to survive and lead her group home, wherever that may be.
3410377
This is a good read--of course, I feel that way because it is VERY female oriented. I feel that most male readers would look at J Patterson as the author and pick it up, but I also feel they would put it back down on realizing the female slant. A bit too "Hallmark movie" for me.
4182199
The Year of the Flood is a novel that brings forth cli-fi, religion, and the ugly truths about prostitution, class and corporations. The novel itself is about a religious group called the gardeners who are aware of an impending waterless flood about to take place. The gardeners find peace in living a simple life with no meat, they only wear recycled clothes, and believe in their faith more than anything else. They are founded on the fact that they believe the human race has strayed away from what God originally set out for us, and with the world being run by less than moral corporations thats not exactly not true. What I really enjoyed most bout this book were the flash backs. It really surprised me that a lot of people found it really hard to follow and even thought that the flashbacks weren't important to the story. The flashbacks, for me, gave the context for everything that was going on. They explained why things were the way they were at this present moment in time, and even showed us a different side of the characters. One of the most interesting things about the books for me were the elements of prostitution and corporations that seem to go hand in hand with these dystopian societies. The fact that both girls were stuck in opposite sides of the spectrum with one being stuck in a high end day spa while the other is stuck in the cleaning room of a strip and prostitute club where the girls would go to get tested for STIs. I thought it was really interesting how Atwood showed these two sides in great detail and how they definitely relate to the actual struggles that some girls go through today. Maybe not the being stuck in the room parts, but definitely the high class and low class doing-what-needs-to-be-done work ethic. What really is different is youd think it would be Ren who would have this deep hatred for the corporations because shes in the current situation shes in but its actually Toby. Tobys whole entire life has been abandoned because her father shot himself with a rifleand she couldn't even report it because the blame of having any firearm at all would fall back on her. So shes stuck abandoning her entire identity and going underground all for the sake of staying alive. Just when you think things cant possibly get worse for her, she gets a job and falls under the eye of a her manager who happens to be a sexual predator. He objectifies women and turns them into his own personal sex slave just for the thrill of it. The importance of class is all too relevant when we see how there are definitively two different types of people, those who live in the corporate compounds and those who find refuge in the slums. The corporations run the world like a drug cartel, and if you cross them or get in the way of their agenda you will probably find yourself dead in a ditch somewhere. At the end of the book we can see how Toby starts to see through this, and how she notices that only the few, the privileged are reaping the benefits. Atwood does a great job of bringing in a serious problem into a book that at first glance is just about climate change. I think this book is a lot more than what it looks like on the surface, with so many back stories and other things going on that makes it turn into one cohesive work about many major social problems.
177670
Reads like an episode of old TV series '24.'  Well-written page turner with a few twists I didn't see coming, which is good.  Plot is unbelievable but that's usual in this genre. Female characters do things that don't make sense to this female reader, which is why I gave it 4 stars.  But I do give the author credit for putting in some female characters in critical roles. Recommend.
2659775
Representation, people! This book features a bisexual, intersex young woman. (I say woman, because she is female-presenting and uses female pronouns.) It also features a not-quite-love-triangle that turns into something more like polyamory. (Sorry, that's a bit of a spoiler, but you can see it coming from a mile away, and the cover description heavily implies the same.)

It's not realistic in the least - everything falls together nicely and it's a bit of a "princess saves the day by virtue of being a princess" kind of plot. But the twist on the history is a very pleasant one - and making the British Empire an Empire that values diversity and the melding of cultures and not looking down on anyone because they're different is a really nice change of pace. It's a WONDERFUL bit of escapist fantasy given today's world, I have to say.

I'd actually really like to see the darker side of this same world explored. One of the main plot points in the book is that there is a computer database of genetics. Everyone in the British Empire, when they turn 18, is encouraged to have their DNA sequenced and entered into the computer to find good genetic matches. They then have the opportunity to chat with those matches and eventually meet them. It's accepted custom, and you're definitely viewed as odd if you choose NOT to do it, though Helena's parents were a love match and never had their DNA matched through the computer. Helena's love interest is a boy she grew up with, she really only ran her DNA through the computer for kicks. So it's not mandatory - except for royals. But that this computer and database exists leaves room for a darker side. What about genetic modification? Forced marriages for certain genetic outcomes? That has to be happening somewhere. That Inevitable Victorian Thing really only looked at the fun, light-hearted, good uses of this technology. I'd love to see the other side.

Oh - while the book definitely has a Victorian flavor, it's definitely set in modern day, or perhaps a little past. It's not Victorian era.

Fun little book. A good escape from a racist, homophobic world to a more diverse, accepting one. But a little TOO fluffy bunny for my personal tastes.
4836555
This is fun little novel for anyone interested in the classical utopian/feminism genre. Her her vision has problems as all of them do, but it's interesting to hear one woman's vision. She's quite clever.
2418647
Anita Diamant does a great job of retelling the story of Dinah from the book of Genesis. The story is told in Dinah's voice and from the point of view of the women around her. This is a story about mothers, daughters, husbands, and sons. I specifically liked the details about the food and farming, social organization, and medical practices of the time. I was able to easily imagine the caravans, midwives, artisans, and slaves. This would be a difficult read for those who take the bible literally -- but for me, it makes me wonder what the bible would read like if it were written by women.
 This is a clever idea -- I like it when a author retells a story from a different perspective. I recommend Sena Jeter Naslund's, "Ahab's Wife" and Jeanne Rhy's, "Wide Sargasso Sea" if you are interested in a different perspective from either of the classic tales: "Moby Dick" or "Jane Eyre."
3104279
Like the format and different authors.  Good things to think about eve though I would not have the same concerns, they have made me aware that I should think about this a bit more.
4801874
As a father to sons AND daughters, the Dangerous Book for my sons was great, but of course my oldest daughter wanted to know if Santa was bringing one for her too. She's only 4, so she's too young for anything but the pictures, but with this and Amazon, it looks like she'll get lucky.

It's a beautiful looking book, for a start, well bound, attractive colours etc. My wife found it fascinating and the more we looked at it, the more she kept saying 'Oh this bit is great!' I'm not going to be trying a backwards walk-over any time soon (not with my back!) but I'm not the target audience. I liked the choices of heroic women like Amelia Earheart and Joan of Arc. I also liked the children's games, things to make and the karate section! As said father to girls, I want them to defend themselves - but the authors haven't tried to make this a boys book for girls. Some of it is very old-fashioned feminine stuff and frankly, it's about time someone did it. Girls may grow up to be CEOs these days, but my daughters enjoy making pretty things from paper and string as well.

No doubt there will be some who complain about the lack of 'man-hating' in here, but hey, the seventies are a long time ago and some things appeal to girls more than boys. All that good stuff is in here, without apology. I know it appeals to my wife, who said it never would. I know it appeals to a twelve year old girl cousin, who now wants one. I think this is going to make a good present.

James
281973
A refreshing change from the usual paranormal coming-of-age plots.  Eve's parents routinely torture her to force her to manifest her witch power.  A sexy, powerful vampire, Boaz, appears to befriend her but really wants her powers for herself.  Before Eve realizes how completely she's been manipulated, she causes tremendous damage and nearly dies from the side-effects of driving her powers through her negative emotions--which is all she has, due to her upbringing.

There's no knight on a white horse in this story.  We see the innocent, desperately trusting young woman mistreated and manipulated.  Then, through an encounter she doesn't understand, she's shown that she doesn't have to be evil.  The rest of the book relates her struggles to understand herself and the things that have happened to her and her efforts to repair the damage done to her without slipping back into using her powers for evil.

I found the writing to be good, with compelling spots.  The first part of the book, which deals with Eve's descent into evil, gets pretty gritty in places.  The author did a good job of juxtaposing good and evil without sliding into preachiness, and the proofing was pretty good for a self-published book.

The sequel comes out in August.  It's on my 'To Buy' list.
3162745
I enjoy books that often mimics the way that I was raised. A simple farm girl we both loving parents and some tough decisions in life. I'm looking forward to reading more like this.
2069393
Prized is the second book in Caragh O'Brien's planned trilogy. Enjoyment of the book does not depend on having read Book One in the series, Birthmarked, which I believe to be the weaker book. Gaia, a midwife and the main character, is found in the Wasteland she escaped to at the end of Book One, and is brought to Sylum, a matriarchal society in which a  a select group of women who while greatly outnumbered, wield all the power. I would not characterize Prized as a feminist dystopian story. The leader is tyrannical and many of the women in Sylum are as oppressed and powerless as the men. However, this is based in part on "lifestyle" choice or non-adherence to the rigid social code rather than by gender alone. During the course of the book, Gaia attempts to find her place in Sylum and finds herself struggling with many of the community rules both in the course of performing her midwife's duties and in her social relationships. Eventually, she must choose either a path of acceptance or one of revolt.

Prized is one of the stronger YA dystopian fiction books that I have read. Ms. O'Brien's writing has developed in a positive direction but there is still room for improvement. I was delighted to find that unlike many of the YA dystopian fiction writers, she does not as much time extensively rehashing plot details from the first book in order to remind readers what they read. While some criticize the book for being too different from the first, I do not see the problem. I find that the new setting and introduction of new characters keeps her writing fresh and interesting. I did notice that there is now a bridge story "Tortured" available in kindle edition but I have not read that and cannot comment on it. I appreciate that this is a more mature read that allows the reader to reflect on issues such as social justice, the power of peaceful protest in society, gender issues, and abortion. Readers may not agree with all the choices the protagonist makes and at times may find her decision-making choices to be less than well-reasoned and somewhat emotion-based. However, it would be wise to keep in mind that this actually is not so far off the mark for a 16 year-old young woman and that there is a process to the character's development in many areas including her moral reasoning skills.

Although I greatly enjoyed this book and was reluctant to put it down, it does have it's share of weaknesses. Gaia is a weaker and more wishy-washy version of herself, when compared to Book One. Further, some of the weakest parts of this book have to do with Gaia's romantic involvements. There are three men in the book who have captured Gaia's attention and for whom she has feelings. She is all over the map in terms of her affection and behavior in these three relationships. Although she does not appear to realize it, she strings along three men, toying with their emotions, with serious consequences in the book. Even at the end of the book, she seems totally incapable of making a commitment to any of them.

I am assuming that Book Three will find at least some of our main characters on the move again, perhaps back to the Enclave. There were several characters who were introduced or re-introduced in this book that seem to be dropped in but then left without any real point to being there. It is unclear if this is simply poor choice or weak character development on the part of the author or whether these characters will be featured more prominently in Book Three. Most notably, we are made aware that Gaia's brother has been captured and is imprisoned in Sylum but that goes nowhere and we never hear about him again. Also, there is the couple on the island who initially are charged with raising Gaia's young sister, Maya. At the end of the book, Gaia's trip out to the island almost seems like a meaningless side trip. It's unclear whether these characters will have story lines that will be developed in Book Three or not. Further, Maya, the infant sister is largely a prop in this book. It remains to be see what her place will be in Book Three.
1177385
Definitely like the film "Gone Girl." Easy/addicting read. Some common "women's lit" themes like female sexual power, marriage, divorce, dating, babies, psychology. The lesson is that things are not always as they seem.
4952251
I also read the sequel to this one.  I like the way Eve Rabi writes.
1958604
I sat down to watch this movie with my teenage daughters over the weekend and let me just say that I was somewhat less than excited by the choice, but it was their turn to chose.  I have to say I was pleasantly surprised by the movie that reminded me of coming of age movies like the breakfast club of my generation.  I would recommend this movie!