Captivating, quality writing
343216
This series has delighted our 4 and 7 year olds, their parents AND grandparents! We all are enjoying the excellent vocabulary and no one has had nightmares. The books are silly and complicated and fun.
128270
The most obvious thing about "The Mill on the Floss" is the quality of writing. You can't argue with that. It's vivid, with wonderful descriptions, and many lovely parts. George Eliot writes of an incredible place, describing everything and making everything easy to visualize. She writes of characters that are so human and real, and then she describes situations with these real characters and everything works so well. Her writing is undeniably good, so now we need to move onto the plot itself.

Here we have the Tullivers. Maggie is our heroine, starting out as a very young girl. She adores and idolizes her brother, loves her father, and rather disdains everything society wants her to be. She's independent, different, and bold. She'll do anything for Tom, her brother, and at the same time she wants to be herself. As she grows up, she finds that these two parts of her will fight against each other: her independence, or her beloved older brother.

Tom is also an interesting character. Our first view of him is from Maggie's adoring eyes, so we find him to be strong, intelligent, and all-knowing. It becomes clear, though, that Tom also enjoys having a certain level of command over his sister, and he very often gives her ultimatums for their friendship. In situations like these, Maggie, trying so hard to please him, gets very hurt, and then Tom would act superior and ignore her. Tom lives strictly in the "black or the white" - for him there is no gray.

Much of the book is simply about their relationship as they are growing up, but many parts revolve around other, slightly more minor characters. For example, Philip Wakem. Philip, a schoolmate of Tom's and a friend of Maggie's enters and leaves and reenters the story many times. At first he seems like a minor but solid character, but he then becomes very fixed in the plot as Maggie's secret, forbidden friend. He demonstrates a case of Tom's orders to Maggie. Stephen Guest is another example. He fell in love with Maggie and tried to elope with her. Maggie refused, though by the time she was able to return home, Tom had deduced the worst, once again demonstrating his "black or white" policy. Tom rejects Maggie, and Maggie has to leave.

The main character is without a doubt Maggie, Maggie who feels such love for the people around her, wants to please them and receive love in return, and wants to be independent. Maggie struggles against so many things throughout this book (I won't reveal them all) and all sort of lead up to the grand finale, which may possibly be the best part of this wonderful book. Everything is written wonderfully, the characters are so rich and interesting, and the plot is never stale. It's an excellent book that I couldn't put down once I started.

I recommend this whole-heartedly, and urge you to go buy it or borrow it from the library. It's a wonderful piece of writing that is so easy to love. This edition is small, compact, and convenient - it does not weigh much. It's easy to read, is comfortable, and is offered at a remarkably friendly price. A good purchase to make for those seeking "The Mill on the Floss".
655474
I fell in love with this book. The writing is honest. and captivating. I feel the author is particularly gifted in developing character.
235770
I was impressed with My Sisters Keeper from start to finish. Though I had reservations about Picoult and avoided her writing, perhaps out of a misguided fear that she wrote prose akin to Nicolas Spark, I now suspect that I will seek out more of her fiction moving forward. I struggle to turn off the critical reader, which often prevents me from enjoying books, but this novel is a prime example of profluence. Every element works to move the story forward. The reader comes away from each chapter with new information, renewed empathy and a stronger desire to see the conflict through to the end.

As a writer, I was also frequently impressed with the writing itself, so much so that I often stopped to text phrases and sentences to friends. It may be that, having read four childrens stories in a row, the writing seemed more elevated than it might have otherwise. Still, its significant that the very act of reading was enjoyable. Many bestselling novels are, in my opinion, devoid of genuine authorial skill. Though elements may be widely appealing, the writing itself is usually a bit remedial, if only to make the story accessible to a broad audience. Picoult avoids this, crafting a solid narrative with solid writing.
3749822
A Interesting concept, very good writing,and a captivating story. It has been a while since I've read a book this good.
3216841
As the father of a 12 year old, I read The Challenge after my daughter had finished it, to better understand what her excitement was about.  I'm well outside the demographic that would normally pick this book up, so my reading was more analytical.  Here's what I'd like to say about this book by Wendy Everts:

The writing is exquisite.  I found that Everts paints a picture that is easy for teens to identify with.  It was not hard to imagine Clover sitting in the corner and moping about her situation, and rolling her eyes at her mother for just about any interaction they have.

The story is not tremendously deep (from a plot perspective), and lacks multiple sub-plots (there is the underlying question about what's up with Clover's mother), red herrings, or other superfluous story lines.  But for non-adult readers, I think this is ideal.  Coupled with the fluid writing style, this allows the book to be read very quickly.  Also, this does not leave the story predictable.  Rather, you witness the ever-changing mindset of this young lady, and see how the story changes how she interacts with other characters, as well as how it changes her as a person.

The main character, Clover, is very well developed.  And, it was interesting to see how the author continued to develop this girl through the story, ending with a significantly different young lady than the book started with.  This character growth did not feel artificial to me, as I read through the story.  I felt as though I may be reading about a real child, and how she was changing as her beliefs and convictions were challenged and altered during the course of the story.

Overall, I found this to be a great read, and a very well-written story.  I strongly encourage both teens and parents to pick it up,  I look forward to other works by this author, as well.
1138962
For a first time published writer, the author of this book has a deft touch with words and characterization. He creates interesting and believeable, if occasionally odd, characters, and then builds a compelling plot around them.

The crux of the plot is that there is a "madman"(?) who believes that a famous reclusive author is "out to get him" because only he knows a secret about this man. There is also the protagonsit, who sets himself the goal of tracking down this author, and also a girl who is the object of affection of both of the men ( but not the author).

The plot moves ahead slowly, but that is not a problem, because the writing is so good that the reader does not mind the byways occasionally taken by the author. The ending is quite interesting and compelling, so I do highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys excellent writing and a plot that keeps your interest throughout the entire book.
2816205
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Schwarz writes beautifully, using metaphors and descriptive language that one notices and remembers. Her characters are richly detailed and realistic. They remind me of people I have known. Schwarz also gives the book a strong sense of time and place, drawing vivid scenes of both Trudi's life in Wisconsin and its contrast to the new landscape and life she experiences in Point Lucia, California. It is fun to live in each of Trudi's worlds for a while, and Schwarz's writing really transports. Additionally, the book raises interesting questions about choices we can make about how to live our lives: new experiences offering excitement and passion, versus the comfort and safety of the life we might expect for ourselves.

Schwarz is not merely an excellent writer. She is also a masterful storyteller. Sometimes well-written books require one to be satisfied with admiring and appreciating the writer's beautiful language. Yet who doesn't enjoy a great page-turner? Here, Schwarz has accomplished the unusual feat of writing a compelling story full of literary riches.
2511707
The prose is delightful, sensuous, and enticing.  The attention to detail and nuance is captivating and yet never bogs you down.  The author's intimate knowledge of his homeland allows non-Brazilian readers a glimpse into a complicated and unique world.  Characters are often ambiguous -- you don't really know for sure if you should love or hate them.  Garcia-Roza does not give the reader any more information than his characters are privy to.  The reader is not privileged at all and can thus just go along for the ride.  There are twists and turns and even experienced sleuths will be kept guessing about many things until the very end.  I am glad I found Inspector Espinosa and look forward to investigating his other adventures.
1750120
I know i loved it and couldn't put it down, but I can't adequately say why. The story is gripping, the plot intriguing. The writing is first class. There is allusion to violence and sexual encounters, but its not graphic and yet the description is adequate for the imagination. I felt like I was there and could picture every scene, colour and felt the emotion - such was the caliber of the author's description. The third person is used but from alternating characters and perspectives, so that gives the story depth and gives the reader a chance to get personally invested in the various characters. The characters are so real.

There are no spoilers here, I am being careful....I could not imagine how this book would end and I do wish certain imagined endings had happened. But the endings are what people would say are truer to reality than those I would have imagined. There was one plot point I felt could have ended a bit less loosely and one other I wish was more fully explained, but it doesn't detract from the writing or the story.

Give it a read if you are in the mood for dark intrigue that involves, romance, pathos, vulnerability with strength of character.
29515
Resau's writing has the feel of someone who has spent years perfecting her art so that now she can tell a compelling story with richness and color and depth, writing that speaks on many levels and conveys a whole culture, another way of life. The writing is taut, without excess, but at the same time full and sensuous, erecting edifices with a flick of a word or two. Her sentences themselves are like questing vines, with curlicues in their interior!

I like how Resau brings out the wider reverberations of events as they rumble by. For instance, right at the beginning, Clara sneaks out of her house at night and submerges herself under the water in the nearby stream. It's a baptism into the other world, a world far from her suburban upbringing, an intimation of the spirit world she'll enter more fully later in the story. It's so powerful, the type of iconic image that keeps returning to one's mind after reading passages like this.

As the chapters progress the tension and drama grows. It got my heart pounding, totally worried about what was going to happen. I didn't want to stop reading and it kept getting better as I saw more and more of the connections between the stories of the grandmother and grandchild.

I really like how Resau weaves multiple occurrences of events/actions/people through the novel and then joins them so that the different pieces all slide smoothly one into another. She's created a page-turner, but one where you savor the individual pages with their evocative and vivid experiences.

And it feels like Resau is honoring some of the people she's met on her travels, transferring some essence of them into the characters in the book, spreading their determination and way of being out to others in the world.

On one level, this story is about a girl becoming aware of her ancestry and powers, and her acceptance of these. On another level, it's about getting all of us to listen to the messages sent by the natural and spiritual world. But, most simply, it's a wonderful read, a satisfying story for readers of all ages.
748961
Superb writing, wonderful characters, fascinating interweaving of history, delightful read.
1115446
The story was captivating, the characters interesting, unique and very believable. I was sad to finish it and leave such a fine group of people. The writing was excellent! I highly recommend this book.
1284870
I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of writing, and the freshness of characterization, in this book. I am going to go on with this series - and thank Book Bub for the introduction to Mr. Adams.
3064774
Unbelievably good writing! One of the most gripping first-persons I've read in years. Character setup, visualization/settings and conflicts presented all are top notch. Also appreciated frequent tips-of-the-hat to some of the greats in the genre (The Moon is a Harsh Mistress is my favorite book and I enjoyed homages to it & other Heinlein stuff). Only real critiques are both the inherent similarity to other recent books (The Hunger Games, Harry Potter, Divergent, The Magicians, etc.) and what seems like a painstaking effort at times to differentiate itself from those books. Main character's motivation meanders a bit too and seems to follow the action more than his convictions, and the twist at the end is laughably predictable. All minor gripes, however. I'm hooked! Excited to see what happens in the sequel.
4567518
I received a free copy of this book from the author's newsletter; he offered it to readers freely.  I voluntarily chose to review; this is my honest review.

This book, despite the the horror awaiting the characters, sings with a prose it is hard to find today.  This is not a long book in length nor feel.  It sings as it unfurls; the writing is superb.  There is not any reason to discuss the plot; I do not write spoilers.  Blurbs are just right to give an idea of any book.  The one above encapsulates this one well.

This was an easy read due to an immaculate manuscript.  It is free from errors, the grammar a joy to see, and evokes the time in which it is set from the first sentence to the last.  The characters are richly drawn, descriptions woven in along the way, and conversations fit the men involved.  There is violence, but it is reported, not exploited nor gruesome.

I found myself putting myself in their situation, wondering what my thoughts would be in their place.  Thinking about how this would be decided and the aftermath, left me forgetting about the outcome.  I read the clue and out of my head it flew.  This was a clever book, yet the answer was given within the story and I missed it!

Do you think you could stay on track?  Challenge yourself.  Read this, be overwhelmed by the superb writing, think how you would feel and act.  It is worth the short time it takes to read, and the questions that arise will stay with you for awhile.  I loved it!  I give a wholehearted recommendation!
4705847
Great story, great writing! I will be recommending this to others in my book club. The story actually surprised you, which I find somewhat rare in stories like this one. Two thumbs up!