Saturday, July 27, 2013

The Elite

The Elite
by Kiera Cass


Genre: Young Adult Fiction/Dystopian Fiction

Synopsis: Thirty-five girls came to the palace to compete in the Selection. All but six have been sent home. And only one will get to marry Prince Maxon and be crowned princess of Illea.

America still isn’t sure where her heart lies. When she’s with Maxon, she’s swept up in their new and breathless romance, and can’t dream of being with anyone else. But whenever she sees Aspen standing guard around the palace, and is overcome with memories of the life they planned to share. With the group narrowed down to the Elite, the other girls are even more determined to win Maxon over—and time is running out for America to decide.

Just when America is sure she’s made her choice, a devastating loss makes her question everything again. And while she’s struggling to imagine her future, the violent rebels that are determined to overthrow the monarchy are growing stronger and their plans could destroy her chance at any kind of happy ending.

From GoodReads

Review: I really liked the first book of the series, The Selection.  (You can read Marcie's review here.)  It was such a good guilty pleasure read.  It was the royal version of the Bachelor but in a dystopian world.  Definitely meant for young girls.  But how could you not get into it?  I was hoping this one would be just as good but sadly it was not.  America and Maxon really started to bug me in this book.  America become so much more wishy washy about her feelings between Maxon and Aspen.  She was played by whoever was with her.  America's actions were very rash and she really did make some very bad decisions because she didn't stop to think.  In this sense she seemed much more juvenile than she did in the first book.  She is just 17 so perhaps she's acting more her age in this book than in the first but I liked her better in The Selection.  Maxon also made terrible decisions without regard for America's feeling and he seemed to take advantage of his situation much more than in the previous book.  I'm not sure why he acted the way he did, it seemed out of character.  This book seemed to be leading us more into a possible revolution or change in society that will take place in the third book (that is my guess) but there really wasn't much action.  I still read this book in less than a day and had a hard time putting it down, so it was captivating enough.  I'm not dying to read the next book though.

Rating: 2 1/2 stars

To read Marcie's review of The Selection, click here.

Friday, July 26, 2013

Delirium

Delirium
by Lauren Oliver


Genre: Young Adult Fiction/Dystopian Fiction

Synopsis: Ninety-five days, and then I'll be safe. I wonder whether the procedure will hurt. I want to get it over with. It's hard to be patient. It's hard not to be afraid while I'm still uncured, though so far the deliria hasn't touched me yet. Still, I worry. They say that in the old days, love drove people to madness. The deadliest of all deadly things: It kills you both when you have it and when you don't.
From GoodReads

Review: The synopsis doesn't really tell you what this story is about so let me tell you.  In the future, society discovers the secret to getting rid of war and violence-get rid of love.  If there is no love, there can be no hate and no conflict.  The United States closes its borders and cures everyone of love.  You can only be cured at the age of 18 so before that time, girls and boys are kept separate and they are not allowed to intermingle at any point.  There is a curfew that must be adhered until you are cured.  This is the story of Lena, a girl who can't wait to be cured and is quite scared of getting the disease.  Needless to say, things happen that make her think twice about whether the cure is a good idea or not.

This book had an interesting premise but I had a hard time thinking about it being a mother.  I can't imagine a child growing up without hearing the words "I love you" and that made me very sad.  I also can't imagine being a parent and not feeling love for your child.  But this is fictional, so I had to get over that!  Once I stopped thinking about that concept, the book was easier to read.  This book is not full of action and reads a lot like a love story.  The end does leave you interested in the next book and what happens but I didn't think this book was stellar-it was just OK.  Marcie assured me that the next book is much better so I will keep reading.

Rating: 3 stars

To read Marcie's review on Pandemonium the second book in the series click here.

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Inferno

Inferno
by Dan Brown


Genre: Thriller

Synopsis:  In the heart of Italy, Harvard professor of symbology Robert Langdon is drawn into a harrowing world centered on one of history’s most enduring and mysterious literary masterpieces . . . Dante’s Inferno.

Against this backdrop, Langdon battles a chilling adversary and grapples with an ingenious riddle that pulls him into a landscape of classic art, secret passageways, and futuristic science. Drawing from Dante’s dark epic poem, Langdon races to find answers and decide whom to trust . . . before the world is irrevocably altered.

From GoodReads

Review: It took me a while to get into this book.  I tried to read the first several pages a couple times before I finally went on.  I was really confused by the beginning.  I've never read Dante's Inferno so maybe that threw me off in the beginning?  Or perhaps I just wasn't in the right mind set to get into the book.  But after a few tries, I got hooked!  If you like Dan Brown's other books, you'll like this one.  It follows the same premise as the other stories that Robert Langdon must solve a series of cryptic clues to avert a major disaster and he's the only one in the world who knows enough about the topic and can decode the clues in order to solve the crisis.  I'm not implying that it is a bad book, I'm just saying that this book follows the trend of his other 3 Robert Langdon books.  It kept me reading and I definitely will read his next book if and when he writes one.  This one has a big twist at the end that I was not expecting and that made me want to finish the book as quickly as I could.  This is a great quick read that will get you turning the pages as fast as you can.  As always, there are plenty of descriptions of buildings and other items that you can just skim through to make the book go even faster!  I did feel that this one had more flowery and superfluous descriptions than the other 3 books.  I also felt that this one was a little contrived at places as if Dan Brown was trying to neatly tie up loose ends and was trying to make everything fit.  It seemed a big calculated. I did appreciate that I had been to several of the locations that appeared in the book so that I could visualize where Langdon went and what he saw.

Rating: 3 1/2 stars

Saturday, July 20, 2013

The Queen of Water

The Queen of Water
by Laura Resau and Maria Virginia Farinango


Genre: Young Adult Fiction/Realistic Fiction

Synopsis: Born in an Andean village in Ecuador, Virginia lives with her large family in a small, earthen-walled dwelling.  In her village of indigenas, it is not uncommon to work in the fields all day, even as a child, or to be called a longa tonta-stupid Indian-by members of the ruling class of mestizos, or Spanish descendants.  When seven-year-old Virginia is taken from her village to be a servant to a mestizo couple, she has no idea what the future holds.

Virginia quickly grows accustomed to the conveniences and luxuries of mestizo life.  But promised pay and visits to her family are quickly forgotten, as is her bosses' pledge to send her to school.  Beaten and told that the sold purpose of indigenous girls is to serve, Virginia must fight to hold on to her spirit and humor.  She teachers herself to read and write and performs science experiments in secret.

When Virginia's only friend betrays her, she must gather her courage and escape.  But once she's found her freedom, will Virginia-now a teenager caught between cultures-also find a place where she belongs?

In this poignant novel based on a true story, acclaimed author Laura Resau has collaborated with Maria Virginia Farinango to recount one girl's unforgettable journey to self discovery.
From the book jacket

Review:  This book is amazing!  It's remarkable because it is based on a true story.  Virginia is an actual person who recounted her childhood to the author Laura Resau.  As I read the book, it was hard to believe how Virginia kept her spirit throughout the trials of her non existent childhood but she did and she very much triumphed and rose above her situation.  I am truly amazed at her bravery and her positive attitude in spite of being beaten regularly and hiding from her boss for fear of being taken advantage of when she got older.  Her motto was "querer es poder" which translates to "to want is to be able to" or "to want is power."  She kept this motto in her head as she overcame so many obstacles.  Virginia definitely is very intelligent and quite the entrepreneur.  She figures out what she wants and she finds a way to achieve her goals.  As you are reading you can't help but cheer for Virginia when she makes her decisions. It took her a while to stand up for herself but she was 7 years old when she was given to the mestizo couple. I also love reading about the culture in Ecuador between the mestizos and the indigenas.  The author is able to capture the environment and the people in Ecuador.  I would highly recommend that you read this book.  It is a quick read and one that won't disappoint!
Edit: I'm not sure why this book is a young adult novel.  It is definitely for everyone to read, not just teens.  It also is very much like a memoir but the author does create dialogue and also invents some details.  Names have been changed as well so it is not technically a memoir.

Rating: 5 stars

Friday, July 19, 2013

Is This Tomorrow

Is This Tomorrow
by Caroline Leavitt



Genre: Women's Fiction

Synopsis:  In 1956, when divorced, working-mom Ava Lark rents a house with her twelve-year-old son, Lewis, in a Boston suburb, the neighborhood is less than welcoming. Lewis yearns for his absent father, befriending the only other fatherless kids: Jimmy and Rose. One afternoon, Jimmy goes missing. The neighborhood in the era of the Cold War, bomb scares, and paranoia seizes the opportunity to further ostracize Ava and her son. Lewis never recovers from the disappearance of his childhood friend. By the time he reaches his twenties, he's living a directionless life, a failure in love, estranged from his mother. Rose is now a schoolteacher in another city, watching over children as she was never able to watch over her own brother. Ava is building a new life for herself in a new decade. When the mystery of Jimmy's disappearance is unexpectedly solved, all three must try to reclaim what they have lost.
From GoodReads

Review:  I liked this book in the beginning.  I put it down after a while and picked up another book and then had a hard time getting back into this book.  There wasn't enough plot to this story to make it that interesting.  What you read in the synopsis is about all that happens in the book and the synopsis makes it sounds like there is a great mystery but there really isn't.  After Lewis and Rose get older the book has even less action than the beginning.  Things that happen seem to fall into place a little too neatly.  Characters reappear and yet there seems to be no need for them to come back.  The story becomes a little too contrived for me at the end.

Rating: 2 stars

Sunday, July 14, 2013

Defending Jacob

Defending Jacob
William Landay


Genre: Mystery

Summary (from Goodreads):  Andy Barber has been an assistant district attorney in his suburban Massachusetts county for more than twenty years. He is respected in his community, tenacious in the courtroom, and happy at home with his wife, Laurie, and son, Jacob. But when a shocking crime shatters their New England town, Andy is blindsided by what happens next: His fourteen-year-old son is charged with the murder of a fellow student.

Every parental instinct Andy has rallies to protect his boy. Jacob insists that he is innocent, and Andy believes him. Andy must. He’s his father. But as damning facts and shocking revelations surface, as a marriage threatens to crumble and the trial intensifies, as the crisis reveals how little a father knows about his son, Andy will face a trial of his own—between loyalty and justice, between truth and allegation, between a past he’s tried to bury and a future he cannot conceive.

Award-winning author William Landay has written the consummate novel of an embattled family in crisis—a suspenseful, character-driven mystery that is also a spellbinding tale of guilt, betrayal, and the terrifying speed at which our lives can spin out of control.


Marcie's Review: Wow!  I'm not normally a fan of courtroom dramas, but I couldn't put this one down.  It reminded me a lot of Jodi Picoult's books - and in fact, didn't she write a similar book about a child accused of murder?  It's written from the perspective of the father, who seemed to live in denial.  But that's the point of this book - would you be able to believe your child is capable of a terrible crime, and how far would you go to protect him whether you thought he was guilty or not?  Given the amount of foreshadowing and the structure of the book (frequent flash forwards to another trial), the reader knows there is going to be some kind of big surprise towards the end, and there certainly is.  I was left unsatisfied, yet intrigued, by the ending.

Becky's Review:  I was repeatedly told that I would enjoy this book and that I should read it so I checked it out at least twice but ended up never reading it.  Finally I checked out the audiobook version and listened to it on my way to work.  The person who read the book was outstanding and really gave personality to the characters.  I was captivated by the story and it was hard to turn it off at times.  I needed to know whether Jacob was guilty or innocent and I wanted to see the case resolved but I felt like I was left hanging at the end.  I wanted answers to be much more clear cut.  There were some other little things through the book that bothered me and made the book less realistic for me such as Jacob's age and how he was treated.  But overall I really enjoyed the story.

Rating: 4 stars

Gone

Gone
by Michael Grant


Genre: Young Adult Fiction/Dystopian Fiction/Fantasy

Synopsis: In the blink of an eye, everyone disappears.  Gone.  Except for the young: teens, middle schoolers, toddlers.  But not a single adult.  No teachers, no cops, no doctors, no parents.  And just as suddenly, there are no phones, no internet, no television.  No way to figure out what's happened.  And no way to get help.

Hunger threatens.  Bullies rule.  A sinister creature lurks.  Animals are mutating.  And the teens themselves are changing, developing new talents-unimaginable, dangerous, deadly powers-that grow stronger by the day.

It's a terrifying new world.  Sides are being chose, a fight is shaping up.  Townies against rich kids.  Bullies against the weak. Powerful against powerless.  And time is running out: On your birthday, you will disappear just like everyone else.

Review: This is a well written young adult book.  At first I thought it was a little young for me but once the characters had to start dealing with the fact that all adults were gone, they seemed to grow up a little.  The storyline is addicting and you can't help but keep reading.  There are terrible things that happen in this book, some that bothered me more than others, but you have to keep in mind that the oldest kids in this book are just under 15 years of age.  Some of them made amazingly mature decisions but many of them acted like 14 year olds!  I was hoping the end of the book would be a great ending but it wasn't.  I found out after I finished the book that this is the first book of 5!  Yikes!  Now I have to read the next 4 books but I'm on a waiting list for the 2nd.  I don't like getting into a series without knowing it's a series!  But overall I did like this book, it's different than the other dystopian fiction books that I have read and that's good because some of them were getting a little redundant.

Rating: 4 stars

Saturday, July 13, 2013

Love Anthony


Love Anthony
by Lisa Genova

Love Anthony

Genre: Women's Fiction

Summary (from Goodreads):  From the award-winning New York Times bestselling author of Still Alice and Left Neglected, comes a heartfelt novel about an accidental friendship that gives a grieving mother a priceless gift: the ability to understand the thoughts of her eight-year-old autistic son and make sense of his brief life.

Two women, each cast adrift by unforeseen events in their lives, meet by accident on a Nantucket beach and are drawn into a friendship.
Olivia is a young mother whose eight-year-old severely autistic son has recently died. Her marriage badly frayed by years of stress, she comes to the island in a trial separation to try and make sense of the tragedy of her Anthony’s short life.
Beth, a stay-at-home mother of three, is also recently separated after discovering her husband’s long-term infidelity. In an attempt to recapture a sense of her pre-married life, she rekindles her passion for writing, determined to find her own voice again. But surprisingly, as she does so, Beth also find herself channeling the voice of an unknown boy, exuberant in his perceptions of the world around him if autistic in his expression—a voice she can share with Olivia—(is it Anthony?)—that brings comfort and meaning to them both.


Marcie's Review: This book wasn't perfect, but I loved it anyway.  I don't know anything about autism, but I was moved by Anthony's story and how his mother copes with the challenges involved in raising and loving him.  Hearing Anthony's thoughts lent a unique perspective that made him so lovable, and they seemed realistic and believable, at least to someone unfamiliar with autism.  I appreciated the strong friendships between the women characters, and how both Olivia and Beth realized and made use of their strengths and talents.  Now for the imperfections: Beth's ability to write such a moving and beautiful novel 15 years after studying writing in college, without picking up a pen in the interim, seemed like a stretch.  And the mysterious way she channeled Anthony's voice was a little disconcerting.  But aside from those complaints, this book was moving, enjoyable to read, and one that I will recommend to all my friends and family.

Becky's Review:  I thoroughly enjoyed this book and read it in about 2 days.  It was hard to put down.  I couldn't wait to read more about Olivia and Beth so that I could know how they both healed and tried to move on.  I felt Olivia's heartbreak after losing her son and also with dealing with having a son with autism.  I really loved her story.  I felt less strongly about Beth.  She was a little wishy washy to me but I loved to see how her story connected with Olivia's.  This really was a heart warming story that I would recommend.

Marcie's Rating: 4.5 stars

Becky's Rating: 4 stars

He's Gone


He's Gone
Deb Caletti

He's Gone

Genre: Women's Fiction

Summary (from Goodreads):  “What do you think happened to your husband, Mrs. Keller?”

The Sunday morning starts like any other, aside from the slight hangover. Dani Keller wakes up on her Seattle houseboat, a headache building behind her eyes from the wine she drank at a party the night before. But on this particular Sunday morning, she’s surprised to see that her husband, Ian, is not home. As the hours pass, Dani fills her day with small things. But still, Ian does not return. Irritation shifts to worry, worry slides almost imperceptibly into panic. And then, like a relentless blackness, the terrible realization hits Dani: He’s gone.

As the police work methodically through all the logical explanations—he’s hurt, he’s run off, he’s been killed—Dani searches frantically for a clue as to whether Ian is in fact dead or alive. And, slowly, she unpacks their relationship, holding each moment up to the light: from its intense, adulterous beginning, to the grandeur of their new love, to the difficulties of forever. She examines all the sins she can—and cannot—remember. As the days pass, Dani will plumb the depths of her conscience, turning over and revealing the darkest of her secrets in order to discover the hard truth—about herself, her husband, and their lives together.


Review: The back cover implied that this book was a mystery, but it was definitely more of an introspective relationship book.  Sure, there was a little bit of suspense about what had happened to the husband, but I predicted the ending from early on in the book, and there was really no drama or surprise or climax at all.  Most of the story is focused on Dani reminiscing about her relationships with her ex-husband and her current husband, and both men were clearly horrible people.  As for Dani, she made a lot of mistakes, which is certainly understandable, but she was a weak character who didn't show any growth and that made her unlikable also.  I was also insulted by the author's views of middle class suburban parents.  It was well-written and readable, but it left a bad taste in my mouth.

Rating: 2.5 stars

Friday, July 12, 2013

I'll Be Seeing You

I'll Be Seeing You
by Suzanne Palmieri-Hayes and Loretta Nyhan


Genre: Historical Fiction

Synopsis: "I hope this letter gets to you quickly. We are always waiting, aren't we? Perhaps the greatest gift this war has given us is the anticipation..." 

It's January 1943 when Rita Vincenzo receives her first letter from Glory Whitehall. Glory is an effervescent young mother, impulsive and free as a bird. Rita is a sensible professor's wife with a love of gardening and a generous, old soul. Glory comes from New England society; Rita lives in Iowa, trying to make ends meet. They have nothing in common except one powerful bond: the men they love are fighting in a war a world away from home. 

Brought together by an unlikely twist of fate, Glory and Rita begin a remarkable correspondence. The friendship forged by their letters allows them to survive the loneliness and uncertainty of waiting on the home front, and gives them the courage to face the battles raging in their very own backyards. Connected across the country by the lifeline of the written word, each woman finds her life profoundly altered by the other’s unwavering support.

A collaboration of two authors whose own beautiful story mirrors that on the page, I’ll Be Seeing You is a deeply moving union of style and charm. Filled with unforgettable characters and grace, it is a timeless celebration of friendship and the strength and solidarity of women.

From Good Reads

Review: This book is beautifully written.  It's entirely written in letters mainly between Rita and Glory.  They are two women who are war wives and support each other through letters.  It's amazing how close they become just in their letters and how much encouragement and support they can give each other in the form of written words.  This book makes me miss the art of writing letters!  I was amazed to hear that the co-authors have never met and they began writing this book in e-mails to each other!  One of them wrote an e-mail as Glory and the other one created a character and wrote back.  While I've read quite a few books on WWII this one is different because it takes place in the US but it's not about Japanese internment camps.  I felt like I was the recipient of the letters and that I was getting to know about the other person's life, her neighbors, her family and more.  I also appreciated that they passed recipes back and forth, often recipes that they made with few rations.  It was interesting to see how different these recipes are from what we cook now.  I would highly recommend this book!

Rating: 5 stars

Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Nearlyweds

Nearlyweds
by Beth Kendrick



Genre: Chick Lit

Synopsis: They've had the white dresses and the fancy receptions.  But now that the honeymoon's over, Stella, Casey and Erin have each had to face some hard truths about the men they've married and the lives they've chosen.  So when the news breaks that the pastor who presided over their weddings failed to file a few critical pieces of paper, none of these newlyweds are rushing down to the courthouse to legalize their vows.  Instead, the brides share their hopes, disappointments, and secrets while grappling with that pivotal questions: Should they stay or should they go?
From the book jacket

Review:  This book was a typical chick lit book.  Very light and a quick read.  It was humorous at parts.  But the girls bothered me.  They seemed so young and self centered at times.  They thought their marital troubles were all their husband's faults and not theirs at all.  I thought they were partly to blame for their troubles but the men were the ones who had to do the changing.  I did read this book all in one day so it was good enough to grab my attention.  As Marcie said in another post, maybe she's growing out of chick lit books and maybe I am too unless it's a really well written chick lit book.  There is a Hallmark movie based on this book and I'm going to watch it.  Maybe the movie will be better than the book!

Rating: 2 1/2 stars

Monday, July 8, 2013

The House Takes a Vacation

The House Takes a Vacation
by Jacqueline Davies
Illustrated by Lee White


Genre: Picture Book

Synopsis: After the Peterson's leave for vacation, their house decides it wants to take a holiday, too!  But the different parts of the house can't agree on where to go.  Finally, the sunporch suggests that the house go to the beach.  The basement refuses "to rise to the occasion," but the rest of the house follows the front door as it leads the way-and the house has a vacation that it will never forget!

Review: This book made me smile and laugh with its choice of words.  The various parts of the house would talk and use play on words.  Here are some examples. "  "I feel like I've got the flue," mumbled the chimney."  and " "We could use the rest," said the windows.  "We're nearly shattered from all this travel." "  It was such a cleverly written book.  There are parts of it that have a lot of words on the page but that didn't seem to matter to my kids who sat enthralled by the story.  I thought it was interesting how each part of the house had its own personality.

Rating: 4 stars

Sunday, July 7, 2013

The End of Your Life Book Club

The End of Your Life Book Club
by Will Schwalbe



Genre: Memoir

Synopsis: "What are you reading?"

That's the question Will Schwalbe asks his mother, Mary Anne, as they sit in the waiting room of the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.  In 2007, Mary Anne returned from a humanitarian trip to Pakistan and Afghanistan suffering from what her doctors believed was a rare type of hepatitis.  Months later she was diagnosed with a form of advanced pancreatic cancer, which is almost always fatal, often in six months or less.

This is the inspiring true story of a son and his mother, who start a "book club" that brings them together as her life comes to a close.  Over the next two years, Will and Mary Anne carry on conversations that are both wide-ranging and deeply personal, prompted by an eclectic array of books and a shared passion for reading.  Their list jumps from classic to popular, from poetry to mysteries, from fantastic to spiritual.  The issues they discuss include questions of faith and courage as well as everyday topics such as expressing gratitude and learning to listen.  Throughout, they are constantly reminded of the power of books to comfort us, astonish us, teach us, and tell us what we need to do with our lives and in the world.   Reading isn't the opposite of doing; it's the opposite of dying.

Will and Mary Anne share their hopes and concerns with each other-and rediscover their lives-through their favorite books.  When they read, they aren't a sick person and a well person, but a mother and a son taking a journey together.  The result is a profoundly moving tale of loss that is also a joyful, and often humorous, celebration of life: Will's love letter to his mother, and theirs to the printed page.
From the book jacket

Review:  I went into this book hoping to find out a lot about various books and find some books that I wanted to read.  My expectations were not met and that's why I'm struggling to review and rate this book.  The book did not focus as much on the books that they read as much as on Mary Anne's life and her perspectives and opinions on things.  The books were woven into the story of Mary Anne's treatments and health struggles and sometimes the author would provide a synopsis but sometimes only a title was mentioned.  At times I felt like the author was just title dropping books that didn't have a role in the story.  Mary Anne's life was quite remarkable with all the charitable work that she did.  I found it interesting to read just not what I had expected from the book.

Rating: 3 1/2 stars

Friday, July 5, 2013

Being Esther

Being Esther
by Miriam Karmel



Genre: Women's Fiction

Synopsis:  Born to parents who fled the shtetl, Esther Lustig has lead a seemingly conventional life-marriage, two children, a life in suburban Chicago.  Now, at the age of eighty-five, her husband is deceased, her children have families of their own, and most of her friends are gone.  Even in this diminished condition, life hs its moments of richness, as well as its memorable characters.  But above all there are the memories.  Of better days with Marty, her husband.  Of unrealized obsessions with other men.

As she moves back and forth through time, Esther attempts to come to terms with the meaning of her outwardly modest life.  As a young woman, she wondered about the world beyond the narrow, prescribed world she inhabited.  Now, cruelly, she can't help but wonder if she has done anything for which she will be remembered.

At once sad and amusing, unpretentious yet wonderfully ambitions, Miriam Karmel's debut novel brings understanding and tremendous empathy to the unforgettable Esther Lustig.
From the book jacket

Review: I'm not sure what drew me to this book.  I picked it up on the new shelves at the library and then put it back but then picked it up.  I really debated about checking it out.  It finally ended up in my pile of books to take home with me.  I can't say I've read a book before that has entirely been about old age.  There is not too much plot to this book but there is a lot of character development.  I really enjoyed Esther's character.  She made be laugh at times and other times I felt sorry for her.  I think the last paragraph of the book jacket really sums it up.  The author really does help us understand what an 85 year old woman is going through and it makes us feel for her.  But like I said, there's almost no story, it's more about her day to day life and her reminiscing about when she was younger.  It's a pretty quick read but don't go into expecting a great story.

Rating: 3 stars