One Plus One

One Plus One

by Joyo Moyes

Genre: Fiction

Synopsis: One single mother.  Suppose your life sucks.  A lot.  Your husband has done a vanishing act.  You're trying to keep your family afloat, with two jobs and two children.  You've always been an optimist, but it isn't easy.  That's Jess Thomas's life in a nutshell, and it's about to get a whole lot more complicated.

One chaotic family.  Jess's oddball teenage stepson is being bullied, and her math-whiz daughter has a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that they can't afford to pay for.  Jess has spent her life Doing the Right Thing.  But what if, just this once, she did something that was definitely The Wrong Thing-something that might make all the difference for her family?

One quirky stranger-and a comic road trip.  Ed Nicholls is a brilliant tech millionaire whose life is falling apart when he happens upon Jess and her family stranded on the side of the road.  She's stunned to realize that her knight in shining armor is Geeky Ed-a man she considers obnoxious in the extreme.  But in perhaps his first unselfish act ever, he agrees to drive them-plus their pungent dog, Norman-to the Maths Olympiad and a prize that could change things for Jess's family forever....

One irresistible love story.  In One Plus One, opposites attract, and two fiercely independent people learn that love can be found in the unlikeliest places.
From the book jacket

Becky's Review:  I was quite excited when I picked up the latest book by Jojo Moyes since I absolutely loved the first book I read by her-Me Before You.  Sadly, this book did not live up to my expectations.  The storyline was just not captivating or interesting enough.  I found myself bored while reading it and I actually stopped reading it for a while and read another book in between.  I felt compelled to finish the book but after 150 pages or so I questioned why I didn't abandon the book.  I got tired of their ride up to Scotland to the Math Olympiad.  Nothing really happened in the car except for us being reminded that Ed Nicholls had money and Jess and her family had very little money and had to pinch pennies as much as possible.  There just wasn't any action in this story, it was all about character relationships.  I liked the quirky characters in the book and I did want to see Jess get some help and have something go right in her life.

Marcie's Review:  I was quite excited when I picked up the latest book by Jojo Moyes since I absolutely loved the first book I read by her-Me Before You.  Sadly, this book did not live up to my expectations.  As Becky said, it definitely got boring in the middle, and I couldn't figure out why it took them SO LONG to drive from England to Scotland.  It seemed like it was just a plot device thrown in there only to make the characters spend more time together, and it just didn't work for me. I liked the relationships between the characters in the book, but they seemed to develop too quickly (in book time) and yet way way too slowly in the reader's time.  Not my favorite Moyes novel.

Becky's Rating: 2.5 stars

Marcie' Rating: 3 stars

Faking Normal

Faking Normal

by Courtney Stevens

Genre: Young Adult Fiction

Synopsis:  Alexi Littrell hasn't told anyone what happened to her over the summer by her backyard pool.  Instead, she hides in her closet, counts the slats in the air vent, and compulsively scratches the back of her neck, trying to make the outside hurt more than the inside does.  

When Brodee Lennox- "the Kool-Aid Kid"-moves in with the Littrells after a family tragedy, Alexi discovers an unlikely friend in this quiet, awkward boy who has secrets of his own.  As their friendship grows, Alexi gives him the strength to deal with his past, and Bodee helps her summon the courage to find her voice and speak up.

from the e-book

Review: I found this book to be too young adult for me.  The relationships that Alexi had with her girlfriends seemed very superficial.  Her supposed best friends really didn't seem to have Alexi's best interests at heart. They didn't seem to notice that Alexi was hurting except for one line in the book when Heather tells Alexi that she can't wait to see her real smile again.  Alexi jumps into a friendship relationship with Bodee after he moves into her house and that seemed unrealistic considering what she and her friends (plus most of the other kids in school) felt about Bodee.  Relationship development in this story just happened too fast for it to seem believable.

As for the major event of the book, the author hints at what happens but spends two thirds of the book leaving us guessing as to what exactly happened.  The author also leads us to believe that one specific character was responsible for Lexi's hurt but yet we find out later that we are wrong (hopefully that didn't spoil the book for us).  By the time we actually find out what exactly happened, I was tired of being strung along.  I didn't give up reading (but I did read another book in the midst of reading this one) because I had to know what really happened but I did end up skimming parts of the story.

Rating; 3 stars

Blood of My Blood

Blood of My Blood

by Barry Lyga

Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Mystery

Synopsis:  Jazz Dent has never been closer to catching his father.

Jazz has been shot and left to die in New York.  His girlfriend, Connie, is in the clutches of Jazz's monstrous father, Billy-the world's most notorious serial killer.  And his best friend, Howie, is bleeding to death on the floor of Jazz's own home.

Somehow, these three must rise above the horros and find a way to come together in pursuit of Billy.

But then Jazz crosses a line he's never crossed before, and soon the entire country is wondering: "Like father, lie son?  Who is the true monster?"

From New York City to the small town of Lobo's Nod, the chase is on, and this time, Jazz is the hunted, not the hunter-while Billy Dent lurks in the shadows.

And beyond Billy?  Something much, much worse.  Prepare to meet...the Crow King.
from the book jacket

Review:  It is rare when the third book in a trilogy is the best one but I have to say that this was by far my favorite book of the trilogy!  This book was less about the gruesome ways to kill people (as was my chief complaint with the second book) and more about Jazz hunting down serial killers and trying to solve the mystery of his family.  It answered all the questions that came up in the first two books and really wrapped the series up nicely.  This book also tugged at your emotions as you learned more about Jazz's family.  It's hard to say this but I did enjoy Billy Dent's (Jazz's serial killer father) twisted, dark sense of humor (don't analyze a deeper meaning of that sentence).  I love how Lyga developed all the supporting characters-Howie, Connie, G. William, etc and gave them big personalities.  But they don't overshadow Jazz and Billy.  I guessed what the twist was at the end of the book but that didn't make the book any less enjoyable for me.  The whole series was captivating and one I would recommend to people who don't mind reading some gory details and who like crime books.

Rating: 5 stars

Game

Game

by Barry Lyga

Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Mystery

Synopsis: Meet Jasper Dent: the son of the world's most notorious serial killer.

Several months have passed since Jazz helped the Lobo's Nod police force catch the serial killer known as the Impressionist.  Every day since then, Jazz was dealt with the guilt of knowing he was responsible for his father's escape from prison.  Now Billy Dent is on the loose, ready to kill again.

Jazz's reputation has spread far beyond the borders of his sleepy hometown, and when a determined New York City detective comes knocking on Jazz's door asking for help with a new case, Jazz can't say no.  The Hat-Dog Killer has the Big Apple in a panic, and the police are running scared.

Jazz has already solved one crime, but at a high cost.  Innocent people were murdered because of him.  Is the Hat-Dog Killer his means of redemption?  Or will Jazz get caught up in a killer's murderous game?

And somewhere out there, Billy is watching...and waiting.

From the book jacket

Review:  This book was enjoyable just like the first book in the series however it was a lot more gruesome.  Some of the descriptions of the murders I had to skim because it made me a little squeamish.  Some of the scenes were quite disturbing and I really could have done with less descriptions.  I did find it a little unbelievable that the police in NYC would rely on a 17 year old boy, albeit the son of an infamous serial killer, to help with their investigation and that Jazz was able to make so many of the connects.  The end was quite the cliff hanger and I am not a fan of that at all.  I am hoping I can get the next book soon!

Rating: 3.5 stars

The Lost Sisterhood

The Lost Sisterhood

Anne Fortier

Genre: Fiction

Summary (from the publisher):  The Lost Sisterhood tells the story of Diana, a young and aspiring--but somewhat aimless--professor at Oxford. Her fascination with the history of the Amazons, the legendary warrior women of ancient Greece, is deeply connected with her own family's history; her grandmother in particular. When Diana is invited to consult on an archeological excavation, she quickly realizes that here, finally, may be the proof that the Amazons were real.

The Amazons' "true" story--and Diana's history--is threaded along with this modern day hunt. This historical back-story focuses on a group of women, and more specifically on two sisters, whose fight to survive takes us through ancient Athens and to Troy, where the novel reinvents our perspective on the famous Trojan War.

The Lost Sisterhood features another group of iconic, legendary characters, another grand adventure--you'll see in these pages that Fortier understands the kind of audience she has built with Juliet, but also she's delivering a fresh new story to keep that audience coming back for more.

Review:  First of all, I think the author of this book did an amazing job depicting the life of Myrina, head of the elusive Amazon tribe of women, and tying her story in to the modern day discoveries of the philologist Diana.  I could never write a book this interesting in a million years, and I have nothing but admiration for someone who can.

I wanted to love this book - I like adventure stories about treasure hunts, I like historical fiction, I like books about women, and I especially like historical fiction where women are the main characters in a treasure hunt.  And the story of Myrina's life in ancient Africa, Crete, Troy and Germany was novel and interesting.  But, there were lots of things about this book that drove me nuts.  First, it was WAY too long and convoluted.  Second, the romance between Diana and Nick was inexplicable - she thought he was a villain, then discovered he'd been lying to her about everything, then fell in love with him?  No way, she was too smart for that.  Third, there seemed to be some kind of weird political anti-government and anti-American agenda going on, and it had no place in this novel whatsoever.  And fourth, there were too many coincidences that were just too unbelievable.

I think I would have enjoyed this book a lot more if it had focused primarily on Myrina, skipped the romance entirely, and been a good deal shorter!

Rating: 3 stars

The One and Only Ivan

The One and Only Ivan

by Katherine Applegate

Genre: Juvenile Fiction

Synopsis:  Ivan is an easygoing gorilla.  Living at the Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Video Arcade, he has grown accustomed to humans watching him through the glass walls of his domain.  He rarely misses his life in the jungle.  In fact, he hardly ever things about it at all.

Instead, Ivan things about TV shows he's seen and about his friends Stella, an elderly elephant, and Bob, a stray dog.  But mostly Ivan things about art and how to capture the taste of a mango or the sound of leaves with color and a well-placed line.

Then he meets Ruby, a baby elephant taken from her family, and she makes Ivan see their home-and his own art-through new eyes.  When Ruby arrives, change comes with her, and it's up to Ivan to make it a change for the better.

From the book jacket

Becky's Review:  It's hard to really like juvenile fiction books because they seem so young to me but this book was not like that.  I loved that the author told the story from the perspective of the gorilla.  Ivan  is an interesting character and he has depth even though he's a gorilla.  This was an uplifting story of an animal who cares for others and does everything within his power to help his friends.  The chapters went by very quickly and there wasn't much writing on each page.  I did find that a little fragmented but perhaps it was done that way since this book is intended for a much younger audience.  I would definitely recommend this book to kids and their parents.

Becky's Rating: 4 stars

Marcie's Review: I had NO IDEA that this book was written from the point of view of a gorilla, and I'm not sure I would have chosen to read it if I had known this in advance.  I'm thankful that I didn't know, because I loved this book!  It was so interesting to read about Ivan's perspective on humans, how people talk too much, use too many words, and buy too many ridiculous things.  He was a very observant and intelligent gorilla, and I think adults could pick up some of his lessons about people even more than kids might, making this an appropriate book for all ages.  I was surprised to find myself identifying with a few of the animals in the domain, and even crying about the experiences that they were going through.  Some pages only have a few sentences, and there are pictures interspersed throughout, so I read this book in about two hours. 

The biggest problem I had with this book was that I don't believe animals can have the depth of emotion that was portrayed in this book.  But it was certainly interesting (and educational) to think about how they would feel if they did.

Marcie's Rating: 4.5 stars

On The Island

On the Island

by Tracey Garvis Graves

Genre: Chick Lit, Romance

Synopsis:  Anna Emerson is a thirty-year-old English teacher desperately in need of adventure.  Worn down by the cold Chicago winters and a relationship that's going nowhere, she jumps at the chance to spend the summer on a tropical island tutoring the sixteen-year-old T.J.

T.J. Callahan has no desire to go anywhere.  His cancer is in remission and he wants to get back to his normal life.  But his parents are insisting he spend the summer in the Maldives catching up on all the school he missed last year.

Anna and T.J. board a private plane headed to the Callahan's summer home, and as they fly over the Maldives' twelve hundred islands, the unthinkable happens.  Their plane crashes in shark-infested waters.  They make it to shore but soon discover that they're stranded on an uninhabited island.

At first, their only thought is survival.  But as the day turns to weeks, and then months, Anna begins to wonder if the biggest challenge of all might be living with a boy who is gradually becoming a man.

From the back of the book

Becky's review:  At first I thought this book was just going to be trashy and far too romancey for me but after the first 40-50 pages, the writing improved, the characters developed and the book became much better.  I was really disturbed by the age difference between Anna and T.J. and felt like the romance in this book would be totally inappropriate.  But luckily the characters were legal when the romance started and that made me feel better about the story line.  This was a quick and easy beach read.  There's not a lot of meat to it but it's fun and light.  It is a tad unbelievable at times but I was willing to overlook that for the sake of a fun novel.

Becky's rating:  3 1/2 stars

Marcie's review:  When I started reading this book, I knew it was a romance between a 30 year old woman and a teenage boy; I'm glad I did, because otherwise I would have been so disturbed by the idea of that that I would have put the book down.  And this turned out to be a quick and enjoyable read, so I'm glad I stuck with it.  I was relieved to discover that their romantic relationship didn't actually start until T.J. was 18, but the 13 year age difference still made me cringe when I thought about it.  Having said that, I always enjoy stories about castaways, and so I was eager to see how this unusual couple survived on their deserted island.  There were definitely parts where the reader had to suspend disbelief, and the author skipped over some aspects that I'm sure would have been challenging - like how did they manage to collect enough drinkable water during the dry sesason?  In addition to the details of their survival, I appreciated seeing the characters grow and mature, especially towards the end of the novel, but I was not thrilled with the frequency of the descriptive sex scenes.

Marcie's rating:  3 1/2 stars