Leaving Time

Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult
Published by Ballantine Books on Oct. 14, 2014
Genre(s): Fiction, Contemporary, Mystery
Format: Audiobook / Paperback
Pages: 398

Goodreads synopsis: 

For over a decade, Jenna Metcalf obsesses on her vanished mom Alice. Jenna searches online, rereads journals of the scientist who studied grief among elephants. Two unlikely allies are Serenity Jones, psychic for missing people who doubts her gift, and Virgil Stanhope, jaded PI who originally investigated cases of Alice and her colleague. Hard questions and answers.

The first book I ever read by Picoult was My Sister's Keeper. I liked the book, but I remember having trouble getting through it. i could chalk it up to my young age, inexperience reading long and dense novels, or maybe that it just didn't grasp my attention like Harry Potter. Whatever it was, anytime another Picoult novel came across my radar, I always sort of just waved it off, uninterested. When I think back to My Sister's Keeper, and my reaction reading the book, I know that I liked it, so I'm not sure where the weird, negative association comes from. However, I read Small Great Things earlier this year and I was completely blown away. This isn't a review for either of those books, obviously, but my point is to give context as to why I decided to read one of Picoult's earlier works now. After realizing my mistake of passing up on her books over the years, I clearly have a lot of catching up to do on this brilliant author's work.

I picked up Leaving Time randomly, having no idea what the book was about. I've been doing that a lot lately- going into a story without even so much as reading the synopsis. It can be really exciting for books that grab you right in the first chapter, and this one definitely did. I won't say much about the plot, in case that's your style of reading new books, as well.

In classic Picoult style, the twist at the end rocked me! I didn't see it coming AT ALL, and it made me reconsider the entire book. I had to think back to things that had been happening to the characters and look at them in a different way. It was so well done, I found myself considering similar situations in my own life, wondering if I should be taking another look at the world around me and not just that of these characters.

The story was written with each chapter from a different character's viewpoint, although, I would have liked to see the story from the viewpoint of a couple more characters. I'm not sure if Picoult left the viewpoints of two integral characters in the story out on purpose, or if she just felt that it wasn't necessary. It definitely added more mystery to the plot, but it also left a lot to be desired given their roles in the lives of the other characters.

Overall, the book was an easy, entertaining, and surprising mystery to keep you on your toes until the last page. If you haven't read it, I definitely recommend it to anyone that enjoys Picoult's work or is looking for a new author to love.

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Wonder

Wonder by R. J. Palacio
Published by Knopf on Feb. 14, 2012
Genre(s): Fiction, Young Adult, Family, Contemporary
Format: Kindle / Audiobook
Pages: 316

Goodreads synopsis: 

I won't describe what I look like. Whatever you're thinking, it's probably worse.

August (Auggie) Pullman was born with a facial deformity that prevented him from going to a mainstream school—until now. He's about to start 5th grade at Beecher Prep, and if you've ever been the new kid then you know how hard that can be. The thing is Auggie's just an ordinary kid, with an extraordinary face. But can he convince his new classmates that he's just like them, despite appearances?

R. J. Palacio has written a spare, warm, uplifting story that will have readers laughing one minute and wiping away tears the next. With wonderfully realistic family interactions (flawed, but loving), lively school scenes, and short chapters, Wonder is accessible to readers of all levels.

This was a very nice story and an easy, quick read. Wonder is going to be released as a film soon, so of course I had to read it. The story was sad at times, but overall, it was really enjoyable with an uplifting message. Definitely young adult, but still suitable for all ages. In fact, this is one of those rare books that I would recommend to absolutely anyone. If everyone read this book, the world would be a better place. Especially middle schools.

Palacio does a great job detailing the atmosphere of middle school and what it's like to be a new kid. But August Pullman, the main character, isn't just any new kid. He is a medical "wonder," born with a condition that has left him looking a lot different than his peers. The novel tells the story of August's transition to middle school life: interacting with new friends and bullies, and learning that sometimes you can make a difference in others' hearts just by being yourself.

I truly enjoyed this story, and again, I would recommend it to anyone of any age. It's a great tale of love, friendship, acceptance, and kindness.

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Kitchens of the Great Midwest

Kitchens of the Great Midwest by J. Ryan Stradal
Published by Viking on July 28, 2015
Genre(s): Fiction, Food, Adult, Contemporary
Format: Paperback
Pages: 310

Goodreads synopsis: 

When Lars Thorvald's wife, Cynthia, falls in love with wine--and a dashing sommelier--he's left to raise their baby, Eva, on his own. He's determined to pass on his love of food to his daughter--starting with puréed pork shoulder. As Eva grows, she finds her solace and salvation in the flavors of her native Minnesota. From Scandinavian lutefisk to hydroponic chocolate habaneros, each ingredient represents one part of Eva's journey as she becomes the star chef behind a legendary and secretive pop-up supper club, culminating in an opulent and emotional feast that's a testament to her spirit and resilience.

Each chapter in J. Ryan Stradal's startlingly original debut tells the story of a single dish and character, at once capturing the zeitgeist of the Midwest, the rise of foodie culture, and delving into the ways food creates community and a sense of identity. By turns quirky, hilarious, and vividly sensory, Kitchens of the Great Midwest is an unexpected mother-daughter story about the bittersweet nature of life--its missed opportunities and its joyful surprises. It marks the entry of a brilliant new talent.

I have had this book on my "to-read" shelf for such a long time and could never get ahold of a copy through the two sources I regularly use- PaperbackSwap and Audible. So when I was in NYC last week and I saw a copy at The Strand, I immediately bought it and began reading on my next subway ride.

The book tells the story of Eva Thorvald as she grows up in the midwest, gathering experiences that help to shape her future in food. Each chapter revolves around a different food and person that has an impact on Eva's life. It's unique in that each chapter tells a story from the perspective of another character, sometimes with Eva only appearing at the end or not at all. I loved how Stradal did this. It's an interesting way to construct a plot, but it worked. The layout and design of the story flowed smoothly, and learning about Eva through the eyes of multiple other people that have impacted her life really helped to develop her character as well as each supporting character involved.

Another thing I really enjoyed about the book was how it all pieced together at the end so deliberately. There were a couple of things that occurred throughout the book that were left unanswered, but I believe that was likely intentional, and the mystery to each of these pieces of the plot didn't take away from understanding the flow of the story in any way. However, at the end, in the final chapter, each chapter- having seemed so independent up until the end- finally came together in beautiful and natural way. It felt as if I, as the reader, had been leading up to the final "Dinner" all along, and the previous chapter in this book was all I needed to read in order to understand the complexity of each dish, each guest, and every other detail involved in the final story...Like there was so much more to these characters, as there is to everyone in life, but having read each of their chapters and seeing it all come together at the end, I was able to understand each of them a little better, and appreciate life and how it has a unique way of happening.

I laughed out loud more than once while reading this book, and there were parts that even brought tears to my eyes, of both happiness and sadness. It sparked so much emotion, left my mouth watering, and left my mind racing every time I had to put it down. It was a quick and easy read, but not one I will soon forget. I definitely recommend it to anyone interested in a coming-of-age tale about life, love, family, and food.

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Into The Water

Into The Water by Paula Hawkins
Published by Riverhead on May 2, 2017
Genre(s): Mystery, Thriller, Fiction, Crime, Suspense, Adult, Contemporary
Format: Audiobook
Pages: 388

Goodreads synopsis: 

A single mother turns up dead at the bottom of the river that runs through town. Earlier in the summer, a vulnerable teenage girl met the same fate. They are not the first women lost to these dark waters, but their deaths disturb the river and its history, dredging up secrets long submerged.

Left behind is a lonely fifteen-year-old girl. Parentless and friendless, she now finds herself in the care of her mother's sister, a fearful stranger who has been dragged back to the place she deliberately ran from—a place to which she vowed she'd never return.

With the same propulsive writing and acute understanding of human instincts that captivated millions of readers around the world in her explosive debut thriller, The Girl on the Train, Paula Hawkins delivers an urgent, twisting, deeply satisfying read that hinges on the deceptiveness of emotion and memory, as well as the devastating ways that the past can reach a long arm into the present.

Beware a calm surface—you never know what lies beneath. 

I was hesitant to start this book because I was less than impressed by Hawkins's first novel, The Girl on the Train, but after thinking about it, I decided that was unfair. In the beginning, the story starts out pretty straight forward, giving background to the eerie history of the town setting and the deaths of women that seem to always have mystery associated with them, but always involve the water. As things move forward, you learn that the lives of the people in the town are all entwined...to an overwhelming extent.

Hawkins writes each chapter from the perspective of a different character, which in most novels adds a lot of value to the plot and to the progress of the story for the reader. However, there are so many characters that at times, the story feels so confusing, and remembering who is who becomes daunting. This made it extremely difficult for me to get through the book. I didn't want to stop reading, because I really did want to discover how the multiple twists and mysteries would unfold, but the confusing nature of the book's organization hindered my focus and interest.

Toward the end, the story got a little annoying in how things began to pan out. And, in my opinion (obviously) the final twist of the book was completely unrealistically far-fetched. This may be because I didn't really feel a connection to the character involved, but I blame Hawkins for that due to the excessive amount of characters in the story. A few storylines seemed to remain a mystery in the end, never fully explaining what happened, which was definitely disappointing, even if I did lack a connection to the character involved.

This was an easy enough read, so anyone looking for a simple, quick beach-read or otherwise will likely enjoy it. However, for my high expectations in terms of mystery/thriller/suspense, it wasn't my favorite.

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Truly Madly Guilty

Truly Madly Guilty by Liane Moriarty
Published by Flatiron on Jul. 26, 2016
Genre(s): , Fiction, , Contemporary
Format: Paperback ARC/Audiobook
Pages: 415

Goodreads synopsis:  Six responsible adults. Three cute kids. One small dog. It’s just a normal weekend. What could possibly go wrong?

Sam and Clementine have a wonderful, albeit, busy life: they have two little girls, Sam has just started a new dream job, and Clementine, a cellist, is busy preparing for the audition of a lifetime. If there’s anything they can count on, it’s each other.

Clementine and Erika are each other’s oldest friends. A single look between them can convey an entire conversation. But theirs is a complicated relationship, so when Erika mentions a last minute invitation to a barbecue with her neighbors, Tiffany and Vid, Clementine and Sam don’t hesitate. Having Tiffany and Vid’s larger than life personalities there will be a welcome respite.

Two months later, it won’t stop raining, and Clementine and Sam can’t stop asking themselves the question: What if we hadn’t gone?

In Truly Madly Guilty, Liane Moriarty takes on the foundations of our lives: marriage, sex, parenthood, and friendship. She shows how guilt can expose the fault lines in the most seemingly strong relationships, how what we don’t say can be more powerful than what we do, and how sometimes it is the most innocent of moments that can do the greatest harm.

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Small Great Things

Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult
Published by Ballantine on Oct. 11, 2016
Genre(s): Fiction, Social Issues, Contemporary, Adult, Drama, Race
Format: Audiobook
Pages: 470

Goodreads synopsis: Ruth Jefferson is a labor and delivery nurse at a Connecticut hospital with more than twenty years' experience. During her shift, Ruth begins a routine checkup on a newborn, only to be told a few minutes later that she's been reassigned to another patient. The parents are white supremacists and don't want Ruth, who is African American, to touch their child. The hospital complies with their request, but the next day, the baby goes into cardiac distress while Ruth is alone in the nursery. Does she obey orders or does she intervene?

Ruth hesitates before performing CPR and, as a result, is charged with a serious crime. Kennedy McQuarrie, a white public defender, takes her case but gives unexpected advice: Kennedy insists that mentioning race in the courtroom is not a winning strategy. Conflicted by Kennedy's counsel, Ruth tries to keep life as normal as possible for her family—especially her teenage son—as the case becomes a media sensation. As the trial moves forward, Ruth and Kennedy must gain each other's trust, and come to see that what they've been taught their whole lives about others—and themselves—might be wrong.

With incredible empathy, intelligence, and candor, Jodi Picoult tackles race, privilege, prejudice, justice, and compassion—and doesn't offer easy answers. Small Great Things is a remarkable achievement from a writer at the top of her game.

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Where'd You Go, Bernadette?

Where'd You Go, Bernadette? by Maria Semple
Published by Little Brown in Aug. 14, 2012
Genre(s): Fiction, Humor, Contemporary, Mystery
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 330
Goodreads synopsis: 

Bernadette Fox is notorious. To her Microsoft-guru husband, she's a fearlessly opinionated partner; to fellow private-school mothers in Seattle, she's a disgrace; to design mavens, she's a revolutionary architect, and to 15-year-old Bee, she is a best friend and, simply, Mom.

Then Bernadette disappears. It began when Bee aced her report card and claimed her promised reward: a family trip to Antarctica. But Bernadette's intensifying allergy to Seattle—and people in general—has made her so agoraphobic that a virtual assistant in India now runs her most basic errands. A trip to the end of the earth is problematic.

To find her mother, Bee compiles email messages, official documents, secret correspondence—creating a compulsively readable and touching novel about misplaced genius and a mother and daughter's role in an absurd world.

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The Last Anniversary

The Last Anniversary by Liane Moriarty
Published by Harper Paperbacks in Jan. 1, 2006
Genre(s): Fiction, Mystery, Contemporary
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 388
Goodreads synopsis: 

Sophie moves onto the island and begins a new life as part of an unconventional family where it seems everyone has a secret. Grace, a beautiful young mother, is feverishly planning a shocking escape from her perfect life. Margie, a frumpy housewife, has made a pact with a stranger, while dreamy Aunt Rose wonders if maybe it's about time she started making her own decisions.

As Sophie's life becomes increasingly complicated, she discovers that sometimes you have to stop waiting around -- and come up with your own fairy-tale ending.

As she so adroitly did in her smashing debut novel, Three Wishes, the incomparable Liane Moriarty once again combines sharp wit, lovable and eccentric characters, and a page-turning story for an unforgettable Last Anniversary.

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Room by Emma Donoghue

Room by Emma Donoghue
Published by Little, Brown and Company on Sep. 13, 2010
Genre(s): Fiction, Contemporary, Adult, Drama, Crime
Format: Kindle
Pages: 321
Goodreads

To five-year-old Jack, Room is the entire world. It is where he was born and grew up; it's where he lives with his Ma as they learn and read and eat and sleep and play. At night, his Ma shuts him safely in the wardrobe, where he is meant to be asleep when Old Nick visits.

Room is home to Jack, but to Ma, it is the prison where Old Nick has held her captive for seven years. Through determination, ingenuity, and fierce motherly love, Ma has created a life for Jack. But she knows it's not enough...not for her or for him. She devises a bold escape plan, one that relies on her young son's bravery and a lot of luck. What she does not realize is just how unprepared she is for the plan to actually work.

Told entirely in the language of the energetic, pragmatic five-year-old Jack, Room is a celebration of resilience and the limitless bond between parent and child, a brilliantly executed novel about what it means to journey from one world to another.

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Three Wishes by Liane Moriarty

Three Wishes by Liane Moriarty
Published by Harper Perennial
Genre(s): Fiction, Contemporary
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 356
Goodreads

Lyn, Cat, and Gemma Kettle, beautiful thirty-three-year-old triplets, seem to attract attention everywhere they go. Whenever they're together, laughter, drama, and mayhem seem to follow. But apart, each is very much her own woman, dealing with her own share ofups and downs. Lyn has organized her life into one big checklist, juggling the many balls of work, marriage, and motherhood with expert precision, but is she as together as her datebook would have her seem? Cat has just learned a startling secret about her marriage -- can she bring another life into her very precarious world? And can free-spirited Gemma, who bolts every time a relationship hits the six-month mark, ever hope to find lasting love?

In this wise, witty, hilarious new novel, we follow the Kettle sisters through their thirty-third-year, as they struggle to survive their divorced parents' dating each other, their technologically savvy grandmother, a cheating husband, champagne hangovers, and the fabulous, frustrating life of forever being part of a threesome. A family comedy about sibling rivalry, "Three Wishes is an assured and warmhearted debut.

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Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty

Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty
Published by Berkley on Jul. 29, 2014
Genre(s): Contemporary, Adult, Fiction, Mystery
Format: Kindle
Pages: 458
Goodreads

Big Little Lies follows three women, each at a crossroads:

Madeline is a force to be reckoned with. She’s funny and biting, passionate, she remembers everything and forgives no one. Her ex-husband and his yogi new wife have moved into her beloved beachside community, and their daughter is in the same kindergarten class as Madeline’s youngest (how is this possible?). And to top it all off, Madeline’s teenage daughter seems to be choosing Madeline’s ex-husband over her. (How. Is. This. Possible?).

Celeste is the kind of beautiful woman who makes the world stop and stare. While she may seem a bit flustered at times, who wouldn’t be, with those rambunctious twin boys? Now that the boys are starting school, Celeste and her husband look set to become the king and queen of the school parent body. But royalty often comes at a price, and Celeste is grappling with how much more she is willing to pay.

New to town, single mom Jane is so young that another mother mistakes her for the nanny. Jane is sad beyond her years and harbors secret doubts about her son. But why? While Madeline and Celeste soon take Jane under their wing, none of them realizes how the arrival of Jane and her inscrutable little boy will affect them all.

Big Little Lies is a brilliant take on ex-husbands and second wives, mothers and daughters, schoolyard scandal, and the dangerous little lies we tell ourselves just to survive.

I read this one in just three days. AMAZING! A thriller-mystery tone with a casual/suburban setting and plot made this story very intriguing. Moriarty really has a knack for keeping readers interested. I read through it so quickly because I often found myself up hours at night continuing through chapter after chapter because it never seemed like a good place to stop- I had to know what happened next!! The story reminded me of Moriarty's novel The Husband's Secret because it had an umbrella theme- little lies- and it looked at how small little lies happen in different way yet all end up tangling together and have a way of always coming full circle in the end. I loved this one. It might be my favorite of her lot thus far... a toss up with What Alice Forgot. 

To see a full list of my current and upcoming reads, join me on Goodreads! Also, check out my FAVORITE website ever, Paperback Swap- the online book-trading marketplace where I get most of my tangible books. Feel free to add me and check out my shelf here.

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The Hypnotist's Love Story

The Hypnotist’s Love Story by Liane Moriarty
Published by Berkley on Oct. 1, 2011
Genre(s): Contemporary, Adult, Fiction, Romance
Format: Paperback
Pages: 480
Goodreads

For fans of Emily Giffin, another wonderful book from the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller, THE HUSBAND’S SECRET...

Ellen O’Farrell is a professional hypnotherapist who works out of the eccentric beachfront home she inherited from her grandparents. It’s a nice life, except for her tumultuous relationship history. She’s stoic about it, but at this point, Ellen wouldn’t mind a lasting one. When she meets Patrick, she’s optimistic. He’s attractive, single, employed, and best of all, he seems to like her back. Then comes that dreaded moment: He thinks they should have a talk.

Braced for the worst, Ellen is pleasantly surprised. It turns out that Patrick’s ex-girlfriend is stalking him. Ellen thinks, Actually, that’s kind of interesting. She’s dating someone worth stalking. She’s intrigued by the woman’s motives. In fact, she’d even love to meet her.

Ellen doesn’t know it, but she already has.

In this one, Moriarty writes about a Hypnotherapist, Ellen, that has fallen in love with a man with baggage- Patrick the surveyor, and he his baggage is that he has a stalker- an ex-girlfriend, Saskia, that will not leave him alone. Ellen is more intrigued and excited by the thought of Patrick's stalker than she is frightened or nervous. She even finds herself wondering what it would be like to have her own stalker, and she feels curious to meet Saskia. But what Ellen doesn't realize is that Saskia already knows Ellen, and Ellen has already met her... A definite page-turner. It didn't have me quite as spell-bound as Alice, but still just as pleasing a read. 

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What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty

What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty
Published by Berkley in 2009
Genre(s): Contemporary, Adult, Fiction, Romance
Format: Paperback
Pages: 476
Goodreads

Alice Love is twenty-nine, crazy about her husband, and pregnant with her first child.

So imagine Alice’s surprise when she comes to on the floor of a gym and is whisked off to the hospital where she discovers the honeymoon is truly over — she’s getting divorced, she has three kids and she’s actually 39 years old. Alice must reconstruct the events of a lost decade, and find out whether it’s possible to reconstruct her life at the same time. She has to figure out why her sister hardly talks to her, and how is it that she’s become one of those super skinny moms with really expensive clothes.

Ultimately, Alice must discover whether forgetting is a blessing or a curse, and whether it’s possible to start over.

I LOVED this book. Liane Moriarty has quickly jumped to the top of my favorite authors and I cannot get enough of her novels. Moriarty is an Australian author that incorporates her quick wit and charm into her novels, making the characters and the plot totally irresistible. (Moriarty used to write children's books- Thank you so much Liane for writing adult fiction!!) My sister bought this novel for herself and me so that we could read it together, as well as with another friend of ours, but it was so good I quickly finished before my friends because I could no put it down to pace myself. Alice falls and bumps her head, losing 10 years of memories, and when she comes back to, she can't believe the state of her life! She pieces the past 10 years together, while also trying to understand why everything and everyone around her has changed...or is it her that has changed, straying too far from who she hoped to have become. A great read that really puts life into perspective and helps you to realize that sometimes, you just need to take a step back and have another look at things. 

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Still Alice by Lisa Genova

Still Alice by Lisa Genova
Published by iUniverse in 2005
Genre(s): Contemporary, Adult, Psychology, Fiction
Format: Kindle
Pages: 292
Goodreads

Alice Howland is proud of the life she worked so hard to build. At fifty years old, she’s a cognitive psychology professor at Harvard and a world-renowned expert in linguistics with a successful husband and three grown children. When she becomes increasingly disoriented and forgetful, a tragic diagnosis changes her life--and her relationship with her family and the world--forever.

At once beautiful and terrifying, Still Alice is a moving and vivid depiction of life with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease that is as compelling as A Beautiful Mind and as unforgettable as Judith Guest's Ordinary People.

This book was recommended to me by my mother, through a recommendation that was made to her by a colleague are her University. I was anxious to read the story that tells the tale of a woman that is diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's disease because my Grandma has the early stages of the disease herself. Then, recently, I realized that this book was made into a film starring Julianne Moore! This book was such a beautifully written description of the terrible disease that wreaks havoc on our society. Even though I felt that having experienced this disease affecting my Grandmother and others in my family I knew and understood the disease well enough, reading about the disease from an affected person's perspective was very grounding, moving, heart-wrenching, and just incredible. I very much loved the story. It made me laugh and cry. I highly recommend it.

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Current and Upcoming Reads:
What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty
Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty

Any recommendations that I should add to my reading list?

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The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriary

The Husband’s Secret by Liane Moriarty
Published by Berkley on Jul 30, 2013
Genre(s): Mystery, Adult, Contemporary, Fiction
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 396
Goodreads

At the heart of The Husband’s Secret is a letter that’s not meant to be read

My darling Cecilia, if you’re reading this, then I’ve died...

Imagine that your husband wrote you a letter, to be opened after his death. Imagine, too, that the letter contains his deepest, darkest secret—something with the potential to destroy not just the life you built together, but the lives of others as well. Imagine, then, that you stumble across that letter while your husband is still very much alive. . . . Cecilia Fitzpatrick has achieved it all—she’s an incredibly successful businesswoman, a pillar of her small community, and a devoted wife and mother. Her life is as orderly and spotless as her home. But that letter is about to change everything, and not just for her: Rachel and Tess barely know Cecilia—or each other—but they too are about to feel the earth-shattering repercussions of her husband’s secret.

Acclaimed author Liane Moriarty has written a gripping, thought-provoking novel about how well it is really possible to know our spouses—and, ultimately, ourselves.

This book was very good. I recommend this for a sort of suspense/drama. It had a couple interesting twists and I quite enjoyed how the storylines that in the start were seemingly separate became intertwined and were all related somehow or another. Moriarty seems to do that a lot in her novels, which always adds an element of surprise as the characters continue to develop and meld into each other’s lives. This wasn’t as exciting a some of Moriarty’s other reads, but still definitely worth the time. It’s an easy read and very entertaining.

Coming up in January:
Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn
Still Alice by Lisa Genova
What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty

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Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

I didn't really get to read in November because I was so busy between work and preparing for finals, but once school wrapped up, I jumped back in to my reading list. The next couple posts will be featuring my December reads.

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer
Published by Mariner Books on Apr. 4, 2006
Genre(s): Contemporary,Historical, Adult, Fiction
Format: Paperback
Pages: 326
Goodreads

Nine-year-old Oskar Schell is an inventor, amateur entomologist, Francophile, letter writer, pacifist, natural historian, percussionist, romantic, Great Explorer, jeweller, detective, vegan, and collector of butterflies. When his father is killed in the September 11th attacks on the World Trade Centre, Oskar sets out to solve the mystery of a key he discovers in his father's closet. It is a search which leads him into the lives of strangers, through the five boroughs of New York, into history, to the bombings of Dresden and Hiroshima, and on an inward journey which brings him ever closer to some kind of peace.

I liked the story, it was raw and allowed for a different perspective of historical events that I might have never truly been able to understand. I felt that the characters could have been better developed and a couple certain plot lines could have been further explained. Overall, it was a good, easy, and quick read that I very much enjoyed. It was not emotionally draining or anything like what I was expecting. Instead, it was thought provoking and feeling inducing, causing me to reconsider life in general- why and what we live for, things like that. I worried it would be dark and depressing, but even though it centered around a sad and touchy subject for our society, it was so much more than that. It gave me perspective in an unusual way. Like my feelings on the characters, I wish some topics might have been further explored and discussed, as I felt slightly confused at the end. Overall, I quite enjoyed it.

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