White Teeth

White Teeth by Zadie Smith


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Zadie Smith (amazingly 24 years old when she wrote this in 2000) took a subject that has been written about so frequently in recent years -- ethnic identity and confusion/colonialism (in this case British) and the long term personal outcomes/first generation versus second generation/ethic and religious stereotypes, et. al -- and makes it original. Think 'Crash' meets 'Babel' meets 'Towelhead'. But even that does not do the book justice. Smith uses humor and satire, stereotypes mixed with such dead on linguistical prose (her 'slang' is absolutely dead on accurate), characters who just barely cross the line between being believably realistic and representations of racial biases. I was completely smitten by Smith's style, humor and originality.

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Perfect Fifths

Perfect Fifths: A Novel by Megan McCafferty


My rating: 2 of 5 stars
*sigh*...I wish I could have given this book a higher rating. I've always thought that McCafferty's Jessica Darling books were touching, honest, heartfelt and extremely fun to read. Sadly, Ms. McCafferty (who has so much talent as a YA author and created probably the most realistic and believable characters since Judy Blume) completely phoned this one in. 'Perfect Fifths' was rushed, forced and eventually a huge let down for any reader who has been following the trials and tribulations of Jessica and Marcus over the years. There was some clever and funny dialogue, reminiscent of her earlier books, an attempt to recapture the nature of her fabulous characters, but overall the ending fell flat.


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The Four Corners of the Sky

3 out of 5 Stars
The perfect summer beach read. Con artists, airplanes, lovable characters, romance, family sagas, and even a touch of melodrama.

Last Exit To Brooklyn

5 out of 5 Stars
I find it extremely difficult to write about Hubert Selby Jr.'s books, let alone 'review' them. He is one of the few authors who I find so honest, so original, so heart breaking, so grotesque, and so 'anti mainstream'. Which is ironic now in 2009 -- the world has changed, people have changed, NYC has changed, society has become so divided between extreme liberals and extreme conservatives. I guess 'Last Exit To Brooklyn' will probably become 'trendy' soon, among Brooklyn hipsters, angsty 20 somethings, college students, and recent NYC implants. But one of the things I find so absolutely astonishing about 'Last Exit To Brooklyn' is that Selby wrote it (semi autobiographically) in 1964.
This book (or what is actually a poignant collection of short stories that tie together) made me empathize, sympathize, cry, laugh, cringe, and become transported to what I always assumed was 'life' in NYC in the 50s (unlike 'Revolutionary Road' where I felt no compassion to any of the characters).
Selby's characters are not always easy to like. Rapists, drug addicts, alcoholics, prostitutes...but through his writing he is able to (if only for a page or two) find a way for the reader to connect to and understand.
I guess what strikes me the most about this novel is that while it was written almost 50 years ago, very little has changed. And thank you, Mr. Selby, for documenting reality and not being afraid show the truth.

The Room

The Room by Hubert Selby Jr.

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is one of the only books I have ever read that made me outright nauseous. Selby's violent and brutal and graphic descriptions of revenge were so real and vivid that I had to keep putting this book down to clear my head. But the fact that an author is capable of making me feel such a strong and real queasiness makes me completely in awe of him. He holds nothing back in this book. Selby makes Bret Easton Ellis's writing seem PG 13. If I was forced to choose between being locked in a room with Patrick Bateman or the 'protagonist' of 'The Room', I'd take Bateman any day. There is absolutely no element of satire in 'The Room'. While the narrative switches from the reality of the protagonist (who remains nameless throughout) to his fantasy world of beating the system as a hero to his graphic and horrific revenge fantasies, he remains completely serious amd dead pan throughout. There is no sense of humor in the character, and while the novel does provide social commentary and critique on the justice system in America and police brutality, there is nothing humorous or tongue in cheek about it. It's difficult to say that I 'enjoyed' this book -- I wouldn't even allow my mom, who is also a big Hubert Selby Jr fan, to borrow it. I didn't want her to share the repulsion and nausea that I felt while reading it. I am in awe that a writer can make me feel such physical emotions from his words. I can't say I 'recommend' this book, but I do believe that it one I will keep in my library forever.


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Dark Places : A Novel

Dark Places: A Novel by Gillian Flynn

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
I love Gillian Flynn and was so excited to read her second book. After her original creepy/quirky first novel 'Sharp Objects', I was beyond excited to see what she would come up with next. And 'Dark Places' certainly lived up to my expectations. I was immediately drawn in by Libby Day, a complete anti hero -- rather unlikable but at the same time unapologetic and honest. I love how Flynn interweaves Libby's modern day story with the voices from her past (her mother and brother). This is a fabulous, disturbing, unique murder mystery. I can't wait to see what Gillian Flynn will write next!


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Requiem For A Dream

Requiem for a Dream by Hubert Selby Jr.

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
I could not put this book down. Selby's flowing and unpunctuated prose, his tragic characters who in spite of their 'flawed' habits remain so entirely likable, his graphic and realistic depiction of shattered dreams and lost hopes, are like being on a train that is certain to crash with no hope of escape. Selby writes about the struggle with addiction and how it gradually consumes the mind, the body, and the world around us. But unlike most authors who have tackled the same subject, Selby has created characters that are so vivid and realistic -- characters who we wouldn't give a second glance on the streets of NY -- and has made them so likable that when the ending sneaks up, I wanted to burst into tears.


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The Graveyard Book

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
As an educator, avid reader, and fan of children's literature, I am so happy that Neil Gaiman was awarded the Newbery Medal for this fantastic, haunting, and sophisticated book. Having only read Gaiman's 'Coraline' and 'Neverwhere', I was in awe of his ability to grasp so acutely the power of a child's imagination, their fears and hopes and comforts and language. I felt at times like I was ready a Grimm Fairy Tale (though in his afterword Gaiman writes that he was inspired by Kipling's Jungle Book). The story follows many motifs of a fairy tale. Namely escaping powerful and evil enemies, good versus evil and the fine line in between, freedom versus entrapment, etc. Midway through the novel, I began to feel like I was reading a series of short stories, tied together by the protagonist (Nobody 'Bod' Owens) but by the last chapter I had become so attached to the inhabitants in the graveyard, and especially to Bod himself, that the book came full circle. I own my own copy and I admit that, yes, the last five pages are tear stained -- tears of joy, mostly, to have been so moved by a characters' growth and understanding.


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We Were The Mulvaneys

We Were the Mulvaneys by Joyce Carol Oates

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
Sometimes the American Dream fails due to one event. A close knit and warmly truthful family may not be as close as they originally thought. People change, friends are not the people you thought they were, intelligence can only accomplish so much, and even on the surface what appears to be a deep familiar love may not be sustainable.



Oates draws the reader into the close knit family circle of The Mulvaney family, only to eventually rip away the facade. Life, love and family are fragile. And as a reader, I thrived on every sentence and description of the Mulvaney family. An event that at first seems harmful yet able to overcome becomes something so evil and sinister that it can destroy lives and tear apart the inner core of everything we believe to be true.








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The Possession Of Mr. Cave

The Possession of Mr Cave by Matt Haig

My review

rating: 3 of 5 stars
While at times I found this 'mystery' a bit overdramatic and filled with obvious metaphors which are overly drawn out, eventually Haig touches on a very real and very poignant issue -- how far will a parent go to protect his children and at what cost? If one reads this bizarre story as a metaphor for the anguish, fear, and eventual acceptance of a parents' coming to terms with his child's entry into the teenage/adult world, this is a strong novel. But if read as a 'mystery', I found it lacking and I thought the narrator was under developed.


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Zombie

Zombie by Joyce Carol Oates

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
Absolutely terrifying. This book was so disturbing that I had to read it in one sitting for fear that if I didn't finish it immediately, I might have been too horrified to finish it the next day. Quentin P is a sick man. But the brilliance of this novella lies in Oates's first person narrative -- as a writer she literally has entered the mind of mentally disturbed killer. His crimes are gruesome, but that is not what made this book get into my skin. It is Quentin's voice, his somber, at times child like and innocent description of his daily routine. And his complete lack of feeling or empathy for others. Very scary and very, very well written.


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Beasts (Otto Penzler Books)

Beasts by Joyce Carol Oates

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
Eerie, haunting, disturbing and yet satisfying and impossible to put down, 'Beasts' was probably not the ideal read on my most recent trip to a resort in Dubai. Still, I was drawn into the story (novella) and even identified with several of the characters (the fictitious Catamount College could so easily be Vassar) and their 'artistic flairs' which allow them to be so drawn in by the creepy Professor Harrow and his wife. This is a story of desire, of the drive to be noticed and singled out, of college students' entry exploration of love versus lust, beauty versus grotesque, honesty versus pretension, and how these lines are so easily blurred when one is living in a 'bubble' that is an east coast liberal arts college.



Of course, this novella slapped me in the face as it brought me back to my senior year, when art history was the most important subject in my life though I was hard at work directing a play which was an adaptation of Ovid's Metamorphoses for my thesis.


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My Sister, My Love

My Sister, My Love: The Intimate Story of Skyler Rampike by Joyce Carol Oates

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
Leave it to Oates to write a captivating, disturbing, enthralling and clever in (semi) first person narrative, not so subtly based on the murder of Jon Benet Ramsay. I love her use of literary devices (Skyler's footnotes, his memories which switch from first person to third person, her use of metaphor and symbolism in the characters' names) and her harsh yet brutally honest critique of suburban society, religion, family values, and the tabloids.


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Stalking Susan

Stalking Susan: A Novel by Julie Kramer

My review

rating: 2 of 5 stars
Not bad for a murder mystery. Held my interest throughout though the ending was predictable. Still, a fun read -- a great book for the beach, the subway, a long airplane flight, etc.


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Rape : A Love Story

Rape: A Love Story by Joyce Carol Oates

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
It's shocking and almost unforgiving that I have been on this earth for 30 years and have never read Joyce Carol Oates. Reading her entire cannon will soon become my latest addiction in 2009. So how do I review this novel? (note : I am writing this review after already having read 'Zombie' a few days ago). First of all, Joyce C Oates, where have you been all my life? And to my literary friends : Why did nobody tell me about the lyricism, harshness, brilliant POV changes, and upsetting yet beautiful prose? How dare you make me wait so long to discover this author!!!



It seems almost uncouth that I am saying these things while reviewing a novel titled 'Rape : A Love Story'. But that is exactly what it is. A brutal, disgusting, nauseating, angering crime, followed by a non existent trial (as Oates makes clear -- why bother). But yet -- in a disturbing but also innocent way (only could this have worked from Oates' second person POV of the young Bethie) -- it's a love story. Maybe a love story that should send second person narrative Bethie to therapy for the rest of her life. But the way Oates has concisely and sharply pointed her narrative like a sharp dagger (or worse) and then mixed the story with illegal justice and innocent motives, makes this novel disturbing, stunning and bitter sweet.






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Beautiful Boy

Beautiful Boy: A Father's Journey Through His Son's Meth Addiction by David Sheff

My review

rating: 3 of 5 stars
Once again, I wish that goodreads had an option for giving half star ratings, because I would have given 'Beautiful Boy' 3.5 stars (one half star more than I gave 'Tweak'). I think David Sheff's personal narrative about his struggle with his son's addiction deserves a half star more than Nic's personal memoirs. David is an adult, has been a journalist for many years, and has writing experience and life experience that make his memoir upsetting, frustrating, heartwarming and thoughtful. Nic's memoir reads like what it is -- a twenty something recovering addict who is still figuring things out. The two books compliment each other very well and I would strongly encourage anyone who has struggled with addiction, be it personally, as a relative or as a close friend, to read both of these books.

I am still very much impressed with the brutal honesty in both of these books. And as far as memoirs about addiction go, these two books are much more fact based than others I have read. I liked that David Sheff provided an excess of information about struggling with addiction and how to seek help. Sadly, the conclusion remains the same -- when it comes to battling the disease of addiction, at the current time there is no certain cure.


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Tweak: Growing Up on Methamphetamines

Tweak: Growing Up On Methamphetamines by Nic Sheff

My review

rating: 3 of 5 stars
I found this book at my mom's house in SF (my aunt left it there) and I probably wouldn't have it read it otherwise. I had nothing else to take with me on the 5 hour airplane back to NYC. I liked this enough to buy David Sheff's book 'Beautiful Boy' which I'll read when I finish Joyce Carol Oates. I appreciate Nic's honesty and his bravery in holding nothing back. I don't tend to like 'memoirs' about drug addiction and rehab, and Sheff is just so young to be writing about his experiences. I was hoping he would write more about his childhood experiences of living in a 'grown up world' and I was hoping he would write more about how his drug addiction and early rehab experiences destroyed his family. This is probably discussed in 'Beautiful Boy' (which I no doubt should have read first).


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I Know This Much Is True

I Know This Much Is True by Wally Lamb

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
Identical twins. One is schizophrenic and one is not. And that barely even skims the surface of Wally Lamb's beautiful, questioning, and poignant second novel.



Wally Lamb's books are long. At 900 pages, 'I Know This Much Is True' is only a bit shorter than 'War and Peace'. I guess I've been reading his novels out of sequence (I started with 'The Hour I First Believed' and have not yet read 'She's Come Undone'). I love his prose. I love his constant soul searching blended intriguingly with historical fiction and epic family sagas. Yes, his metaphors get repetitive after 500 pages, but I don't mind. It's well worth it to find such a gripping novel which covers so much ground. I found myself wanting more. I didn't want this book to end.



This novel is not as polished as Eugenides' 'Middlesex' but Lamb's attention to detail and his creation of complex and believable characters and their struggles with self discovery are so moving. Finding peace through self discovery -- something we all seek and strive to achieve.






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The Rapture of Canaan

The Rapture of Canaan by Sheri Reynolds

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
I'm becoming quite a fan of Sheri Reynolds. This is the second novel of hers (I read The Sweet In Between in December) that I have read and I love that her books center on very heavy issues while keeping an enrapturing flow of innocence -- mostly due to the first person narratives of the teenage protagonists. Reynolds never veers off the subject nor does she get repetitive or provide too much exposition. She provides the reader with fabulous and disturbing images -- building up to the eventual climax. In 'The Rapture of Canaan', she creates a religious commune that is so realistic and terrifying, a world that most likely *does* exist somewhere in America. But religion aside, assimilation with society, beliefs that are forced upon children by their parents, and coming of age are topics that are relevant to everyone, and *that* is what makes this book so powerful.


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Breaking Dawn

Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer

My review

rating: 2 of 5 stars
This was my least favorite book of the Twilight Saga. Stephenie Meyer uses over 700 pages of text to slowly, slowly attempt to reach a climax and ending, which I found dull and disappointing.



*SPOILERS*!!!

Once Bella becomes a vampire the novel (and series) lost it's original thread. What I found most intriguing about the first three books is how Bella is rooted in two seperate worlds -- one of myth and fantasy and one of high school reality. I thought this concept made the novels readable and showed Bella as a likable protagonist.



But her marriage to Edward? And then the birth of Renesmee? And Jacob's imprinting? And the alliance between shape shifters and vampires? And finally, FINALLY, the return of the Volturi (I waited and waited for more in depth Volturi description which was never given). Meyer turned an original idea into her own version of Harry Potter and it was uninteresting and far less creative and dramatic than the previous Twilight books.


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Eclipse (The Twilight Saga, Book 3)

Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer

My review

rating: 3 of 5 stars
Eclipse is much the same as the first two books which is both good and bad. Meyer has created an original and complex world in Forks, WA mixing supernatural with human emotions. Her characters are well developed and in this third installment we see quite a lot of growth and change (literally and spiritually) in the character of Jacob. I like the love triangle but I find the constant Bella/Edward -doubting of whether they deserve each other or are good for each other - to be a little repetitive. Eclipse devotes entire chapters to 'story telling' -- ie. Emmett's background, Rosalie's background and further history of the Quiluetes,all of which I find very interesting. I appreciate that Meyer has maintained her own interpretation of vampires and werewolves -- it would have been easy to fall into copying ideas from Anne Rice and Charlaine Harris.


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New Moon (The Twilight Saga Book 2)

New Moon by Stephenie Meyer

My review

rating: 3 of 5 stars
I just can't stop -- these books are waaaay too addicting. And now on to book 3...


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The Same Stuff As Stars

The Same Stuff as Stars by Katherine Paterson

My review

rating: 3 of 5 stars
I bought this book at the airport in Jordan because it was, literally, the only decent thing for sale in English. It's not as striking as 'The Great Gilly Hopkins' or as intricate as 'Bridge to Terebithia' but it had some touching moments. It's a YA book that I would recommend more for middle schoolers than for adults who enjoy YA.


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The Hour I First Believed

The Hour I First Believed: A Novel by Wally Lamb

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
If Goodreads allowed readers to give half stars, I would have given this novel 3.5 stars. I bumped up my rating to 4 stars because I think overall this was an interesting and thought provoking read. I immediately took to the voice of the narrator Caelum Quirk. I like his name, his background and (up until the last 200 pages or so) his journey. The book starts off very promisingly -- a character who is unknowingly searching for his sense of self, a traumatic experience in his current life, and a journey to confront a troubled past and family history. This is a lot for an author to tackle in one novel but I think Wally lamb could have surmised Caleum's 'journey' in 500 pages (as opposed to the over 700 pages of the novel). Lamb's metaphors and themes of The Butterfly Effect, The Maze, and how the past affects the future are incredibly poignant for the first half of the novel. But Lamb gets repetitive as the book progresses -- he repeats his themes over and over, as though he is hitting the reader over the head with the obvious. Still, it was an enjoyable read overall. I loved the history of the prison and passages that delve into the past -- ultimately allowing Caelum to confront and come to terms with himself and his history.


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Twilight

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

My review

rating: 3 of 5 stars
I confess, this book was extremely addicting. Does Stephanie Meyer somehow infuse crack in the printing process. I wanted to scoff at the book and use it as proof that young adult literature is no longer 'readable'. But I found myself completely ensconced in the romance between Edward and Bella. I love that the novel remains 'steamy' while keeping a firm PG rating. I was very much drawn in by the members of Edward's family and now (even though it is somewhat embarrassing to admit), I plan to read the rest of the series.


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The Sweet In-Between

The Sweet In-Between by Sheri Reynolds

My review

rating: 3 of 5 stars
While this book contains elements of dark and disturbing trauma, it reads a touching and rather sweet coming-of-age story. I was immediately taken by the setting (Virginia), the characters' realistic and often humorous dialogue, and mostly by the protagonist, Kendra (Kenny). A quick read but certainly one that is honest, at times heart breaking but mostly positive and uplifting.


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Coraline

Coraline by Neil Gaiman

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
More of a short story than a full length young adult novel, I was completely swept away by 'Coraline' (in the hour it took me to read it). Coraline is a strong, independent young lady -- a positive role model for any child. The story itself is almost like Danielewski's 'House of Leaves' toned down for a young audience. It's not as stunning as a Grimm Fairy Tale, or as complex as Harry Potter, but I think that children (and adults alike) will take something away as a result of reading Coraline. Some of Gaiman's literary images are stunningly creepy, particularly the 'other' theater that plays on and on and on and the neighbors are eternally young -- an image that would be well suited to a Lynch film. I'm eager to see what Henry Selick does with the film.


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Revolutionary Road

Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates

My review

rating: 2 of 5 stars
Richard Yates's novel about the frustrations of suburban life in 1950s did not strike me as particularly shocking or moving in any way. The novel itself is very cold -- none of the characters are likeable, their struggles seem mundane, and the ending took far too long to reach. I was hoping for more. I'm curious to see what Sam Mendes does with the film -- the novel has many similarities to 'American Beauty' without the startling descriptive images or character development.


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