Xpress Reviews—First Look at New Books

-- Library Journal, 4/7/2008 3:55:00 PM

Week of April 8, 2008

Fiction | Nonfiction

Fiction

Dahl, Sophie. Playing with the Grown-Ups. Nan A. Talese: Doubleday. Apr. 2008. c.288p. ISBN 978-0-385-52461-2. $24. F
Verdict: This semi-autobiographical debut novel by the daughter of writer Tessa Dahl and the granddaughter of British author Roald Dahl and actress Patricia Neal reads partly like a youthful memoir and partly like a very sophisticated young adult novel. It should be popular with female readers, especially those under 40. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 1/08.]
Background: A pretty, statuesque teenager named Kitty is taken away by her flighty mother from her loving Swedish grandparents, who live in the English countryside with their daughters and grandchildren. An artist perpetually in pursuit of some sort of enlightenment, the beautiful, alluring, and free-spirited Marina brings Kitty along as she moves back and forth from London to New York. Though Kitty and her younger twin siblings have practically had to raise themselves—Marina seems to suffer from both manic depression and drug addiction—they remain devoted to their troubled mother.—Leslie Patterson, Brown Univ. Lib., Providence

French, Nicci. Losing You: A Thriller. Minotaur: St. Martin's. Apr. 2008. c.304p. ISBN 978-0-312-37538-6. $23.95. F
Verdict: While this book gets off to a slow start, in time the pace and tension accelerate as the identity of Charlie’s abductor remains deliciously uncertain. This is a quick, enjoyable read, the ninth offering by "Nicci French," the pseudonym for husband-and-wife team Nicci Gerrard and Sean French.
Background: Nina should be driving to the London Heathrow airport with her family to catch a flight to the Florida Keyes, but she is delayed by the absence of her daughter Charlie, who has not returned home from a slumber party. At first irritated, then increasingly concerned as Charlie’s absence continues, Nina tries to retrace her daughter’s steps. As it becomes clear to Nina that her daughter may be in danger, she reexamines all of her assumptions about Charlie and the people in her life and becomes frustrated with the seemingly glacial pace of the police’s investigation.—Amelia Brunskill, Dickinson Coll., Carlisle, PA

Gille, Elisabeth. Shadows of a Childhood. New Pr., dist. by Norton. 2008. c.160p. tr. from French by Linda Coverdale. ISBN 978-1-59558-356-7. pap. $14.95. F
Verdict: As with all great writing, this book is not about just one subject, the Holocaust, but about an entire society and an entire era, and in this sense its appeal is universal. Utterly essential.
Background: A leading French literary editor who died in 1996, Gille was the daughter of Irène Némirovsky, whose Suite Française caused a literary sensation in 2006. She first published Shadows in French, years before the manuscript of Suite Française was discovered. Though each has a distinctive voice, daughter and mother both write in the same elegant, uncompromising, all-seeing style that sears the heart with the truths of the human condition. The French title, Un Paysage de Cendres ("Landscape of Ashes") is in fact more apt than the English. Gille tells the story, beautifully translated by Coverdale, of two youngsters (one a Jewish refugee) sequestered in a Bordeaux convent during World War II. Bénédicte and Léa survive the war, and Gille traces their lives through young adulthood in Paris. The English translation of this work first appeared in the 1990s, and even libraries with the older edition should snap up this sparkling new edition.—Edward Cone, New York

Jones, Sadie. The Outcast. Harper: HarperCollins. 2008. c.352p. ISBN 978-0-06-137403-6. $24.95. F
Verdict: First-time novelist Jones offers a story that is raw with pain and tension and filled with psychologically complex characters. There is room for improvement, however. Portions of the narrative come across as overwrought, and while the ending is redemptive, it feels slightly rushed.
Background: From the first page, Jones creates suspense surrounding the life of Lewis Aldridge and those with whom he comes into contact. Lewis loses his mother in a tragic accident as a young boy and is left to suffer alone; he receives no comfort from either his emotionally aloof father or his inexperienced and youthful stepmother. Jones’s sparse prose and unrelenting focus on Lewis’s emotional and psychological downward spiral is reminiscent of the power found in Booker Award–winning author John Banville’s The Sea.—Dora Wagner, Northwestern Coll., Saint Paul, MN

Kane, Andrea. Twisted. Morrow. Apr. 2008. c.336p. ISBN 978-0-06-123678-5. $23.95. F
Verdict: Romantic elements, which can sometimes jar in thrillers, work in this example of the genre, balancing out Sloane and Derek's investigation. And while the sections told from the point of view of the villain are a bit overdone, Kane does a nice job of keeping the reader guessing as to his identity. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 12/07.] For Kane fans and other followers of romantic thrillers.
Background: In the first entry of her new romantic thriller series, Kane (Dark Room) introduces ex-FBI agent Sloane Burbank and her former lover, special agent Derek Parker. A year after sustaining a hand injury that forced her to leave her FBI job, Sloane is still getting therapy and working as a consultant. When the parents of a childhood friend ask her to look into their daughter’s disappearance, Sloane must work with Derek once again. What starts out as an investigation into one missing woman soon escalates into a full-scale operation as it becomes clear that many more women have vanished.—Jane Jorgenson, Madison, P.L., WI

Stone, David. The Orpheus Deception. Putnam. Apr. 2008. c.480p. ISBN 978-0-399-15463-8. $25.95. F
Verdict: In this fast-paced and expertly plotted sequel to Stone’s The Echelon Vendetta, CIA "cleaner" Micah Dalton is again on the run. With the reader’s disbelief competently suspended, this book is hard to put down and is likely to have Stone’s fans agitating for more Dalton.
Background: The tension begins at once in Venice, where Dalton suffers a near-fatal wound. The action then moves to Singapore, the South China Sea, and elsewhere as the ever-bleeding Dalton skirmishes with romance, attempts to rescue an imprisoned fellow agent, survives revenge attacks by gangsters, and avoids possible assassination by his own organization. Including ingenious stabbings, group slaughters, eviscerated bodies, enthusiastic machine gunnery, uncommon explosions, bone-crushing kung-fu moves, and poisonous spiders, the violence is juicily graphic. The "deception" of the title is designed to bring enormous wealth to its crime-boss planner. But Dalton gets in the way. The story is hemi-demi-realistic, not charitable to intelligence bureaucracies but tolerant of honorable military and police.—Jonathan Pearce, California State Univ. at Stanislaus, Stockton, CA

Nonfiction

Agatston, Arthur, M.D., with Joseph Signorile. The South Beach Diet Super Charged: Faster Weight Loss and Better Health for Life. Rodale. May 2008. c.368p. photogs. index. ISBN 978-1-59486-457-5. $25.95. HEALTH
Verdict: Presented in a breezy, conversational tone and including detailed day-by-day exercise and eating plans, this expanded version of the already popular South Beach weight-loss plan is improved by the more holistic emphasis on exercise and an overall healthy lifestyle. However, the exercise plan may not be challenging enough for experienced exercisers, and those readers primarily interested in the diet and meal plans will probably be happy with the original book.
Background: Cardiologist Agatston (The South Beach Diet) continues his ongoing series of diet books based on his three-phase eating plan that requires replacing high-glycemic carbs and "bad" fats with low-glycemic carbs and heart-healthy fats. While this work occasionally updates Agatston’s diet recommendations with recent research findings, the most important addition here is an exercise plan designed in consultation with exercise physiologist Signorile (Univ. of Miami) that includes interval walking and strengthening and toning exercises. The clearly explained and illustrated exercise regimen is suited to beginners, with three phases of gradually increasing intensity that are supposed to increase metabolism.—Ingrid Levin, Salve Regina Univ. Lib., Newport, RI

Dyregrov, Atle. Grief in Children: A Handbook for Adults. 2d ed. Jessica Kingsley. May 2008. c.208p. index. ISBN 978-1-84310-612-8. pap. $24.95. CHILD REARING
Verdict: While there are many excellent titles on helping children cope with grief, Dyregrov’s book is recommended for its solid grounding in psychology and its reasoned, jargon-free advice. More academic in approach than its competitors, it will nonetheless act as an extremely valuable resource for parents as well as professionals who work with children.
Background: Dyregov, a clinical psychologist with a specialization in crisis psychology, discusses children’s reactions to and understanding of death and crisis at different stages of development. He covers how children react to different types of death (e.g., the death of a parent, a friend, a sibling; suicide) and the roles that gender, relationship, and age play in informing those reactions. The longest chapters cover guidelines for helping children cope with grief and how to help children in a play group or school situation handle the news and aftermath of a death. This second edition includes more anecdotes relating actual children’s experiences, plus more information on children’s reactions to traumatic death. Appendixes list relevant web sites and recommended books to share with children.—Rachel Q. Davis, Thomas Memorial Lib., Cape Elizabeth, ME

Egeland, Jan. A Billion Lives: An Eyewitness Report from the Frontlines of Humanity. S. & S. 2008. c.364p. photogs. maps. index. ISBN 978-1-4165-6096-8. $27. INT AFFAIRS
Verdict: Egeland’s clear, measured prose suits his treatment of both areas of his work. Readers with an interest in world affairs and politics will get the most out of his book, but it should see a decent amount of general interest as well. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 11/15/07.]
Background: When Egeland was a teenager growing up in his native Norway, he saw on television a Colombian priest inviting "Norwegian youth with a social conscience" to do volunteer work in Colombia. He eagerly signed up, which thus began a lifetime of work dedicated to promoting international peace. This book focuses on his time at the United Nations, when he attempted to resolve humanitarian crises of every imaginable type, from the Indonesian tsunami to mass kidnappings by armed militia. Egeland’s work often took him from bureaucratic meetings, press conferences, and subcommittees at posh offices in New York and London to face-to-face encounters with some of the world’s most dangerous and sinister outlaws, many of whom stand accused of war crimes and other various atrocities.—John Helling, Bloomfield-Eastern Greene Cty. P.L., IN

Gold, Scott. The Shameless Carnivore: A Manifesto for Meat Lovers. Broadway. Mar. 2008. c.368p. ISBN 978-0-7679-2651-5. $24.95. COOKERY
Verdict: The biggest beef with this work is that the author attempts to address too much, which results in passages that are unfocused and makes the intended audience unclear. Additionally, one man’s yearlong meat-loving lifestyle doesn’t always make for interesting reading.
Background: In his first book, former literary agent Gold explores the complexities surrounding the choice to eat meat. He spent a year researching everything from ethical issues to dietary, anthropological, and medical findings regarding a carnivorous lifestyle—one which he clearly enjoys. The bulk of the book chronicles his self-described month of meat, in which he ate 31 kinds of meat, including exotic cuts like yak and rattlesnake. Gold intertwines research with a lighthearted and sarcastic style, but this approach doesn’t quite succeed.—Christine Holmes, San Jose State Univ. Lib., CA

Kenrick, John. Musical Theatre: A History. Continuum. 2008. c.424p. illus. index. ISBN 978-0-8264-2860-8. $39.95. THEATER
Verdict: Kenrick, although enthusiastic, overwhelms the reader with his broad scope. Even the core material—the decade-by-decade survey of New York’s Great White Way—feels long and aimless. Look to Kenrick’s wonderful bibliography for more entertaining if opinionated books by Ethan Mordden, among others.
Background: Ever the cockeyed optimist, Kenrick refuses to mourn the past "golden age of musicals," arguing that this art form always has and always will adapt to audience tastes. To demonstrate his theory, he has converted his popular web site into a whirlwind play-by-play of the history of musical theater from ancient Greece to 2006. Readers learn about the musical through many of its permutations: opéra comique, operetta, burlesque, variety, vaudeville, minstrelsy, even Greek tragedy. The real focus, of course, is Broadway. (Index not seen.)—Brian McMillan, Marvin Duchow Music Lib., McGill Univ., Montreal, Quebec

Mitchell, Tedd, M.D., & others. Move Yourself: The Cooper Clinic Medical Director's Guide to All the Healing Benefits of Exercise (Even a Little!). Wiley. May 2008. 288p. index. ISBN 978-0-470-04223-6. $24.95. HEALTH
Verdict: Although the mantra of "movement cures all" may become a bit tiresome, the authors' well-balanced approach and substantial use of medical literature hold validity. Dieters of varying fitness levels who are tired of the same-old "miracle cures" may find this refreshing.
Background: The proliferation of books on diet, nutrition, and exercise has made it difficult to determine fact from fiction. Mitchell (medical director, Cooper Wellness Program, Cooper Clinic) and Tim Church (preventative medicine, Louisiana State Univ.) promote the approach that small steps can lead to large changes, documenting their observations and recommendations with references from respected peer-reviewed literature. Using examples from their personal lives and professional practices, the authors provide examples of dramatic transformations affecting the health of individuals who have increased their activity. Additionally, they supply suggested nutritional plans to follow as activity levels increase.—Lori Gluckman Winterfeldt, SUNY Maritime Coll. Lib., Bronx, NY

Patoski, Joe Nick. Willie Nelson: An Epic Life. Little, Brown. Apr. 2008. c.576p. photogs. index. discog. ISBN 978-0-316-01778-7. $27.99. MUSIC
Verdict: An expansive, engrossing, and epic look at the life of a true American icon. Required reading for music fans and scholars.
Background: Former Texas Monthly writer Patoski infuses his biography of Willie Nelson with an encyclopedic knowledge of Texas history that deftly illuminates the depth of influence the land and people of Texas had in shaping Nelson. Hundreds of interviews are seamlessly interwoven as Patoski traces Nelson's journey from young musical prodigy raised by his grandparents in Abbot, TX, to fledgling songwriter flush with the early success of "Crazy." Nelson’s perilous, unsuccessful navigation of the Nashville country music establishment is thoroughly recounted, as is his redemptive relocation to Austin, where he recorded organic, successful albums like Red Headed Stranger that cemented his status as a visionary musician and resourceful outsider. The author’s deep, intimate knowledge of Texas and informed love of country music add layers of nuance and detail to his portrait of the complex singer.—Dennis J. Seese, Jefferson-Madison Regional Lib., Charlottesville, VA

Weller, Sheila. Girls Like Us: Carole King, Joni Mitchell, Carly Simon—and the Journey of a Generation. Atria: S. & S. Apr. 2008. c.544p. photogs. bibliog. index. discog. ISBN 978-0-7434-9147-1. $27.95. MUSIC
Verdict: Weller provides a much-needed female perspective on the early 1970s singer-songwriters, using the experience of her three subjects as a microcosm of the emerging feminist movement and the high-flying music industry. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 12/07.]
Background: Best-selling author Weller (Dancing at Ciro’s: A Family’s Love, Loss, and Scandal on the Sunset Strip) has conducted dozens of insider interviews to illuminate the lives, music, and times of Carole King, Carly Simon, and Joni Mitchell. She starts by uncovering the underpinnings of the women’s emotional distress: King’s marriage and motherhood as a teen; Mitchell giving away her child for adoption; and Simon trying to cope with a distant and largely absent father. After setting the stage, the author methodically chronicles the commercial success and critical acclaim accorded to the threesome that reached a high point during the early 1970s heyday of the sensitive singer-songwriter. She also relates the numerous, heartbreaking loves of the three women, linking their journeys to the rise of sexual liberation and the feminist ethos. In the most compelling aspect of the book, Weller weaves a fascinating story of driven, ambitious, tortured, and unhappy women caught in the web of success in the sexist, cutthroat corporate music machine of the 1970s that specialized in multiplatinum hits, short careers, and ruined lives.—Dave Szatmary, Univ. of Washington, Seattle

Young, Bruce K., M.D., & Amy Zavatto. Miscarriage, Medicine & Miracles: Everything You Need To Know About Miscarriage. Bantam. May 2008. c.352p. illus. index. ISBN 978-0-553-80550-5. $25. HEALTH
Verdict: Young never sugarcoats the effort needed to maintain difficult pregnancies but serves as a compassionate guide. There is no shortage of miscarriage books, but his guide stands out owing to his widely recognized expertise.
Background: One of the first physicians to help women with serious medical conditions have children, Young (Silverman Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, NYU Medical Ctr.) performed the first endoscopic fetal surgery in New York state. With the help of freelance writer Zavatto, he provides up-to-date facts about pregnancy loss, which may give hope to couples for whom successful pregnancy might seem impossible. Problems and treatment options are presented through vignettes about patients’ successful outcomes. The text is clear and logical, incorporating helpful definitions of terms and concepts, including some diagrams and charts. Twenty-six chapters, including an FAQ, cover topics such as preparing for pregnancy, anatomical abnormalities, disease and environmental hazards, and advice on coping with the emotional toll of miscarriage. Young frequently advises readers to consult health-care practitioners for specific answers and advice; he puts widely held myths to rest, citing statistics and personal experience.—Lois K. Merry, Keene State Coll., NH