Fiction Reviews, Jun 1, 2011
June 1, 2011Abbott, Megan. The End of Everything. Reagan Arthur: Little, Brown. Jul. 2011. c.256p. ISBN 9780316097796. $23.99. F
Thirteen-year-old Lizzie Hood is the last person to see her best friend, Evie, before she disappears. They’ve been inseparable for years, and Lizzie knows everything about her—or does she? Lizzie knows enough to pursue clues the police dismiss, but in all her reflections there are flashes of darker moments and unsettling questions. Her narration is full of quick glimpses of another story, just there on the edges, that create layers of suspense. Has Evie been abducted, or has her fierce older sister driven her to run away? Just how safe and perfect is the family next door? VERDICT Edgar Award winner Abbott (Queenpin) offers a fascinating twist on the coming-of-age story, blending a tale of young women just discovering their sexuality with suspense and plenty of plot twists. [See Prepub Alert, 1/17/11.]—Jan Blodgett, Davidson Coll., NC
Bass, Elizabeth. Wherever Grace Is Needed. Kensington. Jun. 2011. c.352p. ISBN 9780758235121. pap. $15. F
Grace Oliver is a product of a broken home, but she never quit loving the father and half brothers she left years ago when her mother took her to Oregon. Grace’s boyfriend has just moved in, and her music store needs attention, but when her father, Lou, breaks his leg, she returns to Austin, TX, to care for him. There, problems pile up. Lou is in the early stages of Alzheimer’s, and two of the West kids next door, whose mother and sister died in an accident the previous year, depend on Lou’s house as a refuge. Jordan, the oldest, blames herself for the tragedy, while Jordan’s father uses Grace as a sounding board. Grace may have been the odd one out in both of her families, but she’s finally found a place where she’s needed. VERDICT Bass (Miss You Most of All) introduces wonderful needy characters who discover their untapped strength. The teens and their relationships are particularly well developed. Kristin Hannah fans and readers attracted to Lisa Genova’s novels about Alzheimer’s and other brain disorders (Still Alice; Left Neglected) will appreciate this novel. Definitely buy for readers who demand character growth and relationships in their fiction.—Lesa Holstine, Glendale P.L., AZ
Bauermeister, Erica. Joy for Beginners. Putnam. Jun. 2011. c.269p. ISBN 9780399157127. $24.95. F
Following an 18-month cancer battle, Kate just wants to get back to normal. Still, her six friends decide to throw her a victory party. Kate mentions that her daughter has signed up the two of them for a Grand Canyon raft trip next summer. She is terrified at the prospect, but the others think it’s a great challenge for her. Oh, really? Kate responds with a challenge for each of them. And so we begin. In seven chapters, we get to know this mostly Seattle-based cohort: who they are, how they met, and why their perfectly synced tasks—from baking bread to taking a trip to getting a tattoo—tap into their vulnerabilities and strengths and make them women we would all want to know if not actually want to be. It’s not just another novel about cancer. VERDICT Bauermeister ( The School of Essential Ingredients ) has created a cast of textured and nuanced characters who individually and as a group speak to what makes women interesting and enigmatic. Her prose is velvety smooth, revealing life at once mournful and auspicious. Joyful, indeed. Highly recommended for those fascinated by fresh fiction. [National tour; online reading group guide; see Prepub Alert, 11/29/10. For another novel exploring similar themes, see also Sarah Strohmeyer’s Kindred Spirits , reviewed on p. 94.—Ed.] —Bette-Lee Fox, Library Journal
Bhattacharya, Rahul. The Sly Company of People Who Care. Farrar. 2011. c.288p. ISBN 9780374265854. $26. F
A cricket journalist and native of India, Bhattacharya sets his first novel in Guyana, and his narrator (whose name is not revealed until about 30 pages shy of the end) shares the author’s homeland and profession. The first third of this richly detailed novel is a challenging read that follows the narrator as he journeys through Guyana and encounters a variety of characters, primarily East Indians, Africans, Amerindians, Portuguese, and Chinese. These characters, with names such as Baby, Roots, and Labba, speak an equally interesting mix of English, Guyanese, Creole, and East Indian. When the narrator meets 21-year-old Jan(key), his adventures heat up as the pair explore each other along with forays into Brazil and Venezuela. VERDICT While providing readers with a unique look at a country seldom featured in fiction, this generally well-written piece definitely requires patience to sift through, given the challenges of the local language and meandering plot. Avid readers of fictional travelogs filled with local flavor may find this of interest.—Shirley N. Quan, Orange Cty. P.L., Santa Ana, CA
Bird, Sarah. The Gap Year. Knopf. Jul. 2011. c.320p. ISBN 9780307592798. $25.95. F
Traditionally, a gap year is a year taken by a young adult after secondary school and before starting college. However, in Bird’s latest novel, the title alludes to the break in a mother-daughter relationship during the daughter’s senior year of high school. Single mom Camilla feels her daughter, Aubrey, beginning to pull away from her, especially after Aubrey embarks on a romance with classmate Tyler. Add in the sudden reappearance of Aubrey’s father, who years ago left the family to join a cultlike religion (it might sound familiar to fans of certain Hollywood types), and gaps in this family open and close at blinding speed. The narrative alternates between Camilla’s current perspective over the course of a few days and Aubrey’s retelling of the previous year. This technique makes for a compelling read and builds to a satisfying and surprisingly tender conclusion. VERDICT Not as outrageously comedic or over the top as Bird’s How Perfect Is That, this title is wry and funny, with a more grounded story. Sure to please Bird’s fans and readers struggling with their own mother-daughter issues.—Amy Watts, Univ. of Georgia Lib., Athens
Block, Stefan Merrill. The Storm at the Door. Random. Jun. 2011. c.368p. ISBN 9781400069453. $25. F
Katharine and Frederick Merrill married shortly before Frederick’s brief service in World War II, which ended when he was discharged for erratic behavior. After his return home, his efforts as a father and a husband failed miserably, and Katharine, despairing and feeling betrayed, was forced to commit him to Mayflower, an upscale mental hospital, to keep him out of jail. Moving back and forth in time, Block (The Story of Forgetting) takes as his framework his grandparents’ volatile marriage, splitting his narrative between Katharine’s life as a struggling single mother in the 1960s and Frederick’s life in a hospital of brilliant, creative, mentally ill men at the mercy of a dangerous director whose failed attempt to silence Frederick leads to horrific tragedy. VERDICT Taking a true story and building an imagined world of love, mental illness, and the quiet evil of a weak man with power, Block demands a reader’s full attention so as not to miss a single, searing moment.—Beth E. Andersen, Ann Arbor Dist. Lib., MI
Bradley, Jane. You Believers. Unbridled. 2011. c.416p. ISBN 9781609530464. $25.95. F
This first novel by short story author Bradley is a masterly addition to the bad-things-happen-to-beautiful-people thriller genre. It has all the elements: the competent investigator, in this case the steely Shelby Waters, a petite woman from down-home Tennessee who devotes her life to finding missing persons after her sister was kidnapped and murdered, and the nail-biting buildup, as we follow two young women who are stalked by Jesse, a psychopathic killer. Hired by the mother of Jesse’s first victim, Shelby marshals volunteers to post flyers and search the countryside, shepherds the police on the case, and guides the mother through the agonizing wait until her daughter’s fate is known. Bradley treads a fine line between the realistic and the supernatural; Shelby displays an almost paranormal bond with victims, and Jesse seems to be evil personified, yet the police do most of the legwork, and Jesse’s behavior has roots in his parents’ crack use. VERDICT A compelling crime story and a credible picture of the intersection of rural poverty and the New South. A broad audience will like this, including readers of Jodi Picoult and James Patterson.—Reba Leiding, James Madison Univ. Libs., Harrisonburg, VA
Briscoe, Connie. Money Can’t Buy Love. Grand Central. Jun. 2011. c.304p. ISBN 9780446534840. $24.99. F
Briscoe (Sisters & Lovers; Sisters & Husbands) returns with the rags-to-riches-to-rags tale of Lenora Stone, a magazine photographer who is barely scraping by financially. Her condo is tiny, bills are unpaid, and her man, Gerald, doesn’t want to commit. Compounding these problems are her demanding boss, Dawna, and a smoldering lust for Ray, the hot young landscaper she is assigned to photograph for a feature story. When Lenora wins $5 million in the Maryland lottery, the world is at her fingertips. She can afford to buy a luxury car, a mansion, and open her own studio. Predictably, the money goes fast, and Lenora is caught in a tryst with landscaper Ray. It’s a thin plot with a rushed ending, but indulgent readers will likely empathize with the hapless Lenora. VERDICT Fans of Briscoe, frothy chick lit, and African American pop fiction will enjoy this as a quick summer read.—Sally Harrison, Ocean Cty. Lib., Waretown, NJ
Diffenbaugh, Vanessa. The Language of Flowers. Ballantine. Sept. 2011. c.336p. ISBN 9780345525543. $25. F
Diffenbaugh’s debut novel opens on Victoria Jones’s 18th birthday, which coincides with her emancipation from California’s foster care system. Abandoned at birth, Victoria has grown up in a string of bad foster homes, except for the one year she spent with Elizabeth, a vineyard owner who taught her the meaning of flowers. Alternating between Victoria’s brief time with Elizabeth and her unsteady attempt to face life as an adult with little education and less experience, Diffenbaugh weaves together the two narratives using the Victorian language of flowers that ultimately helps shape Victoria’s future as she grapples with a painful decision from her past. VERDICT Victoria might be her own worst enemy, but her defensiveness and self-doubt as a foster child and her desire to live beyond what she was thought capable of will sway readers toward her favor. Fans of Janet Fitch’s White Oleander will enjoy this solid and well-written debut, which is also certain to be a hit with book clubs. [National marketing campaign reflects strong in-house buzz; rights sold in 22 countries; Diffenbaugh will be a featured speaker at the May 24 BEA Random House/LJ Book and Author Breakfast, bit.ly/gOEPwy.—Ed.]—Mara Dabrishus, Ursuline Coll., Pepper Pike, OH
Dugoni, Robert. Murder One. Touchstone: S. & S. Jun. 2011. c.384p. ISBN 9781451606690. $24.99. F
David Slone (Bodily Harm) is slowly rebuilding his life after his wife’s murder. He runs into Barclay Reid, a beautiful attorney and an old legal adversary. Reid is also grieving; her daughter died from a drug overdose. They start dating, but Reid is obsessed with the man she believes caused her daughter’s death, so when he gets off on a technicality, Reid decides to go after him via a civil suit with the famous “Jury Master” himself, Slone, as her new lawyer. The romance flourishes until the drug kingpin ends up dead, and Reid is arrested for his murder. Slone reluctantly tackles her defense, his first time in a criminal courtroom, but Reid isn’t always forthcoming, and Slone finds his case unraveling. After his investigator uncovers some troubling evidence, the suspense really ratchets up a notch until the final, surprise ending. VERDICT Tight plotting and well-developed characters push Dugoni to the head of the legal thriller pack in what is probably his finest book to date. John Grisham and Scott Turow fans should add Dugoni to their list of must-reads.—Stacy Alesi, Palm Beach Cty. Lib. Syst., Boca Raton, FL
Figueras, Marcelo. Kamchatka. Black Cat: Grove. 2011. c.312p. tr. from Spanish by Frank Wynne. ISBN 9780802170873. pap. $14.95. F
Bookstores are stocked full of bildungsromans, stories of exile, and political thrillers. Here, novelist, journalist, and screenwriter Figueras attempts to combine all three. The novel’s narrator, a ten-year-old boy in Buenos Aires in 1976, knows and cares very little about the political situation or the dangers that force his family to skip town. Instead, he cares, like any other kid, about the ingredients of childhood—his best friend, Harry Houdini, and comic books. This tension between true danger and the boy’s ignorance is fascinating. We learn of his parents’ troubles—they are being hunted by the government for supporting the opposition—only through fragments of overheard conversation and our young narrator’s educated guesses. The boy doesn’t understand the gravity, so he fights for normalcy. Only in retrospect—too late—does he understand what his parents sacrificed for him. VERDICT Overwrought passages and long-winded philosophical asides—the adult narrator looking back—keep the reader from fully entering or caring about the story. In the end, this work doesn’t stand out from similarly themed novels like The Kite Runner (more urgent) or Life of Pi (more original).—Stephen Morrow, Ohio Univ., Athens
Gardiner, Meg. The Nightmare Thief. Dutton. Jul. 2011. c.368p. ISBN 9780525952213. $25.95. F
When forensic psychiatrist Jo Beckett and her partner, Gabe Quintana, in the course of an investigation come across six teenagers being corralled by a suspicious group of men for a “wilderness adventure,” she senses that something is amiss. Far from being reassured when the teenagers tell her that they are simply part of a mock kidnapping designed to celebrate spoiled rich girl Autumn Reiniger’s entrance into adulthood, Jo is anxious to depart and investigate further. Before they can leave, confusion erupts, and Jo and Gabe become unwitting members of the birthday group. They have ample experience surviving the elements, luckily, because they must formulate a daring plan to rescue the teenagers and unmask the players behind the kidnapping before it is too late. VERDICT In her eighth novel, Gardiner (The Dirty Secrets Club) spins a thrilling, fast-paced tale about what can happen when we tempt fate. Fans of Iris Johansen will enjoy Jo Beckett’s propensity for knocking down trouble and landing squarely on her feet. [See Prepub Alert, 12/21/10.]—Natasha Grant, New York
Grozni, Nikolai. Wunderkind. Free Pr: S. & S. Jul. 2011. c.304p. ISBN 9781451616910. $24. F
A student of classical piano at age four and an international prize winner by ten, Bulgarian-born Grozni studied jazz at Boston’s Berklee College of Music, then became a Buddhist monk in Dharamsala, India, for several years, the inspiration for his noted memoir, Turtle Feet. He’s clearly a model for his protagonist, the prodigiously talented and prodigiously rebellious Konstantin, who studies piano toward the end of the Cold War at Sofia’s Music School for the Gifted. There, mediocre students are rewarded if they preach the party line; the truly talented resist by drinking, smoking, and having lots of sex. The novel follows Konstantin through a crucial year, when his resistance hits high gear even as he works his way toward a competition he scorns. In this fine portrait of a suffocating society, what are especially remarkable is the vitality—Konstantin is a rebel with a cause, his anger contagious—and the way Grozni writes about music. Rapturous and insightful, these extended passages could overwhelm readers who can’t hear that “Debussy’s high register flurries shine like black pearls,” but they’re a real adrenaline rush. VERDICT Not for readers impatient with youth or lyric writing, this passionate novel should be pushed on anyone interested in music, politics, or energized coming-of-age tales. [See Prepub Alert, 3/28/11.]— Barbara Hoffert, Library Journal
Harrington, Laura. Alice Bliss. Pamela Dorman: Viking. Jun. 2011. c.320p. ISBN 9780670022786. $25.95. F
At 14, Alice Bliss enjoys a close relationship with her father, Matt, and doesn’t relate well to her mother. Alice and Matt are in sync; they plan their garden together, and he teaches her how to care for their tools. Alice’s mother, Angie, adores high heels and dressing up to go out. She stresses to her husband that she is “not a farm wife.” When Matt is called to active duty in Iraq, the small family nearly disintegrates. Angie checks out, and Alice refuses to wear anything other than Matt’s old shirt. She is left to navigate young adulthood, relationships, and the care of her younger sister, Ellie, while waiting for word of her father’s fate. Harrington, a playwright and professor of playwriting at MIT, chooses a timely topic and obviously loves her characters, but her debut novel is an adaptation of her off-Broadway musical, Alice Unwrapped, and reads very much like a play. Stage directions and stilted dialog take the place of what should be flowing scenes and descriptive characterizations. VERDICT This valiant effort could work for those with loved ones overseas, but the novel’s structure falls flat. It would be better reworked as a screenplay for young adults. [See Prepub Alert, 1/17/11.]—Julie Kane, Sweet Briar Coll. Lib., VA
Hill, Reginald. The Woodcutter. Harper: HarperCollins. Jul. 2011. c.528p. ISBN 9780062060747. $25.99. F
At age 75, Hill, the award-winning author of the Dalziel and Pascoe series, spins a stunning stand-alone, an intricate mystery steeped in folklore and myth. Raised on an estate in northern England by a woodcutter, Wilfred “Wolf” Hadda hones his risk-taking abilities. Then, having been schooled abroad, he establishes a successful personal equity firm, Woodcutter Enterprises, and weds the woman he has long adored. Suddenly one morning, local magistrates throw him into prison for fraud and deviant sexual behavior. After seven years spent in brooding silence and having lost friends, family, fortune, and future, Wolf returns to the familiar woodcutter’s cottage—seething with pent-up anger. Under the guise of warmth and goodwill, he methodically cuts a path of revenge—and, unexpectedly, possible demise. VERDICT The epic scope of this riveting psychological thriller resembles Jeffrey Archer’s “Kane and Abel” series and is highly recommended for serious mystery readers. [See Prepub Alert, 1/31/11.] —Jerry P. Miller, Cambridge, MA
Horlock, Mary. The Book of Lies. HarperPerennial: HarperCollins. Jul. 2011. c.320p. ISBN 9780062065094. pap. $14.99. F
It’s not often that one meets an accidental teen murderess who offhandedly describes the scene of the crime as “like Friday the 13th (Part 1 or 2)” and sums up the moment her former best friend fell off a cliff with “How cool was that?” So begins Horlock’s remarkable first novel, which will forever erase for readers the treacly taste of Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows’s The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. Catherine Rozier, an overweight loner at an all-girls school on the Channel Island of Guernsey, circa 1985, makes her first friend, newcomer Nicolette Prevost. Nic is a manipulative mean girl, and Cat soon learns that friendships come at a price. Cat’s unapologetic, unreliable retelling of the events that led to Nic’s untimely end is interspersed with chapters about Cat’s Uncle Charlie, who struggled during the Nazi occupation of the island. Cat is not as quick or deliberately vengeful as Winona Ryder’s character in the film Heathers, but she is unique and captivating. VERDICT A great read for book club members who will appreciate the 1980s pop culture references mixed with World War II history lessons.—Christine Perkins, Bellingham P.L., WA
Jenoff, Pam. The Things We Cherished. Doubleday. Jul. 2011. c.304p. ISBN 9780385534208. $24.95. F
Philadelphia public defender Charlotte Gold is thrown for a loop when her old boyfriend, Brian Warrington, shows up in her office. They had met at The Hague ten years earlier prosecuting Bosnian war crimes—then Brian broke her heart. He’s now a New York attorney, and he needs Charlotte’s forensics skills on a high-profile case involving Roger Dykmans, a man accused of collaborating with the Nazis now being tried in Munich. Charlotte warily agrees, but Brian misses the plane, leaving Charlotte on her own in Munich. Oddly, her contact there is Brian’s estranged brother, Jack, whom Charlotte had always found intimidating. Together, they must prove Roger’s innocence, the key to which could be a magnificent antique clock. VERDICT Jenoff’s (The Kommandant’s Girl; A Hidden Affair) heroine falls in too easily with the man who did her wrong and is hesitant and indecisive about nearly everything involving the Warringtons. Far more intriguing is the story of the clock and its provenance, but Jenoff pins her tale on a near impossibility. The author might know her European history, but she hasn’t quite figured out how to tell a convincing tale. If her other books circulate well, you should probably consider getting this one, too. [See Prepub Alert, 1/9/11.]—Bette-Lee Fox, Library Journal
Krueger, William Kent. Northwest Angle. Atria: S. & S. Aug. 2011. c.320p. ISBN 9781439153956. $24.99. F
Krueger (Vermilion Drift) sets his 11th Cork O’Connor thriller on an Ojibwa reservation in the remote Minnesota-Canadian border region. After his wife’s tragic death, Cork, a sheriff-turned-PI, reunites with his daughter, Jenny, for a houseboat vacation on the Lake of the Woods, where a violent windstorm forces them to seek shelter on an island. Emerging from the devastation, they discover a murdered woman and a wailing infant, and, in the distance, they hear someone in pursuit. With baby in tow, they seek a secure haven—somewhere they know someone trustworthy. Finding little help from local inhabitants, Cork turns to family members and, ultimately, his Ojibwa ancestors for a lasting resolution. VERDICT Mystery readers, especially Krueger followers, will appreciate this fascinating adventure interwoven with folklore. Krueger builds upon previous series titles to develop his characters and plotlines creatively and thoughtfully. [See Prepub Alert, 2/21/11.]—Jerry P. Miller. Cambridge, MA
Marx, Patricia. Starting from Happy. Scribner. Aug. 2011. c.256p. ISBN 9781439101285. $24. F
A former writer for Saturday Night Live whose work has often appeared in The New Yorker, Time, and the New York Times Magazine, Marx works best in short form. This novel, written in 618 “chaplettes” with abundant white space and the occasional line sketch thrown in, is the story of the romance between lingerie designer Imogene Gilfeather and scientist Wally Yez. Most of the text offers third-person narration, but the author inserts herself into the occasional chaplette, as in this explanation of why chaplettes 251–292 are excluded: “Patty meant 251. But Patty likes the ring of 293.” We see the couple meet, begin a relationship, and detour into other relationships. Alternate endings see them break up and/or have children and grandchildren and live happily ever after until death does them part. The “Prolegomenon” tells of the author’s struggles to meet the publisher’s expected word count, a challenge shared by this reviewer. VERDICT This work is definitely quirky and perhaps best suited to a young, hip, urban audience not alienated by a high cuteness factor.—Debbie Bogenschutz, Cincinnati State Technical & Community Coll. Lib.
Murphy, Yannick. The Call. HarperPerennial: HarperCollins. Aug. 2011. c.224p. ISBN 9780062023148. pap. $14.99. F
When a veterinarian in rural New England takes his son hunting, the boy is shot by another hunter and falls into a coma. Murphy (In a Bear’s Eye) begins this startling story as a clever exercise in narration, with each entry concerning calls the vet receives and his responses and observations. A sample entry: “Thoughts on Drive Home: I know some people who will not look me in the eye.” The entries get even stranger with the boy’s hospitalization. The father sees UFOs and spacemen at night, and his unraveling continues as he attempts to find the shooter. VERDICT Murphy’s eye for small-town detail and human/animal relations makes for a complex, delicate story line, and the novel as a whole carries a very real human velocity and gravity. The domestic focus and unexpected intrusions recall fiction by Dave Eggers and Vendela Vida. Engaging and acutely modern, this work will appeal to many readers.—Travis Fristoe, Alachua Cty. Lib. Dist., FL
Oz, Amos. Scenes from Village Life. Houghton Harcourt. Oct. 2011. c.192p. tr. from Hebrew by Nicholas de Lange. ISBN 9780547483368. $22. F
Despite the scattered restaurants and galleries, Tel Ilan has a desolate edge-of-the-earth feel, its farm buildings collapsing and the library almost deserted. And strange things are happening there. A real estate agent on his way to negotiate purchase of a past-its-prime mansion, so that he can tear it down and rebuild, has an eerie feeling “that there was something I had to do, something serious and important”—the same feeling that compels a man attending an evening sing-along to go hunt through his pockets and under his hosts’ bed. A crotchety old man tells his daughter that someone is digging under the house at night and blames their young Arab tenant, who in turn suspects the father. An injured soldier set to visit his aunt never arrives; the mayor’s wife writes him a cryptic note then vanishes, leaving her husband to wait on the bench where she was last seen. VERDICT Knit into a whole, these stories approach the surreal but don’t pass the line; in exquisitely controlled prose, renowned Israeli author Oz (Rhyming Life and Death) reminds us of the creepy unsureness that underlies all “village” life, rural or urban—and not just in Israel. Highly recommended. [See Prepub Alert, 4/18/11.]—Barbara Hoffert, Library Journal
Pressfield, Steven. The Profession: A Thriller. Crown. Jun. 2011. c.304p. ISBN 9780385528733. $25. F
Pressfield made his name with novels about ancient Greece (Gates of Fire), then wrote about World War II in Killing Rommel. Now he writes of war in the near future. It is 2032, and the United States no longer has a military presence in the Middle East. It is up to large, well-equipped mercenary armies to maintain a fragile peace. A new war between Iran and Iraq explodes, and the world’s economies collapse. There is fear that a fundamentalist Islamic regime will take over the region. Disgraced Marine general James Salter commands a large and devoted mercenary army. He has his own agenda as he takes on his enemies and attempts to redeem himself. VERDICT Some might think that the premise of mercenary armies is a little over-the-top, but is it? This military thriller is thought-provoking and unrelentingly grim. It is filled with multiple treacheries and brutal, depraved, and even barbaric actions from some who allege to be our friends. Purchase for demand. [See Prepub Alert, 12/6/10.]—Robert Conroy, Warren, MI
Ritter, Josh. Bright’s Passage. Dial: Random. Jul. 2011. c.208p. ISBN 9781400069507. $22. F
Back from the horrors of World War I, Henry Bright returns to his rural West Virginia home to rebuild his life. With him comes the angel Henry believes saved him numerous times on the battlefields of Europe. Henry elopes with his childhood sweetheart, greatly angering her family. When she dies in childbirth, Henry is left to care for his son while trying to evade his vengeful, crazy in-laws. Prompted by the angel, who communicates via Henry’s horse, Henry sets fire to his cabin and accidentally starts a forest fire. Stalked by his wife’s family and trying to escape the fire, Henry, his son, horse, and goat travel from town to town trying to do the angel’s bidding to find a new mother for his son. VERDICT As singer-songwriter Ritter’s fiction debut unveils the life of Henry Bright as a boy, a soldier, a husband, and a father, it captures each scene with vivid details and sincere emotions. This expressive and darkly humorous tale of a man desperately attempting to salvage his future while coping with his past will attract Ritter’s fans and readers who enjoy a bit of magical realism in their fiction. [Author tour; see Prepub Alert, 1/9/11.]—Joy Gunn, Henderson Libs., NV
Sapphire. The Kid. Penguin Pr: Penguin Group (USA). Jul. 2011. c.374p. ISBN 9781594203046. $25.95. F
Difficult to read because of the subject matter and the experimental stream-of-consciousness narrative in which conversations, dreams, memories, and imagined scenes flow chaotically together, this sequel to Push comes 15 years after the best-selling novel that was the basis for the movie Precious. Now Precious’s son is the one suffering a life of abuse. Forced into foster care at age nine when his mother dies, he can’t even keep his name as he moves from one nightmarish situation to the next. The only constants throughout are (graphically described) acts of sexual and physical abuse by adults, leading him to abuse smaller boys. Stumbling into an African dance class one day, he discovers a talent for dancing, but it is unclear whether he’s too psychologically damaged to be rescued by art. VERDICT Readers will need to have read the first book or seen the movie to understand many of the references here. While not as cohesive or as well written as Push, this title will still attract sizable demand from the author’s fans and readers looking for gritty, urban fiction that tackles such issues as race, class, and sexual abuse.—Laurie A. Cavanaugh, Wareham Free Lib., MA
Sholes, Lynn & Joe Moore. The Phoenix Apostles. Midnight Ink. Jun. 2011. c.480p. ISBN 9780738726663. pap. $15.95. F
In a departure from the apocalypse theme that permeates their “Cotton Stone Mysteries” (The Grail Conspiracy), coauthors Sholes and Moore pen an ingenious thriller with an audacious plot. What if Aztec Emperor Montezuma was made immortal after contact with Veronica’s Veil (the cloth St. Veronica used to wipe the face of Jesus on his way to crucifixion)? Now posing as Javier Scarrow, he has become the charismatic leader of a ministry espousing universal harmony while secretly resurrecting notorious mass murderers using their DNA. Journalist Seneca Hunt initially stumbles onto Montezuma’s empty tomb, but when she discovers a spate of high-profile tomb robberies, Hunt knows she’s uncovered a big story. With the help of a new friend and her long-absent father, Hunt learns that foiling Scarrow’s plan and saving the world is only half the battle once she appears on Scarrow’s radar. VERDICT A venerated religious object in the hands of a megalomaniac…now what? That’s always the question with this type of book. Here we have a unique relic with an exceptional “superpower,” likable heroes, and a bold endgame. Implausible yet awesome; a reminder why fiction is fun.—Laura A.B. Cifelli, Ft. Myers–Lee Cty. P.L., FL
Strohmeyer, Sarah. Kindred Spirits. Dutton. Jul. 2011. c.304p. ISBN 9780525952220. $25.95. F
Best friends Mary Kay, Beth, and Carol, mourning the loss of a fourth friend, embark on a journey to fulfill Lynne’s last wishes, and the trip is a catalyst for change in their own lives. Living in a small Connecticut town, the four had bonded through PTA meetings and a love of martinis. When Lynne dies after battling cancer, the others discover that she had kept a big secret from them and that she has left instructions for them to make right for her in death what she could never do in life. VERDICT This novel is sure to be popular with Strohmeyer’s (The Cinderella Pact) many fans as well as women’s fiction readers who enjoy Emily Giffin, Kristin Hannah, and Jodi Picoult. An engaging story of love and loss and the power of women’s friendships, but beach readers, beware—you may find some tears mixed with the sand on your beach towel. [For another novel exploring similar themes, see Erica Bauermeister’s Joy for Beginners, reviewed on p. 88.—Ed.]—Karen Core, Detroit P.L.
Sveland, Maria. Bitter Bitch. Skyhorse, dist. by Norton. Jun. 2011. c.240p. tr. from Swedish by Katarina E. Tucker. ISBN 9781616083038. $22.95. F
Just when one dares to think that contemporary society has attained equality between the sexes (at least within industrialized nations) along comes a feminist rant in the form of a novel (a best seller in Europe) by a young Swedish author. In dire need of a retreat from domesticity, Sara breaks away from her husband and toddler son and takes off for a week in the Canary Islands equipped with Erica Jong’s Fear of Flying. Has the world truly taken a few steps back from the “you’ve come a long way, baby” revolutionary 1970s? This novel shouts a resounding, “Yes!” Free from her responsibilities, Sara ponders her life, her loves, her needs, and asks the existential questions: Is this all there is? How does a woman reconcile her role as wife and mother with her own individuality and unique gifts? Why can’t a woman be as sexually free as a man without being denigrated as a whore? Sprinkled throughout the text are reverential paeans to early women artists and feminist writers like Simone de Beauvoir and Virginia Woolf. VERDICT The reader must put up with a certain amount of narcissistic navel-gazing to obtain a voyeuristic but interesting view of a smart, cosmopolitan, young woman’s life.—Sheila Riley, Smithsonian Inst. Libs., Washington, DC
Toynton, Evelyn. The Oriental Wife. Other. Jul. 2011. c.304p. ISBN 9781590514412. pap. $15.95. F
Toynton (Modern Art) returns with the story of Louisa and Rolf, childhood friends in Nuremberg who escape Hitler’s Germany and eventually settle in New York. Louisa leaves as a young woman to study art history in London and travels to New York with her English boyfriend. Rolf works diligently to find sponsors and employment for Jewish refugees trying desperately to get to America. It seems that serious, almost melancholy Rolf and the modern, glamorous Louisa have little in common, but when she seeks out Rolf and their mutual friend Otto after her relationship ends and she has nowhere to go, Rolf and Louisa fall in love. They marry and settle into a happy life in their Jewish community of friends and old neighbors, and they have a daughter. Unfortunately, a disastrous event shatters their marriage, and their plans for the future are tragically altered. VERDICT At times very sad, this nonetheless enjoyable novel will certainly appeal to those with an interest in Jewish literature as well as to general readers.—Shaunna Hunter, Hampden-Sydney Coll., VA
Veselka, Vanessa. Zazen. Red Lemonade: Cursor Pub. 2011. c.256p. ISBN 9781935869054. pap. $15.95. F
In her debut novel, Veselka introduces Della, a lost soul disillusioned by society and caught in a state of despair. Della yearns for security and beauty but is consumed by fear of an impending war and feelings of powerlessness. Unable to fulfill her desire to create a brilliant insurgency, she challenges the status quo only to add to the chaos. Using solid prose complemented by subtle lyricism and allusion, as well as wry observations about such cultural constructs as consumerism, organized religion, and economic development, Veselka examines the choices individuals make when they feel consumed with helplessness. Throughout, readers will find insight into the human condition, where the goal of “zazen,” the Zen Buddhist practice of seeking a place of peace and refuge through meditation, may prove illusive. VERDICT Readers will be delighted by Veselka’s wit and social commentary and engaged by Della’s personal journey. Recommended for anyone interested in a perceptive analysis of modern society and the evolution of the human character.—Catherine Tingelstad, Pitt Community Coll. Lib., Greenville, NC
Ward, Amanda Eyre. Close Your Eyes. Random. Jul. 2011. c.272p. ISBN 9780345494481. $25. F
Ward (Forgive Me; How To Be Lost; Sleep Toward Heaven) has written an intriguing literary mystery involving compelling, complex characters. After spending a summer night sleeping in their tree house, six-year-old Lauren Mahdian and her brother, Alex, discover their mother’s body. The police arrest their Egyptian father for the murder, and he is sentenced to life in prison. Alex believes their father is innocent; Lauren accepts the verdict and suppresses her memories. Twenty-four years later, Lauren is a real estate agent and her brother a medical student. When Alex joins Doctors Without Borders, Lauren begins to experience panic attacks and must find the courage to face her past and explore her feelings about her father. VERDICT The elegant prose and compelling plot will attract fans of Kate Atkinson as well as Ward’s readers. [Seven-city tour; library marketing; see Prepub Alert, 2/1/11.]—Cheryl L. Conway, Univ. of Arkansas Lib., Fayetteville
Weiner, Jennifer. Then Came You. Atria: S. & S. Jul. 2011. c.352p. ISBN 9781451617726. $26.99. F
Weiner’s (Fly Away Home) new novel revolves around the central issue of surrogacy, and she uses multiple viewpoints to narrate the story. The reader alternately follows the main players: Jules, the egg donor, is a Princeton senior grappling with her sexuality and family issues; Annie, the surrogate, seeks to help her own family financially; the would-be mother, India, is a new trophy wife; and her stepdaughter, Bettina, resents India for sabotaging the possibility of a reconciliation between her parents. VERDICT Weiner has written a compelling novel that gradually reveals more about her characters as her page-turning plot propels the story forward. The ending, while not completely happy, is satisfying, as Weiner’s fans will probably expect. Fans of Marian Keyes, Anna Maxted, and other authors of serious chick lit will thoroughly enjoy this title for its humor mixed with a sympathetic portrayal of real women’s lives and challenges. [See Prepub Alert, 1/24/11.]—Kristen Stewart, Brazoria Cty. Lib. Syst., Pearland, TX
Whitehouse, David. Bed. Scribner. Aug. 2011. c.256p. ISBN 9781451614220. $24. F
Weighing in at more than half a ton, the fattest man on the planet, Mal Ede, has not left his bed for 20 years. The bed has actually grown proportionately larger as he has—now two king-sized beds and a single strapped together to contain him. The bedroom, too, has been enlarged along the way, sending his parents out into a trailer in the driveway. His overindulgent mother keeps him fed and functioning with the help of an elaborate network of medical equipment, while his bewildered father and dutiful brother keep the press and the curious public at bay. Forsaking his devoted girlfriend, Lou, Mal lives only to eat and sleep. VERDICT From a mildly eccentric youth in which he preferred nudity to clothing to his existential crisis at 25, how and why Mal got into bed and stayed there for 20 years is the mystery at the heart of this strange but beguiling tale. Its short, punchy chapters propel the story along to a satisfying conclusion. For most public libraries.—Barbara Love, Kingston Frontenac P.L., Kingston, Ont.
Winslow, Don. The Gentlemen’s Hour. S. & S. Aug. 2011. c.352p. ISBN 9781439183397. $25. F
The dog days of August bring flat water for the handful of aging surfers who paddle out into San Diego Bay before heading to work each morning. Among them, PI Dan Boone and SDPD detective Johnny Kodani find their relationship strained because they are on opposite sides of the investigation of the brutal murder of a local surfing icon. The confessed killer is a rich kid from La Jolla whose father is a real estate magnate. But Boone’s not sure the kid really did it and is working for the defense. Meanwhile, he’s also tailing the wife of another surfer buddy who suspects an affair. It’s an ugly matter because the answer is yes, and the guy is a big-time soil engineer. Boone gets into deeper and deadlier water as the two cases overlap, and much more than his next good day at the beach is in jeopardy. VERDICT This sequel to Winslow’s Dawn Patrol is more than just a snappy summertime thriller written with hip surfer dude dialog. It’s a thoughtful cultural commentary about an iconic coastal community with too much money, constant sunshine, and terminal greed. [See Prepub Alert, 2/21/11.]—Susan Clifford Braun, Bainbridge Island, WA
SHORT STORIES
Mu Xin. An Empty Room. New Directions, dist. by Norton. 2011. c.160p. tr. from Chinese by Toming Jun Liu. ISBN 9780811219228. pap. $13.95. F
With 20-plus books published in Taiwan and China, writer/painter Mu finally makes his English debut with a collection of 13 stories he chose from three previous titles. The result is, in a word, uneven. Standouts outshine the less than memorable, perhaps making the latter seem that much more lackluster in comparison. “The Moment When Childhood Vanished” is a koanlike reminder of bewildering loss, “Xia Mingzhu: A Bright Pearl” challenges family bonds, “Eighteen Passengers on a Bus” shockingly pushes the boundaries of patience, and “Halo” captures the holy in humanity. The highlight is “Fong Fong No. 4,” which, in a few controlled pages, translates half a century of China’s tumultuous, wrenching past through the protagonist’s metamorphosis (in four phases) from girlhood to middle-aged womanhood. VERDICT Although recent notable collections such as Ha Jin’s A Good Fall, Paul Yoon’s Once the Shore, and Daniyal Mueenuddin’s In Other Rooms, Other Wonders might prove more consistent, readers who appreciate spare, elliptical stories that last long after the final page will find considerable satisfaction here.—Terry Hong, Smithsonian BookDragon, Washington, DC
LAST-MINUTE SF/FANTASY
Carey, Jacqueline. Naamah’s Blessing. Grand Central. Jun. 2011. c.624p. ISBN 9780446198073. $26.99. FANTASY
The final installment in Carey’s series (Naamah’s Kiss; Naamah’s Curse) brings her protagonist to the fantastical landscape and cultures (Mayan, Aztec, and Incan) of the New World. The book opens in Terre D’Ange, where Moirin meets Desiree, the young daughter of her late lover and friend Jehanne. Desiree’s half brother, the Prince, is missing in Terra Nova, and a sinister royal adviser is plotting an arranged marriage between the four-year-old girl and his own son. Having taken a sacred oath to protect Desiree, Moirin and her Ch’in husband set out to find Desiree’s guardian. After a tempestuous sea journey, they reach the New World. Moirin must once again employ her ancestor’s sacred sexual practices to expedite their journey. After securing free passage from the natives, they find the Prince, who is being held by Moirin’s messianic ex, Raphael de Mereliot. The resulting battle of good and evil escalates into an end-of-the-world showdown with a human sacrifice at its center. VERDICT The appeal here is for series fans alone. Without the backstory of the previous books, Moirin’s current adventure lacks purpose. [See Prepub Alert, 12/6/10.]—Karen Kleckner, Hinsdale P.L., IL
Carriger, Gail. Heartless: An Alexia Tarabotti Novel. Orbit: Hachette. (Parasol Protectorate).Jul. 2011. c.400p. ISBN 9780316127196. pap. $7.99. FANTASY
In her fourth “Parasol Protectorate” adventure (after Blameless), Lady Alexia Tarabotti Maccon is entering the final stages of her pregnancy full steam ahead, and she is not pleased. Her werewolf husband, Lord Maccon, her pack beta, Professor Lyall, and her close vampire friend and fashion trendsetter, Lord Akeldama, have hatched a plan to protect her from repeated assassination attempts by the vampire hives. Since Alexia is preternatural, or soulless, and her husband is supernatural, with an excess of soul, no one is sure what exactly their child will be—or how dangerous. As Alexia deals with the plan, investigates a ghostly visitor, and shocks society by appearing in public when she should be in confinement, she is caught up in a battle raging through London and into the countryside that will change her world as she welcomes her first child. VERDICT Carriger delivers surprises with every book, and this one is no exception. With action, intrigue, and, above all, proper manners, this excellent series will have broad appeal to readers of steampunk, urban fantasy, and paranormal and historical romance.—Melanie C. Duncan, Shurling Lib., Macon, GA
Hooper, Tobe with Alan Goldsher. Midnight Movie. Three Rivers: Crown. Jul. 2011. c.320p. ISBN 9780307717016. pap. $14. HORROR
Acclaimed horror director and screenwriter Hooper (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre) partners with musician and eclectic novelist Goldsher (Paul Is Undead) in his debut novel, which revolves around Hooper himself and the lost horror movie that he made as a teen. The film, now rediscovered, has been selected for a special viewing for die-hard Hooper fans. Soon after the screening, moviegoers begin displaying bizarre behavior and report experiencing otherworldly events. The unexplained affliction eventually spreads like a plague to the victims’ families and friends. Hooper, the only hope of resolving the supernatural mystery, is forced to reexamine his film’s origins. Writing his story as a collection of chats, emails, and blog postings, Hooper supplements the text with brief, action narrative breaks that make this a quick, fun read. While inarguably experimental, his pseudoepistolary writing technique may be off-putting to readers, and Hooper’s decision to insert himself as the central focus might confuse some. VERDICT Reminiscent of Max Brooks’s World War Z in both topic and writing style, this novel is a quirky, entertaining, and sometimes comical read. Fans of Hooper, horror movies, and the horror genre alike will enjoy this. [See Prepub Alert, 1/17/11.]—Carolann Curry, Mercer Univ. Medical Lib., Macon, GA
Jones, Darynda. Second Grave on the Left. St. Martin’s. Aug. 2011. c.320p. ISBN 9780312360818. $21.99. FANTASY
PI/Grim Reaper Charlotte “Charley” Davidson, who made a splash in her acclaimed debut, First Grave on the Right, returns in another comic paranormal mystery. In investigating the disappearance of Mimi, a friend of her business partner, Cookie, Charley has an advantage that most sleuths lack—she’s able to communicate with the dead. Her investigations reveal that a number of Mimi’s former high school classmates have disappeared or died, and the prime suspect is a U.S. senatorial candidate who may have something to hide. Meanwhile, Charley’s relationship with sexy Reyes Farrow (also known as the Son of Satan) continues to develop. Reyes has a lot of secrets, but he’s about to reveal something so startling that even the Grim Reaper has a tough time accepting it. VERDICT The Grim Reaper angle makes this an obvious choice for urban fantasy/paranormal fiction readers, but the blend of humor, heat, rapid-fire dialog, and suspense brings to mind a paranormal Stephanie Plum. Charley’s second adventure ends on a cliff-hanger, so there’s certain to be more to come. [See Prepub Alert, 2/21/11.]—Nanette Donohue, Champaign P.L., IL
