Vananh Hoang Hoang itibaren Texas
I read this a couple of weeks ago, and, honestly, I'm having a hard time remembering much from it, which may say something about the book. I do think that it was well written and quite sad, but because it is so short, it was hard to feel any lasting connection with the story and characters. I found out after reading it that it's actually a sequel to If You Come Softly, but everything I've read indicates that this book can stand alone. However, I think I would have liked to have read the other book first to get some sense of the characters' relationships. I also thought the author crammed in too many issues (divorce, adultery, homosexuality) that overshadowed the main story of an interracial relationship and racial profiling. In a book this short, everything seemed to compete. I know this book was more true to life than many others, since life is that way, with multiple issues running through all the time, but I would have liked to either see a longer book or the author deal with less. However, I know I enjoyed reading it and the writing is very, very good, and the concept of someone struggling to move on while watching the grief left behind after his death was beautiful.
Those of us who are familiar with Greek mythology, know that most of the stories involve the gods and goddesses doing what they want they want, no matter the consequences – especially when it comes to humans. I was really looking forward to a modern interpretation, because I thought it would include a strong, independent heroine. Someone who wouldn’t take kindly to being pushed around, someone who would stand up for herself. Unfortunately, that is not the case with Kate. Which, made her a very strange character to understand. She was strong enough to deal with what life handed to her, but she wasn’t strong or independent enough to carve her own path – or at least be upset (I would be livid), that she wasn’t given to option to make her own choices. I would have been a tad more upset than Kate when the truth finally comes out. I don’t think I would have handled that particular plot twist well. Kate is also a very kind character, she has a very giving nature. She spends most of her time and energy caring for others, rather than worrying about herself. I liked Henry, but I don’t love Henry. At least not yet. He takes long time to break out of his shell, so readers do not get a lot of time to warm up to him. Hopefully, in the second book he will show us a bit more that will inspire my full-fledged devotion. He isn’t what I would normally associate with Hades, God of the Underworld, but that is what makes this book fun and unpredictable. In Henry, readers are introduced to the softer side of the infamous God. While I liked seeing this sensitive side of him, I do wish we would have seen a bit more of his other, darker nature. I mean, we’ve all heard the myths, the gods and goddesses were not nice. Especially, Hades. I would have loved to see him freak out and actually do something. That would have made for a more interesting love story – Kate falling in love with the harsh, somewhat crazed God of the Underworld. Despite these flaws with the characters, I did enjoy the Goddess Test. I am always down with Greek Mythology and I thought it was a cute story. I am hoping that in the sequel, Kate will begin to develop into her own character. I desperately want her to stand on her own two feet. The ending involved a rather large twist; which I can always appreciate. I love when you think you have everything all figured out and then the author throws you for a loop. On a final note, I wanted to clarify something for you guys - this not the story of Hades and Persephone, it’s the story of Hades after Persephone. That minor detail is definitely imperative to the storyline, especially how the character of Henry reacts towards Kate.
Great book. Couldn't put it down. (Had to eventually, of course... I was finished...)
book 20 of 2011 - aim 133 books for 2011 -- started this afternoon (feb 26 2011)
A very sweet book, with a beautiful portrayal of faith. Parts I liked best: Reuben is an asthmatic with a father who performs miracles--sometimes for people Reuben finds wholly undeserving--but who does not heal his own son. I was intrigued by how Reuben worked through those emotions, and I liked (and believe) the portrayal of bending one's will to God. Even those with the capacity to call on the miraculous powers of heaven can't do it if it is against God's will. I also liked seeing how Reuben's father reconciled what was right with his personal interests. Through various events, his oldest son becomes a fugitive and Reuben and his family leave to find him. I can only imagine that he simultaneously prayed that justice would be served and that his son would be kept safe. The father's relationship with the federal agent who was also looking for his son was especially memorable and showed an incredible amount of integrity.
‘Triple Ripple: A Fabulous Fairytale’ is the new young adult book from Brigid Lowry. ‘Triple Ripple’ is a wonderful Grimm-esque fairytale that folds in on itself and splinters into three different stories. Reminiscent of ‘The Neverending Story’ and ‘The Princess Bride’, Lowry writes from three different perspectives - the characters, reader and writer - as they journey through the plot on a conspicuously parallel time-line. The writer has come up with a fabulous fairytale about a girl called Glory. . . . . . Glory has just been employed at the Royal Palace, to help in preparation for the Queen’s grand ball . . . little does she know that her destiny awaits, in the most unlikely of places . . . And finally there’s Nova, the reader. Nova is fifteen and dealing with typical teen pressures and loneliness. Fantasy isn’t really her forté, but she needs a short escape from her hassles. . . ‘Triple Ripple’ is such a smart book. Lowry has written no mean feat for herself, by intertwining three different perspectives on a parallel time-line, but alternate universes. It may sound complicated and convoluted, but Lowry’s book is utterly charming and consuming. You get lost in the prose and become excitedly dazed by the complexity of the plot. And formatting ensures the layered tale is told with absolute ease, as each narrator has a different font, and sub-heading. “. . . On the afternoon of the grand balls, servant boys polish the dance floor by grating beeswax upon it, then sliding about with auld sacks on their feet, skating and laughing most joyous, despite the admonitions of the head butler, whose face, as I remember, resembled a shriveled prune. I do believe those lads had more fun readying the dance floor than the dancers did in the evening.” “It does sound wondrous indeed; this world within a world. Is the palace a happy place, then?” A strange look came over her mother’s face. “It is a place like any other. You’ll find good and bad there, as you find anywhere else.” Her tone was sharp, as if her daughter had spilt milk or forgotten to light the fire. “Come now, Child. It’s time for bed,” she continued, more gently. ‘Triple Ripple’ is a dazzling little read – it’s aimed at the younger end of the young adult spectrum, but Lowry’s tricky storytelling ensures that the book will be enjoyed by a wide audience.