Annelie Israelsson Israelsson itibaren Narji Ki Bhagal, Rajasthan, Hindistan
Fr. Sonny used to read this all the time at church when I was little. I loved the story and the illustrations in all Tomie de Paolo books are amazing.
My mother was eager to share this book with me and she was ill (and couldn't wait because she was dying, unknown to me) the year I was 11, so she got it for me to read. Read it for the first time when I was 11 and I liked it but didn't love it. I hadn't quite reached the maturity level of adolescent interests, and I also felt it just cut off at the end, which of course it did. Some kids are ready to read this at 11 or younger, but for me, a first reading would have been ideal at 12 or 13. Would have understood better Anne's difficulties with her mother and her budding romantic friendship with Peter, and also, since this was my first holocaust book, just how high the stakes were for Anne and her fellow Secret Annex residents. Have reread it several times, as a teen & adult and I do really love it, so much so that it's inspired me to read many other Anne Frank books.
I just started this yesterday. It isn't off to a great start - I'm bored after the first chapter. But I had this same experience with Middlemarch, it took me about 100 pages to get into the book. I'm glad I stuck with it because I now consider it be one of the greatest books ever written - comparable to Pride and Prejudice on every level. Fortunately it was 800 pages, as is this one, so when things finally get interesting around page 100 there is still plenty to look forward to.
This started off really well - a typical quaint setting for a crime-horror and some fairly normal characters. The viral thriller built up and up with some suspenseful scenes of violence and the main character struggling to work out the cause... And then - cue the Stephen King style sci-fi ending! Absolutely bizarre and so completely out of place that I put the book down at the end and felt very disappointed. I won't be reading anything else by Tess Gerritsen, it's just not my cup of tea.