Sharp Objects: A Review

Before Gone Girl… 
A Librarian Review of Sharp Objects

Gilian Flynn’s first novel, Sharp Objects is hauntingly narrated by Ann Marie Lee in a stellar performance that will have you looking forward to your morning commute. Flynn crafts tragedy, psychological thriller, and mystery, into an addictive tale that will be etched into your skin much the way WICKED is etched into Camille Preaker. You will never look at your small town the same way again.  

Bad language and disturbing, graphic descriptions are tastefully delivered but not something you want the kids to hear. Besides, this gripping story will demand all of your attention.

Place a hold on the audiobook or eBook from New Hampshire's digital collection. 

(Thanks for the great review, Julie!) 

The Marbury Lens : Not for the faint of heart

Sometime I look forward to reading a book I know nothing about, and such was the case with The Marbury Lens, by Andrew Smith. I knew it was some sort of sci-fi/fantasy novel and that it had gotten great reviews. Armed with no further knowledge, I downloaded it to my iPhone and headed out for a walk. It was an uncomfortable walk, to say the least, as Jack, the teenage protagonist, was abducted, drugged, and very nearly (I mean VERY nearly) raped by a man who had clearly done these things before.

For the next couple of days, I opted to listen to the birds on my walks, feeling no great desire to return to the story. Eventually, I went back to it. I figured this phase of the story would end soon and I would get to the sci-fi part, but even when I finally did, the book just proved too intense for me. Jack's mental anguish over what happened is grueling enough, but when he get's his first look into "Marbury," the world he is able to see through a special pair of glasses, the level of gore was just too much. After about nineteen chapters, I decided to call it quits.

Andrew Smith is clearly a skillful writer, and the narrator was good too. This just wasn't the book for me. Recommend this one only to older teens with strong stomachs.

Review: Ship Breaker, by Paolo Bacigalupi

There's been a lot of buzz about Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi, and now I understand why. Like the recent smash hit Hunger Games series, Ship Breaker immediately launches the reader into a not-so-futuristic world where ordinary teens fight for their lives on a daily basis in unspeakable conditions of poverty and danger.

In this story, we meet Nailer, a boy who spends his days crawling around inside the rusted out hulls of tankers that have washed up on the coastline of the Gulf of Mexico in a time when rising sea levels have radically changed the landscape. With only a little phosphorous smeared on his forehead to light his way, Nailer crawls through duct work scavenging anything that might be worth a little something to the salvage company he works for. Life for Nailer and the other ship breakers is grim. His bosses are harsh, he sees little money for his dangerous work, and his alcoholic, drug-dependent father is unpredictable and cruelly violent even with his own son.

When Nailer and his friend Pima find a "swank" clipper ship washed up on a nearby beach after a hurricane, they believe they've finally found their lucky strike and that they may be able to escape the life of a ship breaker. They board the ship, hoping to strip it of as many precious metals and other treasure before the others discover it, but what they find on board has the potential to be more valuable and more dangerous than any treasure.

This is an audio book I'd highly recommend. The narrator, Joshua Swanson, is one of the best I've encountered at voicing a wide variety of characters from the lilting Caribbean voices of Pima and her mother to the growling tones of the genetically engineered half-men. I will certainly seek out his books in the future.

One of my only disappointments with this book will sound silly to some. When I finished Ship Breaker, I was happy with the way it ended and thought, "Finally. A YA author who doesn't have to turn every idea into a series." I am not a fan of sequels because they are usually letdowns, and I rarely read beyond the first book. I guess I should be happy that Bacigalupi wrapped up the story in a way that allows me to walk away satisfied (are you listening, Suzanne Collins?), but I was disappointed when I learned there will be a sequel. I'm sure most readers will be happy to be able to hear more about Nailer and his friends, but you won't find me tagging along on his next adventure. I'd rather savor this great story and move on to something else.

What I Saw and How I Lied (review)

What I Saw and How I Lied by Judy Blundell, a smart sultry noir novel for teens, tells the story of Evie, a teenage girl slowly coming into her own just after the end of World War II. Evie begins the story as an awkward girl who is devoted to her glamorous mother and too timid to speak up against the wrongs she sees in the world. A chance encounter with a mysterious stranger while vacationing in Florida with her mother and stepfather draws Evie and her family into dangerous relationships where nothing is as it seems. When tragedy strikes, Evie must unravel the truth from the lies that others are telling her and decide what lies she will need to tell to preserve what is most important to her.

The young narrator, Caitlin Greer, is a bit wooden in her narration at times and adds little to the story, so it is not a book that I would strongly encourage people to listen to instead of reading the print version. Still, her narration was adequate and did not detract from the story in any way.

Through one girl's coming of age, What I Saw And How I Lied quietly explores the damage the war wreaked on families, individuals, those who fought and those who stayed at home. Though marketed as a young adult novel, it would certainly appeal to adult mystery fans as well.

Major Pettigrew's Last Stand (review)

Most of the time, the decision to listen to a book instead of reading it in print is one of convenience for me. As a high school librarian, I have to keep up on lots of reading, and being able to read while I walk or drive makes it easier. But once in a while, a book comes along that I am so glad I listened to, that I urge others to listen rather than read it in print. Major Pettigrew's Last Stand is one of those books.

This is a book that isn't about plot; it's about characters, and watching them bumble, discover, and amaze themselves and everyone around them with their truly human actions. Narrator Peter Altschuler brings each to life, both male and female, in a way few narrators can. His fussy, prissy, belligerent Major Pettigrew is of course the centerpiece of the story, but he equally interprets the softspoken Mrs. Ali, the nasal American twang of Sandy, and the arrogant carelessness of the Major's son, Roger. Were it not for my enjoyment of Altschuler's narration, I would quite possibly have abandoned the book at several points.

While her characters were endearing, first time novelist Helen Simonsen's pacing of the plot was a bit uneven. The Major's fascination with British-Pakistani shopkeeper Mrs. Ali came a little too early and easily in the story to really explore the tension of an old-fashioned British man realizing he is attracted to a woman "of color." The middle of the story then begins to drag as very little new about their relationship is revealed. New characters are introduced mid-story, which renews interest, but toward the end, a melodramatic twist makes things feel rushed and slightly unbelievable.

In spite of uneven pacing, Major Pettigrew's Last Stand is a delight. Those who enjoy well-rounded characters and beautiful language will appreciate this novel. Urge those who have never tried audio books to give this one a listen. It's an outstanding piece of narrative work.