The Dressmaker - Kate Alcott

If you've already read this review, nothing's changed except I added the Bechdel Test section at the end.  I guess it was enough text that it showed the review written as today, rather than last month!

Summary

Just in time for the centennial anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic comes a vivid, romantic, and relentlessly compelling historical novel about a spirited young woman who survives the disaster only to find herself embroiled in the media frenzy left in the wake of the tragedy.

Tess, an aspiring seamstress, thinks she's had an incredibly lucky break when she is hired by famous designer Lady Lucile Duff Gordon to be a personal maid on the Titanic's doomed voyage. Once on board, Tess catches the eye of two men, one a roughly-hewn but kind sailor and the other an enigmatic Chicago millionaire. But on the fourth night, disaster strikes.

Amidst the chaos and desperate urging of two very different suitors, Tess is one of the last people allowed on a lifeboat. Tess’s sailor also manages to survive unharmed, witness to Lady Duff Gordon’s questionable actions during the tragedy. Others—including the gallant Midwestern tycoon—are not so lucky.

On dry land, rumors about the survivors begin to circulate, and Lady Duff Gordon quickly becomes the subject of media scorn and later, the hearings on the Titanic. Set against a historical tragedy but told from a completely fresh angle, The Dressmaker is an atmospheric delight filled with all the period's glitz and glamour, all the raw feelings of a national tragedy and all the contradictory emotions of young love.


Thoughts

I think it's fantastic that I had completely forgotten what this story was about and that I read it on an e-reader so I didn't have a back cover to read.  It's also great that I didn't remember very much about the Titanic survivors, so I honestly didn't have a clue what was going to happen!  Even with foreknowledge, I think the suspense was still handled very well.

Honestly there isn't much to say outside of what is already said on the back cover.  I wasn't a huge fan of the love triangle - I didn't understand at all why the millionaire was interested in Tess.  She is significantly below his class, and they've had like...a conversation.  Sure it was an interesting conversation, but not really a good reason for a millionaire to marry a servant girl.



 It mostly seemed like the love triangle was made entirely so that the author could explore the differences between class, independence vs. stability, dreams vs. safety, etc.

On the other hand, I loved that for the most part the female characters weren't like modern women set in history.  Yes, there were suffragette views, because that was very much going on in America at the time, but their expectations match what was in history and our main character still very much followed class views.  She wanted to break out of them and saw America as an opportunity to do so, but she saw and followed class differences.  I think that is partially why I was startled by her acceptance of the millionaire's attentions - I would have expected her to be more surprised.

Lucile Duff Gordon (Tess's boss, and an acutal historical figure) is a very complicate character, and I wish we had got more of her as a person.  The mystery as to why she is the way she is went on a bit too long and was addressed very briefly.  It is very in character for her to do so, but I do wish we had more reason to sympathize with her than we get.  I also wish her relationship with her husband was more explored.  I feel like Tess and her reporter friend Pinky were very well formed characters, Jim was an ok character, but the Duff Gordons and Jack Dawson really weren't developed at all.  I had a lot of unanswered questions about them specifically, but also about the relationships between all of them (why on earth did Lucile hire Tess?  She's a bit mysterious about it and it's not believable at all.  Why is Pinky so upset about Tess/Jim things?  At first I thought it was because she liked Jim, but then well...it just wasn't why).  I also would have like the book a tiny bit more if it had ended a page earlier.  The ending wasn't bad, but it was slightly cliche. 

I will warn you, I would imagine many readers were disappointed in how the book handled the sinking.  Not much is written of the actual sinking.  The majority of the book is centered around the trials.  I personally found this really interesting, and it was very well researched from what I can tell after looking up Wikapedia trusted sources about the Titanic after finishing this book.  But if you were wanting sinking drama, you only get that in the aftermath not during the event, which didn't take more than a couple chapters (maybe even one chapter, I can't remember).

Overall

It was an engaging novel, and I had a fun reading it.  The trials were well researched and it was an interesting look at a time period I haven't done a lot of reading on.  The class situation could have been researched a little bit more and the characters more plausible, but otherwise it seemed well researched on the Titanic.  Maybe not a book for hard core history books, but a good read I'd recommend to dabblers in historical fiction and who enjoy chick lit.


Bechdel Test

“I have no need to com­pete; you may have the at­ten­tion,” Lu­cile said in her huski­est, haugh­ti­est voice.

“Oh, stop it, Lucy. Nei­ther of us is im­pov­er­ished on that score. Re­ally, you are cranky lately.”

“If you were pre­sent­ing a spring col­lec­tion in New York in a few weeks, you’d be cranky, too. I have too much to worry about with all this talk of women hik­ing their skirts and flat­ten­ing their breasts. All you have to do is write an­other novel about them.”

The two of them started squeez­ing past the dozens of valises and trunks, brass hinges glow­ing in the wan­ing light, their skirts of fine wool pick­ing up lay­ers of damp dust turned to grime.

“It’s true, the tools of my trade are much more portable than yours,” Eli­nor said air­ily.

“They cer­tainly are. I’m forced to make this cross­ing be­cause I don’t have any­one com­pe­tent enough to be in charge of the show, so I must be there. So please don’t be friv­o­lous.”

Eli­nor closed her para­sol with a snap and stared at her sis­ter, one per­fect eye­brow arched. “Lucy, how can you have no sense of humor? I’m only here to wish you bon voy­age and cheer you on when the ship de­parts. Shall I leave now?”

Lu­cile sighed and took a deep breath, al­low­ing a timed pause. “No, please,” she said. “I only wish you were sail­ing with me. I will miss you.”

“I would like noth­ing bet­ter than to go with you, but my ed­i­tor wants those cor­rected gal­leys back by the end of the week.” Eli­nor’s voice turned sunny again.

There are more like conversations sprinkled throughout the book with women talking about work or about suffragette issues, so this book passes the Bechdel test with flying colors!  It surprised me actually, because it is more of a chick lit sort of historical fiction book, and I don't generally expect chick lit to pass the Bechdel test (As backwards as that may sound.  But if you think about it, chick lit is generally focused on how the girl gets the guy).

Heart of the Matter - Emily Giffin

Synopsis                          

Goodreads:  Tessa Russo is the mother of two young children and the wife of a renowned pediatric surgeon.  Despite her own mother's warnings, Tessa has recently given up her career to focus on her family and the pursuit of domestic happiness. From the outside, she seems destined to live a charmed life. 

Valerie Anderson is an attorney and single mother to six-year-old Charlie--a boy who has never known his father.  After too many disappointments, she has given up on romance--and even to some degree, friendships--believing that it is always safer not to expect too much. 


Although both women live in the same Boston suburb, the two have relatively little in common aside from a fierce love for their children.  But one night, a tragic accident causes their lives to converge in ways no one could have imagined.  


In alternating, pitch-perfect points of view, Emily Giffin creates a moving, luminous story of good people caught in untenable circumstances. Each being tested in ways they never thought possible. Each questioning everything they once believed. And each ultimately discovering what truly matters most. 

Thoughts

I will say what the synopsis leaves out as it is rather vague - this is a novel about an affair.  This was an excellent novel that really explores sense of morality.  Giffin plays this up by choosing to have Val and Tessa narrate, so it is difficult to really dislike any of her characters and you feel their pain as well as the pain they inflict on the other characters equally.  She explores how affairs happen in a way that really makes everyone seem blameless - but does this in a way that does not detract from the impact it has and the tragedy it brings.  Giffin has a way of writing that explores every situation from multiple sides - the affair, the incident that led to Charlie's burn, relationships - really any incident mentioned is very well rounded.  I make this sound like some didactic lesson in morality, but it really is very well written. Giffin writes beautifully, allowing us to love all her characters, and writing them in a very realistic situation.  This plot can (and has) often become too soap opera-ish.  Giffin knows exactly where to play up and play down the situation so that it is not undersold, but does not become overly dramatic.  Overall this was one of the best books I read last year.  But be forewarned - any book that dives into the human psyche this deeply will not always be a comfortable journey.


Character development - excellent
Plot - excellent
Prose - well written

Recommended

Heavy chick lit readers; readers who enjoy reading about moral dilemmas; heavy realistic fiction readers

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   Book Review                           Book Review

Firefly Lane - Kristin Hannah

Synopsis

In the turbulent summer of 1974, Kate Mularkey has accepted her place at the bottom of the eighth-grade social food chain. Then, to her amazement, the "coolest girl in the world" moves in across the street and wants to be her friend. Tully Hart seems to have it all---beauty, brains, ambition. On the surface they are as opposite as two people can be: Kate, doomed to be forever uncool, with a loving family who mortifies her at every turn. Tully, steeped in glamour and mystery, but with a secret that is destroying her. They make a pact to be best friends forever; by summer’s end they’ve become TullyandKate. Inseparable.

For thirty years, Tully and Kate buoy each other through life, weathering the storms of friendship---jealousy, anger, hurt, resentment. They think they’ve survived it all until a single act of betrayal tears them apart…and puts their courage and friendship to the ultimate test. 

So begins Kristin Hannah’s magnificent new novel. Spanning more than three decades and playing out across the ever-changing face of the Pacific Northwest, Firefly Lane is the poignant, powerful story of two women and the friendship that becomes the bulkhead of their lives.

Thoughts

This was an emotionally charged novel with a very compelling narrator.  Beginning at the awkward age of fourteen and closing at the end of a lifetime, this journey documents a relistic telling of live and love, but especially of the kind of friendship that lasts into death.

I am very critical of character development, and a story like this hangs entirely on how well the author paces character development and how realistically she does so.  I find that authors who write in first person are often less successful with character development, or is only able to do so with one character.  Kristin Hannah was able to show the growth of the narrator from girl to woman as well as that of her best friend.  These two characters are foils of each other, and I think it is often hard to like both characters when they are too different.  I found that at times I didn't like Tully, but overall Kristin Hannah was able to show why they stayed so close throughout the story and still keep them well-rounded characters, both with believable strenghts and flaws.  It is also difficult to keep the character's voices true over such a wide span of life - people change drastically from their teens to twenties to thirties.  I was impressed at how genuinely both of these characters stayed despite their transformations.  They didn't become unrecognizable, but there was true growth from both ends

Prose - well-written but nothing special
Plot - very, very good.  Events happen realistically,
Character development - excellent

Recommended

Chick lit readers, anyone looking for a good literature book.  NOT recommended for someone who isn't interested in crying.

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Book Review                                   Book Review

The China Garden - Liz Berry

Synopsis

 When Clare moves with her mother from London to Ravensmere, an historic English estate, she can't shake the feeling that the residents already know her, especially Mark, a maddeningly attractive biker. Clare also feels compelled to take midnight walks in Ravensmere's abandoned China Garden. Then her mother reveals that their own past is tragically linked to the estate. But when Clare discovers that Ravensmere is in grave danger, will she risk her future-and Mark's-to save it?

Thoughts

Back in my early teens, I read this book and it instantly earned a spot on my "special" bookshelf.  Having reread it for the first time, I'll have to chalk that up to inexperience and an over romanticized ideal of love and fantasy.

Although the novel attempts to give a dark, gothic atmosphere, it just comes off as cheesy and unrealistic.  So many aspects of this story really could have made the novel excellent if they had just been developed a little further.  For example, many characters are too flat and stereotyped!  Clare is probably the most well developed, but that is because she is the main character.  Her attraction to Mark is somewhat understandable as he is a "bad boy", but once again this is something that just isn't developed enough.  The author takes the hates-but-secretly-loves route - but rather than a gradual change of heart, Clare is suddenly okay with this attraction...with no explanation whatsoever.  Mark is even worse!  He has no reason to be attracted to her whatsoever - he just is!  Although this attraction could be , and probably is, attributed to the Benison, it just isn't explored.  Mark has no problem with his lineage whatsoever and he isn't worried about why he likes Clare.  He is sickeningly close to the romance novel stereotypical bad boy.  Tough outside, soft inside.  Again - this angle COULD work - but he comes off closer to bipolar!  But the worst fault of all in characters is the villain - whose name currently escapes me.  He is a completely black villain.  He is going to destroy the beautiful landscape of Ravensmere, but there is no motive! Money?  Why does he want money?  Or what twisted him to value money over all else?  Or is there a reason other than money? Did something in his past happen? There is absolutely no character development here.  Apparently he was just born evil.  I also wish that the owner had a little more mystique, but I suppose it makes it more realistic that in then end, he really is just a whiny old man.

The love triangle of the past was pretty interesting. Considering how soap-operaish the plot was, the relationships were much more genuine and developed than those expressed in the main story line.  I also liked that there wasn't a quick fix - it just implied they were headed in that direction (I won't give away anymore or I'll have told you everything about the novel!)

I did enjoy the more sci-fi/fantasy (probably closer to fantasy) aspect of this novel. It was an interesting concept.  I would have preferred for the "power" to have been explained a little more in depth, but I feel that the author consciously made the decision to leave things a little broad so the reader can interpret as they please.

After all this ragging I have on the story - it was actually a decent read.  Don't let this review deter you from checking it out (granted it's not even really sold in print anymore so I really mean check it out - from the library haha).  Unfortunately for this novel, I read it directly after Alice Hoffman's Here on Earth, a story that dealt with similar topics (inexplicable attraction and a very dark mood).  Hoffman's book was adult - and extremely dark, so in contrast, Berry's book seemed juvenile - which in a sense it is meant to be.  It also very difficult to follow a book with the quality of writing Hoffman usually displays.  I am also a lot harsher on novels that are so, so close - but just miss being an excellent read by a few points. 

Overall

I found many thing irritating about this novel, but overall it had a very engaging plot line.  I am glad I reread it, but probably will not do so again.

Recommended

Readers chick lit, young adult, fantasy, and romance.  This novel has a heavy emphasis on environmental issues, so if you consider greeen reading crap, you might not enjoy this.

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Book Review                      Book Review

Evermore - Alison Noel

Rated: D



Synopsis

Since a horrible accident claimed the lives of her family, sixteen-year-old Ever can see auras, hear people’s thoughts, and know a person’s life story by touch. Going out of her way to shield herself from human contact to suppress her abilities has branded her as a freak at her new high school—but everything changes when she meets Damen Auguste…
Ever sees Damen and feels an instant recognition. He is gorgeous, exotic and wealthy, and he holds many secrets. Damen is able to make things appear and disappear, he always seems to know what she’s thinking—and he’s the only one who can silence the noise and the random energy in her head. She doesn’t know who he really is—or what he is. Damen equal parts light and darkness, and he belongs to an enchanted new world where no one ever dies.

Thoughts

While I found the novel addicting, addicting doesn't mean a book with substance. It was your typical teen drama. There isn't a whole lot to say...by typical teen drama this is what I mean.

Don't read if you don't want spoilers!!! (although really, as I said, none of it is surprising).


Girl: Gorgeous but doesn't know it. Something traumatic happened to her in the past and now she's withdrawn and all the popular girls hate her.

Boy: Gorgeous. Perfect. Loves girl.

Girl loves boy but best friend loves boy. Boy loves girl. Boys ex-girlfriend tries to kill girl. Turns out Boy and Girl are immortal and pretty much soul mates.

Overall

Twilight. Without the bloody vampires. I enjoyed it while I was reading it, but I will not be reading the rest of the series unless completely desperate. This story has been told, oh, only about a billion times now! At least Gossip Girl brings somewhat original ridiculous drama, and at the time Twilight was somewhat original...all these copy-cat stories are really getting on my nerves. For what its worth, the author made an attempt at originality by creating something LIKE vampires but not.

Recommended

Teen readers, lovers of Stephanie Meyer's Twilight series. Good for a fluff read if you want some easy drama to pass the time.

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Book Review                                Book Review

P.s. I Love You - Cecily Ahern

Synopsis

"A novel about holding on, letting go, and learning to love again.
Now in paperback, the endearing novel that captured readers' hearts and introduced a fresh new voice in women's fiction" — Cecelia Ahern.

Holly couldn't live without her husband Gerry, until the day she had to. They were the kind of young couple who could finish each other's sentences. When Gerry succumbs to a terminal illness and dies, 30-year-old Holly is set adrift, unable to pick up the pieces. But with the help of a series of letters her husband left her before he died and a little nudging from an eccentric assortment of family and friends, she learns to laugh, overcome her fears, and discover a world she never knew existed.

Thoughts

I found that the topic was moving, but I was unimpressed at how it was executed. The ideas and actions often wandered - something deep would be discussed and then BAM! - they're in the middle of the ocean? I understand, having dealt with the deaths of people I love, how one moment you are ok and then something tiny sets you off. Ahern did a good job showing the reactions of those in grief...but at times the situations Holly is put in seem so contrived.

The prose was not sophisticated - it almost sounded as if it hadn't been proof read. It just sounded...juvenile almost. The dialogue sounded so forced! The vocabulary was not very diverse...it made it hard for me to get fully absorbed in the novel.

On the other hand, the concept of this novel was outstanding. Although the story line wavered at time, if it had a little more continuity I would have loved the entire premise of this book. Ahern's take on death and grief was perfect - many authors have the tendency to overdo it and then have the character magically ok a short time later. I felt she depicted Holly's journey in a true manner. I also liked the ending (I don't want to give a spoiler here, but if you read the novel, you will understand what I mean in regards to the man).

Overall

Overall, plot was good, writing was not. An ok read.

Recommended

Chick lit lovers who don't mind delving into a more serious topic.

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Book Review                                      Book Review

The Shoe Queen - Anna Davis

Rated: 9 stars

Synopsis

1920s Paris. The ‘Crazy Years’. English society beauty Genevieve Shelby King parties till dawn with the artists and writers of bohemian Montparnasse. She has a rich husband, a glamorous apartment and an enormous shoe collection. But there is something hollow at the centre of Genevieve’s charmed life.

When she spots a pair of unique and exquisite shoes on the feet of her arch rival one night, her whole collection – indeed, everything she has – seems suddenly worthless. The exclusive designer Paolo Zachari, renowned for his fabulous shoes and his secretive life, hand-picks his clients according to whim. And Zachari has determined to say no to Genevieve.

As her desire for the pair of unobtainable shoes develops into an obsession with their elusive creator, Genevieve’s elaborately designed life comes under threat, and she is forced to confront the emptiness at its heart.

Thoughts

I first read Anna Davis in her novel Cheet, a novel about a woman who carries a different cell phone for each boy she's with. I was shocked when I found out The Shoe Queen is by the same woman! This is a complete change in genre, yet she doesn't fall short. This novel is filled with mystery - yet nothing that would not be found in any other woman's life in this time period. It's about the love versus duty. It is not - as the title implies some shopping crazed woman - Genevieve has great character depth. She's a real woman - which I love. Its hard to describe, but too often characters become mostly flawed, or mostly good. Genevieve does not have "flaws" or "good attributes" - she just is. I think Davis's approach to characters is my favourite thing about this novel. Everyone is real - its not separated into good or bad.

I also think she did a decent job depicting the bohemian life - although I can't say I have done much research in that area. All of the situations were plausible - in fact most of them were based on real events during that time.

Overall

A good read. Great character and plot development. A well researched book that feels very real - the way life really happens - no happy endings nor life shattering tragic endings.

Recommended

Chick lit and historical fiction readers. Any one who understands the beauty of shoes.

The Sleeping Beauty Proposal - Sarah Strohmeyer

Rated: F



Synopsis

A wickedly funny fairytale for modern women from the “laugh-out-loud funny” (Washington Post Book World) author of The Cinderella Pact.Genie’s commitment-phobic boyfriend is finally proposing—on national television. To the woman he’s been seeing on the side. It’s a major wake-up call for a girl who’s hit the snooze button on her life a few too many times.With no names mentioned on the broadcast, Genie finds herself flooded with presents and congratulations. It’s up to her to explain the mistake, but sometimes waking up is hard to do.When her parents start planning the reception, she can’t help enjoying herself. Why call off the so-called engagement just yet? It’s fun to play princess. But unless a prince shows up—and soon—this dream could start getting weird.

Thoughts

This book was the most ridiculous piece of crap I have ever read. The plot is outlandish. The characters are insanely unbelievable. There was NO substance to this book. The main character is your stereotypical middle-aged woman. She talks about the same things all these woman talk about in these sort of books - weight and marriage. Her boyfriend is a grade-A asshole. Completely black character. The new love of her life is perfect: smart and absolutely gorgeous. These characters act to the extreme of their stereotype. Its almost laughable - if it didn't hurt so much to read it. I tried. I don't ever not finish a book, but this one sorely tempted me.

Overall

This book was not worth my time. It takes a lot for me to not enjoy anything about a book, but this book managed to be so ridiculously over the top it made it to my small list of least favourite books of all time.

Recommendations

No one. But if I'd have to pick, a chick lit fan with low standards.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society - Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

Rated: 7 stars




Synopsis

"I wonder how the book got to Guernsey? Perhaps there is some sort of secret homing instinct in books that brings them to their perfect readers."
January 1946: London is emerging from the shadow of the Second World War, and writer Juliet Ashton is looking for her next book subject. Who could imagine that she would find it in a letter from a man she's never met, a native of the island of Guernsey, who has come across her name written inside a book by Charles Lamb...

As Juliet and her new correspondent exchange letters, Juliet is drawn into the world of this man and his friends — and what a wonderfully eccentric world it is. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society — born as a spur-of-the-moment alibi when its members were discovered breaking curfew by the Germans occupying their island — boasts a charming, funny, deeply human cast of characters, from pig farmers to phrenologists, literature lovers all.

Juliet begins a remarkable correspondence with the society's members, learning about their island, their taste in books, and the impact the recent German occupation has had on their lives. Captivated by their stories, she sets sail for Guernsey, and what she finds will change her forever.

Written with warmth and humor as a series of letters, this novel is a celebration of the written word in all its guises, and of finding connection in the most surprising ways

Thoughts

Set during WWII on a small island off the coast of England during German occupation, this book is narrated almost entirely through letters. This means that the POV gives a lot of different perspectives - kind of in first person, kind of in third person, it can cover a large assortment of experiences and emotions. I also liked how a book united a community during a Nazi occupation and how this book created relationships that spanned over countries. Very book empowering :-).

2/3 of the book have great character development and tension built up from the war as well as personal relationships. It is a little vague where the story is going however. The ending, sadly, falls short in comparison to the rest of the book. It is very cliche - a romance sprouts out of nowhere in the last few chapters of the book, finishing the novel. It seems very abrupt and out of character. There is a reason for this. Unfortunately the author died before she finished the book, leaving her niece to finish the book. I have to congratulate the niece for having the guts to pick up a story and try and match the style.

Overall

A decent read, relatively light-hearted for a historical fiction novel, especially during this time period.

Recommended

Historical fiction readers, chick lit, and anyone looking for a good, light read.

Diva - Alex Flinn

Synopsis:

Caitlin wants to be a diva. Make that a Diva with a capital D. Sure, you're thinking. A diva. Every girl wants to be one. Caitlin, however, isn't interested in being your normal, everday Paris Hilton. She wants to be the next Christine from Phantom of the Opera. Yep, Caitlin loves opera.

Unusual? Sure. But Caitlin isn't happy waiting in the wings. She wants to soar, to embrace her music, to truly live. And now that she's been accepted into the prestigious Miami High School of the Arts, success is within her reach. Or so she hopes. Unfortunately, she doesn't seem to fit in at Miami H.S.A.. She just isn't "weird" enough. She doesn't dance in the subways, for heaven's sake.

Then she meets Sean. Together, they make amazing music. And the sparks flying between them, well, to Caitlin, are pretty amazing too. Sean has a few secrets though... how will they affect the two of them?


Thoughts

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. The synopsis sets it up to be another catty teen novel, but it had a surprising amount of substance. The character is first introduced in one of Flinn's earlier novels, but this book stands alone. The character is very real, and the issues and fears she deals with on a daily basis mirror those of every teenager. While it addresses many issues modern teens face, it thankfully turns down the opportunity to become overly dramatic.

The musical aspect of this was just another plus side for me :-). From what I have heard from my many friends at arts schools, the depiction seems accurate, although I would like to point out that Phantom of the Opera is a musical and not an opera. In any case the music is only a small detail in the big picture of Diva. My only big complaint is the occasional use of text/im speech, while used for a purpose, still annoys me personally.

The novel is about chasing your dreams at any costs, and understanding what those consequences are. Its about finding yourself and keeping true to that.

On a side note - I found out much later that this is a character from Flinn's first novel, Breathing Underwater. 

Overall

A pretty good read from the young adult section.


Recommended for:

Young adult and chick lit readers.

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Book Review                      Book Review