From Goodreads: One person the citizens of Eaton are inclined to judge is Janie Crawford, who has married three men and been tried for the murder of one of them. Janie feels no compulsion to justify herself to the town, but she does explain herself to her friend, Phoeby, with the implicit understanding that Phoeby can "tell 'em what Ah say if you wants to. Dat's just de same as me 'cause mah tongue is in mah friend's mouf."

Posted by Melanie at 8:00 AM View Comments    

Labels: 3 stars, Their Eyes were Watching God, Zora Neale Hurston

As a kid, Dara was really cute, so cute, in fact, that she won the Little Miss Maine pageant. Between her cuteness and her singing skills she was irresistible. Her dad used to spend hours practicing with her, and her mother was always there to cheer her on. Those days are long gone. She’s gained a lot of weight. Her parents aren’t really involved in her life anymore. When an English project gets hugely misinterpreted, it finally pushes Dara over the edge. She’s tired of it all, so she goes to the only place she can think of. To the home of the sister she has never met. There she learns about her family and herself all while finding out who she wants to be.

I had mixed feelings about the book. On the one hand, Dara was a really cool character. I felt like I understood her. Dara’s trip to meet her sister, Rachel, was great. It takes up the majority of the book, and the characters that live on the farm were really interesting. They all had such vibrant personalities, especially Owen, a guy that becomes Dara’s friend.

The plot in this book was interesting as well. Not everything was a big surprise, but there were just enough shenanigans to keep me interested. It moved along fairly quickly which was nice. Also, I loved the setting. Rachel lives on a goat farm. Not exactly your average setting, huh?

On the other hand, I felt like a lot of info was left out that I would like to have had. The reason Dara had never previously met Rachel was because their mom believed that Rachel was a bad person and had done some really horrible things. I never really understood what Rachel had done that was so horrible. Dara didn’t really, either. I wanted to know but never got the chance to find out.

A smaller qualm I had with this book was the cover. It’s really pretty, and it was what initially drew me to the book, but after reading it, I don’t feel like it fits. Dara is supposed to be overweight, and Owen, if I understand the book correctly, is supposed to be half African American. Neither of the models look like what they are described as in the book.

Overall, I feel like Secrets of Truth and Beauty was a good read. A few things could have made me like it more, but it was still definitely worth the time I spent reading it.

My rating- 3/5 stars

Posted by Melanie at 8:00 AM View Comments    

Labels: 3 stars, Megan Frazer, Secrets of Truth and Beauty

Critical Care tells the story of nurse Claire Avery. After her brother dies in the trauma room, she can no longer face the ER. She begins a new life for herself; a new hospital and a new job working in the educational department. Then, one day, there is a horrible accident and Claire is called to the ER to offer counseling to a stressed out staff. There, she meets Dr. Logan Caldwell, a man who believes counseling is a waste of time. Against her will, Claire has to go back to the ER more than once. She’s been praying, but she doubts whether God will ever answer and “heal her heart and move her forward.”

When I first settled into the story and began to parts of the characters and their pasts, I initially thought that the setting was a bit dramatic. Then I began to think about people in my life, and I realized, yes, it is dramatic. But it is a true representation of what life sometimes throws at us. Life can be harsh! We lose people we love, make mistakes that cost us dearly, and get caught up in things that don’t matter. With that new perspective, I picked up the book once again.

This book was a very good read. I felt like I got to know the characters well and in a few ways, I could relate to them. The characters in this book are all very real. No one is perfect. Everyone has challenges in their lives that they must learn to deal with. That was something that resonated with me as I read this book.

The plot in this book was predictable, at least a little. However, there were a few twists and turns. One in particular had me saying, “Wow. Definitely didn’t see that comin’!” Because this is the first book in a series, we got to know a few other characters a bit more in depth than usual. In fact, every once in a while the writing switches to their point of view. This helped to really flesh out the story a bit more, and let me see things from basically everyone’s point of view.

Overall, this is a very good read that delves into ordinary peoples’ lives, as they deal with the challenges they face.

My rating- 3/5 stars

For more information click on these links-
Relz Reviews
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Novel Reviews
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Posted by Melanie at 7:10 AM View Comments    

Labels: 3 stars, Candace Calvert, Critical Care

Set in 1973, Tales of the Madman Underground tells the story of Karl Shoemaker. A senior in high school, he's spent every Monday morning with a therapy group with around six other kids. Together they form Madman Underground. This year a new girl joins the group, Martinella, or Marti, as she likes to be called. But this year, he decides he's not going to get another ticket into therapy. He's going to be normal, but after being friends for so long he can't just walk away. Can he?

The plot in this book is incredibly compex and intriguing. Karl's home life is an absolute wreck. His father is dead, and his mother has turned into a drunk and a drug abuser. He holds four jobs, almost constantly working. This was truly one of those books where I wasn't sure what was going to happen once I turned the page.

The setting in this book was very accurately portrayed. From Karl's mom who is the total hippie-type, to everyone's reaction concerning controversial topics like racism and someone being a homosexual, it all definitely reminded me of the 1970s. Okay, I can't exactly "remember" the '70s, but you get my point.

I also really liked the cover of this book. I love the simplicity of it.

I did have a problem with this book, and that was there was a lot of cussing and sexual references. Even Karl's thoughts were proliferated with cussing. I feel like I could have enjoyed the book much more without those things being resurrected nearly every page.

Overall, I think this book had a strong story line with really interesting characters.

My rating- 3/5 stars

Posted by Melanie at 10:12 AM View Comments    

Labels: 3 stars, John Barnes, Tales of the Madman Underground

My summary: Ana’s Story tells of one girls’ journey through life. Infected with HIV from birth, she goes through childhood keeping secrets about the disease she carries and the abuse she suffers. Moving from home to home, she never finds the love she so desperately needs. Then she meets Berto. She trusts him, and this trust leads her to new pain, sorrow, hope, and joy.

My review: This book was painful, enlightening, and ultimately hopeful. Painful because you could feel Ana’s. Every time she was hit or abused you could see her pain. It was enlightening because you could see how Ana’s actions radically changed her life. Just one time, doing what made her happy, changed her life forever. And hopeful, because at the end of the book, you know that Ana’s story will continue, unfolding day by day. You hope that her life will get better, and she will overcome, breaking the vicious cycle of abuse. The author really pulled me into the story, making me wonder how one person could endure so much.

A cool thing I enjoyed about this book were the photos that appeared throughout. They livened up the book a lot, helping to bring the story to life, and provided visuals that you don't often receive in books.

Overall, this is a good book that many should read. The discussion questions in the back would make it ideal for a book club.

My rating is- 3/5 stars

Posted by Melanie at 12:55 PM View Comments    

Labels: 3 stars, Ana's Story, Jenna Bush, review