The Alcatraz Escape by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
The Alcatraz Escape is the third book in the Book Scavenger series. Emily is still the focal point but this time several of her friends get more page time as well. The second book left it giving the readers a hint as to what the third book will be about. There is a new game afoot, and it will take place in the infamous Alcatraz in San Francisco Bay. The game is intended to be fun and raise money for a local bookstore. Emily, James, and crew, along with many others who won their way into the game, travel to the island and set off on a hunt. This hunt was created by a famous recluse of an author who everyone is curious to see in person. There are elements working against the young group of intrepid puzzle-solvers and they get themselves into plenty of tight scrapes. They must work together as a team and not be torn apart but will they solve it in time?
This book was a quick and easy read like the others. It had elements of tension and excitement to find the solution using clues and each other. Jennifer Chambliss Bertman created a solid children’s book that could draw in many readers. It did keep me reading and wanting to finish. I do like the way Jennifer briefly brings information from the previous books to help set the stage but does not spend too much time on the details. The twist was excellent and I did not see it coming at all. I have said this before, I liked the weaving in of historical elements. At the end she gives a summary of what was fiction vs what was fact. I love this sort of thing. This time around though I found Emily, the main character, getting more on my nerves than the previous books. I know she is young but she had such an attitude. She was defensive, negative, pouty, and self-centered. Emily was childish, which granted she is a child, but this is why I typically stay away from books that are geared towards younger readers. There were plenty of assumptions by many of the characters without evidence. In general, the thought patterns and jumping to conclusions are bothersome. I thought this book was not as well done as the previous two. It seemed a little forced to basically create an escape room instead of a large hunt with many locations. The kickoff to the game at the prison was a little too convenient and lucky for me. There were also many more unlikeable characters without any redeeming qualities this time around. I am still not a fan of Mr. Quisling. I think this is slightly more grown-up than the other two in terms of situations and antagonists. Overall, I would say read it to finish up the series and for some more puzzles & history.
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My Favorite Novel Ever And Being Overcome With Emotion
The Heart’s Invisible Furies by John Boyne
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I absolutely loved this novel. I cannot think of one that I have loved as much as this one ever, so this might be my favorite novel of all time. I felt this immediate draw to pick it back up every time that I set it down. The Heart’s Invisible Furies is undeniably powerful, funny, and devastating. It is poignant, consuming, and clever. I cannot say enough good words about it. There aren’t enough good words to describe it. I would say that I am speechless but all I want to do is sing all the praises from the highest of the mountains so that everyone can hear. Even before the actual story starts it provides a chuckle but the actual story begins in Ireland in the 1940s with a woman who found herself in an unwed, pregnant situation and was forced to leave her hometown. She meets a guy on the way to Dublin and ends up living with him for a short bit until a tragic and joyous event occurs. The book actually follows her son and provides a detailed account of his life over the next 70 or so years. I have such an affinity for Cyril, the son. I saw myself so deeply in him, I felt such a connection, that it could have been me living that life. The characters were so well developed that I had no trouble identifying or remembering them. The picture was painted with such clarity and detail. I was hooked from the first sentence and it just continued from there. What a first chapter! It sunk its hooks into me quickly and deeply. I also loved how this book was structured. It is an epic tale as it traverses multiple countries and decades. You are immersed in the time and characters as if you were there. John Boyne is one of the best writers I have ever read. I don’t think I have read anything by him thus far, but I cannot wait to see what else is out there. He has this way of hinting and nodding to something but not outright saying it, that makes you feel in on a secret that only the two of you know. His use of context is superb. It is subtle but it fills you with quiet glee. He also has this unbelievable artistry to weave connections throughout, from the first chapter to the last. It is done with such grace and elegance that you don’t see it coming. It comes out of left field but it is so realistic. It is like it was inevitable. I would stop in my tracks and then I would just sigh at how right it felt. There are plenty of moments that left me gobsmacked with my mouth held agape in shock. I had to look around, even if I was alone, wondering who else was flabbergasted by what was on the page. I wanted to discuss in whispers what just occurred. Furies was also a riot. I found myself laughing out loud, so hard. I would even get myself to laugh just thinking about it when I set the book down. There is so much witty repartee. The quips, asides, and comebacks are plentiful that sometimes I could not handle it. My stomach hurt and I had tears from how clever the writing was. For example, “turning to her with all the warmth of Lizzie Borden dropping in to say goodnight to her parents.” There were also plenty of gut-wrenching and devastating moments that left me helpless and in tears as well. I had to stop reading at some points because I couldn’t see the words through my tears. They were dripping down my face. At times I couldn’t breathe because I was overcome with deep anguish. The overpouring of emotions that this novel can evoke in a person are mind-blowing. I have never had such a reaction to the written word that I felt throughout my body, ever in my life. It is the most human book. I smile and laugh, become wistful and melancholy just thinking of the novel still. My inability to convey how breathtaking and powerful this novel was, devastates me. This is my favorite novel ever.
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Hawthorne Is An Asshole And Other Manipulations
The Word is Murder by Anthony Horowitz
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This book is about an ass of a detective and an easily manipulated writer with boundary issues. The writer is orchestrated into writing this book, as evident by the book in hand, and it follows an investigation into the death a woman who plans her funeral hours before her murder. We get a first-person account which allows the reader to join in on the adventure and the inner thoughts of the author. I really did enjoy the structure and concept behind the book. A writer writes about himself in a semi-fictional world, in which he creates this intriguing story but interweaves real people, shows, and movies. The name drops are cool and London is a great setting. It did interest me right away and I found it an easy read. It was quick and held my attention throughout. There were phrasings throughout that were teasing and playful which made me smirk. However, there were things that I definitely did not like. As mentioned above, in my opinion, the detective is an ass. He had only 1 redeeming quality and that was his intelligence and shrewdness (is that technically two?). Otherwise, he is a jerk who is manipulative and doesn’t care how he interjects himself into other people’s lives or how he affects others. He doesn’t even have the courtesy to pay for him own stuff. There are plenty of manipulative (on his account) behaviors and boundary issues (on both the main character’s part) in this book. The writer just can’t say no. As the reader, I can see it plain as day and I did not like it. There were also a couple discrepancies that bothered me and the common phrase in these novels that popped up, “I should have stopped.” There was one other characteristic that made me despise the detective, which I won’t mention so you can find out for yourself. Overall, it had some really good aspects and some aspects that really got under my skin. I will see what the next book in the series brings though.
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