I have been a big fan of Nicholas Sparks for a long time. It goes without saying that I would read this book as well. See me is a bit different than his other books. There is a lot of mystery in this book, with a bit of a thriller twist. I felt Safe Haven was sort of leaning toward this style of writing, but it still heavily relied on the intimacy of the main characters.
We can all agree that Nicholas Sparks has a way with romantic notions. What I like so much about this book is that the romance is more on the level of truly getting to know the other person and accepting who they are. I like that the two main characters come from they types of families that are at opposite ends of the spectrum and still find a common ground.
Then you have the suspense portion of the book. Maria is a lawyer who going through some work related issues, including the return of someone from her past. Colin has some temper issues that have caused him to come into contact with the police. His character flaws have caused many to disbelieve him and the intentions of his actions. Only those who are closest to him seem to truly understand the weight of his actions.
I also like that a younger woman, Maria's sister, seems so insightful, yet people tend to just brush her off as a young college student. I like the empowerment of women in the book. Yet somehow he still maintains that a man can be there as a safety net in the form of a partnership.
There is a lot going on in the book and the character building is extensive. In the end though, you still end up with the warm fuzzies that a Sparks book generally leaves you with.
Happy reading!
Judi
Monday, December 12, 2016
Hollow City by Ransom Riggs
Hollow City is book number 2 of the Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children series. At the end of the last book Miss Peregrine had been kidnapped and the children set out to rescue her. Their success was short lived when they realize that their beloved headmistress is injured and stuck in bird form, as an Ymbryne's other talent is shape shifting into a bird. The problem is that without Miss Peregrine to reset the time loop every evening their home will cease to exist.
They set out to find other time loops and see if they can find another Ymbryne who might be able to help Miss Peregrine. Along the way they are being hunted by the wights and hollowgasts. They have lost the map of the time loops but take a page out of Jacob's book by listening to their bedtime stories, a copy of which they happened to have, and used that to find their way. Along the way they encounter other peculiar children; some who are alone and others who never left their non-peculiar families. These other characters provide another viewpoint with regard to the life of a peculiar.
They make their way to another Ymbryne who is able to turn Miss Peregrine back to herself. However, Miss Peregrine is not who she seemed. This curve ball has yet again changed the course of the children's journey and results in their capture.
This book, once again, uses a collection of old photographs to drive the story. The tangle of plot points weave you in and out of a very creative story. Again, this book leaves you questioning what will happen next.
Happy reading!
Judi
They set out to find other time loops and see if they can find another Ymbryne who might be able to help Miss Peregrine. Along the way they are being hunted by the wights and hollowgasts. They have lost the map of the time loops but take a page out of Jacob's book by listening to their bedtime stories, a copy of which they happened to have, and used that to find their way. Along the way they encounter other peculiar children; some who are alone and others who never left their non-peculiar families. These other characters provide another viewpoint with regard to the life of a peculiar.
They make their way to another Ymbryne who is able to turn Miss Peregrine back to herself. However, Miss Peregrine is not who she seemed. This curve ball has yet again changed the course of the children's journey and results in their capture.
This book, once again, uses a collection of old photographs to drive the story. The tangle of plot points weave you in and out of a very creative story. Again, this book leaves you questioning what will happen next.
Happy reading!
Judi
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
This book is aimed at a younger crowd due to the fantastic nature of the story. However, the tone of the book is more geared toward an older audience. The story is laid out slowly and meticulously. It establishes a solid foundation for the story line. Then starts to build so quickly that you can't really put the book down.
The world that Riggs has built is constructed around these old photographs that have some anomalies...and truth be told some of the anomalies are down right creepy. The imagination one has to posses to take such photographs and create a story where you can include the photographs in the story is simply amazing. They are not set in the same time and place so the story can unfold a little unusually; albeit in an entertaining fashion.
The premise of the book is that not everyone is born the same. Some have peculiarities. However, true to societal form, those who are different are not always appreciated for their differences. The solution to such treatment were homes for the peculiar. These homes were run by a headmistress known as an Ymbryne. These women are the protectors of the peculiar and create time loops by manipulating time alone. Those that hunt the peculiars are called wights and they feed the peculiars to a humanoid creature known as the hollowgasts. The hollowgasts were created by a mission for immortality gone awry. Now they want to try again...
The book follows Jacob who grew up listening to fanciful stories from his grandfather. As he grew older he truly believed his grandfather was nothing more than a great storyteller who used his stories as a coping mechanism to survive a less than ideal childhood. Little did he know that the stories his grandfather told him were stories of his life. Jacob and his grandfather share a talent that can help save the children under the Ymbryne, Miss Peregrine's, care.
It's an interesting book and ends with you wanting more. If you enjoy a little of the fantastic, I'd recommend this book.
Enjoy!
Judi
The world that Riggs has built is constructed around these old photographs that have some anomalies...and truth be told some of the anomalies are down right creepy. The imagination one has to posses to take such photographs and create a story where you can include the photographs in the story is simply amazing. They are not set in the same time and place so the story can unfold a little unusually; albeit in an entertaining fashion.
The premise of the book is that not everyone is born the same. Some have peculiarities. However, true to societal form, those who are different are not always appreciated for their differences. The solution to such treatment were homes for the peculiar. These homes were run by a headmistress known as an Ymbryne. These women are the protectors of the peculiar and create time loops by manipulating time alone. Those that hunt the peculiars are called wights and they feed the peculiars to a humanoid creature known as the hollowgasts. The hollowgasts were created by a mission for immortality gone awry. Now they want to try again...
The book follows Jacob who grew up listening to fanciful stories from his grandfather. As he grew older he truly believed his grandfather was nothing more than a great storyteller who used his stories as a coping mechanism to survive a less than ideal childhood. Little did he know that the stories his grandfather told him were stories of his life. Jacob and his grandfather share a talent that can help save the children under the Ymbryne, Miss Peregrine's, care.
It's an interesting book and ends with you wanting more. If you enjoy a little of the fantastic, I'd recommend this book.
Enjoy!
Judi
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