Wow. Congratulations. There's actually a book out there that I want to give one star. Literally the only reason I won't do that is because I've read sWow. Congratulations. There's actually a book out there that I want to give one star. Literally the only reason I won't do that is because I've read something else by this author that was actually worth it. Also, congratulations, you've created a character with less personality than Bella Swan.
I've read books with main characters I absolutely hate, or who I think are absolutely idiots, or occasionally both, but never with a character I literally had no feelings about.
Add to this the incredibly predictable mystery and the very clearly forced love triangle, as well as that the content of the book is only 80% of the entire (tiny) book, and you have the shortest book I've ever considered not finishing.
The thing is, I know Harper Lin has more potential than this. I read Cappuccinos, Cupcakes, and a Corpse when I was first getting into cozy mysteries, and while it's definitely not the genre's best, it has stronger characters and an all around better plot than whatever it is I just read. I guess she just had to grow into it.
Also, if you're looking for something overly Christmas-y, this is not that. It's barely even mentioned, honestly....more
Review 3/6/23 There are some books that, when rereading, you feel bored because you already know how everything happens. Others provide new insights. AReview 3/6/23 There are some books that, when rereading, you feel bored because you already know how everything happens. Others provide new insights. A reread of The Last Bull at Raymond definitely provided different insights from my first read.
I remember being very confused the first time I read this. Knowing what was coming made the story a lot easier to understand. I appreciate seeing Jedediah as the observer to it all, and also the one with more of the knowledge because of his background (although I still have some questions on how author Nancy Jane writes this background - more on that in a minute). Everything going on with the missing girls also makes more sense at a second reread. It was harder to link everything going on in a first read and going in blindly, especially when it related to Jedediah's dreams in the past and the exploration of the present. Overall I think I was able to enjoy this one more on a second read when I was less confused.
I will say that I am still somewhat critical of the way Nancy Jane writes the First Nations mysticism and magic in this book. It's hard to tell which First Nations people she's representing and how accurately. However, on my last reading, I did post an ask the author question where Jane said that almost thirty years of researching Shamanism as it is represented here went into The Last Bull at Raymond. It does make me feel better to know that it's coming from an author who cares rather than a white author who only stereotypes.
The Last Bull at Raymond is the first Kindle book I've reread. It was interesting to look back at my notes and highlights, though I made a lot more this time around, so it was interesting to compare my original thoughts to my current ones. I could see myself rereading this one and still getting something new out of it a third time. --------------------------------- Review 4/26/21 I don't read westerns a lot, so I didn't expect that this would be interwoven with so much First Nations mysticism and major plot points that are far more fantastical than realistic. Perhaps that made this a poor introduction to the genre, or maybe it was good because I could read it with more of what I know in mind, since I do read a lot of fantasy and love learning about culturally held beliefs in magic.
Either way, I enjoyed this a lot, although I was confused by some things (probably because I rushed through reading it, which is entirely on me). Without giving too much away, the narrator is Jedediah Fox, and this has a Gatsby-ish feel in that Jedi is kind of an observer to the main action to the plot. I've been looking for a long time for this kind of book, but something that's far better written, and also more modern, than Fitzgerald's trashy "masterpiece" (read my review for The Great Gatsby HERE if you are so inclined). Either way, the book focuses much more around the lives of his friends Morgan and Rachel, who meet in an interesting way after separate accidents in Alberta and Toronto, respectively. This book also deals with a story of missing indigenous women, as well as crime based around the nemeses of the aforementioned characters.
I read an article for my education class recently about the lack of authentic portrayal of Native Americans in children's books that talked about how Native peoples are based in the past and shown from a singular, dominant lens. While The Last Bull at Raymond is definitely not a children's book, I ended up looking at the portrayal of indigenous people in a similar way to this article. I have a lot of questions about how well-researched the Chinook community in this novel is, especially regarding the mysticism portrayal of different kinds of dreams in this story. Aside from The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, this is the first Native American book I've read with a more modern setting, and I am interested to know how indigenous people from the US and Canada would interpret this novel.
As I mentioned before, there was a lot about this novel that was confusing to me, but I did enjoy it, and if I hadn't been speeding through it, I think I would have a better appreciation for the characters and story. This is definitely a book I want to revisit in a few years, especially when I have more time to read it critically.
Last month I read a few cozies that were not exactly what I had hoped I would get out of the genre. I started reading them for small-town feels and quLast month I read a few cozies that were not exactly what I had hoped I would get out of the genre. I started reading them for small-town feels and quirky, lovable, real characters. I'm afraid to say the few I read in May didn't exactly fit those vibes. So I was a little bit wary when I first started reading Arsenic in the Azaleas.
I'm happy to report this novel was the new look at the genre that I needed this month. I loved Doreen as a character. She was cute, funny, and relatable, and she had true motivation and appreciation for everything she did in the novel.
Arsenic in the Azaleas starts off with the main character, Doreen, moving to her grandmother's house in her small Canadian town after a toxic marriage ends in an ugly divorce. Just after moving in, she discovers a dead body on her porch.
As in a lot of cozy mysteries, she tries to look at the case and figure the culprit out for herself, but she doesn't do this in a reckless or dangerous way, in contrast to a lot of cozy mystery heroines. She knows when to step back and let the police handle their job, but she can't help being in the wrong place at the wrong time, nor can she stop herself from finding interesting clues while cleaning out the old house she's inherited.
One thing that made this novel infinitely better was the three pets. There was Goliath, the cat she inherited with the house, who has a love-hate relationship with her Bassett hound Mugs. Mugs is the one who actually discovers most of the disturbing evidence, and insists on Doreen knowing about it. And then there's Thaddeus, the talking African Gray parrot who always says everything twice, starting with "Body in the garden. Body in the garden." He was easily my favorite, and he was great comic relief when the crime was at its worst.
I also hate to say it, with everything that's going on with the police violence in the real world, but the officer Mack was another one of my favorite characters. Although he chastised Doreen often for her involvement, he seemed to not really mind, and they work well together. I kept seeing him as Hopper from Stranger Things. Also, and again I feel bad for saying this with the current climate, but I really hope Doreen is on the force by the end of the series.
Speaking of the series, I definitely want to get my hands on the next book. I really want to see what Doreen and her hilarious animal family do next. And, I'm really rooting for a relationship between her and Mack. I will definitely look to see where I can find Bones in the Begonias at a low price. This was good and laugh-out-loud hilarious at a time when I needed something to put a smile on my face....more
I'll admit the premise of this story was fairly interesting. A historical mystery where the MC gets to time travel via ghost is different than many noI'll admit the premise of this story was fairly interesting. A historical mystery where the MC gets to time travel via ghost is different than many novels I've read.
However, there just wasn't enough substance in The Ghost of Walhachin. It's one of those novels where everything happens really quickly, and you suddenly realize the rising action has turned into the climax way too fast.
As for the characters, they were interesting enough, but very predictable. Kean's knowledge that Calvin will call him back, for instance, was never tested in the context of the novel. Many of the plot points were pretty obvious as well - Jake and Joshua were easy to figure out from very early on, as was Mrs. Kelman.
I feel like the historical aspect of the novel could have been played up more as well. While the idea of Walhachin as a booming railroad city a hundred years ago (or fifty from the time period the book is set in) was interesting, and the time travel even more so, these aspects are glossed over in the actual story, and not in a way that makes you want to find out more about the events.
I'm not sure if this book would be more exciting for younger readers, or if it just lacks many of the elements that make it appealing for people looking for a strong plot and characters. I do not plan on rereading it, however, nor do I expect to have a copy in my future classroom.
Review 12/19/19 It's always fun to reread a favorite book, especially around the holidays. As with a lot of my rereads, looking at Exit, Pursued by a BReview 12/19/19 It's always fun to reread a favorite book, especially around the holidays. As with a lot of my rereads, looking at Exit, Pursued by a Bear as a first year college student was a lot different than reading it as a junior in high school.
I think the main thing that really spoke to me this time was the way Hermione imagined the whole world revolving around her, and then, to her surprise, it just doesn't, and she's pretty happy with that.
It took me until college to realize that that was actually what I wanted as well. I've been defined as "that cancer kid" all my life, just as Hermione suddenly gets the defining term "that raped girl." I know what it's like to just want to have a group of normal friends and to be told by everyone else that you no longer fit, or to have special treatment as a result of that.
I also love the way this book focuses on female friendships. I'm not sure if I mentioned this in my last review, but the relationship between Hermione and Polly is something everyone wants, and few people have. It's the same way with Hermione and Mallory and Hermione and Amy. The bonds between them grow so much stronger after the defining event in the book, and they refuse to see her as the victim.
This year, I've finally found friends like that in college, and I saw myself a lot more in Hermione's character than I think I did before. I really love this book, and I would definitely reread it over and over again. --------------------------------- Review 3/5/18 A little less than two years ago, I read Asking For It by Louise O'Neill. After that, I decided I wasn't going to pick up another rape novel for a long time, because the emotions were too heavy.
Fast forward two years. I want to read as many of the Lincoln Award nominees as I possibly can, because we didn't read any of them for book club this year, and voting is coming up in a week. This book had looked interesting for a while now, but like I said, I was avoiding rape novels.
What I didn't realize is, Louise O'Neill is just not that great of a writer, or at least not one with that great of a story to tell. However, E.K. Johnston knows the story she wants to tell, and tells it in a lot better of a way than O'Neill did. Both stories try to depict the idea of attempting to return back to normal, but Hermione Winters in Exit, Pursued by a Bear is a lot more relateable than Emma O'Donnovan in Asking For It. I think I could relate because I know what it's like to say "I'm normal" in the face of the world telling me I'm absolutely not. I remember O'Neill's style as being more "I cannot get back to normal because the world says I'm not."
I understand that rape is a life-wrecking experience. However, through my cancer experience and trying to recover "normal" after that, I think it is important to remember there is always hope. A character like Hermione Winters displays that characteristic far more than many other characters I've read, in any novel. As she struggles with what happened to her, there is always a sense of self in her story, Hermione shows hope at regaining her life, as well as how important a support system is in all walks of life. I feel like I can connect to a lot about her character because I've been there, not in that exact way, but because I've had to find and understand a lot of the same things she did.
I am really glad I decided to give this book a try after all. It was an absolute page turner, and I'm grateful I gave it the chance it deserved....more
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