5+++ stars! Wow - I’m blown away - loved every word of this beautiful story!
This novel is moving right to the top of my 2017 Favourites list!
The char5+++ stars! Wow - I’m blown away - loved every word of this beautiful story!
This novel is moving right to the top of my 2017 Favourites list!
The characters, the atmosphere, the secrets - every part of this story was done to perfection! The author, Jean E. Pendziwol, created an unforgettable tale of family, love and hidden secrets all wrapped up in an intoxicating, mesmerizing and captivating atmosphere.
I highly, highly recommend this beautiful gem of a book! It was a pleasure to share reading this special "treat" of a novel with my Traveling Sisters Brenda, Nikki, Berit, Jennifer and Jaline. We had such fabulous discussion and we all fell IN LOVE with this touching story. I am still "hugging" my book. We look forward to the Pendziwol's next novel! ...more
5+ stars! Fantastic book! I'm in awe! I can't stop thinking of these characters. Wow!
I was looking forward to reading this book after seeing all the a5+ stars! Fantastic book! I'm in awe! I can't stop thinking of these characters. Wow!
I was looking forward to reading this book after seeing all the amazing reviews and it certainly lived up to all the hype.
I was worried that the magical realism element might be too much for me as that is not something I typically enjoy, yet the way it was integrated into this beautiful story was done so extremely well that I absolutely loved it! It was the perfect mix of fiction with a touch of magical realism.
I highly recommend this unforgettable novel. It was a pleasure reading this along with my lovely Norma. To find our full Traveling Sister Read review, please visit Norma and Brenda's fabulous blog at:
5+++ stars!!! Brilliant! Unique! Fantastic! Loved this book!
This was such a unique and outstanding story! A book within a book - it doesn't get any b5+++ stars!!! Brilliant! Unique! Fantastic! Loved this book!
This was such a unique and outstanding story! A book within a book - it doesn't get any better than that!! I am so impressed with this author, Anthony Horowitz's, talent and creativity in developing and constructing this remarkable novel. The flow and format of this book were exceptional - simply brilliant!
I cannot recommend this book highly enough! It's definitely one of my favourites of 2017!
To find our full Traveling Sister Read review, please visit Brenda and Norma's fabulous blog at:
5 stars! Wow - I’m still trying to catch my breath and slow my racing heart after finishing this fantastic book.
This book was SOOOOO GOOD! It was a f5 stars! Wow - I’m still trying to catch my breath and slow my racing heart after finishing this fantastic book.
This book was SOOOOO GOOD! It was a fast paced, heart pounding, edge-of-my-seat, nail biting, suspenseful thriller. I was completely engrossed in the story from page one and addicted to finding out what would happen next - the intensity did not end until I hit the very last page. The story is so well-written and the characters are extremely well-developed – I was completely engaged and consumed in this riveting story.
I loved the main character, Helena, and connected with her right away. She was born into captivity and lived in isolation with her kidnapped mother and notorious child abductor father until the age of 12 when she and her mother escaped. Her story is one I will not forget.
I highly, highly recommend this book! It is going on my Favourites list! I feel terrible for whichever book I read next because it will be next to impossible to compare to the intensity and addictiveness of this amazing novel…....more
4.5 stars! Oh Eleanor, I desperately wanted to reach into this story and hug you (even though a hug would be extremely awkward for you) and welcome yo4.5 stars! Oh Eleanor, I desperately wanted to reach into this story and hug you (even though a hug would be extremely awkward for you) and welcome your quirky self into my life!
Eleanor’s journey took me on a roller coaster ride of emotions. Eleanor is obliviously socially awkward. She had me laughing out loud on one page and then holding back tears while breaking my heart on the next. Eleanor Oliphant is one of the most remarkable characters I have ever ‘met’! Eleanor’s inner thoughts (and often her outspoken words) had me giggling throughout every chapter. Her relationship with her mother and memories of her childhood had me cringing and shaking my head in disbelief.
While reading this book, I couldn’t help comparing it to the quirkiness of The Rosie Project which I absolutely loved. I just couldn’t help but smile and melt at Eleanor’s rationalizations for each of her thoughts and actions. She is quite a woman!
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and would highly recommend it! ...more
This story was such an enjoyable and delicious treat! I lapped up every word and savoured every sentence. The writing5+ stars!!! I adored this novel!
This story was such an enjoyable and delicious treat! I lapped up every word and savoured every sentence. The writing was superb! I am still hugging this book to my chest hours after finishing it. It was so atmospheric and compelling that upon finishing, I immediately started to ‘miss’ these characters and setting.
The story is told in two timelines, one the summer of 1959 and the other over fifty years later. The plot revolves around Applecote Manor, a grand mansion surrounded by fields, river and forest in the sprawling English countryside. This manor house property is where a young girl went missing in 1954, never to be found. The mystery behind her disappearance floats throughout every page and chapter of this captivating story.
The 1959 storyline follows the four enchanting Wilde sisters throughout their summer stay at their aunts’ manor house. I was completely captivated by these girls on the verge of adulthood. Their beauty and innocence radiated off the pages. Their fierce love, protection and loyalty to one another was mesmerizing. The second storyline, in present day, was equally intriguing, addictive and gripping following a new family leaving city life behind to nestle into a more relaxed and nature-driven lifestyle in the country.
I was highly addicted to this enthralling novel and didn’t want to put it down however, I also didn’t want to rush through it. I took the time to appreciate every word and truly experience the unforgettable characters and tale that was unfolding.
I read the author, Eve Chase’s, debut novel “Black Rabbit Hall" last year and loved it. I had been looking forward to Chase’s next book ever since and this story surpassed anything I could have expected! I highly, highly recommend this wonderfully captivating book! This is one of my favourites of 2017!...more
4.5 stars! Oh, how I loved this story - I simply didn’t want it to end!
WOW - these characters……what can I say?? I LOVED them! I ADORED them! I wanted 4.5 stars! Oh, how I loved this story - I simply didn’t want it to end!
WOW - these characters……what can I say?? I LOVED them! I ADORED them! I wanted to jump into the book and hug them (well – not all of them, but most of them)!
I had been looking forward to reading this novel for quite a while and it definitely delivered and lived up to all the hype! It's going straight to my Favourites shelf!
My one critique is that I wanted MORE! I felt I only touched the surface of getting to know these amazingly unforgettable characters. What happens next?.....I keep thinking to myself. I feel like there is so much more story left to be told. The writing was superb! The character depictions and language seemed absolutely perfect! This is southern fiction done right!
A unique, compelling and heart-wrenching story. I will be thinking of these characters long after I write this review. I highly recommend this captivating book! I look forward to reading more from this author, Leah Weiss, in the future. What an outstanding debut novel!...more
5+++ stars! I know it's only February, but I'm going to go ahead and say this is my favourite book of 2017 - it will be next to impossible to top.
His5+++ stars! I know it's only February, but I'm going to go ahead and say this is my favourite book of 2017 - it will be next to impossible to top.
Historical fiction is my most favourite genre and this book was one of the absolute best historical fiction novels I have ever read! I took my time with this book, saving it for when I had longer chunks of uninterrupted time to read and truly savour the writing and story. This is my first Amy Harmon book - I have found a new favourite author - I feel I'm "in awe" of Harmon - I will read anything she writes!
I'm spent - emotionally exhausted after experiencing the love, war, hope and pain throughout this novel. I FELL ABSOLUTELY IN LOVE with both of the main characters - Eva and Angelo. Their love story is one that I will NEVER forget.
The wartime atrocities that happen throughout this book are horrendous and based on true events. As hard as it was to read at times, Harmon explains in her Author's Note "My prayer is that people of today will know the past so they won't repeat it." Very well said!
A few quotes that deeply affected me were:
"When children suffer, the ones who love them suffer even more, helpless to alleviate their agony."
When Angelo was explaining to Eva the beauty he remembers in his deceased mother. "To me she was (beautiful). And she was soft. ..... Everything about her comforted me. She was...soft. .... Mamma was love. And she didn't even have to try. She just...was." Melt my heart!!!!
Another heart melting quote was when Nonna found twelve year old Eva and fourteen year old Angelo kissing. "She shrieked their names and swatted them both on the heads, crossing herself and praying between the slaps. They were grounded from each other for two days..."
I could go on and on about all of the things I adored about this story, but I would rather you pick up the book to experience it yourself. I HIGHLY, HIGHLY RECOMMEND this to anyone who loves, likes or just wants to try out historical fiction. You'll be forever changed after reading this beautiful story. A big thank you goes to my dear GR friend, Linda, who highly recommended this book - her review was the main reason I picked this book up and I'm so grateful!...more
5 stars! Wow - this was an intense, highly-emotional and uncomfortable book. I don't think it's possible for me to give this book the review it deserv5 stars! Wow - this was an intense, highly-emotional and uncomfortable book. I don't think it's possible for me to give this book the review it deserves. I had no idea what I was getting into when I picked it up. Kudos to the author, Katrina Kittle, for writing an extremely powerful book about such a devastating and disturbing topic - child sexual abuse. Pedophiles are expert manipulators who thrive on finding vulnerable children and they often lead completely "normal" lives. What an eye-opener! I am forever changed after reading this. I was completely glued to the pages of this story even though it was such a dark topic and was extremely difficult to read at times.
As a mother, this book makes me TERRIFIED to let my children out of my sight. It really makes me question who I would trust to watch my children. It's sad to say but people can be very deceiving and manipulative in this chaotic world. This story shows you just how easily this devastation could happen in any neighbourhood. Parents REALLY need to be aware! A big outtake from this book for me is to always have an open line of communication with your children, no matter how uncomfortable the discussions may be. Shying away from uncomfortable topics with your children can lead to secrets and embarrassment and sexual predators thrive on finding families that lack this open and encouraging environment.
The author told this story from multiple perspectives, some directly affected by the sexual abuse and others non-directly affected by it. All of the characters were extremely well-developed - I felt like I was inside their mind, feeling their feelings and thinking their thoughts. I was so absorbed in the story that I actually found myself holding my breath on pages where I couldn't read fast enough to find out what would happen next. I can't imagine the amount of research that would have went into writing this book. My heart broke OVER AND OVER AGAIN for the main victim, eleven year-old Jordan. I wanted to wrap my arms around him and protect him from his crazy, uncontrollable world, though I knew a warm embrace would be the last thing on earth that would ever comfort him. I loved Nate and Danny, brothers from Jordan's school, who got caught up in the middle of exposing the entire devastating situation. Sarah, Nate and Danny's mom, was my hero - the shining light throughout this story. She had such strength, kindness and determination to sort through and mend the situation to the best of her ability while mourning not only the loss of her husband, but the loss of her supposed best friend.
The predators in this book are the Barbie and Ken "perfect couple next door" with the big, beautiful house and all the luxuries anyone could wish for. They seem to have everything going for them and all the money to go along with it. They have an introvert son who goes to the local school. They volunteer as coaches, shuttle drivers, school trip leaders, etc. Everyone in the community knows them and loves them. Being friends with them is an honour. They absolutely LOVE children and have a backyard oasis that has the local kids wishing to be invited over. Sounds like a great place to bring your children, right? WRONG - VERY WRONG!!!!!!! I cannot even begin to touch on the details of the sexual abuse that went on in this book as it is so extremely upsetting and disturbing. This book is not for everyone. It is EXTREMELY unsettling, however, it is so well-written that it completely engulfs you into the devastating storyline making you hang on every single word. Obviously, this is not a feel-good book, but I highly recommend it for the well-written story and life lesson to parents. This is the first book I have read by Katrina Kittle and it certainly won't be my last!...more
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