New Hampshire Books

While I appreciated the careful and thoughtful character portraits, I thought the plot was somewhat unbelievable. Overall I was disappointed in Salem Falls after truly enjoying most of Picoult's novels.

Jodi Picoult is one of my new favorite authors. She certainly knows how to write a page-turner and how to straddle the line between "serious" and popular fiction. So far I have read Plain Truth, Harvesting the Heart, My Sister's Keeper, and this novel, Salem Falls. My favorite is a toss up between this and My Sister's Keeper.

The reviews on this book are mixed, with some readers like me loving it and others accusing it of being predictable and unbelievable. I, personally, didn't find the book to be predictable or unbelievable at all, though I could understand how one might perceive these flaws in the book if he or she were reading from a very cynical point of view. Actually, if it is a fact that such cynicism does indeed pervade our society so often, the argument of the novel's predictability is weakened. If cynicism is the norm, then the logical prediction would have been that Jack would be convicted, he and Addie would have broken up, etc. (In my opinion, if any one of Jodi Picoult's books is predictable, it's Plain Truth, not Salem Falls. Then again, I was trying to figure out Plain Truth's ending from page one, whereas I simply allowed Salem Falls to unfold before me as I immersed myself in its characters and story instead of trying to dissect the plot from the beginning.) I found Jack to be both a believable and sympathetic character. Just because a man is highly educated doesn't mean he can't also be naive - intellectual and emotional intelligence are two unique entities. Though such a heart of gold, a childlike innocence, is rare in an adult in this often cruel world, it does exist, and Jack won me over with this precious quality.

Jodi Picoult has woven a tale about another cast of characters for her readers' enjoyment. She carefully tells a story in parts concentrating on each character then moving to another part. Her technique keeps the reader hanging in suspense until the conclusion.

This book was fair. The story moves along until the Wiccan theme takes over. That is when the story lost my interest. The whole idea of the group of girls casting spells, etc. was just to bizarre. I think it had a negative effect on the story.

I would not buy this book. Get it from the library.

I've had mixed experiences with Jodi Piccoult. While her books "19 Minutes", "My Sister's Keeper" and "Plain Truth" are some of my all-time favorite books, this is the second one of hers that I have not liked at all.

This book has characters that are difficult to like, a story that ranges from uncomfortable to downright ugly, and a plot that plods along too it's invevitable and predictable end.

If you would like to try Jodi Piccoult, try one of the three books above, and you won't be sorry. If you start with this one, I'll guess you'll never read another one of her books.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The characters are well developed and the story builds to an interesting climax. This is only the second book that I've read by Anita Shreve, but it will definitely not be my last. She has a wonderful way of grabbing your attention at the start and keeping you interested throughout. Can't wait to read another.

Set in the early depression era on the East Coast, the novel follows Honora and Sexton Beecher from the beginning of their marriage. They moved into a large deserted old house on the beach and threw themselves into making it habitable with mostly sweat equity and little money. Sexton is away every week because of his job as travelling salesman and Honora lives a quiet but very structured life. She walks frequently on the lonely beach and collects colorful bits of sea glass.

When the owner decides to sell the home, Sexton manages to scrape together enough for the down payment and takes a mortgage at the local bank. Unfortunately, it's at the worst possible time as banks are starting to collapse and many are losing their jobs.

The story follows the arc of their relationship from good times to bad and explores the discoveries they make about each other as a result of their travails. Part of the subtext of the story is revealed through homey letters from Honora's mother. Sexton becomes involved with a group of men fomenting a strike at the local textile mills. Their home becomes the headquarters of the organizers, bringing them into the center of a dangerous and controversial movement.

The historical context of the novel was interesting, but what was most compelling was Anita Shreve's ability to create a fully imagined, complex, sympathetic character - Honora Sexton. I could imagine myself living in her time and faced with the same challenges. It's not always possible to "associate" yourself so completely with a fictional character, but Anita Shreve's skill make it possible.

The thing I liked most about this book was the overall atmosphere that the author created. It was extremely evocative of a time and place in US history (early labor strikes in New England textile industry). The characters and actual physical setting of the story are so well drawn that you feel like you have actually been there and know them.

In my opinion, Anita Shreve has a unique talent for melding interesting and unique events, places and personalities together to form a memorable and highly moving story that makes you come back for more.

The IDEA of Honora and Sexton's story gripped me. Two people who don't know each other very well fall for each other, get married very quickly, and then their marriage suffers from the blows life throws at them. The issue I had with their characters was that Honora seemed too perfect--good cook, great housekeeper, cares for her husband--and Sexton seemed too flawed--greasy salesman type, keeps important secrets from his wife, eventually even cheats on her. In my opinion, Ms. Shreve's characters aren't usually so perfectly defined as "good" and "evil"--and that's what I've always liked about her novels.

The novel itself, set on the cusp of the Great Depression and focusing on three completely different classes--Vivian as the upper class, Honora and Sexton as the middle class, and McDermott and Alphonse as the mill-worker lower class--seemed as if it was just trying to cover too much too fast, leaving it disjointed, and leaving me feeling as if the plot as a whole never came together.

The only thing that seemed steady in this novel as compared to Ms. Shreve's other endeavors was her style of writing, which, as always, gripped me. The fact that I am a huge fan of how she writes is, however, the only reason I could give this novel 3 stars.

Sea Glass is the first book by Anita Shreve I've read. I've seen her books everywhere and wondered what the fuss was all about. Sea Glass has all the trappings of a "book club book", including the (to me) patronizing Reader's Guide in the back. The sea glass (or beach glass, as we called it) collected by the main female character is Highly Symbolic. The book is told in the present tense ("She takes the pot from the stove") which, rather than making the events more immediate, give them a dreamlike quality.

The story is very slow to get off the ground. First we are introduced, in alternating chapters, to a bunch of characters in very different life situations on the eve of the Great Depression. I kept wondering how their lives were going to intersect. Finally, around halfway through the book, they began to meet one another until their lives became intertwined. The lifestyle collisions occurring when the idle rich, the struggling middle class, and the lowly factory worker are in the same room are mirrored by the social conflicts of the early 1930s. Between the stock market crash, the Depression, and mill strikes, there's conflict aplenty. The book resolves in a not very conclusive ending that leaves open questions.

I would be curious to talk with someone who found this book life-transforming. The characters were historical curiosities to me. The author has obviously done her homework on the period, but I never felt their passion. If you are an Anita Shreve fan, you will enjoy this book. In the Afterword she says it takes place in a house on the beach she has used in two other stories. If you like American historical fiction, or are interested in the period, especially in New England, perhaps this book will appeal.

So it was a total passionate read, that's good enough for me. I like the idea of a book written from the perspective of a man who, for all intents and purposes, is the villain. It's a fascinating view point, though the section of letters between wife and almost-lover were incredible and revealing. It's exciting, sexy, and properly depressing. Definitely worth a read.

Professor Nicholas Van Tassel, now in his later years is traveling on a train heading from New England to Florida to attend his sister's funeral. On the trip, he writes his memoirs, beginning in 1899, when he rescued Etna Bliss and her niece in a hotel fire. Through his writings, you'll discover how his love for her turned into an obsession and the price he was willing to pay to be with her.

With all the books I need to read, I opted for the audio download of this book. The narrator, Dennis Boutsikaris, was as asset to the story. He sounded just as I'd imagine Nicholas Van Tassel would.

In this story of a passable but ultimatly doomed marriage, the narrator-husband reflects on his years of obsession with Etna Bliss, a woman who never fully loved him. Their two children and comfortable lifestyle in a New England academic community are not able to replace for her the devotion she once felt to a lost love. The pedantic, self-involved professor never seems to understand his wife's need for distance, and we watch in horror as he loses his way, his morality, the respect of their daughter, and ultimately, his wife. Shreve gets the vanity and insular quality of an academic community just right. What's more, she raises and teases the question of personal freedom within marriage, and leaves the matter tantalizingly unresolved.

I don't think you could set out to write something this dull and boring with more unlikeable characters. Enough said.

I'm halfway through the book and came here to read reviews. Amazon displays the Publishers Weekly review at the top of the page, which tells of what I assume is a most critical scene in the book (Clara and Phillip). Shame on amazon for revealing this key part of the story by allowing this review to be listed here. I'm very disappointed to have seen that spoiler.

This was a good book but not as good as other novels by Shreve that I have enjoyed. It is still a fairly quick read and good for passing some time.

The basic plot is straightforward - a family hires a tutor (Sydney) for their daughter, and there are two older brothers which sets up the some of the main portions of the book. Then there are are other issues such as the conflict between Sydney and the mother of the family.

Eventually the book does wind up being satisfying reading even if it is not the best work by the author.

Anita Shreve comes through once again with an emotional and involving look at interpersonal relationships. Body Surfing tells the story of Sydney, a young woman who takes a summer tutoring job to get off the emotional roller coaster of her life for a bit. At the tender age of 29 she's been divorced from her first husband and widowed by her second. Tutoring sweet but slow Julie at her parents sea side vacation home seems like just the calming ticket to Sydney, and it is, until Julie's two brother's show up. Ben, Jeff and Sydney become entangled in ways that change everyone's lives as old scores are settled with fresh attacks in a family where appearances mean more than realities. I just wished for a bit more development of the characters, hence the somewhat low rating.

Her insight into affairs of the heart shines again in this crisply written story that returns us to her favorite sea shore.

I enjoyed the journey!

A friend who gave Body Surfing a rave review recommended it as a must read. I have only read 30 pages and I am really not interested in finding out how it ends. It is half screenplay, giving directions, "She leans against the railing". The other half is written like a telegram just missing the "stop" at the end of a sentence. Short broken sentences that reveal little to nothing about the intensity of the characters. The blurb on the back of the book makes you feel as though you can relate to Sydney, and yet when you open the book the cover doesn't match the inside. This is a tough book to get into. I feel as though I don't know the characters nor do I care. This book so far is the least impressive book I have read in a long time and I can't believe I actually bought it. Thank goodness for library cards!

Can a house be a main character? It is in this book, which features the same New Hampshire beach house that appeared in The Pilot's Wife, Fortune's Rock and Sea Glass. The house remains steadfast, but the lives of the people who occupy it are as stormy and unpredictable as the Atlantic Ocean it faces.

This time we meet the Edwards family, consisting of genial Mark, impossibly snobbish and nasty Anna, and their "slow" daughter Julia, who, nevertheless, is expected by Anna to pass her SATs and go to college like her two older brothers, now successful adults. To that end, the family hires Sydney, a young widow, as a live-in tutor for the summer.

The personalities in the house mesh in strange and unpredictable ways, and when the two brothers come to stay, a love triangle begins that predictably ends in disaster. Along the way, Julie breaks out of her family-imposed torpor in surprising ways, and to continue the ocean analogy, everything is as predictable as the tides, and as unpredictable as a sudden squall.

I loved this book. I loved the spare use of language, the careful unfolding of the personalities, the strange twists and turns of each life, and the predictable--yet not--ending.

If you like Anita Shreve, you will ike this book, one of her best. But for those who do not like her, it is quintessential Shreve, and judging by the wide range of reviews, not to everyone's taste.

With dreams of adventure and fortune in his mind's eye, 13-year-old Stefan Blau ran away from his German home, setting sail for a new life in America.

He arrived with nothing - but thanks to hard work and a bit of luck, Stefan became a successful New Hampshire restaurant owner before his twenties were through. Full of vision and confidence, Stefan dares to build the Wasserburg - German for "water fortress" - a large, modern waterfront apartment building unlike anything area residents have ever seen before.

Over the coming decades, the Wasserburg becomes the center of Stefan's - and many residents' -lives. There's old Miss Garland, a retired spinster who weaves stories about a tragically killed young fiance until she herself scarcely remembers the truth; and the Braddocks, with their young retarded daughter Fanny. Outrageous Pearl Bloom, who shocked the community by marrying her husband after a courtship of hours, forms a lifelong friendship with Helene, Stefan's quiet, German-born third wife, an awkward woman who never thought she'd marry. As the building expands, Stefan hires the Wilsons as live-in caretakers. With them comes their nephew Danny, who will one day be important to young Tobias Blau in a way few might imagine.

As the decades pass, readers experience the changing world through the eyes of the Blaus, their family and friends. In the beginning of the book, America is at the cusp of the 20th century, full of hope and exciting new inventions. Two world wars later - one of which causes incredible discomfort for the German-American Blaus among their neighbors - it's evident how much the Blaus and the world have changed, and not necessarily for the better.

Hegi's book, Stones by the River, ties in nicely with this book, and characters and scenes overlap in each, especially during the World War II years.

Since I first read this book several years ago, I have reread it at least a half dozen times. With every reading, I continue to notice new details and levels of meaning that escaped me before. Hegi's characters and the world they inhabit are just as intense and realistic as any you could hope to meet in person.

Was this book about anything? If so, I missed it. I only saw an attempt at a counterpart to "Stones" that didn't come off.
Instead I feel battered by the message of, "Gosh, it's hard being German," which worked in the earlier book and fell flat in this one. Hard being German in this country in WWII? Maybe. But not as hard as it was, say in WWI. Not as hard as it was being German in Germany in WWII. Or as hard as being Jewish in either country. Or black.
It's not just an annoying message; it's unbearably trite, and I finished the book because I couldn't believe it wouldn't get better, while promising myself I never had to read another one.

I listened to this book on tapes. Beautifully written and read by the author.

Hegi's remarkable family saga is about nothing less than the American Dream, and in this novel that dream is represented by the Wasserburg, a "flamboyant" and "conspicuous," six-storied, 36-apartment building overshadowing a small New Hampshire town, "its reflection biting into the lake further than anything [the townspeople] had built." In spite of its out-of-place opulence, the building "elevated the town's reputation among neighboring communities," as well as the reputation of its owner and builder, Stefan Blau, for whom the Wasserburg stands as a symbol of his arrival, achievement, and acceptance in his new homeland.

As multilayered and extravagant as Hegi's novel, Stefan's dream-house has room for a colorful assortment of residents, and much of the novel's warmth, humor, and pathos come from their sideshow exploits. His children, however, occupy the center stage--and they are mostly a disappointment to him; none of them fulfill the "vision" he has for an heir to his estate, and they all bear the brunt of his unapproachable temper. "He was not well suited to be a father. And here he was with three children, but without the skill or habit of asking forgiveness." Secretive Tobias holds a longstanding, petulant grudge against his father, an inherited stubbornness instigated by a childhood prank, and he swears that he won't even attend Stefan's funeral. Robert has a secret of his own, an eating disorder that his girth can't hide. And, Greta, "the only child who'd made him feel a worthy father," inherits three million dollars from the mother of Stefan's second wife and ultimately lets him down by setting up an ascetic existence in the smallest apartment of the building, where she nurses a covert love for a priest from Boston.

It is Stefan's granddaughter, Emma, who finally finds a way to his love and who promises to be the fulfillment of his dream. Although their lives intersect for only a small portion of Emma's childhood, Stefan's love for the Wasserburg leaves an indestructible impression. But dreams and visions change with the times, and the building that was a luxurious testimonial to an immigrant's ambition and success early in the twentieth century has become a dated, run-down boondoggle by the end of it. It takes Emma far too long to learn what her grandfather never did: that friends and family, not buildings, are the stuff of dreams.

She is fast becoming one of my favorite authors. This book is filled with so many emotions and events my mind is still going over everything. Def a book that stays with you for awhile. I wanted to comfort the characters and felt as if I was myself living at the Wasserburg. I do agree that the characters had a sad tone to them, but none the less, made for a book I couldn't put down!

I bought the book because I had seen the movie. Although I enjoyed the movie a lot, I found the book to be even better - much better. this is a good and easy read!
Janet Foret Lococo

Have you ever been to Provence? Non? Do you know the French? Non? If you haven't and you don't, then this short time with Max Skinner might not be as much fun as it was for me. Not only have I been to Provence, but I stayed in Montpelier for a month and made many outshoot trips to nearby locales, including Arles and Avignon and small villages like Saint-Pons, the setting for "A Good Year." I lunched and wined and dined as Max Skinner does in Peter Mayle's novel. I also know the English, as different from the French as can be. Knowing the English also helps in the pleasure of reading this novel. But if you haven't and you don't, this is still a great read because you will get to know Provence and its people and the ways of the English.

My introduction explains, I think, why I love this novel. No, this is not literature that sits on shelves with Faulkner and Austen. But it is a great, enjoyable few hours transported to a wonderfully sunny, pleasant place among people with a joie-de-vie outlook.

Max Skinner lives in England and works as an investment banker and is at odds with his boss. He wakes up one day, thinking, This will be a great day. He expects to close on a big deal. Instead, his boss asks for details of the deal, then fires Max and claims the deal. But his "great day" is yet to come. He receives notification that he has inherited his uncle's small chateau and vineyards in Provence.

Thus begins Max's year as a future winemaker. Mayle is excellent in making his characters flesh out as real people, in creating visual images of the chateau and surrounds. He has the ability to put the reader right into the story, savoring the smells of wonderful food and wines.

The real story is this pleasant, daily life in Provence. The seemingly main plot is the secret concerning a special section of vineyard and how most of the characters' lives intersect concerning this one section. The number of coincidences coming together seem impossibly large, but the reader knows this is a book of fiction and that the author has ordered such events in such a way. If the reader has immersed in this world of the French, then the coincidences will merge into the flavor of a good wine. Take it at that.

Does Mayle purport to writing great literature? Or, does he give the reader a delightful and pleasant story for a few hours? Prepare a cheese and sausage plate, open a bottle of good red wine and enjoy those with this book. It will be a good few hours.

Like another reviewer here, I had seen the movie first and bought the book because I wanted the fuller, more developed story line. What I found was a completely different story. Other than the same character names, location, and the fact that Max's Uncle had died leaving him the house, the story is completely different. One reviewer here loved the line "Excuse my lips, etc." - guess what - he did not read the book, he saw the movie - this line is not in the book. Please do not expect the same story in the book as the movie.

That being said, I did find the book enjoyable. It is a good read - not quite up to Peter Mayle's previous efforts but fun. Without spoiling it for you, the ending left me a little disappointed. Like so many novels today, the author does not have an ending - they just stop without resolution of the plot lines. If you like Peter Mayle's other books, you will also like this one. If you have never read any of his books, Hotel Pastis is far superior - a beginning, a strong plot line, and a good ending. A Good Year only comes close to this superior novel.

What other reviews of Peter Mayle's "A Good Year" neglect is that he comes up with some great lines. How about, "Forgive my lips; they find joy in the most unusual places." Now doesn't that sound like what (one's fantasy of) a French girl would say? There's also, "(I want) a bottle of wine that tastes like you; and a glass that's never empty." Hope I haven't ruined the book for you, but for me, I'd like to have thought either of those characters' confessions up, myself! Mayle challenges - no, he invites - us to do so, even if we haven't inherited a French chateau and vineyard. Enjoy the journey. I sure did.

I've never read anything by Peter Mayle, but a friend gave me A Good Year, knowing that I like to read books about other countries. I found A Good Year to be fun, but lightweight and fluffy.

Max Skinner is a Londoner who is struggling with a job in finance. After working on a project for six months (that he expects to reap big financial rewards), his supervisor steals his work and then fires him. Skinner goes home that day to find a letter from a French lawyer. An uncle who lived in Provence recently died and has left his chateau and vineyard to Skinner. With a 10,000 loan from his best friend, Skinner travels to the small town of Saint-Pons, hoping that maybe he'll be able to start a new life in France. He spent his summers visiting his uncle, so he's familiar with the area and the language. He also hopes to learn something about winemaking.

Mayle has an obvious love of France and his books are filled with the beauty of France, the small towns, the customs, the people, the food, and especially, the wine. But not everything is idyllic with Skinner and his new home. The chateau's wine tastes like vinegar and there seems to be some hanky-panky going on with his caretaker and the vines. There is also a question of whether the chateau truly belongs to him. It is just enough to keep Provence from being paradise.

Mayle piqued my interest enough to want to read A Year in Provence. Not only was it a best seller, but the television series based on the book was very popular. Mayle's recurring theme of foreigners living in France has obviously been successful for him. Now if only he would help us out with a little French vocabulary...

Set in rural New Hampshire, Boy In The Water centers around Jim Hawthorne, a respected psychologist with a tragic past, and his attempt to save Bishop's Hill, a rundown private school filled with troubled kids and an even more troubling faculty and staff. The result of Hawthorne's hard work and effort turns out to be murder, mystery, and frustration. Personally, I found the pace of the book to be a little slow, and it took me about 100 pages to really get involved with the characters and the story. By the middle of the book, however, I found myself emotionally drawn into the drama and curious about how the story would end. The outcome, while not bad, was somewhat predictible, and I didn't encounter any sections of the book that I thought were particularly edgy, creepy, or frightening. My biggest complaint was with the epilogue. It concentrated more on one of the minor characters in the story and left you hanging about what happens with several of the main characters. Overall, this was not a bad book, but not one of my favorites either.

Dobyns manages to write a thriller that engages the reader in ways that put most thrillers to shame. From the first moment you see the villain, you know he's bad news but he isn't the only villain and the fact that he's working for someone else makes the whole thing that much more sinister. The teacher is virtuous and he's a little flat, but you still worry about him. Dobyns manages to make the commonplace strange and the strange overly sinister.

Great prose. Intriguing story and well rounded characters make for some very enjoyable reading.

It doesn't quite come up to "The Church of Dead Girls," but Stephen Dobyns has a knack for giving us characterization, description and plot. There's plenty of all three in this novel.

Jim Hawthorne, a famed psychologist who blames himself for the deaths of his wife and daughter in a fire started by an obsessed student, takes the job of headmaster at a failing New England preparatory school that has become the dumping ground for troubled kids. Hawthorne hopes to save the school and students as a redemption for his past failure.

The job isn't made easy when his efforts are met with suspicion and a campaign to undermine his success. The serene, ivy-clad campus conceals a world of secrets, corruption and murderous plots. In addition to Hawthorne, there are some equally intriguing characters including a 15-year-old student who previously was a stripper, a few devious staff members, a cook with a penchant for dirty stories and an old-time Boston cop I felt should have been given more space.

I wonder why people who really want to write screenplays try to disguise them as novels. "Boy in the Water" is a "novel" to be read by airplane passengers who have already seen the emasculated in-flight entertainment.

I was attracted to Dobyns by the NEW YORK TIMES review blurb on his novel "The Wrestler's Cruel Study." The reviewer commented that the book "stirs together Nietzschean philosophy, professional wrestling, fairy-tale scenarios and Gnostic speculation to produce what is at once a darkly humorous and gravely unsettling work of imagination." At the same time, I ordered "Boy in the Water," and it arrived first. Now I am very apprehensive about reading "The Wrestler's Cruel Study," because "Boy in the Water" stirs together many different varieties of schlock to produce one of the most moronic things I have ever read. If the NYT review is at all accurate, perhaps Mr. Dobyns decided sometime in the 1990s to abandon art for garbage. He does, after all, have three children to send to college.

Let me turn from general commentary to some specific remarks on the "plot," such as it is. Dobyns depends on the stupidity of his readers. (Of course, the fact that the albino in "The Da Vinci Code" could fight off the French police and carry his dying mentor to the hospital with no further police intervention counts heavily on reader stupidity, and that book sold millions. Maybe stupidity is a trend?) Much of the "Boy in the Water" plot is based on the one bad guy (#1) paying another bad guy (#2) to commit a heinous act. Now it stands to reason that, by paying #2 to do the deed, #1 would be interested in staying as far away from #2 and the scene of the crime as possible and in keeping his relationship to #1 tenuous at best. Yet, in advance of a raging snowstorm, #21 comes to a town near the scene of the crime and walks out in public with #2, AND, in the middle of the raging snowstorm, he subsequently rides out to the actual scene of the crime to deliver the rest of the money to #2. In fact, #2 even confides to another character that he was going to be able to use #1's SUV as a getaway car. Where's the logic here? It doesn't exist. Unless you're stupid.

Another amazon.com reviewer commented on Mr. Dobyns' "Church of Dead Girls," and his or her objections can be overlaid almost exactly on "Boy in the Water." This sorry excuse for a novel, whose title does not even resonate in the rest of the book, is just another in a long list of examples of screenwriting gone bad or bad screenwriting gone worse. Still, Mr. Dobyns' children should be able to go to the universities of their choice. Just hope that they don't enroll in his creative writing classes.

This book was intriguing from start to end. It keep throwing loops that were extremely entertaining. Like many have said I just could not put this book down. This is by far one of the most compelling thrillers I have ever read. It's my first Stephen Dobyns books and I can't wait to read more of his masterpieces.

This book is so good I bought it on hardcover at full price to read later. The character development is fabulous. You felt like they are real people and that you could run into Mr. Hawthorne, the new headmaster of a sinking school on the bridge of closing. Its one of those books that keeps you hanging and wanting more. I suggest anyone who likes good murder thrillers to get this book immediately.

This book is interesting, and the author actually spoke at my school (Temple University) which was awesome. She goes into detail within the book and leaves you guessing.

This book is horrible. The writing is badly done, and it is so drawn out and boring. It felt like one hour to read one chapter it was so bad.

This review is for the students. The title of the book is Black Ice and the author of the book is Lorene Cary. To me I say this book was very interesting. The reason why was interesting, because it talked about how blacks and whites used to be segregated. They were both segregated and both races were treated differently. For example, the whites had better facilities then the blacks. That is why I thought the novel was interesting, but others who might have read this book over the summer maybe they did not think this book was as interesting. Therefore, I say this book is not made for everyone to read the masterpiece, just because one person may like the book does not mean that everyone likes the story. If someone who has not yet read the novel but would like to it would be better if they asked someone who has already read the book if the text would be a good novel for them to read or not to read. The student who has not yet read the publication would need to know what the text is about so they can determine if they would like to read the novel or not read it.
The students who may like to read about how people different races are treated differently. They might like to read this novel to learn more about all of their backgrounds.

The author of Black Ice is Lorene Cary. This book is mostly about racism, and a young girl named Lorene being highly educated] and working with whites in a restaurant. I think anybody older than twelve and up will enjoy this text; Black Ice was mostly talking about Lorene's childhood.
This book was quiet interesting. In order to see if a book is going to be good, read the reference page. If its interesting then read the first page. If you not, ask for assistance.
This novel will be a good book for fifth graders. It will help them know more about the past between blacks, and whites. It will help increase your vocabulary, and give you more history out of the story. By a chance, you will probably enjoy reading Lorene Cary's autobiography of her childhood life.

Dear peer,
The first thing that you need to know about Black Ice is the author which is Lorene Gary. I liked this book because I learned that you can make mistakes of doing drugs, but you can quit just in time to have a better future.
This book is about a girl named Libby; she went to a boarding school at St. Paul's High
School. She once went to a forest to smoke weed and pot with a group of friends. Also in this text Libby was forced to have relationship with this boy. He gave Libby a necklace of engagement, because he really liked her a lot. But Libby did not like him, so she threw the necklace away and Libby's mom picked it up and she wore it on her neck.
This story is short in length, but difficult to read. It was difficult because, a lot of event happens in every chapter and you have to read it carefully so that you could know what is happening.
My opinion about this text is that it is very interesting and it kept me entertained while I was reading the story. That is my opinion and the reason I think this book is very interesting because, I like reading Auto-Biographies. I really enjoyed reading this publication about Libby life.
Thank you peer for taking your time and reading this essay. I hope you make your decision and read this book. So that you could know everything that happens in this master pieace.

Blue Twilight was an amazing well written Romance novel... Strong story line, which I haven't found in other romances.

The book opens with an erotic scene between a vampire and unnamed female victim... but I really hesitate to call her a victim.. He is gentle, careful, taking care to make sure she is not afraid.... He makes the experience pleasant for her and after feeding doesn't kill the woman, but simply erases her memory of the event and sends her back to where she came from.

The body of the book is centered around four main characters (an ex-cop, two young female PI's, and an old friend in trouble)... typical "I love him but he doesn't love me", "I love her, but can't get involved." theme under the story.

This book suffered from severe perspective lapses. It used third-person omniscient, and it really killed any and all dramatic tension. The vampire was barely evil, barely dark, barely anything more than a glamorized stereotype.

The characters' dialogue was also highly unbelievable and forced.

I have read all the others and could not put them down. This is a good book if you have not read her others in the vampire series. it just isn't as good as the others.
First of all, you have to stop and go back in time because the book is basically a bunch of missed details from previous books. Honestly, I wasn't that interested in the characters when they showed up in the previous books, so to start reading it and realize that the entire book are these characters that bore me to death was very disappointing.
The details are interesting, and needed for the next book which seems WAAAAAAAY better, but won't be out for quite some time. A complete teaser book.
Like I said before, if you don't already read and adore her other vampire books, then this is probably a pretty good book for you, but I just found it lacking in the qualities the other books are abundant in.

I am a huge fan of Maggie Shayne's so I was very disappointed with this book. Ms. Shayne relied too much on the success of her past Twilight books to carry her through this one.

I couldn't have cared any less for Max & Lou, and certainly didn't feel any romance between them. This book seemed thrown together to satisfy the Twilight readers' desire for another in this series. I hope her next one is more like the older books in the Twilight series. Before I waste money buying the next one, I will read through it to see if she's gotten the spark of the eary Twilight books back.

BLUE TWILIGHT - Maggie Shayne
MIRA
ISBN: 0-7783-2150-9
March 2005
Paranormal Romantic Suspense

Present Day - White Plains, New York & Endover, New Hampshire

"Mad" Maxine Stuart and her long time best friend Tempest "Storm" Jones are embarking on new careers as licensed private investigators, specializing in paranormal investigations. Max, Storm, and ex-police detective Lou Malone were instrumental in uncovering a covert government organization, DPI, the Department of Paranormal Investigation. They destroyed the DPI facility in White Plains and learned more about the paranormal than any of them wanted to. What they learned about vampires, in particular, will be very helpful in their new enterprise.

Max would like nothing better than to have Lou join their firm, but Lou has other plans. Retired from the police force, he tries to convince Max, and himself, that he just wants to fish and relax. But Max isn't buying it. At forty-four, Lou is too young to spend the rest of his life fishing, and if Max has anything to say about it, he won't. Max has been in love with Lou for ten years, since she was sixteen years old. She's done everything she can to show him that she's interested, but he never takes her "flirting" seriously. With a bit of trickery, Max gets Lou to accompany them to Maine where she and Storm will be living and opening their new business.

The trio no sooner arrives in Maine than a frantic call from Jason, an old friend, has them heading to Endover, New Hampshire, where two teenaged girls have disappeared. As Max, Storm, and Lou help Jason discover what happened to his sister and her friend it quickly becomes apparent that something is wrong with the town of Endover. Someone or something has a hold on the town that makes its residents little more than mindless drones. To complicate things, Storm, who suffers from unusual dreams and blackouts since recovering from a bullet wound to the head, grows worse. She sees and hears things she doesn't understand and begins to feel that she is not alone in her body. When this other force takes over, Storm has no memory of what happens during the blackouts. Meanwhile, Max continues her campaign to win Lou's heart despite his continued refusal to entertain thoughts of a relationship between them.

As Max works to find the missing teens, unravel the mystery of what is happening to Storm, and yearns for Lou's love, a dark menace is watching her every move. Whatever controls the town of Endover is now trying to get to Max, and through her, to Storm. Will they figure out what is going on before it's too late -- or will Max lose her life, never realizing her dream of a life with Lou?

Spine-tingling suspense laces the pages of BLUE TWILIGHT, the spectacular new book in Maggie Shayne's Twilight Series. In BLUE TWILIGHT the reader is reintroduced to Maxine, Storm, and Lou, all characters who have played key roles in previous novels. The story revolves around an ancient being who has controlled the town of Endover for years, a powerful and single-minded man who will stop at nothing to gain what he most wants -- more power and his lost love. Max and Lou's relationship, along with Storm's strange affliction, add elements of humor, passion and danger to the whole. Max is a woman who often acts on instinct and with passion, getting herself into a lot of trouble. Lou is always there to save her from her own actions, and he protects her with a fierceness that belies his claim that they are only friends. Lou has a lot of his own baggage, and he struggles with his feelings for Max, not believing he is the right man for her. As the danger escalates, so do the emotions of the key players.

The narrative is vivid and descriptive, especially in the portrayal of the miasma that hovers over Endover. It was easy to imagine the town and its people and the feeling of apathy that slowly creeps up on Max, Lou, and Storm the longer they stay. The dialogue is crisp and realistic, and the interactions between the characters believable, lively, and emotional. This is a group of people with deep bonds who find themselves questioning everything and everyone around them. The villain in the piece is not quite what the reader expects, and he garners almost as much sympathy as fear.

As I was reading the final pages of BLUE TWILIGHT, it was with a pounding heart and anxious worry over how it would all turn out. After turning the last page, I was left with many of my questions answered, but enough left open that I cannot wait until the next book, PRINCE OF TWILIGHT, comes out next year.

A novel that will grab you from the first page and never let up, BLUE TWILIGHT is one of the best paranormal suspense novels I've read this year, and the ending will knock your socks off!

Terrie Figueroa

Wexford, the aloof, manipulative newspaper editor at a postwar Devon school, is startlingly similar to young Tom Riddle, of Harry Potter fame (they are even the same age) although Mr. Wexford is definitely a more determined sociopath.

His adversary is an noisy and aggressive Nazi sympathizer, and it's hard to say which of the two of them is more repellant. Not that they're boring -- I was completely interested in them the whole time.

The book explores questions about what it's "okay" to think and express, how patriotism plays out in an atmosphere of disillusionment, how well-meaning or even brave impulses can be perverted when there's no good place to act them out.

So, it's interesting, but it's...a real come down from A Separate Peace, where the characters, no matter how awful their mistakes were, were always striving to be good people. Knowles makes it clear there's no such thing as Finny in his postwar world.

The characters were not as engaging and vivid as Knowles was capable of -- disappointing really, but only because we know he's done better.

The structure could have been better as well. You'll notice places where key plot information is given only a few paragraphs befor it becomes relevant. Some of the information could have been placed better.

Also, Knowles may or may not have crossed the line between making subtle points about social class and downright snobbery.

The dialogue is fantastic, though. The classroom scenes are the best. Of course, if you think that prep school is even slightly tiresome as a setting, you should just avoid this one.

I loved A Separate Peace, and I loved this follow-up just as much, if not more. It captures the true impulsive nature of young men. Set in post World War Two America, it is a story about ego and revenge. It has the same tone as Salinger's Catcher in the Rye. I loved every page of it.

Peace Breaks Out by John Knowles, is a novel about life after WWII. The first two chapters were about the days in the war for Pete Hallam and how hard it was after the war was over. After he gets out of the war, he goes back to school and becomes a teacher for High School American History. I liked this book because it shows how much people care for their country and others. Other people that would like this book are ones who would fight for what they believe in and people who like learning about how life was before their time, when people found it more difficult to get back on their feet. This book is about a small-town boy going to serve his country, and react to it after his job was done. I like this book because it includes something different every chapter. I recommend this book to people who like learning about history and how different point of views give you mixed feelings about the war.

Pete Hallam, former Devon student, goes back to his old school after fighting in the war, as a young master. The students are restless, not being able to fight for their country, but are good boys. One of them, however, is a troublemaker; a talented but underhanded fellow. He shares a mutual hatred with one of the other students - an obnoxious German. What happens at Devon this year is the subject of this book. I did not particularly enjoy the read as this novel lacked plot, but it did teach a good lesson.

Going in, I knew this book had to be different than Separate Peace, it of course can not be a clone of it. But to be blunt, it wasn't as good as a separate peace. the plot was simple, like a separate peace, but that book had a much more emotional impact on me. i halfwished the story was about Gene and what he did after he left Devon. There were two small references to Phineas, that I enjoyed. It's a decent read and we get to visit Devon one more time.