Tag: Purchased

Book Review | Vanishing Girls by Lauren Oliver

Posted on by Adventures in Polishland

Vanishing Girls by Lauren Oliver

Published by HarperCollins on March 10, 2015

Genres: Young Adult, Mystery, Thriller

Format: eBook

Pages: 368

Source: Purchased

Goodreads: ★★★★★

New York Times bestselling author Lauren Oliver delivers a gripping story about two sisters inexorably altered by a terrible accident.

Dara and Nick used to be inseparable, but that was before the accident that left Dara’s beautiful face scarred and the two sisters totally estranged. When Dara vanishes on her birthday, Nick thinks Dara is just playing around. But another girl, nine-year-old Madeline Snow, has vanished, too, and Nick becomes increasingly convinced that the two disappearances are linked. Now Nick has to find her sister, before it’s too late.

In this edgy and compelling novel, Lauren Oliver creates a world of intrigue, loss, and suspicion as two sisters search to find themselves, and each other.

REVIEW

It is always very exciting when I am able to recommend a five-star book to all of you, and that is exactly what Vanishing Girls by Lauren Oliver is for me. This young adult mystery follows two sisters, Nick and Dara. As young children they were absolutely inseparable, but as they grow older they begin to grow apart. Everything changes when they are in a car accident together. Nick was at the wheel, and escaped with minor injuries, but Dara’s injuries are much more extensive. Vanishing Girls seeks to uncover the truth behind the accident. At the same time, a young girl named Madeline Snow goes missing from Nick and Dara’s town. The book explores whether these two mysteries are really as different as they seem.

I was absolutely blown away by Vanishing Girls. I love a good thriller, and although I was pretty disappointed with myself that I didn’t figure out the plot twist, I was amazed with how well Oliver crafted this story. A lot of readers criticize Vanishing Girls because it is similar to other books out there. That is definitely true, and even I have read a book with the same ending. However, the journey leading up to the conclusion is what allows Vanishing Girls to truly stand alone.

Oliver is an excellent writer. This is the third book I’ve read by her, and in each one she develops a unique voice. Not only is her writing poetic, and filled with beautiful descriptors, but she carefully crafted Vanishing Girls. It really takes talent to be able to weave together a mystery like this one. For the majority of the book things don’t seem important or connected, but in hindsight they are. I am so impressed with the writing and storytelling.

Similarly, Vanishing Girls becomes a very rereadable novel because of this sort of writing. I want to pick it up again in the future to really key in on the clues I missed along the way. I read Vanishing Girls as an eBook, but next time I will get a physical copy. That is because intermixed with the prose are mixed media elements such as photographs, online news articles, and more. I would like to see those in print form, as I think that will add more to the reading experience.

Moreover, I wanted to quickly discuss the character development in this novel. Part of me wishes that I knew the ins and outs of the characters more, but I understand why we only see characters in a limited way. The story needs to have a certain type of narration in order to be successful, so I’m glad Oliver was able to accomplish that. This will make more sense once you read the book, so I encourage you to still read it even if you usually like fully developed characters.

Overall, I am so happy I finally got to Vanishing Girls. It is a very quick read, and one that is quite impactful. I absolutely love books like this one, and find them a lot of fun. I understand that not everyone likes a psychological thriller, but I highly recommend this one if you do! I will be continuing to read Oliver’s books – she hasn’t let me down yet!

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Book Review | ‘Salem’s Lot by Stephen King

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‘Salem’s Lot by Stephen King

Published by Signet on October 17, 1975

Genres: Adult, Horror, Paranormal

Format: Paperback

Pages: 427

Source: Purchased

Goodreads: ★★★★

Something strange is going on in Jerusalem’s Lot … but no one dares to talk about it. By day, ‘Salem’s Lot is a typical modest New England town; but when the sun goes down, evil roams the earth. The devilishly sweet insistent laughter of a child can be heard echoing through the fields, and the presence of silent looming spirits can be felt lurking right outside your window. Stephen King brings his gruesome imagination to life in this tale of spine-tingling horror.

REVIEW

I continued on with my Stephen King project in March by reading ‘Salem’s Lot, his second published work. I went into this book blind, and I’m glad I did because there is a big build-up to the story. ‘Salem’s Lot opens with a man and a boy escaping to Mexico from a town in Maine called Jerusalem’s Lot. The reader knows they are both scared, and that they must return to the Lot in order to solve a problem. The book then rewinds to the start of the story when the man goes to Jersulam’s Lot for the first time since his childhood. This is a haunted house book that turns into a paranormal story, and one in which the writing is excellent.

Here’s the thing about my experience with ‘Salem’s Lot – it took me nearly three weeks to read the book, which is three times my normal pace. I had to force myself to continue on with the story, and at times I felt downright bored. That’s because King is creating a new world. Jerusalem’s Lot is a fictional town, and the true protagonist of this book. King writes in exceptional detail, describing characters in the setting in such a realistic way. So even though I didn’t like how slow the pace of this novel is, I can appreciate the work it took. I am really amazed at King’s ability to write such a developed novel so early on in his career.

In regards to the characters, I did struggle a bit in keeping up with the large cast featured in ‘Salem’s Lot. It became more difficult because so many of the characters have similar names, such as Mike, Mark, and Matt. Nonetheless, once I got into the story I was better able to keep track of everyone. If you have trouble with names, I would recommend keeping a character list nearby when you read, and simply jot down a quick note of each character’s role in the story.

Moreover, I was a bit disappointed that I never felt scared by this book. King is known for his horror novels, but I just was never creeped out or on the edge of my seat. I did find some of the real life scenes quite disturbing, but none of the paranormal elements got to me. Perhaps King is trying to make a point here, as I did sit back and wonder what was happening in my own town. Not including the paranormal elements, I’m sure people go through the same things that the characters in Jerusalem’s Lot do, and that is disturbing in and of itself. I’m interested to see if King’s next book The Shining will incite fear in me.

Overall, I’m glad I pushed through the slow pace of ‘Salem’s Lot. I did enjoy the story, and I think the book got better and better as I continued reading. The third-person narration was very well done, and I’m very impressed with King’s writing. If you are looking to get into King’s novels, I do not recommend starting here as it is a very long book. However, if you are familiar with his work, or really enjoy adult paranormal, this is a good book to read. I would love to hear your thoughts on ‘Salem’s Lot if you’ve read it, too!

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Book Review | Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson

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Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson

Published by Aladdin on September 1, 2000

Genres: Middle Grade, Historial Fiction, Survival

Pages: 272

Format: Paperback

Source: Purchased

Goodreads: ★★★★★

It’s late summer 1793, and the streets of Philadelphia are abuzz with mosquitoes and rumors of fever. Down near the docks, many have taken ill, and the fatalities are mounting. Now they include Polly, the serving girl at the Cook Coffeehouse. But fourteen-year-old Mattie Cook doesn’t get a moment to mourn the passing of her childhood playmate. New customers have overrun her family’s coffee shop, located far from the mosquito-infested river, and Mattie’s concerns of fever are all but overshadowed by dreams of growing her family’s small business into a thriving enterprise. But when the fever begins to strike closer to home, Mattie’s struggle to build a new life must give way to a new fight-the fight to stay alive.

REVIEW

Growing up I was a regular at my local library, and one book that I specifically remember checking out on more than one occasion is Fever 1793. It wasn’t until recent years that I discovered it is written by the same author of the acclaimed young adult contemporary Speak – a book I didn’t love despite the hype surrounding it. I’ve been wanting to reread Fever 1793 ever since that discovery, and when I found a used copy at the Strand for $1 I just had to pick it up.

Fever 1793 is the story of young Mattie Cook, a teenager growing up in Philadelphia and helping her widowed mother run a coffeehouse. The story opens with one of Mattie’s childhood friends suddenly dying from the yellow fever, which erupts into a full epidemic throughout her city. Readers follow Mattie as she attempts to escape the disease by leaving Philadelphia for the countryside with her beloved grandfather. Of course, things do not go as planned.

I am very impressed with how deep and emotional Fever 1793 is, especially for a middle grade novel. I grew to love each and every character, and found myself reaching for the tissues on more than one occasion. Mattie is an excellent first-person narrator, and while some of the dialogue in the book can be considered corny by today’s standards, the language stays true to the time period.

In the same way, it is clear the author did substantial research on yellow fever in order to write a historical fiction novel quite focused on the history.  I really liked how each chapter opened with a quotation from primary source material, whether it be a book from the 18th century or a letter from a politician of the time. It added a lot of credibility to the story, and also made the fictional characters seem more real. I also thought it was smart that the novel concluded with a few pages describing the history of the yellow fever. It’s always nice to know precisely what parts of historical fiction are true to history versus created by the author.

All in all, I have nothing but praise for Fever 1793. While my opinion may be biased due to me loving this book as a child, I’m so happy I still enjoyed it as an adult. If you’re looking for a great historical fiction novel, I highly recommend this one. Whether you’re at the middle grade reading level or not, Fever 1793 is bound to be a great read for you.

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When you buy a book through the Amazon or Book Depository links above, I earn a small commission through each website’s affiliate program. All opinions are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more information.