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dr_rachelmcshane's reviews
429 reviews
The Vow by Kim Carpenter
5.0
This book was absolutely incredible! I loved it so much, I read it in one day-I couldn't put it down. Granted, it wasn't the most intense book I've ever read, but that's because it's a non-fiction story. It's one of the most beautiful love stories I have ever read. It shows what true commitment is, and gives a real-life example of sticking together through thick and thin. I loved how it showed their personal relationships with God, and how it affected their decision to stay together, even though Krickett didn't know the man who called himself her husband. The beauty of their love and commitment brought me to tears. I would definitely suggest the book to everyone. It's an easy read-180 pages-and it will absolutely be worth your time.
The Bottoms by Joe R. Lansdale
4.0
I'm a huge lover of mysteries, whether it be found on television or in the pages of a book. The first fact I learned about "The Bottoms" was this: it was required reading in my college Intro to Literature class. As an English major, this made me interested in it immediately. The second fact I learned was that it was a mystery. As a huge mystery fan, this made me ECSTATIC.
"The Bottoms" tells the story of a young boy, Harry, growing up in East Texas during the 1930's. After staying out too late on a dark night, he and his younger sister come across a horribly cut up body of an African American woman. To his surprise, no one except his own father seems to care enough to investigate. It isn't until the body of a white woman, killed in an identical way, does the town begin to intervene in their own way (which, to them, is lynchings and involving the KKK). Harry decides he must stop the madness and he, his sister, his grandma, and his almost paralyzed dog go on a secret investigation to find the perpetrator.
When I first opened it up and started, it moved kind of slow. However, it eventually picked up the pace, and became a very interesting read. It's like "To Kill a Mockingbird" meets a very violent episode of "Criminal Minds". It gives a very realistic (and sometimes graphic) depiction of the tension between two races during the 30's, all while giving a thrilling, multiple homicide mystery to keep up with at the same time. Although it's far from Harper Lee or Agatha Christie, it's an intriguing read that will keep you on the verge of tears and on the edge of your seat all at the same time.
"The Bottoms" tells the story of a young boy, Harry, growing up in East Texas during the 1930's. After staying out too late on a dark night, he and his younger sister come across a horribly cut up body of an African American woman. To his surprise, no one except his own father seems to care enough to investigate. It isn't until the body of a white woman, killed in an identical way, does the town begin to intervene in their own way (which, to them, is lynchings and involving the KKK). Harry decides he must stop the madness and he, his sister, his grandma, and his almost paralyzed dog go on a secret investigation to find the perpetrator.
When I first opened it up and started, it moved kind of slow. However, it eventually picked up the pace, and became a very interesting read. It's like "To Kill a Mockingbird" meets a very violent episode of "Criminal Minds". It gives a very realistic (and sometimes graphic) depiction of the tension between two races during the 30's, all while giving a thrilling, multiple homicide mystery to keep up with at the same time. Although it's far from Harper Lee or Agatha Christie, it's an intriguing read that will keep you on the verge of tears and on the edge of your seat all at the same time.
The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
3.0
This boom was alright. Not WONDERFUL. Not awful. But alright. It definitely didn't pan out the way I thought it would.
I expected the story of a young murdered girl, who finds a way to break through from "the other side" and help bring closure to her case. I expected her rapist/murderer (who turns out, also raped/murdered several others) to be brought to justice. And I expected her hurting, grieving family to get some sort of closure through that.
What I got instead was the story of a young murdered girl named Susie, who sits up in Heaven and watches her family, her boyfriend, her murderer, and a seemingly random classmate go on with life. There was no real closure. Her case was never closed. Her murderer "got away" with it, and the only justice he felt was being killed...by an icicle? Her family, after severe emotional suffering, does come together and eventually move on, but not before breaking each other's hearts and splitting up. Her "boyfriend" (if you can even call it that) Ray moves on as well, but not in your typical "moving on" way. The seemingly random girl she watches? Susie inexplicably takes over her body, then makes love to Ray. This helps him move on. However, Ruth (the "possessed") is "a haunted women". We don't really hear much about her development after that—she's just kind of "there".
The book was a fairly entertaining read, but the ending left me going, "...really?" The writing was not the greatest either. There wasn't really a "plot"—just a bunch of events that the reader sees through the eyes of Susie as she watches from Heaven. Characters (such as Len the policeman or even Ruth) enter the story, serve their purpose, and then disappear. I felt that those characters could have certainly developed much more than they actually did. It was a one-time read—I don't think I'd ever read it again, and it's definitely not one of my favorite books. It was just a good "escape" book, to read when you don't want to read anything "deep" or really thought-provoking. Overall, I guess all I can say it that it was "alright".
I expected the story of a young murdered girl, who finds a way to break through from "the other side" and help bring closure to her case. I expected her rapist/murderer (who turns out, also raped/murdered several others) to be brought to justice. And I expected her hurting, grieving family to get some sort of closure through that.
What I got instead was the story of a young murdered girl named Susie, who sits up in Heaven and watches her family, her boyfriend, her murderer, and a seemingly random classmate go on with life. There was no real closure. Her case was never closed. Her murderer "got away" with it, and the only justice he felt was being killed...by an icicle? Her family, after severe emotional suffering, does come together and eventually move on, but not before breaking each other's hearts and splitting up. Her "boyfriend" (if you can even call it that) Ray moves on as well, but not in your typical "moving on" way. The seemingly random girl she watches? Susie inexplicably takes over her body, then makes love to Ray. This helps him move on. However, Ruth (the "possessed") is "a haunted women". We don't really hear much about her development after that—she's just kind of "there".
The book was a fairly entertaining read, but the ending left me going, "...really?" The writing was not the greatest either. There wasn't really a "plot"—just a bunch of events that the reader sees through the eyes of Susie as she watches from Heaven. Characters (such as Len the policeman or even Ruth) enter the story, serve their purpose, and then disappear. I felt that those characters could have certainly developed much more than they actually did. It was a one-time read—I don't think I'd ever read it again, and it's definitely not one of my favorite books. It was just a good "escape" book, to read when you don't want to read anything "deep" or really thought-provoking. Overall, I guess all I can say it that it was "alright".