Tag: book reviews

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Review: Pieces of Her

Rating: 3 StarsPieces of Her by Karin Slaughter is about how an act of terror in a local mall changes the life of Andrea Oliver. Andy is 31 years old, and lives at home with her mother, having moved back from New York a few years back after her mother’s health problems.Andy’s life is boring and monotonous. She’s aimless and has no real ambition in life except to live from one day to the other, and that too in the most mundane way possible. She’s ashamed of the time she spent in New York, and is unwilling to tell anyone about her dreadful existence there.While Andy is celebrating her birthday with her mom, a gunman enters the cafe and proceeds to open fire. When Andy’s mother disarms the gunman, and manages to kill him, she is all over the news, especially as someone has managed to make a video of the whole incident. It takes Andy a few hours to realize that her mother might not be what she seems, and that Andy needs to act timely for once to save her mother and herself.Karin Slaughter spins a great story with enough twists and mysteries to keep the reader engaged. Unfortunately, her heroine is unbearable. When a woman of 31 acts like a 16-year-old, I find myself wanting to shake her really hard. At first, I thought she must be like this because of some trauma in her past, but that turned out to be a false hope. And when the same woman of 31 suddenly finds her spine and starts facing killers and being on the run on her own, I thought that I must be reading about someone else!Since the narrative goes back and forth in time, it is even more frustrating to read about another woman unable to make her own decisions and behaving in a similar manner. I couldn’t help but think that for someone who has gone through so much in life, she would at least raise a daughter who is strong and faces life head on.I’m not against having weak women characters in a story, or showing how a woman can overcome odds under adverse circumstances, I just want it to be believable. Slaughter’s Charlie and Samantha Quinn from The Good Daughter were a couple of badass women, who were believable with all their issues and baggage. Here, I was just left wishing for a couple of more engaging female protagonists.I also have a problem with the male characters in the book. Andy’s stepfather, who we come to know is the most important man in Andy’s life, vanishes from her life after Andy runs away. All the other male characters are also there to fill some gaps and then disappear into thin air. Overall, I couldn’t get myself to get behind any of the characters in this book, which is a shame because I really like Karin Slaughter as an author and want to read her other books too.

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Review: Nine Perfect Strangers

Rating: 3.5 Stars

Liane Moriarty is always a gamble for me. While I absolutely love Big Little Lies, I’m not a fan of some of her other work. It took me a long time to get around to reading Nine Perfect Strangers, but once I started, I managed to finish it in one day. What makes Moriarty a winner in my eyes is how easy it is to read her books.

Nine people book a 10-day retreat at a very expensive health resort known as Tranquillum House. All of them have different reasons for attending the retreat. None of them are quite ready for what coming here entails.They don’t have access to the outside world at all, their electronic gadgets all being taken away from them. The program surprises them, and most of them are resistant to the rules they have to follow.

The mastermind behind the retreat is a formidable woman, Masha, the resort’s director, who is determined to see her retreat program succeed at any cost. She dreams of changing the lives of these nine people like she has changed her own. Helping her achieve her dream are Yao and Delilah, both willing to do what is necessary to attain their own goals.

However, everything is not as it seems, for Masha has not disclosed the exact nature of the methods she intends to use for everyone to become a new person. As the group becomes used to the strict rules of the retreat, they are not ready to face the truth about what’s going on at the resort.

Told from alternating perspectives of all twelve people involved, the story is gripping and fast paced. Morairty uses simple language and short chapters which keep you from getting bored. All the characters are interesting, and have different outlooks on life which keeps the story from becoming monotonous.

What keeps it from being an excellent book in my eyes, is the plot that offers nothing new; we have all read books and watched movies with similar plots and stories. There is no big revelation, or a twist of epic proportions, and the characters are all squeaky clean with hardly any shades of grey. Even Masha’s character made me roll my eyes during the climax! Such a grand build up, and then it all just whimpers away.

Overall, an average read, with an extra half star for easy reading.

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Review: The Rumour

Rating: 3 Stars

The Rumour by Lesley Kara is a domestic thriller that looks into the how rumours spread, and how they can lead to unexpected outcomes.

The story follows Joanna, an almost-single mother, who has moved to Flinstead-on-Sea, a small, sleepy town, from London in order to be close to her own mom. Jonanna’s son is having difficulties settling into the new school, and Joanna is clueless about how to help him. Then one day she hears a strange rumour that she cannot get out of her mind. She doesn’t do it intentionally, but a careless remark from her starts a chain of rumours that cannot be broken. Now everyone is talking about how a child killer might be living in their town under a different identity.

Ten-year-old Sally McGowan stabbed and killed four-year-old Robbie Harris almost 50 years ago. When she got out of the correctional facility, she was given a new identity and the press was banned from ever reporting about her. The Harris family, however, have never gotten over the tragic death of Robbie and feel that they were given the short end of the stick. No photos exist of Sally from the time she came out from rehabilitation, and no one seems to know where she is.

As rumours fly, Joanna becomes suspicious of everyone, especially when she starts to fear for the safety of her son. There might be some truth to the rumours, and someone is aware that Joanna is to blame for them. The child killer is suddenly closer and more dangerous than she realized.

The book is just about average as far as thrillers go. The story has some merit but it seems to meander here and there. I started to lose interest in the middle, and it was hard to come back to the story. Joanna comes across as neurotic and high strung without reason. The common habit of going off alone to shady places, like all Hollywood heroines, is also present in Joanna. Who goes off alone into all these places if they know that they are already being threatened?

There are too many suspicious characters in an attempt to make everything more entertaining, but it becomes a struggle to make sense out of all their stories. There are some too-good-to-be-true coincidences, like Liz not knowing who Michael was, and Joanna seeing Kay’s mail, which just seem a bit irritating.

Overall, an average book that is good for reading on the beach and not putting too much thought into it.

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Review: A Firefly In The Dark

Rating: 3 Stars

I’m suitably spooked. The book cover tricrked me into thinking this was a children’s book, if not funny, then surely a bit sad and melancholy. The name of the writer tricked me into thinking that this would be a lighthearted affair, suitable for reading before going to bed. I was so off the mark that I’m convinced I need to read more reviews before I buy a book!

A Firefly in The Dark by Shazaf Fatima Haider is a book that brings to life all the horror stories that we ever listened to, be it the ones told by our grandmothers or the ones by older siblings/ cousins who wanted to watch us squirm, or by that crazy school friend who was not quite right in the head! This is not the horror of Hollywood movies or other English books that you have read. This is the horror of your childhood, when you were afraid to go out of the house in the afternoon because you might meet the woman with turned feet, or you hid in your blanket at night because there was something that was always scratching on your window. So, yeah, after reading this, there go my dreams of giving it to my daughter to read. She will probably make my life miserable by refusing to sleep alone.

Sharmeen is an almost-thirteen year old, who comes to live with her maternal grandmother after her life is turned upside down by a sad accident. She is unhappy with this new life where she feels like an outsider both at home and in school. The one spot of light in her bleak existence is the unbelievable stories that her grandmother tells her. These dark and twisted tales are the bone of contention between Sharmeen’s mother and grandmother, making the house a battleground.

As Sharmeen begins to realize that these stories are not really stories but have a basis in truth, tragedy strikes again and she has to come face to face with these forces of evil. However, she is not alone, as she meets her own personal jinn, Jugnu, so named because of his first appearance as a firefly. It’s a race against time as Jugnu and Sharmeen struggle to fight and destroy this evil before it destroys her whole family.

It was seriously good writing with a bit of humor and lots of darkness, but sadly, it also clashed with my faith and beliefs. It was hard to overcome my prejudices because all the stories and characters were so close to home. When you read mythological stories from other regions and countries, it’s easier to dismiss them as fiction and move on, but when faced with stories from your childhood that might have some basis in truth, the mind refuses to accept things that challenge personal belief.

So, yes, it has been quite an experience reading this book. I can’t wait for other books by this author because she is definitely one of the few local authors who I think are genuinely gifted writers.

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Review: Daisy Jones & The Six

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid may be a fictional account of a 70’s rock band, but the stories, the songs and the music sound so real that you can’t help but think about getting your hands on that awesome album that doesn’t really exist!

The book follows the rise of Daisy Jones and Billy Dunne and his band, The Six; and how it all came to an abrupt end after a sold out show at Chicago Stadium. No one knows why it all ended the way it did when everything seemed to be going so well for the band. Now, after more than 30 years, someone is making an effort to find out what actually happened.

The book is written as an oral history, recounted by several people. However, instead of going the usual route of everyone telling their stories one by one, this book gives a voice to everyone in one go. It feels like you have a number of people in your head talking about the same thing, yet looking at it from different perspectives.

I thought Jenkins Reid was a good writer when I had read her “Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo.” This book confirms my belief. The way she writes about her female protagonists, it’s impossible not to feel their pain. You may not agree with their life choices, or what they stand for, but you can understand their misery.

Throughout the book, what I wanted to do the most was to hear all these great songs being talked about. You know a writer is a winner when she pushes herself to write all the lyrics for all the songs mentioned in her book! I certainly hope someone can get a real life Daisy Jones and a real life Billy Dunne to sing these songs some day!

A powerful book with a great soundtrack to accompany it!

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Review: Norse Mythology

Rating: 3.5 Stars

Mythology has always held some appeal for me. From Greek myths, to Roman Gods, from Hindu deities to Mayan ruins, I have always been fascinated by these stories that people have believed in for thousands of years. Sadly, Norse mythology has always been more of a comic book thing for me.

My only introduction to Thor was through Marvel’s Mighty Thor, which,unfortunately, didn’t endear him much to me. Even with the wildly popular movies, he remained one of my least favourite gods, a mere caricature when compared to the more cunning and colourful, Loki.

Neil Gaiman’s Norse Mythology expands on some of the better known stories from this almost-forgotten mythological era. It brings to life some characters who we know from the Marvel Cinematic Universe and introduces us to some who we never knew about.

My interest in reading these stories stemmed more from reading Gaiman’s American Gods than anything else. So, if you want to do a bit of background reading about Norse gods and what they got up to, then this should be the book you pick up.

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Review: The Hiding Place (The Taking of Annie Thorne)

Rating: 3 Stars

Ever since I read The Chalk Man last year, I had been waiting for C. J. Tudor’s next. I love thrillers that combine suspense with just the right kind of creepiness. The Chalk Man reminded me of Stephen King, but with less horror and more suspense. The Hiding Place (or The Taking of Annie Thorne) didn’t quite manage to live up to my expectations.

I realize that it is quite unfair to compare two books, as each has its own strengths and weaknesses. Even with that in mind, The Hiding Place turned out to be quite average as far as thrillers go.

There is no doubt that C. J. Tudor is a master storyteller. Her words have the power to transport you into the setting of the story, and actually feel the characters. The problem occurs when the characters are not strong enough to arouse any feelings inside the reader. The worst thing for a character to do is to inspire indifference. This book, while written well, fails to deliver in the give-a-damn department.

Joe Thorne never thought he’d be back in Arnhill. He thought he had left it all far behind; the toxic friendships, the incident at the abandoned mine, the suicide, and most of all, the disappearance of his sister. But he finds himself not only going back, but also lying his way into a teaching position at his former school. He has his own reasons for returning, and trying to stay low-key, one of which is a strange e-mail that he has received.

As soon as he sets foot in his hometown, Joe encounters hostility from old friends as well as new acquaintances. He is not surprised, nor is he deterred from his objective. For he knows what actually happened at the old mine the night that his beloved sister went missing. He was devastated by her disappearance, and thought that there couldn’t be anything worse than that. But he was wrong, because there was something worse that could happen, and it did. His sister came back.

The plot and characters are somewhat reminiscent of Stephen King’s It, which remains to date, the scariest book that I have ever read. But other than the most superficial similarity, The Hiding Place fails to scare and creep out. Even the most horrific scenes felt one-dimensional and just not scary enough. It was like watching a movie where the actors fail to deliver the required emotions and expressions.

It is an average thriller that while interesting will most probably fail to impress the hardcore horror/ thriller fans. However, C. J. Tudor is one writer who I will never hesitate to read, so I’m looking forward to her future endeavors. Hopefully, I will find my next favourite book then.

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Review: The Party Worker

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Omar Shahid Hamid is a Pakistani author who I rate very highly. If you want to read about the real Karachi, then his books are the ones you should pick up. Of course, his books show the underbelly of this multi-layered, multi-cultural city, and are only reflective of the shady side of things, but no one is more qualified than Hamid to give a realistic view of this side of the city. He is a real police officer who has seen all this and more, up close and personal.

The Party Worker is a work of fiction, like all Hamid’s other books, but those who have seen the Karachi of the 1990’s and 2000’s will know that this fiction is actually a very thinly veiled dig at some very real players in the political scene of that era. There is more than a grain of truth in almost all the incidents mentioned here. Most of these will chill you to the bone.

Despite my high rating and praise for this book, it’s not for the faint of heart, for it shows the brutality and lawlessness prevalent at that time, making some things very hard to digest. It might be upsetting for the reader, but while many incidents really are a work of fiction, the most cruel and senseless ones are not. A certain football match in Lyari comes to mind.

As a die-hard Karachiite, it is not easy to recommend a book that shows my city in a less than favorable light, but it shows the real face of politics, of what power and money can do to people, of how people are willing to go to any lengths to gain that power and money.

It also shows how Karachi is a melting pot of ethnicities, all vying for their share of the pie. Karachi is a real character in this book, a thriving metropolis that makes everyone want to rule it, because whoever rules this city, controls the largest chunk of the country’s economy. It is like a siren’s call, with people willing to kill and die just to own a part of this sprawling city.

It was a struggle to write all this without actually giving away the plot of the book, but it all starts in New York, and culminates in this city of dreams and lights, that is the economic hub of Pakistan. A must read for fans of political intrigue and secret plans, who are not squeamish about a little (read: a lot of!) blood and gore. Oh, and that ending is not really that unbelievable, if you really think about it!

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Review: The Only Story

Rating: 4 Stars

I finally got around to reading The Only Story by Julian Barnes even though I had bought it soon after it was published last year. I thought it took me a long time to read The Sense of an Ending because I was travelling and didn’t get much time to read. After reading The Only Story, I realized that I was wrong.

Barnes’s writing is such that it needs to be read slowly, each sentence needing complete concentration. His books are not light reading by any stretch of imagination, they require your full attention. I don’t know what it is about his words, but I had to stop reading several times just to chew upon what I had read. Also, because some parts made my heart feel so heavy that I had no choice but to put the book down for a few hours.

Most of us have only one story to tell. I don’t mean that only one thing happens to us in our lives: there are countless events, which we turn into countless stories. But there’s only one that matters, only one finally worth telling.

Paul was nineteen when he fell in love for the very first time. This first love was what defined the rest of his life, and what was the only story he found worth telling. It might have been a regular love story, had Paul not fallen in love with a woman in her mid-forties, old enough to be his mother.

Paul was happy being the village scandal at that age, and thought, with the immaturity of youth, that love was enough for a couple. That they could live with their love for the rest of their lives without needing anyone or anything else. What followed, was something that Paul could never have imagined.

There are so many issues underlying what is essentially a love story, that it seems inevitable that things will spiral out of control. From domestic abuse to alcoholism, PTSD to depression, every character is flawed. And every character is all the more human because of these flaws.

What we are given is not actually an accurate account of the events or the characters, for it is coloured by Paul’s own prejudices and the diluting effect time has had on his memories. We are shown the story through his eyes as he looks back at his life after decades, and that makes you wary of believing what he says. After all, every man wants to be the hero in his own story.

In the end, it is easy to feel some sort of sympathy for the young boy and understanding for the young man, who had to make some tough decisions in life when all he wanted was to love unconditionally and not care about convention.

It may not be as powerful as Sense of an Ending, but this book comes quite close to it in my opinion.

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Review: Last Time I Lied

Rating: 4 Stars

Another good thriller by Riley Sager. Last Time I Lied is the story of Emma, whose first stay at summer camp was cut tragically short 15 years ago. After dreaming of going to the exclusive Camp Nightingale for the longest time, Emma finally got a chance when she was 13 years old. Unfortunately, all three of her much older roommates disappeared without trace after just 2 weeks.

Fifteen years later, still traumatized by the events of that long ago summer, Emma is unable to move on, and keeps painting the three missing girls and hiding them in her paintings. It is evident that she has some unresolved issues that are hindering her creative process and making it impossible for her to move on in life.

When the owner of Camp Nightingale decides to reopen the camp, and invites Emma as an instructor, Emma sees the opportunity to find out what happened to her friends and lay the matter to rest once and for all. But there might be other motives attached in both the owner’s invitation, and Emma’s acceptance of it. For Emma is not as truthful as she seems, and her guilt makes her suspicious of everyone else around her.

The camp is a spooky place, haunted by its past, and things are not made easy with all the rumors and scary stories going around about the land surrounding the camp. The instructors and the family of the owner are all suspicious of Emma and her intentions. In these circumstances, the air is fraught with tension and each page brings a new twist to the tale.

Like all good thrillers, most of the action in this book takes place at night when everything seems more sinister and scary. When Emma fails in every attempt to solve the mystery of the disappearance, the reader also runs out of possible scenarios. As both the past and the present become clearer, it’s difficult to decide whether to trust Emma’s narrative or not.

I liked the end because it was unexpected, yet it made sense. Though in all fairness, it is hard to swallow so many red herrings and dead ends. I had fun reading this book. It is not true psychological thriller, nor is it a mystery in the strictest sense. It is a pleasing mixture of both which makes it a good read for fans of thrillers.

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