don't be derivative

The Fairytale Life of Dorothy Gale by Virginia Kantra

Genre: fiction

Rating: 4 stars (out of 5)

Review: My loyal readers will know that I'm typically wary of any book that takes an old favorite and attempts to transpose it on the modern-day.  However, I trusted Virginia Kantra with Meg & Jo, and was not disappointed, so I opted to take the plunge with her again as she takes on the fruits of L. Frank Baum's imagination.

This time, my own failure to read the publisher's description closely got me into trouble.  The Fairytale Life of Dorothy Gale is not described as a "modern retelling" of anything, but I assume that it was (perhaps not unfairly), and was therefore disappointed that, aside from the fact that Dorothy lived in Kansas with her Auntie Em and Uncle Henry, and some cleverly punny character names, there really isn't much relation between this book and either Baum's book, or the movie based on it.

That being the case, I wish Kantra hadn't tied her book to Oz at all.  This is an excellent book on it's own, and doesn't need to be propped up by allusions to anyone else's work.  Change the names of the characters, and Kantra has given us something original and well-written.  Tied to such a cultural touchstone, however, fans are bound to be disappointed.

ps. Oz devotees who haven't read Finding Dorothy must do so, as soon as possible.

FTC Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher in exchange for this review.

if i could turn back time

Cassandra in Reverse by Holly Smale

Genre: fiction

Rating: 4 stars (out of 5)

Genre: An interesting take on the time travel/live your life again trope, with Cassandra discovering the ability to rewind parts of her life to do again.  Cassandra is a great character, and I immediately sympathized with her and rooted for her.  But, I had a couple of issues with this book:

1. The title is misleading.  Cassandra is not actually living her life in reverse.  Rather, she has the ability to turn back time and relive certain parts of her life.  Cassandra Rewinds might have been a better choice.
2. Are we seriously expected to believe that no-one in Cassandra's life understood that she's on the autism spectrum?  It's books like this that make me wish I were an editor.  If I'd seen the manuscript, I would have suggested some seriously reworking of this point.  To be clear, I'm not objecting to Cassandra being on the autism spectrum, but rather that a major piece of the plot seems to hinge on neither she nor anyone in her life recognizing it.  I would have advised making it part of the plot from the beginning, rather than a mystery that has to be solved for Cassandra's life to make sense.

FTC Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher in exchange for this review.

posthumously outed

If We're Being Honest by Cat Shook

Genre: fiction

Rating: 3.5 stars (out of 5)

Review: Cat Shook gives us a different take on "coming out" as a beloved grandfather is outed at his funeral by his best friend and long-term lover.  Here, we don't learn about the grandfather's struggle or how his relationships with his family change after the revelation, but how his wife, children, and grandchildren process the news, and how it makes them reflect on their own lives.  A well-done picture of grief and the celebration of a life, even one that wasn't what everyone thought.

FTC Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher in exchange for this review.

good on its own

The Circus Train by Amita Parikh

Genre: historical fiction

Rating: 3.5 stars (out of 5)

Review: This book has been hailed as a cross between The Night Circus and Water for Elephants, but I have to say, aside from all being about circuses, they don't have that much in common.  The Circus Train has much to offer, but I can't say it's in the same league as either of the two books to which it is compared.

Considering this book on its own merits, though, is much more flattering.  Beginning before WWII, Parikh weaves a story of a circus that might or might include actual magic, and the illusionist (Theo) and his daughter (Lena), who had polio as a baby and now uses a wheelchair.  There's a lot of build-up and character establishing, but tensions build as WWII heats up, and the story really gets going when things explode between Theo and the circus owner.  Theo and his protégé (Alexandre) are sent to Theresienstadt and forced to perform for the Nazi guards in their guests.  Meanwhile, Lena, believing both to be dead, makes her way to England in the hopes of finding her former governess, at which point the real question becomes, will Lena and her father and Alexandre ever be reunited?

Parikh draws her characters well, and her protagonists will all be found sympathetic and writing brings the setting vividly to life.  And yet, I still felt let-down by the marketing hype.

FTC Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher in exchange for this review.

a fitting end

Somebody's Fool by Richard Russo

Genre: fiction

Rating: 4.5 stars (out of 5)

Review: Donald "Sully" Sullivan may have died in the 2nd book of the North Bath trilogy, but he proves that he was always larger than life by remaining the driving force in the lives of those he left behind.  However, his death does allow several characters who were on the sidelines before to take center stage, including: Sully's loyal sidekick, Rub; the chief of police, Doug Raymer; Sully's longtime paramour, Ruth, and her daughter and granddaughter; and especially Sully's son, Peter.  Russo writes his characters with warmth, bringing to life their struggles and successes as they navigate a changing world and ultimately find hope as they learn to rely on and help each other.

FTC Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher in exchange for this review.

his side

Spare by Prince Harry

Genre: memoir

Rating: 4.5 stars (out of 5)

Review: If Prince Harry had to boil this book down into one sentence, I expect it would be, "I will remain devoted to my mother forever, and I despise the paparazzi to the very core of my being."  That would be an accurate description of this book, but it does leave a lot out.

Harry talks about his education (not distinguished), his relationship with his brother and father (alternately loving and heartbreakingly cruel), his time in the military (action-packed), his time spent in Africa and hte charitable work it led to (inspiring), his relationship with his grandmother (close), and much more.

As much as Diana and the paparazzi dominate the book, the writing really comes alive when Harry departs from these topics.  One example is when he talks about the military.  The part that really shines is less his descriptions of his time in war zones, and more his thoughts about what being in the military mean to him, and his frustration that his title prevented him from seeing much action.  The narrative also comes alive when Harry describes meeting and falling in love with Meghan, who, of course, becomes another major theme in the latter half of the book.

But surrounding all that is Harry's loathing of the paparazzi, and he doesn't mince words about it.  He details story after story that come out in the British tabloids (and even some more reputable news outlets) that are just plain lies, recounts his battles with the palace about how to respond to them, and suggests more than once that certain people within the palace are feeing information to the press.  The palace's unwavering police of not responding, even to the tabloid stories that were clearly untrue, and his suspictions about a leak in the inner circle, led to a major breach between Harry and Charles and William.

Of course, we have only Harry's side of the story here, and as Goethe tells us, "One man's word is no man's word; we should quietly hear both sides."  But the palace continues its policy of silence, and it's unlikely that any further developments will happen quietly.  So we have to take Harry's word for it, for now, which is very easy to do after reading this candid memoir.

stand still

Beyond That, the Sea by Laura Spence-Ash

Genre: historical fiction

Rating: 4 stars (out of 5)

Review: Children who were sent to the British countryside during the Blitz were able to come when it seemed like the nightly airstrikes were over.  Children who were sent to America may have had to stay for the duration of the war.  Some were lucky, like Beatrix, who became a true part of the Gregory family for the five years she lived with them.  This section of the book is engaging and heartwarming.

Unfortunately, once Bea leaves the Gregory family, though, the narrative falters.  Instead of being continuous, the story leaps through the next 30 years, landing only in 1951, 1960-1965, and, in an Epilogue, 1977.  Although this satisfies a reader's desire to find out what happen's next in the life of a good character (which Bea is), the jumping around causes us to lose our connection with Bea.

Still, Spence-Ash's writing is solid and the foundation that is set up in the first part of the book is strong enough to carry us through to a satisfying, if not altogether unexpected ending.

FTC Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher in exchange for this review.