Review: Among The Ten Thousand Things

Title: Among The Ten Thousand Things

Author: Julia Pierpoint 

Series:  N/A

Publisher: Random House

Published: July 7th, 2015

Format: Kindle ARC

Pages: 336

Dates Read: July 8-19th

Source: Received from publisher via Netgalley

in exchange for an honest review

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My Rating: 2 Stars

Snippet That Stuck With Me: N/A

Synopsis: or fans of Jennifer Egan, Jonathan Franzen, Lorrie Moore, and Curtis Sittenfeld, Among the Ten Thousand Things is a dazzling first novel, a portrait of an American family on the cusp of irrevocable change, and a startlingly original story of love and time lost.

Jack Shanley is a well-known New York artist, charming and vain, who doesn’t mean to plunge his family into crisis. His wife, Deb, gladly left behind a difficult career as a dancer to raise the two children she adores. In the ensuing years, she has mostly avoided coming face-to-face with the weaknesses of the man she married. But then an anonymously sent package arrives in the mail: a cardboard box containing sheaves of printed emails chronicling Jack’s secret life. The package is addressed to Deb, but it’s delivered into the wrong hands: her children’s.

With this vertiginous opening begins a debut that is by turns funny, wise, and indescribably moving. As the Shanleys spin apart into separate orbits, leaving New York in an attempt to regain their bearings, fifteen-year-old Simon feels the allure of adult freedoms for the first time, while eleven-year-old Kay wanders precariously into a grown-up world she can’t possibly understand. Writing with extraordinary precision, humor, and beauty, Julia Pierpont has crafted a timeless, hugely enjoyable novel about the bonds of family life—their brittleness, and their resilience

Melissa's Musings:

What originally drew me to this book was the synopsis. I couldn't imagine something like this happening to a family. Sure, affairs happen far too often. But for one of the participants to print out all the emails and conversations and send it to the wife of her lover, and instead it falls into the children's hands? I had to read about what would happen after that.

Sadly, despite the synopsis and the promise of that story, the book was a huge letdown.



The main thing that took away from this book for me is the sequence jumping. I don't think I've ever read a book where the story is told out of sequence. It's very unsettling. You start out as the story unfolds and the box is delivered. Then in part two, everyone ages, and you find out what eventually happens to the entire family as they go through life. Part three is a jump back to the past and the summer adventures directly after the box. Part four is somewhere between 3 and 2. The last line of the book had me saying "Seriously? That's it?" to myself.

I felt almost no connection to the characters. The story felt detached, the phrasing blurted out in rough, but descriptive sentences. I think I kept reading the book hoping that it would redeem itself somehow. That somewhere along the way,  story would start taking a deeper turn, and you'd really start to get into the characters thoughts as they went through this experience.

I was hoping for a look into the minds of the kids, and how Simon and Kay would process and deal with their father's affair. Simon reacts in anger, Kay seems to shrink away into herself. But there's no deeper processing beyond that.

 I wanted more from Deborah too, more than to see her just run away for the summer. And more from Jack, than just seeing him wrap himself in his work and run off to Arizona.

The synopsis promised a story that was funny, wise, and indescribably moving. I found it to be none of these things. I did enjoy bits and pieces of the writing, but that's probably the only thing that kept me from giving the story only one star. If I could sum up the book I would say it reminds me of Jack's installation art piece. An attempt to see inside the destruction of a demolition site that ends up detonating in disappointment one last time unexpectedly, just like his failed art show detonates unexpectedly injuring that woman. Only the ending of the book leaves the reader slightly injured and disappointed.

Have you read this? What did you think of it?

Review: Spelled

Title: Spelled

Author: Betsy Schow

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Published: June 2, 2015

Format: E-ARC

Pages: 352

Dates Read: June 6-8

Source: Recieved via Netgalley

in exchange for an honest review

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My Rating: 3 Stars

Snippet That Stuck With Me: N/A 

Synopsis: 

Fairy Tale Survival Rule #32: If you find yourself at the mercy of a wicked witch, sing a romantic ballad and wait for your Prince Charming to save the day.

Yeah, no thanks. Dorthea is completely princed out. Sure being the crown princess of Emerald has its perks—like Glenda Original ball gowns and Hans Christian Louboutin heels. But a forced marriage to the brooding prince Kato is so not what Dorthea had in mind for her enchanted future.

Talk about unhappily ever after. 

Trying to fix her prince problem by wishing on a (cursed) star royally backfires, leaving the kingdom in chaos and her parents stuck in some place called "Kansas." Now it's up to Dorthea and her pixed off prince to find the mysterious Wizard of Oz and undo the curse...before it releases the wickedest witch of all and spells The End for the world of Story.

Melissa's Musings

The first thing that drew me to this book was the cover. I was browsing Netgalley, and came across Spelled, saw the cover and thought "Hmm, that looks interesting."

I'm not all that big on retellings and don't read them all that often, but when I read the sysnopsis for this, it seemed like it would be fun.

And it is.

 From the very beginning the story is full of curiosity, action and adventure. Dorothea is looking for a way to escape her boring palace life, where she is literally trapped by a curse. Fire is banished from the palace and she isn't even allowed outside beyond the courtyard, not even for a little while.

Little does she know that one tiny wish can have a huge impact on her life and the lives of those around her. 

The first thing that I liked, as I read were all the interesting plays on words and puns. There are a ton of them so I'll only give one example, UPS = United Pegasus Service. This one actually made me laugh out loud just because it was the slightest bit out there and Dorothea was so annoyed at the time, so the juxtaposition of the two made me giggle. There are also cute little plays on words like some of the substitute swear words, ie "pixed" and "glammed."

Plus, there are guidelines and quotes from other famous fairytale characters at the beginning of each chapter. These are a fun way to modernize the fairy tales.

There are also countless references to every possible fairy tale you can imagine. It's like a serious mashup of every fairy tale ever written interspersed within this story. And while these references, and the language and quotes are a lot of fun at first, I do have to say I did eventually grow bored of these, about halfway through. They just started to get tired, and eventually lost their sparkle.

As for the characters, I'd have to say my least favorite is probably a toss up between Rexi and Dorothea. Rexi lives up to her description and by the other characters and is rude and has a charred exterior. Dorothea fits the spoiled princess role a little too well. I was disappointed not to see more growth from her throughout the story. And while most of the time the main character is what keeps you reading, for me it was all the other characters that kept me going. I felt like they were more interesting.

Especially Hydra. With her large collection of ever changing heads and constant personality switches to go along with them , I feel like she brings a lot of life and fun to the story.

There is a lot of action and adventure. Plus there's the emphasis on fashion, beauty and just the idea of being a princess, so it makes the story equally relatable to both guys and girls. The ending is left open for a sequel, so I imagine there will be one. 

And I'm definitely willing to read it. As much as the quotes, quips and references do get a bit old  they've left me curious to see what will happen to this cast of crazy characters. I just hope that in the next part of the story Dorthea really starts to grow into her own a lot more and mature as a character.

Have you read Spelled? Did you enjoy it? Are there any other versions of retellings you'd recommend that I read?

The Sound of Glass by Karen White

Title: The Sound of Glass
Author: Karen White
Publisher: NAL
Published: May 12, 2015
Format: E-ARC
Pages: 428
Dates Read: April 26-May 03rd
Source: Received from the publisher via Netgalley
in exchange for an honest review
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My Rating: 4 Stars
Snippet That Stuck With Me:
"You are so much stronger and braver than you think you are....You are strong at the broken places Synopsis:
The New York Times bestselling author of A Long Time Gone now explores a Southern family’s buried history, which will change the life of the woman who unearths it, secret by shattering secret.

It has been two years since the death of Merritt Heyward’s husband, Cal, when she receives unexpected news—Cal’s family home in Beaufort, South Carolina, bequeathed by Cal’s reclusive grandmother, now belongs to Merritt.

Charting the course of an uncertain life—and feeling guilt from her husband’s tragic death—Merritt travels from her home in Maine to Beaufort, where the secrets of Cal’s unspoken-of past reside among the pluff mud and jasmine of the ancestral Heyward home on the Bluff. This unknown legacy, now Merritt’s, will change and define her as she navigates her new life—a new life complicated by the arrival of her too young stepmother and ten-year-old half-brother.


Soon, in this house of strangers, Merritt is forced into unraveling the Heyward family past as she faces her own fears and finds the healing she needs in the salt air of the Low Country

Melissa's Musings:

This book is filled with a lot of layers. The stories of each of the different characters all intertwine in their own unique way. The story is made up of equal  parts intrigue, mystery, love, family growth and forgiveness.

My favorite character was Merritt. She is very rough on the outside, and keeps to herself a lot. She moved to the South to start over, to get away from years of bad memories, to get a fresh start since the death of her husband. What she didn't bargain for was to end up living with her much younger stepmother and her ten year old half brother Owen.

The interactions between Merritt and Owen are very sweet, because even though there's such an age difference between them, they are a lot alike. Which makes sense, since they're siblings. As a reader you get to experience them open up and relax a lot throughout the book.

I like the softer side of Merritt toward the end of the novel. It makes her relationship with Gibbes all that more believable.

When I first read the inklings of the relationship between Gibbes (Merrit's husband's younger brother) I thought it was going to end up being ridiculously corny. Thankfully the progression of their relationship was natural. It was unforced, and it didn't feel like insta-love.

The writing is nicely paced for the most part. Though, it did feel overly simplified in some parts but there were other more descriptive sections that made up for it. I especially like the metaphors regarding the sea glass, particularly that the sound of the wind chimes in Merrit's inherited house are clapping to welcome her.

The sound of glass comes up as a descriptive theme throughout the novel and I feel that the comparisons are fitting to Merritts growth as a character, being that there are spots in the book where it's mentioned that just because it's glass doesn't mean that it's necessarily as fragile as you might think, and that it's weathered a lot of turbulence through years tumbling in the sea.

There's also mystery surrounding a plane crash and the interconnectedness of Merritt and Cal's families at an earlier time  which gave me chills.

I do have to put out one warning for people that may be sensitive to it. This book does deal with the topic of physical/emotional abuse.  It's not overly dramatic, but it is described in a few scenes, so beware of that if it's something that may be sensitive for you as a reader.

There are a lot of good hearted quotes from Merritt's stepmother Loralee. I'm rather ambivalent about these. At first I thought they were corny and silly, but then they seemed to get more mature as the book progressed, so they kind of grew on me.

Overall, this is a book that I would definitely recommend.

How to Act Like A Grown-Up by Mark Dupre

Title: How to Act Like A Grow-Up
Author: Mark Dupre
Publisher: Broadstreet Publishing Group LLC
Published: May 1, 2015
Format: E-Arc
Pages: 144
Dates Read: April 14-19th 2015
Source: Received from the publisher via Netgalley
in exchange for an honest review
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My Rating: 2 Stars
Snippet That Stuck With Me: N/A

Synopsis:
Are you not quite as ready for the adult world as you want to be? Are you a grown-up who doesn't feel like one? Do you know someone else who needs to act like a grown-up? With humor, occasional bite, and a deep desire to be helpful, this book is today's manual for moving into adulthood. Filled with a mountain of practical advice, it's a treasure trove of grown-up perspectives that many of us never got to hear on our way to twenty-one. In twenty-nine short, easy-to-read chapters, author Mark DuPre takes what he's learned the hard way and lays it all out there to help everyone of any age move closer to acting like a grown-up. Wise and witty, this book is one of the best gifts you could give - to yourself as well as to others.

Melissa's Musings:

For me this book promised a lot more than it delivered.

I will say that there is a lot of practical advice on a variety of subjects. The chapters range from school, to love, to investments and many things in between. 

Both the cover and the synopsis made it seem like this would be delivered in a fun, easy to read, format. And while the chapters are easy to read, I'd say that the fun is seriously lacking. 

As I first started reading the book the tone seemed pleasant enough. Just straightforward and to the point. I figured it would lighten up as the book went along.  But then as I kept reading it started to feel more snarky, and judgemental. I got the feeling that the tone was a little bit more "know it all" than helpful.

Since these chapters are relatively short, for the most part the clippd tone works in some cases. Some of the subjects are pretty self explanatory. In other spots it feels as though the author could have gone deeper, but chose not to. I got the sense that there should only be one correct trajectory for all of these different circumstances of growing up without a lot of room for other possibilities. As a result, I felt put off while reading.

I did learn a few new things though. And I would say that the early 20's crowd this seems to be targeted to would find a few useful tidbits in here as well. The topics like financial independence, money and college and owning your youth would probably be the most helpful for that group. I just wish the delivery had been funnier or more lightearted, it would have made for a more enjoyable read.

Review: The Witch of Painted Sorrows

Title: The Witch of Painted Sorrows

Author: M.J. Rose

Publisher: Atria Books

Published: March 17, 2015

Series: Daughters of La Lune #1

Format: Kindle ARC

Pages: 384

Date Read: February 24, 2015

Source: Received from the publisher via Netgalley 

in exchange for an honest review

Add To Your TBR list on Goodreads

My Rating: 2 Stars

Synopsis:
 Possession. Power. Passion. New York Times bestselling novelist M. J. Rose creates her most provocative and magical spellbinder yet in this gothic novel set against the lavish spectacle of 1890s Belle Époque Paris.

Sandrine Salome flees New York for her grandmother’s Paris mansion to escape her dangerous husband, but what she finds there is even more menacing. The house, famous for its lavish art collection and elegant salons, is mysteriously closed up. Although her grandmother insists it’s dangerous for Sandrine to visit, she defies her and meets Julien Duplessi, a mesmerizing young architect. Together they explore the hidden night world of Paris, the forbidden occult underground and Sandrine’s deepest desires.

Among the bohemians and the demi-monde, Sandrine discovers her erotic nature as a lover and painter. Then darker influences threaten—her cold and cruel husband is tracking her down and something sinister is taking hold, changing Sandrine, altering her. She’s become possessed by La Lune: A witch, a legend, and a sixteenth-century courtesan, who opens up her life to a darkness that may become a gift or a curse.

This is Sandrine’s “wild night of the soul,” her odyssey in the magnificent city of Paris, of art, love, and witchery.

Melissa's Musings:

When I first got approved for The Witch of Painted Sorrows, I was thrilled. Both because it was my first time ever requesting a book from Netgalley, and being approved, and because the premise of this book seemed so interesting.

I'm sad to say my interest in the synopsis was misguided.

As a main character, Sandrine didn't really do much for me. I wasn't all that interested in her. She just didn't feel fleshed out enough. Of what we learn about Sandrine, most of her personality is clouded over by the secrets of the life that she's running from, and then further complicated by the family history that she's run into by coming to Paris.

I was more intrigued by her grandmother. She too, was a frustrating character, in the sense that she only hints at things that Sandrine needs to know, but doesn't come right out and say them. Sadly, she her role is quite diminshed as the story progresses.

The most frustrating part of reading this book is that every time it seemed like Sandrine's grandmother was finally going to tell her the truth about the history, and why Paris isn't a good place for Sandrine to be, the author throws in some useless detail to distract the story and never gets to revealing anything of importance. One scene where Sandrine and her grandmother are in a restaurant, is particularly aggravating. They are eating and it seems like Sandrine is finally going to learn about her family history the story turns to the atmosphere of the restaurant, and then it weaves back around, and just as they are going to discuss the curse a rock comes right through the window where the two are sitting. There are a few other instances of this, but the restaurant scene is the one that most stuck out for me.

One of the parts of the book that I did enjoy was the authors world building in terms of the setting. I really felt that I was back in Paris in the Belle Epoque of the late 1800's. There are several well placed mentions of literature  of the time throughout the story. And of course there is all of the exploration of the art of the time, which is of course central to the story and the family curse. As frustrating as the distraction of it was, the setting in the restaurant scene also helped paint the picture of the time and the world that Sandrine and her grandmother were living in.

There is a romance between Julien and Sandrine that is important to the story but it fell flat for me. The love scenes between them do have an element sensuality, but overall there is too much to be learned about Sandrine's secrets and not enough foundation apart from the physicality to become caught up in their romance.

The witchcraft/occult element of the story is a bit more dark and twisty than I was expecting. Normally the stories I read about witches have to do with the exploration of their powers. This story is ultimately about how La Lune posesses Sandrine and gets her to do disturbing things to ensure that she can be with Julien. I won't go into detail because I don't want to spoil it for anyone.

There's an element of religion to the story as well, so you see both the light and dark sides of Sandrine's predicament. I'll let you guess which one wins out in the end.

The end of the story is predictable. I was rooting against the ending, but I understand why it has to play out that way because that's the best way to set up the rest of the trilogy.

Overall, I was not impressed. The story felt half-hearted. Sandrine isn't an interesting enough main character for me to want to read on about what happens in the rest of her story. And while the history, art, and setting of the time are intriguing, they aren't enough to keep me reading either, unfortunately.

Before this story, I had not read any of M.J. Rose's other works. After reading this, I'm not sure I will read any of them.

I'd love to hear other thoughts and opinions on this novel. Have you read it? What did you think?