Grief in the Age of Smartphones: Book Review of Help! I'm Alive

 

Help! I'm Alive by Gurjinder Basran
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Thank you to ECW and GoodReads for providing the ARC of Help! I’m Alive by Gurjinder Basran, which I received with the expectation of a fair and honest review. Please note: this book and the review include discussions of suicide and self-harm.

As the book begins, Ash is scrolling through his phone, disgusted by the response to his childhood best friend’s suicide. Jay and Ash had not been tight for some time, so in addition to his grief, he feels guilty. The social media viral response to the death--which was posted and later removed--is one of gossipy shock.

Ash’s mother, Pavan, is horrified by Jay’s death, and it brings into clarity the disconnect between herself and Ash and also between her and Ash’s older brother, Anik. She has been a classic lawnmower parent, going before them to clear the path of anything that could be harmful. By removing any struggle, she has created an entirely different struggle for her sons.

Anik, though an adult, has been cloistered in the family’s basement, too wrought with anxiety and depression to leave. A musical prodigy as a child, Anik is now unsure of what to do with his life, the purpose of life in general, what the point of it all is, and has become unable to move under his trepidation.

The final point-of-view we dip into in Help! I’m Alive is Jay’s girlfriend in all but name. Although they never officially declared themselves a couple, Winona was the closest to Jay at the time of his death and feels sucked hollow by guilt, leaving behind only a bitterness that threatens to give a nasty freezer burn to anyone who attempts to get closer. Beneath all of Winona’s pain is the death of her mother, which came long before Jay, and from which she has been unable to heal.

In telling the four different stories, Basran examines not just grief, but also the omnipresence of social media and screens in our lives; how they have changed everything from dating to friendship to how we get the news. Each character gives a reflection and insight into the problematic nature of our online selves. Help! I'm Alive is still about coping with grief and the tsunami of harm caused by suicide, but it is also a commentary on the current ills of our society.

Would I teach this book? Probably not. The internal thoughts and voices of the characters seem much too similar, all of them sounding adolescent in nature and having strikingly similar thoughts about social media. It would have been good to see more difference in the characters' internal monologues. Pavan, especially, seems immature for a grown woman. Ash, Anik, and Winona do not seem out of place, but Pavan, especially for her backstory and the strength it would have taken to overcome it, does not echo that life experience.

The discussion of social media, while timely and in need of examination, does not go as deeply or with as much variation between the characters as would shed new insight to what many of us already notice. Beyond a general disdain mixed with dependence on our phones, the characters do not get much beyond the problematic nature of our relationship to them. In addition, the book uses the suicide as a catalyst to get the characters moving rather than focusing on the internal turmoil caused by the suicide. While this is not necessarily a fault of the book, it complicates teaching a work with such heavy subject matter. Discussion of suicide and self-harm is absolutely necessary, but it should be discussed in the classroom setting in a way that does not bely the gravity and ultimate damage it causes to family, friends, and community.

As an educator and reader, I appreciate that Pavan, as an Indo-Canadian, notes differences in culture and experience, including her mother-in-law’s inability to pronounce her name correctly, without the book being about the conflict of being in two cultures. It would have been nice to see the same treatment of a trans character, who, while being an actual character and not a flat stereotype, still most of her story is about transphobia.

So, while the book has many merits, I would probably not choose to teach it.

View all my reviews

Nothing Says Love Like Rock and Metal: Book Review of Something from Tiffany's

 

Something from Tiffany's by Melissa Hill
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Thank you to Sourcebooks and GoodReads Giveaways for the review copy of Something from Tiffany’s by Melissa Hill, which I received in exchange for a fair and honest review.

The plot of Melissa Hill’s Something from Tiffany’s begins with a classic romantic mix-up--two bags from Tiffany’s--the famous jeweler--get switched. In one is a charm bracelet. In the other is an outrageously expensive engagement ring. Two women get the wrong presents and the two men get an even bigger surprise since they know what should have been in those little blue boxes.

Ethan is a widower with an eight-year-old daughter. He still misses his wife terribly and his daughter, Daisy, suffers from anxiety as a result of her mother’s death, but Ethan feels ready to move on with his girlfriend, Vanessa--with Daisy’s approval, of course. Together, Ethan and Daisy leave Tiffany’s on Christmas Eve, the ring safely in a bag. At the same time, Gary dips into Tiffany’s to buy a last-minute present for his girlfriend, looking for something affordable and lighting on the charm bracelet. In order to compensate for his tardiness, he runs into the street to catch a cab and is promptly taken down by one. Ethan and Daisy come to the rescue, calling an ambulance, giving first aid, and protecting his belongings. This is when the switch takes place.

When Ethan watches his girlfriend open the box the next morning and take out the bracelet, he is mystified, but does not say anything to her, ostensibly not wanting to spoil the surprise. When Gary sees his girlfriend take out the ring, after he gets out of the hospital, she is so excited, he decides not to say anything, claiming to himself, “finders keepers” and that he could do worse than Rachel. If only one of the two of them had chosen to tell the truth then! But alas, there would have been no story.

While the lies and coverups are necessary for the story, I found them quite off-putting. Deceit upon deceit does not really make someone attractive. Sometimes you have to tell those you care about hard truths, and that is one of the ways that you show you really love them--because you are brave enough to tell those hard truths. Not to ruin anyone’s fun by bringing in reality, but.

Aside from the lies, it is a fun plot and an intriguing question as to who will end up with whom. It is also a perhaps inadvertent discussion of the practice of gift giving as part of engagement, the outrageous costs of a wedding, and the expectations placed upon a marriage. A bit of light discussion, after all. A good deal of the plot rests upon the reaction that Rachel has in response to the ring. The size and obvious expense represent a fairy tale that she also associates with creating a family for herself, as she is an orphan. Rachel thinks that Gary loves her and will be a good mate and father. Even as she begins wedding planning and he repeatedly begs off and encourages her to take it all on herself, she still sees promise for their marriage. While the book does not argue that money equals love, it does make a connection between shelling out a lot of money being a sign of a good and loving guy and not spending a lot of money demonstrates a lack of love and an irresponsible guy.

Would I teach this book? Probably not. I wanted to see a bit more from the characters and a little more romance. Rachel’s excuses and apologies for Gary when he was being stinky were annoying and frustrating. The connection between love and money is an unexplored problem. And, you know, truth. If the characters were a little more self-aware and some of the complexities acknowledged, I would certainly consider it for a genre writing class.

View all my reviews

It's Manga and It's Not Pokémon: Yo-Kai Watch Vol. 1

 

YO-KAI WATCH, Vol. 1 by Noriyuki Konishi
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Thank you to the Fort Vancouver Library bookmobile for accidentally giving me the copy of Yo-Kai Watch Vol. 1 by Noriyuki Konishi. I would not have taken it off the shelf myself, but it did give me a view of non-Pokémon manga.

In Yo-Kai Watch, Nate, who we are repeatedly told is a typical kid, finds a watch that allows him to see Yo-kai, or animal-like beings that are invisible to humans, but affect their moods and environments. Yo-kai do not trust humans, as many of them have been hurt by them. Nate also acquires Whisper, a Yo-kai who is like a personal assistant to him and helps him with daily struggles as well as acting like a cultural translator for Nate with the Yo-kai. The first Yo-kai Nate meets after Whisper is Jibanyan, who spends his time playing chicken with vehicles and losing. His obsession was developed after his previous owner, Amy, responded cruelly after he was hit by a car.

Yo-kai again and again show that they do not trust humans and are reluctant to become friends with Nate until he manages to help them. Then, they give him a medal that when placed in his watch allows them to be summoned by Nate. In addition to Whisper, Jibanyan often helps Nate when he has conflicts with Yo-kai.

Besides being a manga series, Yo-kai was also a series of video games and a cartoon. Vol. 1 of the manga seems more like product placement than story to me, but it is my only point of reference, so it is possible that later volumes have more of a plot and more variety in their story lines.

Would I teach this book? That might sound like a strange question for a volume of manga, but I can see teaching it in a graphic literature course including some manga. If I were teaching a graphic literature course, it would be remiss not to include manga. However, the lack of ongoing plot and the time spent simply introducing us to characters does not make me want to share this book with others.

To be fair, I have a lot to learn about manga, and it is possible that I am missing something amazing in this novel. However, I doubt it. If you have suggestions for the next manga for me to read, please put it in the comments!

View all my reviews

Four Stephen King Novellas. Mid. Book Review of If It Bleeds.

 

If It Bleeds: Mr. Harrigan's Phone, The Life of Chuck, Rat by Stephen King
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Thank you to my husband, Philip, for buying me If It Bleeds by Stephen King when I was sick with Covid, and thank you to Annie Bloom's Books for making it available and pulling it off the shelf so my love could quickly pick it up.

In times of trouble, some people have comfort food. I have comfort reading. Specifically, Stephen King. Simple, uncomplicated stories and no question who the good guys are. There’s always some excitement and some creepy, extra worldly thing. And it never gets old. And that’s my review for every Stephen King book ever. Just saying.

If It Bleeds consists of four novellas. The first, “Mr. Harrigan’s Phone,” is the story of a boy who calls his boss’s cell phone after he dies and gets an unexpected response. The second, “The Life of Chuck” begins with a mysterious billboard appearing, reading “39 GREAT YEARS! THANKS, CHUCK.” Then things in town start to get weirder. “If It Bleeds,” by far my favorite from this collection, features Holly of Mr. Mercedes and The Outsider. Holly has discovered another potentially dangerous supernatural threat, and she decides not to involve anyone else because she does not want them to get hurt. But what Holly does not count on is that other people are just as worried about her. Finally, “Rat” tells the story of a writer with several failed novels under his belt who decides to go to his father’s isolated cabin in the woods to write a new one. Nothing could go wrong there.

Holly is one of my favorite Stephen King characters. She’s complex, not just somebody’s partner, and she’s just quirky enough to be interesting. For example, she counts and prepares a snack of mini candy bars in preparation for watching her show: a staged court with a charming and snarky judge. I could live in her brain a little longer.

Is this the best Stephen King book ever? No. Did it help me get through a bout of Covid? Yes.

Would I teach this book? It is possible that I would teach one of the novellas, but I doubt I would teach the entire book. As referenced earlier, it is not that strong of a collection. There are some pretty predictable moments. Almost all of “Rat” is “Don’t go in there” choices on repeat. Perhaps, perhaps if I had a class in which we were discussing taking a minor character from an earlier story and turning them into a major character, I would consider teaching “If It Bleeds,” but even then, I doubt it. Do I recommend it for a plane ride or as an escape during extended family holiday togetherness? Yes.

View all my reviews

Survival Watch: Book Review of The Watchmakers

 

The Watchmakers: A Story of Brotherhood, Survival, and Hope Amid the Holocaust by Harry Lenga
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thank you to Kensington Publishing Corp. and GoodReads Giveaways for the review copy of Harry Lenga’s and Scott Lenga’s The Watchmakers, which I received in exchange for a fair and honest review.

The three Lenga brothers must make a terrible choice. All of the Jews of Kozhnitz, Poland, have been forced into the ghetto and now there is a rumor that they will all be removed. No one knows exactly what is about to happen, but there is a possibility that the brothers can escape into a labor camp. If they go, they will leave behind their father, who will not leave without their stepmother, who will not leave behind her elderly and sickly mother. They decide to take the risk, and equipped with all of their father’s watchmaking tools--everything they can carry, and then some--and a warm comforter, they escape to the labor camp. Now we know that to stay would have been certain death, but then there was still hope, coupled with the refusal to believe that human beings could be such monsters as to destroy innocent lives without any provocation. Now we know that the risk of escaping the ghetto was well worth it. Now we know that is the only way that the Lenga brothers could have survived.

And survive, they did. The Watchmakers is the amazing story of how they survived, through serendipity, the willingness to take calculated risks, and the skills and tools for watchmaking that they were freely given by their father.

The Watchmakers is told from the point of view of Yekhiel (Harry Lenga’s birth name) from recorded interviews. It is edited and written by his son Scott Lenga, who made the choice to retain the oral telling of the story by leaving it in his father’s voice and keeping his words and turns of phrase. Indeed, it sounds very much like a Polish survivor of the Holocaust, especially with the mix of Hebrew and Yiddish with the English.

The brothers were not able to remain in the work camp for long, as all the Jews were transported to worse circumstances. Colder, more difficult, and more dangerous work. The authorities became more vicious, more vindictive, and more willing to waste a life. Yekhiel is the brother who is willing to take a chance, willing to approach the person a rank above them to offer to fix a watch, in exchange for more food or just to escape the harsh physical labor that everyone was subjected to. And it was a risk--as their captors made no effort to preserve their lives, and some enjoyed causing pain and humiliation. Approaching an authority could result in a rifle butt to the head or worse.

Reading books about the Holocaust brings me mixed emotions. The horror of human actions is too large for me to fully comprehend, as my imagination only goes so far. I want to believe that humans cannot act so monstrously, and I find it horrifying that they can be so evil. It is not pleasurable and should not be pleasurable to read about all of the brutal things that people did, though it is important that we do not forget and that we continue to tell the stories of the ones who were lost and the ones who survived. We cannot deny or dislike the reality so much as to ignore it. The survivors struggled to live even after they were rescued, as they felt grief for those who did not survive, PTSD from the horrors they experienced, and survivor’s guilt that they should make it out and so many did not. There were many difficulties in readjusting to life after the Holocaust, bodily as well as mentally and emotionally. Many passed along generational trauma, including a general distrust of non-Jews. To this day, there are communities in America who intentionally isolate themselves from non-Jews because they fear antisemitism and they fear that even those who seem to be good neighbors would viciously turn on them, as often happened during the Holocaust--people who had been counted as good friends turned them in out of fear or for a reward. After the war, survivors were killed when they tried to reclaim possessions and property from before the war.

In light of this, making Holocaust literature a commodity feels extremely problematic, but I do not have an answer for that at the moment. I can say that Harry Lenga’s account of his experiences are clear and compelling with suspense and excitement. You want him and his brothers to survive at the same time that so many forces are against their survival.

Would I teach this book? The Watchmakers would be a great book club pick. There is a lot in the plot to discuss and much to talk about in terms of the brothers’ love and support for each other. Indeed, it seems better suited for book club than teaching, at least for my current courses. The focus on history makes the book interesting, but does not suit my purposes for literature. Currently, I teach Man’s Search for Meaning, which does not go as deeply into Viktor Frankl’s experience during the Holocaust and is certainly not so step-by-step as Lenga describes. Though Man’s Search for Meaning does not give as much of Victor Frankl’s story as The Watchmakers does for Harry Lenga, it does have a second half that gives Frankl’s philosophy of logotherapy, and it also discusses the propensity for both goodness and evil in humanity as well as needing a purpose in life, or something that you live for and keeps you living. It gives us the opportunity to discuss the Holocaust, what happened, the impact it had, a personal experience, as well as opening the door to some philosophical discussion as well. The format of Man’s Search for Meaning and the need to include both halves brings with it a good class discussion. The Watchmakers is mostly story and experience, and it is non-fiction. While I do teach some nonfiction, I focus more on fiction and poetry. The literary elements of the story are not as strong. I can see perhaps using it to discuss primary research, first person accounts, or even how to tell someone else’s story. Okay, I have talked myself into it, I think that it could be useful under certain circumstances, especially to open the door to discussions of taking someone else’s words of their stories or turning a series of interviews into someone else’s memoir. I think that it could be quite moving to tell someone else’s story.

Do I recommend this book? Yes, I think it is a good book to read and share with others.

View all my reviews

Romance on Set: Book Review of Ship Wrecked

 

Ship Wrecked by Olivia Dade
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Thank you to William Morrow and GoodReads Giveaways, who provided Olivia Dade’s Ship Wrecked in exchange for a fair and honest review.

In Ship Wrecked, Maria and Peter have an amazing one-night stand, and Maria slips off while Peter is sleeping. The night will replay in both of their brains during lonely nights.

Or, that is what should have happened. Instead, Peter wakes to find himself abandoned, not even a note, and in his growing bitterness toward Maria-without-a-last-name, he finds himself auditioning with her the next morning for a TV role that he very much wants. He becomes even more upset when she does an excellent job and he fears that the two of them, if they are cast and if the show does well, could be working together for a long, long time.

Maria does not buckle under the cruel words that Peter throws at her when they realize that they will be acting together, but she does determine that he will live to regret his insults. When the two head out to a remote island that will be inhabited mainly by the two actors and the crew, Maria brings everyone together, with her kind and boisterous ways, and her ability to bring people out, even the socially awkward Peter.

The two are clearly still attracted to each other, and the off-season from shooting does nothing to quench that desire. But can they heal the other’s wounds enough to make their love last?

Ship Wrecked has spicy scenes, humor, and a body positive message. Peter and Maria’s banter is fun, as is the interaction with the crew and larger cast of the show. Maria is an amazing character, self-confident and full of the good stuff that brings out the best in others. The overall positivity of the book is clear and present. It was an enjoyable book to read.

Would I teach this book? Possibly, in a genre or romance writing class. It feels almost like fanfiction (and it does include fictional fanfiction), but written better than most fanfiction. The made-up show that Peter and Maria work on, Gods of the Gates, is a plausible show that sounds like a cross between Xena and Game of Thrones. The merits of this book are that it is fun, it has spicy parts, and there is a romance underlying the lust. The spectacle of the TV show allows for added cuteness and a soundboard for body positivity.

View all my reviews

Convalescence in Japan: The Samurai's Garden Book Review

 

The Samurai's Garden by Gail Tsukiyama
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Written as journal entries by Stephen, the main character, Gail Tsukiyama's The Samurai's Garden is set during the Second Sino-Japanese War and in the time leading up to World War II. It is a tale of love, honor, and loneliness. 

Struck with tuberculosis, twenty-one-year old Stephen is forced to leave college and return home to Hong Kong. While he struggles to regain his health, his mother fears he will infect his younger sister, so his parents decide he will go to Japan, where his father does business. From there, he is sent to the family’s vacation home in the coastal town of Tarumi while his father stays in the city of Kobe.

Tarumi has been left quiet during the off-season, and Stephen feels isolated. His only companion is Matsu, the caretaker who has been with the house and family since his youth and is now in his sixties. Quiet and reserved, Matsu does not coddle Stephen as his mother did, but encourages him to paint and spend time outdoors.

Eventually, Matsu takes Stephen into the mountains to the town of Yamaguchi, a village of people who had been driven from their homes when they showed signs of leprosy. There, Matsu introduces Stephen to his beautiful friend, Sachi, who covers the affected part of her face with a scarf. Later, Matsu takes Stephen into town and to the tea house to meet Kenzo, who has been his friend since childhood.

While Stephen is the narrator, the heart of the story is Matsu, Sachi, and Kenzo, and especially their shared past that unfolds itself to Stephen. Their quiet lives, as Stephen will see, are not devoid of passion.

Would I teach this book? Yes, this semester I taught it for the first time. The Samurai’s Garden is one of the novels that can be taught as part of Eastern Washington University’s dual credit literature course. Written by an American woman who is of Chinese and Japanese descent and told from the point of view of a young Chinese man in Japan, it certainly fits into Multicultural Literature. I learned a lot about history by reading and researching to prepare to teach the book. I was able to pass on what I learned to my students, so all of us gained knowledge about the second Sino-Japanese war.

My students appreciated the muted tone of the book and called it “relaxing,” though there are plenty of non-chill moments. It is an enveloping story and gives a peek into the cultures of China and Japan of a century ago. The Samurai’s Garden also lends itself to interesting class discussion. A good pick for both high school and college.

View all my reviews

Magical Realism Meets Ecothriller: Book Review of Fever Dream

 

Fever Dream by Samanta Schweblin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Fever Dream, written by Samanta Schweblin and translated by Megan McDowell, is one of those books that is difficult to explain. Part of the pleasure of the book is untangling the past and following the mystery backwards with the characters. What I can say about the plot is that it is conveyed as dialogue between Amanda, a young mother, and David, a nine-year-old boy who is the son of a friend. Amanda is confined to a bed and David is at her side, guiding her back in time to discover how she got to this place.

It is a spooky book, full of suspense. It is an eco-thriller, in the tradition of magical realism, but also plays upon parental anxiety, with the “rescue distance” Amanda uses to measure how far she can allow her daughter to safely wander away from her.

Would I teach Fever Dream? Yes. I do teach this book, as part of my Multicultural Literature course. It is a slim novel, difficult to put down, with a devastating ending. Students love the book—it has a compelling plot and the dialogue format adds to the tension. And, of course, there are horses.

View all my reviews

A Lovely, Creepy Read: Book Review of Doris Lessing's The Fifth Child

 

The Fifth Child by Doris Lessing
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

In Doris Lessing’s The Fifth Child, Harriet and David bond and marry over their mutual desire for a traditional marriage and large family. They are righteously against the British counterculture of the 1960s, with its sexual freedom and distaste for marriage.

Their families become suspicious when Harriet and David purchase a large home outside of the city, wondering how many children the couple intends to have. Between Harriet and David, they can’t agree on an exact number, but it grows larger and larger. When the couple has four children in short order, much quicker than even they had planned, their families think them irresponsible. Truly, they cannot provide for themselves without financial assistance, and with Harriet so often pregnant, they also depend on help with the children. However, the boisterous atmosphere created in their home makes it the ideal place for the extended family to gather during holidays, and all begin to appreciate and enjoy what Harriet and David created.

Then comes Ben, the eponymous character of the book. And the fifth child is a doozy. In utero, Ben begins tormenting his mother, growing quickly and painfully, kicking and doing harm to her already exhausted body. One of his first actions after birth is to painfully chomp her breast when she tries to feed him. He is not cuddly and does not seem to want to be cuddled. His appearance, too, is monstrous, being described as looking like a goblin or a troll.

Ben is a murderous and terrifying child who frightens his siblings away. He seems not to understand human kindness and civility. Quickly, the extended family is not so interested in visiting and the question becomes what to do about Ben.

The Fifth Child reminded me a good deal of We Need to Talk About Kevin, a 2003 novel by Lionel Shriver, told from the point of view of a mother of a teenage boy who committed a mass killing at his high school. It is an epistolary story, written from the mother, Eva, to her husband, considering how their son has gotten to this point. Eva explains how she never bonded with her son and suspected him of maliciousness starting when he was a baby. She details her resentment at the expectation that she should push her career aside to take care of Kevin. At times Eva blames herself for Kevin’s bad behavior, pointing to her inability to build affection between herself and her son. At other times, she notes how she tried to love and accept him and still he sought to stomp on the joy of others, committing malicious acts when he saw someone else showing passion about something, as when he doused a room with red ink, after Eva laboriously decorated it with souvenirs and memorabilia from her travels. She believes that the young child knew what the decorations meant to her and that he delighted in the pain he caused. She cannot be sure, but suspicions about what motivates his behavior linger.

Similarly, Harriet feels guilty for not being able to connect with Ben. She knows that something is wrong with him, but the medical professionals will not confirm it. She feels blamed for his inhuman qualities, and sometimes she is blamed for the nature of her son. She tries to love him and struggles between her duty to Ben who needs so much more attention and her typical children, who seem better able to cope with less attention.

A Google search proved that I was not the only one to make the connection between The Fifth Child and We Need to Talk About Kevin. In Lynda Woodroffe’s review of The Fifth Child in Contemporary Psychotherapy, Woodroffe highlights that as the finger points at Harriet, no one blames David. Eva has a similar realization—in the eyes of others, it is always the mother’s fault.

An important difference between Eva’s relationship with Kevin versus Harriet’s relationship with Ben is that Eva becomes obsessed trying to figure out if Kevin is acting cruelly, whereas Harriet does not assume cruelty, exactly, nor does she develop a cat and mouse game with Ben--her suspicions being that he is not quite human.

Other sources suggest that Ben represents the burdens of motherhood—the stress, anxiety, and physical and mental tolls of raising children. Under such maternal labor, Harriet becomes less available to her husband and less easy going in general. She is not the pleasant, happy person people want her to be. With how quickly she has her children, her body is as worn as her nerves. A truism of motherhood: it changes a woman’s body, mental state, and emotions.

In an interview featured on Web of Stories, Doris Lessing explains that the idea of Ben originated in a contemplation of changeling stories. Fairy tales tell of fairies swapping out their own babies for human babies, leaving the human parents with a child that is not theirs. Lessing pondered what would happen if someone did end up with a child who was not theirs. She also explained that she sees Ben more as a pre-homo sapiens, who, in our times is out of place, but would have fit in during his time period. He is not a monster, he is just in the wrong context.

Regardless of the author’s original intentions, Ben strikes a nerve with the reader. Because of his differences, he requires more care than the other children, and at the same time does not give affection or any other satisfaction to his mother. Perhaps this is another fear that plays out in The Fifth Child--that mothers will receive no reward, not affection or gratitude from their child, not even pride in their accomplishments, that instead, children will ghoulishly demand all and leave their mothers with nothing.

Would I teach this novel? Yes. It is short, strange, and haunting, while at the same time being ripe for multiple interpretations. In the parlance of my literature courses, it offers many literary puzzles for some potentially interesting essays.

View all my reviews

A Lovable Mary Sue: Book Review of Summer Island

 

Summer Island by Shelley Noble
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Thank you to William Morrow and GoodReads Giveaways for providing me with a review copy of Shelley Noble’s Summer Island, with the expectation of a fair and honest review.

Phoebe sees herself as happy: she has a handsome fiancé who owns the small town paper to which she has given over most of her adult life and she has her job at the paper. But when her fiancé gives the unexpected news that he is shutting down the paper, she loses both on the same day. Now Phoebe has no job, no place to live, and she learns that her father has left her mother for another woman.

With no other place to go, Phoebe and her mother, Ruth, head for the island where Ruth grew up and her mother, Alice, still lives. Once there, they find Alice and her sister Vera, the ever moving and ever energetic font of fun adventures.

Next door to Alice, Lars has sunken deep into grief over the loss of his wife. Out of concern, his sons have elected Ty, the only single one, to look after him and bring him out of his depression. Any assistance or comfort Ty offers is hampered by Lars's inability to see Ty for the successful engineer that he is, thinking, instead, that he is unemployed and indigent. When the two men become subsumed by the whirl of women next door, Ty is grateful and Lars grumpily acquiesces.

While other characters have a voice in the novel, Phoebe’s is decidedly the strongest. She is inquisitive and curious as well as being an accomplished journalist. More importantly, she uses her powers for good, seeking to amplify the voices of those doing good things for her community, like the veteran who converts cars into homes for other veterans. She is not in it for her own glory, but rather for where she can help shine a light.

As the pink cover clearly communicates, there is indeed romance in the novel, but the book is more about the characters living their truths.

Would I teach Summer Island? It is an enjoyable, light read. It has a strong female protagonist who is very likable. Perhaps too likable. Phoebe never really does anything wrong. Her inquisitiveness is not too-too and she is ever kind and thoughtful. Would that she were able to make a poor or selfish decision! Alas, she is too good. Due to the lack of crossover between who is good and who is bad I would probably not teach this novel.

View all my reviews

Pandemic Murder Mystery: Book Review of Cate Holahan's The Darkness of Others

 

The Darkness of Others by Cate Holahan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thank you to Grand Central Publishing and GoodReads for providing a review copy of Cate Holahan’s The Darkness of Others in exchange for a fair and honest review.

The Darkness of Others is a murder mystery told from multiple points-of-view, but the main view points come from three women: Melissa, whose husband has been shot dead and she is now being held captive by his murderer; Tonya, a single mother who finds herself homeless and jobless in the middle of the pandemic; and Imani, a therapist married to a restaurateur and who is best friends with the missing widow. Of the three women, Imani owns the story. She is the only one who can save her best friend and solve the mystery—the cops consider the mystery solved, believing Melissa murdered her husband and is now in hiding from the authorities. Only Imani knows better, believing her friend would never willingly abandon her daughter.

In addition to Imani dealing with the loss of her best friend’s husband and the worry for her best friend's safety, she learns that her husband has borrowed against their house in order to stay in business and then he offers an employee their guest room, as she and her daughter have been evicted from their apartment. Enter Tonya, having to uncomfortably live off of the kindness of strangers.

As the story unfolds and secrets are revealed, one betrayal leads to another and the connections between the women might be the only thing that saves them.

The early pandemic lends a backdrop of fear: a time when we knew masks and social distancing could help keep people safe, and so we created our small, social pods. Those with health problems or “underlying conditions” as we were taught to call them, had to look out for themselves. It was not clear who would follow the rules and who would not and mask etiquette was also in question. Strangers feared each other as possible carriers of the virus.

Added to that background of fear is the unsolved murder and the missing woman, plus the mistrust of police officers. Imani must care for her home, her children, and her job. She is the one who supports other stressed out mothers through telehealth. In this way, the book is a kind of recording of mothers’ struggles during pandemic.

In fact, the entire book can be seen as a study of women’s relationships and the vulnerability that surrounds them. The ways in which women fear and distrust each other and the ways in which women can boost each other up. Also, stinky men.

Would I teach The Darkness of Others? I can see a place for teaching this book as an examination of how to incorporate recent history into books or how to create a thematic conversation with a murder mystery plot. The book becomes a bit problematic in the denouement, after all has been revealed, in matching up the ending with the clues that have been dropped throughout. The imperfections in the wrapping up of the book are a good learning opportunity for writers.

View all my reviews

How to Hook 'Em: Book Review of Much Ado About Nothing

 

Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Before students read Much Ado About Nothing, they assume that they are not going to like it. William Shakespeare is boring, the plays are old, the Old English incomprehensible. It does not take them many pages into Much Ado About Nothing to change their minds. (For the record--Shakespearean or Elizabethan English is not Old English or even Middle English. It is Modern English. Though some of the vocabulary and language usage has changed, the sentence structure and majority of the words sound and look similar. With some good notes, such as those included in the Folger Shakespeare Library Editions, with a little practice the reader can parse out the dialogue and plot).

In point of fact, they need only read as far as Beatrice’s initial roasting of Benedick and his war prowess to realize that the play is going to be fun. Much Ado About Nothing is an excellent introduction to Shakespeare. With my limited ability to include Shakespeare in my curriculum, it is one of two plays I teach, the other being Hamlet, which I will discuss in a separate review of that play.

In Act I of Much Ado About Nothing, Hero and Claudio quickly get engaged. To entertain them until their wedding day, it is suggested that all take on the challenge of making a match between sworn enemies Beatrice and Benedick, both of whom are also sworn enemies of marriage. Amidst their meddling, the villain of the play plots to break Hero and Claudio apart. The threat could break them all.

Much Ado About Nothing is a comedy, and while it does have many comical moments, what defines a Shakespearean comedy is not its humor but other common characteristics, such as the general plot and especially the ending. No one dies and there is a happy ending—at least in terms of Shakespeare’s time. A comedy is a confirmation of life in the marriage(s) that result and the impending families that are begun. While there are no sequels, we can guess at the happily ever after.

As a comedy, Much Ado About Nothing has elements of trickery, deception, and mistaken identity. There are lots of instances of people overhearing and sometimes misunderstanding what they have heard, which brings more heartache than comedy.

Beatrice and Benedick, though more Beatrice, are the stars of the show. Beatrice, as aforementioned, begins with some sick burns. After making it abundantly clear that she does not like Benedick, a messenger, being captain obvious, observes, “I see, lady, the gentleman is not in your books.” Beatrice, ever at the ready, responds, “No. An he were, I would burn my study.” Perhaps not the worst option.

The play’s other couple, Claudio and Hero, have a much bumpier ride and students are usually unsatisfied with how that story rolls up at the end. Claudio, let us say, is a bit of a stink.

Would I teach this book? Yeah, and nearly every year. Every time is a pleasure, a marvel at the writing and at the difficulties of the women, even the ones near the top of the societal heap. Please PM me if you are interested in the close reading assessment I assign with this play.

View all my reviews

A Rookie Murder Mystery: Book Review of The Resemblance

 

The Resemblance by Lauren Nossett
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Thank you to Flatiron Books and GoodReads Giveaways, who provided me with an ARC of The Resemblance by Lauren Nossett, which I received in exchange for a fair and honest review.

As the only female detective on the police force in Athens, GA; Marlitt has been relegated to safe investigations. When she steps onto the crime scene of a hit-and-run on the University of Georgia campus, she is determined to make the case hers, and it is an intriguing case from the start.

Jay Kemp was a member of an exclusive fraternity at UGA--until he was run over by his own car with someone else at the wheel. And according to witnesses, that someone else looked very much like Jay—and he made no attempt to slow down, instead accelerating with a smile on his face.

As Marlitt investigates the crime, she becomes convinced that it was no accident, and somehow, Jay’s fraternity is involved. Her suspicions and her fervor to solve the case are fueled by a resentment towards fraternities she developed while she was in college.

Pursuing the case in unorthodox ways, Marlitt's actions quickly come to the attention of influential people, including the president of the college, whose son just happens to be a member of Jay’s fraternity. When Marlitt is warned that she must not investigate the fraternity, but focus only on the murder, she goes even deeper into her determination and her resolve to find the killer at any cost.

Marlitt is an interesting case study of an only child. We meet her just before the accident, in her mother’s office on the UGA campus, where she spent a good amount of her childhood watching her mother speak with students and colleagues, often feeling lonely as the only kid in the room. She felt isolated from her peers and her father’s extreme anxiety about Marlitt’s safety isolated her further. Longing for a sibling, Marlitt has found companionship and a sense of family in her partner on the force, Teddy, who comes from a loving family. To her, Teddy is the brother she never had, and they spend time together outside of work, with Teddy’s girlfriend as part of the crew.

Although Marlitt lives in the same town with her parents, she rarely visits them and feels the burden of their worries for her. When Marlitt is forced to go home, her discomfort levels are palpable.

Would I teach this book? Female cops as narrators offer a lot of opportunities for plot and insight. The Greek system can be intriguing because it is so secretive. And, of course, a look alike murderer and victim? Yes, please. Nossett has a good imagination. However, it feels like there is some polishing that could be done with the plot.

First, Marlitt has to recuperate (I won’t reveal from what) and she is “better” way too quickly. When she decides to make some moves without the blessing of her boss, she seems to have no concern that what she is doing might actually harm the case rather than help it. The sequence of the events gets a little fuzzy at times, too.

This is Nossett’s first novel, and it is a good first round. The Resemblance is a fun and intriguing read.

View all my reviews

Teach This Book: Review of The Adventures of Rabbi Harvey by Steve Sheinkin

 

The Adventures of Rabbi Harvey: A Graphic Novel of Jewish Wisdom and Wit in the Wild West by Steve Sheinkin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I chose The Adventures of Rabbi Harvey for summer reading this year (2022). Students read the graphic novel and wrote their own comics on the topic of “advice.”

Steve Sheinkin’s The Adventures of Rabbi Harvey has been on my short list for summer reading for awhile, and one of my seniors requested it. It is a good choice not just because it is light and funny but also because it gives students a glance at a different culture and religion.

Sheinkin retells Jewish folktales in the setting of America’s old West. Rabbi Harvey is the clever protagonist, outwitting everyone and helping to support his community. Part sheriff and part congregational rabbi, he helps solve disputes and teaches people lessons.

In my students' favorite story, "Rabbi Harvey: Bearded Chicken," which is based on “The Turkey Prince,” Rabbi Harvey takes on a boy convinced he is a chicken. It becomes his job to bring the boy back from sitting naked under the table, clucking and pecking at crumbs—which the rabbi does by stripping down and joining him under the table. Hilarity ensues. By far, it was students’ favorite story.

One student was irritated by the silliness of the stories. The book is clearly aimed at younger children, but there is plenty for more sophisticated readers to dig into. For example, considering the overlap of the Jewish culture with the culture of the old West. Or how these tales fit in with other folktales or how logic is used (or misused) in the stories.

Would I teach this book? Well, yes, because I did, and I am glad I did. Students appreciated the book for many of the same reasons I did—the humor, yes, but also the depiction of a community that unites around a rabbi and looks to get along and maintain cohesion. They might, on occasion, try to cheat each other, but the threat of being on the outs is enough to make people back down or repent.

By the way—this year’s comics are incredible. Good work, students.


View all my reviews

A Parent's Worst Nightmare: Book Review of Stephen King's Doctor Sleep

Doctor Sleep by Stephen King
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thank you, again, to my parents, who bought me Stephen King’s Doctor Sleep to read while my family was in Covid isolation. It offered a good respite, and I appreciate it.

Most Americans know of The Shining, at least the Stanley Kubrick movie, even if they don’t know it was a book first. The famous scene of Jack Nicholson sticking his head through the door he just broke through with an ax and saying, “Here’s Johnny!” is enough to give any kid nightmares. The sequel, Doctor Sleep, is enough to give any parent nightmares.

Dan Torrence, no longer Danny, cannot stay in one place because he cannot hold a job. Between his alcoholism and his temper, Dan finds himself causing trouble in many different places, until he finally lands in Frazier, New Hampshire. There, he gets sober through Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), gets a job at a hospice facility, and sets roots. As those roots deepen, Dan begins to hear from Abra, a young girl who, like him, has the shining, or the ability to tap into other people’s minds, make contact with the dead, and have premonitions.

Abra’s powers go far beyond Dan’s, a scary amount, and her abilities bring her into opposition with the True Knot, a band of immortals who murder children who have the shining and feed off their essence. When Abra realizes the danger she is in, she reaches out to the only person she knows who might understand and believe her--Dan.

Doctor Sleep is slow, taking time to bring the reader through Dan’s alcoholism to sobriety, to show the beginning of Abra’s life through to her adolescence, and to introduce some of the members of the True Knot and their lives. King takes care to bring the audience into Dan’s life, learning his struggles with drinking and anger, how he tries to use his powers for good and prevent himself from being driven mad by them.

In Stephen King’s “Author’s Note” after the final chapter, he discusses how part of the idea for the sequel came about when he thought about how things might have turned out differently for Jack, the father in The Shining, if he had joined Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). AA plays powerfully through Dan’s life, not only changing his behavior and relationship to his shining, but also the friendships that will save him. King also uses AA sayings to punctuate the books of the novel. It reminded me of his candid discussion on his own alcohol and drug abuse which he discusses in On Writing, which is both a reflection on writing and a memoir. (I highly recommend reading it, especially for writers).

Would I teach this book? I can see teaching this book in a few different cases, for example in a class on monsters or writing sequels. It is definitely entertaining, and it creates real characters that hit the heart of the reader. There is plot, there is conflict, there is real danger. There is the supernatural, as King almost always does.

View all my reviews

The Bad Guys, the Good Guys, and the Trained Mouse: Book Review of The Green Mile by Stephen King

 

The Green Mile by Stephen King
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A special thank you to my kind and thoughtful parents, who asked me what I wanted when my family was in Covid isolation and they complied with my request by buying me Stephen King’s The Green Mile. It was a pleasant and appreciated escape.

Block E belongs to Paul Edgecombe, partly because no one else wants it--it is death row, after all--and partly because he is a compassionate leader of the inmates. He has a good crew who he can trust and who follow the lead he models--except for Percy. Percy is the kind of guy who enjoys making himself feel bigger by making other people feel smaller, and he is happy to inflict himself on the condemned murderers.

Percy might have been of little consequence if other forces had not converged, among them the presence of John Coffey, a man convicted of heinous murders, and William “Wild Bill” Wharton, who considers himself a legendary outlaw. The more that Paul gets to know John, the less he believes that he could have been guilty of such a disgusting crime--and the more he gets to know Billy, the more he fears that even behind bars, he is a menace.

Most of the prisoners are decent human beings on the daily, and Paul treats them with respect both because he wants to keep them from causing trouble and also because he believes that all human beings should be treated respectfully or at least not abusively. Percy thinks differently, which riles Paul, but there is little he can do about it, because Percy is well-connected and not above threatening Paul and the rest with losing their jobs if they mess with him. Set in 1932, the Great Depression looms over the book and adds tension, as no one can afford to lose their jobs. It also explains why the electric chair is still being used, a practice that is now largely considered inhumane. The chair itself is like another malevolent character, lurking in the background: the murderer with the most kills.

When Paul and his crew decide that they must right an egregious wrong that Percy committed and they could not stop, they have to decide how far they are willing to go, what laws they are willing to break, and what they can do to try and get away with it.

The plot of the novel is interrupted by repetitious summaries at the beginning of each book, due to the fact that the book was first published serially, in chapbooks, and so the summaries helped both those who jumped in in the middle and those who went longer periods of time between reading each book. It was a little annoying and reminded me of that chapter in The Baby-Sitters Club books which only existed to explain the history of the club and how the business worked. After the hundredth book or so, it was a bit much.

Still, The Green Mile, named for the green floor that leads up to the electric chair, is an enchanting tale, told retrospectively by an elderly Paul. There is a trained mouse, a great supernatural healing force, and decent folk working against bad guys.

Would I teach this book? One of the elements that an instructor must consider before assigning a text is length. While I could assign any length I like, the longer the book, the less likely that students will read it cover to cover, and this is true from grade school all the way through graduate school. Length also tends to require more class time for discussion and analysis. So, if I am going to teach a longer book, I am going to choose one that is perfect for what I want to teach. I truly enjoyed The Green Mile, but I cannot think of an instance for which it would be perfect to teach. This is not a horror story, though the death penalty is terrifying, and nor is it quite magical realism, though King does his typical shifts with reality. Genre can be important in choosing a text, especially when a book defies the typical pitfalls of a genre. However, that is not The Green Mile. Would I recommend that someone read it? Yes. But would I teach it? I think not.

View all my reviews

Start Making Changes Towards a More Diverse, Equitable, and Inclusive Work Place: Book Review of Inclusion Revolution

 

Inclusion Revolution: The Essential Guide to Dismantling Racial Inequity in the Workplace by Daisy Auger-Dominguez
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thank you to Basic Books and GoodReads Giveaways for the review copy of Inclusion Revolution: The Essential Guide to Dismantling Racial Inequity in the Workplace by Daisy Auger-Domínguez, which I received in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Inclusion Revolution is meant for businesses, aimed at management-level professionals who wish to make a difference in the long-lasting diversity of their workplace. As Auger-Domínguez argues, hiring a more diverse set of employees is not the final answer, as BIPOC (a currently used acronym which stands for “Black, Indigenous, and People of Color”) often feel alienated at work, do not receive the mentoring and coaching that they need, and are judged more harshly during performance reviews. All of these elements and more contribute to difficulties being promoted and lack of retention. It is not enough to change hiring practices if you are not serving your employees, because they will not have a voice in the company and they will not stay. Inclusion Revolution offers practical advice on how to begin the conversation about race and racial inequity, how to help employees be more open and honest, and how to begin to make changes that will make work a more inclusive place.

While Inclusion Revolution is written for managers and people who have power within a company, I found that the information was helpful for me to know, and that I could apply many of the suggestions to my own classroom. After all, being a teacher is a form of managing people. For example, Auger-Domínguez takes time to establish the importance of being honest and open with employees about criticism. It is not easy to deliver criticism, as we are often afraid of the other person’s response, of coming off as a jerk, or hurting their feelings. However, Auger-Domínguez argues that not telling someone is more harmful than it is kind. If a person is doing something that is damaging to their career, then they ought to know. I find that being straightforward with my students about their flaws can be difficult. A large part of my job is encouraging and motivating my students to do their work. I do not want to tell them when they are doing something that they should know better than to do. The problem is that often people do not know better, students included, or they are not self-aware enough to know that something is a problem. Giving someone this input can help them to make changes. Of course, the way that the criticism is addressed to the person is especially important, and I would approach a fifteen-year-old significantly differently than I would approach a thirty-year-old, but we all need feedback.

Often when I read popular non-fiction that is business related, I find myself thinking, Yes, that is a great idea, I would love to do that--but how? Auger-Domínguez does a lot of work to explain how to go about the process, gives examples of companies who have gone before, and provides researched evidence to back up her recommendations.

Another trap that I see business and self-help books fall into is pointing out the obvious, but helping us to consider it in a new way. In and of itself, this is not a trap. It is important to look at things differently, as this will help us look at the situation and what we can do about it differently. The trap occurs when the majority of the book is rethinking the obvious and not teaching anything new. Again, Auger-Domínguez does not do this, either. Her suggestions for setting up and changing systems are not “no duh” solutions.

Which brings us to, “Would I teach this book?” The answer is: parts of it. As an ELA (English Language Arts) instructor, I am not teaching business. I do teach some non-fiction, especially when I am teaching argumentation and research in composition classes, but I look for non-fiction that is not too far outside of my students’ experiences. Thinking about management is a bit past their imaginations. Even teaching in a traditional role in an actual college with college-aged students, it would be difficult for them to relate, especially since many have not held jobs, and those who have have not been in positions of power.

However, there are instances when it would make sense to teach excerpts from the book. As discussed earlier, there were several parts that could be easily transferred to teaching. If I were teaching an education class, I can see using those for teacher training or if I were presenting professional development to current instructors. In a class that I currently teach, Multicultural Literature, we discuss different life experiences from world and American cultures, and again, excerpts would be helpful in presenting how people can feel in the workplace. I can also envision a class on writing non-fiction in which portions of this book would be helpful to study, in part because of how they instruct and provide solutions.

I found Inclusion Revolution helpful and the prose style enjoyable to read. Auger-Domínguez is good at teaching without preaching and providing data and resources. I strongly recommend reading it, even for those who are not managers.

View all my reviews

Family Mythology: Book Review of Monica Ali's Love Marriage

 

Love Marriage by Monica Ali
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thank you to Scribner and GoodReads Giveaways for the review copy of Monica Ali’s Love Marriage.

In Love Marriage, Yasmin, a young, British-Muslim doctor whose parents emigrated from India, is in the middle of her residency in a geriatric unit. If that's not enough, Yasmin is also engaged, living at home with her strict parents and her adult, out of work brother. Her fiancé, Joe, another young doctor, also lives with his mother. At the beginning of the book, Yasmine thinks that she understands her family and her fiancé, she even believes that she understands herself.

As Yasmin sees things, her mother spends her time caring for her family and her elderly neighbors, cooking, helping run errands, and accumulating other’s cast-off possessions from rummage sales. Her father is an austere doctor who challenges her with case studies to identify diagnoses. Her brother cannot seem to find a job and stays in his room when he is not staying with his girlfriend or wasting time on his hobby of making documentaries. Her fiancé is close to perfect, and his mother, Harriet, was a pioneering feminist and is still well-regarded. She wants to do right by her patients and everyone else. When the dinner where her parents will meet Harriet arrives, Yasmin is terrified that her parents will embarrass her in front of moneyed and sophisticated Harriet. She thinks that this is her biggest problem. 

She plans her life around her impending marriage as though moving out of the house will solve all her problems. But as Yasmin believes that she has everyone pinned down, one after another, those close to her, especially her family, fail to maintain her narrow understanding of them.

While Yasmin is clearly the center of the story, Harriet and Joe’s therapist also have chapters attached to them. Through Harriet, we see another view of Yasmin and her fiancé and another female experience. To Yasmin, Harriet's openness about her personal life is the antithesis of her own family.

Through her Joe’s therapist, we learn that he has a secret that he is afraid to tell Yasmin but which could have a large impact on their marriage. The therapist sees the fiancé as a textbook case, waiting and leading him to a psychological epiphany.

The book is very clear to point out Yasmin’s youth and naivete, and it seems, at times, to be too obvious. By the end of the novel I did not like her nearly as much as I liked her at the beginning. She is self-absorbed and unable to see how complicated and nuanced everyone else’s life is. Another character tells her that she has a “mean streak” and I cannot help but agree.

Would I teach Love Marriage? I can see teaching this novel as part of a contemporary literature class or perhaps reading it as part of a novel writing class. The plot is rather slow, as is true with many literary novels, but as Yasmin also learns, the characters have great depth. The discussions of family, sexual politics, Islamophobia, class, and work-life balance could spark some interesting discussions. However, I am not sure how much I would enjoy reading the book again. Although the characters are richly drawn, I do not really want to spend more time with them.

View all my reviews

The Great Gatsby Gets a Reboot: Book Review of The Midcoast by Adam White

 

The Midcoast by Adam White
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thank you to Random House Book Club and GoodReads Giveaways for the review copy of Adam White’s The Midcoast in exchange for a fair and honest review.

In The Midcoast, Adam White tells the story of a lobsterman and his wife’s economic and social rise in a small, Maine town. The narrator is a writer who has been stymied and has found his life engulfed by his family and teaching and coaching in a high school. Investigating the lives of Ed and Steph Thatch reignites his curiosity and inquiry.

Andrew and his young family move back to the town where he grew up and discover that the young man whose father owned the Thatch Lobster Pound and with whom he used to clean out bait sheds now is an up and coming local leader. His wife is the unofficial mayor, dedicated to preserving and updating the town. While Andrew grew up as the son of an orthopedic surgeon and attended an elite high school then college, he has slid a few rungs down the economic and social ladder in his current role as a teacher.

The book is framed by the lavish party thrown by the Thatches in honor of their daughter’s lacrosse team, which is interrupted by police presence. The rest of the book is an investigation into why the police were there and how Ed and Steph had risen against all odds.

In many ways The Midcoast is similar to The Great Gatsby. Like Nick Carraway, Andrew is our first-person narrator, though detached from much of the action, and he narrates situations from what others have told him, recreating scenes and events filled out from his own imagination. Like Gatsby, Ed has risen from nothing to a high roller, giving lavish parties and seeking to appease the woman he loves. The opulent wealth of the Thatches and their public displays mimic Gatsby’s. As in The Great Gatsby, The Midcoast questions the American Dream. Even Andrew’s simultaneous admiration and revulsion of Ed is similar to Nick's feelings for Gatsby.

Further, like Nick’s inability to see himself clearly, Andrew’s personal life hovers on the periphery of the novel, though there are suggestions that his wife is not entirely happy in their marriage and he is not so fulfilled in his job or family life. Suggestions, but no acknowledgement. In Ed and Steph, Andrew sees a dedication and romance absent from his own marriage.

Would I teach this book? I can see myself teaching this book either in a class about the American Dream in conjunction with The Great Gatsby or possibly in a first novels class, as this is White’s first novel. It is quite slow to start, and I found myself feeling a bit restless in the early chapters that describe Andrew’s youth and the beginning of Steph and Ed’s origin story. I started to wonder when it was going to get juicy. I also would have appreciated a bit more self-analysis--part of what makes The Great Gatsby a great novel is Nick and Nick’s unreliable moments, made clear by the glimpses we get from his own romantic life, including him declaring himself to be honest at the beginning of the book and by the end of the book loudly claiming that he had never thought himself to be honest. Andrew does not have the same kind of fascination for me as a reader, though the jealousy and fascination Andrew has for the Thatches could have been leveraged better to create another more personal narrative thread.

View all my reviews

Stephen King Gets Sweet: Book Review of Gwendy's Final Task

 

Gwendy's Final Task by Stephen King
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Thank you to Fort Vancouver Regional Library for making Gwendy’s Final Task free to read and convenient to borrow by bringing the bookmobile to my school every Friday.

Stephen King and Richard Chizmar’s book, Gwendy’s Final Task, is a sweet story about a politician trying to save the world. In order for Gwendy to preserve the fate of the entire earth, she must take the button box into space. As it turns out, her entire life has been leading up to the moment in which she must save humanity from the button box.

The book jacket tells me that there were previous books about Gwendy and the button box, but I have not yet read them. What I gather from this book is that the button box is a small, magical box that can release chocolate or coins but that the recipient always pays a price. While Gwendy first encountered the box as a child, it has become a bigger and bigger threat over time. Hence, why the box has been returned to her to be disposed of. And yes, Gwendy is headed for outer space.

A sweet story by Stephen King? For those who have read a few King books, this is not out of this world. Although King’s reputation is as a horror writer, he also tends to show heart in most of his books and a tendency to root for good and condemn evil. In King’s novels, there is a definitive line between good and evil, and evil is the ultimate loser. However, in the battle, good people tend to be victims of evil. In rooting for ultimate good and showing strong, well-intentioned characters like Gwendy, Gwendy’s Final Task is not unlike King’s other books. I am not familiar with Chizmar’s work and so I cannot offer a comparison.

Would I teach Gwendy’s Final Task? The book is entertaining, but the plot is a lot simpler than other of King’s novels. In imagining a context in which I might teach this book, such as a literature class on modern horror or a creative writing class on genre writing, there are other King books that would make better examples of the genre. Gwendy, while a fun character to cheer on, is not the most complex. Overall, it is a story that has good writing and technique but it is not amazing. When I choose texts to teach, I look for epic fails and epic wins, and Gwendy’s Final Task is neither of these.

While I did enjoy reading Gwendy’s Final Task, I do not think I would teach it.

View all my reviews

Funny Is as Funny Does: Book Review of Life Will Be the Death of Me:...and You Too! by Chelsea Handler

 

Life Will Be the Death of Me: . . . and You Too! by Chelsea Handler
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Chelsea Handler is hilarious, and I could hear her sardonic voice as I read Life Will the Death of Me:...and You Too! In this memoir, Handler tells how the trauma of the Trump election lead her to therapy, which brought her to confront the trauma of her childhood: when she was nine and her oldest brother was twenty-two, he died in a hiking accident. Her family struggled under heavy grief, and as she describes it, they never quite came together again.

Handler discusses more than just her brother dying—there’s also drugs, her climb to the top, privilege, her dogs, and of course, drugs. A significant amount of time is spent discussing marijuana, as Handler recounts using pot as a sedative as well as trying a slew of varieties so she could settle on one for her designer line (California made recreational marijuana use legal in 2016).

Her dogs, supposedly Chow mixes (although this doesn’t hold under DNA testing) are her closest companions and the closest thing she has to caring for another individual.

While her book takes some side trips, Life Will Be the Death of Me:...and YouToo! does create an overarching narrative based on Handler’s journey through the coping strategies she developed in order to deal with her brother’s death and how they manifested in her adult life. Reading the book, I could not help but wonder how the pandemic impacted Handler’s ongoing pursuit of self-understanding and improvement. Did her forays into being more self-sufficient serve her well? Was she able to continue growing her empathy? Were her dogs able to abide the additional attention?

Would I teach this book? While I did find it quite funny and I was mostly satisfied with the narrative, there are so many amazingly written memoirs out there, many of them equally as funny.

More problematic from my standpoint as a reader was that it seemed that Handler had made all her revelations before writing the book, which made the writing feel as though it were a recounting or reporting and not a further probing or exploration of her discoveries. As Robert Frost said, “No surprise for the writer, no surprise for the reader.” While I would not teach the whole book, if I were teaching a memoir or creative nonfiction class to college students, I would consider teaching a chapter from the beginning and a chapter from the end as a demonstration of how a memoirist can discuss changes made to their behaviors and self-conception.

And—while I love dogs, there is something that feels a little too self-indulgent in spending so much time discussing your pets without fully considering how it applies to old behaviors and beliefs.

Still, Life Will Be the Death of Me:...and You Too! Is entertaining, in part because it has emotional  substance.

View all my reviews

The Plague, Retold as a Love Story

 

Piper by Jay Asher
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Piper, written by Jay Asher and Jessica Freeburg and illustrated by Jeff Stokely, is a retelling of “The Pied Piper of Hamelin.” In this retelling, the protagonist is a young woman, Magdalena, who is unable to hear, but she can read lips and speak. She is treated abominably by the community: children throw rocks at her and a drunk man assaults her on the street. Her only friend is her caretaker, Agathe, with whom she jokes, works together to keep themselves from starving, and to whom she dictates stories. Her tales begin with actual events and then twist to amusement and just punishment for the characters involved, for example the drunken husband who dies outside of his own home, frozen to a stump by his own urine.

From the beginning of Piper, Maggie is longing for romantic love, and she imagines a kiss from a companion who can appreciate and love her and will not treat her like poo for being deaf. She thinks that the stranger who wanders in with his pipe and offers to get rid of the town’s infestation of rats might be that guy.

While Maggie grows fond of the stranger, he composes the song that will lure the rats, or as he describes it to her, he “learns” their song. But luring rats is not the only thing his pipe can do--he can lure any animal, including people.

Maggie and the stranger seem drawn together in part because both are outcasts. The stranger wanders from town to town, eliminating rats, but he is seldom welcome. Maggie was first marginalized because her mother was a fallen woman, and after a failed attempt to drown her, Maggie lost her hearing. For the reader, how Maggie and the stranger deal with their marginalization is telling--while Maggie writes stories as a kind of catharsis and justice, the stranger creates a more malevolent kind of justice.

Would I teach Piper? I do teach a unit on folk tales, and “The Pied Piper of Hamelin” would qualify, as it is categorized as a legend and does not originate from the United States, which is the other requirement for a text in this unit. We do look at modern retellings and compare them with older versions of tales. However, Piper does not have the same bite as many retellings or the fantastical white washing of Disney. Where Anne Sexton’s “Cinderella” gives a critique of fairy tales and marriage in general and our desperate belief that marriage be a perfect fairy tale, Piper acts as more of a warning for outcast young women who think that they can trust another outcast. Or a more general reminder that most people are stinky. Furthermore, Maggie is just too good. There is not a single unlikeable thing about her, including her forgiving and generous heart.

I was not overly impressed with Piper and most likely would not teach it because I did not feel enough surprise in reading the book. The best part was the introduction, which gives a fascinating history of the “The Pied Piper of Hameln” including quotes from primary sources that mention the incidents in the story. The consideration of how real life becomes legend started my imagination going, but what followed did not capture the same energy, including the love story.

View all my reviews

You Just Have to Want It Bad Enough (and Other Myths)

Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Outliers: The Story of Success is Malcolm Gladwell’s challenge to our understanding of the formula for the American Dream: hard work, talent, and a little luck allows for people to rise to economic and career success. According to Gladwell, this is an oversimplification that ignores the opportunities and privileges which enable those who achieve the American Dream. Gladwell uses the term “outliers” for those who rise far above the pack, likening them to snow during a French summer. We do not question the hot weather, as it is normal, but the snow is so outside of our experience that we question and want to know what caused it. So with Outliers, we question the people who are so successful as to be outliers, outside of normal experience, to determine how they were able to defy the typical results of putting in huge amounts of labor. Gladwell does not ignore the incredible feats of successful people--they spend inordinate amounts of time and energy--but Gladwell points out that there are many other people who spend incredible amounts of time and energy and are not wildly, off-the-charts successful.

As Gladwell digs deeper into what creates outliers, he identifies several common factors, most of which are outside of our locus of control, such as birth dates, which he argues have incredible significance in many realms. He also discusses location, location, location in that it impacts your behaviors and ways of thinking (and is also fun to say: location, location, location).

While Gladwell makes a good argument for the impact of “cultural inheritance,” or the ways of being and thinking that we learn from our environments and are replicated from generation to generation, I did not feel entirely comfortable with the discussion. While he focuses on how cultural inheritance can be a benefit, it easily creates an opening to berate and criticize cultural inheritance that is less functional, and therefore an opening for all kinds of prejudice and generalizations. And, indeed, the book shows how some cultural inheritance is an impediment, while prizing American behavior that could be argued to be less than appropriate. On the other hand, understanding cultural legacies can help make positive changes to behaviors and customs as well as further understanding the concept of privilege, or the advantages that were not achieved but given.

Gladwell is a great storyteller—I often taught his “What the Dog Saw,” a profile of Cesar Millan, republished from The New Yorker in Best American Essays 2007 to teach about how to turn information into a narrative. Outliers is the first book I have read by Gladwell, and I see that the ability to place people on the page transfers in his longer work. The story of Chris Langan, in particular, stands out because it is a life of missed opportunity, in part because educational institutions failed him. As an educator, it reminds me that part of our jobs is bringing out the best in our students and helping them to solve problems instead of penalizing them.

We bring our own experiences to our reading, and as a mother, the book made me think about the habits I wish to teach and cultivate in my children, both of whom are already forces to be reckoned with, especially my daughter. Outliers made me reconsider my instinct to make them “be good listeners” and to appreciate the need to push back and question--though it is exhausting at bedtime, when my daughter is crying that I am “ruining her dreams.” I once asked her what those dreams were. I had interrupted her drawing a picture, and I was expecting to hear about how she wants to be an artist and draw all the time--but her answer was, “To get to do whatever I want.” To which I replied, “Keep dreaming, kid.”

In any case, I found Outliers both thought provoking and entertaining. It is a good thing to have contentions with an author and continue the conversation in my head.

View all my reviews

The Funny Business

 

Bossypants by Tina Fey
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Tina Fey’s Bossypants is quite funny, though I would expect no less of Tina Fey. I loved her on SNL, particularly on Weekend Update with Amy Poehler, I loved her in 30 Rock, and I loved her in Mean Girls and Sisters. In short: Tina Fey is hilarious on screen.

Is she just as funny on the page?

The book is written in essay-like chapters which roughly follow a chronological order of her life from childhood to motherhood. There is not an overall plot or story and if there were an overarching message for the book, it would probably be that the public’s understanding of Fay is much more glamorous than she is in real life. That, and there is a double-standard for women. So, she tells a lot of truths.

The structure of the essays does not feel as formal as a typical memoir or as deliberate as David Sedaris’s essays, but more like musings, something along the lines of a standup routine. The episodic telling is musing and it feels off hand, like a journal or conversation with an incredibly witty friend. The book contains several photos, though not in a glossy center section like some memoirs, but throughout the book on normal pages between blocks of text--at least in the paperback edition. The photos appear as evidence to prove her points, very much like a meme or, I am just going to leave this here. While I prefer non-fiction that conveys a tighter story, for Fey, I will make an exception.

In addition to the humor, what makes Fey’s book highly likable is the way she has of letting the reader in on secrets of the entertainment world, or really, the mechanics of how TV is magically made. Which means it is not magic but many pretty normal people working very hard. There is something terribly fascinating about demystifying a profession by showing the art and work of it. Show business, yes, because we admire (worship) our celebrities, but it is not just that. Most jobs can be immensely gratifying, depending on how you portray them. (Note to self: even teaching!)

Fey begins with her childhood and briefly mentions her much spoken of scar, but the book becomes introspective when she begins to tell of being involved in youth theater during high school and being taken underwing by fellow theater people, in particular gay boys and lesbian women. As she tells the story of her friendships and her burgeoning theater interests, she works toward a conversation about how she was guilty of prejudice herself, not in our usual view of homophobia, but in her using of the boys, in particular, as objects of her entertainment while not appreciating the full meaning of being gay--boys wanting to be romantic with other boys.

The fact that the book is better when Fey is being funny and exploring actual ideas reminds me of a true fact about comedy: the best comedy is not just funny but also discusses an important, complicated, and controversial tenet of society.

The funniest part of the book, the most Lizzing inducing, is a section in which Fey addresses internet trolls. I did not Google the specific postings to see if they actually existed, though they sound close enough to the stupid things people say that I would not doubt it. Fey takes a moment to respond to the comments, most of which are roasts of her appearance, with her own even funnier mockings of her appearance. This is the part of the book in which I laughed out loud. No, seriously, my kids were sleeping and I had to take deep calming breaths so I would not wake them up.

While Fey makes a point of saying the celebrities do not get to respond to the media or comments about them, in general, the book does respond to some of what has been said and written about her, in particular an inside recounting and explanation of her stint portraying Sarah Palin. If you did not know who Tina Fey was before Palin ran as Vice President on the Republican ticket, you sure did then. I do not want to spoil some of the best storytelling in the book, but as someone who still sometimes says, “I can see Russia from my house,” I appreciated the illuminating first-hand account Fey gives.

I am glad I read Bossypants. Reading the first couple of chapters, I was not sure that I would be, but even then, it was hard to put down. Very good for an entertaining read. And yes, she is just as funny on the page.

View all my reviews