Book Review: Imaginary Friend by Stephen Chbosky

 

Goodreads Summary: Christopher is seven years old. Christopher is the new kid in town. Christopher has an imaginary friend. The epic work of literary horror from the #1 bestselling author of The Perks of Being a Wallflower.

We can swallow our fear or let our fear swallow us. Single mother Kate Reese is on the run. Determined to improve life for her and her son, she flees an abusive relationship in the middle of the night with Christopher at her side. Together, they find themselves drawn to the tight-knit community of Mill Grove, Pennsylvania. It's as far off the beaten track as they can get. Just one highway in, one highway out.

At first, it seems like the perfect place to finally settle down. Then Christopher vanishes. For six awful days, no one can find him. Until Christopher emerges from the woods at the edge of town, unharmed but not unchanged. He returns with a voice in his head only he can hear, with a mission only he can complete: Build a tree house in the woods by Christmas, or his mother and everyone in the town will never be the same again.

Soon Kate and Christopher find themselves in the fight of their lives, caught in the middle of a war playing out between good and evil, with their small town as the battleground.

Goodreads Ratings: 3.54 stars with over 44,000 ratings

Genre Listing: Horror, Fiction, Thriller, Mystery, Fantasy, Adult Fiction, Paranormal

Goodreads Challenge: 15/30

2023 Reading Challenge: #37 Read a book over 600 pages (find the entire challenge here)

Book Review:

Hello, Readers! I'm going to just jump right into it with this review. No life changes since my last review two days ago, except that I probably had some snacks and a nap like the giant toddler I am. Sometime last year, I saw the book Imaginary Friend by Stephen Chbosky being discussed in the various book groups I follow, and I decided to pick it up when it was on sale. I like horror; I just don't read nearly enough of it. This seemed like it might have the potential to be somewhat scary. Unfortunately, I don't get scared that easily when it comes to reading.

This review is going to need a disclaimer. If you have any triggers while reading, I do not recommend reading this book. The list of trigger warnings is way too long to list. If you have specific ones you are concerned about, by all means, comment or reach out to the other contact options on the blog. I'm more than happy to assist. 

Going into this book, I did not know it was 700 pages long. I probably wouldn't have read it if I had known that. I have to mentally prepare myself to read anything over 500 pages. The story was interesting enough to make me want to find out what happened, but through most of it, I was just ready to be done with it. It became very close to being a 'Did not finish' for me. The only reason it wasn't is that I was already around 400 pages in when thinking about it. 

I try to be constructive in my reviews when I don't care for a book. I know that authors work hard on their stories, and I don't want it to appear like I am attacking them. That is one hundred percent, not my intent. I also try not to spoil a book, but I can't make any guarantees about that with this book.

We'll start with the good: I thought it was a unique concept, and Christopher and his mother were likable characters. I also liked how descriptive it was with the setting and scenery.

What almost made this a DNF for me was that it drug on for what felt like forever. I was curious to see what would happen but was bored waiting to get there. The descriptions were somewhat creepy, but I never felt scared or creeped out while reading. Reading a few more chapters and finishing the book almost became a chore. 

In addition to the story dragging on and on, the book switched gears from this creepy thriller to a super preachy religious tale about halfway through. It felt really out of place and led to some big philosophical epiphany that was trying too hard to be clever. I will fully admit to being a religionless heathen. I don't mind reading about it; however, I actually find the history of religions interesting. However, had I known I was getting a half-baked sermon on acid, I probably wouldn't have picked the book up. 

For me, this is a one-star. I'm sure others may love it and think it's great. If this sounds like your thing, by all means, read it. It has a lot of positive reviews on Goodreads. This is just not for me, and I genuinely feel like I wasted almost a month having it open on my kindle. 

The Red Tent by Anita Diamant

 

Goodreads Summary: Her name is Dinah. In the Bible, her life is only hinted at in a brief and violent detour within the more familiar chapters of the Book of Genesis that are about her father, Jacob, and his dozen sons. Told in Dinah's voice, this novel reveals the traditions and turmoils of ancient womanhood—the world of the red tent. It begins with the story of her mothers—Leah, Rachel, Zilpah, and Bilhah—the four wives of Jacob. They love Dinah and give her gifts that sustain her through a hard-working youth, a calling to midwifery, and a new home in a foreign land. Dinah's story reaches out from a remarkable period of early history and creates an intimate connection with the past. Deeply affecting, The Red Tent combines rich storytelling with a valuable achievement in modern fiction: a new view of biblical women's society.

Goodreads Rating: 4.18 stars with over 530,000 ratings

Genre Listing: Historical Fiction, Religion, Book Club, Feminism, Adult Fiction, Women's Fiction

Goodreads Challenge: 19/50

2021 Reading Challenge: #4 Read a Standalone novel (not in a series) (Find the entire challenge here)

Book Review: 

Happy Sunday, Readers! It is a long weekend here and a much-needed one at that. The Red Tent is actually a reread for me. I originally read it back in 2011, long before this blog was even an idea, but it had been on my mind a lot recently. It worked out because it ended up being on sale about the same time. So I picked it up and dived into my reread. It had been so long since I read it that I really didn't remember much. I essentially just remembered the bare bones of the story, and that boiled down to Dinah was the only daughter of Jacob and sister of Joseph. The family was in the bible, and there was a red tent where all the women stayed. I also remembered that I really enjoyed it. I quickly realized that I remembered very little of the story.

The story starts with Dinah explaining why someone likely doesn't know her story. I like it because the way it reads is like you're sitting down with a historical person over coffee as they explain their life and what made them who they were from their perspective. After Dinah introduces who she is, she tells the story of her four mothers and how they all became the wives of Jacob. At the core of the story isn't just what happened to Dinah, but a story of lessons passed on from mothers to daughters.

I'm a massive fan of historical fiction, it's one of my favorite genres to read, but I typically don't read anything related to this era. So even though this was a reread for me, it was interesting to learn about the culture and day-to-day activities of keeping a camp going. I thought that the family dynamic of Jacob's camp was interesting because it is so different than what's considered more the norm today. 

The vast majority of Dinah's teenage to adult life was so sad and filled with so much violence and loneliness, it's a wonder that she was able to find happiness in Anita Diamant's telling of her story. I was thrilled to see that the story came to a complete end and had a happy ending for someone who had a long and challenging life. I was pleased that she got to pass on her own life lessons to daughters of her heart, even if she didn't have her own daughters. In the end, once her son grew older and she was forced to leave the palace, she finally found where she belonged.

For any reader wondering about the religious aspects of this book, I thought I'd tell a bit of my perception of this. I'm not religious at all and really never have been. The vast majority of my family is either some sect of Christian or Catholic, and I guess that need for a higher power skipped over me. I'm a self-described heathen, and I think there's a little bit of truth in all religions, rather than one religion that is the ultimate truth. If I was forced to convert to a religion, I'd probably lean more towards being Pagan. I say all that to explain that I understand many people can be really put off by books if they are ultra-religious, or may even go into this expecting a lot of religion. I didn't really get that vibe from the story. It mostly just seemed like just that to me; a story. There were mentions of the different Gods that the characters followed, both Hebrew and Egyptian, and their domain. It never felt preachy or like it was the primary purpose of the story. It also takes place in B. C., so there weren't really any Christian aspects to it, as far as I know. I also admit that I'm no expert on the Bible, so how accurate this telling is to what's in the book, I'd have no idea. Like I said, I'm a heathen. 

Overall, this was an exciting story to read, and at times it was heartbreaking. It ended well and was a perfect fit for a standalone novel. The story really came full circle, and I think Dinah was really relatable, even with being from an ancient time. Like I said earlier, at its core, it's a story that focuses on knowledge passed down from mothers to daughters. I think if you like historical fiction, specifically focused on women's history, then you may enjoy this book. Just be mindful that it did occur when women were still considered property of their husbands, fathers, and brothers, so parts of it are hard to read.  I initially gave it a four-star rating on Goodreads, and I think I'll stick with that rating.

Book Review: The Maverick by Jennifer Valenti

 

Goodreads Summary: Jane Valiante had put so much of her life on hold to care for her father and little brother back in Florida since her mom died that she’d all but forgotten she once had ambitions of her own. She had nearly resigned to a life of ordinary when the hottest tech company in the world offers to fly her to New York for the job of her dreams. After what shapes up to be a whirlwind of an interview, Jane starts to feel overwhelmed and insecure about her chances. Feeling defeated, she’s surprised to receive an invitation to the holiday party from the CEO and Founder, Peter Wright, planned for that evening. Hoping this could be her opportunity to seal the deal, she happily accepts. That’s when everything in her world turns upside down as she finds herself back at her hotel room with Peter after the party. What started as a drunken misunderstanding leads to a brutal sexual assault that leaves Jane shattered.

Torn by the violence of what happened that night and the shocking choices she inevitably makes, Jane embarks on a precedent-setting journey to right the wrongs she has endured that could ultimately define the fate of a generation.

Goodreads Rating: 4.38 stars with 16 reviews

Genre listing: Contemporary, Adult Fiction, sexual assault 

Goodreads Challenge: 40/60 (Quick, someone get me some 150-page cozy mysteries on KU!)

2020 Reading Challenge: #48 Free Space! (Find the full challenge here)

Book Review:

First, the legal thing: I received a free arc copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through the Author's publishing team/net galley.

Trigger warning: This book details rape. My post will also talk about it because of its relevance to the book.

I was really hesitant to agree with reading the Maverick by Jennifer Valenti. I almost didn't accept the request. The book is about a woman's rape and sexual assault experience, and truthfully I didn't know if I could bring myself to read it without triggering memories of some assault/harassment experiences I've had. Also, without even reading the book, I could tell that this experience was based on the author's life. I was worried that I'd hate it and then be stuck writing a review, essentially trashing someone else's experience. It's a little different when it's entirely fiction, and I can provide constructive feedback. It's an altogether different thing to provide constructive feedback on something the person went through. 

All of that being said, I think that this is a book that a lot of people should read. If you've been in a  similar situation, it will make you realize you're not alone. Somethings have happened to me starting from the time I was a teenager into my thirties. I struggle with what to classify them as, but I don't think that I was raped (long story...) Assaulted? Maybe. Harrassed? Absolutely. Regardless of what you call it, this book helped me feel not alone. If you haven't been in the situation, you may gain some (more?) empathy for those who have been and even start to understand why so many sexually-based crimes go unreported. 

Obviously, I hate the situation that Jane went through. I was disgusted, and all I wanted to do was hug her and tell her she would be ok. What I liked most about Jane was how strong and brave she was. Jane may not have felt like it, but she was. She had moments of weakness and was so incredibly relatable. She did something a lot of people can't do- stand up for themselves. I was cheering so hard for her to get justice. I wasn't quite sure what that justice was going to look like, and I think that the approach taken was an interesting one. Sorry trying to not give out spoilers. 

Overall, despite the topic, I enjoyed this book. It felt like I was sitting down with a good friend over coffee, and she was catching me up on what had happened to her. Jane was strong, brave, surprisingly funny, and relatable. I like that she starts figuring out a way to use her situation to help others in the end. The book's topic is hard to read, but beyond that is a story of a strong woman overcoming something that happened to her and using it to protect others and better the world around her.

Book Review: Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman

Goodreads Summary: The Owens sisters confront the challenges of life and love in this bewitching novel from New York Times bestselling author Alice Hoffman.
For more than two hundred years, the Owens women have been blamed for everything that has gone wrong in their Massachusetts town. Gillian and Sally have endured that fate as well: as children, the sisters were forever outsiders, taunted, talked about, pointed at. Their elderly aunts almost seemed to encourage the whispers of witchery, with their musty house and their exotic concoctions and their crowd of black cats. But all Gillian and Sally wanted was to escape.

One will do so by marrying, the other by running away. But the bonds they share will bring them back—almost as if by magic...

Goodreads Rating: 3.78 stars with over 69,000 ratings

Genre listing: Fantasy, Fiction, Magic, Witches

Goodreads Challenge: 32/60 

2020 Reading Challenge: #2 A book you got for under $3 (See the full challenge https://linzthebookworm.blogspot.com/2019/12/2020-reading-challenge.html)

Book Review:

*Edit: Apparently, my Grammarly updates aren't taking effect when I make them. Please excuse my dust while I go through and edit hundreds of posts in between work and classes.*

Happy August, Readers! I am so excited that it is August because that means it's that much closer to being fall, my favorite season. I am ready for the leaves to turn, and it to get chilly.  

At some point and time this week, I had to read Managing to Learn by John Shook. It was required for a training class I was in at work, so I decided if I was going to read, it should count for something. It bumped me up to 31 books for the year, and I'm using it as #49 Read a motivational/inspirational book, which I probably wasn't going to read anything for anyways. 

On to Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman. I did not know this was actually a book until Amazon decided to tell me it was on sale for under $3. I knew there was a movie called Practical Magic, but I've never actually watched it. I figured I'd go ahead and snag it at the time, because why not. I had other books that were slated for this category, but I rarely stick to plan anyways. 

When talking about this book, I described it as having a "creepy, whimsical vibe." Now that it's finished, I feel like that's still true, but it kind of faded as the book went on. The creepy, whimsical feeling was more surrounding The Aunts. Given the title, I mistakenly assumed that magic would be a lot more present than what it is in the book. It's there, but it felt very subtle and was never really named. People would call the Owens women witches as insults, but there was never any moment where I felt like they outright acknowledged it. It came across as like the aunts were doing concoctions, odd happenings, or senses and feelings. The exception being the acknowledgment of Jimmy's ghost. Everything else felt incredibly undefined. 

The central portion of the story was just about the women and their love interests, including the women who came to visit their aunts. Inline with that was just a story about sisterly bonds. It was interesting, and I liked it, but not what I was really expecting. All of the relationships seemed to be this instantaneous love at first sight type of thing as well. Love at first sight relationships just makes me roll my eyes. 

The only characters I really found myself wanting to know more about were the aunts. Sally seemed kind of annoying, and Gillian and Antonia might as well have been the same person. Kylie was okay, and there could have been a lot of room to expand on the emotions and spirits she was sensing.  The whole time reading it, I kept wondering if Sally, Gillian, and Antonia had some kind of magic, but it was so subtly written that it was hard to tell. I think I expected a lot more Charmed type of story where they find out their witches or always knew and learned to use their powers.

In the end, I think I just wanted more details, especially more world-building. The ending was kind of abrupt as well. I don't even really remember what the conclusion is. I expected to have like another 30-40 pages of story, and then it was just done. So, that part of it was somewhat disappointing.  Overall, I enjoyed the story, but I wanted more magic and less romance. 

Hidden Star by Nora Roberts

Goodreads Summary: Diamonds can be a girl's best friend…or her worst enemy. Bailey James can't remember a thing, including why she has a satchel full of cash and a diamond as big as a baby's fist. It's clear she's in big trouble, and Bailey desperately needs private investigator Cade Parris to help her live long enough to find out just what kind. The moment the coolheaded detective laid eyes on Bailey, she almost had him forgetting who he was. Surely she isn't a criminal—but how can he unravel this mystery if he keeps tripping over his heart?

Goodreads Rating: 3.87 stars with over 9,000 ratings

Genre listing: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Mystery, Fiction

Goodreads Challenge: 22/60

2020 Reading Challenge: #33 a Book with the word "Star' in the title (find the full challenge here)

Book Review:

I ended up picking this book because I needed something for #33. What few Nora Roberts books I've read are kind of hit and miss for me. I'm not a huge romance fan. I'll read it if it's mixed in with a bigger plot, but I'm never really wanting to read something that's solely romance. Luckily, there was a little bit of mystery in Hidden Stars to keep me entertained.

I think I would have liked this a lot more if Cade wasn't an absolute sleazebag through most of the book. Ugh. I wanted to pepper spray him and have sexual assault charges filed on Bailey's behalf. (No, that's not an attempt at humor. I felt like his actions were borderline sexual assault through most of the book.) The majority of the book, I thought it was gross how he was coming on to her so strongly and being demanding with her. Bailey had amnesia, hired him to help her figure out who she was and what happened to her, but he just had to hit on her the entire time, despite her requests for him to stop. 

As I said before, I'm usually not a huge fan of romance. If I read it, I like for there to be some building to the characters feeling the way they do. I want it to make sense. Maybe part of that is because my husband and I were friends before we started dating. For me, the whole spend a weekend together, and wanting to get married wasn't realistic, and I rolled my eyes at it a lot. 

I thought the take on the amnesia was interesting. I liked the idea of Bailey still being who she was, even if she didn't realize it. Despite my disdain for his sexual advances on Bailey, I thought that his way of helping her find herself was thoughtful. He took the time to explain well you probably do this because of this reason, or if you hate this food before, you probably still hate it. Putting the pieces together like that made the private detective job make sense and fit well within the story.

I think what saved this book for me was the mystery. The idea of Bailey being a gemologist and jewelry designer appealed to me because I make jewelry and, at one time, thought about becoming a gemologist. I wasn't really sure where the mystery was going to go, or what Bailey actually saw. I wasn't expecting her connection to the culprits. This was the part of the story I really wanted to read. How she got her memory back, what happened to her, and why was the diamond so valuable. 

Overall, I did like the book. It was a short read, which I got through quickly. I liked Bailey a lot, but couldn't stand Cade. The mystery kept me entertained. I do tend to think that Nora follows a couple of formulas for her books, and I could kind of see already how it was setting it up for the other two books in the trilogy. I don't know if I'll pick up the other two. I enjoyed it, but not enough to where I feel like I need to continue on with the trilogy.

Book Review of The Girl Who Came Home by Hazel Gaynor

Goodreads Summary: Inspired by true events surrounding a group of Irish emigrants who sailed on the maiden voyage of R.M.S Titanic, The Girl Who Came Home is a story of enduring love and forgiveness, spanning seventy years. It is also the story of the world’s most famous ship, whose tragic legacy continues to captivate our hearts and imaginations one hundred years after she sank to the bottom of the Atlantic ocean with such a devastating loss of life.
In a rural Irish village in April 1912, seventeen-year-old Maggie Murphy is anxious about the trip to America. While the thirteen others she will travel with from her Parish anticipate a life of prosperity and opportunity - including her strict Aunt Kathleen who will be her chaperon for the journey - Maggie is distraught to be leaving Séamus, the man she loves with all her heart. As the carts rumble out of the village, she clutches a packet of love letters in her coat pocket and hopes that Séamus will be able to join her in America soon.

In Southampton, England, Harry Walsh boards Titanic as a Third Class Steward, excited to be working on this magnificent ship. After the final embarkation stop in Ireland, Titanic steams across the Atlantic Ocean. Harry befriends Maggie and her friends from the Irish group; their spirits are high, and life on board is much grander than any of them could have ever imagined. Being friendly with Harold Bride, one of the Marconi radio operators, Harry offers to help Maggie send a telegram home to Séamus. But on the evening of April 14th, when Titanic hits an iceberg, Maggie’s message is only partly transmitted, leaving Séamus confused by what he reads.

As the full scale of the disaster unfolds, luck and love will decide the fate of the Irish emigrants and those whose lives they have touched on board the ship. In unimaginable circumstances, Maggie survives, arriving three days later in New York on the rescue ship Carpathia. She has only the nightdress she is wearing, a small case and a borrowed coat, to her name. She doesn’t speak of Titanic again for seventy years.

In Chicago, 1982, twenty-one-year-old Grace Butler is stunned to learn that her Great Nana Maggie sailed on Titanic and sets out to write Maggie's story as a way to resurrect her journalism career. When it is published, Grace receives a surprising phone call, starting a chain of events which will reveal the whereabouts of Maggie’s missing love letters and the fate of those she sailed with seventy years ago. But it isn't until a final journey back to Ireland that the full extent of Titanic’s secrets are revealed, and Maggie is able to finally make peace with her past.

Goodreads Rating: 3.8 with over 10,000 ratings
Genre Listing: Historical Fiction, Romance, Ireland Culture, Book Club, 20th Century Literature, Adult Fiction
Get the Book: Amazon, Book Depository
Book Challenge: #35 A book that takes place somwhere you'd like to live

Book review:

It seems fitting that I picked this book to read and then heard it was the 20th anniversary of the movie Titanic. This makes me feel insanely old. I'm not okay with it. 

The Girl Who Came Home by Hazel Gaynor follows several characters and their journeys aboard the Titanic. It also follows Grace, a Titanic survivor's relative and journalist seventy years after the sinking of the Titanic. I really liked that you got a lot of different perspectives and the characters were all connected through their experience. I thought it was interesting getting the perspective from people in the third class lodgings. 

For me, this book would have been much more interesting without Grace's side of things. I would have enjoyed it a lot more if it had just been the story of those on the Titanic and their journies to, during, and after the ordeal. Instead, there's this distraction of Grace finding herself and rekindling her relationship with an old boyfriend. I really felt like that detracted from Maggie's story, and sort of became the main story. The book would have stood alone with just the stories of the group on the Titanic. 

I really would have liked to hear more about Maggie's life after the Titanic. There was a glimpse of it, but that was the story I really wanted to read. What was her life like once she got to Chicago? How did she go on about day to day life?  There's a big bombshell at the end about who Maggie's husband was, and I was shocked at it. I thought the story was going to end an entirely different way. That being said, I would have enjoyed it a lot more if the story showed more of her after the Titanic life, and that was put in as her story develops.  I'm not sure if what I'm saying completely makes sense; hopefully, it does. 

I think the same goes for the other characters that were impacted by the Titanic. We got a bit of what happened to Peggy, Harry, and Vivienne. Admittedly, the way that Maggie was able to reconnect with Harry and Peggy was interesting. That being said, I think it could have still worked into a story about Maggie's life after the Titanic somehow. I really don't feel like Grace was necessary at all. 

Overall, I enjoyed the story. I just wanted something different from it. There were a lot of things that I felt were too reminiscent of the Titanic Movie. Particularly the very end of the book. This in itself was a little disappointing. 

Book Review of Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris

Goodreads Summary: Sookie Stackhouse is a small-time cocktail waitress in small-town Louisiana. She's quiet, keeps to herself, and doesn't get out much. Not because she's not pretty. She is. It's just that, well, Sookie has this sort of "disability." She can read minds. And that doesn't make her too dateable. And then along comes Bill. He's tall, dark, handsome--and Sookie can't hear a word he's thinking. He's exactly the type of guy she's been waiting for all her life....
But Bill has a disability of his own: He's a vampire with a bad reputation. He hangs with a seriously creepy crowd, all suspected of--big surprise--murder. And when one of Sookie's coworkers is killed, she fears she's next....

Goodreads Rating: 3.95 stars with over 409,000 ratings

Genre Listing: Fantasy, Adult Fiction, Vampires, Paranormal, Supernatural, Shapeshifters, Mystery, Romance, Horror

Get the Book:  Amazon, Book Depository
Book challenge: Modern Mrs Darcy's Book challenge, A Book you've already read at least once. 1/12

Review:

Edited 12/1/2016

I've wanted to reread the Southern Vampire Series/ Sookie Stackhouse again for a while now. No, I will not call it Trueblood. You can't make me. I have a ton of books that I've yet to read, but this was all that was on my mind.

It amazes me how much I've forgotten about Dead Until Dark. I had it in my mind that it was a slower paced read when I read it the firs time. There was so much that happened this first book, that I had completely forgotten or thought it happened later in the series. I don't even know where to start without giving spoilers.

I don't remember Sookie being as feisty as she is in the book. I don't know why, but I had it in my head that she was somewhat demure. But I'm obviously wrong as she does tend to go head first into the action. I also forgot how she could be vain, and it drove me nuts this time around.

Her relationship with Bill bothers me. It bothered me the first time reading as well. It seems unnatural to me, and not because he's a vampire. Knowing what I know about the other books in the series, I'm going to chock it up to that mostly. I was always rooting for Sam. I still prefer him to Bill.

I forgot about how much happened in the first book. Gran, Jason's legal trouble, The stuff with the uncle. There's a lot in this first book, which is amazing since it's under 300 pages. Normally this is where I'd say something along the lines of seeing what happens in the next book, but I know what happens. Or at least, I think I do? I'll probably go through and reread the whole series now that I've got my bearings straight on the first book again.

For someone who hasn't read it, I recommend it. It's by no means a serious book for the ages, so if that's what you're looking for It's probably not for you. Charlaine Harris is a great mystery writer and does an excellent job of keeping the mystery alive in this book. It's entertaining and an easy read. There is a lot of adventure and interesting characters. It will keep you guessing.

 If you have read this series and haven't checked out Charlaine's other books, I highly recommend checking out her other mystery series following Aurora Teagarden and the other following Lilly Bard. They are not supernatural books, but they are great mystery novels.