Rated of 5
by Wendy Night Navigator
This is an interesting book detailing the lives of a drug addict and his enabling mother. The plot moves through a short time period in their lives and clues to familial relationship that may have led to the son's addiction bubble to the surface throughout. I enjoyed this but the book left me with unanswered questions about the family history. It was also a little slow starting.
Rated of 5
by Melanie Good not great....
This was just an ok read for me, although I did like the alternating chapters between mother and son. It didn't grip me as I had hoped it would, but I'm glad I did read it, as the subject matter was very real and interesting to read. Not a book I would rush to get to, but not one I would let pass me by either!
Rated of 5
by Sheryl REAL writing
This book, about a mother and son moving through their respective recoveries from co-dependence and drug addiction, is painfully raw and true to life. Although a "novel", there is no doubt left in the reader's mind at the end of the book that the author knows whereof she speaks. For me, it was one of those books that mesmerized and intrigued me but that I could only read a little at a time. As a licensed social worker, I was impressed that the author captured even the small details of the addiction recovery process accurately. Doing that in such beautiful, concise, and poetic clarity is nothing short of amazing.
Rated of 5
by Leann Night Navigation by Ginnah Howard
This book as a memoir was unflinchingly honest in its portrayal of drug addiction and how it affects everyone connected to the addict. The seemingly never ending cycle of hope, anxiety, disappointment, guilt, fear, despair and back to hope when the relapsed addict eventually runs out of other options and once again reaches out for help. For those who’ve been there, it’s all too real.
Unfortunately, it’s as wearying to read about as it sounds. Which is why, as a novel, I think it fails. No one is transformed, no one grows, nothing is learned. We end up at the same place we started in except maybe we’re a little more ground down from the struggle. I’m not saying that I have to have a happy ending or even a nicely packaged resolution. I really don’t. However, from a novel that addresses something as serious as this subject, I expect a little more. I want some insight, some transformation, some growth, something for my effort. I just don’t think this delivered the deeper qualities that a novel should.
Rated of 5
by Patricia Astounding First Novel Night Navigation is a powerful novel from an accomplished first novelist. Writing in the alternating voices of the mother, Del, and her 32 year old son Mark, Howard adds to reader involvement. I was pulled into the skillfully drawn maternal co-dependency, which is part of most mother-child relationships. The author’s writing style of short, choppy sentences in the Mark sections echoes his manic mind state. Having a daughter who is bi-polar and alcohol and drug dependent, the manipulation of the addict is well known to me.
Though this at first seems a dark novel, there are instances of humor which lighten the drama and make the characters and situations real. Her use of imagery, the careful filling of the coffee pot, the struggle with the bats, Mark’s paranoia about crows, all rise to symbolic significance and add depth to the novel.
I thoroughly enjoyed Night Navigation, and am looking forward to the author’s second novel.
Rated of 5
by Kari A very realistic and interesting book
I really liked this book. Both the mother's and son's voices felt very realistic. It is written in a way that takes you along on the same emotional roller-coaster that are described in its pages. I have some experience with mental illness, and also with alcoholism/AA, both through my husband's family. That made me recognize certain things in the book, like how Mark kept trying, failing, trying again, and how his mother always ended up being there for him, no matter how agonizing. I don't think you need to have any experience with mental illness/chemical abuse to enjoy this book, but I feel that it added depth to the whole reading experience.
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News Corp will officially split into two companies June 28(May 24 2013) As expected, News Corp has announced it will officially split its publishing and entertainment businesses on 28 June.
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Its board approved the...
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