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Reviews by Mary S. (Hilton Head Island, SC)

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Morningside Heights: A Novel
by Joshua Henkin

Realistic and Compelling (4/15/2021)

Seldom does a story about a family attain the realism that the author did in this book. Perhaps I am at an age when the storyline depicts situations similar to my own, but I identified with each of the characters completely. The author's use of parallel timelines captured my attention and made me want to read on and learn "what happens next". The life situations were believable and enduring-- I highly recommend this book as a quick, enjoyable read!

A Theater for Dreamers
by Polly Samson

Too Much Information (4/7/2021)

Sorry, one of the few Bookbrowse books I could not finish. The author used far too many descriptive words, phrase, and adjectives--the story line was lost between subject and verb. I have been to Greece and based on her writings, would not have appreciated the beauty of the country and its people. This book is definitely not for everyone!

At the Edge of the Haight
by Katherine Seligman

Good Description of Problem; No Solution (10/12/2020)

The causation, description of the homeless lifestyle, and the challenges associated with the problem of homelessness were beautifully defined in the body of the story of Maddy and her friends. Unfortunately, after presenting the reader with an appealing storyline, the author left the ending with many loose ends that were still untied. This could have been a great book which opened a dialogue for society. However, the author seemed at a loss for answers to a problem which is both heartbreaking and destructive to an ever growing segment of our population.

Hieroglyphics
by Jill McCorkle

Couldn't Put It Down! (7/2/2020)

Because of the state of the world with a virus, politics, riots, etc., it took me longer than usual to start reading this book. I read it from cover to cover in about 5 hours!! The story, the writing-- everything was first class. Perhaps it had the added impact on me because of the time of life I am experiencing at the moment, but it was easy for me to identify with the characters and the lives they were attempting to navigate through. A must read for anyone who wants to read something different, but also entertaining and exceedingly enjoyable.

Catherine House: A Novel
by Elisabeth Thomas

Missed The Mark (4/7/2020)

This is the first Bookbrowse First Impressions that I just couldn't get into. Maybe it's because of the world situation at the present moment, but I couldn't get past the first 50 pages. the writing was quite good, but the subject held no appeal for me. Sorry Bookbrowse, but this was the first book that totally missed the mark for me.

And They Called It Camelot: A Novel of Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis
by Stephanie Marie Thornton

Future best Seller (12/27/2019)

As a young adult growing up in the Kennedy era, I was surprised how much I had forgotten many of the events and emotions of that time. The author recreated those times with meticulous and artful detail. Her attention to historical fact was remarkable. The only criticism I might have is the depiction of the relationship between Robert Kennedy and Jackie. It seemed a bit unbelievable and its telling was much too long. Otherwise, I thoroughly enjoyed the retelling of "Camelot" of the 1960s through the eyes of our "Queen".

Remembrance
by Rita Woods

Wanted To Like It, But--- (10/20/2019)

The author writes well and clearly has a story in mind, but I found her message hard to follow. The history of Afro-American culture was interesting, but had no real purpose as far as I could discern. Maybe the voodoo and black magic didn't appeal to me, but try as I might, I could not finish the book. One of the few stories in my experience that I could not finish. Sorry- can't recommend.

The Last List of Miss Judith Kratt: A Novel
by Andrea Bobotis

Wanted To Like It, But--- (7/27/2019)

When I first started to read this book, I thought it was going to be in the genre of Harper Lee-- southern mystery and history blended into a likable, easy to read story. Instead I found the story contrived and loosely put together by confusing attempts to keep the reader guessing. To say I was disappointed is an understatement. The author's credentials are impressive, but somehow she did not put together storylines well. Much editing is needed before this book is released!

Never Have I Ever
by Joshilyn Jackson

Wow!! (4/22/2019)

What a page turner! Yes, the story was a bit scattered at times, but I kept turning the pages to find out what came next. The narrative was interesting and easy to follow and identify with at many levels. A good "read in three hours" on a rainy day book. Also a good book club book.

The Last Romantics
by Tara Conklin

Good Story, Poor Presentation (11/27/2018)

I really wanted to like this book, however, the author kept interrupting a good story with fifty year "anecdotes". She ruined a good read by inserting unnecessary narrative that added nothing to the book. Even worse, we never learned who the character of Luna, introduced in the first few pages, really was. The air raids, climate change references, etc. added nothing to this work of fiction. " A good book spoiled"..

American Princess: A Novel of First Daughter Alice Roosevelt
by Stephanie Marie Thornton

Wonderful!! (11/22/2018)

I haven't enjoyed a book this much in a long time. Well written, faithful to history and a believable narrative voice as well. The author's love of history is quite apparent as she makes excellent use of the historical situations and persons from the time of 1902 through the death of Alice Roosevelt Longworth. The fiction part of the story is realistic while keeping true to the historical record. I recommend this book as a must read!

Red, White, Blue
by Lea Carpenter

Missed The Mark (7/14/2018)

This could have been a good book , but was spoiled by the meandering, disorganized writing style of the author. It was hard to distinguish the narrative voices of the characters and at times, the writing style completely changed making it difficult to discern the author's intent or message. Was this a story with it's roots in the CIA or the story of a woman's quest to come to a resolution of the grief accompanying her father's death? To add to the confusion, the author even throws in the question of belief in a God or Gods!!

Back to the writing board on this one.

The Summer Wives
by Beatriz Williams

Good Beach Read (4/13/2018)

As our Summer approaches, I urge you to put Summer Wives by Beatriz Williams in your beach tote as you go on your beach vacation. While the story is predictable in many ways, the author puts in enough twists and turns to keep the reader wondering about how the story ends. Anyone who has spent repetitive Summers at the beach can identify with the characters and the class structure of an island colony. A perfect book for a rainy beach day or just to wile away beautiful Summer day.

Other People's Houses
by Abbi Waxman

Spoiled by the ending (11/29/2017)

The first 300 pages of this book were entertaining-- not great but very readable. It was easy to identify with the characters and situation. However the author, while setting up a believable situation, did not seem to know how to bring the story to an end. All of the characters were tied together in a convenient, but not entirely in keeping with the story, conclusion. I was left wanting more and disappointed in the quick "let's try to tie it all together" method the author used. A good quick read on a rainy afternoon, but nothing more.

Next Year in Havana
by Chanel Cleeton

Excellent History of Cuban revolution (10/16/2017)

The author has succeeded beyond expectation in relating the historic events surrounding the Cuban Revolution and Fidel Castro's rise to power along side a present day love story. She interweaves love of country and heritage and personal love of another human being in a believable compelling manner. At times predictable, her writing style is easy to read and understand. A must read for those who are interested in learning about the political forces between Cuba and the United States today.

The Almost Sisters
by Joshilyn Jackson

Another "To Kill A Mockingbird" (5/19/2017)

When I first started to read this book I thought it was another chick lit, beach read book-- how wrong I was!! Read past the first 50 pages and you find yourself in the world of Southern culture, family secrets, and a cast of characters who keep surprising you at every turn. Having lived in the South for 14 years, I can identify with the mores and habits of a small town with a lot of history to be proud of and much to hide. Don't put the book down until the very end or you will miss the entire story and all of its twists and turns. The ending was truly unexpected!

The Book of Summer
by Michelle Gable

Predictable (3/12/2017)

I enjoyed this book for its light, entertaining quality. The characters were well described and easily recognizable in real life. I didn't give it a 5 star rating as the story line was a bit dull and the ending was very predictable. It is the type of book I would classify as "chick lit". Good to take on vacation or enjoy on a lazy weekend at home.

The Weight of Ink
by Rachel Kadish

Not Worth The Read (2/6/2017)

Seldom will I not complete reading a book, however after plowing through 200 pages of this 500 page book, I decided to put it aside. The subject matter of the book, history, feminism, Jewish culture is appealing. The story gets lost in the flowery prose, long sentences and poorly edited manuscript. Before publication, I strongly suggest that the book length be edited to about 300 pages and extraneous material that does nothing to add to the essence of the work be eliminated. Sorry for the harsh words, but I felt I must be honest-- not fit for publication in its current form.

Frank & Ava: In Love and War
by John Brady

Age of Hollywood Glamour and Stars (8/10/2015)

If you are not a movie buff or interested in the golden age of Hollywood movies and glamorous stars, this book is not for you. However, if you enjoy the old movie classics and bigger than life movie stars, you will thoroughly enjoy how the author captures the era and personalities of the 1940s and 1950s in Hollywood. While the story revolves around the relationship of Ava Gardner and Frank Sinatra, the author delves into the societal mores of the time and brings many of the Hollywood legends to life once more. The middle of the book gets a bit too involved in unnecessary detail, but for the most part, the book is a quick, enjoyable read. .

The Shore: A Novel
by Sara Taylor

Bits And Pieces (5/29/2015)

Yet another book I wanted to like but gave up about halfway through the book. I did finish it, but only to find out where the author was taking me. I realize that this was a pre-publication copy, but the editing was poor, the grammar awful, and sentence structure lacking in form and basic noun, verb, etc. I got the impression that the author couldn't decide if she was writing in the style of "To Kill A Mockingbird" or trying to imitate "The Hunger Games.". One of the worst pre-pubs I have ever received from Bookbrowse.

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Reviews by Mary S. (Hilton Head Island, SC)

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