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Reviews by Sylvia G. (Scottsdale, AZ)

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Raising Wrecker: A Novel
by Summer Wood

The opposite of a wreck (10/30/2010)

Really enjoyed this one. Wrecker is set in northern California and is the story of Wrecker, a three year old in 1968, whose mother is sent to prison. Adopted by a distant relative, he is raised by a diverse group of people who become a family. The characters are so natural …more

The Clouds Beneath the Sun
by Mackenzie Ford

worthy, not perfect (7/2/2010)

This is a flawed but fascinating story of a group of paleontologists in Kenya in 1961. I loved the African setting, the inclusion of the Masai, and the sexual jealousies and competition between the scientists. The biggest problem in the novel is pacing. There are periods of …more

A Thread of Sky: A Novel
by Deanna Fei

threads not cloth (3/30/2010)

This story of 3 generations of American-Chinese women taking a trip to China had great possibilities, but ultimately fell short. Every character is unhappy but I couldn't empathize with any of them, in fact finding some of it rather whiny. We have threads of each story but …more

Under This Unbroken Sky
by Shandi Mitchell

Too dark to embrace (8/31/2009)

Under This Unbroken Sky is not for the faint of heart. It is very well written and sustains a high level of suspense, even through scenes of daily domestic routine, as you wait for the tragedy promised on the first page to unfold.The characters are believable and compelling …more

Something Like Beautiful: One Single Mother's Story
by Asha Bandele

Overexamined life (11/30/2008)

The unexamined life may not be worth living but this over-examined life is not worth reading. While much of the writing is lyrical, this overly repetitious and often overly romanticized story of Bandele's love life and motherhood is muddied and dull. This is her 3rd or 4th …more

Holding My Breath: A Novel
by Sidura Ludwig

I Held My Breath (6/13/2008)

I liked this book a lot...the problem is I wanted to love it a lot. The first chapter was so well written and compelling that my expectations might have been too high. I thought the characters, who had acted consistently throughout the story changed too rapidly in the book' …more

Dervishes
by Beth Helms

Dervishes (11/29/2007)

This very well written novel set in Turkey in the 1970's provides a new view of the clash between West and East. In fact everything and everyone seems to be clashing: the children with their parents, the husbands with their wives, lovers, frends, just to name a few. There …more

The Quiet Girl
by Peter Hoeg

Interesting and challenging (10/14/2007)

The Quiet Girl by Peter Hoeg was hypnotic and mysterious. The beginning is confusing with seemingly unconnected strings of plot and characters and for some readers that may be a deterrent, but if you stick with it, the end will be rewarding. Kasper Krone, the main character …more

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