Clementine is a talented artist, a bright woman and a very troubled one as well. She tells us in the first chapter that she has made a plan to end her life. As those of us in the medical profession know, when a person has a suicide plan, they are to be taken seriously. And Clementine is serious. But the beauty of this book is that it is not sad or depressing. In fact, it is often hilarious. Clementine is a lively, fascinating and very unconventional character. The reader learns to like her, even with all her eccentricities.

The book is written in the first person, so we "hear" Clementine speak and "listen" to her justifications for her past and present actions. This gives great intimacy to this novel; I felt like I could sit down in Clementine's studio and chat with her. I didn't always agree with her, but I could understand where she was coming from. This book would appeal to women; there is some vulgar language, so that may be off-putting to some.

All in all, "Losing Clementine" was a believable novel and it brought to life a character and a story that I will remember affectionately for a long time.

This book encapsulate the lives of typical Annawadi residents, a slum next to the Mumbai airport. Their lives are difficult and very stressful but as Sunil, one of the street boys ponders, that even though he has a bad life, "a boy's life could still matter to himself".
We learn how the most disenfranchised members of this slum are able to survive and even flourish: Abdul the garbage sorter, Kalu, the scrap -metal thief, and Manju a college student who can get a degree by memorization or "by-hearting" her lessons. However, when tragedy strikes them it is very difficult for these slum residents to overcome adversity.
This book certainly made me realize that the pervasiveness of corruption is in all aspects of life in India. Bribes are a way of life and accepted as such. Even the Indian criminal justice system was a market and in Abdul's words "innocence and guilt could be bought and sold like a kilo of polyurethane bags". However some of these residents also have hope of improvement in their lives, and this hope is what motivates them, even when their conditions are deplorable. Other residents lose their hope and commit suicide.
Overall, this "narrative nonfiction" reads like a novel. Katherine Boo has depicted the residents of Annawadi in a sympathetic yet realistic manner. She has researched this community with thoroughness and imparts her information in a very readable prose.

I was totally engrossed with this powerful novel by Adam Johnson. The book weaves an intricate story that depict a North Korean world that is extremely foreign to us. It was initially difficult to understand the mentality of the people living in this isolated country, however the author did an outstanding job of guiding the reader through the North Korean psyche. Their way of life and their system of government is so alien from ours that it was almost like reading about a science fictionalized community.
Pak Jun Do is the main character that survives despite many obstacles. The mental and physical torture that he endures would have destroyed many individuals. The author depicts his wit, his intellect and his mental toughness with great clarity.
This book will appeal to readers interested in a well paced novel of some complexity. There are many graphic scenes, so I don't recommend it to young people. However, it would definitely would appeal to readers that enjoy a challenging novel and enjoy immersing themselves in a well developed character.

This novel was a very satisfying and enjoyable read. It has been a long while since I've read a novel with such finely drawn, complex characters. As a reader you really feel like you could drive up to the Moses homestead and immediately know everyone sitting around their supper table. The Moses/Lake extended family has several conflicts and a great deal of tension builds up as the novel reaches its climax. Major themes in the book are: good vs evil, truths and lies (and something in between!) , family strengths and the power of love. It was poignant but not cloying. I recommend it heartily.

I'm not sure at what point I stopped enjoying this book. The plot is intriguing and the writer is excellent at lyrical descriptions. However, although the main characters, Jo Beth Dawson and Pony Jones are initially interesting, we don't really learn much more about them as the book progresses. Their character development is repetitive. We hear over and over again the insecurities of Jo Beth, the alcoholic ex-cop that "lost if all" and blamed others for her problems. Pony Jones, the murdered, feisty rodeo star "speaks" to Jo Beth and helps her regain confidence in herself. However, the character of Pony is never very well fleshed out either, just the same repetitive description of her stubborn, spunky, "never give up" nature. And how many times did we hear about Titus Jones' granite visage. In addition, the references to appearing/disappearing arctic wolves and the ever-present cloying scent of roses was just over-the-top for me. Sorry, mysticism just isn't my thing. But in fairness, in the middle of the book, the plot line tempo picked up and I became interested in learning how the author was going to tie up those plot lines. Tender Mercy of Roses isn't bad, but with some tighter editing and more complex character development it could be good.