Carol E

Amy Hatvany's "Safe With Me" was an enjoyable read. I was captivated from the beginning, and the storyline held my interest throughout. This book touched on several human and social issues: the unfortunate loss of a child, organ donation, domestic abuse, and bullying. Although I think Ms. Hatvany could have delved a bit deeper into the subject matters, her writing style was thoughtful and emotionally provocative. Her treatment of the love, pain, understanding, and sacrifices associated with mother/daughter relationships was realistic and heartfelt. I liked this book and would definitely recommend it to my book club. . Young adults could also benefit from reading "Safe With Me."

Bitter River by Julia Keller captured my interest at the beginning of the book. The main storyline, while not unique, was presented in an attention-grabbing way. There was a diverse, if a bit large, cast of characters, and some of their reasons for being were not fully developed. A few of them were one dimensional and not enough of their backgrounds and personalities were revealed. Had that been done it would have enabled me to have more of an emotional connection to the characters. Prosecutor Bell Elkins, the main character, struck me as being a bit unreasonably cold and angry with almost everyone; however, she and Sheriff Fogelsong seemed to have a close friendship.

Ms. Keller moved the story along fairly well and was generally entertaining. But her overuse of similes and metaphors created long, run-on sentences and made me, at times, lose sense of the narrative. These factors caused me not to enjoy as much a book that has the potential to be an intriguing and enjoyable read.

The Caretaker by A.X. Ahmad was a fast-paced novel that was an easy read. The unexpected twists and turns provided enough suspense and intrigue to keep me interested, but at times it was a little difficult to understand the direction of the story. Ranjit Singh's flashback experiences as an Indian army captain gave a better understanding of his personality and some of his actions and decisions, but I yearned for more character development of his and the Senator's families. A few of the events and coincidences were a bit implausible, but did not detract from the overall premise of the story. I enjoyed the book, but because of its need for more details and explanation in some areas, I would be selective as to whom I would recommend it.