Maribeth R

Well-written debut that leaves the reader hanging until the end. The subject matter verges on "creepy" and the slow pace of the book often left me wishing it would move a bit faster. However, Barton kept me intrigued about the outcome even when I didn't want to know more about the subject matter. I couldn't find any characters that rallied my empathy as most were filled with huge personality deficits. Nonetheless, I was glad I read to the end because though I had made many guesses about how the book would conclude, I was still surprised at the outcome. I hope the author writes another novel in the near future, but I would prefer something with a different theme. Definitely not holiday reading.

Probably, like many, I looked forward to devouring this book because I longed to rekindle the feelings I had when I read The Art of Hearing Heartbeats. Unfortunately, none of the same sentiments arose from a reading of Sendker's newest tale.

I felt confused by the poorly developed relationships which seemed to become quite intense even after unlikely encounters and introductions. It seemed the main character would have more reason to have well-developed relationships than not. However, that did not seem to be the case. The one character who most attracted my interest was the detective, Zhang. He seemed to me to be the most realistic of any of the assorted characters who ambled through the book.

I also felt disappointed by the language of the book as I was seeking the inspiration of the language of Heartbeats. Sentences and word choices often left me wondering if this was the same author who had written the other book. Then, it crossed my mind to look at the name of the translators on each volume. I was not surprised to see a different name on each. That made me want to know, from a writer's perspective. what role the voice of the translator plays in the final production of the novel?

I appreciated having the opportunity to read the book and hope to win another chance in the future.