REVIEW – Verity by Colleen Hoover

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WARNING: This review contains major spoilers!

Verity had me hooked from the first sentence. I tore through this in one day – although I will say it’s not incredibly long and it reads fast.

The main “twist” was predictable, but that also could be because I read a lot of thrillers. Or it could be that from basically the minute we meet Verity, we are led to wonder if it’s all an act. And how the hell did she fool countless doctors and nurses into thinking she was legitimately injured?

Ultimately, I’m left not knowing exactly what to think. That ending – wow. I honestly believe that the letter was written as a ploy to save her, vs her actually being a decent person…I just can’t imagine a sane person pretending to basically be disabled and practically brain dead for months. It doesn’t add up.

Verity’s voice reminded me a lot of Amy from Gone Girl, but multiplied by a thousand. Absolutely insane.

REVIEW – Beartown by Fredrik Backman

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I knew I had to pick this up after reading Ove about a year and a half ago.

Beartown is a wonderful book. So many characters you’ll love. So many characters you’ll hate. I teared up reading this book. I yelled at this book. Backman is a master at getting an emotional response out of his readers.

If you love any sport (not just hockey) you’ll understand and appreciate the way Backman describes Beartown’s love for their hockey team. His writing is poetic without being overly flowery or stuffy. His characters are complex and well-developed.

CONSTANT READER REVIEW – Pet Sematary by Stephen King

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I need to preface this by saying I do not read books if I’ve already seen the movie. It’s difficult for me to go in to a book when I already know what happens. That being said, I do make it a point to attempt to read a book first before watching the movie adaptation.

This was not the case with Pet Sematary. I saw the 1990 movie (probably on USA) sometime when I was a kid. I don’t really remember NOT knowing this story. And yet, I still felt compelled to read the book.

This was probably the best decision I could have made.

I was worried that this book would terrify me. I was worried it would keep me up at night. That hasn’t been the case (maybe because I went in to it already knowing what happens) but that doesn’t make it any less effective.

Pet Sematary is the definition of a slow burn. The first “reveal” hits you at around 150 pages. The heart-racing, horrific parts don’t really start until page 495 (or maybe 200 pages earlier, if you’re a parent). But this is quintessential King. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend this as an introduction to King’s writing, but it’s a must-read for any fan of his works, or any fan of horror.

[spoilery comments ahead, proceed with caution!]

I did feel a little bit of sadness for stinky, clumsy, undead Church. No one wanted to hold him. No one wanted to pet him. Louis kicked him a few times. That’s another way to see that “sometimes…dead is better.”

At it’s core, Pet Sematary is a novel about grief. Of course a parent would do anything – ANYTHING – to bring their toddler back from the dead. It’s profoundly sad. The true horror isn’t the Wendigo, or the shell of a person (or pet) that comes back from the dead – it’s loss. It’s the gruesome deaths of Church and Gage that will keep you up at night.

Is it grief that drives Louis insane? Or something supernatural? I’d like to think it’s a bit of both.

REVIEW – All Your Perfects by Colleen Hoover

Aimeeeliz

This book was frustrating for me. It is the perfect example of what unrealistic, overly romantic expectations can do to a marriage, combined with personal trauma/grief and a severe lack of communication.

The writing is decent. This is not a criticism of Colleen Hoover as an author, this just isn’t my preferred genre. I’m sure others who enjoy love stories would enjoy this book.

REVIEW – Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

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What a beautifully written book about the collapse of humanity. Sounds crazy, right?

A flu starts to spread. People die quickly, and in massive numbers. Life as we know it ends. But a new way of life begins.

The beginning terrified me. The thought of a flu that deadly spreading that fast, with no way to stop it. I read another “flu epidemic” book last year and Station Eleven just felt more real and believable.

Part of that might be attributed to the setting. The “future” part of the book takes place in Michigan. Places like Traverse City, Petoskey and Mackinaw City are mentioned. When I read the line about the Mackinac Bridge, I had to pause for a moment. I’ve spent a lot of time in northern Michigan so it was easy for me to picture exactly what Mandel was describing. (I understand this varies by reader.)

I love how this book reminds the reader about what was lost in the collapse. Sure, you might think about living without the internet, without electricity. But ice cream. Baseball. Even adding milk to tea.

I also love how the book jumps two decades into the future – so many apocalyptic novels (at least the ones I read) deal solely with the immediate aftermath.

Overall an emotional, immersive book.