Book Review: The Stepsister's Tale

The Stepsister's Tale by Tracy Barrett
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I read this as an early-read on Netgalley.

I was impressed by this book.  It was a lovely, light, clean fairytale that reimagined "Cinderella".  Even though there were a lot of changes to the story it was more believable, more real, more heartwarming than the original fairytale/ Disney movie, etc.

I want a copy of this book for my own.  I love a good fairytale and am always looking for well-written ones.  It can be harder to find them than one would think.  This was well-written, not cheesy, sweet, sentimental, and believable.

Definitely worth a read.

Book Review: What Alice Forgot

What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Wow. I mean.... wow. This book is a book that maybe every married lady (and man!) should read. Especially in a marriage that is struggling. Just.... wow. Deep and moving and tragic and full of hope...

A story of a marriage that is basically over when the wife has an accident that causes severe memory loss (i.e. the last ten years of her life) which puts her in a position to see her marriage and (soon to be ex) husband in the light of a newly-married and very much in love wife instead of the hard, jaded, angry, hurt, and bitter wife, sister, and mother she has become.

Alice finds a way to find the middle ground where forgiveness, love, understanding, and lightness exist and it is magnificent in its way.

What if in our lives we were granted to opportunity to see ourselves now through younger, more optimistic eyes... what if we were able to forget the hurts and frustrations towards others that we let get in the way of a fulfilling relationship? What if we could see our spouses as they are without the years of little nit-picky things that irritate us and be reminded about why we fell in love in the first place? BUT THEN!!! To be able to remember and come to a place where we could forgive because we have been reminded of how important our love is?
Liane Moriarty presents these ideas and a lovely story that includes the best-possible outcome forging the blindness of early love with the depth of shared-experience and forgiveness.

Worth a read. But... watch out for some swears.

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Book Review: The Wednesday Wars

The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Some books catch you within the first few lines and hold onto you until the book is finished. This is one of those. I have struggled lately to be interested in a book and keep reading after the first few pages... I've just lost interest. Then I picked up this book and immediately felt invested and happy to be reading it. I fell in love.

The voice of this book is so strong and well done. The characters are real and believable and complex. The plot is a mish-mash (but with constant and continuing elements that keep it cohesive), but in a way that fits. After all, it is the story of a teenage boy's life in seventh grade.

I just... I'm so impressed. The main character, Holling Hoodhood (silly name, yes?)is such a well-rounded character who is silly and serious and juvenile and mature and just everything you think a teenage boy really is. He grows and learns to stand up for himself, he learns to forgive, he learns empathy and adventure and compassion.... just. Tsk. SOOOO GOOD.

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