La Bibliofille Reviewing books, movies, TV, etc.

S.J. Watson

 Before I Go To Sleep is the debut novel of the British writer S. J. Watson. It is a crime thriller, and full of psychological terror.

The protagonist of this book is Christine Lucas. Christine wakes up every morning with the memory of the last 20 years of her life erased. She does not recognize the man in her bed. She does not recognize the house she is in, nor her clothes nor even her face in the mirror.

When her husband, Ben, wakes he explains to her that she has lost her memory as the result of a long-ago accident.  While walking, she was mowed down by a hit and run driver. It is a miracle that she survived this horrendous accident.  Before going off to work as a school teacher, Ben sows Christine some photos of their life together. When she wonders why there are so few photos, he explains that most of their belongings were lost in a fire.

Soon after Ben leaves, a phone in Christine’s pocketbook rings. It is not the cell phone that Ben has given to her (and explained how to use). On the line is Dr. Nash, a neuropsychologist who has been working regularly with Christine. He urges her to look in her diary to confirm their appointment for this day. When Christine meets Dr. Nash later, he explains that she has a form of amnesia that causes an inability to form new memories. She is barely remembering old memories as well. Dr. Nash has convinced Christine to write secretly in a journal, in an attempt to jog her memory.

When Christine retrieves her journal from its hiding place, she notes with surprise the three words written in the front: DON’T TRUST BEN. Why did Christine write this? She is seeing Dr. Nash without the knowledge of her husband. Maybe Dr. Nash is not to be trusted. And what has happened to Christine and Ben’s son, Adam? There are no photos of him, yet Christine soon remembers him.

This is a complex and compelling novel.  It is well-written and suspenseful. An international best-seller, the movie rights have been acquired by Ridley Scott’s production company. The project is “in development” as they say in Hollywood. Hopefully it will reach the big screen. This book was a great read and would make a great movie.

In USA:

Published in hardcover-Harper-2011
Softcover edition-Harper Paperbacks-2012

Before I Go to Sleep: A Novel

Melanie Gideon

Wife 22. Great title for a book. Actually I had hoped that it was another book about about fundamentalist Mormons, one of my obsessions. Of course it is not; the cheery looking cover is a dead give-a-way.

Alice Buckle is the eponymous Wife 22, a subject in a research study called “Marriage in the 21st Century”. Wife 22 corresponds anonymously with Researcher 101. She answers his questions in great detail. And she begins to fall for him and he, apparently, for her.

Alice really enjoys the unburdening. She is a frustrated playwright, part-time elementary school drama teacher, wife and mother. Her children are perplexing, her husband distant. So of course she eats up the attention from Researcher 101.

Alice devotes a lot of energy to hiding her participation in the study from her family. She goes so far as to set up a phony Facebook account to communicate with Researcher 101. But as Alice focuses more and more on her anonymous admirer, her real life begins to fall apart. And she doesn’t seem to care that much.

Believe it or not, this book really ends up being a lot of fun. It’s not overly deep or meaningful, just a pleasant way to spend some time. This is the first adult novel written by Melanie Gideon. I expect she’ll be writing more in the future, since I think Wife 22 will do very well. Many thanks to LibraryThing EarlyReviewers’ program for this book!

In USA:

To be published in hardcover-Ballantine Books-May 29, 2012

Wife 22: A Novel

Janyce Stefan-Cole

Hollywood Boulevard is the debut novel of Janyce Stefan-Cole, an artist turned writer. It is the story of Ardennes Thrush, a talented actress who quits acting  as she is nearing the peak of her career.

Ardennes is living, temporarily, with her husband at the Muse Hotel, off Hollywood Boulevard. Andre is a noted director, and he is shooting a film in Los Angeles. Andre works long hours, and Ardennes is often alone. She is intelligent and introspective and seemingly happy with her decision to quit acting. She has enough money to live comfortably, and sees no need to continue the terrifying process of  truly becoming each character she plays. She spends much of her time in Los Angeles watching the comings and going in the hotel, as well as the private homes she can see from her balcony. Ardennes begins to fear that she is being stalked.

When Ardennes’s agent dies, she is thrust into the spotlight. Soon after, Ardennes receives a box of dead roses. Clearly, her stalker is real. When Ardennes does investigating on her own, she learns that many years ago, there was a fire in the suite next to hers. The life of the woman who was killed in that fire was strikingly similar to the life of the main character in Andre’s film. Along with an attractive detective, Ardennes wonders if this connection has any bearing on her stalker.

Hollywood Boulevard was a quick, fun read. The only unbelievable part was that Ardennes never asked Andre about a possible connection between his film and the Muse Hotel fire. That would have saved everyone a lot of aggravation!

Once again, many thanks to the LibraryThing Early Reviewer program for sending this book to me.

In USA:

To be published in hardcover-April 2012-Unbridled Books

Hollywood Boulevard

Jean Kwok

This debut novel by Jean Kwok tells the moving story of young Kim Chang who immigrates to New York from Hong Kong along with her mother. Ma was a talented musician and teacher in Hong Kong. In New York, she works in a Chinatown sweatshop to repay her debt to her older sister, Paula. Paula and her husband have paid for Ma’s medical care and for the Chang’s trip to New York.

Kim was a top student in Hong Kong, excelling especially in math and science. As she struggles to learn English, she must also go to the factory every day after school and on Saturdays to help Ma meet her quota. Kim and Ma live in a squalid, unheated apartment in Brooklyn. Aunt Paula has given them a fake address so Kim can attend one of the better public schools.

Through a friend from school, Kim sees a world of comfort and privilege. She knows that she must do everything in her power to pay their debt to Aunt Paula, and begin to lift her and Ma from grinding poverty. When Kim wins a full scholarship to a prestigious private high school, Aunt Paula of course becomes very jealous of her success. but there is little she can do.

Kim’s struggles are real and seemingly in surmountable. And although they are Chinese, the Chang’s story is similar to those of many immigrants.

Kwok herself is from an immigrant family, although this novel is only very slightly autobiographical.  I felt sad and anxious when Kim faced so many challenges; happy when she succeeded. Girl in Translation is an interesting story, and well written. I highly recommend it!

In USA:

Published in hardcover-Riverhead-2010
Softcover edition-Riverhead Trade-2011

Girl in Translation

Anita Nair

The Lilac House is a complex and interesting book. It is the intersecting stories of Meera and Jak. Meera is the wife of a successful executive and the mother of two. She is also the author of a guide to cooking and entertaining for corporate wives.

Jak is a renowned expert on cyclones. He has returned to Bangalore from Florida to care for his severely injured teenage daughter and to produce a research paper.

Their first meeting occurs when Meera’s husband abandons her at a party, and their hostess enlists Jak to drive her home. (Meera’s home is the lilac house of the title). Not an auspicious beginning to a relationship! Anyway, Meera spends months trying to figure out why her husband abandoned her and their children. As she tries to figure out her new life and how to support her family, Meera re-connects with Jak.

Jak, meanwhile, is trying to figure out how his daughter Smrita came to be so grievously injured. He travels to the town where her accident occurred, but finds no answers. Jak then begins tracking down Smitra’s friends. When he realizes that he needs a research assistant to help him complete his paper, Jak ends up hiring Meera. Together, they work on Jak’s research paper, and together discover the truth of Smrita’s accident.

There were many times I wanted to set this book aside. The plot is convoluted, and there are far too many characters. It’s really typical of most Indian novels I have read, or attempted to read. But:I did receive this book from the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program, and felt bound to complete the book for review purposes. The Lilac House (published in India as Lessons in Forgetting) resolves itself in an unexpected and surprisingly satisfactory way. I’m glad I made it to the end. I hadn’t read anything by Anita Nair before. While this was good it will be a while before I attempt another of her works.

In USA:

To be published:
Hardcover-St. Martin’s Griffin-April 2012
Softcover edition-St. Martin’s Griffin-April 2012

The Lilac House: A Novel

Rosamund Lupton

Sister is a murder mystery, a medical thriller, and the story of the love that exists between sisters. Rosamund Lupton is an author who is new to me, so I really took a chance purchasing it for my Kindle.

Beatrice is the older sister. Raised in London, she has moved to New York and made a life for herself there. She has a demanding job, a fiance, and a lovely apartment. One Sunday, she receives a phone call from her mother. Her younger sister, Tess, has gone missing.

But Tess is young, irresponsible. She is an art student living in a cheap flat in London. Although her mother does not know this at the time, Tess is pregnant by a married man, one of her instructors.

Beatrice flies to London as quickly as possible. And the search for Tess begins.  Although they live an ocean apart and lead very different lives, Tess and Beatrice are unusually close. Part of their bond is due to the childhood death of their brother Leo from Cystic Fibrosis. Tess’ baby was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis in utero, and Tess was part of a clinical trial of a gene therapy designed to cure the dread disease.

Does Tess’ disappearance have anything to with the trial? Or is her married lover to blame? What about the fellow student who has been stalking her?  There are lots of questions. And it takes until the end of the book to learn the answers. Along the way there are false leads and red herrings. As Beatrice searches for the answers, she undergoes some life defining moments. Her personal relationships change as her obsession with Tess grows.

There are so many layers here, it is sometimes hard to figure out what Lupton is trying to accomplish. It this book truly about the sisterly bond? Or maybe it is about the evils of the British National Health System and gene therapy. Anyway, it does seem a bit muddled. However, it is a quick read-good for an airplane ride or the beach. I did not guess the ending, but then I really didn’t try. I didn’t care that much about any of the characters, but since I paid for the book, I wanted to finish it.

In USA:

Published in softcover-Broadway Books-2011

Sister: A Novel

John Hart

The Last Child is a striking work of fiction. It is a mystery, and a very good one. It is full of false clues, red herrings, and coincidences. There is also some important history lessons as well as comments on contemporary society thrown in.

A year after the kidnapping of Alyssa Merrimon, her twin brother Johnny continues to search for her. The now thirteen yer old Johnny believes she was taken by one of the numerous sexual predators in their small North Carolina town. Johnny’s father has left the family months earlier, since Johnny’s mother blames him for Alyssa’s disappearance. With his family shattered, all Johnny has to cling to is the hope finding his twin.

Johnny plays hooky from school most days to focus on his quest. His mother is lost in a haze of alcohol and drugs. She and Johnny are subject to the whims of Ken Holloway, a violent man who is their landlord and now his mother’s boyfriend (and supplier).

And then a classmate of Johnny’s disappears taken, like Alyssa, is broad daylight after school. Is the same predator responsible? Is it one of the men on Johnny’s list? What about the recently escaped convict whose wife and her lover were found murdered?

Johnny’s search puts him and his mother in further danger, and yet he continues. He is smart, resourceful, and persistent. The Last Child  is an excellent book. The characters are real and memorable, and there are so many twists and turns in the plot that no one in my book club figured it all out before the end.

I highly recommend this for the avid mystery fan and even if you are not, there is plenty of action and interest for most anyone else. John Hart has won the Edagr Award twice (once for this book), and he deserved it! So where is the movie version?

In USA:

Published in hardcover-Minotaur Books-2009
Softcover edition-Minotaur Books-2010

The Last Child