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All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr - Reviewed by Edee

1/28/2015

 
I first heard about this book on the Facebook page of one of my favorite authors Kate Morton.  She rarely recommends a book, but she gave this book a glowing recommendation so it immediately went on my 'to read' list.  Of course, it was also on many Best Books of 2014 lists, so I was really looking forward to reading it.  I was definitely not disappointed.  In All the Light We Cannot See, you meet Marie Laure, who at the age of 6 becomes blind.  Her father builds her a miniature version of their neighborhood in Paris so that she can learn to navigate the real area on her own.  When the Nazis invade France, Marie Laure and her father go to  Saint Malo to stay with her uncle Etienne.  Marie Laure's strength throughout her life was inspiring.  You also meet Werner and his younger sister Jutta who are growing up in an orphanage in a mining town in Germany.  Werner is a genuinely curious boy and learns to repair radios, which sets him on a different journey than what he expected.  Werner's story caused me to think about all of the young Nazi soldiers and what so many of them endured as well.  As you read their alternating stories, you begin to wonder how their lives are going to intersect.  This book is a very engaging story and the author does a fantastic job of character development.  I was very interested in learning more about even the more minor characters and the journeys their lives took.  If you are a fan of historical fiction, this should be on your must read list.  
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The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty - Reviewed by Edee

1/8/2015

 
The Husband's Secret has it all: suspense, romance, intrigue and humor.  The Husband's Secret is the story of three women: Cecelia, the perfect mom of three daughters with the perfect life (or is it); Tess, who thought she had the perfect marriage until her husband fell in love with her cousin; and Rachel, who can't get past her daughter's unsolved murder.  Each woman has unique struggles, yet their stories become intertwined as they develop through the course of the book.  I'm so glad our book club chose this book and I think we will have a wonderful discussion about the different characters, their motivations and rationales.  I especially appreciated the ending of the book.  It is always a good feeling to close a book and feel like you not only enjoyed the story but your time reading it was well spent.  I look forward to reading other novels by Liane Moriarty.  I would definitely recommend this book to other book clubs and anyone looking for a great read!
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The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau- Ben 

1/4/2015

 
The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau is a dystopian fiction book. The Testing is about a girl named Malencia Vale who is sixteen years old. It is graduation day for Cia, and her burning question is whether she will be chosen for the testing, or not. The testing is how the government decides who is going to be the future leaders of the United Commonwealth. Cia is chosen. Before she departs her father tells her what he remembered of the testing. He tells her of dark stories full of death. Before she leaves he tells her to trust no one. To find out what happens to Cia read The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau. I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars. This book is part of a trilogy which I am looking forward to reading. This book is also a Truman nominee for 2015-2016. You can find my post about the Missouri Reading Award Nominees at: http://www.walleysbookreviews.com/news-links/missouri-nominees-2015-2016-ben .
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Legend By Marie Lu - Ben

1/3/2015

 
Legend by Marie Lu is a dystopian fiction book. This book has two main characters: Day, a  15 year old criminal, and June a fifteen year old military prodigy. At first the two characters seem complete opposites, but as the book progresses the two paths intertwine. This book will keep you on the edge of your seat, and make you want to keep reading. One thing that I liked in particular about Legend was that since the chapters alternate between the two characters, when one character was narrating the font was one color, and when the other character was narrating the font was another color. I would rate this book 5 out of 5 stars. This book is the first in a trilogy and I am looking forward to reading the other two books. 
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