The Right Book at the Right Time

BOOKS SO NICE, WE’VE REVIEWED THEM TWICE!

Title: Pretty Little Things

Author: Jilliane Hoffman

Publisher: Vanguard Press, September 2010

Summary: Although this book is a work of fiction, the subject will be a reality check for some- especially those with teenagers. Lainey Emerson is a 13 year old girl living in a somewhat dysfunctional family. She turns to the internet for companionship. There she meets someone calling himself “El Capitan” whom she agrees to meet in person. When Lainey’s mother finally realizes that she is missing, the family initially believes that she has run away just as her older sister Liza has done numerous times before. When her mom finally decides to call the police the case is given to agent Bobby Dees, also known as “The Shepard”, because he has found and brought home so many runaways. As they get further into the investigation, the detectives finally figure out there is a psycho out there who abducts teenagers and keeps them locked up. The kidnapper then sends an oil painting of the victim to a certain reporter who has been trying to make it big in the business. If you enjoy books with a lot of twists, turns and surprises I think you will enjoy this book. Due to the graphic details, it is not for the faint of heart.

 Who will like this book: Readers of thrillers and suspense, and anyone who has enjoyed Jilliane Hoffman’s previous novels.

 Recommended by: Virginia, Circulation Dept.

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Title: Before I go to Sleep

Author: SJ Watson

Publisher: HarperCollins, June 2011

Summary: Christine is a brain trauma patient who suffers from amnesia. Each morning  she has no idea who she is, where she is, or how she got there- most days still thinking she is a 20-something. Each day, she must be reminded by her husband Ben about her life. After working closely with a young doctor, Christine feels as though she may be making progress- until she finds her own hand-written journal with the words “DO NOT TRUST BEN” written firmly on the front. As she struggles to piece together her life each day, she now must figure out whose version of her life is truth.

Before I Go to Sleep is a fast-paced psychological thriller- a great read with both depth and action. The reader is pulled in all directions as Christine questions not only everyone around her, but herself- and maybe most importantly, how she got this way. Eventually, the reader will too. Unpredictable, sensational, and emotionally charged, Watson’s debut is a sure hit.

Who will like this book?: Anyone with the slightest interest in psychology. Those who wants  a quick-paced book that you won’t be able to put down. Anyone interested in mysteries with tons of twists and turns

Recommended by: LB, Library Assistant

Review 2: I seem to be drawn to psychological thrillers and this debut novel by British writer S.J. Watson hits the mark.  We all live on our memories, happy, sad or fleeting but imagine losing them every time you went to bed.  Your name, your identity, the people you love – all forgotten in the morning.  This is what happens to Christine, a 47 year old woman who is married and has a son.

She wakes up every day with no knowledge of whom she is or who the man sleeping next to her might be. The novel follows her as she tries to reconstruct her life through a journal.  How does she remember she has a journal, her psychiatrist calls her every morning to remind her, on a phone he purchased for her. Why doesn’t her husband remind her, well, he has no knowledge of the journal or the psychiatrist?  As her journal grows, it begins to cast doubts on the truth behind her memory loss and her life.  Her husband, the only person she thinks she can trust, may not be telling her everything she needs to know.

The pacing is intense so beware; once you start this thriller it is hard to put down. If you love trying to put all the clues together and figuring out mysteries you will love this book.

Recommended by: Nancy, Deputy Town Librarian

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Title: Last Night in Montreal

Author:  Emily St. John Mandel

Publisher: Unbridled Books, April 2010

Summary: When Lilia’s father abducts her in the middle of the night, the 7 year old willingly goes with him. Some might say she was rescued, not kidnapped. From that night on, Lilia and her father move across the United States, never staying in one place for more than a few months. Now, as an adult, Lilia doesn’t know how to stay anywhere for very long. She has become quite adept at leaving people behind, and most people have easily let her go. That is, until Eli. Eli’s life seemed so much better with Lilia in it that he cannot bear to think of his life without her.

  This is a story of obsession and the effect it has on everyone involved. From Lilia who is obsessed with moving on, to Eli who travels to another country to find her. From Christopher, the detective hired years ago to find Lilia, to Michaela, his daughter who he abandoned in his effort to find the missing girl. Michaela is the greatest victim here. Her wounds are so deep and her pain so obvious, it is heartbreaking to know that it was all caused by her father’s obsession to search for someone who did not want or need to be found.

Who will like this book? Anyone.

Recommended by: Sue, Circulation Coordinator

Title: The Weight of Silence

Author:  Heather Gudenkauf

Publisher: Mira, July 2009

Summary:  Martin Gregory wakes one morning to find his seven year-old daughter, Petra, is missing. Although it appears that Petra left the house on her own accord, her parents are starting to panic. When Deputy Sheriff Louis and Martin question Antonia, the mother of Petra’s best friend Calli, they discover that Calli is missing also. Antonia is convinced that the two girls have just ventured off into the woods that border their property and will be home soon. We know better.

Thirteen years ago, Antonia made the decision to marry Griff Clark instead of “Lou” Louis, the current Deputy Sheriff. That decision resulted in two children- 12 year old Ben and 7 year old Calli. It also resulted in a life of verbal, emotional, and physical abuse for Antonia and her children.

In the early chapters of the book, Calli has been dragged into the woods by her inebriated father in search of her “real” father, Deputy Louis. Of course that’s the liquor talking paired with Griff’s intense jealousy of Antonia and Lou’s past relationship. Calli has been mute since the age of four when she suffered from an as yet unknown trauma and now cannot call out for help. This is not hard to believe with a father like hers. So, we know what is happening to Calli, but what happened to Petra? Is Griff even more of a monster than we thought?

This story is told in the alternating voices of Calli, Martin, Antonia, Ben, and Lou. The story grabs you from the beginning and never lets go. I could NOT put this book down! Crimes against children are never pleasant to read about, but the details are handled very well. I cared so much for these characters, and especially those little girls that I had to find out what happened to them. If you want a story that stays on your mind and characters that make a place in your heart, you should read The Weight of Silence.

Who will like this book? Anyone who likes fast paced action and a great story.

Recommended by: Sue, Circulation Coordinator

Title: A Treasury of XXth Century Murder: The Lindbergh Child

Author/Illustrator:Rick Geary

Publisher: Comics Lit, February 2009 

Summary: After his transatlantic flight, Charles Lindbergh became an international hero, icon, and to his chagrin, celebrity. In the early ’30s, he and his wife moved to a new home in New Jersey in an attempt to live a private life. Little did they know that the tragic events that followed would thrust them even futher into the spotlight. Rick Geary begins his Tales of XXth Century Murder series with the story of the kidnapping (and murder) that led to ‘The Trial of the Century.’

We follow the events of the kidnapping, meet the various players in the investigation, and witness the trial and execution of Bruno Hauptman, who maintains his innocence throughout. Geary also discusses several of the alternate theories of the crime that persist to this day. Like his previous true crime graphic novels, this book is concise, informative, even-handed, and impossible to put down.

Who will like this book?: Fans of true crime and non-fiction graphic novels. Anyone interested in this famous crime, or the exploits of Charles Lindbergh.

If you like this, try this: Hour of Gold, Hour of Lead by Anne Morrow Lindbergh. Books in Geary’s A Treasury of Victorian Murder, including Jack the Ripper and The Borden Tragedy. The Plot Against America by Philp Roth.

Recommended by: Nicole, Teen Librarian