Tag: Review

Review: Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng

~ Sarah Joyce ~ 2 Comments

You have probably heard of Celeste Ng. She is amazing on Twitter. Her second novel, Little Fires Everywhere, was an instant hit after Reese Witherspoon picked it for her Hello Sunshine Book of the Month club last year. She is a writer I would ride or die for. 

But up until last week I had only read one of her two books. The aforementioned Little Fires Everywhere. It was a great family drama. It dealt with suburban bullshit and general life in such a compelling and relatable way. I knew I wanted more, I just wasn’t sure what more was. 

And then it was time to pick another title for my work book club. Everyone enjoyed Commonwealth and requested a quick read for the upcoming new year. Ng was still in my mind. 

And that is the story of how I sped through Everything I Never Told You. 

Somehow Ng’s debut reminds me of both Ann Patchett’s overall work and this years summer hit Searching for Sylvie Lee. There is enough mystery to be compelling, but really the story is about a family, dysfunction, and how a mess of personalities clash together to create a unit. 

Everything I Never Told You packs so much into just shy of 300 pages. I am absolutely amazed by Ng’s writing prowess. Marilyn’s dreams and struggles of wanting to be a doctor in the 1970’s. The prejudice against James’ Chinese heritage. 3 children with distinct personalities. Somehow she is able to tell the story of a family living unfulfilled lives and create a fulfilling story. It never feels too long, or like we are dwelling on inconsequential things – issues I feel appear in many a family drama. 

If you’re looking for a quick read to boost your 2019 numbers, loved Little Fires Everywhere, or just in general want a good family story with a little mystery and a lot of thought Everything I Never Told You is for you. 

Review: Furious Hours by Casey Cep

~ Sarah Joyce ~ 1 Comment

In May I had a bit of a reading slump. It had less to do with not having anything to read (haha. My house is overflowing with books) and more to do with the fact that I was waiting for a book. This Book. Furious Hours by newcomer Casey Cep. I had heard the buzz for months. It screamed “Sarah finishes in a marathon reading session.” And I did. 

I bought the kindle edition the day it was released, because of course that is so much easier than stopping by Barnes and Noble or my not so local indie bookshop in the middle of a workweek, and dug in. 

I came up for air maybe twice. 

Furious Hours is two stories in one. First, you have Reverend Willie Maxwell, who is committing some pretty grave forms of insurance fraud to the tune of several dead family members. You have his lawyer, Tom Radney,  who is both hilarious and a surprisingly progressive character in a story of rural Alabama in the mid 20th century. You have another crime that turns everything on its head. Then, you have Miss Harper Lee, fresh off her success of To Kill A Mockingbird, chasing a second novel.  You have her relationship with Truman Capote and the work she did with him on In Cold Blood. You have her trying to write the follow up that never did come. 

I was fully prepared to be disappointed. Occasionally true crime is dry, and author biographies are difficult to wade through.  This is not the case with Furious Hours.

It is both parts vivid history and unbelievable myth. If it had not been based off of true events it would seem outlandish. But Cep paints each character so beautifully that it is easy to get a feel for all the players in this spiderweb of a story. She also doesn’t dwell. The pacing is incredible. There isn’t a minute to be board. It never feels like you’ve fallen into the weeds. 

It also isn’t scary. The story of Reverend Maxwell crimes aren’t so gruesome as to leave a real impression. For all of you horror nuts this is probably a negative, but as I couldn’t sleep after watching a few too many episodes of Mindhunter I was in love with being able to enjoy true crime without having to worry about sleepless nights. 

The real star of Furious Hours though, is  Harper Lee. Cep does such a fantastic job of capturing her finicky personality. Through stories of her childhood and time in New York you get to meet Nell, not just the Harper Lee whose name appears at the bottom of everyone’s favorite classic. She feels real. Her struggles with writers block and her love of isolation create suspense even though everyone already knows how things will end. There is also some interesting insight into the real origins of Go Set a Watchmen.

If you haven’t picked up Furious Hours yet I highly recommend it. It is one of my few 5 star reads of this year. It is perfect for a hot summer day where all you want to do is read something and feel transported.