Review… Tuesdays with Morrie – Mitch Albom

 

“Maybe it was a grandparent, or a teacher or a colleague. Someone older, patient and wise, who understood you when you were young and searching, and gave you sound advice to help you make your way through it. For Mitch Albom, that person was Morrie Schwartz, his college professor from nearly twenty years ago.

Maybe, like Mitch, you lost track of this mentor as you made your way, and the insights faded. Wouldn’t you like to see that person again, ask the bigger questions that still haunt you?

Mitch Albom had that second chance. He rediscovered Morrie in the last months of the older man’s life. Knowing he was dying of ALS – or motor neurone disease – Mitch visited Morrie in his study every Tuesday, just as they used to back in college. Their rekindled relationship turned into one final ‘class’: lessons in how to live.”

In all honesty I didn’t know what to expect. I’ve read The Five People You Meet in Heaven, For One More Day (review here) and The Timekeeper (review here) and gave them all 5 star reviews, however each one of those books refers to the No 1 International Bestseller that is Tuesdays with Morrie, which made me think this would be the best of the bunch.

As you may have seen in my previous post from the Paperback Sale (link here) I was really excited to stumble across a second hand copy of Tuesdays with Morrie at a book sale and began reading immediately.

Tuesday’s with Morrie is a beautiful, true story about a student (the author) reuniting with his old professor during his last days on earth. This isn’t a long book, but I feel its one that will resonate with me for a long time. Inviting us to forgive and let go of anger whilst we have the chance and to live a fulfilling life, so that when our time comes, we too are ready to pass on. Admittedly, I’m writing this with tears in my eyes, whilst the book is raw and current so it definitely does have an emotional impact!

Maybe I went in with too high hopes, maybe it just wasn’t as good as it was made out to be, but still four stars from me for a touching story…

Have you read it, and if so did you feel it lived up to all the hype?!

The Midnight Reader xo

Review… The Shack – WM Paul Young

 Mack’s youngest daughter, Missy, was abducted during a family vacation and evidence that she may have been brutally murdered is found in an abandoned shack deep in the Oregon wilderness. Four years later, still trapped in his great sadness, Mack receives a suspicious note, apparently from God, inviting him back to that shack. Against his better judgement Mack arrives at the shack on a wintry afternoon. What he finds there will change his life forever.

 THE SHACK wrestles with the timeless question, ‘Where is God in a world so filled with unspeakable pain?’ Mack’s experiences when he faces up to his darkest nightmares will astound you, and perhaps transform you as much as it did him.

The Shack. Gosh, where do I start.

The concept. Absolutely loved it. As you will see from the blurb above, the story is based on a father’s grief after his youngest daughter is abducted and brutally murdered. I felt the way WM Paul Young described the abduction and the initial journey of the father to the shack was brilliant and I couldn’t wait to see how the book progressed.

The end. I felt the book was wrapped up perfectly. Difficult to go into any detail without completely ruining it but I felt it summarised the story brilliantly, left no question unanswered and really emphasised the take home message of using your faith in order to truly forgive others and move on.

The issue… the middle. To be entirely honest, I’m not sure what my position is with regards to my faith. But whilst I would not describe myself as an atheist, I really struggled with the length of the time the book detailed Mack’s time with Papa, Sarayu and Jesus (being God, the Holy Spirit and Jesus). Furthermore, the depiction of God appearing to Mack as a black African-American woman was controversial to say the least. Having finished the book, I understand the journey the author intended to take the reader on, however in terms of the length of time dedicated to the topic, I feel this may lose many who do not consider themselves believers.

However, I felt that The Shack really helped me to open my mind further to my own religious beliefs. Issues like how God can allow dreadful things like murders and abductions to occur in the World and also how he/she can continue to love every one of his children regardless of faith and their actions were successfully answered in the novel to a degree that allowed me to fully reassess where I personally stand on the topic.

This is not a book for those completely opposed to a Christian fiction genre, nor is it one for those with firm and rigid views on Christianity! It is however for those open-minded individuals that fancy something a little different.

I’ve just noted that the book has been adapted into a film which is due for release next year. This is definitely something I’ll look into watching and may change my opinion on the book.

So how do I review this?! 5 stars for the plot but 3 stars due to the dragged out nature of the time at the Shack. All in all, 4 stars seems pretty fair…

The Midnight Reader xo

Review… The Girls – Lisa Jewell

You live on a picturesque communal garden square, an oasis in urban London where your children run free, in and out of other people’s houses. 

You’ve known your neighbours for years and you trust them. Implicitly.

You think your children are safe.

 But are they really? 

Midsummer night: a thirteen-year-old girl is found unconscious in a dark corner of the garden square. What really happened to her? And who is responsible?

The Girls (also known as The Girls in the Garden) was an exceptionally enticing read which kept me engaged throughout. Whilst it wasn’t the heart-pounding novel I anticipated from the cover and the blurb, the slower pace allowed the story to be told in far greater detail, allowing the readers to piece together the puzzle for themselves. Whilst this isn’t the pace of novel I’m usually drawn to, it worked well and seemed necessary to allow the reader to understand the intricate plot.

Let me say now, Lisa Jewell is a fantastic storyteller who had me engrossed from the first page. I can’t wait to get my hands on more novels by this author! Having finished the book, her fantastic descriptions have left me anticipating that I will bump into the characters in my real life. Furthermore, the slow pace strongly kept me engaged and wanting to read on.

Despite finding out instantly that something bad happens, this immediately sets the tone for the book. The book then jumps back to a “Before” period, which leads up to the incident. The Girls is told through the multiple points of view of different characters which really helps to understand each character and how their individual motive may be related to the incident.

Here’s the only negative – It was not the ending I would have liked. For me, so much was left unresolved it sadly tainted my opinion of the book as a whole. However, having read reviews of this book, others seem entirely satisfied with the end.

I have to award 4 stars due to the ending… otherwise The Girls was a very enjoyable read which I wouldn’t hesitate recommending to others! Whilst The Girls is the first book I’ve read from Lisa Jewell, it definitely wont be the last.

Have you read The Girls and if so what did you think?

The Midnight Reader xo

Ps. I know you should never judge a book by it’s cover – but it is a REALLY lovely cover!

Review… Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Parts I and II – J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne, and John Tiffany

“The Eighth Story. Nineteen Years Later.
Based on an original new story by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany, a new play by Jack Thorne,Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is the eighth story in the Harry Potter series and the first official Harry Potter story to be presented on stage. The play will receive its world premiere in London’s West End on July 30, 2016.

It was always difficult being Harry Potter and it isn’t much easier now that he is an overworked employee of the Ministry of Magic, a husband and father of three school-age children.

While Harry grapples with a past that refuses to stay where it belongs, his youngest son Albus must struggle with the weight of a family legacy he never wanted. As past and present fuse ominously, both father and son learn the uncomfortable truth: sometimes, darkness comes from unexpected places.”

I should probably start this review stating that I wish to give nothing away – no spoilers and no clues. This book is FAR too overdue to give even the slightest spoiler. So please … read on!

As a massive Harry Potter fan I was both excited and sceptical about the release of the script for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. The script has turned out to be the marmite of the book world. You either LOVE IT or HATE IT. Whilst I am doubtful as to how much J.K. Rowling herself contributed to the book, the characters definitely are portrayed through the script in a similar manner as to the original 7 books and give a similar vibe.

As I’ve mentioned (and I’m sure you’ll be aware), the book is written as a script. Whilst I didn’t know how I would feel about this, I actually enjoyed it as a pleasant change to the normal densely written novels which seem to fall into my lap and found it made for very easy reading.

Whilst I bet the stage show itself is nothing less than fantastic, the script lacked a certain J.K. Rowling quality where she weaves her usual intricate and clever aspects weaved into the storyline.

I’m probably being very generous with this, but 4 stars due to a life long love of Harry Potter…

Would be very interested to hear what you thought of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child if you’ve read it?

The Midnight Reader xo

Review… The Ice Twins – S.K. Tremayne

“A year after one of their identical twin daughters, Lydia, dies in an accident, Angus and Sarah Moorcraft move to the tiny Scottish island Angus inherited from his grandmother, hoping to put together the pieces of their shattered lives.

But when their surviving daughter, Kirstie, claims they have mistaken her identity—that she, in fact, is Lydia—their world comes crashing down once again.

As winter encroaches, Angus is forced to travel away from the island for work, Sarah is feeling isolated, and Kirstie (or is it Lydia?) is growing more disturbed. When a violent storm leaves Sarah and her daughter stranded, Sarah finds herself tortured by the past—what really happened on that fateful day one of her daughters died?”

Described by the Sunday Times Travel Magazine as “the next Gone Girl” I had great expectations. The book is set on a small, secluded Scottish island (surely this screams psychological thriller!), however I can’t admit to feeling nearly the same chill I did when reading Gone Girl. I would refer to The Ice Twins as eerie rather than thrilling.

Despite all this, I loved the focus on identical twins and how the novel centred on an issue the majority of us would face at some point in our lives… the difficulty of telling identical twins apart! Sadly when it came to the ending, despite bringing a tear to my eye and being one I for sure did not see coming, for me this fell flat and felt rushed.

Actually giving this book a rating is difficult. Whilst I enjoyed the vivid scenes the author portrays and the development of the plot throughout, I felt so many questions were left unanswered at the end that I’m not actually sure (despite obviously finishing) that I know what really happened. I’ve discussed the ending with friends and family and our views all vary slightly so who knows! However it was a thought-provoking, enjoyable, easy read which I would recommend to others, so I’ll say 4 stars …

The Midnight Reader xo