Lily

• Rated 3 stars

“For when you've read too many serious books in a row and need a break. Probably wont' seek out other titles from this author but was entertainingly trashy. ”

Lily wrote this review 2 weeks ago. ( reply | permalink )

1 of 1 members found this review helpful.

• Rated 3 stars

“Really should be 2.5 stars. Overall the book was incredibly boring w/the exception of the last few chapters. Incredibly disappointing after SO many people raved about this book!”

Lily wrote this review 2 weeks ago. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 3 stars

“This was an incredibly slow book to get through and while it was a good story I don't think it's a must read. No way does it compare to The Jungle.
Story about woman and her family who move from rural Kentucky to Detroit where her husband works in a factory. They live in horrible housing, one son runs away back to KY, one daughter gets hit by train loses her legs and dies and Gertie (main character) never has the wits to take her remaining children and move back to KY. Then at the end of the book- she sells her block of wood that she's cherished for years to be chopped up to make dolls so she can pay the rent bc her husband can't find work. Sad story, don't think I would have picked it up to read if my mother hadn't insisted it was "SO good"”

Lily wrote this review 3 weeks ago. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 2 stars

“I just finished this book and could not be MORE disappointed. The first 10-15 pages were riveting, couldn't put the book down (about day of tsunami). The resulting 150+ pages were like a bad diary entry. Woe is me, how can I live without my family, what life am I living in, how can I kill myself, I can't live without them etc etc etc Entirely NOT worth reading, and I am so so disappointed as this was one of my MUST reads for the spring! I never say this, as I always favor books over movies, but The Impossible with Naomi Watts which was not a particularly fantastic movie was better than reading this book. SKIP IT!”

Lily wrote this review Thursday, April 11, 2013. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 2 stars

“I really liked the book until it just ended rather abruptly in the middle of the summer. Seemed like the author didn't want to write anymore and just ended it, very disappointing. Wouldn't recommend.”

Lily wrote this review Sunday, April 7, 2013. ( reply | permalink )

0 of 1 members found this review helpful.

• Rated 5 stars

“One of the best books I've ever read, right up there if not better than The Help. The Captain has a daughter with black slave, Belle, but his wife thinks she is his whore. She lives in the kitchen house- she is raped by her half brother Marshall and has his child Jamie. Marshall is deranged pushing his 4 year old sister Sally to her death on a swing. Lavinia (main character) comes to Tall Oaks as a child, she came over on the Captain's boat and her family died. She grows up with all of the help but later marries Marshall. When she moves back to Tall Oaks as Marshall's wife he is crazy, impregnating a slave over and over while beating Lavinia. She has a child but things turn ugly and she helps many of the slaves escape. In the end Marshall hangs Mama Mae from the big elm tree right before Jamie shoots him with a shotgun. Excellent story.”

Lily wrote this review Tuesday, April 2, 2013. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 4 stars

“Extremely interesting thriller set in early 1900s NYC. Theodore Roosevelt was police commissioner and Moore (reporter) and Kriezler (alienist) form a team to take down a murderous, deranged killer who focuses on young boy whores who dress up like women. They caught and killed the killer in the end and Kriezler determined that there was nothing in his autopsy that made him bad, it was his upbringing.
Really interesting read, looking forward to reading second book Angel of Darkness.”

Lily wrote this review Sunday, March 24, 2013. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 2 stars

“Very odd, almost parody of small town in England where a council seat becomes available after Barry Fairbrother drops dead. Thick web of characters, hard to keep track of. Miles the son of the head councilman ends up winning the council seat. Most interesting plot line was Krystal Weedon from the Fields who ends up losing her little brother Robbie when she's having sex in the bushes and he drowns. She then ODs on heroin.
Overall book was dark, filled with crude language, drug use, domestic violence, and lots of sex/fantasies. Like a naughty Harry Potter for adults, not really worth reading 500 pages. Unremarkable at best.”

Lily wrote this review Sunday, March 24, 2013. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 2 stars

“I didn't finish this book because I found it really boring. I'm glad I didn't waste more time with it as it seems the ending was a giant disappointment. ”

Lily wrote this review Sunday, March 24, 2013. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 3 stars

“Heart wrenching story of a young boy in Sierra Leone. Rebels kill his whole family then faced with only starvation he joins the army and becomes a child soldier. He takes part in tons of violent, bloody raids, killing many. Becomes addicted to coke, marijuana and "brown brown" coke mixed w gunpowder. Unicef takes him and other child soldiers to a rehab facility- he has a really rough time coming off the drugs but is rehabilitated and reunited with an uncle who lived in the city, Freetown. He is chosen to go to NYC to speak at a conference about children and meets a woman who later helps him move to US.
Book was really interesting, touching, sad but ended really abruptly. Never went into how he got to NY after reaching Guinea or what happened to his friend, Mohamed who also was able to come to NY.”

Lily wrote this review Sunday, March 24, 2013. ( reply | permalink )