Jody Porter

• Rated 5 stars

“Four words sum up this book. Intense, gruesome, suspenseful, and revolting.

Intense. The author's prose builds up the events and puts the reader right in the middle of them. You feel what the characters feel, much to your chagrin at times. I'd rather read books like this. I don't want to be cuddled by my authors. If the character is in a nasty situation, then by all means write the scene as nasty as you can. Hayder does this, and does it well in this offering.

Gruesome. I don't want to go too in depth here in case you decide to read this one. I've read some books that could be described as gruesome, but nothing....nothing .... comes close to this one. I literally felt a queasiness in my stomach during several scenes.

Suspenseful. The plot jumps back and forth from present day (well, actually, "present day" in this book is 1990, but for the narrator it is "present day") and 1937. In the present, the "hero" is on a journey to discover if a film exists that she desperately needs to see for personal justification. She read something in a book at a very young age, something that is not revealed to the reader until late in the novel, and everybody she talks to says that she imagined it. She is hospitalized. Told she is "crazy". She learns that this film exists that might prove her correct. Her search for the film leads her to Tokyo. The past, 1937, is set in war-torn Nanking, about the time the Japanese army overruns the town and commits, perhaps, the worst war crime in the history of the world. (Seriously. Look it up on wikipedia. Terrible.) As the author jumps back and forth in time, you can sense the build-up that will link the three main characters in ways that they never imagined being linked.

Revolting. Again, without giving away too much detail from the book I can't say much about this. But know this: It takes a lot to "shock" me. I was shocked by what I read in parts of this book. I chose the word "revolting" because "disgusting" just wasn't strong enough.

So read this book if you enjoy intense, gruesome, suspenseful, revolting reads. But like I've told friends of mine: I can not be held responsible. Read at your own risk.

LOVED this book.
”

Jody Porter wrote this review Thursday, April 10 2008. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 5 stars

“Not only did this book change the way that I approach fiction; it changed the way I approach faith. Quite simply, and as non-hyperbolic as can be said: This is the best book I have ever read. Highly recommended. ”

Jody Porter wrote this review Monday, March 31 2008. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 4 stars

“Really enjoyed this book. At the time I read it, I had no idea who James Scott Bell was. Didn't know anything about his background and previous writing. That said, it was SO refreshing to read a story that is NOT a religious story, but like another reviewer said, did NOT resort to smut to make a point. I plan on reading more from this author.”

Jody Porter wrote this review Thursday, March 27 2008. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 5 stars

“This stand-alone from Box has made my list of "Favorites". Great characters, great setting (I LOVE the western settings, and Box describes it better than most), and the plot moves along at a breath-taking pace. I love how he reveals things to the audience, but writes the next chapter seemingly as clueless to the revelations as the main characters. Hard to pull that off. HIGHLY recommended reading. ”

Jody Porter wrote this review Thursday, March 20 2008. ( reply | permalink )

1 of 1 members found this review helpful.

• Rated 2 stars

“"Disturbing" is a good word to describe this book. I didn't really like any of the characters. (I don't think you HAVE to like characters to enjoy a book, though.) I didn't enjoy the plot. I didn't enjoy the author's (through the narrator) views of life in the south. (VERY stereo-typical. I sensed at times that if you happen to have kids and live in the town in which you grew up, the author pities you. Too bad.) I kept expecting a twist. Thusly, the ending felt rather flat. I'll read more from this author, as I found the writing to be of a high caliber. I hope for a better story, however. ”

Jody Porter wrote this review Tuesday, March 11 2008. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 5 stars

“What a great book! I read the complaints of some members here, and see similar complaints in reviews elsewhere, and they make sense. For me, however, the plot far overshadowed any of these. If the characters had done what they SHOULD have done at certain times, it wouldn't have been as good of a story. I like it when an author takes that license and will freely ADMIT such (I've read an interview somewhere where Mr. Lavender did just that.) The best thing about this book, IMO, is how it stays with you. I find myself looking at national events, local events, events at work, etc., and wondering just who's pulling the strings and just who are the puppets. If Mr. Lavender's goal was to have readers up at night, walking the halls while scratching their chins trying to figure out what's going to happen next...well, mission accomplished. I recommend this book. ”

Jody Porter wrote this review Tuesday, March 18 2008. ( reply | permalink )