Thursday, March 31, 2011

One Day by David Nicholls - Book Review

One DayOne Day by David Nicholls

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


I don't read much chick lit anymore, so I thought this would be a nice departure from the heavier things I've been reading lately. The book was an easy, quick read and it had a unique format which I enjoyed. But I can't say the same about the content or the characters.

One of the main characters, Emma, was mostly likable in that she was smart, responsible, and caring. But what frustrated me about her was that she seemed to spend more time feeling bad about her circumstances than she did changing them. The other main character, Dexter, was nothing more than a selfish, egotistical a-hole who took his friendship with Emma for granted.

I can't say much more about my opinion of the book without giving away some of what happens, but I'll just say that I wasn't sure until the end whether I was going to like it or not. And it turned out that I was disappointed.



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Tuesday, March 1, 2011

The Suicide Shop by Jean Teule - Book Review

The Suicide ShopThe Suicide Shop by Jean Teule

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Without a doubt, this is the weirdest book I have ever read. The Tuvache family reminded me very much of the Addams Family, or even the family who parodied them, the Munsters. Their idea of "normal" is very different from most. They live in a dark world, many years in the future, when it rains sulphuric acid and suicide is not only common, but accepted. The Tuvache family runs The Suicide Shop, where they sell paraphanalia to patrons who want to end their lives. They sell anything from poisons to nooses. Lucrece and Mishima have 3 children - Vincent, Marilyn and Alan. Vincent and Marilyn are "normal", in that they never smile, are always depressed, and have a very dark outlook on life. It is their youngest son, Alan, who worries them with his smiles, laughter, singing and happiness. His mother worries: Is he contagious?

The Suicide Shop is the most unique story I've ever read. Though the content sounds disturbing, the book was surprisingly funny and enjoyable to read.



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