My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult

This is the story of a family at a turning point in its life. The main character was conceived to be a donor of blood cells and bone marrow for her sister, who has leukemia. She has accepted this role until now- she is 13 and wants to find out who she is, apart from her sister. It is a powerful story told in present time over a few days in the characters lives and in flash backs. The story unfolds through the eyes of the parents, siblings, a lawyer and a court appointed guardian. It shows that every story, fiction or not, has many sides- nothing is black and white, simply right or wrong. It made me think of the complex stories we never hear behind the news reports we see on TV and in the paper. The ending took me by surprise (and made me cry), but was the perfect ironic twist.

Janice Dumas, Maple Ridge

The Series of Unfortunate Events #13: The End by Lemony Snicket

"...Of course, it is quite possible to be in the dark in the dark, as well as to be not in the dark not in the dark,...whether you are in the dark in the dark or not in the dark not in the dark, although the sun can go down so quickly that you may be in the dark about being in the dark in the dark,..."

Funny and witty as ever, Lemony Snicket does not disappoint. When you finish all 14 (!) chapters, even if you were reading the ill-fated measures of the Baudelaire orphans in your cozy, well-lit bedroom, sipping on hot cocoa from your favourite mug, or outside your sunny garden surrounded by the cheerful chirping of happy songbirds you still will be in the dark not in the dark. However you will find out what had happened to Olaf, who Beatrice was, and if the Baudelaires had survived.

As Mr. Snicket promised in the first sentence of the first chapter of the first book, the unfortunate events never end.

Orsolya Matusek, White Rock


The Black Tattoo by Sam Enthoven

The book started out leaving quite a few questions without answers, you don't know who any of the characters are or what is happening. As the book progresses these questions are answered and the story begins to unfold. The main characters, Charlie and Jack, start out in London as normal teenagers, with normal problems; But soon that changes when they meet a man and Charlie begins to learn how to use magic. Uncovering the life's works of an ancient Brotherhood created to keep a demon from escaping, they team up with the Brotherhood's last member Esme to try to battle the demon, even as it is beginning to possess Charlie.
On a journey to hell and back-literally- they meet a cast of characters and battle their own fear and weaknesses to discover what truly needs to be done. Some parts of the book are confusing, and there are still some questions at the end which aren't fully explained, but overall it was a great read. The characters had depth and acted realistically in a variety of situations. The plot had good continuity and made sense overall, in spite of the small sections where things got crazy, or bits were left out. I wouldn't recommend this book for younger readers as some of the subject matter is difficult to comprehend and mild language and violence also play roles. For young adults, this book is great! Long and interesting with a bit of darkness.

Darryl Pogue, Maple Ridge

Strange Piece of Paradise by Terri Jentz.

In the summer of 1977 Terri Jentz and her university roommate set off to travel across America, via the bicentennial bike trail. Due to exhaustion they stop to camp for the night at Cline Falls Park, Oregon. As they slept, a man ran over their tent and then proceeded to attack them with an axe. Both survived the horrific attack but no one was ever arrested. This story follows Terri's visit back to Oregon 15 years later to find out the truth behind her attack, which leads to a series of investigations into her attempted murder. Slowly she learns she's not alone in the devastation of the crime and injustice that took place that summer. But that the communities surrounding the area had also felt a tragic involvement in her story, ultimately leading her to the identity of her attacker. This is a story of a woman's inner journey through violence and hope to find the truth. From her description of the night that changed her life to the raw emotion that is carried on throughout the entire book, you become consumed with her story.

Danielle Hinchberger, White Rock

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan , Lisa See

Lily and Snow Flower are young women in rural China two hundred years ago. Pledged to be life-long friends, they communicate with the secret written language shared only between women. Their tightly conscribed lives, due in large part to their foot binding, are lived mostly upstairs in the women's rooms. Like The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, Snow Flower and the Secret Fan gives us a glimpse into a time and place so very different from our own. This novel has been hugely popular with independent booksellers across North America - and with good cause. Christine

 

Water for Elephants Sara Gruen

I also finished Water For Elephants, I really enjoyed it. I would have liked to see more character development with August, as well as a more steady progression of the feelings building between Jacob and Marlena; it was easy to see how much he cared for her but aside from the shy and awkward encounters between them it was hard to see her feelings. Maybe that was the point...just to show how terrified she actually was of August. In anycase, I finished the book wanting a Polish speaking elephant to do my evil bidding (just kidding).

 

 

Children of the Day , Sandra Birdsell

Set in Manitoba in June 1953, this is the story of a single day in a large rural family. Sara is Mennonite and Oliver is Métis - and their marriage is volatile. Seen through the eyes of many of their ten children, Children of the Day loosely follows her previous novel The Russlander, and is based in part on the true story of Sandra Birdsell's own family.
Christine