All articles filed in Fiction

Jamie Ford’s Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet travels back in time to “The War Years,” as Henry, the main character, calls them.  He was born and raised in Seattle; however, he is clearly Chinese, which makes him the recipient of endless taunting by his fellow students at the white prep school he attends…

This book is very upfront about the fact that Jodi kills her husband.  It tells you right from the outset.  The rest of the book alternates between his and her perspectives to determine if the killing was warranted.  Todd cheats on Jodi all the time so Jodi seems in the right…but she knows he cheats…

Megan Abbott’s “Dare Me” allows you to perch on the bleachers to view the dark inner world of high school cheerleading.  This is “Heathers” kind of dark.  Addy has always been happy to play second fiddle to her best friend Beth.  Beth rules the school and has a knack for crafting the perfect insult, the…

Silver is a washed up musician.  After making it big as part of a one-hit-wonder band, he now lives in the only apartment building in his suburban town along with other sad, middle aged, divorced men.  He has made a mess of his life with no dating prospects and no relationship with his 18-year old…

John Green’s novel is pure Young Adult fiction.  It is written from the perspective of a 16-year old and the language is thus attainable…to a degree.  You’ll find plenty of “whatever”s and other teen speak, but you’ll also find a number of words the book’s intended teen audience will only recognize if they are heavily…

The Divergent series has taken the world by storm.  Well, it has taken the teen world by storm.  Once again, I gave in and read a Young Adult novel series.  I’m still proud that I resisted Twilight, but I can’t make fun because I loved the Hunger Games.  Veronica Roth’s series was the latest sensation…

“The Paris Wife” is a work of historical fiction that brings Ernest Hemingway’s first marriage to life in Jazz age Paris.  It paints the picture of Hemingway as a rabble-rouser and charming as hell.  Hadley Richardson, his first wife, is a quiet girl about eight years his senior whose previous life was incredibly different from…

In terms of storytelling, Beautiful Ruins goes backwards, forwards, and sideways.  We start in the early 60s in an Italian fishing town so small the locals assume people only show up there by mistake (they do).  Pasquale Tursi runs the small inn on the island and is in awe of Dee, the American actress staying in…

Youthful friendships are a tricky thing.  Sometimes the bonds are formed before the personalities fully develop.  But when the friendships are made during the peak of adolescence, they are often nearly impossible to break – these are the only friends who can understand what it’s like in those moments when you are just discovering what…