Book Review - Fredrik Backman's A Man Called Ove

Prior to our 2015 summer vacation in Europe, I headed to Vroman's Bookstore to find some physical books to supplement my Kindle library for our trip. I mean, what if the Kindle broke or the battery died? I can't face being bookless. The horror!

So, I was browsing at Vroman's and Fredrik Backman's A Man Called Ove called out to me.

Basically, it had a cat on the cover. How could I resist?

 However, I also discovered that the author is Swedish and as I was vacationing with my Swedish step-children, this was kismet. 

PLOT-  What is the root of pessimism? Ove is a grump. He's nearly sixty, a widower and his greatest enjoyment is policing his housing estate. Ove has decided that he is ready to leave this world. Unfortunately, the world is not ready to let Ove go. Every time he tries to commit suicide, his plans are thwarted by needy neighbors, including a mangy, stray cat. Will his neighbors make Ove realize that he is a vital part of their community or will he succeed in his wishes?

LIKE - Even with dark themes like loneliness and suicide, A Man Called Ove, is absolutely hilarious and utterly charming. I dare you to read this book and not fall in love with Ove or his neighbors. The story unfolds slowly, peeling back the layers to discover the root of Ove's pessimism. Backman handles the reveal with pitch perfect pacing, allowing the reader to fully absorb the scope of Ove's life. 

You will cry. Buckets.

A Man Called Ove is incredibly moving and poignant. I'm a fast reader and I had to force myself to slow down to take in the heft and impact of this story. This is a story of the power of community and the need to let people into your life, however I had the funny experience of wishing that I was reading this book alone, not while on a packed cruise ship. I guess it's hard to experience powerful emotions while around other people, even if that is what this story is promoting. I hope this will be made into a movie, as I love the cathartic experience of crying in a theatre, where you are both alone and surrounded by people. 

Ove is not the only memorable character. In Ove's backstory we learn about his wife, Sonja, who loves him warts and all. She is his ideal companion and a strong woman. We also meet Anita and Rune, their neighbors, with whom Ove has done battle over the years. Most endearing is Parvaneh, who has just moved to town with her husband and children. Parvaneh's family needs a lot of help and they don't seem to understand personal boundaries with new acquaintances, which is exactly what Ove doesn't want, yet desperately needs. The burst into his life with an utter lack of awareness that is both irritating and charming.

DISLIKE- Nothing at all. A Man Called Ove isn't just one of the best books that I've read this year, it is one of the best books that I've ever read. Truly and I don't throw that around lightly. I've enthusiastically recommended it to several friends and will continue to do so.

RECOMMEND - Don't hesitate, go read A Man Called Ove immediately. I left my copy in the library of Royal Caribbean's The Explorer of the Seas, in hopes that it will be enjoyed by many people. This is such a beautiful story with memorable characters and it will not leave readers unaffected. 

Book Review - Elise A. Miller's Star Craving Mad

Last year, I participated in the BookSparks annual summer reading challenge. This year, I found my "book- plate" to be too full to take on the challenge, but I was excited to read Elise A. Miller's Star Craving Mad, which is part of the 2015 challenge. Thank You to SparkPress for an advanced copy of Miller's novel, in exchange for an honest review.

PLOT - Maddy Braverman is a first grade teacher at an elite private school in Manhattan. Single and lonely, Maddy straddles between setting an example as a wholesome teacher and hitting the New York dating scene. Her world is turned upside down when the school year begins and she has a new student, Lola, the daughter of A-List celebrities, Nic and Shelby Sebolt. Maddy begins to fantasize about hunky Nic, who is not only married, but seems otherworldly. She is rocked to the core to discover that Nic is more attainable than she imagined and before she knows it, she is caught up in a love affair and thrown into Nic's celebrity lifestyle. Maddy is uneasy about her secret life, especially when she realizes that the fallout would affect not only Lola, but also Maddy's friends and family, including her free-spiritied and handsome teaching assistant, James.

LIKE - For starters, what a great title. I love the play on words and it perfectly sums up Maddy's behavior while she is having an affair with Nic. The themes in Star Craving Mad are engaging. The story fulfills that part of me that loves to read about celebrities and the crazy rich, so it was entertaining to see this behind the curtains look through Maddy's eyes. However, the flip-side of Star Craving Mad, is it's a story with heart. Although Maddy is having an affair with a married man, we see her going through the conflicting emotions and ultimately, we root for her to make better choices. She's a likable protagonist and as she interacts with the children in her classroom, there is an element of sweetness and innocence add to the story that gave me the warm fuzzies. 

DISLIKE - My interest in the story waned the last third of the book. I think it may be that Maddy took so much crap for so long, that it was getting to be a drag. I regained interest in the story at the very end when she had her redemption. It was a satisfying ending. 

RECOMMEND -  Star Craving Mad is an enjoyable chick-lit, summer type of read. I enjoyed it, but I'm not sure that in the grand scheme of my "Books Read in 2015" it will remembered. It provided a good escapist read while on my summer vacation. 

Book Review- Celeste Ng's Everything I Never Told You

Prior to my summer vacation, I went book shopping at Vroman's and Celeste Ng's novel, Everything I Never Told You, caught my eye. I read it during our cruise and I donated my copy to the library on Royal Caribbean International's Explorer of the Seas. The library on the ship only had two shelves of books and the space was mostly used as a hangout for wayward teenagers. It was very pitiful. Future cruisers, bring books to leave and reclaim the quiet space!

PLOT - Set in the 1970's, Everything I Never Told You, kicks off with the death of high school student, Lydia Lee. Lydia went missing and has turned up in a nearby lake, apparently the victim of a drowning, although foul play has not been ruled out. Ng's story is told in a close third person perspective, drifting from Lydia's family members, as they all come to terms with her death and try to understand her life. 

LIKE - The element of Ng's story that really popped for me was the way that she used perspective. As a writer, I sometimes find perspective to be a challenge and Ng handles this masterfully. The story floats between various characters and the distance is constantly rushing forward and pulling back. This works so well with both the theme of water and the idea of never truly knowing another person. Lydia is a character that puts on a different mask for each person that she knows, making for extremes in the way that each character perceives her and tries to make sense of her death. Thematically, Everything I Never Told You, reminds me very much of one of my favorite novels, Jeffrey Eugenides' The Virgin Suicides. 

Ng's story is layered with other themes that add to the complexity. Lydia and her siblings are half Caucasian and half Chinese living in a suburban community in America in the 1970's. They struggle with both their identity and fitting in with the kids in their community. Lydia's mother grapples with giving up her career dreams to raise a family and as a result, she pushes all of her aspirations on an unwilling Lydia. The members of the Lee family are all living very private and isolated lives beneath the surface, as they try keeping up the facade of being a happy family.

DISLIKE- Nothing. This is a complex and fascinating story that is beautifully written by Ng.

RECOMMEND- Absolutely! Everything I Never Told You is an affecting read ( although, maybe a little dark for a vacation pick!) and I look forward to future efforts by Ng.