Book Review- Molly Prentiss' Tuesday Nights in 1980

Thank you to Gallery/Scout Press for providing me with an advanced copy of Molly Prentiss' novel, Tuesday Nights in 1980, in exchange for an honest review.

PLOT- In her debut novel, Tuesday Nights in 1980, Molly Prentiss takes us to the vibrant art scene in New York city. Raul Engales is a young, talented painter and recent expat from Argentina, leaving behind a sister and nephew in an increasingly dangerous country. Raul meets Lucy Ollaison, a small town girl with a passion for art, who has moved to New York on a whim. James Bennett does not possess a physical talent for art, but his unique eye and perspectives have turned him into a respected art critic. In the span of one year, these characters will have their lives intersect in an unlikely way, altering their futures.

LIKE- Tuesday Nights in 1980 is a utterly surprising read. I don't want to risk spoilers, but know that it was impossible to predict the plot turns and overall story arc. Prentiss has created memorable characters that feel so much like real people. I kept forgetting that I was reading fiction, rather than a non-fiction account of the 80's art scene. To be fair, Prentiss does sprinkle the story with real people from the era. If you're knowledgable about art from that era, you'll get a kick out of the references. 

Besides creating a compelling story and rich characters, Prentiss is a stunning writer. She's the type of writer, where I really had to slow myself down to appreciate her gorgeous prose. New York City is a character, and she has a way of writing about the city that encompasses all that is wondrous, gritty, and beautiful. Besides the city, she has the art world providing great material for lush, and occasionally unusual descriptive prose. Tuesday Nights in 1980 is a visual feast. My imagination was working overtime to process it all. It's overwhelming in the best way possible.

DISLIKE- Nothing. 

RECOMMEND- Yes!!! Tuesday Nights in 1980 will be a book that everyone is talking about in 2016. Prentiss is a fantastic writer and I'm looking forward to her future works.  

Book Review-Lisa Beazley's Keep Me Posted

Thank You to Berkley Publishing Group for providing me with an advanced copy of Lisa Beazley's Novel, Keep Me Posted, in exchange for an honest review. 

PLOT - Close as children, sisters, Cassie and Sid have grown apart as adults. Cassie lives in New York with her young twins and husband. She is struggling with her floundering marriage and wondering if she is cut out to be a mother. Sid's husband's job has taken the family to Singapore. On the surface, it looks like Sid is living the life in luxury in a fabulous apartment with live in help, but in reality, her marriage is also on the rocks. 

At a family gathering during Christmas, the sisters hatch a plan to reconnect through snail-mail letter writing. The sisters soon find themselves not only reconnecting, but also sharing secrets that they may not have had the guts to reveal in person. This is wonderful, until a mistake causes their letters and very personal thoughts, to be shared with strangers.

LIKE- When I was in high school and college, email was around, but not widely used, I wrote letters to everyone. I still have a plastic box filled with letters that I received from friends and family. Keep Me Posted reminded me of the joys of letter writing. E-mail really isn't the same. I loved Beazley's concept of having these two sisters reconnect via letters. I'm in the same age group as Cassie and Sid, so this idea very much spoke to me and my experience.

I don't want to give away any details, but there is shift mid-way through the book that took me by surprise. It actually had me talking aloud to the characters- "oh no", "stop, don't do that." This gut level reaction made me realize that I was invested in the characters.

Beazley has done a great job at creating realistic and relatable characters. These women, especially Cassie, are not perfect. They make mistakes and their lives feel very real. Beazley writes in a way that makes me feel like these characters are people that I know, like I'm hearing the story from a friend. I admire her ability to write with such a natural ease. It's easy to imagine myself in similar situations as Cassie and Sid, even the cringe-worthy moments. 

DISLIKE- Truthfully, I liked the book very much until the end. The very end of the story was satisfying, but the twenty-thirty pages leading up to the very, where Cassie's situation is unresolved, didn't work for me. The situation gets dragged out too long and feels unnatural.

RECOMMEND- Yes. Keep Me Posted is a quick- paced, enjoyable read. Beazley has created characters that are engaging and relatable. I wouldn't label this story as light-hearted, but it does strike a good balance between life's deep and sweet moments. It's a rollercoaster ride.  

Book Review-Jules Smith's Sophie's Throughway

Thank You to Troubador Publishing for providing me with an advanced copy of Jules Smith's novel, Sophie's Throughway, in exchange for an honest review.

PLOT- Sophie Rhodes is leading a very stressful life. Her oldest child, Brendon is on the cusp of finishing high school, if he doesn't get kicked out first. Brendon has been diagnosed with both Aspergers and Pathological Demand Avoidance. His behavior is unpredictable and difficult to control, often dangerous. Sophie fears that her younger child, Bryony, could be in danger when Brendon lashes out, or at the very least, isn't getting the attention that she needs. Sophie's husband Karl is fed up and bails on the family. Can Sophie hold down her job, manage life as a single-mother, and get Brendon to graduate, before she has a nervous break down?

LIKE- The set up with the family dynamic is strong and compelling. It's easy to feel for the Rhodes family as they struggle to deal with Brendon's mental imbalance. Bryony, the child stuck in the middle of all of this madness might be the most sympathetic character. I think it would have been even more compelling, if the story had included her POV and not just Sophie's. 

DISLIKE- Although technically all of the story elements were there, Sophie's Throughway fell flat. Although I have empathy for Sophie's situation, she's not a compelling lead character. A majority of the story, she is passive, it carries on for so long, that when she finally takes action, I'm not moved. It's tough to keep interest when the main character is a doormat.

Another problem is the plot. There is a side story involving Sophie's love life. She's flirting with a mysterious stranger on "Words with Friends" and she becomes involved with her soon-to-be-former boss. The love story is secondary to the family drama, but the problem is it's never fully developed and then it fizzles. It's not satisfying. The story ends on a upbeat, but it doesn't make me feel like issues have been resolved. This story is slice-of-life, but it doesn't quite work as such.

My anticipations were off. In the beginning, I thought Sophie's Throughway would take a much darker twist, as there was a build surrounding Brendon's violent tendencies. This is the whole, "if you show a gun on stage, it better go off" principal. The idea was introduced, but never developed. The tone is actually more chick-lit, and in-line with the book cover art.

RECOMMEND- No. I think that Jules Smith is a good writer, but Sophie's Throughway is not a good novel. It's messy and underwhelming. The only people that I'd recommend it to are parents/siblings/et, of children with Aspergers, as they might find it relatable.