Monday, January 7, 2013

Review: The Burgess Boys By: Elizabeth Strout

The Burgess BoysThe Burgess Boys by Elizabeth Strout
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

To be fair, I think that 3 1/2 stars would be more accurate.

Welcome to the story of Jim, Bob, and Susan Burgess. Growing up in a small town in Maine with a tragedy upon their heads of their father's death brings their adulthood to a standstill when Susan's son is in legal trouble.
Both Burgess boys escaped to New York, one with high profile clients, the other legal aid - one with 30 years of marriage but deep dark secrets that eat away at him every day and the other with a guilt that has left him with broken relationships and a broken life. Now that their nephew is in trouble they must go back to where they come from knowing they never truly escaped.
So many characters come into play and although they can make brief appearances within the book, they also show the haunting and actions of the Burgess family and how they affect everyone around them. I found the characters development through situations very enlightening and found them to be very human and vulnerable.
A family so raw, so pained comes off the page and hits the reader's compassion and anger all at once.

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Review: Falling Kingdoms By: Morgan Rhodes

Falling Kingdoms (Falling Kingdoms, #1)Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

In the world of Mytica three kingdoms rule. The Kindred Stones have been lost for generations, the Watchers hide within the Sanctuary (which through the generations and lost stones have caused a slow death), the stars prediction of one that will come and hold the sorcery of the four elements, each kingdom having some sort of problem all collide at the moment a wineseller's son is murdered by a Lord of another country.
Rich in characters, minor and major with three dimensional writing, come off the page, the lands of Turanos, Palasia, and Limeros also come alive. A great story of the legend is held within the storyline and just when you think you can predict - you are surprised.
A wonderful fantasy novel that you won't want to put down.

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Review: Blood Magic By: Tessa Gratton

Blood Magic (The Blood Journals, #1)Blood Magic by Tessa Gratton
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A mysterious book arrives on the doorstep of Drusilla Kennicott months after her parents deaths. This book will cause Silla to question her father and everything/everyone she knows. It came with a letter from a person named The Deacon.
With flashes into a diary from the past and the book in her possession all lines intersect for her, her family, and her new neighbor Nicholas Pardee. Evil lurks and wants the power and secrets within the book and will not stop at anything to get it.
I think I really wanted to like this book, but could not feel the depth of the characters in it or their problems. It is an interesting storyline, but it could not carry the book itself.

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