Cassandra
I bought this book to read on our trip to Japan, but that trip was postponed. Instead, I read it on my flight to Taiwan! I read about 75% of it on the plane and finished it up the day after I arrived. It was a fast read with some familiar characters. I sort of liked the story of Gamache and his son Daniel, though I thought the resolution was a little quick. An interesting mystery but I had a hard time following the thought process as the crime was solved. It was different from Gamache's normal murder investigations. Good book for a flight!
I feel bad giving this book a two star rating because it's my first book by the author and the series was recommended by a friend. However, I had to force myself to finish. Knowing that Hooked was supposed to be a Peter Pan retelling, I decided to read Peter Pan first. After finishing Peter Pan, I immediately started reading Hooked and was really confused. The back cover said that it's a retelling of Peter Pan, but I didn't really feel it. Peter Pan himself was a narcissistic child who couldn't be bothered about anyone else. There was zero character growth through the entire novel. Hooked, however, showed some character growth in both Cecily (the equivalent of Wendy) and Falstone (Peter Pan).
The story arcs in Peter Pan and Hooked are nothing alike. Peter Pan is a collection of adventures whereas Hooked is a romance story with a horrible villain.
My rating is partly due to misplaced expectations due to the cover blurb and partly due to frustration with all the characters. Cecily kept saying she didn't want to grow up but she was growing up. She just didn't trust men (I don't view trust issues due to trauma as the same thing as an outright refusal to grow up). Falstone also said he wasn't growing up but he was already a responsible adult with firm moral beliefs (the polar opposite of Peter Pan). Maybe I would have enjoyed the novel more if it hadn't been marketed as a Peter Pan retelling. I kept noticing differences between the two novels and I hated Peter Pan. So I went into Hooked with a bad impression.
I feel like the odd man out because I didn't like Peter Pan. I've seen several film adaptations (including the play with Mary Martin) but wanted to read the source material. In a way, I'm glad I read it even if I didn't like it. Peter is a selfish bully who never grows up physically or emotionally. He treats other people like garbage who only serve his own selfish purposes. He shows no remorse over any of his actions regardless of how badly others were hurt. I was hoping for some redemption at the end of the story but there was nothing. I couldn't believe how Wendy at the end of the novel let her own daughter go off with Peter Pan knowing full well that Peter couldn't even be trusted to remember that his companions exist! I always want some sort of character arc and was severely disappointed. Yes, I did read a short synopsis about the author himself and why he wrote this story. It made me feel more sympathetic to the author but not the novel.
Division of Responsibility:
Parents decide three things: the when, where, and what of feeding.
Children decide how much and if they will eat from what is provided.
“Children want to grow up to be like their parents. They want to learn to be capable adults, and they have an innate, or internal, drive to do that. They try on your shoes, put on your makeup, want to drive a car, and pick themselves up over and over again then they are learning to walk. Eating is no different. Even with challenges, children want to learn to grow up and eat the foods the family eats. This drive to grow up and be capable, called ‘internal motivation,' comes from within the child, and it is a powerful force. It is your best ally in helping your child become a competent eater.
When the motivation exists in a natural setting - one in which the child has a desire to succeed rather than senses he is being pushed or feels he has to comply or lose face to make progress - it can work wonders. You can't replace internal motivation with therapy, praise, or stickers. For many children, external rewards and pressure undermine and hinder the true, deep motivation to grow up and be capable” (70).
It was ok. I was really struggling to keep track of the insurance company's theories and discussions. Between the insurance and medical terminology, I was a bit lost! Unfortunately, the mystery or writing themselves couldn't make up for my confusion. Not sure if I'll try another by this author even if the book cover does claim she's America's Agatha Christie!
I've been reading all of the Gamache novels in order. I saw that there is a 6.5 novel in the series and put it on hold at my library. When I picked it up, I was flabbergasted. I was expecting a novella but I wasn't expecting a large print early reader. I had no idea that this book was part of a literacy project aimed at adult non-readers. Like most other readers, I was anticipating a mini Gamache novel and got... not that.
For non-readers, it's likely fantastic. The print is large and easy to read. The story is much more straightforward and felt like an easy win.
For Gamache fans, this was terrible. It lacked substance. It did an injustice to Gamache and other beloved characters. It just didn't feel right. The tone was off. I wish the author had written something entirely new instead of trying to introduce Gamache to non-readers. It's highly unlikely they would read this book and then dive into the rest of the series. It's a huge literacy jump from this to the rest.
Oh, well. Back to the library this goes and I'm currently waiting for book 7 to come available.
I couldn't decide between a two or a three star rating for this book. I did stick with it and finish the entire thing but I was furious with the ending. The setting was gritty and the events were depressing (which makes sense given the pandemic and the collapse of society). The love story was ok. But that ending!
This book makes Biblical history come alive.
Favorite quotes -
“He created Eve to be Adam's helper. And He gave you to me when I was all alone. Do you know what that word helper really means?... It means so much more than simply baking my bread and sharing my bed. Moses used the same word to describe what God does for us. ‘He is your shield and helper and your glorious sword'” (143).
“That's why we have an altar and daily sacrifices, so we'll have a way to come to the Holy One and ask for forgiveness. That's why our word for sacrifice also means to come near - to have a close relationship with someone” (293).
“You've found joy because you're doing God's word. And I'm trying to tell you that I've found joy, too. Because it we obey God, then our lives do have meaning, even if all He asks us to do is cook lentils and raise children” (394).
My 20-year-old self would have adored this book. My 39-year-old married self was a bit... eh. I chose Paper Hearts to read around Valentine's Day because I needed something sweet after reading Eye of the World (WoT) and a murder mystery.
I could have liked either the main female or the main male character on their own. However, the two of them together drove me up the wall. They were both just SO indecisive. After awhile, it felt wishy-washy and weak.
But yes, the love story is cute. I'd love to visit Loves Park and enjoy the local coffee shop and the bookstore.
So... I didn't love this book as much as I loved book four. But I still couldn't put it down. Mainly, I was angry at the ending, though I understand why it turned out the way it did. When you fall in love with a group of characters, you don't want any of them to have a truly dark side. Struggles, yes. But giving in to their dark side? Please, no.
Favorite quotes -
“Most unhappiness comes from not being able to sit quietly in a room” (219).
“Where there is love there is courage,
where there is courage there is peace,
where there is peace there is God.
And when you have God, you have everything” (313).
The next book is ready to pick up from the library and I am thrilled I can read it shortly.
I kept hearing that book four is where this series really takes off. I can't speak to any of the books later in the series, but book four itself was FANTASTIC. Gamache has always seemed like a well-rounded character but this book really brings him to life. The inter-personal relationships are extremely three dimensional and true to life. Love, love, love him! He's quickly becoming one of my favorite literary detectives. I can't wait to read book five!
While A Fatal Grace wasn't as enjoyable as the first book, I still couldn't put it down and am eagerly awaiting book three from the library. Book one felt like the mystery version of Karon's Mitford series. The second book was about the same group of characters but lacked some of the warmth from the first novel. I couldn't put my finger on the difference but I had a different emotional response to this book. I still suspect Gamache might become one of my favorite literary detectives!
I love the Norths! This book has already left me chuckling several times (I'm only on page 49). The Aunt is just hilarious and her interactions with Pam are super amusing.
Update - I finished reading Hanged for a Sheep and loved it! I'm slowly making my way through the entire North series. Well worth a read!
I recently had the opportunity to browse a library for the first time since covid started. Bliss! I spent about 20 minutes perusing the shelves and picked up four books at random. I didn't even consult Goodreads before selecting my books, just pulled out whatever spine looked interesting, skimmed the back cover, and then made a quick decision. Interestingly enough, three of the four novels I brought home were about books.
This book grabbed my attention because it's about a woman going through some difficult transitions in life. She joins a book club and the members are challenged to pick a book that matters the most to them. I would have SUCH a hard time just picking one! (I'd probably pick Little Women). These book club members would read the book that matters most to another member and discuss why it made such an impact on their lives. It's character development, my favorite part of novels!
Well, I read to page 122 and then dropped it. Sex, sex, sex. I was getting so frustrated with characters jumping into bed with random people. Why? Yes, some people do make this decision. But every single main character in the novel? It frustrated me and felt gratuitous. I skimmed a few Goodreads reviews to find out if the story arc would be redemptive but it sounds like people were frustrated with an unbelievable ending. If that's the case, it's not worth it to me to keep reading about affairs.
Such a bummer, because I really am interested in the book that matters most.
I found this book at the library on a shelf devoted to “holiday reads.” While it wasn't exactly cozy (calling parents “the ‘rents” drives me crazy), it was an easy beach read and I spent the entire novel trying to figure out who committed the murder. My guess at the end was incorrect but I felt like all the clues were there and I should have been able to determine the culprit. Oh well!
I thoroughly enjoyed this Miss Maple installment! The mystery was interesting, the characters were three dimensional, and I was surprised by the ending!
My favorite quote -
“The new world was the same as the old. The houses were different, the streets were called Closes, the clothes were different, the voices were different, but the human beings were the same as they always had been. And though using slightly different phraseology, the subjects of conversation were the same” (14).
This was a recurring theme through the novel. The surface characteristics of people and places may have been different than earlier generations but the foundations were always the same. People still acted with similar motivations and beliefs even though their style of dress or conversational slang had changed. The novel was a basic study in human nature.
I love how versatile Agatha Christie was. Prior to this book, I read a modern mystery of hers. Now all of a sudden I'm thrown back several thousand years to Ancient Egypt. There was no actual detective. Instead, each member of a specific family tried to determine who in their household was murdering the family one by one. A great bedtime read!