Werewolves Synopsis: (From Amazon.com)
From ancient legend to pop-culture icon, from monster to antihero, here is a complete look at werewolves. Fans of the complex beasts will howl with pleasure at this passionate handbook incorporating legend, lore, trivia and art. Author Jon Izzard stalks both the fiction and the facts: transformations, inner rage, extra-human strength, silver bullets, mysterious curses, modern cures and more. With werewolves’ now haunting movie screens and literature the way they have haunted our nightmares for millennia, readers won't wait for the full moon to devour this fascinating volume.

Vampires Synopsis: (From Amazon.com) Dangerous yet seductive, the vampire plays with our heart as he preys with our soul, commanding respect and inspiring complete devotion.For anyone touched by the vampire's flight through recent movies, TV shows and novels, here is a feast of vampire stories and lore. Charting the development of the vampire from prince of pure evil to poignant anti-hero, the VAMPIRE HANDBOOK, is a comprehensive guide to the vampire's nocturnal realm, exploring the dark mysteries of his eternal allure, irresistible charm and vulnerability.

Review: Both of these books have mega info on the legends surrounding Vampires and Werewolves. Some of the Vampire legends in the book I’ve never heard of, the legend of Lilith in Vampires was very creepy and comes out of the Gnostic Gospels….(eck!) The savvy writing wove between the historical legends and pop culture movies and graphic pictures will for sure be a great treasure on any Vampire or Werewolf fan's shelf!! You can spend hours combing over these action packed full of everything you ever wanted to know about your favorite monster..........



To celebrate 75 followers I will be giving away my copy of Werewolves and also a copy of Never Cry Werewolf by Heather Davis
Contest ends November 15th 2009. Contest is open to everyone...To enter please comment and leave your email.……..


 
Good Luck and Happy reading..........Tina

Fifteen-year old Liz has found herself in ELSEWHERE after dying in a bicycle hit and run accident. After taking a long ride on the SS Nile, Liz has finally realized that she's not in a dream after all, but really, truly dead..................

So I will review this book in two short and sweet sections: one as a reviewer and one on a personal note. We begin with the death and funeral of Liz told through the perspective of her dog Lucy. When Liz wakes she finds herself on the SS Nile a grand ship taking her to Elsewhere (the afterlife or Heaven of the books story). When she arrives in Elsewhere, she meets her maternal grandmother, Betty, for the very first time, a woman who died at fifty from breast cancer. Liz shortly realizes she'll never be sixteen, never have a Massachusetts driver's license, never go to the prom or graduate from high school or go to college or get married. She will live here in Elsewhere aging backwards until infancy and be sent down the river back to earth to be reborn. In the beginning or shall I say at the end of Liz’s life she is angry, sad and very depressed. She doesn’t want to be in Elsewhere she wants to go home, back to her parents, her brother and friends. Soon though after her depression passes Liz embraces her new life, gets a job learns to speak to dogs and even falls in love. The writing was simple and sweet and the characters held humor and wit.

And there you have my critique on the writing and backdrop of the story…..so now on to my personal thoughts on Elsewhere: I didnt like it.......At all.....not even the funny stuff made it a good read for me.



Well if you live on the planet Tron I’d say this book is right up your ally. Otherwise this highly unbelievable outtake on life after death is a load of bull. Had the story taken me longer than the hour and a half I spent reading it I probably would have tossed it across the room. I personally do not believe in reincarnation nor can I enjoy a book about a Heaven that runs exactly like Earth with pain and anger, sadness and sickness. I can’t believe (even for fiction) there is pain or suffering in Heaven. When I go to Heaven for real... I’ll be happy, loved and there will be no sickness or pain and I will be there forever period.

YA Fiction  Writing and characters 2/5 Personal View……skip it......clip your toenails instead.

April and Oliver by Tess Callahan

A memorable debut, Callahan offers a tale of friendship, loss and love. A stagnant friendship-turned- romance between unlikely life-long friends. To deal with the death of her precious younger brother Buddy, as well as the scars of childhood abuse, April assumes the role of the trampy girl next door. Oliver, her once childhood best friend, has become her opposite, a law student poised for success. Estranged during Oliver's college years, the two reconnect with troubling results. ............

The story opens with the death and funeral of Buddy. Childhood friends, April and Oliver haven’t seen each other in years the two are separated by time and an unhappy past. When Oliver comes back there is another woman in the picture. Bernadette is everything April is not, charming, works with special needs children and is pretty much the classy lady who comes off prim and proper…..and clueless. April works in a bar, lives in a dump and has terrible taste in men. With her not subtle sexiness, vulnerability and intelligence, April weaves an attraction that Oliver cannot resist. She's a girl in need of protection from her own grief and bad choices, and he wants desperately to be her hero. Ever since they were kids, Oliver has played the part but has hidden his long almost painful love for her. They have this very strong undercurrent of attraction and the physical tension between them growing as always when they were kids and now as adults. It’s not long before family and friends know the truth, the only ones who can’t……..you guessed it, April and Oliver: Hers by not seeing and his by not admitting. (What a couple of bone-heads….I mean how hard is to say hey I’m screwed up but I love you, now kiss me you fool!!)

The writing was beautiful and the poetic style gives the reader a tender yet gripping view of April’s devastation and low self-esteem. April we see in the physical sense through Oliver’s thoughts, I never saw in my mind this sexy woman, but a scared, doesn’t know her worth woman. She absolutely deserves Oliver but feels she’s not good enough for him. The story also gives us great insight into Oliver’s mind. He wants to be with April so badly but has no idea how to do it. He wants to be her knight and protector but April has so many walls built he can’t climb up fast enough. It seems once he jumps one the next hundred face him. Oliver is going to need a bazooka to blow through those walls.

One of my favorite parts in the book is when Bernadette the so clueless fiancée becomes the very “classy” stay away from my man or else moments. I felt for April but thought this was a fantastic chapter!! Also I loved spending time with Nana, the grandma who kind of holds the family together with her whit and dramatic stories.

I enjoyed reading this and many will find their journey compelling, a sensitive and emotional account of two people in love at the wrong time with all the odds stacked against them. It’s sure to engage, tick you off and may even bring a tear to your eye with its bittersweet, somewhat depressing finale.

4/5 Fiction, Romance

Dru Anderson has been different for as long as she can remember. After losing her mother and Grandma, the little family that is herself and dad travel from town to town hunting the things that go bump in the night and eat the unwary. It’s a weird life, but a good one–until one night on a fatal mission her father is killed and comes creeping back home as a Zombie...eeccckkk.....

Alone, terrified, and trapped in an cold, snows all the time icy town, Dru’s going to need every inch of her wit and training to stay alive. Helping her father on random missions Dru has picked up some skills and knowledge but in no way is she ready to go it alone, and she isn’t prepared for the changes that are coming and world that was hidden from her to come slamming in her face. Her only friend is Graves a boy who is homeless yet crafty and also half werewolf. When Dru meets Graves it’s not love at first sight but the two become pretty close throughout the course of the story. She feels responsible for him getting bit by a flaming dog and he bought her a cheeseburger when she was hungry, who wouldnt be your friend after that? Graves seems to be what Dru need's and starts  breaking some of the ice compacted around her heart. One of the refreshing aspects of this book: no LOVE theme, no romance and no passionate he kissed me and my toes lit on fire. I think it was a nice break from the over the top love stories I’ve been reading, not that I don’t love the “love stories” (I mean I could read Twilight a hundred times) but sometimes you just need a good kicking down doors and busting heads kind of book!!!

I thought the plot was good and the writing was well done, although some of the Latin words to describe her monsters were weird, also it dragged in the beginning. After the prologue we get major character setup, or just the feel of Dru who sometimes got on my nerves with her bad mouth and annoying thoughts. Once we reached half way and meet Christophe, (yes that’s his name) a half human, half vampire who hunts monsters the plot started to unfold. I think he was my favorite character with the whole human boy charm yet creepy eye thing. Another refreshing aspect to this story was reading about bad guys AKA monsters and such that where actually bad and really scary. If you scare easily I’d say pass on this one. Some of the descriptions were creep-tacular and just plan gave me the shivers. The ending was explosive and well worth the read to get there. Dru has great potential and the future makings of your typical kick butt vampire slayer girl. (Think Buffy with a bad attitude and sexy frizzy hair…lol)

My dislike with the book- (and no I’m not that old) was that this was marketed to teens. The language is highly offensive...way too many f- bombs. Some of these urban YA's shouldn’t be rated 12 and up... I think it’s more appropriate for 17 and up.

Mature YA, Urban Fantasy 4/5

The Compound by S.A. Bodeen
Borrowed/Library

Eli- fifteen year old and son of a billionaire has spent the last six years in an underground compound built by his father. Nuclear war has destroyed the world and killed his grandmother and twin brother. The doors are time locked and will not open for fifteen years. Well with nine years to go and the food running out, Eli's father has some solutions in survival but things aren’t as they seem in the compound and Eli soon starts to question the sanity of his father.

Review: 

Eli is your average fifteen year old boy, loves basketball, The Matrix and his favorite candy is Snickers bars, but wait the one difference is he lives in an underground bomb shelter!! The Compound is an enormous complex, with rooms similar to those in the family's Seattle mansion. Anything you can think of is in this place. A gym, Movie Theater, music room, even a happy room with artificial sunlight. Sound far-fetched? It was for me at first, the actual compound itself sounded "out there" little too much paradise for Sci-fi and I’m thinking great "The bratty lifestyle of the rich living in luxury even after a nuclear war"! That only lasted a few pages... because reading within Eli's perspective made this world easy to believe and actually a very thrilling and fast read.

The first six years of the planned fifteen have been fairly routine; the family goes about life in almost the way they would do in their normal life above ground without the benefits of going outside or going anywhere. One can only guess the monster brewing within the paradise facade and when he will show his ugly head. Trouble hits when the food to feed the livestock is contaminated and the animals die leaving the family without a fresh meat and dairy supply. Then some of the storage food begins to spoil, things pretty much go downhill from this point and even if you think things will be ok...there not. Certain things just don't seem right, or even possible. The day to day living almost seems robotic and you can see the life slowly being sucked out of each character as the days go on and on and on. A few scenes were very weird especially when the milk finally runs out and what dad's solution was..ew...and...ew.....The family even goes to controversial lengths in an idea to supplement the dwindling food supply. The author is very careful in presenting this idea, she lets your mind make the connections as you figure out what the Yellow Room is all about.

Eli has mixed feelings about everything and knows that the Yellow Room will break his family, he's very suspicious of his father and fears that everything is a lie. Eli starts questioning the reasons for being in the compound, his sadness over the loss of his brother and anger for the life he's leading bring about courage and the bravery he needs to confront his father and take the story on an exciting twister.

A lot of the book was spent developing Eli's character. I thought this was really great writing and smart on  Bodeen's part to get the reader connected on an emotional level with Eli. We see Eli first as this over privileged spoiled kid but as the years pass in the compound, we get to see who Eli really is and why no one is allowed to touch him. Eli becomes full of teen angst and the anger that develops turns into a realization of what he must do in order to help his family survive. Eli is a very strong developed character who takes you on this intense sometimes heartbreaking road with him.

4/5 YA Sci-Fi

Random Magic Book Tour Schedule and Book Trailer






The Random Magic Tour kicks off Oct 17- Nov 25th check out all the great blogs!


2/Oct. 17
Michelle
Michelle’s Book Blog
http://michellesramblins.blogspot.com/


3/Oct. 18
Aimee
My Fluttering Heart
http://myflutteringheart.blogspot.com/
tw: http://twitter.com/aimeeflutterin

4/Oct. 20
Allison
Well-Read Reviews
http://www.wellreadreviews.com
tw: http://twitter.com/wellreadreviews


5/Oct. 22
Casey
A Passion For Books
http://casey62588.blogspot.com/
tw: http://twitter.com/casey625


6/Oct. 24
Kim
And Anything Bookish
http://andanythingbookish.blogspot.com/
tw: http://twitter.com/sunxxmoo

6b/Oct. 25
Kate
The Neverending Shelf
http://neverendingshelf.blogspot.com/2009/09/random-magic-tour.html
Alt: The Other Shelf (Tour site)
tw: http://twitter.com/neshelf


7/Oct. 26
Trisha Lynn
Trisha’s Book Blog
http://trishasbookshelf.blogspot.com
tw: http://twitter.com/trishalynn0708


7b/Oct. 27
Becky
The Bookette
http://thebookette.blogspot.com


8/Oct. 28
Brande
Book Junkie
http://myfoolishwisdom.blogspot.com


9/Oct. 29
Jenny
Take Me Away
http://takemeaway-jennala9.blogspot.com/
tw: https://twitter.com/JennyTakeMeAway

10/Oct. 30
Elnice
Ellz Readz
http://ellzreadz.blogspot.com/


11/Oct. 31 (Halloween)
Mariah
A Reader’s Adventure
http://mariah-readingadventure.blogspot.com/


12/Nov. 2
Cat
Beyond Books
http://beyondbooks.ca/
tw: http://twitter.com/beyondelsewhere


13/Nov. 3
Jill
The O.W.L. Blog
http://owlforya.blogspot.com/


14/Nov. 4
Juju
Tales of Whimsy
http://talesofwhimsy.blogspot.com/

14b/Nov.9
Charity Lynn
Keep On Booking
http://keeponbooking.blogspot.com/
tw: http://twitter.com/CharityGamble


15/Nov. 10
Alaine
Queen of Happy Endings
http://alainereading.blogspot.com/
tw: http://twitter.com/madscrapper


16/Nov. 11
Tina
Tina’s Book Reviews
http://willowdustreviews.blogspot.com/
(alt: http://blogwithbitereviews.blogspot.com/)


17/Nov. 12
McKenzie
The Book Owl
http://thebookowl.blogspot.com/


18/Nov. 13
Willow Raven
Red House Books
http://redhousebooks.blogspot.com/


19/Nov. 15
Emily
What Book Is That?
http://whatbookisthat.blogspot.com/
tw: http://twitter.com/heynocupcake


20/Nov. 17
Jenn
Fallling Off The Shelf
http://fallingofftheshelf.blogspot.com/


21/Nov. 18
Nicole
Books!
http://my-book-views.blogspot.com

22/Nov. 20
Bianca
Wicked Good Reads
http://wickedgoodbooks.blogspot.com


23/Nov. 21
Michelle
The True Book Addict
http://thetruebookaddict.blogspot.com/
tw: http://twitter.com/truebookaddict


24/Nov. 23
Andrea
The Little Bookworm
http://thelilbookworm.blogspot.com
tw: http://twitter.com/lilbookworm


24b/Nov.24
Elizabeth (Miss Eliza)
Strange & Random Happenstance
http://strange-and-random-happenstance.blogspot.com


25/Nov. 25
Eleni
La Femme Readers
http://lafemmereaders.blogspot.com
tw: http://twitter.com/lafemmereaders

Random Magic by Sasha Soren,

As a part of the Othershelftours I'm thrilled to post my review for Random Magic. You can check out info about the tour here.

Book synopsis: It's a lot like our world, only...completely different. When absent-minded Professor Random misplaces the main character from “Alice in Wonderland,” young Henry Witherspoon must book-jump to fetch Alice before chaos theory kicks in and the world vanishes.


When I opened the cover of this book (is it just me or does the girl on the front have an uncanny resemblance to Nicole Kidman?) I had everything going for me, a hot cup of tea, some chocolates and it was a dark and breezy night. It would have been perfect if I had some rain to make it a dark and stormy night but sometimes you cant get everything!! Settling in I began enjoying the visuals of a magnificent party at The Castle Marlybone array with delicious food and plentiful sights. One minute I was enjoying a watercress sandwich and the next screaming in the wise words of Winnie..."Oh Balls"... from rolling skeleton heads tumbling down the stairs....I wasn't really screaming oh balls because I hadn't read that quote yet but thought it was too funny not to write in there.... I was thinking "hey, um where did all the yummy food go and where the heck did the heads come from"??? Little did I know what this book had in store for me. That I would soon meet the funniest lovable duo and feel like Id been down my own rabbit hole.

Shortly after the skeleton heads and creepy nighttime castle we meet Henry who is lounging outside reading Alice in Wonderland on a spring day in April residing at a young persons gloomy school. Certain events lead to the disappearance of Alice which then takes Henry on a road he wasn't expecting. Henry's adventure wouldn't have been the magic it was if not for Winnie Flapjack by far my favorite character in this book. Mistaken for an evil witch (she's actually a good doodle witch) a group of townsfolk are trying to burn her at the stake Henry rescues her and follows her to Nowhere, they instantly become friends and thus begins a not so random journey to find Alice. Winne is hilarious with her doodle wit, charm and one liners like Glob head and Chum. The two encounter just about every magical character you can think of from Red Riding Hood to The Bean Stalk, even some creepy fun vampires make an appearance. Of course my favorite encounter the duo have is with the pirates. The pirate lingo and visual action had me laughing so hard I got a stomach cramp. The sea metaphors brought depth and meaning to the book and it was truly some fantastic and genius writing!

What an adventure!! Random Magic is unlike anything Ive ever read. Sasha's talent to detail, humor and whit sucked me in this fantastic story of magic, friends and folklore. I feel like Ive never read anything quite like this. It has that classic feel intertwined with many fairy tale classic characters. Who doesn't love Captain Jack or temperamental spider chairs? If your looking for a fast read this isn't for you. Charming and funny but yet thought provoking you will want to savor each chapter. Sasha adds a lot of emotion and personal touches to her style of writing. I cant wait to read this to my girls...of course I will edit where need be according to age but its a great story to share with your kids and will be a great treasure for my shelf!

Favorite Book Quote as said by the old goat: Look me laddo, this is the lost and found station not the twenty answers for a stupid question booth, if you want him try next door!

Favorite Winnie Quote responding to the goat: HEY! You wanna a punch in the nose

.......So does the dynamic duo get Alice back so the book of Wonderland doesn't evaporate thus sending the world into chaos......Well, you will have to read all about Winnie and her chum Henry to find out! Check more of this book out at Sasha Soren's Site.

5/5 Brilliant, Fiction Magic, Folklore

I cant wait for you all to meet Sasha Soren who will be visiting all us Savvy Readers on Nov 11. 2009...I look forward to hear her thoughts on whatever random subject she may choose!

Green by Ted Dekker


At Last . . . The Circle Reborn The story of how Thomas Hunter first entered the Black Forest and forever changed our history began at a time when armies were gathered for a final battle in the valley of Migdon. Green is a story of love, betrayal, and sweeping reversals set within the apocalypse. It is the beginning: the truth behind a saga that has captured the imagination of more than a million readers with the Books of History Chronicles.

But even more, Green brings full meaning to the Circle Series as a whole, reading as both prequel to Black and sequel to White, completing a full circle. This is Book Zero, the Circle Reborn, both the beginning and the end. The preferred starting point for new readers . . . and the perfect climax for the countless fans who’ve experienced Black, Red, and White.... an apocalypse destroyed Earth during the twenty-first century. But two thousand years later Elyon set upon the earth a new Adam. This time, however, He gave humanity an advantage. What was once unseen became seen.

It was good and it was called...Green.But the evil Teeleh bided his time in a Black Forest.Then, when least expected, a twenty-four year old named Thomas Hunter fell asleep in our world and woke up in that future Black Forest. A gateway was opened for Teeleh to ravage the land. Devastated by the ruin, Thomas Hunter and his Circle swore to fight the dark scourge until their dying breath. (Goodreads)

Review

The Circle Series is a retelling of the Bible. Dekker takes you through the seven C's of Creation: creation, corruption, catastrophe, confusion, Christ, Cross, consummation or an easier way to say it: Creation, The Fall, Christ, Grace and Tribulation. Instead of reading about children or talking warrior animals this is a modern day telling pulled through a post apocalyptic earth. Dekker takes twenty first century atrocities including bio-nuclear war and twists it with science fiction and time travel. Ted is one of my favorite authors so of course cracking open this long awaited prequel was a big deal for me, so imagine my surprise when I got to about chapter eight and became unsure of where things were going and frustrated that nothing was making sense. Most annoying was Thomas, my favorite character Thomas was acting like a big wuss boy and I was thinking stop all this baby crying and get up and kick someones butt please. This was not the warrior I loved in Black, Red and White! This was not the passion filled young guy I saw turn man.

Thankfully though with a BANG I was thrown into the thick of the story and things started pulling together, characters were connected and my jaw was hanging on the floor! From about chapter eleven its nonstop until the end and while Thomas lacked some of characteristics I loved in the previous books, I still kinda heart him. And on that note, Ive heard much criticism of this book because Dekker used Vampires to represent the dark servants of Teelah, but seriously his vampires make great for the demons they protray. People need to chill out its Christian fiction about the concept of the Bible....not a rewriting of the Bible itself....geez....

If you dive into this world do it in the right order. Either start with Green and follow the series or start with Black ending with Green. For my experience follow the books in this order.

Black, Red, White, The Project Showdown Series: Showdown, Saint, Sinner, The Lost Books which include the six YA series, Chosen, Infidel, Renegade, Chaos, Lunatic and Elyon, (For those of you who have read Black, the Lost Books take place during the time when Thomas was asleep and in the mid-earth for fifteen years) then Green......either way the books all connect to each other and in Green all the characters finally get closure....or should I say their beginning.

5/5 Christian Fiction, Apocalyptic-Time Travel

The one thing I love about being a reviewer for the BWB is that I get to read books in the genre I like and also get to be apart of a group with some great gals. The fun thing and most interesting is to read all the different perspectives on the books we read and seeing each reviewer bring their own spice to the group. 

Book Synopsis: The story of the capture and imprisonment of eight Western aid workers in Afghanistan by the Taliban. For three months in 2001, the desperate plight of aid workers kidnapped by the Taliban in Afghanistan captured the attention of the world. With the growing specter of U.S. retaliation for 9/11, the Taliban and Osama bin Laden attempted to use their Western hostages as bargaining tools. What the captors did not count on was coming face-to-face with the enduring faith of people who know their only hope was in Christ.
Kabul 24 revisits their grueling interrogations, their sham trials before the Taliban Supreme Court, their peril during the bombing of Kabul, and the crushing sense that the world had abandoned them. It reveals not only the eight Westerners' 105 days in captivity but also the gauntlet endured by their 16 Muslim coworkers who, after being taken to the notorious Pulicharki Prison, were beaten and tortured, having been accused by the Taliban of converting to Christianity.

Fairy Tale by Cyn Balog

Book Synopsis:
Morgan Sparks has always known that she and her boyfriend, Cam, are made for each other. But when Cam’s cousin Pip comes to stay with the family, Cam seems depressed. Finally Cam confesses to Morgan what’s going on: Cam is a fairy. The night he was born, fairies came down and switched him with a healthy human boy. Nobody expected Cam to live, and nobody expected his biological brother, heir to the fairy throne, to die. But both things happened, and now the fairies want Cam back to take his rightful place as Fairy King.Even as Cam physically changes, becoming more miserable each day, he and Morgan pledge to fool the fairies and stay together forever. But by the time Cam has to decide once and for all what to do, Morgan’s no longer sure what’s best for everyone, or whether her and Cam’s love can weather an uncertain future.

So I'm a bit torn on this one. There's a lot of things I liked and a lot of stuff that irritated me. So my review is going to be a bit mixed. The things I liked: The writing flowed well and its simple style will defiantly be a teen pleaser. Fairy Tale had many good aspects, from Morgan's ability to see into the future to some very clever characters. Pip starts out very dorky but surprisingly turns to be very well rounded with a dark past. Morgan's confidence is refreshing, she doesn't down herself and also loves who she is, her reaction to the many magical events occurring around her is entertaining. The male lead being a fairy was a nice twist and I liked that originality in the book.

Nobody send me hate comments please- but now the things I didn't like: The teen gibberish got to me and not in a good way. I'm around teenagers everyday and Ive never heard any of them say "Oh my like did you see like how like hot that like guy was"...(barf). Also although this fairy tale is reading twelve and up I would recommend it for the more mature teen sixteen and up. The language is not kid friendly and all the references to Cam and Pip's body nauseated me. Fifteen year old boys normally are at an awkward phase with zits and sweaty pits. Perhaps the fascination with chiseled abs and passion sex oozing eyes is coming from the characters perspective but she's fifteen and I think that's what soured my stomach on this one. I could deal with Bella and all the Oh Edward, probably because she was eighteen and he was a a-hem older man. Is it just me or are some of these YA books focusing way to much on "OH he's so hot" with no substance? In the story Cam and Morgan are suppose to be helplessly tragically in love yet once Cam finds out who he is and starts changing he kind of skips town...literally in the book he is a background character and I couldn't connect with this deep love they shared. Not to mention the "surprise ending" which occurs in a week?

Overall I think the plot was good, but the story could have been much longer and more intense digging deeper into Morgan's abilities and the background on Pip. I do in the case of love understand the sacrifices made on the parts of all three characters and what each one is willing to do. The book is a light, sometimes funny and a fast read. Many teens will love the simple flow of the story and will be drawn to the characters.

3/5 YA Faeries, Love

The Dead Don't Dance by Charles Martin
Purchased

Although not perfect, life for Dylan Styles is initially just the way he likes it. Once a professional student, he finds his footing in Digger, South Carolina, the small farming community where he grew up. Here on his grandparents' old farm, Dylan and his wife, Maggie, find happiness in the daily rhythms of the natural world. Maggie's pregnancy only adds to their contentment. However, a complicated delivery changes everything; their son is stillborn, and Maggie falls into a deep coma. Suddenly Dylan is thrown into a position of painful uncertainty. His doubt extends into theological realms as he asks the agonizing question, "Why do bad things happen to good people?

 The story opens with Maggie and Dylan expectantly awaiting the birth of their first child. The pregnancy seemly goes well and the excited couple get the farm and house ready for the baby. Things go terribly wrong during an early delivery and tragedy strikes when their son is stillborn and Maggie slips into a long-term coma. Dylan at this point has just lost his son and his wife is not waking up. That right there sets the tone of the book and immediately you are heartbroken for Dylan. The doctors are glum on her recovery and one even suffers Dylan's rage when he gets punched in the face! Refusing to give up on Maggie, a devastated and deeply depressed Dylan marks time earning money as an English professor at Digger Junior College.

While waiting for Maggie to wake up Dylan reflects on numerous flashbacks of their life together. Although in a coma you are able to connect with Maggie because she is alive in Dylan's memories. Dylan through part time teaching connects with many of his students even though he had no intentions of being help to any of the kids he interacts with. Out of his own sorrow helping the others around him and seeing what some of them are facing begins to heal his heart and anger over losing his son and wife. One scene in the book where Dylan totally loses it had me bawling and digging with him in that ditch!! Not to mention when he buries his son, the scenes were so heartbreaking yet written so beautiful.

Heavy topics frame the work of this novel including rape, abortion, death and loneliness, but we are left with hope in Amanda a rape victim who brings joy to the story, Dylan's best friend Amos who brings lightness with his easy personality and wisdom and my favorite Bryce a Vietnam vet who drinks a lot of beer and spends most of his time naked playing the bag pipes....classic.

Charles is a great writer and to this point I have enjoyed all his books, Id say a mix of Nicholas Sparks and Nicholas Evans meets more inspirational characters. I love also that although the content of the subject matter is intense no graphic sex or language are in Martin's books. Also his take on Faith elements are written flawlessly and add richness to the story.

4/5 Fiction, Drama