~In where I get out a few thoughts on a bundle of books Ive read~
Poughkeepsie by Debra Anastasia
November 22, 2011 by Omnific Publishing
Paperback, 384 Pages
Review Copy
He counts her smiles every day and night at the train station. And morning and evening, the beautiful commuter acknowledges him—just like she does everyone else on the platform. But Blake Hartt is not like the others . . . he’s homeless. Memories of a broken childhood have robbed him of peace and twisted delusions into his soul. He stays secluded from the sun, sure the world would run from him in the harsh light of day.
Each day, Livia McHugh smiles politely and acknowledges her fellow commuters as she waits for the train to the city. She dismisses this kindness as nothing special, just like her. She’s the same as a million other girls—certainly no one to be cherished. But special or not, she smiles every day, never imagining that someone would rely on the simple gesture as if it were air to breathe. When the moment comes that Livia must do more than smile, without hesitation she steps into the fray to defend the homeless man. And she's surprised to discover an inexplicable connection with her new friend. After danger subsides, their smiles become conversation. Their words usher in a friendship, which awakens something in each of them. But it’s not long before their bond must prove its strength. Entanglements from the past challenge both their love and their lives. Blake’s heart beats for Livia’s, even if her hands have to keep its rhythm. Love is patient. Love is kind. Love never fails. Love never fails, right?
Review
The best way to describe Poughkeepsie is comparing it to the movie Dusk till Dawn. Have you seen it? Well its about these two criminal brothers (robbers, murderers and one is a rapist) who are on the run and trying to cross into Mexico. For almost the entire movie we watch all the drama as they try and flee the US and keep losing their hostages. When things get hopeless they kidnap a family of a dad and two kids and hole up in their little camper, using them to escape police. Finally after much tension and drama, they make it across the border, decide the family is cool and shall wait out the night at a local bar letting the family go in the morning. Then in the last 30 minutes of the movie Selma Hayek comes out, does a strip tease...with a snake, sticks her toe in Quinton Tarantino's mouth and transforms into a lizard like demon vampire who along with the other stripper lizard vampires, kill almost everyone.......And Now Poughkeepsie~
A chance encounter brings Livia and a homeless man together in a new friendship which quickly becomes hot and heavy. The two both have issues though, Livia has a fiance and Blake has the whole homeless thing going on. But when its love, things have a way of working themselves out....even though I kept seeing stinky homeless man....not throw me up against the wall and make sweet love to me man...the odd romance worked. The story focuses on Blake's past and the back-story of his two foster brothers...one being a pimp and one a priest.....(whhhaaaa....) And that in a nutshell was Poughkeepsie 200 or so pages in.
Then we get to the club scene where Blake is no longer a homeless guy, Livia's sister is semi-gang raped in a bathroom (who is saved by the priest who instantly fell in love with her a few pages back) and comes home smelling like monkeys. In the meantime Livia's X is a raving lunatic who is out to kill them and sleeps with lots of skanks in the process, Blake thinks he's made of glass, oh and the pimp is running low on Viagra and has a new assistant who may or may not be out to kill them all. **Double Face Palm**
Did my review confuse you? That's kind of how I felt on this roller-coaster called Poughkeepsie, interesting to say the least, a tad out of my comfort zone and not one I would jump to recommend, but the story ends not without merit as Debra certainly has a quirky style and a strange if not interesting take on the paranormal.
Rating
For adult readers only- PK contains plenty of mature content, including violence, murder, pimps, prostitutes, graphic sexuality, strong language, drug use and private parts that smell like monkeys.....
3/5- Romance
Thanks to Publisher and Debra Anastasia for review copy
Sept 27, 2011 by Simon & Schuster
Hardcover, 452 Pages
Purchased
So everyone in the blog world knows about this book, so rather get into an in-depth rehash of what everyone has already hashed out, Ill say overall I liked the story this book offered.
What I liked:
I loved that Mara was a strong female character.
I loved that the book showcased a strong family unit, with caring parents and siblings who seemed supportive.
I loved that the story had a twisty and suspenseful feel, giving it a fresh voice in the YA market.
I loved that the ending while not shocking was still...shocking........
BUT...I did have a few reservations.
What I didn't like:
One: That the paranormal aspect (the originality of the story) got overshadowed pretty quickly once Noah and Mara became a thing, focusing greatly on the immaturity of their relationship ~like: he's so hawt, he's such a player, he has lots of sex... but Im sooooo falling for him~ and losing momentum in the suspense department. What once was a promising premise became YA girl meets boy and throws all sensibilities out the window for a Robert Pattinson accent.
Two: That I had a lot of cringe "mom" moments especially with the ridiculous amount of sexual innuendo and references to fellatio, vagina's and getting some....there is a point when being cool with my YA audience becomes distasteful.
And Three: That murder was taken with such callous indifference.
And Three: That murder was taken with such callous indifference.
Rating
Recommended to mature teens (16 and up) and contains: Violence, murder, sexuality, crude humor, strong language and issues on mental illness.
3/5- YA-Paranormal Romance
This is the Story of a Happy Marriage by Ann Patchett
December 11, 2011 by Audible
Free Download at Audible.com
1 Hour 18 Minutes
Review
Recommended to mature teens (16 and up) and contains: Violence, murder, sexuality, crude humor, strong language and issues on mental illness.
3/5- YA-Paranormal Romance
December 11, 2011 by Audible
Free Download at Audible.com
1 Hour 18 Minutes
Review
A short essay written by Ann Patchett (whose title is almost as long as the essay itself) about the mistakes, the unexpected and the happy times in her own marriage (s). The audio presentation sounded great and I loved Ann's voice. I truly felt like I was getting to know the author and enjoyed the hour I spent with her.
While I don't agree with all of Ann's thoughts on marriage, which of course is impossible to agree with ideas that sprung from personal experience when comparing them to my own, I did enjoy listening to her journey which was insightful and honest. Her biggest question...the driving force behind her essay~ and what she begins and ends with is a question: "Does he make you a better person"?
For me personally.....I can say...... absolutely!
Rating- For Adults-Contains: Thoughts on Marriage
3/5- Memoir-Audible
Audio Challenge
I love your mini-reviews, Tina! Three things:
ReplyDelete1. I STILL don't understand why/what Hayek had anything to do with the movie.
2. Whenever Robert Pattinson is mentioned, I automatically cringe and say "eww". No joke!
3. All that sex talk, especially in YA done for the sake of it makes me very uncomfortable. Just another reason why I dropped House of Night. Seriously, the first chapter has the heroine finding a girl giving a guy a blowjob.
"even though I kept seeing stinky homeless man....not throw me up against the wall and make sweet love to me man...the odd romance worked."
ReplyDeleteYou make me laugh so hard! Loved this entire mini review, sounds like there was definitely a lot happening in Poughkeepsie!
Mara Dyer was a tricky read. I personally loved it, but I think you made valid points all across the board:) Thanks for the reviews Tina!
Don't judge me too harshly T, but I would throw all my sensibilities out the window for a Robert Pattinson accent. *le swoon*
ReplyDeleteWhoa, Poughkeepsie sounded sooo promising when I read the synopsis, and then your review... I never saw Dusk Until Dawn and I'm really glad I didn't. Now I can say the same about Poughkeepsie.
ReplyDeleteWith Mara, I didn't like the "alligator" scene. It was weird and out of place.
ReplyDelete@Lily- yeah the alligators...weird...the dog and owner "scenario"..kind of disturbing.
ReplyDelete@Kate- LOL, I really like PK until the half way point, only due to it being much more graphic then I normally read. I saw Dusk till Dawn years ago but felt the same reaction, loved the movie until the demon lizards and was like what happened???
@Missie- its ok Missie B, your a well rounded woman not a 16 year old, if RPatz asks you out....GO FOR IT....:D
@Jenny-Im glad I can make someone laugh....my opinions today have made some people mad at me....LOL....
@Rummanah- Im so with you. Sex in books isn't the issue...its sex in YA books that bugs me!! Kids have got so much sex shoved in their faces 24/7, I wish the books marketed towards them did not.
Poughkeepsie sounds like some indie cult film all right. Great comparison. And I'm so with you on the homeless man not being my dream guy. Although in the new TV show Person of Interest, the main character, Reese, cleaned up so nicely and now I drool over him weekly!
ReplyDeleteI actually really enjoyed Poughkeepsie, but I'm seriously laughing so hard at your review. Because, really at first I had the same problem with Blake. I just kept picturing him as really smelly and really dirty and possibly peeing on himself. After awhile he cleaned up in my head, but *shrugs shoulders* you know.... LOL!
ReplyDeleteI LOVE these mini reviews!
ReplyDeleteBummer to hear about all the problems with Poughkeepsie--from the blurb, it sounded really good.
For me, the saving grace of Mara Dyer was that she was an unreliable narrator and I love reading those when done well, which I think she was.
Smiles!
Lori
I would gladly give Missie R.P. that is one guy I would never fight over LOL (he makes me cringe too)
ReplyDeleteI read Poughkeepsie when it was fanfiction! I had similar thoughts on it!
ReplyDelete