The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins

Collins work is heralded as the beginning of the "Detective Mystery Genre" by many critics. This is because it is the first of its kind that involves heavily the uncovering of a great mystery as part of the plot. Here it is the gem called The Moonstone, which the book is obviously named for. The Moonstone is stolen and we are left wondering who in the tale took the precious gem.

We are taken on a journey toward discovering the culprit by various narrators that share their perspective or part of the greater mystery of what occurred. Each narrator has their own individual bias, such as the first narrator that is a servant that wishes to keep the family safe or the second narrator who has a deep seeded religious perspective. This makes each narrator feel somewhat flawed in their telling, but adds the needed human element that a work of fiction needs to keep it above the water of sinking into the ocean of utter crap or implausibility.  

For most of the story it feels like a great Victorian era book, but it is when the added element of the Indian characters are added that this story begins to feel forced or taken off course. It feels that at times that Collins himself was not sure of the direction that he would eventually take in some moments and then forced it to go in a particular direction. Each narrator is strong, but one wishes that the ultimate destiny of the Moonstone will be revealed a lot sooner than it is. There are numerous places that the story drags on and you wonder if you will reach the conclusion. When I personally reached the conclusion I felt that it was rather forced and that there had been no clear indication that it could have been the person it ends up being. I had wished there had been more little hints along the way towards the destination, but Collins didn't write it in this manner. He had us instead jump from person to person only receiving bits of information for way too many pages.

The largest redeeming quality of the work is the fact that we know that this book has had a great place in literary history due to it being one of the first books of its kind. If it wasn't for this simple fact I may have judged this particular book much harsher because it left much to be desired. I did have to  question though if I would have enjoyed it to a different caliber if I had never had previously read a mystery novel, which would have been the context for this book, which is another reason it was judged less harshly then I originally intended it to be. Overall though it left a lot to be desired from this reader and felt my time would have been better spent on a more enjoyable read, such as any other mystery novel like the next Sookie Stackhouse or Stephanie Plum books.

 

Until next time... Stay Optimistic!!!

The Story of Beautiful Girl by Rachel Simon

Simon creates an almost hauntingly accurate portrayal of the history of mental health in America from institutions to self-determination. If you are an individual that is interested in acquiring more knowledge of mental health this is a good book to read because it does not have the bland nature of a non-fiction read.

It is easy to become immersed with the characters and be drawn into their world because Simon creates unique voices for each of the main characters. The story is told from various viewpoints, so you need to be able to keep a few main characters straight as you are reading, but Simon makes each setting unique so you are not questioning who you are with at any one time or where they are at. She knows how to fully put you inside of the scenes that she creates. Also this book would be considered an inspirational book in my opinion on how one should never give up hope, even in the darkest of situations. If you like this type of book then you will love this one!

I cannot recommend this book enough. While it may feel it drags in parts, especially when reading the parts for the character named Homan, when you reach the final page you understand the choices Simon made and  recognize you have been safely guided to the correct destination.

Until next time... Stay OPTIMISTIC!!

Bracken Library Book Review: The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

The Fault In Our Stars

by John Green

5 Faerie Points

Sometimes you have to use one of the most cliched words in existence to describe a book you have just finished. This is one of those books and the cliched word is definite: BEAUTIFUL. This book captures every human emotion that a young individual dying of cancer would feel. Green captures so much depth and emotion here, but at the same time he doesn't apologize for the fact that this is a fictitious story. He states as such from the very first page. He doesn't want us to try to find the truth, but appreciate the imaginary tale he has created. If you listen to the author you will be taken on a magical journey that will pull on your heart strings. 

The story does revolve around sick kids, so I can understand that many people would not be drawn to it based solely on that premise. If you decline to read it based on this single aspect though you will be missing a book that envelopes so much more about human emotion. You will miss a story about finding love, being true friends, and learning how that sometimes getting what you wish for isn't what you really needed. I can't imagine anyone stepping away from this book not taking something very meaningful from it. Be it from Gus, Hazel, or even the despicable Peter. One character in this book has a lesson for each of us to be taught. Pick it up and learn that lesson for you. Due to the nature of this book I don't want to go on and on about it and I feel that leaving it short and simple is following with Green a bit here. Each reader will take something different from it and isn't that the beauty of a book. The reader gets to decide what they take from their reading. I must say that this is simply a book that must be read!