Review: Before the Ever After (by Jacqueline Woodson)

My Rating: 5 stars

 

Jacqueline Woodson is a renowned author whose works I've been wanting to read for a long time, but unfortunately, never got around to doing so.  Luckily for me, a few days ago, my library hold for Woodson's newly published novel, Before the Ever After, came through, so I decided to clear my schedule and read it immediately.  Since I jumped into this one so quickly, I didn't realize it was novel-in-verse format until I opened up to the first page.   I had just finished Elizabeth Acevedo's The Poet X last month, which was my very first time reading a novel-in-verse, and seeing how much I loved that experience, it made me even more excited to get into this one.

 

At the center of this story is 12-year-old Zachariah Johnson Jr., or ZJ, as he is known to all his friends and family except his dad, whose special nickname for him is "Little Man."  As a charismatic and talented pro football superstar, ZJ's dad is everyone's hero --  a man beloved and admired by millions of people, from sports fans across the country to the neighborhood kids in the Maplewood, New Jersey town where the family lives.  ZJ loves and adores his dad, but at times, he can't help but feel that he is living in his dad's shadow, even though his interest is in music and creating songs rather than playing pro ball like his dad.  Aside from his parents, the only other people who see and love ZJ for who he is are "his boys":  best friends Darry, Ollie, and Daniel -- together, they are the Fantastic Four and no matter what happens, they are there for each other.  Everything is going well – until it doesn't.  ZJ starts to notice his dad behaving strangely – he gets headaches a lot and seems to be angry or agitated all the time, but worst of all, he's gotten forgetful to the point that he has trouble remembering his son's name.  ZJ's mother explains that his dad's behavior is due to all the head injuries from his football career, though his dad's doctors seem to be trying to figure things out still.  When his dad's condition starts to fluctuate more frequently – one minute, he is the dad who sings with ZJ and always has a big grin for his Little Man, but the next minute, he is staring into space and is unable to remember his surroundings – ZJ struggles to come to terms with the realization that this is his family's new "ever after."   As ZJ tries desperately to hold on to the happy memories of the past, he gradually learns to face this new reality with the love and support of his family and friends.

I'm not a sports fan whatsoever — in fact, my knowledge in this area is so limited that I can barely tell one athlete apart from another (my friends who are into sports often tease me about getting teams and players mixed up, sometimes even across disciplines).  Given this, I normally would not pick up a sports-related book to read, but in this instance, I decided to go for it because 1) the author is Jacqueline Woodson (see first paragraph for further explanation) and 2) the premise sounded interesting, plus this is a short book (less than 200 pages) so it would be a quick read for me.  In the end, I didn't have to worry, as the story turned out to be more about the sports players and their families rather than the intricacies of the sport itself (though with that said, without football as the central theme, the story probably would not have worked as well as it did).

Those who are familiar with my book reviews know that I can be quite stingy when it comes to rating a book 5 stars.  I sometimes go with gut reaction, but more often than not, it takes a lot of careful reflecting and pondering (and at times, agonizing) on my part to reach the "this deserves 5 stars" point.  Well, this book captured my heart from the start!  I loved nearly everything about this book — from the moving story to the endearing characters to the realistic depictions of society and human interactions (ie: the sacrifices we make for our loved ones to live a better life), to the struggles of having to deal with a debilitating illness from the eyes of children, etc. what I especially loved though was the Fantastic Four — the friendship between the four boys was so genuine and sweet — the way they were always there for each other regardless of what happens, how no words need to be spoken, just being who they are and keeping each other company, their friendship warmed my heart and always managed to put a smile on my face!  At the same time, this book also made me cry, with ZJ watching his beloved father deteriorate right before his eyes and losing all the memories of their happy times together — the scene where ZJ's dad forgets who his son is, and ZJ's emotional reaction to it, absolutely broke my heart! 

Jacqueline Woodson has won many awards for her works and now after finally having read one of her books, I definitely understand why.  With this book being novel-in-verse, the writing is sparse, yet still packed such a punch.  I admire the way Woodson is able to craft such a heartfelt, emotionally poignant story populated with endearing, unforgettable characters so beautifully, yet also sparingly.  While I wait for Woodson's next book,  I can't wait to go back and explore as much of her backlist as possible!

Review: Dear Emmie Blue (by Lia Louis)

 

My Rating: 4 stars

I usually don’t do sappy romances, especially ones with too much fluff and not much substance.  But I needed something lighthearted after a slew of heavy reads, plus I figured a bit of “sappy” would even be welcome given everything that has been going on as of late.  After hearing this book described on a podcast that I listen to, it actually sounded like something right up my alley in terms of a lighthearted enough story but with a serious element to it.  Now after finishing this one, I’m happy to say that it was just what I needed, but more than that though, I was pleasantly surprised by how well the characters were developed and also the good balance that the author was able to achieve between the lighthearted elements and the “serious” moments.  Nearly all the characters were endearing and easy to root for, though if I had to choose my favorite characters, they would actually be the side characters such as Louise and also Rosie and Fox.  I think one of the elements that made this story work really well (for me at least) was the chemistry between the cast of characters — the camaraderie between Emmie, Rosie, and Fox; the unexpected friendship between Louise and Emmie; also Emmie’s relationship with the Moreau family (Luke, Eliot, and their parents), etc.  

In addition to the character dynamics, I also like the way the writing flowed.  The entire story was narrated from the first person point of view (in this case, entirely from Emmie Blue’s perspective), which I will be honest in saying that I’m not generally a big fan of in fiction because, depending on how the author handles it, writing from first person sometimes throws off the flow of the story, especially when there is too much description.  However, in this instance, the first person narration (no doubt helped along by the fact that there was more dialogue than description) worked well, to the point that I was able to get into the story pretty much right away and breeze through it fairly quickly.

Overall, I enjoyed this one quite a bit, even though the story was technically not very original — it was actually pretty easy to see how everything was going to pan out in terms of the plot (funny thing is that the ending scene I actually guessed within the first few chapters and it played out nearly identical to how I imagined it, ).  This is one of the reasons why I decided to keep this review brief and not delve too much into the plot, as there isn’t a whole lot more that can be said (outside of what is already mentioned in the book’s summary) without giving away the rest of the story.  

If you’re looking for a well-written, “feel-good” read during these current turbulent times, I highly recommend Dear Emmie Blue. Added bonus is that this definitely doesn’t fall into the “fluff” category— rather it does a nice job balancing “sweet” with “serious” and therefore brings an unexpected but greatly appreciated substance to the story.

Review: Tell Me Three Things (by Julie Buxbaum)

My Rating:  4 stars

I haven't been much of a YA reader for many years already — so long in fact that I can actually count the number of YA novels I've read over the past decade on one hand.  The reason I don't regularly read YA isn't because I have anything against the genre of course — rather, it has more to do with the fact that, after reaching a certain age and already having a certain amount of life experiences as well as insights under my belt, I sometimes find it hard to relate to the themes and characters often explored in books from the genre.  There are different reasons why I read and indeed, the way I experience a book each time will not be the same, however one thing that I look for each time I read is being able to connect to the story and/or the characters in some way.   Given everything that has been going on recently, both in the world and personally in my own life, that connection has become increasingly important in helping me better understand and make sense of things.  With all that said, one of the things I've noticed with my own reading experiences in recent years is that this connection to a story or characters or (in the case of non-fiction books) subject matter, more often than not, can happen unexpectedly – and sometimes without me even realizing it until afterwards when I'm sitting down to write a review and start reflecting on what I read.  This is exactly what happened with author Julie Buxbaum's Tell Me Three Things, her YA debut novel from 2016.  

To be very honest, this is not a book that I probably would've picked up on my own – the main reason I chose to read it is because it is one of the recommended books in my book club's summer reading guide, plus friends who've read it seemed to enjoy it (also my library hold for the book happened to come through).   It turns out that I ended up enjoying this one more than I thought I would.  Sure, the premise is simple, the plot is not tremendously exciting, and much of the story as well as the ending are super predictable – but that's fine because I wasn't expecting a complicated read and instead wanted something light and fun, which this book definitely delivered.  What worked for me the most with this book though were the characters, especially the main protagonist of the story, Jessie.  Even though I'm not a teenager and I finished school eons ago, I still absolutely connected with Jessie and the emotions she went through navigating the strange new environment she suddenly found herself in after moving across the country – new family, new house, new school, new friends etc.  Part of why I connected so strongly with Jessie though is because she reminded me so much of how I used to be in high school – bookish, quiet, solitary, not having many friends, not being much of a talker because I'm terrified of saying the wrong things and so would much rather "write" what I wanted to say than verbally say it, etc.  It felt nostalgic (and perhaps a bit surreal) to re-visit that period of my life through the eyes of a character whose personality hewed so closely to my own – an experience that doesn't come around often, that's for sure!

Overall, I found this to be a delightful read – funny, sweet, light-hearted, poignant and sentimental where it needed to be but not overly so.  Also, I loved the structure of the story, with the text messages between Jessie and "Somebody-Nobody" and also with her other friends interspersed so seamlessly throughout.  This type of structure can be risky depending on how it's done, yet Julie Buxbaum pulled it off so beautifully here.  It's been a long time since I've had so much fun reading a book, but more significantly, it provided a much-needed respite during this trying time.  Glad I got the chance to read this one and definitely recommended!

Review: 28 Summers (by Elin Hilderbrand)

My Rating: 4 stars

When I picked this book up at first, I honestly wasn't expecting to like it much.  No, it wasn't really because of the premise (which of course I can understand why would be a deal-breaker for some readers), but rather, in general, I'm just not a fan of contemporary romance novels (a genre which this book definitely falls into).  But after reading the summary, I was curious about the Same Time, Next Year-inspired story and how the author, Elin Hilderbrand, would pull it off.  So I decided to go into this one with an open mind and see where it would lead me (plus I had never read this author before despite hearing so much about her works, so when it came up as one of the recommended works on my book club's summer reading list, I figured this would be as good a time as any to try reading this). As it turns out, I surprised myself with how much I ended up liking this one.  For me, the beauty of this story was in the execution and the surprising amount of depth to the plot that I actually was not expecting.  On the surface, this is a story about a love affair between Jake McCloud and Mallory Blessing — one Labor Day weekend in 1993, the two of them are brought together when Mallory hosts a bachelor party for her brother Cooper at the beachfront Nantucket cottage that she had inherited from her aunt.  The party ends up being a bust, but Jake and Mallory develop a close bond and by the end of that weekend, they decide that they will get together on the same weekend each year, similar to what the characters in the movie Same Time Next Year (which they watched together that weekend) do.  Their arrangement endures for 28 years — through marriage, children, career changes, family complications, etc. — until the summer that Mallory finds out she is dying.

At first I was worried that the story would be repetitious, especially when I saw that the structure of the book was divided into 28 chapters — one for each year — which I assumed would mean that we would essentially be reading 28 different variations of the one long weekend that Jake and Mallory spend together.   It turns out that I was completely wrong — while the love affair was indeed the central force that drove the plot, it didn't overwhelm the story at all. Instead, we get an in-depth exploration into the different facets of both Mallory's and Jake's lives, but not only that, there are also the emotional implications of their relationship and how it impacts both themselves as well as those around them.   In addition to also exploring the various nuances of love, the story also tackles the complexities of relationships mixed with the challenges of life — inevitably, it also raises the question of morality in terms of the affair, but instead of answering the question and risk veering into the "preachy" territory, Hilderbrand lets the reader decide for themselves what reaction they choose to have to the story and the characters.

Given the premise, there will undoubtedly be sections that are uncomfortable to read for some — moreover, the basis of the story being about an illicit love affair may also be a turn off for others...if it bothers you, I would recommend not picking this one up at all. Personally, I appreciated the way Hilderbrand approached the story, as well as the way she wrote the characters — I really felt for Mallory in her struggle with her feelings for Jake, while at the same time, I loved her personality, especially her sense of humor.  As for Jake — I know technically I should've hated him, but I honestly couldn't bring myself to do so.

Lastly, it's impossible to talk about this book without touching on its narrative structure. Regarding the unique format of starting each chapter with various current events and pop culture moments from that year, I must say that this was my absolute favorite part of the book!  It was like taking a trip down memory lane and for me, it definitely enhanced the reading experience.  I also liked that we got to hear from the perspectives of not just Mallory and Jake, but also most of the other characters as well — this helped to make the characters more realistic and personable.  

Hilderbrand is known for her picturesque descriptions of Nantucket, where she sets most of her novels, and this book, her newest work, is certainly no exception.  Her depictions of Mallory's Nantucket cottage and its surrounding community were so atmospheric that I absolutely felt transported, so much so that I actually put Nantucket down as a place I would love to visit someday!  While I'm definitely looking forward to Hilderbrand's next book, I'm hoping to be able to explore her extensive backlist at some point in the future!  

Review: Sea Wife (by Amity Gaige)

My Rating: 3.5 stars

I'm a bit torn with my feelings toward this book. On the one hand, it was a really good story, well-written and atmospheric, with a unique narrative structure that alternates between the first person perspective of Juliet Partlow (the "sea wife" from the title) and that of her husband Michael through his captain's logbook. After buying a sailboat, Michael decides to quit his job as an insurance agent and convinces his wife Juliet, along with their 2 young kids Sybil (7 years old) and George (2 years old), to accompany him on a year-long sailing trip to Panama. Their journey is a harrowing one, made even more difficult by the fact that both Michael and Juliet are novice sailors, mostly learning as they go. As they head out on their journey, Michael and Juliet soon realize that navigating the tumultuous seas is just one of the challenges they must face, as some of the underlying issues that had already put their marriage in a precarious position prior to the trip begin to gradually surface. Through Juliet's reflections after the trip, supplemented by Michael's recollection of events through the log he kept during the journey, a complex picture emerges that provides deeper insight into not just their present situation but also their pasts. The story itself covers quite a bit in terms of themes — from the bonds of family to the complications of societal relationships, from strength built upon love to resilience in the face of adversity, there was definitely much to reflect upon here.

As I said earlier, this was a good story overall, well-crafted with realistic characters and an interesting premise. The mystery portion, as it pertained to the events that unfolded on the trip leading to the revelation of what happened to Michael, while not the main focus, was pretty well done. There was an ominous tone that permeated most of the story, a sense that something had to have gone terribly wrong on the trip, but we (the readers) won't find out what happened until the time was right to reveal it. The structure was effective, though it also naturally lent itself to a "slow-burn" narrative where bits of context were revealed gradually, bit by bit, and not always in a straightforward manner.

While I did like the story well enough as a whole, one thing that didn't really work for me were the elaborate descriptions of the various aspects of sailing, including loads of terminology and other technical stuff that, quite frankly, went way over my head. This bogged down parts of the story for me, and in some instances, broke the flow of my reading, which was definitely frustrating. Also, the sections that had a political bent to them confused me a bit, as I wasn't expecting politics to play a role here, for one, and two, a lot of the political stuff that came up didn't feel like it had anything to do with the rest of the story — for example, a discussion the characters would be having about parenting would suddenly veer into a drunken rant about capitalism and immigration policies (that's just one example — there were other references to politics that I picked up on scattered throughout the story). I usually get annoyed when a book I'm reading veers into political territory unexpectedly (it's a pet peeve of mine), especially when it has little to nothing to do with the story — in this instance, it definitely affected my reading experience, though luckily the rest of the story was compelling enough that it didn't completely overwhelm.

I'm glad I picked this one up and it was a good read for the most part, but unfortunately I don't think I was able to appreciate the "depth" of the story as much as I usually would have. Perhaps it is because of everything that has been going on in the world lately (plus the added stress overall in my work and family life), I've been finding it a bit of a struggle to read books that lean more toward the "heavy" side of things. But with that said, I'm grateful that I'm able to read at all during this unprecedented time, so if I'm not able to give a book 100% focus or the attention it deserves at the moment, I will try not to beat myself up too hard over it.

Review: Beach Read (by Emily Henry)

My Rating: 3.5 stars

I’m not much of a romance reader and I tend to get really picky when it comes to love stories, so under normal circumstances, I probably would not have chosen to read a book that is billed as a “romantic comedy” (which is where Emily Henry’s latest work Beach Read falls into), especially when I have a boatload of other books I need to read.  But with everything that has been going on the past few days – both here in the U.S. as well as around the world (plus the pandemic situation) – I wanted a departure from all the “heavy” books I’ve read lately and instead, read something uplifting, positive, and that wouldn’t require me to think too hard.  Coincidentally, my library hold came through a few days ago and since I already had this book on my list of “to reads” from the Summer Reading Guide for one of the book clubs I belong to, I decided to set everything else aside and read this one first.  It turns out that this book was just what I needed during this time – a fun, light-hearted read with characters who were realistically flawed (and also living “messed up” lives) but were still likable and relatable.  January and Gus were characters written in a way that made me automatically want to root for them, even though I already knew full well that no matter what obstacles they may face, they will likely still end up together as most couples in romantic comedies do.  But actually, this was not the typical “rom-com”, nor was it a “fluffy beach read” as most people may expect after seeing the title (pretty sure the irony behind the title was deliberate on the part of the author) – rather, the story had substance in that it dealt with ome difficult subjects in ways that didn’t make light of them, but also weren’t heavy-handed.  There was a good balance of biting humor versus serious reflection that permeated January and Gus’s story consistently from beginning to end, which for me, made them as characters more accessible and the story itself heartfelt as well as emotionally resonant.

With all that said, one complaint I had about the story is that I wish there had been a little more focus on the “bookish” part of the story line.  The premise of having 2 authors switch genres is an interesting one and while we do get glimpses of the book that January tries to write as part of the “bet,” we don’t hear much about Gus’s book outside of a brief mention near the end.  But then again, perhaps that’s asking for too much, since the point of the story wasn’t really the 2 books, but rather the romance that blossomed as a result of it.

Overall, this is a well-written romance that is also clever, smart, and funny, yet at the same time, had a raw, down-to-earth element to it that made the story and characters easy to connect with (at least for me).  I definitely enjoyed this one and even though it didn’t change much for me in terms of reading romances (I’m still not much of a reader of this genre and remain picky on which ones to read), it did make me want to explore this author’s backlist and try a few of her other books when I have time.  If you’re thinking about picking this one up, I heartily recommend it, though a word of caution that there are some racy scenes in here that might be uncomfortable to read for some (especially those who don’t read contemporary romance too often) – though fortunately, those scenes are brief enough to skim without affecting the rest of the story much.