The Broken Girls: Simone St. James

"Vermont, 1950.  There's a place for the girls whom no one wants--the troublemakers, the illegitimate, the too smart for their own good.  It's called Idlewild Hall.  And in the small town where it's located, there are rumors that the boarding school is haunted.  Four roommates bond over their whispered fears, their budding friendship blossoming--until one of them mysteriously disappears....

"Vermont, 2014.  As much as she's tried, Fiona Sheridan cannot stop revisiting the events surrounding her elder sister's death.  Twenty years ago, her body was found dumped in the overgrown fields near the ruins of Idlewild Hall.  And though her sister's boyfriend was tried and convicted of murder, Fiona can't shake the suspicion that something was never right about the case.

"When Fiona discovers that Idlewild Hall is being restored by an anonymous benefactor, she decides to write a story about it.  But a shocking discovery during the renovations will link the loss of her sister to secrets that were meant to stay hidden in the past--and a voice that won't be silenced...."


I thought I would change things up a bit with this book.  And BOY DID I!  I pulled this reading choice from a list I pinned on Pinterest:  Books you won't be able to put down.  That was certainly the case with this one.  I simply could not wait to see what happened next.


This story strayed VERY far from my usual reading material.  I can't recall a time when I read a book of this genre; it had elements of mystery, horror, and a great deal of suspense.  I can admit that, prior to reading this book, I used to think it was silly whenever someone told me that a book terrified them.  I should have known better than to criticize this.  Logic says if we lose track of the outside world and fall into the realm of our characters when we read a particularly good book (we see, hear, feel, taste, smell, etc. everything that they do), then the same thing would happen when we read a "scary" book.  I am not usually a fan of "scary" movies, but I thought a book would be relatively harmless.  This story definitely changed my mind.  It proved to me that books can give us nightmares and make us feel as if we aren't alone in a room; they already make our imaginations run wild, so books in this genre really take advantage of that.  I made the mistake of reading this while home alone at night...not a great idea.


The way in which St. James plays with time and perspective -- jumping back and forth from 1950 to 2014 and switching from various points of view of Fiona and the girls attending Idlewild Hall -- was a superb technique to keep the tension high, the story moving, and make me want to keep reading.  The threads of the stories seemed to run parallel to one another, but it was only as I forged ahead that I realized just how complex a story this was and how those threads were actually complex intersections, like a spider's web.


I'm not usually one for a ghost story, but I found Mary Hand to be particularly chilling.  Everyone's experiences with her were different and this was, perhaps, the most chilling aspect.  What is more terrifying than a ghost who learns and adapts?


The shocking discovery during the renovations at Idlewild Hall threw such an unexpected twist into the story and really brought all of the worlds into a collision course.  There were many twists and turns such as this and the pacing was excellent.  The reading list was correct:  I really could not put this book down!


What really sold this book for me was the descriptions of Idlewild Hall.  I would be lying if I said I didn't get the chills a few times.  It seemed like such a miserable place to reside, let alone be forced to attend boarding school.  The writing style was eloquent and very readable.


The school and the characters are all haunted by their pasts in this chilling, thrilling story by St. James.  I found it incredible well-written and fast-paced.  The terrifying echoes of the past collide with the tumultuous future and make for a must-read book.  Honestly, I really was not expecting to like this book as much as I did -- if only because it is not my usual cup of tea.  I was pleasantly surprised with how enthralled I became with this story.  I simply had to know what was waiting around the next corner.


If you're not one for scary or chilling, this isn't for you.  It's not a happy read in any sense of the word.  If you want something thrilling and bone-chilling, then this is right up your alley.  I promise I'm not exaggerating when I say that this book kept me on the edge of my seat pretty much the entire time.  It started off thrilling and continued along with the same pacing throughout.  The twists and turns kept me guessing, the mystery and ghosts gave me chills.  If you're looking for an exciting escape, then look no further.

Warm Bodies (Warm Bodies, Book One): Isaac Marion

"R is a young man with an existential crisis--he is a zombie.  He shuffles through an America destroyed by war, social collapse, and the mindless hunger of his undead comrades, but he craves something more than blood and brains.  He can speak just a few grunted syllables, but his inner life is deep, full of wonder and longing.  He has no memories, no identity, and no pulse, but he has dreams.

"After experiencing a teenage boy's memories while consuming his brain, R makes an unexpected choice that begins a tense, awkward, and strangely sweet relationship with the victim's human girlfriend.  Julie is a blast of color in the dreary and gray landscape that surrounds R.  His decision to protect her will transform not only R but also his fellow Dead, and perhaps their whole lifeless world.

"Scary, funny, and surprisingly poignant, Warm Bodies is about being alive, being dead, and the blurry line in between."

Okay.  I devoured this book (pun intended because, yes, I am just that corny).  It's not terribly long - I read the hardcover version which comes in at a little under 250 pages - but that is beside the point.  I simply could not put this book down.  I am thrilled with Marion's writing style, incredible storytelling, and knack for creating characters who, even though not all of them were living and breathing, really felt very...well...alive!

I convinced my now-husband to watch the movie version of Warm Bodies after it came out a few years ago.  Simply put:  I loved it.  I thought it was funny, well-done, great casting, and just enough zombie gore to keep my then-boyfriend interested (especially because he's such a fan of "The Walking Dead").  Now I am certainly not a person who normally cares for apocalyptic/post-apocalyptic movies, shows, and/or books.  I refuse to watch "The Walking Dead," "2012," "The Day After Tomorrow," and anything else that has to do with the end of the world as we know it - probably all stemming from my recurring childhood nightmares of all the terrible ways the world was going to end.  I was sold on Warm Bodies as soon as I saw the trailer because it genuinely looked like it had a great sense of humor.

I have to rewatch the movie since it's been a few years since I've seen it, but - if my memory serves me right - there is definitely more to the book than they were able to capture in the movie (doesn't that always happen, though?).  I feel like the portrayal of R in the book was highly existential, yet he retained the same humor I remember from the movie.  I am thoroughly impressed with how deep this book goes.  I had an inkling when it began with references to "Gilgamesh," but I am extremely thrilled with how much this book made me think and ponder my own existence.  It was lighthearted enough to be an enjoyable read, gory enough to be scary and exciting, eloquent enough to reach the level of reading to which I am accustomed, and fresh enough to be a very interesting read.  Marion is a brilliant author and I am so happy to have stumbled upon this book!  To be honest, I didn't even know that the movie had been based off of Marion's book!  I was at my local library on my way home from work on Valentine's Day and was walking past an end-cap with a sign that read, "If you love 'Walking Dead,' you should try these!" and Warm Bodies was on prominent display.  I think I even did a happy little jump when I saw it because it reminded me of how much I enjoyed the movie.

For those of you who have already seen the movie, this won't be a spoiler.  It miiiight be a little bit of a spoiler for you if you haven't.  I think the whole "zombie Romeo and Juliet" aspect of the story was played up a heck of a lot more in the film than it actually was in the book.  In fact, other than the balcony scene, I don't think I would have necessarily noticed it had I not known to look for it because of the movie.  (I am a little bit sad that the movie did away with R's button-down and tie; I liked the thought of him being a dapper zombie.)

Overall, I highly recommend this book to anyone who loved the film adaptation.  The book is a little bit heavier on the existentialism and pondering of one's purpose than the film, but I hope that doesn't turn anyone off; it really is honestly worth the read.  If you have a queasy stomach or you're grossed out really easily, then this might not be the book for you.  R is a very descriptive narrator and Marion is an excellent writer...I could practically smell the rotting corpses...

Now I can't wait to go and watch the movie again!

*Aaaaand...my night is made.  Just saw that Marion has written a couple of other books that go along with this story.  I'm curious to see if they have the same depth and sense of humor that Warm Bodies did.

Hannibal Rising (Hannibal Lecter, Book Four): Thomas Harris

"HE IS ONE OF THE MOST HAUNTING CHARACTERS IN ALL OF LITERATURE.

"AT LAST THE EVOLUTION OF HIS EVIL IS REVEALED.

"Hannibal Lester emerges from the nightmare of the Eastern Front, a boy in the snow, mute, with a chain around his neck.

"He seems utterly alone, but he has brought his demons with him.

"Hannibal's uncle, a noted painter, finds him in a Soviet orphanage and brings him to France, where Hannibal will live with his uncle and his uncle's beautiful and exotic wife, Lady Murasaki.

"Lady Murasaki helps Hannibal to heal. With her help he flourishes, becoming the youngest person ever admitted to medical school in France.

"But Hannibal's demons visit him and torment him. When he is old enough, he visits them in turn.

"He discovers he has gifts beyond the academic, and in that epiphany, Hannibal Lecter becomes death's prodigy."

The last in the epic Hannibal Lecter series by Thomas Harris, this was the first I chose to read--partially because this was the last film adaptation I watched, but also because I wanted to be able to watch Hannibal grow and develop as I read the rest of the series. This involves reading them out of order, but I think this may be the one exception I allow to my rule.

To begin, I knew this book would be good, but I had not the slightest inkling as to how it would suck me in. This could be attributed to any number of factors. The movie is still fresh in my mind, so I’m really enjoying comparing and contrasting (which I’ll get into later). The writing is simply beautiful and the craft, itself, is extremely interesting from a literary standpoint. Also--though a bit of a silly reason--I think I’m drawn to Hannibal because I, myself, am Lithuanian. My grandmother was about Hannibal’s age and even grew up in the same area as Lecter during the invasion of Lithuania. She has some eerily similar experiences to those of this fascinating character--though none quite so tragic as what sets Hannibal off. What’s truly awe-inspiring is, from firsthand accounts and historical evidence, Hannibal’s childhood isn’t all that implausible.

Getting off of that tangent, the writing in this novel was rather remarkable. Enthralling yet accessible, Harris really is masterful in his structure of the piece. I was amazed that I cared so much for a character like Hannibal while knowing full well what he would turn into. I’m always impressed when an author is able to create such a character and this book is probably the epitome of the admiration I have. Throughout my blogging history, I have noted other authors who have done similar things, but never to this degree.

Something that is really interesting about this piece is the complex literary structure. Written mostly in the past-tense, there are snippets of present-tense interjected in pivotal points of Hannibal’s evolution. This serves to draw the readers further into his slowly twisting world. The fact that Harris was able to pull off this tactic without seeming disjointed was thoroughly impressive as well. The glimpses into Hannibal’s inner-workings were particularly brilliant. The imagery it created--when coupled with Hannibal’s fragmented memories--were hauntingly beautiful.

At the time this portion of the review was written, I found the likenesses between the novel and the film adaptation to be striking. I’m amazed at how many lines were taken directly from the text. Rather than seeming poorly done with little effort, this made the text seem even more brilliant for the fact that it translated so well onto film. I felt a little thrill every time I recognized a bit of dialogue or a specific scene. The fact alone that I was able to recognize scenes from the book in the movie is impressive in and of itself. To delve further, some characters were left out in the film, but I don’t think this had a detrimental impact on the plot. Those characters that were included were vibrant and rich. They helped shape young Lecter into the man (or monster, depending on who is asked) we know he will become. To watch his evolution is truly fascinating. The dialogue as it was performed in the film was exactly how I pictured it in the novel. What was especially impressive was the way in which Lecter was portrayed. His mannerisms and speech patterns were just how I pictured a young Lecter when compared to the Hannibal from Silence of the Lambs. Gaspard Ulliel did an eerily good portrayal. I caught myself gasping a couple of times because he captured Anthony Hopkins’ mannerisms during certain key points. It was brilliant because, had the young Hannibal been a mirror image of the older one, then it would have been too unrealistic. The fact that there were little snippets and tastes made it all the better. Also, Ulliel’s accent made sense because he’s really a Frenchman playing a Lithuanian and his character was a Lithuanian trying to speak French. At least to me, the casting made sense and I appreciated it. (Not to mention Ulliel was a little bit of eye-candy! Even the scar on his cheek added to his character! You couldn’t help but like him. His eyes are wickedly expressive and I’m VERY tempted to find some of his other films, though they’re mostly French.)

At this moment, I’ve not finished reading the novel, but I can already tell you that I love it. The book is dark and haunting, but beautiful at the same time. The characters stay with you long after the credits roll or the cover is closed. Harris is a brilliant, talented author. I’m amazed with the depth and complexity of his writing. There are so many layers--not only with the plot and characters, but with the writing as well--that I can easily see myself reading his work over and over again in an effort to fully appreciate it. I hope his other books in this series are as enthralling! I definitely look forward to reading more.

...

Keeping up with my RAIR reading method (Reviewing As I Read), I’ve finished the book and can now complete my review! The conclusion of the novel was just as awesome as I remember the film being; though the portrayal of Hannibal’s final step into his ultimate mindset was less described in the film, the book gave it that extra push to make it that much more dramatic.

I will say that it seemed to take a while for Hannibal to get on the trail of the men who traumatized him, and, when he finally did, everything moved so fast. I’m not sure if this was the author’s intent, but it seemed to go a lot quicker than the movie adaptation did. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but I almost (ALMOST) wanted a little bit more from the book. That, however, could just be me hoping for more of this amazing series.

I’ll try to get my hands on a copy of Red Dragon as soon as possible (though it’s out of Harris’ reading order, but I’ve already explained my method) because I’ve really fallen in love with this series. It might make me sound a little bit sick, but I’ll take it if that means I can read more about the complex, fascinating character that is Hannibal Lecter.