Teaser Tuesday (79)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!



Birth of a Nation (Kindle Loc. 330-31)
   - James Butler

The ball was rolling now, and nothing would stop it until it went one hundred, fifty years back to a better time and place. Or at least, they would make it a better place.

I'm Not Her

Tess is the exact opposite of her beautiful, athletic sister. And that’s okay. Kristina is the sporty one, Tess is the smart one, and they each have their place. Until Kristina is diagnosed with cancer. Suddenly Tess is the center of the popular crowd, everyone eager for updates. There are senior boys flirting with her. Yet the smiles of her picture-perfect family are cracking and her sister could be dying. Now Tess has to fill a new role: the strong one. Because if she doesn’t hold it together, who will?

*May Contain Spoilers*

Janet Gurtler writes a novel brimming with intensity from the first word of I'm Not Her. Tess loves to hate her sister. She's everything a daughter should be, and everything Tess isn't. When Kristina finds out that she has a cancerous tumor growing in her leg and it may result in death or amputation, the world Tess is used to fitting into is destroyed. 

Tess is an incredibly strong character in this novel. It's almost like the ending cycle of her evolution. She emerges from her shell with more bravery and courage than she could ever hope for. Readers will connect with her based on the openness in which she shares her emotions. They'll also relate to the bigger picture of the novel: she's faced with a life-altering situation and must adapt. I love the sarcastic nature of Tess along with her blunt honesty. It's refreshing to have a character that tells it how it is. Not to say she isn't awkward at times, or that I liked her at every point in the novel, but I did relate to her.

The plot of the novel follows Kristina's diagnosis with bone cancer up to what happens after treatment. Looking through the eyes of Tess, the book grows in emotional intensity as the plot climaxes and ends with a heartbreaking death, of a character you don't expect. I enjoyed reading this book. I really did. It was passionate, honest, and consuming. But it was also incredibly depressing. After every reading session my entire mood had changed. I felt like this was happening to me. Maybe it's because I become absorbed in what I'm reading, or the author is just that good at conveying emotion. Either way, though I recommend this novel, it isn't for everyone. Know your emotional limits and if this book is too much for them, then honor that.

Rating: 2.5/5 Cups

Teaser Tuesday (78)

 

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!



I'm Not Her (8% on Kindle)
   - Janet Gurtler


Kristina's top lip quivers a second but then she swallows and looks right into my eyes. A cold feeling runs up my spine and a chill settles on my arms.

The Rockin' Chair

Memories are the ultimate contradiction. They can warm us on our coldest days or they can freeze a loved one out of our lives forever. The McCarthy family has a trove of warm memories. Of innocent first kisses. Of sumptuous family meals. Of wondrous lessons learned at the foot of a rocking chair. But they also have had their share of icy ones. Of words that can never be unsaid. Of choices that can never be unmade. Of actions that can never be undone.

Following the death of his beloved wife, John McCarthy (Grandpa John) calls his family back home. It is time for them to face the memories they have made, both warm and cold. Only then can they move beyond them and into the future.

*May Contain Spoilers*

From secrets hidden behind carefully forged masks to ghosts that haunt their waking lives, every family has problems. This McCarthys are no different. Steven Manchester reveals their heavy hearts and their journey to light in his novel, The Rockin' Chair. 

When Grampa John requested his grandchildren to return to their Montana home, he was only thinking how much it would mean for them to see their grandmother before she passed on. He wasn't expecting to discover that despair had overwhelmed the lives of each of his family members. When he learns how much help his family needs, Grampa John vows to stay on earth long enough to help each member find their way out of darkness. 

The greatest thing about this novel is the variety of characters. Each reader will be able to connect with at least one of the members of the McCarthy family, if not more. Grampa John has just lost his wife and is determined to put the pieces of his family back together. Hank is John's son and has never felt accepted, nor completely loved by his father. Their relationship is estranged, even though they live on the same farm. Hank wants trust and openness with his father, but his stubborn nature threatens to keep the two men apart. 

Elle is Hank's wife and she's always been strong, for other people. She puts everyone ahead of herself and doesn't think twice about it. She takes care of her mother-in-law as she suffers from Alzheimer's while remaining solid in her role as a wife. 

The grandchildren each have their own demons that Grampa John soon recognizes. George is in the military, just returning from an overseas tour where he killed a young boy. He feels nothing but guilt and remorse as he tries to adjust to civilian life. Readers will feel the regret in George's heart and connect with him easily. Evan has just lost the love of his life - or so he thought. With Grampa John's advice and age-old wisdom, Evan learns to live for others and come to terms with the fate of his relationship. Readers  won't have any problem relating to Evan. Though he can be a little too soft-hearted (maybe even corny) at times, his personality comes through stronger in the second half of the novel. Tara dreamed of being an actress but instead fell into alcoholism and drug addiction. Though she's the least explored character in the book, readers will connect with her plight to overcome her ailment. 

The plot of The Rockin' Chair is simple and straight-forward, emphasizing the growth of the characters instead of the events that occur around them. As the McCarthy family heals, the reader/character connection strengthens. The dialogue has an awkward feel at times, and certain situations allow for more fictionalized reactions, but the overall sense of the novel is powerful. It's amazing to see a family pull together after a tragedy and Manchester captures the essence of familial love in this new novel.

 Rating: 3/5 Cups