Stargazer

Lemmie, Asha: Fifty Words for Rain: A Novel
This book isn't badly written, but showcases a creepy(nearly incestuous) half brother/sister relationship, and is a perfect example of "tragedy porn." The ending was a huge disappointment, as well as the rest of the book. 2 1/2 stars. (***)

Daré, Abi: The Girl with the Louding Voice: A Novel

Kline, Christina Baker: The Exiles: A Novel
I'd never read anything about the exiling of criminals to Australia, so the history behind this was interesting. The writing wasn't outstanding, but it should elicit a decent discussion. (****)

O'Farrell, Maggie: Hamnet
This was saved from three stars by the ending, which was beautiful. Life in the Elizabethan era was brutal and difficult, but I was impressed by the descriptions of those times and of the grief of losing a child. The writing style was a bit too choppy for me though. (****)

Bennett, Brit: The Vanishing Half: A Novel
The first part of the book was compelling, and the writing excellent. Then the story started to meander, focused on other characters besides the twins, and lost my interest. It had great potential, but didn't fulfill its promise. (***)

Alan Brennert: Moloka'i
Yet another 3 1/2 star--3 stars for the writing which was pedestrian, but 4 1/2 for the characters and story. The history of Hawai'i and Moloka'i was both fascinating and tragic. (****)

Eowyn Ivey: The Snow Child: A Novel
Although some disliked this book at Book Club, I absolutely loved it and found it entrancing. You have to like magical realism and fairy tales though. It was beautifully written and captivated me! (*****)

Liz Murray: Breaking Night: A Memoir of Forgiveness, Survival, and My Journey from Homeless to Harvard
This story was supposed to be inspirational(homeless to Harvard) but was mostly depressing and repetitive. It focused too much on the homeless and not enough on the transition to Harvard. And did I already mention DEPRESSING? (***)

Ann Patchett: State of Wonder
Although the ending was contrived(still loved it by the way), I adored the writing, the plot and the ethical dilemmas of this novel. It was also extremely well-written! (*****)

Tawni O'Dell: Fragile Beasts: A Novel
A wonderful read, especially the first half of the book. The ending was far fetched, but I really enjoyed the rest of the book. (****)