Evermore by Alyson Noel

Title: Evermore
Author: Alyson Noel
Genre: Young Adult (Fantasy)
Source: Personal Library
Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin; 1 edition (February 3, 2009)
Rating: 3 out of 5

My thoughts:
16 year old Ever has to change her school, her town and go live with her aunt when her parents and her 12 year old sister die in a car accident. After the accident, Ever starts seeing dead people and read others thought. In short, she is a psychic. I think the term psychic was used very liberally here, Ever can do so much more than a psychic can. She and talk to her dead sister. Anyway, in her new school she meets the mysterious Damein.

I have mixed feelings for this book. On one hand I cannot stop comparing the book to Twilight. I felt as if the author read Twilight and thought I could possibly write a similar book and try to eliminate the problems some people have with Twilight. One for e.g how dangerous Edward was and how many people thought Bella was foolish to fall so deeply in love so quickly. There are so many other things that are similar to Twilight but I will not mention them here since they could spoil the story.

The thing is, Alyson Noel is a good writer, she knows how to keep the reader glued to the page and keep turning the pages. But the fact that it was so similar to Twilight put me off a little bit. I loved Twilight but I don’t want to read another version of it no matter how good it is. There is something to be said about originality.

The part I liked best was her equation with her dead sister. I also liked the ending, its just enough to end the first book and leave enough scope for a second. I will definitely be reading the next book, Blue Moon, which I hope I’ll like better.

Wordless Wednesday: Ooty, India

Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen

Title: Lock and Key
Author: Sarah Dessen (blog)
Genre: Fiction-Young Adult
Hardcover: 432 pages
Publisher: Viking Juvenile; First Printing, First Edition edition (April 22, 2008)
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

My thoughts:
Ruby Cooper is a 18 year old teenager who shoulders more burden than she should at such a young age. Her mother is an irresponsible women who cares more about herself than Ruby.  Ruby has grown up taking care of herself and moving homes and schools according to the shim and fancies of her mother. One day, her mother disappears and she is left alone at the run down yellow house. Ruby manages on her own while she can for about 2 months until her landlords find her living alone in the house and turn her over to the social services.

Thats when her elder sister, who had left home and never come back, takes her in. She is now married to a guy called Jamie and has a huge house and a good life. Everything she had always wanted. But for Ruby, she is a stranger. After not knowing anything about her sisters whereabouts, now being in her house at her mercy was something that was overwhelming for Ruby. As she decides what to do next and as her life is being turned upside down, she meets a guy called Nate, a neighbor.

Having heard so much about Sarah Dessen I had very high expectations. I started Lock and Key, read a 100 pages, thought the pace was very slow and was still wondering what is so great about Sarah Dessen when ‘Baam’, I was hit by her writing powers. There is no other way to describe it. She explores a lot of themes that many YA novels do, relationships, family, responsibilities, grief but she does it so well. I cried so much at one point that I had to lock myself in the bathroom so that nobody sees me crying over a book.

Sarah Dessen writes characters that grow on you, be it Ruby, Jamie, her sister Cora and even the pet dog Roscoe. Initially I was disappointed in Nate as he seemed like any other YA novel hero. But as the story progressed, and the layers peel off, we get to know things that make him different.

Lock and Key is about many things-finding the meaning of family, of grief, of being there for someone you love even when all you can do is just be there, of accepting help when needed, and of believing in yourself and the power of changing your destiny.

Here are some of the sentences from the book:

But wasn’t that always the way. It’s never something huge that changes everything, but instead the tiniest of details, irrevocably tweaking the balance of the universe while you’re busy focusing on the big picture

It’s a lot easier to be lost than found. It’s the reason we’re always searching and rarely discovered–so many locks not enough keys.

We can’t expect everybody to be there for us, all at once. So it’s a lucky thing that really, all you need is someone.

Family isn’t something that’s supposed to be static, or set. People marry in, divorce out. They’re born, they die. It’s always evolving, turning into something else.

This is exactly what I wanted, as commitments had never really been my thing. And it wasn’t like it was hard, either. The only trick was never giving more than you were willing to lose.

If you didn’t always have to choose between turning away for good or rushing in deeper. In the moments that it really counts, maybe it’s enough – more than enough, even – just to be there.

What can I say? I’m a new fan. I have ‘Just Listen’ by Sarah Dessen so I have one more book to look forward to. If you love YA and haven’t read Sarah Dessen, you seriously don’t know what you’re missing.

Stolen lives/ La Prisonneire by Malika Oufkir

Stolen Lives (La Prisonneire in French)
Author: Malika Oufkir
Hardcover: 293 pages
Publisher: Miramax Books; 1ST edition (June 1, 2001)
Source: Personal Shelf
Genre: Non-Fiction(memoir)
Set in: Morocco
Rating: 5 out of 5

My thoughts:
Malika Oufkir was born in Morocco in 1953 in a powerful family who had close relations with the King. When she was 5, the King adopted her so that she could grow up as a companion to his daughter, Lalla Mina. She grew up in the palace with her and had the best of everything. The king was also very find of her and she considered him her second father. But over time she started feeling lonely. So one day she asked the King permission to go home. The King reluctantly said yes. The next few years were spent with her own family, with her mom who was a very fashionable lady and who was fond of all good things in life, her father who was climbing the success ladder very quickly and her siblings.

But when she was 19, there were political unrest’s in the country, there was growing unrest among the people against the King. Amongst this chaos, her father was arrested and executed and her entire family- her mother, her 3 younger sisters and 2 younger brothers were arrested and sent into an isolated dessert goal. The youngest boy was only 4 years old then. The Oufkir family spend the nest 20 years of their life in prison and house arrest.

Stolen Lives was so difficult to read. Just imagine those kids growing up in prison, never experiencing normal things and emotions. My heart goes out to the youngest though, Abdellatif. He spent his entire childhood and teenage years in prison. When he was 8, he tried to kill himself. My heart nearly broke when I read that.

Somehow he’d imagined, in his little mind that was too mature for his years, that killing himself would be the best way to get us all out of this mess. He didn’t want to see us suffer anymore. From that day on, we vowed to spare him. We wouldn’t talk in front of him any more, we’d hide our grief from him, we’d invent a fantasy life for him and we’d get him to believe in it.

The Oufkir family escaped by digging a tunnel through the prison, another example of how their minds were shaped with intellect even after so many years in prison. If they wouldn’t have escaped, they would still be in prison.

Stolen lives is not just a story of survival, but that of surviving without loosing dignity. I first saw this book on Amazon while random browsing. So when I saw this in Srilanka I immediately picked it up. But when I saw the seal of “Oprah’s Book Club” on the cover, I had second thoughts. I’m so glad I bought it though.

I have immense respect for Malika and her mother for going through what they did. Malika especially, who almost bought up the kids in prison, who made up history, geography and Math lessons for the kids so that they don’t grow up uneducated, who along with the others help directed plays and made the kids act in it to break monotony and stop depression from creeping in.

I really hope you give this book a chance even if you don’t read a lot of memoirs. This is one book that will stay with me forever.

Note: In 2006, Malika and her husband adopted a baby boy from Marrakesh, Morocco after Malika was unable to conceive because of the scars that are still left by the 20 year imprisonment.

Once and Always by Judith McNaught

Title: Once and Always
Author: Judith McNaught
Mass Market Paperback: 400 pages
Publisher: Pocket (September 20, 1990)
Source: Personal Library
Genre: Historical Romance
Rating: 3.5 out of 5

My thoughts:
I had heard a lot about this author but I never really remembered reading anything by her. There was a time when I used to devour one romance novel a day, so it might be possible that I have read one of her books. Anyway, this one sounded good. I have to say the summary at the back is kind of misleading.

Victoria and her sister Dorothy are orphaned at he age of 18 and 17 respectively when their parents die in an accident (Horse carriage). Having no one else to look after them their doctor finds out that their mother was royalty, daughter of a countess. So he sends them from America to England to their cousins.

The cousins turn out to be Charles who is an elderly Duke and Jason who is a young and troubled Marquess. Charles wants Victoria and Jason to get married but they both hate each other at sight. Jason does not want another women in his life after his ex wife deceived him and Victoria does not want an arrogant and rude man as her husband, besides

she already has a man called Andrew back home. She is sure he will be coming to get her as soon as he returns home and discovers she is gone.

The story basically revolves around these two. I loved her writing style and I do believe I have found another favorite Romance writer. The book could have been reduced in length at least by 100 pages though. Victoria was a lovely, vivacious, lively character and although I loved her she was almost too good to be true. Jason was a very nicely fleshed out character and I could very well understand why he behaved the way he did.

I have 2 things I would like to mention here though.

Firstly I was very sad that the author decided to make use of the stereotypical and ignorant descriptions of the Indians. She describes them as ragged beggars. I mean come on. As one reviewer on Amazon puts it perfectly

“Throughout generations and even now the dominant religion in India has been Hinduism. So why were the “poverty stricken dirty Indians” dragged into the sadistic torture of a white British(who by the way unjustly occupied India during that era and tortured the rightful citizen and looted the country) Christian boy?“

She also mentions that India is always hot. This is something I have read in so many novels and I thought I should really mention something this time. The author is writing about Delhi and yes, India is a tropical country and it is hot. But it is not always hot, in fact Delhi has very severe winters. I wish the authors could check the facts first.

Also, there is a tone in the novel that suggest that Americans are better than the British and although one can argue the fact by saying that the hero and her Uncle are British, they seem to be the exception. Overall I found it a little offending even though I am not British. I don’t know if I’m being too sensitive here, but if you’ve read this book ad you’re not an American, you could let me know.

In spite of my complaints, Once and Always was entertaining. I’ll definitely be reading more of her books. Which one do you suggest?

Wordless Wednesday: Bintan-Indonesia

A Bintan Town

Daughter of the Ganges by Asha Miro

Title: Daughter of the Ganges
Author: Asha Miro
Paperback: 288 pages
Publisher: Atria (September 4, 2007)
Genre: Non Fiction (memoir)
Source: Library
Set in: India
Rating: 2.5 out of 5

My thoughts:
This is the story of an adoption. Asha was an Indian orphan who was adopted at the age of 6 by a couple in Barcelona. When Asha is in her twenties she feels an urge to find out about her origins, about her real parents. She takes up a volunteering assignment in Mumbai for a month and simultaneously find out more about her roots.

Daughter of the Ganges is the story of how she travels back to the village where she was born. This book was released in Italian in 2 parts when she first visits India and when she returns back after 7 years for filming a documentary based on her first book. The book was apparently a best seller in The UK but somehow it failed to create an impact on me. The story is touching, yes, but I couldn’t really get into the book. The sections that I felt affected me the most were the entries from Asha’s adoptive mothers diary. I applaud people like her parents who take in orphans and give them a home and a better future.

I would love to tell Ms. Asha one thing though. You were fortunate, yes, but not because you were adopted and taken out of India. You were fortunate just because you were adopted, it’s as plain and simple as that.

The way she writes the book made me feel as if all children in India are unlucky, adopted or not, and she had a great fortune because she was taken to Barcelona. It is the typical western mentality. Sorry for generalizing, I know not everybody thinks like that. Asha probably never meant for the book come across that way and she probably does not even realize it. But anyway, I just thought I should mention it.

I am not really sure if I want to recommend this book. The first half was pretty slow but the second part was really good. I think children who are adopted will be able to relate to this book really well. When I read the Amazon reviews I feel as if I should have loved this book. But it just didn’t appeal to me and a part of me does feel bad about that.

Nothing But Ghosts by Beth Kephart

Title: Nothing but Ghosts
Author: Beth Kephart
Hardcover: 288 pages
Publisher: HarperTeen (June 23, 2009)
Genre: Young Adult
Set in: USA
Rating: 3.5 out of 5

My thoughts:
I first heard about this book on a book drive. I think it was a very brilliant initiative but somehow it put me off buying the book. I don’t know why but it did. But last week I told myself to stop being foolish and pick up the book. So I did.

I guess by now everyone knows this is not a Ghost Story. This is a story about Katie and her attempt to dealing with the loss of her mother.

While working on the estate garden of Ms. Martine who has been a recluse and has not come out or shown her face to the outside world for more than 50 years. Katie feels there is a mystery to all this when she is assigned to a gazebo digging project in the Garden. As she struggles to find the mystery of Ms. Martine’s disappearance, she also struggles with her own ghosts, the ones she has carried around since her mothers death.

So thats the basic plot. What I liked about the book? Well, the writing was brilliant. The author can write about grief and suffering so well that you can’t help but feel for all the characters. Speaking of characters, I loved all of them, even the minor ones like Sammy, the 4 year old neighbors kid. I loved the setting of the story and I could almost feel like I was there among the lush greenery of the garden estate.

What I didn’t like in the book? For one, I found it a little slow. Second, I think I’m the only one who has this problem but I think Katie finding out about Ms. Martine’s history and secret was something that was none of her business in the first place. If someone who is still living has kept herself hidden and her past buried, there should be a perfectly good reason for it.  Trying to find out about that secret was like not honoring that person’s wishes.  I really struggled with that part of the story.

Other than that, even though I liked the book, it was kind of forgettable for me. I’m not sure I would remember anything after a few months. But…as you might have seen around the blog-sphere, majority of the readers have loved this book.

I really wanted to love it too but it just wasn’t meant to be.

Long Road Home by Kim Yong

Title: Long Road Home
Author: Kim Yong with Kim Suk-young
Genre: Non-fiction(Memoir)
Source: Library
Hardcover: 184 pages
Publisher: Columbia University Press (June 1, 2009)
Set in: North Korea
Rating: 4 out of 5

My thoughts:
Kim was an ideal North Korean citizen. He had a high post in the government, made a lot of profit, worshiped their leader, put his country above his family and was basically living an ideal life with his wife and 2 kids. Everything was perfect, until it wasn’t.

Kim was an orphan and war orphans had an advantage in North Korea as their parents gave their life serving the country. Family background played a very important role in North Korea and even the 2nd and 3rd generations had to pay for something their parents or grandparents did or supposedly did.

Kim’s world came crashing down when it was discovered that he was the son of an American spy who was executed by the Government. He was immediately arrested and sent to prison for what his father did, a father whom he did not even remember.

What happened to Kim and possibly many North Koreans was shocking to say the least. I can only question the sanity of someone who can put 2nd and 3rd generation loyalists for something they did not do. I might have understood a demotion but not putting him into one of the countries worst prison.

Kim did manage to escape to South Korea and eventually to the US, but before that he had to spend 6 years in hell. His journey from North Korea to South Korea was nerve breaking. I kept praying they don’t catch him even though I knew they don’t. The author brings to light the lives North Koreans lived and probably some of them still do under this horrific regime. He wants the world to know what is happening in the closed country.

The author is the only person who escaped Camp 16 and 14 and has lived to tell his story. There are not many books written about North Korea and this one is definitely worth reading.

A Face in the Dark and Other Hauntings by Ruskin Bond

Title: A Face in the Dark and Other Hauntings: Collected Stories of the Supernatural
Author: Ruskin Bond
197 pages
Publisher: Viking Books (January 2004)
Genre: Fiction (short stories)
Set in: India

My thoughts:
Ruskin Bond. How much do I loved this author. Not because I have read his work extensively, but because he is the first author that made me feel like I could love reading. He showed me that reading could be a pleasure which could transport you to a different world altogether. He gave me my first glimpse into how the reading world could be. All this because of one short story called The Cherry Tree

The Cherry Tree is the story of a young boy from the hill station of Mussoorie who plants a cherry tree and watches it grow. Such a simple story but it evokes such beautiful imagery. We had this story in our curriculum as children and I seriously cannot recall the number of times I have read it. In fact I have still kept my English textbook just because of this one story. That’s the Ruskin Bond magic.

My point being that when I saw the book A Face in the Dark and Other Hauntings in the library I picked it up. I couldn’t wait to read it and I was not disappointed in the least. This collection of short stories has all kinds of stories, the theme being “supernatural”. There are stories of ghosts, fairies and jinns, most happening in the backdrop of the beautiful hill stations of Northern India. There is also Rudyard Kipling’s and Sherlock Holmes Ghost.

Ruskin Bond does not write complicated words, nor does he write complicated stories. These stories reminded me of stories I’ve heard from my friends and relatives, of the time when we all used to settle down at night and make up ghost stories to frighten each other.

But none of the stories really scare you, they are simply meant to entertain. Almost all these stories are based in the mountains and in actual places, be it the story of the fairies on the Pari Tibba hill or stories based in the forests of India. Some of the stories are even hilarious but almost all make you smile as you read the last line. How many ghosts stories can you say that for?

Please read this book. It’s the simplicity of the stories which make them beautiful. They can be read by children as well as enjoyed by adults.

I don’t have the capability to rate this book but for me Ruskin Bond will always have a 5/5.

I’m adding this to the South Asian Authors Challenge. Although Ruskin Bond is British by birth, he was born in India and has stayed in India almost all his life. He writes about India and it’s people with as much love and affection. In fact, Ruskin Bond is India’s one of most favorite authors and his stories are included in textbooks in India.