Life Penalty

Title: Life Penalty by Joy Fielding
Genre: Fiction, Mystery, Thriller
Rating: 1/5

A stay-at-home mom with two gorgeous daughters and a loving husband, Gail Walton was living your average middle-class life. Then the unthinkable happened: her six-year-old daughter was kidnapped, sexually assaulted and murdered. Depressed, Gail retreats into herself and vows that if the police don't find the killer within 60 days, she'll do it herself.

I'm not sure exactly why, but I just couldn't get into Life Penalty. Part of it was the characters. Gail starts off the book as this almost perfect mother and wife and then devolves into this irrational woman whose grief and obsession overwhelm everything and ruin all of her relationships. She spends a great deal of the book imagining that she's being attacked and then putting herself in situations where she could be gravely injured or killed. And Jack was this cliched patient husband, willing to wait forever for his wife to recover despite her unwillingness to try.

As for the story itself, I found it too dark and depressing as a whole, and poorly written. I've read books that deal with dark and difficult themes in the past, but I just found that this story had no redemption to it. Gail just keeps spiraling deeper and deeper into her depression, which dragged on throughout the book with no hope of recovery. The ending itself felt rushed and the last scene just seemed completely unbelievable.

I'm hard-pressed to say what I did like about the book, other than the fact that it was a quick read. I do feel that it had a realistic depiction of the 1980s judicial system in North America, though an admittedly one-sided view.

I had a really tough time getting through the whole book and almost abandoned it a few times. Only my desire to see whether the killer was eventually found kept me reading. Overall, Life Penalty is not a book I'd recommend to anyone, but I might be willing to try reading another book by Joy Fielding in the future.

The Transformation of Bartholomew Fortuno

Title: The Transformation of Bartholomew Fortuno by Ellen Bryson

Genre: Fiction, Historical

Rating: 3/5

Bartholomew Fortuno is the world's thinnest man. After working for P.T. Barnum's American Museum as a human curiosity for nearly a decade, he's content with his life. That is until a new performer arrives shrouded in secrecy, provoking Fortuno's curiosity and enthralling both him and Barnum.

Ellen Bryson's The Transformation of Bartholomew Fortuno is an intriguing look at P.T. Barnum's famous museum and the human curiosities that he surrounded himself with throughout much of his life. Before reading it, I'd known that "gifted" individuals toured with circuses but had no idea that Barnum and Bailey's circus had been preceded by a museum of these curiosities.

The protagonist, Fortuno, is an interesting character. He takes great pride in his thinness and doesn't know who he is beyond his gift. He holds great disdain for those who don't come by their talents naturally and is obsessed with the new performer, Iell Adams, a bearded lady who actually looks feminine. As the story progresses, he begins to understand that his fellow performers are more than the impressions he'd conceived based on their gifts and performances and that there's more to his own gift than he realizes.

Bryson did a fantastic job with the setting. She avoids overly long descriptive sections and instead weaves bits and pieces of historical information in to provide authenticity to the story; Abraham Lincoln's assassination and funeral, the ringing of the bells of St Paul's chapel, the smell of the over-flowing sewage system and the horse trolleys on the street.

Unfortunately, I found that the book dragged a bit in the middle. There were a few times when I was tempted to skim through sections, though I resisted the urge. However, the revelations that concluded the book more than make up for the duller sections.

The Transformation of Bartholomew Fortuno is a good book and while I don't think it's a book for everyone, it's one I'd recommend to those interested in historical fiction or those looking to be intrigued.

Thanks to Henry Holt and Company for the Advanced Reader's Edition of The Transformation of Bartholomew Fortuno. A positive review was not a requirement and the views expressed above are my own. For more information on The Transformation of Bartholomew Fortuno, check out the Macmillan website.

Heat Wave

Title: Heat Wave by Richard Castle
Genre: Fiction, Mystery
Rating: 4/5

During a heat wave in New York City, a real estate tycoon plunges to his death and embroils Homicide Detective Nikki Heat in the secret lives of the wealthy. Unfortunately, she's hindered by a wise-cracking superstar magazine journalist assigned to ride along with her to research an article New York's finest.

Heat Wave is a must-read for any fan of ABC's Castle. In a lot of ways, Heat Wave feels just like another episode of the show with its attractive and brilliant female lead detective, the two humourous male detectives who make up her team and the wise-cracking writer. And as a fan of the show, I'm not saying that's a bad thing but I'd like to imagine that "Richard Castle" would be a little more creative with his work. Also, I think it might create a problem with readers unfamiliar with the show, as there's little character development or even description. However, it has a lot of the humour of the show and a rather interesting murder investigation. And publishing the fictional book talked about throughout the first season of Castle was a brilliant publicity move on ABC's part. There's even endorsements from writers James Patterson and Stephen J. Cannell, Nathan Fillion's "author" photo on the back cover and an acknowledgments section from "Richard Castle."

Heat Wave is a great, quick read and I definitely suggest checking it out. I know I'll be reading the sequel, Naked Heat, which is out this fall.

Campus Chills

Title: Campus Chills edited by Mark Leslie
Genre: Fiction, Horror, Thriller, Short Stories
Rating: 4/5

From the back of the book: "Thirteen original tales of terror set on campuses across Canada..."

I really enjoyed Campus Chills. There's a good variety of stories throughout, from the utterly gruesome to the ones that make you wonder "what if." From your typical ghost story to the monstrosities that may be possible through science. My favourite stories in the collection were "The Forever Brotherhood" by Julie E. Czerneda, "Sara" by Nancy Kilpatrick, "Sown" by Susan Moloney and "Old Spice Love Knot" by Steve Vernon.

"Prospero's Ghost" by Kimberly Foottit and Mark Leslie was also really interesting with its use of metafiction. It's a story that involves books printed on an Espresso Book Machine at McMaster University and the Campus Chills collection was created for the Espresso Book Machine and launched at McMaster University, as well as three other bookstores in Canada with EBMs.

Overall, I'd recommend Campus Chills to anyone interested in Canadian works or horror stories. And don't be frightened by its Print on Demand status, it's actually of rather good quality.

The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner

Title: The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner by Stephanie Meyer
Genre: Fiction, Fantasy, Paranormal, Novella
Rating: 4/5

From Little, Brown: Fans of The Twilight Saga will be enthralled by this riveting story of Bree Tanner, a character first introduced in Eclipse, and the darker side of the newborn vampire world she inhabits. In another irresistible combination of danger, mystery, and romance, Stephenie Meyer tells the devastating story of Bree and the newborn army as they prepare to close in on Bella Swan and the Cullens, following their encounter to its unforgettable conclusion.

As a fan of the Twilight Saga, I knew I was going to read The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner but after the cracktasticness of Breaking Dawn I wasn't sure what to expect. Luckily, Stephanie Meyer seems to have returned to the more polished writing of her earlier books. It was intriguing to see how a more traditional vampire, one that hunts humans, fits in the Twilight world and to see Bella from the POV of a vampire other than Edward. The Bree of this novella is less animalistic than the one in Eclipse. She befriends another new vampire named Diego, is suspicious of their unnamed creator and avoids confrontation with the other new vampires rather than participating in the in-fighting. I also found it interesting to see how Victoria used superstitions about vampires in order to control her new army. Each morning they returned to the coven before sunrise for fear of its effects.

I really enjoyed The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner and would recommend it to fans and non-fans alike. Bree won me over within pages, and despite knowing what would happen, I found the ending bittersweet and wished it could end another way. Rumour has it that Meyer may be writing other books based on minor characters in the Twilight Saga and I'll definitely read them if she does, particularly if Freaky Fred gets his own book.

Here's the Deal: Don't Touch Me

Title: Here's the Deal: Don't Touch Me by Howie Mandel with Josh Young
Genre: Autobiography, Non-fiction, Humour
Rating: 5/5

From the publisher: A frank, funny, no-holds-barred memoir that reveals the Deal or No Deal host’s ongoing struggle with OCD and ADHD–and how it has shaped his life and career.

I absolutely loved Here's the Deal: Don't Touch Me. I grew up watching Bobby's World and have watched Here's the Deal, and knew that the book would be funny but it's so much more than that. Mandel reveals some of his darkest moments and the two instances where he truly felt embarrassed, both of which involve his daughter. He talks about his childhood and the cruel things he did to his younger brother in order to get attention, about the humiliation he heaped on friends as a joke and his struggle with OCD and ADHD. And towards the end of the book, he talks about his recent health scares and admits that as of early 2009, he didn't know if he'd still be alive to see the book published. It's utterly heartbreaking at points and fall-off-your-chair hilarious at others.

Mandel's writing is smooth and entertaining. Each chapter reads as its own story, so it's easy to find a place to break if you absolutely must put it down, though you won't want to. The middle of the book is filled with pictures that are amusing, narrated with funnier captions, and help illustrate the stories throughout the book. My only complaint has to do with the shortness of the book, but I suppose this means I may be able to look forward to a sequel.

I absolutely recommend Here's the Deal: Don't Touch Me to other readers. Whether you're a child of the nineties (and watched Bobby's World), a fan of stand-up comedy, a Canadian or just like a good story, this is the book for you.

Captivity

Title: Captivity by Deborah Noyes
Genre: Fiction, Historical
Rating: 4/5

In mid-nineteenth century America, three sisters inspired a religious movement known as the American Spiritualists when they announced that they were able to communicate with the dead. In Captivity, Deborah Noyes fictionalizes their rise to fame and intertwines it with the story of Clara Gill, a fictional woman past her "prime," who'd become a recluse after a scandal had driven her family from their home in London a decade earlier.

Captivity is a beautiful and enthralling story that weaves together fact and fiction. From the fictional Clara Gill and her work at the factual menagerie at the Tower of London to the imagined personalities of the real Fox Sisters. Nothing felt awkward or out of character. It's obvious that Deborah Noyes did her research into the time period before she began writing. I am glad, though, that my knowledge of the Fox Sisters and the American Spiritualist movement was minimal before reading the book as I believe it would have distracted from Noyes' lyrical language and the haunting tale that she was spinning.

As for the characters, I found Maggie Fox irritating at the start of the book due to her self-centred nature, but came to appreciate Noyes' artistic portrayal of her as she matured. Maggie began to see the sisters' performances as more than a game and to consider the results of her actions. In comparison, I liked Clara from the start. It was hard not to empathize as it became obvious just how withdrawn from society she was and how obsessed she was with an unknown tragedy in her past. And I have to admit, I was intrigued by the mystery of what that tragedy was, and loved how Noyes expertly prolonged the suspense by offering only a bit of Clara's backstory at a time. Though in the end, I was surprised by the revelation as I'd been expecting something simpler and more innocent.

Overall, Captivity is a book that I'd recommend to other readers, but one that I'd be selective in recommending. It's a wonderful and entangled read, not something for those just looking for a quick afternoon's diversion. But those willing to give it a try will be rewarded.

Thanks to Unbridled Books for the ARC of Captivity. A positive review was not a requirement and the views expressed above are my own. For more information on Captivity, check out the Unbridled website.