Light Between Oceans

The Light Between Oceans

By  M.L. Stedman

3 1/2 Stars

Mixed emotions make me hesitate to write about The Light Between Oceans.  I liked it.  I really did.  But I also disliked it.   Someone who reviewed this book commented it was a “high concept” book.  In that area, I disagree.  As I read the book I felt I had read it before which insists the storyline is not unique.

However, the characters drew me into the story--A good man, a good woman gone slightly mad, and a woman whose child disappears.  Yet eventually I thought to myself.  Really?  The characters began to wear on my nerves.  The story became  far-fetched.   I found my credulity stretched to the point I didn’t care much for any of them.  (I always want to like a least one character in a book.)

Overall,  The Light Between Oceans is an enjoyable read.  It focuses on human nature and what a person will do for someone they love dearly.   It’s a good book to think about and then ask yourself, “What would I have done?”

Read Light Between Oceans if you like:

·      Character driven stories

·      Historical fiction        

·      Mild Suspense

Favorite Quote:  “Your family’s never in your past. You carry it around with you everywhere.”   By M. L. Stedman

Content Rating:   None

Happy Reading,

                Susanne

Heft

Heft

By Liz Moore

Rating:   3 3/4  Stars

Loneliness and friendship.  Abandoned and treasured.  These themes weave throughout Heft in a way that propels the reader forward. I fell in love with the characters in this book. Although, their problems were different from mine I resonated with the morbidly obese Arthur Opp and the ragtag adolescent Kel Keller. The story portrays humanity with its weaknesses and strengths.  It allows for hope in broken relationships.

I enjoyed I this book until the very last pages, but then the ending disappointed me. I expected so much more closure, but felt that I was left dangling. I cannot figure out why Liz Moore would write such a touching story and then leave the ending as she did. Maybe a sequel?   Who knows?

Another problem within the book was the use of ampersands (&) instead of using the word “and”.  It’s used frequently on almost every page. I actually thought that perhaps Heft was self-published because of this flaw.  I found the use of the ampersand distracting.

I liked this book and I would have rated this book 4 stars or higher, but can’t justify it due to the ending and the ampersands. I do think it is a worthwhile read, but be prepared for a disappointing ending.

Read HEFT if you like:

·      Character driven fiction         

·      Quirky characters

·      Human interest stories

Favorite Quote:

“All my life I have heard it said that you can’t choose your family, and all my life I have lamented this fact as true & unfair. But I think it is possible to look at things differently.  I believe we can choose to surround ourselves with a circle of people we love and admire & they can become your adopted family.” By Liz Moore

Content Rating:  None

  

Happy Reading,

     Susanne