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Despite both being regular readers, Amanda and I share surprisingly few books in common, according to our reading logs on GoodReads. However, when our books do overlap, we generally have similar views. Where the Red Fern Grows was a 5-star read for both of us, and we were both a bit ‘meh’ about In a Dark, Dark Wood. On occasion, we disagree though, and here are two of those examples.
You’ll also note a new name here. Julie Anna Densmore is joining us an as occasional contributor. Look for an upcoming article introducing her, but in the meantime, you can check out her first story: a recap of the Lowell Area Historical Museum’s Summer Fest.
The Dry
The Dry by Jane Harper
Amanda’s Take
2 out of 5 stars
Aaron Falk is an investigator with the Federal Police in Australia. He returns to the town where he grew up to attend the funeral of a childhood friend who is believed to have killed his wife and child before killing himself. While home, Falk is drawn into trying to figure out if his friend is really a murderer. A childhood secret also surfaces again. This is the first book in a series about the main character, but he wasn’t interesting enough for me to want to continue reading about his life, adventures, and mystery-solving skills.
I usually reserve one-star reviews for books I don’t finish or absolutely hate. Neither was the case for this book, however, I felt like I had to make myself finish. I didn’t feel the characters were especially developed. I also felt the mystery in the plot left a lot to be desired. The plot and characters didn’t draw me in. The last quarter of the book did pick up a bit but by that time I didn’t care. I just wanted to be done.
Maryalene’s Take
4 out of 5 stars
Unlike Amanda, I had no trouble breezing through this one. It took me a chapter or two to orientate myself to the characters and what was going on, but after that, I was hooked. The book flips between two stories — the current mystery of what happened to leave three people dead in a rural, drought-stricken town of Australia and a flashback to an older mystery involving a girl who was friends with both the main character and the murder suspect.
My one quibble with this book was the ending which I felt came out of left field. Maybe I missed the bread crumbs pointing to the conclusion. However, I knocked a star off my rating because I like to feel as if I at least had a chance to solve the mystery and in this book, it didn’t seem like that was possible.
Apparently, Amanda and I aren’t alone in being at odds about this book. A quick scan of reviews online shows this novel has polarized readers with people either finding it a slow, agonizing slog or a gripping page-turner. If you’ve read it, we’d love to know where you fall on the spectrum of ‘love it or hate it.’
Where the Forest Meets the Stars
Where the Forest Meets the Stars by Glendy Vanderah
Julie Anna’s Take
4 out of 5 stars
Where the Forest Meets the Stars is the debut novel of author Glendy Vanderah, a former endangered bird specialist turned writer from Illinois. Vanderah clearly lends her life experience to her main character, Joanna Teale (Jo), who is a field biologist in a graduate program at the University of Illinois.
The story begins with a mysterious girl who Jo finds outside the cottage on location where she’s conducting her research. The girl tells Jo she is an alien named Ursa from another planet and has come to Earth to witness five miracles before returning to her home in the Pinwheel Galaxy.
When we first meet Jo, she is hardened by the loss of her mother to breast cancer and having undergone surgeries to avoid suffering the same fate. Thrusting herself into her work is the only way she knows how to feel a sense of control in her life, and the little girl presents an obstacle she does not have the time or desire to deal with. The girl proves herself to be stubborn and highly intelligent, and Jo reaches out to her reclusive neighbor, Gabriel Nash (Gabe) for help.
The story continuously weaves back and forth between fantasy and reality, and we see the characters evolve and heal from their past wounds and explore and embrace their vulnerabilities. In the end, we see each character become a better version of themselves by the grace of unconditional love and acceptance, both for themselves and for each other.
Amanda’s Take
5 out of 5 stars
This was part of my 2019 favorite books list. Jo is out on her own staying in a rural area where she can research nesting birds. A child shows up unexpectedly during her research and appears to be holding back why she is wandering around on her own. The girl calls herself Ursa and tells Jo she has been sent from the stars to witness five miracles. Jo lets Ursa stay with her as she decides what to do about the child and as a way to learn more about her while keeping her safe.
Jo and a neighbor named Gabriel work together to try and figure out the mystery of Ursa. I enjoyed the plot as well as the characters, which I felt were developed nicely and drew me in with their individual plight. I felt the ending was a bit abrupt but other positives made me not mind. I also enjoyed the author’s second book, The Light Through the Leaves.
Maryalene’s Take
3 out of 5 stars
I gave this one 3 stars and felt I was being generous. I really just couldn’t figure it out in the beginning. Was it supposed to be a supernatural story about a girl from another planet or were we supposed to assume this story was grounded in realism?
By the time I had accepted the fact that the author was going for realism, the ending took a hugely unrealistic turn. As in, I couldn’t believe anything in the final chapters would actually occur in real life. And there was so.much.drama. I know it was supposed to tug on the heartstrings, but I found myself more annoyed than emotional. Sorry to be so vague, but anything more specific would require sharing major spoilers.
So to wrap it up: an implausible plot with cookie cutter characters and featuring an overly precocious child. Not my cup of tea.
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