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The Angela's Ashes of Appalachia

Overall
4 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
4 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 04-20-24

Angela's Ashes had a unique perspective of the life of a boy from a poor Irish family. If you liked that bestseller including the humor that come's from a poor boy's innocent view of life's absurdities with nothing making any sense, you'll like this one too. Tragedy recurrently befalls both boys yet part of their resiliency seems to stem from lack of understanding. Ignorance can be bliss for those in hardship situations. A differentiator is the oxycontin epidemic that killed many youth yet made their seller's rich. The character June brings this epidemic into focus as something that could have been prevented yet wasn't until it was too late. Kudos to Kinsolver for creating a world where this killer drug was a cultural norm and exemplified what was happening throughout the country at that time. Let's all learn from the unfortunate history she depicted.

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Twist at the end sets up for a sequel. Ugh!

Overall
3 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
3 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 02-19-24

The narrators make this book entertaining and enjoyable as it is action packed. However, the relationship tensions are too repetitive, overdone, and predictable that they make the story seem longer than it needs to be. More stars would have been given if the ending didn't leave me upended! Although there is a great twist at the end, the book seems set up for a sequel and becomes disappointing to a reader who bought the book as a standalone, not a series hopeful. There should be buyer beware signs for books that don't end but just want you to buy more assuming their future existence will be justified!

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Too set up for a sequel

Overall
3 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
2 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 12-17-23

The narrator was awesome and made the book very enjoyable until the end. The book itself was fantastic but the ending seemed like a deliberate set up for a sequel which is presumptuous and unfair to readers who think they are reading a book that ends so the reader isn't left wondering. If a book is to become a series, the reader should have the right to be informed ahead of time. Otherwise, a great book!

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Interesting slice of US History

Overall
4 out of 5 stars
Performance
3 out of 5 stars
Story
4 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 11-15-23

I saw David McCullough speak about this book at our local church in Hamilton, MA where Manassa Cutler once preached. Given this audience he spoke more of the influence New England and Harvard had on him which he brought west. What wasn't mentioned in the book was the reason why girls were encouraged to be educated which was so they could be literate enough to read the Bible. Interesting story for those from OH and PA for sure!

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Twists are the author's specialty

Overall
4 out of 5 stars
Performance
4 out of 5 stars
Story
4 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 10-13-23

I like Housemaid so I read this one next. Both are similar but the twists differ. McFadden delivers great twists which aren't always predictable and make readers want to continue on. Love the vulnerability of the protagonist which makes her heroic actions all the more daring. Clues are subtle but there. Both of these Housemaid books were fun reads!

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Important Book to Read

Overall
4 out of 5 stars
Performance
3 out of 5 stars
Story
4 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 10-13-23

Although hearing about the suffering of innocent civilians is difficult, understanding the effects of an atomic bomb should be required of every voter in any country with this capability. The best part of the book is the objectivity of the author who accurately describes the refusal of the Japanese to surrender and the fear of how many US military would probably have been killed if the bomb was not dropped. Innocent civilians seem to be the casualties of every war so let's hope our future leaders will have read this book and think about the consequences of aggressive military actions.

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Great Psychological Thriller

Overall
4 out of 5 stars
Performance
3 out of 5 stars
Story
5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 10-09-23

I loved the description of this book regarding the aggressors not knowing what they are up against with the HouseMaid. Not knowing what the HouseMaid was capable of is what kept me guessing throughout the majority of the story. Great twists and intriguing characters. Looking forward to the sequel.

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Great characters

Overall
3 out of 5 stars
Performance
3 out of 5 stars
Story
3 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 10-06-23

The strength of this story is the characters that are developed with their unique abilities, personalities, and dynamic within the immediate and extended family. The Vincent storyline was a little challenging to understand as his existence is there but then again, it's not. Overall, a good book but not spellbinding.

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Interesting view into the world of the 1950s

Overall
3 out of 5 stars
Performance
4 out of 5 stars
Story
3 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 09-07-23

Although I found myself searching for the common thread among the multiple storylines throughout most of the book, it does come together eventually. Not very riveting but excellent at depicting the fears in both the US and the USSR during the 1950s. This is an important part of history which should not be repeated. Although Americans blamed the Soviets for punishing freedom of speech, the US had punishments for personal freedoms at that time as well. Wish I had read Dr. Zhivago beforehand. Will probably enjoy more now.

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Non Stop Melancholy

Overall
1 out of 5 stars
Performance
1 out of 5 stars
Story
1 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 09-01-23

Ironically, I often think the advantage of listening to authors reading their own books is a perk however in this case, it was a disadvantage. The author's voice is very monotone and melancholic making 7 hours of listening a challenge. I also initially had difficulty following because the author jumps back and forth from Vietnam to Hartford making the story a bit disjointed. His style is poetic with some exceptionally well done and thought-provoking phrases but there were also some parts when I couldn't decipher what he was trying to say. I admit I prefer the meanings of poetry to be easy to discern. Overall, the book was way too melancholic for me. Very sad and depressing.

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