Book Reviews: Fiction

By Karin Baker

A quote beginning a chapter of this book says it all: “Death is more universal than life; everyone dies but not everyone live.” – A. Sachs. Nearly one year after the loss of his son Joshua, Scott Garland begins the drive from Buffalo, NY to San Diego, CA, leaving his wife and the life he once had behind. The story tells not only of his struggles to come to terms with Joshua’s death, but with the healing process that Scott must experience to reach peace.

Immediately after beginning this book, I sighed to myself. Was I ready for a heart-wrenching novel detailing the grief of a father losing his son? I didn’t think I was. But sitting in the passenger seat with Scott on his coast to coast road trip to find meaning kept me turning the page. I found myself instantly invested in his story. I was saddened by the grief he had to deal with and hopeful that he could come to some sort of resolution.

Along our journeys, Scott and I learned some valuable lessons. We had beers at a run down tavern filled with lost souls that had experienced a tragedy beyond our wildest dreams. We encountered traveling evangelists in a traffic jam who were determined to save our souls. We reached out to a priest for answers, who later showed us that even in the darkest of situations there is a speck of light. Most importantly, we found out what was truly important in our own lives.

I am always a sucker for stories that detail finding true meaning in life. BLIND SPOTgave me more than I expected. It was a powerful piece of fiction with a unique self-help twist. When an author can make their character’s journey your own, the author has graduated to the status of a true craftsman. To quote Earnest Hemmingway:

All good books are alike in that they are truer than if they had really happened and after you are finished reading one you will feel that all that happened to you and afterwards it all belongs to you: the good and the bad, the ecstasy, the remorse and sorrow, the people and the places and how the weather was. If you can get so that you can give that to people, then you are a writer.
-Earnest Hemingway

Mr. Fazzolari, not only did Scott’s ways change, but mine did too. If nothing more, I recognize some of my own “blind spots.”

Karin Baker

By Carlotta G. Holton

When 11-year old Lenore, the child of country girl Daisy goes missing, a small, sleepy Nebraska town jumps to life. Her disappearance ignites controversy that puts the town on the national map. Essie Myles, an octogenarian who writes obituaries for the family’s newspaper, The County Paragraph, perceptively chronicles the events that ensue.

Essie who claims she is “as much a part of the traditions of death as a gilded lily,” and her grandson Doc, who edits the paper are also engaged in the secret printing of the latest book of the young -adult Gothic Miranda-and Desiree novels. As such anyone who works at the press – which includes Daisy – has some access to the long-awaited next book – “The Coffins of Little Hope.”

In this engaging tightly- written book, it is not so much where did the child go as did the child ever exist? There are pros and cons to each side. Doc interviews Daisy who claims an itinerant aerial photographer named Elvis who had been staying at the farm disappeared at the same time as the child. Did he kidnap the child? Each confrontation between Daisy and Doc yields only more questions.

It becomes apparent that this does not seem to be the home of a child. Why doesn’t Lenore have a birth certificate? Why was she never in school? Why is there only one very blurry photo of the child? Why are there no clothes or toys? Is this a hoax or a cruel reality? Is the mother a childless woman inventing a child for attention?

Essie ponders, “Lenore became increasingly difficult to believe in. And those of us who turned skeptical found ourselves wishing Daisy had a least done a better job of inventing a child.”
Yet the longer Lenore is missing the more recognition that comes to the town. The interviews, the national media and a slew of sympathetic followers of Daisy, dubbed the Lenorians, all make for compelling fodder for a town to profit on the miseries of one individual. Many did not want it to end for all the wrong reasons. These guests filled up hotel rooms, ate at local restaurants and increased business in the town. Essie rationalizes, “on this girl we pinned all hopes of our dying towns’ salvation.. She became our leading industry, her sudden nothingness a valuable export… To declare Lenore nonexistent would be to bite the hand that fed us.”

To this end, psychics from as far as Berlin, hypnotists and readers of cracked glass are called in to find the child. Daisy begins a religion of her own and mysteriously begins spreading a copy of the as yet unpublished version of the “Coffins of Little Hope” over CB radio. Did she steal it from the press? Or is it a different version perhaps written by Lenore?

The ideas that drive this story and the originality with which it is executed make this well worth reading. The author subtly reminds us of the fragility of childhood and the vested interests of a dying town to survive - regardless of the truth.

Carlotta Holton is the author of Salem Pact, Touching The Dead,Vampire Resurrection, and Deadly Innocence and is a member of the National Federation of Press Women and an affiliate member of the Horror Writers Association.

By Paula Rossi

As a general rule, I shy away from anything romantic: novels, movies, gestures. I prefer St. Patrick’s Day to Valentine’s, and Chuck Palahniuk to Nicholas Sparks. Something about the “romance” label turns me away, conjuring images of the ideal, unrealistic, and glittery. StarCrossed, by Franklin Sherwood Ludkin, the unlikely love story of an American girl and Russian cosmonaut, threatened to live up to my preconceptions of the genre. I admittedly only picked the book up due to the title and it’s Shakesperean reference. I love Shakespeare, especially the tragedies, and I hoped StarCrossed, with its’ allusion to the opening monologue of Romeo and Juliet, would defy my expectations – or at least someone would die at the end. Spoiler alert: No one dies. However, out of all the romances I’ve read, StarCrossed nevertheless demanded my attention throughout.

The novel begins with hasty background on female leading character Katya, and the sexual assault that has dictated her feelings on men. She fortunately meets her male counterpart in the second man she dares to talk to at a bar. Vadim is an astronaut different from most men of his profession – supposedly self-assured players looking for glory and one-night-stands. Katya’s back story allows the reader to really root for her from moment one, rejoicing with her when Vadim meets her cliché yet touching ideas about romance. Vadim and Katya’s witty interchanges display their immediate connection and helplessly drew me in to their romance, despite my reservations. My cynical mind proved no match for my swooning heart as Vadim dazzled Katya like the stars dazzled him.

Vadim’s space explorations proved to be the real gem of the novel, as the descriptive passages detailing the daily life of an astronaut placed StarCrossed eons above other romances in both style and content. In addition, the subtle theme of unity and peace between the United States and Russia deepened the novel and tied the story together.

I took issue at first with the rushed pace of Katya and Vadim’s courtship, turning their ascent into romance into what reads like a naïve teenage girl’s fairy tale. By the second date, they use the L word, something usually reserved for much later on in relationships, and Vadim channels a Hallmark card as he tells Katya about the footprints she has already left on his heart. Within a week, they sleep together, Katya apologizing for making him wait that long considering he is The One. By two weeks, talk of moving in together arises.

Call me old fashioned, but expecting a woman to apologize for holding out for a single week seems like a man’s idea of how women should act. Although Vadim is undoubtedly charming, sensitive, and perfect for Katya, the entire courtship seemed alarmingly rushed. To a modern reader, moving in with someone you’ve known for less than a month seems a little less romantic and a little more like the opening scene in Law and Order: SVU.

However, I soon realized that their extraordinary circumstances forced Vadim and Katya to move as quickly as they did. As an astronaut training for a months-long stint in space, Vadim had no time to waste or doubt his feelings, especially considering the disapproval faced from Vadim’s powerful Russian superiors. The international implications of such a union showed me this was no ordinary romance, and couldn’t be looked at as such.

In the end, I’m admittedly glad that no one died. The book presents a happy resolution as Vadim and Katya beat the odds and prove to cynical readers such as myself that sometimes love truly is enough, conquering everything from long-distance relationships and disapproving family members, to even the Russian government. StarCrossed strays from the typical romance, in content as well as in the social conventions of courting, but in the end, its nonconformity is exactly why it held my interest.

By Carlotta G. Holton

Perotta’s premise in The Leftovers is a fascinating one: what if one day the Rapture descended upon us and those deemed worthy disappeared off the face of the earth? How would those who are left behind - the leftovers – cope? Would life be the same?

Such is the situation in the suburb of Mapleton three years after the Sudden Disappearance in which people vanished randomly. This engaging novel, peopled by believable characters, starts off strong and explores the coping techniques of those left behind that range from indifference, avoidance, depression, anxiety and even joining a cult. The idea is a compelling one, particularly when one ponders why certain people were chosen to be taken while others – seemingly good – are left behind. Among the taken are Buddhists, Zoroastrians, atheists, Jews, Muslims and Hindus. Left behind is a Bible thumping preacher, Reverend Matt Jamison, who denies the event, along with other mothers, husbands, and children and publishes a monthly gossip rag that tarnishes the taken.

There is also the belief that before long the world will end. Some, like Laurie, a housewife who takes the Rapture as a personal rejection even though it is clear that God had not considered religion into which he chose to take. Her feelings lead her into the Guilty Remnant, one of several cults that have sprung up after the event. As if to punish herself, she and the other members wear white, take a vow of silence and smoke cigarettes as a sacrament to remind themselves that they deserve death. They shadow other citizens to remind them that they are all “leftovers.”

While some crave punishment, others join religious groups and hippies called the Barefoot People who paint bulls’ eyes on their foreheads so the Creator “will recognize us.” They want to be readily identifiable for the next coming.

His proof takes the form of a monthly gossip rag that tarnishes the taken to show it couldn’t be a religious event.

The parallel to the tragedy of 9/11 is obvious. Perotta successfully delivers a tale about how ordinary people react to extraordinary events. It is disquieting and depicts the hurt, fear and apprehension and in some instances, healing, following an alleged apocalyptic occurrence. Yet Perotta has been quick to note in a CNN Belief Blog that “this is not a theological argument with apocalyptic theology. It's a book about how we remember, how we forget, how we move on. It's also about the way that trauma inspires intensely religious reactions.”

In this dystopian society life does go on. It is a functional society. Kevin Garvey - the father and also the mayor - thinks, he'd “seen this process before: It didn't matter what happened in the world - genocidal wars, natural disasters, unspeakable crimes, mass disappearances, whatever - eventually people got tired of brooding about it. Time moved on, seasons changed, individuals withdrew into their private lives, turned their faces toward the sun. On balance, it was a good thing."

For this reader, The Leftovers was not about potential solutions to the loss of loved ones, but rather successfully raises questions about the way we live our lives and the human psyche. It is a thought-provoking read that begs for book club discussions.

Carlotta Holton is the author of Salem Pact, Touching The Dead,Vampire Resurrection, and Deadly Innocence and is a member of the National Federation of Press Women and an affiliate member of the Horror Writers Association.

By Allison Latzko

Until I read Dear Zoe by Phillip Beard, the only people I knew who died on September 11 were those killed at the World Trade Center. I never thought about people like Zoe. Now I do.

This coming-of-age novel is brilliantly written in a letter format penned by fifteen year old Tess to her younger sister, Zoe. The voice of Tess for the most part is spot on but the author does slip up from time to time causing Tess to sound more like the an older, wiser person. This occasional glitch, although jarring, didn’t stop me from reading on.

The magic of Dear Zoe was the feeling that Tess was speaking directly to me. Amazing jewels of insight were sprinkled throughout the narrative but the one that strongly resonated with me was Tess’s lament: “You won’t be any part of what they’re thinking about. You’ll just be the silence itself.” Even out of context the meaning is clear and powerful.

The character of Zoe was richly developed and so strikingly honesty that Beard made me truly care deeply about her and those that loved her. Although Zoe died that day in September and was never present in the novel, her sister’s struggle to come to terms with the event of Zoe’s death was there on every page.

I too lost Zoe on September 11. I will mourn her death and celebrate her life.
Mr. Beard you brought fiction to life. Thank you.

Allison Latzko is an English Writing major at the University of Pittsburgh and a current member of the Writers News Weekly staff.

By Paula Rossi

Cliff Fazzolari’s “Nobody’s Home” just taught me my new favorite quote: “In everyone’s life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle our inner spirit.” As someone with post-it’s full of quotes wallpapering the entire space above my desk, I’m a sucker for inspiration. In addition to embodying many of my favorite motivational quotes, “Nobody’s Home,” the story of a young girl’s strength in the face of her tumultuous life with her abusive, alcoholic father, was the most inspiring work I’ve read this year.

First and foremost, Fazzolari developed brilliant characters. “Nobody’s Home” was the type of novel that left me feeling personally acquainted with and invested in the life of the characters, especially the protagonist, Shari. As Shari struggled from the very first page to even survive at the hands of her controlling father, I felt swept up in her story, captivated by her strength and courage. Her never-ending faith dictated the tone of the story, adding incentive to continue reading such a sad tale.

Don’t get me wrong, “Nobody’s Home” is admittedly hard to read. At times the tragedy and sense of hopelessness threatened to make me put down the book as I couldn’t bear to read about any more heartbreak. However, the connection I felt to the main character and realization that Shari actually lived the story, not just read about, prompted me to keep going until the very end.

In addition to the brilliantly portrayed and relentlessly inspiring protagonist, Fazzolari’s supporting characters contribute greatly to the story as well. My favorite, a wise elderly neighbor who gives Shari strength in the form of his memory when she needs it most, is just one example of the characters that add life to the story. Fazzolari portrayed even the vile father figure as multidimensional, writing in an honest yet non-judgmental tone. I felt like a member of Shari’s family as I caught glimpses of a human side of the father and hoped against all hope that he would do the right thing.

With the exception of the father, everyone else that Shari meets becomes her newest source of inspiration and strength, sending the beautiful message of the power of encounters with other human beings. This theme will leave readers with the sense that even short-lived connections with others can serve an astounding purpose. While I could never spoil the ending of such a rewarding story, I can promise that the conclusion maximizes this theme and makes the difficult reading worth it. Just as each person Shari meets helps to make her a better and stronger person, I feel better from my exposure to this novel. “Nobody’s Home” will undoubtedly stick with me, and any reader, long after closing the book.

By Sarah Bell

Dear friend,

I just finished reading The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky. If you haven’t heard of it, go get a copy. If you have and you don’t have a copy already, shame on you. Similar to the main character in the novel, I would say that it’s my “favorite book of all time, but then again, I always think that until I read another book.” There are very few books that I would say I hate.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky is special. I read it twice in two days because of that. The book includes a series of letters written by Charlie, a boy retelling his experience as a freshman in high school. He is awkward, but intelligent. Shy, but observant.

He sees things other people don’t, and he keeps secrets. He’s a wallflower.

Each letter is written to an anonymous recipient. He doesn’t even really know the person, but he chose to write to a complete stranger because he overheard a girl say, “You listen and understand and didn’t try to sleep with that person at that party even though you could have.” The logic doesn’t make sense, but it doesn’t have to for you to understand the book, or to connect with the diverse and completely realistic characters.

The letters are unique, and much more personal than anything I have ever read. After you finish the book, you know Charlie. It’s heartbreaking.

Without giving too much away, I will say that the ending was a little disappointing. I talked to my sister about it. She read the book first, and she thought the ending was great. She didn’t see it coming. I did. Maybe it’s because I watch a lot of TV in my spare time, I don’t really know.

Halfway through the book, it became very clear how it was going to end. I hate when that happens. I want to be surprised when I reach a novel’s conclusion. You know that moment, when your heart starts beating faster, you are so far into the novel that it is real to you, the suspense is building and you know something is going to happen, but you don’t know what. I love that feeling, and I didn’t have that with The Perks of Being a Wallflower. My sister did.

I still read it twice. Like I said, the book was special. Even though I saw the ending coming, I kept turning the page. It’s so well-written. I fell in love with the characters, the author, the letters, and even the anonymous recipient. I want to know the person who listens, and understands, and doesn’t try to sleep with people at parties even though they could have.

I want to be a part of Charlie’s world – to drive through the Fort Pitt tunnels standing up in the back of my best friend’s pick-up truck, to really listen to a song, and to “participate” with people outside of my comfort zone. You’ll want to be a part of his world too.

Turning the pages, I was a part of it (even if it was only for five short hours). And just like Charlie says, “I was really there. And that was enough to make me feel infinite.”

Love Always,

Sarah

Sarah Bell is a student at Waynesburg University and plans to live long and prosper.

By Jamie Novak

“Go, Speed Racer, Go!”

The irony of Detective Charles Racer’s deep affection for his 300ZX is cause for a chuckle or two in author Richard J. Tracey’s police thriller, The Fairfield Murders. For the most part, the plot reads like an action-packed episode of Law and Order: Special Victims Unit—a compliment of the highest sort. When beautiful women in the small town of Fairfield start becoming victims to a methodical serial killer, the police are forced to bring Racer back to the homicide division. The case takes Racer to the seediest parts of town, but the ultimate connection between these murders lies in a surprisingly up-scale women’s boutique.

Coming from an avid fan of all things Patterson, Grisham, and Clancy, there are admittedly aspects of this book that leave something to be desired. Whether a physical description of the main character, or a note on the state or city where the novel takes place (it isn’t until the latter half of the book that a reference to Philadelphia is casually mentioned), such details would help to establish a clearer picture of the events as the story progressed.

Nevertheless, the novel continues to keep its readers guessing in more important ways; by the halfway point of the novel I had a strong hunch concerning the identity of the murderer, but the introduction of characters such as wealthy business owner and ex-pornography star Madeline Stein and the shady Detective Robert Shane made pointing a finger at the perpetrator much more difficult.

The layers of suspicion deepen as small details, like an empty Coke can and a torn dress label, reveal that the murder victims may not have been as innocent as they first appeared. As the story progresses into two plots—one of a pornography ring and blackmail, the other of murder—it becomes clear that the two are somehow connected. This intrigue makes it easier to overlook the few details of Tracy’s novel that seem to stretch reality.

The pornography plotline ends in a tense standoff with a whirlwind of arrests—models, photographers, and even the big boss himself. The only problem is that the serial killer doesn’t seem to be one of them. After eliminating his own prime suspect as the murderer, Racer must abandon his kicking-assistants-and-taking-names personality and try to find the missing piece to the puzzle.

The proverbial “light-bulb!” moment finally occurs, but not in the Angela Lansbury know-it-all fashion that readers might expect from a maverick like Racer; he doesn’t trump everyone with a “Mr. Plum in the library with a candlestick” performance. Instead, he backs up his intuition with the help of a quirky, multi-faceted laboratory technician, the hard work of his partner, Cindy, and the support of his old friend, Lieutenant Detman.

In this way, The Fairfield Murders is a refreshingly realistic thriller, and the final fast-paced chase between Racer and the killer ends with a flourish that offers a new (and very literal) kick to the idea of delivering justice. In the end, you never know who is watching who in Fairfield. When the action never stops, lesson number one is to just keep moving. Ready, set…

Jamie Novak is a recent graduate of the University of Pittsburgh, with degrees in English Literature, French, and a Certificate in Public and Professional Writing.

By Charles Femia

An entity of pure evil haunts the Lost Colonists of Roanoke in the late 16th century causing their inexplicable disappearance. Fortunately for the rest of humankind, the American Indian Powhatan tribe is not only able, but willing to make the sacrifices necessary to rid the world of the maleficent undead creature. Until now.

Over 400 years later a fraternity initiation prank goes horribly wrong reanimating the horrifying vampire Count Jean Phillipe Roget. With a newly acquired undead minion to aid him, Roget sets in motion a course of death and destruction in the quiet, quaint community of Manteo, North Carolina.

As the human population begins to decline in Manteo, the undead population begins to rise. The police have no answers and no weapons to contend with the atrocities plaguing the small town. The only hope for salvation lies in the hands of Jay Silver a descendant of the Powhatan Chief that stopped Count Roget over four centuries ago. With the help of local journalist Paige and her on again off again flame; photographer Alex, Jay undertakes the daunting task of eliminating Roget once and for all. Together they confront the vampire which makes for an explosive ending that will mean either Roget's end or their own.

Carlotta Holton delivers. The fast-paced plot allows for many interesting twists and turns. Her take is true to the genre with a few innovative thought-provoking deviations from the norm. The characters are deep and textured. The dynamics between them are well thought out and certainly realistic, making it easy to relate to any one of them. The villain in particular is intriguing and frightening, reminiscent of the great Anne Rice's antagonists. An antihero that is purely evil yet surprisingly moralistic, Roget fascinates the imagination.

The author's prose and use of imagery is superb, easily bringing you into disparate historical times. She clearly did her research as her descriptions of both; the Lost Colony of Roanoke and the ethnographical accounts of the American Indian Powhatan tribe of the area, are brought to life. Jay Silver's sweat lodge scene is profoundly respectful of the Powhatan culture and remarkably accurate.
The ending is well conceived, exciting, and will catch you off guard. The suspense and anticipation Holton is able to conjure seem to turn the pages for the reader. This is a must read not only for fans of this genre but for everyone and anyone who likes a good read.

By Carlotta G. Holton

Ann Patchett’s new book State of Wonder is much more than an obvious plot-driven adventure into one woman’s heart of darkness in the Amazon. Like the layers of the jungle that research scientist Dr. Marina Singh forges through, the thought-provoking messages captivates the reader on several levels.

With obvious nods to Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness and Paul Theroux’s The Mosquito Coast, State of Wonder raises potent questions about science and nature, professional rivalry and personal discovery. Singh researches cholesterol for a pharmaceutical company in Minnesota. After receiving the bad news that her colleague Dr. Anders Eckman has died of a fever in the Brazilian jungle, she is sent by her secret lover and boss, Mr. Fox, to find out what happened and to meet with Dr.Annick Swenson who is heading a research project on fertility, funded by Marina’s company. She is also a former professor whose rebuke of Marina years ago, still stings and resulted in her switching careers. Marina has never fully come to terms with this event. Nor has she resolved any issues about a long-term relationship with Fox, her senior in age and rank.

Singh’s adventure into the Amazon is richly detailed. The perils of the jungle including spiders, snakes and cannibals ripple through the text. The oppressive atmosphere and the brutal reality of the Amazon rain forest are effectively conveyed. It is apparent symbolically that Marina has left her old world behind and is entering a new one at first physically and eventually psychologically and emotionally. "In a matter of minutes the nameless river narrowed and the green dropped behind them like a curtain and the Negro was lost. Marina had thought that the important line that was crossed was between the dock and the boat, the land and the water. She had thought the water was the line where civilization fell away. But as they glided between the two thick walls of breathing vegetation she realized she was in another world entirely, and that she would see civilization drop away again and again before they reached their final destination."

At the center of her quest lies the research experiment Marina’s company is financing. The reader gets a clear portrait of the bark-chewing women of the Lakashi tribe whose habit results in fertility throughout their lives. It is the chemical composition of the bark of this tree that Swenson is experimenting with as a potential fertility drug in the United States. As Anders explains it, “this could be Lost Horizon for American ovaries.”

The character of Marina is mild-mannered and emotionally stressed as painted by the author. A bi-racial child who is at odds with her heritage she still is taunted by her decision to leave the surgery in favor of pharmaceuticals. In sharp contrast Patchett takes great care to fully develop Swenson’s unlikeable character. Dedicated to her research she is cold, unwavering and ultimately practical. She never second-guesses herself and makes no apologies for her prior or current actions. Of her current staff she tells Marina, “They have a real talent for breeding mosquitoes, and that is all the credit I will give them.”

The truly frightening aspect of the book is that the science to which the author refers, is highly believable. Considering stem cell research, in vitro fertilization and cloning, how far- fetched is it to find a way to extend the child bearing age into a woman’s seventh decade of life? And more importantly, as Swenson and Marina discover at the end of the novel, even if it can be done, should it? Where is the line drawn between morality and ethics and medical interference?

State of Wonder is a cautionary tale peopled by sharply drawn characters amidst the lush sensory imagery of the teeming jungle. How this environment transforms the individual makes for a riveting tale that focuses on the difficult choices we sometimes make in our lives.

Carlotta Holton is the author of Salem Pact, Touching The Dead,Vampire Resurrection, and Deadly Innocence and is a member of the National Federation of Press Women and an affiliate member of the Horror Writers Association.