by Charles Martin
Publisher: Broadway Books, June 28, 2011
After seeing the movie trailer for The Mountain Between Us I knew I had to read the book. This isn't typically my kind of book but the trailer looked interesting and I always have to read the book before watching the movie.
Ben is a doctor returning home from a conference and Ashley is a journalist trying to get home days before her wedding. While waiting at the airport the two strike up a conversation and this is where we first learn a little bit about the main characters. Due to a snow storm their flight is cancelled. On his way to a hotel Ben sees a private airport and decides to see if he can get a charter flight. As luck would have it, the pilot agrees to take him. Ben goes back to find Ashley to see if she would like to join him. As they are flying over the Utah mountains the pilot has a heart attack and the plane crashes. This is where the story really begins.
As Ben wakes up after the crash he slowly realizes the situation they're in. The pilot is dead, the plane is in pieces, Ashley appears to have a broken leg and multiple cuts, and he has a couple broken ribs along with some cuts and bruises too. The pilot did not have a flight plan and neither Ben nor Ashley told anyone they were going on this plane. So now they are stranded and no one even knows they took this flight or where they are. They are stranded with no hope of help coming.
Because of Ashley's broken leg it's up to Ben to do pretty much everything. He has to find them food, shelter, and figure out how to get out of there. Now this is where it gets a little unbelievable for me. I'll take the chance meeting, the plane crash and all but as it turns out Ben is Super Survival Man. He just happens to know how to make snow shoes and cut up pieces of an airplane to use as a sled and navigate these harsh mountains. Oh, and he can hunt and fish. And it just so happens he has a compass and jet boil and sleeping bags, among other things because he likes to go climbing in his spare time. Mhm, sure. But anyways, I can look past all that because it was actually a great story! The bond that these two developed was really the center of it. Ashley is totally dependant on Ben and he is determined to get both of them out of there alive. The face so many obstacles together and come out of it with a new perspective on life and love.
I can't say I'll be reading any other books by Charles Martin but this one was fantastic! If you're into romance or adventure and survival books, or even if you thought the movie trailer looked interesting you should definitely pick this one up!
A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness
Published by Walker & Company, February 1, 2012
I had never heard of this book until I saw the trailer for the movie. It looked like any other children's fantasy movie and when I saw that it was based on a book I knew I had to read it. I went into this book not knowing much about it. There was a boy and a monster. Seems pretty harmless and fun, right? Wrong!
This is the story of a boy named Conor and how he comes to deal with his mothers terminal illness. He feels so alone, invisible. So he calls upon a monster. The monster takes the form of a tree, a yew tree to be exact. The same tree his mother looks out the window at often. The monster appears at 12:07. He tells Conor that he will tell him 3 stories and in return he will get a 4th story from Conor and "it will be the truth". The monster appears when Conor needs him and helps him cope with the heartbreaking situations around him.
The illustrations throughout the book are amazing, adding just that extra layer of emotion. The author's writing is phenomenal!
A Monster Calls is a rather short book at only 224 pages, but nothing seems rushed, only urgent. It truly captured what it is to love someone and let them go. To face the truth. It is a beautifully tragic story that will leave you sad but also uplifted.
This book is recommended for children but I don't think young children (under 10 maybe?) would be able to fully grasp the meaning of the story and what it is that Conor is going through. I'd say this one is more for older kids, teens, even adults! I think everyone can relate, in one way or another, to what Conor is facing.
I did watch the movie after reading this and it does differ slightly from the book. There is a scene at the end of the movie that was not in the book that was so sweet and moving :)
It was no less heart wrenching though. Still, it is a must see! Have lots of tissues on hand!
-BW
Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake
Publisher: HarperTeen (September 20, 2016)
Publication Date: Jan 5, 2012
Genre: Fiction, Contemporary
Girl on the Run by Daryl Wood Gerber
Published By: Chucklin, Inc.
Published By: Chucklin, Inc.
Publication Date: April 7, 2016
Genre: Fiction, Mystery, Suspense
What drew me to this book was the setting. A fairytale ball and a murder mystery that takes place at Lake Tahoe, a place I absolutely love. Chessa wakes up to find her husband murdered and all the evidence points to her as the killer. She can barely remember what happened the night before, which leads her to believe that she was drugged. Her father is in jail for murder and she is terrified that she will suffer the same fate. So she runs!
Burying the Honeysuckle Girls by Emily Carpenter
Published By: Lake Union Publishing
Published By: Lake Union Publishing
Publication Date: April 26, 2016
Genre: Adult Fiction
This book gripped me from the very first page and didn't let go until I devoured every last word. Althea's story was captivating, heartbreaking and full of mystery. She's turning 30 and knows that if she doesn't uncover the clues to her family's secrets, she will suffer a similar fate as her mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, each one suffering a mental breakdown and passing away by their 30th birthdays.
By: Tara Brown writing as AE Watson
I didn't write any spoilers in my other reviews for this series, but I will be in this review!
I'm glad the author gave us this alternate ending. It does wrap things up a little neater. Gives us the "happily ever after". The major change to this ending is that Will lives!!! They acquired some of the serum used to make the GEN babies to heal him. I like that she changed it so Will has been given the serum before. I think that explains his rage and mood swings much better. I feel that he and Emma are a little bit better together because of it. He understands her in a way that so very few do.
