Uses for Boys-Erica Lorraine Scheidt

Uses for Boys
Erica Lorraine Scheidt
St. Martin’s Griffin, Jan 15, 2013, $9.99
ISBN: 9781250007117

Anna loved life with her single mom when she constantly would ask the “tell-me-again times” and be reassured that her mother only wanted a single girl, her. However, when she turned eight, Anna learns she is too old for fairy tales as her mom seeks her next husband. Deserted in plain sight in a world she no longer understands, Anna proves a chip off the maternal block as she obsesses over a psychological need to belong. She uses sex to make boys her surrogate family. A boy rapes her and she drops out of school to the taunts of slut from her peers. Still a teen, Anna moves in with her latest boyfriend. Anna meets and envies Toy, whose boys are much nicer than those in her life. When she meets Sam and his family, Anna knows what she wants in life is not the Uses of Boys, but the love of a caring “tribe” like she once had when she was very young with her mom.

This is a deep decade in the life of a child-teen using an inner strength to survive her feelings of maternal abandonment. Anna is a wonderful individual who goes from adored child to surviving slut to caring about people. Readers, especially teens, will appreciate Anna’s captivating coming of age tale realizing the importance of looking past derogatory labels into the heart and soul of others.

Harriet Klausner

The Italian Woman-Jean Plaidy

The Italian Woman
Jean Plaidy
Touchstone, Jan 1 2013, $16.00
ISBN: 9781451686524

In Florence, her father Pope Clement VII arranges for his fourteen year old daughter Caterina de’ Medici to marry the second son of the King of France, Prince Henry of Orleans; forcing her to leave behind her beloved Ippolito. That political marriage also broke the heart of Jeanne of Navarre who hoped to become Prince Henry’s wife.

Patient but bitter, Caterina accepted the affronts by her husband and others in his circle who bowed to King Henry’s beloved mistress Diane de Poitiers instead of the mother of his children. When Henry died, Queen Regent Caterina watches her ailing oldest son Francis become king. However, she prefers her second son hale Henry to replace his sick older brother on the throne in order to insure her dynasty. Jeanne, married to Antoine de Bourbon, supports the Huguenots as civil war breaks out in France with Caterina manipulating all sides to strengthen her family hold on the throne.

This reprint of the 1950s published middle historical in Jean Plaidy’s Catherine Medici trilogy (see Madame Serpent) is an engaging sixteenth century French intrigue. Although the action feels tame compared to contemporary written historical biographic fiction (see The Confessions of Catherine de Medici by C.W. Gortner), fans will enjoy Ms. Plaidy’s saga as the enjoyable storyline enables fans to understand what motivated the key rivals.

Harriet Klausner

The Two Week Wait-Sarah Rayner

The Two Week Wait

Sarah Rayner

St. Martin’s Griffin, Dec 24 2012, $15.99

ISBN: 9781250021489

 

In Brighton, Lou and Sofia are a happy couple residing in the B&B owned by the former’s mother.  Lately Lou has had bladder issues so she accompanied by her partner go for tests where she learns she has a large fibroid cyst on her womb.  Lou undergoes surgery to have the nonmalignant tumor removed.

 

In Yorkshire, Cath survived a cancer scare but at the cost of becoming infertile.  She wants desperately to give her caring husband Rich an offspring.  Investigating alternatives Cath thinks the costly egg sharing procedure is the best choice though there is no guarantee of success; as the child will have Rich’s DNA and that of another female. 

 

Lou wants to be a mother too though Sofia detests the idea of raising a child.  Investigating options, Lou believes the egg sharing concept is the way to go as she could share motherhood with another woman.  Soon the dreams of Lou and Cath will converge.

 

The Two Week Wait is a fascinating look at how individuals share the same life-changing desires though seemingly polar opposites (especially when it comes to their respective sexual orientation); Cath and Lou share the same dream of motherhood.  Although the character driven storyline can slow down at times due to the deep look at the emotions of the lead two women, fans will respect both females (and Sarah Rayner) while relishing their angst-laden efforts to become mothers.

 

Harriet Klausner

How I Came to Sparkle Again-Kaya McLaren

How I Came to Sparkle Again

Kaya McLaren

St. Martin’s, Oct 2 2012, $24.99

ISBN: 9781250013873

 

In Austin, strike one was the miscarriage; strike two was the infertility; strike three was her husband’s cheating.  Work proved a failure as she was not ready mentally to return, Jill Anthony files for a divorce and travels to Sparkle, Colorado where she spent her troubled teen years with her Uncle Howard and home to her BFF Lisa.

 

Jill and Lisa spend time on the slopes while the former also makes some money babysitting tweener Cassie Jones, whose mother died from cancer.  As spring arrives, Jill, Lisa and Cassie each knows they can no longer put off decisions about their respective futures.

 

Though the reader will know what happened as the storyline is a straight-lined ski run, fans will enjoy how Jill came to sparkle again.  Jill is the prime player, but her two female cohorts add depth as all three protagonists are likable individuals.  Life in a seasonal ski town makes for an engaging fun cross country paced tale.

 

Harriet Klausner

The Other Half of Me-Morgan McCarthy

The Other Half of Me

Morgan McCarthy

Free Press, Sep 4 2012, $15.00

ISBN: 9781451668230

 

In 1988 the Anthony siblings (seven year old Jonathan and his six years old sister Theo) are best friends as they live in Evendon Manor in Wales.  Both know their mom Alicia and their nanny Miss Black dislike and for the most part ignore them.  Still they have each other as they explore the estate especially the secret garden with its mysterious pool.

 

Brother and sister know their family has many secrets, but this pair cares about one in particular; what happened to their father.  When their alcoholic mom collapses, their maternal grandmother Eve arrives.  Eve insists their father died years ago, but Theo thinks she lies to them.  Over the years Jonathan worries about his sibling.  Theo seems to behave increasingly mentally ephemeral as slowly she is losing her grip on reality. 

 

The Other Half of Me is a dark character driven family drama as the past haunts the present in vivid rustic Wales.  Effortlessly rotating between 1988 and 2008, the storyline grips the reader who needs to know what happened to each member of the extended Anthony family. 

 

Harriet Klausner

 

The Space Between Us-Megan Hart

 The Space Between Us

Megan Hart

Mira, Sep 4 2012, $14.95

ISBN: 9780778313083

 

Tesla Martin enjoys serving lattes to her loyal regulars at Morningstar Mocha.  Though she likes all her customers, her favorite is charismatic Meredith.  The woman can charm a story from anyone; for instance Carlos the writer admitted to jerking off to old people porn.

 

Meredith turns her magnetism on Tesla.  Like all the caffeine addicts at Morningstar Mocha, Tesla relates her wild child history, who along with her brother Cap, is the offspring of commune living swingers.  Magical Meredith and Tesla begin seeing the town together.  Eventually Meredith persuades Tesla to sleep with her husband Charlie while she watches as a Peeping Thomasine.  Tesla is attracted to both of the married couple; while Charlie wants both women; and bored Meredith remains a thrill seeking watcher who lives precariously through the lovers.

 

The Space Between Us is a deep but strange character study that looks closely at the wants and desires of each person in a threesome.  Childhood flashbacks enable readers to understand Tesla’s imprint while Charlie’s need for two women is also understandable.  However, it is the enigmatic charismatic Meredith who makes the contemporary fresh through her obsessive need for an emotional high from the stories of others.  “There are eight million stories in the Naked City…” (Naked City) and Meredith needs to hear every one of them even as she leaves her narrators emotionally nuked.

 

Harriet Klausner

In Between Days- Andrew Porter

In Between Days

Andrew Porter

Knopf, Sep 4 2012, $24.95

ISBN: 9780307273512

 

On Houston, Elson the highly regarded architect and Cadence are divorced after three decades of marriage.  Their two college aged children Richard and Chloe are not dealing well with their parents’ breakup. 

 

Cadence calls Elson to inform him that their daughter is flying home tonight as Stratham College has expelled her for an act of violence involving her boyfriend Raja.  Elson’s ex-wife also tells him that Richard, a graduate student at Rice, will pick up his sister as Chloe does not want to see her dad until tomorrow.  With his family falling apart, his lover Lorna increasingly distant, and his career collapsing; Elson turns to alcohol to numb the pain of failure.

 

This is an intriguing family drama in which a monumental event (the end of a long marriage) has lasting impact on the couple and their children.  Although reading more like four interrelated novellas, the Harding quartet are fully developed characters.  Elson filled with thoughts of loser acts increasingly irresponsible; Cadence filled with self-pity and regret for marrying him struggles to find an identity besides ex and mom; Richard living at home feels torn between poet and supporting himself; and Chloe stunned by her parents’ divorce makes bad relational choices that hurt her and her family.  Fans will appreciate this deep look at the impact on people when a key identifier (family role) becomes extinct.

 

Harriet Klausner

 

Life Drawing For Beginners-Roisin Meaney

Life Drawing For Beginners

Roisin Meaney

5 Spot, Aug 14 2012, $13.99

ISBN: 9781455504084

 

In Carrickbawn, Ireland secondary school teacher Audrey decides to host an adult night-school class Life Drawing For Beginners to make a little money and have something to do on a Tuesday night to break up her rut.  Audrey hires single mom Jackie as a model for her six week class.  Two sexagenarians protest the nudity before class begins.

 

Five students sign up for her six week class.  Polish immigrant Zarek becomes a student to break the monotony of his boring cafe job and have one night away from his loud roommate.  Meg, Irene and Fiona have never attended an adult art class before.  Single dad James has moved to town with his daughter, but plans to stay aloof as he thought he was enrolled in a French class except he is attracted to Jackie.  Meanwhile Audrey asks the grumpy pet store owner “How much is that doggy in the window?” as she has fallen in love with the puppy.  None of the seven participants are quite like the image they try to portray to the other attendees.

 

This is a warm Irish character study starring seven engaging people with diverse personalities but sharing in common struggles with their respective lives.  The myriad of subplots blend nicely together into a panorama drama though reads more like short stories connected by the life-drawing class than a novel.

 

Harriet Klausner

Speechless-Hannah Harrington

Speechless

Hannah Harrington

Harlequin Teen, Aug 28 2012, $9.99

ISBN: 9780373210527

 

Sixteen years old Chelsea takes pride over being a gossip who cannot keep a secret and her status as number one BFF to the high school’s queen Kristen.  At a New Year’s Eve party, an intoxicated Chelsea sees Noah making out with a boy she does not recognize.  Nauseated she announces what she saw.  Joey and Warren say they will talk to Noah.  Soon afterward, Noah ends up in the hospital unconscious after a horrific beating in a parking lot.

 

Kristen warns Chelsea to remain silent or else they all will be in trouble not just Joey and Warren who the BFFs assume assaulted Noah.  Feeling guilty she tells her dad.  At school, Chelsea becomes persona non grata as a RAT.  Vowing to never again gossip, an ostracized Chelsea feels her fall from grace but begins to make new friends.

 

This is an intriguing teen character study starring a strong cast as seen through Chelsea’s firsthand account.  Although Chelsea’s change of attitude even with fallbacks seems mentally too easy (even a trauma leaves habits hard to break) and abrupt, young teen readers will appreciate this deep look at the wide impact of hate crimes in which silence supports the violence.

 

Harriet Klausner

The Devil in Silver-Victor LaValle

The Devil in Silver

Victor LaValle

Spiegel & Grau, Aug 21 2012, $27.00

ISBN: 9781400069866

 

Working stiff Pepper is a big man who gets into a fight with Donald’s nephews Huey, Dewey and Louie.   However his three opponents turn out to be undercover cops so he is handcuffed.  The officers don’t want to be bothered with documentation of this embarrassing case so they dump Pepper in New Hyde Hospital in Queens for a three day stay.  To keep him sedated Pepper is given a horde of drugs and strapped to his bed.

 

One month later, Pepper awakens to find he is one of the inmates of this crazy house.  He easily adapts to his new environs as he adjusts to his eccentric neighbors, enjoys the Hugo letters and starts a tryst with Xiu just before she is scheduled for deportation back to China.  Wanting to be her hero, Pepper vows to keep her in the states while Dr. Anand diagnoses him as suffering from Narcissistic Personality Disorder.  Then there is the restrained individual behind the silver door who the inmates claim is Satan visiting them when the asylum is dark.

 

With the obvious nod to Ken Kesey’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest as recognized by Victor LaValle, The Devil in Silver is an entertaining character driven tale that makes the case that the differences between the insane patients and the normal staff is insignificant.  That premise abates the Satan subplot suspense but also enables the audience to compare doctors, nurses, administrators and support to the inmates with the conclusion questioning who the insane are.

 

Harriet Klausner