Question: Is this book about pain and suffering?

If there is one author on this planet that doesn't get enough credit for her genius, it is Colleen Hoover. With every book she has published, I swear she can't possibly get any better, could not possibly top herself. And yet she does. Every. Single. Book. is better than the last. And that says a lot considering her first book was Slammed. I mean, seriously?? How does she do it? I am in complete awe. I say it every time, I know I do, but my admiration and respect of this author has reached New heights.Hopeless was a phenomenal book. The story was heartbreaking... the story of Hope/Sky and her life literally broke me. The love story between Sky and Holder was a beautiful one, undeniably so. But Losing Hope just took all my love for this story and multiplied it exponentially.First off, we met Dean Holder again but we get to know him in a whole new way. A way that makes me love him even more than I thought I already had. His telling of his sister's suicide was possibly the most heart wrenching depiction of a suicide I've ever read. Suicide is always tragic, of course... But unless you've lived through that kind of personal loss, I think we take the depth of this kind of tragedy for granted. Well Colleen Hoover takes you there. Dean's story shredded me. I found the entire story line surrounding Les... Her childhood, her utter hopelessness, her subsequent death... I found it almost more heart breaking than Sky's story. It just struck a chord with me this time around that I will never get over. Colleen Hoover really nails you in the gut with Les' suicide, it's agonizing to think of what lead Les to this place of feeling absolutely nothing anymore and her willingness to give it all up. I could taste Dean's feeling of hopelessness, of second guessing everything he could have said or done differently to save his sister from something that seems so preventable but in reality, was near impossible to save her from. I felt every ounce of anger he felt toward her about what she left behind, his anger toward her for what he and her family were left to deal with, the pain that never went away. And the letters... the letters made me laugh, cry, get angry... they were perfect. They kept Les alive in her absence, they created this amazing dynamic within the story that would have been virtually impossible to achieve any other way. We got to know Les, we grew to know the relationship between the siblings through these letters, we felt the range of Dean's emotions through his writing. It was just a perfect element that added so much to this book.Getting to relive the love story between Sky and Dean again was an amazing thing... But there's just something magical about getting it all from Dean's point of view. All those blanks filled in, all those stones unturned. You just get the whole package with a sequel from the other partner's perspective and it really gives you completion and satisfaction and closure that the love you know Sky felt for Dean is reciprocated tenfold. But knowing what Dean felt for Sky, what he felt for Hope, and knowing the pain he had lived with for years in between literally stole my breath away. It's a miracle this guy came out of all that he endured... all that he carried on his shoulders since he was practically a toddler, really. Yes, Hope disappeared when they were five. But he was her rock for years before that, just holding the pinky of the sad little girl next door. And with Losing Hope, you're treated to this amazing miracle of how he felt finding her again and how truly miraculous it is that his love for Hope and his love for Sky were both independent from each other, but yet undeniably connected. It's as if no matter where Hope went, had she never even gone anywhere, or whether or not Hope did or didn't end up as Sky, Dean Holder was meant to love her.This story is so layered. I'm still sitting here trying to get my chin off the floor as I go over and over the web that Colleen Hoover has woven with this book. The links between these characters, no matter how separated they thought they had become, how lost they believed they were to each other... their lives were so tied up in each other. Aside from the obvious, that Dean and Sky lived within miles of each other without ever knowing so, so much about how severely their lives overlapped, how one's decisions and choices and actions effected the others without ever consciously knowing it... it's absolutely awe inspiring to think about what Ms Hoover created here. Brilliant is really the only word I can use and I still don't believe that does the book justice. You live this book.I think too often an author attempts to retell a story from the male perspective and it becomes a story of cut and paste. You come out of it feeling like you just reread a story you already knew. This book is like reading an entirely different story. You think you know this story, you think you know the plot because you read Hopeless... You believe you know these characters and their story of how it began, how it ended and everything in between. But here's a bomb... You know nothing. You know nothing until the very last page of Losing Hope, when you finally have all the pieces, the completed puzzle... You have closure, you find peace with this story. You learn forgiveness in this book, you regain hope. This book is amazing. This book is a masterpiece of epic proportions.

Answer: The story was heartbreaking

If there is one author on this planet that doesn't get enough credit for her genius, it is Colleen Hoover. With every book she has published, I swear she can't possibly get any better, could not possibly top herself. And yet she does. Every. Single. Book. is better than the last. And that says a lot considering her first book was Slammed. I mean, seriously?? How does she do it? I am in complete awe. I say it every time, I know I do, but my admiration and respect of this author has reached New heights. Hopeless was a phenomenal book. <hl> The story was heartbreaking ... the story of Hope/Sky and her life literally broke me. <hl> The love story between Sky and Holder was a beautiful one, undeniably so. But Losing Hope just took all my love for this story and multiplied it exponentially. First off, we met Dean Holder again but we get to know him in a whole new way. A way that makes me love him even more than I thought I already had. His telling of his sister's suicide was possibly the most heart wrenching depiction of a suicide I've ever read. Suicide is always tragic, of course... But unless you've lived through that kind of personal loss, I think we take the depth of this kind of tragedy for granted. Well Colleen Hoover takes you there. Dean's story shredded me. I found the entire story line surrounding Les... Her childhood, her utter hopelessness, her subsequent death... I found it almost more heart breaking than Sky's story. It just struck a chord with me this time around that I will never get over. Colleen Hoover really nails you in the gut with Les' suicide, it's agonizing to think of what lead Les to this place of feeling absolutely nothing anymore and her willingness to give it all up. I could taste Dean's feeling of hopelessness, of second guessing everything he could have said or done differently to save his sister from something that seems so preventable but in reality, was near impossible to save her from. I felt every ounce of anger he felt toward her about what she left behind, his anger toward her for what he and her family were left to deal with, the pain that never went away. And the letters... the letters made me laugh, cry, get angry... they were perfect. They kept Les alive in her absence, they created this amazing dynamic within the story that would have been virtually impossible to achieve any other way. We got to know Les, we grew to know the relationship between the siblings through these letters, we felt the range of Dean's emotions through his writing. It was just a perfect element that added so much to this book. Getting to relive the love story between Sky and Dean again was an amazing thing... But there's just something magical about getting it all from Dean's point of view. All those blanks filled in, all those stones unturned. You just get the whole package with a sequel from the other partner's perspective and it really gives you completion and satisfaction and closure that the love you know Sky felt for Dean is reciprocated tenfold. But knowing what Dean felt for Sky, what he felt for Hope, and knowing the pain he had lived with for years in between literally stole my breath away. It's a miracle this guy came out of all that he endured... all that he carried on his shoulders since he was practically a toddler, really. Yes, Hope disappeared when they were five. But he was her rock for years before that, just holding the pinky of the sad little girl next door. And with Losing Hope, you're treated to this amazing miracle of how he felt finding her again and how truly miraculous it is that his love for Hope and his love for Sky were both independent from each other, but yet undeniably connected. It's as if no matter where Hope went, had she never even gone anywhere, or whether or not Hope did or didn't end up as Sky, Dean Holder was meant to love her. This story is so layered. I'm still sitting here trying to get my chin off the floor as I go over and over the web that Colleen Hoover has woven with this book. The links between these characters, no matter how separated they thought they had become, how lost they believed they were to each other... their lives were so tied up in each other. Aside from the obvious, that Dean and Sky lived within miles of each other without ever knowing so, so much about how severely their lives overlapped, how one's decisions and choices and actions effected the others without ever consciously knowing it... it's absolutely awe inspiring to think about what Ms Hoover created here. Brilliant is really the only word I can use and I still don't believe that does the book justice. You live this book. I think too often an author attempts to retell a story from the male perspective and it becomes a story of cut and paste. You come out of it feeling like you just reread a story you already knew. This book is like reading an entirely different story. You think you know this story, you think you know the plot because you read Hopeless... You believe you know these characters and their story of how it began, how it ended and everything in between. But here's a bomb... You know nothing. You know nothing until the very last page of Losing Hope, when you finally have all the pieces, the completed puzzle... You have closure, you find peace with this story. You learn forgiveness in this book, you regain hope. This book is amazing. This book is a masterpiece of epic proportions.

If there is one author on this planet that doesn't get enough credit for her genius, it is Colleen Hoover. With every book she has published, I swear she can't possibly get any better, could not possibly top herself. And yet she does. Every. Single. Book. is better than the last. And that says a lot considering her first book was Slammed. I mean, seriously?? How does she do it? I am in complete awe. I say it every time, I know I do, but my admiration and respect of this author has reached New heights.Hopeless was a phenomenal book. <hl> The story was heartbreaking <hl>... the story of Hope/Sky and her life literally broke me. The love story between Sky and Holder was a beautiful one, undeniably so. But Losing Hope just took all my love for this story and multiplied it exponentially.First off, we met Dean Holder again but we get to know him in a whole new way. A way that makes me love him even more than I thought I already had. His telling of his sister's suicide was possibly the most heart wrenching depiction of a suicide I've ever read. Suicide is always tragic, of course... But unless you've lived through that kind of personal loss, I think we take the depth of this kind of tragedy for granted. Well Colleen Hoover takes you there. Dean's story shredded me. I found the entire story line surrounding Les... Her childhood, her utter hopelessness, her subsequent death... I found it almost more heart breaking than Sky's story. It just struck a chord with me this time around that I will never get over. Colleen Hoover really nails you in the gut with Les' suicide, it's agonizing to think of what lead Les to this place of feeling absolutely nothing anymore and her willingness to give it all up. I could taste Dean's feeling of hopelessness, of second guessing everything he could have said or done differently to save his sister from something that seems so preventable but in reality, was near impossible to save her from. I felt every ounce of anger he felt toward her about what she left behind, his anger toward her for what he and her family were left to deal with, the pain that never went away. And the letters... the letters made me laugh, cry, get angry... they were perfect. They kept Les alive in her absence, they created this amazing dynamic within the story that would have been virtually impossible to achieve any other way. We got to know Les, we grew to know the relationship between the siblings through these letters, we felt the range of Dean's emotions through his writing. It was just a perfect element that added so much to this book.Getting to relive the love story between Sky and Dean again was an amazing thing... But there's just something magical about getting it all from Dean's point of view. All those blanks filled in, all those stones unturned. You just get the whole package with a sequel from the other partner's perspective and it really gives you completion and satisfaction and closure that the love you know Sky felt for Dean is reciprocated tenfold. But knowing what Dean felt for Sky, what he felt for Hope, and knowing the pain he had lived with for years in between literally stole my breath away. It's a miracle this guy came out of all that he endured... all that he carried on his shoulders since he was practically a toddler, really. Yes, Hope disappeared when they were five. But he was her rock for years before that, just holding the pinky of the sad little girl next door. And with Losing Hope, you're treated to this amazing miracle of how he felt finding her again and how truly miraculous it is that his love for Hope and his love for Sky were both independent from each other, but yet undeniably connected. It's as if no matter where Hope went, had she never even gone anywhere, or whether or not Hope did or didn't end up as Sky, Dean Holder was meant to love her.This story is so layered. I'm still sitting here trying to get my chin off the floor as I go over and over the web that Colleen Hoover has woven with this book. The links between these characters, no matter how separated they thought they had become, how lost they believed they were to each other... their lives were so tied up in each other. Aside from the obvious, that Dean and Sky lived within miles of each other without ever knowing so, so much about how severely their lives overlapped, how one's decisions and choices and actions effected the others without ever consciously knowing it... it's absolutely awe inspiring to think about what Ms Hoover created here. Brilliant is really the only word I can use and I still don't believe that does the book justice. You live this book.I think too often an author attempts to retell a story from the male perspective and it becomes a story of cut and paste. You come out of it feeling like you just reread a story you already knew. This book is like reading an entirely different story. You think you know this story, you think you know the plot because you read Hopeless... You believe you know these characters and their story of how it began, how it ended and everything in between. But here's a bomb... You know nothing. You know nothing until the very last page of Losing Hope, when you finally have all the pieces, the completed puzzle... You have closure, you find peace with this story. You learn forgiveness in this book, you regain hope. This book is amazing. This book is a masterpiece of epic proportions.

<hl> The story was heartbreaking <hl> ... the story of Hope/Sky and her life literally broke me.


Question: Where can I find book with excellent review?

Wow. I didn't intend to read Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl when I did. Two other books sat on the top of the reading pile, begging for a thorough read, the Amazon reader review thing, and so on. But one dark day, I needed a book with an edge to it, and having peeked at a sample page of Gone Girl already, I knew where to find that edge.Gone Girl is the story of Nick and Amy, a seemingly perfect couple to anyone looking in from the outside. But at the start of the book, on the couple's fifth anniversary, when Nick comes home to a ransacked living room and a missing wife, the marriage has already deteriorated to a far from perfect state. Talk about your love hate relationship. Nick and Amy have one in spades at this point - mostly hate, but with love so excruciatingly painted around the edges you can't imagine a better combination.Nick's clumsy handling of himself during the police investigation and an accumulating, increasingly-damning pile of evidence soon point the finger at him as the murderer. We, the readers, don't know whether he is one or not, even though we've been reading most passages from his first person point of view.So is he or isn't he? I won't spoil it. Let me instead touch on two compelling aspects of this novel. First, Gillian's voice is one that many writers would kill for (bad pun, I know). Through the first half of the book she alternates her passages from Nick's point of view (written in a Jess Walter voice, and you never think for one second that hmmm this is a woman trying to write from a man's POV), and Amy's point of view as found in diary entries written before the climactic murder or abduction or whatever actually happened (because I still refuse to tell). Amy's voice is much different than Nick's and I love that. She's brilliant and has a fascinating perceptiveness about each of those many people who just can't help but revolve around her irresistible gravitational force.The other can't-put-it-down aspect of this novel is the quick pacing both before and after a sudden switch in plot halfway through. By that point, as a reader, you think you know the whole story and how it will all end, and you can't imagine what the second half of the book will be for.  Why isn't this a novella? What's coming next?What's coming next is motive, and true circumstances, plans going awry, plans being reshaped, and a remarkable elevation of compromise to an art form.I loved this book.Joe

Answer: Amazon

Wow. I didn't intend to read Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl when I did. <hl> Two other books sat on the top of the reading pile, begging for a thorough read, the Amazon reader review thing, and so on. <hl> But one dark day, I needed a book with an edge to it, and having peeked at a sample page of Gone Girl already, I knew where to find that edge. Gone Girl is the story of Nick and Amy, a seemingly perfect couple to anyone looking in from the outside. But at the start of the book, on the couple's fifth anniversary, when Nick comes home to a ransacked living room and a missing wife, the marriage has already deteriorated to a far from perfect state. Talk about your love hate relationship. Nick and Amy have one in spades at this point - mostly hate, but with love so excruciatingly painted around the edges you can't imagine a better combination. Nick's clumsy handling of himself during the police investigation and an accumulating, increasingly-damning pile of evidence soon point the finger at him as the murderer. We, the readers, don't know whether he is one or not, even though we've been reading most passages from his first person point of view. So is he or isn't he? I won't spoil it. Let me instead touch on two compelling aspects of this novel. First, Gillian's voice is one that many writers would kill for (bad pun, I know). Through the first half of the book she alternates her passages from Nick's point of view (written in a Jess Walter voice, and you never think for one second that hmmm this is a woman trying to write from a man's POV), and Amy's point of view as found in diary entries written before the climactic murder or abduction or whatever actually happened (because I still refuse to tell). Amy's voice is much different than Nick's and I love that. She's brilliant and has a fascinating perceptiveness about each of those many people who just can't help but revolve around her irresistible gravitational force. The other can't-put-it-down aspect of this novel is the quick pacing both before and after a sudden switch in plot halfway through. By that point, as a reader, you think you know the whole story and how it will all end, and you can't imagine what the second half of the book will be for. Why isn't this a novella? What's coming next?What's coming next is motive, and true circumstances, plans going awry, plans being reshaped, and a remarkable elevation of compromise to an art form. I loved this book. Joe

Wow. I didn't intend to read Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl when I did. Two other books sat on the top of the reading pile, begging for a thorough read, the <hl> Amazon <hl> reader review thing, and so on. But one dark day, I needed a book with an edge to it, and having peeked at a sample page of Gone Girl already, I knew where to find that edge.Gone Girl is the story of Nick and Amy, a seemingly perfect couple to anyone looking in from the outside. But at the start of the book, on the couple's fifth anniversary, when Nick comes home to a ransacked living room and a missing wife, the marriage has already deteriorated to a far from perfect state. Talk about your love hate relationship. Nick and Amy have one in spades at this point - mostly hate, but with love so excruciatingly painted around the edges you can't imagine a better combination.Nick's clumsy handling of himself during the police investigation and an accumulating, increasingly-damning pile of evidence soon point the finger at him as the murderer. We, the readers, don't know whether he is one or not, even though we've been reading most passages from his first person point of view.So is he or isn't he? I won't spoil it. Let me instead touch on two compelling aspects of this novel. First, Gillian's voice is one that many writers would kill for (bad pun, I know). Through the first half of the book she alternates her passages from Nick's point of view (written in a Jess Walter voice, and you never think for one second that hmmm this is a woman trying to write from a man's POV), and Amy's point of view as found in diary entries written before the climactic murder or abduction or whatever actually happened (because I still refuse to tell). Amy's voice is much different than Nick's and I love that. She's brilliant and has a fascinating perceptiveness about each of those many people who just can't help but revolve around her irresistible gravitational force.The other can't-put-it-down aspect of this novel is the quick pacing both before and after a sudden switch in plot halfway through. By that point, as a reader, you think you know the whole story and how it will all end, and you can't imagine what the second half of the book will be for. Why isn't this a novella? What's coming next?What's coming next is motive, and true circumstances, plans going awry, plans being reshaped, and a remarkable elevation of compromise to an art form.I loved this book.Joe


Question: How is the opinion?

It's 1962, a time when escalating tensions are rising between African-Americans (then known as "coloreds") and their white employers and neighbors! Told from three different points of view, this story probes the intimate thoughts about what it's like for the maids of wealthy and middle class white people in Jackson, Mississippi. It's more than just hard, hard work; it's trying to survive in a constantly demeaning, life or death survival environment! That may sound trite, but trust this reviewer - these accounts are absolutely riveting, heart-stopping and poignant in ways that put new definitions on these commonly used terms!A young woman, Miss Skeetter, wants to be a journalist while her family and friends believe that finding a husband is all that matters, no matter what one's educational background is. Her first question that opens the central plot is to ask if one of the maids, Aibleen, wishes things were different.Aibleen never gets to complete the conversation, but she remembers the comment as she continues to care for three-year-old Mae Mobley. Aibleen, like other hired "help," is more of a mother to Mae Mobley than her own distant, punishing mother by birth. The pain Aibleen feels over this coldness is stunning when one learns the numbing background of her own deep loss. Yet through it all, Aibleen's quietly muttered thoughts and written prayers to God make the reader roar with laughter and ponder what's important in the schemes and nonsense of daily family life. It is she who provides the impetus for Miss Skeeter's project, to get a few black women to talk about the joys, sorrows, challenges and downright insanity of their service employment.Then you'll meet Minnie, another maid who doesn't keep jobs too long because of her outspoken, funny, but offensively blunt comments to her employers. When that doesn't work, lies will do to get rid of her since she obviously doesn't know her "place" in this cold, tough world! Her challenges include a violent home life and an employer who is from the seedier side of Southern life, what used to be called "white trash." Miss Celia is lonely and constantly striving to fit in, but it's clear she doesn't have a clue about much!The project begins on a wrong note and seems doomed to die before it gets going, but tragedy will change all that. Then the reader will be just as stunned at the gritty, fiercely determined nature that arises in a dozen women to tell their tale despite what just might be brutally lethal results. They express their fury and their hysterical barbs as well at the turn of a plan by whites to create toilets for the "diseased" help.So many other characters and events fill these 464 wonderful pages. This reviewer hardly ever says this about any book, but this is a book you will not be able to put down and will be so, so sorry when it's over. It will change hearts and minds wherever it's experienced!This is Kathryn Stockett's first novel, a brilliant, potent celebration of astonishing and noteworthy hope for light to surmount darkness, be it in a person's color or behavior! The Help is a wonder to behold and cherish!Reviewed by Viviane Crystal on December 29, 2008

Answer: Told from three different points of view

<hl> It's 1962, a time when escalating tensions are rising between African-Americans (then known as "coloreds") and their white employers and neighbors! Told from three different points of view , this story probes the intimate thoughts about what it's like for the maids of wealthy and middle class white people in Jackson, Mississippi. <hl> It's more than just hard, hard work; it's trying to survive in a constantly demeaning, life or death survival environment! That may sound trite, but trust this reviewer - these accounts are absolutely riveting, heart-stopping and poignant in ways that put new definitions on these commonly used terms!A young woman, Miss Skeetter, wants to be a journalist while her family and friends believe that finding a husband is all that matters, no matter what one's educational background is. Her first question that opens the central plot is to ask if one of the maids, Aibleen, wishes things were different. Aibleen never gets to complete the conversation, but she remembers the comment as she continues to care for three-year-old Mae Mobley. Aibleen, like other hired "help," is more of a mother to Mae Mobley than her own distant, punishing mother by birth. The pain Aibleen feels over this coldness is stunning when one learns the numbing background of her own deep loss. Yet through it all, Aibleen's quietly muttered thoughts and written prayers to God make the reader roar with laughter and ponder what's important in the schemes and nonsense of daily family life. It is she who provides the impetus for Miss Skeeter's project, to get a few black women to talk about the joys, sorrows, challenges and downright insanity of their service employment. Then you'll meet Minnie, another maid who doesn't keep jobs too long because of her outspoken, funny, but offensively blunt comments to her employers. When that doesn't work, lies will do to get rid of her since she obviously doesn't know her "place" in this cold, tough world! Her challenges include a violent home life and an employer who is from the seedier side of Southern life, what used to be called "white trash." Miss Celia is lonely and constantly striving to fit in, but it's clear she doesn't have a clue about much!The project begins on a wrong note and seems doomed to die before it gets going, but tragedy will change all that. Then the reader will be just as stunned at the gritty, fiercely determined nature that arises in a dozen women to tell their tale despite what just might be brutally lethal results. They express their fury and their hysterical barbs as well at the turn of a plan by whites to create toilets for the "diseased" help. So many other characters and events fill these 464 wonderful pages. This reviewer hardly ever says this about any book, but this is a book you will not be able to put down and will be so, so sorry when it's over. It will change hearts and minds wherever it's experienced!This is Kathryn Stockett's first novel, a brilliant, potent celebration of astonishing and noteworthy hope for light to surmount darkness, be it in a person's color or behavior! The Help is a wonder to behold and cherish!Reviewed by Viviane Crystal on December 29, 2008

It's 1962, a time when escalating tensions are rising between African-Americans (then known as "coloreds") and their white employers and neighbors! <hl> Told from three different points of view <hl>, this story probes the intimate thoughts about what it's like for the maids of wealthy and middle class white people in Jackson, Mississippi. It's more than just hard, hard work; it's trying to survive in a constantly demeaning, life or death survival environment! That may sound trite, but trust this reviewer - these accounts are absolutely riveting, heart-stopping and poignant in ways that put new definitions on these commonly used terms!A young woman, Miss Skeetter, wants to be a journalist while her family and friends believe that finding a husband is all that matters, no matter what one's educational background is. Her first question that opens the central plot is to ask if one of the maids, Aibleen, wishes things were different.Aibleen never gets to complete the conversation, but she remembers the comment as she continues to care for three-year-old Mae Mobley. Aibleen, like other hired "help," is more of a mother to Mae Mobley than her own distant, punishing mother by birth. The pain Aibleen feels over this coldness is stunning when one learns the numbing background of her own deep loss. Yet through it all, Aibleen's quietly muttered thoughts and written prayers to God make the reader roar with laughter and ponder what's important in the schemes and nonsense of daily family life. It is she who provides the impetus for Miss Skeeter's project, to get a few black women to talk about the joys, sorrows, challenges and downright insanity of their service employment.Then you'll meet Minnie, another maid who doesn't keep jobs too long because of her outspoken, funny, but offensively blunt comments to her employers. When that doesn't work, lies will do to get rid of her since she obviously doesn't know her "place" in this cold, tough world! Her challenges include a violent home life and an employer who is from the seedier side of Southern life, what used to be called "white trash." Miss Celia is lonely and constantly striving to fit in, but it's clear she doesn't have a clue about much!The project begins on a wrong note and seems doomed to die before it gets going, but tragedy will change all that. Then the reader will be just as stunned at the gritty, fiercely determined nature that arises in a dozen women to tell their tale despite what just might be brutally lethal results. They express their fury and their hysterical barbs as well at the turn of a plan by whites to create toilets for the "diseased" help.So many other characters and events fill these 464 wonderful pages. This reviewer hardly ever says this about any book, but this is a book you will not be able to put down and will be so, so sorry when it's over. It will change hearts and minds wherever it's experienced!This is Kathryn Stockett's first novel, a brilliant, potent celebration of astonishing and noteworthy hope for light to surmount darkness, be it in a person's color or behavior! The Help is a wonder to behold and cherish!Reviewed by Viviane Crystal on December 29, 2008

It's 1962, a time when escalating tensions are rising between African-Americans (then known as "coloreds") and their white employers and neighbors! <hl> Told from three different points of view <hl> , this story probes the intimate thoughts about what it's like for the maids of wealthy and middle class white people in Jackson, Mississippi.


Question: Where is the five element available?

Re; the Girl with the dragon Tattoo & the Girl who played with firehave read both and note that the new novel 'the girl who played with fire' is much better. it makes the characters believable by going in detail into their history and resulting psychological profiles, at the same time it is a white knuckles thriller.I strongly recommend this book.for some strange reason it was available in English prior to Christmas everywhere except USA. cant wait for the third book in the series, will there be a fourth? apparently Larsen wrote half of the 4th before suffering a fatal heart attack.

Answer: it was available in English prior to Christmas everywhere except USA

Re; the Girl with the dragon Tattoo & the Girl who played with firehave read both and note that the new novel 'the girl who played with fire' is much better. it makes the characters believable by going in detail into their history and resulting psychological profiles, at the same time it is a white knuckles thriller. <hl> I strongly recommend this book.for some strange reason it was available in English prior to Christmas everywhere except USA . <hl> cant wait for the third book in the series, will there be a fourth? apparently Larsen wrote half of the 4th before suffering a fatal heart attack.

Re; the Girl with the dragon Tattoo & the Girl who played with firehave read both and note that the new novel 'the girl who played with fire' is much better. it makes the characters believable by going in detail into their history and resulting psychological profiles, at the same time it is a white knuckles thriller.I strongly recommend this book.for some strange reason <hl> it was available in English prior to Christmas everywhere except USA <hl>. cant wait for the third book in the series, will there be a fourth? apparently Larsen wrote half of the 4th before suffering a fatal heart attack.

I strongly recommend this book.for some strange reason <hl> it was available in English prior to Christmas everywhere except USA <hl> .


Question: How is the story line?

Story is intriguing though incredulous. But I felt the book dragged on a bit too long. I did not feel compelled to any of the characters.

Answer: Story is intriguing though incredulous

<hl> Story is intriguing though incredulous . <hl> But I felt the book dragged on a bit too long. I did not feel compelled to any of the characters.

<hl> Story is intriguing though incredulous <hl>. But I felt the book dragged on a bit too long. I did not feel compelled to any of the characters.

<hl> Story is intriguing though incredulous <hl> .


Question: Is thi book a fantasy one?

When I first started reading Gone Girl, I almost stopped after discovering it is a dual narrative. To put this in perspective, the last book I had finished was Allegiant, of the Divergent series, and had it been an actual paper book I was reading rather than the kindle app on my iPad, I would have set it on fire. It was the worst experience I've ever had as far as books go, and a large part of that was due to the dual narrative.I am so glad I didn't stop reading because let me tell you, HOMEGIRL ROCKED THE DUAL NARRATIVE.It was like an illness. I COULD NOT STOP. I kid you not, I called in sick for work one day because I reached an especially exciting point in the book the night before, and couldn't bear waiting another 8 hours before continuing.And then I thought I would crap myself once the second part started.And then the third part started and I was just slack-jawed at the insanity exhibited by these two.It's a horrifying tale of "if I can't have you nobody can" wrapped up with some soul-crushing dependence, all told through a who-dun-it type of story. I will read this again and again, that is for dang sure.

Answer: horrifying tale

When I first started reading Gone Girl, I almost stopped after discovering it is a dual narrative. To put this in perspective, the last book I had finished was Allegiant, of the Divergent series, and had it been an actual paper book I was reading rather than the kindle app on my iPad, I would have set it on fire. It was the worst experience I've ever had as far as books go, and a large part of that was due to the dual narrative. I am so glad I didn't stop reading because let me tell you, HOMEGIRL ROCKED THE DUAL NARRATIVE.It was like an illness. I COULD NOT STOP. I kid you not, I called in sick for work one day because I reached an especially exciting point in the book the night before, and couldn't bear waiting another 8 hours before continuing. And then I thought I would crap myself once the second part started. And then the third part started and I was just slack-jawed at the insanity exhibited by these two. <hl> It's a horrifying tale of "if I can't have you nobody can" wrapped up with some soul-crushing dependence, all told through a who-dun-it type of story. <hl> I will read this again and again, that is for dang sure.

When I first started reading Gone Girl, I almost stopped after discovering it is a dual narrative. To put this in perspective, the last book I had finished was Allegiant, of the Divergent series, and had it been an actual paper book I was reading rather than the kindle app on my iPad, I would have set it on fire. It was the worst experience I've ever had as far as books go, and a large part of that was due to the dual narrative.I am so glad I didn't stop reading because let me tell you, HOMEGIRL ROCKED THE DUAL NARRATIVE.It was like an illness. I COULD NOT STOP. I kid you not, I called in sick for work one day because I reached an especially exciting point in the book the night before, and couldn't bear waiting another 8 hours before continuing.And then I thought I would crap myself once the second part started.And then the third part started and I was just slack-jawed at the insanity exhibited by these two.It's a <hl> horrifying tale <hl> of "if I can't have you nobody can" wrapped up with some soul-crushing dependence, all told through a who-dun-it type of story. I will read this again and again, that is for dang sure.


Question: How would you rate the quality of the book?

I usually choose my yearly 100th book to read based on it meaning something to me, but this year I couldn't come up with anything, but then I remembered this book. I have a few friends, one in particular (hi, Lisa!), who have been hounding me to read these for a while. Honestly, it's YA, it's somewhat SciFi and the description just didn't seem to grab me. But I decided that my 100th book would be a nod to my friends and family that are always telling me "Oh, you HAVE to read this book". So, then...I got about 5% into the book and was completely disgusted. I think I may have called Lisa a very bad name. You see, I could NOT PUT THE BOOK DOWN. It was darn well nearly physically attached to my hand. I lost sleep, I gasped in certain places, I yelled "no!" a few times, I was, in short, insane for the day it took me to read this one.The author completely sucks you into this world of the future. Of kids dying as sacrifices to the capital. Of a love triangle. Of family bonds. Of humanity. There is so much going on in the book that it seems like it would be confusing, but in reality, you are so caught up in the entire story that it doesn't matter. It's all-encompassing. It's all-consuming. It's, as Lisa told me, un-put-down-able.There are scenes that rip your heart out in this book. I had to remind myself when I was done that it was YA (Young Adult) because I enjoyed it immensely. Most YA material I can take or leave but this had me hitting the "buy" button for the next in the series within 2 minutes of finishing it.This one makes my must-read list for 2010. I also do not know how to recommend this for, I simply cannot come up with anyone that might not enjoy it. I am not sure I would let my 7-year-old read it, but my 10-year-old would probably enjoy it just as much as my mother or my 70-year-old grandmother would. Read it. Seriously.

Answer: it's somewhat SciFi and the description just didn't seem to grab me

I usually choose my yearly 100th book to read based on it meaning something to me, but this year I couldn't come up with anything, but then I remembered this book. I have a few friends, one in particular (hi, Lisa!), who have been hounding me to read these for a while. <hl> Honestly, it's YA, it's somewhat SciFi and the description just didn't seem to grab me . <hl> But I decided that my 100th book would be a nod to my friends and family that are always telling me "Oh, you HAVE to read this book". So, then...I got about 5% into the book and was completely disgusted. I think I may have called Lisa a very bad name. You see, I could NOT PUT THE BOOK DOWN. It was darn well nearly physically attached to my hand. I lost sleep, I gasped in certain places, I yelled "no!" a few times, I was, in short, insane for the day it took me to read this one. The author completely sucks you into this world of the future. Of kids dying as sacrifices to the capital. Of a love triangle. Of family bonds. Of humanity. There is so much going on in the book that it seems like it would be confusing, but in reality, you are so caught up in the entire story that it doesn't matter. It's all-encompassing. It's all-consuming. It's, as Lisa told me, un-put-down-able. There are scenes that rip your heart out in this book. I had to remind myself when I was done that it was YA (Young Adult) because I enjoyed it immensely. Most YA material I can take or leave but this had me hitting the "buy" button for the next in the series within 2 minutes of finishing it. This one makes my must-read list for 2010. I also do not know how to recommend this for, I simply cannot come up with anyone that might not enjoy it. I am not sure I would let my 7-year-old read it, but my 10-year-old would probably enjoy it just as much as my mother or my 70-year-old grandmother would. Read it. Seriously.

I usually choose my yearly 100th book to read based on it meaning something to me, but this year I couldn't come up with anything, but then I remembered this book. I have a few friends, one in particular (hi, Lisa!), who have been hounding me to read these for a while. Honestly, it's YA, <hl> it's somewhat SciFi and the description just didn't seem to grab me <hl>. But I decided that my 100th book would be a nod to my friends and family that are always telling me "Oh, you HAVE to read this book". So, then...I got about 5% into the book and was completely disgusted. I think I may have called Lisa a very bad name. You see, I could NOT PUT THE BOOK DOWN. It was darn well nearly physically attached to my hand. I lost sleep, I gasped in certain places, I yelled "no!" a few times, I was, in short, insane for the day it took me to read this one.The author completely sucks you into this world of the future. Of kids dying as sacrifices to the capital. Of a love triangle. Of family bonds. Of humanity. There is so much going on in the book that it seems like it would be confusing, but in reality, you are so caught up in the entire story that it doesn't matter. It's all-encompassing. It's all-consuming. It's, as Lisa told me, un-put-down-able.There are scenes that rip your heart out in this book. I had to remind myself when I was done that it was YA (Young Adult) because I enjoyed it immensely. Most YA material I can take or leave but this had me hitting the "buy" button for the next in the series within 2 minutes of finishing it.This one makes my must-read list for 2010. I also do not know how to recommend this for, I simply cannot come up with anyone that might not enjoy it. I am not sure I would let my 7-year-old read it, but my 10-year-old would probably enjoy it just as much as my mother or my 70-year-old grandmother would. Read it. Seriously.

Honestly, it's YA, <hl> it's somewhat SciFi and the description just didn't seem to grab me <hl> .


Question: Does the book have a good start?

I was anxious to read The Host because i wanted to try a Stephanie Meyer book that wasn't Twilight related. I thought the book started out good and interesting but it definately slowed down in the middle to the end. I was worried i wasn't going to finish it but i did and i am glad. First off it did not feel like a romance novel i'm pretty sure she didn't try to write it that way. I like Wander side alot more then melanie to. The characters did get confusing at times. This book wasn't terrible but i didn't fall in love with it.

Answer: book started out good and interesting but it definately slowed down

I was anxious to read The Host because i wanted to try a Stephanie Meyer book that wasn't Twilight related. <hl> I thought the book started out good and interesting but it definately slowed down in the middle to the end. <hl> I was worried i wasn't going to finish it but i did and i am glad. First off it did not feel like a romance novel i'm pretty sure she didn't try to write it that way. I like Wander side alot more then melanie to. The characters did get confusing at times. This book wasn't terrible but i didn't fall in love with it.

I was anxious to read The Host because i wanted to try a Stephanie Meyer book that wasn't Twilight related. I thought the <hl> book started out good and interesting but it definately slowed down <hl> in the middle to the end. I was worried i wasn't going to finish it but i did and i am glad. First off it did not feel like a romance novel i'm pretty sure she didn't try to write it that way. I like Wander side alot more then melanie to. The characters did get confusing at times. This book wasn't terrible but i didn't fall in love with it.


Question: Why do I have a funny part?

Has hilarious stories! If you ever need a good laugh, this is the book you should pick up. Made my dad and I laugh so hard.

Answer: Has hilarious stories

Has hilarious stories !

<hl> Has hilarious stories ! <hl> If you ever need a good laugh, this is the book you should pick up. Made my dad and I laugh so hard.

<hl> Has hilarious stories <hl>! If you ever need a good laugh, this is the book you should pick up. Made my dad and I laugh so hard.


Question: Does this book have a good story?

The concept for this story is exciting. The execution by the author though failed to meet my expectations. The characters are thin and the plot flails about without direction.

Answer: this story is exciting

<hl> The concept for this story is exciting . <hl> The execution by the author though failed to meet my expectations. The characters are thin and the plot flails about without direction.

The concept for <hl> this story is exciting <hl>. The execution by the author though failed to meet my expectations. The characters are thin and the plot flails about without direction.

The concept for <hl> this story is exciting <hl> .


Question: What concern did the reader have about the end of the book?

I don't understand the negative reviews of this book. This book is entertaining. It has a happy ending. What more could anyone want? It's almost as if people wanted Bella or someone else to die. I hate when people I love in books die. I'm all for happy endings. I also think some of the people who didn't like this book are not a fan of the series and are getting a kick out of bashing this book. I think other people who dislike this book might be concerned Moms who think the book is a little too mature for their teens to read. I'm so glad my parents never banned books for me. I think that's ridiculous. The only parts of this book I disliked was Jacob imprinting with Renesmee. Can I get a big eww? I'm not thrilled with the idea of grown men imprinting with baby girls. It's nasty. I don't get how anyone can think that is ok. It's just wrong. I also though Jacob's "book" within the book was way too long. The book dragged towards the end when the vamps were all gathering together and preparing to fight the Volteri vamps. I hated the name, Renesmee. I thought it was a joke at first. It's awful. I loved that Bella and Edward had a baby. Renesmee was adorable. I loved her. Her "talent" was pretty cool. My favorite part of this book was definitely the begining when Bella and Edward got married. I was shocked when I realized she was pregnant. I loved how the book took a dark turn when the pregnancy was difficult and how she born etc. I loved that this book was a little more adult than the previous books. I hope Stephenie Meyer realizes she has many adult fans and writes more books in the future for us. I enjoyed reading Bella as a vampire. I loved how she wasn't a typical newborn vamp. All in all, it was a good book. I'm satisfied. It's not a 5 star book, but most books aren't.

Answer: I loved that this book was a little more adult than the previous books

I don't understand the negative reviews of this book. This book is entertaining. It has a happy ending. What more could anyone want? It's almost as if people wanted Bella or someone else to die. I hate when people I love in books die. I'm all for happy endings. I also think some of the people who didn't like this book are not a fan of the series and are getting a kick out of bashing this book. I think other people who dislike this book might be concerned Moms who think the book is a little too mature for their teens to read. I'm so glad my parents never banned books for me. I think that's ridiculous. The only parts of this book I disliked was Jacob imprinting with Renesmee. Can I get a big eww? I'm not thrilled with the idea of grown men imprinting with baby girls. It's nasty. I don't get how anyone can think that is ok. It's just wrong. I also though Jacob's "book" within the book was way too long. The book dragged towards the end when the vamps were all gathering together and preparing to fight the Volteri vamps. I hated the name, Renesmee. I thought it was a joke at first. It's awful. I loved that Bella and Edward had a baby. Renesmee was adorable. I loved her. Her "talent" was pretty cool. My favorite part of this book was definitely the begining when Bella and Edward got married. I was shocked when I realized she was pregnant. I loved how the book took a dark turn when the pregnancy was difficult and how she born etc. <hl> I loved that this book was a little more adult than the previous books . <hl> I hope Stephenie Meyer realizes she has many adult fans and writes more books in the future for us. I enjoyed reading Bella as a vampire. I loved how she wasn't a typical newborn vamp. All in all, it was a good book. I'm satisfied. It's not a 5 star book, but most books aren't.

I don't understand the negative reviews of this book. This book is entertaining. It has a happy ending. What more could anyone want? It's almost as if people wanted Bella or someone else to die. I hate when people I love in books die. I'm all for happy endings. I also think some of the people who didn't like this book are not a fan of the series and are getting a kick out of bashing this book. I think other people who dislike this book might be concerned Moms who think the book is a little too mature for their teens to read. I'm so glad my parents never banned books for me. I think that's ridiculous. The only parts of this book I disliked was Jacob imprinting with Renesmee. Can I get a big eww? I'm not thrilled with the idea of grown men imprinting with baby girls. It's nasty. I don't get how anyone can think that is ok. It's just wrong. I also though Jacob's "book" within the book was way too long. The book dragged towards the end when the vamps were all gathering together and preparing to fight the Volteri vamps. I hated the name, Renesmee. I thought it was a joke at first. It's awful. I loved that Bella and Edward had a baby. Renesmee was adorable. I loved her. Her "talent" was pretty cool. My favorite part of this book was definitely the begining when Bella and Edward got married. I was shocked when I realized she was pregnant. I loved how the book took a dark turn when the pregnancy was difficult and how she born etc. <hl> I loved that this book was a little more adult than the previous books <hl>. I hope Stephenie Meyer realizes she has many adult fans and writes more books in the future for us. I enjoyed reading Bella as a vampire. I loved how she wasn't a typical newborn vamp. All in all, it was a good book. I'm satisfied. It's not a 5 star book, but most books aren't.

<hl> I loved that this book was a little more adult than the previous books <hl> .


Question: How was the story?

The characters were different.  There was a bit of mystery, a bit of the supernatural, a bit of magic.  The ending leaves you wanting more and leaves the story open for another book.

Answer: a bit of magic

The characters were different. <hl> There was a bit of mystery, a bit of the supernatural, a bit of magic . <hl> The ending leaves you wanting more and leaves the story open for another book.

The characters were different. There was a bit of mystery, a bit of the supernatural, <hl> a bit of magic <hl>. The ending leaves you wanting more and leaves the story open for another book.

There was a bit of mystery, a bit of the supernatural, <hl> a bit of magic <hl> .


Question: How is the book?

This is a suspenseful, first-person account of the raid that took down Osama bin Laden in May, 2011.  The author, writing under the pseudonym of Mark Owen, was one of the elite SEAL Team Six operators that participated in the raid (his real name has since been revealed as Matt Bissonnette).  The book debuted at number one on Amazon.  It does not disappoint.The first half of No Easy Day covers Bissonnette's work in SEAL Team Six prior to the Osama bin Laden raid.  After a cliffhanger opening that anticipates the climax of the book, the story backs up several years to Bissonnette's Green Team training.  He was already a Navy SEAL at this point, but he was trying to become a member of the elite Seal TEAM Six, which is composed of the "best of the best."  We follow his deployments in both Iraq and Afghanistan, where the recounting of certain missions serves to establish the proficiency of the author and his team at their job.  This is rather standard fare for the subgenre.The latter half of the book is devoted to the raid on Osama bin Laden's compound, including the extensive preparations and some of the political aftermath.  The actual raid is told in almost moment-by-moment detail, transporting the reader to the compound in Abbottabad.  The scene is described so richly that it feels as though we are climbing the stairs with the team as they close in on bin Laden.  Several maps and charts help us to picture the location.No Easy Day focuses almost exclusively on Bissonnette's training and deployments.  We learn very little about his personal life, which--combined with his intentional pseudonymity--makes it harder to connect with him emotionally.  This information was omitted for obvious security reasons.  He does share the toll that SEAL life takes on family life, however.  "Many of my teammates suffered through bitter divorces.  We missed weddings, funerals, and holidays.  We couldn't tell the Navy no, but we could tell our families no.  And we did often. . . . Work was always the number one priority.  It took everything out of you and gave back very little. . . . everything else in the world took a backseat" (106-7).  For those wanting a fuller portrait of a Navy SEAL's personal life, see the excellent book by Eric Blehm,Fearless: The Undaunted Courage and Ultimate Sacrifice of Navy SEAL Team SIX Operator Adam Brown, which details the life of SEAL Team Six operator Adam Brown.Bissonnette does not engage in self-aggrandizement or bravado, which has marred some earlier books by former Navy SEALs.  The author seems to have a realistic view of himself.  He says at one point: "I am not unique or special" (298).  He does not hesitate to share instances in combat when he was afraid or made a mistake.  He occasionally engages in self-deprecating humor.  He regularly dishes out praise for his teammates.  Bissonnette says that today's SEALs have "evolved past being egomaniacs" (289).  Such professionalism is appreciated.Bissonnette states in the introduction that he has sanitized the book so that it presents no threat to national security.  The identities of those involved are masked; special tactics and technology are not revealed; and certain information is generalized.  The author says, "If you are looking for secrets, this is not your book" (x).  Yet none of these precautions affect the impact of the book.  There is still enough specific information to make the action riveting.Despite Bissonnette's precautions, the book is nonetheless generating controversy.  Some special operators have challenged his decision to reveal details about the mission, breaking their traditional code of silence.  The Department of Defense has threatened to sue because he did not present the book to the Pentagon for inspection prior to publication.  The author has responded by pointing out that many people, from the President on down, have revealed details about the mission.  He says, "If my commander in chief is willing to talk, then I feel comfortable doing the same" (298).  He claims that everything in the book has already appeared in other unclassified sources (xi).  I for one am glad that the book was released.  It shows that those who commit acts of terror will suffer retribution--perhaps even deadly retribution--for their evil.  This should serve as a warning to our enemies.At the end of the book are the names of those SEALs who have paid the ultimate price since September 11, 2001.  Bissonnette claims that he is donating the majority of the proceeds from the book to charities that support the families of these fallen Navy SEALs.  He encourages readers to donate as well.The book is well-written and a page-turner.  Even though the outcome of the book was already known, it maintains a high degree of suspense throughout to see how the situation actually played out.  I read it in one sitting.  Highly recommended.

Answer: Highly recommended

Highly recommended .

This is a suspenseful, first-person account of the raid that took down Osama bin Laden in May, 2011. The author, writing under the pseudonym of Mark Owen, was one of the elite SEAL Team Six operators that participated in the raid (his real name has since been revealed as Matt Bissonnette). The book debuted at number one on Amazon. It does not disappoint. The first half of No Easy Day covers Bissonnette's work in SEAL Team Six prior to the Osama bin Laden raid. After a cliffhanger opening that anticipates the climax of the book, the story backs up several years to Bissonnette's Green Team training. He was already a Navy SEAL at this point, but he was trying to become a member of the elite Seal TEAM Six, which is composed of the "best of the best." We follow his deployments in both Iraq and Afghanistan, where the recounting of certain missions serves to establish the proficiency of the author and his team at their job. This is rather standard fare for the subgenre. The latter half of the book is devoted to the raid on Osama bin Laden's compound, including the extensive preparations and some of the political aftermath. The actual raid is told in almost moment-by-moment detail, transporting the reader to the compound in Abbottabad. The scene is described so richly that it feels as though we are climbing the stairs with the team as they close in on bin Laden. Several maps and charts help us to picture the location. No Easy Day focuses almost exclusively on Bissonnette's training and deployments. We learn very little about his personal life, which--combined with his intentional pseudonymity--makes it harder to connect with him emotionally. This information was omitted for obvious security reasons. He does share the toll that SEAL life takes on family life, however. "Many of my teammates suffered through bitter divorces. We missed weddings, funerals, and holidays. We couldn't tell the Navy no, but we could tell our families no. And we did often. . . . Work was always the number one priority. It took everything out of you and gave back very little. . . . everything else in the world took a backseat" (106-7). For those wanting a fuller portrait of a Navy SEAL's personal life, see the excellent book by Eric Blehm,Fearless: The Undaunted Courage and Ultimate Sacrifice of Navy SEAL Team SIX Operator Adam Brown, which details the life of SEAL Team Six operator Adam Brown. Bissonnette does not engage in self-aggrandizement or bravado, which has marred some earlier books by former Navy SEALs. The author seems to have a realistic view of himself. He says at one point: "I am not unique or special" (298). He does not hesitate to share instances in combat when he was afraid or made a mistake. He occasionally engages in self-deprecating humor. He regularly dishes out praise for his teammates. Bissonnette says that today's SEALs have "evolved past being egomaniacs" (289). Such professionalism is appreciated. Bissonnette states in the introduction that he has sanitized the book so that it presents no threat to national security. The identities of those involved are masked; special tactics and technology are not revealed; and certain information is generalized. The author says, "If you are looking for secrets, this is not your book" (x). Yet none of these precautions affect the impact of the book. There is still enough specific information to make the action riveting. Despite Bissonnette's precautions, the book is nonetheless generating controversy. Some special operators have challenged his decision to reveal details about the mission, breaking their traditional code of silence. The Department of Defense has threatened to sue because he did not present the book to the Pentagon for inspection prior to publication. The author has responded by pointing out that many people, from the President on down, have revealed details about the mission. He says, "If my commander in chief is willing to talk, then I feel comfortable doing the same" (298). He claims that everything in the book has already appeared in other unclassified sources (xi). I for one am glad that the book was released. It shows that those who commit acts of terror will suffer retribution--perhaps even deadly retribution--for their evil. This should serve as a warning to our enemies. At the end of the book are the names of those SEALs who have paid the ultimate price since September 11, 2001. Bissonnette claims that he is donating the majority of the proceeds from the book to charities that support the families of these fallen Navy SEALs. He encourages readers to donate as well. The book is well-written and a page-turner. Even though the outcome of the book was already known, it maintains a high degree of suspense throughout to see how the situation actually played out. I read it in one sitting. <hl> Highly recommended . <hl>

This is a suspenseful, first-person account of the raid that took down Osama bin Laden in May, 2011. The author, writing under the pseudonym of Mark Owen, was one of the elite SEAL Team Six operators that participated in the raid (his real name has since been revealed as Matt Bissonnette). The book debuted at number one on Amazon. It does not disappoint.The first half of No Easy Day covers Bissonnette's work in SEAL Team Six prior to the Osama bin Laden raid. After a cliffhanger opening that anticipates the climax of the book, the story backs up several years to Bissonnette's Green Team training. He was already a Navy SEAL at this point, but he was trying to become a member of the elite Seal TEAM Six, which is composed of the "best of the best." We follow his deployments in both Iraq and Afghanistan, where the recounting of certain missions serves to establish the proficiency of the author and his team at their job. This is rather standard fare for the subgenre.The latter half of the book is devoted to the raid on Osama bin Laden's compound, including the extensive preparations and some of the political aftermath. The actual raid is told in almost moment-by-moment detail, transporting the reader to the compound in Abbottabad. The scene is described so richly that it feels as though we are climbing the stairs with the team as they close in on bin Laden. Several maps and charts help us to picture the location.No Easy Day focuses almost exclusively on Bissonnette's training and deployments. We learn very little about his personal life, which--combined with his intentional pseudonymity--makes it harder to connect with him emotionally. This information was omitted for obvious security reasons. He does share the toll that SEAL life takes on family life, however. "Many of my teammates suffered through bitter divorces. We missed weddings, funerals, and holidays. We couldn't tell the Navy no, but we could tell our families no. And we did often. . . . Work was always the number one priority. It took everything out of you and gave back very little. . . . everything else in the world took a backseat" (106-7). For those wanting a fuller portrait of a Navy SEAL's personal life, see the excellent book by Eric Blehm,Fearless: The Undaunted Courage and Ultimate Sacrifice of Navy SEAL Team SIX Operator Adam Brown, which details the life of SEAL Team Six operator Adam Brown.Bissonnette does not engage in self-aggrandizement or bravado, which has marred some earlier books by former Navy SEALs. The author seems to have a realistic view of himself. He says at one point: "I am not unique or special" (298). He does not hesitate to share instances in combat when he was afraid or made a mistake. He occasionally engages in self-deprecating humor. He regularly dishes out praise for his teammates. Bissonnette says that today's SEALs have "evolved past being egomaniacs" (289). Such professionalism is appreciated.Bissonnette states in the introduction that he has sanitized the book so that it presents no threat to national security. The identities of those involved are masked; special tactics and technology are not revealed; and certain information is generalized. The author says, "If you are looking for secrets, this is not your book" (x). Yet none of these precautions affect the impact of the book. There is still enough specific information to make the action riveting.Despite Bissonnette's precautions, the book is nonetheless generating controversy. Some special operators have challenged his decision to reveal details about the mission, breaking their traditional code of silence. The Department of Defense has threatened to sue because he did not present the book to the Pentagon for inspection prior to publication. The author has responded by pointing out that many people, from the President on down, have revealed details about the mission. He says, "If my commander in chief is willing to talk, then I feel comfortable doing the same" (298). He claims that everything in the book has already appeared in other unclassified sources (xi). I for one am glad that the book was released. It shows that those who commit acts of terror will suffer retribution--perhaps even deadly retribution--for their evil. This should serve as a warning to our enemies.At the end of the book are the names of those SEALs who have paid the ultimate price since September 11, 2001. Bissonnette claims that he is donating the majority of the proceeds from the book to charities that support the families of these fallen Navy SEALs. He encourages readers to donate as well.The book is well-written and a page-turner. Even though the outcome of the book was already known, it maintains a high degree of suspense throughout to see how the situation actually played out. I read it in one sitting. <hl> Highly recommended <hl>.


Question: How fascinating is the book?

Welcome to the world of Amy Elliott Dunne and her husband Nick Dunne.  On their fifth wedding anniversary, a day Amy always celebrates to the hilt, she disappears under mysterious circumstances.  Nick is the prime suspect and does nothing to make his family, the media, or the public think differently.  Thus begins a highly suspenseful tale loaded with twists and turns to keep you eagerly turning the pages.  I am in awe of author Gillian Flynn's clever plotting and now anxious to read her two previous books.  To go more deeply into the story line would involve spoilers, so I will avoid that and just say Amy and Nick are two of the most dysfunctional, psychotic people you may ever come across.  Their story is riveting, appalling, and highly readable.  A smart and stylish golden couple who complete each other in every way, their story and the inside look into their marriage will have readers mesmerized from romantic beginning until the stunning finale.

Answer: Their story is riveting, appalling, and highly readable.

Welcome to the world of Amy Elliott Dunne and her husband Nick Dunne. On their fifth wedding anniversary, a day Amy always celebrates to the hilt, she disappears under mysterious circumstances. Nick is the prime suspect and does nothing to make his family, the media, or the public think differently. Thus begins a highly suspenseful tale loaded with twists and turns to keep you eagerly turning the pages. I am in awe of author Gillian Flynn's clever plotting and now anxious to read her two previous books. To go more deeply into the story line would involve spoilers, so I will avoid that and just say Amy and Nick are two of the most dysfunctional, psychotic people you may ever come across. <hl> Their story is riveting, appalling, and highly readable. A smart and stylish golden couple who complete each other in every way, their story and the inside look into their marriage will have readers mesmerized from romantic beginning until the stunning finale. <hl>

Welcome to the world of Amy Elliott Dunne and her husband Nick Dunne. On their fifth wedding anniversary, a day Amy always celebrates to the hilt, she disappears under mysterious circumstances. Nick is the prime suspect and does nothing to make his family, the media, or the public think differently. Thus begins a highly suspenseful tale loaded with twists and turns to keep you eagerly turning the pages. I am in awe of author Gillian Flynn's clever plotting and now anxious to read her two previous books. To go more deeply into the story line would involve spoilers, so I will avoid that and just say Amy and Nick are two of the most dysfunctional, psychotic people you may ever come across. <hl> Their story is riveting, appalling, and highly readable. <hl> A smart and stylish golden couple who complete each other in every way, their story and the inside look into their marriage will have readers mesmerized from romantic beginning until the stunning finale.


Question: What do you think about the story?

Wow. just wow.I had no idea what to expect when starting this but I knew I had to read it right away because I absolutely loved Slammed and Point of Retreat. It exceeded any expectations I had. Easily one of my favorite books of the year. The story was so touching and had me guessing the entire time I was reading. I was almost positive I knew the way the story was going to play out and was proved wrong with a seriously shocking and great twist. This book was written with so much emotion it was literally jumping off of the pages and consuming me. I am so glad this was released early because I was already having a hard time waiting for this!5++ stars. Another success by Colleen Hoover.

Answer: The story was so touching and had me guessing the entire time I was reading

Wow. just wow. I had no idea what to expect when starting this but I knew I had to read it right away because I absolutely loved Slammed and Point of Retreat. It exceeded any expectations I had. Easily one of my favorite books of the year. <hl> The story was so touching and had me guessing the entire time I was reading . <hl> I was almost positive I knew the way the story was going to play out and was proved wrong with a seriously shocking and great twist. This book was written with so much emotion it was literally jumping off of the pages and consuming me. I am so glad this was released early because I was already having a hard time waiting for this!5++ stars. Another success by Colleen Hoover.

Wow. just wow.I had no idea what to expect when starting this but I knew I had to read it right away because I absolutely loved Slammed and Point of Retreat. It exceeded any expectations I had. Easily one of my favorite books of the year. <hl> The story was so touching and had me guessing the entire time I was reading <hl>. I was almost positive I knew the way the story was going to play out and was proved wrong with a seriously shocking and great twist. This book was written with so much emotion it was literally jumping off of the pages and consuming me. I am so glad this was released early because I was already having a hard time waiting for this!5++ stars. Another success by Colleen Hoover.

<hl> The story was so touching and had me guessing the entire time I was reading <hl> .


Question: Is it book?

Definitely the best book of the series but all 3 are highly engaging and worth reading.  I didn't know anything about this book when I bought it, but I had heard of it and wanted a good book to put on my brand new Kindle.  I seriously could not put it down, and finished it in one day and immediately purchased the other 2 books in the trilogy.I was surprised to find out that this was meant for kids! It is so captivating, and fairly gruesome.  Definitely the best book I have read in a long time, I would recommend this to any and everyone!

Answer: Definitely the best book

<hl> Definitely the best book of the series but all 3 are highly engaging and worth reading. <hl> I didn't know anything about this book when I bought it, but I had heard of it and wanted a good book to put on my brand new Kindle. I seriously could not put it down, and finished it in one day and immediately purchased the other 2 books in the trilogy. I was surprised to find out that this was meant for kids! It is so captivating, and fairly gruesome. Definitely the best book I have read in a long time, I would recommend this to any and everyone!

<hl> Definitely the best book <hl> of the series but all 3 are highly engaging and worth reading. I didn't know anything about this book when I bought it, but I had heard of it and wanted a good book to put on my brand new Kindle. I seriously could not put it down, and finished it in one day and immediately purchased the other 2 books in the trilogy.I was surprised to find out that this was meant for kids! It is so captivating, and fairly gruesome. Definitely the best book I have read in a long time, I would recommend this to any and everyone!


Question: Was a long chapter?

If you aren't up to date on the publication and release drama surrounding the Cuckoo's Calling author, I'll give you a second to catch up. Good? Okay. The Cuckoo's Calling by J.K. Rowling was orignally masqueraded as a excellent debut novel by newcomer Robert Galbraith. In the statement "debut novel", critics reveal a bias toward letting some flaws slide and overlooking the less-than0stellar details of the book, while praising the good things it does well. Now that we know Robert Galbraith is not a newcomer, and no less he is the great J.K. Rowling, I think it's time we all looked at it through the lens of a regular critique: that this is the third outing of a well-known author... and it is also her weakest.The Cuckoo's Calling concerns itself with the apparent suicide of super model Lula Landry, who jumped out of her third floor balcony due to depression. Our detective is Cormoran Strike, a one-legged veteran-turned-private-eye, who finds himself randomly teamed up with a young woman named Robin, who was sent over by a temp service that he forgot to cancel. After receiving the assignment from a worried brother of Lula's, the two hit the streets of London to find out what actually happened the night the model died.The plot is surprisingly feeble, especially for a murder mystery. From the first few pages of the novel, there isn't anything particularly gripping or suspenseful about what is going to happen. You know two things from the get-go: there is a mystery and we will get a resolution eventually. There never was a "how are we going to figure this out?" or "what will we do if we can't?" moment-- Strike lines up a list of suspects and witnesses and goes through them, one by one, for 400 pages. Each suspect lasts one to two chapters, they tell there side of the story, and then Strike moves. Absolutely no clues are given to the reader during this time, and then somewhere around page 400, a surge of true information comes out and then the book is neatly wrapped up. This makes the plot structure very weird, like one long expository flatline and then a huge drop of a sudden resolution.But despite the plot, the writing in here is superb. It's what you'd expect from the first person to make a billion dollars writing books. The writing is tight, clean, and clinical at times, matching the investigative nature of the story. At first, this may seem a little jarring, and hard to get in to. A few of the paragraphs do tend to go on a sentence fragment or two too long. But the writing does it's job, never gets in the way of the story, and pulls the reader along the way... even if the plot doesn't.The dialogue in this book is phenomenal, easily one of it's strongest points. Each line of each character's speech is carefully written, hand picked to reflect their background, their views, and their characteristics. It is truly a treat to visit each and every witness or suspect and get their side of the story, even if that story isn't compelling. From Tansy Bestigui to Guy Somé, each character has distinctive speech patterns, a feat which does not go unnoticed after working through each of the novel's 40 or so characters. Sometimes the author even writes in Dialect, which goes well in every case except for one particular one (Lula Landry's birth mother, who's cockney drawl was a headache to read and interpret, especially for an American).After sifting through the various things this book has to offer, you finally get to the end. Many readers and reviews before me have praised this part of the book, but in my opinion, it was nothing special. The loose ends get tied up in a satisfactory way, but nothing shocking or surprising really happens, and, in truth, some of the motives for one specific character get a little murky and quite silly. Of the eight hundred million things that are clarified and revealed to the reader in the final forty pages, only one of them managed to actually surprise me, and it wasn't the "oh dang!" moment I was expecting from a mystery with this many high reviews.I'm not sure if my opinion on this book is going to change your mind over whether or not you read it. I mean, come on, it's JK Rowling, it's the talk of the month. You're going to read it. But I hope that my points inspired some thought in you over whether or not you enjoyed this book. As for me? I'm surprised this is the one all the hubbub is about. Personally, I thoughtThe Casual Vacancywas a much better book with a way more solid ending.

Answer: A few of the paragraphs do tend to go on a sentence fragment or two too long

If you aren't up to date on the publication and release drama surrounding the Cuckoo's Calling author, I'll give you a second to catch up. Good? Okay. The Cuckoo's Calling by J.K. Rowling was orignally masqueraded as a excellent debut novel by newcomer Robert Galbraith. In the statement "debut novel", critics reveal a bias toward letting some flaws slide and overlooking the less-than0stellar details of the book, while praising the good things it does well. Now that we know Robert Galbraith is not a newcomer, and no less he is the great J.K. Rowling, I think it's time we all looked at it through the lens of a regular critique: that this is the third outing of a well-known author... and it is also her weakest. The Cuckoo's Calling concerns itself with the apparent suicide of super model Lula Landry, who jumped out of her third floor balcony due to depression. Our detective is Cormoran Strike, a one-legged veteran-turned-private-eye, who finds himself randomly teamed up with a young woman named Robin, who was sent over by a temp service that he forgot to cancel. After receiving the assignment from a worried brother of Lula's, the two hit the streets of London to find out what actually happened the night the model died. The plot is surprisingly feeble, especially for a murder mystery. From the first few pages of the novel, there isn't anything particularly gripping or suspenseful about what is going to happen. You know two things from the get-go: there is a mystery and we will get a resolution eventually. There never was a "how are we going to figure this out?" or "what will we do if we can't?" moment-- Strike lines up a list of suspects and witnesses and goes through them, one by one, for 400 pages. Each suspect lasts one to two chapters, they tell there side of the story, and then Strike moves. Absolutely no clues are given to the reader during this time, and then somewhere around page 400, a surge of true information comes out and then the book is neatly wrapped up. This makes the plot structure very weird, like one long expository flatline and then a huge drop of a sudden resolution. But despite the plot, the writing in here is superb. It's what you'd expect from the first person to make a billion dollars writing books. The writing is tight, clean, and clinical at times, matching the investigative nature of the story. At first, this may seem a little jarring, and hard to get in to. <hl> A few of the paragraphs do tend to go on a sentence fragment or two too long . <hl> But the writing does it's job, never gets in the way of the story, and pulls the reader along the way... even if the plot doesn't. The dialogue in this book is phenomenal, easily one of it's strongest points. Each line of each character's speech is carefully written, hand picked to reflect their background, their views, and their characteristics. It is truly a treat to visit each and every witness or suspect and get their side of the story, even if that story isn't compelling. From Tansy Bestigui to Guy Somé, each character has distinctive speech patterns, a feat which does not go unnoticed after working through each of the novel's 40 or so characters. Sometimes the author even writes in Dialect, which goes well in every case except for one particular one (Lula Landry's birth mother, who's cockney drawl was a headache to read and interpret, especially for an American).After sifting through the various things this book has to offer, you finally get to the end. Many readers and reviews before me have praised this part of the book, but in my opinion, it was nothing special. The loose ends get tied up in a satisfactory way, but nothing shocking or surprising really happens, and, in truth, some of the motives for one specific character get a little murky and quite silly. Of the eight hundred million things that are clarified and revealed to the reader in the final forty pages, only one of them managed to actually surprise me, and it wasn't the "oh dang!" moment I was expecting from a mystery with this many high reviews. I'm not sure if my opinion on this book is going to change your mind over whether or not you read it. I mean, come on, it's JK Rowling, it's the talk of the month. You're going to read it. But I hope that my points inspired some thought in you over whether or not you enjoyed this book. As for me? I'm surprised this is the one all the hubbub is about. Personally, I thoughtThe Casual Vacancywas a much better book with a way more solid ending.

If you aren't up to date on the publication and release drama surrounding the Cuckoo's Calling author, I'll give you a second to catch up. Good? Okay. The Cuckoo's Calling by J.K. Rowling was orignally masqueraded as a excellent debut novel by newcomer Robert Galbraith. In the statement "debut novel", critics reveal a bias toward letting some flaws slide and overlooking the less-than0stellar details of the book, while praising the good things it does well. Now that we know Robert Galbraith is not a newcomer, and no less he is the great J.K. Rowling, I think it's time we all looked at it through the lens of a regular critique: that this is the third outing of a well-known author... and it is also her weakest.The Cuckoo's Calling concerns itself with the apparent suicide of super model Lula Landry, who jumped out of her third floor balcony due to depression. Our detective is Cormoran Strike, a one-legged veteran-turned-private-eye, who finds himself randomly teamed up with a young woman named Robin, who was sent over by a temp service that he forgot to cancel. After receiving the assignment from a worried brother of Lula's, the two hit the streets of London to find out what actually happened the night the model died.The plot is surprisingly feeble, especially for a murder mystery. From the first few pages of the novel, there isn't anything particularly gripping or suspenseful about what is going to happen. You know two things from the get-go: there is a mystery and we will get a resolution eventually. There never was a "how are we going to figure this out?" or "what will we do if we can't?" moment-- Strike lines up a list of suspects and witnesses and goes through them, one by one, for 400 pages. Each suspect lasts one to two chapters, they tell there side of the story, and then Strike moves. Absolutely no clues are given to the reader during this time, and then somewhere around page 400, a surge of true information comes out and then the book is neatly wrapped up. This makes the plot structure very weird, like one long expository flatline and then a huge drop of a sudden resolution.But despite the plot, the writing in here is superb. It's what you'd expect from the first person to make a billion dollars writing books. The writing is tight, clean, and clinical at times, matching the investigative nature of the story. At first, this may seem a little jarring, and hard to get in to. <hl> A few of the paragraphs do tend to go on a sentence fragment or two too long <hl>. But the writing does it's job, never gets in the way of the story, and pulls the reader along the way... even if the plot doesn't.The dialogue in this book is phenomenal, easily one of it's strongest points. Each line of each character's speech is carefully written, hand picked to reflect their background, their views, and their characteristics. It is truly a treat to visit each and every witness or suspect and get their side of the story, even if that story isn't compelling. From Tansy Bestigui to Guy Somé, each character has distinctive speech patterns, a feat which does not go unnoticed after working through each of the novel's 40 or so characters. Sometimes the author even writes in Dialect, which goes well in every case except for one particular one (Lula Landry's birth mother, who's cockney drawl was a headache to read and interpret, especially for an American).After sifting through the various things this book has to offer, you finally get to the end. Many readers and reviews before me have praised this part of the book, but in my opinion, it was nothing special. The loose ends get tied up in a satisfactory way, but nothing shocking or surprising really happens, and, in truth, some of the motives for one specific character get a little murky and quite silly. Of the eight hundred million things that are clarified and revealed to the reader in the final forty pages, only one of them managed to actually surprise me, and it wasn't the "oh dang!" moment I was expecting from a mystery with this many high reviews.I'm not sure if my opinion on this book is going to change your mind over whether or not you read it. I mean, come on, it's JK Rowling, it's the talk of the month. You're going to read it. But I hope that my points inspired some thought in you over whether or not you enjoyed this book. As for me? I'm surprised this is the one all the hubbub is about. Personally, I thoughtThe Casual Vacancywas a much better book with a way more solid ending.

<hl> A few of the paragraphs do tend to go on a sentence fragment or two too long <hl> .


Question: What is the story like?

I have a friend who was actually an orphan and on an orphan train, so this book is meaningful to me. I think the writing and the content is very good.

Answer: very good

I have a friend who was actually an orphan and on an orphan train, so this book is meaningful to me. <hl> I think the writing and the content is very good . <hl>

I have a friend who was actually an orphan and on an orphan train, so this book is meaningful to me. I think the writing and the content is <hl> very good <hl>.

I think the writing and the content is <hl> very good <hl> .


Question: How many chapters are missing from this story?

This was a great book, until the end. Some parts were dark. Twisted. But after reading all those pages, some of which were redundant, it just stops. Like there should be part 2 which I would not read. Readers deserve closure. BIG waste of my time and money

Answer: Like there should be part 2 which I would not read

This was a great book, until the end. Some parts were dark. Twisted. But after reading all those pages, some of which were redundant, it just stops. <hl> Like there should be part 2 which I would not read . <hl> Readers deserve closure. BIG waste of my time and money

This was a great book, until the end. Some parts were dark. Twisted. But after reading all those pages, some of which were redundant, it just stops. <hl> Like there should be part 2 which I would not read <hl>. Readers deserve closure. BIG waste of my time and money

<hl> Like there should be part 2 which I would not read <hl> .


Question: What is the main concept of books?

The Time Traveler's Wife never appealed to me because of the title.  I don't usually care for science fiction and time traveling, but my friend recommended the novel and gave me a copy as a gift, so I tried it out.  Just as I expected, I didn't care for the time traveling.  I found the first thirty pages terribly confusing as dates and ages jumped around.  For me, The Time Traveler's Wife had a rough start, but it picked up after the first hundred pages or so once I figured out the time structure of the story, and it culminated with the final scene as the best scene in the book.The book tells the love story between Henry, a librarian plagued with a genetic disorder that causes him to involuntarily time travel, and his wife Clare.  The story and concept are unique, interesting, and captivating.  They touch upon a wide variety of philosophical topics, such as love, free will, age differences within relationships, sex, waiting for love, and genetic therapy.  It provides a lot of material for both self-reflection and discussion with others.Although I enjoyed reading the novel and became engrossed in the storyline, I also found many faults with the book.  My main complaint is that the characters were flat.  The story is told with the alternating perspectives of Henry and Clare, however, I oftentimes could not remember whose perspective I was reading.  The two characters are too similar and are poorly developed as separate individuals.  Henry is clearly the main character, and Clare simply waits for him throughout her entire life.  Some people might find her relentless waiting as a testament to her love for Henry, but I found it pathetic and irritating.  She has no personality beyond Henry.  Furthermore, I found Henry interesting because of his time traveling predicament, but he is not at all what I would envision of as a romantic hero in a love story.  The author sets up numerous situations in which she could have explored their deeper emotions, but instead she only skims the surface.  Similarly, the author sets up some great supporting characters, but fails to give them any depth.In the end, The Time Traveler's Wife is not a bad book, but it's not a great book either.  The story and concept were captivating, but unfortuantely, the characters were disappointing.

Answer: story and concept are unique, interesting, and captivating.

The Time Traveler's Wife never appealed to me because of the title. I don't usually care for science fiction and time traveling, but my friend recommended the novel and gave me a copy as a gift, so I tried it out. Just as I expected, I didn't care for the time traveling. I found the first thirty pages terribly confusing as dates and ages jumped around. For me, The Time Traveler's Wife had a rough start, but it picked up after the first hundred pages or so once I figured out the time structure of the story, and it culminated with the final scene as the best scene in the book. The book tells the love story between Henry, a librarian plagued with a genetic disorder that causes him to involuntarily time travel, and his wife Clare. <hl> The story and concept are unique, interesting, and captivating. They touch upon a wide variety of philosophical topics, such as love, free will, age differences within relationships, sex, waiting for love, and genetic therapy. <hl> It provides a lot of material for both self-reflection and discussion with others. Although I enjoyed reading the novel and became engrossed in the storyline, I also found many faults with the book. My main complaint is that the characters were flat. The story is told with the alternating perspectives of Henry and Clare, however, I oftentimes could not remember whose perspective I was reading. The two characters are too similar and are poorly developed as separate individuals. Henry is clearly the main character, and Clare simply waits for him throughout her entire life. Some people might find her relentless waiting as a testament to her love for Henry, but I found it pathetic and irritating. She has no personality beyond Henry. Furthermore, I found Henry interesting because of his time traveling predicament, but he is not at all what I would envision of as a romantic hero in a love story. The author sets up numerous situations in which she could have explored their deeper emotions, but instead she only skims the surface. Similarly, the author sets up some great supporting characters, but fails to give them any depth. In the end, The Time Traveler's Wife is not a bad book, but it's not a great book either. The story and concept were captivating, but unfortuantely, the characters were disappointing.

The Time Traveler's Wife never appealed to me because of the title. I don't usually care for science fiction and time traveling, but my friend recommended the novel and gave me a copy as a gift, so I tried it out. Just as I expected, I didn't care for the time traveling. I found the first thirty pages terribly confusing as dates and ages jumped around. For me, The Time Traveler's Wife had a rough start, but it picked up after the first hundred pages or so once I figured out the time structure of the story, and it culminated with the final scene as the best scene in the book.The book tells the love story between Henry, a librarian plagued with a genetic disorder that causes him to involuntarily time travel, and his wife Clare. The <hl> story and concept are unique, interesting, and captivating. <hl> They touch upon a wide variety of philosophical topics, such as love, free will, age differences within relationships, sex, waiting for love, and genetic therapy. It provides a lot of material for both self-reflection and discussion with others.Although I enjoyed reading the novel and became engrossed in the storyline, I also found many faults with the book. My main complaint is that the characters were flat. The story is told with the alternating perspectives of Henry and Clare, however, I oftentimes could not remember whose perspective I was reading. The two characters are too similar and are poorly developed as separate individuals. Henry is clearly the main character, and Clare simply waits for him throughout her entire life. Some people might find her relentless waiting as a testament to her love for Henry, but I found it pathetic and irritating. She has no personality beyond Henry. Furthermore, I found Henry interesting because of his time traveling predicament, but he is not at all what I would envision of as a romantic hero in a love story. The author sets up numerous situations in which she could have explored their deeper emotions, but instead she only skims the surface. Similarly, the author sets up some great supporting characters, but fails to give them any depth.In the end, The Time Traveler's Wife is not a bad book, but it's not a great book either. The story and concept were captivating, but unfortuantely, the characters were disappointing.