Review: The Weight of Silence

Title The Weight of Silence
By Heather Gudenkauf
Source I own it
Pages 384
Recommended by Me

First sentence Callie stirred in her bed.

Synopsis
One August morning two girls go missing, Callie, a seven year old who hasn't talked since she was four, and her best friend Petra. Told from different points of view, we learn about these two girls, their families, and the secret behind Callie's silence.

* Note* I'm going to start adding who recommended a book to me, either directly or indirectly through their blog, on my review posts. But...I just want everyone to know, you don't have to get offended if I didn't like it; I'm not blaming you. Everyone has different opinions and I never hold anyone responsible for a book I didn't like. I choose to read a book based on the synopsis not so much a recommendation so it's always MY fault. ;) 


General thoughts
K, so I bought this book ages ago when I couldn't walk into bookstore without seeing it. I thought it might be a good, chilling story for the RIP challenge so it was the book I chose. Two little girls go missing, sounds kinda scary right? Not so much. First off, I just don't get why this book was so popular. It wasn't amazingly written, the author kept going back and telling all this back story, half of which was completely unnecessary to the rest of the story, and we're told right in the prologue that at least one of the little girls is found. BORING! I liked when it actually was telling the story but there was so much reminiscing and back story. Anywho, I guess I just didn't get why it was soooo popular. It wasn't THAT great. Oh and the convenience? Really? Really?! *rolls eyes*

Characters
Callie, She was the only POV I liked reading about.
Petra, How could you not like her?
Ben, He was a sweet kid.
Antonia, I just don't get girls that stay in abusive relationships.
Louis, Seriously, dude, move on!
Martin, Not much to him.
Griff, Yuck!

Would I recommend it? 
Meh, no, it wasn't that great.

ABCs Of Me Meme

I saw this fun little get-to-know-you meme over on Suey's blog. I 'm not sure where it originally started but I thought it looked fun so....


Age:    Ugh! You're never supposed to ask a girl that! But I've never been one for following the rules so...I'm 30. Yep, the big three zero. Sigh!

Bed Size:    K, do NOT laugh! I'm still in a tinsy tinsy twin because it was all that would fit in my room. Now that I moved I could have something bigger but I'm too cheap to care.

Chore that you hate:   Washing windows. My arms start hurting like, 5 seconds in.

Dogs:   Are great...if you don't care about your yard. Sorry but I had some growing up and I'm STILL afraid to step on the lawn.

Essential start to your day:   Breakfast. Boring, I know, but you do NOT want to be around me if I haven't eaten and my blood sugar is low.

Favorite colors:   Navy blue and hunter green.

Gold or Silver:   Gold, and none of that white gold crap!

Height:   5'6

Instruments you play:   LOL, I can't make one hand do one thing while the other hand does something else so playing an instrument...well, it was never meant to be.

Job Title:   Big fat unemployed. :( I'm trying, I'm trying!

Kids:   Nope, that's where that disgust at being 30 comes in.

Live:   In Utah and I'm not so sure I want to be here the rest of my life. 

Mother-in-Law’s name:   Oh my freak! Another reason to be mad I'm 30. Not married, unemployed, no kids. Was this meme supposed to make me feel like crap? ;)

Nicknames:   Jenny. What?! You didn't know my real name wasn't Jenny? It's not, it's actually...no, not Jennifer...can you guess?

Overnight hospital stays:   Never...well, maybe when I was born.

Pet Peeves:   Where to start. Water being flicked in my face by some moron that thinks it's funny, people trying to control my life, people who make right hand turns at a snails pace, and on, and on, and on. ;)

Quote from a movie:   I just think it'll be depressing; it'll be depressing. Favorite movie!

Right or Left handed:   Right.


Siblings:   I'm the youngest of...11. Now you see where that (people telling me what to do) pet peeve comes from.

Time you wake up:   Without a job? I sleep in till 9:00 or 10:00 most days.

Underwear:   Underwear? Underwear?! Is there something under something?! Is there a spider?!!!

Vegetable you hate:   Beets...are beets a vegetable, though?

What makes you run late:   Usually myself meandering thinking I'm going to be early.

X-Rays you’ve had:   Mainly teeth X-rays at the dentist but I have had my chest X-rayed.

Yummy food that you make:   Hmmm, lot's of things but lately...Chicken ceaser salad wraps.

Zoo animal:   Oh boy! I love river otters, anteaters, and fruit bats. 

Join in if you so desire! Tell us more about you!

Review: Under the Dome

Title Under the Dome
By Stephen King
Source I own it
Pages 1087!
Recommended by Me

First sentence From two thousand feet, where Claudette Sanders was taking a flying lesson, the town of Chester's Mill gleamed in the morning light like something freshly made and just set down.

Synopsis
When the town of Chester's Mill is suddenly shut off from the rest of the world by a giant dome, where it came from and how long it will trap them becomes the least of the towns worries. It's good vs evil vs The Just Plain Crazy.

* Note* I'm going to start adding who recommended a book to me, either directly or indirectly through their blog, on my review posts. But...I just want everyone to know, you don't have to get offended if I didn't like it; I'm not blaming you. Everyone has different opinions and I never hold anyone responsible for a book I didn't like. I choose to read a book based on the synopsis not so much a recommendation so it's always MY fault. ;) 

General thoughts
I really, really wanted to read this one for the longest time but until Suey and I decided to host a group read for the RIP challenge, I never had the courage. I'm so glad we got organized and went ahead because it's been ages since I read a book that had me, gasping out loud, crying, laughing, and, yes, even talking to it. I haven't read tons of King books, I think I've seen more of the movies based on his books, but I'm always pleasantly surprised by them. Even the ones with sad, or just plain weird, endings. This one was no exception. I thought I'd have a hard time keeping the characters straight but King does such a good job making each character have an individual personality and he makes them so gosh darn REAL, it was a piece of cake. I rooted for the good guys, booed at the bad, and when the big "mystery" was revealed, I set the book down and tried to gather the pieces of my blown mind.

Characters
There are Soooo many I'll just point out a few.
Barbie, Well, yeah, of course I loved him, he's humble, smart, and kicks ass!
Rennie, Wow, it's been awhile since a "villain" pissed me off THAT bad!
Rusty, Thank goodness the doc was on the good side, am I right?
Julie, Stubborn little thing, thank goodness for that, and, hey, she saved the day.
Joe, Smart teenager! This kid was indispensable.
Rommie, Yeah, so he was listed as a minor character, so what! I loved this guy! Now that his wife's gone maybe he'll marry me. ;)
Ollie, Wow, if there was anything to take away from this book it was the determination of this amazing kid!
Junior, I still shudder when I think of him. Freaky! I can't help but wonder what he was like BEFORE the tumor.

Oh man, I could go on and on with everyone of these unique, unforgettable characters but that would be one LONG post.

Would I recommend it? 
Yes, but not to the feint of heart or the easily depressed or queasy person. Plus it's long...but it doesn't feel like it.

Under the Dome Group Read Final Discussion

Well, we did it! I know you were worried. ;) We're all done and it's time for the last questions and answers discussion. Brace yourself. 

1. Were you pleased with the end that Stephen King gave Jim Rennie? Is it what you expected? Was it fitting? If not, how would you have changed it? 

Sigh! Yes, I suppose it was fitting, and definitely freaky, but I really wanted to see someone blow his brains out. Yeah, I have a violent streak in me. In fact, I started hoping at the end that he'd live just so I could see him get busted and thrown in prison.

2. Explain to us what you thought about the aliens and their "magnifying glass." Did you take it at face value, or is there some underlying deep meaning to it? In other words, is there actually a moral to this story? And if so, how would you explain it?
Oh snap! When the whole ant analogy was revealed I set the book down and just sat there trying to gather the pieces of my blown mind. Oh sure they were "aliens" but the description of them certainly sounded like ants to me and in my mind they were. Or at least represented them.

3. Pretty much everyone dies! Which death was the saddest for you? The hardest for you to read about? The most gruesome? The one that had you cheering? The one that made you the maddest?
Saddest? I cried when Sammy Bushey did the whole murder suicide thing. I just felt bad for her. 

Hardest to read about? When Rory tried to shoot a whole threw the Dome. :( I was sad but mainly I was just cringing like crazy.
Most gruesome? Hands down, when Junior killed Angie McCane at the very beginning. *shivers*

Cheering? I'd have to go with the Sammy Bushey murder suicide again. I was sad for her but glad she was killing those other two creeps! 

Maddest? I was furious when Brenda Perkins went to Rennie all alone. Like we didn't know what was coming.

4. If this were made into a movie (as Stephen King books often are) who would you cast in some of the leading roles?
I can't answer this. I never picture books made into movies and if I do I never imagine who would play the characters. Seriously. Sorry.

5. Do you think this book is an accurate portrayal of true human nature? Do you think everyone is as corrupt as this? How do you think your community would do in such a crisis? How would you personally handle it? What side would you have ended up on?

I think it was a good portrayal in certain communties\cities. There are people as insane and power hungry and corrupt as Rennie out there. Likewise, there are people as basically good as Barbie and his "gang". I have no idea how I'd handle something like this. I'd probably be most like one of the unnamed characters who dies horribly in the end. :( 

I had a blast reading this with everyone. I hope you all did too. I do have to add that by the end, my favorite character was Rommie. Don't ask, I just loved him. I also cried like a baby during the scenes between Ollie and Private Ames. Ollie's story was heartbreaking and inspiring.

Review: The Sweet, Terrible, Glorious Year I Truly, Completely Lost It

Title The Sweet, Terrible, Glorious Year I Truly, Completely Lost It
By Lisa Shanahan
Source Library
Pages 295

First sentence When Debbie told Dad she was marrying Brian, her new boyfriend of one month, Dad, went ballistic.

Synopsis
Dealing with her sister's upcoming wedding, her crush on cute guy at school, and the ever annoying Raven, a boy from a questionable family, Gemma Stone has a hard, hilarious year ahead of her.

General thoughts
I'm serious, people, I'm starting to think Australian authors can do know wrong! This book was downright hilarious and, yet, had depth to it. Two things that are horribly important to me in a book of this kind. I LOVED it. I was laughing one page, crying on the next, and just truly enjoying it! I won't go on and on but if you haven't read this awesome little book go out there and pick it up!!! The only two little itty bitty things that bothered me were: Gemma's friend Jody, who just wasn't it it enough for a "best" friend, and there was no kiss! What the heck?!

Characters
Gemma: I don't usually like female protagonists, they're all the same: whiny, no backbone, selfish, but not this time. Gemma was a breath of fresh air! Completely realistic, imperfect, and hilarious.
Raven: Ah, a perfectly captured male specimen. ;) I love when teenage boys ACT like teenage boys.
Gemma's parents: Oh my gosh, look! present parents. They were involved. They actually talked to Gemma.
Debbie: Bridezilla! Isn't that what they all act like though? Just a little. ;)

There's a whole bunch of other characters with there very own REAL personalities in this one so just go read it!

Would I recommend it?
Are you still sitting here when I told you to go get this book?!