Another excellent offering by Paulette Jiles. If you haven't read anything by her yet, you're missing out. Lighthouse Island was a complete departure Another excellent offering by Paulette Jiles. If you haven't read anything by her yet, you're missing out. Lighthouse Island was a complete departure from her previous work. Not historical fiction, instead a dystopian novel. I used to like reading dystopian novels, but as the years have passed and our world becomes more and more a non-fiction realization of dystopia, I've steered clear of the genre.
When I realized very early on that this was a grim, futuristic piece, I almost stopped. But then I reminded myself what a beautiful, lyrical author Ms. Jiles is, and kept on.
I'm so glad I did! I haven't read a book in a long time that I found myself slowing down about 3/4 of the way through because I didn't want to come to the end. A few minutes ago I did, and the conclusion was met with tears and goosebumps....more
3.5 -- I wish I wasn't so nit-picky. I was enjoying this book (and continued to, even after this). In one scene, either Sasha or Vera were talking on 3.5 -- I wish I wasn't so nit-picky. I was enjoying this book (and continued to, even after this). In one scene, either Sasha or Vera were talking on the phone, and the author describes the phone cord as stretching, smoothing out the kinks, or words to that effect. "No!", my inner voice screamed (overly dramatic, I know), but so blatant. Stretchy phone cords didn't come along until the 1950s. Where is the editor, all the numerous readers she lists at the end of the book? Mistakes like this, jerking me from the story to reality, really can ruin a book for me....more
This was another DNF. I'm too picky for my own good, perhaps, but things like this bother me: Ella, the main character, is talking to her brother, SteThis was another DNF. I'm too picky for my own good, perhaps, but things like this bother me: Ella, the main character, is talking to her brother, Stevie. Stevie says, "Man, I hate this stupid house." At the bottom of the SAME page, Ella thinks "I wanted to ask Stevie if he hated it here. Living in this house."
Where are the editors?
EDIT: I did finish this although I was skimming the last 1/3. Found more things to bother me, like when Katherine was writing with a "warn plastic blue Bic." And Mr. McCabe was talking to Katherine and he told her that he didn't know colors, had never seen white, or black, or brown or gray. Katherine then asks, "So when did you go blind?"...more
How do books like this get published? It is so awful, it should be fun to read and rip to shreds in your head as you're turning the pages. But it's noHow do books like this get published? It is so awful, it should be fun to read and rip to shreds in your head as you're turning the pages. But it's not even that. It's just plain horrible....more