Member Since: July 02, 2011

mirrani

Smashwords book reviews by mirrani

  • The Leaving: A Novel on Aug. 04, 2011
    (no rating)
    The Leaving was described as "a realistic look at adolescence and first love" and it cannot be denied that this well describes the book for prospective readers. The story is very realistic, with realistic relationships and feelings, including much confusion regarding relationships between both friends and lovers. No sweetener is added to the emotion or background of the characters, they are purely themselves, showing us life through their eyes. The title itself comes full circle from the beginning of the book, where Cathy and her brother are in school, each taking their turns in participating in the Leaving, graduating school and moving on into adulthood. They find they are leaving previous lives and relationships behind them, something I thought was rather fitting. In reading the original description, I did expect a little more of a love triangle aspect of the story, perhaps more focus on the relationships mentioned, which I felt somewhat dumped into the middle of, but such is the case with meeting someone new. They have had lives before I came along, the feeling only adds to the realness of the characters and their situations. As an American, I felt it was somewhat strange trying to experience the events and emotions behind The Leaving. Having not grown up in Ireland or otherwise experienced life around that part of the world in the early eighties, I was uncertain that I could believe that every person encountered in the book should feel so negatively about themselves or their situation. The book introduced misery and despair into the lives of those within, offering no moment of happiness to anyone and I would hope that even the most upset of persons would be able to find even a speck of joy in some random moments; laugh at a joke, be amused at a movie or book, fall in love with a new place or experience, but that did not happen often enough to these characters. Cathy, who tells the story, constantly focuses on what is wrong with the every event in her life (even the rare happy ones) as she and her brother, Stevie, go about their lives resigned to the misery that is their shared existence. They are aware of their situation and simply accept that it is how it will always be, the only escape is to flee. Surprisingly, even after reading through all of Cathy's focus on the despair of her situation in her family, friends and in place in her own country, I found myself wanting to know more about her, wanting to know if she would find a way to change even one little thing to make a difference in it all. Though it wasn't a cheerful book, it also was not a morbid tale of gloom and doom, simply a sort reminder that this is life for someone somewhere in the world. The story's rotation through leaving school, friends, family, country and an old life was somehow addictive, leaving me feeling as if I had just been introduced to someone new at a bar and we sitting down to learn about each other. I would hope that, like me, other readers will discover how change is possible if you really want to step outside of something to reach for it and that they will learn to find the future in front of them, no matter what might have happened in the past. Note: Though this book was a free gift from the author, the content of my review was in no way influenced by the gifting. The book speaks for itself and my review would have been worded just this way even if I'd gone out and bought it. I also give bonus points for Text To Speech enabling on Kindle format.... but that also wasn't a factor in the above review.
  • Ox Cart Angel on Nov. 12, 2011

    Ox Cart Angel is a story of loss and discovery set in the days of wagon caravans and boys going off to fight in the civil war. Claire is a Metis girl (someone of both white and American Indian blood) lost in the changes of an adult's world. One moment she is playing with her friend, the next she is leaving her home forever. Her journey is filled with danger and tragedy, but it is equally filled with discovery and the joys of overcoming the sorrows of the past. A perfect book to teach us that discovering who you are as a person does not happen quickly or in the way you expect it to, this story gradually helps the reader let go of what we physically cling to as a way of remembering the past and then leads them into grasping for the more precious memories in our hearts and minds. In this way, through Claire's journey the reader travels through pain and into hope. The story is well written, told in the first person, from the prospective of a young girl whose world has turned upside down in what seems to be too many ways to count. The quality of writing puts the reader right into the events as they unfold along the long road and helps you to see through Claire's eyes and feel with her heart. In fact, the only warning I feel I must give anyone who picks up this book is that the story is so well told and the emotions are so well expressed within the words of each page that you will easily experience Claire's feelings as your own. Note: Though this book was a free gift from the author, the content of my review was in no way influenced by the gifting. The book speaks for itself and my review would have been worded just this way even if I'd gone out and bought it. I also give bonus points for Text To Speech enabling on Kindle format.... but that also wasn't a factor in the above review.
  • The Price on Feb. 10, 2012

    When you mix magic and the mob you get The Price, a creative story about growing up under the influence of gangs in South Boston. The main character learns the hard way that magic isn't what you'd expect it to be and that there's a price for murmuring those words, casting out your requests to the spirits who are doing the deeds as you have suggested. A mixture of gangs and monsters isn't as bizarre as it sounds though, the characters were well written and the haunts of the main character alone are written so thoroughly that you can almost feel them yourself. Being gang related, there is violence and so the magic certainly isn't used for good, but it isn't all guns and spells. There are touching moments of trying to reach out to lost family mixed in with moments of pure comedy that appear as incredibly witty one-liners throughout the story. There were places where I let my mind wander a bit, but my interest was mostly in the unusual combination of the two worlds, which blended perfectly with each other. Note: Though this book was a free gift from the author, the content of my review was in no way influenced by the gifting. The book speaks for itself and my review would have been worded just this way even if I'd gone out and bought it. I also give bonus points for Text To Speech enabling on Kindle format.... but that also wasn't a factor in the above review.
  • Endless (Crescent, Book 1) on Feb. 10, 2012

    Endless is a book that begins with the fall of earth and ends on a distant world. The writing is very well put together and can be touching at times. What would one do if faced with the realization that every human around you has died? What are the steps when finding out that you are the only one living, no matter where you go? The descriptions of action and quiet as the main character, John, deals with this situation are very well focused on and often had me envisioning what it would be like if I were in his shoes. I could feel his suffering, experience what it would be like to wander Earth as the only human left, taking what I needed and realizing that law meant nothing any more. The progression into a new world is a result of a combined event between what has happened on Earth and what is happening elsewhere. John finds himself suddenly among other living beings again, but realizes they are not human. He is elsewhere and becomes drawn into the struggles of the people around him. This new world is different and strange and the differences between the two planets are well described without too much pining for Earth. The reminders are subtle, such as saying an animal has bovine eyes, rather than spending pages comparing it to a cow. If there had been more time to spend on this book, I think I would have spent it on the connections between what John left and what his new life had become. He encounters other people from Earth, but once the initial realizations are made, there are only fleeting thoughts about back home, memories of television shows or attempts at describing technology to a people who have never seen such wonders before. While it was good to not have a constant pining for home, I had thought that once all was revealed there would be a few more thoughts of familiar things. But perhaps this is only another way to draw the reader in to the story, because I have found myself wondering if I would set aside Earth so easily, even after all I had experienced before leaving, in order to join a new world in its struggle for survival. Note: Though this book was a free gift from the author, the content of my review was in no way influenced by the gifting. The book speaks for itself and my review would have been worded just this way even if I'd gone out and bought it. I also give bonus points for Text To Speech enabling on Kindle format.... but that also wasn't a factor in the above review.
  • Dirty Little Angels on May 31, 2012

    Dirty Little Angels is, as is suggested in the title, a book with a darker context than most. Focusing on hardships and struggles of the youth of today who find themselves ignored by parents and without much guidance, this is a quick and enjoyable read that gives some hope to someone gone astray finding a better path. Of course, it then takes that hope away from you, but in a way that makes you ponder your own life situation and, at times, makes you grateful for what you have. I think the story could have been improved upon by pushing at the characters a little bit more, giving them some more substance and a more real feeling. The build up to an abrupt ending was also a sort of put off. I found myself literally looking at the last words and saying, "Is that it? Really?" If you are someone who expects to see someone face the consequences of their actions, this isn't the book for you, but if you are willing to sit for a few hours and spend some time watching a girl with a hard life try to turn it around and reflect on her actions while doing so, this is a book for you. Note: Though this book was a free gift from the author, the content of my review was in no way influenced by the gifting. The book speaks for itself and my review would have been worded just this way even if I'd gone out and bought it. I also give bonus points for Text To Speech enabling on Kindle format.... but that also wasn't a factor in the above review.