Book Review: Sarah's Key

I had been waiting to read Sarah's Key forever. I'm not sure what kept me from reading. Perhaps the popularity of the book at first and its unavailability at the library. Or perhaps I expected book club to read it since it had been recommended as a great discussion piece; however, we ended up making a rule about take a year off from Holocaust books. Therefore, when I saw it at a book sale I grabbed it. I read it last weekend in two days. I didn't want to put it down.

Sarah's Key is one of the book that is essentially two stories that eventually weave together and become one. The present day story revolves around Julia, an ex-patriot and journalist, assigned a piece about the 60th anniversary of the Vel' d' Hiv, a roundup of French Jews in 1942. The other story revolves around Sarah, a ten-year-old girl who lives one fateful night in the summer of 1942 with her mother and eventually father under the impression that she will be returning shortly to the family's apartment since she has locked her little brother in the cupboard.

The key to the cupboard with the little boy keeps Sarah fighting for freedom and eventually links her story with Julia's. As with many of these Holocaust books, there is immense sorrow but there is joy as well and through Julia, both her family and Julia's find some peace. There are many surprises, which I don't want to give away, so read Sarah's Key. You will learn something new too!

Happy Reading!

Book Review: Then Came You

When I was in college, I read all of Jennifer Weiner's books and absolutely loved them. I still have some of those old ones in my personal collection. I haven't read as many of her newer ones. For no particular reason - there are so many books I want to read, found other authors, she is more popular and her books aren't always in at the library. However, I managed to find one at the book sale this summer. It was one that I had already tried once to listen to unsuccessfully. Last weekend I finally finished Then Came You.

This book was one of the ones that I did struggle to get into. Then through the middle I really disliked some of the characters and was thinking I'm really going to hate this book. But then she wraps it up well even those its not a total happy ending. Not one of my favorites of hers but it was still a great read that I would recommend to anyone who has enjoyed Weiner's other books.

Then Came You is written from the perspective of four different women. Jules is a college senior at Princeton when the book begins who will do anything to help her addict father, even sell her eggs. Annie is a housewife determined to make a better life for her young family, even becoming a surrogate. India is recently married to a wealthy New York businessman who has spent the better part of her life striving to be what she is not. And Bettina is the daughter of the wealthy businessman who thinks her new stepmother did not marry her father for love but money and having a baby with him is her way of securing the deal.

That baby brings all four women together with the help of Jules and Annie. Ultimately, all four women end up becoming a much more involved in the baby's life other than the anticipated anonymous egg donor and one-time surrogate. The path of each one leading up to the baby's birth is anything but simple. Read Then Came You to find out what happens for Jules, Annie, India and Bettina and the baby that each of these women love so much.

Happy Reading!

Throwback Reads to Summer Camp Summers

I love summer books. I love friends books. And this summer I discovered I love books about summer camp and that there are quite a few young adult books with that theme, so I decided to read a few before Labor Day. I probably love them so much because of my fond memories of my camp days. The only difference is that I didn't spend the entire summer there even half the summer but a week to my dismay and I also went with people I know, which was great but I would have loved to have camp best friends like the girls in some of these books.

So, here are two reviews of some summer camp titles. I was hoping it would be three but the third one wasn't that great and after 60 pages I decided to stop. Enjoy!

Five Summers

I loved this book and wanted to sign myself up for summer camp there, especially because half of the book is reunion weekend, so there are adults at camp as well. The story is about Jo, Skylar, Emma and Maddie. Four girls that met at Camp Nebodoba as ten-year-olds and return together for the next five summers. Each year brings new and old traditions, including making a pact and rules for the four best friends. After the final summer, they all agree to return as camp counselors but only two do for reasons that readers find out as the story progresses. After a few years of little to no communication, the girls return for their first reunion weekend. Each has their own expecations of how the weekend will go and secrets they are not ready to share but all four girls have the same goal of rekindling their once inseparable friendship. Five Summers is a great young adult book that truly emphasizes how important friendship is, how hard it can be and how true friends overcome to remain friends.

Proof of Forever
Well, I thought I loved Five Summers but this one was 10x better! Again, the story is about four girls coming back for a reunion but this one has an element of time travel. When the time travel happened, my thought was I'm out. I don't do science fiction/fantasy; however, it was almost just like a sentence, a what if not a whole chapter about time travel. Luce, Joy, Zoe and Tali have grown apart and the summer before freshmen year of college they decide to reunite at the summer camp reunion. Each has a different reason for returning to the reunion and obviously after two years of not seeing each other or talking to each other after the fall out there is some tension. Each one is thinking about a second chance at rebuilding their friendship and after a trip to the photo booth transports them back the last week of camp two summers ago they just might get that. There are surprises throughout after the time travel and the girls ultimately think if they replay it exactly as is they will get back safely. But naturally things do not go as planned and in the long run it might be better that way. Read this book to relive some of your summer camp memories and I guarantee you will laugh, cry and remember how wonderful those summers were.

Happy Reading!