In three words I deem this novel: depressing, long, and inappropriate."Six-year-old Emma vanished into the thick San Francisco mist. Or into the heaving Pacific. Or somewhere just beyond: to a parking lot, a stranger's van, or a road with traffic flashing by. Devastated by guilt, haunted by her fears about becoming a stepmother, Abby refuses to believe that Emma is dead. And so she searches her mind for clues about what happened that morning and cannot stop the flood of memories reaching from her own childhood to illuminate that irreversible moment on the beach. . . . A profoundly original novel of family, loss, and hope, THE YEAR OF FOG beguiles with its window into the mysteries of time and memory even as it lays bare the deep and wondrous workings of the human heart. The result is a mesmerizing drama that will touch anyone who knows what it means to love a child." {from yearoffog.com}
Now here's MY version. I am so mad that I wasted my precious book-reading-time on this stupid book. The New York Times Bestseller what??! I couldn't wait to finish this thing, so I could move on. Why did I finish it when I didn't even like it? I think I have a pretty good excuse: the book is about a girl who vanishes. I had to find out whether they found her or not right? So I kept reading. (Ugh). This book was depressing, even agonizing, with it's daily mundane routine of Abby (the main character and narrator) as she was looking for this lost little girl. There were way too many flashbacks, inappropriate behaviors and language, memory theories, and misleads for my taste.
The front of the book says "Highly recommended [for fans of] authors like Jodi Picoult and Jacquelyn Mitchard," well, I guess I won't be reading any books by those authors any time soon. Thanks for the warning.
I will generously give this book 1.5 ouf of 5 stars.
4 comments:
Thanks for the warning! Ever since I started having kids I can't read books like this. Freaks me out.
I actually started reading My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult today (going to see the movie next week with my SIL) and it seems ok so far. I'm only 50 or so pages in though.
I also read Perfect Match by Picoult, and didn't really enjoy it all that much. It was just kind of blah for me.
eeeh that bad, huh? well at least we get another book with a 'hated' tag!
Don't give up on Jodi Picoult because of this book. I've loved every book I've read so far. I've found them thought provoking, engaging, and although at times a little controversial, I think she delivers a good message in all of her books regardless. Give her a whirl (although sometimes she does have sex scenes, even if they are usually short.)
I enjoyed this book. From Abby's perspective,who feels responsible for taking her eye off Emma, she constantly searches for her & will trying anything, including therapy, hypnosis & reading endless books on memory theories on how to boost her memory. Who wouldn't do the same-try ANYTHING to find their child? When she isn't looking for Emma, she thinks of the times with her, which brings her back to her own childhood. I felt the despair and desparation of Abby...always searching. I felt there's a piece of Ramon in every girls' heart, locked away, always visited, rarely shared. Where's a Nick when we all need one? :) I love Goofy, when she shares a piece of herself in the end, exposes what she really needs. Take your time with this book. Don't get so impatient, just wanting to know what happens to Emma. PS, there's no graphic details of what happens to Emma, to put your mind at ease.
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