A Nearly Normal Family by M.T. Edvardsson

“Is there any sort of situation where you can say with certainty that a single person is responsible for what happens? Everything in life is dependent on so many different factors that interact in so many different ways.”

 

Book Jacket Description:

 

Eighteen-year-old Stella Sandell stands accused of the brutal murder of a man almost fifteen years her senior. She is an ordinary teenager from an upstanding local family. What reason could she have to know a shady businessman, let alone to kill him?

Stella’s father, a pastor, and mother, a criminal defense attorney, find their moral compasses tested as they defend their daughter, while struggling to understand why she is a suspect. Told in an unusual three-part structure, A Nearly Normal Family asks the questions: How well do you know your own children? How far would you go to protect them?

 

My Review:

 

“A Nearly Normal Family” was the monthly read selected for the book club I am a part of. I had never heard of the author or the title before so I was definitely interested to check it out. After I got home and sat down with the book I unfortunately found both positives and negatives.

 

The novel is written in a unique three-part structure with each section written from the point of view from a different family member. The first section is told from the point of view of Adam (the father). This section was a bit dry for me and I found myself slugging to get through it. This is rather unfortunate since it is the opening of the book and I felt like it was really hard to get into the story.

 

Section two revolves around Stella (the daughter). This is by far the best section since it gives insight into what happened on the night of the murder. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about Stella, her best friend Amina and boyfriend Chris. I found myself very interested in finding out how the story of their summer break ended in a murder trial so this section was quite a page turner for me.

 

The last section is told from the point of view of Ulrika (the mother). This section is rather short and revolves around the murder trial. Overall the three-part structure was a rather neat way to read a book and it was interesting to see each character’s reactions to the events. I also rather enjoyed seeing how the entire family was affected by the murder trial and reading about how a parent reacted versus a child.

 

This book overall was a toss-up for me. I loved some parts and hated others. While the book does have an interesting ending when the truth is revealed I didn’t find it overly shocking or surprising. To me it was a bit predictable and lack luster. I don’t know that I would re-read this book or that I would strongly recommend it, but it also wasn’t bad or boring. Which is why “A Nearly Normal Family” lands itself at 3 stars. If you don’t read it you won’t be missing much but if you do commit to reading it you won’t regret it either.

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The Shadows by Alex North

"Graveyards might have housed the dead below the ground, but what lay above was always for the living; they were the places where people came to deal with what their lives had once been and what they now were." 

Paul Adams spent many of his school days protecting and hanging out with his best friend James. One fateful encounter during gym class intertwined their lives with Charlie Crabtree, a supposed expert in lucid dreaming, from that point forward. Charlie often talks about a shadow figure that lives in the shadows of the local woods named "Mister Red Hands" who can help them accomplish what they wish in their dreams. The only problem is that Mister Red Hands requires a sacrifice in order to manifest.

Paul ultimately separates himself from the group- but after his old friends become responsible for a murder he still flees the town he grew up in and only returns years later after receiving news that his mother is in hospice. Returning to Grittenwood means opening up old wounds and after a similar murder occurs in the area he can't help but wonder if the legend of Charlie's "Mister Red Hands" has really come to an end.

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If you read my post from last week you are probably familiar with my review of Alex North's first novel "The Whisper Man". I loved it so much that I was delighted when I discovered that North had released his second novel only a couple of weeks prior. "The Shadows" turned out to be just as thrilling as the first novel with a few major improvements. 

One of my biggest complaints about "The Whisper Man" was how rushed and sudden the book seemed to come to an end. "The Shadows" is paced wonderfully and doesn't feel rushed or drawn out in any areas. The novel frequently fluctuates between Paul Adams' past and present revealing the story in little bits and pieces as the book progresses. This method of storytelling keeps the reader engaged and yearning for more as the chapters progress.

Perhaps one of the biggest differences between "The Shadows" and "The Whisper Man" is how "The Shadows" builds in anticipation as the story unfolds. Instead of being in your face all at once, it becomes better and better the more you read. Sometimes you may have to remind yourself of which character is which and if you are in the past or present, but overall this method of storytelling serves the plot well and at no point does it become predictable.

There is also a hidden narrative behind this book focusing on growing up and splitting from your past. At times the main character Paul is so torn about whether to stay or go after learning about the new horrors in Grittenwood that the narrative becomes less of a murder story and more of a story about facing fears from your past.

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Overall "The Shadows" is another fantastic book and Alex North has officially become one of my favorite authors. I really look forward to reading his next release and would eagerly recommend this book to anyone who is looking for something to read!

The Whisper Man by Alex North

"If you leave a door half open, soon you'll hear the whispers spoken. If you play outside alone, soon you won't be going home. If your window's left unlatched, you'll hear him tapping at the glass. If you're lonely sad and blue, the Whisper Man will come for you." 

After the death of their loving wife/mother, Tom and Jake Kennedy were looking for nothing more than a fresh start when they purchased the local "spooky house" in Featherbank. They definitely got a fresh start- but it may not have been the start they were expecting.

"The Whisper Man" by Alex North was the first thriller novel I have read in a very long time. One of the two main plots of the book revolves around detective Pete Willis. In the past Pete was able to track down and arrest Frank Carter (aka "the Whisper Man") who was responsible for the kidnapping and murder of multiple children in Featherbank. Twenty years later Pete's his efforts are now focused on stopping his new copy cat killer. Jake and Tom Kennedy become shockingly entangled in the investigation shortly after moving to the town. I'll leave the details in between unspoiled for you to find out. :) 

Even though I have read many books of the genre before there was simply something different about this one. From the first page until the last I can honestly say that this novel creeped me out to the MAX! The plot is extraordinarily well paced and all of the characters feel fully flushed out and interesting. Every single page of this novel is creepily entertaining. Which is exactly what I was looking for when I picked it up from the local bookstore.

While the book is certainly centered around finding the "Whisper Man's" copycat killer there are also strong secondary themes focusing on the relationships between fathers and sons. For anyone who has struggled in a relationship with their parent in the past, you will likely find the story touching and familiar. Throughout the story Tom struggles trying to raise Jake on his own. But ultimately his never ending love for his son, despite all of the struggles along the way, end up benefiting Jake. 

I really only had one major problem with the book. I'm not sure I can quite articulate it without spoiling the story but I will *try* my best in the next paragraph. I'll post the text in white so please highlight with your mouse if you'd like to see what is typed before the line! You've been warned. The final review is below the line if you'd like to avoid any opportunity for spoilers.

Once the name of the copycat killer is revealed I was very shocked to learn that the local police department did not think to investigate this individual previously. It seemed VERY obvious that the individual responsible would be a prime suspect in a copy cat serial killer case. If you have read the book you will know what I'm talking about. If not I hope this didn't spoil it for you!

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All in all "The Whisper Man" was a flat out AMAZING read. If you are looking for a book to suck you back into the thriller novel genre then look no further. This is preciously the book you have been looking for! I actually enjoyed "The Whisper Man" so much that I immediately bought Alex North's latest novel "The Shadows" and I'm currently in progress of reading it. I think I may have not only found a great book with this read but also a new favorite author.

Vox by Christina Dalcher

"Maybe this is how it happened in Germany with the Nazis, in Bosnia with the Serbs, in Rwanda with the Hutus. I've often wondered about that, about how kids can turn into monsters, how they learn that killing is right and oppression is just, how in one single generation the world can change on its axis into a place that's unrecognizable". 

While browsing the aisles at my local bookstores my eye naturally wandered to the tag on the shelf showing that this book was recommended by one of the employees. A quick glance to the back of its cover and I was sold on the idea. A world where government and religion have collided to ultimately oppress women and limit them to 100 words per day? Immediately my mind thought of this book as a modern Handmaid's Tale which caused my expectations to be rather high- perhaps too high. 

Vox started out strong introducing the main character, Dr. Jean McClellan, and her family. However you quickly realize this is no ordinary family. Dr. Jean and her daughter are both fitted with bracelets that will shock them if they speak more than their 100 word allotment per day while the 3 male children and her husband are free to do as they please. Jean, a former distinguished speech pathologist specializing in Wernickes aphasia, has a great difficulty adjusting to this new "ideal Christian lifestyle" that has been imposed by the current president of the United States. Things start to get interesting when the president's brother is involved in a skiing accident that damages the exact area of the brain Dr. Jean specializes in. Will she help the country that has worked to oppress her? 

While this concept sounds like it would be very interesting to read about I really have to point out how poor the character development and plot was throughout this novel. Despite a strong start, the majority of this book up until the last 100 pages are nothing but a rant about government, feminism, and oppression. While I understand that this is the point that the author wanted to get across it derails the book so badly that it causes the content to suffer. A majority of the characters are overshadowed by these tangents leading to essentially no character development. By the time you finally make it through the middle of this book the end is so rushed that you do not have time to actually enjoy how the plot is resolved. Less ranting and more story would have really helped this book in the long run. 

Overall Vox was a really neat idea but the delivery fell completely flat due to the authors writing.

The Radium Girls by Kate Moore

"This was radium, the wonder drug, they were using. They were lucky, they thought, as they laughed among themselves and bent their heads to their intricate work. Grace and Irene. Mollie and Ella. Albina and Edna. Hazel and Katherine and Mae. They picked up their brushes and they twirled them over and over, just as they had been taught. Lip… Dip… Paint."

Radium. Many of us today hear the word of this element and a shiver of fear runs down our spines. In a society where nearly every substance is heavily regulated it is near impossible to believe that the story contained within the pages of this book once occurred. Yet they are all so very true.

The Radium Girls is a book documenting the occurrences of radium poisoning in women who were employed at either the United States Radium Corporation or the Radium Dial Company starting around 1922 and continuing until about 1930. These women worked as dial painters and were paid to trace the numbers on watches with radium infused paint so that numbers would be visible in the dark. How did they get the tips of the brushes so fine? By sticking the brushes in their mouths. Lip... dip... paint. You can probably see where this is going.

The Radium was never once thought of as harmful. The women would often play in it, draw silly mustaches on themselves with it, and one woman even elected to paint the walls of her home with it. They were known as the glowing girls as they were seen walking the streets at night covered in the remnants of the radium infused dust. It wasn't until many of the workers started to have unbearable jaw pain, tooth loss, and puss filled lesions that stumped even the most practiced dentists that anyone began to question whether the "wonder drug" was really safe at all.

Many of them lost pieces of their jaws (described as appearing to be eaten by moths), a few had issues with their limbs (I'll spare you photos), but ALL of them slowly died.

This book chronicles their stories in a way that is captivating and also very disturbing. Those in power should never exploit their employees for financial gain and The Radium Girls seeks to document the legal battles that arose from this fatal misinformation.

Seriously give this one a read! You won't forget it. 

An Anonymous Girl by Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen

“'How do you know if you can really trust someone?' I finally ask. Noah raises his eyebrows and takes a sip of his drink. Then he looks into my eyes and the expression in his is so earnest I feel like he's answering from a deeply personal place. 'If you need to ask that question, then you probably already know the answer'."

A psychiatrist, her husband, and one anonymous girl create quite the tale filled with twist and turns in this classic cat and mouse story. During many occasions while reading this book I actually gasped out loud or made remarks in reaction to some of the crazy situations.

The book starts out with Jessica Farris- a makeup artist struggling to make it in New York. During one of her client appointments she learns of a study being offered by a local psychiatrist that pays quite well. In an effort to pay her (and her families) bills Jessica Sneaks herself into the study.

"Could you tell a lie without feeling guilt? Describe a time in your life when you cheated". This is quite ironic since Jessica had cheated and lied to get into the survey and the uncanny slew of questions makes her quite uneasy. However she apparently does something right since at the conclusion of the initial study she is signed on by Dr. Lydia Shields to continue in another study as subject 52. I can assure you that what happens from this point is a roller coaster of emotion and manipulation.

"Your loyalty has been methodically cultivated. You have been paid thousands of dollars for your services. You have received carefully curated gifts. Your emotional state has been attended to; you have received the equivalent of intensive therapy sessions for free. You belong to me."

Despite slower parts towards the beginning of the novel, the plot picks up substantially towards the midway point and keeps you engaged until the thrilling end. Overall I’d highly recommend giving this a read!

The Circle by Dave Eggers

"No one’s forcing you to do this. You willingly tie yourself to these leashes. And you willingly become utterly socially autistic. You no longer pick up on basic human communication clues. You’re at a table with three humans, all of whom are looking at you and trying to talk to you, and you’re staring at a screen, searching for strangers in Dubai."

A world where the fear of not knowing is eliminated. Crime ceases to exist. Lies are never told again. All in the name of transparency. Sounds great right? The circle dives into the implications of the advancements of technology and social media and what could happen if our online presence began to overtake our individuality. 

The book starts out with the main character, Mae Holland, who lands her dream job working for The Circle thanks to a recommendation from her college friend, Annie Allerton. Slowly but surely Mae begins to realize that while it's nice to have a well-paying and steady job, that it is rather hard to break out of the mold for what is considered "normal" to her co-workers. Constant access to social media, alerting everyone about what you are doing 24/7, constantly being transparent about every detail of your life is all the name of the game. 

Mae seems to be fine with this new lifestyle until a new mysterious figure shows up in the shadows that challenges her and the companies way of thinking- Kalden. What is right and what is wrong quickly become intertwined in a vicious cycle of battling for privacy that seems to have no end.

While this isn't the best book I've ever read it's far from the worst. It did an excellent job of making me consider just how much of our privacy is compromised by technology and social media and why I should think twice before making all of my information available (sort of ironic I'm currently posting to a blog now that I think about it).

My biggest qualms with The Circle is how unattached I felt to the characters. Each person seemed very bland and part of a mold. But- this could have been intentional in order to demonstrate how the more and more each person tried to conform to The Circle's way of life, the less interesting they actually became.

Overall it was a decent read!