A World I Never Made by: James LePore

Review: There is a reason this book was free on my Kindle. Boring! The author writes no emotion at all. The dialogue is just alternating lines with quotes, 99% of the time not even clarifying who is speaking.  If there are two people its just back and forth but throw in a third person and you can't follow it.  Plus just no emotional description of the conversation? Really? Am I supposed to just guess how the character feels? I let my imagination just run with it at times but for the most part it sounded like a monotone converstation in my head.  The only reason I finished it was because the dialogue was so separated that it was a short read, I wont say quicker because it was so boring it took me like a week, but it was physically shorter which made me just suck it up.   I did watch a lot of TV while trying to get through it though.

Synopsis:  A man is in Paris and find out his daughter has killed herself, however when he goes to ID the body, it is not his daughter.  Pat Nolan realizes his daughter has faked her sucide, but why?  Pat goes along with it and begins the search for his daughter.  Soon he is aided by a French policewoman who breaks away from the police who she suspects is involved.  They discover the involvement of a possible Arab terrorist but do not know the connection to his daughter.  Could his daughter be a terrorist?  No, shes not, and this synopsis sounds way more exciting than the book. Be done with it now.

Rating: 0

Water for Elephants by: Sara Gruen

          Review: This storyline is unique and captivating as well as romantic.  Gruen paints a beautiful and vivid picture of the 1930's and of the circus.  The class system created between the roustabouts and the performers is perfectly executed down to the vernacular.  The segregation between the working class and the unemployed is prominent as well.  These two class distinctions make the reader associate well with Jacob and connect with his thought process.  The circus is an exciting yet highly dangerous place to be in this story.  The ending is fantastic and to me a complete surprise (the movie was great as well, although slightly different of course, still a good book to movie translation).

          Synopsis:  Jacob Jankowski is about to sit for his final exams to graduate from college and become a veterinarian when he receives news that shatters his world.  Escaping from his reality Jacob hops a train only to find that its the Benzini Brothers Circus. Jacob lucks out and gets himself a job with the circus during the Depression.  Soon Jacob is in over his head with all different characters that make up this circus and it is not all fun and games like it appears.  With his role as the circus' vet Jacob is in with the elite August and his wife Marlena.  In this circus August runs the show and when he hits it big by purchasing Rosie the bull elephant things begin to change. 

Rating: 9