The Lost Boy by Dave Pelzer

Title: The Lost Boy
Author: Dave Pelzer
Series: Dave Pelzer Trilogy #2
Source: Purchased
Format: Paperback
Pages: 340 Pages
Genre: Non-fiction - Memoir
Overall Rating:

Synopsis (from the book cover):

As a child, Dave Pelzer never had a real home. Rescued from an alcoholic, abusive mother, his only possessions were the old torn clothes he carried in a paper bag; the only world he knew was one of isolation and fear. In The Lost Boy Dave Pelzer relives his life as a foster child, in and out of five different homes. There were those who felt that all foster kids were trouble - unworthy of love - and resented his presence, forcing him to suffer yet more shame. But through it all, Dave never stopped hoping and searching for the love of a real family.

First Sentence: Winter 1970,  Daly City, California - I'm alone, I'm hungry and I'm shivering in the dark.

My Review: As I strolled through this heartbreaking journey with Dave Pelzer, thoughts after thoughts keep going through my head. How did he learn to survive? How tiring it was to keep on guard all the time? How a person could completely lost the sense of security when the one who suppose to keep you secure kept on betraying you over and over and over again. Even though The Lost Boy was not as gruesome as its prequel, A Child Called “It”, the emotional agony and struggle that this boy had to face still manage to bring chill down to my spine.

In The Lost Boy, readers were introduced to the life of Dave Pelzer after he was rescued from the hell he called home. Despite being freed from his abusive, alcoholic mother, he still suffered from the after effect of all those emotional and physical abused that he received from her. He was unable to feel at peace at anytime and he also continued to live in fear because he believed that it cannot be this easy for his mother to let him go. The thing that I found most heartbreaking was when Pelzer kept on thinking that he deserved to be punished for every little thing he did wrong but he wasn’t deserved to be loved and to be taken care of by the people who loved him. This showed the intensity of emotional scars and burden that he carried on his back.

During the years he lived under foster care, he faced a trouble to fit in which resulted in him trying to do anything possible to please anybody that was “willing” to absorb him into their inner circle. Little did he know that all these people were just using him and when anything turned out wrong, he was the one who had to take the blame. The people who lived during that time was also very prejudice, where they thought that foster children were troublesome and didn’t have any right to be among them. How sad, ridiculous and disturbing was that? Though I truly admire him for his ability to come out of this situation – battered but uncrushed, frail but pretty much alive.

There were so many things that I’ve learnt by reading these two books by this author. It reminds me that when I think I got it tough, there is someone out there who got it a lot tougher than I currently am. Dave Pelzer surely deserves a lot of credit for what he has gone through and for what he has achieved thus far. A recommended read for those who enjoy reading non-fiction book that could toil your emotions upside down.

Final Verdict: I wouldn't call this book "enjoyable" cause there is nothing enjoyable to read someone suffer for numbers of years in his life. But this is a kind of read that make you appreciate what you have in your life, knowing that someone else has it a lot worst than you do. Perhaps this is not a book for everyone but I'm sure that those who love reading non-fiction would love this book as much as I did. 

Memorable Quote: I clamped my eyes shut for the longest time. My head swam with a stream of endless thoughts. I didn't care whether I slept on a couch or a bed of nails. I just wanted to stay at a place that I could call home - Dave Pelzer

Salem Falls by Jodi Picoult

Title: Salem Falls
Author: Jodi Picoult
Series: Stand alone book
Source: Bought
Format: Paperback
Pages: 514 Pages
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Overall Rating:

Synopsis (from the book cover):

A handsome stranger comes to the sleepy New England town of Salem Falls in hopes of burying his past: Once a teacher at a girl's prep school, Jack St. Bride was destroyed when a student's crush sparked a powder keg of accusation. Now, washing dishes for Addie Peabody at the Do-Or-Diner, he slips quietly into his new routine and Addie finds this unassuming man fitting easily inside her heart. But amid the rustic calm of Salem Falls, a quartet of teenage girls harbor dark secrets - and they maliciously target Jack with a shattering allegation. Not at the center if a modern-day witch hunt, Jack is forced once again to proclaim his innocence: to a town searching for answers, to a justice system where truth become a slippery concept written in shades of gray, and to the woman who has come to love him.

First Sentence: Several miles into his journey, Jack St. Bride decided to give up his former life.

My Review: Salem Falls is definitely my favourite book by Picoult thus far. She had – again – successfully incorporated a tinge of romance, a tinge of courtroom drama and a tinge of mystery into her writing, which in the end, made up a beautifully written story. As the other books by Jodi Picoult, this is another issue-oriented novel in which she tried to bring forward topics such as Megan’s Law abuse (A law that requires law enforcement to make information regarding registered sex offender available to public) and false accusations to readers’ eyes.

In Salem Falls, we were introduced to a character, Jack St. Bride, who spent eight months of his life behind the bars over crime he didn’t commit. When he arrived in the small town of Salem Falls, New Hampshire, all he intended to do was to run away from his past and start anew. Landed a job as a dishwasher at a local diner, romance soon started to bud between him and Addie Peabody, the diner’s owner. As the thing from Jack’s past was made public, the people of Salem Falls treated Jack with such hatred. Through this ordeal, the relationship between him and Addie continued to blossom and they learnt quite a lot of heartbreaking things about each other. However, when a girl from a Wiccan group that practiced Pagan ritual accused Jack of raping her, everything began to shatter. Jack relived his nightmare once again but this time, he swore to himself that he won’t plead guilty like he did before. Will he survive against this brutal allegation this time?

Diving into this book was like peeling an onion. Secrets were carefully revealed, layer by layer, as you go through page after page. The plot was well thought out and seriously engaging. Even though it was a little obvious how the trial might end, the whole processes and characters behaviours made me thoroughly involved with the story. The revelation about Wiccan and their ritual really caught my interest because I’ve never really heard of this thing. Besides that, there was also a shocking revelation towards the end of the book which made me read back few chapters and reanalyse certain characters motives This book was  totally unputdownable and the fact that I finished it in one day really tells a lot.

Final Verdict: A very fascinating and enjoyable read especially to those who love a complex story which was narrated from multiple perspectives. A juicy work by Picoult that would make you question, make you think and make you say "I knew it!" when you cross the end line of the book.  

Memorable Quote: She was doing this because she knew what it was like to hit rock bottom and to need someone to give you a leg up. She was doing this because she understood how a world jammed with phones and emails and faxes could still leave you feel utterly alone - Addie Peabody

The Gift by Cecelia Ahern

Title: The Gift
Author: Cecelia Ahern
Series: Stand alone book
Source: Bought
Publisher: HarperCollins
Format: Paperback
Pages: 305 Pages
Genre: Women's Fiction - Chick Lit
Overall Rating:

Synopsis (from the book cover):

Lou Suffern wishes he could be in two places at once. His constant battle with the clock is a sensitive issue with his wife and family. Gabe is the homeless man who sits outside Lou's office. When Lou invites Gabe into the building and into his life, Lou's world is changed beyond all measure... An enchanting and thoughtful Christmas story that speaks to all of us about the value of time and what is truly important in life.

First Sentence: If you were to stroll down the candy-cane facade of a suburban housing estate early on Christmas morning, you couldn't help but observe how the houses in all their tinselled glory are akin to the wrapped parcels that lie beneath the Christmas trees within.

My Review: One thing that I love most about Cecelia is that she has an incredible talent in deciphering human’s complexities through her writing. Even though she tends to use a roundabout, difficult analogy to explain something, she did that beautifully and I found myself enchanted in the story she built. In The Gift, Cecelia once again brought magical elements into her writing and without doubt, it managed to catch my interest from the very beginning.

The theme behind The Gift is fairly simple. It is a story being told by a policeman to a young felon about another man in town (Lou Suffern), who has just learn his lessons that the most important thing is how you live your life today and not how you plan it to be tomorrow, because sometimes – tomorrow never comes. Lou Suffern is a workaholic who becomes a friend to Gabe, a homeless man. Series of mysterious events occur after they tied their friendship where opportunities after opportunities offered to Lou to spend more time with his family. But as a future driven man, he turned everything down until some heartbreaking events occur, that shake the ground on which he stands. The story pinpoints the preciousness of time and that love and devotion is something that money cannot buy.

From the other reviews I’ve read, I understand that this is not the kind of book that works for everyone. The story might be depressing, sombre, slow and predictable, but in the end, there surely something to be learnt, kept and remembered by everyone. The whole parts in this book contain Christmas miracle cliché but if you devour this during the right time, I’ve no doubt that this could be an enjoyable read.

Final Verdict: A book well worth reading by those who not just enjoy the story spread by the author, but also the messages that she insinuates in between the line.

Memorable Quote: Time is more precious than gold, more precious than diamonds, more precious than oil or any valuable treasures. It is time that we do not have enough of; it is time that causes the war within our hearts, and so we must spend it wisely.

Dewey by Vicki Myron

Title: Dewey - The Small Town Library Cat Who Touched the World
Author: Vicki Myron
Series: Stand alone book
Source: Bought
Format: Paperback
Pages: 277 pages
Genre: Memoir
Overall Rating:

Synopsis (from the book cover):

He was an abandoned kitten - frostbitten, starving, shivering. And about to become world famous. Dewey Readmore Books was only a few weeks old when he was stuffed into the Spencer Public Library's returned book slot. He immediately won the heart of Library Director Vicki Myron, a single mother who had survived the lost of her family farm, a breast cancer scare, and alcoholic husband. For the next nineteen years, this library cat never stopped charming the people of this Iowa town with his enthusiasm, warmth, humility (for a cat), and, above all, sixth sense about who needed him most. As his fame grew, Dewey became the mascot of a farming community fighting the greatest crisis in its long history - and a source of inspiration for people all over the world.

I am easily touched whenever I read or watch anything that feature stories about pets and how their presence make a difference in the lives of the owners. Such stories tend to be bittersweet and for sure, they never fail to make me shed a tear or two (or a bucket in the case of Marley & Me)at the end of the stories. Even though Dewey didn’t give me as huge impact as Marley & Me did – but still – as a cat lover, the pulling-at-my-heartstring-feeling was definitely there.

Dewey was not just a story about an extraordinary cat that lived his life in a library at small town Iowa. It also chronicled the history of Spencer and the hardship that this small town community had to face during the Great Depression, Recession and how they prevail till today. At the same time, the author also shared some very personal fragments of her life that I doubt many would be willingly share to anyone. This story is about love, about resilience, about hope and about getting up after suffering a severe fall. How did Dewey fit in all these categories, you might ask? He was there, pouring his unconditional love and was there to be a “silent friend” to everyone in that town.

What I found most interesting in Dewey was the way the author described the relationship that Dewey had with other people and how, in some ways, he helped them during their difficult times. His personality was charming and the way he accommodated himself for just about everyone was simply amazing. As the author mentioned in the book, “He had an amazing sense of who needed him”. The only complaint that I have is its lack of cohesiveness where it seemed hard to find a fluid connection from one chapter to another. Though, whatever the book lacked of, it surely made up in heart – I’ve no doubt about that. I really enjoyed it and I believe that anyone who loves cat would definitely fall in love with this book as well.

Favourite Quote:
...That's life. We all go through the tractor blades every now and then. We all get bruised, and we all get cut. Sometimes the blades cut deep. The lucky ones come through with few scratches, a little blood, but even that isn't the most important thing. The most important thing is having someone there to scoop you up, to hold you tight, and to tell you that everything is all right.

The Rescue by Nicholas Sparks

Title: The Rescue
Author: Nicholas Sparks
Series: Standalone book
Source: Bought
Format: Paperback
Pages: 420 pages
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Overall Rating:

Synopsis (from the book cover):

Volunteer fireman Taylor McAden is driven to take terrifying, heroic risks to save lives. But there's one leap into the unknown he can't bring himself to make: He can't fall in love. A man who likes to rescue troubled women, he inevitably leaves them as soon as they want more from him. Then, one day, a record-breaking storm hits his small Southern town, and Taylor comes across a young single mother named Denise Holton in a crashed car. When she revives, Taylor finds himself looking for her missing son - and involved in a rescue different from all the others. This one will require him to open doors to his past slammed shut by pain. And, with Denise's help, dare him to make the greatest commitment of all: Love someone forever.   

I have been a fan of Nicholas Sparks for quite sometime now and have already read couple of his books. While his other works – like “The Notebook”, “The Wedding” and “A Walk to Remember” – were brilliant, this book didn’t seem to fare as good as the others. It certainly lacking the *umph* factor that its predecessors had: a tear-jerking, warmth and an in-depth love story.

The Rescue chronicled the life of Dennis Holton and Taylor McAden, who were two people that lived in the same town but hardly known each other. Dennis lived a very quiet life with her son, Kyle, who had language-learning disability. Taylor, on the other hand, was a contractor and also a volunteer fireman. Their paths intertwined when Kyle went missing on the night the accident occurred and Taylor was part of the rescue team. From there, the two of them got closer and as they learnt more about each other, one questioned popped in mind – Whose life actually was the one that needed to be saved?

The beginning of this book was rather interesting in which it started off with couple of suspenseful chapters. Nevertheless, after the whole “rescue” bit was done, the story flattened and started to drag quite a bit. It took forever for the romance and characters to develop and from there, everything pretty much moved to the logical, predictable, overly simplified ending. Perhaps I was expecting a bit more from Sparks after reading his excellent books before but sadly, this book certainly didn’t live up to my expectation. Despite of that, I still believe that Sparks deserved a credit for his in depth research on Kyle’s medical condition. He successfully described how difficult life could be for someone when the one they loved was inflicted with such illness or disabilities.

As the final verdict, I would say that this is just an OK read for me as I think the book could be made a lot thinner (It is twice the size of Sparks's typical books and most of its content in the middle are redundant) while the sentimental parts of the book should be kept at a more average level.

Favourite Quote:
Loving someone and having them love you back is the most precious thing in the world

A Child Called "It" by Dave Pelzer

Title: A Child Called "It"
Author: Dave Pelzer
Series: Dave Pelzer's Trilogy #1
Source: Bought
Format: Paperback
Pages: 170 pages
Genre: Memoir
Overall Rating:

Synopsis (from the book cover):

As a child, Dave Pelzer was brutally beaten and starved by his emotionally unstable, alcoholic mother, a mother who played tortuous, unpredictable games that left one of her sons nearly dead. She no longer consider him a son, but a slave; no longer a boy, but an 'it'. His bed was an old army cot in the basement, his clothes were torn and smelly, and, when he was allowed the luxury of food it was scraps from the dogs' bowl. The outside world knew nothing of this nightmare plated out behind closed doors. Dave dreamed of finding a family to love him and call him their son. It took years of struggle, deprivation and despair to find his dream and make something of himself in the world. A Child Called 'It' covers the early years of his life and is an affecting and inspirational memoir of one child's determination to survive.   

When I first picked up this book, I never know that reading it would be this traumatic. It is a very short read but I seriously have to say that it is not the kind of book that you read for pleasure. Some parts of it were very disturbing, which when coupled with vivid details of the abuse that the author had to endure, making it one of the most depressing books I ever read.

A Child Called “It” portrayed the childhood life of Dave Pelzer, where he was severely abused by his own mother. The way it was done was very sickening to the point where I feel like vomiting and crying. What kind of mother that willing to let her own son sleep with an empty stomach? What kind of mother that has a heart to beat her son till he passed out? What kind of mother that so sick till she can feed her son with poisonous stuffs? I cannot help thinking about all these questions throughout the book. The thing that I feel disturbing most was the fact that his father witnessed his son being abused but never once stood up for him. The way the author described his feeling towards his father’s indifferent behaviour was really heartbreaking. I cannot imagine myself living in his shoes and even if I do, I don’t know if I would ever make it out of it alive. The way that the author prevailed through this adversity was utterly amazing.

With that being said, the high points given for this book is not because it was excellently written but more to the message that the author tried to convey in between the lines. I understand that there are some who question the credibility of his story as a whole but all I can say is that just because these heartbreaking events didn't occur in your life it doesn't mean that it won't happen to others. To me, this is a very good read in a sense that it makes me more appreciative of life and every other thing that have been trusted to me.

Heartbreaking quote:
Get one thing straight, you little son of a b*tch! There is nothing you can do to impress me! Do you understand me? You are a nobody! An It! You are nonexistent! You are a bastard child! I hate you and I wish you were dead! Dead! Do you hear me? Dead!

The Gunslinger by Stephen King

Title: The Gunslinger
Author: Stephen King
Series: The Dark Tower #1
Source: Bought
Format: Paperback
Pages: 307
Genre: Science Fiction, Fantasy
Overall Rating:

Synopsis (from the book cover):

In The Gunslinger, Stephen King introduces readers to one of his most enigmatic heroes, Roland of Gilead, the Last Gunslinger. He is a haunting figure, a loner, on a spellbinding journey into good and evil, in a desolate world which frighteningly echoes our own. In his first step towards the powerful and mysterious Dark Tower, Roland encounters an alluring woman named Alice, begins a friendship with Jake, a kid from New York, and faces an agonising choice between damnation and salvation as he pursues the Man in Black. Both grippingly realistic and eerily dreamlike, The Gunslinger  leaves readers eagerly awaiting the next chapter.

It is hard to believe that I ended up enjoying this book so much. It started off incredibly slow and it definitely takes a little bit of time for me to get used to the language and the author’s style of writing.

The story was about the Last Gunslinger, Roland of Gilead, as he made his quest across the desert in pursuit of the Man in Black and ultimately reaching the Dark Tower (Which does not happen in this first book, of course). Throughout this journey, he met quite a few interesting characters which include people in the town of Tull (Alice was one of them) and also a boy named Jake that Roland ended up really cared about. A lot of things happened (sweet things, gruesome things – you named it!) to these characters and in one way or another, it seems like all of them serve some specific roles in the whole story. However, what the roles really are still remain unclear.

Although the story might be confusing at first, it is hard not to feel enchanted by this alternate world that King created. It is also impossible to feel not attracted to the mysteries that revolved around Roland and the Man in Black. I think this was the essence that keeping me leafing through the book, pages by pages. So many mysteries involved and so many mysteries yet to be solved. I believe that if you’re a big fan of The Lord of The Rings, you’d also be glad to join Roland in his quest to the Dark Tower.

This book is the first part of The Dark Tower. The other books under this series are: The Drawing of the Three, The Waste Lands, Wizard and Glass, Wolves of the Calla, Song of Susannah and The Dark Tower.

Sundays at Tiffany's by James Patterson

Title: Sundays at Tiffany's
Author: James Patterson
Series: Stand alone book
Source: Bought
Format: Paperback
Pages: 307
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Overall Rating:

Synopsis (from the book cover):

Jane Margaux is a lonely little girl. Her mother, a powerful Broadway producer, makes time for her only once a week, for their Sunday trip to admire jewelry at Tiffany's. Jane has only one friend: a handsome, comforting, funny man named Michael. He's perfect. But only she can see him. Michael can't stay forever, though. On Jane's birthday he leaves, promising her that she'll soon forget him. Years later, in her thirties, Jane is just as alone as she was as a child. And despite her own success as a playwright, she is even more trapped by her overbearing mother. Then she meets someone---a handsome, comforting, funny man. He's perfect. His name is Michael...

Being a romantic at heart, I really can't help falling in love with this book. Michael was an imaginary friend who befriended a young girl named Jane. They had this date on every Sundays at St. Regis Hotel where Jane would luxuriate her favourite hot fudge and coffee ice cream sundae while talking with Michael just about everything under the sun. Michael always acted like Jane's personal angel, invisible babysitter and without doubt, the very best kind of friend a person could have.

However, an imaginary friend didn't come to stay, hence someway, somehow, Michael would have to leave Jane. On the night the young girl turned 9 years old, Michael left with a promise that she would not remember even a piece of his existence. Nevertheless, he was wrong as at the age of 32, the image of Michael was still vivid in Jane's eyes. So when out of sudden, they meet again - 23 years later - neither of them could really understand what's happening. To Jane, this was the happiest day of her life, but to Michael, he was confused as to what purpose was he being sent there? Was he supposed to take care of Jane again? Or was there someone else that he needed to keep his keen eyes onto?

I love just about everything in this novel except for its length, which I found too short. I liked both of its main characters very much especially the ways they show how much they care for each other and how heartwarming things to feel like whenever they are together. Michael's affectionate trait towards anyone that he cared about tug at my heartstring and he certainly didn't fail to make me smile throughout the book with his childish jokes and behaviours. To those looking for quick, romantic escape, this surely is a book for you. It may also be enjoyed by the fan of "If You Could See Me Now by Cecelia Ahern".

Favourite Quote:
"Love means you can never be apart" - Jane Margaux

The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger

Title: The Devil Wears Prada
Author: Lauren Weisberger
Format: Paperback
Series: Stand alone book
Source: Bought
Pages: 448 pages
Genre: Women’s Fiction – Chick Lit
Overall Rating:

Synopsis (credit to GoodReads):

Narrated in Andrea Sach’s voice, “The Devil Wears Prada” traces a deep, dark, devilish view of life at the top only hinted at in gossip columns and over Cosmopolitans at the trendiest cocktail parties. From sending the latest, not-yet-in-stores Harry Potter to Miranda’s children in Paris by private jet, to serving lattes to Miranda at precisely the piping hot temperature she prefers, she puts up with it all to get a recommendation from Miranda that will promise her a top job at any magazine of her choosing. As things escalate to the downright outrageous, however, Andrea begins to realize that the job a million girls would die for may just kill her. And even if she survives, she has to decide whether or not the job is worth the price of her soul.

“Disappointing” - That is probably the best word to describe how I feel when I arrived at the final page of this book (Other than “Hurray” I should say as I finally done with this and can focus on the others :P). I actually watched the movie first and thought that the book should be even better, but my god, I was definitely wrong this time. The characters are all incredibly one-dimensional and Andrea appears to be too whiny until it is hard for me to feel sorry for her despite the things that she had to go through. The whole plots have become incredibly repetitive by the middle of the book - so when it comes to the part where Andrea needs to make her final, hard decision, I didn’t really care about it anymore.

To sum this up, "The Devil Wears Prada" is definitely the worst chick-lit I’ve ever come across. I won’t recommend this book to anyone unless you really don’t have any other thing to pick up.

Wish I'd Read That Challenge

I decide to take part in this challenge due to the presence of quite a bunch of neglected books on my shelf. I am hopeful that by participating in this challenge, that pile will be greatly reduced and I don't have to feel guilty for buying more books when the shelf I have is already overloaded!

I'm signing up for the obsessed level and the following would be my booklist:

(1) Human Traces by Sebastian Faulks

(2) A Child Called It by Dave Pelzer

(3) The Lost Boy by Dave Pelzer

(4) A Man Named Dave by Dave Pelzer

(5) The Art of Racing In The Rain by Garth Stein

(6) Silent Boy by Torey Hayden

(7) The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown

(8) Angel and Demon by Dan Brown

(9) Eldest by Christopher Paolini

(10) The Gunslinger by Stephen King

(11) The Drawing of the Three by Stephen King

(12) Dewey by Vicki Myron

(13) The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edward

(14) Sundays at Tiffany's by James Patterson

(15) The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger

(16) The Pact by Jodi Picoult

(17) The Rescue by Nicholas Sparks

(18) The Gift by Cecelia Ahern

(19) Salem Falls by Jodi Picoult

(20) The Choice by Nicholas Sparks