Well, I meant to write this review a couple of weeks ago, but it just slipped my mind. :-/ And I have now read about four of five books since finishing this one, so most of all the things I wanted to say in my review have gotten mushed around and strewn to the wind, which is unfortunate because I truly loved this book.
Initially I was put off by the narration and writing styles, and five pages into the book, I was sure I was not going to get through another five. I mean come on, having Death as the narrator in a story set during the Holocaust? Can we say cliché? And that whole thing the author does with writing a couple of paragraphs and then suddenly inserting a few lines of
***asterisked, bolded, and centered text***
SOMETIMES IN ALL CAPS
just to make some kind of statement
No thank you.
I made it maybe to the end of the first chapter before I just thought, Nope, to hell with this and threw the book down in a pile, incredibly thankful that I'd picked it up at the Goodwill for a quarter.
The next day, I saw a good friend of mine -- a friend with whom I enjoy sharing and receiving book recommendations on a regular basis -- and brought up this book, mentioning how much the whole presentation of the story bothered me.
He was completely flummoxed, simply COULD NOT BELIEVE that I didn't finish the book -- in fact, he couldn't believe I'd waited so long to read the book in the first place. Urged me to put aside my annoyance with the writer's style and give it one more shot.
So I did. And while I can't say that I ever really warmed to the
***CRAZY BREAKS IN THE TEXT*** bullcrap
I did quickly find myself engrossed in the story, and I also did a complete 180 on the death-as-narrator tool. For this particular story, I felt it truly did add something to the story that -- without the gimmick of Narrator Death -- would have definitely made the story less interesting and less touching.
By the end of the book, I had laughed out loud, cried in unashamed, headache-inducing sobs, and slammed my fist down in furious anger. This book truly made me FEEL. I absolutely loved it, maybe not from beginning to end, but I loved it just the same.
Initially I was put off by the narration and writing styles, and five pages into the book, I was sure I was not going to get through another five. I mean come on, having Death as the narrator in a story set during the Holocaust? Can we say cliché? And that whole thing the author does with writing a couple of paragraphs and then suddenly inserting a few lines of
***asterisked, bolded, and centered text***
SOMETIMES IN ALL CAPS
just to make some kind of statement
No thank you.
I made it maybe to the end of the first chapter before I just thought, Nope, to hell with this and threw the book down in a pile, incredibly thankful that I'd picked it up at the Goodwill for a quarter.
The next day, I saw a good friend of mine -- a friend with whom I enjoy sharing and receiving book recommendations on a regular basis -- and brought up this book, mentioning how much the whole presentation of the story bothered me.
He was completely flummoxed, simply COULD NOT BELIEVE that I didn't finish the book -- in fact, he couldn't believe I'd waited so long to read the book in the first place. Urged me to put aside my annoyance with the writer's style and give it one more shot.
So I did. And while I can't say that I ever really warmed to the
***CRAZY BREAKS IN THE TEXT*** bullcrap
I did quickly find myself engrossed in the story, and I also did a complete 180 on the death-as-narrator tool. For this particular story, I felt it truly did add something to the story that -- without the gimmick of Narrator Death -- would have definitely made the story less interesting and less touching.
By the end of the book, I had laughed out loud, cried in unashamed, headache-inducing sobs, and slammed my fist down in furious anger. This book truly made me FEEL. I absolutely loved it, maybe not from beginning to end, but I loved it just the same.
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