Close Your Eyes, Hold Hands by Chris BohjalianMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is not a feel good book, but you will learn a lot about nuclear waste and meltdowns, and you may feel a renewed interest to visit Emily Dickenson's poetry. One of the more interesting facts was that you can sing her poem's to the Gilligan's Island tune.
This story kept me wondering where it was going. I like that in a book--I don't want to be able to anticipate the plot, and the author did a good job keeping that wondering factor alive.
The main character, Emily is writing the story, and although you can easily follow the story line, she does jump around in time. Emily is smart, but, like many teens, makes some bad choices. She is a survivor, and pragmatic about her situation. I don't think I can say that Emily is hopeful about her situation, but she is a survivor all the same.
I really enjoyed how the author wove the Dickenson poems throughout the novel, and the thoughts that the main character Emily had about them. I am intrigued to learn more about Emily Dickenson's life, and to revisit her poetry.
For me, the best books are those that have a compelling story, but still teach us something,or compel us to learn more. This story accomplished those traits for me.
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1 comment:
I had this book in my hand on Saturday. The only reason I did not get it is that it was on the express shelf. I did not want to have to pay anther fine for late returns. I'm looking forward to finding it on the regular shelf at the library.
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