The Truth About Melody Browne

Title: The Truth About Melody Browne

Author: Lisa Jewell

Genre: Chick-Lit

First Published: 2009

Pages: 372

From the Cover:

When she was nine years old, Melody Browne's house burned down, taking every toy, every old Christmas card with it. But is also took all her memories – Melody Browne can remember nothing before her ninth birthday. Now in her early thirties, Melody lives in a small flat in the middle of London with her seventeen-year-old son. She’s made a good life for them both and she likes it that way. Until one night something extraordinary happens. Whilst attending a hypnotist show with her first date in years, she faints – and when she comes round she starts to remember. At first her memories mean nothing to her but then she begins to piece together the story of her her childhood. But with every mystery she solves another one materialises. And Melody begins to wonder if she’ll ever know the truth about her past…

My first reaction to this book was I’m afraid, a little lukewarm. I mean, the blurb on the back sounded a bit cliché (although I insisted on reading it because I’d heard so many great things about Jewell), the sentences were long and windy, and the writing style was a little confusing. For the first 70 pages of the book, I found myself trying to decipher some of the lines and figuring out whether I was reading a flashback derived from Melody’s current state of mind or whether I was just reading about her past in narrative form.

Despite my scepticism, I’m not one to put down a book so soon, and I’m glad I soldiered on with this one because it turned out to be a pretty groovy read after all. Once I got the hang of the flits in between the past and present, the storyline proved to be quite captivating. Melody is a character that one could immediately connect with and the revelation over the lost pieces of her life is heart-rending.

There were a few scenes that took place during Melody’s forgotten childhood that are very true and relevant to the real world today, and these issues were tackled beautifully by Jewell.

In one of the scenes where Melody was only 5, her stepmom Jacqui tries to explain to her about her parents’ divorce...“You see, children are the most precious thing in all the world, more precious and important than anything, and even though your mommy and daddy aren’t friends anymore, they’ll always be glad they used to be, because it meant that they made you”… In today’s world and age, divorce is such a common thing and I find myself constantly wondering about the effects of it on young children. I think Jewell did a wonderful job of explaining it in a manner that was both acceptable and easy on the mind of a 5 year old.

In another scene, little Melody is having ice-cream in Broadstairs with her mom’s landlord. She’s feeling sad and forlorn because she misses her baby stepsister (who lives all the way in London with her stepmom). She starts to cry because she’s worried that her baby stepsister will forget all about her. In an attempt to cheer her up, her mom’s landlord says…”Babies are very clever. She’ll remember your smell, and then, when she gets older, she’ll remember your face and, you know, she’ll save all her best smiles for you, because when she sees you it’ll be like a special treat”…. This was sort of a tear-jerking moment for me. Coming from a broken family, Melody formed a bond so strong with her step-sister, it was very hard not to get emotional at her reaction when she learns about their inevitable separation.

Overall, I think this is a wonderful read that people can relate to. Jewell has managed to highlight the severity of family issues on a child and at the same time, come up with a heart-warming story that does not disappoint.

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

“I could not have what I wanted most: Mr. Harvey dead and me living. Heaven wasn’t perfect. But I came to believe that if I watched closely, and desired, I might change the lives of those I loved on Earth”.

From the cover: “My name was Salmon, like the fish; first name, Susie. I was fourteen when I was murdered on December 6, 1973. My murderer was a man from our neighbourhood.” Watching from her place in heaven, Susie Salmon sees her suburban family devastated by her death, isolated even from one another as they each try to cope with their terrible loss alone. Over the years, her friends and siblings grow up, fall in love, do all the things she never had the chance to do herself. But life is not quite finished with Susie yet…

  

My thoughts on the Book:

I absolutely LOVED this book. I finished it in 2 days (a record considering my hectic schedule) and I think Sebold is a genius. Her writing style is completely engaging and it was so beautifully written that it had somewhat of an emotional impact on me. This is without doubt one of those stories that would stay with me for a long, long time. In The Lovely Bones, Sebold managed to play-down the dreadful notion that most people have of the afterlife, and made it sound both surreal and plausible at the same time. The character development was fascinating and believable, and her account of Mr Harvey, the murderer, was chilling to the bone. This is not a suspense/thriller though, despite the premise being set on murder. It’s more of a beautiful account of how a dead girl deals with her death, how her family deals with her death and how her death has affected the other people in her life.

If there was one teeny-weeny thing that I would pick on, it would be the part where Susie’s little sister attended the Gifted Symposium, in which that year’s annual challenge was titled “How to Commit the Perfect Murder”. Although I could understand the relevance/importance of having this part fitted in to the storyline, I really didn’t like the subject matter and I don’t think that any rational school principal would have picked such an inappropriate topic (assuming the intention was to inspire creativity amongst children).

Despite the little aversion I had on the above, I really think this is an amazing novel and I would highly recommend this to just about anyone.

Book Rating:

My thoughts on the Movie:

Overall, I’m finding it really hard to review the movie without spoiling it for those who haven’t read the book. There were quite a few aspects of the movie that didn’t really thrill me, mainly because it lacked the depth and intensity that I experienced from reading the book. I guess in most cases, it is quite difficult to put together a solid 2.5 hour show based on a 328 page novel, but I seriously believe that the script could have been improved by showing less of Susie’s heaven and more of the on-goings on earth following her death, and how she had been observing it. Basically, there really wasn’t enough content on the murderer and it lacked the drama required to show the audience the extent of the heartache that the family went through. As a result of this, I found the movie slow and boring, plus my hubby said that I fell asleep half-way through for a good 20 minutes (I eventually replayed the missed parts the following day just so that I could give a thorough review).

On the positive side, there were some features of the movie that are worth mentioning. The role of Susie’s grandmother, played by Susan Sarandon was definitely top-notch. Also, Reece Ritchie, the guy who played Ray Singh (Susie’s secret admirer), is just to die for – watching him is as good as devouring a delicious hershey’s cookies and creme chocolate bar. I also thought that Peter Jackson did an amazing job in portraying Susie’s heaven, especially the in-between, which was breathtaking. I also liked it that he didn’t change Susie’s monologue, and stayed true to the exact words being used in the book, which were once again, beautifully written by Sebold.

Movie Rating:

 
 
 

30 Books To Movies Challenge

I'm signing up for yet another challenge, one I probably won't be able to complete on time (considering the number of challenges I've already committed to - and still have NOT finished!). I really couldn't resist this one when I saw it on The Bibliophiles Lounge. Since most of the books I've enjoyed have been adapted into some sort of box office movie or other, joining this challenge was just the perfect thing to do.

The goal is to read 30 books that have been adapted into movies and also watch them. Rules are as follows:

1. You don't have to select your books ahead of time. You may select books as you go. Even if you list them now, you can change the list if needed. Crossovers from other reading challenges count.
2. If you decide to join this challenge be sure to create a post telling others. Also, please make sure you add a link back to this post so others can join in. You can join at any time!
3. Non-bloggers may enter as well. If you have a blog, please post the review of BOTH the book and movie on your blog, detailing:

• Your honest opinions of the book and movie
• Which one did you enjoy more (book or movie?)
• What do you think is so good about the book for it to have been made into a movie

For more details and to join the Challenge, please go here.

 
1. The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
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Random by Craig Robertson

Author: Craig Robertson

First Published: N/A (ARC)

Pages: 329 pgs 

From the Jacket: A serial killer known as The Cutter has Glasgow in his grip. His modus operandi changes with every victim and the police are utterly baffled. But when he attacks a member of the criminal underworld, The Cutter suddenly finds himself on the run from a group hellbent on bloody retribution. With his carefully laid plans falling apart, he decides to take action – with terrifying consequences…

I remember being pretty excited to be reading this book. For one thing, it was my first complimentary book that came in my mailbox (courtesy of Book Chick City and Simon & Schuster UK for signing up for the Thriller & Suspense Challenge), and for another thing, the first 100 pages were so riveting (see Teaser Tuesday # 1), it practically had me gripping the edge of my seat with my free hand.

The story starts off with the killer having dinner in a restaurant with an unidentified lady. Upon making payment for the dinner at the desk, he reaches his hand into the bowl full of business cards and pulls out a name… Jonathan Carr. Salter, Fyfe and Bryce Solicitors. 1042 Bath Street….the killer’s first victim, maimed with a carjack swung to the back of his neck and died from suffocation with his mouth sealed shut by a duct tape and his nostrils squeezed tight with a few drops of super glue. The killer later cuts off the victim’s finger as a souvenir - an absolutely gruesome and heartless murderer. After another carefully planned murder, the killer strikes again, only to discover that he had killed a person connected to the Glasgow Mafia. It was from this point onwards that I started to lose the plot. I thought that the introduction of the underground criminals into the storyline was boring and unnecessary. Although from the jacket it sounded like the killing of one of the Mafia’s men was a major hindrance to the murderer’s killing spree, it really didn’t do much to enhance the action, and was to the contrary quite dull and idealistic in parts.

What’s interesting about this book though is that the entire story is written from the killer’s perspective which gives the reader an insight into the dark and twisted mind of a psychotic serial killer. I also appreciated the research done into ensuring that the murders were believable – some of them were truly ingenious. I could also relate to one of the potential victims (scarily enough), who was selected by the murderer from Facebook! Yup, it’s definitely possible, especially made so when you read about it in Random.

Berried Alive by Kate Kingsbury

I picked this up at a warehouse sale organised by my local MPH bookstore for 5 Ringgit! (a book in Malaysia usually costs a whopping RM30 on average so this was a steal!). I’ve never actually read a book by Kate Kingsbury before. This particular one happens to be under her Manor House Mysteries, and fits perfectly under my Thriller & Suspense Challenge.

The scene is set during World War II, England, in a small village called Sitting Marsh, and centres on Lady Elizabeth Hartleigh Compton. It was a hard and trying time for the villagers of Sitting Marsh, and the growing number of American soldiers on their turf was starting to annoy the wits out of them. Especially so for a particular somebody…. As it turns out, 4 of these American Servicemen were found mysteriously dead. Lady Elizabeth, being the perfect Lady of the Manor that she is, finds it upon herself to snoop around in an attempt to solve the mysterious deaths.

What I liked about this book was that it was an easy read – a short and sweet Cozy Mystery (only 202 pages long), with an assortment of interesting characters. Apart from the main character, Lady Elizabeth, there was Martin: the befuddled butler; Violet: the no-nonsense housekeeper, Polly: the heartbroken maid who keeps thinking she saw ghosts; Rita: the contemptuous control freak; and the most appealing character of all……Major Earl Monroe, the dashing and unattainable American soldier who has a particular penchant for Lady Elizabeth. It's really cute how Elizabeth constantly finds herself having dirty thoughts about the Major, and how she tries to contain her feelings because of his married status and the reputation she needs to uphold. Scandal brewing? Maybe, but there was definitely more mystery than a scandalous romance, although the insinuated fling was a nicely added touch.

I’d recommend this if you’re wanting a light and easy read that’s entertaining enough to keep you ploughing on. Having said that, it’s not exactly a cleverly plotted murder, and some may find it a little predictable. Even the title itself is kind of a give-away, but to be fair, the author does reveal the source of the deaths quite early on in the mystery.

Teaser Tuesday # 2

Should Be ReadingTeaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share 2 "teaser" sentences from somewehere on that page
• Be careful not to include spoilers (make sure that what you say doesn't give too much away! You don't want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author too so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teasers!

"She was dressed in her usual uniform of cut-off combats and hooded jacket, her copper hair tied up in a ponytail, sunglasses on her head and a cigarette burning between her fingers. From behind she looked about fourteen, but from the front her face was prematurely aged by stress, cigarettes and too many Spanish holidays. If Melody had used a condom on the two occasions she'd had sex in October 1987 she'd never have met Stacey....  

-pg.83 The Truth about Melody Browne by Lisa Jewell

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

She’s tough.. She’s fearless…. And she’s a survivor…

Katniss Everdeen is no ordinary 16 year-old. She lives in the poor town of Seam under District 12 of Panem. With a dead father, a grief-stricken mother and a helpless younger sister, it is up to Katniss to ensure that food is on the table each day. But life is not all that bad when she goes hunting for food with Gale. At 18, Gale is a skilful hunter who teaches Katniss the way around the forbidden and dangerous woods of Panem. They share many things in common; both with the same adventurous streak and with families that are dependent on them, but the most common thing that they share is their trepidation at being called to participate in the country’s annual Hunger Games…a brutal game of survival where the weak perish and only the fittest survive…

Katniss’ already dysfunctional world suddenly turns for the worse, when her sweet, innocent 12 year-old sister is picked as the female participant for this year’s Hunger Games. In an attempt to protect the only sister she has, Katniss throws herself into the Games as a volunteer to replace her sister. As she steels herself for the inevitable departure from her family and from Gale, she discovers herself falling into an unexpected union with District 12’s male Hunger Games participant, Peeta Mellark….

I first heard about this from Ms Ulat Buku and Beth Fish Reads and saw that so many other people had been raving about it too. I’m so glad I picked this up, as this book is definitely going to the top of my favourite list for this year. In a nutshell, it’s an engaging fast-paced adventure, interlaced with a budding romance between the spunky Katniss and two other prospective suitors; the dependable and trustworthy Gale and the charming and delectable Peeta. If I had to make up my mind now, I would probably be a Team Gale supporter. Why? Well, he doesn’t feature as much as Peeta does in the first of the Hunger Games series, but I like it when a man is depicted as strong and reliable. Though Katniss has pretty much proven how independent she can be, I’d like to think that she ends up with a macho, macho man. Unfortunately, Peeta was too much of a softie for me. He is awfully charming and sweet though….(sigh)…

In any case, I can’t wait to sink my teeth into the second and third book, Catching Fire and Mockingjay. It’s true what the critics out there say; this novel will continue to haunt you days after you’ve finished reading it. It’s truly a compelling story, from start to finish.

p/s: I’m psyched to find out that the Hunger Games will be made into a movie soon and equally happy to know that Suzanne Collins will be writing the screenplay herself. (I was extremely disappointed with the Twilight and New Moon movies. I felt that it failed to deliver the intensity of the plot, making it all look pretty cheesy instead). So, who do you think should play Katniss?? Personally, I can’t think of a suitable actress to play Katniss at the moment but I think Saoirse Ronan of The Lovely Bones makes a perfect Prim Everdeen.