Child 44

By Tom Rob Smith

I had my eye on this novel for about a year before I actually read it. I saw it in hardback when it first came out, but I didn't recognize the author and hadn't read any reviews. I did get the paperback at a used bookstore in Montana and was excited! I loved used book stores...I could spend hours and hours looking through the books. I didn't spend too much time in this particular store because my little sister (17 years old) was with me and she wasn't a fan. I ended up enjoying this novel given the sad nature of the story.

The story takes place in post-war Communist Russia. It doesn't exactly give you a date, but from the text I would guess 1960s. They don't mention modern technology and the main character travels by train. They do mention the war and the military has vehicles, but the date is still vague. The main character is law enforcement and stumbles upon a trail of murders that indicate a serial killer is loose in rural Russia. The government, however, refuses to admit that such atrocities are possible in their perfect society and forbids the officer from investigating the cases. The officer risks his job, family, and even his life to investigate and ends up stumbling upon a secret that involves his past. An excellent novel and I will search out more from this author.

CAUTION: Because of the nature of the novel (murder mystery) there are details to murders that might disturb some readers.

Similar Novel: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

Length: 528

Copyright: April 2008

I Am Legend

By Richard Matheson

I absolutely loved this novel. It actually isn't a novel, it's an extended short story (about 50 pages) attached to a collection of short stories (5-10 pages). Matheson is so similar to my favorite author, Ray Bradbury that I actually thought this book was written by Bradbury. It's also important for me to point out that the book is nothing like the movie. You know, the movie that starred Will Smith? While I did enjoy the movie, the book was more descriptive and had a more interesting plot. Always, always, always, read the book before you see the movie!!

In the novel, the main character appears to be the only human in a city overrun by vampires (yes, vampires, not zombies like the movie). The novel chronicles his day to day survival and how he stays sane while handling the idea that he might be the last human on earth. The other novels in this collection I would consider to be science fiction. It's a great collection of stories and perfect around Halloween!

Similar Novels: The Box by Richard Matheson and Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury

Length: 320 pages

Copyright: 1997

Her Fearful Symmetry

By Audrey Niffenegger

This is the second novel written by the author of The Time Traveller's Wife. It did take me a while to read this novel because the beginning wasn't that interesting. I kept reading the same chapter over and over. Once I got into the heart of the novel, it began to pick up, but never really seemed like a page turner to me. I loved Niggenegger's first novel and expected the same from this novel. While I did finish the novel, I think I only did so to see what happened at the end. I would recommend that people wait until this novel is in paperback or borrow it from the library rather than spend the money on a hard back.

The novel is simply a ghost story, but you don't even meet the ghost until a third of the way into the novel. Twin sisters deal with the death of an aunt who is a twin herself. The novel delves into the lives of twins and the bonds of sisterhood. There is, of course, a terrible secret that the family keeps from the girls, but I was able to guess the secret before they revealed it near the end of the novel. I will read future novels by this author, but I was unimpressed with this sophomore novel.

Similar Novels: The Time Traveller's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

Length: 416 pages

Copyright: September 2009