Review: The Pull of the Stars by Emma Donoghue

The Pull of the Stars by Emma Donoghue
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Published: July 2020

In 1918 in Ireland, they are going through the Great Flu Pandemic. Nurse Julia is in charge of the expectant mothers who have this awful disease. While the disease ravished the country and the world, Julia with the help of inexperienced Bridie, tries to help these mothers the best she can. Full of sadness and a little close to home right now, I don't think I was truly ready for this book.

100 years ago, our world went through a pandemic which is now just the flu. A vaccine was eventually created for this that needs to be taken annually. Just this past year we have gone through another pandemic of Coronavirus or COVID-19.

This book isn't quite what I was expecting it to be. The focus was mainly on women who were pregnant with the disease. Will they survive? Will their children? Will the nurses and doctors that are caring for them? Even though I didn't live back when this story took place, I could definitely put myself in this story with what is going on in our world right now.

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Review: The Red Lotus by Chris Bohjalian

The Red Lotus by Chris Bohjalian
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Published: March 2020
 

Alexis and Austin both work at a hospital in New York City, but in different departments. So it's interesting that they meet in the Emergency Room where Alexis works when Austin is injured at a bar. Their romance is quick and the next thing you know, they are on a bike tour in Vietnam to visit the places where Austin's father fought and his uncle died. But when Austin is killed in an accident, it brings up a lot of questions for Alexis about the real reason they were in Vietnam. Alexis is determined to find out what happened to Austin, but will she loose her own life in the process?

Thank you to NetGalley and Doubleday Books for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I had no idea the turns this book would take. From the outside, Austin seems like your typical guy who likes to bike. But there is a secret he is hiding, one that no one about. This secret can kill hundreds, thousands, even millions of people, especially if it gets into the wrong hands. Alexis is a strong determined person, refusing to let Austin's death go without further investigation. It leads to a cross continent search for the truth and a way to end something tragic.

I really enjoy Chris Bohjalian's books. They take you on a journey that you aren't expecting. I wasn't sure where this story was going to go, but I enjoyed the ride. It goes to show you that you have to be careful out here with the people you are dating.


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Review: Saving Meghan by D.J. Palmer

Saving Meghan by D.J. Palmer
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Published: April 2019
 

Meghan Gerard is sick. There is no rational explanation for why she keeps getting sick. She has seen countless doctors and she has no diagnosis. Is she making herself sick, is her mother making her sick? What is going on in this girl's life that is making her body shut down. After finding a doctor that may have finally found out what is wrong with Meghan, other doctors are convinced that it's all in her head or her mother is experiencing Munchausen by proxy. What is real and what is psychosomatic?

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I was really looking forward to this book. For me it started off a little slow. Building up the the point of interest. Can you imagine what you would do if your child was sick and there was nothing you could do make them better? What if YOU were accused of being the reason why your child was sick? For the Gerard family, Meghan's health is at the focus of everything. Her parents, Becky and Carl, blame each other for Meghan's problems as well.

Even though the first part of this book started off slowly, it did pick up toward the end. Then I devoured the rest of it, staying up late to finish. I had no idea how this story was going to end up and for that it boosted the star rating.

Who is to blame for Meghan's health?  Is it Becky, her mother, who was forced as a child to lie and cheat the system saying that her mother was ill in order to continue to receive disability checks.  Is it Carl, the father who thinks that Becky is just too smothering and needs to give Meghan a break from all the doctor visits.  Or is is Meghan herself, finding ways to keep the attention on herself?  The reality is very shocking.


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Review: Sometimes I Lie by Alice Feeney

Sometimes I Lie by Alice Feeney
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Amber is in a coma. She can hear the people around her, but there is nothing she can do. The book travels back to the events leading up to the coma and the diary of a young girl with a lot of troubles. This book is full of shocking events. Is her husband to blame for the accident that put Amber in a coma? Will her sister be able to find out what is going on before Amber wakes up? Will Amber ever wake up? How will the events of her past shape her future if/when she does wake up?

Thank you to NetGalley and Flatiron Book for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I must say that I'm just as confused now as when I was reading the book. Usually for me it is because the book travels back and forth through time, but this time, the story itself was confusing. You think you may know what is going on, but then a curve in thrown into the story and you have no idea what is going on. The story held my attention and I was able to finish it rather quickly, but even days after finishing it, it has left me with questions.

Is Amber really as bad as you think? What about her sister Claire? Who is the real culprit in all the disaster that has happened in their lives?


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