Monday, September 13, 2010

Just Like That by Marsha Qualey

Just Like That

Hanna was the last person to see two teenagers alive before they froze out on the lake. She grapples with her emotions, wondering if she could have saved them. She keeps her knowledge a secret, instead withdrawing from life and painting gruesome pictures to try and forget. When Hanna meets Will she finds herself wondering if everyone has secrets and how they can come unraveled, just like that.

My review:

I just loved this book. If you are looking for a subtle, intelligent read this is your book! The characters are flesh and bones, the plot is uncomplicated and realistic. The language is very fluid and you will really enjoy seeing the story through Hanna’s eyes, though she is an everyday girl her incites and the way she handles her life are so very, very interesting. Just Like That doesn’t have sharp corners, or major plot twists, it’s reading a life and watching a protagonist make decisions that you don’t necessarily think are wise. The setting was gorgeous, I kept hearing A Fine Frenzy’s Christmas EP while I read the book and I was always feeling snow under foot! The ending was amazingly perfect and well paced, I was so wholly satisfied! The theme is secrets, how no one really knows what the truth is, why you can’t lock the important ones away and who you can trust to keep them. Great thesis!

Thoughts on names: Nothing really stuck out, but that fit in with the hazy subtly of the novel, so I wasn’t incredibly bothered by that. When the girls use fake names, that is hilarious!

Thoughts on the cover: You have to read the book to understand and then I think you’ll find it wonderful. I don’t think that is Hanna on the cover, I think it’s the girl she didn’t save.



Gabrielle's bookshelf: currently-reading

Go Ask AliceWuthering HeightsEclipseWicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the WestRedeeming LoveTwo-way Street

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