Rhyme and Reason to My Book Reviews

As you can see from my book review posts, many times I don't write them right after I finish reading a book which seems a little strange. The reason for this is that many times I can't fully digest a book for a few days or sometimes until I've read another book. If I try to write right away, I get too lost in the details to give a complete overview of the book, and many times it's hard to decide if I liked the book, loved it, or didn't care for it at all. Sometimes I think I loved a book, but after some reflection I find that maybe it wasn't as great as I initially deemed it, and other times I find that I was too hard on the book at first, but after some time I can come to really appreciate the book. Anyway, that's my rhyme and reason to my book reviews. :)

REVIEW: Identical

Identical is another disturbing book written by Ellen Hopkins. As is her style, the book is written in verse. It's the story about twins - one passive, one aggressive - who struggle with a horrible home life. Their mom is mostly out of the picture - on a political agenda, and their dad suffers with a drinking problem. The family splintered apart after a car accident, caused by their dad that badly injured their mom. Since the accident, their mom is mostly absent, and their dad drowns himself in alcohol and drugs.

Kaleigh, the passive twin, has caught her father's eye and has become a replacement for her mom in more ways than one. The abuse caused by her father leaves Kaleigh unable to maintain relationships and unable to cope with everyday life. Raeanne, the aggressive twin, finds herself oddly jealous of her dad's attention to Kaleigh. She copes through promiscuity, drugs, and alcohol. As their lives spiral out of control, leaving them no one to turn to, one wonders if they can survive.

As always, Ellen Hopkins delivers a captivating yet disturbing book. The book contains a twist that I was able to figure out early on, but even figuring it out didn't disrupt the rest of the book for me. Overall I thought it was an entertaining book, but it wasn't my favorite Hopkins title. At times I felt like, "Alright already. Somebody notice or help out!" But, with that being said, I would recommend it to anyone who typically enjoys Hopkins' books.

REVIEW: 90 Minutes in Heaven

90 Minutes in Heaven is a true story about a man, Don Piper, who is in a horrific car accident that kills him. After medics arrive, they pronounce Don DOA. At the same time, a man is stuck in the traffic that was created by the accident with his wife. After waiting awhile, the man is compelled to go to the scene of the accident. After arriving, some force drives him to pray over Don Piper's dead body. Ninety minutes after dying, Don miraculously wakes up. 90 Minutes in Heaven is Don's story of survival and recovery.

Don details his experience while being dead as well as what it was like to recover from a near fatal accident. His struggles with survival and recovery are realistic, interesting and inspiring. The obstacles that Don must overcome both physically and emotionally are unbelievable, but not nearly as bewildering as the attitude that he walks away with in the end. I thought it was a great, feel-good book