Reached (Matched #3) by Ally Condie: Book Review

This is the third and final installment of the Matched series of dystopian YA novels by Ally Condie. The three main characters, Cassia, Xander, and Ky, have all left the Society to join the Rising, but at high costs. Cassia is stationed as an undercover sorter working in Central. Ky is a Rising pilot, flying airships here and there and everywhere to aid their cause. And Xander is an undercover medic working in Camas. A major outbreak of a strange illness catapults the entire world into chaos, and the three friends have to rely on each other to survive and to save others.

I enjoyed this enough, but the ending just didn't satisfy me. I felt like the love between Cassia and Ky wasn't believable, probably because they were so rarely together. I couldn't understand why they were so completely devoted to each other when the last time they had any true quality time together was on the hill...in the first book. And the fact that all three of them - Cassia, Ky, and Xander - were so altruistic and completely selfless in their total devotion to one another was unbelievable to me. They are still teenagers, right? Their selflessness and sacrifice to each other (well, at least the boys' to Cassia and to each other) was just not believable. Maybe living in conditions such as those (in the Society), and seeing all the death and destruction that they saw caused them to grow up really fast, but I still feel that there would have been some hint of jealousy or selfish notions on someone's part.

There was too much external conflict in these books, and not enough of an internal conflict to make it compelling. I kind of started to feel like the Plague parts were dragging. I'd had enough of that story line by the end. My feelings toward Cassia were consistent throughout - she's my lest favorite character in this story. I like Xander and Ky more, by far. I wonder if that was the author's intent. All in all, an interesting premise for a dystopian story, and pretty well executed. I'm glad I read this one, but I believe the first book was the strongest of the three. Three stars from me.

Buy Reached on Amazon.com. 
Read about the author, Ally Condie, on Goodreads.com.

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier: Book Review

I've been meaning to read this book for years, and I'm so glad I finally did. It was not at all what I expected, but then, I really don't know what I expected. It's the story of a young, naive woman who meets a dark, handsome, and mysterious stranger while on holiday in Monte Carlo. She becomes infatuated with him, and in a sudden, surprising moment, he asks her to marry him. She does, of course, and is soon whisked away to the infamous Manderley, his huge, gorgeous mansion of a home. But the house has two inhabitants who are not as thrilled with the fact that the master has brought home a new bride--the housekeeper, Mrs. Danvers, and the now-dead, former lady of the house, Rebecca.

I loved the dark, gothic feel--the mystery of it--throughout. However, I kept expecting there to be more of the "ghost story;" I guess I kept expecting the narrator to actually see the ghost of Rebecca somewhere in the house. It took me reading half-way through the book before I realized I did not actually know the narrator's name. I thought that was ingenious. It fit perfectly with her persistent feelings of being nothing, nobody, completely insignificant. Speaking of which, that part did annoy me. I really had very little respect for her because she obviously had zero respect for herself. I was cheered toward the end, when she said she'd finally broken free of Rebecca's and Mrs. Danvers's power over her. I was disappointed that the story ended soon after that and the reader was never able to actually see her as a new creature, reborn, and no long self-loathing and insecure. I also felt an undercurrent of lesbianism in the relationship between Rebecca and Mrs. Danvers. Theirs was certainly not a "normal" relationship; I felt that both women were somewhat mentally unstable. The narrator's tendency to daydream about what she expected to happen in each and every situation became tiresome, but I did love the detail with which she experienced and described everything.

This story was certainly reminiscent of Wuthering Heights and the like. I enjoyed it, 4 stars.

Get the book from Amazon.com.
Read about the author, Daphne du Maurier, on Goodreads.com.

Resist Devolution: Write a Thank-You Note!

Yes, it's still customary to write a thank-you note. In fact, it's still expected. I realize I may be old-fashioned in my opinion on this, but I believe we should resist the devolution of humanity. In this age of e- and i- EVERYTHING, we are forgetting how to actually communicate and connect with each other. It's causing us to devolve--to go backward to a more primitive state, at least as far as interpersonal connection and socialization are concerned.

I was taught that a thank-you note is always appropriate, even if it's extremely late, or if it's in reference to the smallest thing. And no, a hastily typed, impersonal e-mail is not sufficient. If someone took the time and effort (or money) to do something special for you, buy you a gift, or otherwise show you their love, the very least you can do is to sit down with a pen and a piece of paper or a card and SAY THANK YOU. Yes, that will require a stamp. Yes, that will require some thought. And yes, that will require five to ten minutes of your time. It's really not that hard.

I have been really surprised at the lack of "thankfulness" I have witness lately. I attended a wedding nearly 14 months ago and ordered a gift from the couple's online Target registry to be shipped directly to their home...two weeks before their wedding. I have yet to receive a simple thank you from them. That is inexcusable. In the months since then, I can count at least six other instances where I did something special for someone in need or gave a gift and have not been sent a note of thanks. Several of these instances included home-cooked meals for friends or acquaintances who were either ill, had a sick family member, or were in some other crisis situation. I can understand a delay of a few weeks or even months, depending on how severe the situation, but at some point a proper thank you is expected. Now don't misunderstand me. I have not done these things only to get a self-serving pat on the back; I truly did them to be helpful. Lord knows I've needed help from my friends and family at times too, so I know how important it is. It has just recently occurred to me (as I was sitting down to write a note of thanks to a friend who helped me out the other day) that I have never heard from those people. As I thought more about it, I realized that no one really does it anymore. Not even most of my own family. And that has made me sad.

Now I'm teaching my Mini Maven how to properly say thanks to those who bless him. He just recently finished hand-writing his own thank-you notes to 16 different people. That's a lot for a just-turned-eight-year-old! But it's a valuable lesson he needs to learn. He worked on writing two to three notes every day after school, and by the end, he was doing beautifully; he seemed to have gotten a knack for what to say from his heart, and his handwriting had improved immensely. It's a win all around, I say.

If someone has done something special for you lately, write a note to thank them. I promise it will NEVER hurt, and it will only cost you a few minutes, a small piece of paper (you don't even have to have preprinted, fancy note cards), and a stamp. It's never wrong to say "thank you." And it's never too late, either. One exception to this rule is for mutually exchanged gifts. I have to point out one particular family member of mine--she writes a thank-you note for EVERYTHING, including Christmas gifts, even though she gives us gifts as well. Where Christmas gifts are concerned, when they're mutually exchanged, a thank-you note is not required. But it doesn't hurt either! Be thankful!

More Dumb Signs

Saw this in the airport in Baltimore, I believe. Be relax, huh? Yeah, you do that.



These gems were spotted in a public parking lot near Boone, NC. (We were on our way to try out Black Cat Burrito - YUMMY!) "Free one hour only. Not a pay lot. No long term parking. Not a pay lot. No ticket needed. One hour only free. Long-term parking at end of lot, at pay meters. Not a pay lot. No ticket needed. One hour only free. Long-term parking at end of lot. At pay meters. Questions please come around." Wait. What am I supposed to do again? And if your questions try to go around, they will see the same signs on the other side. I have no idea what I'm supposed to do. And why are you yelling at me?