What Tanya Wants: Jan 2017

NetGalley Review: The Language of Dying by Sarah Pinborough

Jo Fletcher Books
Originally Published 2009
144 Pages

A woman watches her father take his last breathes and while doing so, she relives the past week and thinks about what brought her family together and what tore them apart. As the middle child in a family of five, she has secrets; one in particularly that keeps her at her childhood home and that keeps her waiting for the darkness. 

*Short review for a short novel*

Dangggg Tanya, what’s with you and these short stories?!!? I know I have said constantly that I do not enjoy short stories and yet I keep reading them. I don’t know why I do it but I do it.

So anyway, I actually really like Ms. Pinborough’s writing, which is why I requested this book. She can paint a pretty picture or in this case a chilling picture.

I liked this short read but I did feel it was very dull and drawn out. This feeling had nothing to do with the fact that from beginning to end, we are waiting for a man to die. It comes from the lack of color from the narrator or even the other characters. I did not expect it in present time but more so from the past. It was even hinted at one point but the that was it. I get the whole point of this book is to be despair but some kind of life would have made this book perfect and much more chilling.

Beyond, this I liked the creativity shown in this book. I like what the author was able to draw out of the story and I really loved how she made this much bigger than simply a daughter watching her father die alone. There is so much depth to this 144 page story, you can’t help but be in awe.

The pace could be improved but I am not complaining that much. Overall,

3 Pickles

Book Review: Beauty (Tales from the Kingdoms #3) by Sarah Pinborough

Titan Books
Published Jan. 1, 2013
208 Pages

A retelling of Sleeping Beauty. 

Simple summary right? But that is the best way to explain this book without giving too much detail. I haven’t read the first two books so I can’t say if there is a connection or not. When you are reading this book it doesn’t feel like you are missing anything. It starts like it is own story. I appreciate that.

What I loved about this book was its directness. It still left a lot to the imagination but it didn’t add unnecessary conflict, romance, love triangle or messy emotions. I loved the fact the characters knew who they were and what they wanted from themselves and others. It made the book much more enjoyable. It did not by any means take away from the book by having sure characters. If you want drama from every character and internal turmoil then don’t read this book.

I loved the pace of the novel. It was a quick read and it gave a bit of a dark twist of sleeping beauty. However, I wish the book was longer because Ms. Sarah was on to something with Beauty. If it was embellished more or even had a greater back story then it would have been perfect. I felt the ending was too easy and would have jumped for joy if the ending was either darker or twisted in some form of way. But it was a better ending than a lot of other endings I have read in these past few weeks.

I can see why some people didn’t and wouldn’t like it because this book could have been way bigger than what it is but it was a good piece of work despite that.

Short review for a short read. I think this book is worth it plus I love the cover.

4 Pickles