Friday, September 4, 2009

Review: The Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry


Book Info:
The Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry
Paperback: 416 pages
Publisher: Harper Paperbacks (August 18, 2009)
ISBN-13: 9780061624773
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Rating: 4/5



Towner Whitney, the self-confessed unreliable narrator, hails from a family of Salem women who can read the future in the patterns in lace, and who have guarded a history of secrets going back generations. Now the disappearance of two women is bringing Towner back home to Salem - and is bringing to light the shocking truth about the death of her twin sister.





The Lace Reader is filled with wonderful characters. Towner is a fascinating. I love flawed characters, and I especially love characters who don't try to hide their flaws. She lays all her faults and family history on the table right at the beginning. Eva is another character I would have loved to spend more time with. We mostly get to know her through other characters memories, but you can tell she is a wonderful, caring person.

The atmosphere in The Lace Reader is haunting. There is an air of mystery that hangs over the whole book like a fog. And like a fog, you don't get the whole story revealed to you at once. The story is slowly pieced together, and it comes together perfectly.

My one complaint about the book is the similarity to another book I read a year or two ago. I hate any kind of spoiler so I won't mention the other title, but I was a little disappointed that The Lace Reader wasn't as original as it first appeared to be. Overall, The Lace Reader was a captivating story and I would recommend it. 4 stars


Thank you to TLC Book Tours for organizing this tour

Some additional info about the book:


Soon, LaceReader.com will also have a downloadable t-shirt iron-on design and printable signage for booksellers.

In the September issue of Book Page, there will be a sweepstakes in which the grand prize is a trip for two to Salem, two nights at The Hawthorne Hotel, and a guided Lace Reader tour of Salem with Brunonia.

Brunonia is also headed back out on tour. Check the link for the schedule and to see if there is a stop near you.

8 comments:

Sandy Nawrot said...

That is a great trailer! I just bought this book recently to read for my RIP Challenge and I'm pretty excited. I'd say there is a good chance I haven't read the other book you are referring to, so hopefully this won't be an issue. Great review!

(Diane) Bibliophile By the Sea said...

I thought this one was pretty (i rated it the same as you did). I love books set in Salem as I've visited there several times; it is a fun town.

Anonymous said...

Flawed characters are really exciting to read about. Makes you feel like it could be any average Jane or Joe.

jezebelsk said...

I thought this was a great book, gave it 4/5 too. I'm glad for my book group that brought it to me!

Anonymous said...

I am interested in reading this one, if I ever get to tackle my staggering TBR pile. Secrets of back generations always make a great story.

Literary Feline said...

I've been wanting to read this one as I've heard it's good. I am glad you enjoyed it, Melissa, even if it turned out to be a little too familiar.

Off topic - I sent you an e-mail, but wasn't sure if you got it. You won a copy of Wife of the Gods in my giveaway from last month. I just need your mailing address.

Zibilee said...

I just picked up this book after reading so many rave reviews. I am glad you enjoyed it and look forward to reading it. I will have to check back in and let you know what I though of it.

trish said...

I'm dying to know the book you read where the ending was similar! I'll admit the ending blew me away, and I thought there were little clues that, once you look back you're like, "Oh, yeah! I see how we got here!" But if you've read a book with a similar ending, I can see how that would be disappointing. :)

Anyway, thank you for being on the tour and providing such a thoughtful review!