Summary from goodreads:
After losing his leg to a land mine in Afghanistan, Cormoran Strike is barely scraping by as a private investigator. Strike is down to one client, and creditors are calling. He has also just broken up with his longtime girlfriend and is living in his office.Then John Bristow walks through his door with an amazing story: His sister, the legendary supermodel Lula Landry, known to her friends as the Cuckoo, famously fell to her death a few months earlier. The police ruled it a suicide, but John refuses to believe that. The case plunges Strike into the world of multimillionaire beauties, rock-star boyfriends, and desperate designers, and it introduces him to every variety of pleasure, enticement, seduction, and delusion known to man.


Rating: 4.5/5

Review:
The Cuckoo's Calling, written in third person point of view by Robert Galbraith, was a surprisingly entertaining book to read. The characters had round personalities which was paired with gradual character development, there was an entertaining plot which was, as hard as it is to admit, slightly predictable, and the writing style was simple yet professional and elegant.

Firstly, the characterization in The Cuckoo's Calling  is something that has failed to make an appearance in too many books, so it was very refreshing to see characters with personalities and quirks so unique to themselves. The way the characters acted to certain situations was always appropriate given the information the readers were given about their personal lives. Even the side characters had distinctive personalities that really set them apart from everyone else. Since this is a mystery-crime novel, there were a lot of side characters all of which were extremely important. Not only that, but their personalities really stood out through their statements in the end of novel when the  mystery was solved. Along with the unique personalities, there was also character development, which is a huge plus to any book.  

Aside from the characters, Galbraith succeeded in drawing in the readers with a simple yet compelling storyline. There was the perfect amount of foreshadowing throughout the book which really aided in the mystery aspect of the story. As mentioned previously, The Cuckoo's Calling  was slightly predictable. It was not predictable in the sense that the readers knew exactly what a character was going to do and when they was going to do it. In fact, the reader was mostly surprised at what was happening at that specific moment. It was predictable in the sense that the main idea was stereotypical; the main idea being 'was it a suicide or was it a murder'. With that being said, there should be no regrets after a reader finishes this story. It may not have been one hundred percent satisfying, but the lead up to the end was  thoroughly enjoyable and well worth another read.

Something that should be emphasized was the easy to read but sophisticated writing style. There was imagery, detailed descriptions, and a lot of similes. There was also a lot of dialogue, which may or may not be a good quality depending on what kind of reader we're talking about. Some may find the excessive dialogue entertaining, others may find it exhaustive. Even though there was admittedly a lot of dialogue, there was also a lot of everything else to even it out. Just to be clear, this book was about thirty to forty percent dialogue. If that sounds like an amount you can personally endure as a reader, then by all mean, give the book a read. 

As a whole, The Cuckoo's Calling is definitely a book some would read more than once, particularly for those who are into crime novels. If you are not very fond of dialogue however, this is probably a book you should avoid.

Summary from Goodreads:
In the fifth of his bestselling series Ben Aaronovitch takes Peter Grant out of whatever comfort zone he might have found and takes him out of London - to a small village in Herefordshire where the local police are reluctant to admit that there might be a supernatural element to the disappearance of some local children. But while you can take the London copper out of London you can't take the London out of the copper.

Rating: 3.5/5

Review:
Written in first person point of view by Ben Aaronovitch, the fifth installment of the Peter Grant series was, although unique, somehow unimpressive and vaguely disappointing. In spite of the unique plot line and the masterfully subtle diversity, it did not seem to draw in the reader (this could obviously differ from reader to reader), and the main character was quite simply not likable  In all honesty, there was too much going on in the story and  it may have been too much to handle. As a Peter Grant series reader, one would expect much more from Foxglove Summer. 

An aspect that did not disappoint was the diversity. Foxglove Summer was not your generic 'every single character is white except for maybe that one side character that is not significant in any way whatsoever' story. In fact, the main character is black. Not only that, but there was a Muslim doctor, and strong female characters. The impressive thing about this, however, is that it is done in a way where it isn't abnormal to have these characters as some of your main personalities. Aaronovitch managed to expertly represent certain groups that tend to be forgotten with the majority of writers in a surprisingly subtle and appropriate manner.

Aside from its diversity, Foxglove Summer succeeded to a certain extent in having a unique story line. The reader quite simply had no idea what was going to happen next. At times, there was too much going on and at times, it was not clear as to how anything lead up to certain events. But as a complete whole, everything made sense, the main conflict was resolved (in a writer's sense), and in the end, the reader got their expected share of magic and action.

Something that is worth noting and appreciating is the amount of knowledge the author had about what he was writing. In the acknowledgements section, it is shown that Aaronovitch had first hand practiced experts he was consulting in the matters he was writing about (as in police matters and countryside affairs). (It is also shown in his writing by the way).

Although this Foxglove Summer may not be everyone's cup of tea, it is certainly worth reading if you are into action, complicated plots, and amazing representation. 

Rating: 4/5

Director: James Gunn
Writers: James Gunn and Nicole Perlman

Synopsis: 
After retrieving an orb with powers unknown to most, Peter Quill (originally from Earth) becomes the main target of many who want the orb for their own 'personal' reasons. While being hunted down by these parties, Peter Quill finds himself escaping certain death with the most unlikely group misfits. 

Review:
Guardians of the Galaxy was definitely one of the most well executed films made in a while. This movie has everything a person would want in a film: diverse characters, humor, love, hate, a good plot, and (most importantly in a sic-fi film) amazing visual effects. 

The main characters, or the main protagonists at least, were extremely likable in a way that almost hurt the viewers at times. Most of the characters in this film had a backstory which played major roles in whether or not the viewer liked them or not. Some were detailed, others weren't. Most were sad and depressing, but you should expect nothing else when it comes to Marvel. The one character that did not seem to have a very prominent backstory, however, was Ronan (the antagonist). This was quite surprising, especially since Marvel films usually tend to have the most well thought out and heart aching stories for the villains. With that being said, it certainly did not take away any of the entertainment. Enough was said about the villain to know exactly what was happening and why it was happening.

Another very important aspect this film succeeded in was the casting. All the actors were perfect for their roles. Chris Pratt (as Peter Quill), Wyatt Oleff (young Peter Quill), Lee Pace (as Ronan), Zoe Saldana (as Gamora) and Bradley Cooper (as Rocket) all did outstanding jobs in portraying their characters in the best possible way. Vin Diesel was also amazing as Groot. Even though all he did was repeat that same three words throughout the entire movie, he managed to say them with different emotions every single time.

The special and visual effects in the movie, although not out of this world, were quite impressive. It is more than appropriate (and necessary) to commend the visual and special effects crew on their work.

The only people who would not like Guardians of the Galaxy are probably people who are not fans of sci-fi and people who expect every single scene in a movie to be action packed and have no appreciation for any other aspect of a film whatsoever. 

I definitely recommend this film to everyone, you will laugh and cry (or sob to be more accurate). If you haven't watched it yet, I promise you, you are missing out.

*This film contains limited profanity in its dialogue. 

Synopsis:
Northanger Abbey, written in first person point of view (although the narrator is either unknown or the author) by Jane Austen, follows the story of an unlikely seventeen year old hero who goes by the name Catherine Morland. While she spends a few weeks in Bath with family friends, Catherine encounters a Mr. Tilney and falls in love with him. After becoming friends with Eleanor Tilney, Henry Tilney's sister, Catherine is invited to stay with the two siblings and their father in Northanger Abbey, their home. When Catherine arrives, she lets the horrors of a book she recently read fill her brain with assumptions as to the secrets the family, especially the father, might keep hidden within the mansion's walls.



Rating: 4/5 Stars

Northanger Abbey is a great book to read if one is interested in 19th century literature. It has many good aspects to it, such as the good characteristic continuity and diversity, decent imagery, and the fact that it was entertaining to read from beginning to end. There were also some things that were, in my opinion, not especially tolerable.

First of all, I would like to commend Jane Austen for writing such an entertaining novel. Even though there were some things that I did not particularly enjoy about the book, I simply could not leave it unfinished which is very rare situation for me. The reason I think this happened is because the voice in this novel was great. It was consistent from beginning to end which, to me, is a sign of a strong writer.

Now for the specifics of the Northanger Abbey. Catherine Morland is your average seventeen year old girl. She enjoys reading novels (which was a terrible quality in that time period), she was quirky, and not necessarily talented in anything. Usually, when a character in a book starts off like this (especially if its a female), they are transformed into some sort of goddess by the end of it. This was not the case with Ms. Morland. She remained the same throughout the whole book unless there was a reason for her to act otherwise. In normal cases, I would have absolutely hated the lack of character development, but in this case, it was kind of endearing. 

Another thing that 's great about Northanger Abbey regarding its characters is the contrast between the Thorpes (friends Catherine made whilst she was at Bath) and the Tilneys. The Thorpes were much more materialistic even thought they did not own much, while Eleanor and Henry valued Catherine's friendship over money and items. Also, the difference between John Thorpe and Henry Tilney would make every reader hope and dream of  having a Mr. Tilney of their own.

Although imagery in the book was not terribly detailed, it was enough to satisfy myself, as a reader. It explained enough to know the significant differences between Fullerton (Catherine's home), Bath, and Northanger. It made the reader understand why the main character felt the way she did when moving from one location to the next.

The only thing that did bother me was Catherine's thickheadedness (so to speak). She was a good character with a decent personality, but the way she thought sometimes irked me. At times, she would say she learned something extremely valuable  but then she would contradict herself in the next chapter by doing the opposite of what she learned. I was surprised at myself, however, for not resenting her after she did this.

Northanger Abbey is a great read especially if you are interested in Jane Austen's writing. Some people even say that is their favorite book by the author. And yes, Pride and Prejuidice was taken into consideration, but Northanger Abbey was picked over it. Give it a read and see which one you think is the better book.

Ten people, each with something to hide and something to fear, are invited to a lonely mansion on Indian Island by a host who fails to appear but leaves a recording accusing all of undetected murder. Cut off by his orders, one by one each die according to a nursery rhyme Ten Little Indians. A confession in a bottle solves how nobody remains alive.

Rating: 4/5

And Then There Were None, a mystery novel written by Agatha Christie, followed the stories of ten different people who were both victims and accused murderers. Characters died one by one, making remaining characters suspect one another, who then also died making the situation at hand very 'queer'. Most of the characters seemed to be flat at first glance, but upon further 'inspection' (or so I'd like to call it), some of them actually had more dimension. The book was well written and organized: there was good sentence variation, good characterization, just the right amount of imagery, and a great deal of suspense. There were some aspects, however, that were slightly disappointing and not at all satisfying. 

When I first started reading the book, I was quite pleased to see that the author gave the readers background information about the main characters right off the bat. The personalities were very simple and straight to the point. Even the murders they were accused of matched their personalities, making the reader wonder whether the character in question actually committed the murder or not.

The imagery was also straight to the point. There was not an unnecessarily long and detailed description of the weather or the rooms. The only information that was present in the story regarding scenery was the information that contributed to storyline which I found refreshing. In my opinion,as a reader, if there was any more description of such unimportant details, I would have skipped right through it since there was already so much going on. 

Agatha Christie was also successful in creating a suspenseful and sinister atmosphere throughout the entire novel. From the very first chapter to the very last. The author kept the reader on their toes, encouraging them to create their own theories only to have it completely crushed by the next sentence. I was very intrigued as I was reading because I realized that there were not many adjectives included with the purpose of frightening the readers, but I was still a good deal scared, especially from the middle to the ending of the book.

The one and only thing that disappointed about the book was the ending. Perhaps I am saying this because I have already seen versions of the same story, meaning I already knew what to expect, but I personally expected the ending to be so much more complex than it was. I simply was not satisfied. 

I would definitely read this book again with great pleasure and I suggest all the mystery fans give this book a read (especially if it's your first time coming across this story).   

‘Scaramouche’, written by Rafael Sabatini, follows the story of Andre-Louis Moreau: a lawyer raised in nobility during the French Revolution. Initially, Andre-Louis did not care for the concerns of France’s lower class regarding the inequality of the country’s social and economic standards. This, however, changed when his friend was mercilessly ‘murdered’ by a member of the higher class for his eloquence in speech when addressing the subject of the French Revolution. Andre-Louis swears to continue fighting in favor of the the revolution on his dead friend’s behalf. The main character wins over a large audience by using his gift of persuasion and oratory. After a series of events, Andre-Louis decides to stay with a group of actors and takes on the role of ‘Scaramouche’, a comedic character who speaks out about serious matter. Throughout the story, the readers are given valuable information about the widely studied topic that is the French Revolution.
This book in particular is a historical fiction literary piece with a plot revolving around the French Revolution. The way the story was carried out was truly entertaining as well as educational. One would assume, especially if one is not interested in history, that if a book is both educational and entertaining, some facts were probably twisted in order to make the story interesting. That is not the case with Scaramouche. As far as the reader is concerned, when the book provides factual information about the topic at hand, that is all they are: facts, not theories. Although Scaramouche is an interesting book to read, it is not always easy. There is the occasional sentence that happens to be five lines long with seven different things happening at the same time. There is also the problem with the usage of words in the story that are no longer used in modern day language. But the author does succeed in other aspects of the story, such as the good characterization and the entertaining plot line.  

As a whole, Scaramouche was a major success. The author has a great writing style, even though it may be difficult to read at time. You can be assured, however, that the interesting plot will most definitely make up for it. If anyone is interested in reading about the French Revolution without the usual bore that comes with reading a historical book, Scaramouche is the book for you.

Swag September is organized by Amber at Paradise of Pages. It will occur through the whole month of September. You don't need to worry how much you read during the month, the only thing you need to do is when you do read, read only the books that you have swag for. If it isn't on a piece of swag you read, don't read it. There will be guest posts, interviews, excerpts, a read-a-thon, and lots and lots of giveaways. Where can you go wrong? For any information or questions you may have as well as updates, visit Amber over atParadise of Pages.~From Amber at Paradise of Pages

Hi guys! I'm really excited to be this week's feature in in Parajunkee and Alison Can Read's Feature and Follow Friday. 

Book character(s) you'd like to see with their own twitter page:
Sherlock Holmes. The sarcasm would be endless.

http://www.linkytools.com/basic_linky_include.aspx?id=242908

      So, basically, what I am saying is that while Looking for Alaska was a successful book to me, and I enjoyed the story, I just can not imagine it being turned into a movie. I personally feel like if they do make a movie adaption for it, a lot of the scenes would have to be changed from "cringe-y" and awkward to a bit more humorous. I just don't know how that would work out. Looking for Alaska had such real characters in the sense that they were awkward, and if they use that trait and turn it into humor, I feel like it would lose a lot of what I thought made the story worth reading. On top of the realistic-ness of the story being sacrificed, there is such an unexpected ending to the story. As a movie, I am not sure how well the awkwardness (or if it's replaced, its humor) and the tragic ending would go together.

I personally think the movie adaption of this certain book will either a huge success or quite the opposite. I don't really see a middle ground here, but I might be proven wrong.

     With that being said, I have to say I am I am tremendously excited for the Paper Towns movie adaption (if it does happen).

Rating: 5/5 stars

Summary from goodreads:
In the years after Fincayra disappears and Merlin has been sent wandering, a young lizard-like creature, with the wings of a bat and the magical power to produce any smell it encounters, is born into the new world of Avalon. The unlikely hero—Basil, he is called—cannot find a single creature like itself nor a person who can tell him what he is. But it is clear that Basil is much more than he seems when he stumbles into an encounter with the great Merlin, saving his child’s life, then uncovers a secret plot by the evil Rhita Gawr. It’s a race against time and across Avalon as Basil, with the help of the faithful wind sister Ailah, searches for the great wizard to warn him. This is one of T.A. Barron’s most thrilling adventures yet and features a new and unforgettable character in his earliest years.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3148116-merlin-s-dragon

There is nothing I did not love about this book. There was imagery, characterization, character development, and a great plot. But the thing that really drew me into this book was the writing. Barron has a writing style I could only wish to read for the rest of my life. It was easy to understand but still held so much meaning and grace. As I read through the book, I clearly heard every sound and every voice. I could see the images the characters were seeing and felt what they were feeling. Even when there wasn't much going on in the plot, reading what Basil, the main character, was seeing or thinking was so satisfying. There were certain paragraphs, if not the whole book, that I could have re-read time and time again.

Aside from the writing style, the content was so perfectly detailed and vivid it would put an award winning movie to shame because of how clearly a reader can imagine the scene and connect with the characters.  The writing uses all five senses to aid in the imaginative aspect of the scenes. It did not just use sight. It explained more than just what the characters saw. It explained what the characters heard, smelled, felt, and, occasionally, tasted.

Another positive thing about Merlin's Dragon was it's continuity. With all the detail in the book, a reader would imagine something would get forgotten. Something small, maybe. Something that wouldn't necessarily matter if it got left behind. But there was not one detail concerning the plot that didn't get mentioned again. It was relatable to the situation at hand, as well. It wasn't just thrown in at some point for the sake of continuity. 

If there is one flaw I'd have to point out about Merlin's Dragon, it would probably be that I don't have the second book.

I recommend this to everyone who comes across the review. Everyone. Especially if you're a particularly fond of fantasy novels. 

A Few Words to Describe a Person's Voice:

Brittle: if a person is speaking in a brittle voice, it sounds as if they are about to cry.

Croaking: rough and/or hoarse

Disembodied: a disembodied voice comes from a person you can't see.

Droning: boring, monotoned.

Fruity: deep and strong in a welcoming or pleasant way.

Gravelly/Gruff: a low and rough voice.

Guttural: extremely low voice.

Honeyed: a nice voice but when the person speaks there is a hint of dishonesty in their voice.

Rasping: a gravelly whisper.

Shrill: a loud, high, and unpleasant sound or voice.

Silvery: clear, light, and pleasant.

Taut: nervous or angry.

Tight: nervous or annoyed.

With this being the end of the school year, there has been a lot of thing going on for me: exams, graduation, etc. I apologize for not being able to post as frequent as I used to you, but in about a week or two I will pick up from where I left off and I will probably post more reviews a week.

As for those who are waiting for certain reviews, I will carry on reading what has been sent, but a review may not be up for a week or two as I probably won't be able to read as fast. But if I do end up finishing the book before the time I plan on returning, I will try to post the review anyway.

Thank you for your patience (that is if you do plan on being patient).

It doesn't matter what you're writing; it could be an essay for school or a book to be published. Chances are you have at one point thought of something you want to add, but you just cannot recall the word no matter how had you try. So you look it up, but it rarely ever gives you the word you feel is right. At this point, you might just give up, or you might write a few sentences explaining the one word.
Well I've found a website for you. 
OneLook Reverse Dictionary
It basically does exactly what it says and it is absolutely wonderful. It is a reverse dictionary: you put in the meaning and it gives you the word.

Your'e welcome. 

" I wrote you a letter,
and then another letter,
and another, and another,
until I wrote you a word.

So I wrote you a word,
and then another word,
and another, and another,
until I wrote you a sentence.

So I wrote you a sentence,
and then another sentence,
and another, and another,
until I wrote you a letter.

I hope it finds you as I found you.

Yours truly,
Yours, truly."

-Bo Burnham

Robert Pickering Burnham (Bo Burnham) is an American comedian, musician, and actor. His light-hearted and heart-warming poems are found in his poetry book, Egghead. I have not read all his poems, but I have read bits of his book here and there, and a lot of his work really makes the reader want to watch him in action as a comedian. 

If you enjoy reading funny, witty things paired with a gust of cleverness, Egghead is for you. However, if inappropriate language offends you, I suggest you read only a certain percentage of the book. 

argle-bargle: nonsense; meaningless writing or talking

The Pale Horse is a truly well developed mystery written in third person point of view, mostly following Mark Easterbrook and occasionally following Detective-Inspector Lejeune's side of the story. The great thing about this particular mystery novel was that there was more than one villain (villain, not suspect), which made it all the more satisfying to read. The process of how the case gradually unravelled and how the character who found out who the felon was revealed it was absolutely perfect. It really finalized his personality which is great, especially since the reader does not get much about that specific person's characteristics  as they are reading. 

Even though most characters got his or her own personality, the novel did not contain much (or maybe even any) character development. This point however, does not have anything to do with the goal of the story; it is just something I usually look forward to when I am reading. As a reader, I find amusement in observing how a character changes whether it be gradually and with time or quickly and instinctively, for the worse or the better, from a minor character or a major character; it's just always fun to read. The Pale Horse however, simply did not have that. 

The novel was also quite choppy at times; it was not given enough sentence variation at times. I found this was a a bother to me most in the dialogue parts of the story. There would be about three or four consecutive sentences that were about four words long, which definitely put me off. I do have to say though, it was compensated for with the great plot line and brilliant plot twists. 

Near the end of The Pale Horse, one of the characters says something that I sincerely think should be widely quoted: "Evil is nothing superhuman, it's something less than human. Your criminal is someone who wants to be important, but who will never be important, because he'll always be less than man". I realize that this isn't exactly a deep saying and there's not much more to it than what is given, but that is exactly what attracted me to it. It is so frank and straight-forward and I find that absolutely wonderful. 

I recommend this novel to all the mystery lovers out there who want a good read, but don't want to have a dictionary next to them to check what every other word means. It had a great plot twist that I thought was executed beautifully. The Pale Horse will definitely be worth your time if you're a fan of the classics.

Rating: 4/5 stars

The Cat Who Had 14 Tales (#30 in Cat Who..) written by Lilian Jackson Braun, owner of two Siamese cats, is a compilation of fourteen short stories surrounding fourteen different problems the highlighted felines aided in solving. These varied problems range from finding a burglar to finding a murderer, or perhaps even being an accidental killer. 

The Cat Who Had 14 Tales clearly points out the felines' intelligence throughout the stories stating every once in a while things such as "'two of the kittens are very smart'" and "'do you know cats are mind readers?'".  The author succeeded in fulfilling the "show don't tell" statement as she explains how each feline thought about every bad situation and how they reacted, all of which certainly proved cats to be extremely clever rather than simply saying they were intelligent . 

Lilian Jackson Braun also gave each character well-defined personalities, although there wasn't much space for character development. Giving each character in every one of fourteen stories well thought out personalities is really impressive, considering that half of the personalities were cats, and the rest were minor characters. For example, in The Sin of Madame Phloi, one of the short stories in the book, there were two cats: Madame Phloi and her son Thapthim; both had completely opposite personalities. Madame Phloi was shown to be a very classy and elegant cat who cared very much for her appearance, whereas Thapthim  was a happy-go-lucky kitten who trusted anyone and anything. 

Another plus to these stories was that there was the occasional plot twist that will literally make you gasp after you've read it. By plot twist, I do not mean that the reader expects something to happen but when the time comes, something completely out of the blue pops up. I mean the reader has no clue to even expect anything to happen, which I personally found very entertaining. 

What really attracted me to this book was the very first sentence: "Phu Phat knew, at an early age, that humans are an inferior breed". To me, this was a really great way to start off a book dedicated to cats. 

The Cat Who Had 14 Tales is a very easy and relaxing book to read despite the occasional murder. I recommend this book to any one who is looking for a straight forward and quick yet suspenseful read.

Let me show you guys a little something called commas, because 

honestly, they make the world a more peaceful place.

Example 1:

"A woman without her man is nothing."

Sounds pretty bad doesn't it. Let's fix this:

"A woman, without her, man is nothing."

Example 2:

Before: "Let's eat Grandpa!"

After: "Let's eat, Grandpa!"

Example 3:

Before:"I like cooking my family and my pets."

After: "I like cooking, my family, and my pets."

Stop confusing people. Start using commas.

What you are about to read will do strange things to your mind.

Beeves: plural word for beef

Defenestrate: To throw something (or someone for that matter) out of a window

Deifnophobia: a fear of parties

Erinaceous: resembling a hedgehog

Finifugal: being too afraid to finish anything

Foogle: wasting time by asking unnecessary questions

Fudgel: pretending to work when, in reality you are not doing anything productive at all

Groke: to look at someone while they are eating in hopes that the just might give you some of their food

Kibitz: to interfere in someone else's business, whether it be to advise them or merely to meddle

Mondayitis: not wanting to work after a weekend

Nudiustertian: the day before yesterday

Uhtceare: waking up before dawn and not being able to go back to sleep due to worries

Whiffer: a person who walks in front of another person holding or waving around an ax in a crowd to clear the path

Zoabthropy: the a delusion a person may have that he or she has turned into an animal

Summary from goodreads:
Before. Miles "Pudge" Halter's whole existence has been one big nonevent, and his obsession with famous last words has only made him crave the "Great Perhaps" (François Rabelais, poet) even more. Then he heads off to the sometimes crazy, possibly unstable, and anything-but-boring world of Culver Creek Boarding School, and his life becomes the opposite of safe. Because down the hall is Alaska Young. The gorgeous, clever, funny, self-destructive, screwed-up, and utterly fascinating Alaska Young, who is an event unto herself. She pulls Pudge into her world, launches him into the Great Perhaps, and steals his heart.
After. Nothing is ever the same.

Recently retired, sweet, emotionally numb Harold Fry is jolted out of his passivity by a letter from Queenie Hennessy, an old friend, who he hasn't heard from in twenty years. She has written to say she is in hospice and wanted to say goodbye. Leaving his tense, bitter wife Maureen to her chores, Harold intends a quick walk to the corner mailbox to post his reply but instead, inspired by a chance encounter, he becomes convinced he must deliver his message in person to Queenie--who is 600 miles away--because as long as he keeps walking, Harold believes that Queenie will not die. 


RATING: 5/5


The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, written by Rachel Joyce, is a heart wrenching novel which takes place in modern time throughout England. It is told in third person point of view through the eyes of Harold, an unlikely pilgrim, Maureen, a bitter wife, and Queenie, the woman who unintentionally gives hope to an unhappy couple and then some. As a person reads this novel, it is very hard to simply accept everything that is being told, given the narrators' personality and harsh childhood. One cannot help but question the character's reasoning when certain events take place, which is probably the only difficulty a reader would have reading this book.


The really great thing about this book is how realistic and progressive it is. It is not one of those books you read in which the reader wishes they could be a character or do something the character does even though they know it is absolutely impossible. Harold Fry did something many people could do, he walked. He walked and he got all the symptoms a person would get after a long walk, and he also got the benefits of a long walk. In his mind, however, he was doing something so much better. Harold Fry was prolonging a person's life. He had faith and then he lost it. The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry was anything but mono toned, and that is something the author should be applauded for.


I absolutely loved everything about this novel. There was SO MUCH character development, there were struggles, and there were plot twists pouring in when least expected. I was rooting for Harold throughout the entire book and I felt for him. He was such an amazing character, but not because he was perfect  It was all of his flaws that made me love him and want to be there for him, even thought I questioned the way he acted sometimes; but everything got cleared up and it made me cry. Even the characters I disliked eventually got better. The way everything played out in the end was perfect and I could not have asked for a better way to end it. It was a really easy book to read (other than the times I had to try and read through my tears) and I will definitely read it again.


Surprisingly, this is only Rachel Joyce's first novel and she is currently at work on her second and I cannot wait to read it. I recommend this book to everyone; it is definitely worth your time.

Update: Rachel Joyce's second novel is actually out. It is called Perfect and I encourage you all to read it.