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[beelikej]

The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
Genre: Romance? (yech;)
Rating: 10/10 (seriously)
I recommended this book before, but chemfishee wanted more information, so I will now explain in more detail why I loved this book. Plotwise I will once again only post the (cropped!) synopsis from the back of the book.
Clare and Henry met when Clare was six and Henry was thirty-six, and they were married when Clare was twenty-two and Henry thirty. Impossible but true, because Henry suffers from a rare condition where his genetic clock periodically resets and he finds himself pulled suddenly into his past or future. In the face of this force they can neither prevent nor control, Henry and Clare struggle to lead normal lives.

Although this story might seem like it belongs in the fantasy-section, it is written like a present-day romance-novel. Clare and Henry talk about their lives and relationship, with chapters divided between both their points of view. They tell their story not by looking back, but while it happens. Because of Henry's inability to stay in the present, the story is not lineair, but often gets off track. So the person telling the story is either young or old and may or may not have knowledge of past (or future!) events. (It's that wibbly wobbly, timey whimey stuff!)

Besides the intriguing story, I really enjoyed the language of the book. It's very dynamic to hear the different voices from the characters at all ages. Both Clare and Henry sound true to their ages, however old they are. They both are completely lovable as kids and adults, not because they are perfect, but because they both have their faults. They are not afraid to confront themselves and each other with all the doubts they have about how to deal with the situation.

The geek in me loved all the medical information on Henry's condition; the time-traveling is not just a fancy plot-device, it is scientifically explained to the smallest details. Nowhere in the story did I doubt the possibility of time-traveling. It is exciting and scary and sometimes simply bloody inconvenient.

I loved this book with a passion.


You Remind Me Of Me by Dan Chaon
Genre: Drama (?)
Rating: 8/10

Synopsis (copied from cover)
Jonah Doyle and Troy Timmens don't know each other, yet they have a deep connection that is gradually revealed over the course of this spellbinding novel. After a terrible accident transforms Jonah's life, he sets out on an extraordinary journey across America in search of his familiy, his identity and the secrets buried in his past. When Jonah and Troy finally meet, their lives will never be the same again.

Dum-dum-dumm...

The book explores three very important questions: Why do we become the people that we become? How do we end up stuck in lives that we never wanted? And can we change the course of what seems inevitable?

Told in out-of-order snippets of thirty-something Jonah's and eventually Troy's life, it took me some time to put all the pieces of the story together. But once I got used to the style, I liked trying to figure things out before the characters did. I had to know what happened and happens to Jonah. He is lost in memories and thoughts and tries very hard to make sense of (his) life. It was almost painful to join him on his journey. I loved how he imagines his life being filmed and thus sets the scenes of the story with different camera-angles. I sympathised with him, but once I figured out where he was going, he started to creep me out.

Troy's life is a mess, but he seems to be in control, despite not knowing what Jonah's intensions are. I didn't really like him at the start, but while my understanding for Jonah faded, I learned to appreciate Troy more and more.

The characters and their environment are very different from me; they are American men with simple jobs. I don't use drugs, nor do I have a truely screwed up family, but I could relate to Troy's dismissal of people and Jonah's inability to communicate. So I learned you can find something in common with the most unusual people. That's what made me like this book. A lot.

X-posted in bookcommunity thej2bee

Comments

[chemfishee.livejournal.com]

Both of these sound very intriguing. I'll have to check them out next time I'm in the bookstore. Thanks!

[beelikej.livejournal.com]

You're welcome! I hope you find them and will let me know what you think:)

[chemfishee.livejournal.com]

Will do! I mean, I might as well admit that I'm just going to continue adding to the 'to read' pile, right? :P