Thursday, February 18, 2010

Review: The Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry

The Lace Reader The Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry
Read for the 2010 Challenge


My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book was really odd for me. It's hard for me to describe the plot because much of the time I was trying to figure out what the plot is. I did end up liking it quite a bit but it was a journey to get there.

Towner/Sophya has been running from her past in Salem, MA for years and when a family emergency calls her back, she has to confront her old ghosts and decide how to go forward.

The book is filled with strong women characters that I liked. The present-day Salem Witch stuff is interesting - basically the present day witches are able to make a living on the myths of the witches in the 1600s. I enjoyed reading the book and the setting - the coast and islands near Salem, MA. At the beginning of each chapter there is a snippet about lace reading written by Towner's Aunt Eva. Lace reading is essentially another form of fortune-telling; analyzing particular pieces of lace and seeing what images are in them. The art is fairly complicated and I liked reading about it.

As I said before, the book was a bit confusing to read. The main narrator, Towner/Sophya jumps around a lot from time period to time period and sometimes gaps in the stories aren't filled in until much later. But the end of the book redeemed it for me, there is a major twist that made me look at the book a whole different way and it was very satisfying. The plot is definitely unique and not predictable. A creepy read.

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1 comment:

Gerbera Daisy Diaries said...

This book did nothing for me. But glad you enjoyed it!