MUTATION (Robin Cook) - August 20/14

This enjoyable but derivative thriller basically held my interest but there are obvious instances of padding here - although it does turn out that such elements are part of the evil kid's master plan. It becomes quite the page turner towards the end and I enjoyed the climax that finds the father sacrificing himself to kill the kid. The end seems to hint at a sequel, though... *** out of ****

CLOSE YOUR EYES, HOLD HANDS (Chris Bohjalian) - August 16/14

This is definitely an interesting change of pace for Bohjalian, as the author offers up a first-person story about a teenage girl who loses her parents in a nuclear disaster and subsequently becomes homeless. While I wouldn't really say I was riveted at any point, I found the book to be very readable. And unlike a lot of Bohjalian efforts, this one didn't feel excessively overlong. *** out of ****

THE GIVER (Lois Lowry) - August 11/14

I can see why I have fond memories of reading this book during my children's lit course at Carleton. Lowry creates a very vivid, intriguing futuristic society (albeit one that doesn't seem even remotely plausible). But now, in this era where every other YA book takes place in such a society, The Giver feels extremely run-of-the-mill and generic. I liked the characters but there were stretches here where I was feeling a little bored. The final stretch is surprisingly exciting, though. I'm still not sure how I feel about the ambiguous conclusion (ie did he and Gabe die?) **1/2 out of ****

EAT, PRAY, LOVE (Elizabeth Gilbert) - August 2/2014

This overlong yet surprisingly readable book follows Gilbert as she recovers from a devastating divorce by traveling to Italy, India, and Bali. The Rome stretch is absolutely the highlight, as Gilbert does a nice job establishing the laid-back atmosphere and her friendships with several affable residents. I kind of lost interest a bit during the India stretch because of the heavy emphasis on the ashram and the history of eastern praying and the like, but I felt like the story picked up once she got to Bali and befriended the locals (including her future lover). *** out of ****