Review: Kicking Eternity by Ann Lee Miller

Summary 
Stuck in sleepy New Smyrna Beach one last summer, Raine socks away her camp pay checks, worries about her druggy brother, and ignores trouble: Cal Koomer. She’s a plane ticket away from teaching orphans in Africa, and not even Cal’s surfer six-pack and the chinks she spies in his rebel armor will derail her.

The artist in Cal begs to paint Raine’s ivory skin, high cheek bones, and internal sparklers behind her eyes, but falling for her would caterwaul him into his parents’ life. No thanks. The girl was self-righteous waiting to happen. Mom served sanctimony like vegetables, three servings a day, and he had a gut full.

Rec Director Drew taunts her with “Rainey” and calls her an enabler. He is so infernally there like a horsefly—till he buzzes back to his ex. Raine’s brother tweaks. Her dream of Africa dies small deaths. Will she figure out what to fight for and what to free before it’s too late? For anyone who’s ever wrestled with her dreams.

Review
Kicking Eternity sucks the reader in from the very first page because of Anne Lee Miller’s amazing ability to capture the audience’s attention. Within its pages, it covers many topics that the audience can relate to and appreciate the struggles within the characters’ lives. 

First of all, I love the name Raine and it has always been one of my favorites, so I pretty much loved her character before I even knew her. But Raine is the perfect character. While there are a few main characters, the center is Raine because she is like the sun that all the other characters revolve around. Their lives and relationships are seen because they are in Raine’s life. Raine is a strong character that knows what she wants and is willing to do anything in order to reach her goals and dreams, which creates problems and love triangles within her life. 

I found the beginning of the book to be slightly confusing with all the characters. I had wished there had been a better overview of them because it felt as if we jumped into their lives without warning or introduction. With this many main characters, five, you really need to get a sense of them, but it does become less confusing the further you read and the connections between characters is more visible. 

The element that I love the most about Kicking Eternity and Miller’s writing in general is the reliability factor. This was a real story with real characters facing real problems. Not in the sense that it actually happened, but everyone struggles with their dreams, relationships and faith. It is refreshing to read a book that has events that wouldn’t happen in a Hollywood movie, but in real life. 

Faith is one if the strongest elements within Miller’s books, but the way in which she delivers it is unique. In no way does this book push religion down your throat. There may be religion in the book, but it focuses on faith and self-acceptance. It doesn’t matter what you believe, the basis of faith in this story is figuring out who you are and what makes you happy. Faith is just the key to having these feelings within the characters’ lives and it helps them to realize their true potential. 

Overall, I loved Kicking Eternity. Anne Lee Miller is one of my new favorite authors. I cannot wait to read the rest of her books in this collection.

Reviewed by Rachel Keane

Book Information
Publication date: 6/28/2012
Pages: 332

Review: Tattered Innocence by Ann Lee Miller

Summary
A tale of passions indulged, denied, and ultimately forgive. On the verge of bagging the two things he wants most—a sailing charter business and marrying old money—Jake Murray’s fiancée/sole crew member dumps him. Salvation comes in the form of dyslexic, basketball toting Rachel Martin, the only one to apply for the first mate position he slapped on craigslist. On a dead run from an affair with a married man, Rachel's salvation is shoving ocean between her and temptation.

Rapid fire dialogue and romantic tension sail Jake’s biker-chick of a boat through hurricanes, real and figurative. A cast of wannabe sailors, Rachel’s ex, Jake’s, a baby—go along for the ride.
The many-layered story weaves together disparate strands into a seamless cord. Mother and daughter look eerily alike—down to their lusts. Their symbiotic bond, forged in the blood of childbirth on the kitchen floor and cemented by their secrets, must be cracked open. A son must go home. Sin must be expunged. Tattered Innocence is for anyone who’s ever woken up sealed in a fifty-gallon drum of their guilt.

Review
As a big fan of Ann Lee Miller’s books, I was excited to pick up another one. Tattered Innocence is unlike the other novels I have read by her in so many ways, but it still holds the core concepts that she stands for. I was slightly intimidated when first setting out to read because of the sailing terms glossary. It is extremely helpful, but it looks more haunting than it actually is. 

Different from other books by Miller, Tattered Innocence focused on two characters instead of a group. I enjoyed this approach a little more because we got to see the characters more in depth and experience their emotions and thoughts on a different level. We see the journey that Rachel takes and the immense guilt that she carries as weighted baggage. Jake, also carrying bags of his own, travels on an emotional rollercoaster and eventually understands who he is meant to be with.

Tattered Innocence does have religious elements weaved throughout the story, but they are muted compared to other books in this series. Religion did not play as big of a part as it does in other characters’ lives. Rachel shows Jake that he needs to reencounter his religious spirit, but even with these elements the main focus of the story was the growing romance between the two main characters.

The dynamic of the families within the novel are contrasting, and it shows the different background that Rachel and Jake grew up within, as well as showing why they mix so perfectly. I completely fell in love with Jake’s family. Call me crazy, but I want to start giving out Christmas gifts like his family. It is hard to make me cry during a book, and even harder to make me laugh. Written words don’t usually evoke laughter even when I can see the humor, but I was laughing so hard throughout the time they spent with Jake’s family. 

I loved this book, there were so many surprises and twists and turns that the readers does not expect. I love expecting one thing and then something else happens. If you are reading The New Smyrna Beach series, you will be pleasantly surprised to discover that some other characters snuck their way into this novel as well. As usual, this was a great book written by Ann. 

Reviewed by Rachel Keane

Book Information
Publication date: 3/14/2013
Pages: 362

Review: Cape Maybe by Carol Fragale Brill

Summary
In Cape Maybe, Katie is raised by a troubled mother who struggles with alcoholism and a proclivity for dangerous men. Eventually, she is taken in by her loving grandfather and great uncle, and is provided a far more stable environment. However, when her grandfather, Poppi, suddenly dies, she is left mostly an orphan—her father was killed in the war when she was small, and her mother chooses a life of substance abuse over her family. Eventually, she progresses too far into her own self-inflicted psychosis to be anything but a burden for Katie. 

Throughout the novel, Katie maintains a secret attraction to her best male friend, Dennis. However, he is more interested in her female best friend, Cam, who is worldly and self-assured. To cope with her ever-changing life, Katie slowly begins to use alcohol to dull the pain and doubts she constantly feels. When she becomes pregnant and has a baby girl, she struggles more so to carve out an identity for herself. Luckily, she’s inherited her grandfather’s word-working talent, and shows real promise. However, she seems to have also inherited her mother’s escapist weaknesses for the drink. 

Review
Cape Maybe is about a self-fulfilling prophecy at its core—one brought on by a troubled mother and child’s grievous attempts at understanding. Katie is constantly at odds with the “nature versus nurture” hypothesis—has she inherited her mother’s substance abuse tendencies, or is she merely coping with the hardships that life has thrown her? 

The novel reads like a journal—it’s a small story, never leaving the tiny coastal town where its characters are from. It’s about the everyday familial struggle, the way life alters plans and relationships and doesn’t bother checking to see if you’ve kept up.

For the most part, I sympathized with Katie. The foreshadowing is a little heavy-handed at times, and I was constantly trying to figure out just how self-aware Katie really was about her actions. I think this had a good bit to do with the plot pacing. It was generally brisk, but it highlighted certain scenes that I didn’t think were necessary to the story’s core. Other times, though, it skipped ahead before I was fully done with a scene, and that was both frustrating and disorienting. 

I admire the characterizations in this novel, though. Katie is a talented young woman who is, at her best, a kind and loving mother. The reader doesn’t have to seek out her obvious love for her child and family, but her goodness, at times, is masked by the demons that seem to plague the female side of her family. 

There were times when I questioned some of the story “threads”. Things are brought up but never fully explained. Even at the end of the novel, I had so many questions. I understand that the author was attempting to convey a “new start” for Katie, and that her possible recovery lent the novel an “up in the air” ending. Which is natural, but I believe a few more of the story lines could have been tied up without losing its sense of tentative hope.

I really enjoyed Poppi’s character. Actually, he was probably my favorite. For Dennis, Katie’s long-time love interest and best friend, I felt sympathy for and an innate understanding. He is a driven man who has a life plan that he, at first, is unwilling to alter. I think we’ve all been in his position, and he handled it the best way he knew how.

Overall, it was an engrossing read that focused mainly on character development, which I appreciate. It’s main themes are powerful, as well—how far will you allow yourself go to escape life’s troubles? And what is more important? Dulling the senses in order to get by, or mustering a near impossible strength to overcome a weakness that may or may not have been inherited? It’s also about following in your parent’s footsteps. It’s far easier to do so than you’d think, but there is only so much you can blame a parent for. Inner strength is a puissant thing, and Katie, with the help of her new-found and all-encompassing love for her child, seems to find it in the end. 

Reviewed by M.B. Sellers

Book Information
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Publication date: 9/24/2013
Pages: 354

Review: Illegal: Reflections of an Undocumented Immigrant by Jose Angel N

Summary
A day after N. first crossed the U.S. border from Mexico, he was caught and then released onto the streets of Tijuana. Undeterred, N. crawled back through a tunnel to San Diego, where he entered the United States forever. Illegal: Reflections of an Undocumented Immigrant is his timely and compelling memoir of building a new life in America. Authorial anonymity is required to protect this life.

Arriving in the 1990s with a 9th grade education, N. traveled to Chicago where he found access to ESL classes and GED classes. He eventually attended college and graduate school and became a professional translator.

Despite having a well-paying job, N. was isolated by a lack of official legal documentation. Travel concerns made big promotions out of reach. Vacation time was spent hiding at home, pretending that he was on a long-planned trip. The simple act of purchasing his girlfriend a beer at a Cubs baseball game caused embarrassment and shame when N. couldn't produce a valid ID. A frustrating contradiction, N. lived in a luxury high-rise condo but couldn't fully live the American dream. He did, however, find solace in the one gift America gave him–-his education.

Ultimately, N.’s is the story of the triumph of education over adversity. In Illegal he debunks the stereotype that undocumented immigrants are freeloaders without access to education or opportunity for advancement. With bravery and honesty, N. details the constraints, deceptions, and humiliations that characterize alien life "amid the shadows."

Review
There was a time when coming to America was dreamed upon and the promises of prosperity and a better life were the catalysts that drove so many from their native homelands starting new in this country that promised it all. Immigrants from all over were welcomed and embraced to be part of a country whose cultural diversity symbolized its melting pot. So many stories of people coming here with nothing and making a better life was the definition of the American dream. 

So, why can’t everyone have that American dream? Depending on which side of the issue your thoughts lie, Illegal: Reflections of an Undocumented Immigrant, really put in perspective a face on a stereotype of the person who comes into this country illegally.  When I started reading, it brought many conflicting thoughts. Even though so many people all over the world come here illegally, the focus has only been on one segment of the population. Even though I don’t agree on how the author and so many alike came here and the methods used to obtain identities, his story is one that represents the ones who should be given the opportunity to work for the dream.

This memoir isn’t just about the life of the author but for others similar. It really gives the reader an opportunity to understand and hear the perspective of many of the undocumented who wants to come here to live the American dream. These aren’t the stereotype of the freeloaders who just want to take but not give. These are the kind of people that want to be a part of what makes us great to: have a nice job, family, get an education and be a participant in everyday life. Even for those like himself that get the experience life on the outside with all the benefits of hard work, his honest reflections tells a tale of the humiliations of all that comes “living in the shadows” undocumented and how it imprisons your life. 

Whether you choose to read this book based upon your own personal thoughts, it definitely gives a voice and a perspective on an issue that has divided our opinions for some time now. Chances are, you are like many, whose has had a relative come here as an immigrant with the same passion in their heart to live what so many can only dream about. Even though the methods for so many are not the right way to become citizens, we can find a way to make it better to encourage the right way for those who want a better life.

Reviewed by Michelle Bowles

Book Information
Publisher: University of Illinois Press
Publication date: 2/15/2014
Pages: 128

Review: Embracing the Chaos by Bob Miglani

Summary
Like many of us, Bob Miglani felt overwhelmed and anxious. He worried constantly about his job, his finances, and his family. It was a chance invitation to India, the land of his birth, that finally freed him.India, Miglani writes, is “the capital of chaos”: over a billion people living on one-third the space of the United States. And it was there that he learned to let go. The secret is to stop trying to control the chaos and focus on what you can control—your own actions, words, and thoughts. Move forward, make mistakes, trust your intuition, find your purpose.

In this inspiring book, Miglani shares the experiences and encounters that helped him finally get it. What happens when you find yourself in an Indian village with no money and a plane to catch? How could an educated urban woman agree to a marriage after two dates? What keeps a rural health worker motivated despite the enormous need and such limited ability to help? What does trying to catch an insanely overcrowded bus teach you about perfection? Embracing the chaos, Miglani found, “leads us down paths we never would have walked on...It brings out strengths we never knew existed inside of us.”

Review
The best lessons in life are the ones you learn when you sit back and simply as the title suggests, "Embrace the Chaos.” In this insightful, inspirational and at times funny read, Bob Miglani, like so many of us, suffers from as he puts “hurry sickness – always somewhere, never being anywhere.” We are stressed out constantly and worrying about our jobs, finances and families, all things that are beyond our control. By doing this, we get wrapped up so tightly at a times that we simply cannot enjoy the best thing in front of us, our life. 

Through an opportunity to visit his native India and through a series of trips over the years, he was inspired to change his life. Sharing his experiences through the many stories and the insightful advice, he learned how to let go and focus on what he could control. His practical tips to accept, not overthink and move forward is what changed his life today.

His book is not preachy or filled with abstract terms that go over your head. It is definitely a quick read but a nice one that hopefully will put many things in perspective. Even though his personal journeys took place in India, the lessons learned from his experiences are universal and ones you can incorporate in your own life.

Reviewed by Michelle Bowles 

Book Information
Publisher: Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc.
Publication date: 10/7/2013
Pages: 168

Review: Cress by Marissa Meyer

Summary
Rapunzel’s tower is a satellite. She can’t let down her hair—or her guard. 

In this third book in the bestselling Lunar Chronicles series, Cinder and Captain Thorne are fugitives on the run, with Scarlet and Wolf in tow. Together, they’re plotting to overthrow Queen Levana and her army. 

Their best hope lies with Cress, who has been trapped on a satellite since childhood with only her netscreens as company. All that screen time has made Cress an excellent hacker—unfortunately, she’s just received orders from Levana to track down Cinder and her handsome accomplice. 

When a daring rescue goes awry, the group is separated. Cress finally has her freedom, but it comes at a high price. Meanwhile, Queen Levana will let nothing stop her marriage to Emperor Kai. Cress, Scarlet, and Cinder may not have signed up to save the world, but they may be the only ones who can.

Review
You always need a plot to drive a story, with enough twists and turns to keep you guessing. It needs to surprise you so much, that you will be happy when you are wrong in assuming in what is going to happen next. You also need characters that can help carry the weight of the story, long enough to draw you in and capture your imagination. They need to seem real enough that you even begin to feel that you are next to them in the action, and that consequences will be dire, even for you.

Marissa Meyer does all this and even more.

It is impossible to not already be captivated in the story from her previous two novels in the series, Cinder andScarlet. There are some who believe that as you progress in a series, the plot may die down and even become boring, but that is definitely not the case here. You finally get to meet Cress again, after meeting her briefly in the first book. And while she seems very weak and a liability in the beginning, she definitely earns her place in the group, and turns into an essential asset. Captain Thorne is still his selfish, charming, self, but he may surprise you once or twice in the novel.

Scarlet also cements her vitality in the group, and especially in Wolf’s life. She still is the girl who doesn’t know when to keep her mouth shut, but you will never want to scold her for doing so. She isn’t afraid to make a stand, and you wish that there are more people like her in the world. Wolf seems still on edge, but you can’t help but root for him and feel his pain as he continues to suffer from his demons.

You learn more about Prince Kai, and while he does some commit some pretty hefty mistakes, you also want to give him a big hug to help him get through the whirlwind of his life. Cinder of course, is at the top of her game, and while everyone comes together to make the puzzle, she is still the one who takes center stage, and the one you want to keep your focus on.

I didn’t think it was possible to want the date for the release of the final book, Winter to be any closer, but after reading Cress, I found it to be true. This book definitely knocks it out of the park, and the series doesn’t seem to be losing its light.

Reviewed by Mercedes Olivas

Book Information
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Publication date: 2/4/2014
Pages: 560