What Lies Between Us

What Lies Between Us

by John Marrs

Blurb:

They say every house has its secrets, and the house that Maggie and Nina have shared for so long is no different. Except that these secrets are not buried in the past.

Every other night, Maggie and Nina have dinner together. When they are finished, Nina helps Maggie back to her room in the attic, and into the heavy chain that keeps her there. Because Maggie has done things to Nina that can’t ever be forgiven, and now she is paying the price.

But there are many things about the past that Nina doesn’t know, and Maggie is going to keep it that way—even if it kills her.

Because in this house, the truth is more dangerous than lies.

My Reaction:

This started off well enough, but by the end I was disappointed and just glad to be done with the sorry thing.  

The premise is intriguing, and I was curious to see how it would all play out.  I quickly developed some theories, and sure enough, they were correct.  Ordinarily, that would leave me uncertain of whether to be proud that I'd been so perceptive or annoyed that it was too predictable (a sentiment amusingly shared by one of the characters as she ponders her own penchant for reading mystery-thrillers), however, after my "twist" predictions all came true (and yes, it was a bit annoying that they were presented as twists, when they were so obvious), there were a few more twists and turns waiting in the wings.  

So, was that a positive or a negative?  I just don't know!  On one level, yes, it was unexpected.  On another, some of it was unexpected because it was either straight out of Cuckoo Town, relying heavily on characters behaving stupidly.  After a while you find yourself mumbling to the book, "Oh, come on!"  Eye-rolling and sighing may occur.  And in the end, you just kind of shrug.  Okay, book, if you say so.  Whatever, I guess.  

Another reviewer described this book as simultaneously predictable and unrealistic, and that encapsulates my feelings completely.  I found the reading of this book morphed from an interesting experience into one of frustration.  And worse yet, one of the plot points I didn't see coming until it smacked me in the face is among my least-favorite things to read or think about.  (It's health-related, and I'll leave it at that, to avoid a direct spoiler.)  I just can't bear reading books about this topic.  Because it cropped up so late in the book, I didn't want to just drop the book entirely, so I skimmed around those parts, to the best of my abilities, but it certainly didn't improve my enjoyment of the reading experience!

Ultimately, it wasn't a bad book, but it wasn't a good choice for me.  I found it very lacking in any sort of satisfying conclusion.  Maybe that was meant to be "the point", but... Blah to that!

The Starlight Barking

The Starlight Barking

by Dodie Smith

Blurb:

Dodie Smith's The Hundred and One Dalmatians, later adapted by Disney, was declared a classic when first published in 1956. The Starlight Barking, Dodie's own long-forgotten sequel, is a thrilling new adventure for Pongo and his family, lavishly illustrated by the same artist team as the first book. As the story opens, every living creature except dogs is gripped by an enchanted sleep. One of the original Dalmatian puppies, all grown up since the first novel, is now the Prime Minister's mascot. Relying on her spotted parents for guidance, she assumes emergency leadership for the canine population of England. Awaiting advice from Sirius, the Dog Star, dogs of every breed crowd Trafalgar Square to watch the evening skies. The message they receive is a disturbing proposition, one that might forever destroy their status as "man's best friend."

My Reaction:

(This was another 372 Pages We'll Never Get Back read with Donald.)

It's been decades since I've seen Disney's adaptation of the first book, and I've never read it (though I have read I Capture the Castle multiple times, and seen the film version).  I wasn't sure what to expect from this book, but I certainly wasn't expecting this.  It's... Well, it's just weird.  

It's impossible to say how I'd have felt about this as a member of its target audience—that is, a child, or at least someone who had read and loved the first book as a child.  Would I have found it charming or dull?  As an adult, I found there were a few oddities that stuck out (such as the strange bits about the different dog breeds and the importance of maintaining breed standards), but for the most part it was simply a bit boring.  Some elements were rather dark for children, too (thinking specifically of Sirius' motivation for whisking all the dogs away from Earth, which is a spoiler, but... Eh, I don't think it'll be a problem!)

It's a strange book, to say the least.  

 

I didn't know much about Dodie Smith's life before starting this, and was surprised to learn that she and her husband moved to live in the U.S. during WWII, because he was a conscientious objector.  That's interesting, given some of the jokes made on the 372-Pages podcast.  

I hardly know how to rate this one.  Personally, I didn't enjoy the book.