Saturday, Aug 8, 2009

Book Review: The Beach House by Jane Green

Author: Jane Green

Publisher: Plume/Penguin

ISBN #:  978-0-452-29538-4

Type:  Fiction:Women’s

Pages: 341 Trade Paperback

Published:  June 17, 2008

Website:  www.jane green.com/

Purchase:  $10.20 @ Amazon (HERE) 

The Story

“Known in Nantucket as the crazy woman who lives in the rambling house atop the bluff, Nan doesn’t care what people think. At sixty-five-years old, her husband died twenty years ago, her beauty has faded, and her family has flown. If her neighbors are away, why shouldn’t she skinny dip in their swimming pools and help herself to their flowers? But when she discovers the money she thought would last forever is dwindling and she could lose her beloved house, Nan knows she has to make drastic changes.“

So Nan takes out an ad: Rooms to rent for the summer in a beautiful old Nantucket home with water views and direct access to the beach. Slowly, people start moving into the house, filling it with noise, with laughter, and with tears. As the house comes alive again, Nan finds her family expanding. Her son comes home for the summer, and then an unexpected visitor turns all their lives upside-down.

(Excerpt is from www.janegreen.com)

The Review

Before I became a book review blogger, I absolutely loved (and was lost in) the simplest of fiction.  I knew that I loved to read and I adored visiting book stores to pick out the hidden gems.  Over the past year, my reading has evolved.  What I mean by this is that I’ve read a number of really wonderful literary works that much of the fun/light reading has paled in comparison.  On the flip side of this is the fact that I’ve also been feeling weighted by heavy reads.  There has to be a perfect medium… a balance, of sorts, where the novel is well written and yet absorbs my heart into a story.  Guess what?  The Beach House was just that for me!   This story of romance, family, tragedy, and redemption just kept my mind busy during a couple of dark days which would have normally sent me into a long nap or a television craze.  I wanted to read this book… so much so that I kept my eyes open when I got sleepy just to find out what happened next.  

Hallelujah!

Hallelujah!

I needed this book to revive my lust for reading and it did just that. 

The Beach House was a very well-written piece of fiction that just gave me pure pleasure.  Some readers like romance or mystery… or even the classics.  Those books are what they crave.  I think that Women’s Fiction, Romance, and ChickLit are just my favorite genres to dive into.  And, I need more of them in my reading diet to keep me a happy reader.  The Beach House reminded me of that part of myself that I’ve been ignoring. 

So, what else can I share about what I liked about Jane Green’s novel?  She does a great job at character development, story lines, multiple characters, and keeping the reader’s attention for the duration of the book.  Albeit a tad predictable, it was a very enjoyable read.  This is THE PERFECT SUMMER poolside, airplane, or beach read for a gal who is ready to lose herself in a good story.  There is enough here to make you both sad and happy for the characters in the novel.  Jane Green writes good fiction and I’m looking forward to reading another! 

I’d love to hear about your opinions of this book, Second Chance or Dune Road if you’ve read them…

The Rating

On Sher’s “Out of Ten Scale,” I would rate this book an 8.5 out of 10. Why?  Because I just flew through it.  I was emotionally involved in the storyline and just plainly felt excited about reading what was coming up next.  What would I have done to make this a 10?  Well, I think that the story summary on the back of the book gives away too much of what will happen.  I always had a feeling about a “surprise visitor,” however I would have preferred it truly being a surprise without knowing that one was coming.  Also, if the author/editor made minor edits to the paragraphs the novel that would indicate whose storyline you were shifting to, that would have made the read more seamless.   Other than that, I just relaxed and went for the ride.  It was pleasure book that I sorely needed and craved.  Kudos to Jane Green… I want to read more!

Thank you to Liz and Laurie for the opportunity to read this great novel.

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