Showing posts with label 1 Star Books. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 1 Star Books. Show all posts

“The Remarkable Life and Times of Eliza Rose,” by Mary Hooper

“The Remarkable Life and Times of Eliza Rose,” by Mary Hooper, was one of the most disappointing historical novels I have ever read.

Book Cover of The Remarkable Life and Times of Eliza Rose by Mary HooperThe storyline is set in the seventeenth century. Eliza Rose is a fifteen-year-old girl who travels to London to find her father. Soon she is imprisoned for stealing a mouthful of pastry from a shop. When a woman gains her release from jail Eliza feels that her life is taking a turn for the better. Little does she realize, but everyone in London wants something from her. Eliza travels throughout London using a variety of disguises, but in the end it turns out to be harder that she thought to find what she really wants: a place where she can belong.

“The Remarkable Life and Times of Eliza Rose,” had a plot that could hardly be considered remarkable: the child of rich nobles grows up with a peasant family and then finally discovers her true family. This rather cliché plot forms the backbone of so many books that it almost gets tiring. Usually the author finds a good way to conceal it behind twists and turns in the storyline. Mary Hooper, however, reveals the truth in the book's first few pages, then tries to enliven Eliza's story using sex. From reading “The Remarkable Life and Times of Eliza Rose” one would think that nearly everyone in seventeenth century London was either a prostitute, a mistress, a pimp, or something in-between. Surely there must have been a better way to breathe life into a worn out plot.

Unfortunately, I would have to say that “The Remarkable Life and Times of Eliza Rose” was rather disappointing to me.

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Inkweaver Review 2008-09-30T08:43:00-05:00

“North” by Alan Zweibel

“North” by Alan Zweibel is a novel with a great cover but disappointing content.

The main character is young North, a kid who’s qualities should make anyone appreciate him. But his parents never notice his good grades, great batting average, etc. North feels that his parents don’t deserve him, so he goes to court and wins “free agency.” North then embarks on a ridiculous search for the “perfect” parents.

“North” does not offer a quality reading experience. It’s has an exaggerated quality that gives it the feeling of a cheap movie, and the book’s plot is lacking in both substance and delivery. If you want to read something that is interesting and worthwhile, then “North” is not the book for you.

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Book Cover of North by Alan ZweibelPlot

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Inkweaver Review 2008-04-29T09:49:00-05:00