Kaseys Korner

The Moon Sister

** spoiler alert ** Any new books in 'The Seven Sisters' series are an automatic pre-order for me. It makes me wonder then, why, when I received 'The Moon Sister' back in February (upon its release) I didn't instantly read it??? Five months it sat in a stack on my sofa table but holy hallelujah, finally the cover has been cracked, the pages flipped and Tiggy's story is officially ensconced in my memory. 

I absolutely loved her Spanish ancestors and reading about the music and art of Flamenco dancing. It was SO interesting, I found I required a visual!! ha. YouTube to the rescue. If you haven't ever seen a Flamenco dancer perform, like I hadn't, it's even more impressive after watching a few videos (or even better in person I bet!) It takes considerableexpertise to maneuver the ruffled trains on the dresses (how easily an unskilled dancer would get tangled up in them) all while concurrently keeping up a rapid pace of foot work. Thinking about Tiggy's tiny grandmother pounding out this energetic dance night after night was nothing short of incredulous. Maybe it seemed so realistic because Lucia was such a vivacious character ~ springing impossibly to life from introduction. Incredible the power of words to have that effect considering they're just ink printed on a flat surface of paper. 

Tiggy, in comparison, didn't possess any of her fiery personality or insatiable drive. Instead, she was like the calm in the swirling vortex of a hurricane. Had they been able to spend time together, I'm convinced she would have faded into the background in Lucias presence. I definitely got more out of the Granada timeline than the Scottish (present day) one, surprising as I would have guessed the opposite at the onset of reading. It was just stronger & the characters & culture more engrossing. 

One drawback of reading a series as the books are released, as opposed to binging on them all at once, are the memory lapses. At this point, it's been four years since I read the first book and I feel I need a refresher on the details of the first couple sisters. All the dropped hints about Pa Salt are a bit fuzzy too. I just know there's something shady about his death/disappearance that's been alluded to in every sisters story. 

The teeniest little complaint I have about the books is that I sometimes have trouble with the "tidy" romances at the end. Tiggy & Charlie were a perfect example but I remember thinking the same thing about Star as well. They just seem to bloom up from no where but aren't completely believable. I can't be the only one who feels that way?? As the books are journeys about the sisters tracing their biological roots, I don't feel wrapping with an awkward, undeveloped romance is necessary. I'd be happy leaving that part out ~ and everyone knows how much I like a romance, just not a "forced" one.

Definitely committed to finishing out the series tho now that I'm in so deep!

Everybody's Son

** spoiler alert ** This book tackled a lot of heavy topics; racism & privilege being uppermost in my mind but there was an element of addiction, interracial dating, nepotism, politics, teenage pregnancy, south vs north, etc., etc., all added in the mix. In fact, I can hardly think of one "hot button" topic that wasn't touched upon. I'm convinced they weren't all necessary to tell the story. 

Anton (the protagonist) suffered more than anyone else in the story, which made sense as he was the victim/pawn of everyone involved. Understandably, he had difficulties figuring out his true identity. It would have been hard enough being bi-racial and fatherless to boot, but then add in the disadvantages of living in the projects with a drug addicted Mother. But plucking him out of poverty and plopping him into the lap of luxury, didn't resolve his internal struggle even as he outwardly adapted and excelled in his enriched environment. It could have been a really compelling story if only it were better written & if it were easier to feel connected to the characters. Sadly, most of them I couldn't bring myself to care much about at all.

It was a little annoying that the author tried to convince us that Anton's Mother made "one" mistake, which is how he landed up in the Coleman household. Ummm, no. Weren't we told by Anton himself that she often left him alone? Just not for seven days but often enough he enjoyed it & was used to drugs, parties, etc. How he came to be adopted, also cemented how most working class people perceive the way justice works for the wealthy. So many tropes & then the cliche phrases ~ Georgia on my mind, blood is thicker than water, etc. I'm not saying all the societal issues are irrelevant (or even incorrect,) maybe the book just needed a better editor or way to present them? A few less issues would have been a relief for the reader & the remaining ones could have been fleshed out more fully rather than hopping from topic to topic. It will be interesting to discuss in book club & see if I'm alone in my feelings.

The Immortalists

I love the concept of this book, I've discussed the topic before with friends and my answer is always an emphatic "NO!" Not a "no thank you" or a polite "not today" but No, No, No!! as in NO WAY ~ I do NOT want to look into a crystal ball & see (or hear) the future and most especially, I do NOT want to know my death date. I think it's a GREAT discussion topic tho which is why I wanted to read the book. Hearing a death date for yourself as a child, wow, the impact on minds so impressionable & still forming, monumental . I kept wondering all the way thru, did they get accurate prophecies or self fulfilling ones?? In some cases it seems a stronger case for self fulfilling?? 

A phrase that kept repeating in the book was "words have power." All of us know that to be truth & it was certainly the case for the four Gold siblings. The words they heard a constant & underlying factor driving their lives. I would say 'The Immortalists' is a cautionary tale. One good for contemplation, discussion and reflection. Be careful and prepared if you go poking about in the realms of the unknown. It may have lifetime ramifications.