Ironic Read 1: P.S. I Love You by Ceclia Ahern

I am one of those readers that normally strays away from books that are being devoured by the general public, particularly non-bookworms. So, I had no intention of reading Ceclia Ahern's P.S. I Love You- an international bestseller. I knew it had been made into a feature film, but I had also heard rave reviews from the aforementioned non-readers around me. Why I turn away from such crowd-pleasing novels is a whole other story. That being said, I must explain why I picked up this book. Long story short: I have been reading books in the virtual form far too long. And let's face it;e-books DO NOT have the charm of paper and ink. I read this book out of necessity. Indeed, my collection of digital tomes is at an all time low and I just came back from visiting book-phobic relatives who happen to have a threateningly low number of leisure-reading books and very many weight-enhancing albeit tasty food items. So, as you must have surmised, P.S. I Love You happened to be in their book collection (it was a gift I was told that only one member of the family has read so far). A real, mouthwatering, paperback- I couldn’t say no!

This story starts with a sobbing widow Holly Kennedy. It has been over a month since the death of her childhood sweetheart and soul mate Gerry. In midst of her heartbreak, confusion, and trauma she picks up a call from her mother who tells her Gerry had left a packet addressed to Holly. Holly finally makes it out of her house to claim her packet which turns out to contain ten letters, one for each of the remaining months of the year, which Gerry had written on his deathbed. These letters all dictate one thing Holly must do that month. Along with her closest friends and kind, big family, Holly makes it through the year. She even makes new friends, one who almost becomes more than just a friend. She overcomes fears and does things that bring back painful memories of Gerry. She becomes a stronger person.

The book is well written, but I cannot help but think it doesn’t send out the best message. Holly’s pain is understandable. She keeps lapsing into long phases of despair and hopelessness. She cannot bring herself to be happy for the good news in her friends’ lives, and she feels guilty for this. These are all things that are expected for a person who just lost a loved one, but Holly’s solution to all of this inevitably seems to be drinking and partying. I mean, fine, Gerry indirectly encourages this behavior through his monthly requests, and yes, they are Irish (stereotypes, stereotypes...), but overall, it all seems quite insensitive. I think Ahern could have aimed for a better route to recovery. When Holly isn’t whining and pining over Gerry or ignoring the people who care for her, she’s getting drunk! Not that Gerry’s plan doesn’t work. Holly manages to start to pull herself, her finances, and life together by the end of the year, but it seems haphazard. This book didn’t cut it for me. I could read through it without getting bored, indeed I did stay up till 3 A.M. to finish it, but I stand by my previous statement. This highly popular book is indeed overrated. The best reason I could think of for reading this book is that I got it in paperback form!

Rating: 2/5 Stars

Book Review: The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey

Our society today has this morbid fascination of dark, cannibalistic creatures that prowl the night and pounce on the nearest unsuspecting human. These creatures, more often than not, possess excessive strength accompanied by an excessive physical beauty which makes them all the more attractive to the eyes of their prey. You are sorely mistaken if you think you will find such brazenly beautiful and lustful predators in ‘The Monstrumologist’. But what you will find will blow your socks off!

Hardcover|434 pages|Published September 22nd 2009 by Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers|Edition language: English

Our narrator, William James Henry, dies at an old age home alone and without an heir. He leaves behind a few journals which seem more like a figment of his imagination than a real life diary. In it he claims he was born in the year 1876, which makes him 131 years old at the time of his death. If that is not unreal enough, he describes bizarre events that apparently occurred when he was an apprentice of a certain Dr. Pellinore Warthrop who is described as being a “monstrumologist”. He claims that the recalcitrant, singularly curious doctor discovered the existence of a seemingly mythical species known as the Anthropophagi – hideous, headless creatures with maws equipped with rows upon rows of shark-like teeth and large black, orb-like eyes set in their shoulders; their food of choice being Homo sapiens.

A twelve year old Will Henry, orphaned in a terrible fire that left him homeless and alone, is taken in by the Monstrumologist; who was also the employer of Will Henry’s father. Although they do not share a bond of love, the doctor and his assistant find a reluctant companion in each other. Everything takes a turn for the worse when a grave robber arrives at midnight on the doctor’s doorstep with an appalling cargo – a dead Anthropophagus wrapped around the corpse of a young girl in a sick imitation of an embrace. That is where the real adventure starts! Can Will Henry and his whimsical guardian overcome the infestation that has been brought to the shores of their town? And an even more unnerving question still remains – did the events described in the old man’s journal really occur, or is it a figment of his imagination?

The novel was pretty gripping, a sure page-turner. The character of Dr. Warthrop was equal parts whimsical, intelligent, sensitive and intractable. You cannot help but sympathize with his need for approval from a father who’s long been dead; a father who never loved him as a child. His intimacy issues are what make him a flawed character with a certain depth. And it is quite evident that he is carrying forward his father’s legacy, both in Monstrumology as well as when it comes to raising a child. He never treats Will Henry cruelly, mind you. But he never treats him as a child either. According to the doctor, “Will Henry’s services are indispensable” to him. His services mind, and not Will Henry himself; though I hardly expected the reclusive doctor to admit to it in the first few pages.

As for Will Henry (our narrator), he could have run away long before the gory events in the spring of 1888. But he sticks by the doctor’s side through it all. Answers to all his “Snap to’s” and “Will Henreeeee’s” without a complaint. He feels responsible for the doctor somehow. Maybe because his father felt the same way; or because, deep in his heart, he knows his father died serving the doctor. And he does not want to disappoint his father. Like the doctor, he too is striving hard for the approval that would never come.

The doctor is apparently unresponsive to Will’s demands at first. But as the plot progresses, and the mystery of the anthropophagi’s appearance in New Jerusalem starts to unravel, does the doctor start showing his lesser-known sensitive side. The character of John Kearns aka Richard Cory aka John J. J. Schmidt is a total treat! I don’t really know why I liked him so much; he was probably the most flawed character in the book. But he brings a brand of dark humor into the plot that the serious, strong-willed doctor could never have. He is pretty despicable, yes, but he is still the most interesting character in the story. And he is also responsible for the most gore aside from the anthropophagi. Wits and violence, I likey!

I must warn you though; there is a lot of graphic description of gore in this book. If you are not comfortable with that, you should not pick this as your next read. But if you are like me, meaning if you do not mind stories about blood and cannibalism, jump right in! I assure you, you won’t be disappointed. On the contrary, this is a fresh take on urban-fantasy-meets-historical-fiction.

Verdict: Don’t miss this for the WORLD!

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