Jennifer DuBois (1) (1983–)

As a fan of [b:Cartwheel|17857661|Cartwheel|Jennifer duBois|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1375820584s/17857661.jpg|24998893], I was very excited to see a new title from Jennifer duBois. At the center of the novel is Matthew Miller, a gay NYC attorney turned Maury Povitch style talk show host. In alternating chapters, we hear from Semi, a playwright and Mattie's former lover, and Cel, a pr flak for the Mattie M show. Matthew's earlier life, before and during the AID epidemic is seen through Semi's point of view. In the present, as seen through Cel's world, Matthew's television show is at the center of a huge news story about a Columbine style shooting by two teenage boys.

To say this book took on a lot would be an understatement. It attempts to tackle the AIDS epidemic AND the coarsening of American culture and tie them together through these three characters. For me, it didn't really work. The storyline narrated by Semi that addresses the AIDS epidemic was far superior, and I think this book could have been so much better had it maintained that singular focus. Chapter 19 was beautifully written, and I think it represents what duBois can really do with her writing. She has an incredible vocabularly and can write in a poetic, but very fresh, way that makes you really think. This book doesn't spoon feed the reader a thing, and in some ways that is very intellectually stimulating.

Unfortunately, the portion of the story about the shooting, the blaming of the show, and Cel's attempt to handle it, was very dull. None of the three characters is really as fully developed as they need to be to stir empathy in the reader, but Cel's was the one that seemed especially flat.

If only the book had tightened its focus and kept it squarely on gay life in NYC and the devastation of the AIDS epidemic, it could have been something more special. If all the chapters were like chapter 19, it would have been a five star read for me.



… (lisätietoja)

This book is clearly fiction, but it draws heavily upon the Amanda Knox case for inspiration. And when I say "inspiration", I mean plot.

It should be stated up front that this book is NOT a suspense book. It's not a mystery. It's not a legal thriller.

It's a book that slowly unveils the psychology of a family in the midst of a crisis. If you like psychological novels where the real action is in the minds of the characters, then this book is one you will embrace. If you are looking for more, I fear you will be disappointed.

After reading Cartwheel, I felt more like I was discovering an author who is going to be a huge talent. First, her vocabulary far exceeds most authors. Her writing is not pretentious, but I did find myself using my Kindle dictionary a LOT, and I feel as though I have a pretty strong vocabulary myself. Second, she reveals her characters in a unique and in depth way. She used a lot of different perspectives, and I liked that as you could see how the crisis was being perceived by each person's eyes. In fact, I would argue that the whole book was about perception . . .and how perception is one's own reality, but that it can be different from actual reality.

If you don't know much about the Amanda Knox case, I feel you'd actually be better off in terms of enjoying this book. If you know a lot about the case, the differences tend to jump out at you . . .and that annoyed me a bit because I think I would have liked the book even more if I wasn't constantly comparing and contrasting the characters to their real life counterparts.I really, really look forward to reading more from this talented author because I think she has five star talent that may not have been totally revealed in Cartwheel.… (lisätietoja)

“That's an applicable life lesson, my boy,' he'd said. 'Nobody is really paying attention to you. Most people don't really get this. They think they must count more to other people than other people count to them. They can't believe the disregard could truly be mutual.”
― Jennifer duBois, Cartwheel

I had a difficult time with this one. Maybe it is because I have read similiar books and not all that long ago. For whatever reason I was not able to really get into this book in the way I had thought I would.

It seems books about female friends, one being accused of murdering the other are quite popular these days. And "The Dangerous Girls" is among my all time favorites so I can see why. I had heard about Cartwheel and was anxious to read it. While not awful, it was not the best read for me. Here's why:

Some of the wording in this book was confusing. There was this game I used to play with family and friends way back when called "Dictionary". Someone would look up a word that nobody knew the meaning of and everyone else would write down a "fake" definition. Then the person who had looked up the word, would read all the definitions including the real one and everyone would try to guess which one was the real meaning.

In Cartwheel there were so many words I did not know the meaning of, any "Dictionary" player could just get some of those words here. And I see by some of the reviews there are others who felt the same way.

I like to think I know words pretty well but this was something else again. And I just felt it took away from the story a bit.

Then there is the way all the characters, interacted with each other. I just could not get over the affected way they all spoke and I kept saying to myself, "most people do not talk like this". As a result I always knew I was reading a book and could not become immersed in the story.

I did like some things. I was never really sure whether she was innocent or not. The author did a very good job with that and keeps you guessing.

SPOILERS:

I would have liked to know, at the end, what the truth was, given that as I did invest time in reading it. I know these days, many books end in that abstract way leaving the reader to figure it out but in this case I'd have liked to know. I am not as big a fan of these types of endings as others.

At any rate, there were pluses in reading this book and for someone who can get over the issues I mentioned they may find it highly enjoyable. It was not for me.… (lisätietoja)