June 10, 2013

The Book Blog Tour: Review & Giveaway



The Book
Author: Jessica Bell
Genre: Adult Contemporary Novella
Release Date: January 18, 2013

Buy Link: Amazon

Description:

This book is not The Book. The Book is in this book. And The Book in this book is both the goodie and the baddie.

Bonnie is five. She wants to bury The Book because it is a demon that should go to hell. Penny, Bonnie’s mother, does bury The Book, but every day she digs it up and writes in it. John, Bonnie’s father, doesn’t live with them anymore. But he still likes to write in it from time to time. Ted, Bonnie’s stepfather, would like to write in The Book, but Penny won’t allow it.

To Bonnie, The Book is sadness.
To Penny, The Book is liberation.
To John, The Book is forgiveness.
To Ted, The Book is envy.
But The Book in this book isn’t what it seems at all.

If there was one thing in this world you wished you could hold in your hand, what would it be? The world bets it would be The Book.  


The Book is a contemporary adult novella that tells the story of Bonnie, a girl born prematurely in the late 1970s. The book alternates between journal entries addressed to Bonnie from her mom and dad and to pieces of the story told from Bonnie's point of view as a young child. There are also some doctor sessions between Bonnie and Dr. Wright thrown in. The story tells the tale of a book created while Penny, Bonnie's mother, is still pregnant. Bonnie's parents write her letters in the journal, which they plan on giving her when she's older. Once Bonnie grows to about four years old, we begin to read about events as Bonnie sees them. The reader gets to learn about Bonnie's life - her thoughts, feelings, things she doesn't understand, and the state of her family. It's a really interesting way to tell a story and I like the alternating points of view as well as the journal entries. It allows the reader to connect with different characters throughout the story instead of just one. There are some heavy topics talked about in the book, especially those of family, love, betrayal, hope, and grief. There's a huge twist at the end that I hated, but I can see how it would make sense in the scheme of things. This is a novella, so it's not very long - but the amount of emotion and detail that the author put into it is just as effective as a full length novel. Definitely recommended for fans of contemporary adult literature.

If Jessica Bell could choose only one creative mentor, she'd give the role to Euterpe, the Greek muse of music and lyrics. This is not only because she currently resides in Athens, Greece, but because of her life as a thirty-something Australian-native contemporary fiction author, poet and singer/songwriter/guitarist, whose literary inspiration often stems from songs she's written. Jessica is the Co-Publishing Editor of Vine Leaves Literary Journal and annually runs the Homeric Writers' Retreat & Workshop on the Greek island of Ithaca. For more information, please visit her website: www.jessicabellauthor.com

Links:
Giveaway: (1) ebook copy of THE BOOK - Open Internationally!



Grand Prize Giveaway: (2) signed copies of The Book (International)


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2 comments:

  1. Thank you for this lovely review! I'm sorry you disliked the ending. But I'm a sucker for the non-happy ending and I can't help myself! :-) Cheers!

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  2. Great review, Steph! It sounds like a great read and I'm super curious about that twist now!

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