If I can keep up this pace I may actually exceed my goal for the year. I should not get ahead of myself though.
Book number eight this year is one that for me, has a history. Back in late 2000, just before Thanksgiving, I discovered this debut work by Christopher Rice. It was a very strange time in my life. I had just graduated from high school that June, and my best friend was away at college. I was working my way through college while living at home and I was really unhappy. It is so sad now for me to look back on that time and think of it as sad, but unfortunately that is the best characterization. I had a tumultuous relationship with my biological father, and my relationship with my dad was not in a much better state. I was traveling back and forth from NJ to MA (Williams College in Williamstown, MA) to visit my bestie - who I was not prepared to be away from - every possible weekend I could and I was trying to form a relationship with a man that had walls more impossible to get through than Ft. Knox. I was not sure where my life was headed and all I really wanted to do was spend as much time out of the house as possible. With a really limited budget and no money for gas I went where I could get what I believed at the time was a good coffee and a decent soup/sandwich combo, the local Barnes and Noble.
I would walk for what seemed like hours, scouring the shelves for new books and authors to explore and I found Christopher Rice. I can still clearly remember grabbing the book from the shelf and sitting in an empty aisle against the stack reading the summary and author information and deciding to give it a try. I have always been a ferocious reader. I would read anything and everything I could get my hands on. Growing up as a young child with a parent who was a druggie, and an all around horrible person (my paternal DNA provider) books were a way for me to get lost in another world where I could leave mine behind. I took solace in the books of my youth, and as I had hoped, this book would give me solace and a world to get lost in during the time I was headed for adulthood. It was a scary time. I dove in and I remember feeling like Meredith. Of course, not because of the same situation, but the girl in the boys club that felt left out, that felt like she was not apart of their secret world but feeling like they were such apart of her soul.
The story follows Meredith, Brandon, Greg and Stephen with the additions of Josh, Jeff & their parents. It starts off with the fantastic four as I called them being thick as thieves but Meredith discovering not quite as thick as she thought. Brandon, Greg and Stephen share a secret, one it seems they would like to forget. Their discretion's as kids follow them through high school with Stephan being the receiver of Brandon and Greg's torment. After high school their behavior does not get any better. In fact it gets worse. What follows through the pages is a story of love, hate, self-loathing, murder, suicide, death, and coming to terms with the truth about themselves. There is a twist at the end - and I wont spoil it because its big. Its controversial.
When I first read the book I was so fascinated. I was excited to read this story, which for the devout Catholic girl I was at the time, seemed beyond scandalous. I was highly attracted to the author (really google him, he is beautiful) after reading through nearly half of the book there in B&N I bought it. Back then buying books was a rare occasion since I was, as previously mentioned broke and procured all my books on lend from the local library. But I had to have it. After finishing the book read each new book released by Mr. Rice.
I have to admit though, reading it the second time, even though it has been just over 13 years, was not the same experience. I was excited to dive back in, but I did not have the same visceral reactions. It could be that my taste in literature has changed. As I have grown up, and man have I had to grow up since 2000, I have evolved into a different reader than I was back in the day. It could be that since I knew the story there was no surprise involved (although there were several things I either missed or had forgotten over the years). I enjoyed the story, but not in the same way I did before. I felt more heartbreak for Stephen, when before my heart felt more for Meredith. I thought Brandon was just a jealous little twat before, and now I believe he was just a plain sociopath. I believed Stephen was turned into a victim rather then allowing himself to become the victim. I had thought Jordan and Stephen's mothers' had made a good decision, but now I find it reprehensibly deplorable. As a woman who has experienced the loss of babies (yes, plural) I broke down and cried when Angela had to suffer that fate with her child Alex. It was something that had passed me by in my first reading. I had previously disliked Greg and though he was a monster - and I still believe he was a monster, but it came across more like he was a monster of his own diluted making. He had so much self-hate it was almost as though his life had no other path than the one it took on.
Its funny, early last year I had re-read FLOWERS IN THE ATTIC and other Dollanganger Series VC Andrews books after having stolen the book from my mom and thought I was super hot shit reading the books when I was forbidden... I was 9-10ish. I was shocked at the content. More shocked that I read it when I did knowing now what it all meant. I can assure you, I did not "get it" when I read it the first time. I had a really hard time bringing myself to finish - but I'm glad I did because its the books that I find the hardest that I end up investing in the most. I don't think Ive ever been forbidden from reading anything else by my mom. She was rather progressive in letting me make my own decisions & choices and I appreciate she always cultivated my love of books & all things creative including music & art. She reads like I read. As my Mother-in-Law would say, I get it honest. I had romanticized the VC Andrews in my head a little bit (I get a little overly involved in my reading). I feel I did that here too.
If you have never read the book (and you are not a homophobic - which if you are get a freaking grip already) I really recommend giving it, as well as my favorite of Christopher Rice's works, THE SNOW GARDEN a try. BLIND FALL, LIGHT BEFORE DAY and THE HEAVENS RISE are other books in his repertoire. I must admit, I'm not a super fan of supernatural so THE HEAVENS RISE, while an easy read for me, was not my cup of tea. Be open-minded and really dig deeper into the characters in A DESTINY OF SOULS.
I wonder how off-base I was then, and how off-base I am now with my assessment of the characters in the book. Perhaps someday Ill find out!
Book number eight this year is one that for me, has a history. Back in late 2000, just before Thanksgiving, I discovered this debut work by Christopher Rice. It was a very strange time in my life. I had just graduated from high school that June, and my best friend was away at college. I was working my way through college while living at home and I was really unhappy. It is so sad now for me to look back on that time and think of it as sad, but unfortunately that is the best characterization. I had a tumultuous relationship with my biological father, and my relationship with my dad was not in a much better state. I was traveling back and forth from NJ to MA (Williams College in Williamstown, MA) to visit my bestie - who I was not prepared to be away from - every possible weekend I could and I was trying to form a relationship with a man that had walls more impossible to get through than Ft. Knox. I was not sure where my life was headed and all I really wanted to do was spend as much time out of the house as possible. With a really limited budget and no money for gas I went where I could get what I believed at the time was a good coffee and a decent soup/sandwich combo, the local Barnes and Noble.
I would walk for what seemed like hours, scouring the shelves for new books and authors to explore and I found Christopher Rice. I can still clearly remember grabbing the book from the shelf and sitting in an empty aisle against the stack reading the summary and author information and deciding to give it a try. I have always been a ferocious reader. I would read anything and everything I could get my hands on. Growing up as a young child with a parent who was a druggie, and an all around horrible person (my paternal DNA provider) books were a way for me to get lost in another world where I could leave mine behind. I took solace in the books of my youth, and as I had hoped, this book would give me solace and a world to get lost in during the time I was headed for adulthood. It was a scary time. I dove in and I remember feeling like Meredith. Of course, not because of the same situation, but the girl in the boys club that felt left out, that felt like she was not apart of their secret world but feeling like they were such apart of her soul.
The story follows Meredith, Brandon, Greg and Stephen with the additions of Josh, Jeff & their parents. It starts off with the fantastic four as I called them being thick as thieves but Meredith discovering not quite as thick as she thought. Brandon, Greg and Stephen share a secret, one it seems they would like to forget. Their discretion's as kids follow them through high school with Stephan being the receiver of Brandon and Greg's torment. After high school their behavior does not get any better. In fact it gets worse. What follows through the pages is a story of love, hate, self-loathing, murder, suicide, death, and coming to terms with the truth about themselves. There is a twist at the end - and I wont spoil it because its big. Its controversial.
When I first read the book I was so fascinated. I was excited to read this story, which for the devout Catholic girl I was at the time, seemed beyond scandalous. I was highly attracted to the author (really google him, he is beautiful) after reading through nearly half of the book there in B&N I bought it. Back then buying books was a rare occasion since I was, as previously mentioned broke and procured all my books on lend from the local library. But I had to have it. After finishing the book read each new book released by Mr. Rice.
I have to admit though, reading it the second time, even though it has been just over 13 years, was not the same experience. I was excited to dive back in, but I did not have the same visceral reactions. It could be that my taste in literature has changed. As I have grown up, and man have I had to grow up since 2000, I have evolved into a different reader than I was back in the day. It could be that since I knew the story there was no surprise involved (although there were several things I either missed or had forgotten over the years). I enjoyed the story, but not in the same way I did before. I felt more heartbreak for Stephen, when before my heart felt more for Meredith. I thought Brandon was just a jealous little twat before, and now I believe he was just a plain sociopath. I believed Stephen was turned into a victim rather then allowing himself to become the victim. I had thought Jordan and Stephen's mothers' had made a good decision, but now I find it reprehensibly deplorable. As a woman who has experienced the loss of babies (yes, plural) I broke down and cried when Angela had to suffer that fate with her child Alex. It was something that had passed me by in my first reading. I had previously disliked Greg and though he was a monster - and I still believe he was a monster, but it came across more like he was a monster of his own diluted making. He had so much self-hate it was almost as though his life had no other path than the one it took on.
Its funny, early last year I had re-read FLOWERS IN THE ATTIC and other Dollanganger Series VC Andrews books after having stolen the book from my mom and thought I was super hot shit reading the books when I was forbidden... I was 9-10ish. I was shocked at the content. More shocked that I read it when I did knowing now what it all meant. I can assure you, I did not "get it" when I read it the first time. I had a really hard time bringing myself to finish - but I'm glad I did because its the books that I find the hardest that I end up investing in the most. I don't think Ive ever been forbidden from reading anything else by my mom. She was rather progressive in letting me make my own decisions & choices and I appreciate she always cultivated my love of books & all things creative including music & art. She reads like I read. As my Mother-in-Law would say, I get it honest. I had romanticized the VC Andrews in my head a little bit (I get a little overly involved in my reading). I feel I did that here too.
If you have never read the book (and you are not a homophobic - which if you are get a freaking grip already) I really recommend giving it, as well as my favorite of Christopher Rice's works, THE SNOW GARDEN a try. BLIND FALL, LIGHT BEFORE DAY and THE HEAVENS RISE are other books in his repertoire. I must admit, I'm not a super fan of supernatural so THE HEAVENS RISE, while an easy read for me, was not my cup of tea. Be open-minded and really dig deeper into the characters in A DESTINY OF SOULS.
I wonder how off-base I was then, and how off-base I am now with my assessment of the characters in the book. Perhaps someday Ill find out!
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