I picked up this book one quiet Friday evening and couldn't put it down until 350 pages later as I read the author's endnotes early Sunday morning, breaking only to eat and sleep. Never have I been so mesmerized by a book. It isn't easy to load a single novel with so much love, philosophy, sadness, wit and amazing character development, and then tie it all together into a solid story that grabs you and doesn't let go, but Where the Heart Is does just that.
Novalee Nation is 17 and seven months pregnant but she and her boyfriend, Willy Jack, are sure they'll find their fortune in California. On the way they stop at an Oklahoma Wal-Mart to use the restroom, where Willy Jack leaves her with no money, no place to live, no friends, and in this unfamiliar area. Novalee actually manages to live in the Wal-Mart unnoticed until the fateful day she gives birth to her baby in the store.
At first it doesn't look good for Novalee, but she quickly meets several friends in this small town who help her in any way they can. Together they unwittingly show Novalee that home is where the heart is.
Where the Heart Is is a truly magnificent book that everyone can read with complete satisfaction. I thoroughly enjoyed it and recommend this novel. Trust me, you'll love it.
http://teenink.com/reviews/book_reviews/article/1365/Where-the-Heart-Is/
At the beginning of the novel I felt like I really wasn't going to like the book, or relate to it in any way whatsoever. The more I kept reading, the more it drew me in. I did not constantly read the book until I was finished though. It was quite easy for me to put the book down, until I reached the middle. From the middle on the book started to get really good and intense. I would say the book starts off a little slow and repetitive, but it ended up being an amazing book.
ReplyDeleteI would agree with the recommendation, but I would not tell everyone that they will love it. Especially because the novel touches up on some very sensitive, disturbing and graphic topics and issues that are not for everyone.
I agree strongly about how hard it is "to load a single novel with so much love, philosophy, sadness, wit and amazing character development, and then tie it all together into a solid story. " The author did such a great job of this. She also had so many different storylines going on at one time, but somehow she made it work. It also surprised me how she kept every storyline and conflict in the book as interesting as the others.
This was a truly magnificent book. It was one of the best books I have ever read. It had me laughing, crying and it had me falling in love with the characters more and more every page. When I finished this book I wished it never ended. After I was finished it, I actually didn't know what to do with myself. There is not a lot of books that have made me feel that way. I loved this book so much, it was amazing!
-ClubBaldo
ClubTucker Review Response
ReplyDeleteI agree with what the author or this review said about the book being hard to put down. I found that at the beginning of the novel the plot was a little slow-paced, but after a few chapters when Novalee started getting more settled in town it really picked up. This being said though, right away I find the characters and their relationships with one other quite intriguing and I was interested to keep reading and seeing what would happen to them.
The author of this review did a good job of writing a good opening paragraph which got me interested in reading more about what he or she had to say about the story. The author then continued by giving a summary which, in my opinion gave a good amount of detail without giving too much away about the plot, and without dragging on too long. This is important when writing a review, because readers want there to still be surprises waiting for them when they read a book, they don't every aspect of the book summarized. The author also used lots of enthusiastic adjectives and phrases when reviewing this bppk which makes it easier to read and caused the book to seem worth reading.
I, like the author of the review, would recommend this book to my friends because, as the reviewer mentioned, this story manages to fit many different events into each chapter and takes the reader on an emotional roller coaster. By the end of the story you really do feel a connection to the characters. All these qualites make the story a fun read.
-ClubTucker
I STRONGLY agree with you. The part where you said that you were mesmerized by it I can relate because I was also intrigued. From the beginning to the end of the book the drama never stopped. It was also very unpredictable which is was I liked most. As soon as you were certain something was going to happen, an unexpected situation popped up and surprised you.
ReplyDeleteI don’t agree when she said everyone will be satisfied with it because people have different tastes. Most of the book was good and some of it I could relate to but it’s definitely aimed at a certain age group/audience and if you’re not in that specific audience I don’t think you would enjoy it. Some of the events in the book are very disturbing and graphic. But it opens up your eyes to the negative things in this world. Situations that happened in the book, happen in real life as well that I hear about on the news all the time (ex. Tornado, abusive relationships etc) therefore the book gives you a huge sense of reality.
The book mainly focuses on Novalee and the obstacles she faces throughout her lifetime. At the beginning she’s immature, has no sense of direction and is scared. As I kept on reading I could see an improvement in not only her life but herself. She has matured a great amount and has put her life back together and that is something I can admire. Considering how her mother treated her when she was a child, Novalee is on the path to being a great mother for Americus. She is a role model. So many great qualities in this book, makes it all around amazing.
-ClubFaundez
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ReplyDeleteI agree about… 100% on the fact that the person could not put the book down, I mean this book has a huge combination of humour, suspense and inspiration. From beginning to end the author kept me interested, mainly because of the characters and the story plot. It definitely is not easy to load one book with romance, philosophy, sadness and amazing character development, but the author of Where the Heart is, nailed everything. I find the characters themselves make the book, so it was important for Billie Letts, the author, to make them unique/different to make a solid story, to grab the reader’s attention all the way through 326 pages of the book.
ReplyDeleteI have to disagree that everyone can read this book, just because people have different styles of reading and favor different things. For example, maybe someone does not like happy endings and romance; this book would be the worst book they have read. Therefore you cannot imply that everyone can read the book with COMPLETE satisfaction. This book applies and is directed to a certain age group and so sometimes that might not be your group. It also has some graphic scenes that you may find disturbing, like I did myself, and just hate the entire book just because of that, but that is your opinion and so you cannot assume that people will be satisfied with the book completely. Although I did enjoy the book myself and I do recommend this book, I would only recommend it to a person who happens to love a story line that ends happily.
By the end, the book itself was MEZMERIZING. There are no words but that, it was definitely one of my favourite books and I look forward to reading more books from this specific author. I love it.
-ClubPatel