Sunday, August 28, 2011

A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly


Last night I read a book given to me by my good friend Kelsey, who I'm glad to say loves reading just as much as I do. Every book she's recommended to me, I've loved, honest to Betsy. I couldn't sleep, so I ended up staying up and reading this book all the way through, that's how good it was. It's A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly.

I really loved this book because it had a really great plot line, the main character's situation was believable, and this story could have been someone's actual life. It's also a completely original idea, not another spin-off of vampires and werewolves (aren't we all sick of that?).

Here's they synopsis from the back of the book, since the one from Amazon gave too much away (at least, I felt like it did):

"The widely acclaimed, award-winning story of a young woman who finds her voice. 

Sixteen-year-old Mattie Gokey has big dreams but little hope of seeing them come true. Desperate for money, she takes a job at the Glenmore, where hotel guest Grace Brown asks her to burn a bundle of secret letters. But when Grace's drowned body is fished from the lake, Mattie discovers the letters reveal the grim truth behind a murder. 

Set in 1906 against the backdrop o f the murder that inspired Theodore Dreiser's An American Tragedy, this astonishing novel weaves romance, history, and a murder mystery into something moving, real, and wholly original."

Now, if you're thinking you don't want to read this book because it's historical fiction, stop right there. This doesn't read like a text book, or like David McCullough's 1776, although that was a good book too. The writing is believable, the plotline is far from laughable, and there are good morals you can learn from this story too. All that aside, if you're just looking for a good read, or something to pass the time, definitely pick this book up. But if you're not into women standing up for themselves and finding themselves a place in this world alongside working men, this book probably isn't for you.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

--Sadie

Rating: 4/5 stars

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