A dynamic concept with some powerful moments that falls just short of being something truly remarkable.
Mooney (Eye of the Tiger, 2014) blends mystery, romance, and nostalgia while weaving a tale of personal history and human darkness.
Waves of violence swamp Timmy Walker’s past, but after long years in prison and nigh-endless appeals, it’s all about to end. Today is the day of Timmy’s execution. His lawyer, Nate, attempts one last Hail Mary attempt to stay the execution, but it doesn’t look good, despite Timmy’s confidence. Meanwhile, the day is a different sort of end for Carol, a literary agent who’s made her career on the writings of Mitch Patterson, an ex-cop who was once Timmy’s best friend as well as his most tragic victim. On the final stops of Mitch’s book tour, she finds herself caught up in reading his new project, an autobiographical novella called Summertime, which details the start of it all, from his family and the hints of literary aspiration to his first love and the stirrings of Timmy’s dark side, all in the summer of 1959. That knowledge of Timmy’s criminal future, as seen in the book within a book, casts a sickly pallor over the quaint portrait of Americana, lending the story a greater sense of depth and suspense. On the other hand, the sparse writing style in Mitch’s novella is a bit too similar to the chapters surrounding it, sometimes making for awkward transitions. The prose does have brilliant moments, particularly in a vivid romantic scene featuring an intimate Korean tea service, but these episodes aren’t frequent enough. In the end, the novel’s conclusion feels truncated, and the characters in the present are underused: one woman, Sari Novak, has a significant connection to Timmy, but she has no real story arc in the present. The ending seems to abruptly grasp at the loose ends of Summertime and rapidly tie them to the present, without the time or care needed to craft a powerful emotional resolution. Nevertheless, this tale of American adolescence is a strong one, and its connections to grisly crime and tragedy add to the allure.
A dynamic concept with some powerful moments that falls just short of being something truly remarkable.Pub Date: May 8, 2015
ISBN: 978-1511532662
Page Count: 232
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: June 6, 2015
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
An intriguing approach to identifying and relating to one’s emotions.
An analysis of our emotions and the skills required to understand them.
We all have emotions, but how many of us have the vocabulary to accurately describe our experiences or to understand how our emotions affect the way we act? In this guide to help readers with their emotions, Brackett, the founding director of Yale University’s Center for Emotional Intelligence, presents a five-step method he calls R.U.L.E.R.: We need to recognize our emotions, understand what has caused them, be able to label them with precise terms and descriptions, know how to safely and effectively express them, and be able to regulate them in productive ways. The author walks readers through each step and provides an intriguing tool to use to help identify a specific emotion. Brackett introduces a four-square grid called a Mood Meter, which allows one to define where an emotion falls based on pleasantness and energy. He also uses four colors for each quadrant: yellow for high pleasantness and high energy, red for low pleasantness and high energy, green for high pleasantness and low energy, and blue for low pleasantness and low energy. The idea is to identify where an emotion lies in this grid in order to put the R.U.L.E.R. method to good use. The author’s research is wide-ranging, and his interweaving of his personal story with the data helps make the book less academic and more accessible to general readers. It’s particularly useful for parents and teachers who want to help children learn to handle difficult emotions so that they can thrive rather than be overwhelmed by them. The author’s system will also find use in the workplace. “Emotions are the most powerful force inside the workplace—as they are in every human endeavor,” writes Brackett. “They influence everything from leadership effectiveness to building and maintaining complex relationships, from innovation to customer relations.”
An intriguing approach to identifying and relating to one’s emotions.Pub Date: Sept. 3, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-250-21284-9
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Celadon Books
Review Posted Online: June 22, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2019
A highly readable account of how solid research and personal testing of self-help techniques saved a couple's marriage after...
Self-help advice and personal reflections on avoiding spousal fights while raising children.
Before her daughter was born, bestselling author Dunn (Why Is My Mother Getting a Tattoo?: And Other Questions I Wish I Never Had to Ask, 2009, etc.) enjoyed steady work and a happy marriage. However, once she became a mother, there never seemed to be enough time, sleep, and especially help from her husband. Little irritations became monumental obstacles between them, which led to major battles. Consequently, they turned to expensive couples' therapy to help them regain some peace in life. In a combination of memoir and advice that can be found in most couples' therapy self-help books, Dunn provides an inside look at her own vexing issues and the solutions she and her husband used to prevent them from appearing in divorce court. They struggled with age-old battles fought between men and women—e.g., frequency of sex, who does more housework, who should get up with the child in the middle of the night, why women need to have a clean house, why men need more alone time, and many more. What Dunn learned via therapy, talks with other parents, and research was that there is no perfect solution to the many dynamics that surface once couples become parents. But by using time-tested techniques, she and her husband learned to listen, show empathy, and adjust so that their former status as a happy couple could safely and peacefully morph into a happy family. Readers familiar with Dunn's honest and humorous writing will appreciate the behind-the-scenes look at her own semi-messy family life, and those who need guidance through the rough spots can glean advice while being entertained—all without spending lots of money on couples’ therapy.
A highly readable account of how solid research and personal testing of self-help techniques saved a couple's marriage after the birth of their child.Pub Date: March 21, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-316-26710-6
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Jan. 17, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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