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devansbooklife's review against another edition
3.0
After 16 years, Corina's father comes home from his Red Cross role in China. But he comes home in a casket. Corina has never met her father. Her entire life she has been told how brave and heroic her father is. However, Corina doesn't feel this way. She holds a grudge. And when her mother breaks down after the funeral, all of Corina's feelings begin suffocating her. Then a mysterious man appears offering Corina the opportunity to get to know her father. Corina accepts the offer and is whisked back in time in order to get to know her dad.
This book offers a fresh, unique plot that I thought would completely captivate my attention. Yet, as I was reading I found myself getting distracted and doing other things. It honestly doesn't make much sense because there is a ton of action in this book. Corina literally jumps from one dangerous situation to another; yet, I wasn't involved. I felt very little connection to Corina or Luther. If anything I felt pity for Luther. This poor guy goes through some extremely scary and difficult situations. I don't know what was missing. But it needed something I just cannot point out what. Overall I found myself not really caring one way or another. Maybe it is because I knew in the back of my mind that there would be no changing of fates. So perhaps I prevented myself from attaching to the characters. Ultimately, there is a beautiful message here. A message that stresses the importance of standing up for those that cannot protect themselves and the importance of hope.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this title and the opportunity to review it.
This book offers a fresh, unique plot that I thought would completely captivate my attention. Yet, as I was reading I found myself getting distracted and doing other things. It honestly doesn't make much sense because there is a ton of action in this book. Corina literally jumps from one dangerous situation to another; yet, I wasn't involved. I felt very little connection to Corina or Luther. If anything I felt pity for Luther. This poor guy goes through some extremely scary and difficult situations. I don't know what was missing. But it needed something I just cannot point out what. Overall I found myself not really caring one way or another. Maybe it is because I knew in the back of my mind that there would be no changing of fates. So perhaps I prevented myself from attaching to the characters. Ultimately, there is a beautiful message here. A message that stresses the importance of standing up for those that cannot protect themselves and the importance of hope.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this title and the opportunity to review it.
betwixt_the_pages's review against another edition
5.0
Corina Marion has a father problem—namely that her Red Cross doctor of a dad has finally returned home from sixteen years of war...
...as a body in a box to be buried.
Her mother is devastated, her friends shocked and saddened, her hometown in mourning at the loss of its local hero. And Corina, indifferent to the man she never met, is trapped in the middle of an emotional onslaught she isn't prepared to handle.
But when a strange old man confronts Corina at her father's funeral, he offers her an impossible opportunity: the chance to know the late Luther Marion. And in a moment of uncertainty, Corina makes a choice with consequences she can barely fathom.
A choice that sends her twenty-five years into the past.
Right on the cusp of the harrowing events that will shape Luther Marion's life...and death.
And in order to return to her damaged home, supportive friends, and uncertain future, Corina will have to fight tooth and nail alongside the man she's resented her entire life. Because if she doesn't help fix the past she's inadvertently changed with her presence, Luther Marion may not live long enough to become a hero at all.
Rating: 5/5 Stars
Quick Reasons: awesome, Christmas Carol-esque story/plot; characters easy to identify and fall in love with; absolutely gorgeous, breath-taking prose; high action; a deep exploration of the reach of family...and the love that comes with this
HOLY WOW, this book! I just... I can't...
Be still, my breaking heart!
Honestly, though; I think I've forgotten how to words properly. Give me just a minute to collect myself, won't you? No? Well, you asked for it then.
Therin Knite is a writer I discovered via Tumblr. Yes. When an opportunity came up to read and review, of course I jumped at the chance (many thanks, therefore, to Therin—for this AND future opportunities.) I spent a good five minutes debating which book I wanted to start with—and in the end, chose this one. Why? The cover is gorgeous. The story was intriguing. And because I wanted to. I know, really valid reasons there.
I was expecting a book with a lot of action, a fair amount of character growth (maybe?), and a few unexpected revelations. Suffice to say, I got all of that...and so much more.
This read has a lot of heart. Corina as a character is intelligent, confident in herself and her goals, often times a wise-ass, and, in moments that matter, utterly reckless. For me, who enjoys books with characters that break the rules and go their own ways, she's absolutely PERFECT. I was hooked from sentence one. I spent most of this read either giggling, or holding my breath with suspense—neither of which is a bad thing.
The exploration of the characters—specifically, their deepest, most secret aspirations and emotions—is hard-hitting and realistic. Weaving Corina's present with moments from her father's past, Therin Knite takes readers on a journey of discovery, family ties, and the reach/devestation of war. The prose is beautiful, though at times a bit jarring (there are a lot of simple sentences, and it took a bit of time gettig used to the writing style—a good amount of sentences are split up arbitrarily or unnecessarily into two or three different phrasings.) The plot is well-structured, maintained, and brilliantly executed. The use of the “paranormal” acts almost like a side-dish to this main course; it's there, it's maybe a tiny bit unexplained...but it doesn't really HAVE to be to understand the message of the story. The paranormal aspect is not the most important part of this. The most important part is the heart.
But above all is the emotional reach. This book strips down your walls as you go. While Corina is learning about and experiencing glimpses from the past of a man she grew up loathing, a man she never knew, readers are learning about the characters (and themselves!) at the same time. There's a sense of connection between the words on the page and the readers' heart that grips with iron fists and refuses to let go. The pace is quick, and while there are small moments of “quiet” when revelations are being made or deeper connections being forged, these are so beautifully written and woven into the immediate story you won't notice what's happening.
Therin Knite is, judging from just this one read, a writer that pours heart and soul into a story, and asks readers for nothing more than an open mind. This story—and the way it impacted me—took me by surprise. Mark this down as one of my newest favorite reads; it's gorgeous, and I really enjoyed the journey. I highly recommend, especially to those who enjoyed reads like The Book Thief (Marcus Suzak) or The Lovely Bones (Alice Sebold). To be fair, though, I think if you go into this with an open mind and a willingness to FEEL, pretty much everyone will be touched by Corina's journey toward peace—with herself, with the world, and with the father she never got the chance to really know.
...as a body in a box to be buried.
Her mother is devastated, her friends shocked and saddened, her hometown in mourning at the loss of its local hero. And Corina, indifferent to the man she never met, is trapped in the middle of an emotional onslaught she isn't prepared to handle.
But when a strange old man confronts Corina at her father's funeral, he offers her an impossible opportunity: the chance to know the late Luther Marion. And in a moment of uncertainty, Corina makes a choice with consequences she can barely fathom.
A choice that sends her twenty-five years into the past.
Right on the cusp of the harrowing events that will shape Luther Marion's life...and death.
And in order to return to her damaged home, supportive friends, and uncertain future, Corina will have to fight tooth and nail alongside the man she's resented her entire life. Because if she doesn't help fix the past she's inadvertently changed with her presence, Luther Marion may not live long enough to become a hero at all.
Rating: 5/5 Stars
Quick Reasons: awesome, Christmas Carol-esque story/plot; characters easy to identify and fall in love with; absolutely gorgeous, breath-taking prose; high action; a deep exploration of the reach of family...and the love that comes with this
HOLY WOW, this book! I just... I can't...
Be still, my breaking heart!
Honestly, though; I think I've forgotten how to words properly. Give me just a minute to collect myself, won't you? No? Well, you asked for it then.
Therin Knite is a writer I discovered via Tumblr. Yes. When an opportunity came up to read and review, of course I jumped at the chance (many thanks, therefore, to Therin—for this AND future opportunities.) I spent a good five minutes debating which book I wanted to start with—and in the end, chose this one. Why? The cover is gorgeous. The story was intriguing. And because I wanted to. I know, really valid reasons there.
I was expecting a book with a lot of action, a fair amount of character growth (maybe?), and a few unexpected revelations. Suffice to say, I got all of that...and so much more.
This read has a lot of heart. Corina as a character is intelligent, confident in herself and her goals, often times a wise-ass, and, in moments that matter, utterly reckless. For me, who enjoys books with characters that break the rules and go their own ways, she's absolutely PERFECT. I was hooked from sentence one. I spent most of this read either giggling, or holding my breath with suspense—neither of which is a bad thing.
The exploration of the characters—specifically, their deepest, most secret aspirations and emotions—is hard-hitting and realistic. Weaving Corina's present with moments from her father's past, Therin Knite takes readers on a journey of discovery, family ties, and the reach/devestation of war. The prose is beautiful, though at times a bit jarring (there are a lot of simple sentences, and it took a bit of time gettig used to the writing style—a good amount of sentences are split up arbitrarily or unnecessarily into two or three different phrasings.) The plot is well-structured, maintained, and brilliantly executed. The use of the “paranormal” acts almost like a side-dish to this main course; it's there, it's maybe a tiny bit unexplained...but it doesn't really HAVE to be to understand the message of the story. The paranormal aspect is not the most important part of this. The most important part is the heart.
But above all is the emotional reach. This book strips down your walls as you go. While Corina is learning about and experiencing glimpses from the past of a man she grew up loathing, a man she never knew, readers are learning about the characters (and themselves!) at the same time. There's a sense of connection between the words on the page and the readers' heart that grips with iron fists and refuses to let go. The pace is quick, and while there are small moments of “quiet” when revelations are being made or deeper connections being forged, these are so beautifully written and woven into the immediate story you won't notice what's happening.
Therin Knite is, judging from just this one read, a writer that pours heart and soul into a story, and asks readers for nothing more than an open mind. This story—and the way it impacted me—took me by surprise. Mark this down as one of my newest favorite reads; it's gorgeous, and I really enjoyed the journey. I highly recommend, especially to those who enjoyed reads like The Book Thief (Marcus Suzak) or The Lovely Bones (Alice Sebold). To be fair, though, I think if you go into this with an open mind and a willingness to FEEL, pretty much everyone will be touched by Corina's journey toward peace—with herself, with the world, and with the father she never got the chance to really know.
kim3100's review against another edition
4.0
I received the ebook in exchange for an honest review on netgalley
This story is beautiful. It is time of war and the father of Corina has to help. This causes her to never get to know him. Therefore she resents hem, especially when he dies. She gets the chance to get to know him and this is the start of this book. I found it emotional and beautiful written. I loved it!
This story is beautiful. It is time of war and the father of Corina has to help. This causes her to never get to know him. Therefore she resents hem, especially when he dies. She gets the chance to get to know him and this is the start of this book. I found it emotional and beautiful written. I loved it!
aly36's review against another edition
5.0
I really enjoyed this book! I would read more from this author. I liked how she used small sentences when she was telling about how Corina's mind was working. The book was just very engaging all the way around. It was a hard book to put down for me. I really enjoyed it! *This book was given to me from the author in exchange for an honest review*
shanbreads's review
4.0
Received for review this has in no way affected my opinion
This story was amazing. I loved the writing of this novel and I love the characters full review to come on my blog at shannonbookishlife.wordpress.com
This story was amazing. I loved the writing of this novel and I love the characters full review to come on my blog at shannonbookishlife.wordpress.com
renee_conoulty's review against another edition
5.0
Set in the not too distant future in a realistic depiction of a world at war, Solace tells the story of a girl who has never met her father. She is bitter toward him for choosing to spend her whole life overseas working for the Red Cross, and then being killed. She is given the opportunity to travel back in time and get to know him.
I loved the time travel element and found the main character likable. I could understand why she felt bitter and my opinions of her father developed along with hers as we travelled this journey together.
I listened to the audiobook edition of this novel, which I received free in exchange for an honest review. The narrator was fabulous, bringing the story to life.
I loved the time travel element and found the main character likable. I could understand why she felt bitter and my opinions of her father developed along with hers as we travelled this journey together.
I listened to the audiobook edition of this novel, which I received free in exchange for an honest review. The narrator was fabulous, bringing the story to life.
shanbreads's review against another edition
4.0
Received for review this has in no way affected my opinion
This story was amazing. I loved the writing of this novel and I love the characters full review to come on my blog at shannonbookishlife.wordpress.com
This story was amazing. I loved the writing of this novel and I love the characters full review to come on my blog at shannonbookishlife.wordpress.com
cpcabaniss's review against another edition
4.0
I received a free eBook copy of this novel from the author in exchange for an honest review.
This novel was kind of hard for me to get into for a while. It's not that I wasn't enjoying it, because I was, but I had a hard time really connecting for a while. The novel starts with action and doesn't let up much as it continues, dragging the reader along on an emotional ride. The beginning is somewhat slow in comparison to the rest of the novel. Corina has to be properly introduced and it takes time to get to know her and why she feels the way she does. So while it seemed slow, I think it was also necessary.
Knite's writing excels in action scenes. This novel is packed with dramatic fights, fires, wars, you name it. And Knite can write a good action scene. I always felt like I was there, in the moment with the characters, not just being told about what happened. That is a skill many authors wish they had and Knite has it. Emotions are also very well depicted. This novel made me feel so many different things all at once that it could sometimes be overwhelming. The further I got in, the more I emotionally invested and could really feel what the characters were feeling.
Some of the sentence structure was not my favorite. I thought that the use of fragmented sentences was a bit choppy at times and hindered the flow of the novel. I think this can be utilized effectively for emphasis and to convey feeling, but it was overdone at times here. Overall I thought the writing was very nice, it could just use a little more polish to make it exceptional.
The characters in this novel were phenomenal. Corina was easy to relate with and I loved her travels through time to meet Lu, her father. The relationship that developed through interactions was just so interesting. I loved his character. I thought he was brilliant. There were few other characters that played a large role here, since Corina was learning about the father she never knew, but all of the supporting characters were well done compelling.
This book nearly had me in tears on multiple occasions. Emotions run high and the action is fast. This is definitely a book that I'm going to remember. I really enjoyed the way time travel was presented here and being able to tag along with Corina on her adventures was heartbreaking and exhilarating all at once. A really good book. Particularly if you want something with a heavy focus on parent/child relationships, because that was beautiful.
This and other reviews can be found on my blog: www.courtneysreads.blogspot.com
This novel was kind of hard for me to get into for a while. It's not that I wasn't enjoying it, because I was, but I had a hard time really connecting for a while. The novel starts with action and doesn't let up much as it continues, dragging the reader along on an emotional ride. The beginning is somewhat slow in comparison to the rest of the novel. Corina has to be properly introduced and it takes time to get to know her and why she feels the way she does. So while it seemed slow, I think it was also necessary.
Knite's writing excels in action scenes. This novel is packed with dramatic fights, fires, wars, you name it. And Knite can write a good action scene. I always felt like I was there, in the moment with the characters, not just being told about what happened. That is a skill many authors wish they had and Knite has it. Emotions are also very well depicted. This novel made me feel so many different things all at once that it could sometimes be overwhelming. The further I got in, the more I emotionally invested and could really feel what the characters were feeling.
Some of the sentence structure was not my favorite. I thought that the use of fragmented sentences was a bit choppy at times and hindered the flow of the novel. I think this can be utilized effectively for emphasis and to convey feeling, but it was overdone at times here. Overall I thought the writing was very nice, it could just use a little more polish to make it exceptional.
The characters in this novel were phenomenal. Corina was easy to relate with and I loved her travels through time to meet Lu, her father. The relationship that developed through interactions was just so interesting. I loved his character. I thought he was brilliant. There were few other characters that played a large role here, since Corina was learning about the father she never knew, but all of the supporting characters were well done compelling.
This book nearly had me in tears on multiple occasions. Emotions run high and the action is fast. This is definitely a book that I'm going to remember. I really enjoyed the way time travel was presented here and being able to tag along with Corina on her adventures was heartbreaking and exhilarating all at once. A really good book. Particularly if you want something with a heavy focus on parent/child relationships, because that was beautiful.
This and other reviews can be found on my blog: www.courtneysreads.blogspot.com
pavi_fictionalworm's review against another edition
5.0
For more reviews, go check out For The Love of Fictional Worlds I promise you won't regret it ;)
Actual Rating 4.5 Stars
The author provided me with an ARC of the novel in exchange for an honest review.
There are times, when you read a book, that reaches inside you and pulls at your inside, twists them and leaves you feeling same on the outside, yet
everything changed on the inside.
This book was that book for me.
I requested to review this novel on GoodReads because well the blurb stuck a chord with me, even though I didn’t realise it at the time. You’ll realise why when you read this review, or better yet, this book!
The journey I went on, while reading this book was a roller coaster ride. I was was honestly expecting this to be a typical time travel book, though in retrospect I wonder why was I so near sighted?
Because this book was so much more! Because this book was not just about the journey of a daughter to understand the man who was her father, yet was hero to the world. This was also about the journey of a boy into a man. It was the understanding of a boy who grew up with ideals to the man who felt the need to protect the world in any way he could.
This novel strikes at the heart of every child’s thought – How is my father the way he is today? What made my father to be the kind of man that he is today? Why did he make the decisions he did?
This story is about a girl who gets a chance to find answers. Answers about a father she has never known, a father she has hated for all her life, just to understand the choices he made.
The story starts off with Corina fighting two bullies, not for herself, not for fun, but to protect her friend. The way the author introduces Corina, is quite an interesting choice. Because it’s only later on in the story you realise that that introduction tells a lot.
It’s the year 2026 and a war in Asia has been going on for 16 years. And Corina’s father, Luther had been a part of the war as Red Cross Volunteer since before she was born. (A Little background: China refuse to adhere to the World Order and even missionaries were considered ‘fair game’ if they ‘interfered’ in the matters of state. Can I just say how plausible I found this tidbit? Not the China part, but that any superpower could do that!).
She has not known her father herself, only through few cheerful letters sent sporadically and the stories of the ‘hero’ her small town remembered. The day she fights the bullies, is the day she and her mother get the news that her father has died of starvation as a POW in China.
Understandably, she is a little more than pissed at him for ‘choosing the war’ over her and her mother while giving her mother false hope of getting back home safe and sound.
So when an old man starts following her around and watching her, she assumes that either she is being haunted or being stalked by a creepy old man, on top of being asked to mourn a father she believes is attention seeking prick.
Everything comes to head, when she is given a chance to know her father, by the same creepy old man, she jumps on the chance. (Funnily enough, she is actually was quite amenable to the idea, without a hint of fear. I liked her even more for it <3)
She is thrust into her father’s timeline, not once, not twice, but three times. While this happens on a space of one night (my approximation) for her, years have passed for Lu, her father, between each visit. All this to understand, the boy who had been, the man he became and the man who died.
You would think, with her snarkiness, and her cold shoulder attitude, Corina would be hard to like. That with her skewed perceptions of a father she had never known (Don’t judge just by what you see? Right?), she would be irritating and come off as a stubborn whiny little girl, but she doesn't.
Her feelings and thoughts are as real to me as mine are. Her anger at her father whom she believes left her, is as wounding to me as if mine had. Her interactions with a father are absolutely adorable, just like that of a brother with a sister (which for him would be normal, because she didn’t even exist as thought the first two times!).
As for Lu, we see him grow and see the influence his ‘daughter’ has on his life and his decisions. (Irony at it’s best!). We see him grow from an idealistic young man to a cynical doctor to a hero and that growth just takes your breath away! We understand his decisions and his fascination and courageousness at the face of tragedy.
Every single time, Corina met Lu, they battled for their lives along with others around. If it wasn’t a blazing inferno, then it was a hostage situation, last but not the least, it was in the middle of a war.
Corina and Lu behaved courageously in every single situation. You would think their actions would be incredible and fantastical, but all I could think when I was reading about it was ‘I hope that if I am ever in such a situation, I could be half as awesome as they were!’
But it was only at the last leg of their journey that both father and daughter really connected. It was only when they realised the mistakes each of them made that they realised they weren’t truly different after all.
Was it any wonder that I bawled my eyes out (at work, no less) when I came to the same understanding of her father as Corina did;
“What makes him a hero isn’t that he came here. Isn’t that he’s saved lives here. Isn’t that he will die here, fighting for a good cause.
It’s that he came here knowing there was little he could do but was willing to do that little anyway. Because that little meant saving lives that would otherwise be lost.
Lives no one else was willing to save.”
Pg 365
Maybe this novel wouldn’t resound to others the same way it did to me. But that’s okay. Because I know this story, the message in it, will resound in your head anyways. Haven’t you wondered why do people give their lives to save others? Haven’t you wondered why people have those bursts of courageous acts for people they don’t know and just might never meet again?
What Lu says, just might give you another perspective:
“It’s one thing to help a person who might be helped anyways, by someone else equally capable as you. It’s another to help a person who would die without your help.”
The author has written a story that has captivated me from the start, making me laugh and snort at Corina’s sassy sarcasm while making me slowly admire Lu’s tenacity to do good for those who don’t have a lot of good coming for them. The writing style itself is a beauty and it grips you when you believe that you can’t get more invested in the story and the characters.
I can’t wait to read more from this author, because this book definitely made to the list of my favourites!
Actual Rating 4.5 Stars
The author provided me with an ARC of the novel in exchange for an honest review.
There are times, when you read a book, that reaches inside you and pulls at your inside, twists them and leaves you feeling same on the outside, yet
everything changed on the inside.
This book was that book for me.
I requested to review this novel on GoodReads because well the blurb stuck a chord with me, even though I didn’t realise it at the time. You’ll realise why when you read this review, or better yet, this book!
The journey I went on, while reading this book was a roller coaster ride. I was was honestly expecting this to be a typical time travel book, though in retrospect I wonder why was I so near sighted?
Because this book was so much more! Because this book was not just about the journey of a daughter to understand the man who was her father, yet was hero to the world. This was also about the journey of a boy into a man. It was the understanding of a boy who grew up with ideals to the man who felt the need to protect the world in any way he could.
This novel strikes at the heart of every child’s thought – How is my father the way he is today? What made my father to be the kind of man that he is today? Why did he make the decisions he did?
This story is about a girl who gets a chance to find answers. Answers about a father she has never known, a father she has hated for all her life, just to understand the choices he made.
The story starts off with Corina fighting two bullies, not for herself, not for fun, but to protect her friend. The way the author introduces Corina, is quite an interesting choice. Because it’s only later on in the story you realise that that introduction tells a lot.
It’s the year 2026 and a war in Asia has been going on for 16 years. And Corina’s father, Luther had been a part of the war as Red Cross Volunteer since before she was born. (A Little background: China refuse to adhere to the World Order and even missionaries were considered ‘fair game’ if they ‘interfered’ in the matters of state. Can I just say how plausible I found this tidbit? Not the China part, but that any superpower could do that!).
She has not known her father herself, only through few cheerful letters sent sporadically and the stories of the ‘hero’ her small town remembered. The day she fights the bullies, is the day she and her mother get the news that her father has died of starvation as a POW in China.
Understandably, she is a little more than pissed at him for ‘choosing the war’ over her and her mother while giving her mother false hope of getting back home safe and sound.
So when an old man starts following her around and watching her, she assumes that either she is being haunted or being stalked by a creepy old man, on top of being asked to mourn a father she believes is attention seeking prick.
Everything comes to head, when she is given a chance to know her father, by the same creepy old man, she jumps on the chance. (Funnily enough, she is actually was quite amenable to the idea, without a hint of fear. I liked her even more for it <3)
She is thrust into her father’s timeline, not once, not twice, but three times. While this happens on a space of one night (my approximation) for her, years have passed for Lu, her father, between each visit. All this to understand, the boy who had been, the man he became and the man who died.
You would think, with her snarkiness, and her cold shoulder attitude, Corina would be hard to like. That with her skewed perceptions of a father she had never known (Don’t judge just by what you see? Right?), she would be irritating and come off as a stubborn whiny little girl, but she doesn't.
Her feelings and thoughts are as real to me as mine are. Her anger at her father whom she believes left her, is as wounding to me as if mine had. Her interactions with a father are absolutely adorable, just like that of a brother with a sister (which for him would be normal, because she didn’t even exist as thought the first two times!).
As for Lu, we see him grow and see the influence his ‘daughter’ has on his life and his decisions. (Irony at it’s best!). We see him grow from an idealistic young man to a cynical doctor to a hero and that growth just takes your breath away! We understand his decisions and his fascination and courageousness at the face of tragedy.
Every single time, Corina met Lu, they battled for their lives along with others around. If it wasn’t a blazing inferno, then it was a hostage situation, last but not the least, it was in the middle of a war.
Corina and Lu behaved courageously in every single situation. You would think their actions would be incredible and fantastical, but all I could think when I was reading about it was ‘I hope that if I am ever in such a situation, I could be half as awesome as they were!’
But it was only at the last leg of their journey that both father and daughter really connected. It was only when they realised the mistakes each of them made that they realised they weren’t truly different after all.
Was it any wonder that I bawled my eyes out (at work, no less) when I came to the same understanding of her father as Corina did;
“What makes him a hero isn’t that he came here. Isn’t that he’s saved lives here. Isn’t that he will die here, fighting for a good cause.
It’s that he came here knowing there was little he could do but was willing to do that little anyway. Because that little meant saving lives that would otherwise be lost.
Lives no one else was willing to save.”
Pg 365
Maybe this novel wouldn’t resound to others the same way it did to me. But that’s okay. Because I know this story, the message in it, will resound in your head anyways. Haven’t you wondered why do people give their lives to save others? Haven’t you wondered why people have those bursts of courageous acts for people they don’t know and just might never meet again?
What Lu says, just might give you another perspective:
“It’s one thing to help a person who might be helped anyways, by someone else equally capable as you. It’s another to help a person who would die without your help.”
The author has written a story that has captivated me from the start, making me laugh and snort at Corina’s sassy sarcasm while making me slowly admire Lu’s tenacity to do good for those who don’t have a lot of good coming for them. The writing style itself is a beauty and it grips you when you believe that you can’t get more invested in the story and the characters.
I can’t wait to read more from this author, because this book definitely made to the list of my favourites!
fortheloveoffictionalworlds's review against another edition
5.0
For more reviews, go check out For The Love of Fictional Worlds I promise you won't regret it ;)
Actual Rating 4.5 Stars
The author provided me with an ARC of the novel in exchange for an honest review.
There are times, when you read a book, that reaches inside you and pulls at your inside, twists them and leaves you feeling same on the outside, yet
everything changed on the inside.
This book was that book for me.
I requested to review this novel on GoodReads because well the blurb stuck a chord with me, even though I didn’t realise it at the time. You’ll realise why when you read this review, or better yet, this book!
The journey I went on, while reading this book was a roller coaster ride. I was was honestly expecting this to be a typical time travel book, though in retrospect I wonder why was I so near sighted?
Because this book was so much more! Because this book was not just about the journey of a daughter to understand the man who was her father, yet was hero to the world. This was also about the journey of a boy into a man. It was the understanding of a boy who grew up with ideals to the man who felt the need to protect the world in any way he could.
This novel strikes at the heart of every child’s thought – How is my father the way he is today? What made my father to be the kind of man that he is today? Why did he make the decisions he did?
This story is about a girl who gets a chance to find answers. Answers about a father she has never known, a father she has hated for all her life, just to understand the choices he made.
The story starts off with Corina fighting two bullies, not for herself, not for fun, but to protect her friend. The way the author introduces Corina, is quite an interesting choice. Because it’s only later on in the story you realise that that introduction tells a lot.
It’s the year 2026 and a war in Asia has been going on for 16 years. And Corina’s father, Luther had been a part of the war as Red Cross Volunteer since before she was born. (A Little background: China refuse to adhere to the World Order and even missionaries were considered ‘fair game’ if they ‘interfered’ in the matters of state. Can I just say how plausible I found this tidbit? Not the China part, but that any superpower could do that!).
She has not known her father herself, only through few cheerful letters sent sporadically and the stories of the ‘hero’ her small town remembered. The day she fights the bullies, is the day she and her mother get the news that her father has died of starvation as a POW in China.
Understandably, she is a little more than pissed at him for ‘choosing the war’ over her and her mother while giving her mother false hope of getting back home safe and sound.
So when an old man starts following her around and watching her, she assumes that either she is being haunted or being stalked by a creepy old man, on top of being asked to mourn a father she believes is attention seeking prick.
Everything comes to head, when she is given a chance to know her father, by the same creepy old man, she jumps on the chance. (Funnily enough, she is actually was quite amenable to the idea, without a hint of fear. I liked her even more for it <3)
She is thrust into her father’s timeline, not once, not twice, but three times. While this happens on a space of one night (my approximation) for her, years have passed for Lu, her father, between each visit. All this to understand, the boy who had been, the man he became and the man who died.
You would think, with her snarkiness, and her cold shoulder attitude, Corina would be hard to like. That with her skewed perceptions of a father she had never known (Don’t judge just by what you see? Right?), she would be irritating and come off as a stubborn whiny little girl, but she doesn't.
Her feelings and thoughts are as real to me as mine are. Her anger at her father whom she believes left her, is as wounding to me as if mine had. Her interactions with a father are absolutely adorable, just like that of a brother with a sister (which for him would be normal, because she didn’t even exist as thought the first two times!).
As for Lu, we see him grow and see the influence his ‘daughter’ has on his life and his decisions. (Irony at it’s best!). We see him grow from an idealistic young man to a cynical doctor to a hero and that growth just takes your breath away! We understand his decisions and his fascination and courageousness at the face of tragedy.
Every single time, Corina met Lu, they battled for their lives along with others around. If it wasn’t a blazing inferno, then it was a hostage situation, last but not the least, it was in the middle of a war.
Corina and Lu behaved courageously in every single situation. You would think their actions would be incredible and fantastical, but all I could think when I was reading about it was ‘I hope that if I am ever in such a situation, I could be half as awesome as they were!’
But it was only at the last leg of their journey that both father and daughter really connected. It was only when they realised the mistakes each of them made that they realised they weren’t truly different after all.
Was it any wonder that I bawled my eyes out (at work, no less) when I came to the same understanding of her father as Corina did;
“What makes him a hero isn’t that he came here. Isn’t that he’s saved lives here. Isn’t that he will die here, fighting for a good cause.
It’s that he came here knowing there was little he could do but was willing to do that little anyway. Because that little meant saving lives that would otherwise be lost.
Lives no one else was willing to save.”
Pg 365
Maybe this novel wouldn’t resound to others the same way it did to me. But that’s okay. Because I know this story, the message in it, will resound in your head anyways. Haven’t you wondered why do people give their lives to save others? Haven’t you wondered why people have those bursts of courageous acts for people they don’t know and just might never meet again?
What Lu says, just might give you another perspective:
“It’s one thing to help a person who might be helped anyways, by someone else equally capable as you. It’s another to help a person who would die without your help.”
The author has written a story that has captivated me from the start, making me laugh and snort at Corina’s sassy sarcasm while making me slowly admire Lu’s tenacity to do good for those who don’t have a lot of good coming for them. The writing style itself is a beauty and it grips you when you believe that you can’t get more invested in the story and the characters.
I can’t wait to read more from this author, because this book definitely made to the list of my favourites!
Actual Rating 4.5 Stars
The author provided me with an ARC of the novel in exchange for an honest review.
There are times, when you read a book, that reaches inside you and pulls at your inside, twists them and leaves you feeling same on the outside, yet
everything changed on the inside.
This book was that book for me.
I requested to review this novel on GoodReads because well the blurb stuck a chord with me, even though I didn’t realise it at the time. You’ll realise why when you read this review, or better yet, this book!
The journey I went on, while reading this book was a roller coaster ride. I was was honestly expecting this to be a typical time travel book, though in retrospect I wonder why was I so near sighted?
Because this book was so much more! Because this book was not just about the journey of a daughter to understand the man who was her father, yet was hero to the world. This was also about the journey of a boy into a man. It was the understanding of a boy who grew up with ideals to the man who felt the need to protect the world in any way he could.
This novel strikes at the heart of every child’s thought – How is my father the way he is today? What made my father to be the kind of man that he is today? Why did he make the decisions he did?
This story is about a girl who gets a chance to find answers. Answers about a father she has never known, a father she has hated for all her life, just to understand the choices he made.
The story starts off with Corina fighting two bullies, not for herself, not for fun, but to protect her friend. The way the author introduces Corina, is quite an interesting choice. Because it’s only later on in the story you realise that that introduction tells a lot.
It’s the year 2026 and a war in Asia has been going on for 16 years. And Corina’s father, Luther had been a part of the war as Red Cross Volunteer since before she was born. (A Little background: China refuse to adhere to the World Order and even missionaries were considered ‘fair game’ if they ‘interfered’ in the matters of state. Can I just say how plausible I found this tidbit? Not the China part, but that any superpower could do that!).
She has not known her father herself, only through few cheerful letters sent sporadically and the stories of the ‘hero’ her small town remembered. The day she fights the bullies, is the day she and her mother get the news that her father has died of starvation as a POW in China.
Understandably, she is a little more than pissed at him for ‘choosing the war’ over her and her mother while giving her mother false hope of getting back home safe and sound.
So when an old man starts following her around and watching her, she assumes that either she is being haunted or being stalked by a creepy old man, on top of being asked to mourn a father she believes is attention seeking prick.
Everything comes to head, when she is given a chance to know her father, by the same creepy old man, she jumps on the chance. (Funnily enough, she is actually was quite amenable to the idea, without a hint of fear. I liked her even more for it <3)
She is thrust into her father’s timeline, not once, not twice, but three times. While this happens on a space of one night (my approximation) for her, years have passed for Lu, her father, between each visit. All this to understand, the boy who had been, the man he became and the man who died.
You would think, with her snarkiness, and her cold shoulder attitude, Corina would be hard to like. That with her skewed perceptions of a father she had never known (Don’t judge just by what you see? Right?), she would be irritating and come off as a stubborn whiny little girl, but she doesn't.
Her feelings and thoughts are as real to me as mine are. Her anger at her father whom she believes left her, is as wounding to me as if mine had. Her interactions with a father are absolutely adorable, just like that of a brother with a sister (which for him would be normal, because she didn’t even exist as thought the first two times!).
As for Lu, we see him grow and see the influence his ‘daughter’ has on his life and his decisions. (Irony at it’s best!). We see him grow from an idealistic young man to a cynical doctor to a hero and that growth just takes your breath away! We understand his decisions and his fascination and courageousness at the face of tragedy.
Every single time, Corina met Lu, they battled for their lives along with others around. If it wasn’t a blazing inferno, then it was a hostage situation, last but not the least, it was in the middle of a war.
Corina and Lu behaved courageously in every single situation. You would think their actions would be incredible and fantastical, but all I could think when I was reading about it was ‘I hope that if I am ever in such a situation, I could be half as awesome as they were!’
But it was only at the last leg of their journey that both father and daughter really connected. It was only when they realised the mistakes each of them made that they realised they weren’t truly different after all.
Was it any wonder that I bawled my eyes out (at work, no less) when I came to the same understanding of her father as Corina did;
“What makes him a hero isn’t that he came here. Isn’t that he’s saved lives here. Isn’t that he will die here, fighting for a good cause.
It’s that he came here knowing there was little he could do but was willing to do that little anyway. Because that little meant saving lives that would otherwise be lost.
Lives no one else was willing to save.”
Pg 365
Maybe this novel wouldn’t resound to others the same way it did to me. But that’s okay. Because I know this story, the message in it, will resound in your head anyways. Haven’t you wondered why do people give their lives to save others? Haven’t you wondered why people have those bursts of courageous acts for people they don’t know and just might never meet again?
What Lu says, just might give you another perspective:
“It’s one thing to help a person who might be helped anyways, by someone else equally capable as you. It’s another to help a person who would die without your help.”
The author has written a story that has captivated me from the start, making me laugh and snort at Corina’s sassy sarcasm while making me slowly admire Lu’s tenacity to do good for those who don’t have a lot of good coming for them. The writing style itself is a beauty and it grips you when you believe that you can’t get more invested in the story and the characters.
I can’t wait to read more from this author, because this book definitely made to the list of my favourites!