YCReads

I decided to pick up the P.D. James book Children of Men after I saw the movie of the same name.  To say the  movie and book were different is an understatement.  I liked the movie, but the book was so much better.

It is a story set in the not too distant future in England.  No children have been born for 26 years and the population is aging.  The world is slowly dying out.  A warden controls England, and in exchange for keeping the power on, he has taken away the freedoms the people of England once enjoyed.  There is forced “suicide” of the very old and infirm and testing of all males and females to determine if they can reproduce. 

The unlikely hero of this novel is an Oxford historian named Theo.  He is the warden’s cousin and an unfeeling man who is just drifting through what remains of his life.  He involuntarily gets involved with an anti-government group called the Five Fishes.

To tell you anymore would ruin the story.  Let me just say I found it a very interesting and compelling book, and although it was written in 1993, I found it a timely read as well.

Laura W. - Fort Mill                                           ISBN 0679418733

Kindred is a very gripping read.  It tells the story of Dana, a 26-year old black woman, who in 1976 time travels back to the early 1800’s.  She shares a connection with her white slave-owning ancester Rufus.  Whenever Rufus feels that his life is in danger, he summons Dana to the past to intervene. Complicating matters is Dana’s white husband who also makes a journey back with her.

Kindred is very interesting on many levels.  It deals extensively with the question of “how could anyone be a slave?”  Because of the subject matter the book is often disturbing. Nonetheless, it is a fast paced, exciting book.

Laura W. - Fort Mill                                                              ISBN 0807083054

This book has many of what I think of as Ms. Feehan’s “distinguishing” elements. Jack Norton is an alpha male, a powerful, confident control freak who’s genetically programmed to respond to one specific female. Briony Jenkins is a strong, independent woman who’s uncomfortable both with his domination and the sense that their attraction to each other is pre-ordained. Their emotional and sexual connection is strong and intense. Christine Feehan at her best does this very, very, very well, and this book has it in spades. I enjoyed Jack and Briony’s romance very much.

Considerably less involving are the lengthy voids disguised as conversations. Some contain background information, however, in one bizarre instance the reader is treated to a six page description how Dr. Whitney gained access to the GhostWalker’s computer system to spy on them.

All in all I think this book will likely please Christine Feehan’s fans, and would also be an okay place to start for those interested in trying the series, GhostWalkers. Other books in this series include Shadow Game, Mind Game, and Night Game.

Jennifer S. - York