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The Grapes of Wrath – John Steinbeck

Summary: A harrowing tale of the struggle to survive that will make you lose even more faith in humanity.

Although I didn’t particularly enjoy Steinbeck’s style – though much of that can be attributed to my dislike for the rough spoken dialect he brings to life on the page – the story itself dug its claws into me and still hasn’t released them. His own research adds a ring of authenticity to life on the road and in refugee camps, as the Joad family struggle to put gas in the car, keep their vehicle moving, put food in their mouths and keep the children together. In a word: heartbreaking.

The Villa Girls – Nicky Pellegrino

Summary: Summer love never did run smooth.

I ended up reading this as I got it from work. As chick-lit goes, it’s not too bad – although if it hadn’t been half set in Italy and food hadn’t played such a large part in it, I might not have rated it so highly. Just saying. Orphaned young, Rosie has always shied away from being around others. But that changes when she meets Enzo on a trip abroad. As heir to an olive oil dynasty, he’s in hot demand – but never found any of the local girls of interest. A surprisingly dark family secret comes between them, though, and their romance appears to be doomed.

Atonement – Ian McEwan

Summary: Naive, precocious child’s actions have long-reaching consequences – most devastatingly, for others. (Honestly, people. Just tell the truth.)

How sing-songy does the author’s name sound? Perhaps this has something to do with his overly flowery prose. To be honest, I couldn’t stand it. The entire first third was almost unbearable in its slow-moving narrative – after all, it covers a whopping two-day period – to say nothing of the intolerable aristocratic family. (It’s all a very bit Cluedo, actually). The rest of the novel, however, was a rip-roarer – the gritty war and hospital chapters sucked me in and were the sole reason I stayed up late to finish this in one night. And while I understand the requirement for the final epilogue, at the same time, I would almost rather it was cut – except for the very last two pages. Sorry to be so vague; I’m not sure how widely known the plot is and I don’t want to spoil it for anyone. Overall, I’d give it a 3.5/5.

American Wife – Curtis Sittenfeld

Summary: Opposites attract. A tale of class, gender and political politics (er, couldn’t think of a more eloquent way to phrase that) and the discrepancies between the image we project and the inner reality.

We all know this is a thinly veiled fictional account of what George W and Laura Bush’s relationship might be like. So it perturbs me that I could relate so closely to it. I love that Laura is such a fully-fleshed out character and that Sittenfeld seems fundamentally interested, not unlike myself, in matters of race, class and human relations. While there are interesting episodes in Laura’s early life, it’s not until she marries and is ingratiated into her husband’s clan – and these were the chapters I most enjoyed. I was enthralled but simultaneously revulsed by the trappings of upper-class wealth, and the nature of living inside a political bubble. It definitely drove home the fact that I could never be involved in politics in any way; I could never be with a politician, nor could I jump the fence and become a spin doctor. That said, there were plenty of unnecessary descriptions of outfits and decor, and the entire novel loses momentum in the final section. (But if you give up, I urge you to turn to the last page for a great twist.)

Never Let Me Go – Kazuo Ishiguro

Summary: Creepy somewhat sci-fi tale of a dystopic England that’s ultimately a reflection on human nature, our relations to others, and life on earth itself.

Warning: I’m going to be a little spoiler-y here. What starts off as an idyllic recounting of life at boarding school quickly takes on darker undertones as the characters come to realise their destiny. I was left wondering: why did they choose the kinds of people they did? What did the organ harvests involve, exactly? But the way Ishiguro frames the narrative is really not about those details atall. Rather, it’s a beautiful, if, bleak, story of dignity, acceptance, forgiveness, belonging, and pure human decency. It’s haunting but somewhat hollow, not unlike the lives of the clones.

Flipped – Wendelin van Draanen

Summary: Cute tale of adolescent love told from alternating viewpoints.

A fun, light-hearted read that reminds us of the need for second chances and that appearances can be deceiving. Juli falls for Bryce the moment she sees him, but he wants nothing more than to shake her off. By the time he comes to realise her worth, she’s wondering if he’s all he’s cracked up to be. And his own family could do with a bit of redemption; Juli’s lot might be broke, but it’s for a good reason – Bryce’s side cast judgement from across the street without ever bothering to dig deeper.