Sunday, July 28, 2013

Mini Reviews: Into That Forest & The Infinite Moment of US

I went to BEA in May with a wish list of titles I was hoping to get my hands on. I had limited luggage space and was trying to be discerning about which books I picked up. I had not heard of Louis Nowra's Into That Forest, but the cover compelled me to pick it up. How much do you love this?




Then the blurb on the back of the book: Two girls. Two tigers. Four years in the wild. Two girls survive a terrible flood in the Tasmanian bush and are rescued by a pair of Tasmanian tigers who raise them in the wild. Their story of survival is remarkable, as they adapt to the life of the tiger, learning to hunt and to communicate without the use of human language. When they are discovered and returned to civilization, neither can adapt to being fully human after their extraordinary experience. Totally believable, their story will both shock and captivate readers as it explores the animal instincts that lie beneath our civilized veneer.

This book is unlike anything I've ever read, maybe that's why it was the first book I chose from my BEA cache. It's the captivating story of two young girls, ages six and seven, who go out for a picnic with one of the girl's parents and are swept away in a flood. Although the parents are killed, the girls survive. The story of their survival, after being adopted by a pair of tigers is both fascinating and disturbing. Honestly, the scenes where they kill and savagely eat birds, sheep, rabbit turned my stomach. I admit, I had to skim those passages, and even still, I had trouble eating meat for several weeks afterward. [My husband always tells me I would never have survived if I were born a hundred years ago. Give me nice, clean, boneless, skinless chicken breast please.] Still, the way the girls and the tigers come to depend on each other and function as a real family is riveting.

Although this story is about two girls, I think with all of its adventure, boys would enjoy it too. And I'm betting they wouldn't get nearly as grossed out as I did.

The second book I read was The Infinite Moment of Us by Lauren Myracle. Hers was the first line I waited in at BEA and she was lovely to have a little chat with while she signed a book for me and another for my daughter (who was waiting in another line across the conference center.) I'm a sucker for a good, "meant to be" romance and with a title like that, I almost had to read this, right?! Plus, it alternates between the girl and the guy POV. I love seeing from both sides of the story. The sex scenes were pretty explicit (in the context of what I usually read, anyway) but somehow it didn't take away from the sweetness of the story. 



From Goodreads: For as long as she can remember, Wren Gray’s goal has been to please her parents. But as high school graduation nears, so does an uncomfortable realization: Pleasing her parents once overlapped with pleasing herself, but now . . . not so much. Wren needs to honor her own desires, but how can she if she doesn’t even know what they are?
Charlie Parker, on the other hand, is painfully aware of his heart’s desire. A gentle boy with a troubled past, Charlie has loved Wren since the day he first saw her. But a girl like Wren would never fall for a guy like Charlie—at least not the sort of guy Charlie believes himself to be.And yet certain things are written in the stars. And in the summer after high school, Wren and Charlie’s souls will collide. But souls are complicated, as are the bodies that house them . . .Sexy, romantic, and oh-so-true to life, this is an unforgettable look at first love from one of young adult fiction’s greatest writers.

Happy Reading!


22 comments:

  1. Thanks for the excellent reviews, Ruth. Both are going on my to-read list. I've read books like Into That Forest, ones that are so gripping and sometimes so raw, that I'm alternately reading like mad because it's a fantastic story but skimming for passages that I know I'll have trouble stomaching. I'm in awe of writers that can strike those kinds of nerves.

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  2. Two very different books, but both sound compelling. I'll have to check them out.

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  3. Feral children stories are amazing. I'd love to pick up 'Into That Forest.' Thanks for recommending, Ruth!

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  4. Thanks for the great recommendation, Ruth! I especially love Lauren Myracle. How cool that you got to meet her! = )

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  5. I've never heard of either of these, so I appreciate the info. Thanks so much for sharing your treasures with us! :)

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  6. Both sound so interesting. Books offer something for everyone, don't they?

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  7. Your reviews are always worth reading. These two books, The Infinite Moment of Us and INTO THE FORREST, are very contrasting but worthy offerings. The latter, about the tiger-raised sisters, is especially interesting to me. I look forward to more of your insights from your BEA "loot!"

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  8. Into that Forest looks very interesting. I really enjoyed The Dogs of Winter by Bobbie Pyron that has a similar concept. And The Infinite Moment of us looks really intriguing. I just added it to my goodreads list.

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  9. Very different books, but both very interesting in their own way. Thank you for the reviews.

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  10. Both of these look interesting. I've seen Myracle's book, but the first one is new to me.

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  11. Such different books- but they both look interesting. I can imagine feeling a little sick after reading the "meat eating" parts of Into That Forest! How wonderful that both books you got turned out to be so good. Thanks for sharing them- they are both new to me. :)

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  12. Never heard of these. Thanks for the review.

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  13. INTO THAT FOREST sounds fascinating. I hadn't heard about either of these. Thanks so much for sharing!

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  14. Two girls, two tigers? That sounds SO intriguing to me. I'm off to find this book! Thanks for the rec. :)

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  15. Wow, that is a gorgeous cover. Thanks for the reviews!

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  16. I am going to have to get that book "Into that forest". I love anything that's a bit strange without being vampirish.

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  17. I have to read the Infinite Moment of Us. That sounds like my kind of read. Plus I love the cover.

    I wouldn't have survived either!

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  18. Oh wow, Ruth! These both sound amazing! I read Lauren Myracle's SHINE, which was really good. Now I will clearly have to add these to my teetering TBR pile! :)

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  19. Wow, the girl and the tigers sound super good. Plus, I really liked Life of Pi, and it had a tiger in it... =)

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  20. I love the front cover of Into That Forest. It sounds like a most unusual book and a good read.

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