Saxton Reads! & Reviews

We invite the public to post reviews to our catalog by logging into our online catalog. Reviews will then be posted to this blog. Comments can be added to existing posts or may be added as separate reviews on our catalog

SEPTEMBER 28, 2008

The Year of Fog

*
bas bleu
Abby Mason is walking along San Francisco's Ocean Beach with her fiance's six-year old daughter, Emma, when she stops to photograph a dead seal pup. By the time Abby looks up, Emma has disappeared. The remainder of the novel recounts in exhaustive, obsessive, and laborious detail the search for Emma and the guilt felt by Abby. A friend asked me to preview this book after someone had recommended it to her as a possible choice for their book club. I was afraid to tell her how drawn-out and tedious the book felt to me -- you could skim the entire middle section and not miss a thing. Fortunately, my friend shared similar feelings about the book: a contrived plot with unlikable characters. However, it might be a good choice for a book club. From other reviews I have seen, readers either love it or hate it. This will result in lively discussions!

Add a comment (1 comment)

posted by ckubala

-------------------------------------------------------

Comments

ckubala said, on Sep. 28 at 10:55AM
**** It must be a parent's worst nightmare, the lost or missing child; but what if you're not even the parent but the parent to be. This is the premise set forth in Michelle Richmond's lyrical story, Year of Fog. Photographer Abby Mason takes her soon to be step-daughter, six year old Emma for a walk on the beach. In the blink of the shutter, Emma disappears into the San Francisco fog. The previous reviewer found the book tedious and I would agree that the story could have been wrapped more quickly. Despite this flaw and the see it coming plot line, the predictable part needs to be to set stage for the unpredictable. A haunting exploration of love and loss; thought provoking and heartfelt to the end. A new author to add to my list.