Happy June everyone! Summer is here and I'm loving it. Eighty degrees, sunny, and time to relax on the beach with an amazing book (actually, I used to - now, I happily make sand castles, dig up crabs, play soccer, collect seashells, and hang out in the frigid water). :) The first Wednesday of the month means another edition of The Book Review Club hosted by Barrie Summy, author of I So Don't Do Mysteries. Today, I'm featuring one of the ten novels chosen for my annual South Jersey Mom magazine Chick Lit Pick's Beach Reads column.
The Year of the FogBy: Michelle Richmond
During a shoreline stroll, Abby Mason stops for a split second to snap a picture of a baby seal and when she looks up, her soon to be stepdaugther, Emma, is gone. Follow Abby and her family as they enter the tormenting world of searching for a missing child. Get swept away by this edge- of-your-seat emotional thriller.
Every parents worst nightmare is losing a child. Although THE YEAR OF THE FOG is emotionally tough to read at times, the flashback technique used by Richmond makes the novel impossible to put down. I'm recommending this month's book to anyone who has children or share the fear of losing someone. :)
Check out the rest of the reviews here.
Have a wonderful Wednesday!! :)
22 comments:
And it always seems like parents say "I only looked away for a moment" when a child disappears. I may not read this book but I certainly enjoyed the review and stopping by your entertaining blog. Enjoy the warm weather because I'm in Maine where it hasn't quite figured out if it wants to be winter or summer yet.
That sounds like a heartbreaker of a book!
Enjoy your 80 degrees! I am so ready for summer weather, it's still in the 60's for some odd reason!
I admit I'm a wimp. I'm not sure I could read that one!
I saw this book once at the local bookstore. Will have to get this soon. Thanks for your review :)
This must be a mother's worst fear. I'd like to see how the writer handled such a difficult topic.
Thanks for the review.
I agree; this is every parent's worst nightmare. And I actually did lose a child at the beach. We found him (he's now 13), but it was a horrible 15 or so minutes. I'll definitely read this book. Thanks.
Definitely sounds like an emotional read for parents! But maybe worth the difficult moments.... Thanks for the review.
This is a mother’s worst nightmare. You’ve given a good hook without giving anything away.
It sounds like a powerful book, but I''m not sure it's my cup of tea. Enjoy your 80 degree weather. It's still cool here and we even had a tiny bit of rain this morning. :)
Hi, David! Thanks for your kind words. Stay warm. I heard Maine is gorgeous. :)
Hi, Kelly! Yes.. It's very good, though.
Hi, Adrienne! Me too.. :) I tend to like lighter reads, but this is a goodie.
You're welcome, Thao! :)
You're welcome, Bee! It's definitely one of my worst fears.
Hi, Barrie! OMG.. I lost Kaci for like 15 seconds on the beach last year and panicked. I can't imagine.
You're welcome, Shari. It definitely leaves you feeling thankful. ;)
Thanks, Sarah. :)
You're welcome, Linda. Thanks for stopping by. :)
Losing one of my children is the one thing I know would break me. We lost #1 son at Sea World when he was 4 and it trully was the worst moments of my life. If I read this book I may not ever let them out of my sight again. Great review, but I don't know if I could take reliving that experience again.
That sounds creepy and heart breaking! We've had a number of Canadian children gone missing. I am grateful my children are al in their 20s and I can read books like this again!!!
You ought to see the movie Taken if you haven't already. That was riveting...
Great review! I don't know if I'll be able to read it right now though ... someone convinced me to read 'The Shack' which I couldn't put down ... but it was just completely devastating at the same time. I could barely even sleep at night! Since becoming a parent, I can't seem to handle reading those topics! I'll put it on my 'to be read in the future' list! :-)
Woohoooo for UW girls softball!!!!!!! :-)
This doesn't sound like a beach read to me! :) I have no doubt it's an emotional rollercoaster, but I'm not sure I'm ready to take the plunge--I'd probably be paranoid for weeks!
But great review...
Ray Veen likes this.
Ooh, I read "The Deep End of the Ocean" at least ten years ago, before I had kids. It was a tough read then. I can't imagine reading it as a parent. Anything kid related now pulls at my emotional strings in such a more powerful way. What a tribute to those emotions to be able to write about them so well.
How terrifying! I remember when a single dad looked away for just a moment and his sun drowned in the pool - it was so tragic. This books sounds like it would make a good movie.
unfortunately i haven't had time to read any grown-up books--i've been trying to catch up on my 3rd grade reading lately! :)
I'm with Adrienne, I couldn't take it!
I am convinced that the reason I'm starting to go gray is precisely this fear coupled with the brief moments when I have misplaced one of my children (like when the first learned to open the front door, or found a back exit from a store, accidentally became attached to another family at the zoo . . .).
I can't imagine being able to write convincingly about this stuff. It amazes me that others do it so well!
Hi, Beth! I can't imagine what you felt like at Sea World. I don't blame you. Hugs.
Hi, Jenn! TAKEN was amazing. I watched last summer. It really made me think.
Hey, Kelly!! I was thinking of you when the Huskies won. Their pitcher is amazing. :)
Hi, Alyssa! :) LOL. The other choices are a bit lighter. I seriously couldn't put this book down.
Love it, Ray! :)
Me too, Stacy. Kudos to Michelle Richmond!
How horrible, Kathy. I agree. :)
So excited for you, Miss Chevious! :)
Me too, Sarah Lynn! :)
Keri--Thanks for your great review of The Year of Fog.
At book clubs and readings, I've heard many of these "I looked away for a moment" stories. Fortunately, almost all of them have a happy ending. I've also heard by email, however, from parents who have never found their children, which is heartbreaking.
I can say that, ultimately, I think the message of The Year of Fog is hopeful. A number of readers have told me they actually read the ending BEFORE they read the rest of the book--they said they had to know the outcome first in order to read it!
Bethy, I have also been in contact with another mom who lost her child at Sea World, but her child was never found. You did find your little boy, I hope?
Thanks for stopping by, Michelle! I agree the message of THE YEAR OF THE FOG is hopeful. Sensational novel, Michelle! Congrats!! :)
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