Review: End of the Night Girl by Amy T Matthews

 

Title: End of the Night Girl

Author: Amy T Matthews
Released: May 2011
Source: Boomerang Books Early Critics Club
Reviewed by: Sapphired Dragon
Sapphired Dragon rating : ** 1/2

Synopsis (via Goodreads):
Molly, a sassy waitress, is haunted by the ghost of a murdered Polish Jew. Two novels, each a compelling page-turner, combine teasingly in one as End of the Night Girl explores the shadow cast by the Holocaust across decades, continents and cultures.
 
Review:
When I read the the above synopsis before requesting the book, I think i expected somehting other than what I got.  I like the idea of two novels combining into one but to be honest I am not quite sure Matthews achieved this. Sure there were two different stories going on but I didn't quite get the way they came together and as a reader felt that the destination was not necessarily worth the journey to get there.

For a start, some strong language in the first chapter nearly stopped me going any further and while the two stories by themselves were interesting enough, I was by no means hooked at any stage.  I would read pleasantly until i came to a natural stop (i.e. i had to get of the train or bus, or my lunch break finished) but never felt compelled to jump straight back in and see what happened next.  I really had to make myself continue.

The biggest issue I had was that I felt the main story (the one set in the here and now) didn't really go anywhere and the other story was too disconnected really to follow all the time, no matter how interesting the excerps were and the connection between the two seemed to me flimsy at best.  I think if i was to discuss this book in an english class or on a forum etc then I might be able to make some more connections and find more from the story but purely as a reader, the conclusion left me feeling immensely unsatisfied.

While this story was not my cup of tea, if you are a fan of Australian literature set in the  present, or  then you may enjoy this book. For me however, unfortunately I could only give it 2 1/2 stars.

Sapphired Dragon xx

Purchase:   Book Depository | Boomerang Books

Head to http://aussieaugust.blogspot.com/ to check what else is happening with Aussie authors this month

In My Mailbox #10

Welcome to  In My Mailbox, a meme run by The Story Siren where each week over 200 bloggers post on their blogs the books they have bought, received to review or won in the past week.

To find out more information, get involved yourself or see what's in other bloggers mailboxes this week head over to The Story Siren or to find out what is in my mailbox this week, keep reading.

Don't forget to comment and post your IMM link or just let me know what's in your mail box this week:

For Review :

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Golden Healer, Dark Enchantress by Christine E. Schulze
Source : Goodreads Giveaway
Release Date: 6 January 2010
Goodreads | Amazon

Cats Tale : A Fairy tale retold by Bettie Sharpe
Source: Carina Press via Netgalley
Release Date: 27 June 2011
Goodreads  | Amazon

Spellbound by Cara Lynn Schultz
Source: HarlequinTEEN via Netgalley
Release Date: 28 June 2011
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

The Name Of The Star by Maureen Johnson
Source: HarperCollins Australia via Netgalley
Relase Date: 1 October 2011
Goodreads | Amazon

Lord of the Vampires by Gena Showalter
Source: Harlequin Nocturne via Netgalley
Release Date: 23 August 2011
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

End of the Night Girl by Amy T Matthews
Source : Boomerang Books Early Critics Club
Release Date: 2011
Goodreads | Book Depository | Boomerang Books

South of Salem by Janni Nell
Source: Carina Press via Netgalley
Release Date: 30 May 2011
Goodreads | Amazon

July R.A.K:

I received another July R.A.K. gift this week.  Thanks so much to Cherie from Mystrez's Crazy Maze
for : 

Darkest Mercy by Melissa Marr Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository 


Summer Exchange :

I participated in the Awesome Summer exchange held by Ruby at Ruby's Reads which was kind of like a summer secret santa where everyone who participates is allocated another participant whom they buy a book of that participant's wishlist and in return receive a book from their wish list from someone else.


I sent a gift to the participant i was given around the end of June and it arrived today.

I completely lucked out in regards to what I received.  It arrived in the mail this week.  Thanks so much to the Awesome Aurora who sent me the awesome gift below. Thanks again Aurora :)

Passion by Lauren Kate Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository


Thanks you also to Ruby for running such a great event.  I will definitely participating again next year!

Lastly, I was at Winterfest last weekend and picked up a little mascot to re-present my blog Realm of the Sapphired Dragon.

Isn't he cute?



So what was in your mailbox this week?