The Invention of Childhood by Hugh Cunningham

The Invention of Childhood by Hugh Cunningham
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is specifically a history of childhood in Great Britain. It's interesting but not as interesting as a larger examination of childhood throughout the world and throughout history. You can't draw any specific or scientific conclusions from the book. It serves more as entertainment than a book to clarify your thinking on the topic of childhood. I also thought the writer was a little overly-casual about the instances of child sexual abuse he covered.

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A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Beautiful and sad without being devastating. This is a feminist novel about religious and political fanaticism. It's a novel about how Afghanistan's people were devastated by the Cold War tug-of-war between America, Russia, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia. It's about the disappointments of family, and the depths of friendship. Even though I gave them the same rating, I liked this one better than Kite Runner.

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The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this novel. Hosseini did a good job of writing about some of the complications of friendship and family. I could relate to the experience of immigrants and refugees trying to adjust to a new country, culture, and language.

The setting of Afghanistan in two different times was also really interesting. I've read some of the history of the U.S. and the Soviet Union in Afghanistan but I still think this book could have benefitted from explaining a bit more clearly what was going politically to understand the relationship to what was happening in the plot of the story.

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Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon

Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Very quick enjoyable read. Even though I knew what would happen, it was beautifully written. A very modern and unique story.

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Etched in Sand by Regina Calcaterra

Etched in Sand: A True Story of Five Siblings Who Survived an Unspeakable Childhood on Long Island by Regina Calcaterra
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The beginning of this was particularly good and I think it could have been a better memoir with tighter editing. Part of the issue is the main story of her abuse and overcoming the abuse to build a good life is over way before the memoir is over. It could have ended with her first job, quickly summarized her adult life- possibly with a focus on her role as a leader in Long Island.

I was particularly confused about the lengthy section about her paternity test suit, even though as an attorney myself I understood what she explained about the case itself. I understand why the lawsuit may be important to her, but that's different than what's likely to be important to a reader. In any case, I think she sounds like a remarkable person who views her past in a self-aware and rational manner.

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The Girl Who Fell from the Sky by Heidi W. Durrow

The Girl Who Fell from the Sky by Heidi W. Durrow
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a little confusing in the beginning, but it ended up being good. I think my favorite things were the diverse and realistic characters and the way the writer made sorrow seem beautiful. That's a hard thing to pull off.

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The Perks of Being A Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

The Perks of Being A Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is more of a split score. I think I would have given it 4 stars if I'd read it when I was in highschool, and it's more of 3, maybe 3.5 for me now. The main character is a freshman in high school dealing with a lot of pain while trying not to be super awkward.

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