I've only read 25 pages of the book, but I don't think I can stomach any more. I picked this one up because my book club is reading it, so maybe I'll decide to finish it. But the writing is bad and while the non-Mormon author is respectful of Mormon beliefs, she gets so much of it wrong. The way she explains LDS culture and doctrine just sounds ridiculous and hokey much of the time. I felt like I was getting an insight into a different religion, not my own.UPDATE:Okay, so maybe I was a bit hasty in my reaction above. I did decide to finish reading it, and while it is not a 1-star, as I originally rated it, I think the 3 stars is still generous.The first half of the book was so annoying--it seemed like she was trying so hard to make sure everyone understood the LDS faith and culture, but she failed so badly to get even some of the basics right. Some of the Mormon "lingo" that was thrown in was so off and did not sound like anything I have grown up around. Did the author, or any one of her editors or agents not know ONE Mormon that could have helped them on this project? Would it really be too much to ask to have someone LDS read through this? All of it would have been so easily remedied by having someone who actually knows and lives the religion as a reference on these things. She was so off in that regard.However, the second half of the book turned into a decent story, and I had to bump it up to 3 stars simply because for a while, I was expecting a sick and twisted ending and thankfully, she did not give us that. It ended nicely and I thought she did make the reader think about how what happens in life is not an accident. There is a reason for everything. Our actions and reactions affect so much more than ourselves and our close-knit circle of family and friends. They can affect the big picture and touch others' lives in a way that we may not comprehend until much later.
Cage of Stars by Jacquelyn Mitchard was an average book. I chose to read this book because my English Comp. instructor assigned it to me and it seemed like a good book. The book takes place in a small close-knit community in Utah. Veronica, the main character, lives with her family in the country. Veronica is a dynamic character.She is very caring and she always helps her family. However, Veronica is faced with the hardship of her two sisters being murdered. Her incandescent attitude has a positive effect on everyone. When she finds out that her two sisters have been murdered, her life becomes an obscure place. The amount of anxiety seems to be copious and she feels like everyone is scrutinizing her. She decides that the only way to get over her hardship is to not forget and get even. Throughout the book she learns more about growing up and the hardship that her sisters' killer faces. The theme of this book is a great one. The theme focuses on the grieving process and the process of forgiving someone. I feel like everyone is faced with the problem in their life and it is great to read about it. However, when she is faced with a life-threatening situation, will she learn to forgive?In conclusion, I really liked this book, but it took too long to get into it. I felt like there were some pages that I couldn't even focus on. However, when the book was getting towards the end, I very much enjoyed it. Any reader that is interested in mystery, crime, and death would like to read this book. However, if you have a short attention span, this probably is not the book for you.
What do You think about Cage Of Stars (2006)?
Unrealistic, repetitive, and very uneven. The build-up takes forever and then the climax and dénoumént pass in a flash, and none of it leaves much of an impact. The plot, characters, and details are not at all believable. I guess it might make for a nice, frothy, feel-good read if you like that kind of thing, but it's a literary lightweight.I did feel a little browbeaten by the repeated references to Mormonism, although maybe not as much as some people. I'm a Quaker; people have all sorts of weird ideas about us, too. Oh, well. I got the feeling that the author was very anxious to feel unique, special, and put-upon because of her religion, which was more tiresome than the Mormonism specifically.
—Dixie Diamond
I bought this book completely unaware it had anything to do with my faith and fell pray to judging a book by its cover (we've all done it) but it looks like I picked a good one. When I read the first page I almost shut it and took it back to the bookstore but I'm happy I gave it a chance and kept reading. This is not an Anti-mormon book and the author surprised me by actually writing a moving story about an lds girl that is actually almost realistic. She took time to understand the lds faith and the result is a book that is emmotional moving and in my opinion respectful of our beliefs. She got a few facts off but nothing thats not forgivable. This book really surprised me by how good it turned out it be and I found myself becoming so invested in the emotions of the characters and what they went through. It got me thinking about my loved ones and how I would handle having any of them murdered especially my siblings. i found myself getting so emmotional reading this book. For not being a member of the church the author sure tapped into the the heart of our belief in the reality of an eternal family and the love that is cultivated in a good lds home. A love that is really all encompassing.
—Alexandra
I still think the jury's out on this one...I'm just not sure how I feel about it. There were parts I liked and felt like I could relate too, but then there were other things that I just couldn't imagine feeling. I especially found the level of hatred hard to relate to. I can't even imagine how I would feel if I had gone through the same situation, but I really would like to think that that level of hatred was beyond me, but maybe that's wishful thinking.I was also bothered that although the other supposedly spent time with members of the church she still got some of the details wrong. Just a personal pet peeve. She should have checked those things with her friends.I guess it's just up to you whether you'll read it or not.
—Marianne
