Monday, March 8, 2010

The Year of Fog

The Year of Fog The Year of Fog by Michelle Richmond

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is my in-person book club's pick for March. I actually think it will make for a really good discussion. (Oh, I would LOVE to talk to someone about how it ended!)

Abby Mason loses her fiancee's daughter while walking on a foggy San Francisco beach. This book chronicles the year that follows. Abby never gives up her hope of finding Emma. At the same time, the reader gets an insight into Abby's strained relationship with Jake.

The book seemed to me to be a cross between The Memory Keeper's Daughter and The Deep End of the Ocean. It was certainly melancholy. I had to read it quickly because I knew it would be the kind of book that would bog me down. Any parent worries about those split-second decisions that could change everything, And to be honest, it isn't something I really want to dwell on.

I liked the interesting side parts about memory and light and cameras and I found the book to be a relatively quick and easy read. However, Jake really really bugged me. So the Jake/Abby storyline was really hard for me to swallow because I thought Abby was a sympathetic character and Jake just wasn't. Overall, this was a decent read, but nothing I would write home about.

Also reviewed by:
Yours?

Book 21 of 100 for the 100+ Reading Challenge
Book 12 of 50 for the New Author Challenge
Book 25 of 50 for the Countdown Challenge (2007)
Book 9 of 50 for the RYOB Challenge

Source: BookMooch

7 comments:

bermudaonion said...

That does sound like an emotional book.

Michelle said...

I agree with you - I wanted Abby to leave Jake SO many times through the course of the novel, it wasn't even funny!

And, the ending. Ugh. It was good in some ways, but really annoying in others.

Ann Summerville said...

Thanks for the review. I enjoyed finding your blog today.
Ann
www.cozyintexas.blogspot.com
www.annsummerville.cm

Kim said...

Even though I didn't love this book I can see how it would make for interesting discussion at book club. And I agree, Jake was so annoying.

alisonwonderland said...

I read this one at the end of 2008, and I've forgotten a lot of the details - including the ending. I said (in my review - thanks for the link!) that it was a "satisfying experience" though, so I must have liked it more than you did. :)

I do think it'd make for a good book club discussion.

Susan said...

I thought this one was okay - not awful, but not the best either. My review is here:http://www.blogginboutbooks.com/2008/06/year-of-fog-mesmerizing-look-at-people.html . Thanks for adding it!

Tricia said...

Ann: Welcome!

Kim: I just couldn't figure out why he was so great.

Alison: I agree. It was a solid book that will be fun to discuss.

Susan: I can't figure out why your link didn't come up in my search. I usually catch yours. Hmmm. Thanks for the link!