Review: The Ingenue by Rachel Kapelke-Dale

The Ingenue by Rachel Kapelke-Dale
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I don’t usually include a blurb. In this case, I think it is needed.

“When former piano prodigy Saskia Kreis returns home to Milwaukee after her mother’s unexpected death, she expects to inherit the family estate, the Elf House. But with the discovery that her mother’s will bequeathed the Elf House to a man that Saskia shares a complicated history with, she is forced to reexamine her past–and the romantic relationship that changed the course of her life–for answers. Can she find a way to claim her heritage while keeping her secrets buried, or will the fallout from digging too deep destroy her?

Set against a post #MeToo landscape, The Ingenue delves into mother-daughter relationships, the expectations of talent, the stories we tell ourselves, and what happens when the things that once made you special are taken from you. Moving between Saskia’s childhood and the present day, this dark, contemporary fairy tale pulses with desire, longing, and uncertainty, as it builds to its spectacular, shocking climax.”

This Kindle version with text-to-speech was from Libby, the library app. I wish I could have found it as an audio version. Sometimes the robotic voice, pleasantly British and all, still confused me as to the speaker’s point of view or emotional status.

Still, this book is worth the weirdness you might encounter at first. I nearly tossed the book. I have millions of books to read; why get hung up on something I’m not liking? And I wouldn’t say I liked the main character.

But, honestly, you sometimes meet someone who doesn’t click with you in real life. Most of the time, it has a lot to do with where you are in your own life, where that person is in theirs, or a combination of the two. I think that is what happened here for me. By the end of the book, I found myself rooting for her and hoping for her best ending.

On the other hand, it was less satisfying for me as a fictional ending than another, more legally binding end. But then again, maybe I missed something in hearing TTS instead of a human voice.

This is worth the read, if only for the altered fairy tale fems.

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Review: Embassytown by China Miéville

Embassytown by China Miéville
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

My friend recommended this book. Thanks, Kay!

Libby had this book in the Kindle version, so I picked it up. And though it was text-to-speech enabled, there are many reasons the Audible version is so much better. Susan Duerden (Narrator), for one. Her voice and acting skills made the story come to life. I went ahead and picked up the Audible to Whispersynch. I finally gave up on the Kindle version, as the Audible was all I needed. Still, it was interesting to see how the author stacked the words visually as well as auditorily.

This story is about how language being taught to alien beings could help them and the Terrans to live. But first, the Terrans had to understand the alien language., which seemed non-existent. And when it is to be heard, it is in layers. TTS can’t do that. Somehow the narration system can do it. Fantastic!

If you are a language nut like I am, you will love the vocabulary of this book. I felt my heart race faster as words that weren’t junior high level popped up. So in a sense, I became the alien who loved words.

If you are a sci-fi fan, this book should do the trick!

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