Charity's Reading Log

Run by Ann Patchett - Our first Rival Readers' novel of the year was a well-written dissappointment. Although the author has a wonderful skill in portraying her characters almost perfectly through her prose, she failed to capture my attention by making the plot too uneventful and predictable.

The story of twin brothers adopted from poverty into prosperity, Tip and Teddy Doyle grew up in the priveleged atmosphere of Bostonian wealth. Their adoptive father Bernard Doyle, a mayor of Boston in their youth, gave them every opportunity to excel, and excel they did. The book, which takes place over a 24 hour period, finds them in the midst of their college years, each finding his own path. An eventful car accident on a snowy night throws the Doyle family into turmoil, something they've not had to experience. A mother, a sister, and a long-lost brother all join the book during the short night. In the end, we find out more about Tip and Teddy's past, but all in an unremarkably uneventful way.

Hopefully, our second book, Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister by Gregory McGuire, will be much more interesting!