Splendid Notion, A - Luke Plumb

Advantages: amazing characters, strong plot, unique style
Disadvantages: /

...the use of the language did in fact help transport me to Afghanistan and drop me right into the story. For me, the plot was what affected me most. The characters were strong, the style is unique, but the plot has made this book the enjoyment that it is. The one thing I noticed was the fact that this is told like a story, rather than a problem waiting to unfold. I'm used to reading fiction where the main issue is clear within the first few chapters and the story unfolds itself, leaving you with a solution at the end. However, A Thousand Splendid Suns has not one single problem. Instead, it has many. As soon as one issue arises, it is 'solved' within a few chapters, and then a new one crops up. Another thing I found is that nothing ever went to plan. Everything the characters plan blows up in their faces, sometimes too literally. There were two... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful

Advantages: Gripping story, great characters
Disadvantages: Doesn't quite live up to The Kite Runner

...After reading Khaled Hosseini's first novel, The Kite Runner, I was keen to see if he could achieve the same thing again in his second novel, A Thousand Splendid Suns. This time stepping into a woman's shoes, it tells the story of two women and their marraige to the same man, set against the backdrop of the rise of the Taliban in Afghanistan. The story begins in Afghanistan in the 1970's and introduces us to Mariam, the illegitimate child of a wealthy cinema owner, who lives with her mother in a small hut on the top of a hill. They live a somewhat lonely life, outcast from any kind of community and with Mariam's mother blaming her for the downturn her life has taken and warning of the way that women are treated by men in Afghan society. Despite this, Mariam is often visited by her father, who takes her fishing and brings her gifts... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Perfect for bedtime
Disadvantages: None

...The Mr Men and Little Miss series written by Roger Hargreaves and then later his son Adam will always be a hit with children due to their simply yet engaging stories and brightly coloured pictures. Little Miss Splendid is number 11 in the Little Miss series, which has a total of 33 books in it. Little Miss Splendid is green, wears a red hat, red boots and carries a very stylish red handbag. Her only problem is that she's rather stuck-up. The front cover of the book shows a picture of the character as described before and the back shows smaller pictures of all the other characters in the series, which enables you to keep track of which ones you have bought and which ones you would like to read. ****THE STORY**** Nothing is too good for little Miss Splendid and she lives in an enormous house with all of the best furnishings... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful