The Wonder in Books and Jams Readalong

Oct 13, 2017 Katie Ziegler (Life Between Words) rated it it was amazing

I loved this book. Up there with my favorites from this year, I think. Which may not be a popular, opinion? A lot of reviews of this book are pretty average, but I found it completely entrancing.

Listen. I am someone who believes in miracles. Balk if you want, but I am a person of faith and conviction. This book does not always portray religion, faith, and the people who claim to believe in a positive light. Lib, the main character views the Catholic's she encounters as being duped by a myth at ...more

37 likes · Like · see review

Sep 27, 2018 Callie rated it it was ok

Shelves: read-in-2018

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I checked out this audiobook because I heard somewhere that it was good on audio, and that the ending was really good. All I knew going into it was that it's about a girl who reportedly doesn't eat. I'm not really sure what I thought about this book. I felt like it was trying to say something about religion, but never really got there, and while the ending was happy (I guess), it was also rather awful. Here is the content breakdown.

Language: Some milder cusswords are used throughout, and at leas I checked out this audiobook because I heard somewhere that it was good on audio, and that the ending was really good. All I knew going into it was that it's about a girl who reportedly doesn't eat. I'm not really sure what I thought about this book. I felt like it was trying to say something about religion, but never really got there, and while the ending was happy (I guess), it was also rather awful. Here is the content breakdown.

Language: Some milder cusswords are used throughout, and at least one use of Jesus's name in vain (it's harder for me to catch all the bad language on audio, which is why I sometimes prefer audiobooks).

Sexual Content: This is kind of a spoiler, but we find out one of the characters was involved in an incestuous relationship. I found this twist very disturbing, and probably wouldn't even have picked up the book if I had known. It wasn't graphic, but still.

Religion: Here is where there is a lot to say about this book. A nurse that comes to investigate this "miracle" Irish girl who won't eat, and the nurse, Lib, is very hostile toward God and religion in general. The fasting girl, Anna, is Catholic. Pretty much every Catholic doctrine with which Protestants would disagree is on full display in this book, and this girl takes them to the extreme by starving herself to fast for the soul of her brother, who she believes is in Purgatory.

The nurse is understandably horrified, but her inner commentary had flavors of Richard Dawkins's statement when he said that teaching your child religious beliefs is akin to child abuse. Now, I don't agree with any of the Catholic doctrines that were presented in this book (such as Purgatory, good works for the dead, praying to Mary, transubstantiation, etc) - I think they are extra-biblical and spiritually dangerous. But I was very bothered by the undertones of suggesting that religion itself is dangerous, and rather than these things being worked out by the main character throughout the book, all her very worst fears and suspicions are confirmed. The girl is being abused and neglected, and the only way to save her is to extricate her from this family and culture. I didn't see any character growth by the end, except for the nurse coming to love the girl. The nurse, who still seems pretty atheistic by the end of the book, ends up forming a family with two firm Catholics, which seems like a family conflict waiting to happen.

This is secular book, so I wasn't expecting it to wrap up nicely in that respect, but I was bothered by it overall. I'm still not sure where the author is coming from, or what message this book is meant to send.

I will say this, it was pretty good on audio. But I didn't like it overall, and wouldn't recommend it. ...more

1 like · Like · see review

Jun 27, 2018 Jill rated it liked it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

Like · see review

Aug 07, 2018 Jody rated it liked it

3.5

Like · see review

Jan 14, 2021 Susan rated it liked it

I enjoyed this story. It was engaging and had several twists. Gothic and sinister at times, the setting and mood were well-crafted. I never really connected with the characters and found it difficult to buy the resolution.

Like · see review