The Lace Reader: A Novel

I got the ARC of The Fifth Petal (review coming soon) from NetGalley, not realizing that it was the second novel in the series. So I purchased The Lace Reader. Being fascinated with all things Salem and its witchcraft history, I was really interested to see how it played out in this novel. And I absolutely loved it!There was so much for me to like about the story, not the least of which was the structure. Prefacing each chapter was a snippet from a journal kept by one of the characters, called by the same name as the novel itself. More than just a random passage, they provided moments of foreshadowing for the rest of the book. Interesting, too, was the unique usage of perspective. I have read many books in alternating points of view, but not in this way. Towner's chapters were all in the first person, while Rafferty's were in the third. I have never seen the change in person as well as the change of POV. It was an interesting choice that I found I really liked.Sometimes I read a novel that has ties to actual history and I find the ties too weak to be true relationships, skewing the history so much that it might as well be an alternate reality or history. Or the book will feel more like a history book than a novel. I found neither of these things to be true in any way. The nods to history were those that have long since been established, framing a story that was incredibly engrossing. The story was more than the Salem witches hook. It truly was the story of Towner, almost a coming of age, despite the fact that she was already an adult. It is a book filled with sadness, secrets, heartbreak, and fear, but it is also a book of acceptance, understanding, and love.The characters in this novel are extremely varied. From Rafferty, the practical-minded cop with an open mind, to Towner, the tragic and damaged main character. The villain is truly frightening and reprehensible. May is one of those characters that makes you hate her at the same time as you may love her. But together, they create a cast that really drives the story.Overall: It is not always a happy story, to be sure. There is a lot of pain and sadness. It isn't always easy to read, with Towner's story and the flashbacks to her childhood. But it is a beautifully written story. Such a great read!

I have tried not to include spoilers within this review, but really, you might just want to read the book, THEN the reviews. Because the review itself might be a spoiler. For example, if you know you'll be finding a dead body later, you'll be looking for a murderer the whole time, and might see elements of the story differently than you would with a fresh unspoiled read. Right? When you watched the movie The Sixth Sense for the SECOND time, didn't you see and interpret things differently?But if you don't mind that, read on!This book wouldn't put me down, so to speak. It is an interesting story, told with a fresh perspective. To me it feels almost gothic, but I don't know how it is actually categorized. It isn't perfect, but I like it.For me its strongest moments are in its conclusion. I had speculated parts of the twist, but wasn't completely sure. I like that I guessed it early on, but then thought it was ludicrous, but then later thought well maybe... And I like the way it presents itself gradually... But I love the way the reveal finally comes. (Even if I already knew. Somehow it still satisfied me. I like the way the author makes me feel so cunning at the end for thinking it early on, but hides it from me for a bit and springs it on me fully in the conclusion)The story is about a woman who has come back to Salem because her grandmother is missing. She has stayed away from Salem for many years because some type of family trauma occurred between her, her twin sister, and their mother, their aunt, and their grandmother. They have grown up separately, but leading connected lives, each living with a different sister raising them.Facts and histories are revealed gradually, leading us deeper into the lacy pattern of her life.She comes from a family gifted with some unique abilities, including mind reading and lace reading, although that statement makes it sound like science fiction or fantasy and it is not handled as either. It was for me a very reachable tale.There were a few moments I had to suffer through but really I am glad I read this book, and will happily try another by this author. It is well thought out, well edited, and intelligently written, with a strong story and interesting characters with situations for which I wanted resolutions.I hope you will not be disappointed if you try it.

After reading that line within the first paragraph I knew that I was going to love this book. And I do. It's an incredible read. I have been reading so much crap lately from the $2 section that I wasn't really sure I should buy this book. But I'm glad I did. It's a bit weird because you can't really talk about the story without giving away something important so all I will say is:Towner is a crazy woman. The story is told through the eyes of someone who is mentally disturbed. But she is interesting, complex, and beautiful.Keeping that in mind will help with the confusion you will face through out most of the book. At the end, when all is revealed, all you can ask yourself is...how did I miss that? I picked up on somethings through out the story but was still pretty shocked at the ending, and a bit sad and disappointed. I so wanted things to happen a different way. But the end is fitting, and it answers a lot of questions. Be prepared to be confused though. I found myself going back to re-read some things because it just didn't fit. When I got to the end...I got it. You are supposed to be confused, because you really are seeing things though the eyes of a crazy woman. There is something in the book that bothered me, that I really wish the author had dealt with in a different way:***Spoiler Alert*** (kind of....I'm not giving up too much)I wish the rape scene in the book had been dealt with differently. I didn't like what happened and how the author chose to handle it.***Spoiler End***Other than that, splendid book. Worth the read! In fact I am going to buy Ms. Barry's next book and hope it is as enjoyable as this one.

This book was unputdownable. Very strong story of a 3 generations of women who have second sight. It is a very atmospheric book, Salem really comes alive. Ordinary and extraordinary people - fishermen, tourist shops catering for the witchcraft history. tourist industry The lives of these 3 generations is slowly revealed in flashback, with dramatic events. t

An intriguing tale combining a fascinating glimpse into the history and culture of Salem with a contemporary story of self discovery. The heroine is a troubled character trying to deal with past demons and her 'gift' as a reader. I found it intriguing to the end. Small caveat, switching between first and third person was confusing and disrupted the flow of the story.

This is a great book with a great balance of fact versus fiction. Well written and a page Turner. Anyone who likes the Discovery of Witches should enjoy this.

Prompt Well Packaged Goods as Described Thank You

I found this story very muddled and convoluted. I wasn't able to identify with any of the characters and I found that I didn't like any of them. The ending was rather silly.