Suzanne Elizabeth Anderson

I turned to my sister and saw the rage that filled her eyes.
She leaned over and whispered in my ear. "First you take the man that I love and then you take my prize. I will never forgive you."
But she did in time. I gave up poetry after that contest. And I gave up Deszo."

Budapest. The Germans have just arrived and the Russians are on their way. Twin sisters Anna and Natalie are sheltering their half-Jewish niece in their apartment while looking for a better solution. There are no more trains show more allowed past the border. The greengrocer is thinking of turning them in to get the Nazis off her back and there is little food. It's a desperate time, for all involved. One sister teeters on the edge of reality, leaving the other to try and solve the situation on her own. They turn to the one man who might be able to help. The one man who has loved them both. Deszo.

So, yes, it's a love triangle - but - it's not YA and it's a standalone so you don't have to read an entire trilogy for the conclusion! Best WWII book ever? No, but not the worst either. An enjoyable few hours in a genre that I adore, I'll take it. An interesting contemplation of jealousy, what-ifs and familial love. show less

I won this book through the first-reads program.

God Loves You. - Chester Blue is the sweetest of sweet books. It is saccharine and innocence, optimism and oh golly gee swell. It's a book that warmed my sometimes cynical heart, made me tear up and smile. It's the warmth on a cold day, and the reassurance you need when you've been down and sad. Really, this book was just what I needed tonight.

The book begins with a blue bear named Chester showing up on the doorstep of a woman who sure needs show more it. He has a note with him, which is what gives the book its title. From there, the bear travels, popping up just when a person needs him. While the plot is simple, and the language easy, this is a recipe sweet enough for people of any age to read. It reminds me of the books I grew up on, that I was so incredibly proud I could read by myself.

If I ever have the chance, this is certainly a book I'll share with younger kids, my own peers, and the older crowd.

Heck, we all need a Chester Blue. show less

Blue is my favorite color and I love God so I purchased and began reading this ebook with a certain level of expectation. We’ve heard of angels, we’ve heard of prophets, priests and Kings who have all in some way been representatives, symbols or messengers from God. So why not a cuddly blue bear called Chester with a suitcase of goodies?

The author is clear not to have the characters worship Chester because his role is a messenger, however, in his presence they are reminded of God’s show more love and the answers though unexpected are found. He does this again and again as he travels cross country helping to solve problems and showing God’s love to everyone he comes into contact with…bringing about inevitable change.

This is so much more than a charming book about a mysterious bear that seems to show up in the right place at just the right time. It is God’s reminder to each and everyone of us that He loves us and cares for us. Even when we forget about Him and turn our backs on Him. He wants us to know that if we can just remember His love in the midst of our struggles: emotional, mental, physical, financial etc. His promises will hold true and save us some unnecessary heartache.

My Recommendation:

God Loves You. ~Chester Blue is not only a wonderful book to read for yourself, but an awesome book to use to introduce children to God. show less

Where I got the book: review copy from the author, thanks!

This poignant tale, set during the German occupation of Hungary near the end of WWII, tells the story of widowed Natalie, her twin sister Anna, and their niece Mila. Half-Jewish Mila has been abandoned by her parents in their haste to escape the country, leaving Natalie to take care of her and Anna, who is sinking deeper into the fantasy world of her Alzheimer's. Forgotten jealousies resurface as Natalie turns for help to an old flame show more of both sisters, and Natalie is forced to make an excruciating choice.

I found this story moving in a very low-key way, but there were some aspects that puzzled me. I wasn't quite sure about the role of Jozef, the boy who apparently works for both sides of the conflict, and was unsure about the point behind Natalie's imagining of Mrs. Tuesday, a projection into Mila's future. I felt like I was missing something on both counts. I really liked the Anna/Natalie/Deszo triangle (I don't think Natalie was an entirely reliable narrator, which made things more interesting) and I enjoyed the atmosphere of tension and fear as neighbor turned against neighbor in an attempt to survive.

There were some nicely executed passages of narrative in this novel, along with a strong handling of dialogue and an understated feel to the text which put me in mind of mid-20th century writers like Camus. Occasional typos, grammatical errors and (on my 2nd-gen Kindle) a strange formatting glitch where whole passages of dialogue were wrongly indented suggest that this novel would benefit from some more technical work, but the problems didn't occur frequently enough to annoy me.

I understand this was a first novel, and it's a pretty ambitious shot at a literary form that has to find its right reader. I'll be interested to see what the author comes up with next. show less