Book Review Harry Potter Deathly Hallows

At long last people around the world know what ultimately happened to the Boy Who Lived. Many children have grown up with Harry Potter in their lives. They have been stimulated. There is no doubt that Harry Potter has been responsible for a great increase in reading for pleasure among children.

And here we are, the end has come. There is no way to properly do this book justice without discussing what occurred in the final installment. If you have not read book seven and do not wish to know what happens, do not continue reading.

Book seven brings together many of the players of the previous stories. We see Lee, our favorite announcer, we see the members of the order, we see Hagrid's giant brother, and more. The reunion of characters is satisfying.

We travel with Harry one more time to Privet Drive. There is a touching article about Dumbledore that opens the story arch that develops within book seven. Dumbledore's family and his history is a main plot line. At times I found it difficult to believe some of the behavior and actions described of Dumbledore, however, with the conclusion of the story I found myself accepting and comfortable. Many times I have wondered about the history of Albus Dumbledore. With book seven I find many answers to my questions.

The Dursley's are moved to a safe place and members of the order appear before Harry with many of his friends. Their plan is to use polyjuice to "duplicate" Harry Potter and escape because they know the Death Eaters are preparing an attack. As soon as they fly to make their escape they are attacked. This attack kicks off the violence and darkness within the story.

There is a war going on. It is dark and deadly. In this first encounter two of our beloved characters leave us: Mad Eye Moody and Hedwig the owl. Ron, Hermione and Harry eventually strike out on their own, traveling and hiding, seeking the last of the Horcruxes. In this search we discover the tale of the deathly hallows. Three magical items that when brought together will cheat death: A wand, a robe, and a stone. And as the Harry Potter story began with a stone, so it ends with a stone.

Another major item that has always existed with us readers is, what is the story behind Snape. Is he good or is he evil? The less complicated answer is... he is both. J.K. Rowling has done Severus a great justice and even though how he died was a bit of a surprise to me, the result was... well, fantastic if I do say. Snape joined the Death Eaters and a part of him was one of them. If not for Lily Potter, Snape probably would have fully embraced the life of a dark one. However, as we learn, Snaped had one great love and it was his love of Lily that pulled him from Voldemort and brought him to Dumbledore. We readers now know what we need to know about Snape.

There were two moments within the story that did make me pause while I battled tears. Dobby was one of my favorite characters and I always enjoyed seeing him. When he died and the subsequent burial, I admit to being quite upset. The second.... Fred. Who has not cheered for the Weasley's? Who has not said those Weasley twins are two of the best characters ever? Who did not stand up and do a little dance at the end of Order of the Phoenix when the twin's make their exciting exit? When Fred Weasley died I simply could not turn the page. I sat there, my finger frozen on the page, while I read and reread the paragraph.

Fred is not the last to die and the final chapters of DH are an up and down of bravery, and sadness. The story focuses on death, how does one master death? Using Horcruxes or Hallows... Horcruxes or Hallows. Harry matures as he makes choices that many would be hard pressed to make. Ultimately, Harry makes a sacrifice, a sacrifice as powerful as his mother's. With that sacrifice Harry mastered death.

The final confrontation between Harry and Voldemort is tense. The battle between Mrs. Weasley and Bella was well done and I could not help but feel the rush of excitement when her strike landed the killing blow.

And in the end, Harry is victorious. Voldemort is finally gone from the wizarding world... The last chapter takes us into the future where we see Harry and his wife, Ginny, with their three children. Once more we see Ron and Hermione, together with their children. We know that Neville is a professor and we see a glimpse of Draco. And as the adults who were once children stand and watch their own children board the train to Hogwarts, we take a deep breath and smile. It has been a long and emotional journey and life continues. We will miss our old friends. We will think of them fondly. And then we will turn ourselves to the future.

I know that I will be returning to the world of Harry Potter again, and so will my children. And with that, all I have left to say is, Thank You J.K. Rowling.

Charming the Prince by Teresa Medeiros

I don't know about you, but I'm a book hog. The books I love, and even some I didn't, I just have to keep. I'll buy a second one to give away before I'll part with a favorite. One of these days perhaps I'll count the number of paperbacks I have, but not today. On Friday I grabbed a book off my shelf and read a book I've read before. There is something about rereading a book you enjoy that is comforting.

Charming the Prince is an older title. It was published by Bantam in 1999. It's a fun historical romance. The hero, Lord Banner the Bold, is naturally strong, passionate, and in this case, particularly kind. He has nine children and no idea how to raise them. Enter Willow, the lovely daughter of a nobleman. Her history has a strong Cinderella backdrop. She was the sole daughter until her father remarried. The new mother had several children and Willow was shoved aside and made to care for them. She is tired of children and isn't particularly fond of them, however, through some brief observation Banner's vassal decides Willow would be perfect as the new mother for Banner's troop of children.

It's not an overly complex plot line. There isn't much for intrique or mystery. The characters are fun and entertaining. The relationship is built quickly and strongly (as is often the case in these historical romance titles). It's one that I enjoyed reading the first time and I enjoy reading it periodically when I'm in the mood for a relaxing and pleasant story. Teresa Medeiros is an author I tend to look for when I am browsing through the romance section. I like her writing style.

What about you? Have you read work by Teresa Medeiros?

Babyproofing Your Marriage Book Review

Blogher virtual tour had a Harper offer for the book Babyproofing Your Marriage. It sounded like an interesting read.

And an interesting read it is! Stacie Cockrell, Cathy O'Neill, and Julia Stone bring their own experiences and toss them together in some fast, witty advice for couples. Along the way they include quotes from other couples.

It's actually an easy read, you can pick it up, read about 20 minutes of it and then put it down to pick it up a little later. Many of the sections are pretty entertaining and I think this would be a great book for new couples considering children. In fact, I'm going to pass this copy on to my brother and his fiance.

I do remember life B.C. (before children). My husband and I never fought. We'd have a disagreement every now and again. Then first child came along and oh yes, things certainly changed. First of all, mommy clock turned on the light sleeper mode. Second, I realized that while my husband was still staying up until the wee hours of the morning playing video games - I had to wake/sleep/wake/sleep, care for an infant, work and try to keep a house. Yeah, the little resentment bug got me a time or two. I think having this book during those early days would have been helpful for me as a young wife and mother.

A large portion of the book focuses on the physical relationship between a man and wife. Definitely an important component. Luckily for my husband and me, we do alright in that arena and we've never had the issues the book mentions. I particularly liked reading the sections "It's Never Enough" and "Marriage in a Vicious Cycle".

Another portion of the book is the use of "terms" like SGI's for small gestures of intimacy. I really liked the "ick factor". I can't tell you how many times I've bent over a pile of puke and battled with my gag reflex. When you don't have children it's easy enough to think about how your life might be when you do have them... but you won't really know it, until you do.

Overall: The book has some great quotes. There is some great advice in here. (In fact, there is one little bit of advice for women in there that my husband thinks is particularly good advice - don't worry, when you read it, you'll know precisely what part I'm talking about.) It's a fun, easy ready and can benefit many of its readers. It's Win-Win all round!

Colleen Gleason The Rest Falls Away

The Rest Falls Away is a debut novel by Colleen Gleason. I've been meaning to pick up a copy since it came out and the debut contest was the perfect motivation to do it. This novel takes the battle between good and evil into the streets of historical London.

When Victoria, 19, begins having unusual dreams she goes to her Aunt Eustacia and discovers that she is the last in a long line of vampire hunters. Victoria Gardella has been born with the strength and skills to become a Venator. But first, she must pass a test and kill a vampire, unfortunately, this test falls on the same night of her debut ball. Victoria must balance her role in society, with her role as a lean, mean, vampire-slaying machine.

Lord Rockley, Phillip, is the tons most eligible bachelor and has set his eyes on Victoria. She can't help but embrace his love. She realizes that being a proper young socialite and a strong venator is no easy task. The silent and harsh Maximilian, fellow venator, and Sebastian, the handsome and humorous tavern owner, are the two other men in Victoria's life. There is a tantalizing possibility that Phillip is not the only man for Victoria.

Behind the growth and development of Victoria, is the evil machinations of Lillith, the daughter of Judas. Lillith is the queen of the vampires and would like nothing more than to see the last of the Gardella's destroyed. There is a venator prophecy that it can only be one of the Gardella line to kill Lillith. Is Victoria the one?

Colleen has captured the feeling of the era and placed the reader in the heart of a tantalizing story. Victoria is an enjoyable character. I enjoyed reading about her. The writing is solid and Colleen's voice is strong. There were no skips or difficult writing to get through. The plot is tight and while I'm left with many questions, they are the kind that just increase my interest on reading the second book, the continuation of Victoria's tale.

If you like historical romance or if you enjoy a good vampire tale - this is definitely a book you may want to consider. You can stop by Colleen's blog to see more about her and her writing career!

Debut Contest Reviews List

*Stickied! This post is staying up top till the 17th! Scroll down for recent blog posts!*

The Debut a Debut contest has two primary goals. 1. Encourage readers to read something by a new author (and hopefully find a new favorite) 2. Help promote debut books and debut authors!

We have a long list of prizes. On the 19th, Susan and I will randomly pull out participants and they will get a prize. We'll continue to randomly select participants until we are out of prizes!!! Prizes include gift certificates, books, goodies and more!

Here are the current participants:
Karen Morsie reviews The Interpretation of Murder by Jed Rubenfeld
Writing The Winnower reviews The Skewed Throne by Joshua Palmatier
Confessions of a Literary Persuasion reviews The Last Templar by Raymond Khoury
Eclectic Closet reviews The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs
Eclectic Closet reviews Was She Pretty? by Leanne Shapton
Littlebird Blue reviews Firmin: Adventures of a Metropolitan Lowlife by Sam Savage
Cherie Pie reviews The Rest Falls Away by Colleen Gleason
The World in the Satin Bag reviews The Tower of Shadows by Drew Bowling
Eclectic Closet reviews Special Topics in Calamity Physics by Marisha Pessl
Karen Morsie reviews Kabbalah: A Love Story by Lawrence Kushner
SahBu reviews Nightmare in Laos: The True Story of a Woman Imprisoned... by Kay Danes
Breeni reviews Speak Right On: Dred Scott A Novel by Mary Neighbour
Eclectic Closet reviews And Only to Deceive by Tasha Alexander
Mark Baker reviews Death on the Flop
Mark Baker reviews A Killer Collection by Jennifer Stanley
Scooper reviews The Rest Falls Away by Colleen Gleason
Karen Morsie reviews Torch by Cheryl Strayed
Prester John reviews Rumble on the Bayou by Jana DeLeon
She reviews Don't Be Afraid by Rebecca Drake
La Lady Lisa Westerfield reviews And Only to Deceive by Tasha Alexander
Eclectic Closet reviews The Glass Books of the Dream Eaters by Gordon Dahlquist
Megan reviews Disobedience by Naomi Alderman

Rashenbo's Debut Reviews
Hell's Belles
Passion Draconic
The Skewed Throne

Ebook Review of Elisabeth Drake's Passion Draconic

As the creator and co-host of the Debut contest... I realized that I really need to also show my involvement by getting out and reading some debut works and then sharing them too! Last week I read, reviewed and interviewed Jackie Kessler with her debut of Hell's Belles. Well, this week I'm going to be reading more!

I've never actually read an ebook before. Call me a book snob - but I like having a book in my hands. I was browsing through the author list and Passion Draconic by Elisabeth Drake caught my eye. I read the plot summary and thought it sounded interesting - a fantasy romance!

The lovely Shaiandral is a healer for the Sharteka tribe, a clan of jaguar shapeshifters. She is summoned by a healer's oath to the enemy tribe of shape shifting dragons. The dragonlord, Veren, is dying by some magical disease. She must make a sacrifice to save him. Together they must combat the demons trying to take over their world.

The premise of the plot is interesting, however, this book kind of jumps fantasy and romance and goes straight for erotica. The sex scenes are well done and quite steamy... a couple of them push the ropes for me, though. This wasn't particularly my kind of story. I tend to enjoy novels with a stronger plot line than physical love sequences.

This author has potential and I'll be interested to see her career grow.

Michael Crichton's Next: A Book Review

Don't worry, I'm still reading Hell's Belles and I'm definitely going to share my thoughts of it with you! I was sick yesterday though and I decided to finish a book I got for Christmas. I finished up Michael Crichton's Next.

I am a fan of Crichton. I periodically read the Jurassic Park novels and Sphere has to be one of my favorites. Often his books are complex - mixing science, technology and an interesting flavor of character. Many times his books carry a theme or a message; Next is no exception. In fact, if I were to name a fictional book as a call to action - this would be one near (if not at) the top of the list.

There is no subtlety in Next. The situations the characters face are almost extreme in the absurdity, at first you scoff and then begin to experience a sense of worry. He not only brings you face to face with disturbing situations on gene therapy, genetic patents, etc... but he also reaches out of the book and bonks you on the forehead. "WAKE UP!" He says.

So, what are these messages you ask? Don't worry. In case you can't read between the lines of the novel, Crichton provides a nice synopsis of his points in his author notes.

1. Stop Patenting Genes
2. Establish clear guidelines for the use of human tissues
3. Pass laws to ensure that data about gene testing is made public
4. Avoid bans on research
5. Rescind the Bayh-Dole Act

Yes, yes, this is all good - but what about the story? Is it a good read?

I'll be honest the story bounces between several characters and a couple of times I lost which character I was reading about. I had to stop and think, "ok, is this the scientist doing the illegal testing...", or "is this the lab president who has some wierd thing about solving his secretary's frigidness". There is a bounty hunter and his assistant. There is a father, a daughter and her son. There is a family... wait, there are a couple of families. While I found myself a little lost from time to time, I was still hooked. I was reading for the result and the message. I didn't really care which character it was because I wasn't emotionally involved with that particular character. Although, I was emotionally attached to the Burnetts.

The Burnett family has an interesting role in the story of Next. The father develops cancer, he recovers with medical treatment, and unbeknownst to him - the doctor uses his cells in research. The father's cells are special and some interesting legal situations develop. I also enjoyed the transgenic twists within the story and enjoyed the transgenic creatures, in fact, I think I may have liked them the most. (Which doesn't surprise me if that is the intended reaction.) I won't go over the plot because it's not something easily paraphrased and this is a book that has a bigger "punch" when you read it without knowing too many details.

I do admit to getting angry and disgusted a few times and that's why I say it is a "call to action". If you sit down to read a book for simple enjoyment and you find yourself having an emotional reaction to the message behind the story (rather than just loving a character) - it has moved you. It has made you think and maybe it will influence a decision you make... or perhaps get you involved in changing our society.

Hannibal Rising Book Review

We first met Hannibal Lecter many years ago in a frightening little tale, Red Dragon. A story with a detective as a hero - one torn and traumatized by the psychological roller coaster of the pursuit of Lecter. Then in Silence of the Lambs we were chilled, awed and strangely enchanted by Lecter and the unusual relationship between him and Clarice. The movie only increased our curiosity. In Hannibal we got to finish the tale of Clarice and Hannibal and we saw the hints of his past. The growing relationship between Clarice and Hannibal eery in it's compelling draw. Each a symbolic role for the other - father... sister... I enjoyed reading Hannibal.

When I heard of Hannibal Rising I was unsure if I wanted to read it. A story of Hannibal's life before Red Dragon. A story written and published amazingly close to the release of the movie. As someone who strongly believes a book is almost always better than a movie - I was a little cautious. Was the book truly another passage in the life of Hannibal Lecter? Or was is a means to an end - a movie?

Hannibal Rising begins in the Lecter Castle as the World War hits Russia. We have a brief glimpse of his life with his mother and his younger sister, Mischa. Lecter is a child prodigy. The family goes into hiding in a forest hunting lodge and almost survives the war. In one of those odd strokes of fate - his entire family is killed in one moment, leaving only himself and Mischa alive. Almost immediately following they are found by military deserters. The gang captures the children and chains them. Long story short - they eat Mischa. Another attack comes and they release Hannibal and each takes off. The story then finds a mute Hannibal in an orphanage. We see his life in the orphanage very briefly - in fact, just enough to see Hannibal attack a bully and attack an adult that attempts to hit him.

Hannibal is then whisked away to live with his uncle who happens to be a famous painter. His uncle is married to a Japanese woman, Lady Murasaki. There is a brief encounter with a psychiatrist and then disaster strikes yet again. A butcher gives the Lady some insults and Hannibal attacks. When the uncle finds out... he also attacks the butcher and dies. The death scene is rushed and unclear so I imagine I'll have to watch the movie to actually find out how the uncle dies.

Here is a snippet from that scene:
"Piece of filth, you would insult my wife!!"
Paul dropped the meat and shoved the count hard, the count's thin frame flaying back against a counter and the count came on again, slashing with his cane, and then he stopped, a look of surprise on his face. He raised his hands halfway to his waistcoat and fell facedown on the floor of the butcher's stall.

Hannibal kills Paul the butcher. He develops a love for Lady Murasaki. There is a police inspector, Popil, who knows that Hannibal is a killer. Hannibal enters medical school and then he decides to find the names of the men who ate his sister and get some revenge.

I love Silence of the Lambs. I think that Hannibal Lecter is one of the best Sociopaths to exist in a story. If you are hoping that this story is as intense and clever as the others - you may not be satisfied. It may have been me, but the writing is awkward in places. I struggled to get into the story - not because I wasn't interested, but because of the writing style. The other characters are flat and seem to just be in place to further the story of Hannibal and that is how I would almost describe this novel - a character study. We see the brief important moments when something happens that's noteworthy. Hannibal is an unfeeling, emotionless being. The writing reflects that, it's rushed and didn't draw me in as fully as it could have.

Don't get me wrong, the history of Hannibal is interesting and I'm all more interested in seeing the movie. In this particular instance, I think the movie will be better than the book. I find that disappointing because overall, I found this book unremarkable and forgettable. I know that I'll never have the desire to read this a second time and it just makes me want to go and read Red Dragon (or one of the others) again so that I can get some satisfaction.

Have you read this yet? What are your thoughts?

Book Review: Myrren's Gift

I give it a 2 out of 5
Recently, I picked up a book written by an author I didn't recognize. Myrren's Gift by Fiona McIntosh was published by EOS publishers, a division of Harper Collins. The author lives in Australia and the book first circulated there.

This story is a fantasy and part of a trilogy called The Quickening.

The plot in a nutshell: The story revolves around a young man, Wyl. He inherits a high ranking position in the king's army. The antagonist is the king's heir. Wyl shows mercy on a dying witch, Myrren. This witch then gives Wyl a gift.

The gift protects Wyl's soul and basically, he can't die until his life is where Myrren believes it should be (although, you don't find out that last tidbit until book 2). When someone kills Wyl, his soul is yanked from the dying body and enters the body of the one who killed him. This premise is very interesting. The story kept my attention simply because I was interested in seeing how the "body swapping" would progress. The antagonist plays his part well, the reader hates him. Although, the antagonist is almost too much. There are no redeeming qualities, there is nothing about the antagonist that makes him seem real to me. He's just there to be as evil as possible to give the hero someone to fight.

I read book one and book two and I'll probably finish the trilogy. I really hate leaving a story unfinished. However, there are some definite cons to this series. First, the first book starts with characters jumping point-of-view halfway through a paragraph. I don't mind pov switches... but I like them broken by chapter or at least scene. The first few chapters include so much exposition and back story I found it surprising the book was published. This is a trilogy that includes quite a bit of tell, not show. There were so many uses of "was" and "had" I kept thinking... "wow, ok, my writer buddies would be all over this." There are some plot holes and some things that just strike a wrong tone with me.

One of the main characters is a young gong boy, age 10, very small who cleans the poop shoot. I enjoy the character and I think he's interesting... BUT, there is no way he ever, EVER appears to be a child. His thoughts, his speech, his behavior, his acceptance - all sound like an adult. Even if he had a hard life, even if he was gifted with some special ability... I just couldn't suspend my belief on that character.

If you like body swapping stories or if you are on the lookout for a new trilogy to read. You may want to give this trilogy a shot. I think the 2nd book was written a little better and hopefully future books would be tighter and flow better. I probably won't read anything more of this author, but I'm sure others will enjoy it. Oh, I should add a little warning though. This is definitely mature content, it includes torture and rape. In fact, Wyl gets raped while he's a woman... or at least, I think he was raped. It gets a little confusing around that part. I wasn't very comfortable with it and it left a sour taste in my mouth.

Here's an excerpt from early in book one. The story is mostly in Wyl's point-of-view but bounces around to whoever is near Wyl. In this scene Celimus, the heir, has defeated Wyl in a competition and he's claiming "virgin's blood" - he wants to take Ylena, Wyl's sister, to bed before she marries Wyl's best friend:

Magnus opened his eyes and nodded, hardly daring to believe that Wyl might have taken his hint as to how to foil Celimus's plan.
Wyl straightened. "Sire, apologies, I do believe there has been a misunderstanding here."
"Oh?" Magnus replied, hope suddenly flaring in his heart.
Wyl nodded gravely. He looked at Celimus. "My Prince, as her only living relative, I cannot permit you to choose Ylena."
Celimus's smile faltered, turning into a sneer. "I'm not sure your familial ties override the royal claim, Thirsk. Step aside."
Gueryn's eyes narrowed. He had no idea what was going on here and he could only pray that Wyl knew what he was doing.

Nightmare Memoir: A Book Review

Nightmare Memoir is a book by Claude Letulle and describes his four years as a prisoner of the Nazis during WWII. If there were ever a book to make me thankful of my life, this is surely one of them. Mr. Letulle lives in south Louisiana where my husband's family lives. The author, Mr. Letulle, was signing copies of his paperback book and several family members picked up a copy.

I saw it on the counter and decided to read it. The book is short but powerful. Mr. Letulle was a soldier for the French army. He was captured and spent four years as a prisoner. He worked on farms, mines, and in concentration camps. He shares his experiences in a way that moves the reader. I wanted to share just a few parts of this book with you.

Page 26:

Running through my mind continually were the possible tortures I might have to suffer once we reached Germany. I was absorbed in thought when a few guards came along and, faithful to their bestial habits, began to beat us. "Get up. Fast, fast!" they demanded. We had walked a few minutes when I felt a hand holding me by the collar. I turned around to face a guard, pointing his rifle at me. He told me to remove the bandages around my feet, and since disobeying him would mean death, I sat down on the wet ground and began to unravel the wrappings. I had hardly finished when another guard walked up with a piece of barbed wire in his hand. Before I imagined what he might have in mind, he beat my feet with the wire...

Claude struggled but managed to continue walking as the guards led the prisoners to a small town. In the town they packed dozens of men into cattle cars. They were packed so tightly they could not breathe and many men died and remained upright because there was no room.

While he worked in the concentration camp his job was to clean the torture room and he describes some of the atrocities he witnessed in the torture room.

Page 89:

"What are you going to do?" one [of the female attendants] asked the doctor. He replied, "I would like to see if repeated electrical charges to the testicles will sterilize him permanently. You will help me," he added, going to a closet. He returned with a wooden plank that held a generator and small electric motor.The generator had two long wires, each with a metal clip and spring. "Attach a clip to each testical," he said. The woman planted the attachments into the flesh. I watched her face, which contracted with pleasure. She was an image of the perfect sadist.

There are several tortures that Claude shares with the reader, but they are not appropriate to place in this venue.

Page 171
Claude remembers his role when the war between Germany and Russia became worse.

A truck drove the bodies to the pit we had dug and unloaded its cargo [dead Russian prisoners] as if it were dumping a load of stones. We were forced to go into the pit and line up the bodies, and it remains the most horrible experience I have had in my life. Some of their eyes were opened and seemed to be looking
at us reproachfully. In some cases, the skin had ruptured, leaking a putrid liquid as we walked over the bodies. I got out of the pit sick to my stomach and nearly out of my mind.

This book gave me chills to read. If you have any interest in the holocaust or what the Nazis did during WWII... this is definitely a book to pick up.

The Sociopath in Your Life. A book review.

Have you identified the Sociopath in your life?

I know that I’ve identified at least one in mine. I’m not big on self-help books. In fact, I rarely read them. My tastes usually go toward more brain candy than brain enrichment. But a friend that used to be a co-worker gave me a copy of Martha Stout’s book, The Sociopath Next Door. It’s not exactly intended as a self-help book, but it certainly helped me. I'd tell you more of the personal side of this particular story... but the person I'd talk about is a little too litigious.

The main point of this book is that Stout suggests and believes that 4% of the population or one in 25 people are sociopaths. What’s a sociopath? The basic definition is someone with a social disorder or the lack of conscience. Wikipedia has a pretty good run down of antisocial disorder here and I think most of us are familiar with the term by now.

Television and popular novels have used sociopaths over and over again. They are a perfect tool to create a compelling criminal or monster. A person that can steal hundreds of thousands of dollars from the elderly without any remorse; A person who can quietly spread lies just to watch someone break down in tears and question their very reality; A person that can look at a child in a busy restaurant and just pull the trigger – these are frightening people. They are people we can’t understand. These examples are ones that some of us have heard about in the news or from stories… but the scarier truth is that many sociopaths are never seen for what they are. This book helps make the reader aware of what people who lack a conscience are really like, how to recognize them and what they are capable of.

From The Sociopath Next Door:
Quote:

“Do Sociopaths understand what they are? Do they have some insight into their nature, or, instead, could they read this book from cover to cover and fail to see themselves reflected? In my work, I am often asked these kinds of questions, especially by people whose lives have been derailed by collisions with sociopaths whom they did not recognize until it was much too late.”

Personally, I found this book fascinating on several levels. As a writer always looking to better understand human psyche, this book gave me the clues to developing a sociopath as a character. As someone who had been derailed by a sociopath – it helped me understand why sociopaths behave the way they do. It opened my eyes and allowed be to bury the hatchet on a few issues that continued to linger with me. As someone who likes to learn new things and understand more about life in general, this book was intriguing.

In the book Stout provides insightful examples of sociopaths. She describes people that are realistic and believable. I was sure I had met people just like the ones she was describing. It was an awakening to read the characteristics and underlying guidance mechanisms of sociopaths. She also touches on the science and neurological aspects of the disorder – again, simply fascinating.

The key, which is so difficult to grasp, is that sociopaths truly do not care. They are willing to do anything they can think of to get what they want. They make the pretense of caring. They develop amazing skills for acting and manipulation. Stout also includes why sociopaths may have a place in society, what to look for and most importantly – 13 rules for dealing with sociopaths in every day life.

“1. The first rule involves the bitter pill of accepting that some people
literally have no conscience. These people do not often look like Charles Manson or a Ferengi bartender. They look like us.”

“At present, Socipathy is “incurable”; furthermore, sociopaths almost never wish to be “cured”. In fact, it is likely that, building on the neurobiological configuration of sociopathy, certain cultures, notably our Western one, actively encourage antisocial behaviors, including violence, murder, and warmongering. These facts are difficult for most people to accept. They are offensive, nonegalitarian, and frightening.”

Now, I’m sure one of the reasons I found this book so interesting and helpful was because I had experienced an encounter with a person I could not understand; and I could not make peace with myself until I understood what had happened and why. I recommend this book to:

- Anyone who has ever wondered about people without a conscience
- Anyone going through a breakup of an unhealthy relationship (abuse, neglect, etc)
- Anyone that has been scammed by a “con-artist”
- Anyone who has asked the question, “how could he/she do something so cruel?” When confronted with a crime or situation that just seems unfathomable.
- A writer who wants to do some research on a sociopath for a character.