Book Review/recommendation – Night Owls by Jenn Bennett
“Its books like this that inspire me to write even more!” is
the first thing I said to my Mum after finishing this book. Can you tell I liked
it?
No doubt it’s made my favourites list. Not only does it inspire
me to write; the euphoric feeling I get, during and after reading a book like
this one, reminds me why I read! Being able to read is everything to me and
honestly if I had to choose one skill to live with for the rest of my life,
reading would be it.
(This I could talk about for an hour, but back to the book)
I can usually tell within the first few chapters if I’m
going to like a book – occasionally I’m wrong, but most of the time I’m right..
With Night Owls, I knew by the 6th page!
Bennett has witty, mildly-philosophical banter down to a T,
which makes her writing even more enjoyable – but maybe that’s because I studied
philosophy with force, so any reference I can put some understanding into makes
me feel even more involved with the story.
Also I have the instinctual feeling that I’d be just as bad
a Buddhist as jack!
For me there were two levels to this book which made it so
interesting, there was the surface layer of the novel which was the
predestined, yet blazingly obvious (as I like it) romance that flourished
between Beatrix and Jack. And a much deeper level that kept me guessing from
start to finish; both their family histories and present family lives were
entwined with a mixture of love and lies. Bennett definitely left me guessing.
It’s always good to have a lightbulb ‘EUREKA’ moment as a
reader, and sadly I rarely expect them anymore. However, Bennett managed to get
me to gasp out loud as I read this (and I’m usually a quiet reader) so how she
did it? Let’s just say it’s a puzzle ;)
It irritates me when a book tries to be too realistic, but
Bennett hit just the right balance of including genuine real-life matters and possibilities
and giving the reader the fairy tale cravings and the ‘happy ever after’
endings they desire.
This book was a complete page turner and I can say for
definite that I’ll be reading it again sometime soon!
Throw an anatomical drawer, a great nurse, a studying vet, a
hunky saint, the mayor, a beautiful twin, a Buddhist prince/vandal and “A love
sprayed in gold” together and Night Owls is what you get, have I convinced you
to read this book yet?
Stay Excellent
Chantal DeHaine
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