Journal Entry 1 by L1nda from Newcastle, New South Wales Australia on Thursday, October 08, 2009

Julie Myerson meets Ian McEwan in this gripping novel of family breakdown. Ana Lewis is trapped by her own expectations. Her intense relationship with fellow student Alex begins to crack beyond repair when she falls pregnant, and his subsequent withdrawal, emotionally and sexually are hard for Ana to bear. Eventually, following the birth of Pip and then Davie, Alex leaves Ana to a life of question and blame. Locked in her room for much of the time she woefully neglects her children, preferring instead to replay scenes from her life over and over, fighting the urge to blink for fear it should dissipate the memories. Told within the context of two black boxes, one Ana's and one Pip's, the story reveals the key factors that have contributed to this catastrophic breakdown of life. In Black Box 01 we meet Ana as she begins to deconstruct her life. She rails against Alex and his inability to love her, or to put her ahead of his domineering mother. Black Box 02 is Pip's diary which details in a schoolgirl terms the neglect that both Pip and Davie have suffered. Pip talks of her mother's deterioration, lack of cleanliness and of her mother's obsessions.Pip and Davie communicate through finger sign language, as their mother demands silence. Davie retreats into his own world, permanently soiled and communicating only by sign, while Pip, fat and desperate, sneaks out of the house at night to have sex with a boy who hates her. Pip and Davie exist in parallel, with only Ana's bedroom door separating her from them. She does not want to see them. They are the present and Ana chooses to live in a past, continually raking over the ashes of a relationship that was never really hers. Accomplished and affecting, Caroline Smailes weaves together a catastrophic tale of mismatched lives.

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Offering this up as a bookring:

Dancesports
dancingdance
briz-cowgirl
foxygirlACT

back to me
 

Journal Entry 2 by L1nda from Newcastle, New South Wales Australia on Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Wow, what an amazingly written book! This is a page turner like no other, it had me hooked from the first page. It's like reading someone's diary when you really shouldn't. 

Journal Entry 3 by L1nda at By mail, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases on Friday, November 06, 2009

Released 2 yrs ago (11/8/2009 UTC) at By mail, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases

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Sending to Dancesports in Tasmania

Enjoy! 

Journal Entry 4 by Dancesports from Petcheys Bay, Tasmania Australia on Friday, November 13, 2009

Yeah - book just arrived and I am starting straight away. I have one other book ring book I am reading as well, but is a book of short stories so that will work:-)

 

Journal Entry 5 by Dancesports from Petcheys Bay, Tasmania Australia on Sunday, November 15, 2009

The book is very easy to read and well written. The story itself is sad and tragic but I knew that from the start, passing on to my daughter dancingdance. 

Journal Entry 6 by dancingdance on Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Thanks for including me in this bookring. It was easy for Dancesports to pass the book to me. I read this very quickly. It was a good pyschological drama and it was written well. 

Journal Entry 7 by dancingdance at -- Controlled Releases --, Queensland Australia on Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Released 2 yrs ago (11/24/2009 UTC) at -- Controlled Releases --, Queensland Australia

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Dancesports posted this on, for me yesterday, on its way to the next bookcrosser 

Journal Entry 8 by briz-cowgirl from Brisbane, Queensland Australia on Tuesday, December 01, 2009

Received from Dancesports on Monday with a lovely postcard, many thanks! Have just started reading this today; appears to be a fairly easy read so hopefully I won't have it too long :) 

Journal Entry 9 by briz-cowgirl from Brisbane, Queensland Australia on Thursday, December 03, 2009

Finished this book late last night. It certainly was a gripping read, and the style it was written in worked well for the story. Personally I found the little bracketed bits ([volume:...], [sound:...] etc) annoying and I ended up just ignoring them. I didn't have much sympathy towards Ana, but I did feel for her kids Pip and Davie. Thanks for hosting this bookring L1nda!
Awaiting mailing details for foxygirlACT. 

Journal Entry 10 by briz-cowgirl at Brisbane, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases on Thursday, December 10, 2009

Released 2 yrs ago (12/9/2009 UTC) at Brisbane, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases

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Sending on to the next participant in this bookring, foxygirlACT. 

Journal Entry 11 by foxygirlACT from Canberra, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Received in the post today from briz-cowgirl (who also lovingly wrapped another book as a surprise! THANKS!!)

I will hopefully read this on my upcoming trip to Thailand :-) 

Journal Entry 12 by foxygirlACT at A fellow bookcrosser, A book loan -- Controlled Releases on Monday, December 21, 2009

Released 2 yrs ago (12/21/2009 UTC) at A fellow bookcrosser, A book loan -- Controlled Releases

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Posted back to L1nda today

This book was a very quick read, and very unique. It was dark subject matter and I am still making up my mind how I felt about the story, but it was an interesting change from my usual books, so I'm glad I read it.

thanks for sharing!!! 

Journal Entry 13 by L1nda from Newcastle, New South Wales Australia on Friday, January 01, 2010

Thanks for the journals, I'm glad you all enjoyed it. I have another Caroline Smailes book here and will send it on a ring once I've read it. 

Journal Entry 14 by L1nda at Newcastle, New South Wales Australia on Friday, January 01, 2010

Released 2 yrs ago (12/31/2009 UTC) at Newcastle, New South Wales Australia

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Given to Blundery while she was visiting. 

Journal Entry 15 by Blundery on Monday, January 11, 2010

I got this from my sister while I was visiting for Christmas, she has the best books on her shelves! My current track record for speedy reading is not so good, but I will try to get it read sometime in the next couple of months :-) Thanks for sharing L1nda.
 

Journal Entry 16 by Blundery at Baldivis, Western Australia Australia on Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Sorry folks, I just couldn't get into it. I am time poor at the moment and if a book doesn't grab me in the first few pages I tend to move on to the next one.

I have returned it back to the bookcrossing bookshelf that I acquired it from last Christmas. 

Journal Entry 17 by L1nda at Newcastle, New South Wales Australia on Wednesday, December 22, 2010

back home again 

Journal Entry 18 by L1nda at Newcastle, New South Wales Australia on Monday, May 09, 2011

Released 9 mos ago (5/9/2011 UTC) at Newcastle, New South Wales Australia

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Sending off to Lisagt with a bag of books to read or release! 

Journal Entry 19 by Lisagt at Sydney, New South Wales Australia on Wednesday, May 11, 2011

This sounds really interesting. Thanx for including it for me L1nda. 

Journal Entry 20 by Lisagt at Sydney, New South Wales Australia on Monday, January 02, 2012

Given to my sister-in-law to read...