Book Review Journal Entry #1 - "The Life and the Death of Charlie St. Cloud"

I am currently reading "The Life and Death of Charlie St. Cloud" by Ben Sherwood, I promised myself I would read the book before I watched the movie because I almost always like the book so much better, but find it hard to read after I've watched the movie, and so far it is a great book. I loved the beginning where it's from the perspective of a volunteer fireman(although I'm sure that just hits close to home for me as my hubby is one and I always wonder what they are thinking). They are responding to a tragic accident that will play itself out throughout the course of this novel. It has been a great read so far, focusing a lot on the enduring relationship between siblings, and it also deals a lot with death, but not in a dark and depressing way, it's a refreshing perspective on death. It asks the question what happens to our loved ones after they die, are the really gone or just waiting for us to see them.

This book also deals with the struggles Charlie goes through to maintain the relationships that he cherishes the most, something all of us can relate to on one level or another. I think we all do certain things a certain way and maybe even at a certain time in order to achieve the balance we so cherish. I certainly know how important that balance is to me, and how important it is to hold onto that balancing act, even though at times it may not be convenient, the stability it provides is soo rewarding.

Thus far I am only about 65% done reading the book, and it is really starting to get interesting, so I look forward to what happens next as Charlie's relationships start to evolve and boundaries start to be pushed. Charlie is at a point in the book where he has to distinguish the difference between what is real and what feels real, and I am so interested to see how the author plays that out.

So look forward to reading my further reviews of this book soon!! Thanks for checking in

Amy