Friday, March 16, 2012

Hanging by a Thread




Hanging by a ThreadHanging by a Thread by Sophie Littlefield

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


2.5 stars.

Well, this was boring educational.


In 1932 in Winston, Clare’s great grandmother Alma was a newlywed about to have her first baby. She was a seamstress working on a wedding dress for a young girl when the girl’s fiancé, crazed by jealousy, came into her shop and shot them both. Alma lost her life because she was in the wrong place at the wrong time, but not before she gave birth to her daughter. As the baby grew, it became clear that she acquired a unique gift through the tragic circumstances of her birth. By touching pieces of clothing, she would sometimes have visions of people they belonged to, especially if those people were doing something they weren’t supposed to. The gift didn’t disappear with Alma’s daughter, it was transferred through generations, first to Clare’s eccentric grandmother, and then to Clare herself.

Winston seems like an idyllic little town, but for the last two years, something terrible has happened on Independence Day. Now that the big holiday is approaching again, people in Winston are starting to panic, convinced that a third tragedy is about to occur. Since Clare just recently moved back with her mom, she has no idea whom to trust or how serious the threat is. Then she accidentally finds a jacket that belonged to a missing girl, and she can’t avoid getting involved anymore.

At first, I was oddly intrigued by Littlefield’s many descriptions of clothing Clare made (I say oddly because I’m a conservative dresser and couldn’t care less about fashion experiments), so it took me a while to notice that I’d gone through a third of the book and that there still wasn’t a plot to speak of. Sure, I needed to know that Clare started a business with her friend and that she sells her clothes, but did I absolutely have to know all the details about her landlord and her stand? Same goes for many other things: it was perfectly fine to describe one or two items of clothing Clare salvaged and restyled, but after the seventh jacket and maybe the third purse, I admit to losing my patience just a teeny tiny bit. So when, on top of that, she started describing her vintage sewing machine in detail, with all the technical, incredibly boring things it can and cannot do, I was in danger of falling backwards from rolling my eyes too much. Woman, I couldn’t sew a button if my life depended on it, now can we please just move on?! Finally, around 35% mark, things start happening. We got two very exciting moments at a party, and then… pages and pages of seam-ripping tips.

On the other hand, I was pleasantly surprised by the way Clare’s gift was described and used. At first, the idea of psychometry limited to clothing alone sounded a bit silly and I didn’t think I’d believe/enjoy that part, but I thought it was handled pretty well and I ended up liking the idea very much.


I never really bought the relationship between Clare and Jack. It didn’t give me that creepy feeling instalove usually does, but I certainly didn’t understand where the attraction was coming from. Oh, I could see why she liked him: he had that gorgeous bad boy thing going on, but I never felt the chemistry between them at all, or not until the very end, at least.

I’m pretty sure this book will have many fans, as Littlefield’s books usually do, but I can’t honestly recommend it to anyone. It simply didn’t work for me, but that doesn’t mean that it won’t work for the rest of you. I can’t wait to compare notes with my friends since I fully expect to be the odd one out, just like I was with Aftertime.



Oh, and another small-ish thing: Joan Baez never rasped her way through a song in her life. She has one of the clearest voices in existence.

20 comments:

  1. This looked really interesting with the idea of having the gift passing through generations and having visions, but then when they start rambling especially about vintage sewing machines? that would totally put me off. But at least you stuck it out and now I know its a book I won't be adding to my tbr

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  2. UGH! Why is it that every book I get excited about from NG ends up being a disappointment!? Hopefully I'll end up liking this more but it doesn't really sound that interesting from the lack of plot you describe. plus, insta-love? *barf*

    Well, thanks for the warning and being the guinea pig! haha

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  3. Aw. That's too bad. I was excited about this book but there's nothing I hate more than a book littered with useless details...and love triangles...oh! and insta-love! Lol.

    Awesome review, Maja :)

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  4. The title and cover are promising. But.... Oh. My. God. Pages upon pages of... sewing? Not that I don't appreciate the author having a bit of expertise in what they do, but... uh... I really don't need a manual. Details are the key there, I think - please, give us just the deets.

    Lack of plot is the really nerve-wracking thing for me. Usually, I give up to the 50% mark of a book for something to actually happen, and for that something to give me an insight about what it the whole thing is all about, but the experience is painful when they take that long and I can only finish those books through willpower. So... not touching this book. (And I'm not even mentioning the insta-love!)

    Thanks for the review! It was great, honest and funny as always! :)

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  5. It always makes me wonder, when I read a ton of little/random detail like that, if the author really had enough "meat" for a whole novel. I always feel like I'm wading through filler. Great review, Maja!

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    1. I got the impression that it's one of her own hobbies and that, once she started writing about it, she simply didn't know when to stop. But that's why she has editors!

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  6. You made me laugh numerous times in this review, the eye rolling, can't sew a button, comservative dresser, boring sewing machine details...you summed it up. The synopsis sounds good but I am so buried in books I will pass. You and I tend to be pretty close in agreement on our reviews. Have a great weekend Maja!

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    1. Well looks like I will be reading this, I have it on my Kindle from NG..

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  7. Great review dear! At least the cover is pretty in a weird morbid crime scene way.

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  8. You may not have enjoyed this much Maja, but at least you have taken one book of my TBR pile. ;) See? Sometimes you are actually helpful. (Hehe...You know I love you really) It doesn't sound at all sound like something I might even remotely enjoy.

    Plus, I notice a shiny new count-down widget on your sidebar. ;) I am starting tomorrow! At night...

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    1. I will just sit in my corner and be very very quiet. Lisa's reading The Scorpio Races (had to bribe her with gummy bears) and you're reading Unravelling - it's an awesome day in Majaland!

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  9. Awh, so sorry to hear that this book didn't do it for you, Maja. I'm proud of you because you got through it, haha! Usually, I give up on boring books. This book definitely does not sound like the book for me, and I'm sorry it wasn't one for you, either. However, wonderful review, Maja! :)

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  10. Too bad you didn't enjoy it. It's a great review though! I don't think I'd be interested in all the sewing/clothing descriptions either, so I appreciate the warning.

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  11. "Woman, I couldn’t sew a button if my life depended on it, now can we please just move on?!" <-- LOL Maja! I like books that have some description in them, but I get really frustrated with excessive amounts too! I think you're a superhero for being able get through all those sewing descriptions like you did. But somehow you still managed to make Jack sound AWESOME even if the romance wasn't your cup of tea LOL x)

    Thanks so much for the awesome honest review, Maja! If I ever fall in love with sewing, I'm definitely going to remember this book haha ;) <3

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  12. sorry that you didnt enjoy this one, but thanks for a great honest review! <3

    Ƹ̴Ӂ̴ƷFICBOOKREVIEWSƸ̴Ӂ̴Ʒ

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  13. "I was in danger of falling backwards from rolling my eyes too much."

    LMAO! Oh, Maja. Thanks so much for taking one for the team and forewarning me away from this book. I don't read to get seam ripping tips, I read for an explosive romance, or at least more plot than flowery descriptions!

    I'm totally loving your reviews. They are so fun to read.

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  14. Well, I never even knew she wrote anything besides the Aftertime series. I've sewn on a few buttons but sewing just never did much for me. I do think it is really impressive when people make or alter their own clothes. I don't think I could keep my interest up if there was so much talk about it:-/ I did LOVE reading your Maja-ish thoughts through the whole review, though!

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  15. Thanks for the warning. I hate it when people go on and on and on about clothes. I will not be picking this one up!

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  16. Wow, this sounds fun! I love the aspect of seeing memories by touching clothing too, so I'd definitely pick it up just for that.

    regards,
    grace of Skagway

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