Sunday, March 28, 2010

Review - Last Night In Montreal by Emily St. John Mandel


When Lilia says she is stepping out for coffee and never returns, Eli does not imagine the past he will uncover when he searches for her.  A mysterious postcard from Montreal sends Eli on a wild goose chase that introduces him to a strange girl named Michaela and a few stories neither of them are ready to hear.  Filled with a broken past, lost loves, and crazy moments at every turn, Last Night In Montreal is a wild ride with an amazing twist.

I absolutely adored this book.  This is Emily St. John Mandel's first novel and it was stellar.  The writing was intelligent and masterful.  The plot was new and exciting.  I loved the structure of the story and how Mandel presented both the present and the past.  I was drawn into this story almost immediately and could not tear myself away from it.  I love that the pain and the hurt are so real in this book, but they are not overwhelming to the point of disbelief.  Though you do not get a lot about herself from Lilia's point of view, I felt that I learned so much about her from the other characters.  Eli was an amazing character and I really loved everything about him.  He is incredibly brilliant and some of the discussions he has about the artistic world are just amazing. The references to linguistics and dialects have me wanting to research these topics after reading about them.  Mandel did an amazing job with this novel and I can not wait to read more of what she writes in the future.


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Unbridled Books. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

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