Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Review: Turquoise: A Love Story by Ayshe Talay-Ongan




Title:  Turquoise: A Love Story
Author:  Ayshe Talay-Ongan
Rating: 2/5
 

I received a copy of this book from the publisher, Sid Harta Publishers , via netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.  I thank the publisher for this opportunity.


Summary:  Yasmin and her Armenian classmate Ani were oblivious to ethnic differences during their school years in Istanbul. Years later they run into each other, and Ani introduces Renan, her husband, to Yasmin. At that moment under the blazing autumn skies, as Yasmin locks eyes with Renan, she knows that she has come upon her destiny. But political tensions in their land soon force Renan, her secret love, and his family to immigrate to Sydney.

A few years on, Yasmin's diplomat father is appointed as the Turkish Consul General to Los Angeles where the family faces a devastating tragedy that will impact their lives in ways unfathomable. She is now forced to make a choice between passion that defines her and reason that guides her. (Taken from goodreads.com)


Review:  This book didn’t sit well with me.  The characters were vapid, annoying and otherwise not all that interesting.  The self-centered attitudes of all the characters made this book difficult to finish, but I did finish it (still don’t know how I managed it).  This story is more of one of obsession, because the main character merely wants to covet her best friend’s husband.  She is in love with the idea of him, not so much in love with him, with the attraction not the person.  It is nauseating.

To have a character that is so empty and shallow that they go around saying things like “Dear God, let him be jealous of me!” makes me ill.  Yasmin, the MC is unredeemable in her use of her best friend in my mind.  The way she analyzes herself is mindboggling and does show that the author does have a background in the mental health field, but we get stunning gems like this:
It is not because I would wilfully (sic) deny myself the joy of a ripping orgasm - I am a child of the roaring women's lib, after all- but because I was perfectly self-sufficient and I truly could not be bothered teaching him how my body worked.


Or, this:
Times after the end of a relationship should be used as an opportunity to listen to one's self, to register the authentic voices that spring from the solar plexus. To seek one's pat to genuine wholesomeness towards a deep-seated sense of being at home with one's self. What have you done instead? Your best remedy when you were rejected by one man was to seek another without examining the rubble left behind. Tennis club to the rescue!

I’m not sure I’d read this again, or to whom I would recommend it to.  Again, not a favorite, and I’d say it was a grand adventure, but then I’d sound vapid.

If you have any questions, comments or recommendations you can contact me at simplicity.kindreth@gmail.com
My reviews can be found here:
http://www.caedyslibrary.blogspot.com
http://www.tumblr.com/caedy
http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/caesreviews

I received a copy of this book from the publisher, Sid Harta Publishers , via netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.  I thank the publisher for this opportunity.


Summary:  Yasmin and her Armenian classmate Ani were oblivious to ethnic differences during their school years in Istanbul. Years later they run into each other, and Ani introduces Renan, her husband, to Yasmin. At that moment under the blazing autumn skies, as Yasmin locks eyes with Renan, she knows that she has come upon her destiny. But political tensions in their land soon force Renan, her secret love, and his family to immigrate to Sydney.

A few years on, Yasmin's diplomat father is appointed as the Turkish Consul General to Los Angeles where the family faces a devastating tragedy that will impact their lives in ways unfathomable. She is now forced to make a choice between passion that defines her and reason that guides her. (Taken from goodreads.com)


Review:  This book didn’t sit well with me.  The characters were vapid, annoying and otherwise not all that interesting.  The self-centered attitudes of all the characters made this book difficult to finish, but I did finish it (still don’t know how I managed it).  This story is more of one of obsession, because the main character merely wants to covet her best friend’s husband.  She is in love with the idea of him, not so much in love with him, with the attraction not the person.  It is nauseating.

To have a character that is so empty and shallow that they go around saying things like “Dear God, let him be jealous of me!” makes me ill.  Yasmin, the MC is unredeemable in her use of her best friend in my mind.  The way she analyzes herself is mindboggling and does show that the author does have a background in the mental health field, but we get stunning gems like this:

It is not because I would wilfully (sic) deny myself the joy of a ripping orgasm - I am a child of the roaring women's lib, after all- but because I was perfectly self-sufficient and I truly could not be bothered teaching him how my body worked.

Or, this:

Times after the end of a relationship should be used as an opportunity to listen to one's self, to register the authentic voices that spring from the solar plexus. To seek one's pat to genuine wholesomeness towards a deep-seated sense of being at home with one's self. What have you done instead? Your best remedy when you were rejected by one man was to seek another without examining the rubble left behind. Tennis club to the rescue!

I’m not sure I’d read this again, or to whom I would recommend it to.  Again, not a favorite, and I’d say it was a grand adventure, but then I’d sound vapid.

If you have any questions, comments or recommendations you can contact me at simplicity.kindreth@gmail.com
My reviews can be found here:
http://www.caedyslibrary.blogspot.com
http://www.tumblr.com/caedy
http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/caesreviews

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