Last Night in Montreal

I know many of you agree with me that it is always a treat to read a book published by Unbridled Books. They always seem to have the most gorgeous artwork on their covers, and their books just always seem to be a little "special." I recently read one of their latest releases LAST NIGHT IN MONTREAL by Emily St. John Mandel, and I thought this book was just wonderful. Once again, Unbridled does not disappoint! I have actually been procrastinating about writing this review because I don't think I'm articulate enough to capture my feelings about this novel. I found this book to be completely engrossing, and there are just so many good things to say about it. I'll start with the writing because I think that's the thing that has stayed with me the most. Ms. Mandel's style of storytelling is really something special. The story alternates between the lives of the different characters, and it also goes back and forth between present day and the past. I was very much impressed with how the author managed to juggle all this -- it really was just so well done and the transitions were flawless. In addition, I just loved how the book flowed; and it seemed as if each word in this book was there for a particular reason -- whether it was to give the reader a better understanding of the characters or to evoke a certain feeling. I also truly appreciated the characters in this novel as well as how Ms. Mandel developed them. The story basically covers the lives of four main characters, and each one was deeply complex and flawed. I love how the author gradually unfolded the pasts of the characters so that the reader was able to gain an understanding of their current situations. These characters are just so memorable and have remained in my thoughts even after I finished reading the story. Not only did I appreciate the characters, but I also thought the basic storyline of this novel was very interesting. I know that part of the reason I enjoyed this story so much was the characters and how the author told the story, but I was also very intrigued by the mystery angle of the book. I was desperate to understand what occurred in the past to set this entire chain of events into motion. I couldn't read fast enough to learn about the characters' lives, and I was fascinated by the effect that their individual actions had on each of the other characters. LAST NIGHT IN MONTREAL is Emily St. John Mandel's debut novel, and I have to say that I was just blown away. Her prose is absolutely beautiful and her characters are so well-developed. I found myself hesitating to set this book down because the author just drew me into the story. You just have to check out the Chapter 1 excerpt that is available on her website to see what I mean about her writing. I am hoping that the author has another novel in the works because I will definitely be reading it! A little aside: Emily St. John Mandel was at BEA, and I'm so disappointed that I didn't get to meet her. I would have loved to ha

I'm very impressed that this is Emily St. John Mandel's first book. It was totally engrossing. The characters were so well developed and likable. The way the story was sequenced was great and not at all hard to follow. Jumping in time is something that can be very confusing if not done properly. Definitely one of the few books that kept my attention in a long while.

Up to my eyes in research, rough writing, and revisions on a work in progress, I have absolutely no time for pleasure reading right now. So it was a huge mistake to allow even a passing glance at an advance copy of Emily St. John Mandel's lovely debut novel, Last Night in Montreal. I can't help it; I am about to utter the hacky cliche of all book recommendations: I couldn't put it down. The words "pleasure reading" hardly begin to describe it. This was somewhere between a spa treatment and mid-day lovemaking. It's a mystery and a love story, a twisting path through the heart and mind of a richly drawn character. This is not the blockbuster you're going to see on an endcap at Borders, but I hope hope hope it catches on with book clubs. There's so much fertile ground for discussion here, and this talented author deserves the affirmation.

When I first heard that the protagonist of Last Night in Montreal was unable to remember her childhood, I was concerned about finding a cliched amnesia story. Not at all. Through carefully drawn characters and pitch-perfect descriptions of Lily's obsessions and abandonments, Emily Mandel drew me in quickly and held my interest through the final page. I want more.

I was lucky enough to be chosen as an early reviewer for this book prior to its release and I just loved the book! It is a very different type of story than any other I've ever read. I highly recommend this book to anyone that is looking for something different and interesting.