Linda Merlino

This is a paranormal book not a SUSPENSE! I am questioning where the suspense was at. All I read was about people feeling, seeing, and talking with dead spirits. One spirit was supposed to be a firefighter that died in 9/11. If this was a tribute to all of those fall heroes/heroine then I am at a loss to where it was at in this book. Only in two separate parts can I see that and it was 'Remember us, Father". Sorry this is not a tribute to 9/11 or the fallen heroes. This is just a paranormal attempt at creating someone talking to their husband that was one of the fallen.

To have the "she touched my d**k" in the book was too much. I almost stopped reading. Sorry I would not recommend this book to anyone.

The author used a horrible event as a background for her story. This event is horrible enough without having this author put her paranormal take on something.

The main character Diane talks/sees/hears dead people knows the future and has her dead husbands firefighting gear in her house. I can understand holding on to his gear. But to have the helmet hot is not suspenseful. This is paranormal.

The dead husband takes over his brother's body (who by the way is a priest) and they have SEX! Oh come on. Again I am asking where is the suspense?

"Suspense is created by an uncertainty about what happens next in your story." Well the reader does not get this because the author is using Diane to tell readers everything that will happen in the future.

"Evoke strong emotions." Make sure the conflict evokes strong emotions. The only emotion this reader had was a strong emotion of DISLIKE.

"Let readers root for the characters." Kind of hard to root for characters where they are dead. The one's that are not dead talk but do not make a lot of sense. Just a bunch of stories passes between Diane and Father Antonio. But then he was too scared to ask any questions so nothing to root for there.

"Details." The author did not detail much of anything until the end. She brushed over almost everything giving 3/4 of the story behind Diana's words.

"Feel the Consequences." The characters did not have any consequences.

That is 5 suspense tips that I found on Google. Again I am wondering where the author thought this was a suspense or why she had to use the 9/11 tragic. What I thought would be a tribute turned out to be nothing more than a paranormal look at 9/11. I can wanted to create a book as a tribute but this author did not create a tribute. I can understand wanting to tribute to the fallen but honestly this book is not a tribute to the fallen. This book is nothing but a paranormal look where one person states she knows the future.

This is my opinion, I am entitled to my opinion. I purchased the book, read it in one night and returned it because it was not as stated. I was looking for a suspense book. For anyone who wants to talk about the book (including the author or publisher) feel free to email me from my website. blog.kybunnies.com I have a contact available.

As for this being a tribute to those fallen at 9/11--- Sorry Epic Failure.… (mere)

Room of Tears has one of the most creative "hooks" for a novel you'll ever encounter. Author Linda Merlino took what could have been a 9/11 weeper and turned it into an engrossing tale with a fascinating twist to the ending. You'll find no spoiler here; suffice it to say that you'll never see it coming and the concept will set you back on your heels.

The book tells the story of Diane O'Connor, the widow of a fireman who was killed in the attack on the Twin Towers on 9/11. The narrative takes us into the future when her son, Peter, born nine months after the attack, is elected Pope--the first from America. The links between those two events feed the narrative as it moves back and forth in time. Multiple voices tell the story, too, although most of it comes from the protagonist.

Room of Tears requires some careful reading to keep track of the story, but it's well worth the effort when you come to the thought-provoking conclusion.… (mere)

I almost decided against reading Linda Merlino's book, Belly of the Whale. It hits too close to home. Breast cancer has affected not only my mother and both of my grandmother's, but I lost a friend to cancer this past summer and the wound is still too fresh. Even just thinking about her now, the tears well up in my eyes. She was such a strong soul. Outwardly, she never wavered in her faith and hope, but I imagine there were times when she did doubt and feel angry at the circumstances she was in much like Linda Merlino’s protagonist, Hudson Catalina.

Hudson Catalina's mother was a victim to breast cancer, losing her battle when Hudson was 14 years old. It was very difficult on the Catalina family, and Hudson took her mother's illness and death hard. She worried, too, that one day her own fate would be similar to her mother's, and it turned out she was right. Her battle with breast cancer sapped everything out of Hudson. She was tired and angry. She woke up one morning, having lost all faith and hope. Her husband and best friend, ever the optimists, did not understand the low that Hudson had reached. They weren't ready to give up--never would be most likely. Hudson felt alone.

Hudson's new resolve that her death to cancer was on the horizon would be challenged in a way she could never have anticipated. A night visit to the local market to pick up last minute party supplies for her daughter's 5th birthday would change her life forever.

Ruby Desmond, owner of the Whales Market, is strong in her faith and has led a full life. She knows what it is like to have suffered great loss. She understands a little bit about how Hudson must be feeling and Hudson finds herself drawn to the woman and her stories about the past. Willy Wu is also working that night at the market. Willy Wu is a simple man with special needs. It is obvious he cares about Ruby immensely and takes his job seriously. With a fierce storm carrying on outside the doors of the market, the three settle in for a long night not realizing that danger was just around the corner.

Linda Merlino captures the emotions of the characters in such a way that had me feeling what they were feeling as the story unfolded. What stood out the most to me was Hudson’s feeling of despair and complete loss of hope. Similarly, there is the character of Buddy Baker, who was in an even darker place for he had given up long ago. Buddy has had a difficult life. He is a product of his environment and as a result is full of anger and pain. He is in a downward spiral with no end in sight, and I felt that with every turn of the page.

Belly of the Whale is a moving story about one woman's internal struggle with the fate she has been dealt. And yet it is also a story about family and friendship as well as one of courage and hope even in the most tragic of circumstances. The story builds bit by bit, humor suffused with very serious situations. Linda Merlino is a talented writer who has written a heart wrenching story that had me in tears by the end.… (mere)

For many mothers, the eve of their daughter’s fifth birthday would be cause for celebration. For Hudson Catalina, it’s anything but.

After a long battle with breast cancer, Hudson is tired. She’s tired of the toxic treatments that leave her sick for days, tired of putting on a brave face for family and friends, tired of imagining her children’s lives without a mother. She has given up all hope of beating the disease that claimed her mother’s life when Hudson was just 14 years old. She decides to stop her treatments and resign herself to her fate.

But fate has something else in mind for Hudson Catalina. A trip to the Whales Market for cupcake decorations for her daughter’s birthday turns into a night of terror. Held hostage by a former student, Hudson regains her will to live, but has it come too late?

Linda Merlino effectively portrays Hudson’s hopelessness and despair, while still giving the reader a sense of her underlying strength and, eventually, her hope. At just under 200 pages, Belly of the Whale is a quick read, but its enduring and inspirational message will stay with you long after you read the final page.… (mere)