Every Tuesday, Diane at Bibliophile by the sea posts the opening paragraph (maybe two) of a book she decided to read based on the opening paragraph (s). Feel free to grab the banner and play along. I like this meme and decided to play along with her this week.
Hardcover, 416 pages
Published June 23rd 2011 by Michael Joseph (first published May 2011)
(excerpt taken from an ARC)
In this city there were many ghosts. She had to take care. She avoided the cracks between the paving stones, skipping and jumping, her feet in their scuffed lace-up shoes landing in the blank spaces. She was nimble at this hopscotch by now. She had done it every day on the way to school and back ever since she could remember, first holding on to her mother's hand, dragging and jerking her as she leaped from one safe place to the next; then on her own. Don't step on the cracks. Or what? She was probably too old for such a game now, already nine, and in a few weeks' time she would be ten, just before the summer holidays began. Still she played it, mostly out of habit but also nervous about what might happen if she stopped.
Verdict?
Keep reading or say "nuts to this" and throw it in the DNF pile?
Playing a game? Wonder what happens next!
ReplyDeleteHm, not sure what to tell you. Good luck with your decision!
ReplyDeleteI'm intrigued... would keep reading and give this some more time. What did you decide?
ReplyDeleteSounds very spooky and atmospheric, I say keep going with it!
ReplyDeleteI would have to read a bit more to decide. I have not read Nicci French.
ReplyDeleteKeep going. It brought back my memory of the days I did the same thing. (Tell her it will brake her mother's back.)
ReplyDeleteMy first paragraph is here: Quirky Girls Read
I'd keep going … mostly because my son was jumping around trying not to step on cracks this morning at the bus stop!
ReplyDeleteI would read it--it sounds very mysterious. I held my grandson's hand over the weekend as he jumped and sang this little rhyme.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a good one to me!
ReplyDeleteRead on! but make sure you don't step on a crack!! I did that once when I was about 9 and mad at my mother. So I said the little saying and then stepped on all the cracks I could find. About a half hour later I was so upset because I just knew for sure when I got home I would find my mom with a broken back!! LOL!
ReplyDeleteSounds like some ominous foreboding
ReplyDeleteYep I would have to read more. It's off to a good start! Hope you enjoy! :)
ReplyDeleteNice to meet you! Thanks for visiting. I totally agree about Downton...really enjoying it!
ReplyDeleteRuth
I like that beginning. Somehow I get the feeling that for her, unlike most kids, not stepping on the cracks really does matter.
ReplyDeleteOh boy, I'd still be reading!
ReplyDelete