The Last Sin Eater by Francine Rivers

paperback, Hennepin County Library, 324 pgs

A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park

book on CD, Hennepin County Library, 3 hrs, 12 min.

Just finished these last night / this morning (12/12/07). It took me a really long time to "get into" Sin Eater. I've had it for almost two months! Every time I started it, I just didn't connect. But after having it so long, I decided that I had to at least read the darn thing. Then I didn't like what I was reading! How could Cadi's parents be so insensitive to her grieving? Ultimately, it worked out well in the end. I liked the friendship between Cadi and Fagan, but it was really hard to get past her parents' treatment of her. Jesus is our sin eater - too many people don't get that. I didn't like this quite as well as the other books I've read by Rivers.

A Single Shard is one of those books I have been meaning to read for quite a few years. I remember all the raving about it when it won the Newbery award, but I just had never picked it up. The CD version was enjoyable - I know there are words I wouldn't be able to pronounce! It was a bit weird hearing a Korean story with a British accent, but reader Graeme Malcolm has a gorgeous voice and brought the story to life beautifully. With this story, too, there were times when I disliked the injustices. Poor Tree Ear! Orphaned when a baby, he has been left with homeless Crane Man. The friendship between the two is so positive, though they live on the edge of starvation. My least favorite part of the story is when Tree Ear encounters the thieves by the cliffs. It upset me so much, I shut off the CD player! This was a beautiful, powerful story about so many different things. I ended up loving it!