Tag: Review

REVIEW – The Familiar Dark by Amy Engel

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{Available March 31, 2020} Less than a thriller and more of an examination of familial relationships (primarily mother/daughter and brother/sister), The Familiar Dark is a gritty story with an of-the-moment setting. Anyone who has watched Ozark on Netflix will easily be able to picture Eve’s tiny, poor town in Missouri. The book gives off the same gray, unsettling vibe as the show, too.

After Eve’s daughter and her best friend are murdered on a run-down playground, Eve takes it upon herself to investigate the murders and exact revenge on the killer. What she uncovers is more horrific than she could have ever imagined.

There are some heartbreaking twists/reveals in this story, and the entire thing feels very desolate and hopeless. I wasn’t impressed with the ending when I first read it – some of it seems very out of character and almost like a stretch. But the more I think about it, and the more I think about the setting and the personal background of each character…i’m not ENTIRELY convinced that it’s plausible, but i’m starting to come around that maybe it was an inevitable conclusion for these characters. Just be forewarned: it’s dark and it’s sad and there are no winners in this book.

Thank you Dutton Books for the NetGalley ARC!

REVIEW – Meg & Jo by Virginia Kantra

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“This was love. Not holding back, not keeping score, but doing things for each other. Giving to each other. Not out of obligation, but generously, because it was a joy to offer.”

Little Women is one of my favorite books, and i’ve recently re-immersed myself in the story. I re-read the classic in December, before seeing the (amazing, perfect, flawless) movie in theaters. When I heard about this contemporary retelling, I knew I had to pick it up.

Meg & Jo offers a few modern twists on classic moments, and they work for the most part. It doesn’t quite have the coziness that you get from reading Little Women, but I think that’s just a symptom of the modern-day setting. On the bright side, the setting offers a relatability that the original lacks.

“Too bookish, too stubborn, too ambitious, too competitive.”

I found Jo’s story to be a bit more interesting, but isn’t that always the case? Meg has chosen the “typical” path – marriage, babies, etc. – which is exactly what works well for her. I think many of us felt we were a “Jo” when we read the original book, and I think parts of her personality are even more relatable in this retelling.

I did not expect this book to be so adult (a pleasant surprise)! There are some steamy scenes, but nothing too descriptive or explicit if that’s a concern of yours. It’s relatively tame compared to other books out there.

What did I love? CHEF. Oh, Chef. My favorite character in this book and a great spin on the character he mirrors in the original.

And a warning: there is going to be a character in this book that you’ll probably hate. You’ll hate them for good reason. I felt a little conflicted about their storyline at first, but giving the modern setting and the surrounding narrative, it does make sense.

I did feel like Beth and Amy were missing from the story, but their stories are forthcoming from what I understand.

Will this be as beloved as the original? Of course not. But it’s a nice little supplement for fans of Little Women who find themselves wanting to spend more time with the March sisters.

REVIEW – When You Read This by Mary Adkins

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“This whole time I thought my real life hadn’t started yet. Turns out that was my life. I have six months or so to make that okay, somehow.”

Oh, this book. I was intrigued by the premise initially, but I loved this book so much more than I would have anticipated. We follow our three main characters – Iris (recently deceased), her boss Smith and her sister Jade – through a series of emails, text messages and blog posts. The format of this novel made it a very quick and easy read – I flew through the majority of this book in a matter of a few hours.

“We are not special. We do not survive death. We only think we are, and do.”

This is an amazing portrayal of grief, presented in snippets. Smith is grieving the loss of his friend and coworker. Jade is grieving the loss of her sister. And through Iris’ blog posts, we witness her grieving the loss of “what could have been.” It’s sad and it’s funny (like, laugh out loud funny). It’s cliche to say “I laughed, I cried,” but, truly…I laughed. I cried. There are a few notable side characters, like Carl (you’ll hate him, then you’ll kind of love him).

“‘We die as we lived,’ some guy wrote. But how did I live?”

Thank you Harper Books/Harper Perennial for sending me a finished paperback copy of this book!

REVIEW – Catch and Kill by Ronan Farrow

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“If you don’t run with this, if you don’t move forward with this and expose him, you’re on the wrong side of history.”

Catch and Kill is one of those books I should have read immediately upon release, when the Weinstein trial was ongoing and his fate was hanging in the balance (I mean, I guess it still is. But the buzz around this story has died down considerably).

Farrow’s relentless pursuit of the truth, and of bringing Weinstein to justice, is commendable. The book is interesting. It’s good. It’s important. But because I have read so much about this case, I did find myself a bit bored in the middle. This book could have easily been reduced by 100 or so pages (again, I think my opinion would have differed had I read this back in October or November).

Regardless of my reading experience, I was disgusted to learn just how many people were covering up for Weinstein, or turning a blind eye to his crimes. I wasn’t surprised, necessarily, but when it’s spelled out in front of you, it packs a punch. On the flip side, i’m grateful that good, moral people still exist to make sure criminals like Weinstein get what they deserve (although, he got away with it for so long, i’m not sure the punishment can truly fit the crime).

CONSTANT READER REVIEW – The Institute by Stephen King

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“Great events turn on small hinges.”

Ah, The Institute. Where kidnapped kids go to…well, you’ll have to read it and find out. One day, Luke Ellis is just a normal-ish (heavy on the “-ish”) 12-year-old kid and the next, his parents are dead and he’s been taken. At The Institute, he meets a group of kids in “Front Half” and learns about the dreaded, secretive “Back Half.”

As you can expect, the adults in this are despicable and cruel. The kids? You’ll want to hug them (especially Avery. Oh, sweet Avery) and help them escape the horrific fate that awaits them in Back Half.

“And what piece was he? It would be nice to believe himself a knight, but more likely, he was just another pawn.”

There’s another story interwoven here, and I wanted more details that I ended up not getting. However, everything ties together nicely. This book goes exactly where you think it’s headed – there aren’t many surprises or twists here, and that’s okay. When I learned to stop expecting things from the book, and instead decided just to enjoy it, I found my reading experience to be much more positive.

“It came to him, with the force of a revelation, that you had to have been imprisoned to fully understand what freedom was.”

You’ll cheer when bad things happen to the bad guys. You’ll be angry when bad things happen to the good guys. And you might wonder, as one of our characters does towards the end, what if they’re right? (Again, read it…you’ll find out.)

This might be a good King book for non-King readers. It has some disturbing parts (one in particular will haunt me for awhile – OUCH. and also EW), but overall it’s just an interesting story about a top-secret operation that kidnaps kids for…reasons.

I did notice some bits that reminded me of other King books (I mean, Luke and his friends at The Institute are kind of a modern-day Loser’s Club). And you only have to make it to page 10 to find the ever-present blue chambray shirt.

REVIEW – The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James

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“…it didn’t matter how afraid or how careful you were – it could always be you.”

The Sun Down Motel pulled me in from the dedication page – anything that mentions Murderinos is sure to be right up my alley!

Carly, our main character, is set on investigating the unsolved disappearance in her family. 35 years ago, her aunt vanished without a trace from her night shift job at the Sun Down Motel. We learn, through dual timelines, that the Sun Down has a little bit of a…ghost problem, a knack for attracting unsavory characters and for facilitating questionable behavior. It also has a history of tragedy and violence. However, that doesn’t seem too out of place in Fell, NY. Fell is…odd. It gave me straight-up Derry, Maine, vibes. It often felt like an episode of the Twilight Zone.

“The world was different at night. Not just dark, not just quiet, but different.”

The parallels and transitions between past and present are excellent. The story is good. It’s a bit tighter at the beginning (and spookier) before focusing mostly on the investigation of a number of unsolved murders. This will likely be a memorable book for many readers, not because of it’s (somewhat predictable) twist, but due to it’s not-so-common premise – a little bit of a ghost story and a little bit of a thriller.

“Some of us like the dark. It’s what we know.”

REVIEW – The Undocumented Americans by Karla Cornejo Villavicencio

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{Available March 24, 2020} There are eleven million undocumented immigrants in our country. In our communities. They could be our neighbors, coworkers or classmates. We interact with them at restaurants and stores. They give everything they have to our country and receive so little in return. This is the legacy of our country and it’s infuriating. This is also nothing new, but it’s an especially hot political topic at the current moment.

From a writing standpoint, this book is good. Villavicencio is a solid writer with a knack for getting straight to the point. This book meanders at times, but everything is important and supportive of the overarching narrative.

Villavicencio isn’t just a writer, she’s a storyteller. She talks a lot about how she basically adopts the people she talks to – she pours her heart and soul into these relationships and tells their stories with such care. She doesn’t gloss over anything. The people portrayed in this book are REAL (of course) and their personalities leap off of the page. They’re angry. They’re grateful. They’re hurt and hurting. They’re funny and fun and loving. They’re weird and they’re interesting. They’re people (yeah, duh). They aren’t a “faceless brown mass” (to borrow words from a recently controversial author…)

They’re all different, with different lives and different experiences. Some have had more luck than others. Some have faced more hardships or heartbreak than others. But they do share the trauma of being undocumented in the United States. The fear of deportation. The lack of legal support when they are taken advantage of. Each section of this book focuses on a different city in the United States and I thought the chapters on Cleveland and Flint to be the most impactful (keep in mind I am from Ohio, in a city that’s about a 20-minute drive to the Michigan border, so these chapters were bound to feel more tangible to me).

Ultimately, my words and thoughts aren’t what matters here. It boils down to this – read this book. Read other books like this book. Gain some perspective from people who are not like you. Learn about the experiences of others (especially of marginalized groups). LEARN. GROW. Be better. Do better. Most importantly – LISTEN. Don’t listen (or read) to respond or discuss. Listen (and read) to learn. To hear. To bear witness to their lives and their stories.

Thank you Random House/One World for the NetGalley ARC.

REVIEW – Unknown 9: Genesis by Layton Green

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{Available March 13, 2020}

Genesis is first in a book series that will eventually tie in to the Unknown 9 universe, featuring movies, podcasts, video games and more.

The book is reminiscent of The DaVinci Code (or the National Treasure movies). It combines a cat-and-mouse chase that spans the globe with a cult-y secret society. Genesis features dual timelines – most of the book takes place in the present, with snippets of the past (the mid- to late-1930s, for what it’s worth).

It held my attention for the majority of the book. However, precious little is actually revealed (due mostly in part to the fact that this is merely the first of a series, so they can’t just show their hand in book one). If you don’t mind dealing with a cliffhanger for a while (I think book two is due for release in the fall of 2020?) this is a relatively fun read.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

COZY MYSTERY REVIEW – Murder Makes Scents by Christin Brecher

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Murder Makes Scents kicks off in Paris (how fun!) Candlemaker and scent enthusiast Stella is attending a conference with her globe-trotting perfumer mother, Millie. Their trip ends on a sour note when a man is murdered on the last day of the conference (right before Millie is due to give her talk).

When they return to Nantucket, they quickly realize that someone involved in the murder in Paris has followed them, and their lives could be in danger. Has Millie stolen a top-secret perfume vial? Will Stella be able to figure out the mystery before it’s too late?

This was surprisingly elaborate for a cozy – and so fun to read! I loved Stella’s shop, the Wick & Flame, and Nantucket is the perfect setting for a book in this genre. It’s a relatively new series (I have book one on my tbr shelf!) and offers up exactly what you love and expect from a cozy.

Thank you Kensington Books for the ARC!

REVIEW – Please See Us by Caitlin Mullen

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{Available March 3, 2020} Please See Us is an absolutely breathtaking debut novel. More of a mystery than a thriller, we follow two main characters in Atlantic City – a teenage psychic struggling to make ends meet and a young woman who has moved back home following a traumatic personal event.

Mullen absolutely NAILS the atmosphere here. I could feel the summer heat and humidity. I could see the rundown and condemned parts of the city – everything felt dull and gray and gritty. The seedy, faded casinos and motels just add to the overall icky and hopeless feeling of this book, which is a testament to the quality of the writing. There is some REALLY good writing here.

I love how Mullen examines the different types of women who end up as victims throughout the story. They come from different backgrounds. They have different thoughts and feelings. Each has a personal journey that led them to Atlantic City and, ultimately, to their deaths. The chapters that focus on the “Janes” are some of the best, and some of the hardest to read. After one towards the end, I found myself needing to pause for a moment before diving back in to the rest of the story.

There are some DARK themes explored here (I mean, besides the obvious…) but every piece feels absolutely necessary to the story.

Thank you Gallery Books for sending me this ARC!