Katherine Harbour's Blog, page 7

Limetown by Zack Akers, Skip Bronkie, Cote Smith

Limetown: The Prequel to the #1 Podcast
Lia is young woman whose parents' complex relationship (and secret history) have left her craving an answer when her mother disappears. This leads to a mystery concerning her Uncle Emile, whom she doesn't remember, and the mysterious town nearby, where an entire community vanished.
The story shifts back in time to teenage Emile and what eventually leads him to the experimental research center disguised as a hotel.
Lia and Emile share a disconnectedness to society that makes them reckless and vulnerable. It wasn't so much the mystery of Limetown that kept me turning pages, as it was the journeys of Lia and Emile.
A strange and sinister story reminiscent of Stephen King.

Neverworld Wake by Marisha Pessl

Neverworld Wake
Because I love this author's other books, I was excited about this one. Her characters are complex, the writing just as lyrical.
Beatrice, a college student,is recovering from the mysterious death of her boyfriend Jim. When she visits Jim's four friends--the beautiful Whitley, sarcastic Kipling, Type A personality Connor, and brainy Marina--they become involved in a car accident.
They all survive. But the day becomes strange and they realize they're trapped in time, forced to live the day over and over again until they can vote as to which one of them survives the car accident that, as a mysterious man tells them, kills all of them but for one.
Beatrice must figure out how to escape this hell as her friends' darkest secrets are revealed and this world becomes their playground. The result is a dark fantasy with elements of mystery and horror, vividly written and one of the best I've read.

The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh

The Wrath and the Dawn
A dynamic narrative inspired by Scheherazade and The 1001 Nights, This tale is richly detailed and fascinating, Its heroine, Shahrzad, is used to getting her way. She decides to offer herself up as bride to the mad king Khalid, who has been executing his wives. Shahrzad has people who love her and are willing to fight for her. And Khalid isn't what she thought he would be.
I loved Shahrzad's scheming, her determination to avenge her best friend (one of Khalid's executed wives.) What is Khalid's dark secret? I also love character ensembles and this has one of the best.

Every Heart A Doorway by Seanan McGuire

Every Heart a Doorway
Nancy has arrived at Eleanor Welts Home for Wayward children. She's a teen who's spent time in the eerie, beautiful Underworld of Hades, and misses it terribly. She wants to return, as do all of the other students forced out of their own fantasy worlds, unable to find their doors again. Then, one of the students is murdered. As Nancy and several other students seek to figure out who the killer is, others meet unsettling deaths.
A forlorn fairy tale with shades of Nancy Drew, this is a sleek, powerful story for anyone who wonders how Wendy, Dorothy, Alice, and the Pevensie children might have handled their withdrawal after visiting their extraordinary worlds. Love this series:)

The Girl of Ink and Stars by Kiran Millwood Hargrave

The Girl of Ink and Stars
Isa lives on an island with her father. The island is ruled by a cruel governor, who also happens to be the father of Isa's best friend Lupe. When a girl is brutally killed, Lupe leaves for the forest and the forbidden territories. Isa disguises herself and leaves with the governor and his men to find her. Isa discovers a terrifying myth to be real, and how brave a young girl might be.
This is a surprisingly dark fairy tale for middle grade, with a determined young hero straight out of the classics.

Caraval by Stephanie Garber

Caraval
A dark fantasy set in a world with a Victorian Venetian atmosphere. Two sisters escape an abusive father for a world called Caraval, which is essentially a magical game. It's an illusion of a world inhabited by actors and ruled by a games master with a shady past.
Scarlett must navigate the dangers with Julian, a rogue of a sailor who isn't who he seems.As Scarlett searches for her sister, Talla, she is drawn deeper into a second world, where murder is real and the master of Caraval may have malevolent intentions toward her.
A picturesque tale about a broken family with an intriguing relationship between Scarlett and Julian.

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Throne of Glass
Celaena is seventeen years old and already a notorious assassin. When she's freed from a prison camp by a young captain who serves a decadent prince, she's skeptical--she's to take part in a competition with others to become king's champion. and the crown prince Dorian chose her to compete.
It becomes a murder mystery, as someone or something begins gruesomely killing off the competitors. Celaena begins to suspect an ancient magic at work. As she befriends the foreign princess and her captor, Captain Chaol, and hates on the vicious tyrant king, she finds herself drawn to prince Dorian, who is isn't who he seems.
The complex Celaena and her unraveling history makes the narrative, and who doesn't love a great mystery set in a fantasy world?

The Secret Horses of Briar Hill by Megan Shepherd

The Secret Horses of Briar Hill
Set during World War II, this story was bound to be heartbreaking, since Emmeline, the young protagonist, has tuberculosis and has been exiled to a house in the English countryside with other children.
Emmeline sees winged horses in mirrors. She's already suffered tragedy. When a friend dies, Emmeline must save a winged horse that has wandered into the world. Thomas, the one-armed gardener, tells her he can also see the winged horses and will help her protect the one she has found.
Emmeline is an endearing and fiery heroine in a dark world. I just wanted her to survive. The winged horses add a touch of magic. It's a classic tale and perfect for anyone who loved The Secret Garden or Anne of Green Gables.

The Murders of Molly Southbourne by Tade Thompson

The Murders of Molly Southbourne
Molly lives with her loving but tough parents on a farm in the present day. There is one rule: If you bleed: blot, burn, and bleach. Okay, that's weird. There's a reason for the rule--Molly's blood generates clones of herself at her current age. Some of these appear harmless, but most become violent. Her parents have to kill and dispose of these Mollys. And when Molly eventually has to make her way in the world alone, she has to learn if she is human or not.
This is a novella and a fantastic tale of horror.

We Were Liars by E. Lockheart

We Were Liars
Told from the POV of Cadence Sinclair, daughter of a well-to-do family, the story is immediately intriguing. Cadence suffers from terrible headaches caused by an accident one summer, an accident she scarcely recalls.
It happened at the family's vacation spot in Massachusetts, near Martha's Vineyard. Since childhood, Cadence has met her cousins, Miriam and Johnny, every summer, along with their friend Gat. A complicated romance develops between Gat and Cadence.
With overtones of Shakespeare's King Lear, Cadence's story is a mystery the reader must piece together. What happened to her on the island? Why is her family so secretive? And why is Gat suddenly avoiding her?
The holes in Cadence's memory , the threat of a horrifying reveal, all make for a narrative spell told in Cadence's troubled voice.