This has been a year full of anti-racism books, some newly published in 2020 (like this one) and others experiencing a resurgence in the months followThis has been a year full of anti-racism books, some newly published in 2020 (like this one) and others experiencing a resurgence in the months following the George Floyd protests in the United States. Ones like Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America, which was a great comprehensive introduction to the history of racism in America, and Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption, which walked the reader through the disastrous criminal justice system our country has reckoned with over the past half a century, would be others I highly recommend to anyone looking to educate themselves on just a few of the issues surrounding race and racism in America.
Caste is a work of nonfiction comparing the caste systems of three different countries both historically and in a modern setting. Isabel Wilkerson makes the strong case that not only is there a well-documented caste system in India and a famously brutal one in Nazi Germany, but that the United States has had castes since its founding, but classified under different terminology. American slavery, oppression and abuse of its Black population is a form of caste, depriving basic humanity for generations and granting privilege and power over them to its white citizens. Wilkerson goes on to point out that not only was this a clear type of caste in the country’s past, but that underlying caste structure that enabled these former atrocities is still in place, to the detriment of the entire country today.
“It has become a part of who they are, because it is part of what they have been.”
What’s incredibly clear after reading this book is that even if you are hesitant to assign these terms to the US (although I think they’re very accurate), that there’s still so much work left to do in this country. The problems in America are not completely novel ones, but the way they have come about and then retained their grasp over the entire population is unique. And the denial of any lingering issues by the dominate caste (those who identify as white), is particularly sinister in its implications for anyone classified in the lower caste. Simply put, white Americans’ refusal to acknowledge Black oppression both past and present only compounds upon that oppression.
As a white American, reading comparisons to the Indian caste system and the Nazi Germany one was not something I instinctually wanted to consider. That feeling of American exceptionalism is difficult to break out of, and to be seen as similar to countries that Americans largely view themselves as superior to will be a tough sell to a sizable part of the population. That shouldn’t stop Wilkerson or any other authors from writing about them, though, if there is a strong argument to be made. Not long into the book I found myself convinced by the initial assertion, so it was easier to absorb the additional supporting information offered.
”If people were given the choice between democracy and whiteness, how many would choose whiteness?”
The writing was also incredibly well-reasoned and explained, and I wasn’t expected to be an expert on things like foreign caste systems I knew very little about. I appreciated the way the research and history the author presented was interwoven with the modern day implications of the respective policies and events discussed at length. And even how they showed up in Wilkerson’s own experiences while researching and writing this book. I think the individual stories backed up by the wider historical context made the human impact of a harsh and unforgiving caste system easier to understand and digest for the average reader.
Now that I’ve finished this, I’m also planning to pick up The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander and How We Get Free: Black Feminism and the Combahee River Collective, which includes the Combahee River Collective statement along with essays and interviews by members of the organization, edited by Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor. Based on the day I’m posting this review (December 31, 2020 for anyone reading this in the future), these will have to be 2021 reads for me. I do urge those who maybe got caught in the flurry of buying anti-racist books over the summer this year to consider either reading ones they haven’t gotten to yet, or if you have done that then to keep updating your TBR with backlist and upcoming titles on this topic. Education is a process, not an achievement.
I want to thank @momandmadread and Libro.fm for my audiobook copy of Caste, which was exceptional. I knew the narrator sounded familiar, so I went to her website and discovered that she, Robin Miles, had also been the narrator of The Fifth Season trilogy by N.K. Jemisin, which are some of my top books of 2020. If you have the opportunity to listen to that series, this book or anything by Robin, DO IT!!! She is my absolute favorite narrator, and I’m now going to look up books she’s done specifically to listen to her voice some more....more
I absolutely blew through this. David Sedaris is a once in a generation talent and this collection of stories is no exception to that rule. Some of hiI absolutely blew through this. David Sedaris is a once in a generation talent and this collection of stories is no exception to that rule. Some of his die-hard fans might find this redundant, but as I’ve only ever read Calypso (and loved it), a greatest hits album is exactly what I want from this author!
I won’t get too much into the specifics of the stories themselves, but it’s a good mix of work from him. Having only read Calypso, the majority of what I’ve seen has been stories about his life, particularly as it relates to his family. So I was pleasantly surprised at the number of works of fiction that Sedaris has authored as well! Glen’s Homophobia Newsletter was utterly fantastic. And the fact that it was written in 1994 but somehow completely holds up speaks to the lasting-power of his writing skills.
Also present is Sedaris’ trademark dry humor interwoven with some darker subjects. From pieces about his mother and father to the death of his sister Tiffany and some really unexpectedly bleak stories staring talking animals, you never know quite what to expect when turning the page. Though, if you get the opportunity, I’d recommend listening to the audiobook—you simply cannot beat the experience of hearing this author recite his own work. David Sedaris does a lot of workshopping his stories, at readings, signings, etc., so his performance is almost reminiscent of a stand-up comedy act behind a podium.
This book is the balm to a really raw and red year, but in the most atypical way. Like when Sedaris blandly hopes for the deaths of multiple children in his stories (largely fictional, calm down). It’s not the idea but the delivery that is so inherently funny. While listening to this you’ll just find yourself breaking down in obnoxious laughter at the most bizarre things, but unable to retell the joke without someone thinking you’re insane. I really can’t explain it any other way, but he succeeds so well at taking niche bits of darker humor and transforming them for consumption by a general audience, without losing any of the bite.
At the very end of the audiobook there was a great interview that Sedaris does with Paul Constant where he talks about his writing process, what it’s like for him to work during quarantine, etc. I think hearing his back and forth with an actual person was an great way to end what amounts to a 12-hour monologue by the author. It reminded me that he’s not just a character in his stories, but an actual person who largely writes from his own life experiences. He also uses that time to talk about the impact of his writing career on his family, how they handle the inevitable characterization that comes from being the subjects of a famous sibling’s famous stories.
All in all, great collection, FAN-TAS-TIC author. This would make an amazing Christmas gift for any Sedaris fans you know! And although he bemoans some of his older works, I think I’m going to try to make time to work through some of his backlog, whether he finds them “clunky” or not....more
Now a Goodreads Choice winner in Memoir/Autobiography!
I’ve done a lot of complaining while reading A Promised Land, mostly because of the length. Now a Goodreads Choice winner in Memoir/Autobiography!
I’ve done a lot of complaining while reading A Promised Land, mostly because of the length. Despite having written two previous books, Dreams from My Father and The Audacity of Hope, the third by our former president is already very long, sitting at a rotund 751 pages. So I was genuinely surprised when I found out this was only volume one of his presidential memoirs, covering primarily his first four year term in office. I went into this thinking, how can someone possibly write that many pages about such a compact period of time. I’m 27, and if I wrote the amount Obama did for each year of my life I would have an over 5000-page memoir.
I guess part of my expectations there stem from the fact that I don’t read political biographies & autobiographies for the most part. I think they are very boring and since most popular ones are accounts from the Civil War or World War II or other endlessly discussed periods of American history, I (probably wrongly, but whatever) feel like there really isn’t much of a new or fresh take that I absolutely *need* to read up on.
The other reason is because I read Michelle Obama’s Becoming last year and it was one of the best memoirs I’ve ever read. Michelle comes off as genuine and brilliant and warm and hilarious, and I loved her perspective on her and her family’s time in the White House. She was also able to cover her entire life, from early childhood until current day, in a cool 426 pages, while her husband is likely to need at least 5 times that number. Barack mentions in the prologue that Michelle didn’t read his book before he finished, which might be why nobody made any significant cuts.
[image] The hero we need, but don’t deserve.
But if I had read a few more presidential autobiographies I may have found A Promised Land resembles those more than Michelle’s book for a very simple reason. This isn’t a book just about Barack Obama’s thoughts or feelings during his time as president, but is intended as a documentation of his official position as President of the United States. It’s now an account of American history, a record of his decisions and time in office. Though it is written by the man himself and likely holds a lot of personal significance, its importance stretches beyond him individually as a citizen and instead is now a component of a larger institution.
So from that angle, I believe this book is enormously successful. I was a teenager when Obama took office in 2009 and though I do remember many of the events he described, I just wasn’t aware of a lot of the broader tones and the implications of what these things meant. The level of obstruction from House and Senate Republicans in particular went completely over my head, as I’m sure it did for a lot of the country, which is definitely intentional on their part. The ruthlessness of Mitch McConnell is nothing new over the past few years, and his crusades during this period are a major contributor towards many of the issues our country is facing today. So many things, by and large universally good things, did not happen during the Obama years simply because McConnell threw himself in front of progress out of a compulsive need to prevent giving the first Black President of the United States even the mere perception of a ‘win’.
Similarly, it makes me empathize with Obama’s struggle to reconcile his ambitious, but still reasonable policy objectives with the realities of the political system he has to work within. I know personally I have fallen back on frustration with the Democratic establishment and how reluctant they seemed to be to ‘push harder’ during the first term, especially the first two years, of his presidency. I think people further left on the spectrum have a right to that frustration, but directing it solely at Obama, who was also being attacked by a racist portion of the Tea Party and right-wing media, seems misplaced now. I don’t agree or even approve of every action taken by his administration, but in a lot of cases it appears that, unfortunately, he did the best he could do with the hand he was dealt.
What I’m hoping for in his next book, beyond more chronicling, is a push towards that more leftist contingent, instead of rooting himself in the center. It should have become obvious to most people in America by this point that the Republican party is really, on the whole, too far gone to try to appease any longer. It hasn’t gotten us where we hoped it might, and they have been resolutely unwilling to reciprocate in any meaningful way. He may have had to play peacemaker while holding the highest office in the country, but he no longer carries that burden. I want President Obama to not just champion his old centrist friends like President-Elect Joe Biden, but make allies with the progressive wing of his party, think Representitives Ocasio-Cortez, Omar, Tlaib, Pressley & C. Bush.
The president has an opportunity to reach out those who feel uninspired and tired of being promised more then given the same. And like he did in 2008, I believe he still has the ability to speak to people on that level. The second volume is likely to end with a rallying cry, and the hope that I have is that he gives us more than platitudes and “snappy slogans”....more
Sequels can be a difficult thing to pull off. Even more so when the sequel was one not originally planned by the author while writing the first book. Sequels can be a difficult thing to pull off. Even more so when the sequel was one not originally planned by the author while writing the first book. So upon starting Dear Justyce, Nic Stone’s follow-up to her staggering novel Dear Martin, I really appreciated that the dedication she included not only thanked the boys that inspired the continuation of Quan’s story, but doubled as an explainer to why she decided to write this book in the end. It primed the reader for what this story was about, who it was written for and set the tone for how Quan’s life and the words he writes will be different from Justyce’s.
Vernell LaQuan Banks Jr., known as Quan to almost everyone outside the US legal system, is currently incarcerated. He was arrested during the events of Dear Martin, presumably, but we have never gotten much information besides that he was Manny’s cousin and a former acquaintance of Justyce’s. He begins this novel writing letters to the boy from his childhood, Justyce McAllister, discussing his time in jail, his frustration with the system(s) that failed him and whatever small hopes he has for his future. Unlike Justyce’s letter writing project to Martin Luther King Jr. in the previous book, the subject of these correspondence is still alive and able to read Quan’s words—and he does.
I don’t take issue with Stone’s decision to write a sequel. And I think a lot of the issues Quan is dealing with are important especially for a teen audience to read and discuss. I do think some of the choices made in the book, though, may have resulted from the author’s attempt to walk the fine line between a realistic story and an aspirational one. Despite Quan having even more of the system stacked against him, he still felt like an outlier in how kids in similar situations would be treated. It seemed like Justyce and his friends just swooped in and saved the day, in a way that would be hard to replicate in real life. Though Quan may have faced challenges more relatable to a number of kids who’d be reading the book, the way it all played out felt pretty far removed from reality.
Some of the dialogue between characters, even characters that existed and interacted in the previous book, was a little cringey. I think I might have glossed over parts of it before because of how impactful other portions of Dear Martin had been, but the way that SJ and Jared speak sound like parodies of that type of character, rather than actual people. Justyce’s meeting with nearly every authority figure and adult played out like a fan-fiction reimagining of how that kind of conversation would go. It’s not that no people have ever spoken like that, just that it’s more reminiscent of how teenagers and young adults communicate online, rather than in person. These were largely isolated instances, but in such a short book they still stood out.
I did like the way Quan was portrayed. I think Nic Stone did an excellent job with both him and Justyce. The tone of Quan’s letters fluctuate between tenuous hope and muted despair, basically someone just trying to hold it together. The fact that both of these boys are teenagers who had to learn hard adult lessons early in life only makes the experience of reading their innermost thoughts and feelings all the more painful. I haven’t read any of Stone’s work outside of this duology, but if she nails her main characters like this across the board, then I may pick one of them up next.
Although it’s tempting to keep revisiting familiar characters and a setting your readers are accustomed to, I’m hoping the author leaves these two books on their own for now. Perhaps down the road she may want to round it off and make it a full trilogy, but I think giving Justyce and Quan space would be the best thing for now....more
A stunning collection of 15 short stories from a wide range of acclaimed Fantasy & Young Adult authors, A Universe of Wishes will leave you totally hoA stunning collection of 15 short stories from a wide range of acclaimed Fantasy & Young Adult authors, A Universe of Wishes will leave you totally hooked and amazed! As soon as I finished one story I would think well I’m sure this next one will be good, but there’s no way they could top that, only to be immediately proven wrong.
As stated in the above synopsis, this is the fourth collection from We Need Diverse Books, a nonprofit initiative with the goal of expanding diversity in children’s literature. A Universe of Wishes is the organization’s first fantasy anthology, and when I saw the list of contributing authors I was sooo excited!
[image] me looking at the list of authors in this book
The editor of the collection, Dhonielle Clayton, is an author in her own right, and is the writer behind the popular The Belles series. Other contributors you might recognize include Nic Stone (Dear Martin), Rebecca Roanhorse (Black Sun), Zoraida Córdova (Incendiary) and more! The one I was most excited about was V.E. Schwab’s story A Royal Affair, which is set in the A Darker Shade of Magic universe. It depicts the initial love story between two main characters in that trilogy, Rhy and Alucard, following until their relationship’s heartbreaking end. (this is not a spoiler for the books, as the series begins several years after the events of this story)
I’m not going to get into more specifics than that, because I don’t want to spoil any of them for potential readers. But the only drawback I can see is that some of these stories are so short (duh). But a number of them were a little *too* short and incomplete for me. Ones like The Scarlet Woman built up all of this tension and plot and then.....it ended. Pretty abruptly. I really loved so much of the writing here and the stories were for the most part utterly imaginative and brilliant, but I almost wish a few of these ideas were saved for a novel-length work instead of a few dozen pages worth.
In all, I’m so glad I got to read this collection! Some of the stories I may have enjoyed more than others, but that came down to personal preference, not competency. There weren’t any weak links present, and with such a large number of contributors and a broad genre like Fantasy, that’s not an easy thing to pull off. Props to We Need Diverse Books, the publisher, Dhonielle Clayton and all the authors who participated for creating something really special. And after reading some of their stories, I may have even more books to add to my To-Read list. Oh my poor TBR!! ...more
I’ve been meaning to read this for a while, even more so after it was named as a National Book Award finalist. Luckily I just won a copy from Ofelia oI’ve been meaning to read this for a while, even more so after it was named as a National Book Award finalist. Luckily I just won a copy from Ofelia over on Bookstagram, so I’m very excited to begin!!...more
Ring Shout by P. Djèlí Clark is the perfect fantasical horror story to pull you away from the real life one we’ve been living this week.
Set almost a Ring Shout by P. Djèlí Clark is the perfect fantasical horror story to pull you away from the real life one we’ve been living this week.
Set almost a hundred years ago in Macon, Georgia, Ring Shout follows Maryse Boudreaux, a monster slayer who is hunting the KKK. Not just Klan members, though, but a particularly heinous type of demon that walks around in human skin. They’re called Ku Kluxes, and they have infiltrated one of the most hateful organizations in the last 100 years of American history. Maryse, along with Chef, a former soldier and bomb specialist, and Sadie, one of the sharpest shooters in Georgia, are tasked with taking these creatures out before they hurt anyone else.
The historical context of this novella is amazingly done, with much of what was happening in the US in 1922 front and center in the story. The dangerously racist The Birth of a Nation has insighted violence and rebirthed much of the dormant Klan during this period. It’s a revelation among the white masses looking for someone to blame, and some of the most effective and lasting white supremacist propaganda to come out of the twentieth century.
P. Djèlí Clark brilliantly blends reality with this type of dark fantasy and has created a really poignant story for America in 2020. My only complaint is it’s short, obviously since it’s a novella, so I do feel like a lot of the plot had a more rushed feel. That said, there is absolutely no skimping on characterization or action, and everything flowed nicely, if a little quickly. There’s definitely potential for both an adaptation and a sequel here, so I will be looking to see if either of those end up happening....more
Now a Goodreads Choice finalist in Young Adult Sci-fi & Fantasy!
This was such a pleasant surprise! Maybe you’re looking at the reviews and the covNow a Goodreads Choice finalist in Young Adult Sci-fi & Fantasy!
This was such a pleasant surprise! Maybe you’re looking at the reviews and the cover and thinking “Oh come on, it’s got a 4.27 star rating and the cover art is gorgeous, how could it not be good??!?” Well hypothetical person I’m responding to, I have been fooled before!! There’s no shortage of YA fantasy books that have striking artwork and a killer synopsis and the best reviews or blurbs, but then you actually begin *reading* said book and it’s just.....meh. The story is either too convoluted or the dialogue is repetitive or the entire plot seems copied and pasted from the last dozen or so fantasy series you started but never finished—it gets tiring!
So I’m happy to report the latest offering from Adrienne Young, author of the Sky in the Deep duology, is an incredible adventure from beginning to end. I’m usually someone who struggles more with starting books than finishing them, but I fell right into Fable from the get-go. The title character, Fable, has been fending for herself for four years after being abandoned by her father without warning. She’s now seventeen and after surviving on Jeval, she’s ready to make her move to leave and seek out the only family she has left. She’s able to narrowly secure passage to the city of Ceros, but the crew Fable finds herself among on that journey end up being different than she’d expected.
[image]
What’s most impressive from Young for me was how knowledgeable she seems to be about sailing and shipbuilding. There’s so many references to the mechanics of these huge, now largely obsolete vessels as well as the terminology each crew member’s job, just things I would never even know to ask about. I’m sure she did a lot of research into......something. I don’t know—the history of pirating? See, I wouldn’t even know what to Google!! But if she ended up being raised on a merchant ship herself for her entire childhood I would probably believe it.
Fable has everything you could want in a heroine. She’s clever and skilled, but not infallible. She’s easy to root for and easier to become invested in. Her dynamic with the crew of the Marigold is one of the best things about this book. If you were a fan of the group-heist storyline from Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom, I think you’ll enjoy this. Fable is a much more grounded fantasy than anything out of the Grishaverse, there’s no magic shooting out of people’s hands, but the same kind of camaraderie and not-always-gentle ribbing is present between the characters. And the inevitable plotting the occurs is always fun to follow along with.
And what’s the other best thing about this book? Its sequel is already slotted for an early 2021 release! As of now Namesake is set to be published on March 16, 2021. How will I survive until then with an ending like that?!? ...more
Oh my god. Guys. You’re not going to believe this, but I—
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I loved this. I really, really enjoyed itNow a Goodreads Choice winner in Fantasy!
Oh my god. Guys. You’re not going to believe this, but I—
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I loved this. I really, really enjoyed it.
Well I’ll be honest with you, I went into this not expecting to like it at all. That’s not to be a contrarian against books that are popular, I just have read three other Maas books before and was not super impressed by them, though I could see why so many seemed to love them.
My biggest gripe with Throne of Glass and A Court of Thorns and Roses was the heroines that starred in them. I just did not like Celaena and Feyre at all. The people around them treated them like they were perfect, and a lot of their dialogue felt set up to try and give the main characters pithy one-liners. So much of their own power in the patriarchal societies they inhabited was at the expense of other women. Whether it was slut-shaming around ~vIrGiNiTy~ or an Evil Step-Sister stand-in, there was no supporting character that wasn’t depicted as inferior in some way. I just found these two characters insufferable and kept hoping someone would kill them.
Which is why when I began reading House of Earth and Blood, Bryce felt like such a breath of fresh air. Not only does her name have significantly fewer vowels (finally a Maas name my mouth doesn’t mangle—HALLELUJAH), but she’s decidedly not flawless from the get-go. Does Bryce eventually start to fall into those Practically Perfect in Every Way™ pitfalls that the previous two Maas heroines do? Well.....yes. Bryce’s flaws in the first half of the book eventually dissolve in the second half, which is annoying, but by that point I didn’t really care. I was 100% invested, and there was no amount of cringey innuendo that could stop me!!!!!
I really can’t articulate why I loved this book as much as I did in the way I want to. It’s been three days since I finished it and I don’t feel any more capable. If I tried breaking it down into components like I did above, I can definitely find things to complain about. Like, why does Bryce “pad” everywhere?? can’t she just WALK or is it possible for a Maas main character or love interest not to be so inexplicably lusted after by every nearby person with a pulse? There’s probably inconsistencies in some wider world building. It definitely could have been shorter. It’s also likely way too horny for a Fantasy murder-mystery. .......and yet
[image] Sarah Jane while writing this book
And yet. It’s the only book I’ve really torn into this month as everything in America seemed to be going off the deep end. I thought I would have to skim it to finish, but I ate up every single word. My friend Kristen over at @kraysbookclub read it with me and absolutely adored it as well, despite also not liking ACOTAR. We initially picked Crescent City up at the recommendations of our friends Jordan (@jordys.book.club), Zubs (@zubscovered) and Paige (@paigethroughbooks), but went in expecting a hate-read. Jokes on us, though, because the plot was completely riveting. There are fae (lol duh it’s SJM) but also angels and werewolves and witches and demons—all living in a version of a modern metropolis. They’re working together to solve a slew of murders in the city, all while trying to navigate the politics of a complex magical hierarchy. And by the end I was frantically flipping pages while futilely yelling at my library copy. So yeah...........you could say I was into it.
Some of you will definitely not like this. I can already guess who those people might be based on other books they’ve read and disliked. What I will say is this may be a book and series written for adults but I would like to clarify that further for potential readers: this is a book written for adults who like to read Young Adult Fantasy. Most older teenagers can handle reading it, and a good number of adults will enjoy it. But if you’re sitting on the fence I would recommend trying it for yourself—it’s one of those books that has the potential to surprise you.
That’s all I’ve got for now. Anyways, off to go beg Bloomsbury for the sequel before it comes out in November, like the newly-minted, reluctant Maas stan I am now.
Hench didn’t end up being what I thought it was going to be. I suppose that’s my fault, because halfway through I went to re-read the synopsis and it Hench didn’t end up being what I thought it was going to be. I suppose that’s my fault, because halfway through I went to re-read the synopsis and it turned out to be pretty faithful to the events of the novel. Suffice to say, I was expecting more action. What this was instead was essentially ‘super accounting’ with some mean-spirited pranks thrown in for good measure.
I don’t think that’s necessarily a knock against the book. Natalie Zina Walschots writes with a lot of momentum and charisma. Her characters are interesting, even if some end up being a little flat. But I initially used a gif of Homelander from the Amazon Prime show The Boys and I don’t think that was an apt comparison at all. It wasn’t a comparison I came up with myself, but one that was used in some of the marketing material by the publisher. I just want to dispel any assumptions that might be made about Hench resembling something like The Boys or Watchmen so that people don’t go into this expecting one thing and then leave feeling disappointed.
What Hench is very successful at is larger societal observations and critiques. There are parallels between the ‘Heroes’ and the damage and cost inflicted by, say, the military industrial complex. There’s commentary on the role of social media in spreading both information and misinformation, some of which may be applicable to the #MeToo movement. The way that the super-powered act with impunity and are glorified to the point of being worshipped resembles how law enforcement in this country are treated much the same way. It’s impressive the way Walschots is able to extract some of these finer points which are typically ignored in superhero stories.
That said, the story itself was pretty mundane. A lot of time is spent analyzing data or trying to cause interpersonal conflicts between supers. For someone supposedly working for one of the great ‘Super Villains’, Anna’s antics are fairly benign. There’s also a substantial part spent going over her various injuries and healing time and procedures and physical therapy, etc. I just got bored when it felt like her story had stalled yet again. I understand this is probably one of the more realistic depictions of what a society with super-powered people would be like, but to be honest I didn’t go into a book like this hoping for someone struggling to pay medical bills or dealing with roommate drama. That’s just a little real for me, with not enough of the fantastical mixed in.
I still think this is a good book, and I’d read more by the author. But I just don’t know if this is one that I would prioritize in an already bloated genre. The ending also gets unexpectedly gruesome in a way that was difficult to sit through. I don’t know, maybe someone who usually avoids the Marvel of it all or is just *deep* into the lore would enjoy this more. I just can’t stop thinking about some of those earlier Agents of Shield episodes where they had Phil Coulson with a broom and dustpan cleaning up whatever mess the Avengers had just made. It’s all a little to bleak and ordinary for me to really enjoy....more
This was just okay for me. I think I had higher expectations for this book as I loved the premise and I’ve seen a couple of interviews by the author, This was just okay for me. I think I had higher expectations for this book as I loved the premise and I’ve seen a couple of interviews by the author, and she seems like a really cool person. But I could not get into the story at all. None of the characters seemed like actual people and their lives felt so contrived, so it was difficult to be invested.
I haven’t read Anna Karenina, and before beginning I asked around to see if other people recommend reading that first. Jenny Lee herself has said it’s not necessary, but there’s some Easter eggs and references you might only notice if you’ve read Tolstoy’s work previously. I don’t feel like I missed much of the story by skipping it, but maybe you’ll wanna check out some reviews by people who have read both in order to make up your mind before beginning.
I’m usually a fan of unlikable characters and characters who act impulsively, sometimes even stupidly, because they’re young or inexperienced or traumatized or whatever the reason. But the characters I felt as though we’re supposed to like were almost as insufferable as the ones that we were meant to hate. I did not find Anna K or Vronsky to be endearing as love interests or people. One scene with a homeless man in particular rubbed me the wrong way. Lolly and Steven were annoying and Kimmie’s self-actualization by the end did not ring true. Dustin was one of the only characters I liked, but I still felt a layer or two removed from him. I don’t know, maybe it was the writing style, but this did not feel as immersive to me as I think it could have been.
The other kind of weird thing was the sex scenes written between teenagers. Some of them are young at that and not just their willingness to jump into bed, but also the sexual experiences themselves were bizarre. There’s simultaneous orgasms and perfectly choreographed seductions and other ridiculousness that I challenge anyone who was sexually active as a teenager to confirm as realistic. It’s not. Not even for super rich kids. Since this is a YA novel I feel like there’s an extra responsibility for authors to depict the lives of teenagers in not just a truthful way, but in a way that’s not going to negatively impact the younger readers’ perceptions of themselves and their relationships. You don’t need to sanitize the story and pretend teenagers don’t have sex, but maybe don’t promote the idea that the way to keep your cheating boyfriend interested is to immediately fuck him after you find out?
One of the things I really liked about the story was the depiction of micro-aggressions among people who would likely think of themselves above the concept of racism. I can’t tell you how many people have made jokes or comments similar to the ones in Anna K around me and then gotten defensive once called out. Usually with a response akin to, “Uh my best friend is Asian and she doesn’t get offended when I say that so why do you??” Seeing the inner thoughts of Anna and Steven as they accept these words by people who are supposedly friends and peers of theirs as just part of their day-to-day lives is heartbreaking and an area where I think Lee really succeeds.
There’s some more to this book than “A Love Story” would lead you to believe. Some of the heavy-hitting emotional plot points landed better for me than others. I realize this is a Gossip Girl-esq version of Anna Karenina, but that series and the show had the luxury of several seasons and books to develop it’s characters beyond their vapid exterior. In Anna K, it was hard to see them as anything besides spoiled, privileged teens who repeatedly behave like assholes without consequence. I’m open to reading more from Jenny Lee in the future, but to be honest that’s probably not going to include the sequel....more
I almost DNFed this one, and maybe I should have, but in the end I wanted to be able to fully review this book and I don’t think it’s fair to do that I almost DNFed this one, and maybe I should have, but in the end I wanted to be able to fully review this book and I don’t think it’s fair to do that only having read half of it.
This is a book that falls into a category I’ve come to describe as for A Certain Kind of Reader®. Maybe that’s a phrase you’ve heard before, but for me it namely means that most readers will not like it, but a segment of them will LOVE it. If you’re a Bestsellers reader, you probably won’t like this. If you’re a Book Club reader, you probably won’t like this. If you’re a Genre reader (fantasy, thriller, etc.) you probably won’t like this.
Who will like this? Readers who do not mind wandering around aimlessly through the first 100 pages of a 250 page book. Also, most likely readers who enjoy the types of literary fiction that can be alienating to the average person. I’m not trying to be dismissive of these books, I read and like some of them! But I‘ll sheepishly admit that I sometimes feel like I’m too dumb to understand other ones, and I wonder if some are so abstract and inaccessible by design.
So what’s the deal with Piranesi? Basically there’s a guy in tunnels? Or caves? That’s just incurably confused and doesn’t know it. He’s unreliable as a narrator, but he’s also extremely boring. The labyrinth he finds himself in is somewhat more interesting, but he spends most of his time studying tides or talking to birds, then writing it all down. Reading this was a good deal more frustrating than it was fascinating for me, unfortunately. I got about halfway and honestly did not want to keep reading. Yes, things are eventually uncovered and revealed, but the journey to get there was just nooooot worth it.
I can’t remember reading a book so short that was also way too long. I saw someone mention this should be a novella—I fully support that! You could cut the length in half and essentially lose nothing important. I wish I had read the author’s other book so I could compare this to it, but I have not. And based off of the length of that one and how long this felt, I don’t know if I’m up for it. Additionally, Piranesi was compared to Madeline Miller—I do not see that comparison AT ALL. I loved Circe and The Song of Achilles and do not understand what the two have in common, except, maybe Clarke references Greek mythology? The writing styles are completely different.
That said, Piranesi continues to have a really high rating on Goodreads, so who knows! Maybe check out some other reviews as there are plenty of positive ones to choose from. I’m sure Susanna Clarke is doing something very unique and probably clever here, but I’m just not clicking with it. Maybe you’re exactly this book’s Certain Kind of Reader....more
This book was a fun time! I’ll admit it took me a little bit to get into, but it eventually was able to find its groove.
Yadriel is a teenager from a This book was a fun time! I’ll admit it took me a little bit to get into, but it eventually was able to find its groove.
Yadriel is a teenager from a long line of brujx, those with the power to bridge the living world with the dead. After he and his cousin, Maritza, perform the coming-of-age ritual for brujos that’d been denied to Yadriel, they meet Julian, a recently departed spirit who’s in the dark about his own passing. Both boys have things they need to accomplish, one wanting to prove himself and the other unwilling to leave unfinished business, so they decide it’d be better to work together.
I liked the Latinx cultural elements as well as the Trans rep with Yadriel. The brujx are an interesting way to bring paranormal aspects into the story and I enjoyed reading about Yadriel, Maritza and their family as they prepared for the Día de Muertos celebration. What I appreciated with Yadriel was that this wasn’t a story of him ‘struggling with his identity’; he firmly knows who he is. What Cemetery Boys depicts is Yadriel’s family struggling with it instead, and how their refusal to see him as he is negatively impacts him. Even at times when they don’t mean to be hurtful, they can still cause harm.
This novel was also a refreshing way to approach death. Día de Muertos is probably responsible for that tone, as celebration of life rather than wallowing in death. I don’t think you have to necessarily believe in any kind of afterlife to appreciate this storyline, but if you do then you may find The Cemetery Boys to be a comforting way to remember those you’ve lost.
In all, this was a good YA novel. It’s as intriguing as it is inclusive, and as an #OwnVoices book by a Trans and Latinx author, I don’t think you’re going to get a much more authentic story. Especially as a debut, I think Aiden Thomas did a great job writing interesting and layered characters, and I look forward to seeing how he grows as a writer. Thomas already has a book slated to come out in 2021, Lost in the Never Woods, which looks like it’s going to be a fantastic Peter Pan retelling—I can’t wait!...more
This is a such a fresh take on a fairly familiar story, if you watch/read just about any True Crime or thrillers. The Nothing Man is going to be one oThis is a such a fresh take on a fairly familiar story, if you watch/read just about any True Crime or thrillers. The Nothing Man is going to be one of my favorite thrillers of the year, definitely in my top 3. I’ve pulled back from the genre after binging a slew of mediocre ones last year, and it’s probably helped me to enjoy the ones I have picked up that much more.
Eve Black is The Girl Who, as in the girl who survived. The girl who lived while her family was murdered. The girl who is seeking not just answers, but justice. The Nothing Man killed her family 18 years ago when she was only 12, and now as an adult, Eve is ready to tell her story. And once that story hits shelves, it seems as though nobody is able to resist its enigmatic pull. Not even the man at the center of it.
The Nothing Man is a book within a book. The title of Catherine Ryan Howard’s thrilling novel is the same as character Eve Black’s true crime account. The perspective flashes between Black’s words recounting her horrific memories & her search for the man responsible and that very man himself, reading and reliving his past crimes. It’s a chilling way to experience the story, and adds a thick layer of tension that’s incredibly difficult to pull away from. What’s so impressive about Howard’s writing here is the massive tone shift between Black and The Nothing Man as they recall the same traumatic events. The fictional book is a smart way to provide exposition and information in a way that doesn’t feel clunky, but the real hook is when we cut to the man himself, and witness his intense emotional reaction paired against the utter mundanity of his life.
Even if she hadn’t been clear about The Nothing Man’s premise being inspired by real true crime book I'll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara, I think the comparison would have been an obvious one. I’ll Be Gone in the Dark is one of my absolute favorite books, and the one I credit with getting me back into reading several years ago. Michelle is the glue that holds that book together, injecting so much humanity into the examination of the crimes of a man who seems to have so little. Howard for her part brings the best of McNamara’s consideration for the victims of violent crimes over the usual grim obsession with their perpetrator. I think it would have been very easy to give that character perspective a voyeuristic tilt, but Howard holds firm against that kind of impulse.
“These are no dark magicians. They have no special skills. People seem to forget we know their names because they got caught. In fact, the only remarkable thing about them is what they took from the world: their victims. It’s their names we should know.”
I watched a great in interview with the author on Instagram Live, which is still available on @scaredstraightreads’s page. There Howard talks about not just her inspiration for the book, but society’s obsession with serial killers and true crime. It’s fascinating and another really great interview from Dennis, so if you’re interested I’d check it out! This book got amazing reviews from both Chelsea & Dennis, and I don’t really read a mystery or thriller these days without their recommendation. Listen to Mom & Dad, kids. They would never steer you wrong!!
I don’t know how to talk about this book. It’s just so out of left field. I don’t even know if I liked it.
But I’ll try to vaguely review it here, as I don’t know how to talk about this book. It’s just so out of left field. I don’t even know if I liked it.
But I’ll try to vaguely review it here, as just about everything that I want to say could be considered a spoiler. The biggest feeling I had while reading was one of tension. There’s something constantly bubbling underneath the surface and you’re never quite sure what it is. And that tension keeps building towards a climax, but it doesn’t ever seem to reach it. I’m left with more questions at the end than I have answers.
This is a character-driven story that is probably going to read differently for different people. For this reason I think it’d work better as a screenplay; there’s a few instances where it’s hard to figure out the author’s intent. I *will* say this is a book that hits you very distinctly after 9 months of quarantine than it would have otherwise. For the most part I liked the writing, but I know some are going to find it a little too descriptive.
My advice is to go into it blind. Stop reading about the plot and go in without expectations. At the very least, you’ll have a strong reaction by the end either way.
And for those unaware, there’s an adaption currently in the works that’s set to star Denzel Washington and Julia Roberts, which I’m positive is going to be amazing.
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*Thank you to Ecco Books & HarperCollins for an advance copy!...more
I desperately needed this book. I cannot adequately describe to you how much I needed this book right now, today, National Sandwich Day Election Day iI desperately needed this book. I cannot adequately describe to you how much I needed this book right now, today, National Sandwich Day Election Day in the US. If you are American or live in a country even vaguely American-adjacent (that’s gotta be most of you, sry), you are probably also very anxious today. You may have even been anxious for many days, weeks, months—maybe years (four, exactly?? Who knows!).
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I am right there with you friends. And if you are trying to quiet that sense of impending doom for exactly the amount of time it takes you to read 272 pages of a book, I can not recommend Lindy West’s Shit, Actually enough. I have been milking it for over a week, trying to retain my sanity, and it has mostly worked! In her first book, Shrill, West discussed her life, feminism, body-shaming and other topics that were Big News in May 2016 when the book came out. (ha! haha!! it all seems so quaint now~~) Then in her follow-up The Witches Are Coming, West went even more overtly into the politics of Trumpism, racism, sexism and All The Other Bad Things, in her signature comedic way.
While these were the books I needed at the time, I think most of us are just trying to drag our limp, half-comatose bodies over the finish line today. For that reason, Shit, Actually is the perfect book for right now. Why? Because it’s about MOVIES! It’s funny! It’s written by someone smart and hilarious who has strong opinions about things that don’t matter. Here is a book where I can get in a heated comments section argument with someone about Bad Boys II and everything is still OKAY afterwards. I’ve been desperately craving something and it turns out that something is someone explaining to me with excessive punctuation why all popular Bro Movies™ are trash! And my god, Lindy West delivers.
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I will now definitively rank the movies Lindy discusses in the book, which I have watched, so that even if you don’t read Shit, Actually (you should!!!!!!) we can argue about them in the comments anyways:
The Lion King Forrest Gump Titanic Harry Potter The Series That Shall Not Be Named Twilight The Fugitive The Notebook The Shawshank Redemption Jurassic Park Honey I Shrunk the Kids Back to the Future American Pie The Santa Clause Love, Actually
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And here are the ones mentioned that I have not watched but that sounded so dumb that it’s all but guaranteed I never will: Face/Off, Top Gun, Bad Boys II, Garden State, Terminator 2, Reality Bites, Speed.
And ones that sounded kinda dumb but also kinda cool idk I’ll check to see if they’re on Netflix: The Rock, Rush Hour.
In conclusion, I am completely in love with Lindy West. This is the perfect book and you all should write it in for the Goodreads Choice Awards in the Humor category! I’m allowed to campaign here, I’m at least 100 feet away from the polling location!!! (election day joke) Unfortunately, I guess Ms. West felt like she adequately roasted Adam Sandler in her other works, so there was no further commentary on his movies. :( Dear Lindy or Lindy’s publisher, if you’re reading this, please let her know that she can never write too much about Adam Sandler! There is no ceiling on the number of times you can dunk on him!!
[image] Apologies for the excessive gif usage, but if there was ever a time to do so!
*Thanks to Hachette Books & Netgalley for an advance copy!...more
A fast-paced crime thriller that has just as much grit as it does heart, Winter Counts had me flying through the pages up to the end. I’m very impressA fast-paced crime thriller that has just as much grit as it does heart, Winter Counts had me flying through the pages up to the end. I’m very impressed by this debut by David Heska Wanbli Weiden.
Left with little recourse against injustice on their reservation, Virgil Wounded Horse is the man you call when seeking retribution. Wounded Horse is a Lakota man living on the Rosebud Indian Reservation in South Dakota along with his teenaged nephew, Nathan. Virgil is a hired enforcer, a vigilante judge and jury that hands down sentences with his fists as opposed to throwing offenders behind bars. It’s a difficult way to make a living, so when the leader of his local tribal council makes him an offer to track down the lowlifes smuggling drugs onto their reservation, he’s not in much of a position to turn him down.
I’m not usually one for a tough-guy main character that plays by his own rules, but for the most part I really liked Virgil. He reminded me of Bug Montage of Blacktop Wasteland in that way. He equally loves and is wary of his community, understanding what they’re up against but also knowing what they’re capable of. The members of his tribe view him in much the same way, with barely veiled contempt until they are in need of his services.
Winter Counts cracks a window for non-Indigenous readers to see into a small sliver of what life on a reservation is like. You witness both things specific to this reservation and the Lakota people, as well as in a general sense for most ‘Native Americans’. The legal limbo was one aspect that is crucial to the story but probably will surprise most readers. Crimes committed on reservations are typically not prosecuted, by tribal police or federal agents. Reservations are also often the last to get resources, if they make it there at all, and then the residents are criticized for not ‘bootstrapping’ their way out of poverty. It’s a cycle the U.S. government seems unwilling and uninterested in addressing meaningfully.
“Sadness is like an abandoned car left out in a field for good—it changes a little over the years, but doesn’t ever disappear. You may forget about it for a while, but it’s still there, rusting away, until you notice it again.”
I won’t say too much more about the plot, but I really loved this book. I guessed a few of the big twists, but still had a good time as I sped towards the conclusion. I imagine this author is going to have a long and successful writing career in the future. Thanks to @thor.wants.another.letter & @erins_library for selecting this book as the September MBC pick and to @jordys.book.club & @bostonbookfanatic for hosting!
*Also thank you to Ecco Books for an advance copy!...more
I’m beginning to suspect that Backman’s writing isn’t generally for me. Beartown is likely the exception instead of the rule here, which is a disappoiI’m beginning to suspect that Backman’s writing isn’t generally for me. Beartown is likely the exception instead of the rule here, which is a disappointment. But based off of a lot of the positive feedback it seems I’m in the minority with this opinion.
I feel as though, stylistically, Anxious People tried too hard to walk the line between whimsy and emotional depth and ended up not succeeding with either. It got to the point where I would have to skim over the first paragraph of every chapter because he was so unnecessarily wordy. It just became so incredibly grating. If you haven’t read any of Fredrik Backman’s books before, here’s my impression of the beginning of a chapter:
‘The sky is blue. Though I suppose you could call it cobalt, even indigo on some days. Occasionally azure is thrown around, but nobody is quite sure why. But if we’re nitpicking, today it was probably more of a sapphire. Although, most people are not, picky I mean, and will simply refer to the sky as blue. That’s not to say anything one way or another about these people, but is does make one wonder why that is. Why do some see the world in shades of blue, but when others look upward they merely gaze into a monochromatic abyss?
Anyways, Doug drowned in the periwinkle sea.’
The portions that were supposed to be emotional ended up falling flat, mostly because all of the characters were intentionally obnoxious and aggravating. My god, I have never cared less what happened to a fictional group of people. Tragic backstories were doled out one after the other to try to make you empathize with them. Each irritating member of this ensemble was also in turn revealed to be ‘like super deep and introspective, actually!’ and I couldn’t help but roll my eyes at the lame one-liner set-ups.
I think the author did pull off a couple of good twists, and he’s really skilled at using the reader’s assumptions against them. But in all, I don’t think this is my kind of book. Everything’s a little too idiosyncratic, and it all wraps up a little too nicely. But if you’re looking for a vague sense of hope or whatever, I think you might still enjoy Anxious People.
This is a hard moment to be a superhero fan. I was in the middle of reading Ikenga when the news broke about Chadwick Boseman’s death. He was an invalThis is a hard moment to be a superhero fan. I was in the middle of reading Ikenga when the news broke about Chadwick Boseman’s death. He was an invaluable part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and was the hero of so many kids, especially black kids, all over the world. So going back into this story after learning of the sudden ending of his was difficult, if I’m being completely honest.
But it was also cathartic, in a way. Ikenga is a middle grade book about a 12 year-old boy in Nigeria who’s father, the former police chief of their town, Kalaria, has recently been killed. Nnamdi is passed down magical powers that he doesn’t fully understand, but he still tries to carry on his father’s legacy and protect his town.
The themes of this book carry the emotional weight of it. Nnamdi and his best friend, Chioma, grapple with grief, friendship and a thirst for justice. Nnamdi in particular struggles to control his feelings of anger at the loss of his father and all the injustices he’s had to put up with since. When he suddenly has all of this strength and power, what is going to do with it? Will he hold himself to a higher standard, or will he succumb to his urge to seek vengeance?
As always, Nnedi Okorafor is such an evocative writer, conveying the world built in her head vividly out onto the page. As many comparisons can be made between this and Black Panther, I also think this book would be great for kids who are fans of Spider-Man. Especially in the way the story is more localized, with Nnamdi trying to protect his town, there’s a lot of overlap between his motivations and those of a character like Peter Parker. But really I can’t think of anyone who I wouldn’t suggest this book to. Even as an adult, I enjoyed the action and arcs just as much as I would have when I was Nnamdi’s age.
[image] Here’s to the next generation he’s inspired. Rest in power
*Thanks to Saga Press and BookishFirst for a finished review copy!...more
I was always going to be a sucker for this kind of story. This is probably my favorite type of sub-genre to read: a character-driven novel with and unI was always going to be a sucker for this kind of story. This is probably my favorite type of sub-genre to read: a character-driven novel with and underlying mystery. I just really like the discovery of long-held secrets while slowly uncovering information about each character. And the mystery element running through the entirety of the plot keeps me unable to stop turning the page.
The book is about, obviously, The Death of Vivek Oji, a character living in modern day Nigeria. There’s flashbacks from all points of his life, from birth until his death, as well as the present after he’s died. The author takes us backwards then forwards then back again only to finish where it all started. If I felt like I knew what happened to Vivek, a new line would appear and snatch away my assuredness.
Akwaeke Emezi is a beautiful writer. I’ve wanted to read their book Freshwater for some time, so I guess I’m going to have to do that sooner rather than later. There’s plenty of people who like to read books set in far-off countries as a means of ‘escape’. This is not going to be that kind of novel. Nigeria is as much like the United States or any other ‘western’ country in the ways that influence the story. Meaning, what happened to Vivek, the kind of life he lived, could have happened anywhere. The location and culture Emezi describes just adds another layer to the touching story they’re telling. I do feel like I’m in Nigeria while I’m reading, but not like I’m on vacation.
The Death of Vivek Oji was a journey of love, loss and absolution. So much of what, not just Vivek, but the rest of the characters go through is thoroughly heartbreaking. The examination of the LGBTQ+ experience, especially in a very patriarchal society, is masterfully handled by Emezi. One of the truest things I think this novel makes clear is that people who fall under that umbrella are not a new invention, and there is no place on this Earth where they don’t exist. And pretending otherwise doesn’t make that any less true, it just makes it more dangerous for everyone involved.
Thank you to Natalie at @bookreadreceipts for sending me this book! It almost makes up for the fact that you FINISHED IT WITHOUT ME!!! ...more
This was such a divergence from almost any other fantasy book I’ve read. And for the most part, that has been a good thing. I’ve really got to hand itThis was such a divergence from almost any other fantasy book I’ve read. And for the most part, that has been a good thing. I’ve really got to hand it to Rebecca Roanhorse here, she’s crafted an explosive start to a series set in a time and place not normally seen in this genre. Consider me thoroughly impressed.
The first book in the Between the Earth and Sky trilogy, Black Sun begins with a brutal opening scene that sets the tone for the rest of the book. The story picks up several years later following Xiala, a rogue Teek ship captain with a chip on her shoulder and not much left to lose. As she sets out again on a near impossible mission, we watch as her and the paths of the three other POV characters start to move together towards Convergence.
Serapio, a formerly scarred boy, but no longer scared, Naranpa, the Sun Priest who wants to prove herself worthy of her station, Okoa, a young man trying to preserve his clan as best he can and Xiala are all working towards the same event during the winter solstice in Tova, even if they don’t know it yet. There’s adventure and betrayal on the high seas, cunning palace intrigue behind closed doors and a lot of untapped magic just waiting to be put to use. So much is going on in Black Sun that it’s a triumph in and of itself that Roanhorse is able to tie it all together.
That said, I do think the ending was a little rushed, where so much is unresolved. I won’t know if that was the best ending point in the story until the next book is released, but I do feel like I was left hanging somewhat. There’s so many questions left and though some are probably left that way intentionally, I wonder if I just maybe missed a few resolutions on my first read through while trying to get to the ending. Maybe I’ll try a re-read before the second book comes out.
Either way this was an excellent start to a series from my first experience reading this author! I believe she has a short story in an anthology I’m about to read, but I’m very interested in picking up more from her. And for anyone who’s looking for more diversity in their fantasy, Black Sun has some of the more inclusive characters I’ve come across, especially when it comes to LGBTQ+ characters. I’d recommend checking the series out!
*Thanks to Gallery/Saga Press & Netgalley for an advance copy!...more
This book went by so fast! Every time I sat down to read a couple chapters I ended up reading a good chunk more. We first meet Alex, a social worker wThis book went by so fast! Every time I sat down to read a couple chapters I ended up reading a good chunk more. We first meet Alex, a social worker who’s employed by the child protection office. What’s clear from the very beginning is she takes her job very seriously, maybe to an almost obsessive level. She’s meticulous and grounded in her life...until her sister Ruth shows up on her doorstep, desperate and in need. What seems like a tense family reunion turns into something more dire as more of their shared secrets are dragged out into the light.
I had the pleasure of getting to watch the author, Roz Nay, being interviewed on Instagram Live by the Thriller King himself, @scaredstraightreads. The thing Nay hit on in that interview that I was really drawn to was the relationship between the two sisters, from childhood into adulthood, and how they responded so differently to the same tragic event in their past. They’re relationship is wrought and every word feels like it’s weighed down in double-meaning. I couldn’t ever completely settle on what the truth actually was.
(view spoiler)[To be honest, I immediately disliked Alex when she was introduced. I was so nervous she that was supposed to be a sympathetic character, like Ruth was, but thank god that wasn’t the case. From the moment she started talking about her job in social services and how she spoke about the kids, I just knew that I would not get along with someone like her in real life, even without all the crimes she committed. (hide spoiler)]
I’ll definitely have to check out more by Roz Nay. This is exactly the type of suspense/thriller that I look for when I need to escape from real life or a break from some heavier books. If you’ve read of her other work, let me know!...more
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