Middle school can be a tough gig, especially when you’re as different as Simon. Erin Bow’s Simon (Sort of) Says dives headfirst into Simon’s world—a place where surviving a school shooting is just the tip of the iceberg. As Simon resettles into Grin and Bear It, Nebraska, where electronic devices are banned to keep the radio telescopes clear for aliens, he faces a whole new set of challenges with his selective mutism. Simon’s silent world is beautifully portrayed through his gestures, expressions, and a trusty notebook. But it’s his unexpected friendship with Agate and Kevin that slowly coaxes him out of his shell. Together, they navigate the treacherous waters of […]
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Disappointing Dive into Dark Themes
Karin Slaughter’s After That Night, the latest in the Will Trent series, left me cold. The novel dives into the lives of Sara Linton, Will Trent, and Faith Mitchell as they navigate a chilling web of privilege and abuse in Atlanta’s elite circles. Fifteen years after Sara’s own trauma, she witnesses the death of a young woman named Dani Cooper, whose brutal assault draws eerie parallels to Sara’s own and she must confront her demons once again. Despite the promising premise, I found myself unable to connect with the story. The narrative felt overly long and failed to maintain my interest beyond the halfway mark. While some may find the […]
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A Heart-Pounding Ride
Nick Petrie unleashes a gripping thriller featuring Peter Ash, a Marine veteran grappling with PTSD. When Peter’s friend Lewis calls for help on a bitterly cold Wisconsin winter night, Peter doesn’t hesitate—after all, Lewis has been his steadfast ally through thick and thin. Their mission to aid Teddy Wilson, a former associate with a brain injury, plunges them into a treacherous blizzard, only to discover a scene of violence and stolen incriminating notebooks that threaten to unravel their lives. Fans of the series already know Lewis as a leader of a clandestine group that takes down dangerous criminals. What Teddy has chronicled in his notebooks proves explosively dangerous, setting off […]
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A Captivating Tale of Identity and Resilience in the Antebellum South
The Kitchen House is a gripping historical novel set in the late 1700s on a Virginia plantation. Lavinia, a young Irish girl who becomes orphaned during her voyage to America, is at the center of the story. The plantation owner takes her in and assigns her care to Belle, a black slave working in the kitchen house, for her care. Lavinia grows up among the slaves, forming deep bonds with her new family, yet she also struggles with her identity and place in the world as she is neither fully accepted by the slaves nor the white family. The narrative unfolds through the perspectives of Lavinia and Belle, revealing the […]
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Hauntingly Beautiful
4.5 stars rounded up to 5. Only the Beautiful is a poignant historical novel set during the 1930s and 1940s that masterfully intertwines the lives of two remarkable women. The story begins in 1938 with sixteen-year-old Rosanne, whose life is shattered by the tragic deaths of her parents and brother in a car accident. Taken in by the owners of the vineyard where she has lived her entire life, Rosanne soon uncovers a dark secret about her new guardians. The narrative then shifts to 1947 Austria, where Helen Calvert witnesses Adolf Hitler’s ruthless pursuit of racial purity. Upon returning to her brother’s vineyard in California, Helen unravels the mystery of […]
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A Mother’s Relentless Pursuit of Justice
3.5 stars, rounded up to 4 The Necklace by Matt Witten is a riveting, page-turning thriller that centers on Susan Lentigo, a mother seeking justice for her seven-year-old daughter Amy, who was brutally raped and murdered two decades ago. The prime suspect, Ray Jansen, a drifter with a criminal record, confesses to the crime but recants before his trial. Nevertheless, the court finds him guilty and imposes the death penalty by lethal injection. On the eve of Jansen’s execution, Susan embarks on a road trip from her home in Lake Luzerne, New York, to North Dakota to witness the execution and find closure. During her journey, she discovers shocking new evidence […]
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Thrills and Chills in the Depths
In Drowning by T. J. Newman, a routine flight turns into a nightmare when a plane crashes into the Pacific Ocean, sinking 200 feet below the surface with twelve passengers trapped inside. As water floods the cabin, a desperate race against time unfolds. A small pocket of air keeps them alive, but the clock is ticking. The story shifts between the passengers fighting for their lives underwater and the frantic rescue team on the surface, working against the clock to save them. Amidst the chaos and fear, the characters reveal their strength, courage, and humanity. Newman delivers a heart-pounding and authentic portrayal of survival, hope, and the indomitable human spirit […]
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A Cultural Exploration of Redemption and Family Secrets
3.5 stars rounded up to 4. “There is no room for hope in the museum of failures. Even if it hangs on the walls for a moment, it usually comes crashing down.”― Thrity Umrigar, The Museum of Failures. The Museum of Failures is a poignant novel that delves into themes of redemption, forgiveness, and the beauty of second chances. Remy Wadia, the protagonist, is tasked with curating an exhibit on failures, a project that parallels his tumultuous personal life. Having left India with resentment towards his indifferent mother, Remy returns years later to adopt a baby and visit his ailing mother, only to grapple with past grievances and newfound revelations. The […]
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A House Through the Ages
In North Woods, author Daniel Mason crafts a spellbinding historical novel that explores the intricate connections between humans, their environment, and the passage of time. A Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Best Historical Fiction (2023), it stands out for its unique structure and rich storytelling. Twelve interlinked stories, each corresponding to a season and month of the year, make up the book. Set around a house in the woods of New England, these tales span centuries, beginning with a young couple escaping their repressive village in colonial Massachusetts. Their humble cabin becomes the backdrop for an extraordinary succession of inhabitants from precolonial days to the present day. Among these inhabitants […]
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A Fever in the Heartland
A Fever in the Heartland is set against the backdrop of the Roaring Twenties when the Ku Klux Klan spread beyond the old Confederacy to the Heartland and the West. Their ranks included ministers, politicians, judges, policemen, bankers, and businessmen, all united in their belief in White supremacy. Aligned with the eugenics movement, the Klan even helped pass the nation’s first forced sterilization law. Timothy Egan’s meticulous research is clear, with dialogue and internal monologues drawn directly from court testimony, oral histories, autobiographies, letters, diaries, and newspaper quotes. The book reveals the frightening power and reach of the KKK during this era. The book’s characters are vivid, though they sometimes […]
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