September, 2016
“And Then the Sky Exploded” by David A Poulsen
When Christian learns that his beloved grandfather worked on the Manhattan project, Christian is filled with guilt at horror. When his school’s travel club decides to travel to Japan, Christian is determined to make amends for his grandfather’s actions. Intertwined with his story is the journey of a young girl who survived the bombing.
Overall, I thought this book was very simplistic. It was definitely written for a younger audience. I grew extremely tired of Christian’s obsession with the class bully and wished the author had approached that in a different way. Overall, not a book I would reread.
“Wolf Road” by Beth Lewis
When Elka’s grandmother is killed in a storm, she is taken in by a mysterious man who calls himself Trapper. He teaches her how to survive in the wild and together the pair thrives. When Elka is visiting town, she finds a wanted poster of Trapper, accusing him of murder. The law follows her back to their home and burns it to the ground. Elka flees, determined to escape her mysterious past.
At first glance, the writing style of this book drove me crazy. I gave it a second try and found myself more interested in the story. Elka and Trapper had an interesting dynamic, but the book really caught my interest with Elka met Penelope. Overall, a good book, worth picking up.
“Shanghai Girls” by Lisa See
Sisters Pearl and May are young, beautiful and modern Shanghai women. When their father gambles away his fortune, he arranges for marriages for both girls and for them to leave China for Los Angeles. Although Pearl and May go through with their weddings, they purposefully miss the boat to take them to LA. When the Japanese invade, they have no choice but to make their way to their new husbands, for safety and survival.
I really enjoyed this novel. The sisters were fascinating characters and I loved the reading about their life in Shanghai and then LA. The book was perfectly paced and well written. Lisa See is a wonderful author, and I can’t wait to read more from her.
“Dreams of Joy” by Lisa See
Beginning where Shanghai Girls left off, this book follows Joy as she impulsively flees LA for Maoist China. Worried about her daughter’s safety, Pearl follows her, determined to save her from her impulsive decisions.
This was a powerful and moving novel. It was fascinating to read about the cultural changes and affect the Chinese Revolution had on both peasants and the more wealthy and privileged individuals in China. I can’t wait to read more from this author!
“Maid of Baikal” by Preston Fleming
Set during the Russian Civil War, this is an alternative history that adds a Joan of Arc character, Zhanna into the midst of the rebellion. Told from the point of view of Ned, a U.S. intelligence officer, he continually finds himself in the middle of history. Not only does he meet Zhanna, but he plays a pivotal role in her story.
Overall, this was an interesting and well written book. Zhanna was certainly a fascinating character. At times, it felt that the author gave a bit too much background explanation, which made the story move slowly at first. However, once the action started, it was hard to put down.
“City Ash and Desert Bones” by Laurel Myler
Reesa and Joule are assigned to work in a tiny, middle-of-nowhere town called Big City. However, when they arrive, they quickly realize that something out of the ordinary is going on. I had a hard time with this book. The author never gave enough information about the world to explain the story. The characters were overly exaggerated stereotypes who had over-dramatized reactions and relationships. Overall, a bust.
“Mercy First and Last” by Katie Hanrahan
Sarah, the daughter of a prominent Irish politician, finds herself in love with Robert, an Irish revolutionary. Hiding the relationship from her family, she writes Robert letters and meets him in secret. When Robert is captured, Sarah is disowned by her father and forced to consider marrying another.
I’m not quite sure how to review this book. To be blunt, I thought Sarah was pretty boring. The story itself seemed to lack something. Nothing really happened until the book was almost finished and the plot moved at a crawl. Overall, not a book I would reread or recommend.
“The Ego Cluster” by Robert Cole
Scientists Ethan and Amelia are working on a gene cluster that suppresses the human ego. When their project is cut short, they are recruited by an unknown organization to continue their research.
Although this book had a very interesting premise, the author didn’t really take the time to build the plot or relationships. Instead of building up, the author jumped ahead in time, briefly explained who was who and then jumped again. This could be a great story, it just needs some more work.
