February, 2020

"Light Changes Everything" by Nancy Turner         

Set during the early 1900's, this book follows Mary Pearl and her family in the Arizona Territory. When Mary Pearl meets Aubrey, she is instantly attracted to him. Before leaving for Wheaton College, they become engaged. At school, Mary Pearl struggles to find acceptance among the debutantes and ladies.          

I'm not sure how to review this book. I found Mary Pearl a very interesting and likeable character. However, one minute she is in school studying photography, the next she is back home riding to Mexico to rescue her kidnapped brothers. The plot shifts were a bit jolting. I was more interested in her time at school than her time at home, so the plot didn't really work for me. Overall, 3 out of 5 stars.

"Layoverland" by Gabby Noone         

When Bea dies in a car accident, she finds herself in airport purgatory. In order to leave purgatory, she is tasked with helping five thousand people shift through their memories and find closure. When she is tasked with helping Caleb, she quickly realizes that he was the one driving the car that killed her.          

The setting was pretty interesting but that was about it. The characters were pretty stereotypical and the plot was a bit predictable. The plot and characters needed more depth, more dimension to hold my interest. The book was quick paced and easy to read. I see its appeal for a middle school audience, it just wasn't for me.

"Hollywood Park" by Mikel Jollett         

The book opens with Mikel's mother taking them away from the Synanon cult. At the cult, children were separated from parents, to be raised as "Children of the Universe." After escaping, the family moves to Oregon, where they live in poverty, surrounded by addicts and emotional abuse.          

This book felt more like a therapy journal than a story. The voice of young Mikel was too nostalgic, too reflective to be believable. Although the cult was mentioned throughout the book, I had to Google the cult to get a real grasp of what it was. Overall, this book was a bust.

"The Fortress" by S.A. Jones         

After being caught cheating by his wife, Jonathon, a high powered professional, will do whatever it takes to win her back. Even giving up a year of his life to live in the Fortress. The Vaik, a society ran and populated entirely by women, are in charge of the Fortress. The Vaik believe primarily in four tenants - work, history, sex, and justice. Within, they demand complete and unyielding obedience from the supplicants.

     This was an absolutely fascinating book. I found the Vaik and their culture to be particular interesting. I wish the author had went into more detail about their existence, but perhaps that is grounds for a sequel. Overall, I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more from this author.

"The Paris Library" by Janet Skeslien Charles         

When Odile joins the American Library in Paris, she is both shocked and dismayed when the Nazi's invade. Along with the rest of the staff, she does everything she can to keep the library open and to deliver books to patrons who can no longer visit the library. Odile's story alternates with the story of Lily in Montana during the 1980's. Lily, a pre-teen, befriends her lonesome neighbor Odile and slowly unravels her story.          

Although I enjoyed Odile's story, I felt that Lily's voice was too young. The contrast between their points of view was a bit jolting and a bit off-putting. Perhaps the author could have used an older teenager, or left off Lily's point of view altogether. I was also annoyed that Lily's story received closure but Odile's story did not. Because of these criticisms, what could have been a great book was a bust.

"Beware the Night" by Jessika Fleck         

Veda is one of the Basso, a second class citizen on the island of Bellona. On the island, society worships the Light, and often makes human sacrifices to appease the Light. The High Regent blames the Night for any societal ill, including the recent disappearance of Basso citizens.         

Although I enjoyed the pacing and characters of this book, I thought the world building left a lot to be desired. There were too many plot holes throughout. For example, they have landmines and explosives, but then fight with bows and spears. The High Regent starts a campaign against the Night after the first war, when Veda's parents were killed. That was probably 15 or 16 years ago. It didn't make a lot of sense that the fear and terror against the night would have built so quickly. At a minimum, the older residents would have known better. I hope the author can fix some of these plot holes in future books. Her writing style and characters were very compelling and I would like to read more from her.

"Defy the Sun" by Jessika Fleck         

This is a sequel to "Beware the Night." In this book, civil war has erupted between the Night, led by the Sindaco, and the Light, led by the High Regent.         

This book had many of the same problems as the first book, mainly huge gaping world building holes. In a tiny island with only two real villages, hundreds and hundreds of people are missing. The Lunalette legend was passed down via tapestry and by word of mouth for generations, however, the legend was only created by the Sindaco 15 or 16 years ago. Early in the book, Nico's wrists are bound by rope. He sticks his hands in the fire to burn the rope. His hands are burnt, but that is never mentioned again. Later, Nico heals from a life threatening arrow in his back in just a week or two. I know this is a young adult book, but seriously, fix these problems! Overall, a bust.

"The Mother Code" by Carole Stivers         

As a genetically modified virus runs rampant, a small elite team come together to prepare for the end of humanity. In a last ditch effort, they create fifty robots, designed to "birth" and raise children who have been genetically modified to survive the virus. The book alternates between the team creating the robots, and years later beginning with the children as six years old.          

This was a fascinating and hard to put down book. The alternating story lines worked really well together. I thought the dynamic between the Mother robots and the children were fascinating. I would love to read another book set in this universe. Overall, highly recommended.

"The Beauty of Your Face" by Sahar Mustafah         

Afaf, the principal of a Muslim school for girls, is shocked and frozen when she hears gunfire and the screams of her students. As she listens, the book alternates to a young Afaf and her experiences growing up in America. A daughter of Palestinian immigrants, Afaf feels as if she is torn between two worlds, unable to fit into either of them. When her older sister goes missing, things quickly unravel with her parents.          

This was a compelling and well written book. The alternating story lines worked very well together. It was interesting reading about Afaf's experiences growing up and the turmoil her family faced. I would love to read more from this author. Overall, highly recommended.

"Music for Tigers" by Michelle Kadarusman          

All Louisa wants is to practice her violin and audition for a youth orchestra in Canada. Instead, her parents ship her off to Australia for the summer. In Australia, she stays with her Uncle Ruff, who rescues native animals. While there, she learns about the Tasmanian tiger, an animal thought to be extinct, and makes friends with Colin, a young boy on the autism spectrum. With the impending destruction of the secret tiger sanctuary, the three are determined to capture and relocate the last remaining tiger.          

This was a good middle school/pre-teen book. It was well written and engaging. The characters were multi dimensional and dynamic. The book also had an educational component, as it discussed wildlife preservation and native Australian animals. Overall, 4 out of 5 stars.