April, 2023

"The Final Olympics" by Laurel Solorzano

Natural resources are sparse, and adulthood is not guaranteed.  Every year, an Olympics is held.  Those that do not succeed, are taken out of society.  Eden's best friend Xander, places in the top ranks for wrestling.  Eden competes in every competition, but she is not particularly strong, fast, or smart.  Will she medal?  If not, what is her fate?

I thought this book had a lot of promise.  The characters were interesting and multi-dimensional.  I wanted to know more about the world, and the other countries.  Perhaps this will be outlined in future stories.  Overall, the plot moved nicely, with lots of ups and downs.  4 out of 5 stars.

"To Die Beautiful" by Buzzy Jackson

19 year old Hannie shy is quiet and studious.  When the Nazi's occupy the Netherlands, she watches the world explode around her.  Determined to do something, she joins the resistance movement.  After one dangerous mission, the Nazi's begin calling her "The Girl with the Red Hair" and start hunting her. 

This was wonderfully written story, and a great tribute to a heroine of WWII.  The characters were well developed, multi-dimensional, and realistic. The plot moved quickly.  Highly recommended!

"The Vanishing at Castle Moreau" by Jaime Jo Wright

In 1870, Daisy takes a position as a housemaid at Castle Moreau.  When she visits town, she learns that girls have been disappearing in strange circumstances.  When Daisy finds a woman injured in the forest, she debates what to do.  In modern days, Cleo has been hired to work with a wealthy family to clean up the hoarding in the house.  She finds mystery and unexpected results at every turn.

Wow.  I don't want to give anything away for this one.  It is full of tension and mystery.  Vanishing girls, suspicious house staff, and eccentric matrons lie at the heart of the story.  Overall, a must read!

"Acts of Resistance" by Dominic Carrillo

Set in Bulgaria, this novel follows three teenagers, as they find ways to fight against the Nazi intruders.  Misha is hiding his Jewish identity by working for a prominent archbishop.  Peter, travels with his father to the capital, to warn the government of planned Jewish deportations.  Lily, works at the government offices in charge of deporting Jews.  When she learns of a planned attack, she leaks word to the local resistance.

I had a bit of trouble with this book, it felt like a translation.  Not everything really worked together, and I never really got to know the characters beyond surface level.  The plot was well paced, and the three stories worked well together.  Overall, 3 out of 5 stars.

"The Daydreams" by Laura Hankin

As a young adult, Kat was in a hit TV. show featuring four teenagers who formed a band.  Kat was cast as the jealous mean girl, Noah, the lead male, Summer, the lead female, and Liana the token minority character.  After a dramatic and emotional live finale, the four cast members drifted info very different lives.  Years later, the idea of a reunion is pitched and they are all drawn back into the past and what they did.

This was a fantastic book, I absolutely loved it!  The characters were well developed, well rounded, and highly relatable.  The plot unraveled nicely, leaving me in suspense.  I would love to read more from this author!  5 out of 5 stars.

"The Lioness of Leiden" by Robert Loewen

Hetty is a student when the Germans invade the Netherlands.  Her boyfriend goes missing, and is presumed captured or dead.  Previously a shy and quiet person, Hetty comes to life fighting in the Dutch resistance and protecting her Jewish friends.

It took me a while to get into this book.  The points of view were constantly shifting, which made it hard to get to know the characters.  The book was well paced and the storyline was interesting.  Overall, 4 out of 5 stars.

"Daughter of the Shadows" by Kerry Chaput

Isabelle walks a fine line between appearing to be the perfect wife to her Catholic husband, and working underground for the Protestant cause.  Set in 1667 Quebec, Isabelle was born and raised in France, where she was persecuted for her religious beliefs.  Forced to convert, she was sent to Quebec to choose a husband.  Chaffing under her restrictive life, Isabelle will do almost anything for the cause.

I did not realize this was a sequel when I picked up the book.  Although the book was able to stand alone, I did feel like I was missing a lot of character development and back-story.  I enjoyed reading about a period of history that i know little about, and will definitely pick up the first book.  Overall, highly recommended. 

"They Bled Orange" by Michael Reit

Nora's husband, a police officer, has been held by the Dutch Resistance in a hidden cell.  When Floris is about to be executed for turning against the cities Jewish population, he escapes.  With Nora's life in danger, she goes into hiding, and begins the journey out of the country.  Christiaan, Nora's brother-in-law previously fled the country and made his way to England.  When offered the chance to return to Amsterdam as a spy and resistance fighter, he jumps at the chance.

I did not realize this was book two in a trilogy when I picked it up.  It was able to stand on it's own, without be reading the first book.  The characters were well developed and the plot was nicely paced.  The story lines were woven nicely together and worked well with the story.  I can't wait to read the first and third book!

"Come Back to Me" by Sirena Song 

As a girl, Lizzy recognized her pack among her brother's best friends.  Many times she tried to tell them, but they laughed, teased, and ignored her.  Rejected, she begins to grow ill and morose.  Sent to a boarding school to finish training as an Omega, she dates pack after pack trying to find a way past her rejection.  When her brother and friends join a pack together, she is devastating.  When her brother's friends finally realize Lizzy belongs with them, they must contend with her brother.

This is the second book set in the Knotty Pines universe.  I was extremely happy to receive the sequel and delighted with the story.  I absolutely love this author's writing style, character development, and plot.  I look forward to reading more novels from her!