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Note: Murder at Haven's Rock is the first book in a spin-off series based on the Rockton books by Kelley Armstrong. This review might contain slight spoilers for the original series. As always, I recommend reading books in a series in order. 

Tired of the politics that made Rockton—a secret town built deep in the Yukon wilderness for people who need a place to hide—a difficult place to live, Casey Butler and her husband Eric Dalton (Rockton's former detective and sheriff, respectively) are starting over. They're building a new and better Rockton, a town that will truly be a safe haven for the people who need it most. Of course, living in the wilds of the Yukon is never risk-free. When two construction workers break the cardinal rule of Yukon living and wander into the forest alone, their failure to return raises alarm in the half-built town. With two people missing and the subsequent discovery of a dead body, it's clear that something is not right in Haven's Rock. Not exactly the auspicious beginning Casey and Dalton were hoping for in their new town.

Without disclosing their identities as the owners of Haven's Rock, Casey and Dalton set about doing what they do best: solving a murder. Not surprisingly for a group of people willing to work on a secret project in the middle of nowhere, everybody on the town's construction crew is hiding something. As Casey and Dalton ferret out everyone's secrets, they discover plenty of nefarious doings in their new town. Which of them led to murder? Can Casey and Dalton find a killer while also preserving their vision of creating a perfect safe space? Or will their glorious dream end before it's even had a chance to begin?

The Rockton series by Kelley Armstrong is one of my very favorites. With a unique setting, an upbeat vibe, likable characters, and exciting plots, it's a compelling group of mystery novels. Murder at Haven's Rock is the first installment in a spin-off series featuring the same main characters, just set in a different town. Casey and Dalton are one of the most appealing literary couples I've ever encountered. Their relationship is understated, but it's rock solid, supportive, and wholesome. I'm always rooting for them as a couple, as individuals, and as civic leaders. Although most of my favorite side characters from the original series don't show up until the end of this book, there are plenty of new ones to take up the slack. There's also the usual plot excitement stemming from interpersonal drama, wildlife encounters, unexpected wilderness threats, and more. Add to that a large dose of Armstrong's trademark humor, and you've got that satisfying blend of elements that makes the author's books so appealing. As you can tell, Murder at Haven's Rock is a solid addition to the Rockton book family. I'm already clamoring to read the next book in the new series. 

Although I received a printed ARC of this murder mystery, I actually ended up listening to it on audio instead. Since I've enjoyed the last four Rockton novels in this medium, it seemed a shame not to continue listening. Thérèse Plummer is an excellent narrator. Even if I had read the book in print, it would have been her voice I was hearing in my head. She is the voice of Rockton for me! Her narration is on point; it's animated enough to give the books life without ever upstaging the story. I'm a big fan.

(Readalikes: other books in the Rockton series)

In the wake of a fierce hurricane in the Carolinas, the streets are littered with downed trees, broken branches, and other debris.  When a shipping container washes ashore in Charleston, kayakers pry it open and are shocked to discover two corpses inside.  The bodies are wrapped in plastic sheeting and secured with electrical wire.  Who are they?  What were they doing in the water?  Forensic anthropologist Temperance "Tempe" Brennan—who recognizes certain aspects of the killings as similar to a murder she worked fifteen years ago in Quebec—is summoned to South Carolina to find out. 

Consulting with Andrew Ryan, her cop boyfriend who also worked the long-ago case, Tempe is determined to identify the two young women from the container.  While busy with that, she's also trying to solve a mystery involving a puzzling death mask and help a hysterical friend clean up after the storm.  The appearance of a troubling human flesh-eating contagion almost doesn't register, until Tempe starts to realize there might be a connection between it and the cases she's working.  The more she digs, the more she discovers, and the more dangerous her job becomes.  Increasingly obvious is the fact that someone is keeping explosive secrets, secrets they would kill to keep under wraps.  

You all know I'm a big Kathy Reichs fan.  I've long loved the Tempe Brennan series with its appealing heroine, approachable scientific explanations, twisty mysteries, and lively prose.  The newest installment, The Bone Code (available July 6, 2021), offers all of these elements and more, which makes it a compelling, enjoyable addition to the series.  Although one of my favorite characters—the always colorful "Skinny" Slidell—is unfortunately missing from this story, other series favorites appear, along with some fun new story people (can Tonia V. be a series regular, pretty please?).  As always, Tempe's devotion and wit shine through it all, whether she's piecing together evidence to solve a case, flirting with the always sexy Andrew Ryan, or fighting for her life against another nasty villain.  Not surprisingly, I loved this newest mystery and will wait with bated breath for the next.  

(Readalikes:  Other books in the Tempe Brennan series, including First Bones [novella], Deja Dead, Death Du Jour, Deadly Decisions, Fatal Voyage, Grave Secrets, Bare Bones, Monday Mourning, Cross Bones, Break No Bones, Bones to Ashes, Devil Bones, 206 Bones, Spider Bones, Flash and Bones, Bones Are Forever, Bones in Her Pocket [novella], Bones of the Lost, Swamp Bones [novella], Bones Never Lie, Bones On Ice [novella], Speaking in Bones, and A Conspiracy of Bones)

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When cancer steals her mother's life before she has even turned sixty, 38-year-old Kal feels surprisingly adrift.  Over the years, she's gotten used to the fact that her mercurial mother never loved her.  Elena MacKenzie had plenty of affection for her younger daughter, Alice, but none for Kal.  Grief-stricken by the loss of a woman she never understood, Kal is thrown for a shocking loop when she finds a stack of mysterious postcards in her mother's things.  Going back more than 20 years, each was written on the same day of the year and signed the same way by the same Canadian woman:  "Thinking of you."  Kal knows Elena studied marine biology in North America before marrying and moving to England, but she knows little about those early years and she's never heard her mother mention a woman named Susannah Gillespie.  Who was this Canadian artist to Elena?  Why did she send a postcard every year?  What's the significance of the date on the cards?  

Already feeling bruised from suspicions that her husband is cheating on her, Kal makes an impulsive decision to travel to British Columbia and find Susannah.  With her toddler in tow, she sets out for remote Spring Tide Island, hoping to find the answers she so desperately seeks.  Meeting Susannah, a potter who claims to have been Elena's best friend, just creates more questions.  The woman, who seems to have been obsessed with Kal's mother, has also formed a strange attachment to Kal's son, 18-month-old Finn.  Despite frantic calls from her husband and warnings from her father to stay away from Susannah, Kal refuses to leave Canada until she understands who her mother was and what happened between her and her old BFF.  The more Kal learns, the more distressed she grows.  Something horrible happened to Elena, that much is clear and—as Kal finally realizes—the past is about to repeat itself if she can't get herself and Finn off the island.  With a storm threatening to cut off all communication with the mainland, Kal will have to risk her own life to save them both. 

Everyone who hangs out around here knows I can't resist an atmospheric thriller.  The moodier and broodier, the better.  The Missing One, a 2014 debut by journalist Lucy Atkins, certainly qualifies.  Atkins does an excellent job painting Spring Tide Island in thick, foggy grays that make it feel cold, isolated, and eerie.  It's a shivery backdrop, perfect for a gripping psychological thriller, which is exactly what The Missing One is.  The book is not an edge-of-your-seat kind of read (at least not until the end), but it is engrossing and compelling.  Overly long, yes, but not boring.  Predictable to a point, indeed, but not without its plot surprises.  As far as characters go, it's tough to find a truly likable one in this story.  They're a pretty messed up group, with plenty of selfish obsessiveness to go around.  While Kal is the most appealing of the bunch, I still found her irrational, whiny, and slow on the uptake.  Still, I definitely wanted to find out what was going to happen to her.  That need to know kept me reading.  In the end, then, I liked The Missing One well enough, but I can't say I loved it.  I'm up for more from Atkins, though, and that's saying a lot.

(Readalikes:  Reminds me of books by Peter May, Carol Goodman, and Ruth Ware)

When Augusta "Gus" Monet learns that her great-grandmother has passed away, she feels sad knowing she has no living relatives left, even if she had no great love for the lady herself.  Although the bitter old woman took in 8-year-old Gus after her mother died in a car accident, the crone had little use for children, and immediately sent her ward off to boarding school.  At 20, Gus has become a lonely grifter, following her con artist boyfriend around from city to city and mark to mark.  The inheritance of her great-grandmother's house in Ottawa represents a chance for Gus to make a clean start, sans loser boyfriend.  Without telling him, she goes "home" and takes up residence in a dilapidated house with a loyal mutt named Levi.  

As Gus explores her new digs, she comes across a box of old case files that belonged to her police detective mother.  She remembers her mom spending hours poring over these same papers and photographs, obsessing over the wrongdoings of Kep Halladay, a powerful, small-town senator whose guilt she was desperate to prove.  When Gus starts studying them for herself, she becomes just as caught up in the mystery, just as eager to bring the missing senator—whom she is sure is responsible for her mom's "accident" (among his many sins)—to justice.  Shannon Monet risked her reputation, her career, and eventually her life trying to take the man down.  Can Gus accomplish what her mother couldn't?  

Ignoring ominous "No Trespassing" signs, Gus hikes in to Elgin, the idyllic village where the Halladys once ruled supreme.  Abandoned in the wake of a toxic waste explosion, the place is now a ghost town, its charred streets and storefronts spooky in their post-apocalyptic emptiness.  As Gus explores the ruins, she comes to see that Elgin is not as unoccupied as it seems.  The secrets of the town's tortured past still linger in its poisoned air and someone will go to great lengths to make sure no one—especially not the too curious daughter of a nosy policewoman—sniffs them out.     

My library is open for limited browsing of a small, "curated" selection of books, one of which was Dark August, a debut novel by Katie Tallo.  I hadn't heard of it before but found the plot summary's mention of an abandoned town too intriguing to pass up.  While the setting captured my initial interest, the story sucked me in from word one.  Gus and Levi make an appealing duo and I definitely wanted to know what they were going to do next and how everything was going to turn out for them.  In addition, the plot of Dark August is complex and twisty, the setting is atmospheric and unique, and the vibe is tense and creepy.  How could I not be completely riveted by this well-crafted thriller?  While I did see a few of its plot curves coming, overall I found this novel an absorbing, satisfying read.  As you can imagine, Dark August is not the easiest, most uplifting book in the world, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.  

(Readalikes:  A million titles should be coming to mind, but I'm drawing a blank.  You?)

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McKenna Barney loves mushing.  Always has.  Under normal circumstances, she—and her eight sled dogs—would be chomping at the bit to enter an upcoming, 200-mile dogsled race commemorating the brave work of early Canadian mail carriers.  But these aren't normal times.  The 14-year-old is showing signs of Stargardt disease, the same degenerative vision condition that has been stealing her younger sister's sight.  McKenna doesn't want to admit her symptoms to her parents.  That would only cause more tension, more fighting, and more stress over money.  They're dealing with enough of that with one affected child.  How much worse would it be with two?

When 8-year-old Emma realizes what McKenna's hiding, she makes her sister a deal.  McKenna will run the race, carrying a letter from Emma to Foundation Fighting Blindness, asking the organization to help spread awareness about Stargardt disease.  If she wins, Emma will say nothing to their parents about McKenna's condition.  If she loses, Emma spills the beans.  McKenna's not ready for that, so she must win.  Even if it means navigating rough terrain, ice storms, animal attacks, and dogsled maintenance with low vision that's getting worse by the day.  And it will.  Can McKenna finish the race, let alone win?

Terry Lynn Johnson is an outdoor enthusiast with extensive dogsledding experience.  It shows in her newest MG novel, Dog Driven, which rings with authority.  The story includes lots of interesting information about mushing that's shared in a way that doesn't talk down to the reader or slow the plot's forward action.  It also stars a strong, but vulnerable heroine who has to learn to have confidence in her abilities, accept her limitations, and ask for help when needed.  Although the story stars several likable characters, the focus is really on the action-packed plot.  There are plenty of exciting twists and turns in McKenna's path (literally and figuratively) to keep the tale exciting.  Hand this one to kids who love the outdoors and are always up for a thrilling adventure.

(Readalikes:  This is the first book I've read by Johnson, but I know she's written others about dogsledding and other outdoor adventures.  Dog Driven also reminds me a bit of Hatchet by Gary Paulsen and The Wild Lands by Paul Greci)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for scenes of peril

To the FTC, with love:  I bought a copy of Dog Driven on Amazon with a portion of the millions I make from my lucrative career as a book blogger.  Ha ha.

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Every summer, the Crows and the Hoebeeks trek out to their remote, neighboring cabins in the wilderness of northern Ontario.  The same age, Nate Crow and Dodge Hoebeek have spent happy days together swimming, fishing, exploring, and canoeing.  Then, four months ago, Dodge and his father took a trip into the mountains alone; neither one came home.  Although Mr. Hoebeek's body was recovered, Dodge's has never been found.  Nate has made it his mission to find Dodge.  Something in him can't help but hope that maybe his old buddy is alive, just holed up somewhere awaiting aid.

Nate finally convinces his father he's skilled enough in wilderness survival to trek to the cabin without adult supervision.  When the friend who was supposed to accompany him gets grounded, Nate decides to make the trip alone without telling his parents he'll be going solo.  As soon as he arrives, he realizes he's in for more than he bargained for.  Several rough-looking men, whom he recognizes from the news as escaped convicts, have taken over his family's cabin.  Paralyzed with indecision, Nate can't fathom what to do next.  With an incoming blizzard making everything worse, he must rely on his instincts and the survival skills he's learned over the years to escape the mountain alive.

The Starlight Claim by Tim Wynne-Jones is an action-packed adventure/survival novel that will appeal to even reluctant readers.  There's enough going on to keep anyone's interest, although the flashback sections do slow down the story's forward momentum.  They humanize Dodge, who still seems like a jerk, but I'm not sure how much they actually add to the story.  The other chapters, though, are exciting enough to make up for the slow parts.  I saw the big reveal coming from a mile away, so that was a little disappointing.  Overall, though, The Starlight Claim is a decent action/adventure story that kept me (mostly) riveted to the page.

(Readalikes:  Um, nothing is coming to mind.  You?)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for language (no F-bombs), violence, blood/gore, and scenes of peril

To the FTC, with love:  I received a finished copy of The Starlight Claim from Candlewick Press for the purpose of Cybils Award judging.  Thank you!

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Reared in Saudi Arabia, 17-year-old Susan Thomas has just moved to Ontario, Canada.  Her father stayed behind to tend to his medical practice, leaving her and her mother alone in a foreign city, with promises that he would join them soon.  In the meantime, the two women fumble along trying to figure out life in a new place.  Although Susan is not the only Indian student at her high school, nor the only one with immigrant parents, she still feels out of place there.  Even at home, she doesn't feel entirely comfortable since she's hiding a big secret from her parents—Susan has no desire to become the doctor or engineer her parents insist she must be; she longs to become an artist.

Despite his bad-boy reputation, there's a lot more to Malcolm Vakil than meets the eye.  He's still grieving the mother he lost to cancer two years ago and harboring feelings of resentment toward his hard, philandering father.  He can't wait to turn 18 and get out of Dodge.  Who cares if he has no idea what he wants to do with his life?  Malcolm will figure it out—he just needs to get away from home, out in the world where he can breathe.  

When Susan and Malcolm meet, they both feel a connection.  As they slowly become more than friends, however, they both start to realize just how complicated romance can be.  Especially when the rest of their lives are already so tangled.  Can the two of them figure out a way to be together, despite the odds?  Can Susan make sense of her new identity as an Indian and a Canadian?  Will she follow the career path her parents want for her or find the courage to finally stand up for herself?  

Cultural/ethnic identity seems to be a huge theme in YA literature.  I've read dozens of books lately about teens with hyphenated identities trying to straddle the line between their parents' expectations and their own desires and the traditions of their homeland cultures vs. the ideas of the one in which they live.  What am I? and who am I? are big questions—it's no wonder so many YA novels address them.  Because there are so many similar stories, though, books like The Beauty of the Moment by Tanaz Bhathena don't feel all that unique.  Susan and Malcolm are both likable, sympathetic characters, but they really don't stand out among their fictional peers.  The book's plot is one I've read a million times.  No surprises.  Which isn't to say I didn't enjoy The Beauty of the Moment.  I did.  It just doesn't seem to really add anything to a crowded genre.  So, while I liked the novel, it doesn't stick out as a memorable or unique read for me.

(Readalikes:  Reminds me of Frankly in Love by David Yoon)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for brief, mild language (no F-bombs), violence, rude humor, and sexual innuendo

To the FTC, with love:  I received a copy of The Beauty of the Moment from the generous folks at Macmillan for purposes of Cybils Awards judging.  Thank you!

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With an "English" father and a French mother, Maggie Hughes never knows quite who she's supposed to be.  She's well aware that her father does not want her to marry a French boy, but she can't help but be attracted to her neighbor, Gabriel Phénix.  Poor though he may be, he's kind and decent.  When Maggie finds herself pregnant at 15, she's given a choice—marry Gabriel and doom herself to a life of poverty or give up the baby.  She chooses the latter.  As she ages, Maggie's plagued by guilt and a longing to know how her child fared.  When she learns that her infant was placed in a Móntreal orphanage that is being turned into a mental institution, she knows it's time to find her daughter.  She must know what happened to baby Elodie, no matter how awful the truth is ...

I've always been drawn to stories about orphans, adoption, and foster care, even before I became an adoptive mother myself.  So, naturally, I found the premise of The Home for Unwanted Girls by Joanna Goodman intriguing.  I did find the subject of the early orphanage/foster care system in Canada interesting.  Heartbreaking, but interesting.  Unfortunately, most of the characters in this novel are some combination of cold, selfish, fickle, and just generally unlikeable, which makes it really tough to connect with them.  I did care what happened in the story, enough that I finished the book, but overall, I feel very ambivalent about the novel.  It ended up being another didn't-love-it-didn't-hate-it read.  

(Readalikes:  Reminds me of No Ocean Too Wide by Carrie Turansky and a little of The Quintland Sisters by Shelley Wood)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for language (a handful of F-bombs, plus milder expletives), violence, sexual content, and disturbing subject matter

To the FTC, with love:  I bought a copy of The Home for Unwanted Girls with a portion of the millions I make from my lucrative career as a book blogger.  Ha ha.

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For the MacAllister kids, summers always revolved around Camp Macaw, the business their parents have run for years.  Now that the elder MacAllisters have died, their children—now adults—are reuniting for the reading of their father's will and to figure out what to do with the prime property on which Camp Macaw sits.  With varying feelings about the camp, their parents, and each other, the five MacAllister siblings have different ideas about what to do with the land.  Prepared for some heavy debating, the kids are nevertheless shocked by the caveat their father gives in his will.  Before any of them can do anything with Camp Macaw they have to work together to solve a mystery.  

Twenty years ago, the bludgeoned body of 17-year-old Amanda Holmes was found in a rowboat at Camp Macaw.  The crime has never been solved.  Until it is, none of the MacAllisters can collect their inheritances.  

As the MacAllisters dig into their collective past, they will unearth long-kept secrets that will either bring them together or tear them apart forever.

I love a good secrets-from-the-past-haunting-the-present story, so the plot summary of I'll Never Tell by Catherine McKenzie instantly caught my attention.  Unfortunately, the novel's execution doesn't quite live up to the promise of its tantalizing premise.  The mystery is compelling enough, but the characters are almost wholly unlikable and the plot is predictable enough that I guessed the culprit almost from the beginning.  Plus, the story is seriously depressing.  Overall, then, I didn't end up loving this one.  It ended up being just okay for me.

(Readalikes:  A hundred titles should be coming to mind, but I'm drawing a blank.  Help?)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for language, violence, depictions of illegal drug use, and sexual content

To the FTC, with love:  I received an e-ARC of I'll Never Tell from the generous folks at Lake Union Publishing via those at NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  Thank you!

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(Note:  While this review will not contain spoilers for The Long Way Home, it may inadvertently reveal plot surprises from previous Armand Gamache mysteries.  As always, I recommend reading books in a series in order.)

After a long, distinguished career as the chief inspector of the Sûreté du Québec, Armand Gamache has happily retired to the quaint town of Three Pines.  Although he's used to a life full of danger and risk, he's found peaceful contentment in walking his dog, reading on his favorite park bench, spending time with his family, and enjoying the company of his many friends in Three Pines.  Police work is far from his mind.  Until he's approached by Clara Morrow, who's anxious over her husband's failure to return home.  After a trial separation of one year, the couple agreed to reconnect at their home.  Peter is overdue.  Clara has not heard a word from him in the last twelve months, but the man she knows would not fail to show for such an important appointment.  Considering her husband's mental state when he left, Clara can't help but worry.

Nothing if not loyal, Armand agrees to take the "case."  With the help of Jean-Guy Beauvoir—Armand's former partner and new son-in-law—and their friend Myna, a Three Pines bookshop owner, they set off to find Peter.  The further the trio travels into the depths of Québec, the more concerned they all become.  What has happened to Peter?  Has his tortured soul soured completely?  Is he even still alive?  The closer the three come to the truth, the more anxious they grow.  What has happened to the complicated, but good man they all once knew and loved? 

Frequent readers of this blog know I'm a huge fan of the Armand Gamache series by Louise Penny.  I love me a meaty mystery, but I especially adore one that features interesting characters, a vivid setting, and skilled prose.  This series hits every one of those spots every time.  Some of the installments are better than others, of course, and I have to admit that The Long Way Home—the 10th book in the series—is not my favorite.  That being said, it's still an enjoyable read featuring a lovable cast of characters, a twisty plot, and the incomparable Armand Gamache, who continues to be one of my favorite literary characters of all time.  Since there are currently fourteen books in this series, with the fifteenth coming out in August, it's obvious that Armand will not truly be retiring from sleuthing anytime soon.  I can't wait to see what he does next.

(Readalikes:  Reminds me of other books in the Armand Gamache series, including Still Life; A Fatal Grace; The Cruelest Month; A Rule Against Murder; The Brutal Telling; Bury Your Dead; The Hangman [novella]; A Trick of the Light; The Beautiful Mystery; How the Light Gets In; The Nature of the Beast; A Great Reckoning; Glass Houses; Kingdom of the Blind; and A Better Man.

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for strong language, violence, and disturbing subject matter

To the FTC, with love:  I bought a copy of The Long Way Home from Changing Hands Bookstore, my local indie.

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When 17-year-old Emma Trimpany becomes a reluctant assistant to the local midwife, she has no idea she's about to become part of one of the biggest news stories in the history of northern Ontario.  She's as shocked as the midwife when their patient—a French woman, who already has five children—gives birth to five more.  All girls, the Dionne quintuplets are the first of their kind to survive infancy.  As the tiny babies grow into healthy, boisterous toddlers, the world watches with fascination and amazement.

As penniless farmers with a house already bursting full, the Dionnes need plenty of help with both the physical and financial aspects of raising their girls.  In exchange for that aid, their home becomes even more overrun with medical personnel, journalists, and other curious onlookers.  Shy Emma doesn't relish the attention, but she loves the girls fiercely.  To her, they are not a homogenous zoo exhibit; they're children with individual personalities and quirks.  When the Canadian government steps in, taking the babies from their parents and making them subjects of the British king, Emma can't bear to leave them.  Despite the hoopla surrounding their care, she stays on as their nurse.

With the Great Depression raging, the quintuplets are a bright spot in people's lives.  As Quintland takes on an increasingly circus-like atmosphere, with thousands of visitors streaming in to gawk at the captive girls, the children's guardians fighting over their care, and everyone grappling for a piece of the fortune the girls are bringing in, Emma must ask herself how far she's willing to go to protect a brood of children that's not even her own ...

I'd never heard of the Dionne Quintuplets before reading How the Light Gets In by Louise Penny, but now I find their story absolutely fascinating.  The Quintland Sisters, a debut novel by Shelley Wood, brings the tale to life through a young, fictional nurse who grows up alongside the famous siblings.  Based on Wood's exhaustive research, the book combines fact with fancy to create an intriguing, thought-provoking read that asks penetrating questions about medical ethics, the price of celebrity, the rights of parents, etc.  While The Quintland Sisters is an episodic novel, with no real plot, I found it riveting nonetheless.  Some may grow bored with the 440-page tome, but I quite enjoyed it.

(Readalikes:  I can't think of anything, but reading The Quintland Sisters definitely makes me want to look into the real story through books like Family Secrets: The Dionne Quintuplets' Autobiography by Jean-Yves Soucy, We Were Five by James Brough, etc.)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for brief, mild language (no F-bombs), brief violence, and disturbing subject matter

To the FTC, with love:  I received an ARC of The Quintland Sisters from the generous folks at HarperCollins via those at TLC Book Tours in exchange for an honest review.  Thank you!

--

Want more opinions on The Quintland Sisters?  Follow along on the book's blog tour by clicking on the links below:

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When Sequoiah "Jess" Cooper's mother dies in a car accident, the 16-year-old is sent to live with her father, a survivalist whom she hasn't seen in ten years.  Although he officially resides in Alaska, Carl Green really lives in a rustic cabin in a remote stretch of the Canadian wilderness.  There's no running water, no electricity, no cell phone coverage, no Internet, and no other people.  It's just the way Carl likes it.  Jess, on the other hand, feels like she's time traveled to the 1800s; she needs to find a way to beam herself back to civilization and the sooner, the better.  

Jess has only started getting to know her father when two men helicopter in, murder Carl, and set fire to his cabin.  A horrified Jess is left alone without food or shelter to fend for herself in a strange, hostile environment.  With no way to communicate with the outside world, she can't call in the authorities.  Knowing her father's killers will return, she has only one option—prepare herself.  With a frigid winter on the horizon, it will take all of Jess's skill just to stay alive.  But that's not her only goal.  She will bring her father's murderers to justice, even if it costs her her own life, which it probably will ...

I Am Still Alive, a debut YA novel by romance writer Kate Alice Marshall, tells a tense, gritty tale about one girl's determination to survive against all odds.  Jess is a tough, determined heroine, one for whom it's easy to root.  Her story is spare and grim, but it's also exciting and thoroughly engrossing.  I couldn't put it down.  If you like Hatchet-type stories, be sure to give this one a go.  

(Readalikes:  Reminds me of the Hatchet series by Gary Paulsen as well as other outdoor survival stories)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for language (no F-bombs), violence, and blood/gore

To the FTC, with love:  I bought a copy of I Am Still Alive from Amazon with a portion of the millions I make from my lucrative career as a book blogger.  Ha ha.