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Showing posts with label World Settings: Italy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label World Settings: Italy. Show all posts
Saturday, May 09, 2020
Summery Friendship/Secrets Novel Gets a Meh From Me
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
Six years ago, three strangers flew to Italy to enjoy a surprise vacation on the stunning Amalfi Coast. Each of the women expected to soak in the picture-perfect scenery, dine on delectable cuisine, and relax on the sparkling beach. None of them foresaw meeting the others at a ramshackle villa and becoming instant, lifelong friends. What Kim, Colette, and Annie experienced in Italy—from friendship to romance to the start of a successful business—changed their lives.
Now, Kim is bringing them back to Italy for the grand re-opening of the villa that started it all. A well-known wellness guru, she's had the place renovated and turned into a health spa. She can't wait for her old friends to join celebrities, investors, and other influencers at what will certainly be the most glamorous event of the season. It soon becomes apparent, however, that someone is out to sabotage Kim by exposing a ruinous secret she thought no one knew about. She's not the only one worried about what could happen in Italy. Annie has her own secret to hide. She's also got her own reasons for needing to be at Kim's fancy party—and it's not to pat Kim on the back for a job well done. Then there's Colette, who fell madly in love with a local while in Italy and subsequently had her heart dashed into a million pieces. Although she's been happily married to another man for five years, she can't help but wonder what happened to the one that got away. Luca will no doubt be at Kim's party. What will happen when she sees him again?
When the three women reunite on the Amalfi Coast, shocking secrets will out, old resentments will flare, and, once again, the friends' lives will be forever changed by what happens in Italy ...
Old-friends-coming-back-together-to-deal-with-past-secrets-that-are-threatening-to-come-to-light is one of my favorite mystery/thriller tropes. I figured I'd dig it in a contemporary romance/women's novel as well. Unfortunately, The Summer Villa by Melissa Hill didn't pull me in like such thrillers usually do. The story started slowly and took its time getting to the juicy parts. As much as I loved the book's sparkling setting, I found the characters, the prose, and the plot pretty meh. All of the starring women irritated me with their immaturity—even their adult selves were childish and petty. Even though I saw the plot twists coming, I did want to know what was going to happen in the story, so I finished it. In the end, though, The Summer Villa was just an average read for me. Nothing special.
(Readalikes: Reminds me of other summer friendship novels, but no specific titles are coming to mind. You?)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for language (a few F-bombs, plus milder expletives) and sexual content
To the FTC, with love: I received an e-ARC of The Summer Villa from the generous folks at HarperCollins. Thank you!
Thursday, March 15, 2018
Series Review: Mark of the Thief Trilogy by Jennifer A. Nielsen
Do you have certain time periods or places that you avoid in your reading? Settings that, for whatever reason, just don't really appeal to you? I for sure do. Ancient Rome being one of them, I was naturally reluctant to give Jennifer A. Nielsen's middle grade Mark of the Thief series a go. If it hadn't been for a book award gig I'm involved in, I probably would not have bothered. In an effort to do a thorough judging job, however, I read not just the latest and greatest book in the trilogy, but also the first two. And you know what? Overall, I enjoyed them.
The first installment, Mark of the Thief, introduces Nicolas "Nic" Cava, a slave who works in the mines south of Rome. With his fevered desire for freedom, he's never been a favorite of the cruel overseer. Thus, Nic is chosen to risk his life by entering a cursed cavern in search of a vast treasure rumored to belong to Julius Caesar. What he discovers is wealth beyond his wildest imagination. Despite a warning not to remove anything, Nic takes a bulla—an amulet that's been infused with the power of the gods. With its magic thrumming through his veins, Nic finally has the power to free himself as well as his mother and sister.
Escape won't be that easy, however. The bulla's powers are so unimaginably strong that every Roman wants them for himself. With a rebellion brewing in the city, the amulet could be used to save Rome—or destroy it. With traitors and villains on both sides, Nic doesn't know who to trust. He only knows he must keep the bulla out of the wrong hands. The more destruction he causes while trying to harness the object's power, however, the more Nic wonders if his hands are the most wrong of all ...
With lots of action to keep readers immersed, Mark of the Thief offers an exciting story that moves along at a fast clip. Plot twists are fairly predictable as are the characters, who definitely need more development. Still, Nic is an admirable hero whose loyalty, honor, and compassion keep him root-worthy. While I didn't love the novel, I liked it enough to want to know what would happen in the next book.
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for violence and scenes of peril
To the FTC, with love: Another library fine find
As in its predecessor, Rise of the Wolf races along with plenty of life-or-death action and adventure to keep readers turning pages. With non-stop derring-do, this installment is by far my favorite of the three. It still lacks in character development, but the story kept me enraptured. I cared about the race's outcome, even though I knew how it would end. By the end of the book, I wanted more and was more than ready to see what would happen in the series finale.
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for violence and scenes of peril
To the FTC, with love: Another library fine find
Rome's major players are salivating over three mystical objects—Julius Caesar's bulla, the Malice of Mars, and the Jupiter Stone. With only certain people able to harness the items' power, Nic continues to be a pawn, pulled this way and that by a host of dangerous enemies. Not all of which are human. Exhausted by the constant battle that has become his life, Nic wants only to end it. He'll do what he must to save the Empire, keep those he loves safe, and secure his own freedom. Even if it means sacrificing his own life.
After binge-reading the first two books in the series, I wanted to know what would happen in Wrath of the Storm, the final installment. Despite the story having lots of action, though, I found myself growing bored as the tale just seemed redundant with the same ole capture, escape, threats to loved ones, surrender patterns. With nothing really original happening, I just wanted to get to the end. Would I have felt this way if I hadn't read the series so fast? Maybe not. Still. 
Overall, I liked this trilogy more than I thought I would, but I didn't love it. It boasts lots of action, which will keep readers engrossed. While the characters are engaging enough, they definitely need more development as, in the end, they remain pretty cliché and personality-less. None of them experiences much growth. The story also felt repetitious toward the end, which made it seem dull when it should have been most exciting. In the end, I enjoyed the trilogy, but didn't find it overly rave-worthy.
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for violence and scenes of peril
To the FTC, with love: I received a finished copy of Wrath of the Storm from the generous folks at Scholastic. Thank you!
Thursday, February 01, 2018
Despite Tension-Filled Setting, WWII Romance a Bit of a Slog
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
Even though Sicily has been occupied by German forces for several years, life remains fairly simple for 18-year-old Marianna De'Angelis. She helps her mother with household chores, keeps the family's animals fed, and loves to accompany her father on fishing trips. Whatever food remains unsold after market day, Marianna distributes to homeless families displaced by the war. Although she worries about her soldier brother, she refuses to give up hope that he will return home safe and sound. Soon, she prays, Italy will be free from strife and life in the countryside will once again be peaceful and happy.
Marianna's prosaic life takes an unexpected turn when she meets Massimo Scalvone, a 21-year-old soldier from Foggia. On leave in order to care for his elderly grandparents, he will be living on a neighboring farm for the summer. Marianna can't deny her attraction to the handsome stranger, even when she discovers that their growing love for each other could get them both killed. With Massimo taking ever greater risks and Marianna engaged in her own daring activities, it's only a matter of time before the Nazis find them out. Will their newfound love survive the great conflict that threatens to tear them—as well as everyone and everything they care for—apart? Or will their tender young romance become just another casualty of a brutal, deadly war?
With a colorful historical setting, The Fisherman's Daughter by Melinda Sue Sanchez, offers a love story set against an intriguing backdrop. I've read a number of WWII books, but none set in Italy, so I enjoyed this aspect of the novel. Despite its tension-filled setting, though, The Fisherman's Daughter gets off to a slow start. A very slow start. The action picks up in the last 3/4 of the book, but the rest of the tale is a bit of a slog. Although both Marianna and Massimo are perfectly nice characters, they're a little too perfect, making them seem flat and dull. Neither has much in the way of a personality. Plus, although they talk an awful lot about the chemistry flaming between them, I never actually felt any. To me, their relationship seems insta-lovey and melodramatic. I appreciate The Fisherman's Daughter for its interesting setting as well as for its uplifting themes and restrained, yet realistic depictions of war; however, its slow pacing and underdeveloped characters bug. Overall, then, this turned out to be just an okay read for me. Oh well.
(Readalikes: Reminds me of By the Stars by Lindsay B. Ferguson)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for brief, mild language (one instance); violence; blood/gore; and scenes of peril
To the FTC, with love: I received a finished copy of The Fisherman's Daughter from the generous folks at Covenant. Thank you!
Friday, August 25, 2017
Reincarnation Romance Sequel Better Than Its Predecessor
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
(Note: While this review will not contain spoilers for Love's Shadow, it may inadvertently spoil plot surprises from Gladly Beyond, its predecessor. As always, I recommend reading books in a series in order.)
The D'Angelo Family has long been blessed (or cursed, depending on who you ask) with the ability to discern people's past lives. When triplets Dante, Branwell, and Tennyson were born 31 years ago, their inherited "gift" fractured three ways. Now, each of the brothers has a different supernatural talent that he uses to support the family art appraisal/authentication business. Their special skills aren't always helpful, though. Sometimes they're confusing, sometimes they're overwhelming, and sometimes, they're just plain dangerous ...
Branwell D'Angelo has clairaudience, the ability to hear the sounds that surrounded an object at its last manipulation. While the skill has helped tremendously with the family business, it hasn't been useful in getting Branwell the one thing he really wants in life—Lucy Snow. Falling in love with his brother's girlfriend was a mistake he made six years ago. Branwell refused to betray Tennyson then and he won't do it now, even though Tennyson and Lucy are no longer together. Keeping his heart safe is easier when Lucy is a continent away, but now that she's in Florence, Branwell knows he's in trouble.
The last person Lucy wants to bother while in Italy is her former boyfriend. When her niece mysteriously disappears in a case that has the local police scratching their heads, however, Lucy knows she needs Tennyson's special skills if there's any chance of finding the missing child. Going through Branwell to appeal to his reclusive sibling, she finds herself spending time with the brother who got away. Is now finally their time? Lucy won't betray Tennyson again, but boy, how she wants to ...
With an age-old curse, a missing child, and the possibility of a second chance romance, things in Florence are heating up fast.
As you may remember, I wasn't wild about Gladly Beyond, the first book in the Brothers Maledetti trilogy by Nichole Van. The only reason I picked up Love's Shadow, the second installment, is because it was nominated for a Whitney Award. After the long, dull slog that was Gladly Beyond, I wasn't looking forward to reading its sequel. At all. Imagine my surprise, then, when I found myself almost enjoying Love's Shadow! Although it's only slightly shorter than its long-winded predecessor, Love's Shadow is a much tighter, more focused novel. It's still wordy, but not as excessively so as Gladly Beyond. While Dante (the hero of the first book) and Branwell are fairly interchangeable, Lucy is a much, much more likable heroine than Claire (the heroine of Gladly Beyond). That made the whole story more enjoyable for me. I didn't love the novel's anti-climactic ending or the Branwell/Lucy match-up (which gets cheesy), but all in all, Love's Shadow turned out to be an okay read for me. Still, I won't be snatching up the last book in the series. Although it will focus on Tennyson, the most interesting D'Angelo by far, I'm not going to bother. While reviewers on Amazon, Goodreads, and Barnes & Noble give this series excellent ratings, I just don't see the appeal.
(Readalikes: Gladly Beyond by Nichole Van; the reincarnation thing also reminds me of Transcendence by C.J. Omololu and The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for mild language (no F-bombs), violence, blood/gore, and sexual innuendo
To the FTC, with love: I received an e-copy of Love's Shadow from the Whitney Awards Committee for contest judging purposes. Thank you!
Wednesday, August 23, 2017
Time Traveler's Wife-ish Romance a Long, Dull Slog
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
As emotionally draining as the past little while has been for Claire, she hasn't suffered any kind of mental breakdown. Not that she knows of, anyway. So why is she seeing a Mr. Darcy-like man in the background of every photo she takes in Florence? She knows he's not really there. What is he, then? A ghost? A figment of her imagination? An obvious sign that she should check herself into the nearest mental hospital?The last person she expects to help explain the inexplicable is Dante D'Angelo, an Italian colleague and competitor. He might be undeniably gorgeous, but he's also a hack. Claire wants nothing to do with him, so why is she so drawn to the enigmatic Italian? And why does he believe her Mr. Darcy visions are not just legitimate, but also important? Who is Dante, really? What does he know about the strange things that are happening to Claire? Most importantly, how does he explain the fierce—almost unearthly—attraction they feel toward one another? Unbeknownst to Claire, theirs is a love story two hundred years in the making ...
Gladly Beyond, the first book in a new trilogy by Nichole Van, is not the sort of book I would have picked up all on my own. Soulmates-searching-for-each-other-repeatedly-throughout-time stories are a dime a dozen and not really my bag. However, since I needed to read the book's sequel for the Whitney Awards, I decided to give Gladly Beyond a go first. Spoiler alert: I shouldn't have bothered. For one thing, I didn't care at all for Claire. I can't quite put my finger on why, but I really didn't give a fig about her. That made it difficult to care about the story, which is looonnnggggg. Way too long. Melodramatic and clunky, it makes for a dull, endless slog. If I hadn't been planning to read its sequel, I wouldn't have made it past the first couple chapters of Gladly Beyond. It just did not capture my fancy at all. That being said, I liked Van's voice and overall writing style. This particular story, though, was way too loquacious, way too generic, way too forgettable. Although I liked its sequel much better, I never would have picked it up based on Gladly Beyond. Sad but true.
(Readalikes: Love's Shadow by Nichole Van; also reminds me of Transcendence by C.J. Omololu; The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger; and the t.v. show DC Legends of Tomorrow)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for mild language (no F-bombs), violence, and sexual innuendo
To the FTC, with love: I bought an e-copy of Gladly Beyond from Amazon with a portion of the millions I make from my lucrative career as a book blogger. Ha ha.
Monday, October 19, 2015
Tense Historical Mystery/Thriller Gets Everything Right
October 1922—On a warm day in Milan, Italy, the life of 19-year-old Isabella Berotti changes forever. One moment she is gliding through the busy marketplace on the arm of her handsome husband, their unborn child nestled safely in her womb. The next, Luigi lies dead in the street, blood streaming from a bullet wound in his chest. A second shot rings out, felling Isabella, who barely survives the injury. The bambino inside her is not so lucky.
Ten years later, Isabella is still haunted by the violent death of her husband. As a Blackshirt—one of Mussolini's elite soldiers—Luigi was in a dangerous line of work. Still, why him? Why her? Their shooter has never been brought to justice and the police claim to know nothing. Isabella doesn't believe them. Someone knows something, she's sure of it. But, questioning authority in Fascist Italy is never a good idea, so Isabella distracts herself with work. As an architect in the most prestigious firm in Bellina, one of Mussolini's new cities, she has the privilege of designing beautiful new buildings and homes. Her work is the center of her life, the only thing that keeps her moving forward.
Little does Isabella know that her life is about to change in an instant once again. When a strange woman approaches Isabella, begging the architect to watch her young daughter, she doesn't have time to react, let alone refuse. Moments later, she's horrified when the mother throws herself off a clock tower, plummeting to her death. The woman hinted that she knew something of Luigi's death—now Isabella will never know what it was. Unless the child knows. Trying to simultaneously protect 9-year-old Rosa and extract information from her throws Isabella into the middle of a dangerous political battle. Surrounded by enemies, she doesn't know who to trust. With her neck and that of the girl who's reawakened her mother's heart on the line, Isabella doesn't know what to do, where to turn. Mussolini's goons lurk down every possible road and of one thing she's certain—they want her dead.
The Italian Wife by Kate Furnivall is one of those novels that just gets everything right. In vivid, painstaking prose, the author builds a setting so rich, so authentic, it was as if I had truly stepped into Fascist Italy (and wanted to step right out, thank you very much). Because their tension, their fear, their desperation, and their anger felt so palpable, I had no trouble at all empathizing with the characters. I rooted for them without hesitation. Character-driven though it may be, The Italian Wife doesn't skimp on plot. There's plenty of pulse-pounding action, nail-biting suspense, and life-or-death twists to keep a reader glued to her seat. Although the book clocks in at 411 pages, I never got bored with it. It kept me riveted to the very end. There's so much to love about this one that I honestly can't come up with any complaints (be amazed, be very amazed). If you like tense historical thrillers, this is the book for you.
(Readalikes: Reminded me of several WWII novels, including The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah; The Kommandant's Girl by Pam Jenoff, and Prisoner of Night and Fog by Anne Blankman)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for language (one F-bomb, plus milder expletives), violence, blood/gore, and mild sexual content
To the FTC, with love: I received a finished copy of The Italian Wife from the generous folks at Penguin Random House. Thank you!
Monday, December 01, 2014
Second Demon-Catcher Novel Not For Me, But Maybe For You? (With a Giveaway)
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
(Note: Although this review will not contain spoilers for The Halcyon Bird, it may inadvertently reveal plot surprises from its predecessor, The Demon Catchers of Milan. As always, I recommend reading books in a series in order.)
American teenager Mia Dellatorri has lived in Milan long enough to learn Italian, prefer her Nonna's homemade cuisine to anything else, and to feel almost more at home at her uncle's than with her immediate family in upstate New York. And yet, the Della Torre's still won't let her out on the streets without at least one blood relative to protect her. Inside the well-guarded home, Mia's safe from the vicious, ancient demon who desires to possess her. Outside, she's vulnerable. Too vulnerable. The monster doesn't leave living victims, as Mia knows all too well.
When Mia meets Bernardo—the most beautiful man she's ever seen—she's ready to throw caution to the wind. Anything to feel his strong arms around her one more time. She knows that being with Bernardo means exposing him to the danger she faces every day. If only she could tell him the truth about her family's demon-catching enterprise! She hates deceiving her kindhearted boyfriend, but she has little choice. The only way to keep him—and herself—safe is to get rid of her demon once and for all. Challenging him means risking her life. It's a chance Mia's willing to take if it means defending the lives of those she loves. Even if the one person she can't save is herself.
It's no secret that I wasn't all that impressed with The Demon Catchers of Milan, the first book in Kat Beyer's urban fantasy series. The novel sagged under too much detail and too little plot. The Halcyon Bird, the second Mia Dellatorri book, picks up a bit, but still drags. Again, Mia has no real story goal, which makes the novel feel episodic and aimless. This, along with a confusing magical world, underdeveloped characters, and tell-don't-show prose made this a tedious, unsatisfying read for me. It's more exciting than the first book, true, but not enough to entice me to stick with this series. Bummer.
(Readalikes: The Demon Catchers of Milan by Kat Beyer; similar in subject to The Mortal Instruments series [City of Bones; City of Ashes; City of Glass; City of Fallen Angels; City of Lost Souls; City of Heavenly Fire] by Cassandra Clare)
Grade:
****
Even though I wasn't wild about The Halcyon Bird, it might be right up your reading alley. What better way to give it a shot than to win a free copy of the book? The good people at Egmont are generally offering one to one lucky Bloggin' 'bout Books reader. If you'd like the chance to win, all you have to do is fill out the handy-dandy Rafflecopter thing-y below. Please note that you must have a U.S. or Canadian mailing address to be eligible for the giveaway. Contest ends on December 13. Good luck!
It's no secret that I wasn't all that impressed with The Demon Catchers of Milan, the first book in Kat Beyer's urban fantasy series. The novel sagged under too much detail and too little plot. The Halcyon Bird, the second Mia Dellatorri book, picks up a bit, but still drags. Again, Mia has no real story goal, which makes the novel feel episodic and aimless. This, along with a confusing magical world, underdeveloped characters, and tell-don't-show prose made this a tedious, unsatisfying read for me. It's more exciting than the first book, true, but not enough to entice me to stick with this series. Bummer.
(Readalikes: The Demon Catchers of Milan by Kat Beyer; similar in subject to The Mortal Instruments series [City of Bones; City of Ashes; City of Glass; City of Fallen Angels; City of Lost Souls; City of Heavenly Fire] by Cassandra Clare)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for brief, mild language (no F-bombs) and violence
To the FTC, with love: I received a finished copy of The Halcyon Bird from the generous folks at Egmont as part of the book's blog tour.
Even though I wasn't wild about The Halcyon Bird, it might be right up your reading alley. What better way to give it a shot than to win a free copy of the book? The good people at Egmont are generally offering one to one lucky Bloggin' 'bout Books reader. If you'd like the chance to win, all you have to do is fill out the handy-dandy Rafflecopter thing-y below. Please note that you must have a U.S. or Canadian mailing address to be eligible for the giveaway. Contest ends on December 13. Good luck!
Monday, November 24, 2014
Average, Ordinary Teen Fantasy Needs Something More to Stand Out From the Crowd
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
Dealing with demon possession is all in a day's work for the Della Torre Family. For centuries, they've been walking the streets of Milan, "catching" the city's darkest citizens. It's a lonely, but important profession, one that's as crucial as it is secretive.
Mia Dellatorri, a 16-year-old living in upstate New York, knows nothing of her father's history. He doesn't talk about his family, doesn't discuss Italy, and has certainly never mentioned demons. Which means she's shocked and utterly unprepared when a particularly nasty one decides to invade her body. After an exorcism she barely remembers, involving cousins she never knew existed, Mia is shipped off to Italy for her own safety. Trapped inside an apartment with only her cousins and her history books to keep her company, Mia is restless and scared. She doesn't want to hide from demons, she wants to hunt them, just like her relatives do. Can she convince her relations to stop babying her and start training her? She knows her demon will strike again. Whether her relations like it or not, this time, she will fight him head-on. Or die trying.
Okay, I admit it: I made the plot of The Demon Catchers of Milan—a debut urban fantasy by Kat Beyer—sound a little more exciting than it actually is. In truth, it gets off to a slow start (after Mia's possession/exorcism, anyway), plodding along until it gets to a very anticlimactic end. The author spends a lot of time (a lot) building Mia's demon-catching world, which isn't a bad thing, unless it drags down the action without answering important questions, which is what happens in this novel. Mia doesn't really form a concrete story goal until the last 3/4 of the book, which makes the rest of the tale feel sluggish and unfocused. Since there's nothing really new or different about the premise of The Demon Catchers of Milan (although the setting definitely appeals), the novel needs something more to make it memorable—superb writing, unique characters, a never-saw-it-coming plot twist—something to make it stand out. As is, I found it to be just another average, ordinary teen fantasy novel. Nothing special.
(Readalikes: its sequel, The Halcyon Bird by Kat Beyer; the whole demon/mythical creature thing also reminded me of Cassandra Clare's The Mortal Instruments series [City of Bones; City of Ashes; City of Glass; City of Fallen Angels; City of Lost Souls; and City of Heavenly Fire] and Tyger Tyger by Kersten Hamilton)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for brief, mild language (no F-bombs) and violence/gore
To the FTC, with love: I received a finished copy of The Demon Catchers of Milan from the generous folks at Egmont. Thank you!
Saturday, September 07, 2013
New Dairy Queen Novel as Satisfying as an Oreo (Or Two, Or Three, Or Four ...)
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
Sarah Zorn and Curtis Schwenk (yes, he's one of the sports-obsessed Schwenks from Catherine Gilbert Murdock's Dairy Queen series) are such good friends that people tease them all the time about being boyfriend and girlfriend. They're not. No one else needs to know that, though, so they pretend to be madly in love. It's their "Brilliant Outflanking Strategy." The only problem with the plan is that 14-year-old Sarah's played her role a little too well—she's developing some real, but definitely inconvenient boy-liking feelings for Curtis. Her out-of-whack emotions are messing with her head. Good thing her zany Grandma Z just presented her with a blank journal in which to chronicle all her adventures (which, so far, only exist in her imagination). She'll use it to figure out her wonky relationship with Curtis, her best friend or maybe more-than-a-best-friend (although that one might be an only-in-Sarah's-dreams kind of thing, too).
When Grandma Z begs Sarah's parents to let Sarah accompany her on a vacation in Rome, she's a little nervous. As fun as her grandma is, even Sarah knows she's not the most responsible adult in the world. Plus, Curtis worries like no one's business—will her BFF (or maybe-more-than-a-BFF) survive without her? In the end, she goes despite her concerns, deciding the trip will offer her not just an adventure, but also a chance to clear her head without Curtis around to mess with her pinballing thoughts.
As it turns out, though, she's just as confused in Rome as she is in Red Bend, Wisconsin. Her grandma's acting strange—well stranger. Which isn't helping Sarah figure anything out. But, as she delves into some deep family secrets, she learns a lot about her grandmother and herself. Maybe the answers to her problems with Curtis are in there somewhere, too.
If you enjoyed the Dairy Queen books (like I did), you'll find lots to love about Murdock's newest YA novel. It's geared toward an older middle grade/younger teen audience than the other books, so it's tone is a little bit lighter. Nonetheless, it's full of Murdock's signature upbeat, witty style. Sarah's a fun, enthusiastic narrator, one to whom it's easy to relate. Heaven is Paved With Oreos is a quick, appealing read that's sure to please Murdock's many fans while gaining her legions of new ones.
(Readalikes: Reminded me of Murdock's Dairy Queen novels [Dairy Queen; The Off Season; and Front and Center)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for some mild sexual innuendo and brief references to sex, including homosexuality
To the FTC, with love: I received a finished copy of Heaven is Paved With Oreos from the generous Catherine Gilbert Murdock. Thank you!
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