When her reputation as a prophetess becomes a threat to the Catholic Church, Dolssa de Stigata—an 18-year-old noblewoman—is sentenced to death by hanging.  Although she manages to escape her grisly fate, she's hardly free.  An inquisitor stalks her through the countryside, hunting for his prey with a determination dark and dangerous.  Devoted to her beloved Jhesus, Dolssa prays for deliverance. 

Like Dolssa, Botille Flasucra harbors a special gift.  With an almost supernatural talent for matchmaking, the 17-year-old's services are much requested in the small town of Bajas.  Botille uses her skills to supplement the money she and her sisters make from running the Three Pigeons tavern.  

The fates of the two women intertwine when Botille discovers Dolssa lying half-dead by an isolated lagoon.  Although no one wants to borrow trouble, Botille and her sisters rescue the delirious mystic.  Hiding her in the tavern, they nurse Dolssa back to health.  When they learn who she truly is, the sisters vow to protect her.  As danger creeps ever closer to Bajas, the Flasucras begin to realize just how much they are risking, not just their own lives but those of everyone in the village.  Is it worth it to shelter Dolssa and her outrageous claims?  When the vengeful friar comes calling, what will happen to Botille and her sisters?  To peaceful Bajas?  Only one thing remains certain—no one will escape unscathed.

With only three books to her credit, Julie Berry is not a prolific writer (Edit: Turns out this statement is totally false. You can see all the books she's written listed on her website.  I apologize for the error.).  Which is a real bummer because I'm a huge fan.  I've loved all her novels, her newest being just as unique and lovely as all the rest.  While I can't see teens flocking to check out The Passion of Dolssa, I adored it.  The rich, sophisticated story is told in gorgeous prose.  Short vignettes narrated by various everymen and -women break up the narrative, adding interest, local color, and originality to the tale.  Dolssa and Botille are intriguing narrators in their own right, but it's all the different voices that really plump this book up, making it stand out from its fellows.  The recipient of numerous awards (including a Printz Honor designation and a recent Whitney Award for best YA novel by an LDS author), it's a gem that I can't stop recommending.

(Readalikes:  I can't think of anything.  Can you?)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for brief, mild language (no F-bombs), violence, blood/gore, and sexual innuendo

To the FTC, with love:  I bought a copy of The Passion of Dolssa from Changing Hands Bookstore with a portion of the millions I make from my lucrative career as a book blogger.  Ha ha.

Lydia Blankenship is the kind of girl who intimidates all boys.  She's smart, confident, and successful.  Dill longs to tell her that he'd like to be more than friends, but he can't work up the courage.  What's the point, anyway?  The minute she graduates, Lydia will fly off to New York City, leaving him far behind.

As the three friends navigate their way through their senior year of high school, they will face unimaginable heartbreak and strife.  Can the trio survive intact?  Will their individual dreams and ambitions come to fruition?  Or will they remain stuck in the mud that's already dragging them down?

The Serpent King, a debut novel by musician Jeff Zentner, is—as you can tell—a bit short on plot.  Its focus is Dill, Lydia, and Travis, and their friendship.  Which is great, except when the story drags because little is actually happening.  I was drawn to The Serpent King because I found its title intriguing and the idea of a cult-like, snake-handling sect fascinating.  Unfortunately, the things I found most beguiling about the novel weren't explored much, leaving me a bit disappointed.  Add in a here, there, and everywhere plot and a loosely constructed story line and yeah, I just didn't end up loving this one.  The book does explore some important ideas about the power of true friendship, not allowing yourself to be defined by the sins of your parents, and finding oneself even in the worst possible situations.  Overall, though, I didn't enjoy this one nearly as much as I wanted to.  I'm in the minority here, though, as The Serpent King has received a number of awards including the William C. Morris YA Debut Award and a Whitney Award for Best Debut Novel of 2016.  If you've read it, what did you think?

(Readalikes: Reminded me a little of A Land More Kind Than Home by Wiley Cash)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for language (a couple of F-bombs, plus milder expletives), violence, and sexual innuendo

To the FTC, with love:  Another library fine find

*May 8th: http://heidi-reads.blogspot.com/, http://www.blogginboutbooks.com/

*May 9th: http://minreadsandreviews.blogspot.com/

*May 10th: http://www.wishfulendings.com/, http://lisaisabookworm.blogspot.com/, http://ldswritermom.blogspot.com/, http://ilovetoreadandreviewbooks.blogspot.com/, http://www.rockinbookreviews.com/

*May 11th: http://mybookaday.blogspot.com, http://katiescleanbookcollection.blogspot.com/, http://www.singinglibrarianbooks.com/, http://gettingyourreadonaimeebrown.blogspot.com/, http://ldsandlovinit.blogspot.com/, http://literarytimeout.blogspot.com/