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Saturday, April 11, 2020
YA Grief Novel Odd, Depressing
1:10 PM
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
Ever since the death of his wife, Rafe Torres has been disintegrating. Inconsolable, he drinks too much, gambles too much, owes too much and parents too little. His four daughters have had it with picking up the pieces after their dad's many mess-ups. Desperate for escape, they try running away, only to be caught by a despondent Rafe who promises to do better. Not long after the sisters' botched escape, Ana plunges to her death while sneaking out her bedroom window. Her death drives Rafe deeper into despair, leaving Iridian, Jessica, and Rosa to fend for themselves.
A year after Ana dies, the three Torres girls are living a chaotic, feral existence in a house that feels both empty and oppressive with the weight of their grief. Seventeen-year-old Iridian is biding her time working a part-time job and dating Ana's abusive ex-boyfriend. Iridian—a 16-year-old dreamer—reads incessantly and pours her heart out in her journal. An old soul, 13-year-old Rosa roams the city at night, talking to birds and searching for an escaped zoo animal. Their separate orbits collide when each of them notices strange things happening inside their home. They hear Ana's laughter whispering through the halls, see her handwriting appearing on the walls, and smell a familiar scent lingering in the air. Could it be Ana's ghost trying to convey a message to her sisters? What is it she's trying to tell them? As the girls puzzle out the clues together, they finally feel a smidgeon of hope that might just show them the way out of the deep, dark well of their grief.
I'm not sure what to say about Tigers, Not Daughters by Samantha Mabry except that it's a strange, strange novel. With its odd combination of realistic fiction, magical realism, and horror, it seems a little confused about its own identity. Although Tigers, Not Daughters is a quick read, the story doesn't offer much in the way of plot. Made up of vignettes told from each sister's perspective, it never feels very cohesive. In addition, the vibe of this novel is unrelentingly sad, depressing, angry, and just ... weird. Its depiction of the overwhelming and sometimes destructive nature of grief is on point, but the rest of the story didn't really come together for me. I wasn't sorry to see it end.
(Readalikes: Hm, I can't really think of a comparable title. You?)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for strong language, violence, sexual content, and disturbing subject matter
To the FTC, with love: I received a finished copy of Tigers, Not Daughters from the generous folks at Algonquin in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
Thursday, April 09, 2020
Oregon Trail Adventure/Romance Novel Gives Me All the Feels
3:40 PM
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
After a short, disappointing marriage, 20-year-old widow Naomi May is ready to move on with life. Her restless spirit longs for adventure, which is exactly what she gets when she and her family embark on a journey along the Oregon Trail. What she doesn't expect is to fall in love. Even though Naomi knows a match between her and John "Two Feet" Lowry, a half-Pawnee muleskinner, would be considered scandalous even in the wild, wild West, she can't help but be drawn to his quiet strength. As the two trek along the trail with their company, they experience problems of every kind—illness, inclement weather, theft, broken wagon parts, animal stampedes, contention among the travelers, etc.—but when the worst happens, Naomi's heart is ripped in two. Abducted by hostile Indians, her baby brother ripped from her arms, she fears she'll never see those she loves again. Will she ever be reunited with her family? What about John? And what about all the happiness and prosperity they were hoping to find in Oregon? When everything else has been stripped away, where does one find the hope to carry on?
Perhaps it's my own pioneer ancestry or the fact that I grew up along The Oregon Trail, but I love me a good wagon trail story. Where the Lost Wander (available April 28, 2020) by Amy Harmon certainly fits the bill. It's an epic, expansive road trip novel that offers adventure, excitement, romance, heartbreak, and joy. Harmon's vivid prose helped me put myself in my ancestors' place and really feel these characters' emotions—everything from boredom with the monotony of walking the trail to frustration with slow wagons and nasty weather to fear of attack by man and beast to the excitement and wonder of first love and childbirth to the sorrow of loss and grief. Harmon doesn't romanticize the pioneer experience, but she does capture it in all its glorious triumph and agony. I loved Naomi and John, with their respective family and friends. While none of them gets an entirely happy ending, our leading lad and lady do receive a satisfying and hopeful one. If you can't tell, I loved this book, which swept me away, making me laugh, cry, and celebrate the indomitable strength and spirit of my own ancestors, who—like the May Family—risked their lives to find a place of safety and refuge far away, in the West.
(Readalikes: Reminds me of The Little House on the Prairie series by Laura Ingalls Wilder; Under a Painted Sky by Stacey Lee; Heart's Journey by Kristen McKendry; The Gold Seer trilogy [Walk On Earth a Stranger; Like a River Glorious; and Into the Bright Unknown] by Rae Carson; and The Oregon Trail by Rinker Buck)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for brief, mild language (no F-bombs), violence, blood/gore, and mild sexual content
To the FTC, with love: I received an e-ARC of Where the Lost Wander from the generous folks at Lake Union Publishing via those at NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
Tuesday, April 07, 2020
Top Ten Tuesday: On Hold at the E-Library
11:52 AM
Happy MonTueWedThurFriSatSunWhateverday! My kids have now been out of school for a month thanks to Spring Break and COVID-19. We've been plugging along pretty well, all considered, but my 11-year-old social butterfly did have a little breakdown yesterday over missing her friends. She said (with a sad little sniff), "I love hanging out with my family, but I just want to see other people's faces!" My husband owns his own business and has still been going to the office most days. Yesterday, even he said, "I'm going a little crazy." I haven't gone anywhere in days, but I've been busy reading, blogging, working on a cross-stitching project, cleaning, etc. What have you been doing to stay sane during these crazy times?
Top Ten Tuesday is always a fun diversion, even in normal times. If you haven't heard of it, remedy that! All you have to do is hop on over to That Artsy Reader Girl, read a few quick instructions, create your own list, then click around the book blogosphere checking out other people's lists. It's a great way to spread the love—and who couldn't use a little of that right now? The topic du jour is Top Ten Books I Bought/Borrowed Because ... I haven't bought any books lately, but I have been checking out e-books from my library. So, that will be the focus of my list today.
Top Ten E-Books I've Borrowed From the Library During the Quarantine (and Why):
1. A Single Light by Tosca Lee. Why?
- I enjoyed the first book, The Line Between. It's a fast-paced, engrossing, well-written dystopian novel that is surprisingly clean and faith-promoting, although it's not a religious/Christian book.
- I had to know what happens to Wynter, Chase, and the others.
- So far, A Single Light is darker than The Line Between but just as exciting.
2. Assaulted Caramel by Amanda Flower. Why?
- that punny title!
- A blogger (sorry, can't remember who) mentioned enjoying this cozy series that takes place in an Amish candy shop. I'm in the mood for lighter mysteries and this first installment sounds fun.
3. From the Desk of Zoe Washington by Janae Marks. Why?
- I love middle-grade novels.
- This mystery features a 12-year-old African-American girl who's curious about the father she's never met. He's in prison for a terrible crime he insists he didn't commit. Zoe's desperate to prove her dad's innocence. Can she? Sounds intriguing!
4. Let's Call It a Doomsday by Katie Henry. Why?
- Stephanie from She's Probably at the Library gave it an excellent review. She was especially impressed by the way religion (mine specifically) is portrayed in this book and thought I would enjoy both its story and the faith exploration.
- The plot sounds interesting. It features a teen girl who's obsessed with all the ways the world can end and a new friend who knows when it will. Definitely sounds like my kind of book.
5. The Eagle Catcher by Margaret Coel. Why?
- Back before I started blogging, I read several installments in Coel's Wind River Reservation mystery series. As much as I enjoyed them, I didn't continue on with the series for some reason. I'm ready to dive back in.
- I need a Wyoming book for the 2020 Literary Escapes Challenge.
- Since it's been so long since and I have a terrible memory, I won't remember whodunit!
6. The Bromance Book Club by Lyssa Kay Adams. Why?
- The fun premise: In an attempt to save his crumbling marriage, a macho baseball player joins a secret romance book club, where he's coached by other alpha males on how to woo back his wife.
- I need a "book about a book club" for a POPSUGAR Reading Challenge prompt.
- I've read lots of positive reviews, so I'm hopeful it will be a light, entertaining read that's more sweet than steamy. Too much to ask for??
7. Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams by Matthew Walker. Why?
- I've long been fascinated by the mechanics of sleep and why we dream what we do, so this book just sounds crazy intriguing.
8. Where the Watermelons Grow by Cindy Baldwin. Why?
- my aforementioned affinity for middle-grade novels
- the cute, colorful cover art
- The premise sounds interesting: A 12-year-old girl notices her mother displaying disturbing behavior, the kind that has previously landed her in a mental hospital. Desperate to fix her mom, the girl puts her faith in Bee Lady's magic honey, only to find the solution may have more to do with healing her own heart. Sounds like a sweet read.
9. Before She Was Found by Heather Gudenkauf. Why?
10. A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson. Why?
- A high school senior decides to reexamine a murder that rocked her town five years ago for her senior project. What could possibly go wrong? Now that's a compelling premise right there!
There you go. Have you read any of these? What did you think? What other books do I need to add to my library e-book wishlist? What books have you bought/borrowed lately and why? I'd truly love to know. Leave me a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor on yours.
Happy Top Ten Tuesday!
Monday, April 06, 2020
With Irresistible Jacky Faber, the High Seas Are Always Exciting!
12:52 PM
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
Note: While this review will not contain spoilers for The Wake of the Lorelei Lee, it may inadvertently reveal plot surprises from previous Bloody Jack adventures. As always, I recommend reading books in a series in order.
I've talked a lot about the Bloody Jack books by L.A. Meyer on my blog because it's long been one of my favorite YA series. Reading it is like listening to a skilled storyteller recalling highly entertaining, obviously embellished tales full of adventure, romance, danger, and derring-do. It matters little that the books are all basically plotless (other than Jacky needing to get out of whatever scrape she's currently gotten herself into) because they're just so darn fun! I've especially enjoyed listening to the tales on audio. Katherine Kellgren is an exceptional narrator. Sadly, both Meyer and Kellgren have passed away—they were a brilliantly talented duo and I miss the perfection of their combined genius.
The Wake of the Lorelei Lee is the eighth installment in the Bloody Jack series. The novel starts with a very happy Jacky Faber in command of the ship she purchased with the Spanish gold she pocketed after her deep-sea diving adventures in Rapture of the Deep. Under the false belief that she has been pardoned by her homeland's government, she is excitedly making her way toward England and her true love, Jamie Fletcher. Of course, life is never that simple for ole Jacky. Almost before she knows what's happening, she's a prisoner on her own ship, headed for a penal colony in New South Wales, Australia. Scrappy Jacky never goes down without a fight, however, and this time will be no exception. From riding an elephant to saving an island people from a tyrant to charming a powerful Chinese pirate, her latest adventure is another thrilling episode in the life of the inconquerable Jacky Faber.
As you can tell, Jacky's crazy adventures are always entertaining. She's a spunky, irresistible heroine who's fierce, funny, and loyal. It's impossible not to be drawn in by her engaging voice and her colorful, exciting escapades. Although The Wake of the Lorelei Lee is a little more graphic than its predecessors, I still very much enjoyed listening to this engrossing tale.
(Readalikes: Other books in the series, including Bloody Jack, Curse of the Blue Tattoo, Under the Jolly Roger, In the Belly of the Bloodhound, Mississippi Jack, My Bonny Light Horseman, Rapture of the Deep, The Mark of the Golden Dragon, Viva Jacquelina!, Boston Jacky, and Wild Rover No More)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for language (a couple F-bombs [unless I heard wrong], plus milder expletives), violence, blood/gore, sexual innuendo/content, and references to prostitution/rape
To the FTC, with love: I bought an audio copy of The Wake of the Lorelei Lee from Audible with a portion of the millions I make from my lucrative career as a book blogger. Ha ha.
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