(Image from Barnes & Noble)

After leaving the doomsday cult in which she's been brought up, 22-year-old Wynter Roth is learning how to navigate a strange new world populated with things she's always been taught were evil: television, rock music, skin-bearing clothes, etc.  Just as she's beginning to get a handle on things, a strange virus sweeps through the U.S.  The disease acts swiftly and causes a terrifying type of early-onset dementia, which leads to confusion, violence, and fear.

Even though Wynter was never a hard-core New Earth believer, she's not entirely surprised to discover the Prophet's revelations about the imminent collapse of society coming true.  The End he always raved on about is happening before her eyes.  And she's just as helpless as everyone else when it comes to stopping it.  Then Wynter's older sister, the Prophet's wife, shows up on Wynter's doorstep.  Sick with the virus, she shoves a carrier full of tissue samples into Wynter's hands, begging her to take them to a veterinarian in Colorado.  Even though the government is warning people to shelter in place, Wynter knows she has to get the samples to someone who can help eradicate the virus.  And she has to do it now.

As Wynter flees Chicago in a desperate race against time, she encounters Chase Miller, an ex-Marine who promises to help her travel across the country.  Wynter can't tell him what she has in her possession and Chase is keeping plenty of his own secrets.  Can Wynter trust her newfound road trip pal?  Can she get the samples to Colorado in time?  Can anyone save the population from descending into complete and utter madness?

Although we're in the middle (at the end?) of a global pandemic, I still enjoy reading novels like The Line Between by Tosca Lee.  After all, disaster/survival scenarios are way more fun to contemplate in fiction than to experience in real life!  I've read loads of these kinds of books and, honestly, The Line Between doesn't bring anything super unique to the table.  And yet, it's one of the most memorable apocalyptic novels I've read in some time.  Why?  Well, it features likable characters, an exciting plot, a timely premise, and solid writing.  What's different about it is that it's cleaner and more uplifting than most books of its ilk.  Yes, it deals with difficult, disturbing subjects.  However, it does so in a way that is thoughtful and faith-promoting without being cheesy or preachy.  While The Line Between is technically a Christian novel, it doesn't feel like one.  It does ruminate on religious subjects, which—as a person of faith—I found both refreshing and thought-provoking.  Statements like this one stayed with me long after I finished the book:  "It occurs to me that none of us should have entered these walls.  That we have never been 'in but not of the world' here but in another world completely.  That this was never faith, but seclusion in a place so safe that faith need never be tested even as we lived our lives of duality" (388).  This element of the story may turn non-religious readers off, but I hope it doesn't because The Line Between really is an engrossing, affecting read.  I loved it.

(Readalikes:  its sequel, A Single Light by Tosca Lee; also reminds me of Agnes at the End of the World by Kelly McWilliams and The Hallowed Ones and its sequel, The Outside, by Laura Bickle)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for brief, mild language (no F-bombs), violence, blood/gore, non-graphic references to disturbing subject matter (rape, sexual abuse, forced marriage, etc.), and scenes of peril

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

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

Felicity "Flick" Lloyd is a 28-year-old glaciologist happily ensconced on the remote Antarctic island of South Georgia.  When the last boat of the season leaves, she always breathes a sigh of relief.  She's safe—at least temporarily—from her murderous ex-husband.

Flick isn't as secure as she thinks.  Unbeknownst to her, a man disembarked from the boat and now he's searching for her with dogged determination.  Despite the hostile landscape, he is closing in on Flick.  How will she survive alone in the empty, treacherous wilderness with worsening weather and a target on her back?

The Split, the newest thriller from Sharon Bolton, revolves around a simple premise.  Too simple.  It's Bolton, the queen of I-didn't-see-that-coming plot twists, so you know there's more to this tale than meets the eye!  I've read all of Bolton's books, so I wasn't blindsided by every swerve in the story, but The Split still kept me guessing and speeding through the pages.  I read the book in almost one sitting because I literally could not look away from it.  From its unique, chilling setting to its complex, intriguing characters to its tense, propulsive plot, this novel just plain swept me away.  It may, in fact, have unseated Little Black Lies as my favorite Bolton book.  Needless to say, I loved it.

(Readalikes:  Um, I can't think of anything.  You?)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for language, violence, disturbing subject matter, and scenes of peril

To the FTC, with love:  I received a finished copy of The Split from the generous folks at Minotaur Books (a division of St. Martin's Publishing Group/Macmillan) in exchange for an honest review.  Thank you!

I don't know about you, but I've definitely gained the COVID 19—pounds, that is!  Between quarantine boredom snacking and hibernating due to the merciless summer sun, I've done more eating than moving in the last few months.  Part of my problem is a raging sweet tooth.  No matter how hard I try, I just can't curb it!  So, for today's Top Ten Tuesday topic—Books That Make Me Hungry—I decided to celebrate dessert by featuring ten book covers that give me a sugar rush just by looking at them.  Bonus:  These covers might make you drool, but they won't elevate your blood sugar or add inches to your waistline.  Sweet!   

In case you've been living under a rock, you should know that Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by Jana over at That Artsy Reader Girl.  It's a fun weekly meme that helps spread the love all over our wonderful book blogosphere.  If you're not joining in, you really should be.

Top Ten Book Covers That Make Me Hungry for Sweets

Artichoke's Heart by Suzanne Supplee

Rhymes with Cupid by Anna Humphrey

Sally's Candy Addiction by Sally McKenney

Cake Confidence by Mandy Merriman

See You at Harry's by Jo Knowles

Cure for the Common Breakup by Beth Kendrick

The Coincidence of Coconut Cake by Amy E. Reichert

Peppermint Cocoa Crushes by Laney Nielson

The Unlikelies by Carrie Firestone

Cookie Encounter by Michelle Connell

Are these books as delicious as they look?  No clue.  I haven't read any of them.  Have you?  What are the sweetest book covers you've seen?  What books make your tummy rumble?  I'd love to know.  Leave me a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor on yours.

P.S.  After I finished writing this post, I realized I had already done a TTT list of food-laden book covers back in October 2017.  Apparently, I really like some of these covers.  LOL. 

Happy TTT!

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

Abandoned as a baby in the deep forest that surrounds it, the only home Kallia has ever known is the isolated Hellfire House.  Under the tutelage of a master magician and now his son, she has become a powerful show magician, the masked star of the House's nightly show.  Despite the celebrity that comes from providing jaw-dropping performances for awestruck audiences, Kallia longs for more.  She dreams of breaking free of her gilded cage, traveling beyond the impenetrable woods that keep her trapped, and harnessing all of the magic she feels burning through her veins.  Jack, the master of the House, refuses to even entertain the idea of Kallia leaving.  But, when she learns of a magic competition in the mysterious ice-laden city of Glorian, she ignores his warnings and flees in the night.

Female show magicians are looked down upon, but Kallia soon becomes a crowd favorite.  Although the other contestants and most of the judges are clearly rooting against her, Daron Demarco can't look away from the competition's stunning star.  He's in town for his own secret reasons and can't afford to be distracted.  Nevertheless, he can't stand idly by while Kallia—obviously the most talented magician in the contest—is shunned.  As the competition heats up, though, magicians start disappearing, Glorian's only exit mysteriously vanishes, and Kallia is acting strangely.  Is she systematically eliminating her competitors?  Or is someone cheating in order to cripple her chances of winning?  It's up to Demarco to figure out what is going on before the competition becomes not just dangerous, but also deadly ...

It's tough to ignore a book billed as Phantom of the Opera meets Moulin Rouge and Where Dreams Descend by Janella Angeles is certainly earning a lot of attention.  The YA debut deserves it for its vivid imagery, which does give the story a sumptuous "glamdark" backdrop.  Beyond that, though, there's nothing super original about the novel, the first in a planned duology.  Kallia's world is a confusing one that doesn't get much clearer as the story moves along.  Our heroine is a kick-butt MC, whose confidence and determination make her admirable, even while her vanity and coldness diminish her likability.  Her comrades, including Demarco, aren't fleshed-out well enough to make them stand out.  Even the colorful members of the Conquering Circus, by far the most interesting characters in the novel, don't get enough page time to show off their uniqueness.  Likewise, Glorian—whose mysterious secrets were the only thing that really kept me reading this book—is relegated to a side act while the lukewarm romance between Kallia and Demarco steals the spotlight.  Added to these irritants is the fact that Where Dreams Descends drags on for 464 pages, a good 200 of which could have been cut.  Although there is a fair amount of action in the novel, there was no point at which I couldn't have put it down for good.  I stuck with it, though, expecting a dazzling finale that would provide enough answers to bring a satisfactory end to the story's first volume while leaving me eager to read the second.  Didn't happen.  The cliffhanger ending just felt disappointing, trailing more questions than answers in its wake.  After wading through 464 pages, it didn't feel like much of a reward.  Needless to say, I won't be bothering with the sequel.  I just don't care that much.  Despite its intriguing premise, in the end Where Dreams Descend felt like a long, dissatisfying slog for me.  Bummer.  I really wanted to like it more.

(Readalikes:  I rarely read YA fantasy, so nothing's coming to mind.  You?)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

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

To the FTC, with love:  I received an e-ARC of Where Dreams Descend from the generous folks at St. Martin's Press and Wednesday Books.  Thank you!