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Something hasn’t been right at the roadside Sun Down Motel for a very long time, and Carly Kirk is about to find out why in this chilling new novel from the USA Today bestselling and award-winning author of The Broken Girls.

There's a reason I'm not a professional writer of plot summaries for novels!  Rarely can I come up with something as succinct but telling as the one above.  It says everything you need to know about The Sun Down Motel, the newest haunting thriller from Simone St. James, without giving anything away.  And you do want to go into this one with as few preconceived notions as possible.  Suffice it to say, the book offers up lots of The Shining-ish thrills and chills.  Riley Sager calls it "deliciously creepy" and I can't think of a more apt description.   Although it was freaky enough to make me dive under my covers every time my house creaked even though I was reading it in broad daylight, it's a fun kind of freaky.  I enjoyed the colorful characters, the eerie setting, and the pulse-pounding plot, so much so that I read The Sun Down Motel almost in one sitting.  If you dig a good scare, don't miss this one.

(Readalikes:  Reminds me of The Shining by Stephen King and The Widow's House by Carol Goodman)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for language, violence, disturbing subject matter, and blood/gore

To the FTC, with love:  I received a finished copy of The Sun Down Motel from the generous folks at Penguin Random House in exchange for an honest review.  Thank you!

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Are you interested in winning your own copy of The Sun Down Motel?  Its publisher is generously offering one hardcover copy of the book for me to give away here at BBB.  All you have to do is fill out the Rafflecopter widget below.  Please note that only readers with U.S. addresses are eligible to enter.  Good luck! 

I love Top Ten Tuesday, as you all well know, but some weeks I'm just not feeling the topic du jour.  A case in point?  This week's prompt:  The Last Ten Books That Gave Me a Book Hangover.  I don't have anything against the topic; it just feels like I'm constantly talking about my same favorite books over and over.  So, I started brainstorming fresh subjects.  Since President's Day was yesterday, I considered books about presidents, but politics is actually one of my least favorite things to read about.  The Monday holiday means those of us in the U.S. got to enjoy a three-day weekend, which got me thinking about vacation.  I've been on enough of them to know that things rarely go exactly as planned and sometimes go wholly, horribly, hilariously wrong.  Perfect vacations are no fun to read about, but disastrous ones?  Bring it on!  I wracked my brain for ten books I've read about vacations gone awry and couldn't come up with that many, but I found a whole slew that I'd like to pick up.  

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Isobel Johnson considers it her duty to challenge the entitled thinking of the students she teaches at wealthy Liston Heights High.  Sure, her liberal methods occasionally garner a raised eyebrow from the administration or the occasional criticism from a tightly-wound parent, but that just means they're effective, right?  Still, when Isobel receives an anonymous voicemail accusing her of going too far, she's surprised.  She's even more stunned to learn she's become the target of a smear campaign that threatens not just Isobel's position at the school, but also her entire teaching career.

Julia Abbott will do anything for her two kids, including buying her son a coveted role in the upcoming high school musical.  After all the volunteer hours she's put in over the years, she figures she's owed a few favors now and then.  When one of her helicopter mommy maneuvers lands Julia in a hot spot thanks to a video gone viral, however, she discovers she can no longer bribe her way out of trouble.  This time, the consequences of her actions will have far-reaching effects on everyone in her family.

As the two women deal with their separate, but intertwining battles, they will have to decide when to back down, when to stand up, and when to hurl themselves into the ring and fight with everything they've got.

In the vein of Liane Moriarty's Big Little Lies, Kathleen West's debut takes a sharp, cutting look at the politics, privilege, and power plays that parents wield in order to push their children to the front of the pack in a competitive, high-pressure school environment.  Minor Dramas & Other Catastrophes shows just how far some parents will go and how little administrators and teachers can—and will—do to stop them.  While Julia's actions seem outrageous, West, a veteran middle and high school teacher, insists it's par for the course.  Unbelievable.  In promotional material for the book, West says her aim was to produce a "discussable" novel.  She has certainly done that, while also creating a story that's engrossing and entertaining.  With short, punchy chapters; interesting, recognizable characters; and bright, snappy prose; the book is a quick, easy read.  However, the questions it asks are not so simple:  What is a parent's role in their child's education?  How involved should they be with homework, extracurricular activities, and teacher/student conflicts?  How far would you go to help your child achieve?  Questions like these will certainly lead to lively book club discussions.  

Personally, I liked Minor Dramas & Other Catastrophes but didn't totally love it.  While most of the adult characters are relatable, none of them are particularly likable. I did enjoy the role reversal of the adults behaving badly, letting the kids shine as examples of honesty and fairness.  I also liked that the novel kept me reading fast and furious to find out what would happen next.  Overall, I enjoyed it.

(Readalikes:  Reminds me of Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for language (a handful of F-bombs, plus milder expletives)

To the FTC, with love:  I received an ARC of Minor Dramas & Other Catastrophes from the generous folks at Penguin Random House in exchange for an honest review.  Thank you!

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In regards to Darling Rose Gold (available March 17, 2020), a debut novel by Stephanie Wrobel, I have just two words—messed up.  The book tells an odd, twisted tale about a mother and a daughter who are both, you guessed it, in need of some serious psychological help.  The only question is, who's the victim and who's the abuser?  Which one, if either, is telling the truth?

Because of a debilitating, but mysterious illness, Rose Gold Watts spent her childhood in hospital beds, doctors' offices, and isolated at home in her wheelchair.  She was kept out of school, separate from germy children, and away from anything that could potentially harm her.  Except for Patty Watts, her dutiful, much-pitied mother.  Turns out, it was never a disease causing Rose Gold's misery; it was Patty.

After serving five years in prison for child abuse, Patty still proclaims her innocence.  All she's ever wanted, she protests, is to take care of her daughter.  Having forgiven Rose Gold for testifying against her, Patty desires reconciliation.  Rose Gold, now a single mother herself, appears to want the same thing.  To everyone's shock, she invites Patty to live with her when she's released from prison.  Thrilled at the chance to get reacquainted with her daughter and newly acquainted with her grandson, Patty joyfully accepts.  It doesn't take long, though, for strange things to start happening.  Is Patty being paranoid, or is Rose Gold not quite as forgiving—or as weak—as she seems?

Like I said, this book is messed up.  I won't give anything away, but for me, it was pretty obvious what was going on from the get-go.  Most of the twists, therefore, didn't surprise me.  Nor did the finale, which just felt sad, depressing, and unsatisfying.  Despite all this, I have to admit that Darling Rose Gold is compulsively readable.  Even though I could tell where the story was heading, I still had to know if I was right or not.  It's just that kind of novel.  Overall, though, this book is just whacked and weird.  It turned out to be just an okay read for me.

(Readalikes:  I've seen Darling Rose Gold compared to Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn, which seems apt.  It also reminds me of Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon and Broken by C.J. Lyons)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for language (a dozen or so F-bombs, plus milder expletives), violence, and disturbing subject matter

To the FTC, with love:  I received an ARC of Darling Rose Gold from the generous folks at Penguin Random House in exchange for an honest review.  Thank you!