Vanishing World by Sayaka Murata REVIEW

Summary:

As a girl, Amane realizes with horror that her parents “copulated” in order to bring her into the world, rather than using artificial insemination, which became the norm in the mid-twentieth century. Amane strives to get away from what she considers an indoctrination in this strange “system” by her mother, but her infatuations with both anime characters and real people have a sexual force that is undeniable. As an adult in an appropriately sexless marriage—sex between married couples is now considered as taboo as incest—Amane and her husband Saku decide to go and live in a mysterious new town called Experiment City or Paradise-Eden, where all children are raised communally, and every person is considered a Mother to all children. Men are beginning to become pregnant using artificial wombs that sit outside of their bodies like balloons, and children are nameless, called only “Kodomo-chan.” Is this the new world that will purify Amane of her strangeness once and for all?

My Thoughts:

This is a strangely horrifying concept. Amane is growing up in a world where most people don't have sex anymore, and babies are created scientifically. Brainwashed by society's current norms and beliefs, she strives to integrate perfectly into this new world and holds strong distaste for how she was conceived. Married couples don't have sex, and when her first husband attempts to assault her, he is arrested by police and she divorces him. Her second husband becomes her best friend, but Amane still doesn't feel comfortable sharing certain details about herself with him. She wants sexual relationships, but she also doesn't want to turn into her mother. Things take a turn when they decide to move to the experimental city. Families aren't considered to be important, and Amane struggles to let go of those close to her.

The concept is very interesting, but the book doesn't really do much with it. I would have loved to learn about how this became the new normal for society, but there are only vague mentions of a past war that started the new system. Amane is a great character though, and I like that she goes back and forth with her opinions, not knowing yet what she really believes and wants, which is the driving part of the story. However, the ending seems abrupt and leaves more questions than answers.

My Rating: 2 stars

Mapping the Interior by Stephen Graham Jones REVIEW

Summary:

Times have been tough for twelve-year-old Junior, his mom, and especially for his younger brother, Dino. When his dad makes a surprise visit late one night, Junior is desperate to make him part of their family again. The only problem is, Dad drowned eight years ago.

And bringing back the dead always comes at a cost . . .

My Thoughts:

Books by this author are either hit or miss for me, and this one happens to be a miss. Junior lives with his mom and brother off the reservation, and misses his dad a lot. One night, while Junior is sleepwalking, he awakes to see his father. Fueled by the need to see him again, Junior checks every night - only to find that in order for his father to stay, he has to take some of his brother's life force. Horrified, Junior decides to get rid of the shadow that looks like his dad to save his family.

This novella goes back and forth between past and present to tell the story, and we only really get to know Junior out of all the characters. However, even the character of Junior seems flat, and this shows in the time-jump epilogue to when he is an adult. And the decision he makes at the end seems contrary to the character we got to know - he's willing to sacrifice his brother to bring his son back. It makes no sense to get all that character development only to throw it away at the end.

My Rating: 1 star 

Cold Eternity by S. A. Barnes REVIEW

Summary:

Halley is on the run from an interplanetary political scandal that has put a huge target on her back. She heads for what seems like the perfect place to lay low: a gigantic space barge storing the cryogenically frozen bodies of Earth's most fortunate citizens from more than a century ago.

The cryo program created by trillionaire tech genius Zale Winfeld is long defunct, and the AI hologram "hosts", ghoulishly created in the likeness of Winfeld's three adult children, are glitchy. The ship feels like a crypt, and the isolation gets to Halley almost immediately. She starts to see figures crawling in the hallways, and there's a constant scraping, slithering, and rattling echoing in the vents.

It's not long before Halley realizes she may have gotten herself trapped in an even more dangerous situation than the one she was running from . . .

My Thoughts:

This was so good but too short. I wish some things were expanded on because a lot of it was intriguing.

Halley is on the run from her previous life as someone who helped a political candidate in their campaign. Her ex-boss used her as a scapegoat for the actions of an ex-employee, who started a riot to try to turn the public in their favor. Working on a ship full of bodies is a good way to hide - until it becomes clear that things are not what they seem. Celebrities' frozen bodies have been swapped out for lookalikes, and one of the AI hosts seems to be sentient and warning her to escape. But with a monster in the shadows and a boss that's all too eager to sacrifice her for his endgame, escaping seems impossible.

I do wish that we got more information on the history of the program's creator and his family. Other than a few descriptions of his actual life behind the public eye, we only know what the public knows. I think it would have been really interesting to explore more on the monster and how it came to be. Halley is a great character to root for, even though we don't know her full story in the beginning, and I do wish we got more about her life growing up (her family is part of what drove her to her previous job). The atmosphere was written very well to feel creepy and isolated.

My Rating: 5 stars 

The Luminous Dead by Caitlin Starling REVIEW

Summary:

When Gyre Price lied her way into this expedition, she thought she’d be mapping mineral deposits, and that her biggest problems would be cave collapses and gear malfunctions. She also thought that the fat paycheck—enough to get her off-planet and on the trail of her mother—meant she’d get a skilled surface team, monitoring her suit and environment, keeping her safe. Keeping her sane.

Instead, she got Em.

Em sees nothing wrong with controlling Gyre’s body with drugs or withholding critical information to “ensure the smooth operation” of her expedition. Em knows all about Gyre’s falsified credentials, and has no qualms using them as a leash—and a lash. And Em has secrets, too . . .

As Gyre descends, little inconsistencies—missing supplies, unexpected changes in the route, and, worst of all, shifts in Em’s motivations—drive her out of her depths. Lost and disoriented, Gyre finds her sense of control giving way to paranoia and anger. On her own in this mysterious, deadly place, surrounded by darkness and the unknown, Gyre must overcome more than just the dangerous terrain and the Tunneler which calls underground its home if she wants to make it out alive—she must confront the ghosts in her own head.

But how come she can't shake the feeling she’s being followed?

My Thoughts:

Gyre Price has practiced cave exploring and lies to get the job, hoping to use the paycheck to look for her mother, who left the planet when Gyre was young. But the expedition isn't what she thinks it will be. Instead of having a team of handlers, there is only Em. And Em is not launching a typical mineral expedition. Gyre learns that the mission is to find Em's mother and crewmates, who went down to the area, never to be seen or heard from again. But what really upsets Gyre is the fact that she's not the first Em had sent down - and none were able to complete the mission. Most of them ended up dying in the caves. However, she is determined to be the last person Em sends down.

I really like our main characters. They are well developed and have a realistic dynamic. They go back and forth between liking each other and hating each other. It takes a while for Gyre to trust Em. I do wish we learned more about the Tunnelers - what they are and what they do. The presence of the Tunneler is probably the least terrifying thing throughout the book, despite the summary on the back. I did really enjoy this book and the bit of sapphic representation we get here, although I wish the ending was longer.

My Rating: 4 stars

The Black Farm by Elias Witherow REVIEW

Summary:

After the loss of a child along with a slew of agonizing misfortunes, Nick and Jess decide to end their lives. Unable to cope with the misery that fills their days, they commit one last act together and die in loving relief.

But when Nick wakes up, he soon realizes that death isn't the gentle darkness he expected. Panicked and horrified, he struggles to understand the twisted abominations and hellish world he's now trapped in.

Driven by desperation and a sudden will to survive, he sets out to find Jess and is unable to cope with the thought of her having to suffer through the terrors this new reality holds.

But nothing could prepare him for the nightmares he found . . . nothing could prepare him for the Black Farm.

My Thoughts:

Hats off to the author for making this the first book that made me sick to my stomach (it's a generally difficult thing to do). Nick and Jess suffered through the miscarriage of their baby, and when Jess starts returning to her normal self, they find out her sister has cancer. Reduced to shells of themselves, they decide to end it all together and escape the pain of living. But the Black Farm, governed by an entity known as the Pig, is not what they imagined for an afterlife. Filled with Pig-Borns who torture those who committed suicide, Nick realizes that he needs to find Jess (if she's there) and try to escape - or at least survive.

The writing style is pretty simple, but it packs a punch. If you are thinking about picking this up, definitely check trigger warnings. I think that this is a really interesting interpretation of Purgatory, and parts of it did make me want to puke. There are in-depth, gross descriptions of violence and gore, which I am usually fine with, but this book made me almost lose it. I would say that the first half of the book is filled with shock-value, but the second half made everything worth it. I do wish that we got more of Trent and Kevin though, I did really like them.

My Rating: 4 stars 

Ghost Station by S. A. Barnes REVIEW

Summary:

Psychologist Dr. Ophelia Bray has dedicated her life to the study and prevention of Eckhart-Reiser syndrome (ERS) - the most famous case of which resulted in the murders of twenty-nine people. It's personal to her, and when she's assigned to a small exploration crew who recently suffered the tragic death of a colleague, she wants to help. But as they begin to establish residency on an abandoned planet, it becomes clear that the crew is hiding something.

And Ophelia's crewmates are far more interested in investigating the eerie, ancient planet and unraveling the mystery behind the precious colonizers' hasty departure than opening up to her.

That is, until their pilot is discovered gruesomely murdered. Is this Ophelia's worst nightmare starting = a wave of violence and mental deterioration from ERS? Or is it something even more sinister?

Terrified that history will repeat itself, Ophelia and the crew must work together to figure out what's happening. But trust is hard to come by . . . and the crew members aren't the only ones keeping secrets.

My Thoughts:

Ophelia is trying her best to make a living for herself after cutting all contact from the majority of her family, the only exception being her sister. Being the only survivor of an ERS attack, she feels extremely guilty and wants to help prevent it from happening to others. The crew she joins recently suffered the loss of their crewmate Ava, and Ophelia hopes to help them recover and make sure nothing out of the ordinary happens. But no one wants to open up to her, except maybe Liana, who hesitantly agrees to a therapy session with her. As the crew starts their mission on the planet, they discover bodies that were previously unreported, and weird things start to happen. Ophelia thinks she might be hallucinating things, and when the pilot dies, she's not entirely certain she wasn't responsible. But is this ERS, or is it something else?

I loved reading Dead Silence by this author, so I had to pick this one up as well. While it took a little time to get into the story, I soon found it difficult to put down. Most of the characters were very well developed, and the isolation the crew found themselves in was creepy. My favorite character had to be Liana, and I wish we got more of her. I liked that we slowly got to learn about everybody's backstory and secrets they were keeping. The ending seemed kind up abrupt though, and I wish we got a little more of Kate's perspective and secrets.

My Rating: 3 stars

The Z Word by Lindsay King-Miller REVIEW

Summary:

Chaotic bisexual Wendy is trying to find her place in the queer community of San Lazaro, Arizona, after a bad breakup - which is particularly difficult because her ex is hooking up with some of her friends. And when the people around them start turning into violent, terrifying mindless husks, well, that makes things harder. Especially since the infection seems to be spreading.

Now, Wendy and her friends and frenemies - drag queen Logan, silver fox Beau, sword lesbian Aurelia and her wife Sam, mysterious pizza delivery stoner Sunshine, and, oh yeah, Wendy's ex girlfriend Leah - have to team up to stay alive, save Pride, and track the zombie outbreak to its shocking source. Hopefully without killing each other first.

My Thoughts:

This was a really fun, unserious book. It takes place during Pride Month. Wendy and her group of LGBT friends and acquaintances aren't super thrilled about alcohol company Seabrook sponsoring a new health center - they feel as if they are selling out to a huge corporation that wants to look like a savior to the community. At a gay club the night before Pride, people start turning into zombie-like creatures and violence breaks out. Some were lucky enough to get away unscathed - others not so much. Wendy and the group of survivors head to Beau's house to regroup and plan on how they could save Pride, and a trip to Leah's house for supplies uncovers a lead into what caused the violent outbreaks. 

The book is very easy and fun to read, almost like the author put something in it so that it made it hard for me to put down. The characters were pretty well-developed and likeable despite the short length of the novel. However, Wendy and Logan's relationship didn't really develop at all. They had chemistry at the beginning, but it did not last throughout the book, almost as if it was an afterthought. I would have also liked if the author explored more of the concept of how the outbreak was spread. There's only a simple explanation, and it's barely expanded on.

My Rating: 3 stars 

The Good Son by You-Jeong Jeong REVIEW

 Summary:

Early one morning, twenty-five-year-old Yu-jin wakes up to a strange metallic smell. He soon discovers his mother's murdered body, lying in a pool of blood at the bottom of the stairs of their stylish Seoul duplex. Having suffered from seizures for most of his life, Yu-jin often has trouble with his memory; all he can remember of the night before is his mother calling his name. But was she calling for help? Or begging for her life?

Thus begins Yu-jin's frantic three-day search to uncover what happened that night, and to finally learn the truth about himself and his family.

My Thoughts:

I love reading unreliable narrators, so I snatched this book up pretty quickly after seeing it. Yu-jin suffers from epilepsy, but he hasn't been taking his medication because he hates the side effects. This is important to note from the beginning. When he wakes up to the smell of blood and discovers his mother's body, he is slow to notice things due to his seizure he had the night before. Eventually, he realizes that the bloody footprints are a perfect match for his feet . . . but why would he kill his own mother? Yu-jin embarks on a journey of trying to remember the night before, which leads him to discover family secrets as well.

The book was written pretty well and was easy to read. Although it is primarily a murder mystery, it is also a character study of Yu-jin. We learn a lot about him and his family through his thoughts and encounters. Even though he is the prime suspect from the beginning, I found myself rooting for him to get to the bottom of how and why it happened. However, it does feel like it spans longer than three days with all the things going on in the book, which created a sort of disconnect for me in terms of believability. Despite this, it was a very fun book to read and I would definitely recommend it.

My Rating: 4 stars

Sea Change by Susan Fletcher REVIEW

Summary:

Turtle is scavenging a drowned town when she saves a stranger's life. There's something special about Kai-an attraction she's never felt before. She would do anything to see him again.

But Turtle can never truly be with Kai, because Kai is Normal, and Turtle is one of the Mer, kids whose genes were illegally hacked before birth and who now have working gills as well as lungs. Turtle lives on an old cruise ship with the other Mer in order to be close to the water she needs to survive.

Yet she sneaks away and lies to her friends to spend more time on land with Kai. And the pull of the shore grows even stronger when Turtle reconnects with her sisters and learns that her father, who has been in prison for having her genes modified, has escaped and may be hiding out nearby.

When scientists come up with a way for the Mer to surrender their gills and live as Normals, Turtle faces a terrible choice. Turtle loves her life with her Mer friends, but she desperately misses her family. And then there's Kai . . .

Should she give up her Mer community and their way of life along with the joy of living freely under the sea? Or give up the guy she's falling for and any hope of reconnecting with her family?

My Thoughts:

I really loved reading this book. It's part futuristic, part retelling of the Little Mermaid. Most of Turtle's life was spent with her fellow Mer on the boat, but she's the only one who remembers her birth family. When the government was rounding up the Mer kids, they were able to hide her with them a little longer than anyone else, but it ended up putting her father in prison. While she loves her Mer friends, she deeply misses her family. Scavenging is illegal, and when one of her fellow Mer gets caught, they go with him to the trial, where she sees Kai again after she rescued him. After the trial, Turtle finds herself sneaking off the boat to see him. But when a group of scientists arrive and give them the choice to become Normal, she takes the chance for her family and for Kai.

While the novel does talk about gene hacking, it's done in a way that anyone can understand, and despite the topic being futuristic, the world is very much similar to the one we live in now. I really like the writing, which is simple yet engaging and fun. Turtle is such a well-rounded and likeable character to follow, and some of the side characters are also well-developed so that we care about them. I do wish the book talked more about the gene hacking and the backgrounds of the other Mer, but I still thoroughly enjoyed this novel. I would definitely recommend picking this one up.

My Rating: 5 stars

Lapvona by Ottessa Moshfegh REVIEW

Summary:

Little Marek, the abused and delusional son of the village shepherd, believes his mother died giving birth to him. One of Marek's few consolations is his enduring bond with the village midwife, Ina, who suckled him when he was a baby. For some people, Ina's ability to received transmissions of sacred knowledge from the natural world is a godsend. For others, Ina's home in the woods is a godless place.

The people's desperate need to believe that there are powers that be who have their best interests at heart is put to a cruel test by their depraved lord and governor, especially in this year of record drought and famine. But when fate brings Marek into violent proximity to the lord's family, new and occult forces arise to upset the old order. By year's end, the veil between blindness and sight, life and death, and the natural world and the spirit world will prove to be very thin indeed.

My Thoughts:

I'm not sure how to feel about this book. While the characters were well-developed and the writing was good, it was not that interesting and was hard to get through at times. When it started to get interesting, it would soon go back to being boring. The author had some great ideas, but barely explored them at all. Ina is considered a witch by some, as she seems to be the oldest in the village yet doesn't seem to age like everybody else. If the author explored this more, and maybe added some lore, it would be even more intriguing and mystifying. Marek kills Jacob, but the novel barely explores how he felt or how the boy's father felt. The only grief we get is from Jacob's mother. Father Barnabas doesn't actually believe in God or the church, but this is only really used for humor in the book. And to top it off, there's no main storyline, making the unexplored areas even more noticeable. 

My Rating: 2 stars 

Stone Blind by Natalie Haynes REVIEW

Summary:

The only mortal in a family of gods, Medusa is the youngest of the Gorgon sisters. Unlike her siblings, Medusa grows older, experiences change, feels weakness. Her mortal lifespan gives her an urgency that her family will never know.

When the sea god Poseidon assaults Medusa in Athene's temple, the goddess is enraged. Furious at the violation of her sacred space, Athene takes revenge - on the young woman. Punished for Poseidon's actions, Medusa is forever transformed. Writhing snakes replace her hair, and her gaze will turn any living creature to stone. Cursed with the power to destroy all she loves with one look, Medusa condemns herself to a life of solitude. Until Perseus embarks upon a fateful quest to fetch the head of a Gorgon . . .

My Thoughts:

Medusa grows up with her Gorgon sisters, who found her on the beach as a baby and raised her as best they could. Despite their many differences, they all love each other as they would if they were related. Despite the protests of her sisters, Medusa goes to Athene's temple, where she is assaulted by Poseidon. When Athene curses her, she keeps her eyes blindfolded so that she cannot hurt her sisters.

When Perseus's mother seems to be doomed to marry a rather unlikable king, he jumps at the chance to save her by bringing the king a head of a Gorgon.

I really liked that each chapter alternates perspectives. You get the perspective of Medusa along with the perspectives of the gods who are both voluntarily involved and who are unintentionally involved. The world-building was not as intricate as I would like, but it does the job. While the book succeeds in developing most of the main characters, Medusa is noticeably less developed than some of them. This is disappointing as the whole story revolves around her. 

I would recommend reading this, but be warned of the heavy topics involved.

My Rating: 3 stars

Victorian Psycho by Virginia Feito REVIEW

Summary:

Winifred Notty arrives at Ensor House prepared to play the perfect governess - she'll dutifully tutor her charges, Drusilla and Andrew, tell them bedtime stories, and only joke about eating children. But long, listless days spent within the estate's dreary confines come with an intimate knowledge of the perversions and pathetic preoccupations of the Pounds family - Mr. Pounds can't keep his eyes of Winifred's chest, and Mrs. Pounds takes a sickly pleasure in punishing Winifred for her husband's wandering gaze. Compounded with her disdain for the entitled Pounds children, Winifred finds herself struggling at every turn to stifle the violent compulsions of her past. French tutoring and needlework are one way to pass the time, as is admiring the ugly portraits in the gallery . . . and creeping across the moonlit lawns . . . 

Patience. Winifred must have patience, for Christmas is coming, and she has very special gifts planned for the dear souls of Ensor house.

My Thoughts:

This was so much fun. There is a lot of time-jumping in the chapters. Winifred is such a fun yet unreliable narrator, even taunting us later on in the book. This has made me wonder how much of the story was either false or told slightly different than the truth. She was raised by her mother and stepfather, as her father was out of the picture. The stepfather is a Reverend, who drilled into Winifred that she has evil inside of her. While I'm not sure how different she would have turned out if he didn't, it does make me think. She makes a lot of dark jokes that I enjoyed, and we are told that her town had a problem with babies being murdered. As the book goes on, it seems likely that Winifred was behind it, as well as the disappearances of some of her previous charges. She becomes more and more unhinged as the book goes on, which is something I love in stories.

I do wish that Winifred was slightly more fleshed out, and it would have been nice to see others perspectives of the events, especially towards the end of the novel.

My Rating: 4 stars

A Game of Hearts and Heists by Ruby Roe REVIEW

Summary:

Scarlett Grey, disgraced assassin, is determined to get revenge. Quinn Adams, medic turned poisoner for hire, is her deadliest rival. For years, they've stolen each other's clients, sabotaged each other's business, and occasionally . . . slept together.

When the Magician Queen offers an irresistible deal, Scarlett and Quinn are forced to work together. But this is not a simple job. With an impossible heist ahead, they're going to have to trust each other . . . and that's not easy when they both have secrets to hide. Harder still when those secrets will betray the ones they love. Now neither woman is sure if it's a heist they want to win or a heart.

My Thoughts:

This book was so fun to read. The chemistry between Scarlett and Quinn is so much that it practically leaps off the page. They have been enemies since before the book starts, and have slept together before the book as well. Scarlett's parents were executed almost a decade ago, and she and her sister were left with nothing. Their status and inheritance was stripped from them, so they are struggling to make ends meet by taking jobs. Ever since Quinn sold a client poison, many of the clients who would have wanted Scarlett now want Quinn, making Scarlett have a deep sense of hatred toward Quinn. Quinn never wanted to make poisons, but after fulfilling a client's request, her list of customers are growing rapidly. Scarlett is reluctant to take on the mission, but after her sister makes a convincing argument, she agrees. But Quinn's secretly the daughter of the man responsible for their parent's deaths, and Scarlett has a secret of her own that would tear them apart.

The book was well-written and easy to read, and I highly enjoyed the experience. However, this is more focused on the romance than the plot or worldbuilding.

My Rating: 4 stars

Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins REVIEW

My Thoughts:

Haymitch Abernathy turns 16 this year on Reaping Day, but he isn't too scared of being picked. He lives with his mother and brother, Sid, in District 12. When the original pick for one of the boys was killed during the ceremony, Haymitch is picked due to his interference with a Peacekeeper who was going after his girlfriend, Lenore. The district kids' mentors are Wiress and Mags, due to the lack of living winners in District 12. While training, he meets Beetee, who shows him how to make electricity with potatoes, and gives him tips on how to potentially destroy the arena when the guards aren't watching. When his ally, Louella, dies before the games, Haymitch starts not to care about pissing off the president. Throughout the games, he doesn't hesitate to try to use Beetee and Plutarch's tips about the arena. When he returns home after winning, Haymitch finds his home ablaze with his family stuck inside. Later on, he witnesses Lenore die from eating poisoned candy that he recognizes must have been from the president. Vowing not to let anyone else be killed because of him, he cuts off all his remaining friends and stays in seclusion in the Victor's Village.

This book gave me so many emotions. At one point, I was smiling, only to shed tears moments later. I like that we finally get the names of Katniss's parents, and the story of Haymitch being friends with her dad prior to the games. The inclusion of Beetee, Plutarch, Wiress, and Mags was incredible. Beetee's story here was tragic, as he was being punished by the president by being forced to mentor his son prior to the games. Plutarch has infiltrated the Capitol and is attempting to figure out ways to start the revolution, although his efforts don't work out yet. At the ending of the games, I wonder if Wiress and Mags were tortured by the Capitol, who thought they helped Haymitch try to sabotage them. I absolutely adore this book and it is a must read.

My Rating: 5 stars

Butter by Asako Yuzuki REVIEW

Summary:

Gourmet cook Manako Kajii sits in the Tokyo Detention House convicted of the serial murders of lonely businessmen, whom she is said to have seduced with her delicious home cooking. The case has captured the nation's imagination, but Kajii refuses to speak with the press, entertaining no visitors. That is until journalist Rika Machida writes a letter asking for her recipe for beef stew, and Kajii can't resist writing back.

Rika, the only woman in her news office, works late each night, rarely cooking more than ramen. As the visits unfold between her and the steely Kajii, they are closer to a master class in food than journalistic research. Rika hopes this gastronomic exchange will help her soften Kajii, but it seems that Rika might be the one changing. Do she and Kajii have more in common than she once thought?

My Thoughts:

Rika is a journalist who is consumed by her work. She either eats ramen or pre-made food from the convenience store, and her relationship with her boyfriend is distant at best. She's been writing to Kajii, hoping to get an exclusive interview, with no luck. But when she asks her for a recipe, Kajii suddenly becomes interested and wants to talk. Obsessed with trying to get Kajii to talk about her upcoming trial for her crimes, Rika ends up sucked into her world of cooking, and even starts to wonder if Kajii is even guilty at all . . .

This book was very slow to get into, which I'm not sure if it was the translation or the writing style. The main character is the average hard worker, and it's interesting to see all of this from her perspective. She becomes almost brainwashed by Kajii in her hunt for the truth, and it's easy to see why. Kajii can be very charismatic and convincing. Rika's best friend sees through this though, and tries to get her to see this as well. This is the most compelling part of the book, and shows how easily someone can be brainwashed. That almost makes up for how difficult it was to get through this novel.

My Rating: 2 stars

Scythe & Sparrow by Brynne Weaver REVIEW

Summary:

Doctor Fionn Kane is running from a broken heart. One he hopes to mend in small-town Nebraska, far away from his almost-fiancée and his derailed surgical career. It's a simpler life: head down, hard work, and absolutely no romantic relationships. He wants none of the circus he left behind in Boston. But then the real circus finds him.

Motorcycle performer Rose Evans has spent a decade on the road with the Silveria Circus, and it suits her just fine, especially when she has the urge to indulge in a little murder when she's not in the spotlight. But when a kill goes awry and she ends up with a broken leg, Rose finds herself stuck in Nebraska, at the home of the adorably nerdy town doctor. The problem is, not every broken heart can be sewn back together . . . and the longer you stay in one place, the more likely your ghosts will catch up.

My Thoughts:

This was an interesting switch-up from the last couple books. While Rose is a killer, she doesn't really have the stomach for gore. She has a booth set up at the circus where she reads tarot, and whenever a woman in an abusive relationship comes for a reading, Rose plans to help them with murdering the partner. But when she fails to complete a kill, she ends up at Fionn's door needing help with a broken leg. Fionn isn't really a killer, but he helps out his brothers who are killers. Even so, he has a darkness inside him that he's constantly keeping at bay, and has been for years. Then Rose shows up, rocking his world upside-down. They originally agree to a friends-with-benefits deal, but as they spend more time together, feelings start to pop up.

This was a really fun read. I enjoyed the constant banter between our two main characters, and their eventual romance felt like it happened at a realistic pace. The characters from the previous books show up a few times, which felt like such a treat! My only real complaint was that there wasn't that much murder.

My Rating: 4 stars

The Unworthy by Agustina Bazterrica REVIEW

Summary:

From her cell in a mysterious convent, a woman writes the story of her life in whatever she can find—discarded ink, dirt, and even her own blood. A lower member of the Sacred Sisterhood, deemed an unworthy, she dreams of ascending to the ranks of the Enlightened at the center of the convent and of pleasing the foreboding Superior Sister. Outside, the world is plagued by catastrophe—cities are submerged underwater, electricity and the internet are nonexistent, and bands of survivors fight and forage in a cruel, barren landscape. Inside, the narrator is controlled, punished, but safe.

But when a stranger makes her way past the convent walls, joining the ranks of the unworthy, she forces the narrator to consider her long-buried past—and what she may be overlooking about the Enlightened. As the two women grow closer, the narrator is increasingly haunted by questions about her own past, the environmental future, and her present life inside the convent. How did she get to the Sacred Sisterhood? Why can’t she remember her life before? And what really happens when a woman is chosen as one of the Enlightened?

My Thoughts:

This was a really cool look at a post-apocalyptic cult. The narrator, whose name we don't know, is recounting her life at the Sacred Sisterhood, as well as her memories from before she was there. She is part of the Unworthy - which the Superior Sister and their "God" never let them forget. The higher ranks are the Chosen, the Minor Saints, the Aura, and the Enlightened. When an Unworthy does something wrong, the Superior Sister gleefully partakes in punishing them - whether it's a whipping or death. The narrator partakes in these inhumane customs, and even sometimes enjoys it. But when Lucia joins the Sisterhood, everything changes. Lucia is strong and doesn't let the other Unworthy humiliate her. Our narrator slowly falls in love with her, and then Lucia is given the rank of Enlightened. Unable to stomach the thought of being without Lucia, she plans to break her out of her room and escape together.

As always, I enjoyed the writing style and concept. A doomsday cult that formed after Doomsday. It also reads like a subtle critique of organized religion. The need to constantly call yourself unworthy of good things, the corruption in leadership, and violence. The critique is extremely hidden within the text, as the story of a dystopian future takes the center stage. I do wish that the novel was longer (it is less than 200 pages) and that we got to know a little more about what it was like in the world outside of the cult.

My Rating: 4 stars

The Jasad Heir by Sara Hashem REVIEW

Summary:

Ten years ago, the kingdom of Jasad burned. Its magic was outlawed. Its royal family murdered. At least, that's what Sylvia wants people to believe. The Heir of Jasad escaped the massacre, and she intends to stay hidden, especially from the armies of Nizahl that continue to hunt her people.

But a moment of anger changes everything. When Arin, the Nizahl Heir, tracks a group of Jasadi to her village, Sylvia accidentally reveals her magic - and captures his attention. Now Sylvia's forced to make a deal with her greatest enemy: Help him hunt the rebels in exchange for her life.

A deadly game begins. Sylvia can't let Arin discover her identity, even as hatred shifts into something more between the Heirs. And as the tides change around her, Sylvia will have to choose between the life she wants and the one she abandoned.

My Thoughts:

Sylvia is such a compelling character, even more so than other main characters of similar stories. She is the sole survivor of the royal family, and intends to hide her identity for as long as she lives. When a young child is in danger from the Omal Heir's temper, Sylvia lashes out in anger, accidentally exposing her magic. While no one knows her identity, they know she is Jasadi. In exchange for her life, Arin wants her to be his Champion in the upcoming games. He hopes to draw out the rebels with her in the spotlight. With no other option, she agrees.

I really like how fast-paced yet character-driven this book is, as well as how the author writes. If I didn't know before I started reading, I never would have guessed that this was the author's first book. I also really like Sefa and Marek, Sylvia's friends. They really balance out the dynamics. The slow-burn romance between Sylvia and Arin is very believable. They don't even admit their feelings for each other until the end. The only real complaint I have is not really knowing much of anything about Jasad and the in-depth reasons why they were targeted. I get that we learn them while Sylvia does, but Jasad feels more like a legendary kingdom than one that existed until a decade prior. I hope this gets resolved with the next book.

My Rating: 3 stars

Miss Kim Knows and Other Stories by Cho Nam-Joo REVIEW

My Thoughts:

As this is a collection of short stories, I generally find them difficult to review. But these were very well-written, character-driven stories. While some left me wanting more, others left me satisfied. There are eight stores included. My favorites were "Under the Plum Tree", "Dead Set", and "Night of Aurora". The first is about an older woman dealing with the pain of losing her older sisters. The second is about a female feminist writer, and the last is about an older woman fulfilling her lifelong dream of seeing the Aurora with her mother-in-law.

The others were good, but either didn't stick with me or left me wanting more.

My Rating: 4 stars 

Bloom by Delilah S. Dawson REVIEW

Summary:

Rosemary meets Ash at the farmers' market. Ash - precise, pretty, and practically perfect - sells bars of soap in delicate pastel colors, sprinkle-spackled cupcakes stacked on scalloped stands, beeswax candles, jelly jars of honey, and glossy green plants.

Ro has never felt this way about another woman; with Ash, she wants to be her and have her in equal measure. But as her obsession with Ash consumes her, she may find she's not the one doing the devouring . . .

My Thoughts:

This was a fast and intense read. Rosemary recently moved to town to get away from her mother and get over her ex. She got a job as an English professor, and yearns for a more magical world. When she meets Ash at the farmers' market, Ro becomes head-over-heels obsessed. She can't stop thinking about her all week, and can't wait for Saturday to see her at the market again. What blossoms seems to be a sweet relationship, but Ro ignores all the red flags until it becomes too obvious not to.

While I do think that the romance seems a bit rushed, it sort of makes sense for a novella. I really enjoyed the Hannibal vibes throughout the book - the consuming obsession of the characters for each other, as well as the ending. The prose was slightly difficult to get used to, as I am not used to books written like this, but it did get easier the more I read. I would definitely recommend giving this book a read.

My Rating: 4 stars  

The Return by Rachel Harrison REVIEW

Summary:

Julie is missing, and no one believes she will ever return - except Elise. Elise knows Julie better than anyone, and feels it in her bones that her best friend is out there and that one day Julie will come back. She's right. Two years to the day that Julie went missing, she reappears with no memory of where she's been or what happened to her.

Along with Molly and Mae, their two close friends from college, the women decide to reunite at a remote inn. But the second Elise sees Julie, she knows something is wrong - she's emaciated, with sallow skin and odd appetites. And as the weekend unfurls, it becomes impossible to deny that the Julie who vanished two years ago is not the same Julie who came back. But then who - or what - is she?

My Thoughts:

The girls decide to take a weekend at a new inn on the mountains to reunite and have fun together. But that all changes when they see Julie. At first, everyone assumes that she looks like that due to her blocked out trauma from the years she was missing, and that's also why her eating habits changed. As the hours go by, everyone has a sinking feeling that it's something much worse. Elise starts hearing things in her room when no one's around, and thinks she sees Julie looking inhuman.

I really wanted to like this book, but the characters were extremely one-dimensional. The friends have almost no chemistry, and there are very few flashbacks to round out the characters and their relationship to each other. They all seem to have one character trait to distinguish between them. When things start to get revealed towards the end, it doesn't feel like it payed off. The explanation behind Julie's disappearance could have been done better, and we don't even know by the end if she was human or not. That could have been fine if the characters were developed and the explanation of Julie's disappearance was done differently. What could have been a great book ended up being lackluster, and it's a shame.

My Rating: 1 star 

Reclaimed by Madeleine Roux REVIEW

Summary:

The Ganymede facility is a fresh start. At least that's what Senna tells herself when she arrives to take part in a cutting-edge scientific treatment where participants have traumatic memories erased.

And Senna has reasons for wanting to escape her past.

But almost as soon as the treatment begins, Senna finds more than just her traumatic memories disappearing. She hardly recognizes her new life or herself. Even though the cure might justify the side effects of the process, Senna knows that something isn't right. As her side effects worsen, Senna will need to band together with the other participants to unravel the mystery of her present and save her future.

My Thoughts:

Senna was born and raised in a cult, which she narrowly escaped with her life. Her family and the rest of the cult members weren't so lucky. When she finds a treatment trial to erase traumatic memories, Senna jumps at the chance. But when she arrives at the facility, even before the treatment, things seem off. There is a bad storm that traps them all there for days, she starts seeing shadows, and her non-traumatic memories are also effected by the treatment.

The summary is slightly misleading, as Senna is only one of the main characters. We also follow Zurri, a model, and Han, a teenage genius. The chapters alternate between the three of them. They are mostly well-developed, with Zurri being the least of the three. I really like the concept of the story - how memories, even bad ones, shouldn't necessarily be forgotten. I also liked the concept behind how the memories are erased, which we learn more about towards the end of the novel. I do wish that the villain of the story was more developed, as he seemed one-dimensional and stereotypical. Otherwise, this was a very interesting read.

My Rating: 3 stars 

Dead Silence by S. A. Barnes REVIEW

Summary:

Claire Kovalik is days away from being unemployed - made obsolete - when her beacon-repair crew picks up a strange distress signal. With nothing to lose and no desire to return to Earth, Claire and her team decide to investigate.

What they find is shocking: the Aurora, a famous luxury spaceliner that vanished on its maiden tour of the solar system more than twenty years ago. A salvage claim like this could set Claire and her crew up for life. But a quick search of the ship reveals something isn't right.

Whispers in the dark. Flickers of movement. Messages scrawled in blood. Claire must fight to hold onto her sanity and find out what really happened on the Aurora before she and her crew meet the same ghastly fate.

My Thoughts:

This was such a breath of fresh air and exciting to read. The story goes back and forth between past and present of Claire telling her story. Rejected from the multiple jobs in space she applied for, Claire has to head back to Earth for an office job - something she never wanted to do. She likes the silence and peace of being out among the stars with little to no human interaction. Her crew is against going to assist the distress signal, but their minds change when they see the ship. They could make a lot of money taking things from it, and the families of the dead on board would finally know what happened to their loved ones. But upon entering the ship, Claire starts to see and hear things. This isn't abnormal for her, as she has the ability to see ghosts, but something is different about it this time. When her crew starts experiencing the same, it becomes a battle to continue their mission without going crazy.

I like the development of Claire and her crewmate Kane, who are the main focuses of the novel. We get to know things about their pasts and their life before this mission. Claire is the sole survivor of a tragedy that killed her mother, and Kane is a single father with a daughter on Earth. Claire is telling the story because she was found in an escape pod without her crew to Verux officials, who want to know what happened and why she is alone. They don't believe her about seeing things on the ship, of course, but they need a statement and want to go find the ship. Near the end, they convince her to go with them to get it so she can show them where everything is - but it turns out that they want to take some things and explode the ship with her on it. The disappearance of the ship and the deaths of the passengers wasn't an accident - they were experimenting with sound waves, which made the people on board crazy and start killing each other. Claire has to grab Kane and try to escape before they blow up the ship.

My Rating: 5 stars

One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig REVIEW

Summary:

Elspeth Spindle needs more than luck to stay safe in the eerie, mist-locked kingdom she calls home - she needs a monster. She calls him the Nightmare, an ancient, mercurial spirit trapped in her head. He protects her. He keeps her secrets. But nothing comes for free, especially magic.

When Elspeth meets a mysterious highwayman on the forest road, her life takes a drastic turn. Thrust into a world of shadow and deception, she joins a dangerous quest to cure the kingdom of the dark magic infecting it. Except the highwayman just so happens to be the King's own nephew, Captain of the Destriers . . . and guilty of high treason.

He and Elspeth have until Solstice to gather twelve Providence Cards - the keys to the cure. But as the stakes heighten and their undeniable attraction intensifies, Elspeth is forced to face her darkest secret yet: the Nightmare is slowly, darkly, taking over her mind. And she might not be able to stop him.

My Thoughts:

This book was a lot of fun, and reminded me of why I used to love fantasy so much. Elspeth had gotten sick as a child - the kind of sick where you would be taken away and killed. But her family hid her illness, and she went to stay with her aunt and uncle to be safe and away from prying eyes, as her father works for the King. The illness did not give her magic, although when she touched a Providence Card, a monster took refuge in her head. All magic other than Providence Cards is strictly forbidden after a tragedy happened centuries ago, making the mist something to fear. 

I really like the writing here, it reminds me of fantasy novels I used to read, full of description and escape, but not overwritten. Elspeth is a compelling character, and we learn things as she does. For years, she didn't realize that the voice in her head could actually help her by taking over her body. We learn that the cards, if used too much, cause degeneration, where the user gets weaker and weaker with each use. But Elspeth doesn't know what hers will look like, until the voice tells her. The Nightmare is actually the soul of the Shepherd King, who died centuries ago, and each time she asks for help, Elspeth is weakened. Eventually, he will take over her body for good. Collecting all of the cards breaks the curse of the mist and cures those effected by magic, but there's one problem: one card has been missing for centuries, ever since the death of the Shepherd King. The romance between Elspeth and Ravyn is done very well. They do not fall at first sight, it takes most of the book before they are together, and it is merely a subplot of the book. It ends on a cliffhanger, and I am excited for the next one.

My Rating: 5 stars

Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo REVIEW

Summary:

Galaxy “Alex” Stern is the most unlikely member of Yale’s freshman class. Raised in the Los Angeles hinterlands by a hippie mom, Alex dropped out of school early and into a world of shady drug dealer boyfriends, dead-end jobs, and much, much worse. By age twenty, in fact, she is the sole survivor of a horrific, unsolved multiple homicide. Some might say she’s thrown her life away. But at her hospital bed, Alex is offered a second chance: to attend one of the world’s most elite universities on a full ride. What’s the catch, and why her?

Still searching for answers to this herself, Alex arrives in New Haven tasked by her mysterious benefactors with monitoring the activities of Yale’s secret societies. These eight windowless “tombs” are well-known to be haunts of the future rich and powerful, from high-ranking politicos to Wall Street and Hollywood’s biggest players. But their occult activities are revealed to be more sinister and more extraordinary than any paranoid imagination might conceive.

My Thoughts:

While this book was difficult to get into, it got really interesting about 50ish pages in. The chapters go back and forth between past and present, and the world building is very well done. Alex is the kind of character that you hate at one moment and love the next. She has a messy past with drugs and murder, but she's likable enough to root for. Alex is on the hunt for a murderer, who may or may not be connected to one of the secret societies at Yale. While it seems like there's no connection at first, she digs in deeper and finds information that was buried deep and could also connect to the disappearance of Darlington, her mentor. My only issue with this book, other than it being difficult to get into, is that Alex is the only well-rounded character here. While I cared about Dawes and Darlington, they were underdeveloped, and the rest of the characters felt like they were just there and had no depth. The plot twist towards the end would have been better if I had felt any sort of connection to Belbalm/Daisy. However, I do look forward to reading the sequel.

My Rating: 4 stars 

They Never Learn by Layne Fargo REVIEW

Summary:

Every year, Dr. Clark searches for the worst man at Gorman University and plots his demise. Thanks to her planning, she's avoided drawing attention to herself - but as she's preparing for her biggest kill yet, the school starts probing into the body count on campus. Determined to keep her enemies close, Scarlett insinuates herself into the investigation. Everything's going according to her master plan . . . until she loses control with her latest victim.

Meanwhile, Gorman student Carly Schiller is simply trying to survive her freshman year. Finally free of her abusive father, Carly just wants to fade into the background. Her roommate has other ideas. Allison Hadley is cool and confident, and the two girls quickly form an intense friendship. So when Allison is assaulted at a party, Carly becomes obsessed with making the attacker pay . . . and turning her fantasies about revenge into a reality.

My Thoughts:

The book is told from two POVs: Scarlett and Carly. Scarlett is a professor at Gorman and is tired of terrible men getting away with hurting women. She secretly kills them, but stages them as suicides. Her next target is one of her colleagues - Kinnear. But then Mina, Kinnear's ex-wife, comes onto the scene to investigate the deaths of students, and Scarlett has to lay low and get sneaky. Carly is a new student who comes from an abusive family and wants to be able to be herself away from them. She quickly befriends Allison and her friend Wes, and things are finally looking up for her. But when she sees Allison - who was most likely drugged - being assaulted, she steps up to take care of her and wants the man to pay. Carly quickly learns that even the men you think you can trust, can secretly be horrible people, as evident when she goes to report the assault, and when Wes starts acting seemingly out of character.

I loved this novel. Carly and Scarlett are perfectly developed as characters, and the writing is powerful. Revenge stories are always some of my favorites, and this one did not disappoint. The twist towards the middle was so mind-blowing, and it took a while for it to settle in my brain. The only thing that I would have changed about this book was that there wasn't more kills. I would absolutely recommend picking this one up.

My Rating: 5 stars

Delilah Green Doesn't Care by Ashley Herring Blake REVIEW

Summary:

Delilah Green swore she would never go back to Bright Falls - nothing is there for her but memories of a lonely childhood in which she was little more than a burden to her cold and distant stepfamily. Her life is in New York, with her photography career finally gaining steam and her bed never empty. Sure, there's a different woman in it every night, but that's just fine with her.

When Delilah's estranged stepsister, Astrid, pressures her into photographing her wedding with a guilt trip and a five-figure check, Delilah finds herself in the godforsaken town that she used to call home. She plans to breeze in and out, but then she sees Claire Sutherland, one of Astrid's stuck-up besties, and decides that maybe there's some fun (and a little retribution) to be had in Bright Falls after all.

Having raised her eleven-year-old daughter mostly on her own while dealing with her unreliable ex and running a bookstore, Claire Sutherland depends upon a life without surprises. And Delilah Green is an unwelcome surprise . . . at first. Though they've known each other for years, they don't really know each other, so Claire is unsettled when Delilah figures out exactly what buttons to push. When they're forced together during the gauntlet of wedding preparations - including a plot to save Astrid from her horrible fiancé - Claire isn't sure she has the strength to resist Delilah's charms. Even worse, she's starting to think she doesn't want to . . . 

My Thoughts:

This was a really fun book. Delilah is estranged from her stepfamily who were distant from her as a child after she lost her father, and doesn't want to go back to her hometown. But needing the money, she goes back to be the photographer for Astrid's wedding. Claire unknowingly approaches her at the bar, but is scared off once it's revealed who she is. Delilah plans to be a pain to her stepfamily the whole time she's there, and even tells Astrid that she'd bet her that she can get Claire into her bed before the wedding. But feelings start to happen, and Delilah and Astrid reconcile. It turns out that Astrid really did want to be close to her growing up, but gave up after being rejected continuously when she asked Delilah if she wanted to hang out. Astrid realizes what a terrible person she's engaged to, and they break things off. Delilah and Claire end up together at the end. The only issue I had with this book was the lack of payoff to the reconciliation. It's brought up constantly how Delilah feels about how she grew up, but when the payoff happens, it's not really long enough to make the impact that the author likely intended, which is a shame.

My Rating: 4 stars

Invisible Monsters by Chuck Palahniuk REVIEW

Summary:

She's a fashion model who has everything: a boyfriend, a career a loyal best friend. But when a sudden freeway "accident" leaves her disfigured and incapable of speech, she goes from being the beautiful center of attention to being an invisible monster, so hideous that no one will acknowledge she exists. Enter Brandy Alexander, Queen Supreme, one operation away from becoming a real woman, who will teach her that reinventing yourself means erasing your past and making up something better. And that salvation hides in the last places you'll ever want to look.

My Thoughts:

I really thought I was going to like this book. But the writing style, insufferable characters, and disappointing ending ruined the experience for me. The main character, who we later learns name is Shannon, is the narrator, and she consistently tells the story out of order practically every paragraph going to a different point in time. But the first chapter seems intriguing - until you get to the end, where the plot twist happens and it's not great. Shannon is an unreliable narrator up till the end, which is usually something I enjoy. But I felt nothing for the characters, not even Shannon. From the beginning, she tells us her brother died from AIDs, but we find out later that he turned into Brandy and faked his death. The characters are all self destructive for no reason - except maybe the main character. We learn that Shannon's "accident" was really something she did to herself as a social experiment to start over and be a different person. Insufferable characters aren't always a problem for me, but the writing style was the nail in the coffin for the reason I did not enjoy this book at all.

My Rating: 2 stars 

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid REVIEW

Summary:

Reclusive Hollywood icon Evelyn Hugo is finally ready to tell the truth about her glamorous and scandalous life. But when she chooses unknown magazine reporter Monique Grant to write her story, no one is more astounded than Monique herself.

Determined to use this opportunity to jump-start her career, Monique listens in fascination. From making her way to Los Angeles in the 1950s to leaving show business in the '80s - and of course, the seven husbands along the way - Evelyn unspools a tale of ruthless ambition, unexpected friendship, and a great forbidden love. But as Evelyn's story nears its conclusion, it becomes clear that her life intersects with Monique's own in tragic and irreversible ways.

My Thoughts:

Monique is stunned and excited to work on this project, and Evelyn reveals that she's not here to write an article - she wants her here to write an authorized biography to be published after her death. I really like the back and forth writing between the past and present. You get to hear Evelyn's nuanced thoughts about her life in retrospect and get to know Monique a bit better. Her story touches on the issues of racism, assault, and LGBT representation in Hollywood. While she married seven men over the years, her greatest love was a woman. She was a closeted bisexual who witnessed and secretly donated to the rising gay movements. The only gripe I had with the novel is the under characterization of Monique, who is technically the main character who we are supposed to care about. There is a twist at the end, and it didn't hit as hard as it should have. Overall though, I really enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend reading it.

My Rating: 4 stars

Burner by Robert Ford REVIEW

Summery:

It's terrifying how quickly everything can be taken away from you. Iris learns this agonizing lesson in the blink of an eye. Her future dreams. Her past life. Everything gone in a storm of pain. But this pain is only the beginning.

Audrey had the perfect life. Great husband, beautiful daughter, lots of money. Except her husband isn't the man she thought she was. Her dead husband's burner was bad. The polaroids were worse. But the secrets she uncovers next set her entire world on fire.

Two women's lives intersect because of one man's actions. The transformation is pristine, and beautiful, and filled with pain. Sometimes the scars are on the inside.

My Thoughts:

Audrey's husband is in the hospital for a stroke, and as soon as he wakes up and sees her beside him, he apologizes. Before she can ask why he's apologizing, he gets a second stroke that's much worse and takes his life. Audrey is stricken with grief, and doesn't know when to tell her daughter, who is on a vacation with friends. So she calls his work instead - only to find out that he never worked there. Upon going into his office, she opens his locked drawer and finds a burner phone - and a disturbing text offer. She also finds a secret safe with money and disgusting polaroids. But those aren't the worst she finds, as going into the locked barn, Audrey discovers a woman chained up - naked with burns all over her body. As she struggles to come to terms with the man she thought she knew, we also hear the girl's tragic story - and what she becomes.

This book was extremely well written and intriguing to read. The chapters switch from point of views between Audrey and Iris, as well as past and present. The subject matter is horrifying as Audrey learns her late husband was involved in a human trafficking ring. The characters feel very real and sympathetic, even though they don't always make the right choices. The only issue I had with the book was the ending. It ended pretty suddenly with no mention or update on Audrey's daughter's condition or what happened after she ran in with Iris. I would recommend reading this, but definitely check your trigger warnings with this one.

My Rating: 5 stars 

Mistakes Were Made by Meryl Wilsner REVIEW

Summery:

When Cassie Klein goes to an off-campus bar to escape her school's Family Weekend, she isn't looking for a hookup - it just happens. Buying a drink for a stranger turns into what should be an uncomplicated, amazing one-night stand. But then the next morning rolls around, and her friend drags her along to meet her mom - the hot, older woman Cassie slept with.

Erin Bennett came to Family Weekend to get closer to her daughter, not to have a one-night stand with a college senior. In her defense, she hadn't known Cassie was a student when they'd met. To make things worse, Erin's daughter brings Cassie to breakfast the next morning. And despite Erin's better judgement - how could sleeping with your daughter's friend be anything but bad? - she and Cassie get along in the day just as well as they did last night.

What should have been a one-time fling quickly proves impossible to ignore, and soon Cassie and Erin are sneaking around. Worst of all, they start to realize they have something real. But is being honest about the love between them worth the cost?

My Thoughts:

This was my first time reading contemporary romance, and I absolutely devoured it. The writing and pacing was well done and the characters felt like real people. The college students felt like actual college students, and Erin felt like an actual mom. You can feel the chemistry between Cassie and Erin - and it doesn't seem at all forced. They expect a one-night stand, but it turns into something else over time. Cassie and Erin don't fall in love immediately, it happens over time. It takes Cassie even longer to realize her feelings because of how terrible her previous relationship was and the fact that it's with her friend's mom. Parker, Erin's daughter, felt real too. She didn't accept the truth right away, instead distancing herself from Cassie to collect her feelings. Parker eventually accepts it and pushes them together, but it doesn't happen instantly. Acacia is Cassie's other friend who she had known since childhood. She is the one Cassie goes to about the situation, and she does her best to give advice.

This book had me laughing out loud and blushing. I would definitely recommend giving this one a read, especially if it's your first time trying out contemporary romance.

My Rating: 5 stars 

Summer Never Ends by Judith Sonnet REVIEW

Summary:

Tanner thought church camp would be boring. That this summer would be forgettable, uneventful, and lifeless. Then, he was surprised to make two friends, both of whom shared his interests and anxieties.

Together, maybe the three of them have a chance of surviving this long, hot summer . . .

But all is not what it seems at Creston Camps. Deep in the woods, there is an abandoned cabin. Inside of it lies a dark, wicked secret. A human evil that will shock Tanner and his friends to their souls . . .

Summer never ends this year. It only gets worse . . .

My Thoughts:

As someone who was raised religious and is no longer religious, this book made me feel something. Tanner is not willingly going to church camp - his parents are forcing him. He's questioning whether he actually believes in God. When he sees a familiar face at camp, and is introduced to another, Tanner thinks that maybe summer could be fun. They show him an old, abandoned cabin - but the cabin isn't in the same shape it was when they discovered it. One of the camp kids is tied up in a chair.

I really like the theme that is present - religious hypocrisy. Of course, in this book the example is extreme, but it's still a huge issue today. I will never hear "God doesn't/never makes mistakes" the same again. I really liked the backstory into why this was all happening, and the only critique I have is that the main character isn't really developed. It made it a lot harder to care about what happens in the novella. Overall, I would recommend reading this.

My Rating:  

Captive in the Underworld by Lianyu Tan REVIEW

Summary:

In the land of the dead, Queen Hades' word is law. Hades gets what she wants - always - and what she wants is a certain goddess of the springtime.

Innocent Persephone chafes beneath her mother's hawkish gaze and mercurial temper. Demeter has rebuffed all her daughter's suitors, but she is not yet satisfied; she strives to crush Persephone's spirit.

Still, when Hades pulls her into the dark realm of the underworld, Persephone longs for the world above, even if it means an eternity under her mother's thumb.

With her tears and pleas for freedom ignored by pitiless Hades, Persephone must learn to satisfy her keeper in all ways, lest she suffer the consequences.

And though she cannot deny that something blooms within her, something forbidden, Persephone despairs of ever feeling the sun upon her skin once more.

No matter the cost, Hades intends to keep her. Forever.

My Thoughts:

Persephone is kept under her mother's thumb, unable to escape her ruling or her temper. When she meets Hades at a party, she thinks nothing of it. But after an explosive fight with Demeter, Persephone finds herself kidnapped and brought into the underworld to be Hades' bride. She hates Hades, and longs to go back to the world above to be one with nature. But Persephone starts to find herself starting to like Hades against her will. And even her mother cannot break her again.

I really like the author's writing style for this book. It is very beautifully written, and drew me in on the first page. Since this is a retelling of the Greek myth, there is a lot of darker content, including abuse and assault. I think that the author handled it well by not romanticizing these things like others have done. The biggest issue I have with this novel is that the only well-rounded characters are Hades and Persephone. Every other character, even the important ones, seem very one-dimensional. I can understand some of them being underdeveloped, but it weakens the story when so many of them are.

My Rating: 3 stars