Archive for November, 2023

Manslaughter Park by Tirzah Price

Published November 29, 2023 Uncategorized Leave a Comment
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Genre: Historical Fiction/Mystery

In this mystery retelling of Jane Austen’s Mansfield Park, Fanny Price is an aspiring artist who was sent 8 years ago to live with wealthy relatives because her family had too many children to take care of. She has been reasonably happy all these years despite being treated poorly by most of the people she is staying with. The one person she always got along with was Edmund, a nephew form the other side of the family who was sent to Mansfield Park when he became orphaned. Edmund was sent away to school, but has recently returned and Fanny has found she is attracted to Edmund, but has no idea if the feelings are reciprocated. Meanwhile, the aunt and uncle she lives with run an art house where her uncle works tirelessly, but still manages to be kind to her. Therefore, it is shocking when Fanny witnesses him trip and fall down the stairs of their warehouse where, unfortunately, his injuries ultimately kill him. She can’t get it out of her head that he did in fact trip before he fell, though, which leads her to wonder if it was in fact premeditated or an accident? Who would want to kill her uncle and what does it mean for her now that he is gone? Will she be sent back to her family or allowed to stay and keep working on her art?

Fans of the original story will enjoy this title as there are some similarities, but many differences as well. The resolution to the mystery will shock many, but ultimately readers will be satisfied with the ending. As always, Tirzah Price’s characters really help the reader become engaged in a story that is familiar to many but in a new way. The motivations and actions of the characters are written in a way that the reader cannot help but want to know more about what will happen to everyone.

Throwback by Maurene Goo

Published November 22, 2023 Uncategorized Leave a Comment
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Genre: Sci Fi/Realistic Fiction

Sam and her mother, Priscilla, often do not get along because they tend to value different things in life. Priscilla has worked hard as a first generation Korean American to find the American Dream and feel accepted by those around her. Meanwhile, Sam is very modern and doesn’t want to be labeled in any way and wants to be free to just be her, even if that means some people don’t understand her. When Sam is nominated for homecoming queen her mother is over the moon, but this actually leads to a huge fight between the two of them because Sam isn’t sure if she wants to participate in the archaic traditions of Homecoming. Plus, her grandmother is in a coma and although Priscilla and her mom are not close, Sam is surprised how cavalier her mom is about the situation. Sam is very close to her grandmother and is struggling with the fact she has no idea if she’ll ever wake up. After their fight, Sam calls a rideshare service who ends up taking her to the 90s where she can see first hand what her mother and grandmother were like when they were younger and its very eye opening for Sam. Not only are the social norms much more rigid, but there’s a lot Sam didn’t know her mom had to deal with growing up. Can Sam find a way back to her own time in time to make up with her mom and hopefully see her grandmother wake up? Who is the mysterious boy she keeps running into and why does it feel like they have a connection even though they are from different times?

This engaging story says a lot about how much society has changed in the last 30 years, as well as how complicated mother/daughter relationships can be. Sam finding a way to navigate this time is much more than her learning to live without Internet and smart phones. Instead, she finds instances of racism, classicism, bullying, and so much more. She also sees that the grandmother she knows and loves was a lot different when her mother was growing up due to the fact that she was a single mother working day and night to run a dry cleaners in order to keep the bills paid. In the meantime, Priscilla was expected to run the house, maintain good grades, and stay involved at her school. The pressure to succeed was immense for her mom and helps Sam to understand how understanding and supportive her parents actually are. The ending is well explained and very satisfying and most teenagers will find a way to relate to Sam and her struggles.

Reign by Katharine McGee

Published November 15, 2023 Uncategorized Leave a Comment
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Genre: Romance

In this fourth and final chapter of the American Royals series, Jeff and Daphne are getting married because Daphne told Jeff she’s pregnant (which is a lie). Beatrice is still in a coma from the accident she suffered in the last book and Sam doesn’t know right away about her sister’s accident because she had run off with her boyfriend to live a quiet life on the beach. Once she learns that her sister has not woken up yet she rushes to her side only to find that in her absence Jeff has been named the acting King and she has been completely left out in the cold. She must prove herself to be accepted back into the family business, but is that something she really wants? Meanwhile, Jeff is suddenly forced into the principal position of power and he begins to wonder if anyone really knows who he is at all or if they just see him as the royal heir? Nina is doing great in college and trying to shed her feelings for Jeff after learning of his engagement, but try as she might she cannot avoid romance for long. How will this riveting series end for these characters?

This final chapter of the alternate America Katharine McGee has created is everything readers will want it to be. There is action, romance, drama, surprises, and so much more. Plus, while the book does offer hope for all of the characters it comes with realistic expectations and outcomes. Fans who have followed this series will be very pleased with how this book remains faithful to the characters while also moving the story along.

The Agathas by Kathleen Glasgow and Liz Lawson

Published November 8, 2023 Uncategorized Leave a Comment
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Genre: Mystery

Alice went missing for several days over the summer and it became a big scandal until it was revealed that she had just ran away. Now, as Alice tries to reenter her high school life as the new social outcast, her ex-boyfriend is suddenly accused of having something to do with his new girlfriend Brooke’s disappearance. Brooke is also Alice’s ex-best friend and as much as she is angry at her for taking her boyfriend she can’t help but notice how unfazed everyone (the police, her stepdad, the boyfriend) seems to feel about the fact that she’s missing. So, she calls Brooke’s grandmother who immediately enlists help and establishes a reward for any information that leads to Brooke’s whereabouts. Iris, who has been assigned as Alice’s tutor, could really use that reward money, so her and Alice decide to start investigating in order to find out where Brooke is. Will anyone take two teenage girl detectives seriously? Can they find out the truth about what happened to Brook before it’s too late? Will anyone ever take Alice seriously again after her disappearing act the summer before?

This fun story follows two teenage girls trying to solve a murder for a variety of reasons and will definitely remind readers of famous teenage girl detectives Nancy Drew and Veronica Mars. Alice is a complex character with many things those around her do not know and therefore even though it appears she has everything she actually feels quite alone and abandoned. Meanwhile, Iris feels completely invisible in this school and just wants to earn a little extra money to help her mom make ends meet, even if it means tutoring someone who claims to not know her despite the fact they have gone to school together since kindergarten. As the two begin to really work together and get to know each other they learn quickly that high school perceptions are not always accurate and can lead to snap judgments. Recommended for readers looking for a fun mystery.

The Stranded by Sarah Daniels

Published November 1, 2023 Uncategorized Leave a Comment
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Genre: Survival/Realistic Fiction

The Arcadia was once a beautiful cruise ship, but then a terrible war broke out on land and those aboard the ship were forced to stay, survive, and raise their families. It has now been 40 years and the Arcadia is starting to break down. Esther and her family have always lived on the Arcadia because her grandparents were honeymooning when they got stuck there for life. Esther is training to be a medic so that she can hopefully be granted passage to land. There’s another medic who is also vying for one of the top two spots and he has made it very clear he thinks they would be even more likely to get off the ship if they were married, but Esther isn’t sure that’s the path for her at the moment. Meanwhile, Nik, works with a rebel group who desperately wants to take over the ship so that they can get out from under the terrible Coalies, or military presence, on the boat who uses brute force to keep the passengers in line. When Nik gets hurt, Esther is abducted by the rebels in order to treat him, but this throws her unexpectedly into the rebel cause whether she wants to be in it or not. The intel the rebels are getting suggests that big changes could be coming for the Arcadia, and not in a good way. Can Esther and Nik put aside their differences in order to help save the people on board? How much are they willing to risk in order to protect those they love?

Fans of books such as Avalon and Divergent will enjoy this title because even though it has a realistic feel to it there’s definitely futuristic undertones. The premise of the refugee cruise ship seems so crazy, but absolutely believable at the same time. The characters are all well described so that it’s easy to see what motivates each of them and why they have so many unanswered questions. There are some brutal truths in this and not everyone is guaranteed a happy ending, but throughout the danger there is always hope that eventually things will turn out better than the way they started. Recommended for those looking for a fun adventure story with a unique setting.

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