ARC – Page 2 – One Chapter

Penitence by Kristin Koval

3.5 stars Fiction

Why? Why would a thirteen-year-old girl shoot her fourteen-year-old brother, a brother that she loved and spent so much time with? As the parents try to make sense of the incident, there are other issues happening behind the scenes that need to be resolved. This is not just a case of murder but something more complicated with emotions running high on all levels.

Nora shot her brother Nico. There is no denying that she held the gun and pulled the trigger as she admitted to doing so and the evidence is clear. It’s the only hundreds of questions that accompany these facts that don’t make sense, with Why being the biggest one. Nora doesn’t tell anyone the reason behind her decision that day even though this reason will have a huge impact on everything else. Perhaps she doesn’t know why, perhaps she doesn’t remember, or perhaps she doesn’t want to talk about it, nevertheless someone must help Nora realize how important these details are to her future.

Martine is near retirement on her legal career but decides to take Nora’s case. It’s more like a guilt-trip case on many levels, but she accepts it. Martine has a son in Manhattan, that is a criminal defense attorney, which just might come in handy in Nora’s case. Julian hasn’t spoken to Martine in years, which brings into this story other family issues that need to be resolved before they can focus on Nora and the issues surrounding the murder of her brother.

With the death of their son and their daughter in jail, you can feel the parents start to separate. The blame game begins with fingers being pointed. They’re both on their own separate boat trying to stay afloat. I understand their feelings, but they need to put their energy into figuring out what really happened and less speculation.

This book dealt with past and present relationships and the complications within them. If only they had taken the time to understand and care for one another. There were times I thought the book dragged on or/and they rehashed information that had already been discussed multiple times which made the book slow for me. As the book ended, I still had questions and perhaps that is life. It was how this book was, I started off with questions and I now, ended it with questions. 3.5 stars.

I want to thank Celadonbooks and Goodreads for my copy of this book that I received in exchange for an honest opinion. I won this book in a Goodreads Giveaway.

The Vicious Circle by Katherine St. John

4 stars Fiction Mystery

I was hoping that something fantastic would happen to Sveta after what her fiancé put her through. When I read that they decided to take a break from one another, I was so relieved as I thought that Chase was still too much of a mama’s boy to get married. Finding out that her uncle Paul left her an unexpected inheritance, I was so excited for her and just hoped that it was enough that she could get rid of Chase permanently.

I knew Sveta still cared for Chase, but I really wished she would not have told him how much the inheritance was worth or who died. That information put him over the edge. She was now worth more than his family and there was no way that he would let her go now. Urg! Sveta must now make her way to her uncle’s funeral which is in the remote jungles of Mexico. Arriving, she meets her uncle’s attorney, Lucas, and they make their way to Xanadu, the wellness compound that Paul created. It has been many years since Sveta has seen her uncle, but she knows of his work. A famous spiritual leader, Paul had many followers and was known for his teachings. His estate, valued at 180 million dollars, is more than Sveta ever dreamed of.

Xanadu takes them both by surprise as they are both greeted warmly by Kali, Paul’s wife. I feel that there has to be some resentment for not getting Paul’s estate since she was his wife. There is some hesitation, as both Lucas and Sveta take in their surroundings. All electronic devices are stripped from them and a communal computer is made available to them and the other members of the compound. All individuals wear special clothing including Sveta and Lucas and this spiritual retreat compound is becoming more eerie by the minute. Lucas and Sveta start to ask questions about Xanadu and Paul yet the answers they receive aren’t what they expected. They’re learning and it becomes clearer what is actually happening here.

I really enjoyed the language in the book as the author drew me in. The whole picture was slowly being presented as the story unfolded. I was drawn in with the relationship of Sveta and Chase and I couldn’t wait for Sveta to venture to Mexico where I thought things would turn around for her but actually, things clicked into high gear as they realized what they had walked into. 4 stars

This book was part of the Scene of the Crime Early Read Program. Thank you for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion.

Global by Eoin Colfer

5 stars YA Graphic Novel

Two different stories told from opposite ends of the world grip the reader as they learn that the connecting factor linking them together is global warming. While some individuals claim that global change and global warming are just fictious, Yuki and Sami lives are living proof that it’s happening, and its effect is very real.

From “here” Sami is a fisherman, like his grandfather in the Bay of Bengal, Indian Ocean. The sea is once again pushing its way onto the banks of his village. The seawall is crumbling, and the houses will once again have to be moved more inland. Land is becoming scarce as the ocean claims everything around them. Fishing is their livelihood, their means of existence. The water that was once their friend has now become their enemy as a constant struggle occurs as they struggle to bring home enough fish to earn a paycheck and the ocean tries to claim their home. Just when Sami and his grandfather thought that they had caught the “big one” and their luck had changed, they realized that the water was not their only problem.

From “there” Yuki, his dog Lockjaw live with her parents inside the Arctic Circle in Northern Canada. With the warmer winters, the snow and sea ice are melting rapidly creating issues for the residents and the bears who rely on it. With less ice, the bears are moving into the residential areas to forge for their food. Yuki doesn’t like how the town addresses this issue, so she takes it upon herself to find a better solution. Bundled against the cold winter landscape, fourteen-year-old Yuki sets off with Lockjaw for the answer.

As Sami and Yuki shared their stories, their stories felt real. The details and the emotions that were expressed felt heartfelt and sincere. The illustrations in this graphic novel were terrific! You could feel the tension, frustration, and excitement within each text box. The colors used helped create this dramatic storyline and it was hard book to put down.

I enjoyed the extra text pages at the back of the book as they helped explain the idea behind the book and about global warming. I really enjoyed reading this graphic novel. 5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Kids for an arc copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion of this book.

School Trip by Jerry Craft

4.5 stars Middle School Graphic Novel

They’re off to Paris! If you liked the first two graphic novels by Jerry Craft, you’ll want to pick up book three in this series, as the group is now headed to Paris to close out their last year in junior high. You can also read this book as a stand alone as the author does give the reader some details about the characters to help you feel connected.

I enjoyed the variety of characters that were included in this book and their different walks of life. This diversity made the book more interesting, and entertaining. In junior high, there are those students who settle into groups (or packs) and then, there were those students who walk alone. Nothing changes as excitement fills the air. The teens are looking forward to their end-of-the-year trip. The tension and division that the classmates felt during the school year felt significate and factual but that soon changes as they begin to realize what’s really important.

The supportive staff are excited about being the tour guides but at the last minute, their plans are upended. So much for having things all planned out. I thought this twist of events was excellent as it put the adults on the same playing field as the students. As each group arrives at their destination, the unfamiliarity and the excitement of the situation affects everyone. It’s like their senses have come alive to embrace what’s in front of them.

As they walked the streets of Paris, this alternative was the best option for them. They saw Paris for what it was. From the bathrooms to how friendly everyone was, they realize many things about themselves and life. No longer was Paris just a city in a movie or a picture in a book, they were actually experiencing Paris with their own eyes! I liked how the characters started to change. Their own observations on how their trip went at the end of their trip was a great way to wrap up this experience. This wasn’t just an educational trip for the students. This trip didn’t go according to plan, yet everyone enjoyed themselves and had a good time. I feel that everyone left their better person, even the supportive staff.

Another great graphic novel by Jerry Craft which touches on a variety of issues that teens encounter. 4.5 stars I want to thank NetGalley and HarperCollins Children’s Books for my copy of this book that I received in exchange for an honest opinion #SchoolTrip

“In France, we work in order to live. But in America, it seems you live in order to work.”

The Ferryman by Justin Cronin

5 stars Sci Fi

Oh, my word! I’m not one to read much science fiction but when I do, I seem to reach for some fantastic ones. The synopsis for this one sounded perfect but the page-length looked too daunting but let me tell you, this book did not drag. It did take me a while to get into the flow of the story but then, I needed to know more about this new world and the individuals who lived there.

This book centers around an interesting concept as a barrier separates these citizens from the rest of the world. The community is further separated into islands based on their function. As you can imagine, this is a controlled environment and productivity is monitored. High productivity is key to remaining on the island of Prospera. Wealthy educated individuals live here and you must continue be a productive asset to the community to secure your existence. Should your monitor show low productivity, you’ll become retired. The Ferryman will then escort you to one of the other islands, which is called the Nursery and your existence on Proapera is no longer. I thought of the Nursery as being a place where individuals get rehauled. Call it a transformation but who knew what really happened while individuals lived at the Nursery. They did know that who you were when you landed at the Nursery was not who eventually left that island. When all the alternations are complete, a new teenager with a new body and mind will be transported back to Prospera. Back on Prospera, this teenager would reside with some of the residents, learning how their community works and growing up to become a high performing adult. There is a third island where individuals work to maintain the upkeep of all the islands. Annex keeps this community functioning.

Our Ferryman is Proctor. Proctor’s mother had a tragic death and it’s during one of Proctor’s shifts that he’s to take his own father to the Nursery. I can’t imagine doing that myself, but this is Proctor’s job and it’s during this trip that his father says something to him that really affects Proctor. I’m not going into much more detail but the whole concept around this book, the characters, and the implications this book has really makes this book so enjoyable. I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and Random House Publishing in exchange for an honest opinion. 5 stars

The Replacement Wife by Darby Kane

4.5 stars Mystery

Who was the crazy one? I was torn between trying to figure out if Elisa might just be going off the deep-end or if her brother-in-law was as demented as Elisa thought he was. How many women does Josh have to go through before someone besides Elisa notices something just isn’t right? Elisa didn’t seem to be the most stable character to believe yet I wanted to think that she was a caring individual and carried that trait onto being a terrific friend, spouse, and mother yet when her family starts to find holes in her stories, I started to wonder just how stable Elisa really was.

Elisa has been staying home lately due to an incident, but it seemed that her husband encouraged this decision. Elisa liked spending more time with their son Nathan but even Nathan can be too much sometimes. Elisa is concerned about her friend Abby who was dating Josh, her brother-in-law. She’s been missing for a while, and no one seems concerned except for Elisa. Josh seems to have moved on, providing an excuse about Abby disappearance. Elisa is not buying the story and when Josh arrives on the scene with a new girl, Elisa is all over it. Elisa doesn’t understand Josh’s attitude and where did this new girl come from? The story becomes entangled as the stories don’t match up and I begin to wonder who is playing who? Did the incident with Elisa change her? IS Josh the killer that Elisa believes he is? What part does her husband play in all this, as he’s dancing between the two stages, he’s the nice guy to the both of them? Just when I think I had the characters all figured out, Darby throws a wrench into the mix, and I’m left deciding if this tool really matters and who it belongs to. The book really got interesting towards the middle and by the end, I had to know how it all ended. I liked how this book made me question the information that was presented, and it made me analyze the characters. I received a copy of this book from NetGalley, Scene of the Crime, and William Morrow in exchange for an honest opinion. 4.5 stars

That Egg is Mine! by Liz Goulet Dubois

4.5 stars Children’s Reader

Whose egg, is it? This beautiful blue egg with white spots could be either Duck’s or Cluck’s because these friends each lay eggs and they both have these beautiful blue markings on them.

Duck and Cluck each give an account of why the egg is theirs but it’s when the egg hatches open, the friends truly find out who really owns the egg. A big surprise for both Duck and Cluck.

It’s a combination of a graphic novel and picture book as some pages are made up of text boxes and others are not. This makes for a great book for a young reader with simple text and large print. The illustrations are colorful, they complement the text, and readers can reference them to tell the story. I liked how Duck trusted Cluck to look at the egg but when Cluck took off carrying the egg, the frantic look on Duck’s face said it all. Later, as the egg cracks open, the faces on the friends as they stare at the new baby are comical and the ending is funny. I think this is a great book on solving problems and listening. Thank you to NetGalley, Sourcebooks Kids and Liz Goulet Dubois for an arc copy of this book which I received in exchange for an honest opinion. 4.5 stars

Gone Tonight by Sarah Pekkanen

5 stars Thriller

The price we pay for our family. Career or family? Catherine is ready to begin a new chapter in her life, as she finishes up the last details on her new job in Baltimore. Currently working as a nurse in a memory care unit, there’s a land of opportunity awaiting Catherine. Her mother, a hard-working individual, is now beginning to display signs of aging: missing keys, a forgotten word, and loss of concentration. After months of reoccurrences, Catherine realizes that her mother might have Alzheimer’s. Confirming her assessment with a doctor’s visit, Catherine changes her future as her mother now needs her home.

Catherine’s has had limited knowledge about her past, including her family, so it’s no surprise to learn that her grandmother also had this disease. As Catherine digs into her family history, she begins to uncover truths that were meant to stay buried. Mother had tried to paint a good picture but now Catherine is peeling back the layers and discovering how much she really knows about her so-called life. It’s a book you want to savor yet you can’t stop the pages from flying by.

There are so many layers in this book which I really enjoyed. It’s a story that you can’t get too comfortable with, as you never know what the next page might bring. As Catherine started to uncover her mother’s deceit, she never knew what to expect. Catherine knew that she had a good mother but at what cost? Blessed with a devoted, loving mother, Catherine learns that behind that appearance was someone who wanted to be hidden. 5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley, Sarah Pekkanen, and St. Martin’s Press for an arc copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

My Name Was Eden by Eleanor Barker-White

2.5 stars Fiction

I liked the premise of this book. Vanishing Twin Syndrome? The surviving twin is now in her teens, and she survives an accident. When she awakens, she takes on the persona of her departed sibling. This sounds like an interesting and exciting storyline. Why would she do this? Is someone playing with them?

Lucy was pregnant with twins but later discovered that only one of the twins survived. The other twin had been absorbed by the surviving twin. Fast forward fourteen years and now Eden is being dragged out of the water. There’s no brain injury, all tests and scans look good, she has survived! Everything is looking great until Eden tells them that she wants to be called Eli. What? Are you sure there is no brain injury? Eden now believes that she’s the dead brother that she absorbed in the womb.

When asked what happened to Eden, she calmly states that her heart stopped beating and she died. Perhaps this is not such a big deal and she’ll snap out-of-it but when Eden’s personality starts to change, then things get more complicated. So, what do you do? I started to question the other individuals in the story and wondered if they were all seeing the same thing. How were they reacting to this new event? I was getting confused as I read, and I have to say that the first half of the book was the best for me. I had to piece together the rest of the book for myself, to get some closure so that I could move on. 2.5 stars

I received a copy of this book from Scene of the Crime Early Read Program, William Morrow and Eleanor Barker-White in exchange for an honest opinion.

The Prisoner by B.A. Paris

4 stars Suspense

I always like it when a book starts off with a bang and this one definitely did. Amelie awakes but where is she? Opening her eyes, it’s dark, she’s on a mattress but where in the heck is she? Told in alternating timelines, the reader gets Amelie’s past and her current situation. With both of her parents gone, Amelie wants to get an education but lacks the funds to do so. At 16, she heads to London and as fate would have it, she runs into Carolyn. Carolyn needs Amelia as much as Amelia needs her, so an agreement is made. Amelia is welcomed into the circle of Carolyn’s work friends, and I liked how freely they accepted her and how easily they all got along. Amelia finally has some new friends and she’s starting to feel comfortable in London. Just when things were falling into place, she meets Carolyn’s boss, Ned Hawthorpe and she accepts Ned’s job offer. This was a big surprise and I had to wonder Ned’s motive in this offer. Amelia begins working at the newspaper and it’s one big happy family now, or is it? This happy little scenario continues as Ned proposes to Amelia and their happily-ever-after-life begins, or does it?

Why? The newlyweds are kidnapped and Amelie fears for their lives. Kept isolated from Ned, she keeps her wits about her in the darken room, as she tries to unravel the sounds and sights around her. She is one smart hostage as she waits for the ransom to be paid, marking off each day as time ticks by. Piece by piece, Amelie starts to put the puzzle together, trying to put a plan into motion but who is she escaping from?

What happened next took me by surprise and I had to put on the breaks. What was happening? I was running on adrenaline reading this first part of the book and now, the pacing slowed down, and parts of the book were coming together. As the past met up with the present, we came to understand the why and, in the end, I wasn’t expecting that. I’ve always been a huge B.A. Paris fan and I look forward to future books by this talented author.

I want to thank St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.