33. Sunrise on the Reaping

 

33. Sunrise on the Reaping. Suzanne Collins. 2025. 382 pages. [Source: Library] [audio book!] [4 stars, YA dystopia, YA thriller, YA fiction, series book]

First sentence: "Happy birthday, Haymitch!" The upside of being born on reaping day is that you can sleep late on your birthday.

My thoughts (preview): Is Sunrise on the Reaping a necessary addition to the Hunger Games series? Maybe. Maybe not. Readers will most likely come to the book knowing both a) how Haymitch's story ends (as revealed in the Hunger Games book series) and b) Haymitch's Hunger Games story (the 50th Hunger Games). At the very, very, very least they will know Haymitch was the victor for Twelve during his year. There remains no way to keep suspense in the story. 

Premise/plot: Readers who have [long] been fans of the Hunger Games will get Haymitch's backstory in greater depth. There are plenty of details to be filled in that haven't been revealed already. 

My thoughts: I am SO CONFLICTED.

On the one hand, this is set roughly twenty-five (twenty-four) years before the first Hunger Games book. Readers catch glimpses of what life was like in Twelve when Haymitch was a teen. They get to know him before he'd touched a drop of alcohol. Readers see how life in the Capital is as well. MAGS. MAGS. MAGS. (You might say I was thrilled to get to see Mags again). Readers also meet a VERY young Effie Trinket. Another familiar character is PLUTARCH and, of course, President Snow.

On the other hand, there is something futile and hopeless about Sunrise on the Reaping. There is no suspense. EVERYTHING we know about Haymitch in the "present" (aka Hunger Games trilogy) leaves no doubt that the book cover-to-cover will be futile, meaningless, hopeless. No possibility for a smidgen of happiness or peace. 

The plot itself is BRUTAL, brutal, more brutal, all bleak all the way. 

There are no surprises. I mentioned twice now how the book lacks suspense. I think this is the nature of the Games. ALL the books that feature Hunger Games are going to follow a set pattern, formula, rigidity. There is nothing new under the sun. What allows for more unique storytelling is before and after. And again, readers know how the story is going to end--Haymitch bitter, angry, disturbed, apathetic, drunk, a waste. But what the book does is strip away the possibility of a happier Haymitch AFTER the third book. Perhaps this is because this is something the movie gives him that the book never intended? Perhaps this is Suzanne Collins way of saying IGNORE THE MOVIES, Haymitch is *mine*.

Several things to note: FIRST it seems that there is nothing new under the sun. I wouldn't be surprised if every year of the Games there's a few kids [at least] who try to rebel against the system and break the games and make a stand and whatnot. Katniss was not the first. Just the last.

Second, the book's greatest strength will be in CHARACTERS and RELATIONSHIPS. Readers know that the game will be brutal, bloody, bleak, ugly, horrific, psychologically damaging, twisted. But it is in how the main character is in relationship with others in the arena that matters. 

 

© 2025 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

32. HappyHead

 

32. HappyHead. Josh Silver. 2023. 383 pages. [Source: Library] [4 stars, YA dystopia, YA fiction]

First sentence: "I think it's down there," Mum says.

Premise/plot: Is HappyHead 'like Hunger Games' but better'? Maybe. So essentially this is a [queer] dystopian thriller with a strong emphasis on mental health. That is, to rephrase it, what if the 'mental health treatment center' was at the [horrific] core of the dystopia. What if the people entrusted with caring for society's most vulnerable, most at risk, were evil monsters. Sebastian, the narrator, is a young gay teen who is struggling with balancing pleasing himself [being true to himself] and wanting to please others. This isn't only about sexual orientation or identity. This is about him being a people-pleaser even when it is making him deeply unhappy. I think it is an also universal struggle in that age-old question: do I really want to be the person my parents want me to be?

So Sebastian (Seb) is one of many [a hundred I think????] chosen to take part in a mental health retreat. 'At risk' and 'troubled' teens applied for experimental therapy treatment 'HappyHeads.' They'll be put into teams and face challenges--literal at time: physical challenges, mental and emotional as well. What wasn't quite advertised is that this is a competition. Each participant has a ranking. To what extent 'rankings' matter remains to be seen....for most of the novel. 

Readers meet the other participants....notably Eleanor and Finn. Finn is the 'bad boy' of his dreams. Eleanor is his 'partner' in pretense but also for tactical reasons. She's ranked HIGHLY and she seems to have an instinct for knowing what the powers that be want from the participants. Because Seb wants to please the powers that be, he finds it easier to go along with her. 

Obviously there are secrets and twists and turns....

My thoughts: I found this to be a compelling read. Not at all my normal 'cup of tea' if you will. But unlike Hunger Games, there is no love triangle. AND it is not really focused on being a love story. It is much more in the 'dystopia' and 'coming of age' and 'thriller' camp than being a romance.

Unlike Hunger Games, the characters ARE IN THE DARK. The mysteries are true mysteries. The suspense feels more authentic that way. Hunger Games is very this-is-the-way-things-are. There is something rigid and strict about Hunger Games. The Games may be twisted, however, there's order and structure and HISTORY. This leads to plenty of info-dump possibilities. HappyHead is different in that Seb truly has no idea what is going on and what may be coming. None of the characters do.

 

© 2025 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

6. Something Rotten

Something Rotten. (Horatio Wilkes Mystery #1)  Alan Gratz. 2007. 208 pages. [Source: Library] [YA Mystery; YA Suspense; dysfunctional families; adaptation of William Shakespeare]

First sentence: Denmark, Tennessee, stank. Bad. Like dead fish fricasseed in sewer water.

Premise/plot: The Prince family of Denmark, Tennessee, is rich and corrupt. Mostly. Horatio Wilkes, the narrator, is a school friend visiting Hamilton Prince for the summer. Their first stop? The family paper plant--Elsinore Paper Plant--the source of the stink in Denmark. This one is an adaptation of Hamlet by William Shakespeare. Those familiar with the original will notice similarities [and differences] right away.

[I don't know how familiar teens are with Hamlet these days. I would imagine it's still assigned reading in some places.] But those who are familiar will recognize how Gratz updates the memorable ghost scene which opens the play. A videotape reveals a startling image:

The man on the screen had snow white hair and a face like a walnut. He looked like he was a hundred years old, but it was Mr. Prince, sure enough. There was a sad, hollow look in his eyes that I knew but couldn't place.

The tape goes on...

Hamilton, if the boys show you this tape, it means something bad has happened. Something very bad. It means I've been murdered. . . It was poison . . .

Hamilton immediately suspects his uncle Claude. His new step-father. Horatio isn't as quick to jump to conclusions. He treats this situation like a true mystery. He decides to observe, listen, and wait patiently for the pieces to fall into place. Hamilton? Well, Hamilton just wants to yell, mope, drink, and be a miserable drain to everyone's mood.

All the familiar characters are there. I think the more familiar you are with the play--either through reading it or seeing it--the more you can appreciate it. However, I doubt that that is essential.

My thoughts: There were many things I enjoyed about this one, though I didn't love, love, love it. Still, I can see myself recommending this one to others. I know a few people who love Shakespeare, and this will definitely be something I mention to them.

This is a reread for me. I've pieced some of the original review (especially in the summary) while adding a few new sentences. I didn't know it when I read the first book back in November 2007, but I would go on to love, love, love, love the second book in the series which is an adaptation of Macbeth. I've always intended to reread both books. [I did not own a copy of the first book so I had to interlibrary loan it.]  

I do wish the series had been enough of a success that more had been written. I don't know that the series failed OR if Alan Gratz just realized that he preferred writing amazing, awesome historical fiction instead of young adult mysteries. I DO love his historical books--especially those with a world war two setting.

 

© 2024 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

89. Girl Forgotten

Girl Forgotten. April Henry. 2023. [March] 264 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: Maybe after dark, this older section of the cemetery, with its crumbling headstones, would be scary. But it's a bright summer day, and right now, the cemetery is an escape. 

Premise/plot: Piper Gray has come to live with her father and stepmother. She stumbles--quite literally--into a gravestone--Layla Trello--and discovers an unsolved murder from seventeen years before. Since she loves true crime podcasts, why not start her own? Why not interview anyone and everyone who might have known Layla in the past--how hard could that be? Why not see if she can't solve the case and get all the views (or likes or whatever). Jonas, her new friend and possible, possible love interest down the line, agrees reluctantly to help her. (He has a podcast of his own not related to crime.)

But it turns out the town doesn't really like a teenager making accusations all in the name of journalism. Her podcast comes at a cost--is it one she'll pay for with her life?

My thoughts: This one seems very on trend at the moment. I'm not complaining about teens with true-crime podcasts or murder mysteries for the YA crowd. I'm not. It is a refreshing change of pace. I enjoyed this one for the most part.

 

© 2023 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

64. A Long Stretch of Bad Days

A Long Stretch of Bad Days. Mindy McGinnis. 2023. [March] 368 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: I don't mind living in a small town; I just don't want to die in one.

Premise/plot: Circumstances draw two unlikely friends together in Mindy McGinnis' new young adult thriller. Lydia Chass and Bristal Jamison are unlikely friends--complete opposites. The one thing they have in common? Well, due to the guidance counselor's negligence, both need one more credit to graduate on time. A compromise--of sorts--is reached with the [embarrassed] administration. The two will get a history credit for working [together as a team] on a podcast focusing on the town's history. 

The two decide to research the "long stretch of bad days." This is how locals refer to a particularly bad week in June 1994. Tornado. Flood. Unsolved Murder. All within a matter of three or four days. Many people are happy to talk about the tornado itself--as long as you don't press too closely in on the unsavory bits. But what Bristal and Lydia WANT are an exciting podcast that will unearth [literally] secrets decades old. Be careful what you wish for.

My thoughts: This mystery-thriller is a slow-reveal. The pace is steady-even for most of it. It isn't until the last third that the pace picks up and RACES ahead into danger, danger, and more danger. I was intrigued by the mystery--a missing person's case [a foster child] AND an unsolved murder. One is completely unacknowledged by the town. It's like this foster child has NEVER existed. The other is shrugged off. No one really missed the low-life-victim, so it's no big deal that the case was never solved. 

I will say that this one should have a BIG trigger warning. Something HORRIBLE and TRAGIC and AWFUL happened to ALL the dogs at the shelter during this long stretch of bad days. For those that are particularly sensitive to bad things happening to doggos, this one may not be for you.

As far as content warnings, there's curse words galore. So if you're super sensitive to that...then this one might not be a good fit to you.

 

© 2023 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

55. The Headmaster's List

The Headmaster's List. Melissa de la Cruz. 2023. 400 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: Spencer couldn't take her eyes away from the officer's pen as it hovered over his report, patiently waiting.

Premise/plot: "One of them was driving. One of them was high. One of them screamed. One of them died." Spencer Sandoval, the protagonist, wakes up in the hospital with no memory surrounding the accident. She remembers breaking up with her boyfriend, Ethan, earlier in the evening. But she doesn't remember getting in the car with Ethan, Tabby (they/them), or Chris Moore. Now Chris Moore--the youngest--is dead. She is determined--at all costs--to find answers. Ethan has been charged and is facing trial. But there are some clues that she uncovers that leads her to believe the whole truth is being hidden from her, that there's more to the story. 

Jackson, Ethan's best friend, teams up with Spencer to help her find out what happened that night. To piece together the whole evening. But she faces hurdles from just about everyone--including Ethan, the police, most of the adults in her life.

My thoughts: The Headmaster's List is a suspense/thriller. It has its intense moments. I liked some things about this one. I did. I didn't love everything. The courtroom scenes--for better or worse--were a little frustrating. Either the prosecutors and defense attorneys were semi-unprofessional OR no one knew when/how to object. I thought those scenes were slightly cringe-y. Spencer's interactions with the police also seemed a little suspect. I can a hundred percent understand why the police could not, would not just release evidence to her--no matter she was in the crash. It's an active case and an active trial. But the officer who talks to her doesn't keep it professional, reasonable, logical. He makes it personal and is an ***. Like he has no people skills whatsoever. And even when she's obviously being stalked and threatened, even when an attempt or two have been made on her life, he's like NOPE, GO AWAY, YOU HAVE NO BUSINESS WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, WE DON'T BELIEVE YOU. It takes incompetence and unprofessionalism to the next level.

I found the lack of adults slightly disconcerting. But perhaps that's only to be expected in YA books??? I do like Spencer's younger sister, and her emotional support dog. The suspense/tension kept me reading.

As an adult, I have to say that I did find this one predictable. I'm not sure if younger readers will pick up on all the twists and turns as early on as I did. So the big, big, big reveal wasn't so much a reveal as a confirmation that I guessed correctly.

© 2023 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

39. Going Dark

Going Dark. Melissa de la Cruz. 2023. [January] 336 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: The plane bucked with unexpected turbulence on its final descent, sending Josh’s stomach into his chest and causing him to grip the armrests so tightly his knuckles turned white. He’d finally dozed off while watching the in-flight movie when he’d been jolted awake by the sudden drop. Instinctively, he reached out to the seat next to him, only to find it empty. Of course, he’d forgotten. Amelia hadn’t boarded with him.

Premise/plot: Josh Reuter loves Amelia Ashley. Yet when these two get into a fight in Rome, Italy, he leaves for the States without her. That's when she goes dark. She disappears from social media. She doesn't respond to calls or texts. She vanishes. Her friends alert the police. Josh is questioned. Blood is found in his suitcase. He claims he's innocent. That she was alive and well--perhaps not mentally well, but physically well--the last time he saw her. As the police grow more and more suspicious, and the internet becomes more cruel, Josh faces a dilemma. 

Amelia Ashley is--or was, or is???--a social media star. Her "category" is food/travel. She's got quite a devoted following to her accounts. She shares her lives through photographs, videos, and blog posts. Josh Reuter is NOT a social media star. And that's the way he likes it. He may be a photographer, but, his private life is private. She includes him in several videos and posts. After she goes missing, he's tormented/bullied by his girlfriend's fans.

Harper plays a pivotal role in this one. She was not a fan of Amelia Ashley before she goes missing. Josh is a nameless familiar face. They share a class--abnormal psychology. Yet her side-business, her illegal side-business, gives her the tools she needs to get to the bottom of this missing person's case. Her discoveries--which she does not share with the police--reveal that BOTH Josh and Amelia have deep, dark secrets. 

The jacket flap pushes the idea that this one is "ripped from the headlines," and certainly on the surface that is true. The book also seems to be pushing the idea that coverage of missing persons is unjust, unfair, warped, racist, bigoted. While I don't negate that conclusion in its entirety, I'd just add that any person with a large following, a social media star, a person who has thousands of photographs, thousands of videos, media that is easy to "grab" for journalists...is naturally going to get more coverage. It is more of a news story--because those images, those videos, those words--are an easy hook to fit into allotted space. Another thing that I think is not considered enough in this one, is that the other missing person case explored in this one is of a girl who while yes is biracial and therefore "not white" she's also someone who has a) a history of running away b) a history of running away c) a history of going off her medication and....you guessed it...running away. That doesn't mean it's okay for the police to make all sorts of assumptions about her disappearance. (They assume that she has gone off her medication and run away.) So the conclusion that the reason this girl did not have a "trending hashtag" or a headline story simply because she was biracial...unfair at best. I think the trending hashtag has everything to do with her being a social media star....and not the color of her skin. As for headlines--I think there's more there to that argument.

My thoughts: I found this one super-compelling. It had multiple narrators--Josh, Harper, Amelia--and the points of view were so fascinating. As the mystery unfolded, it was just impossible to put down. I kept changing my mind with every chapter.

 

© 2023 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

25. Retro

Retro. Sofia Lapuente and Jarrod Shusterman. 2023. [January] 400 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: You don't know me yet. But here I stand, soaked in mud, blood stained across my diamond disco dress--and I'm not even sure where I am. My heart is splintered glass inside my chest. Un corazon roto. How I arrived is a story too twisted to believe. So let me center myself and take in my surroundings.

Premise/plot: Retro, a YA contemporary thriller, has a framework. Luna, the protagonist, is being held hostage. Readers know from the start that danger, danger, and more danger are ahead in the pages. The narrative mainly unfolds chronologically--with a few flashes to the "present" hostage situation. It begins with three girls having fun. (The first chapter is titled "Girls Just Want to Have Fun"). Luna, Samantha, and Mimi shopping together at the mall...when Mimi leaves the two of them together...trouble happens. Samantha asks Luna to hold her bag for her. What she doesn't know--Luna doesn't know--is that Samantha has spent the morning shoplifting at that store. Luna is caught red-handed. Samantha stays silent. Not just silent at the store with the clerks and cops and whatnot. But silent with her mom. Luna is ANGRY. She's determined to rid herself of any and all reminders of their long years of friendship. While she's going through her phone deleting pictures, she stumbles across a video of a drunk Samantha ranting and raving. Samantha is dishing out the dirt, if you will, and speaking freely about all of her classmates and so-called friends. Luna posts this video anonymously to a social media site--Limbo--and sends the link to Mimi. Not a full day goes by--perhaps half a day--when Luna begins to have doubts about what she's done. She deletes the video and/or removes it from the site. But what she didn't count on was the video going VIRAL before she removes it. I'm not sure if it's been shared or uploaded or re-uploaded or ???? but the video is EVERYWHERE. Samantha is being bullied online and in person. And the bullying is brutal. Luna feels insta-guilt and definite regret. She has to step up and do something...but it never seems enough.

The fallout of this bullying makes up the heart and substance of this thriller. Long story short, LIMBO, the social media site comes to their high school and offers a HUGE scholarship opportunity. They offer a "retro challenge" where contestants must live the full school year without using ANY technology invented after the year 2000. To get a chance for a [great] college scholarship, they'll have to give up life as they know it. Mimi and Luna join the challenge....and a handful of others...whom we'll come to know as the novel unfolds...

My thoughts: I found Retro a super-compelling thriller. While it is somewhat-mostly obvious from the start who the "bad guy" or "villain" is...how everything unfolds is intriguing. I liked the group of friends that come together to do the challenge. These are mostly people who would not have taken the time to get to know each other and hang out IF there was not a challenge. Everyone is learning life-lessons (for the most part) and figuring out who they are, who they want to be, and what they want out of life. There is drama, mystery, and light romance.

One of my favorite things about this one was that each chapter is a song title. Luna and her friends seem to equate "going retro" with listening to cassette tapes and/or mixed tapes. Also for some reason roller skates. (Which I personally found odd, but that's just me???) I suppose the rules could allow for you to pick just one decade to settle into or allow you to pick and choose. The playlist certainly blends from the 90s and 80s. 

I liked the premise of "going retro."

 

© 2023 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

42. Remember Me Gone

Remember Me Gone. Stacy Stokes. 2022. 368 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: People come from everywhere to forget.

Premise/plot: Remember Me Gone is a mystery (of sorts) set in Tumble Tree, Texas. Lucy Miller, our heroine, is excited to join the family business. Her father has a unique gift--he can remove people's unwanted memories. Sadness. Grief. Pain. Suffering. Regret. (etc.) Those visiting Memory House are encouraged to remove all physical traces of those connected with the memories they are having erased. Otherwise, 'echoes' might lead to confusion and disorientation. Most of those who arrive at Memory House, however, are new patients (if you will). Lucy, only sixteen, hasn't yet learned how to remove memories. But she's eager to try...

But as 99.99% of readers can predict, all is not as it seems with her father, the Memory House, and the town of Tumble Tree itself. Lucy's own memories have been altered. She has quite a mystery on her hands to solve...

My thoughts: I felt this was an almost all the way through. It was a good solid almost. I think the premise is interesting enough to have potential. I am curious in the world Stokes has created. I'm more curious about how the Memory House came to be. How did her family discover they have this talent? How did they come to settle in Tumble Tree? Is there something special about this one location? Why not set up a Memory House in a more populated place? What is the state of the world? Has something catastrophic unsettled society at large? The glimpses of the wider world we see--very few and far between--things don't seem to be particularly well. I'm curious if there could be post-apocalyptic undertones going on. Or if I was just in a weird mood when I set down with this one. But most of the questions I have about this world are not answered. And perhaps rightly so. 

The focus of the story is on Lucy's "coming of age" and how she discovers that HER personal memories have been erased--perhaps dozens of times--and how knowing that her father has manipulated her--and that she is not alone in this experience. There are powers that be at work in this town that are harming everyone. It is more than personal. 

The premise, as I mentioned, is interesting. I just found the storytelling to be "almost" instead of fully engaging. I didn't really connect with the characters. This could be just my personal reaction (obviously). But for me it was so premise-driven that it lost any character-driven angles it might have had.

 

© 2022 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

118. Eyes of the Forest

Eyes of the Forest. April Henry. 2021. [April] 272 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: The gun looked real. No orange tip, no obvious seams where molded plastic pieces had been glued together.

Premise/plot: BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU ASK FOR. Bestselling author, R.M. Haldon has writer's block. He has a long, long list of excuses for why he hasn't written the last book in the Swords and Shadows series titled, Eyes of the Forest. One quip being is that he's so blocked that he won't be able to write it unless he's kidnapped and held at gunpoint. One fan takes this literally as an invitation...

Bridget, our heroine, is Haldon's biggest fan--well, one of them. She's been working with him on an official capacity helping him with research. A LOT of details go into world-building, character development, and plotting--Bridget pulls it all together.

Bridget, of course, is not Haldon's only fan. She's one of many... but she may be his only chance at getting rescued...

My thoughts: I'm not happy with how the jacket copy reads. And I'm not satisfied with my summary attempt either. Really I feel this is one of those books where it's best if you know as little as possible. It offers a little of everything for readers--a glimpse at the fandom of fantasy, a mystery, a thriller, a tiny bit of romance. (Bridget is introducing a classmate to Haldon's series by reading them aloud to him at lunch. The two have grown close. Bridget knows she likes-like him, but does he like-like her? Readers are never really sure that he's equally interested in her in that way.) 

There are multiple narrators. It can be a bit dark, bleak, and creepy.

Eyes of the Forest is best at being a fast-paced thriller. I was so swept up into the suspense/thriller aspects of it that I didn't really slow down enough to notice any flaws and weaknesses. 

© 2021 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

102. Thrive

Thrive (The Overthrow #3) Kenneth Oppel. 2021. [May] 416 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: High overhead, the winged cryptogen circled tightly, its golden wing glingtin in the sunlight that shafted through the clouds.

Premise/plot: Thrive is the third book Kenneth Oppel's Overthrow series. In the first book, Anaya, Seth, and Petra learned that they were the immune to the deadly dangerous alien plants that rained down as seeds. This being in part due to the fact that they were half-alien. It was quite a shock. In the second book, they faced dangers from within and without. Various governments of the world locked away these hybrids--including Seth, Petra, and Anaya--for experimental tests. (Also because the powers that be didn't trust them to be on the human side of the coming battle). In the third book, the battle is upon us. The aliens have arrived. And our protagonists can communicate telepathically with them.... There's a good chance that the aliens in contact with them are rebels within the invading army. But even joining forces these alien rebels and the humans may face quite an opponent....

My thoughts: I did find Thrive more action-packed and interesting than the second book in the series. (The second book was so boring.) I got hooked on the story in the first book and was hoping that the third story would end on a high enough note that I had an overall positive experience. I think it managed that fine.

I do think things were perhaps a little too easy and somewhat convenient. Not that I was cheering for the aliens to win, mind you, it's just that it was very tied up in a bow. By the end of the book, the world was ready to resume without any notable lingering effects of near-destruction. It was like the action of the past few months meant very little. And I just don't know how realistic that is.

I think what annoyed me most was Petra's being so clinging to Seth. I guess she developed a super crush on him in book one (that was not reciprocated) and it has just lingered on in books two and three. But by book three, I was so OVER it. He is not into you. He doesn't care about you like that. He barely cares about you at all. Like at all. Seth annoyed me the most. I wanted to yell and scream at him most of the time. (As opposed to yelling at Petra only half the time). HE was so stupid and lacking in common sense. The fact that two out of three of the protagonists were making clumsy decisions that could have had serious impacts on the fate of Earth and HUMANITY...and we still managed to "win" without too much trouble did make it seem a little unrealistic. 

© 2021 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

92. Hatch

Hatch. (The Overthrow #2) Kenneth Oppel. 2020. [September] 384 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: This wasn't normal rain.

Premise/plot: Hatch is the sequel to Kenneth Oppel's Bloom. In the first book, readers met three teens who seemed to be completely immune to the alien invasion--of plants. Now in the second book, these three are joined by many others who are half human and half alien. There are three types of aliens: those that live on land, on water, and in the air--jumpers, swimmers, and flyers. As their bodies continue to undergo strange and 'alien' transformations, these teens--including our three Anaya, Petra, and Seth--are kept under lock and key by the government who wants to use them for tests and experiments.

My thoughts: I found the first book, Bloom, to be action-packed and full of thrills and chills. It was exciting, intense, scary. This second book has a much slower pace, perhaps as slow as molasses. The focus for the first half seems to be the mundane, trivial moments of life as a captive of the government. I have no doubt that plenty of exciting, intense, terrifying things are happening outside. But we don't get to see that. Nope, we're stuck in the cafeteria chatty-chatting with others. The second half does seem to offer more excitement to readers. But this one is definitely unevenly paced.

 

© 2021 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

64. Red Wolf

Red Wolf. Rachel Vincent. 2021. [July] 368 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: The dark wood moaned—a deep, eerie sound that was more than just the groan of shifting tree limbs. I turned, and my empty basket swung in the crook of my right elbow as I stared into the wooded expanse that enclosed most of Oakvale.

Premise/plot: Red Wolf by Rachel Vincent is a retelling of the classic folk tale Little Red Riding Hood. Mostly. Adele, the heroine, does have a grandmother living deep, deep, deep in the woods. And the woods can be deadly, so Adele does have to be careful when she's taking her supplies. But this is a YA retelling. Adele is no girl, but a young woman--sixteen. And would it even be a YA book without a love triangle???

Readers can expect horror, romance, drama, and secrets. Of course, a few of those secrets are spilled right in the jacket copy. For better or worse, the book's description tells you right out that Adele is a werewolf and that she comes from a family of werewolves... If I'd been writing that description, I would have chosen to do it differently. That could just be me. I like to know as little as possible--most of the time--about a book. Especially in this genre/sub-genre.

My thoughts: I found Red Wolf a compelling, atmospheric read. If Readers In Peril was still a thing--is it still a thing???--I would definitely recommend reading this one for the reading challenge. It offers a few spooks and a good amount of blood. This genre/sub-genre is not a favorite of mine. I didn't go out seeking a book starring werewolves--or shapeshifters. But I am drawn to fairy tale (and folk tale) retellings. I like seeing how other authors treat old tales. (The show Once Upon A Time is/was one of my favorites.) 

I do think it will appeal to several different audiences. I think adults who are looking for paranormal thrillers may roll their eyes a bit at the love triangle aspect of it. I know love triangles can really upset some readers who are tired to death of it. But the romance elements were never front and center for me. And that may help some readers out. 

What was front and center for me was the whole nurture versus nature aspect of it. Adele is caught up in something she doesn't really understand and she's in over her head. Of course, nature versus nurture has been done a million times before as well.

I liked the openness of the ending. I think it could easily be a stand alone book, and stay a stand alone book. I don't need a tidier ending than what we get here. But I could see how there's just enough room left open so that a series could happen. But again I don't think readers would have to go on to any future books. 

I did find myself yelling at Adele a couple times throughout the book. There were times I saw danger that she was blind to. There were times I found her frustrating. But overall, I was drawn into her world. 

Quote:

The dark wood takes a little more of you every day that you’re out there, until things that seemed unthinkable a week ago suddenly seem acceptable.

© 2021 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

The Last Voyage of Poe Blythe

The Last Voyage of Poe Blythe. Ally Condie. 2019. 328 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: Call tells me he sees a star and that makes me laugh.

Premise/plot: The Last Voyage of Poe Blythe is a dystopian young adult novel. Poe loves Call. Call loves Poe. In a perfect, perfect world these two would find a way to run away together and get a chance at a happily ever after. But this isn't a perfect, perfect world--it's a dystopian novel. Call, Poe's true love, is killed in the prologue thus inspiring Poe's lust for revenge. This lust suits the Admiral just fine. In fact he considers Poe a great weapon against 'the enemy.' 

Gold. The Admiral wants/needs it--badly. There are ships that dredge the river in pursuit of gold. Call and Poe are on such a ship in the prologue. And Poe spends the rest of the novel as Captain of another mining ship. This ship has been armed with a weapon of her own design--one that will keep the river raiders from boarding, from slaughtering, from stealing. It was a raider who murdered Call. But is living for revenge really living? There are many secrets to be discovered--it would be a shock and disappointment if there weren't secrets galore.

My thoughts: Action-packed. The Last Voyage of Poe Blythe is packed cover to cover with action. But is it equally packed with heart and soul? Is there much substance or depth to the world Condie has created for teens? I would say no and no. Don't get me wrong. The action alone may keep you reading. (I read this one in two days.) There's nothing wrong with a book using action, violence, and suspense to keep you turning pages. A book can be a great escape.

This is definitely an action-driven novel. Dystopians can be premise-driven, action-driven, or character-driven. Perhaps the best of the best of the genre combine all three. I prefer premise-driven or character-driven dystopians. Novels that make me think or rethink the world. Novels that feature characters that I won't be forgetting any time soon. I definitely thought the character development suffered a bit in this one.

© 2019 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Dry

Dry. Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman. 2018. Simon & Schuster. 390 pages. [Source: Library]
First sentence: The kitchen faucet makes the most bizarre sounds.

Premise/plot: What would happen if a region--say Southern California--ran out of water completely. How would individuals, families, communities react and respond? Would they turn on each other and fight--fight even to the death for a chance to get their hands on a little water? This 'what-if' YA novel is narrated by several teens: two, Alyssa and Kelton, are next-door-neighbors and two are strangers, Henry and Jacqui. There's also another protagonist, Garret, the younger brother of Alyssa. These people come together--unite--to better their chances for survival. But is everyone honest and worthy of trust? Who can you trust when your life is on the line?

My thoughts: This is a fast-paced, compelling read. So much drama and melodrama is packed into a short amount of time--perhaps five to seven days. Things escalate quickly. I didn't have any problems with pacing or the action. I was hoping--in a way--for more characterization. (You know me, I love my character-driven novels!) I felt slightly disconnected from the characters at times. But no doubt it's a compelling enough read. It is a stand alone novel.



© 2018 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

A Heart In a Body in the World

A Heart in a Body in the World. Deb Caletti. 2018. 368 pages. [Source: Library]
First sentence: Annabelle Agnelli is trying to hold it together in the parking lot of Dick's Drive-In. After what just happened, she's stunned. Frozen. And then--imagine it--Annabelle's wrecked self suddenly takes off like a lightning bolt.

Premise/plot: If ever a book needs a freezer, then A Heart in the Body in the World does. Annabelle's story--her nightmare of a story--unfolds slowly throughout the book as she runs across the country. Is she running from her past? running from her present? or running towards her future? Annabelle herself couldn't tell you why she's running--just that she must keep going no matter what. She's supported--for the most part--by her family and friends. Grandpa Ed is driving his RV cross country. Every day these two meet up at the end of the day. (Grandpa Ed has his lady friend and her grandson meet up now and then with them as well. His name is Luke Messenger. Oh-so-reluctantly Annabelle lets herself make a new friend.)

My thoughts: At first I found the slow-reveal to be frustrating. Part of me wanted to know what traumatic event had shattered Annabelle's life and know it now. But as more of her story came out, I lost my frustration. By the time we know everything we are so completely engaged and connected with Annabelle (and those close to her) that her pain is our pain. This has all the feels--thus the need for a FREEZER.

Should every one read A Heart In a Body In the World? Yes. No. Yes. No. Maybe. I will say that this one is not a clean read. This one has language in it--blasphemy. It is not frivolous, trivial, or casual. And the subject matter is so important--so relevant--that I think it is probably worth reading for most. So many discussions could/should be had around this one. It is not age-appropriate for every one. Just because a reader isn't ready now doesn't mean that the reader will never be ready.


© 2018 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Genuine Fraud

Genuine Fraud. E. Lockhart. 2017. 272 pages. [Source: Library]
First sentence: It was a bloody great hotel.

Premise/plot: Looking for a book that is told completely in reverse chronology? Have I got a book for you. E. Lockhart's Genuine Fraud. Lockhart mentions two specific inspirations for her novel: Great Expectations by Charles Dickens and The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith.

Mysteries perpetuate the status quo. Everything always wraps up at the end. Order is restored. But order doesn't really exist, right? It's an artificial construct. The whole genre of the mystery novel reinforces the hegemony of Western notions of causation. In L'Etranger, you know everything that happens from the beginning. There's nothing to find out, because human existence is ultimately meaningless. (70) ~ Forrest to Jules

Jules, the heroine of Genuine Fraud, sees herself as the center of an action movie.

She knew that women were rarely the centers of such stories. Instead, they were eye candy, arm candy, victims, or love interests. Mostly they existed to help the great white hetero hero on his [...] epic journey. When there was a heroine, she weighed very little, wore very little, and had had her teeth fixed. Jule knew she didn't look like those women. She would never look like those women. But she was everything those heroes were, and in some ways, she was more. She knew that too. (22)

I am the center of the story now, Jule said to herself. I don't have to weigh very little, wear very little, or have my teeth fixed. I am the center. (150)

My thoughts: Genuine Fraud isn't my typical book. I don't typically do psychological thrillers. I don't have a special love for unreliable narrators. But. There was something intriguing about E. Lockhart's Genuine Fraud. Something that kept me reading even if that something wasn't suspense. Was Lockhart hoping to lead her readers on a quest for the WHY? Or perhaps was it all about illustrating how there are no whys to explain away murderers actions?

I have not read The Talented Mr. Ripley. I've read reviews saying that Lockhart has borrowed every plot point, every character, directly from this book. And for people who've read both--it was too much echoing to be inspiration.


© 2017 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Need

Need. Joelle Charbonneau. 2015. HMH. 335 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: Want: A desire to possess or do something, a wish. Need: Something required because it is essential. Something very important that you cannot live without. What do you need?
"See Kaylee. It's fascinating, right?" Nate swivels in my desk chair and grins, showing off the braces he will finally get removed next week.

Premise/plot: Kaylee, the heroine of NEED, is caught up in life-or-death mystery because she signs up for a new social media account without reading the terms and conditions. I exaggerate slightly. The point being, NEED, is a local, experimental social media experience. The experiment base is just her high school. Each user is assigned an ID, use of their real names is prohibited. The site asks each high school student: WHAT DO YOU NEED? They answer, and, their needs are processed and granted. But the creators of the site are more than immoral and dangerous, they're out to test how quick and easy they can turn a normal teen into a criminal.

My thoughts: If you're looking for a mindless read, something to be consumed and quickly forgotten, then NEED might work for you. This isn't an intellectual read that holds up to analysis. In fact, the more you question the characters, the motivation of each character, the premise, one sees that it's like a dream. It makes its own crazy sense while you're asleep, but, as soon as you wake up you're like WHAT?!

NEED has at least half a dozen narrators. Each is a teen who has signed up for NEED. Each has put in his/her own request. Almost all have been asked to do something in response to signing up. For some, it's merely giving email addresses and inviting others to join. For others, it's bizarre requests. [SPOILER: Deliver a box. Leave a note on someone's porch. But soon those requests are out of control. Switch out the Tylenol pills for these pills. Dig a grave in a neighbor's yard. Tie up your friend and leave him/her in this abandoned building.]

In NEED few--if any--characters question the morality of their individual actions OR question the consequences of their actions. Kaylee is really the only character that asks WHY? And is curious enough to want to know HOW everything is connected.

© 2017 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

The Glass Casket (2014)

The Glass Casket. McCormick Templeman. 2014. Random House. 352 pages. [Source: Review copy]

The Glass Casket has a great opening line,

"One bleak morning in the eye of winter, five horses and five riders thundered into the remote mountain village of Nag's End." 

It caught my interest and kept me reading until the very, very end, without a single break. For the record, I do NOT like horror novels. I do NOT like thrillers. Witches. Monsters. Vampires. Not my thing AT ALL. Yet, for some reason, I found myself unable to walk away from this fantasy novel. In other words, I found myself LOVING it.

After these strange riders fail to return, several men go up into the woods and investigate. What they found shocks them to say the least. One man is bloodied and his eyes and tongue are missing. The remaining four were found NAKED and frozen. One could reason that wolves might have killed one of the five men. BUT what would lead four men to strip off their clothes, fold them up, and allow themselves to freeze to death?! And what was up with the last journal entry found in their belongings that reads: It's starting. Tom Parstle is, I believe, the one who finds that journal entry. And he also removes something else from the scene, something that any fan of Pirates of the Caribbean could warn him against, a coin or medallion. "It was a circle enclosing a smaller circle. They were linked by seven spokes, empty spaces between them. He was leaning in to examine it more closely when he found himself suddenly queasy, as if beset by a noxious force" (19). The men return with some answers but more questions.

Rowan Rose is our heroine. She is Tom's best friend. She's super smart. She doesn't only know how to read and write, she knows how to read and write in several languages. She assists her father in his translating work. In fact, she is BETTER at translating than her father is. She does not want to marry. She wants to be a scholar. She thinks her father is supportive of her plans for the future.

Jude Parstle is Tom's brother. Jude has long been thought to be the lesser of the brothers. No one expects much of him, Tom, well Tom is "the good brother." Jude, well, Jude is allowed to do whatever. Rowan and Jude have a tense relationship: they are ALWAYS bickering. Everyone thinks that Jude hates Rowan, that he perhaps hates her because she's so brainy, though that is more Tom's theory. (Tom thinks his brother is only interested in one thing from a woman.)

Those five riders weren't the ONLY strangers to come to town. There were three other strangers: a glassblower, his wife, and a young woman that is OH-SO-EXTRAORDINARILY-BEAUTIFUL. Her name is Fiona Eira. Not everyone is pleased with these strangers. Rowan's father, Henry, is the most opposed. He insists that Rowan have NOTHING AT ALL to do with Fiona.

So what is Rowan to do when her best friend, Tom, falls madly, deeply in instant-love with Fiona? He HAS to meet her. He just HAS to. He begs and pleads with her to be the go-between, to seek her out, to introduce herself, to speak well of Tom, to arrange a meeting for them the next day. Rowan is creeped out by Tom's obsession in all honesty. But. She dares to disobey her father. She'll do it for her friend. At the very least, her helping Tom may help him calm down a bit.

But this wouldn't be much of a horror novel if Tom and Fiona live happily ever after...

The Glass Casket is definitely packed with action and suspense. There is a big mystery to solve. It is intensely violent. The scenes depicting violence--murder--are very graphic. It is also graphic when it comes to passion. Yet despite the fact that this one is in many ways plot-driven, I feel Templeman did a good job with characterization. I definitely had favorite characters.

Rowan and Obsessed-Tom talking about LOVE:

"Rowan," he said, "do you think it possible to love someone upon first laying eyes on them?"
"Well, the poets certainly thought it so if they're to be believed, a woman's eyes can know a future lover upon seeing him, and if the man sees the fire in those eyes, sees himself there, then he can fall in love before they've even spoken a word."
"But what do you think? Do you think it's possible?"
"I don't know. I suppose I like the idea of some part of our bodies knowing and recognizing our futures even if our minds cannot. That appeals to me. But no, I don't think it possible."
"You don't? Really? If your future husband came riding into the village one day, you don't think you'd recognize him immediately?"
"I don't think that's how it works."
"How does it work, then?"
"I think in order to love someone, you must know their heart. You need to witness their goodness, and you can't know something like that unless you've known someone for a while. I think familiarity breeds love."
"That's not very romantic of you."
"Isn't it?"
"I'm talking about love, grand love--that thing that makes you feel like your knees are about to give way, that certainty that you've seen the essence of your future in a pair of red lips."
"Tom, beauty isn't the same thing as goodness; it isn't the same thing as love." (52, 53)

Rowan on Jude:

Staring at him, she felt rage burning in her chest. How was it that he could make her so angry? How was it that he always seemed to know how she felt without her saying a word? It was unfair. He had no right to her feelings. Her temper getting the better of her, she strode over to him, her hands clenched into fists, and took a single wretched swing at him. The force she'd put behind the blow was intense, but she never connected, for he caught her forearm gently in his hand, and looking deep into her eyes, he held her gaze. (75)

Sample of atmosphere:

The funeral should have been the next day. It ought to have been. The village ought to have gathered in Fiona Eira's home and the elders ought to have performed the rites. She should have been covered in the funerary shroud, hiding the sight of human flesh so as not to offend the Goddess. Her body laid up on Cairn Hill at the Mouth of the Goddess, stones carefully arranged atop her resting spot. These were the things that ought to have been done. But sometimes things don't go as planned. (117)

It was a coffin. A glass coffin, intricately carved, and set out in the yard for all to see. Inside it was the girl, her black hair splayed out around her, her lips like rotting cherries set against a newly ashen complexion. (129)

© 2014 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

The Living (2013)

The Living. Matt de la Pena. 2013. Random House. 320 pages. [Source: Review copy]

The Living is a fast read. It's an interesting blend of genres: survival fiction (natural disaster), romance, mystery, horror, AND medical thriller (conspiracies, evil corporations, oh my!).

Shy, the book's hero, is working a summer job on a cruise ship. He's gotten close to a couple of guys and one girl in particular, Carmen. He's fallen hard for her. She's engaged to another guy, a law student. Shy is a mostly good guy who is not out to steal someone else's girlfriend. He's not out to get her to cheat on this guy. He just likes talking to her about anything and everything, no topics are off limits, really. She just really understands him in a way like no one else. On his latest trip, he has the feeling that someone is watching him, in a creepy not-normal way. He's right: someone wants to know EVERYTHING about a certain suicide that Shy witnessed on the last voyage.

Survival on the open sea. Something BIG and catastrophic happens. (A chain of somethings.) Shy is on board a small boat (life boat? raft? one of the two.) with only a very injured business man and a very young, very attractive young woman. Their days on the sea, their fight for survival, creates a bond, despite the fact that these two have zero in common with each other--and outside of this specific situation they'd never speak to one another. Will they survive? Will they reach land? Is help on the way? When does life return to normal again?

The Living is bleak, in a way. The novel is very up front about death. The first death (by suicide) opening in the prologue. The body count just increases from there. It's also extremely action-packed with just a few meaning-of-life conversations thrown in.

It is the first book in a series. I would say it doesn't have a proper end, and that it might best be saved for late summer (or early fall) 2014 so that you only have a few weeks to wait for the next book.

© 2014 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews