69. In the Red

In the Red. Christopher Swiedler. 2020. [March] 288 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: By Friday afternoon, after a week of careful thought, Michael Prasad had come up with just one theory for how he might make it to Monday morning without getting grounded for the rest of his life.

Premise/plot: In the Red is a middle grade science fiction novel set on Mars. Michael, the hero, has been forbidden to try (again) for his basic certification--being certified to go out on the surface of Mars in an environmental suit. Most pass by the age of ten--he's twelve. But he's experienced panic attacks in the past on test day--that were not pretty. Michael feels certain he's a big disappointment to his dad. If he can just get over his panic attacks then he could visit his father at work on the station. So many things he could do...if only his body didn't betray him.

Lilith, Michael's best, best, best friend, is so supportive of him. For better or worse--after another failed attempt--she suggests the two of them SNEAK out and go to the surface. What could go wrong????

If nothing went wrong, In the Red would be a short story that few would find super-compelling. Instead it is action packed and filled with danger. Action packed yet still character driven. Despite the jacket copy telling readers a LOT of what to expect, I recommend reading it knowing as little as possible.

My thoughts: I loved, loved, loved, LOVED, LOVED this one. If you like survivor stories, science fiction, coming of age, characters with depth that are relatable, adventure, action...this one has it all. It's so well paced too. I loved the narrator, Michael. I loved his relationships with his best friend, Lilith, and with his brother. (Though we see very little of Peter.)  

It is premise-driven, action-driven, and character-driven. It's hard to be all three--to excel at all three. It is easy to *try* not so easy to succeed. This is an excellent book.

Quotes:

"Well, whatever you do, don't give up, okay?" Peter said. "Don't let anyone convince you that you're some kind of freak."
"I am a freak," Michael mumbled.
"No," Peter said firmly. "You're not. I don't care how many panic attacks you have."
"Mom and Dad don't see it that way."
"Mom and Dad just want to protect you, because that's their job," Peter said. "But part of growing up is deciding when you don't need protection anymore."

© 2021 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

44. Isabelle and Alexander

Isabelle and Alexander. Rebecca Anderson. 2021. [May] 324 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: Isabelle Rackham stood in the morning parlor staring into the mirror, grateful to be alone for a moment; that nobody was fidgeting with buttons, bows, fasteners, or pins. She took as deep a breath as her corseting allowed and ran her hands down the waist of her bridal gown, allowing herself a little shiver of delight.

Premise/plot: Isabelle and Alexander have an arranged marriage, a bit of marriage of convenience. The two certainly aren't madly in love with each other at the start. Living side by side as strangers, the two face quite a challenge when Alexander is thrown from a horse and suffers severe injuries. Will his injury (and his recovery) bring them closer together or drive them further apart?

This one is set in 1850 in northern England. The two mainly live in a manufacturing town (Manchester) and he is a mill owner. Her husband also owns a country estate.

My thoughts: Isabelle and Alexander isn't your typical romance novel. For better or worse. This one isn't all about the swoon-y falling-in-love moments that happen before saying I do and making vows before God. This one is about marriage and the testing of marriage. For better or worse, richer or poorer, in sickness and in health. They face challenges both together--as a couple--and as individuals.

I would say this one is more about the knitting together of two souls than focusing on the physical lusts. True it's a proper romance title so it wouldn't get too smutty anyway.

I believe this is my second title in my nearly thirty years of reading romance novels where one of the leads is in a wheel chair and is differently abled. (The other I read was an Amish romance.)

I also loved getting to know the Kenworthy family. I loved, loved, loved the character of Glory.

I have seen other reviewers comparing this one to North and South. I don't know that I'd stretch it that far. There are some surface similarities for sure: the manufacturing town setting, the owning of a mill, the awkwardness of a couple who barely know how to communicate with one another. But really the two are quite different. 

This one doesn't really focus in on class differences nor does it focus in on unions, strikes, and disagreements between owners and workers. There's a tension in North and South that just isn't there in Isabelle and Alexander.

I would say upon further thought that this one is about Isabelle reorienting herself to her new circumstances. She's newly married, newly moved, adjusting to a new house that doesn't yet feel like a home. She doesn't have friends in the neighborhood--at least not at first. She is hoping that her husband will soon start to feel like a husband instead of a stranger.

© 2021 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews