Reading Challenge Update – April 2025

Posted on May 1, 2025 by Amy @ A Librarian and Her Books

It’s about time I updated my reading challenge. So far, so good, and I still have a few reviews to get up, which I’ll be working on in the next few days. I know… I’ve said that before, but I really mean it this time! Happy Reading, and thanks for stopping by!

  1. Alliterative Title – The Dallergut Dream Department Store by Miye Lee – finished, review incoming
  2. Banned Book
  3. Color in the Title
  4. Book with Death or Dead in the Title – Dead Mountain by Donnie Eichar
  5. Eccentric main character
  6. Book about Friendship
  7. Galactic Science Fiction
  8. Horror about a Haunted House
  9. Book that takes place in India – Six Days in Bombay by Alka Joshi – currently reading
  10. Book that takes place in the Jungle
  11. Book about a King
  12. LGBTQ+ title
  13. Music Related title
  14. Nonfiction relating to Nature: Beaverland – to read next
  15. Own Voices Story
  16. Book about a Prince/Princess
  17. Book about a Queen
  18. Book with a Red Cover
  19. Book about Sisters: Mister Magic by Kiersten White
  20. Time Travel Book: The Book of Doors by Garreth Brown – finished – review incoming
  21. Underdog Story
  22. Book about the Vietnam War
  23. Book involving a Wedding: The Wedding People by Alison Espach
  24. Romantic Comedy involving an EX – A Cleft in the World by Elizabeth Sumner Wafler
  25. Young Adult Title: The Good Girl’s Guide to Murder – finished, review incoming
  26. Book with Zero in the Title

Posted in General fiction, Historical Fiction, Nonfiction, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

A Cleft in the World by Elizabeth Sumner Wafler – a Book Review

Posted on April 29, 2025 by Amy @ A Librarian and Her Books

I stumbled across this lovely novel when meandering through the local library, which I can often be found doing. I was initially intrigued by the cover and the weighty title, so it wound up going home with me. The novel follows Georgie Bricker, a French professor at a small women’s college in Virginia. A victim of childhood trauma, Georgie’s intense agoraphobia hasn’t allowed her to leave her little cocoon of safety on campus in years. I should note here that this is actually a follow-up novel. The first book, Georgie Girl, takes place when Georgie is young and sets up a lot of what comes later. I picked this book up not knowing there was a first. Thankfully, Wafler does enough looking back to fill in the gaps of what readers may have missed by not reading the first.

When her beloved college falls into financial turmoil that threatens its very existence, Georgie finds herself both thrown into the forefront of the fight to save the university and facing a long lost love from her girlhood years. These events might just offer Georgie the push she needs to finally face and overcome the things she’s been suppressing for years.

Not to be a downer, but I want to start with the things I didn’t like about this book, because I don’t like ending on a bad note. Plus, there aren’t too many things I didn’t like. As far as character is concerned, however, I felt something was lacking in a bit of authenticity. Georgie, I’m told, is a 45-year-old woman. Unfortunately, I thought she read as older than that, and I think it would have made sense for the story for her to have been in her mid-to-late 50’s, which would have probably changed some plot points for the book but not to a degree that would alter the meat of the story. Maybe I’m inserting my own biases about my own generation, but you wouldn’t catch me or any of my friends going all motherly toward the area college girls. And maybe it’s also regional. Maybe women my age are much more matronly in Virginia.

The girls at the college, conversely, read a little young to me. Maybe I’m cynical, but I don’t know any college girls that would go to their professor’s house for a sleepover. Then again, this novel is definitely classified as Uplit, and that’s not necessarily supposed to be realistic. It’s supposed to make you feel good, so it’s better just to let go of that sense of logic and just enjoy the ride, even if it feels a little too saccharine at times. It’s like turning to the Hallmark channel for an escape into a good love story. You aren’t expecting the realities of love. You’re expecting to forget love can totally suck for an hour or two.

For what the author does well, she wields her words quite wonderfully. I really enjoyed the experience of reading this book as it has a real lyrical quality that flows easily. Had it been poorly written, it would have been really difficult to overlook the issues of authenticity. I did notice quite a few editing errors in the text, but that’s really down to things that should have been caught during the publication process. The worst was when a girl reacted “creamily” when thinking about her boyfriend. Oh my… pretty sure that was supposed to say dreamily, as this is an otherwise very chaste and family-friendly story. My Heavens…

Aside from the nit-pickery with the editing, this really is a lovely story about second chances at love and life. It’s also about the power of community, which I think is something lacking in modern society. The world can feel so isolating these days, and it’s nice to get lost in a feel-good story that restores your sense of faith in humanity.

On a totally different note, my daughter’s name is Willa, which I think I’ve mentioned before on my blog. Aptly, she is quite the strong-willed ferocious young lady, and my motto for her has always been, “where there’s a Willa, there’s a way.” So I got a big kick out of the fact that the young ladies of Willa Cather College in this book chose that as their motto when advocating for their school. It is quite the catchy phrase.

Overall, I give this one 4 stars. It would be a great summer beach read or just something cozy to enjoy on a stormy night tucked in at home.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Published July 11, 2023 by She Writes Press. ISBN 9781647424527. Paperback. 320 pages.

Posted in General fiction, Romance, Uncategorized, Uplit, Women's fiction | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Mister Magic by Kiersten White – a Book Review

Posted on April 27, 2025 by Amy @ A Librarian and Her Books

If you, like me, are a child of the 90’s or before, you are quite well-versed in the fact that some children’s programs meant to bring joy and comfort dredged up feelings less desirable, often inspiring regular nightmares and originating new deep-seeded fears. Even shows I adored when I was a kid I can watch today and there’s something unsettling about the characters, costumes, and plot points. Sometimes it’s not overt but just a vague sense that things aren’t quite right. Other times the nightmare fuel is quite in-your-face.

If you’re interested in going down this rabbit hole a bit further, see this quite creepy compilation from blameitonjorge:

In her novel, Mister Magic, Kiersten White taps into this nightmare world in a way that’s both clever and effective. This novel finds five members of the Circle of Friends reuniting thirty years after a tragic accident took one of their own, effectively ending the popular kids’ show, Mister Magic. One member, Val, has no memory of the events that transpired before her father secreted her away to a secluded ranch cut off from the outside world. When her four former friends turned strangers re-enter her life, she’ll follow them on a quest to discover her forgotten past, one that will prove to be painful and terrifying.

This novel is a slow burn, a deeply unsettling mystery that unravels just a bit at a time, keeping you on edge before reaching a dramatic conclusion that only heightens the tension. White plants doubts about the nature of reality, as well as doubts about who can and can’t be trusted in this world of secrets buried deep within Val’s memories. The thematic tie-in with children’s entertainment is merely surface-level, as there’s an even deeper metaphor about propaganda, religious dogma, and psychological grooming that resides even deeper beneath the surface. Frankly, this is an utterly brilliant concept, and it’s not one that’s unheard of in the actual world of children’s entertainment, as children’s programming has been used in the past for religious indoctrination and adolescent grooming. To follow another rabbit hole, merely google the cult-manufactured propaganda show from the 80’s titled Life With Grandpa. Don’t blame me when you lose hope in the future of humanity. And for a deep-dive into the show, Nick Crowley has done a fantastic documentary on the show that you can find here:

There’s very little I can say about this book without giving away key points that are pretty vital for the reading experience. It’s an engaging book that really picks up the further you delve into the mystery surrounding Mister Magic, who or what he was, and how the show has faded into merely the ether of vague memories without leaving physical traces of its former existence.

Overall, White is a skilled and succinct writer with a lot to say, and she easily wields her metaphor in a way that inspires both nostalgia and extreme anxiety. I know it’s only April, so it doesn’t carry much weight saying this is the best horror novel I’ve read all year, but it’s likely it could keep that place as my favorite, if only for White’s ingenuity in crafting such a unique story in a genre rife with old and tired tropes. If you do give this one a try, take it slow and savor the slow burn. It’s not a long book, but it’s a deep one.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Published August 8, 2023 by Del Rey. ISBN 9780593359266. 295 pages. Hardcover.

Posted in Horror, Horror, thriller, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The Wedding People by Alison Espach – a Book Review

Posted on April 5, 2025 by Amy @ A Librarian and Her Books

Tonight both the husband and the boy child are away for the evening, and I have four 10-year old girls singing karaoke at the top of their lungs on the floor below me, so I figured it was a great time to catch up on some book reviews. I’ve had The Wedding People finished for more than a couple of months but haven’t come around to writing the review yet. *wrist slap*

Synopsis

Phoebe Stone always planned to visit the Cornwall Inn in Newport, Rhode Island, in the company of her husband, where the two would spend a lavish romantic vacation together. As their marriage begins to crumble, her husband leaves her for a woman who is a work colleague to both of them, a woman who can give him what Phoebe can not. With the rest of her life seeming to crumble around her, Phoebe decides to spare no expense and books herself a room at the Cornwall. She will pamper herself for the one night that will act as her last night. Upon arriving, Phoebe realizes she’s the only one at the Cornwall who is not a guest of a massive wedding spectacle, and when the bride finds out about Phoebe she’s less than happy. And when she finds out Phoebe’s plans, she is hell bent to stop her from ruining her wedding by leaving as a corpse. As the two women start to infiltrate each other’s lives, they may find themselves making a greater impact on each other than they’d imagined.

Review

I really wasn’t sure what to expect when I picked this audiobook. I knew it was making waves, and I assumed it was more of a mystery/thriller type, but it certainly wasn’t. It’s a much more human story about the choices we make that lead us down unintended and unexpected paths and the certain moments in our lives that provide opportunities for redemption and new beginnings. The cast of characters is very robust, full of colorful people that feel completely pulled from life. In some cases (ok… several cases) this means they are completely annoying. I’m not complaining about that because it lends to the authenticity of the book, but it could be grating at times when it wasn’t just humorous. Beneath the humor, it’s a very emotional story. I found myself identifying quite well with Phoebe, and I was really rooting for her to find herself and regain her power as a woman, an identity not tied up in her relationship with a man or her mediocre job that hasn’t quite met her original expectations.

While I originally found the Bride, Lila, to be positively insufferable, she really did grow on me as she grew into herself and I saw all the ways she was also stifling her own inner Goddess to cater to the expectations of other people. More than anything, this book is a testament to how much we women need the support of other women, and sometimes it’s that support that allows us to see ourselves for who we really are rather than the twisted version of ourselves that often lives in our heads. What starts as a difficult book with some pretty dark themes winds up coming together into a cohesive journey that feels really good upon completion.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Published July 30, 2024 by Macmillan Audio. ASIN B0DLSTBNWS. Runtime 11 hrs 49 mins. Narrated by Helen Laser.

Posted in General fiction, Uncategorized, Women's fiction | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The God of the Woods by Liz Moore – a Book Review

Posted on April 3, 2025 by Amy @ A Librarian and Her Books

I was first introduced to Liz Moore a few years ago when I devoured The Unseen World, which I noted in my goodreads review from 2017 as “quietly spectacular.” I remember it being a technologically-driven mystery for super smart people, and I often think about the book even today. This novel, The God of the Woods, is an incredibly different type of book. There’s still a mystery involved, but it’s a much more standard type of mystery. Their commonality exists in the fact that both books are extremely well executed by Moore, a human who is obviously very adept at her craft.

Synopsis

The year is 1975, and the head camp counselor at a summer camp located on the Van Laar Preserve wakes to find an empty bunk. To make matters worse, that empty bunk belongs to the daughter of the camp owners and operators, the wealthy Peter and Alice Van Laar, the current rulers of a long-lasting dynasty dripping with wealth and privilege. As investigators, including the green but enthusiastic Judyta Luptack, work tirelessly to find the 17-year-old before the worst can happen, they find themselves uncovering clues to a fourteen-year-old case involving the disappearance of Barbara’s older brother, Bear, only 8 at the time of his disappearance. While the higher-ups believe the case to be wrapped and the culprit identified and long dead, Judyta starts to uncover decades of secrets, lies, and buried injustices that throw everything into question.

Review

This is an ambitious story with so many layers. Under less competent hands, it could easily have become convoluted or too messy to hold the reader’s interest. Moore, however, seems to have found a way for every character to have his or her place in a tapestry that becomes something really beautiful, though profoundly sad in so many ways, which makes for a very satisfying conclusion. Thematically, class and gender play a huge role in the narrative. Alice, the matriarch of the Van Laar family, seeming on the outside to be a trophy wife of privilege, quietly grows smaller under the crushing weight of her powerlessness in her marriage. It’s devastating to see how Alice’s slow erosion of self has affected her relationship with her own daughter, Alice seemingly being incapable of developing any kind of a lasting bond to the person who depends on her the most.

There are far too many vital characters in this book to analyze fully enough to emphasize their importance, and Moore did every one of them justice. There are a couple of characters who deserve no sympathy whatsoever, save for maybe the fact that their upbringing gave them no opportunity for the development of empathy. This is an important aspect of the book, as it speaks to the harm that can come to civilized society when power and wealth is concentrated so wholly with so few.

I’m not sure what else I could say about this book without giving too much away, because it’s a gift that’s worth unwrapping slowly to savor the flood of emotions it inspires. While I don’t think I was as blown away by it as I was with The Unseen World, I still feel the need to rate it five stars for Moore’s unique ability to craft such a powerful story involving so many complex and intriguing characters.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Published July 2, 2024 by Penguin Audio. ISBN 9780008663827. Runtime 14hrs 35mins. Narrated by Saskia Maarleveld.

Posted in Coming of Age, General fiction, Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction, mystery, thriller, Uncategorized, Women's fiction | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

The House at Watch Hill by Karen Marie Moning – a Book Review

Posted on March 7, 2025 by Amy @ A Librarian and Her Books

In my attempt to catch up and get myself back to productivity, my next couple of reviews may be a bit on the short side. I promise one of these days I’ll get back to my former glory.

Karen Marie Moning has a pretty big fan base, but I’m admittedly a newbie to her work. Simply from the title, I thought I was picking up a haunted house tale, but that’s not what this is. It is a tale in which a woman inherits a creepy old house from a relative she didn’t know existed, but that’s where the similarities with other novels in the Gothic house trope end. From there, this one becomes a tale of centuries old covens and magical beings. Oh, and it’s the first of a new trilogy. If I’m being completely realistic, I can see this one being one that falls off my radar and I never finish the trilogy. Let’s get into why…

Firstly, the book was fine. It’s decently paced with enough intrigue thrown in to keep me engaged. However, I didn’t really care for the main character. I found her whiny, and I simply wasn’t invested in her story. She talked about herself as if she was a passive doormat, but she came across as aggressive and obstinate to me. I don’t think that’s what I was supposed to glean from her character. Any love story was sort of buried under way too much sexual angst, something which actually annoyed me quite a lot. Who knew being super horny was a common attribute of a witch? Not me, for sure. I know some readers actually love the extra spice in books, so if that’s your jam maybe this is the book for you. It just doesn’t really add that much for me and I prefer more subtle spiciness.

I felt the twist in the end was rather anticlimactic and predictable, which is never a plus, especially when it’s a cliffhanger. I did quite enjoy the atmospheric quality of the setting, and I thought Moning did quite a good job of building this world and the people that occupy it. Ultimately, that wasn’t enough to really pull me fully in, but it was a plus. Overall I think Moning is a talented writer, but I don’t think this one is for me.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5.

Published October 1, 2024 by William Morrow. ISBN 978-0063249219. Hardcover. 384 pages.

Posted in Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Uncategorized, Urban fantasy | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Here One Moment by Liane Moriarty – a Book Review

Posted on January 30, 2025 by Amy @ A Librarian and Her Books

Any time Liane Moriarty releases a new title, it’s highly anticipated. While I can’t say any of her more recent books have quite blown me away like Big Little Lies which sparked a near obsession in me, I haven’t read any I didn’t like. This particular book has a slightly different tone. The mystery is a bit more understated.

Synopsis

One fateful day on a domestic flight from Sydney to Hobart, the lives of strangers will all converge at the hands of one otherwise ordinary older woman, a woman soon to be referred to as the mysterious “Death Lady.” While in flight and in an uninteruptible trance-like state, the woman systematically points at each passenger and gives them the age and manner of their eventual death. For some, this is no more than a humorous carnival trick quickly laughed off and forgotten, but for others the grim prediction calls into question their own mortality. At the end of the flight, all passengers go their separate ways only to be brought back together when the first passengers begin to die under circumstances oddly in line with those predicted by the “Death Lady.” The novel alternates between the perspectives of those passengers unlucky enough to learn they will soon be expiring and that of the Death Lady herself where we learn how her past history led her to the fateful day that would make her infamous.

Honestly, at times I felt I was reading a Fredrik Backman book and not a Liane Moriarty book, which is not at all a bad thing. While all of her books are very character-driven, this one is very character-woven. Each person has his or her own place in the tapestry and they all come together into something quite moving, including Cherry, our supposed “Death Lady.” The novel still has that biting humor I expect from Moriarty, but the conclusion is less dramatic and more sentimental than I would normally expect from her. In a way, that’s refreshing, but it was also a bit more anti-climactic. Still satisfying, but not exacly explosive.

What I love most about Moriarty is her ability to bring something new and unique to the surface with every new title. She really digs deep and doesn’t just rehash the same old story with a fresh wrapping. I can’t tell you how refreshing that is, and it’s testament to her ingenuity. Both she and Backman are experts at crafting characters that stick with you. Not only that, but they can place these perfectly imperfect people in situations that feel authentic and pushes whatever narrative they’ve crafted into a conclusion that’s quite moving. I guess you can say I have a type because I’m all in for that. Moriarty isn’t just a writer. She’s a true storyteller. It doesn’t hurt that the audiobooks of every single one of her titles are narrated so superbly by Caroline Lee, sometimes with help from other talented individuals. I absolutely believe that has an effect on my enjoyment factor.

Honestly, when I meet someone who is a reluctant reader, I always have Moriarty in mind as a recommendation. If anyone can intrigue and spark a new-found love of reading, it’s her. Loving her books is effortless.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Published by September 10, 2024 by Random House Audio. ASIN B0CVSJJLW4. Runtime 15 hrs. 53 mins. Read by Caroline Lee and Geraldine Hakewill.

Posted in General fiction, humor, mystery, Uncategorized, Uplit, Women's fiction | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Dead Mountain: The Untold True Story of the Dyatlov Pass Incident by Donnie Eichar – a Book Review

Posted on January 22, 2025 by Amy @ A Librarian and Her Books

In February, 1959, a group of hikers, all but one college-aged, but all highly experienced hikers who were quite adequately prepared for their hike into the North Ural Mountains in Russia, perished on their journey under highly mysterious circumstances. Over the past more than 60 years following the incident, numerous theories have abounded, from the natural (avalanche) to the supernatural (aliens) to the human (government conspiracy). Not one of these theories can completely explain every detail of the circumstances surrounding their deaths. What on Earth could cause 9 intelligent, skilled, and experienced young hikers to flee the safety and warmth of their tent in dangerously frigid temperatures without even the protection of shoes?

Documentary filmmaker Donnie Eichar, having become obsessed with the mystery surrounding this case, embarked on a journey to uncover the truth, the results of which are recounted in Dead Mountain. Eichar alternates between the facts as known of February 1st and 2nd, 1959, and his own trips to Russia in search of answers. Over the years he spent researching, he combed through case files and trip logs, interviewed surviving family and acquaintances of the deceased, including the one surviving member of the hiking party who had turned back due to illness prior to the incident, and even trekked the same path into the Ural Mountains as the ill-fated crew. Eichar analyzes each various theory and explains why most of the popular theories simply don’t carry much weight or are just downright ridiculous.

His narrative is as riveting as it is perplexing, but it’s when Eichar reaches his own theory that things seem to fall into place. His theory is explosive, unique, and actually carries a startling amount of plausibility. It’s also gifted to me something new to be anxious about.

Fabulous…

This book is a labor of love from a man who took his job seriously. He tells the story of these young people in a way that honors their memory, celebrates their lives, and strictly adheres to a quest for the truth. His writing is competent and concise, and his grit and determination to solve the case are to be admired. Maybe we will never know the true and completely accurate reason for the deaths of these young people, but Eichar provides us with an absolutely compelling, though tragic and terrifying, possibility.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

2025 Reading Challenge pick: #4 – Title containing “Dead” or “Death”

Published March 18, 2014 by Audible Studios. ASIN B00IO4L86Y. Runtime 6 hrs. 23 mins. Narrated by The Author.

Posted in Nonfiction, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 15 Comments

2025 Reading Challenge

Posted on January 17, 2025 by Amy @ A Librarian and Her Books

Now that I’ve finally finished posting all my 2024 reviews, it’s time to set my categories for 2025. Again, I’ve decided to do a 26 book challenge, and this time I decided to do something kind of fun and design alphabetical categories! Here they are:

  1. Alliterative Title
  2. Banned Book
  3. Color in the Title
  4. Book with Death or Dead in the Title
  5. Eccentric main character
  6. Book about Friendship
  7. Galactic Science Fiction
  8. Horror about a Haunted House
  9. Book that takes place in India
  10. Book that takes place in the Jungle
  11. Book about a King
  12. LGBTQ+ title
  13. Music Related title
  14. Nonfiction relating to Nature
  15. Own Voices Story
  16. Book about a Prince/Princess
  17. Book about a Queen
  18. Book with a Red Cover
  19. Book about Sisters
  20. Time Travel Book
  21. Underdog Story
  22. Book about the Vietnam War
  23. Book involving a Wedding
  24. Romantic Comedy involving an EX
  25. Young Adult Title
  26. Book with Zero in the Title

Thankfully I’ve already got two of these categories taken care of and I’ll post my reviews in the coming days. I look forward to finding all my picks and sharing my choices with you. Happy Reading in 2025!

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Lucky Turtle by Bill Roorbach – a Book Review

Posted on January 17, 2025 by Amy @ A Librarian and Her Books

Well, here you have it. This is my final catch-up review of 2024 and then I can turn over a new leaf and pledge to be more on top of things for 2025. I barely made it with this one to get it read in time, and partly it’s because of the book itself. I’ll get into that more in a little bit.

Synopsis

Troubled teen, Cindra, having been convicted in an armed robbery scheme along with her boyfriend, arrives at Camp Challenge, a reform camp for girls located in Montana. A former city girl, she will have to navigate her new world in the American west, a world of cowboys and vast wilderness. While at camp, she meets Lucky Turtle, a native man who works at the camp as a driver. Lucky tells her his Aunt told him they were destined to be together. From that moment on, they are thrown into a love story that will span decades and miles and include unbearable hardships.

Review

This is not a typical book. It’s written in a very unique almost sleepy style with a dreamlike quality that helps accentuate the touch of magical realism Roorbach uses. Of course, this also made this book extremely difficult to finish for me, because it is entirely too long. There are long meandering passages with unnecessary details, sometimes repetitive. At times I loved the lyrical writing and others I just wanted the novel to get to the point. I did think the relationship between Lucky and Cindra was somewhat sweet, though it’s odd and awkward in the way it unfolds. Maybe that helped a little with authenticity, but it could also be kind of uncomfortable. I’ve seen many readers vilify the book for its depiction of “grooming,” as Cindra is a teen when she meets 24 year old Lucky. However, to me it comes across with Cindra being the more seasoned individual with more life experience and Lucky being the one in possession of an innocent naivete. As far as intentions go, he never exhibits anything toward Cindra but tenderness and care, and I think that’s an important distinction. Even at his age, he still seems like a kid. It would have made things easier for there not to have a been a gray area there and Roorbach just made her 18 from their meeting, but we got what we got and have to grapple with it.

Cindra was not the easiest character to like, but this makes her very human and believable. I didn’t really feel the initial attraction to Lucky from her, and it seemed to be based more on convenience and opportunity. It was difficult to grasp exactly why they had such strong feelings for each other considering their conversations were so stilted. The dialogue through the whole book felt very perfunctory. Their relationship seemed so wrapped up in their physical intimacy, and sometimes that even seemed perfunctory. These details contrasted with the long droning passages, and I’m not sure it worked. Many times I found myself speed-reading through just to get to the conclusion, because I was invested in their story.

Thankfully, the conclusion picked things up quite a bit and I thought the novel had a very satisfying ending. It was maybe a little sentimental, but it did feel right and made the patience I forced upon myself worthwhile. Lucky had exhibited so much growth as a human, and I honestly liked him so much better at the end of the novel than the beginning. I feel Cindra did the best she could with the lot given to her in life so I tried to not judge her too harshly for her flaws. Thematically, there are some deep subjects in this book, including sexual abuse, racism, and sexism.

Essentially, I had high hopes for this book and I really did like the plot and the characters, for the most part. I felt the execution and the pacing really detracted from the positive aspects of the novel. I’m glad I read it, but I probably won’t revisit it at a later date.

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Published April 26, 2022 by Algonquin Books. ISBN 9781643750972. Hardcover. 416 pages.

Posted in Coming of Age, General fiction, Literary Fiction, magical realism, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment