The Roanoke Girls

Reminiscent of Gillian Flynn, Amy Engels crafts a world where family secrets live in each of the rooms at Roanoke, and haunt the reader from page one.

This book is not an easy read. While it did envelope me with every page, the subject matter is very mature, and rather twisted. It would make one hell of an SVU episode. There is a lot of mature content, and I would not recommend this to anyone who is uncomfortable with sex, drugs, or violence.
With my warnings out of the way, I'd like to talk about what I loved about this book.

I'm not sure what it is, but I love a good family drama. None of this Aunt Sally thinks she's better than Aunt Susan. No, I'm talking real, raw, dirty family secrets. The kinds of things people think, but never talk about. This book brings that in spades.
The story revolves around Lane Roanoke, and is told alternating between "Then," and "Now." Lane is called home after her cousin Allegra disappears and takes us on a hunt through the summer she spent at Roanoke with her grandparents and Allegra. We learn about her childhood (more like teenage) romance, and her wild summer with her newfound family. We learn about her mother who had terrible nightmares, and ended up taking her own life.
Allegra leads us on in the beginning by saying:

Roanoke girls never last long around here. In the end, we either run or we die.

HOW DO YOU RESIST THAT?

This book turned corner after corner, piecing together the traumatic, and tangled lives of the Roanoke girls. It was everything I expected it to be, and the ending was satisfying and believable. (There is nothing worse than an ending that comes out of no where.)

Another thing I loved about this book is it's realistic story line. I was sucked into the story, only to come up for air when Kyle called for dinner, or my phone rang at work (sorry not sorry.) The characters where reliable, and the mystery engaging. As disturbing as it was, the story was excellent.

I would highly recommend this book if you are 1.) okay with a lot of language and some explicit sex scenes, and 2.) love a good mystery.
I would not recommend this book if you are a sensitive reader, or prefer books to be light-hearted and easy.

Unthinkable by Nancy Werlin

Spoilers* This is a sequel, and there are obvious pieces of the first book that are given away.

"Fenella was the first Scarborough girl to be cursed, hundreds of years ago, and she has been trapped in the faerie realm ever since, forced to watch generations of daughters try to break this same faerie curse that has enslaved them all. But now Fenella’s descendant, Lucy, has accomplished the impossible and broken the curse, so why is Fenella still trapped in Faerie?"

I picked up this book because several years ago I was gifted the first book Impossible, read it and fell in love with Nancy Werlin's writing. (Also, I'm a sucker for YA fiction.)
In the first book, Impossible, Lucy finds she is cursed, and must make her way through three riddles in order to free herself and future generations from and ancient faerie curse. The book was amazing. (Or so I remember, it has been a good 5 years since I read it.)
Unthinkable is both a sequel and a prequel as it tells the story of Fenella, the original Scarborough girl, in both past and present times. She was the first to be cursed, but is still alive, and must enter the human realm to break the second curse the Faerie Lord cast on her. She finds she must complete 3 tasks of destruction, aimed at her own family. *Bonus* there is a love interest....
In short, the story of Fenella is great. She is a relatable character, and the plot is entertaining as well as engaging. I mean, I finished this book in a day, and I don't remember the last time I did that.
I would definitely recommend reading the first book before taking up this one, and there are references to another story written by Werlin about the Faerie realm. (I plan on reading the other, Extraordinary.)
Overall Werlin is a master at crafting YA fantasy, and I would recommend her writing to anyone looking for that genre. She's a great way to break into the genre since most of her stories take place in a "contemporary" setting, and spend only a small amount of time actually exploring Faerie realms.
I would give this book a 7/10. I may read it again someday, and would probably own the whole series, to loan out to other readers.

Enjoy,

H.

The Necromancer (Johannes Cabal #1) by Jonathan L. Howard

"A charmingly gothic, fiendishly funny Faustian tale about a brilliant scientist who makes a deal with the Devil, twice."

This book is a riot. I picked it up off the shelf at the library on a whim because the cover looked intriguing. I read the back, was hooked by the relation to Faust, and took it home with me.
I took this book with me to the beach, and while I did enjoy it, that wasn't the best place to read it. I like easy reads for the beach, and this book was full of witty commentary, and fairly complex plot lines. The writer was able to take a horrible character and make him relatable. I found myself cheering him on as he embarked on his quest to find 100 souls to damn.
The story begins with Cabal lamenting his misfortune of not having a soul. He traded his soul to Satan for the ability to practice magic and raise corpses from the dead. He has a fascination with the human body and wanted to learn everything he possibly could, but he found there was a problem. So, he sets out to trade his soul back and strike a second deal with Satan.
Her is an excerpt that illustrates the humor: (Cabal has just summoned Satan, to make a second deal.)

“Lo!" cried the demon. "I am here! What dost thou seek of me? Why dost thou disturb my repose? Smite me no more with that dread rod!" He looked at Cabal. "Where's your dread rod?"
"I left it at home," replied Cabal. "Didn't think I really needed it."
"You can't summon me without a dread rod!" said Lucifuge, appalled.
"You're here, aren't you?"
"Well, yes, but under false pretences. You haven't got a goatskin or two vervain crowns or two candles of virgin wax made by a virgin girl and duly blessed. Have you got the stone called Ematille?"
"I don't even know what Ematille is."
Neither did the demon. He dropped the subject and moved on. "Four nails from the coffin of a dead child?"
"Don't be fatuous."
"Half a bottle of brandy?"
"I don't drink brandy."
"It's not for you."
"I have a hip flask," said Cabal, and threw it to him. The demon caught it and took a dram.
"Cheers," said Lucifuge, and threw it back. They regarded each other for a long moment. "This really is a shambles," the demon added finally. "What did you summon me for, anyway?”

I would recommend this book for anyone who likes to chuckle along the way. I wouldn't recommend this book for anyone who feels weird about sympathizing with a villain. I really enjoyed this book, and would rate it about a 6/10. Better than average, but I'm not sure I would read it again.

Read on!

H.

The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh

Reading fiction can be really hard for me because I took so many writing classes and was required to read critically. I oftentimes find myself  critiquing the work, and finding fault where others find enjoyment and it ruins books. Every once in a while, however, I read a book that is crafted so well I forget that I'm reading.
Language of Flowers is that type of book.
One of the biggest complaints I have about YA fiction is the predictable characters. The *usually female* protagonist who can't fathom being thrown into such a situation and don't believe they can do it, but then miraculously find the inner strength they had all a long, while falling in love with the *mysterious* stranger who suddenly becomes irresistible. blah blah blaaaaah. (I've found this is especially prevalent in YA fantasy, but it doesn't always escape contemporary fiction.) It's a snooze fest and unfortunately makes up a large portion of fiction*.
I actually just finished a book with almost this EXACT formula, so my frustration is still fresh. (See Potion Study.)
I started The Language of Flowers because it was sitting in my office and I needed a book for the bus ride home. I don't regret that decision one wit. This book is refreshing and engaging. It features a protagonist who is self destructing, and harsh because of the happenings of her past. She almost frustrates the narrator because she pushes everyone away and tries to learn things on her own. I feel myself trying to engage with her on a deeper level, and it's aggravating but also incredibly addicting. You want to shake her and yell , "Why don't you get it??" a few lines later, however, you find yourself cheering for her, and understanding her struggle.
The story unwraps in an incredibly realistic way. The narrator doesn't flip like a light switch, thus confusing the reader. She is reliable and you learn to trust her, even though you know she wouldn't trust you.
It's an addicting read.
It borders on the older end of YA fiction, as the narrator, Victoria is 18, and emancipated early on in the book. She deals with very real issues, in adult life, and has experience that many young adults do not.
The Language of Flowers features Victoria, an 18 year old foster child, exiting the foster system. The story knits together flashbacks from her past experience in the foster system, and her current experience as she builds her life after emancipation. She trusts no one, and relies on the  "language of flowers" to communicate with other people.
I read quite a few reviews who thought the characters were underdeveloped and thought Victoria to be whiny. I didn't feel this way. I felt the characters developed nicely over the course of the book. I did see how Victoria could be seen as whiny, but I thought her inner monologue was engaging. She had her flaws, but who doesn't.
I really liked how this book used the actual language of flowers to help tell the story. Victoria works with flowers and uses their messages to help build her life again after she is left with nothing.
I would give this book a seven out of ten. It was good enough to read again after a suitable amount of time, and I would recommend this book to anyone. It was an easy read, and hard to put down, I'm almost sorry I finished it before the beach trip I have coming up.

Potion Study by Maria V. Snyder

Oh dear. Where do I start with this book...
I started this book while babysitting and was hooked enough on it that I asked to borrow it when I left to go home. It was an easy read, and had a great plot-line, but a terrible protagonist. This book borders on YA and Adult fiction. The protagonist is 20 years old, but it's at a YA reading level, and handles age appropriate issues for YA. (I should clarify there is a rather graphic abuse scene, and so I would recommend this book for the older spectrum of YA.)
Yelena is an orphan girl who is in jail for killing a man. She lives in a society where a Commander reigns supreme. Each individual is given a job, and wears a uniform that matches their job. Jobs are granted based on skill and aptitude, rather than wealth. The Commander has been in power for 15 years, after overthrowing a corrupt monarchy.
I feel like this book had SO MUCH POTENTIAL. The plot was incredible, and that is what kept me going despite page after page of eye-roll inducing stock characters.
So. Yelena is in prison. She killed her previous guardian's son, and since murder is inexcusable under any circumstances, she was thrown in to jail to await her own demise. She's pulled out of the darkness and given an opportunity. The code, or set of laws everyone lives by claims that when the commander's food taster dies, the next person to be executed is offered the job. So here she is, being offered a chance at a life full of tasting for poisons, and no guarantee that she will live past the day ahead of her. She also has a vengeful grieving father after her, who wants her dead because she killed her son.
As the events roll through the book, Yelena is thrown into a number of inescapable circumstances, and the story develops well.
Yelena, on the other hand is entirely too boring for my taste. She is full of self-doubt, and underdeveloped emotions. She is mistrusting, due to some "mysterious happenings in her past (which are revealed later) and when she does trust people, she finds it's the wrong people. She makes just about every predictable choice you could think of, including falling for the one person she isn't supposed to fall for.
There are three more books in this series, and I may pick up the second one to see if it has a great plot-line, but I'm not confident the characters will hold up.
I would give this book a 4 out of 10. The plot saved it, but barely enough to make it past average. It was an easy read, and for anyone who doesn't mind an annoying protagonist, go for it!

The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield

I don't know about you, but I love a good mystery. There is something wonderful about curling up with a thick blanket and a hot cup of tea, to read about foggy mornings and stormy nights.
This mystery didn't feel like a typical mystery, but the plot is definitely shrouded with mystery, and has twists where you wouldn't expect them. As a writer myself, I have to applaud Setterfield on her ability to do this, without losing the interest of the reader.
The story takes place in modern times, but covers a historical side as well. The main character, Lea, is a biographer who receives an invitation to meet with the famous author. She's skeptical of the meeting, but agrees and then proceeds to help Vida Winters write her memoir. The "Thirteenth Tale," is the much awaited last book of Vida's and it's story becomes clear as you continue the book. Vida is an interesting character, and we get to know her quite a bit through the telling of her story. Lea, the biographer, wasn't my favorite character. She seemed to me, the stock main character, detective sleuth type. I didn't feel any of her qualities set her a part from the others like her, but she was a reliable narrator and wasn't offensive, so I read on.

I don't know that I would read this book again, but I would definitely read other books by this author. Her voice was reliable, and most of her characters engaging. Once I got about half way through, I couldn't put it down. It's slow to start, but as a faithful reader, I needed to give it an honest shot. I'm not sorry I did.

This is the perfect book for someone looking for a PG mystery. It's not scary, or jarring, and would be a great read for a high-schooler, or YA reader. It had a pretty good ending, which is important to me, so I would recommend it to anyone looking for a good read.

A Million Little Pieces by James Frey

This is one of the most raw and real books I've ever read. It'a memoir, though there has be controversy about pieces of it not being true, so it's categorized as both a memoir and fiction.

A Million Little Pieces is a memoir about James Frey's time in rehab as an addict. I will warn you right now, that this book is incredibly rough. It's a dark story, and you feel the struggle. It is an easy reading level, but has a LOT of profanity. It is however, one of the most real stories about addiction I've read. Addiction isn't pretty, and neither are the stories of those who face it, so I wasn't surprised to find that it's portrayal was so raw.
The story opens with Frey waking up on a flight to Chicago with his face beaten to a pulp, and no recollection of how he got there. He ends up being checked into a rehab clinic by his parents, and this book is his story of his time there.
One of the hardest scenes to read, was the one where he goes in to get his teeth fixed. Because he is a rehab patient, he cannot be given any pain killers or go under anesthesia. He undergoes two root canals, two caps, and a filling with nothing but a tennis ball to squeeze. His recollection of this experience had me squirming in my seat. I was gritting my teeth, and my muscles were tense.

I was honestly surprised that I was able to make it through this book. Profanity, and crudeness is usually enough for me to turn down a book, but I guess I'm a little more lenient on memoirs. I think the author has a right to portray their life in a way they see fit, and as a drug and alcohol addict, his life was a cesspool. It reminded me of  the show "Orange is the New Black," in that it wasn't being crude for the sake of being crude, but rather to portray just how much his life sucked.
Now, to be fair, Frey is a highly controversial topic in the literary sphere. His writing has been under the microscope since the reveal of this book not being 100% a memoir. I understand both sides of the controversy, and will openly admit, this is not for everyone. If you are interested, here is a link to describe the controversy of his book, and ultimately his writing. apparently he copied the Hunger Games. That didn't bother me because, dare I say it, Hunger Games wasn't for me.
If you are in for a dark, and yet redeemed story of an addict on the verge of death, and aren't afraid of the dark corners addiction hides, then this book might be for you.
I didn't LOVE this book, but I wouldn't say it was horrible. It was an easy read, and kept my attention on the bus. I would give this a 6/10. I might read it again, but I wouldn't recommend it to everyone, but it was an average read. I was able to feel the emotion and put myself into the scene, so I would say the writing was amiable. There were only a few times I realized I was reading and not actually walking along side him.

Until Next Time,

H.