Book Review: The Cruelty, by Scott Bergstrom

The Cruelty is appropriately titled because this book is cruel!

Gwendolyn is a normal New York teen who has traveled extensively as her father gets posted to different places around the world for his job with the state department.  When he disappears, she finds out he has lied to her all these years because he is really a CIA agent.  And the CIA has quit looking for him, thinking he has disappeared on his own.

Gwendolyn refuses to believe this and takes it upon herself to find out what happened to her dad.  As she travels across the globe, she gets mixed up with some seedy people -- some are helpful and others not so much.

As she gets closer and closer to the truth about her dad, she gets herself into more and more danger. And she becomes a ruthless killer who will do anything to save her father.  This is the part I had some problems with.  I just don't think a "normal" 17-year-old can make such an about-face in a few short weeks.  Even with her supposed training.  Her entire personality and attitude totally and completely changes.

But....this book is exciting!  She encounters more and more danger as she goes.  She gets lucky a few times and makes some bad decisions. But mostly she is just relentless in her pursuit of her goal.  She's creative, resourceful, and very tough.  If you shy away from violence, you should know that Gwendolyn doesn't, and The Cruelty isn't your book.  It is very graphic.

And don't expect a complete "happy ever after" ending -- yes, Gwendolyn is in a safe place, but she's not the same person and never will be.  Which brings me to a possible sequel -- I'm ready!

Teens who are fans of high-octane action will surely love The Cruelty. And it's been optioned for a movie so it may become even more popular.

Published by Feiwel & Friends, February 7, 2017
eARC obtained from NetGalley
384 pages

Rating: 4/5

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Book Review: The Book of Blood and Shadow, by Robin Wasserman

At the beginning of The Book of Blood and Shadow, we are told that Chris, one of the main characters is dead. It appears that this book is a  murder mystery. Well, it is that, but it's MUCH more than that.

Nora is our narrator, and she is doing an independent study during her senior year that involved translating Latin letters that were written about 400 years ago. That's right. Nora knows Latin. When most youngsters were taking piano lessons, Nora was taking Latin lessons from her father.

She is doing the translation for a university professor, and her best friend, Chris also works for the professor, as well as his roommate Max. It would stand to reason that while spending all that time together in a little room with nothing to do but translate old texts a romance would bloom. And it does. There are other well-defined characters, Adriane and Eli in particular, that are also essential.

So the question is, how do the translations of these 400-year-old letters relate to the murder of Chris? Well, that's the story. And it's a great one, well-told. Involving intrigue, conspiracies, religion, danger, and even romance. There's supposedly a machine called the Lumen Dei, that the letters give clues about. Apparently this machine allows one to communicated directly with God. There are people who want this machine. There are people who think this machine should be destroyed. But, it doesn't even exist, does it?

The Book of Blood and Shadow was a bit of a slow starter for me. I really grew to love the characters, especially Nora, so I was willing to immerse myself in her development. After things take off, it was unputdownable. Nora ends up in Prague trying to secretly meet Max after his disappearance. The setting and situations they find themselves in were very believable, and palpable. Wasserman does a great job making you feel you are in the back streets of Prague with these characters.

The plot took some unexpected twists and turns that were creative and exciting! I really had no idea how things were going to turn out, until they did. Nora is not the typical YA "kick-ass heroine." She's smart and determined, but physically depends on others (males) to rescue her. I kind of found this refreshing.  I love physically adept girls, but not all of us are -- and brains help too!

The book is long, detailed, and included a complex vocabulary so it's not for the average teen reader. But those that enjoy an intricate plot with history, drama, and romance will enjoy this one. It just requires an investment. The Book of Blood and Shadow should have wide appeal to adult fans of historical fiction too. And, yes, it has a "Da Vinci Code" vibe, so if you liked that one, you should definitely check out The Book of Blood and Shadow.


Published by Knopf, April 10, 2012
eBook obtained from NetGalley
448 pages

Rating: 4/5

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