Book Review: All Your Twisted Secrets, by Diana Urban

All Your Twisted Secrets is a compelling, twisty story that kept me guessing (through most of it...)

I don't usually do this, but I'm just going to copy the blurb. It says mostly what I was going to say anyway.

What do the queen bee, star athlete, valedictorian, stoner, loner, and music geek all have in common? They were all invited to a scholarship dinner, only to discover it's a trap. Someone has locked them into a room with a bomb, a syringe filled with poison, and a note saying they have an hour to pick someone to kill ... or else everyone dies.

Amber Prescott is determined to get her classmates and herself out of the room alive, but that might be easier said than done. No one knows how they're all connected or who would want them dead. As they retrace the events over the past year that might have triggered their captor's ultimatum, it becomes clear that everyone is hiding something. And with the clock ticking down, confusion turns into fear, and fear morphs into panic as they race to answer the biggest question: Who will they choose to die?

I was about 80% through when I pretty much figured out what was going on. The tension built nicely, and the characters were interesting (if a bit stereotypical.) I didn't buy that the person who did this would actually do it. But, the reader is supposed to be surprised by it, I guess.

All Your Twisted Secrets is a quick, suspenseful read that is worth the time but won't stick with me for long. But that's OK.

Published by HarperTeen, March 17, 2020
eARC obtained from Edelweiss
400 pages

Rating: 3.5/5

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Book Review: The Red Lotus by Chris Bohjalian

The Red Lotus not only kept my interest but creeped me out a little!

Alexis is an introverted emergency room doctor who lives a quiet life. One night Austin comes in with a bullet wound in his arm, and her life becomes more exciting.  Austin is an avid biker, and after six months of their blooming relationship, he plans a trip to Vietnam where he will bike and Alexis will enjoy the country. Austin plans to bike to a site in Vietnam where his father was wounded and his uncle was killed during the war. Because this is personal to Austin, and he is an experienced rider, the tour guides allow him to go alone on this quest.

Austin never returns, his body is found the next day, and Alexis finds out he hasn't been completely honest with her. In fact, he has told her some pretty big lies. Alexis gets caught up in the investigation, even after returning home, and can't let it go, even though the authorities think Austin's death was an accident. She decides to hire a private investigator to see what he can find out.

What the detective and Alexis herself find out will put them in grave danger. Well, actually, it will put the entire world in grave danger. The creepy part of the book has to do with antibiotic-resistant diseases that rats carry. Not only in Vietnam, but in New York. I don't want to say too much more about that.

The Red Lotus is a twisted tale that is well-paced and the tension builds nicely. The danger is real, and the part about these awful diseases seems entirely plausible and scary. The ending may be a bit unbelievably happy, but that was okay with me.

I would recommend The Red Lotus to readers who enjoy twisted, suspenseful mysteries. I've read several of Bohjalian's books, and The Red Lotus may be my favorite yet.

Published by Doubleday, March 17, 2020
eARC obtained from NetGalley
400 pages

Rating: 4/5

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Book Review: A Conspiracy of Bones by Kathy Reichs

I was a little disappointed by the last Temperance Brennan book I read, but I really enjoyed A Conspiracy of Bones.

My main issue with the previous book is that Tempe didn't do much lab work. She really didn't apply much forensic knowledge to solve the case. In A Conspiracy of Bones, the same is true, however, Tempe is challenged to solve the case without much use of her lab. A body of a man has been found with no hands and a very damaged face. There is no love lost between the new director and Tempe, so Tempe isn't even asked to help identify the body.

But, she is determined to help, so she enlists some friends and past associates to feed her information. And of course, she puts herself in danger. More than once.

Her personal life is always an added benefit to the stories, and in this case, she is battling a chronic, life-threatening condition, Ryan being away, and anger and some depression from basically losing her job. (This illness mirrors Reichs' life and is the reason she didn't release a book in 2019.)

I enjoyed the usual painstaking attention to detail that allows these cases to be solved. It is never what you think, and this case is no different. I haven't read all the books, but I will always be a fan and look forward to catching up on the ones I've missed when I get a chance.

It helps to be familiar with the characters -- it just adds to the story -- but it isn't necessary. A Conspiracy of Bones is the 19th book in the series, so you really get to know the characters after that long. And, honestly, I liked the early books better. Just FYI, the first one is Deja Dead. Oh, and also the TV series Bones is based on these books, but I never really cared for the series. Tempe has a much different personality in the books. Check Temperance Brennan out if you like detectives who specialize in forensics.

Published by Scribner, March 17, 2020
eARC obtained from Edelweiss
352 pages

Rating: 4.5

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Book Review: Stormbringers by Philippa Gregory

I like these characters, but somehow Stormbringers just didn't do much for me. Perhaps it's a "second book" issue? It has been a while since I read Changeling, the first book, but I remember there was a lot more excitement in that book.

Isolde and Ishraq are on the run after Isolde was accused of witchcraft. They are traveling with Luca and Freize while Luca continues his mission for the Order to find evidence of the End of Days.

And find evidence they do! We experience the Children's Crusade and the ensuing tsunami that ends it, which is of course considered to be a sign.  Then Isolde and Ishraq are accused of being the Stormbringers that caused the devastating wave.

Stormbringers starts out slow, which made me impatient. The tension mounts, and it does have an exciting ending. We meet the head of The Order of Darkness, which imparts a desire to continue the story. Ishraq, being part Arab, is constantly under scrutiny, and after meeting an Arab commander, the reader realizes this analysis may be justified. There is much to be curious about.

Fortunately, enough surprises and questions cause eager anticipation for Fools' Gold, the third installment of this four-book series. The fourth, Dark Tracks, has also been released. As for me, I'm not sure how enthused I am about continuing. For teens, Stormbringers is a pretty deep story, but those who enjoy interesting characters navigating the bedlam of the 1400s will certainly enjoy Order of Darkness.

Published by Simon Pulse, 2013
Copy obtained from the library
336 pages

Rating: 4/5

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Book Review: Sparrow, by Mary Cecilia Jackson

Watching an extremely gifted, hard-working, driven teen girl fall into the grips of a controlling, anger-filled boy made me feel helpless and frustrated.

Savannah--Sparrow to her friends--narrates the story. She can't believe it when handsome, popular, well-off Tristan begins to have feelings for her. He is so kind and gives her gifts and wants to be with Sparrow all of the time.

Sparrow's best friend and dance partner, Lucas, has never liked Tristan. He's been bullied by Tristan since childhood, and Lucas does not believe that Tristan has changed, no matter what Sparrow says. Delaney, Sparrow's best friend, and Lucas watch Sparrow become more and more frightened of her supposed peach of a boyfriend as he controls her every move. Tristan becomes very jealous of Lucas, which makes things even more difficult. Delaney and Lucas repeatedly try desperately to help Sparrow see what Tristan has become. She refuses to acknowledge anything and sticks up for Tristan over and over. Eventually, after Sparrow suggests some time apart, Tristan blows up and beats Sparrow until she is almost dead.

This happens at about the halfway point, and the rest of the story is about Sparrow's difficult path back from potentially losing herself. She must confront not only her relationship with Tristan but other secrets about her childhood relationship with her mother, who died when Sparrow was young. Her friends and family all feel helpless as well as guilty. Her father never allowed her to talk about her mother and the abuse Sparrow suffered. Lucas feels responsible and can't hold his temper. He almost loses everything he has worked for. 

After slogging through the torturous first half of the story--part of it being described by both Sparrow and Lucas--they slowly and painfully begin to heal. Thankfully her family is supportive, and Sparrow builds a therapeutic relationship with a counselor. Lucas spends time away with his grandmother. Their eventual recovery isn't portrayed as being easy or complete. One thing that I must caution--I wouldn't want teens to think that this type of toxic relationship only happens to girls (or boys) who are abused as children. That is what happens in Sparrow's case, but I'm sure these abusive relationships happen to all kinds of "normal" teens as well. And sadly to plenty of adults.

I was put off when the POV first switched to Lucas, and he begins to relate the same events as Sparrow had. I really don't like dual POVs that repeat the same events. I feel like I can imagine the other character's perspective well enough without reading a retelling of the same story. But, this only happened the first time. After that, the switches in POVs continued the story, rather than repeating the same episodes.

Teens who are attracted to edgy, dramatic, issues books will enjoy this one. While somewhat disturbing, it may be enlightening. Give this to your Speak and Dreamland fans. I think Sparrow is going to be popular.

Published by Tor Teen, Marcy 17 2020
ARC obtained from School Library Connection
364 pages

Rating: 4/5

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Book Review: Bent Heavens by Daniel Kraus

Bent Heavens is a strangely weird, macabre science fiction story. I'm still not sure how I feel about it.

Liv's father, Lee, has been missing for a couple of years after he claimed to have been abducted by aliens and returned. The reader is taken back to find out what happened after the abduction and before he disappeared.

Lee became obsessed with protecting his loved ones from aliens. He spent all his time in the shed on the back of the property making elaborate traps to catch them and weapons to defend against them. Liv and a good friend, Doug, were in on Lee's plans. Ever since Lee has disappeared, Liv and Doug go out to the woods behind her house to check the traps every Sunday. Liv just believes her father was mentally ill, but Doug believes in the aliens and takes their preparations very seriously.

Everything changes in a hurry when Liv finds an alien stuck in one of the traps.

Sooooo, I had a hard time believing what these teens did after they found the alien. I couldn't believe the lack of compassion. And that lack is what led me to figure out the twist almost immediately. The story got so gory that I had to skim those sections.

There was a big climactic event at the end, and I also had difficulty believing that Liv would do what she did. That's all I'm going to say.

A pretty gruesome, depressing story that is well written, with well-developed characters and settings. It was just the story that I couldn't get into. So, science fiction fans may enjoy Bent Heavens a lot. There's nothing wrong with the execution. I just could buy it (and really didn't want to.)

Published by Henry Holt & Co. BYR, February 25, 2020
eARC obtained from Edelweiss
304 pages

Rating: 3.5/5

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Book Review: The Whole Thing Together, by Ann Brashares

The Whole Thing Together is a story of family, both the good and the bad. Even though the family ties are complex, the characters are wonderfully drawn, and the story easy to follow.

Sasha and Ray live in the same bedroom, but not at the same time. Sasha's dad and Ray's mom were once married. They each remarried and gave birth to Sasha and Ray within a few months of each other. And now these families share a summer house on alternating weeks.

There are three older sisters from the original marriage, who, of course, know both Sasha and Ray. But Sasha and Ray have never met.  And then they do.

It's a complicated and compelling relationship. The three older siblings each have distinct personalities that add to the drama. And there are other secrets. And romance. As these dysfunctional parents persist in their refusal to be in the same house with each other, circumstances propel them together with disastrous results.

Brashares, as usual, unwinds this twisted tale, engrossing us in the lives of each character. I was quickly absorbed in the story and found The Whole Thing Together to be a quick and entertaining story.

Published by Delacorte, 2017
Copy obtained from the library
304 pages

Rating: 4/5

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Audiobook Review: The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead

 The Nickel Boys is getting a lot of hype, and I understand why.

The Nickel Boys chronicles the story of Elwood, a black teenager from Tallahassee, Florida in the 1960s. Elwood's parents have abandoned him, and his grandmother is raising him. Elwood is smart and determined. When he is accepted into the local black college, his future is bright. Everything comes crashing down when Elwood is in the wrong place at the wrong time and ends up in a juvenile reformatory called the Nickel Academy.

The black "students" are kept separate from the white, and even though the mission statement says the school provides "physical, intellectual and moral training," what it really provides is a horrific existence where students are worked hard, provided little nourishment, and beaten and sometimes even killed for small infractions.

Elwood is optimistic, being a follower of Martin Luther King, and believes he can overcome his environment and continue to love his captors. His friend, Turner, thinks Elwood is crazy, the world is out to get them, and they need to avoid trouble at all costs.

This story is all the more harrowing since it is based on a reform school that existed during that time and, of course, ruined the lives of many, many black children.

I liked The Nickel Boys. It helped that is was a short book. I still felt it dragged at the beginning, but I needed to find out what happened. The ending was a surprise, but that is all I'll say. The book makes you sad, and frustrated, and outraged, as is intended. I'm not sure I'd consider it one of The 10 Best Fiction Books of the Decade (Time Magazine), but that is just my opinion. I do think it is worth the read. Also, The Nickel Boys would be a great classroom read for high school students.

Published by Doubleday, 2019
Audiobook obtained from the library
 224 pages

Rating: 4/5

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Book Review: The Girl in White Gloves: A Novel of Grace Kelly by Kerri Maher

The Girl in White Gloves: A Novel of Grace Kelly was an entertaining fictionalized account of Grace Kelly's life.

This book kind of made me sad because I had always thought that Prince Ranier swept Grace off her feet and she willingly gave up her stardom to become Princess of Monaco. That's not exactly true...

The account of Grace's life goes back and forth from the 50s to the 70s. We immediately see (in the 70s) that she is not completely fulfilled by her life as a Princess and her relationship with Ranier. But then we go back to the beginning, of Grace as a Barbazon model. What I didn't realize is that she really worked hard at acting, taking classes and studying under some great acting teachers. She has a lot of relationships and a lot of success. Even though she didn't realize that she was a success. She had no desire to do movies--she wanted to be a Broadway star. But when that didn't materialize, she decided to give Hollywood a try.

Apparently, the author had to pick and choose which relationships to include, but still, I thought that part went on a big long. A lot of familiar stars and familiar movies were mentioned, and I got a bit tired of it. (But was fascinated by her encounter with Princess Diana.) Maybe if Maher had jumped back to the 70s a bit more in the middle of the book that would have broken it up a bit.

However, I still really enjoyed The Girl in White Gloves. But as I said, my dreams have been shattered. Grace was really forced to give up acting and risked losing her children if she ever tried to move in that direction. Ranier turned out to be quite the cad, and the storybook romance ended fairly quickly.

The Girl in White Gloves is well researched, and the author points out some historical inaccuracies in her notes at the end. Well worth the read if you are interested in Kelly, or the life of a princess.

Published by Berkley, Februery 25, 2020
eARC obtained from NetGalley
384 pages

Rating: 4/5

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