Everything We Lost by Valerie Geary
HarperCollins: 8/22/17
eBook review copy; 480 pages
ISBN-13:
9780062566423
Everything We Lost by Valerie Geary is a very highly recommended psychological thriller/coming-of-age family drama.
On December 5, 1999, sixteen-year-old Nolan Durant left his home in
Bishop, California, with a backpack and several hundred dollars in cash.
He never returned. Ten years later Lucy, his now twenty-four-year-old
younger sister, has been kicked out of her father's house. This, along
with an article her mother wrote, becomes the impetus she needs to
set off back to Bishop where she will try to reconcile with her
estranged mother, get answers, and confront her missing memories of
Nolan and that night.
Although she and Nolan were close as children, as a fourteen-year-old
Lucy became progressively distant and hostile toward Nolan. Nolan was
increasingly becoming more and more fixated with UFOs. He recorded his
obsession in his casebook, a composition book where he noted his UFO
sightings, strange happenings, and supporting information about the
events. As Nolan's paranoid delusions increased, so did Lucy's distance
from him.
Chapters alternate between the voices of Lucy today and Nolan in 1999.
In the present day, Lucy returns to Bishop, reflecting on the past while
trying to recover her missing memories and figure out what really
happened to Nolan. In 1999 Nolan is the narrator. His chapters open with
a section from his casebook notes and then tell his story from his
point-of-view. It becomes steadily obvious that Nolan is suffering from
an undiagnosed mental illness.
The writing is excellent. I was totally immersed in the story and
anxiously read to find out what would happen next in the present as well
as 1999. Both Lucy and Nolan are well-developed, believable characters.
Present day Lucy is stuck in a rut and needs to find some kind of
closure in order to move on with her life. Geary has accurately captured
the cruelties of peer pressure, being an outcast, and trying to fit
into high school cliques with Lucy and being an outsider and
increasingly different with Nolan. Their totally inadequate ineffectual
parents are equally well-developed. The way the three handle the
uncertainty of Nolan's fate is an insightful look into their
personalities.
I was captivated by Everything We Lost and anxious to read what
happened next in both timelines. (I am actually surprised that more
ratings aren't glowing about this fine novel. I can concede that the
ending might disappoint some readers but I thought it was well done.
I'll be anxiously awaiting Geary's next novel.
Disclosure:
My review copy was courtesy of HarperCollins.
The Last Lost Girl by Maria Hoey
Poolbeg Crimson Press Ltd: 7/11/17
digital reading copy; 448 pages
paperback ISBN-13: 9781781998311
The Last Lost Girl by Maria Hoey is a highly recommended family drama and mystery set in Ireland during two time periods.
In the summer of 1976 Jacqueline Brennan's
fifteen-year-old sister, Lilly, disappeared. Of the Brennan girls,
Lilly is the beautiful older sister, Gayle is the middle sister, and
eleven-year-old Jacqueline is the youngest. During 1976, Lilly is
chaffing under her father's rules and is secretly seeing a boy who works
at the carnival. Much like any younger child, Jacqueline secretly
watches her older sister, trying to capture clues about what she is
doing, thinking, and planning.
Jumping thirty seven year later, now Jacqueline is returning to her
childhood home in Blackberry Lane to visit her father for several weeks.
Gayle is usually the one who regularly visits him and takes care of
him, especially during the anniversary of Lilly's disappearance, but she
has other pressing needs with her own family so it falls to Jacqueline
to stay with him. While in her old home events happen that lead her to
search for the truth about what happened to Lilly. Jacqueline has always
believed that Lilly ran away and may still be alive somewhere today.
The police never found a body and there were no arrests. After finding
an old postcard at her father's house, she sets off to see if it holds a
clue to Lilly's whereabouts.
The Last Lost Girl is a well written family drama with a
narrative that jumps back and forth between the two time periods and
what was happening in the Brennan family, including the increasingly
rebellious behavior of Lilly. While the question of the mystery is
captivating, it also drags out a bit when Jacqueline takes off for
England in hopes of clues or information about what happened to Lilly.
This section is more a time of self-discovery for Jacqueline more than
any in-depth fact-gathering mission.
While the character of Jacqueline and the fifteen-year-old Lilly are
well developed, neither are particularly sympathetic characters. Young
Jacqueline is portrayed as a typical younger sister snooping on her
older sister, who resents her and her snooping. Sibling rivalry, and
secrets, abound, as does some favoritism by the parents. Jacqueline does
grow as a person, which is a plus.
The ending provides closure for the mystery, but I found it to be too abrupt and a little unbelievable. The Last Lost Girl
is really more about Jacqueline growing as a person than a thrilling
mystery. What happened to Lilly is supposedly the big question, but
Jacqueline's sudden search almost seems too contrived. As a single,
independent woman she could have searched for her sister long before
this and, after asking a few questions, would have visited the same
place in England without the discovery of the postcard. Read this one
for the great writing, and the self-discovery rather than the mystery.
Disclosure:
My review copy was courtesy of the publisher/author via Library Thing.
New Boy by Tracy Chevalier
Crown/Archetype: 5/16/17
advanced readers copy; 208 pages
ISBN-13:
9780553447637
Hogarth Shakespeare Series
New Boy by Tracy Chevalier is a highly recommended retelling of Othello for the Hogarth Shakespeare series.
Chevalier sets her tragic story based on Shakespeare's Othello in
an elementary school located in the Washington D.C. suburbs during the
1970s. With only a month of school left, sixth grader Osei
Kokote is yet again the new boy in school, a position he has found
himself in repeatedly as the son of a Ghanaian diplomat. Osei is also
used to being one of the few students of color in school, so he knows he
must find an ally. He is lucky that the teacher told popular student
Dee to help him. He is even luckier that he and Dee hit it off
immediately.
As adolescent mercurial romances and allegiances ebb and flow quickly,
the connection between the new boy and Dee is noticed by everyone,
including teachers. There is one student, Ian, who can't stand to see
the black boy and the white girl together and he decides to destroy
their friendship. Ian is already a known bully. How far will he go to
destroy Osei and Dee?
This is a very well written and great addition to the Hogarth
Shakespeare series. The action all takes place here in the course of one
day, which is rather quick. Additionally, of course, if you know Othello,
you know basically what is going to happen. This does take some of the
surprise out of the retelling, which has been the case in some of the
other books in the Hogarth series. Chevalier sets her book in five parts
which portray the five acts in the play, and she does incorporate
Shakespeare's plot into her novel.
Actually this is more successful when taken on its own as a novel and not as a retelling of Othello.
Since Chevalier uses adolescents as her characters, their emotions,
allegiances, and angst are front and center. This works well when New Boy
is considered as a novel about racism in suburban schools in the
1970's, but, in my opinion, it doesn't work quite as well for the
Hogarth Shakespeare series. So, I liked it very much as a novel, but a
little less as a Shakespearean tragedy for the Hogarth series.
Disclosure:
My review copy was courtesy of Crown/Archetype.
I Know a Secret by Tess Gerritsen
Random House: 8/15/17
eBook review copy; 336 pages
ISBN-13: 9780345543882
Rizzoli and Isles Series #12
I Know a Secret by Tess Gerritsen is the very highly recommended twelfth installment of the Rizzoli and Isles crime series.
Boston PD
detective Jane Rizzoli and medical examiner Maura Isles are
investigating homicides that are linked by more than just the
investigative team. Indie horror filmmaker Cassandra Coyle is found
murdered with her eyeballs cut out and put in her hands. When Timothy
McDougal is found dead with three arrows in his chest, Isles and her
priest
friend realize that the two murders have been done to resemble pictures
of the death of saints. Specifically these two murders have been staged
to depict Lucy, patron saint of the blind, and
Sebastian, patron saint of archers. They soon discover that what ties
the two victims together is that twenty years ago they were children at a
local day care center during an
infamous child abuse case. Now the two must find out who the killer is,
as well as who might be the next victim.
While investigating these cases and others that may be tied together,
the two women are also facing some struggles in their personal lives.
Even while Maura's biological mother, the infamous serial
killer Amalthea Lank, is dying from cancer, she still finds a way to
get into Maura's psyche with a comment that may apply to her current
cases. Rizzoli
is watching her own mother's unhappiness grow while her spirit is being
crushed from staying in a loveless marriage.
This is an intense, extremely well written mystery that will hold your
rapt attention from beginning to end. Those unfamiliar with Rizzoli and
Isles will easily be able to enjoy this suspenseful novel even if it is
their first book in the series. Although the two character are well
established at this point, Gerritsen provides enough character
background along that way for anyone to easily slide right into this
novel and enjoy Rizzoli and Isles for the first time. Expect some twists
and surprises. This is one you won't want to put down once you start
it.
Disclosure:
My review copy was courtesy of Random House.
The Luster of Lost Things by Sophie Chen Keller
Penguin Publishing Group: 8/8/17
eBook review copy; 336 pages
ISBN-13: 9780735210783
The Luster of Lost Things by Sophie Chen Keller is a very highly
recommended whimsical story teeming with feel-good emotions, lyrical
writing, and a dash of magical realism.
Walter Lavender Jr. is a twelve-year-old boy who lives with his mother,
Lucy, above their bakery, The Lavenders. Walter's ability to find things
has been developed because he has been silenced by his motor speech
disorder. Because he found it impossible to talk, he observed the
world around him. "My whole life, my mouth had been shut and my eyes
wide open, and the
deeper and darker my silence became, the more I began to sense outside
of it - traces of light, shifts in matter, changing undercurrents. As I
grew older and it became clear to me that Lucy didn’t perceive what I
perceived, it was already just another part of me, and there was nothing
so incredible about that. The things I noticed were small and fleeting,
easy to miss - scratches or flourishes in reality, clues that pointed
the
way to the larger truths buried beneath the surface, like the molten
ripple along the base of a vase of lilies in danger of tipping over or,
when it came to people, the disappointed hiss of something doused before
it could be said."
Walter lost his father, an airline pilot, whose plane
went missing three days before he was born. While Walter
observations of the world have helped him become a
master of finding lost things, he is ultimately hoping to find his lost
father. Lucy has told him stories about his father and the connection
between them and the book that is proudly displayed in the shop. The
book brings magic to their bakery, a bakery where the deserts come
alive. You can see vol-au-vent mice jump double dutch with licorice
ropes and marzipan dragons breathe fire. Walter's life is happy and safe
in his limited world - until someone steals the book, causing the
bakery to lose its magic. Walter, along with Milton, his golden
retriever, must find the missing book and bring the magic back to the
bakery.
Walter's search is an archetypal story of a hero on a quest. While
seeking the missing book, Walter must leave the safety of his home, go
on a long adventure, face adversity, overcome challenges, and return
home changed from his journey. As Walter seeks what he has lost, he
learns lessons from those he meets. Along with his quest, it also
becomes a coming-of-age story for Walter, who makes friends outside of
his sheltered home life. This allegorical narrative not only deals with
things lost and found, but also deals with our capacity for kindness
and how our acts of kindness can ultimately
change the lives around us, as well as our own life.
The writing is poetic and expressive, capturing descriptions, emotions, and even humor with grace and beauty. The characters in The Luster of Lost Things
are all well-developed. Their descriptions make them all come alive on
the page. While I can concede that having twelve-year-old Walter seek
out and meet so many strangers on his quest was a bit far-fetched, I
must also equally acknowledge that passing many trials is often the case
with a hero on a quest. In any event, I liked this story and Walter. I
liked Walter's written comments in his notebook along with his
observations of the world. The world can always use a good hero story
with a touch of magic realism and Sophie Chen Keller has given us just
that.
Disclosure:
My review copy was courtesy of the Penguin Publishing Group.
The Great Quake by Henry Fountain
Crown/Archetype: 8/8/17
eBook review copy; 288 pages
ISBN-13:
9781101904060
The Great Quake by Henry Fountain is a highly recommended account
of the Alaskan earthquake of 1964, especially for those who enjoy
historical background and
personal information about those affected by the quake and tsunamis.
"At 5:36 p.m. on March 27, 1964, a magnitude 9.2 earthquake - the
second most powerful in world history - struck the young state of
Alaska. The violent shaking, followed by massive tsunamis, devastated
the southern half of the state and killed more than 130 people. A day
later, George Plafker, a geologist with the U.S. Geological Survey,
arrived to investigate. His fascinating scientific detective work in
the months that followed helped confirm the then-controversial theory of
plate tectonics."
Fountain approaches the story of the Alaskan earthquake from a
human-interest angle, discussing the people, their way of life, and the
history of Alaska more than the actual quake itself and the exciting
scientific enlightenment that resulted from studying the quake. He
offers details about some of the citizens of the small village of
Chenega and the
little town of Valdez, both of which were devastated, changed, and
altered by the quake and resulting tsunamis. While there is scientific
information about the quake and tsunamis,
Plafker observations that resulted in changing the way we look at
geology and the theory of plate tectonics is condensed into just a
couple chapters. Those who appreciate the science might desire more, but
most readers will concede that Fountain chose an interesting and
basically
successful way to approach the topic,
It is a well written account of a historic natural disaster that is both
factual and accessible. Fountain succeeds in showing what happened, who
it happened to, why we should care about what happened, and the results
of the scientific fieldwork and analysis. The book opens with a map of
the area and the final version will have notes and suggestions for
further reading, additional sources, and an index. (I would hope that
the final version includes photos, but I have no information about this.
There are photos available online that are worth looking up after you
have read this book.)
Disclosure:
My review copy was courtesy of Penguin Random House.
Binary System by Eric Brown
Solaris: 8/8/17
eBook review copy; 400 pages
ISBN-13:
9781781085516
Binary System by Eric Brown is a recommended science fiction novel with a YA vibe.
Delia Kemp manages to survive the explosion of the starship she was on
by getting into an escape pod on the advice from her Imp, a computer
implant in her brain. With only her Imp for advice and company she makes
her way to the world of Valinda
where the winters are nine years long following one year of a scorching
hot summer. Fortunately for her, it is nearing the end of winter and
soon the year of summer will begin. She finds herself crash landing when her pod is hit by some laser or weapon.
She is stranded on the ice-world and taken hostage by the Skelt, a
cruel race of giant mantis/insect beings who move at incredible fast
speeds. After her Imp deciphers the language of the Skelt, she discovers
that they are relative newcomers to the planet too. Their race arrived
thousands of years ago and they have enslaved and dominated the other
two sentient races on the planet while the Skelt have digressed into a
more primitive society.
The blue chimpanzee-like aliens are the
Fahrans. Their people are captured and made to work for the Skelt. The
giant crab/spider-like aliens are called the Vo. The Skelt use them as
beasts of burden and often sacrifice them. Delia makes an ally of a
Fahran, Mahn, who helps her escape from the Skelt. They later save and
befriend a Vo. The three travel together trying to avoid the Skelt,
heading for what looks like another downed escape pod that will
hopefully contain other survivors from her starship.
This is mainly a story of Delia's extraordinary escapes and recaptures,
as aided by her Imp, which has some neato, quite coincidental features
tailor made for her to communicate with, survive and outwit an alien
race while befriending other races and trying to make her way to the valley of Mahkanda.
Now, I'm recommending Binary System because there are plenty of
readers who will enjoy the escapism and won't care one iota about any of
the things that annoyed me. The ending makes up for much of the slow
start and a reader can chose to ignore many of my gripes. The writing is
technically excellent, descriptive and fluid. The characters jump from
one adventure/escape to another while encountering all sorts of new,
interesting settings and creatures. There are battles and celebrations.
The good guys are all good and the Skelt are all bad. It is like a
classic sci-fi/western plot.
However, there were many cons for me, including the plot, simplistic
world building, aliens, characters, and the Imp. I almost stopped
reading after several escapes, etc. when the alien Vo was giving Delia
and Mahn a ride, and said in reply to her questioning their weight that
they were as light as a fly on its back. Hello... this is an alien race
and world and there are no flies here. Why on earth would an alien say
that? Well, actually the aliens, other than descriptions, aren't all
that alien-sounding. I'm betting the Imp humanized them for us and gave
them personalities we could relate to.
The Imp is the real hero here. The Imp is the one thing that keeps Delia
alive. Delia is supposed to be a doctor, but in reality, mentally, she
is just in the Imps way. I'm sure if the Imp could experience human
emotions, it would be just as annoyed as I was over her swooning over
Tim in the beginning. It must be hard to be an Imp in an adult who acts
like a teen. Perhaps the whole character of Delia could have been
destroyed with the starship but the imp survives. It could set a new
directive, finding a way to be mobile, making its way to a planet,
communicating
with the inhabitants, and escaping the bad guys.
Disclosure:
My review copy was courtesy of Solaris.
