Review of “Lore” by Alexandra Bracken

Bracken, Alexandra. Lore. Los Angeles: Hyperion, 2021.

ISBN-13: 978-1484778203 | $18.99 USD | 466 pages | YA Fantasy 

Blurb

A NEW STANDALONE CONTEMPORARY FANTASY

Every seven years, the Agon begins. As punishment for a past rebellion, nine Greek gods are forced to walk the earth as mortals, hunted by the descendants of ancient bloodlines, all eager to kill a god and seize their divine power and immortality.
 
Long ago, Lore Perseous fled that brutal world in the wake of her family’s sadistic murder by a rival line, turning her back on the hunt’s promises of eternal glory. For years she’s pushed away any thought of revenge against the man—now a god—responsible for their deaths.
 
Yet as the next hunt dawns over New York City, two participants seek out her help: Castor, a childhood friend Lore believed long dead, and a gravely wounded Athena, among the last of the original gods.
 
The goddess offers an alliance against their mutual enemy and, at last, a way for Lore to leave the Agon behind forever. But Lore’s decision to bind her fate to Athena’s and rejoin the hunt will come at a deadly cost—and still may not be enough to stop the rise of a new god with the power to bring humanity to its knees.
 
From the #1 New York Times best-selling author of The Darkest Minds comes a sweepingly ambitious, high-octane tale of power, destiny, love, and redemption.

(Please Note: Given the darkness of the source material, this book contains more mature content than my past work in the form of more graphic depictions of violence and discussion/mention of sexual assault, and therefore may not be the right fit for all readers.)

Review 

4 stars 

Lore has received a lot of buzz lately, in part due to being featured in a book box which several BookTubers featured on their channels. Having come off a high from other mythology-related books, and waiting on the library queue for others, this hit the spot perfectly. With a grasp on mythology similar to Percy Jackson, but with a sensibility that evokes familiar YA titles, Alexandra Bracken combines these elements to create a refreshingly original story. 

It’s a bit of a long book, epic in scope, but you never feel the sense that it’s that big. The plot proceeds at a brisk pace, and it never felt predictable even though it had familiar elements as a basis. It’s brutal in the sense that the mythology often is. However, the narrative also challenges the old fashioned elements of the old myths, particularly in terms of misogyny. 

The characters also were also pretty interesting. Lore herself is a compelling protagonist, with a balance of confidence and vulnerability, who has had some tough experiences. Castor is also an intriguing character, who also has had some realistic struggles. I did want to see a bit from his perspective, instead of solely from Lore’s especially since it would still work with the third person limited POV. I did really like the romance, and how it happened gradually between friends and comrades. It wasn’t this big epic thing, not that there’s anything wrong with that, but I liked seeing something a bit different in a YA fantasy. 

As of now, this appears to be a standalone, and that’s fine, but I did want more, as it felt like there was some stuff not fully resolved, although there is an element of finality to it at the same time. I do hope this is at least not the last we see from Bracken working with these characters in any capacity. This is a fabulous book, and one I think fans of Greek mythology who are looking for more will enjoy this. 

Author Bio 

Alexandra Bracken was born in Phoenix, Arizona. The daughter of a Star Wars collector, she grew up going to an endless string of Star Wars conventions and toy fairs, which helped spark her imagination and a deep love of reading. After graduating high school, she attended The College of William & Mary in Virginia, where she double majored in English and History. She sold her first book, Brightly Woven, as a senior in college, and later moved to New York City to work in children’s book publishing, first as an editorial assistant, then in marketing. After six years, she took the plunge and decided to write full time. She now lives in Arizona with her tiny pup, Tennyson, in a house that’s constantly overflowing with books. 

Alex is a #1 New York Times bestselling and USA TODAY bestselling author. Her work is available across the world in over 15 languages. 

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Review of “When the Stars Go Dark” by Paula McLain

McLain, Paula. When the Stars Go Dark. New York. Ballantine Books, 2021. 

ISBN-13: 978-0593237892 | $28.00 USD | 384 pages | Mystery/Thriller

Blurb 

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Wife comes an atmospheric novel of intertwined destinies and heart-wrenching suspense: A detective hiding away from the world. A series of disappearances that reach into her past. Can solving them help her heal?

“A powerhouse of a novel that is guaranteed to keep the reader up all night.”—Kristin Hannah, author of The Four Winds

Anna Hart is a seasoned missing persons detective in San Francisco with far too much knowledge of the darkest side of human nature. When tragedy strikes her personal life, Anna, desperate and numb, flees to the Northern California village of Mendocino to grieve. She lived there as a child with her beloved foster parents, and now she believes it might be the only place left for her. Yet the day she arrives, she learns that a local teenage girl has gone missing.

The crime feels frighteningly reminiscent of the most crucial time in Anna’s childhood, when the unsolved murder of a young girl touched Mendocino and changed the community forever. As past and present collide, Anna realizes that she has been led to this moment. The most difficult lessons of her life have given her insight into how victims come into contact with violent predators. As Anna becomes obsessed with saving the missing girl, she must accept that true courage means getting out of her own way and learning to let others in.

Weaving together actual cases of missing persons, trauma theory, and a hint of the metaphysical, this propulsive and deeply affecting novel tells a story of fate, necessary redemption, and what it takes, when the worst happens, to reclaim our lives—and our faith in one another.

Review 

3 stars 

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. 

I’ve loved Paula McLain’s historical novels, so it was a no-brainer to me to pick up her next book, whatever it was. And the fact that it happened to be a contemporary thriller didn’t bother me too much, especially as there was still some element of history (albeit more recent) baked into the backstory. 

And McLain does pull off this transition to a new genre. The book is consistently engaging, keeping me more or less interested, guessing throughout the twists and turns, and wanting more. I did feel, upon reaching the conclusion, that something was still missing, but it’s more or less fairly solid. 

But then we come to the characters, and why this genre is so hit-or-miss for me: I failed to make a genuine connection. Anna as the lead just didn’t evoke any emotion from me, and while I was slightly more moved by the stories of the victims and those close to them, it was mostly surface level, based more on human compassion than truly resonating with them. 

I can see why this book has gotten a lot of buzz, as McLain is a talented author, and I think this will work for some people who like thrillers more than I typically do, especially if they also happen to know her from her previous historical work and can more easily make that genre transition. 

Author Bio

Paula McLain is the author of the New York Times and internationally bestselling novels, The Paris Wife, Circling the Sun and Love and Ruin. Now she introduces When the Stars Go Dark (April 13, 2021), an atmospheric novel of intertwined destinies and heart-wrenching suspense. She received an MFA in poetry from the University of Michigan in 1996, and is also the author of two collections of poetry, the memoir Like Family: Growing Up in Other People’s Houses, and the debut novel, A Ticket to Ride. Her work has has appeared in The New York Times, Real Simple, Town & Country, The Guardian, Huffington Post, Good Housekeeping, and elsewhere. She lives with her family in Cleveland, Ohio.

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Review of “Aru Shah and the Song of Death”(Pandava Quartet #2) by Roshani Chokshi

Chokshi, Roshani. Aru Shah and the Song of Death. Los Angeles: Disney-Hyperion, 2019. 

ISBN-13: 978-1368013840 | $16.99 USD | 381 pages | MG Fantasy 

Blurb

Best-selling author Rick Riordan presents best-selling author Roshani Chokshi and her sequel to Aru Shah and the End of Time.
Aru is only just getting the hang of this whole Pandava thing when the Otherworld goes into full panic mode. The god of love’s bow and arrow have gone missing, and the thief isn’t playing Cupid. Instead, they’re turning people into heartless fighting-machine zombies.
If that weren’t bad enough, somehow Aru gets framed as the thief. If she doesn’t find the arrow by the next full moon, she’ll be kicked out of the Otherworld. For good.
But, for better or worse, she won’t be going it alone. Along with her soul-sister, Mini, Aru will team up with Brynne, an ultra-strong girl who knows more than she lets on, and Aiden, the boy who lives across the street and is also hiding plenty of secrets. Together they’ll battle demons, travel through a glittering and dangerous serpent realm, and discover that their enemy isn’t at all who they expected.

In the series 

#1 Aru Shah and the End of Time 

Review 

4 stars

Aru Shah and the Song of Death is a charming second installment in the series. Picking up where the first left off, it expands on mythos introduced in the first book, introduces a few new characters, while also containing the same quirky charm of the first book. 

Aru remains a fun protagonist to follow in this one. She has a lot of snarky one-liners and her interactions with the others is delightful. I did miss Mini and Boo, as they were absent for part of the book for  reasons, but we still get some lovely moments with her. And it was great seeing how new characters  Brynne and Aiden fit in. Aiden in particular is so sweet, with his “caregiver” type of personality, looking after everyone and keeping the peace. 

The story also combines the familiar quest archetype (once again there is that Percy Jackson feel) with an exploration of the Hindu mythology. There are familiar figures from the previous book, while introducing us to more as the story becomes more expansive. 

The story also has quite a few zany pop culture (mostly Disney) references. I was charmed by how the reference to Mulan and “Make a Man Out of You” was worked in, and there’s also this tangent about how the crab that features on the cover is connected to the crab Tamatoa from Moana. As this is also published by Disney, it’s not shocking, even if it is a bit odd, as i don’t recall these types of references from the first book. And I also know pop culture references can be hit-or-miss with some people.

I had fun with this book overall, and can’t wait to pick up the next one (and the forthcoming fourth book)! If you like middle grade fantasy, especially in a similar vein to Percy Jackson, I think you’ll enjoy this series! 

Author Bio 

Roshani Chokshi is the author of commercial and critically acclaimed books for middle grade and young adult readers that draws on world mythology and folklore. Her work has been nominated for the Locus and Nebula awards, and has frequently appeared on Best of The Year lists from Barnes and Noble, Forbes, Buzzfeed and more. Her New York Times bestselling series includes The Star-Touched Queen duology, The Gilded Wolves, and Aru Shah and The End of Time, which was recently optioned for film by Paramount Pictures.

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Review of “In a Book Club Far Away” by Tif Marcelo

Marcelo, Tif. In a Book Club Far Away. New York: Gallery Books, 2021.

ISBN-13: 978-982148096 | $16.00 USD | 400 pages | Women’s Fiction 

Blurb

From the author of Once Upon a Sunset and The Key to Happily Ever After comes a heartwarming and moving novel following three Army wives—estranged friends—who must overcome their differences when one of them is desperate for help.

Regina Castro, Adelaide Wilson-Chang, and Sophie Walden usedto be best friends. As Army wives at Fort East, they bonded during their book club and soon became inseparable. But when an unimaginable betrayal happened amongst the group, the friendship abruptly ended, and they haven’t spoken since.

That’s why, eight years later, Regina and Sophie are shocked when they get a call for help from Adelaide. Adelaide’s husband is stationed abroad, and without any friends or family near her new home of Alexandria, Virginia, she has no one to help take care of her young daughter when she has to undergo emergency surgery. For the sake of an innocent child, Regina and Sophie reluctantly put their differences aside to help an old friend.

As the three women reunite, they must overcome past hurts and see if there’s any future for their friendship. Featuring Tif Marcelo’s signature “enchanting prose” (Amy E. Reichert, author of The Coincidence of Coconut Cake) and the books that brought them together in the first place, In a Book Club Far Away honors the immense power of female friendship and how love can defy time, distance, and all old wounds.

Review 

4 stars

I received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. 

Sometimes, the third time really is the charm, and that is the case with In a Book Club Far Away by Tif Marcelo. My first two attempts with her work weren’t bad, but I didn’t fully connect to the characters, even if they worked on a conceptual level. Yet, this concept, about women bonded by their book club, spoke to me, even if other aspects, like that of a military wife and mother,  were outside my lived experience. 

Adelaide, Regina, and Sophie are all intriguing characters with complex inner lives which I was drawn into as the story unfolded. There was also this big question around why Regina and Sophie stopped speaking years ago, even though each maintained a friendship with Adelaide, which I felt was well-explored and foreshadowed through the back-and-forth between past and present. The struggles of being a military spouse are also well conveyed, and how it can often feel like you’re not really able to depend on anyone, even your husband, during tough times, and that serves as a strong source of common ground for the three women. 

I also really liked seeing the role the book club played in their friendship and their lives. It really bonded them; and bonds them again as they come back together. And I liked the fact that their book choices were so varied. From nonfiction (The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks) to romance (His at Night by Sherry Thomas), they read broadly, and I enjoyed how this reflected in the themes of the story. The latter is particularly interesting, as while I haven’t personally read it, it reflects the author’s experience as a romance reader and author (her early books were more romance leaning) and her existing connections to the community. Some not in the know would pick up Fifty Shades (there is a reference in there) or some other popular title as a first romance for their characters, but this one reflects a deep level of thought on her part. 

This book is deeply emotional and heartfelt, and really resonating with me as a book lover and providing insights into the lives of military families which I only had peripheral knowledge of in the past. While I did have some minor issues with it, like feeling the ending was a bit rushed, I enjoyed it overall and would recommend this book to others who love heartfelt women’s fiction or books about books (and book clubs). 

Author Bio 

Tif Marcelo is a veteran army nurse and holds a BS in Nursing and a Master’s in public administration. She believes and writes about the strength of families, the endurance of friendship, heartfelt romances, and is inspired daily by her own military hero husband and four children. She hosts Stories to Love Podcast, and she is also the author of Once Upon a Sunset, The Key to Happily Ever After, and the Journey to the Heart series.

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Review of “Victories Greater Than Death” (Universal Expansion #1) by Charlie Jane Anders

Anders, Charlie Jane. Victories Greater Than Death. New York: Tor Teen, 2021.

ISBN-13: 978-1250317315 | $18.99 USD | 288 pages | YA Science Fiction 

Blurb 

Outsmart Your Enemies. Outrun the Galaxy.

“Just please, remember what I told you. Run. Don’t stop running for anything.”

Tina never worries about being ‘ordinary’–she doesn’t have to, since she’s known practically forever that she’s not just Tina Mains, average teenager and beloved daughter. She’s also the keeper of an interplanetary rescue beacon, and one day soon, it’s going to activate, and then her dreams of saving all the worlds and adventuring among the stars will finally be possible. Tina’s legacy, after all, is intergalactic–she is the hidden clone of a famed alien hero, left on Earth disguised as a human to give the universe another chance to defeat a terrible evil.

But when the beacon activates, it turns out that Tina’s destiny isn’t quite what she expected. Things are far more dangerous than she ever assumed–and everyone in the galaxy is expecting her to actually be the brilliant tactician and legendary savior Captain Thaoh Argentian, but Tina….is just Tina. And the Royal Fleet is losing the war, badly–the starship that found her is on the run and they barely manage to escape Earth with the planet still intact.

Luckily, Tina is surrounded by a crew she can trust, and her best friend Rachel, and she is still determined to save all the worlds. But first she’ll have to save herself.

Buckle up your seatbelt for this thrilling YA sci-fi adventure set against an intergalactic war from internationally bestselling author Charlie Jane Anders

Review

4 stars 

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. 

Victories Greater Than Death is a fun, super-queer space adventure, and definitely fulfilled my expectations. While I did take a bit to get into the world building and wanted it to be a tad more fleshed out, I did more or less enjoy the story overall. 

Tina is a great protagonist, and has a good balance of strength and vulnerability. She starts off with a fairly black-and-white mindset about the conflict and possible resolutions, but as she grows, so does her worldview, and it’s great to see that evolution. 

I also really enjoyed how inclusive it was. I did feel a tad overwhelmed at times with the large cast of characters, not all of whom I felt I really knew by the end of the book, but I liked that Anders put effort into creating a truly diverse cast, including compassionate rep of people of other races and ethnicities, and including a rainbow of LGBTQ+ rep. The characters also include their pronouns when introducing themselves, which is something I’ve unfortunately never seen before in a book, but really hope catches on! 

And while I definitely wanted more page time for the romance, as it did feel a bit rushed, I liked what we got. Tina and Elza have such a sweet dynamic! And the way the relationship is explored through the lens of their identities, such as Tina having never really been attracted to anyone before Elza, and Elza navigating relationships as a trans person with all its complications, is so compassionate and lovely, and really spoke to me on multiple levels. 

This is a fun first entry into a planned trilogy, which I will be keeping my eye on in the future. And given what I’ve heard about Charlie Jane Anders’ other work, I’m also curious to check those out. And if you’re in the mood for a fun queer space opera, I recommend checking this out! 

Author Bio 

Charlie Jane Anders is the author of Victories Greater Than Death, the first book in the young-adult Unstoppable trilogy, along with the short story collection Even Greater Mistakes. Her other books include The City in the Middle of the Night and All the Birds in the Sky. Her fiction and journalism have appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Slate, McSweeney’s, Mother Jones, the Boston Review, Tor.com, Tin House, Conjunctions, Wired Magazine, and other places. Her TED Talk, “Go Ahead, Dream About the Future” got 700,000 views in its first week. With Annalee Newitz, she co-hosts the podcast Our Opinions Are Correct.

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Review of “The Dictionary of Lost Words” by Pip Williams

Williams, Pip. The Dictionary of Lost Words. New York: Ballantine Books, 2021. 

ISBN-13: 978-0593160190 | $28.00 USD | 400 pages | Historical Fiction 

Blurb

In this “delightful debut” (Newsweek) based on actual events, as a team of male scholars compiles the first Oxford English Dictionary, one of their daughters decides to collect the “objectionable” words they omit.

“A marvelous fiction about the power of language to elevate or repress.”—Geraldine Brooks, New York Times bestselling author of People of the Book

Esme is born into a world of words. Motherless and irrepressibly curious, she spends her childhood in the Scriptorium, a garden shed in Oxford where her father and a team of dedicated lexicographers are collecting words for the very first Oxford English Dictionary. Young Esme’s place is beneath the sorting table, unseen and unheard. One day a slip of paper containing the word bondmaid flutters beneath the table. She rescues the slip, and when she learns that the word means “slave girl,” she begins to collect other words that have been discarded or neglected by the dictionary men.

As she grows up, Esme realizes that words and meanings relating to women’s and common folks’ experiences often go unrecorded. And so she begins in earnest to search out words for her own dictionary: the Dictionary of Lost Words. To do so she must leave the sheltered world of the university and venture out to meet the people whose words will fill those pages.

Set during the height of the women’s suffrage movement and with the Great War looming, The Dictionary of Lost Words reveals a lost narrative, hidden between the lines of a history written by men. Inspired by actual events, author Pip Williams has delved into the archives of the Oxford English Dictionary to tell this highly original story. The Dictionary of Lost Words is a delightful, lyrical, and deeply thought-provoking celebration of words and the power of language to shape the world.

Review

3 stars

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

The Dictionary of Lost Words has an intriguing premise, exploring the creation of the Oxford English Dictionary and how the contributions of women have been ignored. It also explores the value of words, and how they can mean different things to men and women. I did particularly like this, as it explores the concept of what is valued in a subtle way, and being set in the midst of the suffrage movement, the preservation of the words men don’t find valuable, or perhaps even find obscene, is a revolutionary act. 

However, in spite of these grand themes, I struggled to connect with the book. The main character, Esme, feels pretty bland, pretty much a blank slate, so as she goes through the story, I didn’t really feel anything for her. I did like some of the supporting characters, and the influence in real life historical figures, however. 

The pacing also felt a bit uneven, often feeling dry and staid, to the point where I almost wanted to DNF. However, I persisted and found it got better as it went on. 

This book has received a lot of praise from others, so it’s possible that the book just wasn’t entirely for me. But I do overall see the merit in the book, even if I felt a disconnect with the execution. I think if you like feminist historical fiction, you should give this a try to see what you think. 

Author Bio 

Pip was born in London, grew up in Sydney and now calls the Adelaide Hills home. She is co-author of the book Time Bomb: Work Rest and Play in Australia Today (New South Press, 2012) and in 2017 she wrote One Italian Summer, a memoir of her family’s travels in search of the good life, which was published with Affirm Press to wide acclaim. Pip has also published travel articles, book reviews, flash fiction and poetry.

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Review of “The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo” by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Reid, Taylor Jenkins. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. New York: Atria Books, 2017. 

ISBN-13: 978-1501161933  | $17.00 USD | 390 pages | Historical Fiction 

Blurb 

Aging and reclusive Hollywood movie icon Evelyn Hugo is finally ready to tell the truth about her glamorous and scandalous life. But when she chooses unknown magazine reporter Monique Grant for the job, no one is more astounded than Monique herself. Why her? Why now?

Monique is not exactly on top of the world. Her husband has left her, and her professional life is going nowhere. Regardless of why Evelyn has selected her to write her biography, Monique is determined to use this opportunity to jumpstart her career.

Summoned to Evelyn’s luxurious apartment, Monique listens in fascination as the actress tells her story. From making her way to Los Angeles in the 1950s to her decision to leave show business in the ‘80s, and, of course, the seven husbands along the way, Evelyn unspools a tale of ruthless ambition, unexpected friendship, and a great forbidden love. Monique begins to feel a very real connection to the legendary star, but as Evelyn’s story near its conclusion, it becomes clear that her life intersects with Monique’s own in tragic and irreversible ways.

Review 

4.5 stars 

Taylor Jenkins Reid’s books have been massively hyped in the last few years, to the point where I became very intimidated by them. However, their premises always appealed to me, especially that of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, especially as, while I don’t know a ton about classic Hollywood films on a technical level, I’ve looked into the personal lives of various classic film actors with rabid interest. Reid plays into that, with the story unfolding like a tell-all where the screen legend divulges the secrets behind the headlines after decades of speculation. 

And I ate it up, devouring the book within hours of picking it up. Evelyn is a compelling protagonist, who finds herself putting up a facade because of Hollywood’s lack of acceptance of LGBTQ+ people at the time (she starts her career in the 1960s). While she clarifies early on she is bisexual and does have feelings for many of the men she marries, the great love of her life is a woman and fellow actress, Celia. I love that their relationship was dynamic, with its jealousy and passion, and they flit out of each other’s lives as Evelyn tries to make things work with a certain husband, only to find themselves coming back together again. 

I really liked that the husbands were all so different, and the monikers applied to them in the narrative really suit each of them. I loved how it also allowed for the demonstration of different types of love, as while Evelyn and Harry’s marriage was more of a cover for their same-sex relationships with other people, they made a choice to have a child together in the “traditional” way and were thus bonded in that sense. 

And while having multiple first-person narrators is often a bugbear for me, Reid makes it work stylistically so you’re never lost. I do think that the attempt to layer in some personal drama for the interviewer, Monique, fell a bit flat, given how little page time is spent with her character, however, but it does make for a nice parallel with Evelyn’s story, seeing she took away a message of living one’s life honestly and for oneself instead of for others. 

This book was literally unputdownable for me, and I can’t believe I waited this long to pick it up. On the off chance I’m not the last person to pick this up, anyone who hasn’t should absolutely rectify that immediately. You won’t regret it. 

Author Bio 

Taylor Jenkins Reid is the author of Daisy Jones & The Six, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, One True Loves, and three other novels. She lives in Los Angeles. You can follow her on Instagram @tjenkinsreid.

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Review of “A Thousand Ships” by Natalie Haynes

Haynes, Natalie. A Thousand Ships. 2019. New York: Harper, 2021.

ISBN-13: 978-0063065390 | $27.99 USD | 348 pages | Historical Fiction/Retellings

Blurb

Shortlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction, a gorgeous retelling of the Trojan War from the perspectives of the many women involved in its causes and consequences–for fans of Madeline Miller.

This is the women’s war, just as much as it is the men’s. They have waited long enough for their turn . . .

This was never the story of one woman, or two. It was the story of them all . . .

In the middle of the night, a woman wakes to find her beloved city engulfed in flames. Ten seemingly endless years of conflict between the Greeks and the Trojans are over. Troy has fallen.

From the Trojan women whose fates now lie in the hands of the Greeks, to the Amazon princess who fought Achilles on their behalf, to Penelope awaiting the return of Odysseus, to the three goddesses whose feud started it all, these are the stories of the women whose lives, loves, and rivalries were forever altered by this long and tragic war.< p>A woman’s epic, powerfully imbued with new life, A Thousand Ships puts the women, girls and goddesses at the center of the Western world’s great tale ever told.

Review

4 stars

The Trojan War is a part of Greek mythology that always fascinated me, and A Thousand Ships appealed to me because it centered the conflict on the perspectives of the women involved. While the large cast of characters makes this a daunting task, especially for the relatively short (for the scale of the story) page count, I feel like it presents a fairly broad fictionalized overview of these central figures. It does suffer from not allowing any of the women to really shine on their own, but a combination of a few different narrative styles (first and third, and even the perspective of Penelope told through letters to her missing husband Odysseus) makes for an engaging story. 

But each of the women are interesting, allowing the reader to become fairly invested in their individual narratives. All of them, gods and humans alike, are flawed and they sometimes make foolish decisions, just like the men do. For example, the war began because the gods decided to meddle, with Aphrodite offering Paris the affections of Helen, who, unbeknownst to him, was married to King Menelaus, leading to Paris stealing her away after he accepted her bribe over the more “sensible” (in relative terms of this conflict) offers from Athene or Hera. 

I was disappointed that my favorite character from the original tale, the cursed seer Cassandra, was largely relegated to shared passages with other Trojan women, getting only one section of her own. However, in the grand scheme of things, a lot of the Trojan women got similar treatment, and I’m glad it also allowed Haynes to highlight some of the lesser known stories, like that of Briseis and Chryseis, as much as the major players. 

This is an enjoyable book, although the presentation is non-linear, and feels more akin to linked vignettes or short stories than a novel. As such, I can see why some have enjoyed this, while others found this book a bit too unfocused and scattered. I feel if you’re looking for something more intimate and character-focused, you won’t find that with this book. But if you don’t mind a story that more broadly explores the varied perspectives of the characters involved in the Trojan War, I think you’ll enjoy this. 

Author Bio

Natalie Haynes, author of THE FURIES (THE AMBER FURY in the UK), is a graduate of Cambridge University and an award-winning comedian, journalist, and broadcaster. She judged the Man Booker Prize in 2013 and was a judge for the final Orange Prize in 2012. Natalie was a regular panelist on BBC2’s Newsnight Review, Radio 4’s Saturday Review, and the long-running arts show, Front Row. She is a guest columnist for the The Independent and The Guardian. Her radio series, Natalie Haynes Stands Up for the Classics, was first broadcast in March 2014.

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Review of “The Smuggler’s Daughter” by Kerry Barrett

Barrett, Kerry. The Smuggler’s Daughter. New York: HQ, 2021.

ISBN-13: 978-0008430160 | $16.99 USD | 384 pages | Historical Mystery 

Blurb 

‘I loved this book! I was hooked from the start… I devoured this.’ NetGalley reviewer, 5 stars

Only she knows the truth. Only she can save them.

1799
Emily Moon lives with her mother in an inn on a clifftop in the darkest reaches of Cornwall. After her father mysteriously disappears, her mother finds solace at the bottom of a bottle, and the only way to keep afloat is to turn a blind eye to the smugglers who send signals from the clifftops. But Emily knows that the smugglers killed her father to ensure his silence, and she will not let his murder go unpunished…

Present day
After a case ends in tragedy, police officer Phoebe Bellingham flees to Cornwall for a summer of respite. But rather than the sunny Cornwall of her dreams, she finds herself on storm-beaten cliffs, surrounded by stories of ghosts and smugglers – and the mysterious Emily Moon, who vanished without a trace over two centuries ago. As rain lashes down around her, Phoebe determines to find the truth behind the rumours – but what she uncovers will put herself in danger too…

A haunting and moving timeslip novel perfect for fans of The Girl in the Letter, The Forgotten Village and The Witchfinder’s Sister.Readers LOVE The Smuggler’s Daughter!

‘Gripping and unputdownable… A brilliantly told story and one I keep thinking about since I finished reading it.’ NetGalley reviewer, 5 stars

‘Creepy, atmospheric and gripping, a really great read.’ NetGalley reviewer, 5 stars

‘Ticked all of the boxes for me… One of those books that draws you in straight away… I found it difficult to put down.’ NetGalley reviewer

‘Atmospheric and gothic… Gives you the odd shiver up your spine… A really enjoyable read.’ NetGalley reviewer

‘An intriguing story full of adventure, imaginative characters, history, and beautiful Cornwall scenes.’ NetGalley reviewer

‘I could literally hear and smell the waves crashing on the rocks… Kept me gripped throughout… Twists along the way.’ Yeah Lifestyle

Review 

3.5 stars 

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. 

The Smuggler’s Daughter is a dual-timeline mystery, and while I was a bit nervous about how I’d fare with it upon noting how it was structured, with both being in first-person (I’ve been known to forget whose head I’m in even with headings), since I got into the rhythm of it. And the two voices are fairly distinct, with Emily’s subtly reflecting her time period. 

Ultimately , I did grasp onto Emily more, and that was likely in part due to the fact that she is what we today would consider to be autistic. I could empathize with how she‘s viewed differently by the townsfolk due to this, and provides a healthy reminder of why I’m glad to have been born in the present, even if that still isn’t without its own challenges for neurodiverse folks. 

But I did still like Phoebe’s story to an extent, even if I wasn’t as personally invested in it. As an investigator, I liked how she applied her skills to looking into the mysterious goings-on of the Moon Inn (which serves as the setting connection), including a thread that ties into finding out what happened to Emily when she disappeared after she made some discoveries in relation to her father’s death and the local smuggling activities. I did admittedly gloss over a bit more in her chapters, wanting to get back to Emily. 

While I didn’t feel like this book was as balanced in sucking me in to both character arcs as I desire with dual-timeline novels, I still enjoyed this one a solid amount, even if more for the historical elements. It offers a lot of familiar elements (the atmospheric Cornwall setting, a la the novels of Daphne du Maurier), with a fresh twist, and should satisfy fans of historical fiction who also like a bit of mystery. 

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Review of “My Epic Spring Break (Up)” by Kristin Rockaway

Rockaway, Kristin. My Epic Spring Break (Up). New York: Underlined, 2021.

ISBN-13: 978-0593180112| $9.99 USD | 256 pages | YA Contemporary Romance 

Blurb 

A fun and upbeat paperback original romance about a girl who finds a cheat sheet for love.

Spring break . . . heartache?

For coder extraordinaire Ashley, high school is all about prepping for college. Her love life? Virtually nonexistent. She’s never been on a date. Never been kissed. Never been in love.

When her plans veer off course, Ashley realizes she might be missing out on her high school experience. Now that spring break is finally here, Ashley vows to have fun . . . and, for the first time, follow her heart.

Starting with Walker Beech, her gorgeous, maybe-not-so-unrequited crush. But with Jason Eisler–her childhood friend turned prankster–in the picture, trouble is bound to follow. Will Ashley’s epic spring break lead her to love, or will her heart crash and burn?

“Smart, fun, fast-paced.” —USA Today bestselling author of The Kiss Quotient Helen Hoang on Kristin Rockaway’s How to Hack a Heartbreak

Review

3.5 stars 

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. 

I read a previous adult book by Kristin Rockaway and enjoyed it, so was interested in her upcoming YA title, My Epic Spring Break (Up). It didn’t blow me away or anything, but it’s fun and sweet, with elements that ultimately appealed to my id. 

I don’t know a ton about coding, but it was presented in a way that wasn’t overwhelming. And it was fun to see a competitive event more related to science/tech featured, as I feel like I don’t see that too often. 

I didn’t find Ashley to be super well fleshed out, and she did lean into some teen stereotypes. However, I don’t think that’s a mark against it, due to it being appropriate for the target audience. 

The romantic elements are where the book really shines for me. Love triangles can be a bit hard to invest in, but Rockaway writes one that is interesting and worth investing in. I can remember being a similar age to Ashley and aspiring to date the hot guy, and that is a common aspect of wish-fulfillment in many properties made for teens. But I like that the story explores that, having Ashley make bad decisions because of Walker, and then over time come to that realization that he’s not right for her. It may not be the only story with this outcome, but I appreciated the level of self-awareness. And the fact that her relationship with her childhood friend Jason is also changing and bringing up questions…it just made me so happy to see how things resolved between them. 

I did think it was interesting how at one point, Ashley is at a Taylor Swift concert, and the music plays a role in her epiphany. But that also really calls into question the weird time-warp contemporaries have been in since the beginning of COVID. I understand not wanting to acknowledge it. But I also find it interesting the way it handled it, referencing songs up to Lover, when surely at some point in production, Folklore at least had come out? Although the circumstances of the making of  Taylor Swift’s two quarantine records does make it a bit contradictory to the goal of the scene. However, it did mess with my head and I ultimately read way too much into it, given this is a YA contemporary romance, and it’s probably not that deep. 

Weird overly analytical nitpicks aside, this is a fun book. Maybe not something that will cross over to adult readers well, but that’s totally fine! I think teens will like this fun romance, especially if they like coding. 

Author Bio

Kristin Rockaway is a native New Yorker and recovering corporate software engineer. After working in the IT industry for far too many years, she finally traded the city for the surf and chased her dreams out to Southern California, where she spends her days happily writing stories instead of code. When she’s not working, she enjoys spending time with her husband and son, browsing the aisles of her neighborhood bookstores, and trying to catch up on sleep.

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