booklistqueen's reviews
634 reviews

A heartfelt story of the various struggles and desires of immigrants, The Book of Unknown Americans is a great read in today's political climate. The story itself was good but proceeds at a slower thoughtful pace without lots of drama, mainly focusing on the immigrant experience. I particularly loved the segments where the various apartment residences share how and why they immigrated to the United States. 

I'm honestly shocked I actually finished The Bullet Swallower. The first hundred pages bored me to tears with endless descriptions of the Texas-Mexico landscape. The story improved somewhat once it settled into more a Western feel and added side characters with some personality. The entire modern timeline felt completely unnecessary, as did the limited use of magical realism. I definitely recommend skipping this one. 

Everett's retelling of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn gives a fascinating but darker look at the story from Jim's perspective. As a character, James provides a look into an extremely intelligent and insightful man forced to play to white people's expectations of him. I am extremely grateful I picked up the audiobook because the narrator does an amazing job as James code switches between his personal and his slave diction. The first half of the book stays true to Twain's version but diverges once James and Huck separate, which didn't bother me. However, the ending abruptly veered from the rest of the story in tone and pacing; else I likely would have given James five stars. 

A year before 9/11, three women entering the U.S. Military Academy at West Point form an enduring friendship to see them through the years ahead. Dani, the star athlete determined to break barriers; Hannah, the Army legacy guided by her faith; and Avery, the wild child pushing boundaries. Covering women in the military and the history of West Point as well as the post-9/11 years, Gibson's debut novel has plenty to set it apart.

I knew I would love this book from the moment I bought it and still wasted years letting it sit on my shelf unread. Gibson paints a powerful story about female friendship in the military, tearing your heart out along the way. I particularly loved reading about their time at West Point and their blooming friendship and wanted that section to be even longer. Yet, it was necessary to see the women struggle on their different paths after school, as their bonds strain but never break. 

None of the new book releases have gotten more buzz than Suzanne Collins' prequel to The Hunger Games series. Collins shocked fans when she revealed the prequel's main character is none other than notorious President Snow. During the 10th annual Hunger Games, Coriolanus Snow is selected as a mentor to the female candidate from District 12. Desperate to win a victory, Snow must use all his cunning and skill to help his doomed candidate, a girl he is beginning to care about.

I never really saw a need for a Hunger Games prequel but I liked the book more than I expected. Snow's backstory helped flesh out the early days of Panem and the impetus behind the Hunger Games. Since the movie was a faithful adaptation, I already knew the plot. However, I appreciated that Collins doesn't even attempt to paint Snow as a good guy, showing how calculating and transactional his behavior is throughout the entire story. The next prequel is Haymitch's story and I think I might actually read that one, too. 

Everywhere she goes, Adelaide Henry carries a locked steamer trunk with her because whenever it is opened, people disappear. Fleeing California for Montana after her parents' death, Adelaide takes up the government's offer of free land. But Adelaide's secrets don't want to stay locked up forever. And the secret she most wants to keep hidden might be the only thing that can keep her alive in the untamed West.

If I enjoyed horror stories with monster themes, I probably would have liked this book. But I don't. LaValle does an excellent job with his characters and historical setting. I loved the fierce determination that Adelaide and the other lone women brought to the frontier. The setting, the women, the dangers of Montana were beautifully painted. However, the horror elements are just not my cup of tea and really only make me roll my eyes.

 Vanessa Chan's debut novel provided a revealing look at Malaya during the Japanese Occupation during World War II. Although the setting and descriptions were interesting and informative, The Storm We Made presents you with a series of horrifying events with little character development to emotionally tie you to the story. To make matters worse, the constant jumping between characters and timelines kept disrupting the flow of the narrative. Despite its weak characters, The Storm We Made's historical setting make it still worth a read. 

In 1992, Sarah Lingate fell from the cliffs outside the family's annual vacation home in Capri. Her entire lie, Helen Lingate has been plagued by rumors that her father killed her mother. When the family returns to Capri on the thirtieth anniversary, Helen decides to blackmail her controlling paranoid family with the help of Lorna, her uncle's assistant. But when Lorna disappears with the ransom money, Helen doesn't know who she can trust.

Considering how much I hated Katy Hays' debut The Cloisters, I'm surprised I picked this one up but I'm glad I did. The sunny Capri setting belied the darker side of the family, whose overcontrolling ways leave you certain that someone is guilty. With plenty of red herrings, twists, and family drama, Saltwater was an entertaining read, although its mystery was extremely convoluted.

After attacking her ex while sleepwalking, Lucy flees to her sister's house on the coast of New South Wales. But Jess is missing and Jess's paintings reflect the strange dreams Lucy has been having. Lucy dreams of two exiled Irish sisters sailing from England to Australia. Diving into her sister's past, Lucy begins to worry about Jess and to wonder about her family's past.

Having loved Weyward, I was highly anticipating Emilia Hart's newest book only for it to fall flat for me.

Again writing about the injustices women have endured, The Sirens tries to praise the tenacity of women but fails to hook you with its characters. The weak connections between the characters and the constantly shifting timeline didn't feel compelling and I lacked the drive to keep reading. Instead of empowering, the magical realism just felt odd and I struggled to get through this one.

Theo fell in love with Connor in a whirlwind romance six months ago. Despite anonymous texts telling her to stay away from Connor, Theo knows it's her chance to win over his wealthy family when she visits Idlewood, the family's remote winter retreat. But at the family cabin, Theo finds a photo of herself as a child and begins to recall long-repressed memories that someone in Connor's family will do anything to keep buried.

Kate Alice Marshall draws you in with a story of a rich family where everyone has a secret to hide. The icy isolation of Idlewood provides a smothering atmosphere that amps up the tension as twists are slowly revealed. While the slow burn tension was captivating to read and the audio narration was spot-on, the conclusion didn't wrap up satisfactorily.