Tag: book reviews

The Dark Library

~ Lisa Helm ~ Leave a comment

by Mary Anne Evans

Don’t you absolutely love the cover of this novel?

Our setting is in the University town of Bentham on Hudson, right in the middle of the Second World War. Our initiating incident is the apparent suicide of  Dean Jamison, who jumps from a tower at the university. Coincidentally, it is immediately after he meets with Estella (or E as she prefers to be called). Obviously, his death appears suspicious,  I mean, to those who worked closely with him, he didn’t seem depressed or desperate, condescending and patriarchal, sure, but if anything, overly controlling. Our protagonist, E, is naturally stunned by the dean’s sudden death. Still, it’s not like she’ll miss him, even though he was a colleague and ‘friend’ of her late father (himself a professor) he was never supportive of E’s position as professor of literature, for example, not giving her the title of professor,(because she was only holding the position until the ‘rightful’ instructors returned from war), and relegating her to the smallest, most obscure office on campus. Luckily, E’s closest friends also work at the university, Margorie and Leontine.

So Dean Jamison’s death immediately creates suspense, because if it, secrets are revealed and we soon learn that E’s father is entwined in treacherous political dealings. Which is somewhat surprising to E It’s not like she adored her father. E lives a rather solitary life with only the family’s housekeeper Annie as “family”. Before her post as professor, Estella had led a somewhat everyday life as a High School teacher until she was summoned home by Annie because her mother had disappeared and her father had taken ill.

The Dark Library is quite a little mystery. It is deftly written in that one of the central mysteries is solved about halfway through the novel (a rather central mystery in that it serves in developing E’s character and furthering the secondary plot). The second mystery that serves to answer all of our unanswered questions. 

A mystery, a romance, with tinges of historical content, this novel is a wonderful addition to your summer TBR list. It also makes for an engaging addition to any High School library. Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and Netgalley for the copy.

Oye

~ Lisa Helm ~ Leave a comment

by Melissa Mogollon

Rarely is a novel so effectively written that you feel like you are a part of the family. Such it was for me with Melissa Mogollon’s Oye. Luciana is our protagonist; in fact, through her phone calls to her sister Mari, we are given access to her story, albeit her side of the story. Luciana’s voice is so convincing that I felt as though I was speaking to my sister, and boy, did I often find her annoying, moody, and melodramatic; mind you, Luciana is only 17 years old, so that’s that. 
The story starts with Luciana informing her sister Mari (who is away at university and therefore not directly a part of the family drama)of the family’s plans to evacuate due to Hurricane Erma. This life-threatening situation forces them to confront their relationships and responsibilities. Luciana is naturally stressed because she is left with her mother to convince her Abue to go with them. However, they notice that Abue is in desperate need of medical attention. Sure enough, Abue is diagnosed with a life-altering condition. Therefore, it is up to Luciana to manage the family trauma. Luciana’s Abue is one of the most charismatic characters I have met…a 70-year-old who views herself as a femme fatale, and you know what…she kinda is. 
Accompanying her Abue on her medical journey, Luciana learns about her family history, a history filled with heartache, trauma and unforgivable decisions.
Oye is a novel that beautifully captures the process of character development. Luciana’s ‘coming of age’ is a gradual and gentle journey, which adds to her authenticity. The novel’s prose is a testament to how diction, tone, and word choice can effectively shape a character, making it a perfect mentor text for teaching character development. 
The author also utilises some incredibly beautiful ( as well as humorous) metaphors. For example, “Starfish are reminders to heal yourself… to pause and regrow your own body parts first.”
There is no huge quest, no dragons to slay, or princes to save, but this novel portrays an incredibly realistic way of how family relationships, responsibility, identity, and forgiveness are essential for peace and understanding of self and others.

The River Has Roots

~ Lisa Helm ~ Leave a comment

by Amal El-Mohtar

“There was a time when grammar was wild-when it shifted shapes and unleashed new forms out of old. Grammar like gramarye, like grimoire. What is magic but a change in the word…but that is the nature of grammar-it is always tense, like an instrument, aching for release, longing to transform present into past into future into will. (pg. 1-3)

The Hawthorn sisters, Esther and Ysabel, live in the small village of Thistleford located on the edge of “the beautiful county of Acadia, the beautiful land- the land beyond; antiquity”  in other words, the beautiful land of Faerie. The sisters have 2  jobs: the first is to weave beautiful willow baskets, and the second most important is to sing to the willows. You see, “when they sang together, you could feel grammar in the air”. Ester, the eldest, is being pursued by the bachelor Mr. Pollard, who “always had the beseeching expression of a whining dog; his hand, bafflingly, were always somehow both cold and moist”…needless to say, Esther is in no way interested. Instead, her heart belongs to Rin (a beautiful nonbinary character). Rin is Fae; Rin is beautiful, loving, brave, and adoring. However, Ester is in a dilemma; although she loves Rin, she vows to never break the bond she has with her sister Ysabel. She loves her sister beyond life itself, and their bond is intricately woven together, not just because they are sisters but because of the magical bond created by the grammar when they sing.

When a violent incident occurs and tragedy strikes, Esther has to choose between living in the world of Faerie with her love and staying in human form or living in the land of humans in the form of a swan. Will the bond between the sisters survive the conflict that ensues? 

This novel is a treasure trove for literary analysis. Its symbols, including the river Liss, the Willows, Mr Pollard, and the land of Faerie, are rich and complex, offering ample material for exploration. The novel’s prose, too, is a delight, best savored when read slowly and contemplatively, much like a piece of poetic verse.

This novel is also beautifully published, interspersed with what looks like linocut artwork by artist Kathleen Neeley, enchanting and folkloric.

If you loved How To Lose the Time War, co-written by El-Mohtar you love this novel.

Blood on Her Tongue

~ Lisa Helm ~ 2 Comments

by Johanna Van Veen

This is the second novel I’ve read by Johanna Van Veen, and it just confirmed to me that she is, in fact, one of my favourite authors. I do not naturally gravitate to horror, but when I have, it is usually to authors such as her. Before you read this novel, be sure to read the forward; it does prepare the reader for what lies ahead. Yes, it is creepy, yes, it is bloody, but it’s also a whole lot of fun. This novel will keep you entertained from start to finish. In fact I was so intrigued that I read it in a day!

Set in what I believe to be the Victorian era, Lucy receives a very unsettling letter from her twin, Sarah. Sarah’s letter is incoherent, pleading, and desperate, and her handwriting is beyond agitated.

Sarah’s letter was soon followed by her husband’s letter, requesting Lucy come to Sarah’s assistance.

Lucy isn’t completely surprised by this; madness, after all, does run in the family.

When Lucy arrives, in an effort to discover the cause of her sister’s madness, she begins to read Sarah’s journals. These journals aren’t just a person’s recollection of the day’s thoughts and events; they are also scholarly in nature. It seems a body has been found on the property, but not any body, a Bog Woman wonderfully preserved centuries after her demise. Sarah’s obsession over the Bog Woman seems to have ignited her madness, so much so that we, the readers, start to believe that she may, in fact, be possessed by the Bog Woman’s spirit because soon Sarah ceases to be Sarah as Lucy has known her to be.

As with most Victorian stories, the male characters are far from appealing. For instance, Sarah’s husband is dismissive, condescending, and extremely narcissistic, which makes him an unsympathetic character. However, Van Veen does not paint the sisters as sympathetic characters either, but the characterization did get me rooting for them at the end.

This novel is highly atmospheric. It is gruesome, suspenseful, and quite humorous at times (to the expense of a couple of characters). I enjoy Johanna Van Veen so much because, despite the heavy themes, the plot is gruesome fun. If you are not a fan of body horror, maybe stay away from this one, but if you enjoy a good, gruesome, spooky tale, you’ll definitely enjoy Blood on Her Tongue. 

Thank you to Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the copy.

The Maid’s Secret

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by Nita Prose

Oh, how excited I am to be immersed again in the world of Molly the Maid. Molly is one of the most charming, engaging protagonists I’ve ever met. I desperately needed to catch up with her and her adventures. Thankfully, Nita Prose has graced us with another Molly the Maid novel, which is slightly different from the first two; in this third novel, we get to know Molly’s Gran Flora more intimately through Gran’s journals. Gran’s journal is a series of letters to her granddaughter charting her life as a young girl and ending with her on her deathbed. The reader quickly learns that Gran’s life is nothing like we suspected. Growing up in a family of wealth, Gran/Flora wanted for nought, but with this wealth came social obligations that Flora fought against. Flora was a bit of a rebel; she wanted to go to university instead of finishing school, choose her love (gasp!), and not be obliged to marry someone her parents deemed suitable. 

Gran’s diary holds not only the purpose of telling her granddaughter about her family history but also clues to the mysterious Faberge egg of Gran’s that just so happens to be in Molly’s possession. An egg that, for most of her life, Molly perceived as a mere trinket of no worth, but with the surprise appraisal from thMollly’srown and Beagle” (an Antiques Roadshow-esque event scheduled at the Regency Grand), she discovers that it is worth millions and she is thrust into the spotlight.

Just like the previous two books, this one is also a mystery—one that involves a great heist, the theft of the Faberge Egg! Molly and our friends Juan, Mr. Preston, and Angela, to name a few(because they really are our friends by now), all play a crucial role in solving the case. Their unique skills and perspectives add depth to the story, making the audience feel like they are part of the team. And with all this sleuthing, Molly has to plan her wedding!  

Nita Prose has a unique way of weaving the past and the present in a way that is engaging and easy to follow, with absolutely no errors in continuity. The book is written in alternating chapters of Gran/Flora’s journal and the present-day Molly adventure. This narrative structure adds depth to the characters and keeps the reader engaged. One could easily just read Flora’s chapters as a book in itself. 

Although my favourite chapters were those with Molly and the gang attempting to solve a crime, I did enjoy being immersed in Gran’s world and getting a fuller understanding of her backstory and what made her such a remarkable mentor for Molly. 

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Random House for the copy!

Sweet Fury

~ Lisa Helm ~ Leave a comment

by Sarah Bischoff

I REALLY enjoyed this book. It was the soap-operatic suspenseful novel I needed to get me out of a minor reading slump. Told from various points of view, the reader soon realizes they cannot trust any narrator.

Lila Crayne is beautiful and brilliant. She is THE most sought-after actress of the moment. She has everything she could have ever wished for: beauty, fame, a handsome famous actor as a fiance and now the role of a lifetime. Lila and her husband are producing a feminist version of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “Tender is the Night” (a rendition I would love to read in real life). For Lila to fully envelope her character, she seeks therapy under the care of Johna Gabriel, who coincidentally has an infatuation with F. Scott Fitzgerald. The story is told in the third person narrative with chapters in first person under the guise of Jonah’s private patient notes on Lila and Lila’s journal. Soon, forbidden attractions occur, secrets are revealed, and half-truths are believed, culminating in a shocking act of violence. 

I enjoyed this novel’s pace, plot, and finding very few characters with redeeming characteristics. Now, I want to go out and read Fitzgerald’s Tender is the Night.

Thank you to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster for the free copy

A Sorceress Coes To Call

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by T Kingfisher

I immediately knew I would love this book because Kingfisher is a tried and true author. A Sorceress Comes to Call is a take on the fairytale The Goose Girl. So, If you’re a fan of Kingfisher and fairytale retelling, this book is perfect for you. 

14-year-old Corderlia’s mother, Evangeline, takes cohesive control to a new level. You see, Evangeline is secretly a sorceress whose “gift”, if you could call it that, is to place an “obedience” spell on anyone she chooses. This spell causes a person to do Evangeline’s bidding while being conscious that what they are saying and how they are acting is not of their doing…like being a marionette on a string. When Evangeline’s “benefactor” cuts off all monetary support, she sets off to town to find a wealthy suitor who will support the life she desires. 

Meanwhile, a woman by the name of Hester wakes up one morning with a sense of dread. She knows some ill fate is about to settle on her house, and sure enough, she is right when “doom” arrives in the form of a beautiful woman bent on seducing Hester’s brother Samuel. Even though Hester is focused on figuring out Evangeline’s motives, she is empathetic towards Cordelia, and it soon becomes evident that Cordelia is terrified of her mother, fueling Hester’s premonition. 

I REALLY enjoyed this book. It’s an entertaining fantasy with just the right amount of suspense and violence. I especially liked Hester’s character; her practicality, humour, and sense of sarcasm made her my favourite.

Thank you to Tor Publishing and Netgalley for the copy.

Where I End

~ Lisa Helm ~ Leave a comment

by Sophie White

Did it like this book? It was enthralling, highly atmospheric and deeply, deeply disturbing. 
I like books that jar me out of complacency.
This novel is rife with trigger warnings. While I’m not particularly fond of body horror, its inclusion in this book was not gratuitous. Instead, the descriptions served to enhance the theme, atmosphere, and characterization.
So, what is this gothic horror novel about?
Aoileann is a teenage girl who is trapped. She’s trapped on a remote island with her catatonic mother and her abusive grandmother. Aoileann’s entire life centres around the care of her mother, and this obligation has turned to hatred (often referring to her mother as “the bed thing”. 
The hatred is caused, in part, by a family secret…what caused her mother’s state? Both her father and her grandmother refuse to give answers.
Desperate for love, familial or otherwise, Aoileann is drawn to a newcomer, Rachel, a young mother who has arrived as an artist in residence. Aoileann’s desperation for love and companionship drives her to do almost anything for attention. Soon, she begins to resent the time and attention Rachrel has towards her newborn. 
Written in the first person, the reader is privy to an uncensored reading of Aoileann’s true thoughts, making her a very creepy, unsympathetic character. 
This is in no way a happy book. I needed to go hug a puppy after reading it. 
The author, in her forward, shares her inspiration for this story. 
So, did I like this book? I have been thinking about it on and off since I read it, a sure sign that I found it impactful. 
This novel lends itself to high school discussion on genre, theme, definitely atmosphere and the impact of first person point of view.
Thank you to Erewhon Books and Netgalley for the copy.

Lake of Souls

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Ann Leckie

Ann Leckie is a brilliant author. Science Fiction isn’t usually my genre of choice; however, some of my favourite books are Sci-Fic, so I’m not sure why I don’t choose it more often. Maybe because I didn’t have access to ANYTHING sci-fi as a child???. In this particular anthology, there are newer stories Leckie has written and stories set in the world of The Raven Tower novel. I have chosen to comment on a few of the stories that sit outside the world of the Raven Tower. The Novela Lake of Souls is one of these. As a narrative, it has SO many layers: world-building, exciting development, and a variety of deep themes of identity through place and family adventure, imagination, and curiosity, all of which would instigate and feed thought and discussion. 

The anthology features a diverse range of stories. Another Word for World explores the importance of communication, especially in power dynamics and across generations. The Justified serves as a mentor text for political sci-fi with dystopian elements. The VERY short tale, Footprints , is a creepy atmospheric tale about a potentially human little girl and her malevolent ‘toy’ bear (great for teaching atmosphere and indeterminant ending).Each story offers a unique reading experience, showcasing Leckie’s versatility as an author.

This anthology of Ann Leckie’s works is not just a collection of entertaining stories that can be used as a suitable resource for study in a high school English class. Leckie’s mastery of storytelling and her beautiful gift of prose makes her works engaging. Moreover, her skill as a world-builder, particularly in science fiction, adds an educational dimension to her stories, making them credible for academic study. 

Thank you to Orbit Books and Netgalley for the free copy.

Pretty Ugly

~ Lisa Helm ~ Leave a comment

David Sederis and Ian Falconer

This picture book is fantastic in so many ways. First, it’s funny and a wee bit gross. Second, it has a multitude of universal themes, so it doesn’t matter how old you are when you read it; you GET it. This book would be an amazing text to use when introducing Socratic discussion of the subjectivity of “beauty.” Fourthly (yes, FOURTHLY!!!), it makes THE most effective text to teach writing in any grade.

In his picture book “Pretty Ugly”, David Sedaris shows us that looks are irrelevant to the depth of familial love. When Anna made ugly faces so often that one permanently stuck, she tried everything, including visiting a doctor to change her appearance to what it was before, but to no avail. Her family tries to assure her that “beauty is on the inside” and that they love her very much. Pondering her family’s words, she reaches inside and turns herself inside out, ultimately making herself more beautiful than before.

This book is concise and perfect for teaching how to summarize. It also lends itself nicely to personal and persuasive writing.  For example, an introductory paragraph for a persuasive essay for junior high could be:

“Beauty is in the eye of the Beholder” is a phrase we have heard so often it has become trite. How can we internalize the authenticity of this statement? Why picture books, of course. In the picture book “Pretty Ugly”, David Sedaris shows us that familial love renders looks irrelevant.

So, if you’re looking for an exemplar to teach summarizing, paragraph writing, or persuasive writing, this book is perfect.

Or, if you want to read a picture book that will make you think while you giggle, “Pretty Ugly” is perfect.

….oh, I just realized you could also use the title to teach oxymorons.

Thank you Netgalley and Astra Books for the free digital copy.