Tag: #books

Sunrise On the Reaping

~ Lisa Helm ~ Leave a comment

by Suzanne Collins

Years ago, I was a fan of the Hunger Games series, and I read the first book aloud to my ninth-grade class. They naturally loved it. I was delighted to find out that Collins has now written a prequel from Haymitch’s point of view. 

Written in first person, we, the reader, get to know Haymitch personally. The novel unfolds on Haymitch’s 16th birthday, the day of the Reaping. Despite his numerous entries to secure food and supplies for his family, Haymitch has avoided being chosen. We delve into the intricacies of the Haymitch family, his ties with the Everdeen family, his fears, his wit, and most importantly, his love for Lenore Dove.

As we all know, Haymitch is, in fact, chosen to represent District 12 for the Hungar Games, even though the circumstances under which he is chosen are questionable. 

Of course, the novel’s main action occurs in the Arena for the Hunger Games. Due to specific meetings and acquaintances, Haymitch’s task in the Arena isn’t just to survive; it is to sabotage the Game in the hopes of bringing down the Hunger Games and, ultimately, President Snow.

This novel, in line with the Hunger Games series, is intense and fast-paced. I found it intriguing to unravel the layers of Haymitch’s character and understand the roots of his eventual struggles with substance abuse. Suzanne Collins’ incorporation of verses from Edgar Alan Poe’s poem “The Raven” creates a perfect opportunity for teachers to discuss patterns and connections between the two pieces of literature. The poem’s verses beautifully mirror Haymitch’s feelings towards Lenore and his trauma in the Games, particularly in the final chapter.

Collins also employs nursery rhymes and the lyrics from The Hanging Tree to help support themes.

Trigger warnings: extreme brutality, murder and death.

The River Has Roots

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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.

The Amalfi Curse

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by Sarah Penner

Haven Ambrose has found her way to Positano, Italy, to lead a team of archaeologists in researching sunken wrecks off the Amalfi Coast, a place rich in history filled with folklore of curses and witches. But Haven isn’t there to study history folklore or besides her research, Haven has a second more personal reason for participation in this expedition, before her father’s death, he, as a renowned nautical archaeologist himself died he made her promise to return to his last dive site where he believed he had found a lost trove of rare gemstones.  No one on Haven’s expedition team knows this; if they did, they would be sure to claim them for their own. 
Upon her arrival, Haven is immediately drawn into a mysterious incident: a yacht is ensnared in a whirlpool, collapses, and vanishes beneath the waves, taking most of the crew with it. Could this tragedy be linked to the fabled Amalfi Curse?
Now, for the second timeline, there is indeed a second timeline that occurs more than 200 years before Haven’s arrival. This is Mari’s story. In Positano, the women are stregheria- sea witches who protect their village from pirates, specifically the infamous Mazza brothers. Mari is the most powerful strega, and she is integral to the success of the protection spell. The only problem is that she longs to escape her home and run away with her American sea-faring lover to live a life away from the unpredictable sea. 
The two timelines are masterfully interwoven, keeping me engrossed and endearing me to both female protagonists. Yet, the portrayal of the female community and the potency of the stregheria truly captivated me. This novel had me delving into Italian folklore, sea witches, Positano, and the Amalfi Coast, sparking a desire to visit these places.
I wish a few plot points were fleshed out a bit more, and I would have appreciated a bit more backstory for a couple of the characters.
The Amalfi Curse is a perfect novel for your summer reading list.

Thank you to Netgalley and Park Row Books for the copy!

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.

Haunt Sweet Home

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by Sara Pinsker

Mara has been going through life thinking she is a nobody, a failure. There is nothing like a family Thanksgiving dinner to make her feel more like a loser, especially when her cousin Jeremy is there, Jeremy, who seems to have been born with a golden horseshoe up his butt. Unable to find a job that pays her bills, Mara takes a job (or did she beg?) with her cousin’s unique television show “Haunt Sweet Home”. Now, Haunt Sweet Home is not your typical home renovation show. It’s a show that not only films the renovation of a room or two, but also serves as a ghost hunter, recording any ghostly phenomena that happen to take place. The more frightening, the more significant the audience. 

As part of the filming crew, Mara has firsthand knowledge of the authenticity of the paranormal activity, but she is in no position to debate the ethics of the truth behind “reality TV.” Instead, she just does her job during the week and spends her weekends living out of a tent, attending to her wood carving, the only talent she acknowledges in herself. 

The book is written in first-person narrative and focuses more on Mara’s emotional development than the plot. Her personal running narrative is one of self-deprecation, self-searching and self-realization. Pinsker writes this narrative in a way that resonates with anyone who has ever felt insecure about who they are. Mara’s slow but steady realization of her strength is a journey many can identify with. But Mara does not come to this realization on her own; she makes a friend whilst on the job, someone who seems to know who she truly is, someone who appears to be just the right person to support her in this journey of self-discovery and growth, the only problem is, is this friend real or not?

This turned out to be a different “ghost” story than I expected. It is in no way scary; it is rather more of a story that is a running narrative of a young woman’s self-discovery and growth. A light, easy read but not scary or suspenseful. 

Thank you to Tor Publishing Group and Netgalley for the free 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!

The Mask of Merryvale Manor

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by Pete Sherlock

The Mask of Merryvale Manor is an entertaining and sometimes unsettling mystery. The novel begins on a dark and sultry evening at Natasha Merryvales’s wedding. Natasha and Ben have escaped the wedding party in an attempt to spend time alone together…the only problem is that Ben isn’t the groom; in fact, he is Natasha’s cousin. If this doesn’t complicate matters enough, whilst walking along the bank of the lake, they stumble upon a corpse, half buried in the water. Not only is this discovery shocking to all, but a few family members coincidentally recognise the shoe. They can, therefore, identify the corpse. But there is a dark secret surrounding the dead woman that someone in the family is privy to, and it is so condemning that it could lead someone to murder.

The plot of this novel is engaging enough, although a few segments are rather slow. Ben’s character is also quite interesting. Still, the story is written from his perspective. It is a first-person narrative, so the reader is left wondering exactly how reliable he is. 

I really appreciate the author’s writing skills and story ideas. Still, I did figure out the “guilty party(ies)” (no spoilers) well before the end of the novel.

It’s definitely worth a recommendation.

…plus I think the cover is cool!

Thank you to Fairlight Books and Netgalley for the copy!

I Died on A Tuesday

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by Jane Corry

Have you read this book? I picked this one up at the airport. It is a good “light” read (light as in style and prose, not necessity the subject matter; I mean, it is, after all, about death).

The story is set in the aftermath of a horrific hit-and-run and delves into the consequences and repercussions for everyone involved. 

Twenty years ago, on a quiet seaside road, Janie was riding her bike early in the morning when she was suddenly struck by a white van. But Janie did not die ( now, this isn’t a spoiler because the VERY first chapter is written in italics from Janie’s point of view). Horrifically, Janie remains in a comma, alone with only her thoughts and memories of the life she had led thus far. 

The story is also about Robbie, a famous singer-songwriter and musician. Now Robbie is linked to Janie. You see, he was a passenger in the van that hit her all though years ago, and he is riddled with guilt, not just because he was riding in the vehicle involved in a hit and run, but because he knows who was driving and divulging that truth would put his and his family’s lives at risk. 

The novel is written from alternating points of view: Janie, Robbie and a middle-aged woman named Vanessa. Now, Vanessa’s link to Janie is that her husband was one of the detectives assigned to find the person responsible for Janie’s injuries. Vanesa also serves as a victim’s advocate in court.

There is also a smattering of other characters with chapters written from their points of view, newspaper clippings of the case, diary entries and song lyrics. 

This novel is a perfect vacation novel. It possesses simple themes of guilt, redemption, forgiveness and resilience. Short chapters, varying points of view and a plot filled with twists and turns and connections that, for the most part, the reader can’t see coming. 

Sweet Fury

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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.

For She is Wrath

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by Emily Varga

Full disclosure: I both read and listened to this novel. The audiobook’s narrator is AMAZING, making it worth downloading.
I really liked this book. But then again, I always like books with strong female protagonists, especially ones that can be viewed as resilient, courageous heroines. For She is Wrath is a wonderful retelling of the Count of Monte Cristo, but this time as a Pakistani romantic fantasy. Loving the classic, I couldn’t help but be enamoured of this tale.
As with the Count of Monte Cristo, our tale begins with a daring prison break. Fast-paced and immediately engaging, we follow Dania, a strong-willed and determined young woman, on her bloody and daring journey from prison to the man who betrayed her…the man she loved.
This plot-driven novel is what young adults most often gravitate to first. It reads like a movie and would be an excellent addition to a classroom library and an engaging read-aloud.

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

My Darling Dreadful Thing

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by Johanna Van Veen

What a wonderfully gothic tragic love story! I may have found a new favourite author to add to my list. Johanna Van Veen is a master at creating atmosphere. Creepy, sad and at times ominous. Our protagonist, Roos, has had a tragic life. Roos has been made to participate in her abusive mother’s seances since she was a child and showed a connection to the spirit world. She would have likely continued this life if it hadn’t been for a beautiful young widow, Agnes, who participated in a seance one evening. Agnes and Roos quickly find a connection to each other because they share one extraordinary thing in common…they both possess spirit companions. Agnes invites Roos to come and live with her in the decrepit, haunting estate left to her by her husband. Shortly after her arrival,  Roos realized there is more to the estate than first meets the eye. Her spirit companion can feel it too, and soon, strange noises and smells make Roos curious to find what or who else lurks in the hallways of her new home. What she finds is more than disturbing to both her and us, the reader.

The Trouble with Hereos

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by Kate Messner

The Trouble with Heroes is a book in verse, one of my favourite formats, especially for middle school fiction. This novel is about grief, anger, and self-discovery. Written in first person, Finn Connelly is still grieving the COVID death of his father. His grief is manifesting in ways that are detrimental to Finn’s growth and well-being, and he is, well, he has resorted to skipping school, failing his courses, and vandalizing the local cemetery. To make amends for this crime, Finn is assigned make-up assignments, particularly in Language Arts and Phys Ed. To do so, Finn must complete a poetry project centred around the theme “what makes a hero and put in 14 hours of “moderate to strenuous” activity.

Finn must hike all “forty-six Adirondack High Peaks to atone for his crime AND make up the course material and requirements. 

This novel is filled with the most engaging verse, a combination of humour and beautifully emotional lyricism. It also includes the formats of newspaper articles, instructions written in prose, photographs, recipes, and letters, indeed, one of the best examples of a hybrid text.

Finn’s journey of self-discovery and overcoming grief is beautifully developed through first-person narration. Messner effectively captured the voice of an adolescent boy through his humour, sarcasm, and view of the world and society.

This novel would be a VERY effective mentor text to use in the classroom. The theme, character development, writing formats, point of view, imagery, various poetic devices, and tone are all literary devices worth noting and can be illustrated effectively using Messners writing as an example.

The Trouble with Heroes is a versatile addition to any school or middle school classroom library. It’s not just a great read for individual students, but also a fantastic choice for book clubs and classroom book studies. Its engaging verse, unique writing formats, and relatable themes make it a book that can inspire a variety of learning experiences. 

The Trouble with Heroes will be published in April 2025. Thank you to Bloomsbury Children’s Books and Netgalley for the free copy.