Elite Hoax

Spy x Family by Tatsuya Endo is my first full manga read!

Top spy, Twilight, is hired for his next case. He needs to be accepted into the parenthood world of an elite elementary school. The issue is that he needs to find a temporary child and wife to help him play the part.

Enter young mind reading orphan (forgot name) and an assassin wife. Their first mission is to get their “daughter” to pass the school’s tests.

I can see why this is a popular series. It’s entertaining with lots of promise for action. While I may not end up reading the whole series, I definitely enjoyed the first one!

Martian Life

The Strange by Nathan Ballingrud is a science fiction read with some great elements.

Annabelle and her father run a diner on the planet Mars. Annabelle’s mother left for a trip to Earth years earlier. They lost all contact with her ever since the Silence shut down all communication with Earth.

The diner is robbed which results in Annabelle’s father in jail. The people of Mars begin turning against each other and Annabelle realizes she is on her own. She sets off with their kitchen robot, Watson, to get even and to reclaim her mother’s recorded messages (which were stolen during the robbery).

Annabelle’s journey involves booking up with other renegades and coming across those affected by the Strange. The Strange is a Martian element which slowly infects all who encounter it. Readers will be pulled into her mission and interested in the future of this odd new world.

Born to Rule

Raybearer by Jordan Ifuekp is another 2024 high school Nutmeg nominee.

This book quickly grabbed my attention. Before her birth, Tarisai’s mother captures a demon in order to get three wishes. Her final wish is to use their daughter Tarisai to befriend and kill the future emperor.

From here, we follow Tarisai along her path to meet the emperor in training. Tarisai must prove herself worthy to be one of his eleven council members. Each must have a special talent. Once they are all selected, Tarisai will need to fight her killer instincts.

This was a great fantasy read with plenty of magic, adventure and intrigue. I will definitely give the second novel in the series a read.

Murder House

The Only One Left by Riley Sager is a caregiver’s experience with a murderous patient.

Kit feels some kinship to her patient, accused murderer Lenora Hope, because Kit is surfacing from being falsely accused of killing her own mother. Lenora is mute and can only use her left hand following a stroke. She has been locked away in her home for practically her entire life (following the murders of her parents and sister). When Kit arrives following the mysterious disappearance of the previous caregiver, Lenora seems willing to share the truth of her past. She begins typing out her story for Kit.

Lenora’s truths are eventually revealed with several twists along the way. While this story wasn’t a personal favorite for me, I’m sure it will appeal to some murder mystery fans.

Riding Waves

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver tells Demon’s story from birth to adulthood.

Born under unusual circumstances, he is raised by his single mom (his father died in an accident) and by elderly neighbors (who are also raising a grandchild). His mom is an on and off again addict.

Demon’s life is sent on a bleak spiral once his mom marries an abusive man. This chain of events leads Demon into foster care before he eventually becomes an orphan. His foster homes range from neglectful to physically abusive.

He eventually finds his paternal grandmother; a woman he had only vaguely heard about. His grandmother sets him up with a better lifestyle, but he eventually falls out of it due to an injury and subsequent drug abuse.

There are so many interesting characters that weave in and out of Demon’s life, and a deep love of community embedded in the events. It’s a complex and well written story with too much detail to include in this brief summary.

Different Outcomes

The Bridge by Bill Konigsberg confronts depression, suicide and family/friend relationships with a unique approach. This novel is another 2024 high school Nutmeg nominee

The novel begins on the GW Bridge in New York City, where two teens (Aaron and Tillie) are about to jump to their deaths. The story then explores possible scenarios: only Tillie dying, only Aaron dying, both dying or neither dying.

The chapters reveal the events that pushed each character to such a horrific choice. Aaron feels shame about his life, and despite a very loving father, he considers himself an embarrassment destined for nothing. Tillie is the victim of online bullying after expressing her feelings about being used by a guy. She also has a terrible relationship with her adoptive father. The different scenarios explored throughout the book show the ripple effect that our actions can have upon events in our own lives and in others as well.

In the process of learning about each character, we see the value of creating connections with family and/or friends, speaking up for oneself and the extreme importance of having a support person.

Love that Lasts

Meet Me at the Lake by Carley Fortune is a slow-moving romance.

Fern and Will spend an incredible day together, but Fern already has a boyfriend. Despite this, they vow to meet a year later at Fern’s family’s resort on the lake. They plan to review their goals with each other. But Will doesn’t show up.

Fast forward ten years later. Fern’s mom passes away, leaving her with a big decision. Will she sell the resort that has been in her family for years, or will she take it over (in doing so giving up her own business plans)?

Will comes back in the picture as a consultant. This complicates matters even more as she experiences long buried feelings for him. Throughout the book are flashbacks from their first day together, and clips from her mom’s journal. L

ife takes unexpected turns, and the best-laid plans may change.

Creating Beauty

How Moon Fuentez Fell in Love with the Universe by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland is another 2024 high school Nutmeg nominee.

Moon and her twin sister Star couldn’t be more different. Star is a beautiful social media sensation, and she is their mother’s pet. Meanwhile, Moon works behind the scenes as her sister’s assistant. She is overweight, and constantly berated by their mother. The only thing they have in common is a family curse.

Moon is forced to set out on a social media tour with Star as a merchandise salesperson. She will try to make the best of the trip by focusing on her passion- photography and flowers. She immediately butts heads with the head social media guy’s attractive brother Santiago.

During the trip, she is forced to confront her insecurities and abusive upbringing. Her dynamic with her sister is also tested. Through this she begins to develop real feelings for Santiago, who is also battling his own insecurities. Moon learns to love and trust herself.

This is not a book I would typically pick up. But it covers a lot of important topics, such as abuse, depression and suicide. Most importantly it addresses how to nurture positive relationships, learn acceptance and to trust in one’s passions/talents.

Fairy Wars

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas is first in its series.

Reminiscent of the Twilight books and HBO’s “True Blood” series, this is a story full of magic, otherworldly creatures, action and romance.

Fayre has been the provider for her family ever since her father brutally lost his business. She taught herself to become a fierce hunter, which is what she is doing when she kills a large wolf. It turns out that the wolf was a high fairy in disguise. She is taken prisoner by one of seven Fairy lords to atone for her actions.

As prisoner, she learns that her mortal world may be in danger. There is a ruthless female Fairy with an age old vendetta to settle, and she will do anything to get her way. Fayre becomes involved in all of this once she starts falling for her captor. She finds out that she may be able to stop a century-old curse.

The story kept my interest and prompted me to check out book two. Although based on the size of it, I’m not sure if I’ll finish any time soon!

Press Rewind

Cassandra in Reverse by Holly Smale is a Groundhog Day-type story in which Cassandra desperately tries to fix a botched relationship.

In one day, Cassandra is dumped, fired and on the verge of being kicked out of her apartment. Added to this is her parents’ death ten years earlier. Her autism makes it very difficult for her to interact with others “normally.”

She sets about fixing things once she realizes that she can rewind time (within a few months) whenever she desires. After countless attempts to control outcomes, she realizes that some things are unavoidable while others change more subtly. It becomes apparent that her gift for time travel is to repair a family relationship and to figure out herself.

There is some humor and plenty of repetition to understand the characters along with countless references to Greek mythology (one of Cassandra’s profound interests).