The Wrong Move

One of Our Kind by Nicola Yoon’s blurb begins by comparing the story to “Get Out” meets “The Stepford Wives.” This grabbed my attention and reading it did not disappoint.

Jasmyn, her husband King and their young son are moving into a new home in affluent Liberty. This is a strictly Black community (Black-only businesses, schools, etc).

Jasmyn looks forward to raising her family away from constant discrimination and fear of police brutality. But, she begins to wonder why nobody else in town seems as eager to join the cause when she attempts to begin a Black Lives Matter chapter.

Maybe Liberty isn’t the safe haven she hoped it to be. Warning signs keep growing. Her husband (and others) begin spending inordinate amounts of time at the Wellness Center. Jasmyn notices people changing, but it may be too late for her to leave as an almost full-term expectant mother.

This book kept my interest from start to end!

Keep Playing

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin was a slow moving but solid read for me.

Before getting into the summary/review, it’s been a while since I’ve finished a book. I started a couple that didn’t keep my attention.

Sam meets Sadie as a kid in the hospital while he is convalescing from foot surgery. Sadie’s sister is receiving cancer treatment. The story develops their on and off again friendship through the years. Their shared love of gaming and creating games bonds them.

They reconnect as adults while away in college and make a very successful video game together. They experience success and criticism. From this point on their relationship evolves through career and boyfriend jealousies and violence.

A lot of time passes throughout the story. Somehow they always find a way back into each other’s lives.

Overall a solid story on a subject I’ve never given much thought to (creating video games).

Death Match

Chain Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah is one of the more unique books I’ve read in a while.

It’s about prisoners who can either stay in brutal conditions (physical or emotional torture), or potentially sign their lives away for a chance at freedom. The price for freedom is to take part in fight to the death matches that are televised. Each gang of prisoners travel together match to match, often losing a member along the way (sometimes in a fight or sometimes by their own gang members).

A few prisoners’ stories are highlighted. Loretta Thurwar and Hamara Stacker are the all-star duo (also a couple) with Loretta being only a couple combats away from Freed. There are also chapters from a couple that represent the audience, and from those protesting chain gang fighting (one of which is the daughter of a recently deceased inmate).

One of the unique elements of this book is the use of footnotes explaining the prison system.

The story kept my attention, although I found it difficult to keep track of the various characters’ nicknames. It is definitely a conversation starter in regard to the justice system and the possibilities of rehabilitation.

Family Drama

The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins is a solid family drama.

Told from shared perspectives of the main couple, Jules and Camden, as well as news clips and letters from Camden’s adoptive mother Ruby.

Ruby became famous after being abducted from her very wealthy parents s a small child. She was eventually found and returned home to much publicity. Her father left her most of the inheritance including their massive home, with the caveat that her sister and her family could live there too. Ruby’s letters to a mysterious recipient reveal shocking information about her life and her four marriages.

Years later, Ruby passes away and leaves everything to Camden, much to the disapproval of her sister and her two kids. Camden’s wife Jules talks him into returning home to settle their affairs, but she secretly hopes that they can take over the mansion.

By the end, it becomes clear that everyone has secrets and these secrets challenge all expectations.

Act of Murder

The Fury by Alex Michaelides is a well-written tell all of a murder.

Elliot recounts the events leading up to his dear friend and former movie star Lana’s murder. He introduces each person present the night of her murder which takes place on her private Greek island.

Spoilers ahead- Elliot’s background is revealed. He was unwanted and unloved by his parents, and bullied by his peers. He found comfort watching Lana’s movies. He was quite obsessed with her.

He somehow manages to get taken in by an older, alcoholic female author. This allows him to reinvent himself and eventually befriend Lana. He is in love with her but unable to be with her as she is married to Jason. Eventually, Elliot discovers that her husband is cheating with their friend Kate.

Elliot devises a scheme to get Jason out of the picture. However, things go quite differently than planned. The narration kept me intrigued throughout the story.

Stealing the Script

Yellowface by R.F. Luang is a trippy story about a young woman, June, who soars into bestseller territory after stealing her “friend’s” manuscript.

June met Athena during their enrollment at Yale. Athena seems to have it all and becomes a renowned author early in her career. Meanwhile, June’s first book was a flop.

Spoilers ahead- June seizes the opportunity to turn her stasis around following Athena’s death. She achieves acclaim after finishing Athena’s draft about Chinese laborers during WWI. The aftermath shifts between the ups and downs of success: adoration as well as harsh criticism. Readers begin attacking June’s authenticity as a white woman writing about Chinese history and also begin questioning whether she is the true author.

This sends June on a spiral of paranoia and obsession with social media. Can she write the next big novel to erase the negativity, or is she only as good as Athena allowed her to be?

A solid read with plenty of interest and great writing albeit a bit repetitive toward the end.

Keep Fighting

The Women by Kristin Hannah brought me through a roller coaster of emotions.

Frankie is from a well off family living on Coronado island in California. Her upbringing included glorifying the veterans in her family. Her older brother Finley is about to follow the same path. He is leaving for Vietnam after graduating from the naval academy.

Frankie decides to use her recent nursing degree to enlist too. Shortly before she is scheduled to leave, her family receives the horrific news that Finley was killed. Now she is sent to Vietnam with her terrible grief and a drive to help men like her brother.

The story gives brutal detail about the horrors and loss of war. Frankie begins completely unprepared but after two years leaves as a strong, competent nurse.

Retuning home brings new challenges. Her parents refuse to acknowledge her time in Vietnam, Americans despise Vietnam veterans, and she is shunned by veteran groups because she’s a woman. Through love and loss, addiction and post traumatic stress, she has two fellow nurses that are her rocks.

It takes time, but she finds her way. This book kept me turning pages and appreciating friendship, and more importantly, our veterans.

No Trust

The Resort by Sara Ochs is a twisty murder mystery set on an island.

Cass and Brooke alternate chapters. Cass is one of the residents on the island in Thailand, and Brooke is a traveling social media influencer posting about her trip.

Cass is part of a group dubbed the Permanents. All found their way to the island to escape their pasts. Cass is engaged to Logan, one of the guys in their group. All should be great except for when a note appears threatening to reveal her past.

Brooke begins getting friendly with the Permanents, especially Cass. A tourist was murdered shortly before her arrival, and now another girl and guy are found dead.

Cass and Brooke both want to figure out who is responsible, but they’ll need to get over their own pasts and figure out who they can trust to accomplish this.

Undercover Game

First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston is full of secrets and twists.

Lucca has spent years of her young adult life on various undercover missions for her unseen boss Mr. Smith. Her current job places her in a relationship with Ryan in order to get as much as intel as possible on his illegal trucking company. She realizes that Mr. Smith may be setting her up to make this her last job.

Events become a game of who can be the first to outsmart and build an arsenal of people to take down the other.

The author does a great job weaving the story by alternating between her present time with Ryan and flashing back to her missions from the past eight years.

This is a fast paced and highly interesting read that will appeal to anyone who loves a good spy/undercover type story.

Battle Lessons

Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros is book two in the Empyrean series.

I usually have a tough time staying interested in a series, but this is not one of those times. Book two kept me just as interested as the first book (Fourth Wing).

Violet and her friends are now in year two. Her relationship with Xaden is put to the test now that he is stationed at a far outpost. They are only able to see each other once a week because of their bonded dragons. She is working with him to smuggle weapons as they figure out their own relationship amidst secrets and the presence of his ex-girlfriend.

The school has a new commandant who is determined to break Violet. She is pushed nearly to death. New enemies (and one old) are also introduced. Violet is working on honing her abilities while also further developing bonds with her dragons, Andarna and Tairn.

Ultimately, events build to another rebellion and a final battle amongst venin and wyvern. Riders and fliers will need to overlook their differences in order to fight together.