Book Club Review: “The Witch of Blackbird Pond”

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We are part of a group of librarian friends who have had an ongoing book club running for the last several years. Each “season” (we’re nerds) we pick a theme and each of us chooses a book within that theme for us all to read. Our current theme is Centuries, where we were given a random century and had to pick a book based during that time period.  For this blog, we will post a joint review of each book we read for book club. We’ll also post the next book coming up in book club. So feel free to read along with us or use our book selections and questions in your own book club!

Book: “The Witch of Blackbird Pond” by Elizabeth George Speare

Publishing Info: Houghton Mifflin, 1958

Where Did We Get This Book: The library!

Where You Can Get This Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | Indiebound

Century: 17th

Book Description: Orphaned Kit Tyler knows, as she gazes for the first time at the cold, bleak shores of Connecticut Colony, that her new home will never be like the shimmering Caribbean island she left behind. In her relatives’ stern Puritan community, she feels like a tropical bird that has flown to the wrong part of the world, a bird that is now caged and lonely. The only place where Kit feels completely free is in the meadows, where she enjoys the company of the old Quaker woman known as the Witch of Blackbird Pond, and on occasion, her young sailor friend Nat. But when Kit’s friendship with the “witch” is discovered, Kit is faced with suspicion, fear, and anger. She herself is accused of witchcraft!

Kate’s Thoughts

I read “The Witch of Blackbird Pond” in grade school, but I hadn’t ever revisited it and I can’t even tell you why, because I remember that I enjoyed it. I think that it was always in the back of my mind when it comes to children’s literature, but as time went on it just kind of fell further and further back. So when it was the choice for the 17th Century for our book club theme, I was eager to go back and re-read a book that I read as a ten year old through the eyes of an almost forty year old. And I’m happy to report that it holds up pretty well! But then, that’s probably because some things haven’t really changed, either from the McCarthy Era, when the book was written, or the times of witchcraft panic, when the book takes place.

I think that Speare did a really good job of laying out some pretty heavy topics, like prejudice, Othering, religious panic, and misogyny, in a way that is easily digestible for a middle grade audience. I found Kit to be an interesting heroine that is easy for a young reader to relate to, and her story of befriending a Quaker in a Puritan community who is rumored to be a witch (because OH NO SHE’S A QUAKER) is engaging, and at times quite suspenseful, given that the town starts to think that both Kit and Hannah (the so called witch) are up to no good and devilry, all because they are different and therein seen as untrustworthy outsiders. As mentioned above, this was initially written as a metaphor for McCarthyism and the Red Scare, where people were turning on and accusing others of being Communists and blacklisting them. But it’s so typical that we see this over and over in American history, and are seeing a form of it play out again right now with LGBTQIA+ people, and immigrants, and other marginalized groups. Some things never change, and hate towards the Other is one of those things. But that just makes the book relevant still, and it’s written with a keen eye that makes it all the stronger.

“The Witch of Blackbird Pond” is another classic children’s lit book that is still timely and interesting, and I am happy that book club gave me the push to give it another go!

Serena’s Thoughts

Like Kate, I read this one as a upper grade schooler/middle schooler. But I’ve also read it several times since. I believe I read it again during high school at some point. And then in my mid-twenties when I was building up my book collection, I stumbled upon a copy of this book on the “free” shelf at my local library, so I grabbed it and, of course, read it again right away! So, while it’s probably been a decade since my last re-read, I’m fairly familiar with the overall story. And given that I’ve somehow managed to read it across every decade of my life so far, I think it’s safe to say that both A.) I like it, and B.) it’s the kind of book that has a lot of cross-over appeal, no matter the age of the reader!

A few things stood out to me in this re-read. Like Kate mentioned, there’s a universal appeal to this story. Not only is Kit the sort of protagonist who will always speak to teens and younger readers (her combination of spunk as well as frustration with the rules around her), but the story talks on perennial struggles of humanity and society. Kate already talked about the Other-ing of those who are different, and the ways in which groups of people can spiral out of control into fear and desperation quite quickly and completely irrationally. But one aspect that I had focused less on in the past were the book’s secondary themes of capital “A” acceptance. In that, while the story is very much focused on the “witches” and the typical sorts of “others” that we know have been feared and hated throughout history (and whose counterparts are easy to spot today as well), it also subtly draws attentions to the sorts of judgements that we make at everyday moments, judgements that often reduce people to their worst characteristics without touching on the rest of their being, their context, or their priorities in life.

First of all, we see this in Kit herself, the heroine and “good guy” of our story, but also a character who grew up with slaves and very much has not thought about the realities of this horror until it is bluntly pointed out to her. This is, of course, very much of the time. And while the story doesn’t excuse Kit, it also presents this flaw of hers alongside all of the elements that still make her the heroine. She learns, and to learn, it requires others to see her flaws and, instead of shunning and shaming, to help her grow.

Further, we also see this in Kit’s uncle, a character who can be incredibly unlikable for much of the story. But as the plot progresses, we see Kit’s estimation of him slowly adjust as she’s exposed to more and more of his core personality, seeing what he cares about most and how that shapes his views. By the end, she recognizes him as the flawed individual he is, but also someone who loves his family and is doing what he thinks is best, even if there are choices that Kit doesn’t agree with or understand. So, while I think the core theme around witches and Other-ing is just as important as ever, in this re-read, I appreciated the time and care the book took to look as these lesser versions of similar judgements and how important it is to humanize those we don’t understand.

Kate’s Rating 8: A classic in children’s literature that feels as timely as ever, “The Witch of Blackbird Pond” is a powerful book about being Othered and ostracized by those who fear things that are different.

Serena’s Rating 8: For a short-ish, young adult book, this story still packs a powerful punch regarding themes of acceptance, Other-ing, and the ways in which people can let fear drive their life.

Book Club Questions

  1. There are several different women characters in this book. If you were living in this time period, which of these characters would you like to trade places with if only for a moment?
  2. What are your thoughts on Puritan Society as portrayed in this book?
  3. There are a few mentions of the slave trade and slavery in this book, as Kit comes from a plantation on Barbados. What were your thoughts on how it was addressed? Do you think it reflects the time that it was written?
  4. There were multiple romantic relationships in this story. Did you have a favorite couple?
  5. Are there any more modern books with similar settings or themes to this book that you have enjoyed? What were they? What made them different from this one? How are they similar?
  6. What did you think about the conclusion of the story? Did it feel realistic to you?

Reader’s Advisory

“The Witch of Blackbird Pond” is included on the Goodreads lists “Teen Historical Fiction”, and “Wise Women, Witches, Midwives, Healers, and Strong Girls!”.

Next Book Club Pick: “What The Wind Knows” by Amy Harmon

Serena’s Review: “The North Wind”

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Book: “North Wind” by Alexandria Warwick

Publishing Info: S&S/Saga Press, May 2024

Where Did I Get this Book: ARC from the publisher!

Where Can You Get this Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | IndieBound

Book Description: Wren of Edgewood is no stranger to suffering. With her parents gone, it’s Wren’s responsibility to ensure she and her sister survive the harsh and endless winter, but if the legends are to be believed, their home may not be safe for much longer.

For three hundred years, the land surrounding Edgewood has been encased in ice as the Shade, a magical barrier that protects the townsfolk from the Deadlands beyond, weakens. Only one thing can stop the Shade’s fall: the blood of a mortal woman bound in wedlock to the North Wind, a dangerous immortal whose heart is said to be as frigid as the land he rules. And the time has come to choose his bride.

When the North Wind sets his eyes on Wren’s sister, Wren will do anything to save her—even if it means sacrificing herself in the process. But mortal or not, Wren won’t go down without a fight…

Review: I’ve had some trouble recently with fantasy/romantasy stories that are billed as read-alikes to “Beauty and the Beast” or “Hades and Persephone.” To be fair, these are fairly difficult romances to represent in a way that both tells a good love story but also doesn’t make one or both characters fairly unlikable or hard to empathize with. Too often the “Beauty/Persephone” character gets too easily distracted by the hero’s hotness to remember she’s angry and a prisoner. And too often the “Beast/Hades” character is more of a raging a**hat than a romantic interest. All of that to say, I was both excited and nervous to pick up this book, which clearly was going to a tell a story involving these types of characters.

Well, this is how you write these sorts of characters! The story itself is great as well, but I really think that books like this really live and die on how well the main characters are represented. And here, both of them are fantastic. Wren, of course, being our perspective character, was the most important of the two, and I really enjoyed her character arc. As I mentioned above, here is a heroine who retains her sense of self, not one to be distracted into forgetting her anger or suspicion by the sight of a chiseled jaw. Instead, Wren’s story focuses more on her own journey, one that tackles not only trust, but also coping with her life choices (particularly her struggle with alcoholism) and with the toxic familial relationships that have severely impacted her sense of self. While I think the discussion of addiction was well handled, I was even more impressed by the way this author navigated the complicated sibling relationship between Wren and her twin sister. Wren’s story is one of coming to understand how she has previously defined herself and reclaiming her own agency over her actions, choices, and life.

And while she is exploring these concepts, a significant amount of the story is still devoted to her challenging relationship with the North Wind. She doesn’t trust this man, and indeed, I was pleased to see her following through on her distrust and anger throughout a large chunk of the book, almost the entire first half. This very much makes the story a slow burn romance, of the sort that I prefer. Because as both Wren and Boreas come to understand one another, we slowly see them dropping their shields. Love cannot come from lust alone, and this book does an excellent job of prioritizing their growing emotional connection before delivering the goods in the spicey scenes. I also loved the excellent snark and banter between the two, something that continues throughout the book, even when the characters begin to grow closer. Their dynamic is compelling to the end.

I also enjoyed the North Wind and his story. The book doesn’t shy away from grappling with the harsher points of his character, and I was also surprised with some of the reveals that came later in the story. There were some real wallops that come in heavy towards the end of the book, which I think helped add some true depth to this character. He’s also the quiet, stoic romantic hero that always particularly appeals to me, so there’s that.

Aside from the characters, I very much enjoyed the world-building that went into this story. There were many familiar elements, but it also all came together in interesting ways. I also know that this is the first book in a series, each seeming to follow one of the four brothers, the gods/Winds. That being the case, we meet a few characters here that are sure to show up in future books, and I’m especially interested in how one character will be dealt with, given the events of this story.

Overall, if you enjoy romantasy, this is a great slow-burn romantic tale. There was an excellent balance between the fantasy and the love story, and the two main characters were well-written and conceived. I’ll definitely be picking up the next book when it comes out!

Rating 8: A perfect example of how to blend the fantasy and romance genres, with two incredible characters at its heart!

Reader’s Advisory:

“The North Wind” can be found on these Goodreads lists: Feel-good romantasy and Best Books About Mythology

Kate’s Review: “A Friend Indeed”

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Book: “A Friend Indeed” by Elka Ray

Publishing Info: Blackstone Publishing Inc, May 2024

Where Did I Get This Book: I received a finished copy from Roger Charlie.

Where You Can Get This Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | Indiebound

Book Description: When single mom Jo Dykstra was at her lowest—jobless and penniless—her childhood friend Dana McFarlane helped her out bigtime by securing her a teaching job and thus an opportunity for a new life in the affluent Pacific Northwest town of Glebes Bay. So, when Jo gets a frantic late-night call from Dana, sobbing and desperate for help, it feels like a chance to help her friend in return.

The last thing Jo expects to see when she arrives at Dana’s oceanfront mansion? Her friend’s handsome and wealthy husband, Stan, dead, sprawled face down on the floor. Dana admits to killing her husband following years of secret abuse and begs Jo not to call the police. For nearly two decades, Dana’s marriage and family had looked picture perfect. Who’d ever believe that pillar-of-the-community Stan was a monster? Determined to cover up her husband’s killing and shield her kids from scandal, Dana convinces Jo to help her dispose of the body.

But the cover-up starts to crumble when a blackmailer threatens to expose their crime. Hounded by gossipy neighbors, ill-fated lovers, and zealous cops, truth and lies are laid bare between Jo and Dana, putting their families in danger and threatening to shatter a thirty-year friendship. Shocking and fast-paced, A Friend Indeed is a riveting tale about the power of friendship and the deadly weight of lies.

Review: Thank you to Roger Charlie for sending me a finished copy of this novel!

Summer is so close I can almost taste it, and while it’s not my favorite season (uh, it’s actually probably my LEAST favorite season?), I do like having pool time while the weather is hot. Because at the pool I like to bring easy to read and entertaining books. And when I think of a good poolside read, I think of the kind of book like “A Friend Indeed” by Elka Ray. A tantalizing thriller, with some shady and desperate characters, and some far hidden secrets between friends who find themselves in over their heads when a body lands at their feet. PERFECT POOL READING!

(source)

As someone who has always enjoyed the tongue in cheek ‘a real friend will help you dispose of the body’ meme because of its gallows humor, it’s no surprise that the plot of “A Friend Indeed” is a huge plus in my eyes. When Jo gets a panicked phone call from her long time best friend Dana to come to her house in the middle of the night, she drops everything to help her. When she finds Dana standing over the body of her now dead husband Stan, she is horrified. but decides to help her dispose of the corpse. It’s a great set up on its own, and then you throw in a potential blackmail storyline as well as the rampant gossip of suburbia and it has all the ingredients for an addictive thriller. And I was pretty sucked in. The pacing is fast, the dual perspectives between Dana and Jo are well done, and I loved the examination of a close friendship that is REALLY being tested because of the crazy circumstances… And how perhaps Dana isn’t being fully open with Jo. I really enjoyed seeing both of these women trying to keep it together, and I really liked the examination of their friendship through the years and how, perhaps, it’s not as give and take as it seems. I had a hard time putting this one down because I was so taken with the breakneck pacing and the interesting perspectives of both women.

But I think that where this one stumbled a bit for me was with the amount of reveals, twists, and shocking developments that it throws at the reader. I’m a bit of the belief that less is more when it comes to thrillers and mysteries when doling out twisty moments, and that if you oversaturate the narrative with surprises and shocks it becomes less effective, bordering on tedious. And I felt like that happened a bit with “A Friend Indeed”. I don’t want to delve too deeply into it because I don’t want to spoil anything, but it felt like I was being bombarded with so many reveals, so many shocking moments, and so many twists and turns that it was too much. What could have been a tight thriller with some serious punch got bogged down in the need to be unpredictable, and that derailed my experience a bit. And of course we got another last minute twist. And we all know how I feel about those.

“A Friend Indeed” is going to be a good choice for a pool or beach read with the upcoming summer, as it’s entertaining and addictive. I just wish that it hadn’t relied on too many gotcha moments.

Rating 7: It has a really addictive mystery and it kept me interested until the end, but there are a few too many twists and reveals for my liking.

Reader’s Advisory:

“A Friend Indeed” isn’t on any Goodreads lists as of now, but if you liked the Netflix show “Dead To Me” you will probably like this.

Serena’s Review: “When Among Crows”

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Book: “When Among Crows” by Veronica Roth

Publishing Info: Tor, May 2024

Where Did I Get this Book: ARC from the publisher!

Where Can You Get this Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | IndieBound

Book Description: Pain is Dymitr’s calling. To slay the monsters he’s been raised to kill, he had to split his soul in half to make a sword from his own spine. Every time he draws it, he gets blood on his hands.

Pain is Ala’s inheritance. When her mother died, a family curse to witness horrors committed by the Holy Order was passed onto her. The curse will claim her life, as it did her mother’s, unless she can find a cure.

One fateful night in Chicago, Dymitr comes to Ala with a bargain: her help in finding the legendary witch Baba Jaga in exchange for an enchanted flower that just might cure her. Desperate, and unaware of what Dymitr really is, Ala agrees.

But they only have one day before the flower dies . . . and Ala’s hopes of breaking the curse along with it.

Review: I feel like I say this every time I review a Veronica Roth book, but I’m continuously surprised by the trajectory I’ve taken with regards to reading her books. I was not a fan of “Divergent,” to the point that I didn’t even finish the trilogy. And then I completely skipped her next few books before picking up “Chosen Ones” and finding that I absolutely loved it! Since then, I’ve read several books by her and really enjoyed them all! So now, here we are: an author who originally wrote a trilogy I couldn’t even finish is now a “must read” writer for me, someone whose new books are immediately prioritized on my TBR list. Strange how these things work!

Beyond the fact that I enjoy Roth as a writer now, this novella would always appeal to me. I enjoy this sort of urban fantasy that pulls together lesser known fantasy beings and re-figures them into a current environment. On top of that, Baba Yaga is always a winning factor! And all of this lived up perfectly to my expectations! What added to the already interesting fantasy beings was the way their societies and abilities were woven into the setting of Chicago. This was one of those books where a sense of place was visceral and really added to the overall experience. I’ve only been to Chicago a handful of times, but the descriptions of the various neighborhoods and locations of the city really added to the overall feel of the story.

As for the magical beings, I really enjoyed the main three that we experienced, all who fed off of various human emotions: sadness, anger, and fear. The creativity that went into imaging how these types of beings would exist alongside humans in a seamless manner was incredible, and I enjoyed the slow exploration of how this little underworld and society existed alongside the bustling human city. On top of this, we have the monster hunters with their own horrific magic. This was all helped by focusing the story on our three main characters, all three of whom come from various parts of this world and can give us new insights as the story progresses. They also have burgeoning connections that are built and revealed between them.

I also really enjoyed the themes of pain, regret, and how we live with the choices we’ve made. For such a short book, this story really packs a wallop with the depths with which it explores some of these darker themes. We see this exploration come with the balance struck between pain and power, as well as pain as penitence. Between these deeper topics, the excellent world-building, and the incredibly complex and sympathetic characters, this book is a case study in how much a skilled writer can do, even with a very short page count.

On one hand, this book feels like a perfectly packaged story, complete with all of the elements one looks for in a full-length novel. So, of course, I don’t want unnecessarily added pages just to make it longer. But on the other hand, man, I wish we could explore this world and characters more! Perhaps, if we’re very lucky, we’ll get another book in this world. But as it stands, I definitely recommend this one to anyone looking for a new take on what the urban fantasy genre can offer!

Rating 9: Fantastic! With a rich setting and sympathetic characters, Roth proves just how much fantasy world-building you can do even with a short page count!

Reader’s Advisory:

“When Among Crows” can be found on this Goodreads list, Can’t Wait Books of 2024, and should be on this list, Baba Yaga.

Kate’s Review: “When She Was Me”

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Book: “When She Was Me” by Marlee Bush

Publishing Info: Poisoned Pen Press, May 2024

Where Did I Get This Book: I received an eARC from the publisher via NetGalley.

Where You Can Get This Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | Indiebound

Book Description: There’s only one way out of these woods…

Ever since that night, twin sisters Cassie and Lenora have been inseparable. As the sole permanent residents of Cabin Two, their refuge on an isolated Tennessee campground, they manage to stay away from prying eyes, probing questions, and true crime junkies. Just the two of them, Cassie and Lenora against the world. The peace and quiet is almost enough to make them forget what happened all those years ago. Almost.

Until a teenage girl camping at the neighboring cabin goes missing, and the memories come rushing back. As the crime becomes ever more recognizable—they know better than anyone that so-called ‘happy families’ can be anything but—each sister suspects the other knows more than she’s letting on….

Trapped in the isolating, claustrophobic wilderness, Cassie and Lenora must piece together the truth of what happened—and the sinister truth lurking in their own pasts—before it’s too late.

Review: Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press for sending me an eARC of this novel via NetGalley!

What can I say, I love a good cabin the woods story, as I myself love a cabin in the woods. You know, assuming it’s not one of those pesky horror movie ones where everything goes terribly wrong. But I do love a book where there’s a cabin in the woods where everything goes horribly wrong, so of course I was interested in “When She Was Me” by Marlee Bush. The cover is clearly SCREAMING ‘I’m a cabin in the woods and things are about to go wrong!’ It also has twin sisters, a missing girl, some unreliable narrators, and promises of dark secrets. All of this is totally my jam!

To start, I really liked getting into the minds of twin sisters Cassie and Lenora, who have a shared traumatic past and a fierce devotion to one another. A devotion that is probably bordering on unhealthy. We jump between their two perspectives, learning about each other both from their own thoughts, but also sometimes from the other sister’s perception of the narrator at the time. I especially liked how this device made for. both better insight as well as a potential layer of unreliability. After all, Cassie may know more about Lenora than Lenora would like to admit (and vice versa), but there may also be misconceptions each has about the other due to their shared history and shared secrets. Sometimes when this kind of story of siblings, especially with twins, is taken on it can be have mixed results, but this was the strongest aspect of the book for me.

Now the mystery itself. It is definitely easy to read, and entertaining when the reader is in the thick of it. But I will say that it was pretty standard for a thriller, with all the boxes checked that you would expect to be checked (unreliable narrators, an isolated setting that makes for more difficult maneuvering, twist after twist after twist), without really doing too much outside of the box, or doing it in a way that is unique. There are misdirections that I could predict coming (though not to their full resolution or reveal, I will say), and I wasn’t invested in many of the characters outside of Cassie and Lenora, and even then that was more because of their dynamic and not because I was particularly attached to them as characters. It’s serviceable to be sure and I could see it being a perfect breezy beach read, and one that I enjoyed in the moment. But it didn’t really stand out from the litany of thrillers that came before it.

“When She Was Me” is entertaining and an enjoyable read. When I was in it I was in it. But it didn’t wow me as much as I had hoped it would.

Rating 6: It’s a pretty standard thriller, entertaining and addictive, but not really reinventing the wheel.

Reader’s Advisory:

“When She Was Me” is included in the Goodreads article “42 New Reader-Approved Mysteries for Spring”.

Highlights: May 2024

Flowers are blooming, allergies are settling in, and we’re all quietly dreading the return of the humidity of summer, even if we’re still happy about the sun and warm weather! But this is the perfect time to get out with a good book before the heat truly settles in, and here are few we’re looking forward to this month!

Serena’s Picks

Book: “When Among Crows” by Veronica Roth

Publication Date: May 14, 2024

Why I’m Interested: Veronica Roth is now a “must read” author for me, but even without that fact, I think I would have jumped at the chance to read her upcoming novella! It’s an urban fantasy story that pulls from Russian folklore and looks to promise much inner angst between its myriad of paranormal leading characters! I’m hopeful that this is one of those reading situations where my only complaint is that its a novella instead of a full-length book. Plus, the cover is just really fantastic!

Book: “Heavenbreaker” by Sara Wolf

Publication Date: May 21, 2024

Why I’m Interested: I’ve really loved the rise of “romantasy”(though I could perhaps write an entire series on popular subgenres and editing/quality decisions), but there are still few and far between romantic story that fall into the the larger science fiction genre! I read “Calamity” last year (and the sequel will likely show up on this list next month), but that’s about it. So I was very excited when I saw this book slated for release this May. The description for this one is a bit all over the place, but it sounds like a revenge plot that involves a should-be-dead young woman pairing up with a war machine to take on her enemies. And, of course, she may fall for one of those very same enemies. Crossing my fingers that this one is as good as it sounds!

Book: “The Fireborne Blade” by Charlotte Bond

Publication Date: May 28, 2024

Why I’m Interested: I mean, it’s probably no surprise that this one is on my list! Look at that cover! A dragon! A female main character with a sword! All right up my alley. This is another novella, so that seems to be a theme for me this month. The story follows a disgraced knight as she seeks to reclaim her honor by killing one of the legendary dragons of the realm. But to do so she must venture into its magic-infused lair and survive. This sounds like a classic fantasy in all of the best ways, and I’m super excited to check it out!

Kate’s Picks

Book: “Lore Olympus: Volume Six” by Rachel Smythe

Publication Date: May 7, 2024

Why I’m Interested: I’m still absolutely head over heels for this re-imagining of the Hades and Persephone love story, and Smythe has made such a creative, emotional, and at times quite funny adaptation that this is obviously going to be a high priority for me. When we last left off, Persephone had fled into hiding in the Underworld, just as Zeus has declared her and her mother Demeter as wanted by Olympus due to Persephone’s meltdown that ended with the death of many mortals, and which was covered up by Demeter to hide it from Zeus. Now Hades, desperate to find her, confronts Zeus, creating a rift between the brothers that could shake up the peace of the heavens and the Underworld. When Hades finds her, he wants to hear her side, in hopes of helping her, and Persephone has to decide if she is ready to open up, and tell her side of the story. I just love seeing where Smythe takes these characters and look forward to seeing where my favorite mythological love birds go next.

Book: “My Darling Dreadful Thing” by Johanna van Veen

Publication Date: May 14, 2024

Why I’m Interested: I’m already on board when a book has some themes about séances and spiritualism, but when it also has a vague possession element, and it’s one that MAY actually upend the trope, I’m even more excited! “My Darling Dreadful Thing” follows Roos, a young woman in 1950s Netherlands, whose abusive mother has forced her into phony séances because of her attachment to a spirit named Ruth, who is obsessed with Roos and can enter her body to act as anyone a client wants to be speaking to. And when a mysterious widow meets Roos at a séance and finds her intriguing enough to whisk her away to her Gothic mansion, Roos thinks that maybe she’s finally finding her freedom. But there are secrets in the mansion, and Roos’s new freedom may be a cage of another kind. This has been on my radar awhile and I am sure it will have lots to offer.

Book: “When She Was Me” by Marlee Bush

Publication Date: May 7, 2024

Why I’m Interested: Sisters with secrets? An isolated cabin? A missing girl? All of these things are very much up my alley, so “When She Was Me” by Marlee Bush was almost guaranteed to make my must read list. Twins Cassie and Lenora have isolated away from the world in a cabin off the beaten path, hoping that they will be left alone by nosy people and fans of salacious true crime tales. But when a teenager at a cabin nearby goes missing, and it sets off a frenzy, they start to worry that eyes will be back on them in no time, and that they will have to face some things that they did and were hoping they could just walk away from. It sounds vague and it sounds strange, so obviously it has my attention

What books are you most looking forward to this month? Let us know in the comments!

Serena’s Review: “Twelfth Knight”

This post may contain affiliate links for books we recommend.  Read the full disclosure here.

Book: “Twelfth Knight” by Alexene Farol Follmuth

Publishing Info: Tor Teen, May 2024

Where Did I Get this Book: ARC from the publisher!

Where Can You Get this Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | IndieBound

Book Description: Viola Reyes is annoyed.

Her painstakingly crafted tabletop game campaign was shot down, her best friend is suggesting she try being more “likable,” and school running back Jack Orsino is the most lackadaisical Student Body President she’s ever seen, which makes her job as VP that much harder. Vi’s favorite escape from the world is the MMORPG Twelfth Knight, but online spaces aren’t exactly kind to girls like her―girls who are extremely competent and have the swagger to prove it. So Vi creates a masculine alter ego, choosing to play as a knight named Cesario to create a safe haven for herself.

But when a football injury leads Jack Orsino to the world of Twelfth Knight, Vi is alarmed to discover their online alter egos―Cesario and Duke Orsino―are surprisingly well-matched.

As the long nights of game-play turn into discussions about life and love, Vi and Jack soon realise they’ve become more than just weapon-wielding characters in an online game. But Vi has been concealing her true identity from Jack, and Jack might just be falling for her offline…

Review: I knew this one would be a bit out of my wheelhouse when I requested it, but as I’ve seemed to move into also covering the romance genre to some extent on this blog, and the fact that I’ve loved this author’s fantasy work (she also writes under the name Olivie Blake), I thought it was worth a shot! Plus, this is one of my favorite Shakespeare plays, so I was excited to see it re-imagined into a contemporary setting. Plus, plus, I really loved playing “Baldur’s Gate” which is essentially video-game DnD, so I was definitely interested in a story that focused on this type of gaming.

Unfortunately, this one didn’t quite land the way I wanted it to. But let’s start with some of the positives. And for me, that largely comes down to the male lead character, Jack. I thought it story was really well done, following the tragic but hopeful arc of a young man who was a rising football star before he suffered a debilitating injury. I thought the exploration of this topic was so well done: the upheavals of identity, the loss of purpose and floundering to find direction, the very real mourning for a life that will now not happen. It was all very touching and well done.

There were also elements of the romance I liked, especially the fact that it came across as believable and relatable. All too often, romcoms seem to get caught up in overly complicated “meet cutes” and then a “paint by numbers” style conflict/resolution in the third act. This one hits many of the expected notes, but I think one of this author’s strong suits has been her dialogue, and with this book, the very natural, realistic dialogue helped ground the love story in a way that I appreciated. That said, I was surprised to see the romance essentially take a back seat to some of the gaming stuff for the first half of the story. And, even for me, someone who enjoys gaming quite a bit, this was frustrating. Not only did I pick this one up first and foremost for the romance, not the gaming, but it also forced the actual love story to have to go through all of the stages in a rather short period of time in the second half of the book.

I also struggled to enjoy Viola. And this made for a complicated reading experience, because on one hand, her anger is justified and much of her arc is her learning how to lower her shields, even when she’s been hurt in the past. But on the other hand, even if some of her anger is earned, she was also incredibly unlikable for much of the first half of the story. And as much as my brain could understand this, especially the fact that she is a teenage character which makes all of these big emotions even harder to wrangle, the rest of me was so often annoyed at her that I struggled to enjoy her. I had to keep stopping and essentially explaining to myself why she behaved the way she did, but…having to give yourself a pep talk about enjoying a book doesn’t make for, well, enjoyment.

Overall, this was kind of a “meh” read for me. There were elements that I liked, but there were enough issues with the pacing of the love story and the likability of one of the lead characters that left me feeling rather cold on the story by the end. Fans of YA contemporary romance might still want to give this one a shot, however, as the author’s quippy dialogue is still as fun as ever! Plus, there’s a nice little barb launched at the “Game of Thrones” finale towards the end of the book. Always love to see it.

Rating 7: Just ok. I thought the book touched on some important themes, but the love story felt oddly paced and I struggled to like Viola as a character.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Twelfth” can be found on this Goodreads list: YA Novels of 2024

Kate’s Review: “Rabbit Rabbit Rabbit”

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Book: “Rabbit Rabbit Rabbit” by Nadine Sander-Green

Publishing Info: House of Anansi Press, April 2024

Where Did I Get This Book: I received an ARC from Zg Stories.

Where You Can Get This Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | Indiebound

Book Description: A woman’s coming-of-age through a toxic relationship, isolation, and betrayal―set against the stark landscape of the far north.

Millicent is a shy, 24-year-old reporter who moves to Whitehorse to work for a failing daily newspaper. With winter looming and the Yukon descending into darkness, Millicent begins a relationship with Pascal, an eccentric and charming middle-aged filmmaker who lives on a converted school bus in a Walmart parking lot. What begins as a romantic adventure soon turns toxic, and Millicent finds herself struggling not to lose herself and her voice.

Events come to a head at Thaw di Gras, a celebration in faraway Dawson City marking the return of light to the north. It’s here, in a frontier mining town filled with drunken tourists, eclectic locals, and sparkling burlesque dancers, that Millicent must choose between staying with Pascal or finally standing up to her abuser.

In the style of Ottessa Moshfegh’s honest exploration of dysfunctional relationships, and with the warmth and energy of Heather O’Neill, Rabbit Rabbit Rabbit illuminates what it’s like to be young, impulsive, and in love in one of the harshest environments in the world.

Review: Thank you to Zg Stories for sending me an ARC of this novel!

While I am usually a person who loves predictability and not so much spontaneity, one of the areas where I DO tend to divert from the norms is my reading. And while that isn’t shown as much on the blog, I found myself compelled to dip my toes outside of my usual genres when the book “Rabbit Rabbit Rabbit” by Nadine Sander-Green came across my path. I was wholly taken with not only the setting of a small town in The Yukon (far up North small towns are very near and dear to my heart, even if my frame of reference is more Minnesota and Wisconsin versus Canada), and it sounded like an interesting character study of a woman trying to find herself, and unfortunately being targeted and manipulated by a toxic older man. So while it MAYBE had some thriller potential due to the latter bit of that, I felt that even if it was ultimately not a thriller, I still wanted to give it a go. And I’m happy I did, because “Rabbit Rabbit Rabbit” hit a nerve in a good way.

“Rabbit Rabbit Rabbit” is a contemporary novel that follows Millicent, a twenty four year old woman who has uprooted her life to take a job at a small town newspaper in an isolated community in The Yukon called Whitehorse. Her only initial connection is her roommate Sophie, a friend from university whom she has drifted from, and her new job has left her with a serious case of imposter syndrome as she is at her heart a poet, not a journalist. The small town setting is both claustrophobic, but also striking and very grounded. I could imagine Whitehorse, I could almost see all the people, and the dark winter landscape as Millicent tries to adjust. I also got a full sense for the community as a whole and the very real issues that happen within the time and place, with references to relevant social issues in the Yukon in regards to politics and the First Nations people who are living there, and the ins and outs of a dying newspaper that Millicent works for. It’s a quieter novel, but I found it very engaging perhaps in part because of that. Millicent is a bit of a fish out of water, and her isolation, even from her supportive roommate and coworkers, makes it easy for her to be drawn to Pascal, a local eccentric who fancies himself and artist and is living a transient lifestyle in a bus like a mercurial bohemian. His eccentricity makes him stand out in this setting, which is so well drawn out by Sander-Greene that his appeal, at least on the surface, is wholly believable (and more on him in a bit).

Another thing I enjoyed about this book is how straight forward it is in terms of the plot and narrative. As we follow Millicent’s story, there are few bells and whistles, very little melodrama, no twists, and no big reveals to upend expectations of the plot. Instead we just have a very clear cut story about a young woman who is trying to find herself in a new environment that can feel quite isolating, and who becomes wrapped up with a manipulative and charismatic man in the hunt for connection. And this thread in the book was what stood out to me the most, this portrayal of a toxic relationship and how a smart young woman could find herself entangled within it. Pascal is absolutely a villain in this book, but his villainy is very well done in that it is very subtle and very easy to see why Millicent, who is yearning for connection and with an idealistic view of the world, could be sucked in by him. He’s charming, his life seems artistic, romantic, and interesting, and how many times have we heard of older men preferring the company of young women because of, at least in part, how much they can control them, and manipulating them to feel connected and genuine. Pascal is sinister as hell, but he never feels like an moustache twirling antagonist that is over the top with his malevolence, and if anything that makes him that much scarier.

“Rabbit Rabbit Rabbit” was a gratifying shift from my usual genres, with a powerful new voice for contemporary and literary works. I will certainly be looking out for more works by Nadine Sander-Green in the future!

Rating 8: A compelling, quiet, and intense story about isolation, identity, and finding oneself in the face of abuse and hardship.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Rabbit Rabbit Rabbit” isn’t on any Goodreads lists as of now, but it would fit in on the Goodreads list “The Yukon”.

Serena’s Review: “Ruthless Vows”

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Book: “Ruthless Vows” by Rebecca Ross

Publishing Info: Wednesday Books, December 2023

Where Did I Get this Book: own it!

Where Can You Get this Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | IndieBound

Book Description: Two weeks have passed since Iris Winnow returned home bruised and heartbroken from the front, but the war is far from over. Roman is missing, and the city of Oath continues to dwell in a state of disbelief and ignorance. When Iris and Attie are given another chance to report on Dacre’s movements, they both take the opportunity and head westward once more despite the danger, knowing it’s only a matter of time before the conflict reaches a city that’s unprepared and fracturing beneath the chancellor’s reign.

Since waking below in Dacre’s realm, Roman cannot remember his past. But given the reassurance that his memories will return in time, Roman begins to write articles for Dacre, uncertain of his place in the greater scheme of the war. When a strange letter arrives by wardrobe door, Roman is first suspicious, then intrigued. As he strikes up a correspondence with his mysterious pen pal, Roman will soon have to make a decision: to stand with Dacre or betray the god who healed him. And as the days grow darker, inevitably drawing Roman and Iris closer together…the two of them will risk their very hearts and futures to change the tides of the war.

Previously Reviewed: “Divine Rivals”

Review: Sometimes I find it difficult striking a balance between keeping up with all of the new releases that I’m sure readers are looking for reviews for while also not slipping behind on books that are parts of a series and have sequels coming out during that same period of time. So, alas, here we are several months after the fact for a review for the second half of the wildly popular “Letters of Enchantment” duology. *les sigh*

I’ve been a big fan of Ross’s stories for a while now, so I have been incredibly pleased to see this duology so well received by many readers who are new to her work. That said, while I do like this book and its predecessor, I have to make a small plug for some of her earlier books, which I think are even stronger! But, of course, the focus of this review is this book. The last one ended on a huge cliffhanger, so I went into this one with a lot of pent up anxiety about where the story would go from here! The book picks up two weeks after the events of the previous book, with Iris back in the city and Roman behind enemy lines with his memories wiped.

I was a bit concerned about how this story would play out with our two main characters separated once again and with Roman’s lack of memories, but I was pleased with the way this was dealt with. The author doesn’t wipe the board completely clean, but instead neatly maneuvers the characters through a series of events that keeps the focus strong on their romance. While I still think the first book’s love story was the stronger of the two, I will always appreciate sequels that allow the love story to move further forward, instead of resetting it completely. Yes, we have to see these two rediscover each other to some extent, but we also get a fairly significant portion of the story that deals with them reconciled and moving through the next stages of their relationship.

I also really enjoyed the scenes we had from Roman’s perspective, the chance to see behind enemy lines and meet the big bad that was so often discussed in the first story. I particularly enjoyed the exploration of the soldiers who had been forcibly recruited, all struggling with memory loss and fighting for a cause they didn’t choose. In Iris’s chapter, we explored themes of loyalty, resistance, and the experiences of the civilians in a city under siege. Like the first book, these scenes of warfare were all incredibly powerful, presenting some of the many moral challenges faced by those in these situations.

I do think the book struggled a bit with how Dacre himself was dealt with. There were several points in the story where I struggled to understand some of his decision making. For such a powerful god, it didn’t make sense that he was relying on Roman and even Iris so much in the ways that he did. How these two weren’t outright murdered several times is frankly beyond me. But, believability aside, I still liked the overall themes of this book enough to not be too put off by that.

Overall, this was an excellent sequel to an excellent duology! Fans of the first book are sure to love it (who am I kidding though, all of the big fans have already read it by now!) and, with a conclusion as solid as this one, the entire duology is one I’d recommend to readers looking for a fresh take on a YA fantasy novel!

Rating 8: Love, war, and the impossible choices found therein, this duology is one of the best in YA fantasy out there!

Reader’s Advisory:

“Ruthless Vows” can be found on these Goodreads lists: Best YA Sequels and Romantasy.

Kate’s Review: “Missing White Woman”

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Book: “Missing White Woman” by Kellye Garrett

Publishing Info: Mulholland Books, April 2024

Where Did I Get This Book: I received an eARC from NetGalley.

Where You Can Get This Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | Indiebound

Book Description: The truth is never skin deep.

It was supposed to be a romantic getaway weekend in New York City. Breanna’s new boyfriend, Ty, took care of everything—the train tickets, the dinner reservations, the rented four-story luxury rowhouse in Jersey City with a beautiful view of the Manhattan skyline. But when Bree comes downstairs their final morning, she’s shocked. There’s a stranger laying dead in the foyer, and Ty is nowhere to be found.

A Black woman alone in a new city, Bree is stranded and out of her depth—especially when it becomes clear the dead woman is none other than Janelle Beckett, the missing woman the entire Internet has become obsessed with. There’s only one person Bree can turn to: her ex-best friend, a lawyer with whom she shares a very complicated past. As the police and a social media mob close in, all looking for #JusticeForJanelle, Bree realizes that the only way she can help Ty—or herself—is to figure out what really happened that last night.

But when people only see what they want to see, can she uncover the truth hiding in plain sight?

Review: Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this novel!

Two years ago I really enjoyed Kellye Garrett’s book “Like A Sister”, as I found it tense, complex, and endlessly readable. Because it was such a win for me I was absolutely interested in reading anything new that she came out with, so of course “Missing White Woman” was going to make my must read 2024 list. Already enjoying the author is a huge plus, but the name alone carries promise of deconstructing certain problematic issues in media and the public when it comes to in real time true crime. Just icing on an already promising cake, really.

Approaching this as a thriller first and foremost, Garrett has once again crafted a really interesting mystery that not only has some solid twists and turns, but a perspective that has some greater weight due to the sad realities of systemic racism (and societal but more on that later) in the United States. Our protagonist is Breanna, a Black woman who is on a much needed short vacation at an Airbnb in Jersey City with her new boyfriend Ty. While it starts out well, the on the last day Breanna wakes up in the house to find not only Ty has disappeared, but there is a dead body in the house, who appears to be that of Jenelle Beckett, a missing white woman whose disappearance has gone viral online. Breanna is met with some suspicion by the cops, though their focus is mostly on Ty, who is missing. It’s a simple story about a woman trying to clear her name and also the name of her new boyfriend, with the help of her former best friend turned lawyer Adore, and it has a lot of good surprises, red herrings, and suspenseful moments based not only in Breanna perhaps being in danger, not only because of not knowing Ty’s involvement, or the public starting to gnash for blood, but also because of the fact she’s a Black woman who is a person of interest in a dead white woman’s murder. It doesn’t help that Breanna has a VERY traumatic history with law enforcement, as she was the victim of police mistreatment when she was a young woman and a police officer pulled her over and profiled her as a Black woman, which led to an unjust arrest and conviction that ruined her life. This means that it not only makes Breanna more likely to be cagey around law enforcement and make her seem more suspicious to them, but that we also have to worry about it happening to her again even though we know she didn’t do it. It’s a dynamic layer that really worked for me.

Garrett also does a fantastic job of tackling some pretty relevant issues in regards to the pitfalls of true crime as it exists on the Internet and on social media platforms. And she does it in a way that doesn’t feel ham fisted or preachy! The most obvious is the subplot of a beauty influencer named Billie Regan who has platformed the story about Jenelle and is blasting it on her TikTok to seemingly build up views and to bring attention to herself/get some clout on the back of someone else’s tragedy. I really enjoyed the transcripts of Billie’s lives as she puts on a huge performance about how worried she is about Jenelle, and how she is feeding the frenzy of her followers and true crime addicts who fancy themselves armchair detectives and whips them into a hysteria about this missing white woman. Add into the way that she does her own unethical and reckless investigating and blasts Ty and Breanna to millions of followers, and makes them targets of random people who are out for blood and it’s all the more upsetting. It combines the already insidious racist implications of the ‘missing white woman syndrome’ (see the title) and how that kind of case gets ALL the focus while victims of color are all too often ignored, with a misguided mob of people who take a real tragedy and try to make themselves a part of it for clout, attention, or to feel like they are doing SOMETHING by targeting two Black people. It would be SO EASY to make this kind of commentary about true crime and social media feel well meaning and correct but SO clunky and preachy that it’s just obnoxious, as we have seen this kind of thing before (looking at you, “Black Christmas” 2019). But Garrett nails the tone, captures the gravity of it, and finds the nuance and trusts her readers to be able to parse it out without having to spoon feed it. Apparently this is a fine line to walk for some, but Garrett succeeds.

One quibble that I will note because it probably explains the lower rating number after all the well earned praise: the ending. It’s not a bad ending by any means, but it did feel a bit rushed and anticlimactic because of it. I also would have perhaps liked a little bit more time to see some of the fallout of how it all shook out. I never like feeling super rushed in a thriller.

But that’s just a quibble! Overall I enjoyed “Missing White Woman” quite a bit. It’s engaging and addicting, and with summer coming up and a need for vacation reads about to skyrocket, this is a good one to keep in mind!

Rating 8: A twisty thriller with a really well presented message about racism, social media, and missing white woman syndrome is hampered a bit by an ending that feels a little underwhelming.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Missing White Woman” is included on the Goodreads lists “2024 Mystery Thrillers Crime To Be Excited For”, and “2024 Books By Black Authors”.