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Showing posts from March, 2016

First One Missing

Four girls have been murdered over the span of however many years. We go through the mechanical motions of the grieving mothers' every day lives instead of focusing more on the killer and building tension. There are liaison officers and a journalist. And lots of other people. The first three or four chapters all have different characters narrating. I found it hard to keep track of everyone and quickly ended up not caring about any of them. I skimmed the last half of the book. I didn't like the "twist". Or anything else for that matter. 

Dover Park

The Moreau's are well-respected members of their community. Their lives are happy and peaceful. But a mysterious visitor will change all of that. While trying to find answers for this person's sudden appearance, a decades-old drowning is looked at a little closer and will lead to shocking discoveries. This book is filled with mystery and twists. It kept me guessing until the end and I wasn't disappointed.

I'm Thinking of Ending Things

A young woman and her boyfriend are on their way to his parents secluded farmhouse. She's not completely comfortable about meeting them. On the drive there she has lots of time to reflect on their relationship and ask him questions. On their way back she becomes stranded at a high school out in the middle of nowhere. And you just have to read this book. I went into this one with high expectations. And I wasn't disappointed! It was intense and suspenseful. In some ways it was relatable. In some ways it made me uncomfortable. I loved the writing and the ending. Very clever. I won a copy through Goodreads First Reads.

Tiny Little Thing

Tiny is the oldest of the three Schuyler sisters, the one who has been raised to marry a man destined for greatness. With her elegance, impeccable style and delicate beauty she is picture-perfect. With her husband, Frank, they are the ultimate power couple. Their intelligence, wealth and good looks will work to his advantage in the dawning age of television politics. He has his sights set on becoming President of the United States one day. But the weight of everyone's expectations are becoming too heavy for Tiny to bear. To make matters worse three unwelcome visitors that appear in Tiny's life in the summer of '66 - her sister Pepper, her husband's war hero cousin Caspian and an envelope that contains a photo Tiny does not want anyone to see. Things are unravelling not only for Tiny but also for Frank who has secrets of his own that could put an end to his future plans. This book goes back and forth between Tiny in 1966 and Caspian in 1964. It has the same great writing

Letters for Scarlet

We learn about two women who used to be best friends - their present day and the letter that dredges up old memories. Corie Harper has forgotten all about the graduation letter she wrote in high school. She spent the last ten years trying to forget about her best friend and the things that tore their friendship apart. Scarlet Hinden is haunted by memories of Corie and what happened one night ten years ago. Now pregnant, Scarlet is convinced she would be a terrible mother and that she does not deserve the love of the father of her child. There's nothing wrong with the writing. The book started off fine, but it became boring and the ending was anticlimactic. It's a forgettable book for me.

The Secret Life of Violet Grant

The book goes back and forth between two young women: Vivian Schuyler is now in possession of a suitcase that once belonged to her aunt Violet. Vivian didn't even know she had an aunt Violet. With a quick phone call to her aunt Julie she learns that Violet was a scientist who murdered her husband in Berlin in 1914 and ran off with her lover and no one has heard from her since. Vivian is determined to find out about this mysterious aunt of hers that no one has ever mentioned and that no one has heard from in fifty years.  Violet Schuyler has fought her way to England to pursue her dream of becoming a physicist. As the only woman studying at the institute and being in a different country, she is lonely. Her mentor, Dr. Grant, has been very good to her and she feels obligated to go along with his wishes which quickly leads to their marriage and a move to Berlin. It's not only the beginning of World War I that will turn Violet's life upside down. I loved Vivian's spunk. I l

When the Sky Fell Apart

All hope that Hitler will leave the Channel Islands alone is gone. It's June 1940 and bombs have started dropping on Jersey. Shortly afterwards 12,000 German troops take over the island. We read about four different people: Claudine is a ten-year-old girl who befriends one of the soldiers, but this friendship will inadvertently let trouble into the home she shares with her younger brother and their mother.  Maurice is a local fisherman who will do whatever it takes to protect his sick wife who can no longer care for herself. Edith is a natural healer, although most people on the island would call her a witch, who will try her best to help those in need. Tim Carter is an English doctor who had the chance to evacuate the island before it was invaded but refused to do so. He has no choice now but to obey the Commandant and be labelled a traitor by the locals as he tries to protect them (although they do not know this) It's well-written. The topic of the German Occupation of Jersey

The Creepshow

Wanda Julienne works as financial analyst at Whilt Investment Services Inc. She was the perfect employee. But now that she has returned after having a baby, the company wants her gone. The colleague who filled in for her while she was on maternity leave made errors that should have gotten him fired. The company expects Wanda to repair the damage in an unreasonable amount of time. They expect her to take on more work. And on top of all this she has to deal with sexual harassment. As a single mother she cannot afford to lose her job. As all these things begin to add up, she discovers she's not alone. Other colleagues (women with children) have experienced similar treatment, but it's all being swept under the rug. Her best friend, Galina, believes she can help, but it won't be easy. This book seemed to lack depth. Women being treated poorly in the work place is a serious thing, but Wanda didn't really do anything until her friend basically forced her to and that wasn't

Along the Infinite Sea

This is book number three about the Schuyler sisters, and the first book I've read. It can be read as a standalone. The book goes back and forth between Annabelle's life in Europe just before World War II and Pepper's life in America in 1966.  Pepper Schuyler fixes up a rare 1936 Special Roadster Mercedes and sells it at an auction. The mother-to-be is too proud to ask her family for help and the father of her child is a married politician who doesn't want anyone to know about the pregnancy. Pepper believes she can do things on her own and that the large sum of money will take care of her baby.  Annabelle Dommerich has just bought back the car she used to drive out of Nazi Germany. Having a past that includes a Nazi husband and a Jewish lover, Annabelle is no stranger to having secrets of her own. She takes young Pepper under her wing - she gives her a place to stay and someone to talk to.  This book was extremely well-written. The characters, the setting - everything c

Every Last Word

Samantha McAllister is part of the "mean girls" clique in high school. Underneath her make-up, straightened hair, and carefully chosen outfits she's hiding a secret - she has OCD. She even sees a psychiatrist for it. She knows if her friends ever found out they would torture her, but they've been her whole life for so many years that she has nowhere else to go. Until she meets Caroline. Caroline is the complete opposite of what her friends would approve of. She shows Sam a secret room known as "Poet's Corner" where a small group of friends meet a couple of times a week. Sam discovers a whole new side of herself, a side she really likes, a "normal" side. But she has to keep her new friends a secret. This story felt flat and unrealistic to me. It deals with a serious topic but doesn't give a realistic representation of it. The story focused on Sam finding herself through friends she actually liked, people who were actually nice to her. Basica

If He Had Been with Me

Autumn and Phineas have been friends and neighbours all their lives. But as they reach the awkward years of hormones and new feelings, they begin to drift apart. Since their mother's were friends since childhood they often get together for dinner and holidays so it's not always easy to ignore each other like it is in high school. We go through Autumn's four years of high school with her. She is part of a different crowd than Finny. She has her close-knit misfit friends and her boyfriend, Jamie. Finny is popular, a star soccer player with a cheerleader girlfriend named Sylvie. Autumn also shares her childhood memories of Finny. And she finally admits to herself what she already knew deep down all along. After all those long years things finally fall into place. But not for long. The writing was so good! The characters were three-dimensional, the story flowed well. The last few chapters were lacking and felt rushed otherwise it would've been a five star read for me. Every