A Suspenseful page turner that kept me hooked. Although I predicted “whodunnit” (kind of), I didn’t see the twists and turns to get to the end. I’m all in on this series and can’t wait to pick up Book 2 from the library!

I’m giving this book 5 stars because it does all of the things an epic book should: teach you something new, give you a new perspective on an important topic, make you think critically and introspectively about society and life, and lead you to connect with the stories and people in the book.

This book should be required reading for high school or college students. I didn’t even know that the Great Migration was a real “thing” and I learned so much about our country’s history and how it’s geography was shaped in the last century. This book has sparked an interest in me to learn and read more about this time period and the people who made brave and life changining decisions to leave their only homes and way of life to start a new life in the unknown North. While reading, I felt shame and guilt about my own privilege, shock that I didn’t know about so much of our recent history, and pride and empathy for the 3 protagonists.

Isabel Wilkerson blends the narrative of three people: Ida Mae, George, and Robert, with historical context well. She includes quotes from poetry and the works of Richard Wright, James Baldwin, and others which start each new chapter and section beautifully. My own critique is that this book is a bit long and at times repetitive and lags around the 2/3 point but picks up again and ends with a flourish.

How did I not know about this book before, or know much about the Great Migration??!!?

The second book in this series - not quite as suspenseful as the first, but still very good. I am in to the Proctor family and their code group of friends and I am looking forward to reading the third book soon.

I’m still processing my thoughts on this one, especially the ending. It’s a beautifully written look at the interwoven lives of Native people in Oakland. Tommy Orange represents a voice I haven’t read before and so loved that.

If you’ve read this one... what are your thoughts?

🌟🌟🌟💫

This one didn’t hit my heart with as hard a punch as Santopolo’s first novel, The Light We Lost, but it was a good, solid story of a young woman figuring out her place in her family, career, and the world.

I’m giving this one 🌟🌟🌟💫 it wasn’t really suspenseful, more of a slow burn, but the writing was beautiful and the setting and atmosphere really were a character themselves. I was invested in the Bright family, especially Nathan’s story. I will read anything by Jane Harper and this was my second favorite of her three books (The Dry is my favorite).

Well, Imwas expecting a cozy romance, something on the lighter side... but this book is so much more! I should have known, since I read Katherine Center’s previous novel, How to Walk Away, last year and it was also more than expected. This book did still have plenty of light moment, and was a bit predictable, but did I care? No. I was along for the ride.

Katherine Center craftily works in themes of abandonment, trauma, sexual assault, sexism in the workplace, friendship, and love through the story. This story is timely in the era of #metoo and #timesup, it it doesn’t come across heavy handed and Center doesn’t overtly throw these themes in your face. At the heart of the story is Cassie Hanwell, who is navigating an estranged relationship with her mother and finding her place at a new firehouse while coming to terms with her own PTSD.

I enjoyed learning about the firefighter profession, especially what it means to be a female firefighter in a male dominated profession. The setting of Eastern Massachusetts was quaint and picturesque. Center even throws in a nod and wink to How to Walk Away.

I did read this book quickly because the story was engaging and the words easily flew off the page. The second half took off and I couldn’t stop. I wanted to know if Cassie could overcome her traumatic past to find happiness and forgiveness and love.

I want to thank the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book. It was a to read.

I had heard about this book, but after one of my students read it and loved it, I started it. This book is an honest, raw, and realistic portrayal of anxiety, depression, PTSD, and how we all deal with it in different ways. Eliza has a community of support and friends online, and throughout the book we see how online vs real-life relationships are both meaningful.

My first Harlan Coben! Pretty good... the suspense was low-level, not keeping me up at night but enough to keep me intrigued.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

WOW. A very raw and realistic depiction of life as a teenage Muslim girl in post 9/11. And also a totally captivating love story.