Sutty is an Observer visiting an alien planet to escape the political and religious unrest on Earth. But she arrives at a planet in the middle of their own religious upheaval where the old religions are illegal, and only small pockets of people in the countryside practice their beliefs in secret.

I DNF'd this book after page 63, because I was upset at the themes and attitudes behind the moral worldview of this book. Sutty is homosexual, and I didn't like how that was approached and handled in this book.

Le Guin's books are always deep and philosophical, making the reader think carefully and question everything, so I had a certain expectation about how certain ideas of religion and morality would be explored in this book. I was very disappointed in the overall themes and ideas that are presented in this book. Religious people are looked down on as if they are unintelligent or insanely fanatical without reason or common sense. The whole thing just got on my nerves and made me angry to see these harmful ideas being celebrated.

Maybe if I had continued to read the book, I would have seen some of those ideas being overturned or explored in a more healthy manner, but I don't have the inclination to continue.
I'm done with this book, and possibly with this author. I have loved some of her other books, but sometimes I don't like the direction her books take.

I will say, her writing style is beautiful. Compelling and entrancing as her writing is, it makes it that much more of a shame that she can't turn her talents to better subject material.

Myrtle is traveling by train for a holiday at the seaside, when a priceless tiara is stolen and one of the train passengers is murdered. The local police are incompetent, and only Myrtle and her irrepressible governess, Miss Judson, can solve the case and bring justice to the murderer. But how is a Proper Young Lady supposed to adhere to the Rules of Etiquette AND have the freedom to run around the beach solving crimes? Especially with mean Aunt Helena criticizing her every move.

I cannot describe how much I loved this second book in the Myrtle series!
One of the things that made me fall in love with this book is the incredible character development. I love how the main characters change their minds, discover new information, grow in their personalities and abilities, and suddenly realize that their relationships with other characters can be different.

I was fully invested in the character growth and the story from the very first page. The writing drew me in, and emotionally hooked me into the lives of the characters. Myrtle herself is a fantastic main heroine. She is energetic and emotional and incredibly intelligent. I absolutely adored her strong relationship with Miss Judson, and her evolving relationship with her Aunt Helena.

I was massively curious about every clue. I couldn't wait to read the next chapter and the next! I wanted to see how all the disparate clues could possibly come together to a rational conclusion. I was so pleased with the complexity of the mystery, and yet it all made sense in the end with everything explained and every loose end wrapped neatly in a bow. At one point, I thought that I had figured out who the murderer was, but I was completely wrong! I was genuinely surprised at the ending.

The secondary characters are wonderful as well, with the townspeople, train staff, hotel clerks, and local fishermen all playing their part. The setting of the beach, the hotel, the pier, and the ships all give a creepy or homey atmosphere to the story that adds so much to the action of each scene.

One of the things I really loved was how the history of the town was a big part of unraveling the murder mystery. Myrtle had to find out about the past in order to understand what was happening in the present, and it gave the story so much depth. Brilliant writing!

Another nice feature of this book is the gorgeous cover art, which gives little clues to the contents of the book with scissors, the pier, and a cat on the beach. All these things feature strongly in the plot, and I love how the artwork incorporates them.

I wish I could give this book 10 stars, and I look forward with extreme eagerness for the next books in the series!

Update: I forgot to mention how humorous the writing is! There is a lot of witty dialogue, funny aside comments to the reader, a jovial and charming solicitor, and these crazy ducks that terrorize the streets. It’s hilarious and wonderful!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts and are not influenced by anyone.

Evie is a teenage healer, always concocting potions for her best friend, Wormy. When he proposes, she says no, and the fairy Lucinda curses her to be an ogre until she accepts a marriage proposal. Any marriage proposal from anyone. Evie travels to the Fens, hoping to learn the art of persuasion from the ogres who live there. Life as an ogre is more difficult than she imagined, but Evie becomes known as the healer ogre. She searches for someone who will awaken her ability to love, and hopes that someone will propose to her. But she isn't even sure what love is supposed to feel like.

I was disappointed in this book.
The story was oddly disjointed, and there were several things that seemed exceedingly far-fetched, even for a fairytale world. The ending was rushed, and the relationships felt forced. The characters are okay, but I wasn't amazed with their personalities or the bland character development.

Evie is such a lost soul. She really is a child blundering around, pretending to be in love. After several false starts in dead-end relationships with boys who aren't even interested in her, she finally ends up with the right person. However, I wasn't happy with her character development or with the development of the romantic relationship. She doesn't really grow that much or change or learn.

The plot is all over the place. There are several things in the world-building that are never explained. Many plot points are very Deus Ex Machina and way too convenient. The dragons' behavior is never explained. There are scenes with violence, murder, and death. A lot of people die gruesomely from a plague. And then the characters just pick up again with their pathetic little romantic intrigues. It's weird, and it doesn't fit with the rest of the story. Even with all that plot upheaval, the characters are fairly stagnant.

The writing style is great though. I usually love this author's books! This story started out well, but the middle was too long, and the ending was too quick.

It's so fun to reread these favorite books from my childhood. I love to read about Molly and her friends preparing their Halloween costumes! However, I always hated the storyline of pranks and tricks that Molly and her brother, Ricky, play on each other. Even as a child, I could never understand why people would play pranks at someone else's expense. It's cruel and mean, and I'm always glad when their mother puts a stop to it and punishes them fairly.

The writing is excellent for this age range, and the story is simple but complete. There is definite character development and an interesting narrative arc. I love the little bits of history intertwined with the story, and the pages at the end that tell the reader more about the era.

I love the character development that Molly goes through in this book. She sees a problem and wants to correct it, and believes that her idea is better and more practical. However, she doesn't have the courage to speak out. She tries to implement another idea on her own, but discovers that she needs the help of the group in order to make it a success. Finally, she gathers the courage to speak her mind in a kind way, and the results are that the group listens to her ideas and helps her with her other project too.

I love that Molly is a problem solver! Her personality is so strong and smart!

The writing style in this book is just perfect, and we can really follow Molly's journey and feel each scene with her.

I love the historical information at the back of the book that talks about how civilians would assist in the war effort during the 1940s. It's wonderful to see such a vivid glimpse of how people lived back then.

I love the Molly books, and this one is so special and sweet while Molly waits to receive Christmas gifts in the mail from her father overseas. Beautiful and heart-warming!

When I was a little girl, I wanted to have a birthday party just like Molly's with fancy British tea and little cakes. I love these books!

I always cry at the beautiful ending! This is such a sweet and meaningful book. I just adore Molly!

A young man living in the far North stumbles into a hidden land of summer where time stands still. He is only allowed to return to visit his family in the dead of winter each year, and he leaves gifts for them so that they know he is alive and well. He is given a magic feather that allows his deer to fly.

I loved this myth of the origins of Santa Claus told in an old-fashioned style. The story is so imaginative and charming! The plot is sort of strange, until you start to realize that all the components of the plot are adding up to the red suit and the flying reindeer and the gifts. Then it all begins to make sense, and it's like a wonderful discovery.

The illustrations are beautiful, and really add to the enchantment of the story. I love the attractive art style and the colorful designs.

The whole story is a complete delight! I love this fresh look at a familiar story with all the magic of Christmas!


Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.