I haven’t given 5 stars to a book since “Killers of the Flower Moon” back in March, and this book is well-deserving of the 5 star review. Naomi Novik is such a talented writer, and reading this book felt like a breath of fresh air, especially when so many novels are predictable to a fault these days.

“Spinning Silver” is full of fantastically written characters, familiar elements reimagined, and beautiful prose, all spun together into a fairytale. It’s supposedly a loose retelling of Rumpelstilskin, but if you didn’t know that, you wouldn’t connect this story to that one. There are multiple character perspectives, the change designated by a spinning wheel between each section. Once you read a little bit, it was easy to figure out who they were (Miryem, Wanda, Irina, Stepon, Magreta, and Mirnatius), and I credit Naomi Novik for the distinct voice she gave each person. There are no one-dimensional characters here (unlike many YA fantasy novels today); each one felt so real to me, and like “Uprooted”, I didn’t want the story to end, but it concluded in the best way possible. There is so much to this book, and it’s worthy of a reread one day. Truly magical and worth waiting for!

This is a reread for me, and I upped my review from 3 to 4 stars this time around. I initially went with 3 stars because the book didn't deliver for me a few years ago. I was expecting a fast-paced thriller about witches and vampires (aka Cassandra Clare), with a little scholarly insight thrown in, when in fact, this book is exactly the opposite. It takes its witches and vampires very seriously; there is a lot of talk about identity, but almost in a way that humans talk about identity. Questions like "why are we here, where did we come from" are the main focus of this book, so it's really an existential treatment about witches and vampires. And while this is totally bunk, because they don't exist, the author treats the matter very seriously. Knowing that really helped me enjoy this book for what it is. Harkness is all about the details, so this book may not be for everyone if you get bogged down by long-winded descriptions of houses and furniture. However, if you enjoy love stories and with some history thrown in, give this one a try.

I have admired Dave Cullen’s work ever since I read Columbine. Parkland is written in a similar vein, lots of on-the-ground reporting, relevant background information to give context, and utmost respect for accuracy and for all the people portrayed. This is an excellent read, detailed without becoming bogged down by facts, and balanced with the emotions and personalities of the kids.

Columbine was written over a period of years, and Parkland in just months, and it’s evident in the storytelling. However, I believe that Cullen and his team wanted to capitalize on the momentum behind the story, and help establish the truth behind what the MFOL kids want to accomplish.

It has been less than 2 years since the shooting, and it will take more time for thoughtful reflection and eventual acceptance of what happened (though no one should have to accept it, and I use “acceptance” because it’s the last stage of grieving). This is of course my opinion. 4 stars because it’s a very good book.