A sci-fi fantasy about bodily autonomy that will have you sitting on the edge of your seat gritting your teeth. 

Elfreda Raughn is a magical practitioner part of the Sisterhood of Aytrium. The Sisters use a form of magic called lace that they regenerate by consuming the flesh of martyred Sisters. These are usually their mothers and they're put into these comas that keep them on the brink of death. A Sister's duty includes making more Sisters, however the problem is the Sisters don't have a choice and their lace curses the men they become intimate with and they will eventually have to be martyred so their daughters may consume them. Elfreda is willing to do everything and anything she can to avoid bearing a child, including becoming a spy for the rebel cause. 

It's the casual cannibalism for me. Like literally, I cannot deal with cannibalism so thankfully those scenes were kept to a minimal. It was introduced in such a blasé way I was mentally shouting at the fact that everyone was just fine with it, but as it turns out, lots of people are grossed out by it. 

Overall, I thought the concept was interesting and unique. The worldbuilding was also really different and I wish more time was spent on it. I love the magical system despite my disgust, and it was definitely a profound commentary on how even powerful women, the most powerful in society, have to make these incredible sacrifices. Also, bi women are running this civilization and I loved it. 

I felt the pacing and the action sequences were a little off and jarring in places. It was also a little difficult to follow at times. But overall, it's a great read with a somewhat satisfying end.

An incredible upper YA mystery thriller that incorporates drug abuse and issues within and around Native communities, specifically the mistreatment of Native women. 

Firekeeper’s Daughter follows 18-year-old Daunis Fontaine just before she begins her freshman year at university. Daunis is half-white/half-Ojibwe woman and has never really fit in with either. She hopes her first year of college will help give her a fresh start, but after witnessing the murder of her childhood best friend, Daunis is determined to discover all the factors that went into her friend’s death. This is when Daunis is brought into an FBI investigation to help track down the source of a new form of meth that’s entering several Native communities around the Great Lakes. Daunis discovers many secrets and is pushed to the point of breaking to discover the source and protect her community. 

I think this was an incredible story. It made me cry like so much. There were so many things that weren’t resolved (much like in life) and it’s left a bit open ended. One of the few books I liked that didn’t have a satisfying (or vindicating) ending. I think it’s written well and introduced me to a lot of things I didn’t know about the Ojibwe community, the Great Lakes area, and hockey. I know the last seems silly, but it really is part of that area’s culture and it seems like a useful tool that could bring the Native communities and non-Native communities together. 

(Spoiler) I think a lot of readers will have wanted the “bad guy” to be a white dude, and in a lot of ways it was a white dude that took advantage of Native boys that trusted him, but also some of the Native guys were bad on their own. Which is accurate. There’s a lot of people that actively work against their minority communities and I think this book shows how both these individuals as well as oppressors from the majority both take advantage. 

I learned about the politics and social issues that play into becoming a federally recognized tribe and a full member of that tribe. And it really pisses you off once you realize how a member can be taken advantage of by outside groups. 

It takes place in the early 00s, but I’m not really sure why. It kind of just made things difficult because of the restrictive cell phones of the time. It also seems far fetched that such a young officer would be a detective and qualify to be undercover. Also, where’s the DEA? I’m sure we had that in the mid-00s. Just little things that kind of nagged me, but I loved the book of course. 

It’s definitely worth the read whether you’re 17 or 70. Read this book!

A modern-day romcom for true crime junkies. 

Phoebe Walsh is a 28-year-old English PhD candidate with a borderline obsession of true crime (it's even the topic of her dissertation). In her final year of her dissertation, Phoebe's emotionally unavailable father unexpectedly dies and she must spend the summer clearing out his house in Florida to get it ready to go on the market. She has to do this with the help of her obnoxious, immature, but goodhearted younger brother who is busy trying to propose to his high school sweetheart. Enter elementary school music teacher, Sam Dennings, Phoebe's late father's neighbor, a total shy hottie that she's convinced is a serial killer. Her fears lessen as she gets to know Sam more and her attraction for him grows. Phoebe also must come to terms with her complicated feelings for her father and mending bridges with a childhood friend. 

It's definitely funny and it does heavily lean on the true crime (constantly dropping names and popular books), but I think Phoebe's paranoia is pretty relatable. The book does a fair job of tackling the complex issues surrounding grief and the loss of an emotionally unavailable parent. Phoebe is dark, stubborn, and sarcastic, but I love her. She's relatable and funny, but a little off-putting. The spice is very surface level so don't get your hopes up on that front. But it was very entertaining and cute. I liked Sam but I wish he had a little more personality and that they had more interactions because I couldn't see the chemistry for a while. 

If you have a healthy interest in true crime, this would be the perfect romcom for you!