leandrathetbrzero's Reviews (412)

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After attending a reunion dinner with old friends, the recently engaged Lola runs into an ex she hasn’t seen in years. The next night, she finds herself face to face with another…and then another. What seems a coincidence proves to be a purposeful experiment, and Lola is its subject. The perpetrators are members of a contemporary cult, but “not in the traditional sense,” using mystical meditation and submissive messages to force Lola’s exes into her path. As she struggles to maintain her current relationship, Lola roams Chinatown to confront her romantic ghosts. 

If you were in Lola’s shoes, what would you do?

This book isn’t on my “Similar Reads” list, but Lola reminds me of Casey Han, the protagonist in Min Jin Lee’s debut novel Free Food for Millionaires. Much like Casey, Lola is very flawed and, because this is never hidden from the reader, her vulnerability and frankness makes her so likable. Lola’s tendency to relive past relationships and versions of herself is incredibly relatable! I loved every time Lola reflected on the ways human culture has (d)evolved. She is wickedly funny and cynical, and she has become one of my favorite characters.

To speak on the plot, the narrative structure had me on my toes at so many moments. The stakes just kept getting higher, and the mystery behind this non-cult cult became ever more knotted. Admittedly, I entered this novel more blind than I thought I had, but I enjoyed every single surprise. This story also led me to reflect on my own past experiences, some cringier than others, and the books that move you, truly affect your thoughts and actions, prove that literature can be extremely powerful. 

I also have to comment on Clive, a secondary character who maintains a certain ominous presence across the entire novel. The power he wields, which Lola warns us about, seeps into every part of the story. It starts from the Prologue and continues all the way to the final page. He is a fascinatingly aloof character.

Sloane Crosley has quickly become one of my favorite authors. Cult Classic will not be leaving my mind any time soon. That is, until I can pick up another of Crosley’s titles. 

 ↓ Similar Reads ↓
1. Jennifer Bell’s Wonderscape (book 1)
2. Jamie Littler’s Frostheart
3. Vashti Hardy’s Brightstorm (on my TBR!)

After surviving the Wonderscape, Arthur, Cecily, and Ren are content with a far less dangerous summer holiday in the 21st century. The three friends and their mimic dog, Cloud – a gift from a brilliant inventor in the 25th century – are enjoying a picnic when a mysterious mist encircles them. In the next instant, our young heroes find themselves once again in a time other than their own. And the only way they have a chance of returning home is if the foursome enters a dangerous tournament called Legendarium. In this sequel, the riddles are ever more cryptic, the villains are far harder to uncover, and the landscapes are breath-taking…but also deadly.

Jennifer Bell has done it again! Found friendships continue to grow, and the challenges these characters face teach them about history but also about themselves. This middle grade adventure novel mirrors its predecessor, but rather than focusing on historical figures, Bell introduces legends from all over the world. The diversity runs deep and we love to see it, from the protagonists’ own backgrounds to the myths and legends they encounter.

The pacing of this novel is amazing. I was on the edge of my seat while also never feeling rushed. (Although, I didn’t want the narrative to end!) And each new quest is believable in its difficulty and eventual solution. I admire that one conflict within the story is that our young protagonists are competing against adults. While others doubt their abilities because of their youth, Arthur, Cecily, and Ren prove time and time again that they should not be underestimated.

I also loved the many callbacks to Wonderscape. Milo Hertz makes an appearance as does a hero the team hadn’t met before. Cloud remains a lovely source of comic relief and comfort when the protagonists need something furry to hug. While these characters are no longer strangers but friends, they are still learning about each other’s insecurities and strengths. Their support for one another is heart-warming, and I cannot wait to see it deepen in the future.

The only question I have is: When can we expect book 3? 

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A woman struggles with her sex addiction as she recalls her last long-term relationship with an ex who experienced SA while they were together. Another protagonist watches their transgender nephew experience familial support that they never had. And a gay couple living in a city known for its history of homophobia is at odds when one wants a child and the other doesn’t.

These are just three stories within Lydia Conklin’s brilliant collection, Rainbow Rainbow: Stories. I am so thankful that I read this book because as beautiful and thoughtful the language is, it also felt informative, spreading awareness and giving a voice to communities still underrepresented on our screens, in our books, and in positions of power. My favorite stories, interestingly, featured the younger protagonists: “Pioneer” and “The Black Winter of New England.” I think this is because Conklin shows how we struggle even as children with topics like identity, gender and sexual orientation, self-loathing and self-love.

PSA: It’s critical to continue seeking out LGBTQIA+ voices after Pride month ends in a matter of days. Each of us should especially search for those voices we may know the least about. I am grateful for the insights this collection has given me regarding the emotional, mental, and physical battles that one goes through while transitioning. And I hope to continue to educate myself on non-binary identities as well. 

Please buy this book for yourselves, donate it to your local library, gift it to friends or family. Do anything to make this book more accessible to the world. 

↓ Similar Reads ↓
1. Lora Senf’s The Clackity
2. Justina Ireland’s Ophie’s Ghosts
3. Betty Ren Wright’s The Dollhouse Murders

Agatha Anxious is not your average child on the cusp of teenagerdom. She has a terrible habit of biting at her nails until they bleed. She spends her free time in the cemetery by her house. And, on the eve of her thirteenth birthday, she learns that she can see ghosts. After this discovery, Agatha’s life turns upside down. Her first ghost demands for something taken to be returned, her English teacher assigns a book report on a very different ghost, and Aunt Hattie – her rock and the only person who understands what she is going through – goes missing. A book filled with ghost stories, humor, and an unlikely heroine, Agatha Anxious and the Deer Island Ghost will be on shelves this 28th of June!

The atmospheric setting of Biloxi, Mississippi, felt simultaneously perfect for summer and autumn. The thick humidity and smell of the shoreline gave me summer vibes (even as Agatha trudges to school), but Agatha’s strolls through the cemetery and the hair-raising interactions with ghosts and the like would make this a great addition to anyone’s spooky reading pile. McDowell’s use of thriller elements, like the switch in POV to Aunt Hattie, raised the tension tenfold because we as readers knew something that Agatha still needed to discover.

While I enjoyed the loving relationship between Agatha and Aunt Hattie, it seemed a bit unbelievable that the aunt would leave Agatha in the dark about so much. She also felt like the child in their dynamic at times while Agatha read as the more mature one. It also felt a tad convenient that within maybe 24 hours of learning about the undertaker/oracle and receiving a warning from Hattie, Agatha would be seeking his assistance to help her aunt. I think it would have helped to learn about him earlier during Agatha’s first discovery that she is a Perceiver. I see many parallels to another recent middle grade read, The Clackity. The difference is that I had a stronger visual of where the plot was leading in the latter.

With that said, I can 100% see many middle grade readers growing attached to Agatha and her ghost-filled world. I can also see myself recommending this book to the right reader in the future.

 ↓ Similar Reads ↓
(1) Jamie Littler’s Frostheart
(2) Jennifer Bell’s Legendarium (book 2, on my TBR!)
(3) Ted Sanders’s The Keepers: The Box and the Dragonfly

Arthur, Cecily, and Ren are the best cast of characters I have read in a while! Each individual complements the others’ personalities wonderfully, their backgrounds bring rich diversity to the narrative, and their growing friendship melts the heart.

In this middle grade adventure narrative, our three protagonists somehow find themselves in the 25th century. In order to return safely to their own century, they must play the various realms in the Wonderscape as they slowly search for one of the game’s creators who disappeared years ago. Not to mention that they have a dog companion named Cloud giving them supportive licks along the way!

This is another middle grade read that I saw many a book reviewer gush over. The title has been sitting on my shelf for some time, but the release of the second installment, Legendarium, made it become a priority read. And I am grateful for it! Jennifer Bell artfully keeps the narrative going with riddles, death-defying action, and the introduction of curious new characters, but she also paints a vivid picture of each new realm her protagonists enter. I could easily imagine each location, as if I stepped through the portal myself. Bell also blends educational material into this story because each realm has its own hero, and the reward for winning a realm challenge is meeting that hero. The characters meet scientists, inventors, warriors, and even an environmental activist I was over the moon to see included. It fills me with joy to know that Bell is introducing such amazing historical figure to middle grade readers.

This is not a middle grade adventure to miss. Trust me, as I immediately move on to Legendarium. :) 

George and Lennie dream of a farm to call their own, but first they need to save enough money laboring on the land of others. Their fierce friendship is a curiosity to some and the envy of others. But its strength is tested as they join a new crew and encounter the farmer’s vindictive son. John Steinbeck poignantly highlights the bleak lives of laborers in 1930s America. Intended or not, this story also cultivates discussions on the treatment of those with mental disabilities throughout history. 

One of my goals each year is to read a few of the classics I missed during my education. I never felt my English classes were lacking in any way, but many titles in the “classic” canon get referenced in social situations, on television and in movies, and even in other books. And this is one of the few moments where I do admittedly feel FOMO. John Steinbeck is an author I had yet to try, and as I own Of Mice and Men, I decided that now is as great a time as any. 

Upon finishing this quick read, I am curious to know how teachers address with their students the many instances of animal death and harm to animals as well as the depiction of Lennie, a character with an undiagnosed mental disability. There is an uncomfortable ease with which the characters acknowledge Lennie’s tendency to accidentally kill mice and other animals when he becomes frustrated or upset. When Carlson pressures Candy into letting him shoot his elderly dog, one that Candy raised since it was a puppy, the scene brought me to tears. For a short novel, it is very emotionally taxing, and I can fully understand why it survives as a classic in American literature. Steinbeck’s purposeful use of such literary devices as foreshadowing, repetition and metaphor is brilliant as well. 

With that said, the blunt descriptions of animal death and harm to animals ignited visceral reactions in me. I wouldn’t willingly expose myself to those scenes again. And while I appreciate the appearance of a protagonist with a mental disability, and my heart ached for him at every turn, I was upset with how violent Steinbeck made him. I couldn’t help but try to imagine how little readers in the 20th century were exposed to characters like Lennie, wondering how this particular depiction impacted their views and understanding of people with mental disabilities. I also wonder how this story would have changed if it were written by a modern author in the historical fiction genre.

A heart-wrenching tale that left me in tears more than once, Of Mice and Men deserves its label as an American classic. 

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Thank you so much to Simon & Schuster, Atheneum Books for Young Readers, and #Netgalley for gifting me an ARC of The Clackity by Lora Senf in exchange for this honest review!

As the seventh most haunted town in America, Blight Harbor is home to more than just the living. Evie Van Rathe knows better than anyone since her aunt writes an advice column for those with difficult hauntings. Aunt Desdemona supports Evie’s inquisitive interest in the departed, but she has one rule: stay away from the abandoned slaughterhouse at the edge of town. But when her aunt goes missing in that very place, Evie must disobey her. There she encounters The Clackity, a creature made of shadows and darkness. The two strike a deal before Evie is allowed to pass into another dimension where a long-dead serial killer wanders the neighborhood. In her search for Aunt Des, Evie encounters hungry witches, a dream thief, and a killer who wants to add her to his collection.

Evie is an amazingly relatable and creative young protagonist! She embarks on the classic hero’s journey, testing her courage and smarts as she searches for her aunt in a world whose rules are ever changing. I loved Evie’s refusal to give up, even in her darkest moments with a panic attack brewing. Middle grader readers will easily identify with her, especially those who struggle with the physical symptoms of stress and anxiety. I also have to applaud the brilliant support system that Senf provides her main character. Aunt Desdemona is thoughtful and supportive; she gives Evie the haircut of her dreams (an undercut) even though her style preferences may differ, and she values her niece’s opinions and intuition. Lily, the local librarian, acts as an adjacent guardian, cultivating Evie’s mind and making her feel normal when others in town can only see her past trauma. Positive child-adult relationships have a crucial role in middle grade literature, and it warmed my heart to watch and get to know this family.

There are certainly some spooky scenes, particularly Evie’s interactions with the Ted Bundy-esque John Jeffrey Pope. Senf also plays on the well-known and obscure fairy tales alike which any reader is guaranteed to enjoy. The illustrations are gorgeous as well. I actually wished there had been more so I could have a few additional glimpses into the strange world into which Evie is thrust. I also would not have minded remaining in Blight Harbor, getting to know the culture and the residents (those dead and those living) a bit more. As this is the first in the Blight Harbor series, hopefully Senf will keep us in the town at some point.

A story full of everything that goes bump in the night, this middle grade horror is the perfect summer scare or one to bookmark for a more spooky, autumnal atmosphere! Pre-order now, or get your copy on 28 June. 

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Sherlock Holmes, the world’s first consulting detective. Most people - whether they have read the original stories or experienced one or more of the adaptations - have a distinct image of the great detective in their mind. Deerstalker, pipe, and a magnifying glass at the ready. My love for the BBC’s Sherlock inspired me to start slowly working my way through Doyle’s original works, and I ended up adoring The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, a collection of short stories. Reflecting on my childhood days of reading, I actually think my first true experience with “Sherlock” was via Nate the Great, a children’s detective series by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat. Nate is the spitting image of Sherlock, I swear! Does anyone else remember that young determined sleuth and his dog, Sludge?

My determination to read Doyle’s novel-length stories stems from my progression in the Lady Sherlock series. With book 3 of the series in my personal library, it dawned on me that I may begin (or already have been) missing fun little nods to Doyle’s work hidden within the reimagined narratives. And while I rarely feel FOMO in real life, I definitely have in literature! So, I grabbed my combo copy of A Study in Scarlet and The Sign of the Four. The experience was a bit disappointing, I’m afraid.

First off, I did enjoy watching John’s first interactions with Sherlock. It was quite humorous to see his skepticism and weariness transform into admiration over the detective’s deductive skills. Sherlock’s flustered demeanor in response to John’s overt compliments warmed my heart, too, because we know he usually receives scorn and condescension. With that said, in A Study in Scarlet, there is a sudden jarring shift from late 19th-c. London to early 19th-c. American West. The reader becomes jarred still at the introduction of Brigham Young and his caravan of LDS members (Latter-Day Saints/Mormons). As someone who is actually from Palmyra, NY, the birthplace of Mormonism, I always chuckle when I remember that something I view as random hometown history is known and taught world-wide. The first Sherlock Holmes story references my hometown! How crazy is that?! 

The inclusion of Mormonism, especially its archaic practice of polygymy during that time, becomes an integral part of the plot. My personal problem with this is how difficult it would be for the average reader to predict this turn in the narrative, but I do wonder what modern-day LDS members think about this dark take on the history of their religion. Doyle depicts the original Mormon settlers of Utah as quite sinister. As a storyteller, he can certainly be expected to dramatize certain scenes or themes, but I am sure not all of his accusations are unfounded. A dark reality to most modern-day religions is that they have archaic practices and atrocities attached to their pasts. This goes for Mormonism, Catholicism, Judaism, Islam, etc. Religions that do not acknowledge their pasts appropriately lose a significant amount of credibility, in my opinion.

Returning to A Study in Scarlet, the narrative remained compelling until we lose sight of John and Sherlock completely during our backtrack to events that occurred in the American west. Moreover, I found the solution for this story, as well as for The Sign of the Four, to be long-winded. This is not surprising as it matches the plotting style of detective fiction during the 19th century. However, I do think modern readers will tend to find it redundant and dragging in pace. Speaking of the second story within this two pack, I was far more disappointed with its plot. It relied heavily on racist biases and discrimination to explain some of the crimes committed, blaming a “savage,” aka a non-white, non-Eurpoean person. There was a moment of dark societal juxtaposition, however, when one of the culprits complains about his “hard” life as a white man being pushed around by dark-skinned police officers while abroad. I could not help but think with the greatest amount of sarcasm: the poor dear. *eye roll emoji*

What can I say? Some classics are better enjoyed through their modernized adaptations.

I think this is a solid reimagining of Mileva (Marić) Einstein's life. While other reviewers have criticized Benedict's interpretation of certain events, it's important to remember that this is historical *fiction* that includes real historical figures. For instance, other well-known novels to do this are Lincoln in the Bardo and The Water Dancer.

Moreover, this book is heavily fueled by the controversary of just how much Mileva helped in her husband's theories and scientific discoveries. She was a brilliant mathematician and physicist in her own right, and there is evidence that suggests they often worked together, although Albert only received credit (not surprising in the early 20th century a man would take full credit for work shared with his wife). When the two divorced, Mileva received Albert's Novel Prize money...doubtful this was out of the kindness of his heart. The book depicts him as a pompous, abusive man, and I fully believe it. I definitely recommend it to those who are looking for women protagonists in STEM-related storylines.

↓ Similar Reading ↓
1. The Mystery of Mrs. Christie by Marie Benedict (follows 11-day disappearance of Agatha Christie)
2. Villainy in Vienna by Kelly Oliver (Mileva Einstein is featured in this spy/mystery novel)
3. Yellow Wife by Sadeqa Johnson (historical fiction based on true historical events and people) 

 ↓ Other Mystery/Thriller Hybrids ↓

 

Freddie Kincaid visits the Boston Public Library in the hopes of making good progress on her current mystery manuscript. She finds inspiration in the table’s three other inhabitants, nicknaming them Freud Girl, Heroic Chin, and Handsome Man. As she creates their personalities and backstories in her head, a woman’s scream breaks the library’s silence. This mysterious scream acts as a bonding experience, and the four strangers forge an unexpected friendship. They become almost inseparable when a body is found.

The novel’s first few chapters had me on the edge of my seat. I found myself immediately invested in Gentill’s first-person protagonist, Freddie. Her thoughts and dialogue were authentic and very believable, although she did read older than 27 years old (imo). On that note, I also found characters like Marigold and Whit to act younger than they are meant to be. I was 100% on board for the brilliant chemistry between Freddie and Cain (aka Handsome Man). As thrilling as the narrative, was with each new clue and the ever-rising tensions between the four main characters, there are a few aspects to this novel that made it a less than satisfying read for me.

At the end of each chapter, the reader experiences an extra layer of metafiction with a letter from Leo (beta reader/pen pal) to Hannah (the “author” of Freddie’s storyline). The reader learns quickly that Leo is responding to Hannah’s most recent additions to an ongoing manuscript. To recap: Gentill is writing about Hannah as she writes about Freddie. While the correspondence intrigued me at first, it soon grew tiresome. The red flags and creepy intimacy of Leo did give me goosebumps, but then I just found myself annoyed by Leo. For instance his insistence on including COVID into the novel, and his obviously wrong assumptions about the culprit(s) and the characters’ relationships had me yelling at him aloud in frustration. The psycho pen pal is a fun idea, for sure, but I felt it was forced into this novel, and I would have preferred to simply read The Woman in the Library without the epistolary commentary.

I was most disappointed with the ending. I correctly identified the person(s) responsible for the crimes committed, but the actual motive was surprisingly less complicated and sinister than I imagined it would be. In fact, this is a rare moment in which I believe my imagination came up with a better motive to match the narrative’s tone. My only additional critique focuses on Gentill’s tendency to rush things. The relationship between Freddie and Cain is measured in weeks, yet they have fallen in love with each other already. Furthermore, the story ends a bit abruptly, and at a strange moment. I assume the final scene shines a light on Gentill’s dark humor which I would not have minded, but I wish it was grounded in more substantial past clues/scenes that support such an ending.

I do not regret reading this novel in the least. The blend of thriller and mystery ingredients kept me on edge for most of the novel. I enjoyed the “frame-up job” angle, as it added to the tension and feelings of distrust among the characters. I believe this book could be a good match for those who enjoy metafiction, multiple storylines, and mysteries that are thriller-leaning.