Zentner's The Serpent King absolutely destroyed me. It was fantastic and I completely ugly cried while reading it. That was actually a nice surprise, because the title and summary were kind of underwhelming. I avoided it for months before cracking it open, and I'm so glad I finally did. Seriously – go read it.

And guess what – Zentner has written a second novel! Be prepared for some more heart stomping in Goodbye Days.

This book is absolutely beautiful – definitely equal to Zentner's first book. I've been trying to pin down exactly what it is that makes his books so damn good. His world building is fantastic and the plots are solid – but that isn't what makes his books great. It's his characters.

Zentner has a talent for creating characters that are deeply flawed and incredibly realistic. I felt Carver's grief for his friends, and his fear for the future. I understood the rage of Mars' father and felt so much sadness for Blake's grandmother. These characters leap off the page and breathe.

I suppose it goes without saying that this book is incredibly emotional. I didn't ugly cry this time, but I felt so drained by the end. I don't regret reading it though. A book or author this good is rare, and I encourage everyone to pick up Zentner's books. Just grab tissues too.

I usually love this kind of book. The subject matter was really interesting but the writing was meandering and very dry. It lacked focus. It had a lot of potential but by the end reading it felt like work.

I love when random library picks turn out to be total gems. I downloaded The Witches of New York based on the cover - it's pretty and a little mysterious. And happily, the book itself is a solid bit of historical fiction.

McKay hit the nail on the head for all of the important stuff: the plot was quick, entertaining, and full of engaging characters (with a rather unsettling villain). I loved her descriptions of the setting and time period - I could picture it all easily. And much of the story is centred around Cleopatra's Needle, which was freaky timing! A couple months ago, I received a box from The Mysterious Package Company that focused a lot on Cleopatra's Needle - it even included a tiny model of it. The Needle came from Egypt and was brought to New York in the late 1800s - the history of the obelisk (and it's sisters) is fascinating and fun reading if you're at all inclined. Ok, backing off from the slightly off-topic tangent!

The three witches central to the story practiced witchcraft that seemed closer to modern day Wicca than any fiction I've read before. It was actually pretty refreshing to see a positive and nature-based portrayal of a witch - I've gotten a bit tired of today's pop culture interpretation (especially in YA fiction). It's funny, I've been leaning more toward adult/literary fiction lately - perhaps I'm in need of a YA break.

This book is one of those solid reads that leave you wanting a sequel. It actually ended with a bit of a mystery so that McKay certainly could pull it off. If she does, I'll definitely read it.

3.5/5