"Cecilia "CeCe" Brooks thought she had a close relationship with her mother. When her mother commits suicide and rumors of a sex scandal with a student erupt, CeCe is full of uncertainty and pain. It doesn't help that her classmates bully her about it and her father can't even look at her. All she wants is to get through her last year of high school under the radar, but when she has to volunteer at the very crisis hotline her mother worked at, clues start to appear that suggest her mother's death wasn't by her own hands." Full review at Fresh Fiction: http://freshfiction.com/review.php?id=59978

"Most know the story of how Abraham Lincoln was killed, but few know about Mary Surratt. Mary Surratt was the mother of Johnny, a man with close relations to John Wilkes Booth. Mrs. Surratt is a supporter of the Confederacy, but a mostly passive one as she prefers to keep quiet about such things. However, being passive doesn't mean being innocent. How much did Mary know about Booth's plan, and what lengths would she take to protect her son?" Full review at Fresh Fiction: http://freshfiction.com/review.php?id=60032

"Kate O'Brien is used to being the scholarship kid after she's moved around so many times. With her expert lying skills, she finds wealthy student Olivia at her newest school and plans to use Olivia for status, money, social rank, and maybe a little friendship on the side. When their school gets a new administrator, Mark Redkin, both Kate and Olivia's plans are thrown as it seems Mark isn't quite as charming as he seems. In a group of the privileged, it's hard to tell who is the best liar." Full review at Fresh Fiction: http://freshfiction.com/review.php?id=60045

"Bo lives most of his week at Berkshire Academy, a school for youth who are troubled in some way. Bo, however, believes the school is for people like him who have superpowers. For Bo, this means his power to travel through time, and he fears it is his power that caused him to lose the girl he loved, Sofia. Sofia committed suicide, but Bo believes he left her stuck in the past during a time travel trip. Full of grief, Bo goes deeper into his delusions and believes he can save her. But attempting to do so may destroy him." Full review at Fresh Fiction: http://freshfiction.com/review.php?id=60053

Bond continues wire walker Jules story (GIRL ON A WIRE) in this first of 4 comics that take Jules and the circus team to Paris.
After loving both GIRL ON A WIRE and GIRL IN THE SHADOWS, it was amazing to see the characters in comic form. The designs are fantastic. I especially love the spooky panels when the big mystery is set up towards the end.
I did 4 stars instead of 5 because some of the facial expressions were drawn a little strangely and almost look like wax at times, but that was definitely only for a few panels, not the majority.

Short and Sweet:

Excellent Southern representation + resilient protagonist + family feels rivaling those in Lilo & Stitch= 5 shining stars
To Elaborate…

When Amelia’s mother dies, Amelia is left alone in charge of her little sister and brother. The three of them aim to continue running their small, family gas station, but without a parent, the foster care people are sure to be at their door any second. Not to mention, Harley Blevins, runner of Standard Oil, is not above scheming to get their gas station if they won’t sell. Amelia devises a plan involving a homeless man pretending to be their father in order to take care of the family she has left.

LUCKY STRIKES has everything I could ask for in a Southern set MG/YA crossover novel. The author captures Great Depression era rural Virginia to perfection, from the rich landscape to the Southern sayings to the more nuanced resilience found in Southern people, especially women. The theme of overcoming obstacles is a guaranteed hit with many, but what is more moving is the emotional journey trying to get there. Bayard never shies away from the desperate situation Amelia and her family are in. They are hanging by a thread financially, without a parent, and cornered by a company much larger than theirs. Their story does not wrap up in a neat little bow with everything solved and happy, but the characters, particularly Amelia, grow in leaps and bounds. LUCKY STRIKES proves family can mean more than blood, and one geographical place can hold roots as deep as the trees’.

While romance is a much minor part of the story line, I enjoyed this one immensely. Amelia has a difficult time letting people in and believing they will stay, not to mention that running a gas station doesn’t leave much time for dating. I love the slow build up in this one, and the sweet moments the two have in the middle of all the chaos.

I can’t recommend this book enough, especially for readers looking for a book with top notch Southern rep. Amelia and her family will hold your heart as tightly as they cling to their gas station, and you’ll be lucky to have a tissue left by the end.

Originally posted at The Forest of Words and Pages: http://www.forestofwordsandpages.com/2016/07/review-lucky-strikes-louis-bayard/