Girls Burn Brighter, my first completed read of 2020, was equal parts devastating and horrifying. The story follows two Indian women, Poornima and Savitha, who form a friendship in the village of Indravalli. The narration alternates between their two stories as they both flee from horrifying situations and, independently from one another, end up in the United States.
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This was not an easy read. CW: rape, sexual exploitation, assault, human trafficking, etc. This book made me angry and created a sense of dread, but mostly it fostered helplessness since the harsh reality is that what happens to these women in the book is happening to women in the world.
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I don’t think I would have read this if it hadn’t been selected by my book club. However, I am glad I did because it was beautifully written and, let’s face it, there is nothing like a book about human trafficking to make you appreciate the life you have.

I finished listening to The Glass Ocean this evening. It wrapped up about a minute before I pulled into my garage, which never happens. Usually I have to sit in my car for several minutes finishing the chapter/book. I cannot be the only one who does that, right???
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This historical fiction novel had a bit of everything:
• multiple narrators,
• split storylines spanning a century,
• two overlapping love triangles,
• a maritime disaster,
• a bit of mystery,
• some secret intelligence agents,
• and more.
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The Glass Ocean was an enjoyable read, but I found myself left wanting more history and less romance. The sinking of the Lusitania (and WWI in general) is something I don’t know a lot about, and I was looking forward to learning while reading. That being said, this book had my attention and I couldn’t get through it fast enough.
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On a side note, I wonder how the writing process worked for this book since there were three authors collaborating.

Wilder Girls is a book that I will be thinking about for some time to come. It was graphic, but beautiful. Familiar, yet unlike anything I have ever read.
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The novel is set at the Raxter School for Girls, a boarding school under quarantine due to the Tox. The girls are left to fend for themselves and deal with the havoc wreaked by the Tox, which causes mutations in both the girls and the woods and animals surrounding them. Putting their hopes in the Navy and the CDC to find a cure, the girls deal with hunger and pain, as well as normal teenage drama.
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I truly enjoyed this novel. While I would say that this book ended satisfactorily, I am wondering if there is going to be a sequel to answer some of the questions with which I am left.