Lockdown, by Laurie R. King ~ 4.0 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Child Abuse, Diversity, Dysfunctional Families, Gang Violence, Mystery, School Shootings, Suspense

Thanks to NetGalley and Bantam for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: Available Now

336 Pages

Synopsis: Career Day at Guadalupe Middle School: a day given to innocent hopes and youthful dreams. A day no one in attendance will ever forget.

A year ago, Principal Linda McDonald arrived at Guadalupe determined to overturn the school’s reputation for truancy, gang violence, and neglect. One of her initiatives is Career Day–bringing together children, teachers, and community presenters in a celebration of the future. But there are some in attendance who reject McDonald’s bright vision. 

A principal with a secret. A husband with a murky past. A cop with too many questions. A kid under pressure to prove himself. A girl struggling to escape a mother’s history. A young basketball player with an affection for guns.

Even the school janitor has a story he dare not reveal.

But no one at the gathering anticipates the shocking turn of events that will transform a day of possibilities into an explosive confrontation.

Laurie R. King is best known for her Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes series, of which I’m a devoted fan. She’s also written the contemporary mystery Kate Martinelli series, which I haven’t tried yet, but after reading Lockdown, I definitely will be. I thought going into this, that it would be a thriller about a school shooting, and I was eagerly anticipating how the author would handle this topic. While it started off a little slow and a bit chaotic, in the end I was completely captivated by the character-driven story. It took me a little while though to get used to the way the story unfolds. It’s told from several different viewpoints including: the Principal’s, her husband, a police officer, and a few students. It also jumps between different time periods and adds in the mysterious disappearance of a young student, and because of these things I felt as though I was getting whiplash at first. But the characters are so well written, that within the first fifty pages I settled in and couldn’t tear myself away. Their lives and backstories are integral to what unfolds on Career Day, and they add to the slow- building suspense. Because each of them has something going on that could result in the violent act that happens at this small California town’s middle school, I really had no idea who the shooter was going to be. When the story arrives at its climax, what happens makes sense and leads to a satisfying conclusion. Overall I found Lockdown to be a creative standalone from Laurie R. King that solidifies her respected reputation. I highly recommend it to fans of hers, as well as readers who enjoy a good character-driven mystery.

Ultimatum ~ By K.M. Walton – 5.0 Stars

Tags

Addiction, Dysfunctional Families, Sibling Relationships, YA Fiction

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: March 7th, 2017

320 Pages

Synopsis: Oscar is misunderstood. Ever since his mother died, he’s been disrespected and bullied by his family, and he seeks refuge in his art. Vance is a popular athlete and wishes his brother would just loosen up and be cool. It was hard enough to deal with their mother’s death without Oscar getting all emotional. Vance just wants to throw himself into partying, to live.

But when their father’s alcoholism sends him into liver failure, the two boys must come face-to-face with their demons–and each other–if they are going to survive an uncertain future.

Ultimatum is a heartbreaking, thought-provoking look at a family torn apart by alcoholism and drug addiction. As the story opens, Oscar and Vance having already lost their mother in a car accident, are keeping watch in a hospice, over their father as he lays dying from kidney failure. Vance, the popular, extroverted lacrosse player, and Oscar, the sensitive, artistic introvert, despise each other. Oscar thinks Vance and his father have never tried to understand him or make him feel part of the family. Vance, views his younger brother as someone who would rather hole up in his room and mope, rather than enjoy life. The chapters alternate between the brothers as well as the the past and present which allows the reader to see how things developed to this point. I have to admit I thoroughly despised Vance at first. He seems to definitely take after his father in terms of arrogance, selfishness, and misogyny. He also shares his father’s addiction problems. He shows complete contempt for just about everyone, but saves the worst of his attitude toward Oscar. I honestly wanted to smack him at times. Oscar broke my heart with his grief and isolation from his brother and father. An artist and classical music fan, it seems in the beginning that there is no way for the two brothers to bridge the chasm that their family circumstances has made between them. But this story and Oscar and Vance have many layers. The amount of growth in their development is amazing. In the end Ultimatum is a journey of two brothers who each deal with their grief in different ways. It’s full of sadness, anger, and helplessness, yet ends on a note of hope. It’s a story that will stay with you long after you’ve finished, and it’s one that I highly recommend for teens and adult fans of YA fiction. 

Ill Will ~ By Dan Chaon – 2.0 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Childhood Sexual Abuse, Drug addiction, Dysfunctional Families, Mental Illness, Mystery, Satanic Ritual Abuse, Serial Killers, Suspense

Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: March 7th, 2017

480 Pages

Synopsis: “We are always telling a story to ourselves, about ourselves,” Dustin Tillman likes to say. It’s one of the little mantras he shares with his patients, and it’s meant to be reassuring. But what if it’s a lie?

A psychologist in suburban Cleveland, Dustin is drifting through his forties when he hears the news: His adopted brother, Rusty, is being released from prison. Thirty years ago, Rusty received a life sentence for the massacre of Dustin’s parents, aunt, and uncle. The trial came to symbolize the 1980s hysteria over Satanic cults; despite the lack of physical evidence, the jury believed the outlandish accusations Dustin and his cousin made against Rusty. Now, after DNA analysis has overturned the conviction, Dustin braces for a reckoning.

Meanwhile, one of Dustin’s patients gets him deeply engaged in a string of drowning deaths involving drunk college boys. At first Dustin dismisses talk of a serial killer as paranoid thinking, but as he gets wrapped up in their amateur investigation, Dustin starts to believe that there’s more to the deaths than coincidence. Soon he becomes obsessed, crossing all professional boundaries–and putting his own family in harm’s way.

Ill Will is the first book I’ve read by bestselling author and National Book Award winner Dan Chaon, and I was so excited when I was approved for this on NetGalley, but after finishing it last night, I’m left with a feeling of overwhelming frustration. While there were some parts that were complete and total genius, there are just too many issues I had with this and the bad wound up outweighing the good. I’m trying to think where to even begin. The story’s timeline alternates between the early 1980s and 2012-2014. The past focuses on Dustin Tillman, his adopted brother Rusty, and his two cousins Katy and Wave. The central mystery is who massacred Dustin’s parents and aunt and uncle. It’s set against the 80s hysteria around satanic cults and repressed memories. This mystery was definitely my favorite part of the book. The author definitely did his research into the horrible witch hunts that destroyed so many lives. Dustin and Rusty’s relationship is complicated, and even though Rusty turns out to be innocent of the murders, as an adult, he himself admits to doing some pretty horrible things to Dustin. Because of this I didn’t feel as much sympathy for him as I ordinarily would have for an innocent person being railroaded by the legal system. Dustin as a child is an extremely complex character and enigmatic one. I felt so sorry for him, but as the story of his childhood unfolds it becomes apparent that there’s something not quite right about him. Whether this is related to his and Rusty’s relationship, or the murders, or something more sinister, is the big question. As an adult, he seems to have put everything behind him. He’s a successful psychologist, with a wonderful wife and two teenage sons. But when one of his patients who’s an ex-cop brings to his attention a series of mysterious drownings of young men, he immediately partners up with him in this crazy investigation that completely crosses the boundaries of professional patient/doctor relationships. Honestly, the whole thing made absolutely no sense to me whatsoever. Adding to my confusion was Chaon’s writing style. There are sentences left uncompleted, chapters that are nothing but columns which was so bizarre, I wound up skimming the majority of them, and the choppy transition between the past and the present, as well as the different viewpoints of multiple characters. I was hoping at least the ending would answer my questions, but it didn’t. The identity of the serial killer was revealed, although I had already guessed who it was, but there were numerous plot holes that were never filled, and I was left unsure as to who really murdered Dustin’s family. Overall, this was just a convoluted mess from start to finish, and I confess I’m really annoyed because it could have been a fantastic mystery/suspense novel. However, it’s gotten some rave reviews on Goodreads, as well as from critics at the Washington Post, Chicago Tribune and Entertainment Weekly,  which has left me second guessing myself and wondering what did I miss. 

Dreadnought (Nemesis #1) ~ By April Daniels – 4.0 Stars

Tags

Abuse, Diversity, Dysfunctional Families, LGBT, Prejudice, Urban Fantasy, YA Fiction

Thanks to NetGalley and Diversion Publishing for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: January 24th, 2017

276 Pages

Synopsis: Danny Tozer has a problem: she just inherited the powers of the world’s greatest superhero. Until Dreadnought fell out of the sky and died right in front of her, she was trying to keep people from finding out she’s transgender. But then her second-hand superpowers transformed her body into what she’s always thought it should be. Now there’s no hiding she’s a girl.

It should be the happiest time of her life,  but between her father’s dangerous obsession with curing her girlhood, her best friend suddenly acting like he’s entitled to date her, and the classmate who is secretly a masked vigilante, Danny’s first weeks living in a body that fits her are more difficult and complicated than she could have imagined. 

She doesn’t have much time to adjust. Dreadnought’s murderer, a cyborg named Utopia, still haunts the streets of New Port City. If Danny can’t sort through the confusion of coming out, master her powers, and stop Utopia in time, humanity faces extinction.

I’m going to be upfront and say that while Dreadnought isn’t a perfect book, it’s an important one, especially given world events right now. As the story begins, 15-year-old Daniel is hiding the fact that she’s transgender from everyone. The problem is that this secret life is getting to her so much that she’s resorted to painting her toenails in an alley behind a store just so she can feel somewhat normal. And this is when the superhero known as Dreadnought falls out of the sky and as he lays dying, passes on his powers to her. What’s completely unexpected is in addition to the usual talents like super strength and flying, Danny has now physically become what she’s dreamed about her entire life–a girl. Yep! That’s right. Say hello to Danielle! The best part of this book is how Danny copes with not only her newfound powers, and bringing down the sinister Utopia, but also with literally having her dream come true, only to have it turn more into a nightmare. To say that Danny’s parents are less than thrilled at having a daughter instead of a son is a bit of an understatement. Danny’s father is particularly horrible and verbally abusive. But then he was even before Danny transitioned. Her mother is more an enabler than abusive, but they’re both extremely unlikable and one-dimensional. I have to give Danny a lot of credit because she stands up for herself and gives them multiple chances to come to terms with her being transgender. More than they deserve actually. Sadly, they’re not the only ones she faces prejudice from. One of the adult superheroes who’s supposed to be a mentor is also a self-righteous, bigoted piece of garbage. Ahem. Sorry. Obviously there were characters in this story that ticked me off. Anyway, I never felt like I really got to know the other superheroes and I wish they had been fleshed out more. Danny does wind up with a partner, a classmate who has her own secret identity and goes by the moniker of Calamity. I loved her because not only does she accept Danny, but she’s stubborn and loyal, and their relationship is the second best thing about the book. Calamity has her own issues, being Latina and having faced bigots of her own, she distrusts superheroes and law enforcement of any kind. By the end of the book it’s obvious that these two are meant to be together. Whether it’s as friends or something more will have to be determined in subsequent books. The world-building could definitely be improved upon. There’s quite a few info-dumps, and for the most part there’s more telling rather than showing. The pacing was a little uneven as well. The beginning started off with a bang, and then it slowed down midway through while Danny dealt with her parents and tried to decide if she even wants to accept the mantle of Dreadnought. The villain, Utopia, never even really comes into play until the latter part of the book. That said, there’s a neat little twist regarding her character and someone new in Danny’s life who she trusts, so that was enjoyable surprise. Overall, Dreadnought has some flaws, but it’s obvious that April Daniels is a talented writer, so I think these can easily be overcome in the second book. The main reason why I gave this 4 stars though is because of Danny. It’s her voice that rings loud and clear throughout the entire narrative. Yes at times she’s scared and unsure, but her determination to not let her fear control her is what makes her such an inspiring character. While the world-building and some of the secondary characters need some tweaking, the fact the MC is a trans-lesbian teen who comes out on top despite abuse and intolerance from people around her, makes this a worthwhile read for both older teens as well as adults. I will definitely be scooping up the sequel as soon as it’s released.

Until I Break ~ By Kara Bietz – 4.0 Stars

Tags

Bullying, Dysfunctional Families, Friendship, Gun Violence, Mental Illness, YA Fiction

Thanks to NetGalley and Albert Whitman & Company for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

256 Pages

Synopsis: Two boys: One is a star athlete and top student with a deep-seated need to prove himself. The other is a chip-on-his-shoulder quarterback who will never settle for second best. When gunshots echo through the halls of Broadmeadow High School, whose finger is on the trigger? A year before the shooting, Sam North has a bright future as well as a problem that no one seems to see, Ace Quinn, his neighbor and teammate. For years, Ace has been bullying and harassing Sam, yet he’s managed to deftly conceal his actions and threats from the rest of the world. As Ace’s secret rage intensifies, Sam becomes more desperate to stop him. But how far will he go? And what if Ace takes his threats even further?

Until I Break is a timely and unsettling book about a completely normal and nice kid, Sam, whose psyche, after years of what amounts to psychological torture at the hands of Ace, finally starts to disintegrate during their senior year, from the unimaginable stress. The story is told in alternating timelines from the present to back to the beginning of the school year. Although it’s not difficult to ascertain what’s going to happen, going back and looking at the events that lead up to the violent outcome, was a brilliant plot device by the author because it’s both incredibly intense but also insightful. I could literally feel Sam’s building anxiety and agony and seeing him unravel after years of psychological abuse at the hands of Ace was just heartbreaking. Sam’s not a loner. He has family. He has friends. He’s an athlete and is well liked, but no one seems to understand what Ace is doing to him, not even his best friend who thinks he just over reacts to Ace. Sam is already vulnerable because of the death of his father and his mother’s struggle with depression. Stepping in as a father figure, is his grandfather who loves him but bonds over football and taking Sam to the shooting range. He has the whole “Men stand on their own two feet!” mentality and doesn’t see what’s happening right under his nose. I have to say I grew quite frustrated at times during the book because no one noticed that Sam was deteriorating both mentally and physically. I think that perhaps the author put so much time and effort into making Sam a sympathetic and relatable character, that she skimped a little on others, especially the adults in his life. The story also features a somewhat twisted love triangle between Sam, Marnie and Ace. I’m just going to say flat out I absolutely DESPISED Marnie. She’s a shallow little flirt who delights in playing Sam and Ace against each other. Honestly, there’s not a single nice thing I can say about her except that she was supportive of Sam when his dad died. Beyond that, she’s an absolute horror show and I honestly couldn’t understand why Sam loves her so much. Ace is pretty much your stereotypical bully: an overachiever who never lives up to the expectations of his demanding father. I ordinarily would have a certain amount of sympathy for someone like Ace, but what he does to Sam is so heartless and cruel, well, I couldn’t summon up one iota of pity for him. I’m not a trained psychologist but if I had to guess, I’d say that at the very least, Ace has sociopathic tendencies. The way that he charms everyone while at the same time secretly torments Sam is truly frightening. The ending gives both Sam and the reader a sense of hope. With the help of a therapist/advocate, he’s given a second chance at turning his life around, which is as it should be. Although Until I Break has quite a few flaws, there are two reasons why I’m giving it a high rating. The first being Sam, who it’s obvious that the author poured her heart and soul into creating. Because of his situation and his wanting to please the people in his life, I think teens will completely relate to and become emotionally invested in him. I know other reviewers have criticized that his not reaching out more to adults isn’t believable, but I respectfully disagree. Growing up with an abusive mother, as well as being bullied in school at one point, I know all too well that feeling of being alone and trapped and not knowing who to trust—who to reach out to. And I think sadly, too many kids will get this also. The second reason I’m giving this 4 stars is because of the important messages this book imparts. Bullying doesn’t have to take on physical form to do the most damage. Those inner wounds left by verbal and psychological abuse can be even more damaging and lasting. Worse yet, someone can be surrounded by friends and family but still feel lost, afraid and alone. One very important part of friendship is listening to and looking out for one another, and I think even as adults we sometimes lose sight of this. I would definitely recommend this book for classroom reading and teen book discussion groups. It’s not an easy read, but I think it’s one that has merits in being shared. 

 

The Secret Life Of Souls ~ By Jack Ketchum & Lucky McKee – 5.0 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Dark Suspense, Dogs, Dysfunctional Families

Thanks to NetGalley and Pegasus Books for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

240 Pages

Synopsis: At the heart of this psychological suspense novel is the haunting depiction of a family’s fall and the extraordinary gifted dog, Caity, who knows the truth. As the drama unfolds Caity evolves fro protector to savior, from scapegoat to prop, and eventually, from avenger to survivor. She is an unselfish soul in a selfish world–and she is written with depth and grace by authors Ketchum and McKee, who display a profound understanding of a dog’s complex emotions. With her telling instincts and her capacity for joy and transformative love, Caity joins the pantheon of great dogs in contemporary literature.

Eleven-year-old actress Delia Cross is beautiful, talented and charismatic. A true star in the making. Her days are a blur of hard work on set, auditions and tutors. Her family–driven, pill-popping Pat, wastrel dad Bart, and introverted twin brother Robbie–depends on her for their upscale lifestyle. Delia in turn depends on Caity, her beloved ginger Queensland Heeler–and her loyal friend–for the calming private space they share. Delia is on the verge of a professional breakthrough. But just as the contracts are about to be signed, there is a freak accident that puts Delia in the danger zone with only Caity to protect her.

I make it a point to try to stay away from books featuring animals as primary characters, because they seldom end well, which results in me crying my eyes out, which in turn leads to migraines, and in the end it’s just not worth it for me. There was something about this that called to me. Maybe it was the beautiful cover. Or perhaps it was Stephen King’s blessing of it. Whatever it was I read it in two hours, and while yes, it made me cry and I got a migraine, this was so beautifully told it was completely worth it. Those of you who are familiar with Ketchum’s writing, know he’s a great writer of horror, but while The Secret Life of Souls contains some truly dark character and scenes, it’s completely different from his previous books. The story starts positively enough, with young Delia pretty much having the world at her feet, but things go downhill very quickly once her accident happens and her parents really show their true colors. A word of warning for animal lovers: there are some difficult scenes involving Caity and while I’m not going to give out any spoilers, things work out in the end. While all the characters are well written, the star is Caity. She even gets her own chapters where the reader is treated to her perspective towards what’s happening. Since I’m a dog person, I really appreciated these moments. I have to be honest and say that some of the events that take place in the second half of the book, particularly in regards to Delia’s parents, are a little over-the-top, but once again, this book is all about the beautiful, wonderful Caity, so I’m not even marking this down in terms of my rating. The Secret Life Of Souls is a story that will make you smile, and rage, and cry. It’s  also an incredibly inspirational story about the true power of love. If you’re a dog lover, this is a book you really shouldn’t miss. And if you’re not, I recommend it anyway and guarantee you’ll be one by the time you finish the epilogue!

 

The Girls In The Garden ~ By Lisa Jewell – 4.0 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Dysfunctional Families, Mental Illness, Mystery, Psychological Suspense

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis: Imagine that you live on a picturesque communal garden square, an oasis in urban London where your children run free, in and out of people’s houses. You’ve known your neighbors for years and you trust them. Implicitly. You think your children are safe. But are they really?

On a midsummer night, as a festive neighborhood party is taking place, preteen Pip discovers her thirteen-year-old sister Grace lying unconscious and bloody in a hidden corner of a lush rose garden. What really happened to her? And who is responsible?

Dark secrets, a devastating mystery, and the games both children and adults play all swirl together in this gripping novel, packed with utterly believable characters and page-turning suspense.

The Girls In The Garden is one of those books whose pace might be a little slow, yet is no less mesmerizing. The setting of this communal-like neighborhood is beautifully and somewhat chillingly detailed. From the moment I read the synopsis I was fascinated by the idea of this little community in the center of busy London. It harkens back to a more innocent time when parents could let their children outside to play without feeling the need to constantly supervise them. But as it is so often in life, all is not as it seems, and it quickly becomes obvious that something sinister has invaded this little garden of Eden, and disturbed it’s idyllic nature. There are actually two mysteries in play here. The current day one pertaining to young Grace and who assaulted her, and an earlier mystery involving the death of a young girl which was never solved to everyone’s satisfaction. The story is told from the multiple viewpoints of the adults and the children involved. I think Lisa Jewell was brilliant in choosing this format because it made everything so much more personal. Especially the chapters that are related by the kids. After reading the first couple of them, I was reminded a little of The Lord of the Flies. These are kids that despite being surrounded by adults, receive very little supervision. None of them are “bad”. They’re all products of dysfunctional families, and they deal with their issues as best as they can. They’re so richly drawn, that when I finished the book I felt as though I had actually met them. My favorite though was Pip, the younger sister of Grace. First there’s her beautiful letters to her schizophrenic dad who’s been institutionalized after burning down the family home. Her love for him just pours off the pages and there were so many times I wanted to reach in and give her a hug. While only twelve-years-old, she also possesses a wisdom far beyond her years, and she recognizes the growing menace before anyone else, including the adults. This brings me to the one criticism I have. While the children literally kept off the pages, the adults, at least for me, did not. I really didn’t care for any of them, especially Leo who while being attractive to practically every woman he meets, just gave me the creeps. To be perfectly frank, except for Rhea, the kind elderly neighbor who befriends young Pip, they all gave off an air of immaturity and self-involvement, which made it difficult for me to connect to any of them. Despite this, I remained captivated right up until the very end. Lisa Jewell’s writing is so lush and descriptive, that you really can’t help but be pulled into the story. The Girls in the Garden is the first book I’ve read by her, but it’s made me want to go back and read some of her previous novels. If you like character-driven stories and psychological suspense, I highly recommend this.

Golden Boys ~ By Sonya Hartnett – 4.5 Stars

Tags

Alcoholism, Child Abuse, Coming of Age Stories, Dysfunctional Families, YA Fiction

Thank you NetGalley and Candlewick Press for providing an e-Arc in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis: With their father there’s always a catch…

Colt Jenson and his younger brother Bastian, have moved to a new, working-class suburb. The Jensens are different. Their father, Rex, showers them with gifts–toys, bikes, all that glitters most–and makes them the envy of the neighborhood.

To Freya Kiley and the other local kids, the Jensens are a family out of a movie, and Rex a hero–successful, attentive, attractive, always there to lend a hand. But to Colt he’s an impossible figure in a different way: unbearable, suffocating. Has Colt got Rex wrong, or has he seen something in his father that will destroy their fragile new lives?

Golden Boys is a tale of two very dysfunctional families, seen through the eyes of their children. The story takes place in Australia during the late 1970s or early 1980s. This isn’t a book that is action packed from beginning to end. Yet while the pacing is slow, especially in the beginning, that doesn’t make the narrative any less compelling. Seeing the events that unfold from the perspective of the children, makes an already disquieting story deeply personal. Sonya Hartnett deftly captures that childlike innocence we all had at some point. I think the strongest passages are from Freya and Colt who are the oldest, and are both put in the unspeakable position of staying quiet about their fathers’ actions or revealing secrets long kept hidden. Nothing that happens is too graphically told, which in a way makes it even more menacing. It’s also a reminder that sometimes monsters need not be supernatural in nature, and that they can hide behind the most ordinary and benign of facades. None of the adults walk away from this smelling like roses. Both fathers are despicable and vile, and the mothers are your stereotypical enablers. This might have been a problem but in the end it’s not because the children are so brilliantly written, and after all, in the end this is their story. The only reason why I haven’t given this 5 stars is because I hated the ending. I thought it was much too abrupt and it left me a bit frustrated. Overall though I found Golden Boys to be a hauntingly beautiful and evocative novel and I think it would be a perfect pick for a teen or adult book discussion group. It’s an unsettling story that will linger in your mind long after you’ve finished.

 

The End of Fun ~ By Sean McGinty – 2.0 Stars

Tags

Dysfunctional Families, Mystery, Science Fiction, Suicide, YA Fiction

 

Thank you NetGalley and Disney-Hyperion for providing an e-Arc in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: April 5th, 2016

Synopsis: FUN®–the latest in augmented reality–is fun but but it’s also frustrating, glitchy and dangerously addictive. Just when everyone else is getting on, seventeen-year-old Aaron O’Faolain wants off.

But first, he has to complete his Application for Termination, and in order to do that he has to deal with his History–not to mention the present, including his grandfather’s suicide and a series of clues that may (or may not) lead to buried treasure. As he attempts to to unravel the mystery, Aaron is sidetracked again…and again. Shadowed by his virtual “best friend” Homie,  Aaron struggles with love, loss, dog bites, werewolf pills, community theater, wild horses, wildfires, and the fact (deep breath) that actual reality can sometimes surprise you.

Despite it’s intriguing premise of virtual reality insidiously taking over the world, combined with a coming-of-age story, ultimately I was disappointed by The End of Fun.

There are two big problems here. The first is the world-building. You’re just thrown in with no real explanation of what’s going on. I was able to surmise that the story takes place in the not too distant future, but there isn’t any real information given about what led up to the creation of this rather sinister virtual reality. Adding to the confusion is FUN® itself. By the end of the book I still wasn’t sure of of what exactly it was, and it’s never explained who is behind it and what their endgame is. The second problem is the main character Aaron. He’s supposed to be seventeen, but he acts more like a thirteen-year-old. He’s inclined to act on his impulses rather than thinking things through, and he’s so self-involved that it borders on narcissism. There are some decent passages that go back in time through Aaron’s memories and reflect on his childhood and his relationship with his grandfather but they’re not enough to deflect from the other deficiencies and inconsistencies that are so prevalent in the rest of the book. 

The End of Fun tries to be too many things: a coming-of-age story, a cautionary tale of reality vs virtual reality, a mystery, an exploration of dysfunctional families and even some environmentalism involving the extinction of birds due to the technology that’s been created. The latter is brought up but then goes absolutely nowhere. All of these themes stand completely separate from one another and never join into one cohesive thread, and it made it extremely difficult to finish the book. There might be some teens that will enjoy the virtual reality aspect of this, but honestly there are other books out there such as Ready Player One, by Ernest Cline that are more well written. 

 

The Secrets of Lizzie Borden ~ By Brandy Purdy- 5.0 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Dysfunctional Families, Historical Fiction, LGBT Relationships, Murder Mystery

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington for providing me with an e-Arc in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: January 26th, 2015

Synopsis: Lizzie Borden should be one of the most fortunate young women in Fall River, Massachusetts. Her wealthy father could easily afford to provide his daughters with fashionable clothes, travel, and a rich, cultured life. Instead, haunted by the ghost of childhood poverty, he forces Lizzie and her sister, Emma, to live frugally, denying them the simplest modern conveniences. Suitors and socializing are discouraged, as her father views all gentlemen callers as fortune hunters. Lonely and deeply unhappy, Lizzie stifles her frustration, dreaming of the freedom that will come with her eventual inheritance. But soon, even that chance of future independence seems about to be ripped away. And on a stifling August day in 1892, Lizzie’s long-simmering anger finally explodes.

I don’t know why, but no matter how many books I read about the infamous Lizzie Borden, I can’t quite get Christina Ricci’s portrayal out of my head, despite the fact that Lizzie really looked like this:

This was especially true with Brandy Purdy’s fictional portrait of her because in addition to delving into the events that led up to that fateful day as well as the aftermath, The Secrets of Lizzie Borden is also dripping in sensuality and eroticism, as Lizzie enters relationship after relationship, desperately looking for love, only to have all of them end in disaster. 

The book also brings up the question of nature vs nurture. Would Lizzie have turned out the way she had if her mother hadn’t died and Andrew Borden wasn’t a cold, disengaged father who at the very least, psychologically abused his daughters. Naturally the fact that he was rich, yet forced his family to live like paupers didn’t help. Most surprising to me in this novel were the author’s portrayals of the girls stepmother Abby, and Lizzie’s sister Emma. I’ve read a few books about the Borden family over the years and Abby always came across as being selfishly uncaring towards her two stepdaughters. In this book Abby becomes part of the Borden household when Lizzie is five and Emma fifteen. She does her best to reach out to both girls but is instantly and repeatedly rebuffed by Emma. The love- starved little Lizzie bonds with Abby who encourages her to embrace herself, but under Emma’s never-ending pressure, Lizzie eventually rebuffs Abby’s maternal overtures. Emma has always seemed to me to be a kind of austere woman, with deep religious beliefs. Here she’s portrayed as being judgemental and cruel, oftentimes physically abusing Lizzie when they were young. 

I’m not going to go into everything that leads up to the murders of Andrew and Abigail Borden, but let me just say that depicted as they are it is no wonder why Lizzie snapped that fateful day. It’s a perfect storm which basically leads to Lizzie having a psychotic break. After the subsequent trial and acquittal, Lizzie thinks she now has the two things she’s always wanted, money and independence. Yet despite this she dies alone and friendless.

What makes The Secrets of Lizzie Borden so different from other books I’ve read is that it’s told entirely from her viewpoint which makes it so much more personal. I felt as though I was reading her diary at times. The story is mesmerizing and insightful, and the characters are so compelling, I had a difficult time tearing myself away to deal with real life. I highly recommend this to anyone who has a fascination with the Borden family and the infamous murders, and even those who may not be familiar with the story. It’s a raw, gut-wrenching look at a woman who should have had everything, yet is ultimately torn apart by her inner demons.