I’m sorry to say that the book you are holding in your hands is extremely unpleasant. It tells an unhappy tale about three very unlucky children. Even though they are charming and clever, the Baudelaire siblings lead lives filled with misery and woe. From the very first page of this book when the children are at the beach and receive terrible news, continuing on through the entire story, disaster lurks at their heels. One might say they are magnets for misfortune.
In this short book alone, the three youngsters encounter a greedy and repulsive villain, itchy clothing, a disastrous fire, a plot to steal their fortune, and cold porridge for breakfast.
It is my sad duty to write down these unpleasant tales, but there is nothing stopping you from putting this book down at once and reading something happy, if you prefer that sort of thing.
With all due respect, Lemony Snicket
My Review
Lemony Snicket is one of the few authors, I think, who can do something like write a letter to the reader instead of paragraphs of back cover copy and it honestly works. His writing is playful and he breaks all kinds of conventions but in such a clever way that I never mind. I actually started reading this book years ago to my daughter when we’d read aloud together before she went to bed, but I think she loved the story so much she must have started reading it on her own since I wasn’t going fast enough in those few minutes before bed. Ha! That’s writing success right there.
Anyway, so I kind of knew the rest of the story because she and I had talked about it, but I’d never read the whole book on my own. And lately, to be honest, I’ve just needed the pick-me-up that cheeky middle grade books can be.
I liked this book a lot, but it’s really weird thinking back on my experience reading it. There are a lot of dark moments: the children are placed with a guardian who pretty much treats them like free labor. He’s controlling and creepy and obviously a villain.
The relationships between the children are so great. They each have really different personalities (Sunny is my favorite), and each add something special to the story.
I’m not sure if I’ll be able to read and review the whole series, because I’m terrible about finishing a series, and this one is 13 books! As it is, I still haven’t finished the last book in Snicket’s All the Wrong Questions series. But I definitely liked THE BAD BEGINNING enough to read more of this series.
Content Notes
Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.
Representation Major characters are white. The story is set in England.
Profanity/Crude Language Content None.
Romance/Sexual Content An adult tries to trick a child into marrying him. It’s clear the intention is financial.
Spiritual Content None.
Violent Content An adult threatens to kill or harm one or all of the children. One is placed in a cage.
Drug Content Several adults drink wine and behave badly.
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God always has a purpose. We always have a choice.
In this compelling Genesis Award finalist, fifteen-year-old Melissa Travis finds herself floundering into uncharted waters when she is exiled from her Christian high school. Dreading a month of “mom talks” over endless cups of tea, she accepts her missionary sister’s invitation to visit the remote Chiloé Islands of southern Chile. There she discovers a world utterly unlike the South Pacific paradise she imagined, where dire poverty dwells with enchanting beauty, and ancient customs conspire with modern corruption. While a pod of playful dolphins casts an irresistible spell, sinister evil simmers beneath the surface.
A suspicious drowning, a ghost ship, and a shaman’s chilling prediction of her death on the island force Melissa to question everything she believes. Amid the storm of human greed and natural disasters, a soulful young islander inspires her to make life-changing choices, while faith and friendship draw her to reckon with destiny.
My Review
I found it really easy to get lost in this story. The relationships between the characters felt real– especially between Melissa and her sister and Melissa and Nico. I liked that romance wasn’t the central theme of the book. There’s a bit of attraction between Melissa and Nico, but other events seem to keep them from exploring their feelings, like an earthquake and a possible crime operation threatening the people they love.
The book is set in 1990, so it’s historical fiction. Some of the phrases Melissa used seemed more dated than that, but maybe they were still being used in Maryland, where she’s from, in the 90s? I’m not sure, as I’m from Florida, so I am giving the benefit of the doubt there. They did make Melissa sound pretty sheltered as a person, which fit her character.
The setting is amazing. I felt like I could see the places described in each scene, and that added a lot to the story for me. I loved the adventure of the dolphins and the earthquake rescue and trying to uncover the truth about the ghost ship and possible nefarious activities it was masking. Melissa’s journey to deeper faith also really resonated with me. I loved the way some of her moments of awakening were described.
Note: I was a beta reader for this book several years ago, so my name is listed among the beta readers in the acknowledgments.
Content Notes
Recommended for Ages 12 up.
Representation Melissa and her family are white. Her close friends Nicolás and Marco are Chilean.
Profanity/Crude Language Content None.
Romance/Sexual Content None.
Spiritual Content The story is told from a Christian perspective and features a few scriptures and stories from the Bible. A local religious leader uses local beliefs and superstitions to cover up crimes or manipulate others.
Violent Content A man drowns to death. Melissa attends an open casket wake for him. A violent earthquake destroys the town where Melissa is staying and kills some of the people there.
Drug Content Brief mention of people getting drunk as part of a ritual. Melissa also got expelled from her school over an incident that involved injecting oranges with alcohol.
Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog. I received a free copy of DESTINY AT DOLPHIN BAY in exchange for my honest review.
A broken-down camper hidden deep in a national forest is the only home fifteen year-old Carey can remember. The trees keep guard over her threadbare existence, with the one bright spot being Carey’s younger sister, Jenessa, who depends on Carey for her very survival. All they have is each other, as their mentally ill mother comes and goes with greater frequency. Until that one fateful day their mother disappears for good, and two strangers arrive. Suddenly, the girls are taken from the woods and thrust into a bright and perplexing new world of high school, clothes and boys.
Now, Carey must face the truth of why her mother abducted her ten years ago, while haunted by a past that won’t let her go… a dark past that hides many a secret, including the reason Jenessa hasn’t spoken a word in over a year. Carey knows she must keep her sister close, and her secrets even closer, or risk watching her new life come crashing down.
My Review
In retrospect, reading this book was probably not the best idea for me. I didn’t realize what it was about when I started reading it. I purchased the e-book years ago and saw the blurb on the front cover by Jennifer Brown saying it was basically impossible to put down, so I started reading it.
She’s not wrong. I definitely found this super dark story impossible to put down. Carey’s protectiveness and love for her sister made her a huge hero to me. Plus she just never gives up. There’s a LOT of stuff in this book that’s really difficult to read, but the heart of the story is about recovering from trauma, having a second chance, discovering that you’re still worthy of love.
Those are the things that made this book unputdownable for me. I also loved the music and the way music was such a refuge and place of healing for Carey and her sister. Fans of WHAT UNBREAKABLE LOOKS LIKE by Kate McLaughlin may want to add this one to their reading lists.
Content Notes
Recommended for Ages 16 up.
Representation Major characters are all white. Carey’s sister, Jenessa, is diagnosed with selective mutism.
Profanity/Crude Language Content Extreme profanity used somewhat frequently.
Romance/Sexual Content– Trigger Warning for sexual abuse and rape of a child. Several references to and some brief descriptions of men molesting a girl at her mother’s direction (for payment to support her drug habit). One scene shows a man raping a girl and preparing to rape a girl.
In one scene, a girl places a boy’s hand on her. Another briefly shows a boy and girl having sex. One scene shows kissing between a boy and girl.
Spiritual Content None.
Violent Content– Trigger warning for physical abuse References to and descriptions of Carey and Jenessa’s mom physically abusing them. She states that their father also abused them.
In one scene, a man is killed with a gun.
Drug Content Graphic descriptions of Carey’s mom using crystal meth.
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I’ve been thinking about doing another of these check-in posts for a while, but it’s been difficult to find the time to put one together. It seems like most of my blog time lately has really just been maintenance, which makes me feel super guilty. Ugh. I want to do more, but it’s hard to fit everything in right now. At any rate, it’s been a while, so let’s catch up a bit, shall we?
If we were having coffee…
I might actually be drinking herbal tea. Historically I haven’t been a huge tea drinker– maybe a cup now and then in the winter or when I’m feeling ill. Lately, though, drinking herbal tea has been part of a calming ritual for me. I am hooked on Teavana’s Mandarin Mimosa or Peach Tranquility. I’m drinking Mandarin Mimosa right now.
When I’m feeling stressed or overwhelmed or I just need a few minutes to organize my thoughts, I make a cup of tea. Something about that simple act feels a bit like hitting a pause button. I get to do something for me, which every mom knows can be a challenge! So that’s been a huge help in terms of just creating some space in my head or in my day. Sometimes I’ll bring the tea in the car with me and drink it while I sit in the parking lot waiting for a curbside order.
If we were having coffee…
I’d ask you what you’ve been reading lately. For me, I feel like middle grade books have been saving my life. There’s something particularly poignant about books like GLITTER GETS EVERYWHERE and SIX FEET BELOW ZERO for me lately that feels like healing as I’m reading them. Books about wrestling with grief or about finding the humor in terrible situations. Those are really hitting hard for me right now, in a good way.
I’ve also been reading some hard books. I recently started reading THE MARROW THIEVES, which has been on my reading list awhile. I don’t know what I expected it to be about– I think I had mixed it up with another book maybe?? I was NOT prepared when I started reading it. The writing is amazing. I love the characters and the found family aspect. It’s just also really dark… like reminds me of THE ROAD by Cormac McCarthy… that kind of dark– desperate and post-apocalyptic.
I’ve also been reading a couple of faith books. One is kind of a memoir (??) of sorts about a non-profit ministry that helps gang members in Los Angeles called TATTOOS ON THE HEART. It’s so, so good. I think I’ve spent a lot of time over the last several years seeing people who identify with my faith behaving in ways that are so the opposite of what I believe that I’ve felt really lost as a Christian. Reading about someone who is living faith in a way that makes me feel like YES, this is what I believe. Yes, this is a person from whom I feel like I can learn. That’s been incredibly healing for me. The author has two other books that are quickly leaping to the top of my reading list.
If we were having coffee…
We’d probably talk about health and family. The people you know who’ve been sick or have recovered. The ones who haven’t. We’ve lost neighbors. We’ve lost family. By now I feel like most families have been touched by Covid. We’re doing the best we can to find the balance between social distancing and still maintaining the relationships that are important. We’ve got family who respect, understand, and support us, and family who don’t.
My oldest decided to homeschool this year. My youngest will be at home, too. I keep hearing other parents talking about making those choices for their families and saying versions of “there are no good choices this year. We’re only able to make the best of the bad ones.” And I wholeheartedly agree.
I keep wondering if every year will be like this. No one can say. No one knows. I know I need to make decisions for THIS year, decisions that I can sleep with at night. But knowing what the next few years would look like seems like it would at least help a bit. At least we’d know if there’s a break in the clouds coming soon. For now, I have lots of questions, an not nearly enough answers.
I know that I’m exhausted, and I bet you are, too. No matter what you believe about Covid, the vaccine, masks, whatever, our lives have been altered, and it hasn’t been easy. And there’s no promise that it will suddenly become easy.
If we were having coffee…
I’d ask you if you think Covid will start to emerge in fiction. Like, I’m seeing it a little bit already– I have a couple books on my reading list that reference it in the backstory of the book. But like, will we start seeing more books where Covid is just a part of life? Are authors all holding their breaths, hoping that Covid is temporary, or clinging to writing present-day stories that don’t include Covid because then books still remain a safe escape from real life?
Will it be like cell phones, where eventually all contemporary stories include them? Where there’s like, a line in the fictional sand: stories set before 2020 have no Covid. Stories set after that include it and show social distancing and reflect what’s happening.
It’s weird, right? Even typing all that out, I feel like these are weird questions. Thinking about my own writing, I’m not even sure. How would Covid impact the story ideas I have? Right now I can’t imagine telling those stories in a Covid world.
If we were having coffee…
I’d want to end on a positive note. I’d want to talk about things I’m looking forward to. Okay, so this first one is kind of a cheat… but the final book in one of my FAVORITE series comes out in the US in October. The series is called The Storm Keeper’s Island (that link is to my review of the first book in the series) and the final book is called THE STORM KEEPER’S BATTLE. I have been looking forward to this book since I read the last page of the second book in the series, THE LOST TIDE WARRIORS.
Earlier this year I noticed THE STORM KEEPER’S BATTLE had already come out in the UK. Y’all, I don’t do a ton of preorders, and I had never ordered a UK release before at all. But. I absolutely ordered this one, and so I’ve technically already read it. I haven’t posted my review, and I will probably reread the book before I do. That’s how much I love the series. So. Yeah. I’m looking forward to seeing other bloggers talking about it, and maybe hopefully my bookish friends will read it and want to talk about it, too.
So that’s my update.
Thanks for sticking around or stopping by. Sorry I haven’t been as present lately with lists and recommendations and responding to comments the way that I want to. My littlest will start doing some preschool time with my mom a couple mornings per week soon, so I’m hoping that opens up a little more time for me to post and share and write more.
If we were having coffee, what would you want to tell me?
Leave me a comment with something you’d tell me if we were having coffee today. It can be related to the topics I’ve mentioned or something totally different.
The Splendor isn’t just a glamorous hotel, it’s a magical experience that gives its guests the fantasy fulfillment of their dreams. But The Splendor didn’t make Juliette’s dreams come true. It ruined her life.
After a weeklong stay, Juliette’s sister, Clare, returns from the hotel changed. Her connection to Juliette―the special bond they once shared―has vanished. In a moment of hurt and frustration, Juliette steals their meager savings and visits The Splendor herself.
When she arrives, she’s taken in by the lush and sumptuous hotel. But as she delves more deeply into the mystery of the place, and how they make their illusions work, she grows more and more uneasy. The Splendor has a seedy underbelly, but every time she gets close to discovering something real, she seems to hit a wall.
Meanwhile, Juliette meets Henri, an illusionist who lives and works at the hotel. Henri’s job is to provide Juliette with the same Signature Experience he gives all the guests―one tailored fantasy that will make her stay unforgettable. As he gets to know her, he realizes that not only is he ill-equipped to make her dreams come true, he’s the cause of her heartache.
My Review
This is another book that I simply couldn’t stop reading. I stayed up way too late finishing it, and even though I’m super tired now, I have zero regrets. I had to know how it would end.
Both Juliette and Henri are the kinds of characters that hit me like an arrow to the heart. They’re vulnerable and smart and loving and wounded, desperate to help someone they love. I loved the tension between them, but also that the story didn’t push the romance to the forefront. Like, sometimes their connection or their feelings for each other would be on the brink of becoming obvious, and all of a sudden, some big hairy bad thing would happen. After, they processed what had happened rather than being like “wow, we almost died, how about that kiss?” So it felt really organic the way their relationship developed and didn’t overtake the story. I really liked that.
I also liked the pacing of the story. So much happens. THE SPLENDOR is one of those books where there’s a really strong rhythm, and so many of the chapters ended with that stakes leaping higher or some new danger emerging. I loved that! It’s one of the things that totally kept me reading.
The only thing I wasn’t totally in love with was that the opening chapter reads a bit like backstory. It’s kind of bringing us up to speed on Juliette’s relationship with her sister and the significance of the hotel to the two of them. I think it would have been cool to have that chapter feel more immediate, like the rest of the book, and have that information woven into the first few chapters, but I can see why the author chose to introduce the story that way. It worked, it just felt a lot different than the rest of the book.
Representation The story is set in a French or French-inspired city.
Profanity/Crude Language Content None.
Romance/Sexual Content Brief kissing between boy and girl.
Spiritual Content The hotel is built on top of springs that well up with magic. Hotel staff harness the magic and use it to create illusions and other magic.
Violent Content Situations of peril. Some instances of gaslighting. A girl is murdered.
Drug Content Juliette drinks a bubbly pink drink that changes how she feels. Most of the food and drink at the hotel is infused with a kind of magic that affects how people feel once they’ve consumed it.
Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support running this blog. I received a free copy of THE SPLENDOR in exchange for my honest review.
When Jenna Dallas and Adam Cole find Colleen O’Dell’s body floating off the shore of their coastal town, the community of Gardiners Bay is shaken. But even more shocking is the fact that her drowning was no accident.
Once Jenna’s best friend becomes a key suspect, Jenna starts to look for answers on her own. As she uncovers scandals inside Preston Prep School leading back to Rookwood reform school, she knows she needs Adam on her side.
As a student at Rookwood, Adam is used to getting judgmental looks, but now his friends are being investigated by the police. Adam will do whatever he can to keep them safe, even if that means trusting Jenna.
As lies unravel, the truth starts to blur. Only one thing is certain: somebody must take the fall.
My Review
This one had me on the edge of my seat.
I liked the complexity of the characters. There wasn’t really anyone who was all good or all bad. Everyone had layers and made choices for reasons that, even if I didn’t agree with them, I understood what they were thinking or what motivated them to do those things. Adam especially had a lot of conflicting feelings and guilt, and it was obvious that he wanted to be a good person but struggled to believe his past hadn’t already decided what kind of person he was.
There were a few frustrating moments where Jenna would do things that seemed naïve, but I think that fit her character. She wanted to believe the best in everyone, from her best friend whose explosive argument with the girl later found murdered put her in the center of the police investigation to her absent mom. So even though I was ready to shout at the book because I didn’t want her to do something, her choices made sense, and her optimism and compassion often led to things in the story being revealed. I liked that it had more of an impact than just potentially placing her in danger.
I think fans of ONE OF US IS LYING by Karen McManus or PRETTY LITTLE LIARS by Sara Shepard will love THIS IS WHY WE LIE.
Content Notes for This Is Why We Lie
Recommended for Ages 14 up.
Representation One minor character is gay.
Profanity/Crude Language Content Extreme profanity used frequently.
Romance/Sexual Content References to sex. Kissing between boy and girl. Two boys are caught coming out of the woods together after obviously having some kind of romantic contact.
Spiritual Content None.
Violent Content – Trigger warnings for drug overdose, domestic violence, and murder. Situations of peril. A girl’s body is found with bruises on her neck showing she was strangled. A boy dies by drowning after being drugged with Rohypnol. A girl is hit on the back of the head.
Drug Content Teens drink alcohol in several scenes. One character sells drugs to other teens.
Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support running this blog. I received a free copy of THIS IS WHY WE LIE in exchange for my honest review.
