It’s time for my first half of March book review post! I am sharing what I read in March so far, although I am skipping a few 5 star reads to share later in the month. The Amazon links to the books I’ve read are affiliate links and if you use them and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission. If you’ve read any of these books or are interested in them, I’d love to hear about it in the comments!
Title: The House of Eve
Author: Sadeqa Johnson
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: Simon & Schuster, 2/7/23
Source: TLC Book Tours
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 4 Stars
I just read Yellow Wife last month and was excited to add the author’s new release to my reading as well. This book tells the story of two women in the 1950s – Ruby, who is in high school on the track towards college when she gets involved with a white, Jewish boy, and Eleanor, who is in college and falls for William, who is from a wealthy Black family. The two relationships bring classism and colorism into the story.
“1950s Philadelphia: fifteen-year-old Ruby Pearsall is on track to becoming the first in her family to attend college, in spite of having a mother more interested in keeping a man than raising a daughter. But a taboo love affair threatens to pull her back down into the poverty and desperation that has been passed on to her like a birthright. Eleanor Quarles arrives in Washington, DC, with ambition and secrets. When she meets the handsome William Pride at Howard University, they fall madly in love. But William hails from one of DC’s elite wealthy Black families, and his parents don’t let just anyone into their fold. Eleanor hopes that a baby will make her finally feel at home in William’s family and grant her the life she’s been searching for. But having a baby—and fitting in—is easier said than done. With their stories colliding in the most unexpected of ways, Ruby and Eleanor will both make decisions that shape the trajectory of their lives.”
The parallel, character driven stories about Ruby and Eleanor lead towards their connection as the book goes on. You really get to know and care about the characters throughout. You also see how Black women were treated at the time. Some of the story brings to mind Looking For Jane, which I also read last month. I really liked the ending of this one.
Title: Chaos Theory
Author: Nic Stone
Genre: YA Contemporary
Publisher: Crown Books For Young Readers, 2/28/23
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 4 Stars
This was a book about two young people who support each other through their individual struggles with mental health. Shelbi has bipolar disorder while Andy deals with alcoholism.
“Scars exist to remind us of what we’ve survived.
DETACHED
Since Shelbi enrolled at Windward Academy as a senior and won’t be there very long, she hasn’t bothered making friends. What her classmates don’t know about her can’t be used to hurt her—you know, like it did at her last school.
WASTED
Andy Criddle is not okay. At all.
He’s had far too much to drink.
Again. Which is bad.
And things are about to get worse.
When Shelbi sees Andy at his lowest, she can relate. So she doesn’t resist reaching out. And there’s no doubt their connection has them both seeing stars . . . but the closer they get, the more the past threatens to pull their universes apart.”
The book is short with some pages that are mainly text messages, making for a quick read. The author’s note comes before the epilogue and she talks about how this book came out of frustration at the stigma surrounding mental illnesses. Mental health is just as important as physical health. Please note that this book also contains instances of self harm and mentions of the death of a child.
Title: What Have We Done
Author: Alex Finlay
Genre: Thriller
Publisher: Minotaur Books, 3/7/23
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 4 Stars
This book was different from Finlay’s previous books which were more family centered. What Have We Done is about former group home residents who are reunited when someone is trying to kill them.
“Twenty five years ago, Jenna, Donnie, and Nico were the best of friends, having forged a bond through the abuse and neglect they endured as residents of Savior House, a group home for parentless teens. When the home was shut down―after the disappearance of several kids―the three were split up. Though the trauma of their childhood has never left them, each went on to live accomplished―if troubled―lives. They haven’t seen one another since they were teens but now are reunited for a single haunting reason: someone is trying to kill them. To survive, the group will have to revisit the nightmares of their childhoods and confront their shared past―a past that holds the secret to why someone wants them dead. It’s a reunion none of them asked for . . . or wanted. But it may be the only way to save all their lives.”
This action packed book was a quick read that would lend itself well to a movie version. Jenna was probably my favorite character, though much suspension of disbelief was required to buy into her story!
Title: River Sing Me Home
Author: Eleanor Shearer
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: Berkley, 1/31/23
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 4 Stars
This was a moving story of Rachel, who as an enslaved person in Barbados is granted her freedom but is told she still has to work for another 6 years. Instead, she runs away and starts a journey to find her lost children. Her search takes her from Barbados to British Guiana and to Trinidad. Each of her children have a story which is told as Rachel discovers what happened to each of them.
“The master of the Providence plantation in Barbados gathers his slaves and announces the king has decreed an end to slavery. As of the following day, the Emancipation Act of 1834 will come into effect. The cries of joy fall silent when he announces that they are no longer his slaves; they are now his apprentices. No one can leave. They must work for him for another six years. Freedom is just another name for the life they have always lived. So Rachel runs. Away from Providence, she begins a desperate search to find her children—the five who survived birth and were sold. Are any of them still alive? Rachel has to know. The grueling, dangerous journey takes her from Barbados then, by river, deep into the forest of British Guiana and finally across the sea to Trinidad. She is driven on by the certainty that a mother cannot be truly free without knowing what has become of her children, even if the answer is more than she can bear. These are the stories of Mary Grace, Micah, Thomas Augustus, Cherry Jane and Mercy. But above all this is the story of Rachel and the extraordinary lengths to which a mother will go to find her children…and her freedom.”
I have been to Barbados and I never thought about the history of enslavement there, so I’m glad I was able to learn about it through this book.
Title: At Sea
Author: Emma Fedor
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Publisher: Gallery Books, 3/7/23
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 4.5 Stars (Rounded down to 4)
At Sea is the story of Cara, who moves to Martha’s Vineyard after college graduation. Her mother has passed away and she needs to figure out what to do next. She meets Brendan, who claims he can breathe underwater due to experimental surgery that he received from the armed forces. Brendan also occasionally disappears and has mood swings. Cara gets pregnant and thinks everything will be ok, but then Brendan and young Micah disappear. The story of the early relationship is interwoven with Cara’s present, 5 years later. She still holds out hope that her child is alive and will return.
“When Cara and Brendan first meet, she’s fresh out of college, recovering from the recent death of her mother, and spending time on Martha’s Vineyard while trying to figure out her next steps. She’s swept away by Brendan’s humor and charm, and intoxicated by his thrilling, dangerous secret: he can breathe underwater. Able to stay beneath the waves for longer than should be possible, Brendan reveals that he is part of a secret experimental unit of the US Special Forces. And Cara, struck by the power of his conviction, by his unstoppable charisma, and by the evidence before her, believes him. Their summer romance turns serious. Then Cara gets pregnant. When their son, Micah, is born, she’s sure their happy ending is underway. Still, she’s thrown by Brendan’s dramatic moods, his unexplained disappearances, and the weight of his secrets. Cara is determined to stay strong for her young family, to heal Brendan’s psychic wounds, to keep him safe. Until he and baby Micah vanish, leaving her desolate and alone and questioning everything she once thought was true. Five years later, Cara is still struggling to move forward, married to another man and trying to rebuild her life, when a local fisherman announces he’s spotted two people—one of them a small child—treading water in Nantucket Sound, far from any vessels and miles from shore. The news rekindles Cara’s never-abandoned hope that her little boy may still be alive. As she fights to untangle delusion from reality, and revisits a past she’s worked hard to reconcile, Cara is determined to learn the truth about her lost love and finally find her son.”
This book had me turning pages quickly and I was very into the story. It did include some uses of ableist language, including the R word, which I hope will be edited in the final version. The mental health representation was done well otherwise.
Title: The Gifted School
Author: Bruce Holsinger
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Publisher: Penguin Audio, 7/2/19
Source: Library Audio
Why I Read It: Waiting on my shelf
My Rating: 4 Stars
The Gifted School by Bruce Holsinger was not a BOTM pick for me, but it was one of my early shelf adds via Half Price Books. I listened to the audio narrated by January LaVoy, who did a wonderful job with a huge cast of characters. This book is about a group of parents who wish to get their children into a new school for gifted children. It takes a look at the kids’ actual talents versus the privilege held by the families.
“This deliciously sharp novel captures the relentless ambitions and fears that animate parents and their children in modern America, exploring the conflicts between achievement and potential, talent and privilege. Set in the fictional town of Crystal, Colorado, The Gifted School is a keenly entertaining novel that observes the drama within a community of friends and parents as good intentions and high ambitions collide in a pile-up with long-held secrets and lies. Seen through the lens of four families who’ve been a part of one another’s lives since their kids were born over a decade ago, the story reveals not only the lengths that some adults are willing to go to get ahead, but the effect on the group’s children, sibling relationships, marriages, and careers, as simmering resentments come to a boil and long-buried, explosive secrets surface and detonate. It’s a humorous, keenly observed, timely take on ambitious parents, willful kids, and the pursuit of prestige, no matter the cost.”
The main friend group consists for four families. Two of the families have daughters named Emma and their own parents call them Emma Q and Emma Z – or just Q and Z – which I thought was really funny! Overall I enjoyed this one!
Title: Maame
Author: Jessica George
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, 1/31/23
Source: Book of the Month
Why I Read It: Everyone loved it
My Rating: 4 Stars
Maddie is from a Ghanaian family living in the UK, where she takes care of her father, who is ill from Parkinson’s. Her mother has always referred to her as “Maame,” which means she is a grown up woman. But Maddie is quite naive and has never dated, so when her mother comes from Ghana, Maddie moves out and starts expanding her horizons.
“It’s fair to say that Maddie’s life in London is far from rewarding. With a mother who spends most of her time in Ghana (yet still somehow manages to be overbearing), Maddie is the primary caretaker for her father, who suffers from advanced stage Parkinson’s. At work, her boss is a nightmare and Maddie is tired of always being the only Black person in every meeting. When her mum returns from her latest trip to Ghana, Maddie leaps at the chance to get out of the family home and finally start living. A self-acknowledged late bloomer, she’s ready to experience some important ‘firsts’: She finds a flat share, says yes to after-work drinks, pushes for more recognition in her career, and throws herself into the bewildering world of internet dating. But it’s not long before tragedy strikes, forcing Maddie to face the true nature of her unconventional family, and the perils―and rewards―of putting her heart on the line.”
I thought it was interesting that when Maddie writes about her own story in the form of a novel, her main character is named Jess – the name of the author of this book. I imagine her story was a bit autobiographical. It was a little slow for me in parts but I enjoyed Maddie’s story. Some readers have pointed out that this book is biphobic when Maddie dates a bisexual man. It also includes the illness and death of a loved one.
Title: The Woman Beyond The Sea
Author: Sarit Yishai-Levi (translated by Gilah Kahn-Hoffman)
Genre: Historical, Literary Fiction
Publisher: Amazon Crossing, 3/21/23
Source: PR for Book
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 3.5 Stars (Rounded up to 4)
The Woman Beyond The Sea is by an Israeli author and translated from the Hebrew original. It is a literary book that follows three woman, beginning with Eliya, who is going through a difficult time after being left by her husband who seemed to be quite controlling. This segment of the book takes place in the 70s and from there jumps back to Lily’s story in the 40s.
“An immersive historical tale spanning the life stories of three women, The Woman Beyond the Sea traces the paths of a daughter, mother, and grandmother who lead entirely separate lives, until finally their stories and their hearts are joined together. Eliya thinks that she’s finally found true love and passion with her charismatic and demanding husband, an aspiring novelist―until he ends their relationship in a Paris café, spurring her suicide attempt. Seeking to heal herself, Eliya is compelled to piece together the jagged shards of her life and history. Eliya’s heart-wrenching journey leads her to a profound and unexpected love, renewed family ties, and a reconciliation with her orphaned mother, Lily. Together, the two women embark on a quest to discover the truth about themselves and Lily’s own origins…and the unknown woman who set their stories in motion one Christmas Eve.”
I enjoyed the first half of the book and was interested in Lily’s story, as she was raised in a convent and later discovered that she was actually Jewish. It is only towards the very end of the book when Lily and Eliya embark on a journey to find Lily’s mother, and the middle of the book seemed to drag before this occurred. This book contains difficult topics including assault, child abandonment, the death of a child, depression, and attempted suicide.
Title: He Said He Would Be Late
Author: Justine Sullivan
Genre: Thriller (but not really)
Publisher: Henry Holt & Co, 3/14/23
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 3 Stars
While classified as a thriller, this book was not really a thriller, but more of a psychological drama. Liz becomes convinced that her husband is cheating on her and the reader is lead to wonder if he actually is or if she is just suffering from anxiety and paranoia.
“Liz Bennett knows that she is one of the lucky ones. Wealthy and charming, Arno is a supportive husband to Liz and a doting father to their daughter, Emma. A rising banker at a top firm in the Boston area, he is the picture of perfection, rounding off their idyllic New England life. But when Liz sees a text on Arno’s phone with a kissy-face emoji, her anxiety kicks into overdrive and she begins to worry that her luck has run out. Plagued by persistent skepticism and countless sleepless nights, Liz decides she must uncover the truth about her husband―as any wife would. So she takes a deep breath and dives down the rabbit hole. As Liz peels back layers of deceit and tracks down every lead, a frenzy begins to take over her life. Could Arno really be unfaithful? Or is Liz’s imagination getting the best of her? When everyone around her is convinced she’s become unhinged, she must prove, if only to herself, that a woman’s intuition expands beyond a single cryptic text.”
I really don’t like when books lean on the question of whether the woman is having mental health issues or whether she can be believed. I feel like Liz can have anxiety and Arno can also be a jerk! I questioned whether the therapist was treating Liz appropriately and whether her one year old could really speak and understand so well. I hoped for a satisfactory conclusion to this one but didn’t love it in the end.
This post includes 9 of the books I read this month. Of these books, 8 were print and 1 was audio. 8 were adult books and 1 was YA. Genres included historical fiction, contemporary, and thriller.
Have you read any of these books or do you want to? What have you been reading lately?
