I am on a roll when it comes to reading excellent books. Although this book is a murder mystery, it is so much more than that. We are introduced to Kya as a very young girl. She lives in a rundown shack in the marsh on the coast of North Carolina. Her mother leaves after years of abuse by the hands of her husband, leaving behind Kya and her older siblings. It's not long before Kya's siblings all leave and it's just Kya and her father. By the time Kya turns 10 years old, her father leaves one day and never comes back.
So, Kya raises herself in the marsh, with the help of a three wonderful people: Jumpin', his wife Mabel and a boy named Tate. My heart warms just thinking of these three! Jumpin' & Mabel find creative ways to support Kya, although Kya works hard to earn that support. Jumpin' buys the mussels that Kya spends hours digging for each morning - and he buys her "smoked fish" on consignment. Jumpin' makes sure she always has gas for her boat, while Mabel keeps her clothed. Kya does attend school for one day, but decides it's not for her, so she never goes back. She is truly a "marsh girl", which is what the town people call her. Then there is Tate, the boy who teaches her how to read - and encourages her love of all things that live in the marsh. He also gives her the tools to record her love of the marsh through drawings and words.
Kya is beautiful, both physically and spiritually. Basically, inside and out. ;) She gets lonely living by herself in her shack. She is attracted to Tate and falls in love with him. Tate has his own path he needs to follow however, and leaves to attend college. Then Kya meets - or finally gets acquainted with - Chase, the town "hunk". Kya, who misses Tate and feels betrayed by his continued absence, falls in love with Chase, despite his womanizing ways. Kya trusts that Chase loves her and that they will be married. Then she finds out that he is engaged to someone in town. When Chase is found dead in the marsh, Kya, the "marsh girl" is an obvious suspect.
This is a story of resilience, betrayal, acceptance, forgiveness and love. Kya is a survivor, in the truest sense of the word. Everyone she loves, leaves her, and yet she finds a way to keep going. It's an incredibly heartbreaking and heartwarming story. I highly recommend it!
Wendy's Rating: *****
Sunday, July 28, 2019
Caraval by Stephanie Garber
Oftentimes, the books I read remind me of another. This one does not! This is a unique storyline and I really loved it. Caraval is the name of an annual "performance" that you can only attend if you receive a personal invitation from Legend, the creator of Caraval. There are strict rules that you must follow if you want to be a part of Caraval, including a strict arrival time. The performance/game lasts for five nights. The "game" happens at night and the guests sleep during the day. Upon arrival, the guests can choose to simply be an observer or they can play the game.
Scarlett and Donatella (Tella) Dragna are sisters who are being raised by their cruel father on the Isle of Trisda. The sisters have heard about Caraval and Legend from their Nana. Scarlett is mesmerized by the magic surrounding Caraval and desperately wants to attend "the show". She writes to Legend annually and asks for an invitation. Then the year comes that she finds out her father has arranged a marriage for her. Scarlett sees her pending marriage as her salvation from her father, for both her and her sister. Of course that's the year that Scarlett (and her fiance) and Tella finally receive the long-awaited for invitations. Now Scarlett doesn't want to go because it's too close to her marriage. Tella insists that they go. She wants to leave their father and the Isle of Trisda no matter what the consequences are and never return. Tella sees Caraval as their salvation from their father.
Scarlett is tricked by Tella and Tella's new "friend", a sailor named Julian. Tella & Julian basically kidnap Scarlett and take her to Caraval. Upon arrival though, Tella goes missing. Scarlett won't leave without finding Tella first, so she and Julian enter "the game". It doesn't take long for Scarlett to realize that Tella's disappearance is part of the game - and all the participants are looking for Tella. The first person to find her will win the prize: one wish.
The story revolves around love - in all of its various forms. Love of power; love of self; love of a woman; love of a man; love of a sister. Love is always a powerful theme, but this book unravels the weight of love in a very unique way. AND, Caraval is the first book of a trilogy!
Wendy's Rating: *****
Scarlett and Donatella (Tella) Dragna are sisters who are being raised by their cruel father on the Isle of Trisda. The sisters have heard about Caraval and Legend from their Nana. Scarlett is mesmerized by the magic surrounding Caraval and desperately wants to attend "the show". She writes to Legend annually and asks for an invitation. Then the year comes that she finds out her father has arranged a marriage for her. Scarlett sees her pending marriage as her salvation from her father, for both her and her sister. Of course that's the year that Scarlett (and her fiance) and Tella finally receive the long-awaited for invitations. Now Scarlett doesn't want to go because it's too close to her marriage. Tella insists that they go. She wants to leave their father and the Isle of Trisda no matter what the consequences are and never return. Tella sees Caraval as their salvation from their father.
Scarlett is tricked by Tella and Tella's new "friend", a sailor named Julian. Tella & Julian basically kidnap Scarlett and take her to Caraval. Upon arrival though, Tella goes missing. Scarlett won't leave without finding Tella first, so she and Julian enter "the game". It doesn't take long for Scarlett to realize that Tella's disappearance is part of the game - and all the participants are looking for Tella. The first person to find her will win the prize: one wish.
The story revolves around love - in all of its various forms. Love of power; love of self; love of a woman; love of a man; love of a sister. Love is always a powerful theme, but this book unravels the weight of love in a very unique way. AND, Caraval is the first book of a trilogy!
Wendy's Rating: *****
Thursday, July 4, 2019
Keeper of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger
Any one who has read the Harry Potter series, and loved it like I did, will love this book too. Shannon Messenger has created her own world and instead of a young boy (Harry) discovering his magical talents after being "hidden away" for the first decade of his life, this time it's a young girl, Sophie. Sophie knows she is different, but she has no idea who she really is or how powerful her magical talents are. I felt sad when she had to leave her "family" though, because in this case she really loved them and they really loved her. (Even presumably her bratty sister!)
In this first book of the series, we enter a world of elves. Sophie enters a special school and works with different professors that help her develop - and discover - special talents. So again, very Harry Potter-like. There are professors that seem to support her and those that oppose her, wanting her kicked out. Tiergan is her Telepath mentor, which is kept secret from others for most of this book. Telepaths were rare and in high demand. There are also ethics involved when you are a Telepath - which Sophie learns the hard way (even after being told!) Fortunately, Sophie has several wonderful people who seem to genuinely care about her (two sets of parent-figures) as she tries to figure out who she really is (who her birth parents are) and how she fits into the big picture of her dangerously changing world.
She develops some friendships, but I'm not really sure who will be her "side-kicks" throughout the series. She has a major crush on Fitz, and he seems to be more her "equal", but she relies on Dex and his loyalty to her just as much as she relies on Fitz to help her out of dangerous situations. (Because of his own talents and the importance of his father).
By the end of the book we find out that Sophie has a severe allergy (which could easily cause her death), suppressed memories that may or may not be her own, a weakness in alchemy, the ability to find an unmapped star and a photogenic memory. After a couple of mis-starts, she finds a new "family" (Grady & Edaline) and she passes her first year of school. All in all, a wonderful start to this journey!
Wendy's Rating: *****
In this first book of the series, we enter a world of elves. Sophie enters a special school and works with different professors that help her develop - and discover - special talents. So again, very Harry Potter-like. There are professors that seem to support her and those that oppose her, wanting her kicked out. Tiergan is her Telepath mentor, which is kept secret from others for most of this book. Telepaths were rare and in high demand. There are also ethics involved when you are a Telepath - which Sophie learns the hard way (even after being told!) Fortunately, Sophie has several wonderful people who seem to genuinely care about her (two sets of parent-figures) as she tries to figure out who she really is (who her birth parents are) and how she fits into the big picture of her dangerously changing world.
She develops some friendships, but I'm not really sure who will be her "side-kicks" throughout the series. She has a major crush on Fitz, and he seems to be more her "equal", but she relies on Dex and his loyalty to her just as much as she relies on Fitz to help her out of dangerous situations. (Because of his own talents and the importance of his father).
By the end of the book we find out that Sophie has a severe allergy (which could easily cause her death), suppressed memories that may or may not be her own, a weakness in alchemy, the ability to find an unmapped star and a photogenic memory. After a couple of mis-starts, she finds a new "family" (Grady & Edaline) and she passes her first year of school. All in all, a wonderful start to this journey!
Wendy's Rating: *****
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)