There Is A Land by Ted Oswald

This is Ted Oswald's second novel about Libete Limye. Libete is now three years older and an outspoken activist at the age of 13. Even though this novel is considered a mystery, like the first book Because We Are, this novel really concentrates on the political upheaval in Haiti. Unless you already know something about the different Haitian presidents and warring factions with their dynamic leaders, it's difficult to keep everyone straight. It's also difficult to categorize people as being "good" and "bad". Like Libete, I never knew who to trust! Libete had a challenging time figuring out who actually supported her and who was trying to kill her. Sometimes the people who initially supported her, turned around and betrayed her; other times she was saved by people who she was taught, through experience, not to trust.

Libete was on the run for most of this book. She took on another name and another identity. Time-wise, the story of why she ran intermingled with the stories of how she ran and where she ended up. It weaves in and out so the reader slowly pieces the whole story together throughout the duration of the novel. Since she is in hiding, she is separated from the people she loves the most. She bonds with other people in her new life, but in the end, two of the people who loved her most, die. I hate that. In Libete's (Sophia's) new life she also runs into trouble. She uncovers the fact that the "University people" who supplied the tools needed to plant and manage a common garden for food in the town she flees to, are actually miners mining for gold.

On top of all that, we find out that Libete is ill with tuberculosis. The author doesn't explain how or when she found out she was ill, or how she received some medication, which she takes until she runs out. I don't even know if Stephanie and/or Jak know that she is ill. We also don't know what happened to Stephanie and Jak. So, lots of unanswered questions at the end of this book!

Too many good people died in this book. Every time Libete starts to feel like she has a "family", people are taken from her. It's very sad. The message of the book is worth fighting for though. Libete represents "Hope". Dimanche and Magdala, and their father before them, believed "the end of hope is the end of us all." They see Libete as Haiti's hope, and they are willing to die for that.

So, anxiously waiting for the next book....

Wendy's Rating: ****

The Nest by Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney

I think this book has a very important message. Simply put, don't count your chickens before they hatch. The Plumb "children" spent so much time and energy making poor decisions while waiting for their deceased dad's money to bail them out, that they weren't even enjoying their lives. All four of the adult Plumb children drove me crazy. They were so wrapped up in "the nest" that they didn't see what they had right in front of them: people who loved them; people who wanted to make a life with them aside from "the nest". It was interesting that Melody and Jack's husbands told them not to live their lives waiting for the nest "windfall", because it might never happen.

I guess Bea irritated me the least, so I will start with her. Her whole life revolved around Leo. She couldn't even write about anything unless it was about Leo. I could not figure out why she was so "frozen" in life. I didn't bother me that she walked around in vintage clothes and stayed at an unrewarding job just because.... It's just that she wanted to make writing her career and all she could think to write about was Leo's selfish life. I didn't really know what to make of Paul. He actually wasn't portrayed as something "worthy" of Bea until the end of the novel. I guess it depended on who was talking about him. Nathan respected him, but that was difficult to determine initially. Leo obviously did not. It took Bea a really long time to come around to Paul, but she seemed happy at the end.

Melody was so wrapped up in appearances - and stalking her daughters - that she didn't seem to enjoy life either. Since her father's death, she seemed to be biding her time until she turned 40! Honestly, she could have died by then - and then where would she be! Her life choices were made with "the nest" in her head at all times. That's no life, in my opinion. She had a very patient husband! I loved that she realized (finally!) that there is more to life than a house in the "right" neighborhood and ivy league colleges for her daughters. It's called being happy with what you have and loving the people that love you back.

Jack. I was not a fan of Jack. He had this wonderful man that loved him despite his many faults - that accepted him for who he was. (Walker was my favorite character in the book, actually. I am glad that Walker found happiness with someone else at the end. I hope he got the children he had always wanted too.) Jack was selfish and greedy - and desperate. He didn't deserve Walker. Walker was strong in his commitment to Jack, and strong in his dismissal of Jack. Again, I really liked Walker!

There is nothing that I liked about Leo. In the end though, he is the one that missed out big time. He got his money, but he lost his family; he lost the woman who loved him; he lost the daughter he never knew he had. I guess he got what he deserved, but what a waste. 

While reading this, I didn't quite get why so many people I know loved this book - until the end. I can't say I loved the book, but I did love the ending. I like when I see seriously flawed characters go through some sort of redeeming transformation. Bea, Melody and Jack's lives were better for having lost "the nest". They learned what was important in life and that people should be treasured, not money. I love how they took in Stephanie, since she didn't have any family of her own. I think Stephanie was an excellent replacement in the Plumb family for Leo.

Wendy's Rating: ****

The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena

This is a book that you can read in one sitting - if you have the time, of course. It is definitely fast-paced. The author gives you information along the way, so you are not kept completely in the dark, which is nice. I like how the reader knows what everyone is thinking, including Detective Rasbach, but no one person is able to put it all together. It's like a small group of people assembling a jigsaw puzzle. Each person believes they can contribute a piece of the puzzle (what happened to baby Cora?), but no one can actually "see the picture" until all the pieces come together at the end.

In the beginning I thought that Detective Rasbach was being a bit too tough and suspicious of Marco and Anne, although the reader knows why he is suspicious since the details of the crime scene are explained as they are discovered. I like how we know all the characters that are involved. It's not like some minor or briefly mentioned character is the kidnapper. I thought the story was very well laid out. It kept me guessing to the end.

Honestly, I thought the "the couple next door" would have a bigger part of the story. They came in and out, but they were almost peripheral characters in some regard. Although the book did start with them and end with them, so that's very cyclical. I thought the tidbits of Graham & Cynthia as a couple were odd. We didn't get to know them very well at all, but what we do find out is weird. Did Graham know - or even care - what Cynthia was up to? Was Cynthia planning to leave Graham? Did they even love each other? Using "The Couple Next Door" as the title of the book is a little misleading even, because the whole time you think they must have something to do with Cora's kidnapping. And quite frankly, Graham was only in about two chapters.

I actually liked Marco, despite his poor judgment. I felt sorry for Anne. I kept thinking that her dissociative disorder stemmed from something else from her childhood other than her father dying. I kept thinking that she had been sexually abused as a young child or something. That too was a surprise to me, that everyone seemed to accept that her disorder was due to her father's death and it wasn't explored further. (Not that witnessing your father's death when you are 4 years old - or any age - isn't traumatic!)

So, the ending.... I feared something like that would happen, but had hoped it wouldn't. The author blazed the trail and set the scene, so I guess it was bound to happen. It made me sad though. We finally get all the answers of who did what and why - and then we are left with a number of other questions!

I love a good mystery, especially one that moves along like this one. This is an excellent debut novel for Shari Lapena.

Wendy's Rating: ****

The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins

It's admirable that a mystery novel written in the 1800s, the first of its kind, can hold a reader's interest and curiosity in the 21st century. I say this simply because our lives (in books, television, movies and real life events) are inundated with mysteries, crime, deceit, dishonesty, traitors and treachery. Between watching the news and my favorite crime TV shows and suspenseful movies, I can't believe that I would be surprised by anything written so long ago! I was surprised by Percival's SECRET though, and the importance of his secret definitely made sense in the 1800's and much later in history. These days people would kill to keep a secret that mattered that much, but in this book is was more about deceit.

I really loved how this story was told by different narrators. It moved the story along and it introduced us to several different characters that we normally wouldn't know that well in a story like this. Some of the "minor" characters, like Pesca, ended up advancing the story significantly, but I had forgotten about him until he was re-introduced to the story at the end of the book. Having the background of his relationship with Walter made his contribution to the endgame authentic.

My favorite character was Marian Halcombe of course. I loved everything about her: her intelligence, her bravery, her loyalty, her persistence. In some respects, it's too bad that Walter was taken by Laura's beauty (and her gentleness and kindness) because I think that Marian would have made a good match with an intelligent, brave, loyal and persistent gentleman such as Walter. ;) Walter was good for Laura though, and she certainly needed him. I am happy that Marian seemed happy from beginning to end just being with Laura, and eventually Walter.

The most difficult thing about reading a book like this is how women were treated back then. Women as property is a hard thing to accept. I love how there were men like Mr. Gilmore who protested Laura not being treated fairly when the marriage agreement was drawn up. He tried to look after Laura's best interests. Unfortunately he failed in his attempts, but at least he tried! I was happy that he returned to their lives a year later. I think it's incredibly interesting how different we treat illnesses now from back then. People would "take leave" from their lives, their jobs, their families for weeks, months or years when they were ill. I know they had some serious illnesses back then (for which we are immunized against), but we have some pretty serious illnesses now too. I can't imagine going away for a year to rest and recuperate from an illness!

It's difficult for me to determine who I disliked the most in this novel. I thought Mr. Fairlie was over-the-top ridiculous, selfish and annoying; Sir Percival was hot-tempered, weak and desperate; Mrs. Catherick was hardened, non-sympathetic and cynical; Count Fosco was a genius at manipulation. Fortunately, they nearly all received their just rewards in the end. That is certainly good enough for me! All's well that ends well.

Wendy's Rating: ****

Flight Patterns by Karen White

This must be the third or fourth book I have read to date that involves bees!  Certainly, their life cycle, their survival instinct, their relationships within the hive make for good themes when telling a complicated family history. The queen bee will usually only sting a rival queen bee, much like Anna Bloodworth, who "stung" when her position as Birdie's mother felt threatened. The hive survives on the strength of the females. There were many strong females in this book: Anna, Birdie, Maisy, Caroline, Becky, Marlene and Georgia. I think most of these women were living in pure "survival mode" however, which takes strength, but is not an emotionally easy way to live! I was so happy that Maisy and Georgia were able to separate themselves from their mother, Birdie, in a healthier way - much like how older queen bees leave the hive with their followers to establish their own hives. I really love the symbolism in this book! 

I did not agree at all with Anna's decision regarding Giles Mouton! Why?? Giles had already proven how much he loved his daughter by giving her to another family to save her. He had survived a prison camp - survived the war. He traveled all that way to find his daughter like he promised her he would. He was dying already. Again, WHY? Why couldn't Anna have taken him in, re-introduced him to his daughter and let him see that she was okay. I know she didn't want Birdie taken from them, but considering all the facts, they could have all been a "family". It is just so incredibly sad that she felt like she had to resort to such desperate measures. Her actions had a profound affect on her husband and Birdie for the rest of their lives. If Anna had welcomed Giles, believing that he would be a positive influence in Birdie's life, then the domino effect of emotionally-stunted women in the family would probably have never happened. Birdie would have been a better mother, which would have produced a feeling of security in her daughter's lives. It is just so tragic how one fatal decision can affect so many.

I wish we knew what Becky was thinking when she found out that Georgia was her mother. That's a pretty significant thing to find out! She seemed to take it all in stride, which is hard for me to believe. I know she loved Maisy & Georgia a lot, but still. Even if she suspected she was Georgia's daughter (based on looks, habits, etc) before seeing the proof, wouldn't she want to know WHY? (There's that question again!)

Even though I didn't agree with some of the decisions made in this book, I still really liked the book! Family dynamics and family history and family secrets are always so interesting - and Karen White has an engaging writing style that I really enjoy.

Wendy's Rating: ****

The Guest Room by Chris Bohjalian

Reading this novel was like watching a plane plunging to earth from 30,000 feet. There is a little time to process that the end won't be good, but there is absolutely nothing you can do about it. I really liked Richard - and I really disliked Philip - and I completely despised Spencer. Don't get me wrong, Richard made some mistakes - and demonstrated some incredibly hurtful behavior - but he was honest about it afterward. He could have lied to Kristin, but he chose not to without even thinking about it. I was so happy that he refused to be blackmailed by Spencer! And what was up with his lawyer, telling him to just pay Spencer the money?? Do lawyers actually recommend things like that to their clients? Spencer was a scumbag and he would have always come back for more. I was hoping that the Russians would take him down so that everyone around him would be done with his unlawful and immoral behavior. Philip was so immature and selfish and untrustworthy. I was thrilled that Nicole came to her senses. Ick! Richard's first mistake was offering to host Philip's bachelor party. I understood the logic of him having it at home, thinking it would be "tamer" than at a strip club or something, but Richard definitely underestimated Philip's friends.

The story of Alexandra/Anahit was incredibly sad. The use of children in the sex trade is evil. Do these people who exploit children like this not have their own children? Do they treat their own children as property too? Would they sell their own children? My heart breaks when I think of the young girls and boys who are used by men for sex. Anahit was a beautiful girl who wanted to dance. She had a grandmother who loved her and friends who shared her love of dance. All of her hopes and dreams were smashed up against a brick wall. What a tragedy. I was wondering at one point if Richard & Kristin would end up adopting Anahit at the end of the novel. Kristin did not disappoint by forgiving Richard and moving on with their marriage. She also did not disappoint as she rushed over to save Anahit's life. I knew she had that forgiveness and kindness in her, so I was just hoping that together, they would "save" Anahit.

This was not an easy read, due to the subject matter and my fear that the ending would not be happy. I was indeed not happy with the ending, so I was right about that. But maybe a happy ending would have taken away from the grim facts of the sex slave trade. In addition to that, sometimes other people's actions have dire consequences and you still have to be the best person you can be despite the potential of it all ending badly.

Wendy's Rating: ****

Eeny Meeny by MJ Arlidge

This is the first book in a mystery series, introducing us to Helen Grace, a detective inspector in England. I love mysteries, and detective stories and thrillers. I don't know why I don't read them more often. Helen is a strong, independent, authoritative female detective. She also has baggage, which no one in her current life knows about - or would even suspect. The book is a page-turner and a quick read. Helen can be quick to judge, and some of her past actions have a significant impact on the people in her life at the time. But she is a strong character, especially for someone who had a troubling personal life.

The serial killer most definitely had a well-thought-out and executed plan. Excruciatingly so. It was painful to read about her victims dying of hunger and thirst, and in Mark's case, a raging infection. Each abducted "couple" reacted differently to the proposition put in front of them: kill the other person and you go free. Both lives are ruined regardless. I DO wonder how she knew when one person died though. It's not like she had cameras stationed inside all of the various abandoned sites. It's not like she could open a door and check on them. 

In my mind, I thought that Helen and Mark would be a couple - or at least a "non-couple" or a secret couple - in the books to follow. I thought they could help each other fight their individual demons. I have to say that I was not happy with how their relationship ended! I am happy that Helen found her serial killer, but I was sad about Mark. Even though the killer did despicable things to people, I was also sad about her life as well. She spent a long time in prison for trying to protect her sister - and then was pretty much shut out of her sister's life. Why was a child sentenced to 25 years in prison anyway? Maybe things are different in England than America when it comes to charging children with murder...? Maybe it was because she murdered two people instead of just the one harming her. I don't know, but she certainly had some awful things happen to her.

I want to read the next book in the series now. I am curious about which characters from this book will be carried over to the next.

Wendy's Rating: ****