Review: About Grace

About Grace by Barbara Shoup
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Grace seems like an average American girl. She has a boyfriend, does well in school, and lives in a middle-class neighborhood. However, after her boyfriend encourages her to make a series of bad decisions, she ends up in juvie.   About Grace is a coming-of-age story that shows readers one view of life inside a juvenile correction facility and there is a lot of backstory that shows how she got there and some of the obstacles that were thrown in her way.  This book is a short read and very raw with its imagery which will be appealing to many reluctant readers.  There are some triggers within this story (suicide, molestation, and abortion to name a few), but they are covered with a light touch.  About Grace was a compelling read, but I hope the final version has several errors fixed.  

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Review: The Librarians of Lisbon

The Librarians of Lisbon by Suzanne Nelson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Selene and Beatrice are best friends, librarians, and spies.  They work for the U.S. Intelligence Office and are sent to Lisbon in 1943 where World War II is at full throttle.  Their official jobs are to catalog the information the Allies gain, but when night drops on the city, they try to get information from the Axis spy network.  Both spies must take large risks for their country.  Is there anyone they can trust?  What relationships will crash and burn?

The Librarians of Lisbon is a historical fiction thriller that started out great and then fizzled as the story continued.  Nelson did a wonderful job creating the backdrop of World War II female spies and the troubles they went through.  I liked how many of the characters were based on real people who did similar things to support the Allies’ cause, but there was something missing in the end.  This was a different WWII story than usual, so that was a saving grace.  This will be a good read for some but not all historical fiction fans.

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Review: All Better Now

All Better Now by Neal Shusterman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A new pandemic is sweeping the globe and this one has different long-term effects on any survivors … they have a feeling of utter contentment.  These survivors no longer feel greed, stress, or even a drive to be the best.  Is there a problem with always being happy?  Some would say, “Yes!”  While people are working hard to create a vaccine that would stop the virus, others are working on a way to spread it faster.  Who will win out?  Are humans about to become extinct?

All Better Now is a stand-alone science fiction story that hits very close to home after our recent COVID-19 pandemic.  The science is a little past our current science, but not so far advanced that it isn’t plausible soon.  Shusterman created characters on both sides of the issue that are easy to relate to and no matter which side you are rooting for … the ending is satisfying.  All Better Now is a fun read for sci-fi fans.  

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Review: A Dragon of Black Glass

A Dragon of Black Glass by James Rollins
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Nyx and her friends are on a new mission.  They have heard there is an old weapon that will help them on their quest, but there are others who want to see her group fail.  Under the dessert glass are things that can help and things that can kill.  Around the world is another power that may save or destroy the world.  Can Nyx trust any of the people she comes across?  What secrets about herself will she discover?

A Dragon of Black Glass is the third book in the Moonfall series.  It has been two years since I finished the second book in the series and I felt there wasn’t enough at the beginning of this book to pull me back into the story.  Overall the story dragged and I questioned why I decided to continue the series.  Some will like this book, but only those who thoroughly enjoyed the first two volumes.

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Review: Under the Same Stars

Under the Same Stars by Libba Bray
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Sophie lives in 1940s Germany and truly believes in the Bridegroom’s Oak.  She has been writing to a mysterious suitor and hopes he will be her true love.  With the war escalating around her, this oak may be what the resistance needs.  Jenny has recently moved to West Germany in the 1980s.  She strikes out against her parents when she befriends a punk-rock girl and an old lady in her building.  Miles and Chloe are in 2020 NYC during the COVID outbreak.  After Chloe gets a package from her grandmother, she begins to investigate two teens who went missing near the Bridegroom’s Oak eighty years ago.  How are all these teens connected?

Under the Same Stars is a stand-alone historical fiction story that does a lot of bouncing around yet it eventually all comes together.  Readers will need to make sure they pay attention to the beginning of each chapter to know who and when the story is about.  Bray did a wonderful job of connecting these lives across decades and writing a story that will stand the test of time.  Under the Same Stars is a good read for all historical fiction fans.

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Review: The Alchemist of Aleppo

The Alchemist of Aleppo by Marie K. Savage
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Michael and Kat are both pulled towards a century’s old goblet in the Victoria & Albert Museum.  When they arrive at the goblet at the same time, they quickly realize that they also have a connection to each other.  They each have their own strengths with Michael being an art historian and Kat being a geneticist, so they work together to learn about the history of the goblet and their own past lives.  Why are they called together?  Who else is enthralled by an ancient piece of art?

 The Alchemist of Aleppo is a stand-alone novel that is a blend of magic with a historical fiction tale.  The story spends much of its time in the present with many trips back into other centuries.  The overarching story was entertaining, but it was missing the spark that is needed to make it a well-rounded hit.  The Alchemist of Aleppo will be a good read for those who like this subgenre.

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Review: Pray Naturally: Finding Your Spiritual Confidence as a Woman Loved by God

Pray Naturally: Finding Your Spiritual Confidence as a Woman Loved by God by Rachel Britton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

If you are looking for a simple devotional guide that also pushes you to think deeply, then Pray Naturally is the book for you.  These 120 days cover fourteen women from the Bible including Eve, Hagar, and Esther.  Each woman starts with some background information and each day ends with two or three questions.  Verses are quoted throughout and additional readings are suggested.  This would not be a good fit for a Bible Study but would be great for a small group of women or a solo study.

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