Review: The Leaf Reader

The Leaf Reader by Emily Arsenault
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Marnie doesn’t fit in with any of the groups at her school. She has decided that she will own her uniqueness and has discovered that she is good at Leaf Reading. It started out as a hobby after finding a book on her grandmother’s shelf, but now she has a steady group of students who enjoy having her look at their tea leaves. Then Marnie is asked to do a reading for Matt, who is looking for answers to the disappearance of his best friend, Andrea. He has been receiving anonymous emails and just wants to know if Andrea is alive somewhere or is she dead.

The Leaf Reader is a stand-alone realistic fiction story that includes a lot of mystery and just a hint of the supernatural and romance. Marnie is dealing with troubles in her own life as other people’s problems are colliding around her. Arsenault shows the reader the nuances of Leaf Reading without making the book about the supernatural. Whether readers like to suspend belief or keep their feet firmly rooted on the ground, this book is an enjoyable escape with a nice conclusion.




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Review: Follow Me

Follow Me by Sara Shepard
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Chelsea Dawson loves to be in the spotlight. As a social media star, she enjoys taking selfies and posting videos. When she disappears at a party following a fight with her ex-boyfriend, Seneca and her friends notice that she looks like Aerin’s sister and begin to think that the same person who killed Helena also took Chelsea. The Amateurs make it their mission to travel to the Shore and investigate on their own. Will they be able to find Chelsea in time? Will this person take any more lives along the way?

Follow Me is the second book in The Amateurs series. Shepard leaves a few breadcrumbs at the beginning to nudge the memories of readers and these reminders would even help readers who are jumping straight into the second book. The mystery flows quickly and characters are constantly trying to catch up to their mysterious murderer. This portion of the story does have an ending, yet the larger story is nowhere near completion. Readers who don’t like to wait may want to hold off until more books are out. If you like a good mystery and don’t mind cliffhangers, then give this book a try now.


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Review: Uncanny

Uncanny by Sarah Fine
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Cora does not remember what happened the night her step sister fell down a flight of stairs and died. She knows that it might have been recorded by her Cerepin, but she is afraid that she may have been at fault. Cora’s step father hires an AI counselor to help her deal with her grief and hopefully assist her in recovering her lost memories. As she begins to remember snippets of her past and tries to work up the courage to watch the vid, Cora uncovers scary truths about herself and those around her.

Uncanny is a stand-alone science fiction story that is refreshingly different. What would the world be like if people were constantly recording events around them? Who could you trust? Fine has created a world that is filled with a variety of automatons and readers will enjoy the experience of exploring this different society. The storyline twists and turns as the pages almost turn themselves. Uncanny is a good escape with an unexpected conclusion.


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Review: Doctor Who: Myths and Legends

Doctor Who: Myths and Legends by Richard Dinnick
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time Lords have been an advanced culture for thousands of years and have the stories to show for it. Even though some tales have long been forgotten, many are still remembered and have become myths and legends. There are stories about other worlds, other cultures and, of course, their home world. These stories shed a light on this ancient civilization and give readers a deeper understanding about Time Lords. These myths and legends are not about the Doctor, yet readers may see his hand at work in some of the stories. Doctor Who: Myths and Legends is a fun read for all Doctor Who fans.

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Review: Countess of Čachtice

Countess of Čachtice by Sonia Halbach
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

It has been three years since Maggie and Henry discovered the city of Poppel, but now the Foundling children of this underground city keep going missing and they need to work together to try and uncover the truth. Over two hundred years in the past, Lily is trying to find the immortality she lost and her path takes her into the lives of the Countess of Čachtice and her son. The Countess has her own youthful secrets and Lily just might fall prey to her life altering plans. Maggie and Lily might live centuries apart, but their lives are more connected than they could ever understand.

Countess of Čachtice is the second book in The Krampus Chronicles. The point of view is constantly changing and was confusing in parts. I had to intentionally slow down and make sure I knew which time period and which characters were in play. The book itself read quickly, so this slow down wasn’t much of a hindrance, more of an annoyance. Halbach has finished only a small portion of the story and most readers will end their time with this book wishing the next book was already out.


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