Review: The Pools

The Pools by E. Lockhart
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Lexie is the new girl in town and quickly learns that everyone loves to swim in the pools. Many of them know that there are rumors about the hot springs, but it has been years and fears quickly leave everyone. Lexie meets Chester in one of the pools and the connection is instant. Each of them has their own demons, but maybe they can help each other. Then one winter day, five people go for a swim and everything changes. Chester is one of the five and Lexie wants to help.

The Pools is a stand-alone magical realism book with a poetry twist. This book would be a fun introduction to the fantasy genre since it is a quick read and only requires the reader to suspend disbelief about one aspect of the story. I don’t want to give any spoilers, but overall, the book was an interesting read, even though I disliked the parents of Chester many times. The Pools will not be good for everyone, but for those who enjoy this type of book … it is great.


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Review: Up from the Ashes

Up from the Ashes by Sharon Cameron
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Saartje has arrived at the Sobibor death camp and is inexplicably paired with a Polish man. She is given an order in German that she doesn’t understand. Thankfully, the man does, and she learns she must waltz all night for the Germans. Time passes, and a revolt takes place with over 300 prisoners getting away. Now they are on the run and must find a safe place to hide until the war is over.

Up from the Ashes is a stand-alone historical fiction story that starts like many of the other Holocaust tales, but once you continue, you discover a new side to history. Although this is a fictional tale, the overarching story is real, and the descendants of these survivors have blessed us with their courage. Cameron has a gift for taking hard-hitting history and making it accessible for the everyday reader, and Up from the Ashes is another success story.


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Review: The Blood Queen

The Blood Queen by Sara Raasch
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Now that Alyth and Samson know who the High Blade is, they are on a quest to find the help they need to defeat the Red Cap army. Unfortunately, the princes of the fae court don’t have much drive since the Faerie Queen went missing years earlier. Alyth and Samson know they can only count on each other and the love they have. Can they find the missing queen? Will they defeat the High Blade?

The Blood Queen is the conclusion to The Crimson Throne duology. This fantasy adventure takes readers into and out of faery and Scotland as the protagonists seek allies in their fight. As a reader of many faery stories and Scottish adventures, I was thoroughly entranced by this tale, but I could also see readers new to these settings having some issues. I highly recommend this conclusion to those who enjoyed the first book.


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Review: The Memory of Borrowed Books

The Memory of Borrowed Books by Meg Anderson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Claire keeps her life as organized as she does her library.  She is happy with it that way, too. When the town announces that they plan to close the library and repurpose the space, her well-organized life turns into chaos.  The confusion expands when she finds a door in the library that shouldn’t be there, and it contains books that no one else knows about.  These books hold memories of visitors to the library, and as Claire learns about each of these people, she believes she has a way to save the library.

The Memory of Borrowed Books is a stand-alone magical realism book that reinvigorated my love of libraries.  There have been many books published recently about magical books and/or libraries, yet this book stood apart and had me cheering for Claire and the community.  The memories explored during the novel hit close to home, and I found myself hoping for a great ending … and Anderson did not disappoint.  

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Review: Radio Free Texas

Radio Free Texas by Libba Bray
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Bowie is ready to start senior year in his small Texas town when Comet sets off a firecracker, and he takes the blame.  He now must do 100 hours of community service, and he decides that the radio station is the easiest of all options.  As hours become days, Bowie discovers his own radio voice and a possible relationship with Comet.  What will Bowie learn about himself, his town, and his friends in this final year of high school?

Radio Free Texas is a stand-alone historical fiction story that had me laughing at the antics and sending quotes to my friends.  Bray has taken the voice of a teen boy and made it accessible to every reader.  The fact that the events in this story took place 50 years ago and are still relevant today shows that, at the core, teens will always be teens.  Radio Free Texas is a great read for those who don’t want to read about “historical history.” 😊 

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Review: The Velvet Knife

The Velvet Knife by Maureen Johnson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Stevie has just been dumped and needs a diversion.  As someone who loves to solve murders … she wasn’t expecting one in the middle of an apartment complex.  She has also been tasked with learning everything she can about the Watergate Scandal.  Who can Stevie trust?  Is there a chance that David and Stevie will reunite?

The Velvet Knife is the sixth book in the Truly Devious series.  This book has been on my TBR list for almost four years, and it was definitely worth the wait.  I did find the “past” events interspersed in the story a distraction, but in the end … everything pulled together.  I am not sure if this is the final book in the series, but Johnson has left this book with a good conclusion, but also a chance for more antics from these characters.  

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Review: Ashes at the Altar

Ashes at the Altar by LaDarrion Williams
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Malik knows that the fight is not over.  He may have trapped the evil spirit that was possessing his mother, but her power is still growing, and the Bokors have not been caught.  In addition to all of that, he is adjusting to learning who his father’s people are AND a new semester of school.  Who can Malik trust?  Will his magic be enough?

 Ashes at the Alter is the third and final book in the Blood at the Root trilogy.   This book did a good job jogging my memory in the prologue helping me remember the events that have already happened, but overall, this story was way too long.  I kept looking at my Kindle time and felt like the count wasn’t going anywhere.  I enjoyed the overarching story and was satisfied with the ending, but the final book should have been shortened to make it more concise.  

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