Review: Tiger's Tale

Tiger's Tale by Colleen Houck
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Anastasia and Verusha are the only children of the tsar but prefer their time with the guards instead of state affairs.  They know their parents won’t live forever and one of them must take the throne.  When their mother’s illness gets worse, the sisters look far and wide for a cure.  When they refuse a stranger’s help, he releases a curse that has the sisters fleeing their home.   Will they be able to break the curse?  Will their country survive without them?

Tiger’s Tale is the sixth book in The Tiger Saga series.  This book can be read by itself or out of order since the narrator at the beginning and end are the only references to the original series.  With that being said, this story was a wonderful escape and I was happy to explore a new world with tigers in the forefront.  I will warn readers that this book is not a one-and-done for this tale.  There is a cliffhanger and we must wait to learn more about Anastasia and Verusha.

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Review: One Last Chance to Live

One Last Chance to Live by Francisco X. Stork
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Nico wants to be a writer.  He is taking a creative writing class at school and can feel the book inside him.  After having a dream about his funeral, he begins to wonder if he is going to die young.  It doesn’t help that his best friend’s girlfriend died the year before, especially since he was secretly crushing on her.  Now his mom is sick, and his brother is getting too close to a local gang.  What will Nico learn about himself and his family? 

One Last Chance to Live is a stand-alone realistic story that is short and sweet.  It was easy to get into but also very easy to forget.  The characters were enjoyable while reading, but I didn’t feel pulled back into the story after sitting it down for a while.  This would be a good book for reluctant readers, but avid readers will find it lacking.

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Review: Sync

Sync by Ellen Hopkins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Twins Storm and Lake have always had a connection.  Some may say they are in sync.  Even after five years in the foster care system, they easily know what the other one needs.  They are currently living in different homes, but they have hope as they age out of the system.  When Storm’s girlfriend is attacked and he retaliates, he is sent to lockup … again.  Lake has found acceptance in a new relationship until she is convinced to run away.  Now she is out in the world with no resources and no hope.  What obstacles will these teens have to face next?

Sync is a realistic fiction story that is told in a novel-in-verse format.  The story alternatives between Lake and Storm’s point of view, yet it was easy to follow along as the story unraveled.  There are various triggers throughout this tale, so readers should be prepared to read or skip over these events.  Hopkins did a wonderful job balancing some hard issues in an easy-to-digest format.  Sync is a strong pick for older teens or adults wanting an edgy read.

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Review: By Any Other Name

By Any Other Name by Jodi Picoult
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

In the late 1500s, Emilia was sold by her family to be the mistress of Lord Chamberlain. Although she appears to have everything she needs … a voice is not one of them. She convinces a man to be the name on the plays she is writing and history will never know. Melina is in the present day and can’t get her work published either. When she has the chance to get her work performed, under a man’s name, she decides to go for it. Are these women’s stories ever coming out into the light?

By Any Other Name is a historical fiction story with intertwining narratives. Melina is a descendant of Emilia and appears to be taking inspiration from the story that she believes needs to be told. The facts about women being published in the past and the present are dealt with fairly and readers may even be inspired to look up some of these Shakespearean works to look for the clues mentioned. Although this is a long read, it will be a pleasure for those who enjoy this historical period.


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Review: Fire and Bones

Fire and Bones by Kathy Reichs
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Tempe has been asked to look at a new crime scene.  A series of arson attacks in Washington, DC have taken place and Tempe plans to get to the bottom of them.  She teams up with a journalist who helps her research bootleggers and racketeers from the early 1900s.  When another building in this historic area burns to the ground, Tempe wonders if the attacks are more specific.  Is someone keeping an eye on Tempe?  What will she uncover during her investigation?

Fire and Bones is the twenty-third book in the Temperance Brennan series.  Although this series is long-running, readers could jump into this book as a stand-alone and enjoy it anyway.  One of the quirks I liked about this book is that Tempe enjoyed junk food and fast food.  So many characters now push “clean living”, and it is wonderful to know that others struggle with eating quickly, even if they are in a book.  The mystery was spot on, and fans of the series will not be disappointed.

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