"Camp Creepy" by Kiersten White

Camp Creepy (Jan. 3, 2023) by Kiersten White.

*This is the third novel in a series.*

From the Sanguine Spa, the Sinister-Winterbottoms and their friend from Fathoms of Fun, Edgar, find themselves at Camp Creek, a mysterious summer camp where everything is fun and good and normal, normal, normal! There’s a zip line, a climbing wall and archery! There are rope swings and canoeing, boondoggle-making and buffet-style eating! Swimming in the lake and so many kinds of cereal, one could really go wild and mix them in the same bowl! Where the counselors are enthusiastic and tie-dyed everything is the theme and everything is an exclamation! Normal! Except it’s not, especially when Theo witnesses Alexander rope-swing himself into the lake. From worrying about making a fool of himself by rope-swinging wrong to brain-eating amoeba getting to him if he gets lake water up his nose, that is not Alexander’s normal. He even tells Theo it’s okay to call him Alex, something that’s not okay. And Wil! Wil hasn’t just become a camp counselor in glaring tie-dye, but she’s given up Rodrigo, her most prized ... phone! She should be going through some horrible withdrawal but is as smiley and exuberant as every other tie-dyed counselor. The counselors and campers are braindyed, all but Theo and a sulking boy named Henry Hyde. She must un-braindye Alexander, Wil, Edgar and even Quincy, former lasso-wielding friend who might still come through as a friend once things are able to be talked out. Without so many exclamation points!

            To be fair, I tend to love everything I read by Kiersten White, but I honestly love the books in her Sinister Summer series the most! Far from scary (think more like the hijinks of Scooby-Doo), her stories read at a fast clip and they are so genius that I’m using an excessive amount of exclamations, even in my head as I type this! I can’t stop! Only kidding. I totally can. The adventures of the Sinister-Winterbottoms are slightly outrageous, but completely clean and fun. White’s writing is clever and is easy to follow, even as characters from the previous books converge and new characters are added. “Camp Creepy” is another satisfyingly sinister, wonderfully weird, middle-grade installment that contains positive messages about the acceptance of oneself and others just the way they are, quirks and anxieties and all.

            Book 1: Wretched Waterpark

            Book 2: Vampiric Vacation

"Critical Threat" by Lynette Eason

Critical Threat (Jan. 3, 2023) by Lynette Eason.*

*This is the third novel in a series.*

A serial killer must be stopped. FBI Special Agent Grace Billingsley, specializing in psychiatry and behavioral analysis, and prison psychiatrist Sam Monroe are both called in to consult. They’ve met before, and Grace thought they’d made a real connection, but Sam never called or texted. Because he was dreading having to tell her that he’s the son of the serial killer Peter Romanos. It comes to light early on, Grace handling the information with, well, grace, and Sam’s the one who turned Peter in. The killer they’re trying to track has an MO that shares similarities to Peter’s. Sam suspects Peter must somehow be involved, but he can’t pinpoint how. Sam may have to do the one thing he’s avoided all these years: speak with his father. It can’t come a moment too soon, because Grace has been targeted by the killer all because he wants to know what she said. There doesn’t appear to be a connection amongst the victims, but the killer’s too organized and methodical for them to be chosen randomly. What is the link?

            This story is a race on a gruesome path to the finish line that stops a serial killer. God guides Grace and Sam and faith strengthens them during their investigation and as trust builds and a deeper relationship grows. Eason deftly manages a swift-moving plot, harrowing suspense, determined protagonists and a nasty antagonist with the comforting undercurrent of faith all working to propel the story to its conclusion. It runs the gamut of emotions through the different character perspectives, from fear to anger, sadness to determination, desperate hate to fierce love. It’s high-octane from Chapter One and Eason’s stories continue be a Christian suspense favorite of mine!

            Lines that made me think: “I think God can do anything, but I also believe he gives us a choice. If the people your dad works with can acknowledge that what they did was wrong and they’re truly remorseful, then yes, I believe that God can ‘fix’ them. Or at least forgive them. So, with that hope, I think your dad’s work is really important. Because they all have souls, and if your dad can reach just one, then that’s a victory for the good guys.” “And a defeat for the enemy.” (p. 139)

            Lines that made me laugh: ”He’d flip, wouldn’t he?” “Faster than an Olympic gymnast.” (p. 181)

            Book 1 in the Extreme Measures series: Life Flight 

            Book 2 in the Extreme Measures series: Crossfire

 

* Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Revell Books. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions are expressly my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

"Seoulmates" by Susan Lee

Seoulmates (Sept. 20, 2022) by Susan Lee.

*This is a standalone novel.*

What’s a girl to do when life imitates a K-drama? Hannah Cho’s plans involved hanging out with her boyfriend and enjoying her senior year with their friend group, but Nate Anderson dumped her at the top of summer. He’s into all the Korean things she has shunned (K-dramas, K-pop, K-everything) to try to fit into her American identity. She plots to win him back, but her former best friend, Jacob Kim, is back in town (town being San Diego). When Jacob left, she cut him out of her life due to her hurt and always feeling like everyone in her life leaves her (Jacob, her sister Helen, their dad in Singapore). But Jacob returns as Kim Jin-Suk, his Korean name and the name all of his fans know him by. Yes. In the interim years since leaving San Diego, Jacob has come to know K-dramas so well that he’s starring in one with the beautiful but awful Shin Min-Kyung (a.k.a. Minky). When time away from set is encouraged, Jacob’s mom takes the two of them, plus his 12-year-old sister Jin-Hee, to stay with the Cho family, the moms being best friends. Jacob has a list of things he wants to do in San Diego that he’d never be allowed and/or have time to do in Korea (like taste-test his way to find the best burrito or go to LEGOLAND), but since he can’t drive, he needs Hannah. He’d like to reconnect with her and figure out what went wrong with their friendship, painful as it will be, and then, perhaps, they can navigate their teenager feelings for each other. Is it love? Is Jacob the rebound guy and Hannah the summer fling before Jacob has to return to Korea? Are they Seoulmates?

            I’m going to get this out there right away, but why is this not the first Asian American-centric YA story I’ve read in recent months where the lead female character has perceived abandonment issues? Is this a new, recurrent them? Or has it always existed, and I simply haven’t read those stories until now?

            For anyone looking for a K-drama in literary form, Lee’s YA debut is perfect for K-drama fans. A swoon-worthy romance? Check. A super good-looking K-drama star? Check. Drama? Check. Korean food? Check. This novel is told in alternating perspectives and is one that celebrates friendship and Korean culture through expressive, fast-paced, thoughtful writing. It meaningfully examines the harder aspects around Korean American identity, but in an honest, believable-teenager way. The way everything K has become so popular surprises me, pleasantly so, like being a book dragon (previously, book nerd) is cool these days, at least compared to when I was one of the rare avid readers in my class growing up. Amongst themes of friendship and the predictable budding romance, the novel explores finding one’s inner strength and the role family dynamics can play, especially when love may not be expressed when someone is looking for that support and validation and picturing oneself as unlovable. This story is daebak, and it won’t be for everyone (I struggled at times, because, well, teenagers) but I expect it will attract a wide range of readers who are already K-drama and K-pop fans.

            P.S. I’m not a big watcher of K-dramas, but I did watch “Crash Landing on You” and “Extraordinary Attorney Woo” last year and was immersed in both of them.

Happy 2023!

Photo by Olia Danilevich via Pexels

Happy New Year! We’ve closed the doors on 2022 and are greeting 2023. Whatever 2022 brought you - the good, the bad and the in-between - I wish for you a wondrous new year ahead. If you seek a better job, may a better job come your way. If you want to travel, may your travel-bug heart traverse new roads and familiar roads to get you to your destinations. If your health has been of concern, may good health take the place of ill this year. I hope anyone reading this finds encouragement all the year round. Remember that you’re never too old to learn new things, so go ahead and try that thing you’ve been talking yourself out of or telling yourself you’ll get to when you “have more time.” Remember that the world is full of different people, those you’ll meld with and those you won’t. Be a light unto others, for you never know when you’ll be the light to someone’s darkness. And be always a work in progress, for we are all worth the time it takes to invest in ourselves!

What are your goals/dreams/hopes for 2023?

Wishing you all the best,

Lisa

Rutabaga's Reads 2022: Part 26

Can this be? A third adult fiction compilation post in 2022? If you know me, this is unusual, but it’s thanks to my local library that I’ve stepped out and read more adult fiction novels than I normally do in a year. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have had enough novels to create two posts. One of the novels is a library checkout; I purchased the other two.

The Mask Falling (Jan. 26, 2021) by Samantha Shannon.

*This is the fourth novel in a series.*

*Warning: Potential spoilers included for those unfamiliar with the series.*

The Pale Dreamer is dead. That is what the Republic of Scion wants everyone to believe. But dreamwalker Paige Mahoney isn’t dead, having eluded death yet again. She’s been snatched from captivity and consigned to a safe house in the Scion Citadel of Paris with assistance from the mysterious Domino Program (a network of free-world spies). They have plans for her, but she has plans of her own. That’s to be expected from the voyant (clairvoyant) who defeated Jaxon, her previous mime-lord, to become the Underqueen of London’s voyant community. This community is one-turned-rebellion, and she’s re-made herself as the Black Moth. She’s accompanied by Warden (Arcturus Mesarthim), a Rephaim who’s her former enemy-turned-bodyguard. Paige is not accustomed to taking orders, which may contribute to the bold moves she makes as Black Moth (vs. as an agent of the Domino Program). Bold sometimes equates to foolish, and, like any human, she can also jump to conclusions that may have devastating outcomes. Scion is really a puppet of the Rephaim under Nashira Sargas, who plans to force the voyant community to unwillingly serve the Rephaim. Paige and her allies want to undercut Scion, and their adventures will lead them into the catacombs of Paris and the glittering corridors of Versailles. But it isn’t all plans, plotting and undermining, as Paige simultaneously works through the trauma of torture at the hands of the Rephaim and her feelings for Arcturus. Paige may be a dreamwalker, but this world under Scion is a nightmare.

            With traumatic memories, fresh betrayals and a weighted sense of duty, plotting, near-death escapes and gut-clenching action, this fourth in the Bone Season series is a fantasy-slash-dystopian novel that’s also a paranormal-slash-political thriller. It’s a novel with a deeply emotional arc through Paige and contains excellent world-building. It is as epic as its predecessors, and there’s no question that Shannon is an incredible storyteller with a sharp, stunning imagination, but this volume does suffer from middle-book syndrome, in which it doesn’t quite live up to the WOW! factor of the first novel. I also struggled with the length between publication dates. When I finally got around to reading it, I felt like I needed a refresh session of the previous novel, though this feeling went away the further I delved into the story and remembered other bits and pieces. New readers will definitely want to start with Book One. Overall, the inventiveness of the series will be forward momentum to await the next installment. It’s gripping and unnerving, intricate and intrepid.

            Book One: The Bone Season (not reviewed)

            Book Two: The Mime Order (not reviewed)

            Book Three: The Song Rising (not reviewed)

A Mirror Mended (June 14, 2022) by Alix E. Harrow.

*This is the second novella in a series.*

Worry not, Sleeping Beauty, Zinnia Gray is coming to rescue you again. And again. And again. She’s still Dying Girl, that Generalized Roseville Malady (GRM) will snuff her out eventually, but she’ll be the dimension-hopping, damsel-saving warrior that she can be for as long as she can. Still, if some of those princesses would start solving their own narratives without her help, more power to them and less headache for her. She’s at yet another “happily ever after” wedding when she looks into the mirror and someone else is looking back. Eyes brimming with desperate hunger, her lips moving in a plea, Zinnia reaches out to her, is pulled right into another dimension and stares at a face of evil. Truly. She’s staring at Snow White’s Evil Queen (who has no real name until Zinnia starts calling her Eva). It’s the first inter-dimensional travel that hasn’t deposited her into another Sleeping Beauty story. But it turns out that sort of strangeness is occurring with more frequency: a golden egg in the belly of a goose, a talking wolf in the woods, Zinnia’s copy of Grimm’s Fairy Tales with its grape juice stain and tatty ribbon that should be at her home in her own dimension, but clearly isn’t. The Evil Queen knows how her story ends and doesn’t want to be resigned to such a fate (understandably so). But can a character plotted for a villainous role become the protagonist of one’s own story? With the curiouser and curiouser things occurring where they shouldn’t, is that a result of Zinnia’s travels messing with the fairy tale multiverse?

            The next installment in the Fractured Fables series continues its female-centric theme:  of female empowerment, autonomy, strength and friendship. Of having one’s own agency. For those who’ve read the first novella, Zinnia oftentimes remains her crass, self-involved, crude self. Her fly-by-her-own-whims, thoughtless nature is ruining her friendship with her best friend, and with story-hopping consequences showing up, she needs to find her way home, probably for good. This novella traverses worlds with darkness and danger, and Harrow isn’t afraid to point out the unattractive. The author clearly knows her fairy tales and, like the first tale, this one contains a plethora of pop culture references, but readers do see growth in Zinnia. The novella presents queer relationships as relationships, and Harrow’s academic background (“I’m sure Charm would explain about the psychic weight of repeated motifs and the narrative resonance between worlds if I asked…”) shines through in her smart writing. She efficiently packs a lot into the slim volume, limited word count be darned, and creates a story that’s lively, yet can be read in a single sitting. It’s a story where a villain has the potential to be the protagonist and where the one the villain saves may save her in return. But I’ll be honest, I didn’t love the tale. I checked it out from the library because it’s short, and I trusted that I could finish the story despite the busyness of the Christmas season.

            Book 1: A Spindle Splintered

The Wish (Sept. 28, 2021) by Nicholas Sparks.

*This is a standalone novel.*

It is 2019, and Margaret (Maggie) Dawes is a renowned travel photographer. She leads a busy life, traveling the world photographing remote locations, running a successful gallery in NYC and maintaining her social media accounts. As the year is closing, she finds herself grounded over the Christmas holiday, having to come to terms with a sobering medical diagnosis that predicts she only has a few months left. Her own family notwithstanding, she’s got a found family in her assistant, Luanne Sommers, Trinity, a famous sculpture artist who showcases pieces in Maggie’s gallery, and Mark Price, her more-recently-hired young assistant (he’s 23). Mark’s been a model assistant; he doesn’t pry into her personal life and hasn’t even watched any of her YouTube videos since he was hired on. But as Mark runs the gallery while Trinity and Luanne are away on their respective vacations, Maggie tells him the story of another time. She reminisces back to 1995, when she made a choice and wound up pregnant. Sent away to an older aunt/former nun in Ocracoke, a remote village on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, Maggie is 16 in 1996 when she gives birth to a baby she immediately puts up for adoption. While there, battling loneliness and depression, she grows close to Aunt Linda (her father’s much older sister), whom she didn’t know well, and Bryce Trickett, a rare teenager on the island during the winter season. Bryce is her tutor, the one who introduces her to photography and the boy she ends up loving. But in 2019, Maggie is a 39-year-old woman who’s never married. Has Maggie been that dedicated to her passion all these years, married to her work? Or was there a course change in the intervening years that couldn’t have been predicted?

            I’ll admit that I’ve struggled to read through some of Sparks’ more recent novels, because they either haven’t been engaging to me or I didn’t like one or both lead characters, but the tide turned favorable for this novel. “The Wish” is a tale you know isn’t going to have a happy ending, but the mental toughness and physical vulnerability of a body shutting down gave it so much weight and depth. It’s an emotional novel. Just because it’s a fictional one doesn’t lessen the impact of first love or demean the choices that pave the way or make someone wonder what if? It’s bittersweet, but can also be enchanting, though the winter backdrop and Christmas decorations certainly help with that picture. This is a story of love and loss and being found. It may also be a story that makes readers pause to think of their own mortality and their humanity, too.

Rutabaga's Reads 2022: Part 25

Where there is a YA compilation, so, too, will there be an inspirational fiction (InspFic) post following. Presenting my second InspFic post of 2022 as we’re almost at the year’s en

The Beginning (Sept. 7, 2021) by Beverly Lewis. 

*This is a standalone novel with a crossover character.*

Love cannot be unrequited when one doesn’t know love is present. That’s how it’s turning for Susie Mast. She cares deeply for her dear friend, Obie Yoder, but when Obie takes an apprenticeship with a relative 100 miles away, she feels the loss of his presence in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. She goes out with Del Petersheim briefly, but the spark isn’t there. She ends things, but doesn’t share the news with Obie, especially after hearing that he’s soon to be engaged. She writes her final letter to Obie and that is that (or is it?). Meanwhile, her Old Order Amish life keeps her continually busy. From busily maintaining the house and homestead so Mamma - whose health has been suffering - need not worry over it and taking her turn with her mom’s little shop and accepting custom orders for her needlework family trees, there’s little time for much else, though concerns loom over her. Concerns regarding her mom, certainly, and news dropped by her older brother, Allen. The deaths of her close-in-age brother, Eli, and their dat continue to cast long shadows. She has her younger sister, Britta, who’s a hard worker, but Britta has been distracted here lately, too.

            Britta is adopted. She’s always known this. Unlike the blonde hair of her family members, hers is a rich brown and can be unmanageably wavy. She has been curious about her origin, though she tries to hide the extent to how desperately she wants information. When Mamma finally shares, Britta is floored. Will learning the truth affect how others view her? Will she become unworthy in the eyes of the People? Will she use her upcoming Rumschpringe to venture into the English world?

            Beverly Lewis’ books continue to enthrall me. I’m always impressed by how Lewis writes her characters with such solid faith, and they share Scripture and lift up prayers so naturally. It never feels forced. A running theme for multiple characters is forgiveness. It’s okay to struggle with it, and it’s okay to be frustrated, but one doesn’t want that frustration to turn to anger. As always, a strong sense of family and community is present. Reading Lewis’ stories are like being gently folded into a dessert; there’s such care. This book - and all of hers - are great for readers who enjoy Amish fiction, light romance and faith-based novels.

The Deadly Shallows (July 5, 2022) by Dani Pettrey.

*This is the third novel in a series.*

A CGIS graduation ceremony in Wilmington, North Carolina, is rocked by a devastating attack with multiple fatalities. CGIS Agent Noah Rowley and his team arrive on-scene to end the violent attack, but he’s injured in the process. Coast Guard flight medic Brooke Kesler witnesses the attack and feels the weight of that trauma, but she jumps into professional mode when she’s needed on medical flights. The first flight carries the only surviving gunman, and he whispers a word to her that is nonsensical to her, but which puts a target on her back. Noah’s hospital room becomes a command center, but he spends most of his time with Brooke when she becomes a patient (he doesn’t want to say she’s a victim). Noah wants to protect Brooke, but the more they investigate, the more they uncover. The shooting may have been a distraction from a grander plan that could have even more horrifying consequences in the wrong hands. It’s not the end. It’s only the beginning.

            When it comes to inspirational, romantic suspense, Pettrey is my favorite. Her thrill rides in literary form take sharp turns and drip with mal-intent, but her protagonists are the types of folks you want to be your friends and your neighbors, members of your church. This contemporary fiction novel is written with intense realism and contains a tight plot. The swings in tension are balanced with calm moments and trauma with the busyness of investigation and research. Burgeoning romance between Brooke and Noah and Caleb Eason and Austin Kelly add a layer of sweetness that bolsters the book’s masterful storytelling. Book Three in the Coastal Guardians series is another exhilarating gem. For me, Pettrey’s books are always five out of five stars!

            Book One: The Killing Tide

            Book Two: The Crushing Depths

To Write a Wrong (Aug. 3, 2021) by Jen Turano.

*This is the second​ novel in a series.*

Though the general public doesn’t know it, Miss Daphne Beekman is a mystery writer by day. She has a nom de plume, as her publisher doesn’t believe her famed mystery novels will sell if readers discover the writer’s a woman. She moonlights as a member of the Bleecker Street Inquiry Agency. She prefers to do behind-the-scenes work, well away from any danger. This changes when Mr. Herman Henderson seeks the services of the women of the agency. Herman, too, is a mystery writer, though, as a man, he doesn’t need to hide behind a pen name. While he may have overlooked it at first, he’s decided that someone is definitely trying to do him in. The close call that sends him to Bleecker Street is one in which he was almost run over. Despite the exciting novels he pens, he tends to lead a quiet life, not wanting to tempt himself with his own adventurous lifestyle, lest he perish on an expedition like his parents did when he was a youth. Daphne and her friends and fellow agents go undercover to Herman’s house, posing as Herman’s secretary (Daphne) and household staff, to flush out the person who wants Herman dead. The unfortunate part about working closely with the potential victim is that Daphne and her friends may become victims, too. Even with the danger, a clear attachment is forming between Herman and Daphne. Instead of crafting edge-of-your-seat fictional mysteries, the two must solve their own real-life mystery before they can write their own story. And a love story can be mysterious and adventurous, too.

            In this second installment in the Bleecker Street Inquiry Agency, readers are treated to a delightful story featuring female sleuths in a faith-themed, historical mystery that’s also part romantic comedy. It is as entertaining and quick-witted as Turano’s other stories that I’ve read. Like the skilled storyteller she is, Turano seamlessly blends elements of danger, the focus of an investigation, the percolation of new romance and snappy banter with faith and belief in prayer. Daphne prays for courage and wonders if courage has passed her by when, in fact, God has been working on her this entire time. It’s encouraging to see growth like that, even in a fictional tale. And I can always trust that writing a wrong is exactly right when the right writer writing is Jen Turano!

            Book One: To Steal a Heart​