The Bear and the Nightingale

The Bear and the Nighingale

By Katherine Arden
Published: Del Ray, 2017
Pages: 370
Genre: Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Magical Realism
Amazon, Goodreads

The shadow on the wall. You cannot trust him. Beware the dead.

About the book

At the edge of the Russian wilderness, winter lasts most of the year and the snowdrifts grow taller than houses. But Vasilisa doesn't mind—she spends the winter nights huddled around the embers of a fire with her beloved siblings, listening to her nurse's fairy tales. Above all, she loves the chilling story of Frost, the blue-eyed winter demon, who appears in the frigid night to claim unwary souls. Wise Russians fear him, her nurse says, and honor the spirits of house and yard and forest that protect their homes from evil.

After Vasilisa's mother dies, her father goes to Moscow and brings home a new wife. Fiercely devout, city-bred, Vasilisa's new stepmother forbids her family from honoring the household spirits. The family acquiesces, but Vasilisa is frightened, sensing that more hinges upon their rituals than anyone knows.

And indeed, crops begin to fail, evil creatures of the forest creep nearer, and misfortune stalks the village. All the while, Vasilisa's stepmother grows ever harsher in her determination to groom her rebellious stepdaughter for either marriage or confinement in a convent.

As danger circles, Vasilisa must defy even the people she loves and call on dangerous gifts she has long concealed—this, in order to protect her family from a threat that seems to have stepped from her nurse's most frightening tales.

Review

The Bear and the Nightingale is an elegantly-woven tale that mixes Russian folklore, fantasy, and complex family dynamics. It's a book that sucks you into a mythical world and won't let you go.

This book is a great example of dark, intriguing atmosphere; it's set at the outer wildness of Russia before modern technology. The The setting is enough alone to be fascinating -  but the author also weaves myth and folklore into the storyline. 

The author creates vivid imagery in the novel that makes the story come to life, such as:

But the chill of that burnt forest, of the frost-demon's touch, lingered. Dunya's bones shook until it seemed they would shake through her skin. All she could see was the frost-demon, intent and despairing, and the laughing face of his brother, the one-eyed creature. The two faces blurred into one. The blue stone in her pocket seemed to drip icy flame. Her skin cracked and blackened when her hand closed tight around it.

The writing is addicting and compelling with an air of mysteriousness and magical realism. 

If you've been following my reviews, you already know that Vasya is my favorite type of protagonist; fierce, strong, independent, and intelligent. Suffocated by society's expectations of who she should be - a mild, well-mannered maiden to be married off and turned into a baby factory - Vasya finds peace in the woods and the ability to be who she was born to be. The other characters are as distinct and well-written as Vasya.

The Bear and the Nightingale is the first book in a trilogy, and I'm curious to how this story will continue. I definitely recommend it.

RATING (out of five puppies):

Two Can Keep a Secret

Two Can Keep a Secret

By Karen M. McManus
Published: Delacorte Press, 2019
Pages: 327
Genre: Young Adult, Mystery
Amazon, Goodreads

There's something deeply, fundamentally satisfying about confronting a monster and escaping unscathed.

Real monsters aren't like that. They don't let go.

About the book

Echo Ridge is small-town America. Ellery's never been there, but she's heard all about it. Her aunt went missing there at age seventeen. And only five years ago, a homecoming queen put the town on the map when she was killed. Now Ellery has to move there to live with a grandmother she barely knows.

The town is picture-perfect, but it's hiding secrets. And before school even begins for Ellery, someone declares open season on homecoming, promising to make it as dangerous as it was five years ago. Then, almost as if to prove it, another girl goes missing.

Ellery knows all about secrets. Her mother has them; her grandmother does too. And the longer she's in Echo Ridge, the clearer it becomes that everyone there is hiding something. The thing is, secrets are dangerous - and most people aren't good at keeping them. Which is why in Echo Ridge, it's safest to keep your secrets to yourself.

Review

I have to admit, I was sooo disappointed in Two Can Keep a Secret. The author's first book, One of Us is Lying, was one of my favorite reads of 2018. I had high expectations for her second novel, and I was definitely let down.

The main issue I had with the novel was the writing; it was dull, uninspired and felt forced at times. I kept getting bored while reading the story and only finished because I had liked the author's first book so much.

The plot is interesting and is unique like the storyline of One of Us is Lying; both are super mysterious and creepy. I enjoyed the atmosphere of Echo Ridge, it has that small-town feel that is also sinister. I'm wondering what the purpose of the hit-and-run accident at the beginning is for in regards to the storyline. I believed it to be distracting from the main plot.

As for the characters, I enjoyed Ellery's and Ezra's characterizations. They seemed like REAL people to me; however, I felt like they were poorly developed, along with the rest of the characters in the story.

Unfortunately, Two Can Keep a Secret is not a novel I'd recommend to anyone.

RATING (out of five puppies):

Neverwhere

Neverwhere

By Neil Gaiman
Published: William Morrow, 2015 (my version)
Pages: 318
Genre: Mystery, Fantasy
Amazon, Goodreads

"What's it like being dead? It's very cold, my friend. Very dark, and very cold."

About the book

Neverwhere is the story of Richard Mayhew, a young London businessman with a good heart and an ordinary life, which is changed forever when he discovers a girl bleeding on the sidewalk. He stops to help her - an act of kindness that plunges him into a world he never dreamed existed.

Sleeping through the cracks of reality, Richard lands in Neverwhere - a London of shadows and darkness, monsters and saints, murderers and angels that exists entirely in a subterranean labyrinth. The Neverwhere is home to Door, the mysterious girl Richard helped in the London Above. Door, a noblewoman whose family has been murdered, is on a quest to find the agent that slaughtered her family and thwart the destruction of this underworld kingdom. If Richard is ever to return to his former life, he must join the journey to save Door's world - and find a way to survive.

Review

In Nevermore, Neil Gaiman writes an engaging, mystical story that's a blend of fantasy, mythology, mystery, and horror. This novel is well-written and enchanting with a solid plot. I was surprised by the tone of horror and fantasy; I knew an underground world was in the plot but I was pleasantly surprised by the aura of total creepiness.

I felt the novel expressed a central theme of doing what you feel is right in life and doing what makes you happy. Richard, the protagonist, experiences this, which is all I can say without giving away spoilers. I think this is an important topic; there is too many today that feel they have to act a certain way, pretend to be a certain type of person that isn't true to who they are. It's only through being true to ourselves that we can obtain happiness. At least, that's what I believe to be true... I'm not actually at the stage yet myself.

Speaking of Richard, I did NOT like his character. I found him to be annoying, whimpy and whiny. He constantly asked dumb questions and complained all the time. That's that main thing I disliked about Neverwhere. Richard does go through a transformation through the story, from a coward to a hero. He was still super annoying, though. I also didn't feel any kind of connection to Door, which I believe to be a downer since she is a major part of the plot.

Neverwhere is still an enjoyable, compelling mystery for those who also like a little fantasy and horror in their books.

RATING (out of five puppies)

On the Come Up

On the Come Up

By Angie Thomas
Published:Balzer & Bray, 2019
Pages: 447
Genre: Young Adult
Amazon, Goodreads

We ain't letting it stop the come up.

About the book

Sixteen-year-old Bri wants to be one of the greatest rappers of all time. Or at least win her first battle. As the daughter of an underground hip-hop legend who died right before he hit big, Bri's got massive shoes to fill. But it's hard to get your come up when you're labeled a hoodlum at school and your fridge at home is empty after your mom loses her job. So Bri pours her anger and frustration into her first song, which goes viral . . . for the wrong reasons.

Bri soon finds herself at the center of a controversy, portrayed by the media as more menace than MC. But with an eviction notice staring her family down, Bri doesn't just want to make it - she has to. Even if it means becoming the very thing the public has made her out to be.

Review

On the Come Up is a poignant, remarkable novel about discovering yourself and sticking to your dreams, no matter how ridiculous they may seem.

The plot is so unique in itself; there's not many novels centered around rape scenes/gangs. On the Come Up is set in the same neighborhood as The Hate U Give, but with a different plot and cast of characters. This is something I really enjoyed about Thomas's second novel... race relations and police discrimination are also focus points in the story. I never felt like On the Come Up was a recycled version of The Hate U Give; Thomas manages to write a funny, important story that addresses similar issues but is still totally different from her debut novel.

I really enjoyed Bri. She's sassy, intelligent, ambitious, hot-headed and mouthy. Even at the beginning when she's struggling to find success as an up-and-coming rapper, she knows that she's not her father, she wants to get on top using her own talents and not live in her father's shadow. I also loved how Bri is also a total nerd! She loves Star Wars and Harry Potter. This gives her character dimension and illustrates the other parts of her interests. The other characters were just as intriguing, realistic and gripping.

On the Come Up is a fantastic read that will definitely be made into a movie some point in the future. those who loved The Hate U Give will love Thomas's second novel just as much!

RATING (out of five puppies)

The Wicked King

The Wicked King

By Holly Black
Published: Little, Brown and Company, 2019
Pages: 326
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Amazon, Goodreads

You must be strong enough to strike and strike and strike again without tiring. The first lesson is to make yourself that strong.

About the book

Jude has bound the wicked king, Cardan, to her and made herself the power behind the throne. Navigating the constantly shifting political alliances of Faerie would be difficult enough if Cardan were biddable. But he does everything in his power to humiliate and undermine her, even as his fascination with her remains undiminished.

When it becomes all too clear that someone close to Jude means to betray her, threatening her life and the lives of everyone she loves, Jude must uncover the traitor and fight her own complicated feelings for Cardan to maintain control as a mortal in a faerie world.

Review

Holly Black continues the cruel, heart-wrenching world of Faerie in The Cruel Prince's follow up novel, The Wicked King. I'm shocked after finishing the end the book; it seems with Black's novels I always think things are going to go one way then I'm abruptly turned around and left second guessing everything I thought I knew.

I don't feel like I can say much without ruining The Wicked King or The Cruel Prince (click here for the review of The Cruel Prince). The characters were well-written and executed like in the first book. Jude still proves to be a solid protagonist; she's strong, intelligent but she turns hard, into someone who is OK with murder as long as she obtains her goal. However, I felt kind of lost during The Wicked King... the plot got muddled in the middle of the story.

Nonetheless, I'd still recommend reading this book if you enjoyed The Cruel Prince. I'm anxiously awaiting the release of the third novel!

RATING (out of five puppies):

Dear Evan Hansen

Dear Evan Hansen

By Val Emmich, Steven Levenson, Benj Pasek & Juston Paul
Published: Poppy, 2018
Pages: 358
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary
Amazon, Goodreads

That's the gift that he gave me . . . to show me that I wasn't alone. To show me that I matter.

About the book

When a letter that was never meant to be seen draws high school senior Evan Hansen into a family's grief over the loss of their son, Evan is given the chance of a lifetime: to belong. He just has to pretend that the notoriously troubled Connor Murphy was his secret best friend.

Suddenly, Evan isn't invisible anymore - even to the girl of his dreams. And Connor Murphy's parents have taken him in like he's their own, desperate to know more about their enigmatic son from his "closest friend." as Evan gets pulled deeper into the family's swirl of anger, regret, and confusion, he knows that what he's doing can't be right, but if he's helping people, how wrong can it be?

No longer incapacitated by anxiety or hiding from the disappointment in his mother's eyes, this new Evan has a purpose. And confidence. Every day is amazing. Until everything is in danger of unraveling and he comes face-to-face with his greatest obstacle: himself.

Review

I haven't been able to see the broadway show, but I love the soundtrack and everything that is Dear Evan Hansen. I was Evan growing up: extremely anxious, lonely and yearning to fit in. It didn't even matter where or what clique I was in, I just wanted to belong. The story of Dear Evan Hansen is profound and necessary for anyone who's felt like Evan.

Now that I've expressed my true love for the DEH story in general, let's get to the book. I devoured the book in a day. The writing is gripping and I truly felt Evan's anxiety because I've been there... my entire life I've been there. The characters are great, and the plot is strong.

I can understand why some readers may dislike this book. On the surface, a teenager is lying to a grieving family. This monstrosity turned me off at first glance - it would anyone. The thing is, though, this interaction shows how paralyzed Evan is by his anxiety. I'm an adult now, and obviously I would have told Connor's parents right off the bat that the letter wasn't written by Connor, but thinking back to my time in middle school and the early part of high school, I might not have made the same decision. I remember I used to just agree with whatever someone else said because my anxiety gripped me so hard that I couldn't move or speak.

I did have a hard time reviewing DEH the novel. I was going to give it three puppies but bumped my rating up to four puppies because of the story's message.

The message of DEH is loud and clear: no matter what you're going through, no matter what you're feeling right now, you will be found and you will belong. I cannot express how important this message is. Teenagers and young adults are constantly bombarded with negative imagery and communications via media and the Internet. The Internet and text messaging has depersonalized communication, which makes cyber bullying more prevalent, and our world seem more lonely.

RATING (out of five puppies):

Faithful Place

Faithful Place

By Tana French
Published: Viking, 2010
Pages: 400
Genre: Mystery
Amazon, Goodreads

I got to feel the riptide pull of my life spinning around me, one winter night, while I waited in the dark at the top of Faithful Place.

About the book

Back in 1985, Frank Mackey was nineteen, growing up poor in Dublin's inner city and living crammed into a small flat with his family on Faithful Place. But he had his sights set on a lot more. He and his girl, Rosie Daly, wee all set to run away to London together, get married, get good jobs, break away from factory work and poverty and their old lives.

But on the winter night when they were supposed to leave, Rosie didn't show. Frank took it for granted that she'd given him the brush-off - probably because of his alcoholic father, nutcase mother, and generally dysfunctional family. He never went home again.

Neither did Rosie. Everyone thought she had gone to England on her own and was over there living a shiny new life. Then, twenty-two years later, Rosie's suitcase shows up behind a fireplace in a derelict house on Faithful Place, and Frank is going home whether he likes it or not.

Getting sucked in is a lot easier than getting out again. Frank finds himself straight back in the dark tangle of relationships he left behind. The cops working the case want him out of the way, in case loyalty to his family and community makes him a liability. Faithful Place wants him out because he's a detective now, and the Place has never liked cops. Frank just wants to find out what happened to Rosie Daly - and he's willing to do whatever it takes, to himself or anyone else, to get the job done.

Review

Once again, Tana French expertly crafts an intriguing, who-dun-it murder mystery story set in poverty-stricken Ireland. I picked up this book because I wanted to read a good, thick mystery while I was stuck inside during a snow storm and I was not disappointed.

What makes French's novels so addicting and popular is the air of mystique she creates; every single one of her Dublin Murder Squad books is dark and emotionally-charged that leaves readers feeling ALL of the feels. I've read the first three books  (Faithful Place is the third), and they're all excellent.

As for Faithful Place, the characters are elegantly written. Frank Mackey is a character you can either love or hate. He's stubborn and snarky and willing to bend the rules to get what he wants. But, Frank is also charming and fiercely protective of his daughter, Holly, who becomes a major part of this story.

I've also read The Secret Place, which I believe is the seventh or eighth book of the series, and Holly is older and centered in that story as well; from reading that book then Faithful Place, I can tell French has adequately developed Holly's character and personality. You don't have to read the books in order, but I feel it is best in order to get the full effect of French's series.

So ANYWAY, back to the book (I feel like I keep getting off track!). The plot is solid, and French's novels are always well-written and gripping. The Faithful Place is the perfect book to read for those looking for a good mystery!

RATING (out of five puppies):