cuppa novels

Sometimes motivation comes from within. Sometimes it comes from strangers on the Internet. Enter: the adventures of trying to write a novel. Posts include: book reviews, novel inspiration, & procrastination.

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review:crown of coral and pearl by mara rutherford

Lately, it’s been rare for me to find novels on NetGalley that I enjoy. Crown of Coral and Pearl was a diamond in the rough, and made my long subway ride feel like a hot second. It’s by no means a flawless read, but it stood out from the pack thanks to Rutherford’s beautiful writing. 

In comparison to the last book I reviewed (”Gravemaidens”), I felt the bonds of sisterhood in this one. Nor and Zadie are identical sisters who live in a small village surrounded by water. The village is known for beautiful maidens, and sending a bride to marry the royalty of Ilara. (Yes, vapid, but that’s the point.) Nor is itching to see the world, but only the woman chosen to be married is ever allowed to leave the village. And she has a permanent scar that determined years ago her sister, Zadie, would win the Crown Prince’s hand. In a twist of fate, Nor is sent to Ilara to marry the Crown Prince in her place. Her future husband is Prince Ceren, a cold, quirky boy who lives in a castle devoid of sunlight. He’s not easy to like, so good thing she fell madly in love with his half brother, Prince Talin, at first glance. 

Let me be clear - there are no surprises in this one for a well-read individual. You watch the plot unfold, but don’t feel like you’re in it with the MC in all the twists and turns. There is no murder mystery. The romance is kind of crap to be honest. What was interesting for me was watching Nor make the choices she does. I know that sounds strange, but it’s kind of intriguing as she unravels every little thread and realizes how big the world she lives in really is. Her world was her village, and she discovers that in the grand scheme of things, Ilara has way bigger fish to fry. Reason why it was also so fun? Nor is a strong, opinionated character with a set of morals she stuck to the whole book. Weirdly enough, it’s a rare sight to see such a predictable path from MCs, and I admired it. 

World-building was A+. The pacing was great. And if Talin and their quick, vapid romance wasn’t involved, Nor was a fun character and a loyal sister. You felt how much she cared through the pages. 

Crown of Coral & Pearl: 3.5 stars

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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review: gravemaidens by kelly coon

Gravemaidens has an interesting premise. What if you lived in a society where a woman’s death was glorified? What if it was an honor to be chosen to be buried with your ruler when they died? Welcome to Alu. 

When Alu’s ruler falls ill, Kammani’s little sister, Nanaea, is chosen to be one of the “sacred maidens” to join him in the afterlife. Nanaea is over the moon about it. She gets to live and die the life of a queen. But Kammani sees the disguise behind this “honor” & will stop at nothing to save her sister from the grave. 

There are plenty of other reviews covering the plot, so I’ll dive into the character development. Overall, the story wasn’t bad, but did trend toward juvenile.  Kammani should be intelligent considering her vast healing knowledge. However, she made so many idiotic choices towards the end of the novel that half of me just wondered if Coon was trying to rush on the plot. The villain was so obvious, I wanted to hit this MC on the head. A very narrow-minded character, god bless her soul. She’s noble, but her IQ is questionable. She also refuses to accept she loves Dagan, her love interest, and spends majority of the novel leading him on. Aye. 

And her sister was truly a piece of work. I enjoyed the realistic sister relationship (I have two sisters myself), but Nanaea was so utterly annoying. The caricature of a spoiled younger sister.

The love interest was a dedicated Kammani fan, but boring. I was waiting for some “umph,” but he was almost too wallflower-like. I feel like some may find the loyal, respectable, “friend turned lover” path appealing though, so to each his own. 

What I did love: the fact that Kammani wanted to be the greatest healer- or an Az-u. Total girl power. Her destiny encompasses more than children (much like her neighbors). Or does it... 

Anyway. I won’t give away the ending, but it wraps up everything in a pretty bow. Take from that what you will. My favorite part of this book was what it was based on - sacrifice in Ancient Sumer. I love it when writers read something from history, wonder, then build a world from it. 

Overall, not a bad debut. Great pacing, predictable plot, and an interesting cast of characters. Not my cup of tea, but would definitely recommend for the older teens. 

Gravemaidens: 3 stars

*I received this book from NetGalley for free in exchange for my honest opinions*

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quick picks

I’m on a binge-reading frenzy and I can’t stop. 

recents:

all you can ever know by nicole chung: POV from an adoptee with a closed adoption. super interesting, but so many questions on some of the reasons behind inaction. felt like parts were essays > narrative. (3 stars) 

am I there yet? by mari andrew: super relatable on my part, but felt like the narrative was all over the place. author didn’t ground us from start. (3.5 stars) 

vita nostra by sergey and marina dyanchenko: it took me 50 page to get through rough translations, but in the end, this russian novels was so utterly fascinating. russia + dark fantasy + philosophy. thought-provoking. (3.75 stars)

court of frost and starlight by sarah j maas: love her writing, but this was such a segue book. I thought it was a novella at first (still not convinced it’s not). nothing in here needed to be here. (3.25 stars)

darkest minds by alexandra bracken: read this years ago, and still think there’s so much potential that’s barely being explored. ending also was a little “really.” would love to read more outside main character’s POV when everything began. (3.25 stars)

the hating game by sally thorne: a friend recommended this to me - light, summer read. a little funny, completely predictable, steamy when you need a pick-me-up. (4 stars) 

adventures of a vegan vamp by cate lawley: got through half of this before DNF. I couldn't - the writing and character was too juvenile. (2 stars)  

[carswells]

we continue on that way, swords arcing through the air, our breath ragged. soon there’s sun in the distance, or perhaps even moonlight. everything is muted and as lira swoops her blade down on mine once more, I let it all fall away.

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review: the hazel wood by melissa albert

In the spirit of full disclosure, I read The Hazel Wood awhile back when it was first being released to the masses. I told myself I’d review it later, then life happened, and well, here we are. Despite its sometimes scattered narrative, what stuck with me all these months is the writing. Albert has mastered the art of disguising a whimsical voice and purple prose within the dialogue of a seventeen-year-old girl named Alice. If you enjoy dreamy magical realism and metaphors, this is for you. The novel embodies a dark fairy tale within a modern setting - there’s mystery, words that mean nothing and maybe something, and misdirect. 

It took me a few times on the subway to read this. (It’s definitely not a fast-paced book, and meant to be enjoyed or mulled over.) The Hazel Wood opens up on the relationship and background of Alice and her mother, Ella. Most of Alice’s life has been spent on the road due to a string of bad luck clearly linked to the elusive Althea Prosperine (Alice’s grandmother) and her collection of dark fairytales - Tales from the Hinterland. Alice has never met her grandmother, but when her mother is seemingly kidnapped, she teams up with grandma and #1 Hinterland groupie, Ellery Finch, so she can use his knowledge of the stories to find her grandmother’s secret estate - the famous Hazel Wood. 

The whole story plot pace is hinged on fairytale logic. You know, the when you want to find it, good luck, but when it wants you to find it, tadaaa, and less on the intelligence of the characters. Alice was sometimes hilarious, sometimes cold and distant. (To be fair, the girl doesn’t really have a past.)

“I remembered less from my own life than I did from the books I read.” 

Ellery (I think) is a hipster, or at least a hipster wannabe with the veneer of an academic. 

The Hinterland is very similar to Alice in Wonderland (not the Disney version). And in the end, I wanted to hear more of the fairy tales from Tales from the Hinterland rather the adventure of Alice and Ellery. If Albert ever writes a collection of Hinterland stories, sign me up. The stories we were able to read were creepy, dark, and exactly what I was craving. 

Overall, would recommend to people who love fairytale retellings, a little bit of nonsense, and a novel that can be enjoyed without thinking too hard. 

The Hazel Wood: 3.25 stars

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The quickest way to end this is to begin it, and that's no way to start, is it?

Melissa Albert, The Hazel Wood

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review: mirage by somaiya daud

You never know what world you’re about to delve into when you first start a book. And believe me, the world Somaiya Daud created in Mirage was completely unexpected. This novel is so saturated with culture, hell, it basically bleeds it. I loved how while this novel is technically set in an alternate, future-ish scifi universe, it is a meld of new and old. It’s sci-fi that could be fantasy, could be historical, there’s even a touch of magical realism here and there. It’s one of those novels that you almost need to re-read immediately after to capture every detail. 

Mirage centers on Amani, an eighteen-year-old woman on the cusp of adulthood. Her world is a small backwaters moon. Her family comes from a line of farmers. And her life is simple, albeit shadowed by the oppression of the brutal Vathek empire. Despite all of this, Amani is rich, especially in comparison to some of the later main characters. She has grown up knowing her background, her culture, her language, despite the Vathek occupation and their determination to erase other cultures and religions. She is a dreamer, living on lyrical old-world poetry and mythology of gods and history past. And while she dreams of receiving a sign from Dihya (a religious entity) for an adventure outside of her isolated moon, she isn’t quite prepared for what that means. 

“I’d dreamed forever of leaving Cadiz, of visiting other star systems in our galaxy. But I’d never thought I would be taken against my will. I was dragged through the building, pulled onto a ship, silent and numb, then finally deposited in a holding cell.”

The novel begins with Amani being whisked away from her coming of age ceremony on Cadiz, taken in secret to the royal palace. Here, she discovers she is nearly twin to the cruel half-Vathek Princess Maram. And because Princess Maram is hated amongst the star system, she needs a body double, someone ready to imitate her completely, even in death. 

I enjoyed Amani - she finds strength in her situation, and has to make a couple of big decisions that decide how her fate plays out. She places her trust a little too quickly, but isn’t unintelligent. We do have love, and while it’s obvious as to the reasons why the characters fall in love so quickly, I can’t quite pin it as instalove. 

Overall, Mirage is a fast, smart read, but moreso because you’re interested in the developing characters than the events that take place. The end conflict’s logic threw me off a bit, but I realize Daud’s strength isn’t plot, it’s setting. Mirage’s rich background and cruelties mirror both Moroccan history and colonialism (think 19th-century British imperialism). It’s also seeped in tradition of Arabic poetry, which I loved. 

I am 100% behind Veronica Roth and what she said about the novel. 

“Mirage is full of characters who feel like they existed long before the story began, and a rich world that is as beautiful as it is cruel.”

This is definitely a top book of 2018. 

Mirage: 4.25 stars

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review: an enchantment of ravens by margaret rogerson

Sometimes life hits us hard, & there’s not much room to breathe. It’s been awhile, but I’m back and reviewing! First up from the trusty Brooklyn Library Kindle collection is An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson. I saw the word fair folk and sold my soul before reading any of the reviews in great length. (Clearly riding a high from The Cruel Prince by Holly Black and craving some fae action.) Sort of wish I had glanced at them, but still read the whole thing in 2 1/2 train rides. 

Our story’s heroine is Isobel, a talented seventeen-year-old girl who makes her living painting portraits for the fair folk in the lovely town of Whimsy. I cannot for the life of me remember how she came to live in Whimsy, nor think it was ever really discussed in the novel, but Whimsy is this magical town stuck in perpetual summer. The fair folk come to visit said town when they want humans to work a “Craft”. Think of a Craft as human magic. Cooking, painting, writing, sewing are things only humans can do, and if a fae attempts them, they’re dust. It’s actually an interesting concept that I’ve got to give credit to Rogerson for. It takes away any credibility and appeal of being a fair folk, and gives us mere mortals some power. But I’m getting ahead of myself. Isobel’s Craft is highly prized, and she’s known across the courts (although we only hear about 3 maybe 4 patrons tops...). 

One day, a new patron comes to town. It’s Rook, the autumn prince. A prince who knows human emotion, a rarity amongst the fair folk. And Isobel makes a terrible mistake and paints mortal sorrow in his eyes, a weakness that can cost him his...position. (And I guess life since it’ll be a duel for the death.) In a fury, Rook spirits her away from Whimsy to stand trial for this terrible crime in the autumn court. But things don’t turn out exactly as he planned... 

If you want a light, fluffy read with a sometimes loyal heroine and a shade of a love interest, this is for you. Rook really has no personality (other than a past love interest we hear nothing about). Isobel falls right in love with him for no absolute reason other than the fact he’s pretty & “different from all the other fair folk.” The fair folk are moreso sad than terrifying. I personally enjoy my fae with a little more bite, more pride, and less vanity. These fair folk are caricatures craving human emotion. Sure, they’re a little annoying and mischievous, but I wasn’t buying the we can kill you at any turn aspect. Hell, I’m all behind the Alder King (the supposed biggest baddie of them all) who essentially wants to sleep through their idiocy. This novel really discredits fair folk lore and actually makes them more human than the humans. Or maybe I’m just feeling bloodthirsty and sadistic. 

Did I mention light, fluffy train read with an instalove couple? 

Now all I want to do is rename this novel to The Mystery of Whimsy. Truly, how does this world exist? We hear about the World Beyond (I’m assuming our dimension), but no background. None. Also, what the heck is Isobel’s true name? 

An Enchantment of Ravens: 2.25 stars

[bookaddict24-7]

Sometimes writers write about a world that does not yet exist.

Neil Gaiman, Introduction to Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury (via bookaddict24-7)

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I saw my life branching out before me like the green fig tree in the story. From the tip of every branch, like a fat purple fig, a wonderful future beckoned and winked. One fig was a husband and a happy home and children, and another fig was a famous poet and another fig was a brilliant professor, and another fig was Ee Gee, the amazing editor, and another fig was Europe and Africa and South America, and another fig was Constantin and Socrates and Attila and a pack of other lovers with queer names and offbeat professions, and another fig was an Olympic lady crew champion, and beyond and above these figs were many more figs I couldn't quite make out. I saw myself sitting in the crotch of this fig tree, starving to death, just because I couldn't make up my mind which of the figs I would choose. I wanted each and every one of them, but choosing one meant losing all the rest, and, as I sat there, unable to decide, the figs began to wrinkle and go black, and, one by one, they plopped to the ground at my feet.

Sylvia Plath, The Bell Jar

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review: when the moon was ours by anna-marie mclemore

This book cover does this story absolutely no justice. Why? Because McLemore’s novel was magic. This novel is more than just a love story, it’s a becoming story, a story of friendship. It’s timeless. It’s magical. And it’s perfect to snuggle up with in this upcoming fall weather. (I just can’t believe I only now discovered it.) 

My life has been a little insane lately with work (hence the slower time in between reviews), but When the Moon Was Ours was the perfect pick-me-up. First off, it’s magical realism to the core. If you’re not in the mood to have your wonder and belief be suspended, then wait. The story straddles the line between fantasy and reality. It’s all about the metaphor, and the novel is about the struggles each character faces. 

The writing is ethereal. I don’t know how to describe it otherwise. I feel like when it was written, the author was channeling the moon, darkness, stars, and a little witchcraft. If I had to assign it a month, it’s very October/November. A cold night with a slight breeze. A feeling you can’t explain that leaves you giddy. The exaltation you have at the start of a new beginning. 

The story arc revolves around two teenagers - Miel and Samir. Miel is Latina and Samir (Sam) is an Italian-Pakistani trans boy. They’re best friends, and both a little strange in their own ways. Miel spilled out of a water tower when she was 5, and has roses that grow from her wrist. Sam is an artist known for the moons he paints and hangs in trees. He’s the oddball in town because where he comes from. I loved how culture and tradition were so closely interwoven with lunar references and the magical realism in this novel. And it was worked in so naturally that you didn’t even question what was what. 

The main antagonists are the Bonner girls, four beautiful sisters that are the same as much as they are different. They’re after Miel’s roses, and will use secrets as knives to get them. In this novel’s case, they were used more as a tool to unravel the characters than as ways to move along the plot. I think we all  are parts of a Bonner sister. They represent hopes, dreams, and perspectives that are altogether sometimes extremely misguided. Miel and Sam were even moreso relatable. 

It’s alarming to say, but I haven’t read a ton of same-sex non-contemporary novels. This one tackled teen issues with such sensitivity and grace, it was almost heartbreaking at times. When The Moon Was Ours covers social issues (transgender, racism, same-sex, etc.) in a way that I’ve never seen before. It’s not sensationalized, it’s not glossed over. It’s respectful. It’s powerful. It’s moving. 

When the Moon Was Ours: 4 stars

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To the boys who get called girls, the girls who get called boys, and those who live outside these words. To those called names, and those searching for names of their own. To those who live on the edges, and in the spaces in between. I wish for you every light in the sky.

Anna-Marie McLemore (When the Moon Was Ours) 

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review: reincarnation blues by michael poore

I actually read this a few weeks ago on a bus to Boston and totally forgot to share my thoughts. The premise is fairly interesting - it’s about a man (Milo) who has been reincarnated nearly 10,000 times. I know the book summary talks about his search to be with his beloved, but he’s not really aiming for that. He’s aiming to reach Perfection. He also just happens to be in a relationship with Death. 

Reincarnation Blues is interesting & almost reads like an anthology. Every life Milo has is its own little story. They’re individual in plot and could be small standalones in some aspects. And with all anthologies come stories that we love, and stories we can do without. That’s how I felt about Milo’s lives that were showcased. 

When we are introduced to Milo, he has lived 9,995 lives and only has 5 more left to achieve Perfection. If he doesn’t, he’ll become nothingness. No more lives or existing. It’s doesn’t help that he’s in love with Death aka Suzie. She’s a complication because if he only has 5 more lives, how is he supposed to be with her to the end? And of course, life is all about that pursuit of happiness, knowledge, and hard choices. 

The book itself is fiction, but sometimes historical, sometimes fantasy, dystopian, and science-fiction. Poore’s definitely a creative and a philosopher of sorts. Reincarnation Blues definitely makes you think. I had a great time with the idea of this novel, but it loses steam in the middle if you’re preoccupied. Lives blend together, and nothing new is revealed for a few chapters. Suzie’s part could have been more engaging too. I felt like she wasn’t super evolved.  Poore could have dialed up certain aspects. It almost tried to be too many things. Go for the whacky humor or go philosophical/sentimental. It tried to be both and missed on both fronts. 

Despite the flaws, it’s a fun read. I’d definitely recommend for someone feeling a bit of everything in a book. 

Reincarnation Blues: 3.75

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review: perspective in action by david chelsea

I was super psyched to read this book because I’ve been wanting to work on using perspective, and David Chelsea is a well-established cartoonist and artist. And my favorite thing about Perspective In Action? It’s written like a comic book. 

Each frame is used to demonstrate the various technique and rules Chelsea is teaching his audience. It’s the best visual aid, and an excellent way to show versus tell. He doesn’t walk you step-by-step, but he gives you an idea of what you should be aspiring to. This is the third book in a series, so it’s assumed the reader has already mastered earlier skillsets/actually read the other 2 books. (Yours truly had not.) He does do a refresher course for the stragglers - the one-point, two-point, three-point perspectives - but it kicks off from there into advanced territory. 

If you’ve already mastered the basics of perspective and are looking for a challenge, you’ll be able to go through Chelsea’s book and work through some of the exercises. Be warned, each exercise is a full project simplified by comics. If you’re still starting out and haven’t come to a perspective aha moment yet, this book is a little complicated. Each exercise will seem unapproachable (right now). 

Perspective In Action is so fascinating in the way it describes advanced techniques and applications like the camera obscura, anamorphosis, cabinets of wonder, six-point, stereo perspectives. The secrets of optical illusions will blow your mind. Now I fully understand 3D sidewalk chalk. And the Ames Room. All about perspective and your vantage point. Like I mentioned, Chelsea sets up exercises for you so that you can paint on mirrors, create illusions of your own within your art. Some of the activities I wonder if anyone will even do, but I’m assuming he’s tried them all. I kept getting flashbacks to high school art class, and thought this would be a wonderful book for a teacher to use for Advanced Perspective. It’s engaging and visual enough to get students flipping through the pages if they’re hungry for more. 

Overall, a great find, but a little too much for me since I’m still so new with perspective. That doesn’t mean I’m not sharing the recommendation with my more skilled art friends. It’s an awesome read and wonderful addition to the Art world. 

Perspective In Action: 3.75 stars 

I received a copy of this book from Blogging For Books in exchange for an honest review.

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review: artemis by andy weir

Remember that guy who wrote The Martian and it became a bestseller & a movie? Well, he just wrote a new book called Artemis about a young smuggler. She’s 26-years-old, Arab, slightly criminal, and one of the more intelligent characters I’ve read in a couple of months. Oh, and did I mention she lives on the moon? 

Jasmine Bashara (Jazz) is just your average twentysomething with eyes full of stars and an empty wallet. Profession? Porter and small time smuggler. Who said living on Moon’s first civilization was easy? Unless you’re a rich tourist or billionaire, most citizens are just trying to make it. Problem? She’s far more intelligent than your typical Moon citizen, and when she gets the chance to commit that perfect crime, Jazz can’t help but try to pull of the impossible. Money is money. Unfortunately for her, there’s no such thing as “the perfect crime” and soon she finds herself caught in the middle of a conspiracy as opposing forces fight to control Artemis. 

Overall, this novel was fun. Jazz has a hilarious, likable personality, and uses humor as much as she can to tell the story. Weir definitely captures the typical millennial struggle of wanting to wander in life comfortably. I loved Jazz’s diverse background, her relationship with her father (despite it being strenuous), and entertaining perspective. I’m not sure if it was just me, but I just craved more. We got bite-sized information about Jazz’s past (some of it through e-mails), and a little bit about her present, but I would’ve loved some more character building. She’s the caricature of a kick-ass woman without the onion layers. And her promiscuity seemed to be her only descriptor at times which bugged me. I’d also have loved some world building. Don’t get me wrong. Artemis was described, for sure, but like Jazz, we only got to see the top layer. We got the rundown of the bubbles, the architecture of the city, but didn’t interact with anyone besides the main characters. If you want an action-packed, plot-heavy novel though, this one’s for you. 

This book is similar to Weir’s other book in the sense that all the characters need to apply scientific knowledge in order to survive the challenges thrown at them. Is it sad that even with Jazz’s interesting and understandable (aka dumbed down) explanations, I still struggled to understand what the hell was happening? I’d say that I’m generally an intelligent person, but I had to re-read paragraphs in this novel a couple of times just to understand the physics, chemistry, and economics of it all. I got the gist, but not with ease. It made me question whether this was a YA or adult novel. It’s skimpy enough to be a YA novel, but a little to heavy on the science to really fit that category. 

In a nutshell: A cool new addition to the sci-fi section and worth the read. 

Artemis: 4 stars

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review: in the woods by tana french

This book left me speechless. I don’t even know how I would describe it, genre-wise. To me, this wasn’t a crime novel, or even a mystery. It was a study of the human persona. I was thrown off by the richness of detail and complex personality of the narrator. We see his raw self -  his innermost thoughts and insecurities. Psychological. That’s the type of book this was. It’s not truly about the murder case, but about the detectives and their backstories.

The premise: in a small Dublin suburb in the 1980s, three children do not return from the woods at dusk. The only evidence of foul play? The police find one of the children gripping a tree trunk, wearing blood-filled tennis shoes and unable to remember a single thing. This little boy is Rob Ryan, our narrator and a detective on the Dublin Murder Squad. It’s now 20 years in the future, and he’s on a case with his partner Detective Cassie Maddox. Unfortunately for him, this case strikes a chord. A twelve-year-old girl is found murdered in the very same woods that his friends disappeared from, and it’s up to the duo to solve the mystery without losing their minds. 

Intriguing, right? Well, it took me quite a few subway rides to get through this. I kept putting it on the back burner because it’s so hefty. Not in pages, but in thoughts, emotions, and descriptors. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely loved the insights. The detective narrating, Rob Ryan (or Adam Ryan if you knew him before age twelve), is complicated. You want to ride him off as this cold-blooded closet case, but it’s impossible. He’s so much more than even who he perceives himself to be. He’s imperfect, sometimes a shitty person, but you can’t help but understand where he’s coming from. And it’s so intriguing how the people in your life can truly change your life. When his partner Cassie appears on the scene, she turns Rob’s life around and he changes into an entirely new person by her sheer presence. I loved that aspect. 

As an actual crime novel, this falls short. I figured out a majority of the details of the case at the beginning of the book, and it was only a matter of time till the detectives got their act together. Rob does give us a disclaimer that he has a tendency to lie, however I didn’t exactly see him as an unreliable narrator, more as a biased perspective. Don’t get me wrong, I did want to thwack him on the head many times (seriously, some things were so obvious), and was a little insulted when at the end he implied the reader was also duped. The one thing I wish we had gotten more carrots for was the cold case. That kept me going the whole book because I was rooting for Rob to uncover old memories. The memories of his that did come back were beautiful. Think: hot, lazy summer days, and childlike wonder. Think: wistful and warm. Despite the disappearance of the two children, the forest was Rob’s old playground, not a graveyard. 

French gets an A+ in character development. Neither Ryan or Maddox are the same people at the end of the case. The progression of all the characters was extremely real and altogether depressing. This novel makes you feel. It is sad. Takeaway? A child murder (and sexual assault) leaves everyone scarred, including the readers. I loved how French showed us how everyone involved is affected. The ending was difficult to read, but mostly because I wish happily ever afters are more realistic than they really are. 

Be warned, if you hate beautiful descriptions or thoughts that lead to a philosophical discussion of the human mind, this book is not for you. While the investigation of this novel was thorough, this is not a murder thriller either. It was wonderful though, and now I’m hooked. 

In the Woods: 4.25 stars 

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I am not good at noticing when I'm happy, except in retrospect.

Tana French