Tag: fiction

Song of the Sparrow

Song of the Sparrow
By Lisa Ann Sandell

Very few books have stayed with me since I was a child; that lasting impact is elusive and unquantifiable. The list for me doesn’t even use one hand: The Giver, The Two Princesses of Bamarre, and Shadow Spinner have been books I’ve thought about every now and then as I’ve grown up. Some I’ve reread. Song of the Sparrow is another book my mind has drifted to over and over.

There is something about this book that captured my attention, and I distinctly remember being unable to put it down. It’s a relatively short read, even for YA.

Now, with the more discerning eye of the writer and editor, I’ve reread my childhood favorite. I’m happy to report I love Song of the Sparrow as much as I did in the past, if not more.

So what drew me to this book and hooked me? The emotions. Song of the Sparrow is filled with a level of emotional maturity I rarely see in books. Its prose is poetic and lilting, written entirely in the lyrical form. (This book is 100% responsible for my early poetry curiosity.) And Sandell delivers. She writes of friendship, growing up, infatuation, young love, family, and so much more.

Elaine of Ascolat is the main character. She is sixteen, and she has grown up in a military camp surrounded by men who love her as family. Her story, her coming of age, is beautiful, and I’m struggling to say everything I want to without extreme spoilers. Of course, with Arthurian legend, many characters are going to be familiar: Arthur (of course,) Lancelot, Gwynevere, Morgan, and Merlin are just a few. But Sandell makes them people rather than legends. OK, maybe Merlin is still just as “wizardy” and odd as he is in most legends, but everyone else is definitely their own person with their own thoughts, beliefs, and ideas! They clash, forgive, confess, and cry. The emotional vulnerability and authenticity shown in Sandell’s book, through her characters, brings them to life.

Just like The Two Princesses of Bamarre, Song of the Sparrow had an impact on how I viewed romantic relationships and what I decided I wanted for myself. The huge, dramatic love I saw in movies and in most books always had so much yelling and heartbreak and, well, drama. And it never set right with me. What I wanted—what I needed—was love born from deep friendship. Song of the Sparrow is one of the few books that showed me it was possible, that what I wanted was something worth dreaming about. As I write this review, I’m twenty-eight, and I’ve married my best friend. So really, I have two books to thank for helping make my dreams come true.

Bottom line? I am forever impressed with Song of the Sparrow, in love with its form and characters, and, if you need me, I’ll be searching for anything else Sandell has written.

~ Anna
(Entry 36)

July 4, 2023
Goodbye Lemon

Goodbye Lemon
By Adam Davies

Okay, gang. Get out your tissues and your dictionaries—as is tradition with a Davies novel.

While The Frog King and Mine All Mine are both pretty good in their own right, Goodbye Lemon stands out from this crowd of three.

Fair warning though: this book is an emotionally taxing read. It’s good! Very good. Buuut maybe don’t read it while struggling with major depression or family-related trauma. Or alcoholism. To each their own, of course, but this book is heavy. I’m glad I saved it all these years to read. My twenty-year-old self wouldn’t have been ready or had the appreciation I find myself having for Goodbye Lemon now.

Now that we have our dictionaries, let’s settle in! Goodbye Lemon is a love letter to a loss of innocence and the people who are left behind after a death. It deals very heavily with themes of grief, guilt, and blame. You, the reader, are not really here for a “good time;” there be no light-hearted fun here. Goodbye Lemon is painfully, heart-breakingly realistic, and it is not ashamed of that fact. Which is one of the reasons it’s so good. In some ways, this book felt like a memoir in its presentation and honesty.

And, just like his other novels, Davies likes to center in on one very-messed-up person and poke and prod them to see how they react and what they say. But his characters are just that: people. And that’s especially clear in Goodbye Lemon.

While mystery is a part of the story, it’s not the point. I figured pretty early on what the “big reveal” would be, but that guess didn’t take away from the story. In fact, I think it made me more curious. I wanted to know how Jack—the main character—got there; I wanted to follow his journey, his thoughts, and his actions. I wanted to see how his relationships would change. Would he sink? Or would he swim?

Overall, yes, Goodbye Lemon is absolutely worth a read. I finished it on a rainy evening while sitting quietly with my spouse, which was a good way to end this somber story with a ray of hope in its final pages.

~ Anna
(Entry 35)

May 15, 2023
Mine All Mine

Mine All Mine
By Adam Davies

I liked Mine All Mine way more than Davies’ The Frog King.

You’ll still need your dictionary! But your narrator will be much more likable this time. Otto, the main character and narrator, feels human. He has issues: some he ignores, some he grumbles at, and some he faces, just like a person! He mostly understands and acknowledges his flaws even if he doesn’t show the agency to do anything about them until the end. And for this particular character, it felt genuine. I really liked how the book ended too. Otto doesn’t give a clear-cut “yes” or “no” to Charlie’s question.

For the plot, I had quite a bit of fun. I haven’t read any books about art thieves or books that frame said thief as more a masked vigilante doing what’s right instead of the more villain-esque personality. Personally, I really liked the concept of this art thief not stealing for themselves but to return sacred or important objects to their country of origin. The whole book reminds me of a line from Disney’s Atlantis: The Lost Empire: “If you gave back every stolen artifact from a museum, you’d be left with an empty building.” True! Also, said by the villain! Not a great look for museums. I’m all for cultural safeguarding so people from across the world can learn and gain deeper understanding of one other. What I’m super not for is stealing priceless, significant, or religious artifacts from their peoples and displaying them behind glass. And Mine All Mine very clearly shares this opinion, which may be one reason I felt more drawn to this story.

I think the only major complaint I have about Mine All Mine is the “big reveal” for a particular character’s identity was way too obvious. Even from Step One. However, if you didn’t catch on, the author did leave you a nice cheese trail to follow. That said, there was one reveal that totally caught me off-guard, and I loved every second of it! The betrayal was something else. It hurt.

Anyway, if you like modern stories with some good old-fashioned spy and mystery work, this book is probably for you. I’d say Mine All Mine is rooted in its characters, which makes the plot happening outside more compelling. It’s relatively fast-paced, and there’s a lot of drugs, guns, and general violence. One thing this story is not is upbeat! It’s emotional and grittier than I expected, but it’s a good read. Have fun!

~ Anna
(Entry 29)

February 22, 2023
7 Reasons Readers Love Scary Stories

Article written by Rayne Hall in celebration of The Haunted Train: Creepy Tales from the Railways

︶︶︶︶

In real life, we seek to avoid fear, worry, panic, and terror. Yet in book form, they grant delicious thrills, and we choose to spend our time with the works of Edgar Allan Poe, Shirley Jackson, Stephen King, or Anne Rice.

As an author and reader of Gothic tales, I’ve identified seven psychological reasons why we’re drawn to scary tales:

1. ESCAPISM

Exciting stories distract us from the unpleasantness of real life. While reading, we become so absorbed that we forget about our everyday worries and looming threats. More than most other genres, Horror fiction offers excitement.

2. PERSPECTIVE

The suffering of fiction characters makes our own troubles seem less severe. Problems which normally drive us crazy—the arthritic twinge in a knee and the leaking roof suddenly seem minor inconveniences after we’ve spent time with characters who’ve had their legs ripped off and survived a snowstorm without shelter.

3. ADRENALINE RUSH

In dangerous situations, the brain releases a cocktail of adrenaline and other chemicals into the bloodstream to give us the stamina and courage needed to face the threat. These chemicals induce a high—a mild one for some people, a powerful surge for others. Horror fiction provides the same thrill as real danger, but in complete safety. The pleasure is similar to that of bungee-jumping, and it can be addictive.

4. EDUCATION

Horror stories teach valuable lessons about good and evil, about ethical conflicts and moral risks, about unseen dangers and disguised threats. Sharing the fictional characters’ adventures, we readers learn from their experiences, without making their mistakes and taking their risks. This is especially useful in stories for children—it gives kids the chance to learn without getting into danger—and for teenagers who may not heed parental warnings but like a scary story.

5. REASSURANCE

Many Horror stories—although not all—show that in the end, good triumphs over evil. Humans need that reassurance. In this respect, Horror stories are for adults what fairy tales are for children.

6. PERSONAL GROWTH

Story events put the fictional character’s strengths, resolution, ethics and courage to the test. As the character grows through experience, so does the reader. Dark stories invite readers to ask themselves what they would have done in the same situation, to compare the character’s courage with their own, to probe their consciences and explore their own ethics.

7. CONTROL

By reading, we gain control over our fears, at least temporarily. Whatever scares us, we can face this danger in fiction, reading as much or as little as we like, and are able to close the book when we’ve had enough. This sense of control can be empowering, especially for people who suffer from phobias and irrational fears.

︶︶︶︶

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

What kind of horror fiction do you enjoy—creepy ghost stories, shocking tales of violence, extreme splatterpunk, disturbing fantasy yarns, or suspenseful Gothic tales? What draws you personally to Horror? Which of those seven reasons apply to you? Can you think of others?

Share your thoughts in the Comments below.

『••✎••』

Want to read some creepy stories but don’t know where to start? Find out if The Haunted Train: Creepy Tales from the Railways is the right fit for you by visiting Anna Faúndez’s book review. Or visit her blog to find new great books to read!

7 Reasons Readers Love Scary Stories was written in celebration of Rayne Hall’s upcoming short story collection featuring trains!

About the book The Haunted Train: Creepy Tales from the Railways

Come on board for a Gothic journey in a funicular railway in Victorian England, a freight train in the Carpathian mountains, a high tech sky train in Bangkok, an underground railway in Tokyo. Visit stations which lure with the promise of safe shelter but harbour unexpected dangers. Meet the people who work on the tracks—stationmasters, porters, signal-men—and those who travel—commuters, tourists, dead bodies, murderers, and ghosts.
In this volume, editor Rayne Hall has collected twenty of the finest—and creepiest—railway tales. The book features the works of established writers, classic authors and fresh voices. Some stories are spooky, some downright scary, while others pose a puzzling mystery.
Are you prepared to come on board this train? Already, the steam engine is huffing in impatience. Listen to the chuff-chuff-chuff from the locomotive and tarattata-tarattata of the giant wheels. Press your face against the dust-streaked window, inhale the smells of coal smoke and old textiles, watch the landscape whoosh past as you leave the familiar behind and journey into the unknown.
But be careful: you can’t know the train’s real destination, nor your fellow travellers’ intentions. Once you’ve closed that door behind you and the wheels start rolling, you may not be able to get out.

The ebook is available for pre-order from Amazon at the special offer price of 99 cents until 31 January 2023.
(After that date, the price will go up.)
The paperback edition will be available soon.

『••✎••』

About Rayne Hall

Rayne Hall writes fantasy, horror, and non-fiction, and is the author of over 100 books. Her horror stories are more atmospheric than violent, and more creepy than gory, and often leans towards the Gothic, e.g The Bride’s Curse: Bulgarian Gothic Ghost and Horror Stories.
She is also the acclaimed editor of Gothic, Fantasy and Horror anthologies (e.g. Among the Headstones: Creepy Tales from the Graveyard, and Fiends: Ten Tales of Demons), and author of the bestselling Writer’s Craft series for advanced-level writers (including Writing Gothic Fiction, Writing Dark Stories, Writing Scary Scenes, Writing About Magic, Horror Writing Prompts, Writing About Villains, Writing Short Stories.)
Born and raised in Germany, Rayne Hall has lived in China, Mongolia, Nepal and Britain. Now she resides in a village Bulgaria. The country’s ancient Roman ruins and the deserted houses from Bulgaria’s communist period provide inspiration for creepy ghost and horror stories.
Her lucky black cat, Sulu, adopted from the cat rescue shelter, often accompanies her when she explores spooky derelict buildings. He delights in walking across shattered roof tiles, balancing on charred rafters and sniffing at long-abandoned hearths.
Rayne has worked as an investigative journalist, development aid worker, museum guide, apple picker, tarot reader, adult education teacher, belly dancer, magazine editor, publishing manager and more, and now writes full time.
Visit her on her website, her Facebook author page, on Mastodon (new) or Instagram (new), Subscribe to her newsletter here.

January 27, 2023
The Haunted Train

The Haunted Train: Creepy Tales from the Railways
Edited by Rayne Hall

First off, I love that the editor left each story it its original American or British English! I really feel that adds to a reader’s impressions, perceptions, and assumptions when consuming literature. I was also very happy to see a decent selection of stories from a variety of writers with different genders, heritages, and landscapes to take inspiration from.

I’ve done my best to avoid a terrible amount of spoilers for every single story, but for some it was unavoidable. So please, read at your own spoiler-y risk.

Now then, all aboard!

“Beware of Tuesdays”
By Frederick Langridge

I love the mundane, going to work every day, atmosphere. It’s not even a particularly scary story. You make an assumption, just like the narrator does, and you go about your life. But then the phenomena keeps happening, and there’s no history of the incident in the story, and I began to wonder, “What if . . .” And sure enough. The ending paragraph got an audible “oof” and cringe out of me. I’m not typically verbally emotive while reading, so that’s a good mark for the story in my opinion.

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“The Drowned Subway”
By Clint Spivey

I didn’t really like two disaster stories in a row. The little boy had far less to do with the story other than seemingly conjuring the other ghosts, which was a letdown because the child was obviously dead and the reader never learns the why. Since the narrator isn’t part of the disaster, why them? What was the point of them seeing these ghosts who stare with jealousy at the living? I had another issue too: I’m assuming this author is a native English speaker, so I’m a bit confused about some of the language and sentence choices. The story uses a huge amount of fragments, and some longer sentences I had to read twice or thrice to understand. The confusion was enough to diminish my enjoyment of the story, and I didn’t find it creepy since there were no real consequences to emotionally attach to.

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“Lost in the Fog”
By JD Beresford

Written by a long dead author, this tale was less creepy and more thought-provoking. I liked the train as a ferry into the unknown. All the mist and fog made it seem as though the narrator really had entered a different world and the lone man at the station stood as a sentinel of sorts to warn them away from exploring the strange new place, that was just off-center from reality, further. The story served as warnings against the familiar: what are people capable of when pushed? What happens when want overcomes the niceties of our lives and morphs into “take” instead?

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“Why Are Trains Always Late?”
By Nikki Tait

Weird little story. I’d have liked it more with some kind of subtle hint to the narrators more sinister intentions. As it is, the story’s end felt too abrupt, much like a passing train, sure, but since the narrator radiated no signs of malice, it felt unearned.

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“A Journey”
By Edith Wharton

Loved this one! Again, not really creepy, but there’s an incredibly good sense of space and character. I’ve never dealt with the narrators woes personally, but I feel I have a good grasp on how she felt about her duties, obligations, guilt, and wants. The idea of being stuck, trapped, with someone you love who’s a hollow of themselves is terrifying in its own right. This story is an emotional train ride! My only (non) issue is the ending, really. I simply wasn’t a fan. But it doesn’t detract from the rest.

◇──◆──◇──◆

“11^th Hour Ghost Train to Siam”
By Morgan A. Pryce

A good story. Clearly written recently as it mentions the COVID-19 pandemic; though, I suppose, it could be something straight from fiction. The story starts off at a good pace, and the writing is sound and enjoyable. While I figured out what was going on pretty quick, I still read to the end looking for some closure and possible surprises.

◇──◆──◇──◆

“Funicular Fare”
By Rayne Hall

Great addition! I adored how minor decisions made by many people culminated in disaster for everyone in the car. I liked the werewolf’s system of control and how, after the change, he went from concern to damage control to survival and back again as his humanity returned. I didn’t even realize this one was written by the editor of the collection until I got to the author bio at the end of the story.

◇──◆──◇──◆

“Wolf Station”
By Andrew M Seddon

This was an interesting read. I’m still trying to figure out if the train’s fireman was one of the werewolves too or if he’d been attacked and bitten and also barely made it back to the train. Either way, I was happy with the suspense and the ending. Although I wouldn’t complain about a part two for this one! Maybe an “us versus them” story if the fireman actually was turned. Imagine the tension on the train ride home.

◇──◆──◇──◆

“Gallows Curve”
By Petina Strohmer

This is my favorite story. It is so emotionally poignant, and the grief is palpable. The writer does a wonderful job making you feel for the narrator. As usual, when I read stories where a child dies, I think of the quote, “No parent should have to bury their child,” and it makes this story hurt even more. I can’t imagine the grief. The flow of the story is perfect, and I honestly didn’t expect the ending even though in hindsight it seemed obvious. That’s the mark of an engaging story when I’m too busy reading to analyze!

◇──◆──◇──◆

“The Four-Fifteen Express”
By Amelia Edwards

This was a fun little mystery. The story doesn’t really try and hide that a man had died, but I didn’t expect the twist, so that was nice to experience! I did feel this story was too drawn out; it definitely could have been shorter with no loss of content or tension.

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“Bon Appetit”
By Pia Manning

This story . . . is freaking weird with no explanations, and I’m oddly okay with that. Sasquatch, hilariously, I can make sense of. Random soul-eating train? Not so much. But I loved the idea. The author totally missed an opportunity not naming the story “Dead On Arrival” though. No, I don’t think it would be too on the nose.

◇──◆──◇──◆

“Better Late than Never”
By Zoe Tasia

Honestly, this was super cute for a ghost story. Bittersweet. Somehow, I didn’t see the twist coming, so I had a nice “awe” moment. This story started off a bit slow, but it’s worth sticking with.

◇──◆──◇──◆

“The Coffin Express”
By RJ Meldrum

OH, BIG YIKES! My first thought was the coffins were carrying bodies of those dead from plague or something similar. What it actually was didn’t even cross my mind, and I can’t think of many other things more horrifying. I wish this one was longer. I needed a lot more!

◇──◆──◇──◆

“Unleashed at the Terminal”
By Krystal Garrett

This wasn’t the best story in the collection. It was kind of your usual poltergeist. I’d have liked more detail in the backstory to make me care more about the woman and Thomas.

◇──◆──◇──◆

“Between the Ties”
By Joseph S. Walker

Uh, what? I’m a little confused on the editing of this one. I can’t tell if it was on purpose or not, to be honest, but there were some POV issues I noticed that jarred me out of the story. And it wasn’t part of dialogue—you can forgive a lot if it’s between quotation marks. I liked the story, but I ended it a little frustrated because of the technical things.

◇──◆──◇──◆

“The Man with the Watches”
By Arthur Conan Doyle

As usual, I struggled through Doyle’s writing. It’s not bad, but for some reason, this guy puts me to sleep. I feel like it’s the language mixed with dragging story; one day I’ll figure it out. But even then, I find it weird as an avid reader who’s read lots of classics in so many genres and not dozed off. Sorry, Doyle. Better luck next time with me.

◇──◆──◇──◆

“Blood Lake Train”
By Cage Dunn

Another big yikes. I loved the narrator’s descent into madness. I’m pretty sure his wife committed suicide by stepping in front of the train, and all the other people who died to it were accidents. However, in his grief, the engineer blamed the train, because how could he ever blame his beloved wife? Or I’m reading way too much into it and we had a jealous, murder-y train on the loose. But I like my interpretation better.

◇──◆──◇──◆

“Seven Stations in Tokyo”
By Michele Cacano

WELL THAT WAS SAD! I’m a little confused about how Tim died; I guess he was trying to help someone and fell on the tracks and got hit? Or electrocuted? I don’t know, but the ending was bittersweet and just a little hopeful, which I liked. It felt human.

◇──◆──◇──◆

“Out of Order”
By Karen Heard

Yay, I guessed this one! My first thought was culling a disease everyone on the train had been exposed to. The vampirism was a fun twist though. Where’d it come from? Who knows. Or maybe werewolves. Though probably not. Even if this one left me a little confused, I still enjoyed the tension and enclosed space the narrator was forced into. It’s difficult to write a story with so little space for a character to exist in.

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“The Signal-Man”
By Charles Dickens

Ah, yes, Dickens. I won’t get into how I feel about Charles Dickens as a person, but, as usual, his writing is fun to read for me. The random rhymes and twisty lines of dialogue are almost lyrical in some places; it’s not something one associates with trains though. However, it could be said the rhythm of the piece denotes trains. Story-wise, I like how eerie it was. There was no blood and gore—which wouldn’t bother me either way—but the atmosphere creates the tension. The dialogue sustains it.

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◇──◆──◇──◆

The Haunted Train: Creepy Tales from the Railways definitely had some gems hidden in its pages. My personal favorites were “Beware of Tuesdays” and “Gallows Curve.” I loved the unknown in “Beware of Tuesdays.” I’m usually a fan of the mundane being twisted on its head, and the reasoning was sound. Well, sound enough for a ghost story. “Gallows Curve” definitely wins my top spot for this entire collection. It’s emotionally grounded, and so, so sad. The premise alone is enough to have you sit in horror for a little bit, and the story simply drags that out and makes you care. Which, of course, makes it worse. The author gave us all that and also created a memorable environment!

Overall, I liked this collection of stories quite a bit. More than I expected to, actually, since I’ve never been big on reading short stories. But after reading some of these, I’ll be thinking about them instead of happily saying “train!” and counting the railcars next time I’m stopped at the railroad tracks.

Curious why people seem to love creepy stories so much? Check out what Rayne Hall herself has to say by visiting 7 Reasons Readers Love Scary Stories.

~ Anna
(Entry 28)

-ˏˋAbout the book The Haunted Train: Creepy Tales from the Railwaysˊˎ

Come on board for a Gothic journey in a funicular railway in Victorian England, a freight train in the Carpathian mountains, a high tech sky train in Bangkok, an underground railway in Tokyo. Visit stations which lure with the promise of safe shelter but harbour unexpected dangers. Meet the people who work on the tracks—stationmasters, porters, signal-men—and those who travel—commuters, tourists, dead bodies, murderers, and ghosts.
In this volume, editor Rayne Hall has collected twenty of the finest—and creepiest—railway tales. The book features the works of established writers, classic authors and fresh voices. Some stories are spooky, some downright scary, while others pose a puzzling mystery.
Are you prepared to come on board this train? Already, the steam engine is huffing in impatience. Listen to the chuff-chuff-chuff from the locomotive and tarattata-tarattata of the giant wheels. Press your face against the dust-streaked window, inhale the smells of coal smoke and old textiles, watch the landscape whoosh past as you leave the familiar behind and journey into the unknown.
But be careful: you can’t know the train’s real destination, nor your fellow travellers’ intentions. Once you’ve closed that door behind you and the wheels start rolling, you may not be able to get out.

The ebook is available for pre-order from Amazon at the special offer price of 99 cents until 31 January 2023.
(After that date, the price will go up.)
The paperback edition will be available soon.

January 27, 2023
Charlotte’s Web

Charlotte’s Web
By E.B. White

I really thought I’d read this book before, but it turns out I only saw the animated film from 1973. Which is just fine, considering that movie turned out to be incredibly true to the book! A lot of lines and scenes I remembered from the movie—that I watched quite a lot as a kid in the 90s—were word for word from the book!

Charlotte’s Web is really about accepting change. It’s a good message for kids that, sometimes, you can’t “fight fate” and sometimes you can. Wilbur changes his fate through the help of the friends around him. They put in work, and so does he. Wilbur jumps and dances and tries his best to please the humans. Yes, sure, it’s so they won’t butcher and eat him, but this is a story about a pig on a farm.

But Charlotte cannot change her fate or her place in the world. I liked this acceptance of life as it is: unfair. Wilbur’s grief at Charlotte’s death is less traumatizing because it’s framed as “life goes on.” Instead of becoming bitter, Wilbur is grateful for his time with Charlotte, and he vows to care for her descendants.

Which brings me to the second main point of the novel: unconditional friendship. Charlotte and Wilbur’s relationship is completely based in companionship. Their relationship is not transactional. Templeton, on the other hand, shares a purely transactional relationship with Wilbur. What’s important here is these two relationships are the two Wilbur most often connects with due to proximity. This is often the case for school-aged children: they have friends mostly based on who’s in their class.

In the two extreme cases of Templeton (transactional) and Charlotte (companionable,) E.B. White makes it super easy for a child to understand which relationship is healthier, even if they can’t explain the why.

Overall, I’m happy to have finally read Charlotte’s Web. I hope it continues to live on as a classic.

~ Anna
(Entry 27)

December 21, 2022
Dear America

Dear America series from American Girl

I Thought My Soul Would Rise and Fly

By Joyce Hansen

From 1865, Patsy writes her story as a freed slave post-American Civil War. I enjoyed this title a lot. The POV feels more like an adult than the narrator actually is (she’s supposed to be around 12 or 13,) but that didn’t take away from my enjoyment of the book. The content is thoughtful and emotionally charged. I liked watching Patsy realize what she wanted for herself and gaining the confidence and courage to go after it. Of course, as a book documenting post-war and slavery time, this book deals with some pretty heavy topics: racism, ableism, hate crimes, and equality just to name a few. But, the book is written in a way that a young reader could understand Patsy’s experiences. The book is designed to open a window into her life, and it does so in a meaningful way.

Early Sunday Morning

By Barry Denenberg

Taking place in October, November, and December of 1941, Early Sunday Morning reads more like an account of what happened at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii by an adult pretending to be a child rather than a child who experienced that day. Amber Billows is supposed to be eleven years old in this story, and Early Sunday Morning is her diary of the months leading up to the attack on December 7, 1941. Overall, this was an okay historical account. The characters weren’t terrible interesting or well-rounded, and the setting was more vague than I’d have liked. I feel like the book relies on the reader already knowing the history at Pearl Harbor too much.

So Far From Home

By Barry Denenberg

In 1847, Mary Driscoll, an Irish girl, travels to aboard a ship to America. Her parents sent her away to escape the potato famine that gripped Ireland for five brutal years. This little book, written as the diary of Mary herself, gives a very good look into what factory work was like in the United States for women. The hours were long, and the work was difficult and dangerous. One thing I really liked about this book was it does not shy away from the grim reality of how factory workers were treated as a whole and the stark difference in how immigrant girls were treated versus the “Yankee” girls. So Far From Home’s look into reality is heartbreaking, but the history is so, so important to know and remember.

~ Anna
(Entry 26)

December 2, 2022
The Garden of Eve

The Garden of Eve

By K.L. Going

I will always love this book. I loved it at twelve, and I love it at twenty-eight.

The magical realism is subtle and beautifully done. I really loved the concept of gardens as afterlife. It’s a simple concept, and this is a middle grade book. Since The Garden of Eve is for children, the writing is uncomplicated. However, using simple language to communicate metaphorical or complex ideas isn’t always easy, so I applaud Going for managing.

K.L. Going does a remarkable job handling grief in The Garden of Eve, and I think it’s a book I’d want my own children to read. It’s hard to understand tragedy unless experienced, and I believe The Garden of Eve was empathetic and kind to those grieving while opening a window into how someone might be feeling if they are not. It shows different people in their own grief too. One person withdraws into themselves. One feels lost and alone. One escapes into a lie. One remembers fondly, if sadly. All of these things are normal reactions to grief.

I especially loved how Evie’s father was: doing his best for his daughter while mourning his wife. He did withdraw. He wasn’t emotionally available for Evie, and he also didn’t really understand how to interact with her in their new dynamic. And that’s okay! I’ve seen some reviews of this book say Evie was neglected and unloved in the face of her mother’s death, but I disagree. Grief isn’t perfect; it doesn’t allow for selflessness all the time either. I think the point The Garden of Eve makes is we all grieve, in our own way and time, but we do come back from it. We may be forever different, but we come back.

Evie herself is amazing. She’s barely eleven years old. She misses her mom more than anyone, and she wishes their life had never changed. She didn’t want to move away from home. She didn’t want to leave where her mother was buried. She didn’t understand her own father’s grief—and she shouldn’t have. She’s eleven. To Evie, her father’s actions are selfish—and in some ways, they’re that too—but she does come to understand that he’s doing his best. But my favorite part of Evie’s grief is the guilt she feels when she begins to have fun again, to enjoy things. Guilt is a huge part of grief I feel isn’t talked about enough. Survivor’s guilt is talked about all the time, but the guilt of moving forward is not. Evie feels a wrongness the first time she wants to smile, to laugh. And it’s beautiful to watch her grow through the book.

The Garden of Eve is on an expediated timeline. It takes place ten months after Evie’s mother dies. Ten months is not a long time, so the grief goes quick. This is middle grade fantasy, so you’re going to get a happy ending. A hopeful ending. There’s some adventure, some humor, some mystery, and some life.

~ Anna

(Entry 25)

November 17, 2022
The Sweet Far Thing

The Sweet Far Thing

The Gemma Doyle Trilogy

By Libba Bray

Gemma Doyle drove me up the wall with her indecisiveness in The Sweet Far Thing. This book is over 800 pages. It didn’t need to be. There are a fair few subplots that simply didn’t need to be there, and Gemma spends an ungodly amount of time doing the “Will I? Won’t I? Should I?” in regard to what to do with the magic in the realms. As an editor, I wanted to get my hands on the author and help them tighten up their manuscript.

Another thing that bothered me somewhat in The Sweet Far Thing was how Pippa and Felicity’s relationship was handled. No, it didn’t particularly feel like an unnatural progression, but I also got the distinct feeling that the girls’ relationship was forced into the narrative through flashback and an outside character going, “Oh.” I have a few reasons I think this may have actually been the case. And these girls deserved more than being an afterthought.

1) Felicity didn’t want to marry. Okay, fine, but you don’t have to be gay to not want a marriage and desire to live your life freely.

2) Felicity was always freer with her body and more confident in herself, but her desire to wear trousers and more avant-garde fashions of the late 1890s was something completely new in The Sweet Far Thing, and it mostly came off as part of Felicity’s admittedly rebellious nature instead of a true want or need to be happy and herself.

3) Pippa very specifically dreamed of a knight in shining armor to marry her and sweep her away.

4) Felicity has been with at least one man already. Yes, she could easily be bisexual (or any other sexuality attracted to more than one sex) but because Felicity and Pippa show nothing anywhere close to the type of relationship Felicity has shared with others, their kiss feels false. Not like a “forbidden love” and more like the afterthought it is by the author.

The ending is . . . something else. I didn’t dislike it, but Gemma suddenly speaking up for herself and her entire family simply allowing it doesn’t feel genuine. I wanted her to fight for what she wanted. She’d done her fight and growing up in the realms—more or less—and now it’s time for her to go back to her real life and fight there, too, but with confidence this time. Felicity and Ann both find a path toward the lives they want, so their stories are neatly tied with a bow as well.

The conclusion in the realms was about what I expected; Bray wasn’t showing signs of letting Kartik and Gemma be happy together, so I figured she’d off one of them. I found her method of doing so a little odd, but not unreasonable given the genre. However, the moment Kartik and Gemma share in the realms is heart-wrenchingly beautiful and very well written. It felt like a last bastion of hope before the coming war, swimming with possibility without the interference of fate. Alas.

Which leads me to the last thing: I still enjoy Libba Bray’s writing style, and I’d like to see more of it in the future. Did The Sweet Far Thing need more work before hitting the shelves? Yes, I believe it did. Was this a terrible book that should never see the light of day? No. Is this book one I’m okay with shelving or handing off to the next reader? Yes.

~ Anna

(Entry 24)

October 31, 2022
Rebel Angels

Rebel Angels

The Gemma Doyle Trilogy

By Libba Bray

Book two!!

I was a little hesitant with how the book started; Kartik’s point of view wasn’t bad, but I immediately missed Gemma and hoped the book wouldn’t continue to swap between the two characters. Thankfully, it didn’t! We get Kartik’s motives right out the gate, and then we hop straight back to Gemma, Felicity, and Ann for good.

Rebel Angels focuses on a lot of the same themes that A Great and Terrible Beauty did: fate, change, and control. However, since the main plot is ongoing at this point, I was appreciative of that, because those themes are necessary for ongoing character growth. This book begins in December of 1895, so it takes place very soon after the end of the first book. One thing I was a little disappointed with was the lack of the realms in Rebel Angels. A lot of the book takes place in London with drama between Gemma and a new love interest. There’s some extra drama involving Ann and a lie, but honestly, the plot felt it dragged somewhat. Gemma runs around thinking she’s got everything figured out, which she obviously does not, and then seems surprised when things don’t go her way.

Kartik’s obvious jealousy of Gemma’s beau is a little funny. Gemma is sardonic as ever. Felicity has seen very little change at this point. And Ann seems to finally be coming into her own. At the very least, Ann’s confidence rises throughout Rebel Angels even if her situation is a pretense. The confidence is genuine all the same.

But there were two things that made question marks appear above my head for Rebel Angels.

One was Ann and how her self-harm was handled. Rather, not handled. At first, it’s implied that once she felt she had friends, Ann’s tendency to self-harm went away. When Gemma notices it again, she basically tells her, “Hey, promise me you’ll stop that,” and it’s literally never brought up again. “Ever!?” you say. Ever. Yes, this is Victorian England, but if Gemma was “brave enough” to mention it to Ann at all, she’d be much more likely to check in on someone she seems to think of as a friend. At least sometimes, right? Nope.

The other issue I had with Rebel Angels was the assault Gemma suffered. The book breezes right by it, like since Gemma wasn’t technically raped, it shouldn’t matter. Wrong. It matters and would absolutely be a source of trauma! Magic vision in the middle, coerced to drink, and alone with someone she thought she could trust aside, this would be a hugely traumatic event in Gemma’s life. While I agree it’s highly unlikely she’d ever bring this up to her family or friends for fear of being “ruined,” Gemma doesn’t even think about it. For a character that has, up to this point, been very internally driven and unable to suppress her emotions, it’s weird.

Overall, I didn’t hate Rebel Angels. I liked the pacing and story more for book one, but the second book was interesting enough that I finished it within a couple days. I think, at this moment, one of the girls’ teachers is my favorite character, and I’m very, very interested to find out more of what’s happening to Pippa in the realms. There are just a few mysteries left to be solved, but Rebel Angels actually wraps up the main story that A Great and Terrible Beauty began. But there’s one book left! What else could possibly happen? Let’s see how it all ends.

~ Anna
(Entry 23)

October 27, 2022