Review: Death at Fournier Downs

Audrey, Duchess of Fournier, and Bow Street Officer Hugh Marsden join forces once again in Cara Devlin’s “Death at Fournier Downs.” Since the events of the previous spring, Audrey and her husband have been ensconced at Fournier Downs, away from the gossip of London. The story opens with a bang as Audrey witnesses a dear friend running frantically through the woodlands of Fournier Downs, then moments later hears a scream. Audrey races to the rescue, but is too late; she finds her friend’s broken body. 

Audrey is immediately suspicious so she summons Hugh Marsden through her friend’s mother. As the duo delve deeper into the death, they find no shortage of possible suspects. Audrey’s special abilities point them in the right direction, but the clues are not making complete sense. Will they be able to apprehend the murderer before they are silenced?

This is the second installment in the Bow Street Duchess series and is as delightful as the first. The pacing is excellent as is the slow revelation of the central characters’ backstories. The combination makes it difficult to put the book down. I appreciate that while Audrey appears to be self-confident, particularly given her station in life, she has bouts of self-doubt that she struggles to overcome. 

This book is great for anyone who enjoys historical mysteries with a slow burn romance and a touch of the paranormal. 

Thanks to Book Sirens and Cara Devlin for an advance reader’s copy of “Death a Fournier Downs” in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Review: They Called Us Enemy

 

At our most recent meeting of the Bookworms, we decided to spend some time reading. I had bazillions of papers to grade, but thought I’d spend at least a few minutes with a book. Those few minutes turned into many minutes as I found that I could not put down George Takei’s “They Called Us Enemy.”

This richly illustrated graphic novel tells the story of Takei’s early life as he and his family are forcibly removed from their Los Angeles home and sent to U.S. internment camps during World War II. The story also explains how these early experiences shaped Takei’s life as an actor and activist. 

Takei explains how, as a young child, he didn’t really understand what was happening other than that his family was on a grand adventure that left his father depressed and his mother in tears. Four years later, as his family is released from the Tule Lake camp, he is beginning to understand the injustices of Executive Order 9066. 

Ultimately, this is a story of resilience as Takei turns his family’s experience during the war and turns it into a life of action against injustice.

“They Called Us Enemy” is available in both English and Spanish. It’s a fantastic addition to the classroom library.

Review: Surviving the City, Volume 1

In Tasha Spillett’s graphic novel “Surviving the City, Volume 1,” Miikwan and Dez are best friends supporting each other as they navigate young adulthood. While they revel in their cultural heritage and are surrounded by supportive adults, Dez receives bad news that she is reluctant to share. She withdraws from Miikwan and then disappears. Will Miikwan be able to find Dez before it’s too late?

This graphic novel is SHORT (fewer than 60 pages) but has SO MUCH going on. On the surface is a story about best friends and how they support each other. Underneath…the reader learns about the trauma to indigenous communities from Residential Schools, other government policies, and the thousands of missing indigenous girls and women in the U.S. and Canada. 

This story is one of hope and support as Miikwan leans on her elders (and her ancestors) while she tries to figure out what happened to Dez. Natasha Donovan’s illustrations are haunting at times, comforting at others. The afterword explains the realities of missing indigenous women in an easy-to-understand way.

This story is great for those who like stories about friends and the importance of family and community. “Surviving the City, Volume 1” is a great addition to the classroom library.

Review: Spirit Guide

“Spirit Guide” is the third installment in the Madame Chalamet Ghost Mysteries series. In this episode, Elinor once again joins forces with the enigmatic Duke de Archambeau, this time to find the daughter of a Baron. Twyla, Madame Chalamet’s bumbling apprentice, begins to find her footing as a medium, and helps Elinor confront foes old and new. A visit to the Beyond may be the only way to solve the mystery, but will Elinor survive?

I am thoroughly enjoying this series and can’t wait for the next installment. Though there was definitely more of the paranormal in this episode, it was not overwhelming. We get another tantalizing clue about Elinor’s father’s murder. We also see strides in Elinor and Tristan’s relationship as they learn to communicate with each other in a personal, rather than purely professional, way. Twyla is turning out to be a delightful addition to the eccentric cast of characters.

“Spirit Guide” is great for those who like mysteries, paranormal mysteries, slow burn romances, and quick reads.

Thanks to NetGalley, Rook and Castle, and Byrd Nash for an advance reader’s copy in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Review: Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre

Yesterday, I saw “Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre” at a bookstore. The cover illustration alone was enough to make me pick it up and read. I love picture books that make a complex topic comprehensible. “Unspeakable” does this.

“Unspeakable” tells the tale of the Tulsa Race Massacre in poetic, yet child-friendly language. The lush illustrations add depth and additional emotion. The story ends on a hopeful note of reconciliation. There is additional information about the Tulsa Race Massacre at the end of the book that is great for adults and older kids. 

I would recommend this book for anyone looking for an introduction to the Tulsa Race Massacre. Carole Boston Weatherford (writer) and Floyd Cooper (illustrator) created an outstanding work. Read it today!

Review: The Cartographers

CW: suicidal ideation

Ocean Wu struggles with mental health after high school graduation. She decides to take a gap year, without telling her mother, where she takes a room in an apartment with Georgie, a budding comedian, and Tashya, a concert pianist. The three soon become close, but Ocean finds herself abandoned one night and meets Constantine, a philosophy student, as the lights of the city go out. Ocean and Constantine’s relationship waxes and wanes over the course of the story as they meet in the dark of night and converse through GoogleDocs.

The story is well-written and flows easily from one episode to the next. The characters are interesting. I enjoyed Ocean’s transformation over the course of the story, from a teen riddled with self-doubt to a young adult who knows she is capable of making decisions to move her life forward.

Early on in the story, Ocean reflects that she began feeling unmoored once she was accepted to college. I have seen this several times in my career. I would have liked to see a deeper exploration of that connection, but maybe that is for a different story. The suicidal ideation throughout much of the book might be too much for some sensitive individuals.

This book is great for those who like stories with a philosophical bent (exploring big questions such as what is real?) or strong female characters who make their own way in the world.

Thanks to NetGalley, HarperCollins Children’s Books, and author Amy Zhang for an advance reader’s copy in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Review: Seven Percent of Ro Devereaux

Ro Devereaux dreams of being a software engineer. For her senior project, she creates an app based on the children’s game of MASH, which “predicts” your future. In the connected world in which we live, Ro’s app gets out in the wild. What happens when users download the app in droves and tech incubators get involved? 

There is much to enjoy in this novel. The romance is sweet (I don’t want to give anything away). I love that Ro is a complex character who makes mistakes and experiences profound loss. One of the best things about the story is a consistent message that life is full of unexpected, and sometimes devastating, events and we work through them as best we can with what we have at the time.

The novel also explores the impact of social media on the lives of teens and young adults. What happens when you have a dream, but an online “test” tells you your life will go in a different direction? In Ro’s world, the MASH app is accurate 93% of the time. But what about that other 7%? It turns out that 7%, our free will, our dreams, and our aspirations, might be the most important of all.

This story is great for anyone who likes stories with a slow-burn romance or issues of modern society. I will definitely get a copy for my classroom library.

Thanks to NetGalley, HarperCollins Children’s Books: HarperTeen, and Ellen O’Clover for an Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are my own. Additional disclosure, last week I won a signed copy of the book from Ellen O’Clover.