Station Eleven

 

Station Eleven by Emily St John Mandel  Dystopian Fiction

(from Amazon)  Kirsten Raymonde will never forget the night Arthur Leander, the famous Hollywood actor, had a heart attack on stage during a production of King Lear. That was the night when a devastating flu pandemic arrived in the city, and within weeks, civilization as we know it came to an end.  Twenty years later, Kirsten moves between the settlements of the altered world with a small troupe of actors and musicians. They call themselves The Traveling Symphony, and they have dedicated themselves to keeping the remnants of art and humanity alive. But when they arrive in St. Deborah by the Water, they encounter a violent prophet who will threaten the tiny band’s existence. And as the story takes off, moving back and forth in time, and vividly depicting life before and after the pandemic, the strange twist of fate that connects them all will be revealed.

(My Review)

This book is a hauntingly, beautiful story about what could happen...  I'm gonna be honest - I watched the HBO series of this before reading - and I'm not upset about it.  There are some things that are drastically different, and some parts follow exactly as they are in the book.  I can understand why they made the changes in the tv series, so they could flesh things out.  But to me, some of the choices in the series just made it drag out and get too weird.  But, perhaps that is what life would be like in an apocalypse.  I honestly recommend both.  The book gave me background information the book did not, but there were the things the series added that affected me emotionally.  This book will stay with me.  

Nyssa Glass and the House of Mirrors

 

Nyssa Glass and the House of Mirrors (Book 1 of 5: Nyssa Glass)  by H.L. Burke  Children's Steampunk Fiction

(from Amazon) Nyssa Glass is a reformed cat burglar turned electrician's apprentice, settled into a life repairing videophones and radio-sets. However, when her past comes calling, she finds herself framed for murder and forced into one last job. No one has entered Professor Dalhart's secluded mansion in almost a decade, at least not that returned to tell the tale. If Nyssa wants to ensure her freedom, she'll brave the booby-trapped halls and mechanized maids. Nyssa has skills, but this house has more than its share of secrets. As she steps into the cobwebbed halls lined with dusty mirrors, she has to wonder. Is the House of Mirrors really abandoned?

(My Review)

What a pleasant surprise! I found this little book very quirky and charming. It was a combination of steam punk and Frankenstein, thrown into an escape room (spooky mansion). It was a fun read, and I'd definitely recommend it.

That Weekend

 

That Weekend by Kara Thomas           YA Thriller/Suspense

(from Amazon)  Three best friends, a lake house, a secret trip - what could go wrong?  It was supposed to be the perfect prom weekend getaway. But it's clear something terrible happened when Claire wakes up alone and bloodied on a hiking trail with no memory of the past 48 hours.  Now everyone wants answers - most of all, Claire. She remembers Friday night, but, after that...nothing. And now Kat and Jesse - her best friends - are missing.   What happened on the mountain? And where are Kat and Jesse? Claire knows the answers are buried somewhere in her memory. But as she's learning, everyone has secrets - even her best friends. And she's pretty sure she's not going to like what she remembers.

(My Review)

Hmmm....this book goes at a slow pace, and seems to a mix of tropes of many books I've read in the past year.   Not bad, but very familiar.  It was like a rich-kid drama/mystery.  It was enjoyable, but I've read better.

As Good as Dead

 

As Good as Dead (A Good Girl's Guide to Murder:  Book 3 of 3) by Holly Jackson  YA Thriller/Suspense

(from Amazon)  Pip is about to head to college, but she is still haunted by the way her last investigation ended. She’s used to online death threats in the wake of her viral true-crime podcast, but she can’t help noticing an anonymous person who keeps asking her: Who will look for you when you’re the one who disappears?  Soon the threats escalate and Pip realizes that someone is following her in real life. When she starts to find connections between her stalker and a local serial killer caught six years ago, she wonders if maybe the wrong man is behind bars.  Police refuse to act, so Pip has only one choice: find the suspect herself — or be the next victim. As the deadly game plays out, Pip discovers that everything in her small town is coming full circle...and if she doesn’t find the answers, this time she will be the one who disappears....

(My Review)  Great book, and great conclusion to the series.  Pip finds herself being stalked, and the police don't take her seriously, so of course, she investigates it.  I highly recommend this entire series.

You'll Be the Death of Me

 

You'll Be the Death of Me by Karen M. McManus    YA Thriller & Suspense

(from Amazon)  Ivy, Mateo, and Cal used to be close. Now all they have in common is Carlton High and the beginning of a very bad day.   Type A Ivy lost a student council election to the class clown, and now she has to face the school, humiliated. Heartthrob Mateo is burned out from working two jobs since his family’s business failed. And outsider Cal just got stood up...again.   So when the three unexpectedly run into each other, they decide to avoid their problems by ditching. Just the three of them, like old times. Except they’ve barely left the parking lot before they run out of things to say...until they spot another Carlton High student skipping school - and follow him to the scene of his own murder. In one chance move, their day turns from dull to deadly. And it’s about to get worse. It turns out Ivy, Mateo, and Cal still have some things in common...like a connection to the dead kid. And they’re all hiding something.   Could it be that their chance reconnection wasn’t by chance after all?  

(My Review)

This book had me gripped from the very beginning, and had me guessing all the way.  It definitely has a Ferris Beuller's Day's Off Vibe at the beginning, but nothing can go wrong there, right?  I had only one complaint about this book, but if I say it, it might give something away, so I won't say anything.  Overall, it's still a great read.  

Elatsoe

 

Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger    YA Paranormal Mystery

(from Amazon)  Imagine an America very similar to our own. It's got homework, best friends, and pistachio ice cream.   There are some differences. This America has been shaped dramatically by the magic, monsters, knowledge, and legends of its peoples, those Indigenous and those not. Some of these forces are charmingly everyday, like the ability to make an orb of light appear or travel across the world through rings of fungi. But other forces are less charming and should never see the light of day.   Elatsoe lives in this slightly stranger America. She can raise the ghosts of dead animals, a skill passed down through generations of her Lipan Apache family. Her beloved cousin has just been murdered in a town that wants no prying eyes. But she is going to do more than pry. The picture-perfect facade of Willowbee masks gruesome secrets, and she will rely on her wits, skills, and friends to tear off the mask and protect her family. 

(My Review) 

This was such an adorable, unique story.  I loved Ellie's character, and her ability to raise the ghost of dead of animals (I would love to do that).  Such a wonderful story of family and tradition.  I listened to this on audiobook, and I could not stop saying Elatsoe in my head - such a beautiful name.  Such a great book!

The In-Between

 

The In-Between by Rebecca K.S. Ansari   Children's Mystery

(from Amazon)  Cooper is lost. Ever since his father left their family three years ago, he has become distant from his friends, constantly annoyed by his little sister, Jess, and completely fed up with the pale, creepy rich girl who moved in next door and won’t stop staring at him. So when Cooper learns of an unsolved mystery his sister has discovered online, he welcomes the distraction.  It’s the tale of a deadly train crash that occurred a hundred years ago, in which one young boy among the dead was never identified. The only distinguishing mark on him was a strange insignia on his suit coat, a symbol no one had seen before or since. Jess is fascinated by the mystery of the unknown child— because she’s seen the insignia. It’s the symbol of the jacket of the girl next door.  As they uncover more information— and mounting evidence of the girl’s seemingly impossible connection to the tragedy—Cooper and Jess begin to wonder if a similar disaster could be heading to their hometown.

(My Review)

Wow!  What an interesting book.  This book was unlike any other book I've read before (a lot of middle grade books can be so creative like that).  I love the relationship of Cooper and his sister, and how they come together to solve the mystery of the girl next door.  The story is a great mix of creepy ghost story and real-life history.  I highly recommend this book.