The Smell of Other People’s Houses by Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock

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Tugs at the heartstrings!

The Smell of Other People’s Houses is a historical fiction story set when Alaska was just barely made into a state of America. Young acquaintances tell their points of view of their lives and their perspective of each other’s. Ruth ends up pregnant with Ray’s baby, Alyce spends her time on the family fishing boat with her father and uncle, Dora lives with Dumpling and Bunny after their father protects Dora from her abusive father and Hank and his brothers stowaway on a ferry. Selma doesn’t know her birth parents but lives with her loving adoptive parents. All of their lives intertwine in different and unique ways. This book is a fairly quick read that pulls at the heartstrings and builds empathy, 5 stars!

Girl in the Blue Coat by Monica Hesse

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Wonderful character building!

Hanneke lives in Holland with her mother and father. She’s a young woman who has lost her boyfriend in the war, who works as the undertaker’s receptionist and also helps the undertaker with black market dealings. Her jobs support her family. On one of her deliveries, an elderly woman confides in Hanneke that she’d been hiding a Jewish teenage girl, in her home, in a secret compartment behind her pantry. The girl is missing and there’s no evidence of how she left the house. The woman pleads for Hanneke to help her find the teenage girl, Mirjam. Hanneke reluctantly agrees to help so she starts searching for any information she can find on Mirjam. As she’s searching, she inadvertently ends up at a resistance group meeting and becomes accidentally involved in a delivery of a Jewish baby, to an adoptive family, after the baby’s family had been detained by the Nazis. Hanneke learns about all of the ways that young adults around her have been helping with the resistance and she sees how selfish she was by keeping to herself and not becoming involved but that changes during her search for Mirjam. The young adults work together to find Mirjam and help everyone they can in this inspiring story of young heroism and perseverance. A wonderful character building historical fiction book, 4 stars!

It Will End Like This by Kyra Leigh

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Disturbing…

It Will End Like This by Kyra Leigh is based on the true story of Lizzie Borden. Disturbing… Charlotte and Maddie miss their mother who died months ago when her heart supposedly stopped. They hate the young woman their father is now engaged too. They despise their father quite a bit also. The two sisters don’t trust anyone and sometimes not even each other. The cover isn’t my favorite and the voices in Charlotte’s mind become repetitive and annoying (which is the point, I’m sure). I found it difficult to care for Charlotte but Maddie felt more relatable. The ending made the reading worthwhile. I appreciate the author’s note which brought sense to it all. I feel like the story drug on with repetition and then the resolution was too quick. Interesting take on a twisted historical event, 3 stars!

White Smoke by Tiffany D. Jackson

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High creepiness factor!

White Smoke by Tiffany D. Jackson opens as a family is arriving at their new home. They’ve moved away from problems and into a house with problems of its own. The family includes a teen girl, Marigold, her younger brother Sammy, and their stepsister Piper. Marigold’s and Sammy’s mother married Piper’s father. Mari has a past that she wants to forget. Sammy is an honest and loyal brother. Piper seems to be favored by her father. When weird things start happening in their new home, they don’t know what to think. Mari thinks she might be hallucinating when she’s sees a blackened hand reach into her shower but suspects Piper when items are misplaced. The neighborhood is odd and no one really will talk to them. They just stare. Creepy house, creepy neighborhood and something just feels off to Mari. This is a creepy read that I thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend! 5 stars!

A Trial of Sorcerers by Elise Kova

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Eira is bullied by the power couple of the Tower of Sorcerers, Noelle and Adam. They call her a freak and taunt her. Eira hears voices but she keeps that mostly to herself and her best friend Alyss. Eira does frighten some people because of a tragic accidental incident three years ago. Her brother Marcus watches out for her and when the Trial becomes available, Eira sees it as a way to prove that she’s in control and can protect herself. Her family wants her to let Marcus win but Eira goes ahead and does her best in the competition and that’s when everything changes for her. The Ambassador, Ferro, befriends her and encourages her to compete and cheers her on, just as Alyss does. The trials help Eira grow and strengthen her powers. They also change everything in her life. 5 stars for another Elise Kova fantasy adventure!

Skin of the Sea by Natasha Bowen

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African mythology, culture and history!

Simi has been a mermaid, a Mami Wata, for only a short time but she’s starting to lose her human memories. When she goes on land and transforms into a human, she grasps at memories of her family and holds onto them tightly so she won’t forget once she’s a mermaid again. Her duty is to help souls move on after death and she thinks she’s helping a young man who has just been thrown overboard from a slave trader ship. She assumes he’s dead and she’s ready to perform her task when his eyes open. He is chained and manacled and injured. He loses consciousness and she carries him over her shoulder as she swims to an island. His name is Kola and together they call on the creator of mermaids for help in getting him home. Kola and Simi go through a roller coaster of experiences together to get him home, save his siblings and help the mermaid creator. Simi isn’t supposed to develop feelings or attachments to any human but she grows to care for Kola. They meet the messenger to the gods, Esu, and discover the horrible trickster that he is. Tidbits similar to The Little Mermaid story but with the added African mythology, culture and history! 4 stars!

These Divided Shores by Sara Raasch

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Fantasy adventure!

Lu, Vex and Ben continue to battle against the king, Ben’s father, as he deceives and strives to control the nation. Action packed, adventurous and brutality ridden, the story takes us on a roller coaster ride to vanquish evil and greed. Vex has a great sense of humor, Ben is more proper and Lu is a trained warrior but their teamwork just might be what the citizens need to find freedom. Fantasy adventure! 5 stars!

She Who Rides the Storm by Caitlin Sangster

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Riveting fantasy!

Anwei and Knox are thieves. Knox is a Devoted soldier for the Warlord and Anwei found him passed out on the ground a year ago. They’ve been companions ever since. Anwei is a dirty witch and she poses as a Goddess in a temple. When people place letters or coins at the statue of the goddess, a temple servant places them in a specific hidden spot for Anwei (the goddess) to gather. She also receives requests in the same way, asking her to steal items for people. Anwei has kept Knox hidden from the warlord’s search for him. In return, Knox helps with her reconnaissance and safety.

Lia has been with the Devoted since they took her at the age of eleven and she’s miserable. She’s supposed to be helping with the search for Knox and she’s sees a bit of his aura and wonders how he’s keeping it hidden. Lia escapes with her sister after Ewan, a fellow Devoted, attacks her. Lia and Ari run to their father’s house to hide. Their father wants to keep his title of power and he’s struggling to find a way to heal his sick wife. This story weaves several characters’ lives together to build a complex plot that all makes sense at the end of this book but the story will continue in a sequel. Lia, Anwei, Knox and Mateo will find themselves entwined in a devious, greedy plan for power. Rich world building and complicated story kept me riveted, 5 stars!

You Will Be Mine by Natasha Preston

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Unexpected Twist!

Lylah attends college and lives off campus with her friends. One of her roommates, Sonny, goes missing and Lylah and Chace find his body when they go to study. His heart is missing. Someone is leaving notes written in cut out letters from magazines and the friends are terrified. One person at a time goes missing and is found murdered. There’s a little bit of redundancy with Lylah explaining her background but the last fifty pages amp up the intensity and suspense with an unexpected twist, 4 stars!