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10-year-old Virginia Wrathmell is glad to be out of the orphanage where she has lived since her parents died, but she's not quite sure what to think of her adoptive home and family.  Salt Winds is a strange, lonely place.  With its remote location on the moors, it feels otherworldly, sad, and somehow, dangerous.  While Virginia's new father, Clem, is warm and kind, the same can't be said of Lorna, her new mother, whose glamorous facade hides a temperament as shifting as the tides.  While she can't quite understand the tension in her adoptive parents' marriage, she knows it has something to do with Max Deering, the charismatic widower who lives nearby. 

With war raging in other parts of Europe, it's only a matter of time before the conflict comes to Salt Winds.  When Clem and Virginia spy a German airman making a risky parachute landing on their beach, Clem rushes to help him.  His kind act sets in motion events that will rock young Virginia to her core and threaten everything she's come to love about the place she's just beginning to think of as home.

The Orphan of Salt Winds, a debut novel by Elizabeth Brooks, features some of my favorite fictional elements—a moody, broody setting; a haunting Gothic vibe; and family skeletons bursting from hidden closets.  Unfortunately, for me, these appealing pieces didn't quite come together to create a satisfying whole.  While I found the story compelling enough to keep me reading, I also thought it was cold, stark, sad, and depressing.  Overall, I just didn't love it.  It turned out to be an okay read, but definitely not a memorable or captivating one.

(Readalikes:  The book's setting and premise reminded me of Kate Morton's novels, although the former lacks the warmth and charm of the latter.)  

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for language (a couple F-bombs, plus milder expletives), violence, sexual content, and disturbing subject matter

To the FTC, with love:  Another library fine find

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There is plenty about her confinement in the Crystal City internment camp during World War II that Elise Sontag Dove would gladly forget.  But as Alzheimer's slowly eats away her 81-year-old memory, there is one part of her internment experience she's desperate to remember—her best friend and fellow internee, Mariko Inoue Hiyashi.  After being repatriated to Japan, Mariko's parents forced her to remain in their homeland.  Elise hasn't heard from her in almost seven decades.  Now, with the help of Google, Elise must secretly engineer a reunion so she can—at last—thank Mariko for the girlhood friendship that changed Elise's life.

As Elise makes her clandestine plan, she reminisces about her unbelievable experience as the American-born daughter of unnaturalized German immigrants during the war.  From internment to expatriation to seeing firsthand the awful devastation of bombing in Germany, it's a harrowing story of sorrow, injustice, and, ultimately, hope.

I've read dozens of novels set during World War II, but I think this is the first time I've really encountered one about the plight of German-Americans during the war.  I knew about people of Japanese descent being interred, but not about those of German lineage suffering the same fate.  It's a fascinating piece of history about which I definitely wanted to know more.  The premise of The Last Year of the War, the newest dual-timeline historical novel by Susan Meissner, definitely interested me.  Unfortunately, the plot itself gets uneven and disjointed.  While the story centers on a friendship forged in the dusty Texan desert, only a tiny part of the tale actually takes place there, making the key theme of the novel feel less significant than it should have.  Other than that, The Last Year of the War is an enjoyable novel that stars sympathetic characters acting against a fascinating historical backdrop.  While I didn't end up loving this one, I did find it an intriguing and moving tale.  

(Readalikes:  Reminds me of other novels by Susan Meissner, including A Sound Among the Trees; A Fall of Marigolds; Stars Over Sunset Boulevard; A Bridge Across the Ocean; and As Bright As Heaven)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for brief, mild language (no F-bombs), violence, and mild, non-graphic sexual content

To the FTC, with love:  I received an e-ARC of The Last Year of the War from the generous folks at Penguin Random House in exchange for an honest review.  Thank you!

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As part of the blog tour for The Last Year of the War, Penguin Random House has authorized me to give away a paperback copy of Susan Meissner's last book, As Bright As Heaven.  It's a heart-wrenching novel about a mother and daughter living in Philadelphia during the horrific outbreak of the Spanish flu in 1918.  Good luck!

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Nestled on the floor of a canyon at the place where Sulphur Creek and the Fremont River meet sits tiny, remote Junction, Utah.  It's 1888 and seven families affiliated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) live in the small community, which has become an in-between place for in-between Saints.  

Raised in a polygamist family, Junction resident Deborah Tyler wants nothing to do with the practice.  More devout members of the faith may question hers, but Deborah's happy with her two decades of marriage to kind, hardworking Samuel, even if their union has not produced the children they long to have.  Still, Deborah has much to keep her busy—household chores, her glove-making business, and finding ways to fill the long hours she spends alone while Samuel is working in southern Utah and Arizona as a traveling wheelwright. 

One night while Deborah is worrying about Samuel, who's been gone much longer than expected, a stranger shows up at her door seeking refuge.  Helping a polygamist on the run from the law—which is what this man obviously is—could get her in big trouble.  Still, her bleeding heart gets the best of her.  When a U.S. marshal comes along soon after, Deborah finds herself in deeper trouble than she could have ever imagined.  With Samuel away, she has only his stepbrother, Nels Anderson, to help her.  And he's just as guilty as she ... 

As the two try to figure out how to get themselves out of the very hot water they're now in, Deborah must wage a fierce internal battle between right and wrong, justice and safety, and hope and despair.

The Glovemaker, a new historical novel by Ann Weisgarber, tells a tense, compelling tale that kept me turning pages to find out what was going to happen next.  The setting is unique, the historical details intriguing, and the characters sympathetic.  Deborah and Nels are both realistically flawed, making them relatable in their authenticity.  While Weisgarber in no way romanticizes plural marriage, her portrayal of the practice among early Church members is surprisingly sensitive, even empathetic, which makes the story even more absorbing.  Overall, The Glovemaker is engrossing, interesting, and hopeful.  I enjoyed it.

(Readalikes:  Hm, I can't think of anything.  Can you?)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for brief, mild language (no F-bombs) and violence

To the FTC, with love:  I received an e-ARC of The Glovemaker from the generous folks at Skyhorse Publishing via those at Edelweiss.  Thank you!

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When 17-year-old Chloe Holden accidentally runs into a stranger in a convenience store, she's shocked by his reaction.  Yes, she knocked into the teen guy and made him spill his slushie, but it was a total accident, so what's with the hateful threats?  She's never seen the guy before.  Why is he acting like he knows exactly who she is?  

Chloe starts at her new school only to find herself the subject of a death glare from the same strange kid.  She finds out he's senior Cash Colton, a foster kid who's known for making trouble.  When Chloe finds herself defending him after a fight at school, the two become tentative friends.  As they get to know each other better, Cash explains his weird initial reaction to Chloe—his foster parents' toddler was kidnapped 15 years ago and Chloe, who was adopted at 3 years old, looks just like her.  Shocked by the very idea, Chloe begins to question everything she's ever known—and not known—about herself.  Who is she, really?  The more she and Cash dig into her past, the more disturbing and dangerous the present becomes ...

In Another Life by C.C. Hunter boasts an intriguing premise, the kind that usually pulls me right in.  While I found the idea at the center of the novel compelling, the execution didn't quite do it for me.  Chloe, Cash, & Co. feel like flat, generic stereotypes and the plot gets more far-fetched and melodramatic as it goes along.  Several points don't make sense, like why Cash doesn't just grab some DNA samples on the sly and have them tested, which made the story feel illogical to me.  All in all, then, I didn't love this one.  It kept me engrossed enough to finish, true, but overall, I just wasn't that impressed.  

(Readalikes:  Reminds me of The Stranger Game by Cylin Busby; Never Missing, Never Found by Amanda Panitch; Only Daughter by Anna Snoekstra; and Good As Gone by Amy Gentry)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for language (a handful of F-bombs, plus milder expletives), violence, sexual innuendo, and mild sexual content

To the FTC, with love:  I received an e-ARC of In Another Life from the generous folks at St. Martin's Press.  Thank you!

I'm a day late to the Top Ten Tuesday party this week, but I love seasonal TBR lists so much that I didn't want to miss out on the fun!  I can't wait to see what everyone's reading this Spring.  Even though this season is all about sunshine, renewal, rebirth, and soft, pastel-colored days, my reading for the upcoming months is kind of the opposite.  I'm in need of some light, happy reads to sandwich between these dark, heavy ones, so if you've got some great Spring-ish recommendations, hit me up!

Without further ado, here are the Top Ten Books on My Spring TBR:

1.  The Lost Man by Jane Harper—I've enjoyed Harper's two previous books, so I'm looking forward to her newest.  I wish it were another installment in her Aaron Falk series, but this one's a standalone.  It revolves around two brothers trying to get to the bottom of a third brother's suspicious death in the Queensland outback.

2.  Daughter of Moloka'i by Alan Brennert—I loved Moloka'i when I read it back in 2007 and am delighted that a sequel just came out.  Right now I'm re-reading Moloka'i so I can remember who's who and what's what, then I'll move on to its sequel.

3.  The Vanishing Stair by Maureen Johnson—My teen daughter and I both really enjoyed Truly Devious, a YA mystery set in a remote boarding school.  When my daughter spied the sequel at Half-Price Books, she begged me to buy it.  Let's just say it didn't take much convincing!  We're both excited to delve into this one.

4.  The Last Voyage of Poe Blythe by Ally Condie (available March 26, 2019)—This YA novel about a young woman who captains the last mining ship in the Outpost sounds like a riveting adventure story.  

5.  The Darkdeep by Ally Condie and Brendan Reichs—I picked up this MG adventure tale at Half-Price Books as well (I canNOT be trusted in a bookstore).  It sounds eerie and fun.  I can't wait to dive in!

6.  The Daughter's Tale by Armando Lucas Correa (available May 7, 2019)—This dual-timeline historical novel is about a French-American woman in the present who receives a stack of letters her mother wrote during WWII.  As the woman unravels the secrets of her past, she discovers some surprising truths.  Sounds like my kind of book!

7.  The Confessions of Frannie Langton by Sara Collins (available May 21, 2019)—An ARC of this intriguing novel landed on my doorstep recently.  It's about a servant, a former slave, who's accused of murdering her employer and his wife.  Frannie claims she can't remember anything about the incident.  As her court case progresses, shocking secrets will out.  Sounds tantalizing, doesn't it?

8.  Woman 99 by Greer Macallister—This historical thriller concerns a woman who's distraught when her sister is committed to an infamous insane asylum.  Desperate to protect her sibling, she follows her inside to discover a wealth of atrocities being performed against the helpless and hopeless.  Sounds heartbreaking but compelling.

9.  The Strangers by Margaret Peterson Haddix—I enjoy this author's books, even though they're a bit hit and miss for me.  Still, they often have unique and intriguing premises, which I always appreciate.  Her newest centers on three children who are shocked when they hear of a trio of kidnapped children who bear remarkable similarities to themselves.  Could these groups of children be one and the same?

10.  How High the Moon by Karyn Parsons—This MG historical novel stars a light-skinned African-American girl whose mother is away pursuing a Jazz career.  When Ella visits her over Christmas, she learns some shocking truths about her family.  Returning to the South, she's in for another unpleasant surprise.  As Ella deals with life's curveballs, she must figure out who she really is and what she truly wants.  I'm in.

So, there you have it, a few books that are really tempting me for Spring reading.  How about you?  What will you be enjoying this season?  I'd truly love to know.  Leave me a comment on this post and I'll gladly return the favor.

Happy TTT (on a Wednesday)!   

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

Sophie knows all about monsters.  She sees them everywhere.  Thanks to The Big Book of Monsters, which she always lugs with her, she can identify one in seconds.  The snarling boys who tease her at school are obviously goblins, Principal Marsh is just as swamp monster-ish as her name implies, and the bulky intruder who swoops in out of nowhere to date Sophie's mom can only be the cunning shapeshifter known as Koschei the Deathless.  Of course, she's also surrounded by good monsters, like her new friend, Autumn, whose bubbly nature marks her as a fairy and Sophie's kindly grandmother who can only be a good witch.  

When Sophie figures out how to create a spell powerful enough to end her monster curse and make her mark disappear, she vows to do whatever it takes to get rid of her sordid secret.  As she works to create the magical necklace that will disappear her mark forever, she'll discover true friends, a different perspective on the monster-filled world, and maybe, just maybe, a new way of seeing and appreciating herself—hemangioma and all.

I've read 42 books so far this year and only one has earned an "A" from me:  A Monster Like Me by Wendy S. Swore.  This empowering MG novel boasts an engaging premise that will appeal to anyone who's ever felt out of place, sympathetic (but not pathetic) characters, and a compelling storyline that will keep readers turning pages to find out what happens next.  Sophie is a relatable character, not just because she feels other but because her thoughts and actions are age-appropriate for a girl who's celebrating her 11th birthday.  Her childlike worries feel authentic, which makes them even more heartbreaking.  As our heroine comes to some hard truths, however, she begins to see the world around her in a new light.  Coming to understand the beauty of her own—and others'—uniqueness opens her eyes.  Swore's skillful storytelling makes Sophie's transformation feel both organic and true.  The lessons she learns along the way are woven into the story subtly enough that A Monster Like Me never feels preachy or sappy.  It's simply a beautiful, entertaining, uplifting book that I enjoyed more than anything else I've read this year. 

(Readalikes:  Reminds me of Wonder by R.J. Palacio, Squint by Chad Morris and Shelly Brown, and a little of Out of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for violence and depictions of bullying

To the FTC, with love:  I received an ARC of A Monster Like Me from the generous folks at Shadow Mountain in exchange for an honest review.  Thank you!

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

When Addie Foster's obsessive tics and lengthy routines become too debilitating, the 17-year-old is admitted to the psych ward of a Seattle hospital to get help with her OCD.  Surrounded by a group of teens battling schizophrenia, severe depression, delusions, and more, life at the facility is never boring.  Addie is especially taken with Fitz, a boy her age who's smart, funny, and brave.  Even though he's constantly fighting with the voices inside his head, Addie feels like Fitz is the only person who's ever really gotten her.  A teenage romance kindled in the psych ward is not likely to go anywhere, but Addie doesn't care—she's just grateful to have a true friend on the inside.

Then Fitz asks Addie to help him break out of the hospital.  For reasons he won't explain, Fitz insists he has to go to San Juan Island and it has to be now.  Addie understands obsessions, but she's not too keen on breaking out, especially when she's finally making progress with her OCD.  Still, she can't deny her new pal (who is maybe becoming more than a friend), so a plan is hatched ... Will it work?  What will happen when the pair is on the outside trying to make important decisions without their medication, their doctors, or their hospital friends?  Can their lives—their romance—ever really work outside the psych ward?

Waiting for Fitz is a debut novel by Spencer Hyde, a college professor who spent three years of his adolescence at Johns Hopkins being treated for severe OCD.  His experience makes the book feel authentic.  It also colors his fictional treatment of mental illness—he normalizes the issue without ever trivializing it.  Hyde's sympathetic view helps the reader see the patients in his novel (and thus their real-life counterparts) as teens who are just like everybody else, even as they deal with unique problems.  He preaches hope for those with mental illness, encouraging them to never, ever give up. 

Addie and Fitz are likable leads, although they are definitely not your average high schoolers.  They're old souls whose unusual interests will probably not resonate with most young adults.  While these oddities may alienate teen readers, it does keep the characters' developing relationship ... interesting.  That being said, the first half of Waiting for Fitz really dragged for me.  There's a lot of talking and philosophizing to wade through without much action to perk up the plot.  In fact, the plot doesn't even really start until the middle of the book, which is (not) coincidentally when the story really begins to get engaging.  The problem, I think, is that Addie has no real story goal so she doesn't do much, especially in the book's initial chapters.  Fitz is the star of the show, making Addie's role in the story kind of murky.  Despite the action picking up in the second half of Waiting for Fitz, I ended up not loving the novel.  I did care about the characters and became invested enough in them to finish the book.  All in all, though, this was just an okay read for me.

(Readalikes:  Reminds me of Calvin by Martine Leavitt; OCD, The Dude, and Me by Lauren Roedy Vaughn; and Saving Sammy by Beth Alison Maloney)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for violence and mild sexual innuendo

To the FTC, with love:  I received a finished copy of Waiting for Fitz from the generous folks at Shadow Mountain in exchange for an honest review.  Thank you!

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

Note:  While Healing Hearts is more of a companion book than a sequel to its predecessor, The Sheriffs of Savage Wells, reading them out of order may result in spoilers.  As always, I recommend reading books in a series in order.

In the small Western town of Savage Wells, Wyoming, men outnumber women at least 2:1.  Unless he wants to marry a woman old enough to be his grandmother, Gideon MacNamara has to take extreme measures.  As the only doctor for miles around, he's not just lonely but also exhausted from overwork.  Desperate, he sends out a request for a mail-order bride who has nursing experience.  He's not expecting a passionate romance from the union, but at least he can get some help with his bustling medical practice.  

A nurse with a devastating secret she's desperate to keep hidden, Miriam Bricks is grateful for the opportunity to work, even if it is in the middle of nowhere.  When she arrives in Savage Wells, however, she realizes—to her horror—that there's been a terrible mix-up.  Apparently, she's expected to be not just a nurse, but also a wife to a man she's never met!  Her refusal to marry Gideon, a man beloved by the town, makes Miriam an immediate outcast in Savage Wells.  Only Gideon offers her kindness.  He hires her as a nurse, no strings attached.  As the two work together day in and day out, a warm friendship forms between them. 

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for mild violence

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

Savage Wells, Wyoming Territory, might be a small, quiet settlement, but the town is growing fast and its anxious mayor fears trouble is just around the corner.  He needs a tough, dedicated sheriff to keep the peace.  Offering an unusually high salary should lure in the right man for the job.

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for mild violence

To the FTC, with love:  I bought an e-copy of The Sheriffs of Savage Wells from Amazon with a portion of the millions I make from my lucrative career as a book blogger.  Ha ha.

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

(Readalikes:  Hm, nothing is coming to mind.  You?)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

(Readalikes:  The Year Before the War by Susan Meissner; Island of Sweet Pie and Soldiers by Sara Ackerman; and Paper Wishes by Lois Sepahban)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

-- 

Want more opinions on Within These Lines?  Follow along on the book's blog tour:

Cheyenne Reads - Author Q&A + Book Review

Absolute Bookishness - Book Review

Bloggin' 'bout Books - Book Review

Disappear In Ink - Book Review + Favorite Quotes

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