Books I Love - THE STEEP & THORNY WAY by Cat Winters

Scene: Oregon, 1923.

Dramatis personae:

Hanalee Denney, daughter of a white woman and an African American man

Hank Denney, her father—a ghost

Greta Koning, Hanalee’s mother

Clyde Konig, doctor who treated Hank Denney the night he died, now Hanalee’s stepfather

Joe Adder, teenage boy convicted of accidentally killing Hank Denney

Members of the Ku Klux Klan

Townspeople of Elston, Oregon

Question: Was Hank Denney’s death an accident…or was it murder most foul?


I loved this update of HAMLET, it was clever and heartfelt. Although the book takes place in the 1920s, it's really easy to relate to Hanalee. Half black and half white, she feels like there is no place for her in the world. The social issues, racism and bigotry, are still alive today, but this historical look helps us see how far we've come...as well as how far we have left to go. I also think Winters did an excellent job of taking what she needed from HAMLET, but not rehashing the same plot and characters. This is definitely a unique story.

Another amazing YA paranormal by Cat Winters!

Cat Winters is an award-winning author of YA and adult fiction. Her YA works include IN THE SHADOW OF BLACKBIRDS, THE CURE FOR DREAMING, and THE STEEP AND THORNY WAY. Her debut adult novel, THE UNINVITED, released in 2015, and her second book for adults, YESTERNIGHT, is coming October 4, 2016.

Winters was born and raised in Southern California, just a short drive down the freeway from Disneyland, which may explain her love of haunted mansions, bygone eras, and fantasylands. She currently lives in Portland, Oregon, with her husband and two kids. Visit her online at www.catwinters.com.

Book Spotlight - MAID OF SECRETS by Jennifer McGowan

 

Seventeen-year-old Meg Fellowes is a wry, resourceful thief forced to join an elite group of female spies in Queen Elizabeth’s Court. There she must solve a murder, save the Crown, and resist the one thing that will become her greatest freedom–and her deadliest peril.

For Meg and her fellow spies are not alone in their pursuit of the murderer who stalks Windsor Castle.

A young, mysterious Spanish courtier, Count Rafe de Martine, appears at every turn in the dark and scandal-filled corridors of the Queen’s summer palace. And though secrets and danger are Meg’s stock-in-trade, she’s never bargained on falling in love…

 

Recommended for fans of: YA Historical Fiction, Elizabethan Fiction

 Though I’m a Sci-fi girl, I love me a good Historical Fiction (you can read a post on my not so secret love here) and MAID OF SECRETS does not disappoint. It has a wonderful MC, royal intrigue, female spies, and just the right amount of romance. I also love how McGowan weaves history through her book, it’s not overwhelming but gives you just enough for historical context.

The story itself is also a page-turner, you find yourself unable to stop reading as several mysteries unfold.  It’s also quite the ride to see Meg’s character develop from a resourceful thief to a skillful spy, and her struggle with all that entails. The characters are all wonderfully fleshed out, and you feel like you’re smack dap in the middle of Elizabethan England. Definitely recommend to anyone with a love of Historical Fiction.

MAID OF SECRETS is available now!

Book Spotlight – THE NEPTUNE PROJECT by Polly Holyoke

 

 

With her weak eyes and useless lungs that often leave her gasping for air, Nere feels more at home swimming with the dolphins her mother studies than she does hanging out with her classmates. Nere has never understood why she is so much more comfortable and confident in the water than on land until the day she learns the shocking truth—she is one of a group of kids who have been genetically altered to survive in the ocean. These products of the "Neptune Project" are supposed to build a better future under the waves, safe from the terrible famines and wars and that rock the surface world.

But there are some big challenges ahead of her: no one ever asked Nere if she wanted to be part of a science experiment; the other Neptune kids aren't exactly the friendliest bunch, and in order to reach the safe haven of the new Neptune colony, Nere and her fellow mutates must swim across hundreds of miles of dangerous ocean, relying on their wits, their loyal dolphins and one another to evade terrifying undersea creatures and a government that will stop at nothing to capture the Neptune kids ... dead or alive.

Fierce battle and daring escapes abound as Nere and her friend race to safety in this action-packed marine adventure.

Recommended for fans of: MG or YA Dystopian/Action Adventure.

This MG dystopian is packed with action, an exciting plot, and loveable characters. I was really drawn to the MC, Nere, and her plight; finding out that she is part of a genetics experiment that created humans who could live in the ocean. Within the first few chapters, Nere’s life is changed forever and the reader empathizes with her fear and resentment. But Nere is also strong and courageous and really drives the story forward. Although this book is MG, I think a lot of older teens would like it too. Definite rec to any pre-teen/teen interested in marine biology or who is looking for a fun spin on the dystopian genre.

THE NEPTUNE PROJECT is available now!