Power Play, by Joseph Finder, is a book full of a very specific charm. The strong male protagonist uses his ingenuity, wit, and determination to save the day and rescue the damsel and takes the reader for an engaging and suspenseful ride along the way. The story explores social politics and dynamics in the business world, as well as what bigwigs do when the lives they play with suddenly get a little too close to their own.
Annihilation, by Jeff VanderMeer, is a stylistically incredible story of survival. The novel follows a Biologist, thrown into an anomalous environment that seems to have a mind of its own. She is set to discover the source of the anomaly along with several other specialists with dubious motives. With a rich exploration of the Biologist’s mind, an environment that falls perfectly into the uncanny valley, and undercurrents of mystery, distrust, and unreliability, VanderMeer creates an incredible and engaging story.
Rooney is a senior in high school, but she sure doesn’t feel it. In fact her entire life has been put on hold to keep her family afloat, all thanks to The Next World Society. Rooney thinks the group is nonsense, but the idea that all the members will leave earth by November 17th is the only thing her mother believes in and her little brother is starting to fall for it too.
Till Human Voices Wake Us, by Rebecca Roque, chronicles the twisting journey of seventeen-year-old Silencia “Cia” Lucero as she attempts to uncover the secrets buried in her hometown, Summerset. Cia has her own dark history, her own secrets. Including a traumatic past as Silence Bennett, living in a house with three sisters and a father that ended up blowing it all up. And when her best friend Alice says that she has answers to secrets that lead back to the Bennett house, Cia isn’t ready to hear any of it.
A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder follows high school senior Pippa Fitz Amobi uncovering a murder case that has haunted her small town for years. Sal Singh was suspected of killing his girlfriend, Andie Bell, but Pip isn’t convinced. I loved this book. The characters felt very realistic and it was very fast paced. One of my main problems with mysteries is when the twists are not foreshadowed in the book. I think the author did a great job at making the ending hard to guess, but also laying out easy to find clues.
Naomi is forced to leave her life in the city after a family crisis and ends up in the small town of Knockemout. She soon meets the grumpy and mysterious Knox Morgan who has a reputation for being closed off and the town’s bad boy. Despite their differences, they end up bonding over past trauma and other things they never got over.
Adam and Amelia Wright’s marriage is struggling. In their final attempt to save their relationship, they venture to Scotland on a getaway trip where they stay in an isolated chapel in the woods. Adam has a rare condition that makes it hard for him to recognize faces and Amelia has her own secrets. Their stay at this chapel turns into a game of manipulation and a journey of uncovering the past in unexpected ways.
Millie Calloway has had a rough go at life. She was just released from prison and lost her job and apartment but finds a job being a housemaid for a wealthy family. Nina Winchester, the wife and mom of this family, forces Millie to sleep in the attic that only locks from the outside. Millie then notices Nina’s incredibly wild and erratic behavior. As she stays with this family longer, she discovers the very unusual things that go on behind the scenes.
In Verity, a hard-working, but struggling writer gets hired to take over for famous author, Verity, after she is involved in an accident that left her unable to write again. This is one of my favorite Colleen Hoover books. It is so different from her other novels and it really stands out. This book has you on the edge of your seat. You never expect what is going to happen. Definitely one of Hoover's best novels, I would totally recommend this book for anyone looking for a thrilling read.
I give Cujo by Stephen King a 5 out of 5 rating. Stephen King is known for being a great horror/thriller author and is a #1 New York Times bestselling author. He has also written It, The Shining, Pet Sematary, and The Green Mile. This book looked appealing to me since I recognized the author's name. The book is about Cujo, a dog that gets bitten by a bat and gets infected with rabies. The rest of the story demonstrates the impact that he has on the humans around him.
