Cemetery Girl by David Bell

 

Goodreads synopsis: A missing child is every parent's nightmare. What comes next is even worse in this riveting thriller from the bestselling and award-winning author of Bring Her Home.

Tom and Abby Stuart had everything: a perfect marriage, successful careers, and a beautiful twelve-year-old daughter, Caitlin. Then one day Caitlin vanished without a trace. For a while they grasped at every false hope and followed every empty lead, but the tragedy ended up changing their lives, overwhelming them with guilt and dread, and shattering their marriage.

Four years later, Caitlin is found alive but won't discuss where she was or what happened. And when the police arrest a suspect connected to her disappearance, she refuses to testify. Taking matters into his own hands, Tom tries to uncover the truth--and finds that nothing that has happened yet can prepare him for what he is about to discover.

My rating: 4 stars.

Content warnings: R. Lots of swearing, some violence, and a discussion of sexual abuse.

My thoughts: I have a lot of thoughts about this book, and they mostly fall into what wasn't great about it, and what I appreciated about it. The prose was poorly written at times and there were a few subplots that didn't really need to be there and didn't pan out very well. It was clearly a first novel, and the author had room to improve, but that happens with anyone.

This book covered some dark subject material, and that alone means it's not for everyone. But on top of that, there isn't any character in the book who is easy to like. The main character is selfish and self centered. He has a very specific idea of what should happen when his daughter is found, and when that isn't what happens, he doesn't handle it well. It struck me as painful but important to look at our responses to other people's trauma and our expectations of what people should be and how we think others should respond to their own pasts. Tom expects his daughter to be the same after 4 years of being kidnapped and abused, and when she comes back with Stockholm syndrome, rather than trying to understand or help, he refuses to let go of his mental image of what she should be like and ends up holding that against her. Even if he would never admit as much to himself.

It's a harsh, real look at our responses to trauma, notably the trauma of others, and how we expect them to react to it. It's a nasty, raw, gut punching, real look at dealing with and being there for the mental health of others, and how we so often fail at that.

At least, that's what it was for me. And ever since I read it, I haven't been able to get it out of my head.

The Return of the King by J. R. R. Tolkien

 

Goodreads synopsis: THE RETURN OF THE KING, which brings to a close the great epic of war and adventure begun in The Fellowship of the Ring and continued in The Two Towers, is the third and final part of J. R. R. Tolkien’s masterpiece, “The Lord of the Rings.”
In these three books, which form one continuous narrative, Tolkien created the saga of the Hobbits of Middle-earth and the great War of the Rings. Praised by such writers and poets as W. H. Auden, Richard Hughes and C. S. Lewis, “The Lord of the Rings” – that special world of beauty and terror and meaning – holds a secure place among the books that will live.

My rating: 4 stars.

Content warnings: PG-13. Fantasy violence.

Thoughts: I reread this series entirely for the ending, and I realized I didn't read it as closely as I wanted to. But overall it's a solid series and has a lot of good themes to dig into. It can be a slog sometimes, but the story is great and it's clear why it's a fantasy classic. Even if Tolkien's dialogue tags are all exactly the same. :P

All Systems Red by Martha Wells

 

Goodreads synopsis: In a corporate-dominated spacefaring future, planetary missions must be approved and supplied by the Company. Exploratory teams are accompanied by Company-supplied security androids, for their own safety.

But in a society where contracts are awarded to the lowest bidder, safety isn’t a primary concern.

On a distant planet, a team of scientists are conducting surface tests, shadowed by their Company-supplied ‘droid — a self-aware SecUnit that has hacked its own governor module, and refers to itself (though never out loud) as “Murderbot.” Scornful of humans, all it really wants is to be left alone long enough to figure out who it is.

But when a neighboring mission goes dark, it's up to the scientists and their Murderbot to get to the truth.

My rating: 4 stars.

Content warnings: PG-13. Some violence and swearing.

Thoughts: I've heard a lot about Murderbot recently, and I was excited to give it a try. It definitely was a lot of fun, and Murderbot's internal monologue was a lot of fun to read. It was also very solid as a novella. It didn't feel stretched out, or too shortened. It was well paced, well written, and overall enjoyable. I didn't find it completely groundbreaking or anything, but I do look forward to reading the rest of the series at some point.

Stones in Water by Donna Jo Naopli

 

Goodreads synopsis: The day Roberto and his friend Samuele are rounded up by German soldiers and put on a train marks both a beginning and an end. The boys have now become part of the war, providing forced labor for the Nazis at various work camps deep inside German territory. And it's the ending to all they've known -- before their lives as children in Venice, their innocence. For Roberto, the present is unbearable -- backbreaking work, near starvation, and protecting Samuele's secret that, if discovered, would mean death for both boys. Escape is Roberto's only hope, but the Russian winter is upon the land -- and any hope seems remote. But compared to the horrors he has suffered, can freezing be worse? Using the shimmering language that has marked her books Zel and The Magic Circle, Donna Jo Napoli writes a wrenching novel of a boy caught up in a war he hates. As pure as the snow that covers the vast lands he must cross, and as hard as the gift stone he carries with him as a kind of talisman, this is both a war story and a survival story. It is not only the story of how Roberto lives to tell his tale of cruelty and terror, but also how dreams and hope can endure despite the harshest tests. Donna Jo Napoli based this novel loosely on fact.

My rating: 3 stars.

Content warnings: Heavy PG. Mild violence, and several focuses on genitalia.

Thoughts: This was definitely an odd book in some ways. For the most part it was a standard kid's book. I do appreciate a lot how it was written about a facet of the German occupation that isn't talked about much. I hadn't even been aware of it before this book. However, the way the author wrote the young boys was awkward at times, and I'm still not entirely sure how I feel about it. And it was obviously written with a sequel in mind. But overall it wasn't a bad read.

The Power Within by Kate Sinclair

 

Goodreads synopsis: The world is in ruins. After the Great war of 2046 the United States government has collapsed, leaving warring crime syndicates and gangs to run the country. But, something deeper and stronger lies underground waiting for it’s chance to strike. Georgia Puttman is just a shy fifteen year old girl who tends to keep to herself and only listens to the things going on around her. But when she is suddenly kidnapped and given supernatural powers, she must learn to overcome her fear in order to do what is right.

My rating: 3 stars.

Content warnings: PG. Some non-described violence.

Thoughts: I know the author, but was not asked to review this

It is evident that this is the author's first book, and there is room for improvement. My main comment was that it could have stood to be a much longer story, with a lot more world and character development. But it is clear that a lot of thought and work went into this book, and I enjoyed the heart behind it. Not for everyone, but nice to support a young, beginning author.

The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate

 

Goodreads synopsis: Having spent twenty-seven years behind the glass walls of his enclosure in a shopping mall, Ivan has grown accustomed to humans watching him. He hardly ever thinks about his life in the jungle. Instead, Ivan occupies himself with television, his friends Stella and Bob, and painting. But when he meets Ruby, a baby elephant taken from the wild, he is forced to see their home, and his art, through new eyes.

In the tradition of timeless stories like Charlotte's Web and Stuart Little, Katherine Applegate blends humor and poignancy to create an unforgettable story of friendship, art, and hope.

My rating: 2 stars.

Content warnings: Some poop jokes.

Thoughts: I honestly didn't expect to really like this book, but I didn't expect it to be this disappointing. For as thick as the book was, there was maybe 10 pages of actual story. To add to that, I couldn't stop thinking about Charlotte's Web the whole time (before I saw that in the synopsis), and the entire story felt like a retelling of that, much better story. Ivan was okay enough, but he's never going to be Charlotte, and I was just wishing I was reading that instead. If you like monkeys it might be nice, but otherwise, I'd suggest just reading Charlotte's Web instead.

All the Way Home by Patricia Reilly Giff

 

Goodreads synopsis: It’s August 1941, and Brick and Mariel both love the Brooklyn Dodgers. Brick listens to their games on the radio in Windy Hill, in upstate New York, where his family has an apple orchard; Mariel, once a polio patient in the hospital in Windy Hill, lives in Brooklyn near the Dodgers’ home, Ebbets Field. She was adopted by Loretta, a nurse at the hospital, and has never known what happened to her own mother. Someday, somehow, she plans to return to Windy Hill and find out. When a fire destroys their orchard, Brick’s parents must leave the farm to find work. They send him to live in Brooklyn with their friend Loretta, even though Brick knows that their elderly neighbors need his help to pick what’s left of the apples. The only good thing about Brooklyn is seeing the Dodgers play–that, and his friendship with Mariel. Maybe, together, they’ll find a way to return to Windy Hill, save the harvest, and learn the truth about Mariel’s past.

My rating: 3 stars.

Content warnings: PG.

My thoughts: I expected more baseball from this book, but overall it was sweet and a neat read. It didn't have the normal kid's book complaint where things just start to happen and then it ends. It definitely felt like a whole and complete story, and one with a bit more depth than normal at that. It was sweet and an enjoyable story, and my only complaint is that the baseball it mentioned on the back cover wasn't in the story as much as I thought it would be. But certainly worth the read.

Germ by Robert Liparulo

 

Goodreads synopsis: If you breathe...It will find you.

The list of 10,000 names was created for maximum devastation. Business leaders, housewives, politicians, celebrities, janitors, children. None of them is aware of what is about to happen--but all will be part of the most frightening brand of warfare the world has ever known.

The germ--an advanced form of the Ebola virus--has been genetically engineered to infect only those people whose DNA matches the codes embedded within it. Those whose DNA is not a match simply catch a cold. But those who are a match experience a far worse fate. Within days, their internal organs liquify.

Death is the only escape.

The release of the virus will usher in a new era of power where countries are left without defense. Where a single person--or millions--could be killed with perfect accuracy and zero collateral damage. Where your own DNA works against you.

The time isn't coming. It is now. Pray the assassins get you first.

My rating: 3 stars.

Content warnings: R. Graphic violence.

Thoughts: Virus thrillers aren't quite as much fun as they used to be.

That being said, it was still a fun ride, even if it did take me a while to read. The action was tense and exciting. And it was definitely nice to read a thriller without any sex scenes or constant profanity. And to have a religious character not to be the butt of constant jokes or ridicule.

I don't have much else to say about it, but I look forward to reading more of the author's work.

Milkweed by Jerry Spinelli

 

Goodreads synopsis: He’s a boy called Jew. Gypsy. Stopthief. Runt. Happy. Fast. Filthy son of Abraham.

He’s a boy who lives in the streets of Warsaw. He’s a boy who steals food for himself and the other orphans. He’s a boy who believes in bread, and mothers, and angels. He’s a boy who wants to be a Nazi some day, with tall shiny jackboots and a gleaming Eagle hat of his own. Until the day that suddenly makes him change his mind. And when the trains come to empty the Jews from the ghetto of the damned, he’s a boy who realizes it’s safest of all to be nobody.

Newbery Medalist Jerry Spinelli takes us to one of the most devastating settings imaginable—Nazi-occupied Warsaw of World War II—and tells a tale of heartbreak, hope, and survival through the bright eyes of a young orphan.

My rating: 4 stars.

Content warnings: PG. Some childhood roughhousing, and several mentions of dead bodies. Implied Nazi violence.

Thoughts: I was not expecting anything from this book after the way Stargirl turned out. But this book was so beautiful, and heartfelt I couldn't believe it was the same author. It was so interesting to see the child's perspective, and the innocence associated with the events happening around the narrator. I don't know that I've ever seen a book that took quite that route and it was startling and thought provoking.

You can also see the narrator grow and mature as the book progresses, and it's very subtle, but very neat to see.

The questions of identity, and the way the book deals with that was also touching. Definitely one of the best WWII era books I've read in a while.

The Martian by Andy Weir

 

Goodreads synopsis: Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars.

Now, he's sure he'll be the first person to die there.

After a dust storm nearly kills him and forces his crew to evacuate while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded and completely alone with no way to even signal Earth that he’s alive—and even if he could get word out, his supplies would be gone long before a rescue could arrive.

Chances are, though, he won't have time to starve to death. The damaged machinery, unforgiving environment, or plain-old "human error" are much more likely to kill him first.

But Mark isn't ready to give up yet. Drawing on his ingenuity, his engineering skills—and a relentless, dogged refusal to quit—he steadfastly confronts one seemingly insurmountable obstacle after the next. Will his resourcefulness be enough to overcome the impossible odds against him?

My rating: 5 stars.

Content warnings: R. Frequent cursing, and some sexual comments.

Thoughts: This was another reread, but I really do love this story. Watney's narrative voice is so strong and so hopeful that it's hard to come away from this story and not feel encouraged and excited to take on life's challenges and find the humor in everything. It's a strong story with a lovely message, and if foul language doesn't bother you, I'd highly recommend it.

Operation Grendel by Daniel Schwabauer

 

Goodreads synopsis: It’s the war story he’s dreamed of. But the battle may cost him his mind.

Military journalist Raymin Dahl thinks he’s finally getting the story of a lifetime. Secret peace talks on a remote tropical moon are about to surrender five colonized worlds—and six hundred million civilians—to a ruthless enemy.

But when his commanding officer, Captain Ansell Sterling, is fatally wounded before the negotiations can begin, Dahl can no longer just report on the mission. He’s ordered to complete it. With help from the AI embedded in Sterling’s comms bracelet, Dahl must impersonate his commander—a Marine Corps hero and psychological operations expert.

However, Sterling’s AI may be luring him to surrender more than he realizes. And the mission Corporal Dahl thinks he’s running isn't the only operation underway.

My rating: 3 stars.

Content warnings: PG-13. Some sci-fi violence.

Thoughts: I think I read this book a little too fast and missed a couple things that would have made it easier to follow, but I did really enjoy it. Especially near the end, thematically I really appreciated something it was saying, and it's no surprise since I mostly agree with this author's perspective on things. The ending was mindblowing, and something I'm still churning over for myself, but it was worth reading and a lot of fun.

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

Goodreads synopsis: Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter moves between two worlds: the poor neighborhood where she lives and the fancy suburban prep school she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer. Khalil was unarmed.
Soon afterward, his death is a national headline. Some are calling him a thug, maybe even a drug dealer and a gangbanger. Protesters are taking to the streets in Khalil’s name. Some cops and the local drug lord try to intimidate Starr and her family. What everyone wants to know is: what really went down that night? And the only person alive who can answer that is Starr.

But what Starr does—or does not—say could upend her community. It could also endanger her life.

Inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement, this is a powerful and gripping YA novel about one girl's struggle for justice.

My rating: 4 stars.

Content warnings: R. Excessive language, some violence and sexual content.

Thoughts: Well written, evocative, and definitely worth the read. 

Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

 

Goodreads synopsis: Tally is about to turn sixteen, and she can't wait. In just a few weeks she'll have the operation that will turn her from a repellent ugly into a stunning pretty. And as a pretty, she'll be catapulted into a high-tech paradise where her only job is to have fun.

But Tally's new friend Shay isn't sure she wants to become a pretty. When Shay runs away, Tally learns about a whole new side of the pretty world—and it isn't very pretty. The authorities offer Tally a choice: find her friend and turn her in, or never turn pretty at all. Tally's choice will change her world forever....

My rating: 3 stars.

Content warnings: PG. Some kissing and minor violence.

Thoughts: I think a friend summed this book up well when she described it as "middle grade, but YA." And that seems about right to me. The way it's written feels rather like a middle grade novel, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. The story moves quickly, perhaps a bit too quickly for the high concept Westerfeld has, but quick enough to hold the reader's attention. It takes a while for the story to have actual stakes, but once it does I was surprised how heavy those stakes actually were. And the characters are pretty generic, but they fit their roles and have some interesting moments. All in all it's a fun read with an interesting (if rather juvenile) world, and a cliffhanger ending that makes the next book that much more intriguing. 

Into the Shadows by Troy Taylor

 

Goodreads synopsis: In this endlessly fascinating book Troy Taylor draws on his lifelong interest in stranger-than-fiction truth to explore history’s deepest conundrums. Ranging freely over American annals, he delves into mysterious occurrences, unexplained disappearances, unsolved crimes, buried treasures, and more.

Into the Shadows illuminates many of the history’s darkest corners; from the mysterious disappearance of the Anasazi to the identity of the continent’s pre-Columbian visitors. Taylor wades into hotly contested topics such as the location of the Lost Dutchman Mine, the strange fate of The Marie Celeste, and Harry Houdini’s life before—and after— his death. He asks provocative questions: Did Billy the Kid survive to a ripe old age? Was Jack the Ripper an American? Did Eliot Ness solve the homicide of the Black Dahlia? Was Edgar Allan Poe the culprit in the murder that made him famous?

Some of these cases seem to exist almost beyond the pale. Who but Troy Taylor could explain the Hornet Spook Light of Missouri or the eerie multiple sightings of West Virginia’s themselves? Dead men do tell tales, but it takes someone as skilled as this president of the American Ghost Society to coax out the story of Daniel Douglas Home, a Scotsman who could fly. Whether ferreting out the truth about multiple murders or the flying creature of the Devil’s Lake, Taylor remains open to all possibilities.

Like the very best books, Into the Shadows raises far more intriguing questions than it flatly answers. And like the very best books, it challenges each reader to decide for themselves……

My rating: 3 stars.

Content warnings: PG. Crimes are talked about, but never to great detail and never for very long.

Thoughts: While the book felt like a collection of short essays briefly talking about different subjects, they were all rather interesting, and many of them I hadn't even heard of before, so it's obvious the author put some work into it and wasn't just going for low hanging fruit. This book would be a good jumping off point for someone looking for new or interesting true crime cases they may never have heard of before, or as an introduction to the genre, and using the resources in the back of the book to begin to dig deeper into any given case. All in all it was pretty fun to read. 

The Two Towers by J. R. R. Tolkien

 

Goodreads synopsis: The Fellowship was scattered. Some were bracing hopelessly for war against the ancient evil of Sauron. Some were contending with the treachery of the wizard Saruman. Only Frodo and Sam were left to take the accursed Ring of Power to be destroyed in Mordor–the dark Kingdom where Sauron was supreme. Their guide was Gollum, deceitful and lust-filled, slave to the corruption of the Ring. Thus continues the magnificent, bestselling tale of adventure begun in The Fellowship of the Ring, which reaches its soul-stirring climax in The Return of the King.

My rating: 4 stars.

Content warnings: PG-13. Fantasy violence throughout.

Thoughts: I didn't notice in the first book, but I noticed here how terrible Tolkien is at dialogue tags. Every line it's "he said" "he said" "he said" and that gets old after a while. But it also got amusing and I started ignoring them entirely after a while. Which might have been a detriment, but I'm pretty sure I always knew who was talking. Other than that it's another fun fantasy story that picks up right where the first left off. It is kind of obvious that it was written as one book, because the beginning of this book and the end of it aren't really good story containers, but it makes sense knowing that's just how Tolkien wrote it, and it was the publisher who cut it up. And the description of Shelob makes me sad, but I much prefer depictions of spiders like Charlotte in my books. That's just personal though. I had a lot of fun reading this one, and I'm looking forward to the conclusion. 

Wickers Bog by Mike Duran

 

Goodreads synopsis: Every autumn, when the weather turned and the wind came off the marsh, the dark waters of Wickers Bog gave up its ghosts and reawakened the old yarns.

Julene Ella Haddan is about to be drawn into one of them.

It was a grey, joyless day, when young Julene heard the song of the siren and followed its melody into the enchanted swamp... a journey which led her into a tale of murder and deceit. It's only the fated who hear the siren. Yet Julene's fate now seems bound to the fabled Lady of Lisenby, the spectral gatekeeper of the Bog, queen of the haunted deep. However, is it justice the Lady seeks or is Julene the siren's next victim?

Myth and mystery collide in this tale of Southern Gothic horror.

My rating: 2 stars.

Content warnings: PG-13. Brief description of a decomposing body.

Thoughts: I do think the story had a solid idea behind it, and it held a very interesting plot and characters, and overall it could have been a very lovely, very fascinating story. The problem is, it was less than 60 pages long. I would have been very happy if this book was five times that long. At the length that it was, there was not enough time for any of the concepts within the book to develop, and in the end it felt like reading a long form outline of a story, rather than a story itself. I love the atmosphere, and the concepts, and the aesthetic of it all. But to actually have been gripping as a story, this book needed a lot more length and breadth to its scope, and much more development within the book as a whole in order to tell this tale slowly, as I think it deserved to be told.

The Executioner's Daughter by Laura Williams

 

Goodreads synopsis: Born into the family of an executioner, Lily has always been sheltered by her mother from the horrors of her father's occupation. While her mother assists her father in all his daily duties, Lily spends her time caring for her animals, collecting herbs, and playing alone in the forest. But when her ailing mother takes a turn for the worse, Lily is suddenly thrust into the paralyzing role of executioner's assistant.

Aside from preparing healing concoctions for the suffering and maimed, Lily must now accompany her father at the town executions, something she has never done before. Though she loves her father, the emotional burden of his disturbing profession is just too much for her to bear. Lily must find a way to change her destiny, no matter the consequences.

Set in medieval England, this well-researched and beautifully written novel tells the story of one girl's fight to rise above her fate.

My rating: 2 stars.

Content warnings: PG-13. A description of a beheading.

Thoughts: I wanted to like this book. The description was fascinating, and it sounded like it could be a really neat story with a lot of emotional depth and resonance. The problem was, how short the book really was. I think the author had a cool idea, and did a good amount of research as well to make the world and history seem real. But by targeting this book, presumably toward a younger audience, the book got kneecapped into something less than impressive. It was short, and there was barely enough time to really start to get into what was going on, before it was over. I just wanted so much more from this book. So much more richness and depth I think the author could have given had the target audience been a bit older, and the book been given more length to develop and grow. The idea was lovely, but I feel like very little actually happened, and none of it was particularly meaningful, so the entire thing fell flat. And that makes me sad.

A Time to Die by Nadine Brandes

Goodreads synopsis: How would you live if you knew the day you'd die?
Parvin Blackwater has wasted her life. At only seventeen, she has one year left according to the Clock by her bedside.

In a last-ditch effort to make a difference, she tries to rescue Radicals from the crooked justice system. But when the authorities find out about her illegal activity, they cast her through the Wall -- her people's death sentence.

What she finds on the other side about the world, about eternity, and about herself changes Parvin forever and might just save her people. But her Clock is running out.

My rating: 3 stars.

Content warnings: PG-13. Some violence and blood.

Thoughts: This was a reread of this book, so my thoughts may be slightly colored by that, and I do think that without knowing where the rest of the series goes, I might have rated this book a bit higher. That's the context of this.

It is a solid book, with a really interesting premise, some fantastic characters, and a generally sturdy plot. It's mostly well written, there are a few aspects that bugged me in some way, but overall I enjoyed reading it even a second time. I would honestly say this book is a good book, and suggest it to people who might be interested in a fascinating dystopian world.

What I can't do, unfortunately, is recommend the books that follow, and that sours my enjoyment and appreciation for this book just a bit.

(spoilers for the entire Out of Time series)

It became obvious to me in rereading this that Brandes did plan for Parvin to end up with Jude's brother the whole time. But the way she tried to set that up, and the way she (Parvin or Brandes, I can't honestly tell) treated Jude throughout the story made me so much more bitter about Parvin as a character, the direction the stories took in general, and the "romance" of the books in particular. I don't know why it was a good idea, but it bothers me quite a lot, and I can't get over how nasty, cruel, and downright creepy the whole thing becomes in the end.

Additionally, it makes me sad how this book had such a solid, tight plot throughout, only to have... very little plot in the next two books. Ten chapters of this book cover more ground plot wise than the next two books combined, at least in what's shown on page. It's sad to me, and really disappointing because Brandes is a very talented author, but it just doesn't show in the next two books.

Overall I do still have a lot of appreciation for A Time to Die, but the frustration I have with Speak and Rise makes me unable to hold it quite as highly as I otherwise might have.

The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien

 

Goodreads synopsis: THE GREATEST FANTASY EPIC OF OUR TIME

The dark, fearsome Ringwraiths were searching for a hobbit. Frodo Baggins knew they were seeking him and the Ring he bore - the Ring of Power that would enable evil Sauron to destroy all that was good in Middle-earth. Now it is up to Frodo and his faithful servant, Sam, with a small band of companions, to carry the Ring to the one place it could be destroyed - Mount Doom, in the very center of Sauron's dark kingdom.

My rating: 4 stars.

Content warnings: PG. Some fantasy violence.

Thoughts: There's a reason these books are such a classic. The worldbuilding is impeccable, the characters are fantastic, and the action is incredible. When it finally starts. But even just the world of the hobbits and the elves is fun to crawl inside of and live around in for a while. The first one is a slow book, but it's soft and cozy and definitely enjoyable to read.

Among the Betrayed by Margaret Peterson Haddix

 

Goodreads synopsis: In a society that allows no more than two children per family under penalty of death, third children are forced into hiding, or to live with false identity papers. In Among the Impostors, Nina Idi was arrested for treason for supposedly trying to trick the Population Police into arresting other students she said were illegal third children. Now she faces torture or death -- unless she agrees to betray three other imprisoned third children. Her dilemma intensifies when she meets the prisoners -- who are only ten, nine, and six.

As she did so brilliantly in the Publishers Weekly best-selling Among the Hidden and in Among the Impostors, Margaret Peterson Haddix once again brings readers to a world in which nothing is as it seems -- a world in which an imprisonment leads to an adventure of mind, body, and spirit.

My rating: 3 stars.

Content warnings: PG. Some fear and mentions of excrement. 

Thoughts: Not my favorite of the Shadow Children books so far, but definitely a good book. I would have liked it more if Nina hadn't actually been innocent in the beginning, but I'll take what I can get. It's still a lovely story, and I think it will prove to be a really good choice for Haddix to focus on other third children throughout the series. This one was quick to read, and not quite as deeply touching as the first two, but I'm looking forward to the next one, so it did its job well.