Books & Wheels

Endpapers by Jennifer Savran Kelly

Endpapers by Jennifer Savran Kelly is a stunning genderqueer book that follows one woman as she grapples with her gender identity.

Synopsis

Dawn Levit, an aspiring artist, works as a book conservationist at the Met in NYC. She feels as though she is at a standstill both career-wise and in her relationship with her boyfriend, Lukas. She’s envious of her peers who have already begun their art careers. On top of that, Dawn struggles with finding a balance between her gender identity and expression. Lukas keeps her at a distance and seems to prefer her masculine side. While at work, the thought of dressing more masculine terrifies Dawn, not knowing what her coworkers would think.

With all these thoughts churning in her mind, one day, when repairing a book, Dawn discovers a torn-off book cover from the ‘50’s inserted into the endpapers. The cover depicts a woman looking into a mirror and seeing a man in the reflection with a handwritten love letter on the back.

Dawn becomes obsessed with finding the author of this letter and believes it will help her work through her problems.

Review of Endpapers by Jennifer Savran Kelly

This a character-driven story with wholly believable characters. Dawn and Jae will surely capture readers’ hearts.

Endpapers is set in 2003 and discusses the lingering effects of 9/11. It also examines the homophobia and violence rampant in the 50s and still felt decades later.

I knew I would love this book right from the first page. The writing style was immediately engaging. It is literary but with none of the disconnect that I sometimes feel when reading literary fiction. Parts of it are incredibly sad, but there is hope and light in there, too.

Learning a bit about bookbinding and repair was a nice addition as well.

If you enjoy character-driven novels with vibrant settings, I recommend giving this book a try, it will not disappoint.

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Expected Publication: 07 February 2023

Thank you to Algonquin Books for providing me with an arc via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

For regular reading updates, check out my Goodreads profile.

For past reviews, click here.

I Keep My Exoskeletons to Myself

I Keep My Exoskeletons to Myself by Marisa Crane (they/she) is an incisive portrayal of one family trying to survive the clutches of a government that resembles Big Brother.

Synopsis

Set in the near future, the government has found a new way to deal with crime. Instead of incarcerating people, the government dispenses extra shadows for each infraction of the law. It’s a very right-wing leaning government that offers scant civil rights to offenders, or as they’re known in this world: shadesters.

Kris and her newborn daughter, whom she calls the kid, both have a second shadow. Kris’s wife Beau died in childbirth, leaving Kris to grapple with the grief of losing her while finding joy in raising their daughter.

Review of I Keep My Exoskeletons to Myself

There’s not much of a plot in this novel; it’s more character-driven. It follows this family and their close friends as the kid grows up and starts questioning the injustices of this world. The narrative voice is slightly unusual, in the second person, with Kris talking directly to Beau.

There are no distinct chapters, but there are frequent breaks in the text.

Even though this novel deals with darker themes, like loss, grief, and shame, it also balances the story with humour and joy. The writing style is both accessible and insightful. It’s deceptively simple yet packs a big punch.

Initially, I struggled with this book’s lack of a plot, but once I decided to read a few sections at a time, I appreciated it a lot more.

So, if you enjoy speculative fiction, I highly recommend giving this debut author a try.

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Expected Publication: 17 January 2023

Thank you to Catapult for providing an arc via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

For regular reading updates, check out my Goodreads profile.

For past reviews, click here.

What Happened on Floor 34? by Caroline Corcoran

What Happened on Floor 34? starts off with a tension-filled bang.

Synopsis

Recently promoted to day editor, Rose works for London’s largest newspaper. She begins her shift shortly after the night editor finishes for the day. The two editors never cross paths, but they work closely together via email.

Suddenly, the night editor Will goes missing without a trace. Rose agrees to work nights until they replace Will. Rose becomes obsessed with figuring out what happened to the night editor.

Review of What Happened on Floor 34?

This thriller is compulsively readable and piles on twist after twist. Some of the twists were juicy, while others felt like they were there for shock value alone. Also, the author often hinted at some revelation but would not reveal it until many pages later, which was a minor annoyance.

Rose is an unreliable narrator that relies on booze and caffeine to get her through the days. It’s fairly obvious early on what caused her to take up drinking so much.

This was a serviceable thriller. It likely will not stick with me, but it did keep me wanting to find out how everything pieced together.

I would indeed read more from this author.

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Expected Publication: 19 January 2023

Thank you to Avon for providing an arc via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

For regular reading updates, check out my Goodreads profile.

For past reviews, click here.

Age of Vice by Deepti Kapoor

Age of Vice, set in India, is a compelling crime thriller mixed with a family saga.

Synopsis

It begins with the police finding a young man named Ajay inebriated in a flashy Mercedes surrounded by a group of dead bodies. The police suspect he just rammed through the crowd sleeping on the pavement. At first glance, the police see Ajay as a man vested in wealth, but upon closer inspection, they realize he is a servant. When the police ask him what happened to cause him to crash his employer’s car, he remains silent.

The story unfolds from here, starting with Ajay’s impoverished youth to how he eventually came to work for one of India’s most wealthy and powerful families; and how he wound up in that vehicle. It is a story of violence, crime, and extravagance juxtaposed with extreme poverty.

Review of Age of Vice

It has three main POVs and a few extra thrown in for good measure.

It is an epic book, clocking in at over 500 pages, but it did not feel excessively long. Sometimes there would be pages of dialogue, but then it would be followed by a single paragraph taking up the whole page, so it felt balanced.

I thoroughly enjoyed Ajay’s sections. I would have been happy reading a whole book from just his pov.

I’m not super into reading about bad people doing bad things, aka crime novels, but Neda and Ajay were enough to keep my interest going. Although, the other characters brought more clarity into what was going on in this climate.

I believe Age of Vice is the first book in a trilogy, so the cliffhanger ending makes a lot more sense. My one qualm would be that there was loads of build up, but towards the end, it felt slightly rushed and chaotic. However, it did have a cinematic feel to it. Hopefully, the next book will clear everything up.

I highly recommend trying this if you enjoy thrillers and crime novels.

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Expected Publication: 03 January 2023

Thank you to HarperCollins Canada for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review.

For regular reading updates, check out my Goodreads profile.

For past reviews, click here.

SUBSCRIBE TO RECEIVE FUN BOOK REVIEWS

Enter your mail to get the latest to your inbox, delivered weekly.

The Stranded by Sarah Daniels

The premise of The Stranded seemed so appealing, but unfortunately, it was underwhelming.

Synopsis

Apocalyptic war and a deadly virus forced passengers on board the Arcadia to reside on the former luxury cruise liner for decades. Now, the ship floats off the coast of the Federated States, and no one is allowed to disembark without special permission for fear of spreading the long-dormant virus. Wealthy passengers reside on the upper decks, while the impoverished lives on the lower levels.

Esther is a training medic, studying hard so she can try to get off the ship and secure a job on land.

Nic is deep into planning a rebellion.

Hadley is the commander, in charge of keeping order on the ship, and will do so at any cost.

Review of The Stranded

This YA thriller is fast-paced and has multiple POVs.

I thought I would enjoy it more than I did. It lacks character development. Many of the characters were merely caricatures of good versus evil. Especially Hadley. He’s identical to every villain in a poorly acted budget action film.

I’m not sure why I thought the virus would take up more pages, but alas, it was only mentioned a few times. Maybe it will play a larger role in the next instalment, but I don’t think I’ll be continuing the series.

The last 80 pages were top-tier action, but again, not enough to motivate me to stick with the series.

Some YA books can be enjoyed by all ages, but I’d only recommend this to those that really adore YA. It reads on the younger side, even though it has some darker content.

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️

Expected Publication: 03 January 2023

Thank you to Sourcebooks Fire for providing an arc via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

For regular reading updates, check out my Goodreads profile.

For past reviews, click here.

Locust Lane by Stephen Amidon

Locust Lane by Stephen Amidon is a neighbourhood thriller set in Massachusetts.

Synopsis

A young woman turns up dead in the wealthy suburb of Emerson, Massachusetts. Three teens, suspects in the investigation, were partying with Eden Perry the night she died, but all claim to have left before she passed. The parents of these teenagers will do anything to protect them, including throwing the easiest target under the bus.

Review of Locust Lane

This slow-burn thriller has multiple POVs, all from the parents’ perspectives.

I was not into this at first, but eventually, I became more interested in the tangled web of lies.

The character development could have been better. I kept getting two of the female characters mixed up. Their names were anagrams of each other, which did not help me keep them straight. Also, some of them made silly choices thinking they were being super clever.

There are tons of more positive reviews for this title, so you may have better luck with it than I did.

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Expected Publication: 17 January 2022

Thank you to Celadon Books for providing me with an arc via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

For regular reading updates, check out my Goodreads profile.

For past reviews, click here.

All the Dangerous Things by Stacy Willingham

All the Dangerous Things is a slow-burn thriller with an unreliable narrator.

Synopsis

Since her son was snatched from his crib a year ago, Isabelle Drake has not had a full night’s rest. Since then, she’s separated from her husband and has been giving talks at true-crime panels to keep his case alive. She’s heard that sometimes criminals can’t resist the temptation to stay away, so she scours the lists of attendees in the hopes that something will jump out at her.

On a flight back home after her latest talk at a panel, Isabelle meets a true-crime podcaster, who convinces her to let him interview her for a special episode. The more time she spends with this podcaster, the more she thinks he believes she had something to do with her son’s disappearance.

Through a haze of sleep deprivation and guilt, Isabelle begins to second guess herself and also unearths memories she has buried since her childhood.

Review of All the Dangerous Things

This thriller is a tad of a slow burn with dual timelines from Isabelle’s pov. It took a while before it gained my interest, but once it did, it hooked me.

There were several good twists, some of which were a complete surprise.

It has lots of discussions on motherhood.

I skipped the author’s debut, but I may have to go back and give that a read. Overall, I recommend this thriller.

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Expected Publication: 10 January 2023

Thank you to Minotaur Books for providing me with an arc via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

For regular reading updates, check out my Goodreads profile.

For past reviews, click here.

One Last Secret by Adele Parks

One Last Secret is a compelling thriller with a great main character.

Synopsis

As an escort, Dora has rules in place to keep her safe. However, after one traumatizing encounter, Dora agrees to marry her best friend and leave escorting behind. That is until a client offers her double the going rate to pretend to be his girlfriend in the south of France. Even though she’s looking at a future of financial security, Dora is not quite ready to lose her independence, so she accepts this as her last job.

What could go wrong? Well, a lot, it seems. Almost as soon as she arrives.

Review of One Last Secret

This page-turner mainly follows Dora’s pov and alternates timelines.

This was my first time reading an Adele Parks book, and it did not disappoint. Dora’s character was so well done and had me rooting for her the entire time.

I saw the big reveal coming a mile away, but it didn’t take away from my enjoyment. It is slightly OTT, which I know some readers don’t like, but it worked fine for me.

Usually, when I’m reading a book, I am very conscious of what page I’m on and how many pages are left to go in the chapter or the book. But this one captured my complete attention.

I will definitely try this author again in the future.

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Expected Publication: 27 December 2022

Thank you to MIRA for providing an arc via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

For regular reading updates, check out my Goodreads profile.

For past reviews, click here.

Bad Cree by Jessica Johns

I am so happy I had the chance to read an advance copy of Bad Cree by Jessica Johns. It is a beautifully written horror novel that focuses on family and grief.

Synopsis

It opens with Mackenzie, a young Cree woman, waking from a dream in which she was fighting off crows. When Mackenzie wakes, she is shocked to realize she holds a severed crow’s head in her hands. She blinks, and it is gone. But the crows that have been following her during her waking hours remain. This nightmare is the beginning of a series of bad dreams that sets Mackenzie on a path of figuring out the cause of these nightmares that feel like memories.

After her kokum died, Mackenzie moved from High Prairie to Vancouver to escape her grief. Mackenzie also lost her sister a year ago. Now, she returns home to try to remember what happened on one of her family’s trips to the lake and to investigate why crows are still following her.

Review of Bad Cree

This supernatural horror is character-driven and is a bit of a slow burn. It focuses on Cree family dynamics. The slow parts might be a drawback for some readers, but as an Indigenous woman, I lapped it up. It reminded me of growing up and hanging out with extended family.

The author provides context for the handful of Cree words throughout the text. I know a scant amount of Cree, but fortunately, I understood nearly all of the terms and messaged a family member for the one word I didn’t. But as I said, context is there, and Google could be handy.

The tension ebbs and flows in this novel. It starts with a nightmarish quality (literally) and becomes more strained and eerie as it progresses.

It is exciting to see more Indigenous writers having a chance to share stories. I might be biased, but Indigenous people are great storytellers.

I highly recommend picking this up as soon as you can.

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Expected Publication: 10 January 2023

Thank you to HarperCollins Canada for providing an arc via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

For regular reading updates, check out my Goodreads profile.

For past reviews, click here.

Someone Had to Do It by Amber Brown and Danielle Brown

Someone Had to Do It is a fast-paced and compelling debut thriller from author duo Amber Brown and Danielle Brown.

Synopsis

Brandi Maxwell, a young Black woman, did not grow up with wealth. So when she lands an internship at Van Doren, a high-fashion company, she thinks it will be a stepping stone for the rest of her career. Although Brandi mainly does grunt work, like cleaning vomit from dresses, Brandi believes it is going well. That is until HR informs her she needs to start fitting in with the “culture” of the company.

Then there’s Taylor Van Doren, a spoiled, drug-addled style influencer and daughter of Simon Van Doren. Taylor’s father has threatened to donate her trust fund to charity if she doesn’t clean up her act within six months.

When Brandi and her NFL boyfriend Nate attend a party at Simon’s house, Brandi is excited to meet Taylor. And she hopes she can convince Simon to choose her for the company’s upcoming trip to Milan. But Brandi accidentally overhears something she wishes she could forget. Not long after that, her life starts to fall apart.

Review of Someone Had to Do It

This wild thriller follows Brandi and Taylor’s POVs. It is a popcorn read, replete with plenty of chaotic scenes that sometimes border on absurdity. It has been a while since any characters have frustrated me as much as these characters did. Although, the story is entertaining if you go along with it.

It also discusses white privilege, entitlement, racism, and microaggressions.

I think there could have been more character development, especially with Nate. He felt like a shell, a shell that was too easy to sway.

If books had movie ratings, this one would be rated “R” for nudity and sexual themes. It is extra heavy on the spice.

I will definitely keep an eye out for more books from this author duo.

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Expected Publication: 27 December 2022

Thank you to Graydon House for providing me with an arc via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

For regular reading updates, check out my Goodreads profile.

For past reviews, click here.