Brewster by Mark Slouka My rating: 4 of 5 stars “Brewster” is a coming-of-age story with a lot of grit. It’s a book about teens, but written for adults. It took me awhile to adjust to this; so much YA lit is geared for teens. It’s the story of a town, Brewster, outside NYC and people who live. The story is told by Jon Mosher, but it’s also a lot about Ray Cappicciano, Jon’s best friend. What makes the story so gritty is that from […]
A Moving Look at Grief, Love, and Friendship
We Are Okay by Nina LaCour My rating: 5 of 5 stars “We Are Okay” explores grief, discovering a dark secret about someone, and transitions in life. Heavy stuff. In fact, I was worried I would hate this book because I tend to read for entertainment not to be confronted with topics such as these. However, Nina LaCour weaves characters, emotions, and a mysterious plot into a very good read. The book is organized in which we start in the present and then flashback to […]
What Happens When You Lose Grasp of Reality
Arena by Holly Jennings My rating: 4 of 5 stars “Arena” is set in a future Los Angeles in which virtual gaming has overtaken live (real?) sports as the main attraction. This new virtual gaming takes VR to a new reality. The players have to actually workout and train because the sensors that take them to the virtual world carry over the players’ actual abilities. If you sprain your ankle in the real world, it’s still going to be weak in the virtual. There’s also […]
A Dystopian Future from a Native American Perspective
Future Home of the Living God by Louise Erdrich My rating: 3 of 5 stars “Future Home of the Living God” is told in an epistolary style set in a future U.S. in which nature is turning on itself and going through some sort of evolution. Animals are changing into new species and for some reason most women are not able to get pregnant, carry a pregnancy to term, or deliver a baby that can live. There’s a small group of women who are able […]