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aimeedarsreads's reviews
1333 reviews
Mercy Street by Jennifer Haigh
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? No
Claudia, a counselor at a women’s health clinic colloquially known as Mercy Street, can’t eat or sleep from the stress of her job. Not only does she answer the hotline and counsel women electing to have abortions—many in crisis or with tragic pasts, she has to pass a gauntlet of protestors to get inside the building.
Her preferred coping method is smoking pot, which she buys from her affable forty-something dealer, Timmy, who spends all day watching his giant TV while high. Anthony, who suffered a traumatic brain injury and manages by devoting himself to his local diocese—and smoking, takes the ferry to Boston each week to buy from Timmy. Abortion is anathema to his values, and he is one of the protesters outside Mercy Street.
Timmy is Anthony’s second best friend, but Excelsior11, Victor Prine, holds the highest spot. Prine, veteran, ex-trucker, and doomsday prepper, sends Anthony as well as other men, to clinics across the country on missions for his plan to stop abortions, for White women at least.
Although this description makes the book sound heavy and overly focused on abortion, its much more than that. Claudia’s sardonic, resigned observations give the book a dark humor. The characters’ backstories are exquisitely rendered with such vivid detail I didn’t just imagine the single-wide trailer of Claudia’s youth, I felt I was there.
While mercy should be offered, instead shame takes its place. With dozens of anti-abortion bills introduced in state legislatures and a conservative Supreme Court, MERCY STREET by Jennifer Haigh is a beautiful and important read.
This Might Hurt by Stephanie Wrobel
mysterious
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
One Night on the Island by Josie Silver
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
At the behest of her boss, dating columnist Chloe Wilder, on the cusp of her thirtieth birthday, travels to isolated Salvation Island off the Irish Coast for a self-coupling ceremony, leaving the vibrant and fast-paced London behind.
Photographer Mack Sullivan, devoted father of two sons, reeling from a separation, travels to Salvation Island, a place of legend from stories he heard from his mother and grandmother, from Boston to reflect and regroup.
As fate would have it, Chloe and Mack’s trips coincide, but they’ve both arranged to stay at Otter Lodge. Since the island is sparsely populated with virtually no tourist, no other lodgings are available. Each believes they have the greater claim to Otter Lodge, an open-plan, single occupancy cabin, but the question is moot since the boat off island won’t return for another week.
At first, they are very snippy with each other, Chloe in particular being a brat (though in all honesty, I am sure in a similar situation, I’d act the same). Slowly, though, they begin to accept and even enjoy their arrangement—after Mack draws a chalk line on the floor delineating private space. But, lines are made to be crossed.
Chloe doesn’t like pugs or peanut butter. What?! But I did start to like her character as the story progressed and she used her time on Salvation Island to grow and consider her true desires. Though her hair and skin color were noted, her looks were never evaluated. Instead, Chloe observed that Mack’s photographs made her feel beautiful.
From the beginning, I liked Mack, who was consistently thoughtful and respectful. The best characters, though, might have been the denizens of the island, particularly the community of women who welcome Chloe into their knitting circle.
The book had too much repetitive navel-gazing for my taste which I thought slowed the pacing and was perhaps a little heavy-handed on the metaphors. I certainly found it emotional, tearing up at some scenes though.
The ending is true to the characters and probably realistic. Their individual journeys were satisfying but as a whole, I had hoped for something different. I think maybe I should have approached this as contemporary fiction instead of romance to have more realistic expectations.
Thanks so much to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for providing an advanced reading copy in exchange for an honest review!
Unknown Assailant: A Dr. Pepper Hunt Mystery by J.L. Doucette, J.L. Doucette
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide