haley_b's reviews
65 reviews

The House at Sugar Beach: In Search of a Lost African Childhood by Helene Cooper

challenging dark informative tense slow-paced

3.0

The House at Sugar Beach is a journalists’ memoir through and through. Helene Cooper writes with a journalistic distance, conveying her experiences in the cultural and political upheaval in Liberia and the 1980 coup that would drastically shape her adolescence and adulthood.

At times, the distance in Cooper’s writing distracts from readers’ investment in her narrative. She ensures we know what is happening and why, but truly high-impact moments are sparse despite the high intensity of the events. I appreciate and understand that Cooper, writing for an American audience, had to include substantive political context dating back to the founding of Liberia in order to understand her experiences for what they were. However, she often draws back from deeper examination of her personal story just when readers are ready to plunge in.

This memoir, while educational, was not my favorite. Cooper doesn’t have an engaging voice as a narrator, and I found myself wanting more self reflection and critical examination from her. I think Eunice, Helene’s adoptive sister, has a life story that, if penned, could balance Liberian politics and personal experience in a more compelling memoir. 

I would still recommend this book to those looking for a memoir that covers Liberian politics but I don’t see myself recommending The House at Sugar Beach as a memoir in its own right.

The Forgetting Time by Sharon Guskin

emotional hopeful mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.0

 This mystery follows Janie, a single mother trying to her son whose intense fear of water and persistent crying for another mother resist simple explanation. She soon meets Dr. Jerome Andersen, a doctor whose progressing aphasia has put an impending deadline on publishing his life’s research on the “science” of reincarnation.

This book’s blurb asks a lot of questions and makes a lot of promises that the book just doesn’t deliver. Perhaps in another genre a similar story could be more meaningful, but as it stands, The Forgetting Time is a mystery ultimately confused as to whether it’s anti-spiritual or anti-scientific. On one hand, Andersen’s “research” is meant to convince us of the legitimacy of reincarnation irrespective of spiritual regard for the idea. On the other hand, we’re also supposed to believe that the evidence-based psychiatric care that Noah receives prior to encountering Dr. Andersen is not, in fact, what’s best for him. This confusion also comes with a view of Asian cultures that is eurocentric at best and orientalist at worst. 

As others have observed, the writing itself is amateurish. This makes the book a quick and easy read at the expense of true investment in the character. I don’t have to put myself in characters’ shoes to understand their motivations because the prose will tell me outright. 

Upon finishing The Forgetting Time, I was initially inclined towards 3 stars. Finally sitting down to write a review a few months later has reminded me of its many flaws and few strengths, which I feel reflect 2 stars. 

Yellowfang's Secret by Erin Hunter

adventurous dark emotional lighthearted sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

dark emotional hopeful sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

 The Nightingale follows the story of two sisters as they navigate the German invasion of the French countryside in World War II. 

This book club pick was my 2nd Kristin Hannah title, and I was surprised how much more I enjoyed this one over The Four Winds despite the glaring similarities between the two. Both feature mothers who, in the absence of their husbands, must persevere through major historical events and protect their young children along the way. There’s ultimately nothing revolutionary about this book in its plot, characters, or message. Vianne and her sister are very conventional protagonists, and there are certainly more noteworthy examples of World War II historical fiction.

To their credit, Hannah’s books are easy reads despite their length, they’re intense without being graphic, and they paint a narratively appealing picture of the time period. In this case, faming the narrative as a flashback added a layer of intrigue throughout the book, and though the foreshadowing eventually became predictable, it helped events come full circle in a satisfying way. 

Fans of historical fiction will enjoy every minute of The Nightingale, and I have already had success recommending this book to patrons at my public library job. I wouldn’t consider it one of my favorites, but its improvement over The Four Winds merits a begrudging 4th star.

A Prayer for the Crown-Shy by Becky Chambers

emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

 A Prayer for the Crown Shy follows the travels of Dex the tea monk and Mosscap the robot as they travel across Panga seeking to reintroduce robot and human societies and discover what humans need. This book continues to build on the charming and peaceful world introduced in its predecessor, elaborating on its philosophical questions and introducing new ones. 

However, engaging characters are not enough to prop up a leisurely plot and provide a stage for the philosophical ideas the author really wants to explore. As a result, certain scenes come across like writing exercises that, while thoughtful, put the narrative on pause. 

I’d recommend this series to anyone looking to escape a reading slump or those who need a breather between heavier picks. This sequel doesn’t shine the way the original does, but at barely 150 pages, it’s worth the read for the good vibes and hopeful outlook.

Crookedstar's Promise by Erin Hunter

adventurous dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty

funny lighthearted mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

 As the title suggests, Nine Perfect Strangers follows the experiences of a cast of nine characters as they attend a health resort in an attempt to fix their lives and themselves. 

I found Liane Moriarty to be a very heavy-handed author; none of the plot twists or character development felt earned. I could constantly “see the strings” when characters wished for some very specific personal development, wondered aloud what might happen next, and broke the fourth wall. I think the author protagonist was intended to disguise these misgivings, but as a reader it only made the plot and characters come across as shallow. Moriarty uses a lot of cheap tricks to make Nine Perfect Strangers seem smart, but she just doesn’t pull it off. 

Even with its large cast of characters and somewhat intriguing plot, this book still felt slow.

In my paperback version, the characters spend over 200 pages in a locked room, drugged and held hostage by the retreat’s narcissistic director. However, despite the trauma inherent in such an event and the large chunk of the narrative dedicated to it, all of the characters emerge unharmed and promptly receive their happy endings, but

Rather than tying everything up, the ending seems to undermine the events of the book. 

The book seems further undermined by a tone that sits confusedly somewhere between wacky and serious. The serious elements never felt dark enough to compel lasting emotion, and the wacky elements never felt light enough to warrant a laugh. 

It’s not all bad, though. I found it surprisingly easy to keep track of the more than nine POV characters, and almost every twist or revelation was adequately foreshadowed for the attentive reader. While I wouldn’t recommend this book, for all its faults, Nine Perfect Strangers still has entertainment value for the right readers. 

A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers

emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective relaxing fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

A Lady for a Duke by Alexis Hall

emotional hopeful slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

 I’m not usually a romance reader, but when I happened across a recommendation for A Lady for a Duke on BookTok, I knew I had to give it a go. 

This book follows Viola and Gracewood as they reunite years after the battle of Waterloo; Viola having used her presumed death on the battlefield as an opportunity to transition, and Gracewood lost in the throes of addiction, grief, and a disabling battle injury. This reconnection takes an inevitable turn towards the romantic, as each of them guide each other through their pain and fall in love in the process. 

The first half of A Lady for a Duke was all angst and no action. It seemed the most intriguing events of the story occurred off-page, in Viola and Gracewood’s childhood and adolescence. I can easily envision a prequel concerning Geacewood’s struggles at the hands of his father and his title, Viola’s self-discovery and struggle in a rigid society, and the fateful moment on the battlefield at Waterloo. By contrast, the opening chapters of A Lady for a Duke convey only a quiet angst for a near-unspeakable shared past. 

I feared the entire book would be long and slow, but as the characters pieced together their goals and desires, I found them all the more compelling. Hall set out to write a trans woman in a romantic lead but whose primary conflict is not centered on her transness. He has done so with roaring success. 

All the angst and tension of the first 300 or so pages pays off with enough sweetness, tenderness, and steaminess to really make it worth the wait. 

A Lady for a Duke comes to a neat, tied-with-a-ribbon conclusion suitable to the characters and the genre for all its predictable joy. While I’m not eager to reread this one (and don’t have my eye on any other Hall titles), I enjoyed the foray into a new genre, and I would be eager to get my hands on a prequel! 

Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe

emotional hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective fast-paced

5.0

I've read Gender Queer twice this year. I'm disappointed and angry (but ultimately unsurprised) that this book has become such a target in the anti-trans culture war. I am also mostly unsurprised that it has become a (much smaller) target for terfs. Gender Queer doesn't deserve the flack. 

In this graphic memoir, author Maia Kobabe relays eir experience growing up nonbinary; from a sheltered, confused childhood to an awkward and painful adolescence to finally arrive at young adulthood content with eirself and with the questions still hanging in the air. The illustrations and writing are simple and cute, and the same can be said for the dialogue. 

At certain points I found myself craving more depth, and at other points I found the fandom references completely cringey. However, unlike many of the book’s detractors, it isn't lost on me that this book is for queer teenagers first and foremost. They need an introduction to these complex topics, and they need someone to offer relatable, perhaps cringey, anecdotes about eir queer experience. Kobabe has checked both of these boxes. 

Although the book does depict a handful of sexually explicit situations, Kobabe handles them with admirable grace and care. I'm particularly fond of the infamous "strap on" scene specifically because it ends with a very healthy expression of sexual boundaries and consent, and these boundaries are respected without question. This is a situation older teens need to see modeled, and Gender Queer does it honestly. They can handle it, I promise. 

Is Gender Queer a worthwhile read for any queer or questioning young person? Absolutely, without a doubt. Should Gender Queer be upheld as The Defining Book on nonbinary gender identity? Not really. Rather, it highlights the need for more numerous and more diverse books for its audience on the subject. 

Gender Queer is a beautiful and important graphic memoir by a nonbinary author for nonbinary teens and young adults. It is not perfect. It is not academic. It is a friendly, inviting title on a topic that needs more of this gentle yet genuine discussion.