His Hideous Heart

His Hideous Heart edited by Dahlia Adler, 480 pages

Whether the stories are familiar to readers or discovered for the first time, readers will revel in Edgar Allan Poe’s classic tales, and how they’ve been brought to life in 13 unique and unforgettable ways.

Contributors include Kendare Blake (reimagining “Metzengerstein”), Rin Chupeco (“The Murders in the Rue Morge”), Lamar Giles (“The Oval Portrait”), Tessa Gratton (“Annabel Lee”), Tiffany D. Jackson (“The Cask of Amontillado”), Stephanie Kuehn (“The Tell-Tale Heart”), Emily Lloyd-Jones (“The Purloined Letter”), Hillary Monahan (“The Masque of the Red Death”), Marieke Nijkamp (“Hop-Frog”), Caleb Roehrig (“The Pit and the Pendulum”), and Fran Wilde (“The Fall of the House of Usher”)

I wish I didn’t have such high expectations for this book going in, or I might have been less disappointed by it. I love Poe’s work so much, so seeing this anthology come-up I was thrilled at the prospect of reimagined tales. Sadly, I felt like the stories included here were just okay. One or two caught my attention, but overall, the feeling was less disturbing, more mildly spooky. Some of the stories just didn’t feel well put-together.

Would I still recommend this book? Yes, because I think it’s important that Poe’s writing is still being talked about and is being brought to new readers in a contemporary way. If you are a major fan of Poe, like me, just don’t go into this book with the bar set high. Give to those who are looking for an introduction into horror and want to start off with something light.

The Miseducation of Cameron Post

The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M. Danforth     485 pages

From Goodreads:

When Cameron Post's parents die suddenly in a car crash, her shocking first thought is relief. Relief they'll never know that, hours earlier, she had been kissing a girl.

But that relief doesn't last, and Cam is soon forced to move in with her conservative aunt Ruth and her well-intentioned but hopelessly old-fashioned grandmother. She knows that from this point on, her life will forever be different. Survival in Miles City, Montana, means blending in and leaving well enough alone (as her grandmother might say), and Cam becomes an expert at both.

Then Coley Taylor moves to town. Beautiful, pickup-driving Coley is a perfect cowgirl with the perfect boyfriend to match. She and Cam forge an unexpected and intense friendship--one that seems to leave room for something more to emerge. But just as that starts to seem like a real possibility, ultrareligious Aunt Ruth takes drastic action to "fix" her niece, bringing Cam face-to-face with the cost of denying her true self--even if she's not exactly sure who that is.

Review:

This is a well written book in the much needed, slowly expanding LGBTQIA Young Adult genre. I think many teens will relate to Cameron’s earnest, authentic voice and her experiences as she grows up. There are a lot of difficult topics brought up, but it’s important that they are and this book doesn’t shy away from them. I think, not just for young adults, but adults as well, this book is a great choice. Danforth really captures the teenage voice and the story is so compelling. It’s a long read, but it’s really worth it and for anyone who likes that slice-of-life or coming-of-age genre, this is a perfect choice. It’s all about what it means to be a teenager and the highs and lows of young adult life. I would definitely recommend it.

Lady Susan

Lady Susan by Jane Austen     128 pages

From Goodreads:

Of what a mistake were you guilty in marrying a Man of his age! - just old enough to be formal, ungovernable and to have the Gout - too old to be agreable, and too young to die.'

The scheming and unscrupulous Lady Susan is unlike any Austen heroine you've met in this fascinating early novella.

Review:

I highly enjoyed this book and it has so many things to recommend itself to readers: it’s short and sweet, it’s witty and humorous, and most of all the story and characters are strong. Austen is a masterful writer and this book, though not one of her most well-known works, definitely deserves attention. I definitely recommend this book. If you’re looking for a short, sweet summer read, this one definitely hits the spot.

The Water Cure

The Water Cure by Sophie Mackintosh     288 pages

From Goodreads:


King has tenderly staked out a territory for his wife and three daughters, Grace, Lia, and Sky. He has lain the barbed wire; he has anchored the buoys in the water; he has marked out a clear message: Do not enter. Or viewed from another angle: Not safe to leave. Here women are protected from the chaos and violence of men on the mainland. The cult-like rituals and therapies they endure fortify them from the spreading toxicity of a degrading world.

But when their father, the only man they’ve ever seen, disappears, they retreat further inward until the day three strange men wash ashore. Over the span of one blistering hot week, a psychological cat-and-mouse game plays out. Sexual tensions and sibling rivalries flare as the sisters confront the amorphous threat the strangers represent. Can they survive the men?

Review:

Overall, it's a stunning book, very thought provoking, and I couldn't have imagined where it would lead me. Though I'm not normally a fan of multiple points of view, here, I think, Mackintosh has utilized this tool to the greatest effect. It really shines. I will definitely be recommending this book.

The Owls Have Come to Take Us Away

The Owls Have Come to Take Us Away by Ronald L. Smith     272 pages

From Goodreads:

Twelve-year-old Simon is obsessed with aliens. The ones who take people and do experiments. When he's too worried about them to sleep, he listens to the owls hoot outside. Owls that have the same eyes as aliens—dark and foreboding.

Then something strange happens on a camping trip, and Simon begins to suspect he’s been abducted. But is it real, or just the overactive imagination of a kid who loves fantasy and role-playing games and is the target of bullies and his father’s scorn?

Even readers who don’t believe in UFOs will relate to the universal kid feeling of not being taken seriously by adults that deepens this deliciously scary tale.

Review:

This is a fascinating book that will draw readers in right away. Simon is a character with a lot of heart, curiosity, and spirit. His fear of aliens and his naturally imaginative mind make for a great mix in the narrative, keeping the reader guessing as to what is real and what isn't.

Simon's story that he writes throughout the novel is an interesting parallel that helps show Simon's imagination and creativity. Readers will enjoy Simon's fantasy world just as much as his quest to uncover the truth behind aliens.

The writing is easy and matches Simon's ages well. Young readers will easily see themselves in Simon and will follow along on his journey without needing any prior knowledge of aliens.

The cast of supporting characters are very minimal, but this book is very much about Simon's experience, so not much is felt to be lacking, aside for maybe a stronger counterpart to Simon.

Overall, this is a thrilling, adventurous book and an interesting take on aliens, albeit with a rather abrupt ending that leaves a few questions to be answered.

The Mistletoe Promise

The Mistletoe Promise by Richard Paul Evans     273 pages

From Goodreads:

Elise Dutton dreads the arrival of another holiday season. Three years earlier, her husband cheated on her with her best friend, resulting in a bitter divorce that left her alone, broken, and distrustful.

Then, one November day, a stranger approaches Elise in the mall food court. Though she recognizes the man from her building, Elise has never formally met him. Tired of spending the holidays alone, the man offers her a proposition. For the next eight weeks—until the evening of December 24—he suggests that they pretend to be a couple. He draws up a contract with four rules:

1. No deep, probing personal questions
2. No drama
3. No telling anyone the truth about the relationship 
4. The contract is void on Christmas Day

The lonely Elise surprises herself by agreeing to the idea. As the charade progresses, the safety of her fake relationship begins to mend her badly broken heart. But just as she begins to find joy again, her long-held secret threatens to unravel the emerging relationship. But she might not be the only one with secrets.

Review:

This is such a cozy book, even though it contains some darker elements. The love story is sweet and romantic and it's a great read in the Christmas season.

Good and Mad

Good and Mad: The Revolutionary Power of Women's Anger by Rebecca Traister     320 pages

From Goodreads

From Rebecca Traister, the New York Times bestselling author of All the Single Ladies comes a vital, incisive exploration into the transformative power of female anger and its ability to transcend into a political movement. 

Review:

This is an exceptional look at gender inequality in the US, with focus on breaking down the politics of gender inequality, women of color, and other disadvantages faced by women. Traister leaves no stone unturned, covering several woman's rights movements, including the #metoo movement, and especially focuses on woman's rights/activism in the wake of the 2016 presidential election.

The main message is this: women, it is okay to be mad, in fact, it's good to be mad because a) no one should tell you what to feel, especially if it's justified, b) anger can be a tool that leads to change, and c) anger keeps us (women) from complacency and settling for less than equal rights.

I loved the coverage of this book, I loved Traister's inclusiveness, and I loved reading something that spoke to the anger I have felt and still feel after the 45 became president. This is a very important read and I would recommend it to all women, every woman, and then all men.

How to Invent Everything

How to Invent Everything: A Survival Guide for the Stranded Time Traveler by Ryan North     437 pages

From Goodreads:


What would you do if a time machine hurled you thousands of years into the past . . . and then broke? How would you survive? Could you improve on humanity's original timeline? And how hard would it be to domesticate a giant wombat?

Don't worry: in How to Invent Everything, bestselling author and time-travel enthusiast Ryan North has figured out the answers to those four questions - and more - just for you. This guide contains all the science, engineering, mathematics, art, music, philosophy, facts, and figures required for even the most clueless time traveler to build a civilization from the ground up. Your new world will be one in which humanity matured quickly and efficiently, instead of doing what we did (i.e., spending 200,000 years stumbling around without language, thinking disease was caused by weird smells, and living completely oblivious to the fact that tying a rock to a string would unlock navigating the entire world).

Review:

This book is hilarious and useful! North has accomplished an amazing feat of compiling "how-tos" on basically everything for making a civilization, all in the guise of helping out a stranded time-traveler. It's great, a bit of a read, but it's worth it for the snippets of humor and the constant dragging of humanity for how long we took to invent things.

Pantheon

Pantheon by Hamish Steele     179 pages

From Goodreads:

The most important myth in Ancient Egypt is faithfully retold in glorious black and white! Horus, son of Isis, vows bloody revenge on his Uncle Set.

Review:

A comic of Egyptian mythology told with dirty humor and violent imagery. This is a fun, quick read and you don't have to know anything about Egyptian mythology to enjoy it.

The Woman in the Lake

The Woman in the Lake by Nicola Cornick     320 pages

From Goodreads:

London, 1765

Lady Isabella Gerard, a respectable member of Georgian society, orders her maid to take her new golden gown and destroy it, its shimmering beauty tainted by the actions of her brutal husband the night before.

Three months later, Lord Gerard stands at the shoreline of the lake, looking down at a woman wearing the golden gown. As the body slowly rolls over to reveal her face, it’s clear this was not his intended victim…

250 Years Later…

When a gown she stole from a historic home as a child is mysteriously returned to Fenella Brightwell, it begins to possess her in exactly the same way that it did as a girl. Soon the fragile new life Fen has created for herself away from her abusive ex-husband is threatened at its foundations by the gown’s power over her until she can't tell what is real and what is imaginary.

As Fen uncovers more about the gown and Isabella’s story, she begins to see the parallels with her own life. When each piece of history is revealed, the gown—and its past—seems to possess her more and more, culminating in a dramatic revelation set to destroy her sanity.

My Review:

I was invested in this book right out of the gate. It was so interesting and the back and forth between past and present was really cool and intriguing. 

I loved the mystery that was threaded throughout the story. The bizarre nature of the gown and what it might be capable of was such a subtle threat and the suspense that was paired with it really moved the story along.

I thought the characterization was really strong in the three main women. There was good depth built for each and they each have their own personal quirks that differentiate them from each other. I think what I like most is that each woman is strong in their own way and they are each the hero of their own story.

Overall it's a really nicely structured mystery historical fiction and I highly recommend it.

The Road

The Road by Cormac McCarthy     241 pages

From Goodreads:

A father and his son walk alone through burned America. Nothing moves in the ravaged landscape save the ash on the wind. It is cold enough to crack stones, and when the snow falls it is gray. The sky is dark. Their destination is the coast, although they don’t know what, if anything, awaits them there. They have nothing; just a pistol to defend themselves against the lawless bands that stalk the road, the clothes they are wearing, a cart of scavenged food—and each other.

My Review:

This book is not for me. It's a post-apocalyptic/dystopian world built around two characters, a father and son, as they make their way through the ruins of America looking for...I don't really know what. They don't know what. It's cold, it's desolate, it's nearly hopeless, and ultimately not a lot happens.

I'm sure that many people have found some sort of deep meaning in all this, but to me it was the same situation played out over and over again: traveling, running out of food, almost dying of starvation, finding a magical store of previously unfound food, rinse and repeat. Sure the father and son discussed the morals of good and bad, McCarthy explores the idea of what mankind will become if left to their own devices, but it was done in such a boring way!

I probably would have put this book down after the first few pages, but I am counting this book as my "Oprah Winfrey Book Club Book," for Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge, so I had to get through it. And I did. I just didn't enjoy it. Read it if you're into slow-paced, thought-driven prose and bleak dystopian landscapes

There There

There There by Tommy Orange     294 pages

From Goodreads:

There There is a relentlessly paced multigenerational story about violence and recovery, memory and identity, and the beauty and despair woven into the history of a nation and its people. It tells the story of twelve characters, each of whom have private reasons for traveling to the Big Oakland Powwow. Jacquie Red Feather is newly sober and trying to make it back to the family she left behind in shame. Dene Oxendene is pulling his life back together after his uncle’s death and has come to work at the powwow to honor his uncle’s memory. Opal Viola Victoria Bear Shield has come to watch her nephew Orvil, who has taught himself traditional Indian dance through YouTube videos and has come to the powwow to dance in public for the very first time. There will be glorious communion, and a spectacle of sacred tradition and pageantry. And there will be sacrifice, and heroism, and unspeakable loss.

My Review:

I didn't really know what I was getting into when I started this book, but wow it sure took me places. Things I liked: the dichotomy that Orange explores about being Native, being mixed race, of having ancestors who owned this land and some who took that land away. I loved the different ways he explored this topic through the lens of so many people with such different backgrounds. I also loved how all these characters struggled with the feeling of "acting Indian" because it feels like a trope now, just one more thing that White culture has taken away. This struggle is then met with Orange's discussions on how Indians have evolved, that they can be Urban and still Native. Things I didn't like: the multiple view points. I know I said I liked seeing all the different perspectives, but I also don't like reading so many perspectives. It's hard for me to keep them all straight, and since only a small amount of time is given to each person, it made it harder for me to remember the intricacies of each character. I also had a hard time getting into the way the story organically grew out of nothing and then ended right at the climax. It was a strange build to a story, one that I could see the outline of, but it also didn't really help keep me invested. I didn't like how sudden the ending was and I'm still trying to wrap my head around what it all meant, which in a way is a good thing, because that means the story has stuck with me, but in a way it's bad because I don't feel I'm likely to get any answers. I would recommend this story because it's a hard-hitting one from a Native voice and it demands to be heard. It's sad and it's hopeful and it'll make you sit up and pay attention. Orange has a commanding voice in this book and I think it really reached me. So dig into it if you can.

Dare Mighty Things

Dare Mighty Things by Heather Kaczynski     377 pages

From Goodreads:

Seventeen-year-old Cassandra Gupta’s entire life has been leading up to this—the opportunity to travel to space. But to secure a spot on this classified mission, she must first compete against the best and brightest people on the planet. People who are as determined as she to win a place on a journey to the farthest reaches of the universe. 

Cassie is ready for the toll that the competition will take; the rigorous mental and physical tests designed to push her to the brink of her endurance. But nothing could have prepared her for the bonds she would form with the very people she hopes to beat. Or that with each passing day it would be more and more difficult to ignore the feeling that the true objective of the mission is being kept from her.

As the days until the launch tick down and the stakes rise higher than ever before, only one thing is clear to Cassie: she’ll never back down . . . even if it costs her everything.

My review:

This book was interesting because it's a futuristic setting, which I don't come across very often. Humanity is capable of genetically modifying humans before their bore (designer babies) and has landed a man on Mars. Though the NASA still suffers insufficient funds and there's still a general lack of space exploration - until this competition, which Cass luckily get's nominated for.

I enjoyed Cass's narrative - she is hard working, determined, and yet still relatable. She struggles with homesickness, with feeling too nerdy at times and at others not ne
rdy enough, and difficulties with making friends. I liked seeing her progression through this book as she comes to understand her fellow competitors better and, even further, relates to them and befriends them.

The plot is pretty steady, hardly dragging and once the mission begins, Kaczynski really kicks it into high gear. The sci-fi is pretty soft, so I think most readers will be able to enjoy the book even if they aren't big sci-fi fans. The book follows a pretty clear trajectory that, while predictable, is still intriguing and doesn't give away everything at once. While I knew certain outcomes early on, I was still pleasantly surprised but other little twists. Though it ends on a bit of a cliff-hanger (this book is a duology), it still manages to wrap itself up so that it doesn't rely too heavily on what comes in another installment of the series.

I am definitely going to read the follow up book and I would highly recommend it to space-buffs and YA readers alike. There is some minor romance, but it's not the central plot (it barely factors in the book) and much more emphasis is placed on Cass and her growth. It's very much a woman-power book and I appreciated that.

Eloquent Rage

Eloquent Rage by Brittany Cooper     288 pages

From Goodreads:

So what if it's true that Black women are mad as hell? They have the right to be. In the Black feminist tradition of Audre Lorde, Brittney Cooper reminds us that anger is a powerful source of energy that can give us the strength to keep on fighting.

Far too often, Black women's anger has been caricatured into an ugly and destructive force that threatens the civility and social fabric of American democracy. But Cooper shows us that there is more to the story than that. Black women's eloquent rage is what makes Serena Williams such a powerful tennis player. It's what makes Beyonce's girl power anthems resonate so hard. It's what makes Michelle Obama an icon.

Eloquent Rage keeps us all honest and accountable. It reminds women that they don't have to settle for less. When Cooper learned of her grandmother's eloquent rage about love, sex, and marriage in an epic and hilarious front-porch confrontation, her life was changed. And it took another intervention, this time staged by one of her homegirls, to turn Brittney into the fierce feminist she is today. In Brittney Cooper's world, neither mean girls nor fuckboys ever win. But homegirls emerge as heroes. This book argues that ultimately feminism, friendship, and faith in one's own superpowers are all we really need to turn things right side up again.

My Review:

I learned a lot while reading this book. Cooper brought a lot of new things (for me) to the table. I would have loved to read this in a class setting, to have other folks to talk about it with to better digest what I read. As I read it on my own, I have some things I can take away with it, and I'll certainly mull over other things, but I feel like I lacked the educational rigor to understand some of the concepts she brought up. Otherwise, it's a lot to chew on, but I'd recommend it because Cooper's intelligent delivery is worth reading through. You'll definitely learn something and perhaps have a new perspective.

The Body at the Tower

The Body at the Tower by Y. S. Lee   337 pages

From Goodreads:

Now nearly a full-fledged member of the Agency, the all-female detective unit operating out of Miss Scrimshaw's Academy for Girls, Mary Quinn is back for another action-packed adventure. Disguised as a poor apprentice builder and a boy, she must brave the grimy underbelly of Victorian London - as well as childhood fear, hunger, and constant want - to unmask the identity of a murderer. Assigned to monitor a building site on the clock tower of the Houses of Parliament, Mary earns the confidence of the work crew, inching ever nearer her suspect. But if an irresistible desire to help the city's needy doesn't distract her and jeopardize her cover, unexpectedly meeting up with an old friend - or flame - just might.

My Review:

It's been a long time since I read the first book in the series, and some references too that book in this one went over my head (but I blame myself for that), but I still remembered the sense I got while reading that first book that I really liked this world Lee has built. It's no different with this second installment of the Mary Quinn series.

Overall, if you're just picking this book up the action is slow to build, the story is revealed in fits and stars because Lee takes a good portion of time building the world of Victorian London for you, the reader who is not familiar with this time period, to enjoy. I don't mind this as I enjoy the characters and Lee's writing, but someone who only likes to read fast-paced mysteries will probably find this book boring. I think it's worth sticking it out, because who kno
ws, the next book might be different.

The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina

The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa     160 pages

From Goodreads:


On the eve of her sixteenth birthday, the young sorceress Sabrina Spellman finds herself at a crossroads, having to choose between an unearthly destiny and her mortal boyfriend, Harvey. But a foe from her family's past has arrived in Greendale, Madame Satan, and she has her own deadly agenda. Archie Comics' latest horror sensation starts here! 

My Review:

This dark, horror rendering of the traditionally peppy Sabrina series is very interesting. Full of Satan-worshiping witches, hellish creatures, death, and revenge, this comic is not for the faint of heart. I can't say I really loved the illustrations, but the story was interesting, new, and definitely out there. It's worth a look if you like the dark, creepy retro take on classics.

This House is Haunted

This House is Haunted by John Boyne     304 pages

From Goodreads:

1867. Eliza Caine arrives in Norfolk to take up her position as governess at Gaudlin Hall on a dark and chilling night. As she makes her way across the station platform, a pair of invisible hands push her from behind into the path of an approaching train. She is only saved by the vigilance of a passing doctor.

When she finally arrives, shaken, at the hall she is greeted by the two children in her care, Isabella and Eustace. There are no parents, no adults at all, and no one to represent her mysterious employer. The children offer no explanation. Later that night in her room, a second terrifying experience further reinforces the sense that something is very wrong.

From the moment she rises the following morning, her every step seems dogged by a malign presence which lives within Gaudlin’s walls. Eliza realises that if she and the children are to survive its violent attentions, she must first uncover the hall’s long-buried secrets and confront the demons of its past…

My Review:

The creepy atmosphere and the unanswered questions really set the spooky tone for this story. Following Eliza Caine, who i
s seemingly dropped into a completely blind into a manor full of secrets, you, the reader, are as desperate as she is to get to the bottom of the strange and treacherous happenings at Gaudlin Hall. With this story, Boyne parodies Dickens's style of story writing - slow paced, a bit creepy with a tinge of scary, and a cast of odd and mysterious characters embody the work. I loved ever bit of it - it's a ghost story, but one that slowly reveals itself. It's no thriller, and yet it still manages to keep you on the edge of your seat. I loved how each layer is peeled back carefully and in such a way that only bits and pieces of the story reveal themselves at a time. Yes, I was able to come to some conclusions earlier on than their reveal, but I didn't mind - the writing and the narrator, Eliza, are so well put together.

The one thing that really disappointed me was the ending - I understand why Boyne decided to leave the book on that particular note, but I didn't care for it. Perhaps it won't bother anyone, but for me, it was unsatisfactory.

While not scary, I enjoyed reading this through the month of October. It has spooky elements and it very much inhabited the spirit of spooky ghost stories. I'd highly recommend it to anyone looking for a ghost story wrapped up in an historical era drama.

The Revolutionary Genius of Plants

The Revolutionary Genius of Plants by Stefano Mancuso    240 pages

From Goodreads:

Do plants have intelligence? Do they have memory? Are they better problem solvers than people? Plant Revolution—a fascinating, paradigm-shifting work that upends everything you thought you knew about plants—makes a compelling scientific case that these and other astonishing ideas are all true. 

Every page of Plant Revolution bubbles over with Stefano Mancuso’s infectious love for plants and for the eye-opening research that makes it more and more clear how remarkable our fellow inhabitants on this planet really are. In his hands, complicated science is wonderfully accessible, and he has loaded the book with gorgeous photographs that make for an unforgettable reading experience. Plant Revolution opens the doors to a new understanding of life on earth.

My Review:

This book was fascinating. I learned so many things about plants and about the people who study them. Mancuso makes a compelling case for the intelligence of plants, showing the many ways scientists have discovered qualities in plants previously only thought to belong to the animal kingdom. Plants can in some ways "see," "think," and "remember" things and truly do have the ability to learn and react like humans or animals. I really am glad I picked this book up and I highly recommend it to anyone - it's short, informative, and so interesting.

My Beloved World

My Beloved World by Sonia Sotomayor     302 pages

From Goodreads:

The first Latinx (Puerto Rican) and third woman appointed to the US Supreme Court, Sonia Sotomayor has become an instant American icon. Now, with a candor and intimacy never undertaken by a sitting Justice, she recounts her life from a Bronx housing project to the federal bench, a journey that offers an inspiring testament to her own extraordinary determination and the power of believing in oneself. 

My Review: 

I absolutely love Sonia Sotomayor and this autobiography is so well written. Her life, the work she has done and continues to do, and her spirit are so inspirational. I loved getting to know her and her life better and her account of the struggles she endured to get to where she is blew me away. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a book about a strong, female role-model because she is it!

The Last Time I Lied

The Last Time I Lied by Riley Sager     384 pages

From Goodreads:

Two Truths and a Lie. The girls played it all the time in their tiny cabin at Camp Nightingale. Vivian, Natalie, Allison, and first-time camper Emma Davis, the youngest of the group. The games ended when Emma sleepily watched the others sneak out of the cabin in the dead of night. The last she--or anyone--saw of them was Vivian closing the cabin door behind her, hushing Emma with a finger pressed to her lips.

Now a rising star in the New York art scene, Emma turns her past into paintings--massive canvases filled with dark leaves and gnarled branches that cover ghostly shapes in white dresses. The paintings catch the attention of Francesca Harris-White, the socialite and wealthy owner of Camp Nightingale. When Francesca implores her to return to the newly reopened camp as a painting instructor, Emma sees an opportunity to try to find out what really happened to her friends.

Yet it's immediately clear that all is not right at Camp Nightingale. Already haunted by memories from fifteen years ago, Emma discovers a security camera pointed directly at her cabin, mounting mistrust from Francesca and, most disturbing of all, cryptic clues Vivian left behind about the camp's twisted origins. As she digs deeper, Emma finds herself sorting through lies from the past while facing threats from both man and nature in the present.

And the closer she gets to the truth about Camp Nightingale, the more she realizes it may come at a deadly price.

I tried so hard to figure out “who did it.” Sadly, I was not successful, but I guess that just means that Sager made a compelling story that was unpredictable and new. This felt like a real story, it was so thrilling, page by page. Once the story returns Camp Nightingale, Sager really hits her stride and the story picks up and it’s difficult to put down.

Overall, it’s a solid mystery – I really enjoyed reading it, I enjoyed the suspense, and I really liked the writing. Sager is really talented and I’m interested in reading anything else he has written. I’d definitely recommend this to mystery buffs and anybody who is in for a thriller story.