Month: October 2024

Annie Jacobsen’s Insights on Nuclear Annihilation

by Stefani

Nuclear War by Annie Jacobsen

Published: March 26, 2024 by Dutton

Buy this book at: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo

Synopsis:

There is only one scenario other than an asteroid strike that could end the world as we know it in a matter of hours: nuclear war. And one of the triggers for that war would be a nuclear missile inbound toward the United States.

Every generation, a journalist has looked deep into the heart of the nuclear military establishment: the technologies, the safeguards, the plans, and the risks. These investigations are vital to how we understand the world we really live in—where one nuclear missile will beget one in return, and where the choreography of the world’s end requires massive decisions made on seconds’ notice with information that is only as good as the intelligence we have.

Pulitzer Prize finalist Annie Jacobsen’s Nuclear War: A Scenario explores this ticking-clock scenario, based on dozens of exclusive new interviews with military and civilian experts who have built the weapons, have been privy to the response plans, and have been responsible for those decisions should they have needed to be made. Nuclear War: A Scenario examines the handful of minutes after a nuclear missile launch. It is essential reading, and unlike any other book in its depth and urgency.

Rating:

Review:

After listening to an interview with Annie Jacobsen I knew that I needed to read this book. And apparently a lot of other people thought the same thing, because this one had a 6 month waitlist from my library. Even for the audiobook, which is insane because the audiobook normally has a shorter wait time. But I digress. I have long had feelings about nuclear weapons and the idea of deterrence and mutually assured destruction. That has been the stance of world on nuclear weapons. “Well, we both have them, and we know that if one of uses them then so will the other, and no one wants that.”

There’s just one problem with that theory, human nature. Eventually there will be a human who says, “Fuck the consequences, if I’m going down then so are they.” Human nature virtually guarantees this. And this is what Annie Jacobsen explores. She explores in depth the timeline of a nuclear war. Starting at the beginning when there is a satellite confirmation that a missile has been fired. She goes through the exact conversations that would be happening. Was it an accident? Is it just a missile or does it have a nuke on it? Where is it headed? Could this be a misfire? What exactly is going on and how do we respond? The timeline for making this decision is very short. In the best circumstance that timeline is about 6 minutes. Six minutes to try and figure out what happened and if the US will respond. And that is the best case scenario, if a missile was launched from a submarine then the timeframe could be a minute total.

The author also goes through the timeline of just how many times the United States has been on the brink of nuclear war and luckily it hasn’t happened. Did you that in 1983 the Soviet Union’s radar detection system alerted that the United States had launched give nuclear missiles at the Soviet Union. Stanislav Petrov was manning the radar. His procedures required that he report the radar results to Moscow. But he didn’t, because he thought it was strange. Later, he said that he asked himself “Why would the United States only launch 5 missiles? If they wanted a nuclear war, they would fire many more, wouldn’t they?” And he chose to believe it was a false alert. It was indeed a false alert. But think about what could have happened if he had followed procedure?

I spent a lot of time wondering what kind of scenario Annie Jacobsen had created in this book. Was this a best case scenario? Average scenario? Worst case scenario? But then I realized something. She talked about how the Defense Department runs war game simulations on how a nuclear war would proceed. Hundreds of them. Potentially thousands of them. They’ve been running them since the first nuclear bomb was invented. And according to the source Jacobsen spoke to, every single scenario they have run ends in global annihilation. That’s when I realized, it doesn’t matter what kind of scenario it is. They all end the same way. They all end with human beings annihilating themselves. The only solution is for no one to press the button, ever. But even that doesn’t account for accidents. For as long as nuclear weapons exist, this book posits that eventually, for one reason or another, nuclear war is how it ends.

My only complaint is that some of the imagined dialogue is very corny. And I found some of the posited hypothetical events to unnecessary to the situation and it doesn’t add much value.

So, this book was possibly the most frightening thing I’ve ever read. Also one of the most important. I am going to get myself a stiff drink and hope that if nuclear war happens, I’ll be close enough to the blast to be evaporated.

As Nikita Khrushchev said to JFK, in the event of nuclear war “The survivors would envy the dead.” That’s a grim thought, but one that we all need to pay attention to. Do you trust the people guarding that button? I don’t. Not a single one of them.

New Releases Wednesday – October 30, 2024

by Stefani

Don’t Let the Forest In by CG Drews

Published: October 29, 2024 by Felwel & Friends

Check this book out at: Goodreads

Synopsis:

Once upon a time, Andrew had cut out his heart and given it to this boy, and he was very sure Thomas had no idea that Andrew would do anything for him.

Protect him. Lie for him. Kill for him.

High school senior Andrew Perrault finds refuge in the twisted fairytales that he writes for the only person who can ground him to reality—Thomas Rye, the boy with perpetually ink-stained hands and hair like autumn leaves. And with his twin sister, Dove, inexplicably keeping him at a cold distance upon their return to Wickwood Academy, Andrew finds himself leaning on his friend even more.

But something strange is going on with Thomas. His abusive parents have mysteriously vanished, and he arrives at school with blood on his sleeve. Thomas won’t say a word about it, and shuts down whenever Andrew tries to ask him questions. Stranger still, Thomas is haunted by something, and he seems to have lost interest in his artwork—whimsically macabre sketches of the monsters from Andrew’s wicked stories.

Desperate to figure out what’s wrong with his friend, Andrew follows Thomas into the off-limits forest one night and catches him fighting a nightmarish monster—Thomas’s drawings have come to life and are killing anyone close to him. To make sure no one else dies, the boys battle the monsters every night. But as their obsession with each other grows stronger, so do the monsters, and Andrew begins to fear that the only way to stop the creatures might be to destroy their creator…

Why this caught my eye:

This feels very fairytale horror to me. And I love the idea of drawings having magic powers.

Bloodguard by Cecy Robson

Published: October 8, 2024 by Entangled Publishing LLC

Check this book out at: Goodreads

Synopsis:

One hundred years. Tens of thousands of gladiators. And today, only one will rise…

Everything in the Kingdom of Arrow is a lie.

Leith of Grey thought coming to this new land and volunteering to fight in the gladiator arena—vicious, bloodthirsty tournaments where only the strongest survive—would earn him enough gold to save his dying sister. He thought there was nothing left to lose.

He was wrong—and they took everything. His hope. His freedom. His very humanity.

All Leith has left is his battle-scarred body, fueled by rage and hardened from years of fighting for the right to live another day.

Then Leith meets Maeve, an elven royal who is everything he despises. Everything he should hate. Until the alluring princess offers him the one thing he needs most: a chance to win the coveted title of Bloodguard—and his freedom.

But in a kingdom built on secrets and lies, hope doesn’t come cheap.

Nor will his ultimate revenge…

Why this caught my eye:

I am always drawn to stories of characters who have nothing left to lose and want revenge for some wrong that has been done to them. It’s all in the execution and this one sounds really interesting.

Best Hex Ever by Nadia El-Fassi

Published: October 1, 2024 by Dell

Check this book out at: Goodreads

Synopsis:

A kitchen witch with a penchant for baking and a (literally) cursed love life meets someone who’s worth breaking a hex for in this sweet and spicy debut romance.

As a skilled kitchen witch, Dina Whitlock knows her way around a pastry recipe. In fact, she runs her very own London café serving magic-infused pastries for her loyal customers. But only a select few friends know about her magical abilities or the hex that has plagued her love life. It’s hard to fall in love when your partner is guaranteed to have a string of bad luck the second they start to have feelings for you.

Scott Mason is back from traveling the world and is excited to begin his new job as a curator at the British Museum. After leaving London to heal from a brutal breakup two years ago, Scott only now realizes how much he missed out on. Now that his best friend’s wedding is right around the corner, Scott is determined to be the most amazing best man ever, but he doesn’t expect to be bewitched by the maid of honor, who also happens to be the owner of his new favorite café and, more surprisingly, a witch?!

After a weekend in the countryside full of peculiar hedge mazes, palm readings by candlelight, and a midnight Halloween ritual, there’s no denying the chemistry between them. But there’s just one problem: The hex still holds, and Dina knows that Scott is in danger. In the past, she’s always cut her losses, but this time is different. Scott could be the one. Will Dina be able to undo the hex, before it’s too late?

Why this caught my eye:

There are a ton of Christmastime romance novels (Believe me, I have 3 reviews on them coming soon!), but not as many Halloween ones. And Halloween is my favorite holiday. This sounds sweet and cute and that is what a good romance should be.

Progress Update Friday – October 25, 2024

by Stefani

The Prophecy of the Yubriy Tree by Ben Spencer

Progress: 59 of 379 pages

Check this book out at: Goodreads

Synopsis:

Every year, prophecy leaves fall from the Yubriy Tree. And every year, the Dayborn king sends his most trusted servants to collect the leaves and return them to the capital.

Only this year, one of the leaves drifted into the forest unseen.

Three lives will be forever changed by the undetected prophecy leaf.

The strong-willed daughter of a powerful family. The mysterious and reviled half brother of the king. And a talented but unlucky musician, desperate to write the song that will bring him good fortune.

Looming in the background are reports of the first dragon to appear in Ragar Or in over sixty-five years. And, as anyone familiar with Ragar Or’s history knows, when dragons appear, royalty dies.

How it’s going:

This is such an interesting idea. I was really pleased to get the ARC for it. So far the stories are interesting. I have read a chapter from 2 of the people mentioned in the synopsis and both were very intriguing. It’s off to a good start and I hope it continues.

Nuclear War by Annie Jacobsen

Progress: 7:25 of 11 hours, 19 minutes

Check this book out at: Goodreads

Synopsis:

There is only one scenario other than an asteroid strike that could end the world as we know it in a matter of hours: nuclear war. And one of the triggers for that war would be a nuclear missile inbound toward the United States.

Every generation, a journalist has looked deep into the heart of the nuclear military establishment: the technologies, the safeguards, the plans, and the risks. These investigations are vital to how we understand the world we really live in—where one nuclear missile will beget one in return, and where the choreography of the world’s end requires massive decisions made on seconds’ notice with information that is only as good as the intelligence we have.

Pulitzer Prize finalist Annie Jacobsen’s Nuclear War: A Scenario explores this ticking-clock scenario, based on dozens of exclusive new interviews with military and civilian experts who have built the weapons, have been privy to the response plans, and have been responsible for those decisions should they have needed to be made. Nuclear War: A Scenario examines the handful of minutes after a nuclear missile launch. It is essential reading, and unlike any other book in its depth and urgency.

How it’s going:

If the hold times on this through my library is any indication, this book has been gangbusters popular. The hold on the physical book stands at 75 people, the ebook stands at 7 months, and getting the audiobook took my 3 1/2 months. So far, I am depressed. And I need a stiff drink. I don’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing. Honestly, I will probably finish this one today and then if I can manage a review this weekend that’s great, but I might need to digest it a little bit.

Chasing Firebirds: The Phoenix Keeper Analysis

by Stefani

The Phoenix Keeper by S.A. MacLean

Narrated by: Stephanie Bentley

Published: August 13, 2024 by Orbit

Buy this book at: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo

Synopsis:

As head phoenix keeper at a world-renowned zoo for magical creatures, Aila’s childhood dream of conserving critically endangered firebirds seems closer than ever. There’s just one glaring caveat: her zoo’s breeding program hasn’t functioned for a decade. When a tragic phoenix heist sabotages the flagship initiative at a neighboring zoo, Aila must prove her derelict facilities are fit to take the reins.

But saving an entire species from extinction requires more than stellar animal handling skills. Carnivorous water horses, tempestuous thunderhawks, mischievous dragons… Aila has no problem wrangling beasts. Inspiring zoo patrons? That’s another story. Mustering the courage to ask for help from the hotshot griffin keeper at the zoo’s most popular exhibit? Virtually impossible.

Especially when that hotshot griffin keeper happens to be her arch-rival from college: Luciana, an annoyingly brooding and insufferable know-it-all with the grace of a basilisk and the face of a goddess, who’s convinced that Aila’s beloved phoenix would serve their cause better as an active performer rather than a passive conservation exhibit.

With the world watching and the threat of poachers looming, Aila’s success isn’t only a matter of keeping her job: the future of a species depends on her.

Rating:

Review:

I wanted to like this book a whole lot more than I did. For a lot of reasons this one just didn’t work for me. The premise of the book was great. I have always loved the idea of magical creatures and creating a world where zoos are trying to save those magical creatures from extinction is a fantastic idea. Throw in some romance and it should have been a great book.

While I felt like audiobook narrator did a good job, sometimes her tone didn’t match the emotions being conveyed very well. When Aila was supposed to sound determined or anxious, it came across as whiny. I can only partially blame the narrator for this though because Aila is pretty whiny in general. She spends most of this book worrying, hating things and whining about it. She is supposed to be 28 years old but she sounds like a 14 year old. We spend a lot of time hearing about Aila’s social anxiety, but it comes across less as anxiety and more like hatred. She isn’t anxious about social situations and people, she just hates them. As someone who also hates socializing I understand but I would never insist that it’s social anxiety, because it isn’t the same thing. And since the book is told from Aila’s perspective, we have to listen to her talk about really boring things for an awful long time. I got to 40% of the audiobook and she hadn’t even gotten the male phoenix yet. We’d just talked about…things. Not interesting things, just things.

Another issue I had with this book was the worldbuilding. Namely that there wasn’t any. Apart from zoos full of magical creatures I know nothing about this world. I have no idea what the locations we hear about are like, the author didn’t both to tell me. Do phoenixes like in tropical places? Deserts? Mediterranean? I know they like to nest in olive trees, but apart from that clue I was told nothing about this world. I know that DVDs exist and so do emails, so I feel like we’re stuck in the late 1990s or early 2000s. But, that’s all we know about this world. I wanted to know how magical creatures exist in this world? If magical creatures exist, does other magic exist also? If not, why not? I wanted more and I didn’t get it.

The romance was incredibly lack luster and virtually non-existent. Aila spends approximately 70% of this book hating the intended love interest and pining after someone else entirely. They don’t actually get together until the very ending of the book. So while the blurb promises a “soul restoring queer romance”, this is tepid at best.

The “villain” of the book was very boring. First, it was obvious what was going on. The only question I had was if the same person was responsible for the phoenix stealing at the first zoo, or just gotten the idea. The motive was ok but since the character was so boring it just didn’t matter. At no point did I ever feel like there was tension in the plot. Aila professes to be running for her life trying to save her phoenixes from being kidnapped, but I didn’t feel an ounce of urgency or tension.

This book would have been better if it was marketed as a young adult. Aila definitely reads as a young adult character, the romance would be better suited to the young adult genre. Overall I probably would have liked it better. As an adult fantasy it wasn’t very good.

The Crimson Crown: A Captivating Tale of Magic and Betrayal

by Stefani

The Crimson Crown by Heather Walter

Narrated by: Emily Woo Zeller

Published: August 27, 2024 by Del Ray

Buy this book at: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo

Synopis:

Legends tell of a witch who became a queen—the heartless villain in the story of Snow White.

But now the wicked queen is stepping out of Snow White’s shadow to become the heroine of her own legend.

Her real “once upon a time” begins when she is just Ayleth, a young witch who lives in the forest with her coven. The witches practice their magic in secret, hiding from the White King and his brutal war against witchcraft.

Ayleth, however, faces a war of her own. Her magical gifts have yet to reveal themselves, and as the threat of the Royal Huntsmen intensifies, Ayleth fears she will never become the witch her coven needs.

To prove herself, Ayleth sets out on a perilous quest that sends her to the White Palace, a decadent world of drama and deceit. There, Ayleth encounters an unlikely figure from her past: Jacquetta, a witch who once held Ayleth’s heart—and betrayed her.

As events at the palace escalate, Ayleth finds herself caught in the web of the White King, whose dark charisma is as dangerous as the sinister force that seems to be haunting the palace—and perhaps even Ayleth herself. With the threat of discovery looming, Ayleth and Jacquetta must set aside the wounds of their past and work together to survive.

As she uncovers the secrets of the White Court—and those of her own heart—Ayleth must find the strength to transform into someone she never imagined she could be.

A powerful witch, the very wickedest of them all.

Rating:

Review:

This book is such a difficult one for me to rate. Overall, I liked it. That narrator was great, the worldbuilding was great, the idea of the story was great. But for a lot of it, I was just bored. This was a really long audiobook, about 16 hours. That hardcover is 544 pages. That’s a really long book. And I don’t feel like the plot was interesting enough or complex enough to require that many pages. Everything took so long to happen. I have to admit that I dozed off a few times and when I woke up it didn’t seem like I had missed anything at all.

About halfway through is when the plot really started cooking and I felt like things picked up fast. The romance story was fabulously executed. Two women who had been separated through tragic circumstances and then come back together in a time of need. It was romantic. It was sweet. In the end, it was exactly what this book needed. Ayleth was a whiner for a lot of this book and it was annoying. She was upset she had no magic talent. She was upset that everyone blamed her for her sister’s death (no one actually DID blame her, but she kept insisting that people did). She was disgusted by her mother’s affinity for dark magic, but equally horrified at a woman who doesn’t want to affiliate with coven magic. She gets a lot better when she arrives at the city though. She finds her strength in a big way, but I was still left wondering…how exactly does this woman end up as the evil queen? Ayleth was way too big of a goodie two shoes for that.

When it all starts to set into motion though…oh…my…God! My face was painted in shock. All of the little pieces that had been planted earlier in the book came together in the most deliciously evil way possible. I loved it. I was completely enthralled with the ending of the book. If it had all been that fascinating then this would have easily been a 5 star book for me. I positively squealed when we got to the ending and she said the line. “Mirror mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?” The ending was so great. I really just wish the rest of it could have been just as amazing. I will be reading the 2nd half of this duology an crossing my fingers that it drags less than this one.

‘Playground’ Review: A Journey Through Technology and Humanity

by Stefani

Playground by Richard Powers

Narrated by: Edoardo Ballerini, Robin Siegerman, Eunice Wong, Run Bandhu, Krys Janae, Kevin R Free

Published: September 24, 2024 by W.W. Norton & Company

Buy this book at: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo

Synopsis:

A magisterial new novel from the Pulitzer Prize–winning and New York Times best-selling author of The Overstory and Bewilderment.

Four lives are drawn together in a sweeping, panoramic new novel from Richard Powers, showcasing the Pulitzer Prize–winning author of The Overstory at the height of his skills. Twelve-year-old Evie Beaulieu sinks to the bottom of a swimming pool in Montreal strapped to one of the world’s first aqualungs. Ina Aroita grows up on naval bases across the Pacific with art as her only home. Two polar opposites at an elite Chicago high school bond over a three-thousand-year-old board game; Rafi Young will get lost in literature, while Todd Keane’s work will lead to a startling AI breakthrough.

They meet on the history-scarred island of Makatea in French Polynesia, whose deposits of phosphorus once helped to feed the world. Now the tiny atoll has been chosen for humanity’s next adventure: a plan to send floating, autonomous cities out onto the open sea. But first, the island’s residents must vote to greenlight the project or turn the seasteaders away.

Set in the world’s largest ocean, this awe-filled book explores that last wild place we have yet to colonize in a still-unfolding oceanic game, and interweaves beautiful writing, rich characterization, profound themes of technology and the environment, and a deep exploration of our shared humanity in a way only Richard Powers can.

Rating:

Review:

This book drew me in months ago with its beautiful cover. The reef, the colors, the manta ray, all of it was gorgeous. Anyone who reads my reviews knows that I am a sucker for a pretty cover. I was also intrigued by the synopsis of this book. This seems to be a trend in literary fiction at the moment. To use individual stories to weave together a larger story. This book does it very well.

I genuinely enjoyed all of the characters and all of their narratives. I felt empathy and compassion for them, I understood their motives and I wanted to cheer them on. Rafi and Todd were the highlights though. Their stories were intertwined from the beginning. I loved watching them bond over their games, and their competitive natures sometimes at odds with their friendship. It was deep and genuine. I hoped that they would remain friends forever, but I also recognized that eventually their differences would probably drive them apart.

The stories were also well done, albeit slow to advance sometimes. This was, perhaps, one of the only drawbacks to this book is that the plot started to drag a little in the middle. I wanted the story to get moving and it just didn’t happen for awhile. But when it did, it took me in a place that I never expected. I found the weaving of humans and their love of play very charming. The theme of playfulness is woven into every line of this book, and it’s wonderful. Up until one specific sentence I was fully prepared to give this book 3 stars and talk about how I enjoyed it, but it just moved too slowly.

One specific line that Rafi emailed to Todd. My jaw dropped to the floor. I could not believe it. I never expected a twist in this book, and I never imagined the twist to encompass one singular line. All at once the entire trajectory of the book was different. Not just the trajectory of the book though, it changed the entire premise of the beginning of the book too. I was glued to this book from that moment. I couldn’t stop listening. It was truly masterful. I’ve read a lot of books where the author attempts to do what Powers did, but none have done it as smoothly and perfectly as he did.

I can’t recommend this book enough. It’s beautiful. It’s tragic. It’s hopeful. It’s playful. It’s probably my book of the year.

Secrets and Thrills in The Bitter Truth by Shanora Williams

by Stefani

The Bitter Truth by Shanora Williams

Published: June 25, 2024 by Dafina

Buy this book at: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo

Synopsis:

For Jolene “Jo” Baker, the least she can do for her adoring husband, Dominic, is give unwavering support for his North Carolina gubernatorial run. He is not only the love of her life, he’s also helping her prove that she’s far more than just a pampered trophy wife. With huge crowds showing up at Dominic’s speeches and the polls consistently in his favor, she’s never been happier to stand proudly by his side . . .

Until she and Dominic start seeing the same, strangely ominous woman turning up all along the campaign trail. Until their tour starts becoming a nightmare of botched events, crucial missed information, and increasingly dangerous “accidents.” Suddenly Jo can’t get any answers from Dominic—or understand why he is acting so paranoid and terrified . . .

What Jo can do is start digging into his past—one she’s never really questioned beyond his perfect image and dazzling accomplishments. What results is an alarming series of events that leave her baffled: Good friends turn into enemies, truths are revealed to be lies, and all clues lead back to one secret, shattering weekend that changes Jo’s entire life. With her world splintering into pieces, can Jo risk trying to set things right? Or will hiding the bitter truth by any means necessary destroy her as well?

Rating:

Review:

***Disclaimer*** I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Dafina and Edelweiss!***

This book was a fun little popcorn thriller. Like I said in one of my progress update posts, if you wants to read this in an afternoon then you easily could. I also like that the book delivers exactly what this synopsis sells. That doesn’t always happen so I appreciate it even more when it does. Political thriller, check. Shocking secrets, double check. Revenge on the bad guy, check.

The characters in this book were well fleshed out and felt like real, genuine people. Jo was smart and canny, you got the sense from her early on that while she may trust easily she isn’t going to be anyone’s fool. I liked that about her. Of course, we know from the beginning that her husband is a piece of garbage, that’s the whole point, but I also felt like we got a glimpse of why Jo loved him enough to marry him. At this point in the story she is finished with the marriage, but recognizes that they need to remain a united front for the sake of his political office. The political marriage in full display. She spends her time focusing on her tea shop, in between campaign events. Dominic spends his time campaigning. At least until the threatening messages start arriving.

This book sold me on secrets, and boy, are there secrets! A lot of them. And some of them get really dark. Frankly, I didn’t quite expect how dark this book went. But I loved it. It made things much more sinister and desperate. No wonder Dominic got so desperate to cover up the past. However, I did feel like some of the twists and secrets were easy to guess. To avoid giving away too big of a spoiler, typically if a character can narrate it means they aren’t really gone. Typically.

The only other thing that brought down this rating for me was the ending. It was just rather unnecessarily complicated. The “stalkers” had a plan, Jo had a plan, everyone had a plan. And the plans were intertwined, but then at a certain point there was an entirely different secret plan. It was too much. After everything in the book, Dominic isn’t that smart. We didn’t need a CIA level takedown here. That and the obvious twists brought this to a 3 star or me. I enjoyed it, and it was exactly what it was supposed to be as a popcorn thriller.

The Lost Story by Meg Shaffer: A Tale of Friendship and Secrets

by Stefani

The Lost Story by Meg Shaffer

Narrated by: Jorjeana Marie

Published: July 16, 2024 by Random House Audio

Buy this book at: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo

Synopsis:

As boys, best friends Jeremy Cox and Rafe Howell went missing in a vast West Virginia state forest, only to mysteriously reappear six months later with no explanation for where they’d gone or how they’d survived.

Fifteen years after their miraculous homecoming, Rafe is a reclusive artist who still bears scars inside and out but has no memory of what happened during those months. Meanwhile, Jeremy has become a famed missing persons’ investigator. With his uncanny abilities, he is the one person who can help vet tech Emilie Wendell find her sister, who vanished in the very same forest as Rafe and Jeremy.

Jeremy alone knows the fantastical truth about the disappearances, for while the rest of the world was searching for them, the two missing boys were in a magical realm filled with impossible beauty and terrible danger. He believes it is there that they will find Emilie’s sister. However, Jeremy has kept Rafe in the dark since their return for his own inscrutable reasons. But the time for burying secrets comes to an end as the quest for Emilie’s sister begins. The former lost boys must confront their shared past, no matter how traumatic the memories.

Alongside the headstrong Emilie, Rafe and Jeremy must return to the enchanted world they called home for six months—for only then can they get back everything and everyone they’ve lost.

Rating:

Review:

I had very high hopes about this book. The concept of bringing me a grown up fairytale akin to the Chronicles of Narnia was highly appealing. In a lot of ways this book met those expectations. And in some ways it didn’t. So ultimately my feelings about this book are that it was good but not great.

The brightest point of this book was the relationship between Jeremy and Rafe. It was so tortured and complicated and beautiful. I found myself angry at Jeremy for lying to Rafe. I found myself angry at Rafe for rejecting Jeremy. And when the full story of their relationship was revealed, I cried like a baby. It was a slow burn of a relationship and I loved it. I was rooting for them so hard, and I ended up in a puddle of tears in the end.

I have to admit that I didn’t have a single idea what was going on for a large part of this book. That’s what brought the rating down to a three star for me honestly. I said in my progress update last week that I thought I had missed something important and went back to listen again only to discover that I hadn’t missed something, it was just very jarring. It took a long time for me to find my footing in the story. The parts I did understand were amazing. This was a pretty short audiobook at just over 10 hours long, it could have used just a little more length to smooth out some of those transitions to make the story flow better. There was also a lot of missing world building. The author just thrust us into this fantastical world but didn’t give us too many details about it, which was disappointing.

In the end, when it was great it was amazing and when it wasn’t it was okay.