Tag: family

REVIEW: Josie Bloom and the Emergency of Life by Susan Hill Long

REVIEW: Josie Bloom and the Emergency of Life by Susan Hill Long

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Simon and Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books  in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Josie has been living with her grandfather since her mom died. But lately things have gotten… odd. Her grandfather has been stashing wads of cash in weird places around the house. And Josie’s found a bunch of past due notices on their bills. And her grandfather often blurts out nonsense words. She hopes others aren’t noticing.

Her teacher at school IS noticing some other things. Josie’s grades aren’t great. Neither is her hygiene. Her teacher is getting suspicious.

Worst of all is the overdue mortgage bill. Once Josie figures out what a mortgage is, she realizes if she can’t come up with the money, they could lose their house. What would happen to her and her grandfather then?

Review

There’s a LOT going on in this book. Josie is trying to be the responsible grown up in her home, but she doesn’t understand mortgages and checking accounts. She doesn’t know where her grandfather’s cash is coming from. And the two of them end up at cross purposes at times while each is following his/her own plan. Then Josie’s best friend, Winky, is a baseball fanatic who is going blind, so he can’t play the game he loves. His favorite player, Joe Viola, becomes a regular character in Josie’s life. And finally, Josie’s teachers are trying to help out where they can see there’s need, although none of them know the whole story.

It took me awhile to connect to the heart of this one. The different threads felt willy nilly, and I couldn’t lock in to the characters or where the story was going. The timing of the story wasn’t well anchored for me either; I thought this was a contemporary story until it suddenly wasn’t.

But when everything fell apart, and Josie acknowledges the relief of not having to shoulder these burdens on her own any more, I found my connection point. I enjoyed the satisfying conclusion to the story.

Rating: ♥♥♥½

REVIEW: Lucky Caller by Emma Mills

REVIEW: Lucky Caller by Emma Mills

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Henry Holt and Co. in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Nina is in her last semester of high school. Her mom is newly engaged. And she’s partnered with Jamie, the last person she wanted in her group for her broadcasting class.

The early weeks of their show are rocky. Jamie is choosing the music for their 90s shows. Sasha works on publicity. Joydeep is their on-air host, and Nina is the producer.

The problems are hard to miss. Their host is wooden on air, they’ve had technical difficulties, and they’ve accidentally broadcast some language and conversations that should NOT have been aired.

To salvage their show, they decide to hint at a secret guest coming to the show. Nina’s dad, a radio personality, would be ideal to speak not only on the air but also to their class. They run into a few problems, though, when their listeners start making their own assumptions about the secret guest, and when Nina is reluctant to even ask her dad to come.

Review

There were several parts of this that I loved. There are some great laugh-out-loud moments. And I loved the game of pretend Nina and her sisters played with Jamie when they were kids. The climax of the radio show plot thread was fantastic!

But getting to those great moments took a lot of work for me as a reader. The development of the romance was slow, especially the reveal of the original fracture between Nina and Jamie. The story meandered a bit through their awkwardness and her mom’s engagement, and some of the radio things. I prefer stories with clear motives and goals from the outset. This story is more subtle than that.

Readers who enjoy a slower unfolding of the story – the pieces are all there, but you have to wait awhile to put them all together for the big picture – should check this out. And the big moment with the secret interview was the main thing that made the journey worthwhile for me. (Language)

Rating: ♥♥♥½

BONUS REVIEW: Every Other Weekend by Abigail Johnson

BONUS REVIEW: Every Other Weekend by Abigail Johnson

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Inkyard Press in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Adam’s parents have recently separated. He’s angry – and a little confused. His dad left, but his mom helped him pack. She even made his favorite pie for him. AFTER he moved out! Adam’s older brother, Jeremy, seems to be rolling with the changes better than Adam is. He’s just so angry. He hates the idea of his mom at the house alone when he stays with his dad every other weekend.

Jolene’s parents have been divorced for awhile. Her dad had always been a cheater. But he finally left after he hooked up with Shelly. Her parents have turned fighting into an Olympic-level event. Neither seems to care about Jolene except as a pawn in their efforts to make the other person as miserable as humanly possible. Jolene’s dad lives next door to Adam’s dad in a crappy apartment. So Jolene sees Adam when she stays there every other weekend.

Over time, as Jolene and Adam get closer, they open up to one another about the struggles in their families. But what sort of relationship can develop between two people who only see each other every other weekend?

Review

This was so good! I was heartbroken for both of these teens. Adam’s family is grieving. It’s been two years. His mother acts as if she has nothing to grieve while his dad knows they have to start to move forward in this new normal. Adam and Jeremy are left in the middle with their own grief.

Jolene’s family situation is worse. The things her mother does and says, her father’s absence, and the way both of them use her to put the screws to the other parent were horrifying. I was concerned how desperate she would get with the series of losses in her own life.

The development of these characters was excellent. Their emotions felt honest and real. Their banter was just the right amount of levity to balance the darker parts of the story. I can’t help hoping that Adam’s ideas about their future will come true.

This is a character-rich story. There’s no obvious goal or journey for them. It is the story of their meet ups every other weekend and the relationship that develops over time. It’s also about the ways their relationship with one another encourages and helps them with the other struggles they are facing. While there were hard, painful moments, I loved this journey with Adam and Jolene. Fans of the author’s other work (I loved Even If I Fall) and fans of strong character-driven stories should be sure to check this out. (Some language, TW: sexual assault)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Matchmaking Can Be Murder by Amanda Flower

REVIEW: Matchmaking Can Be Murder by Amanda Flower

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Kensington in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Millie Fisher recently moved back to Holmes County, Ohio. She had lived in Michigan for years, taking care of her sister. But now she’s back, enjoying being home in her Amish community with family close by.

Millie has a reputation as something of a matchmaker in her community. God has given her a sense for when two people are a good match – or not. Which is why Millie is so eager to talk to her niece, Edith. She rushed into an engagement to Zeke Miller, but it’s obvious to Millie that the two are ill-suited for one another. Thankfully, Edith agrees and breaks her engagement.

Gossip spreads quickly in the small community. And people have some strong opinions about the break up. It caught everyone but Millie by surprise. But it’s nothing compared to the surprise of finding Zeke, murdered. Millie is desperate to help Edith, but she’s keeping secrets and she looks guilty. Millie’s going to have to work her people skills to figure out who wanted Zeke dead – and why.

Review

This was terrific! It’s a spin off of the author’s Amish Candy Shop series, so the setting and several of the secondary characters are familiar.

I loved Millie and her English friend, Lois. They are a delightful contrast, and they are hoot together! Because of those two, this is my new favorite Amanda Flower series.

Flower does a great job weaving this book together. There are enough connections to the other series that readers of those books will feel instantly at home. But they are presented in such a way that newcomers won’t feel like they’ve missed something. The author also seeds the book with story threads that can play out in future books. I can’t wait.

The mystery was great. All the pieces came together well. The pacing of the sleuthing worked, too. I enjoyed everything about this one – don’t miss it!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Zits: Chillax by Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman

REVIEW: Zits: Chillax by Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Jeremy, star of the Zits comic strip, and his best friend Hector bought two concert tickets to hear their favorite rock band, Gingivitis, from Tim, the bass player in their band. At first, their only concern is how to convince their parents to let them go to the show. Then they find out why Tim sold his tickets. His mom has cancer, and the day of the concert, he’s having surgery to give his mom some bone marrow.

Fitting the teen boy stereotype, Jeremy doesn’t know how to relate to Tim or to the situation. After talking to his parents and his girlfriend, Jeremy decides that he and Hector will get Tim a gift at the show as a sign of support. But nothing that night goes like they plan.

Review

This is an illustrated novel like a Dork Diaries or a Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Fans of the Zits comic strip will recognize all the major players. And the usual humor over teen stereotypes and parent interactions are present as expected. The cancer story could be heavy for a book with this format, but it’s balanced well with the humor.

I have enjoyed the Zits comics for years. While this was a new format, I enjoyed it.  The story felt familiar, but I can’t pinpoint what came from a previous comic and what might have been changed or added for this book.

I think this could be a bridge book from middle grade to teen, maybe a good fit for readers in the 10-15 year old range. There’s a lot of fun music/band stuff that musicians might enjoy. But compared to contemporary teen fiction and graphic novels, this skews younger in my opinion. Might be a good fit for teens who don’t want the heavier or more mature YA themes.

Rating: ♥♥♥½

BONUS REVIEW: Abraham by Jennifer Beckstrand

BONUS REVIEW: Abraham by Jennifer Beckstrand

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Zebra in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Alfie and Benji Petersheim are still on their quest to see their three older brothers married so they can move out of the cellar and back into a room at the house. (Their grandparents have moved in which bumped the twins to the cellar.) They helped Andrew and Mary get together (Andrew – ♥♥♥♥♥). Now it’s time to help their brother Abraham find a girl.

The girl is the easy part. Abe stares at Emma all the time. The issue is that Abe is so quiet and never speaks to ANY girl, much less to Emma.

So the twins start scheming, using Abraham’s affinity for animals along with a stray dog and Emma’s chickens to bring the two young people together. But Emma couldn’t be less interested in Abraham. She knows him from the community. Their families are neighbors. But Abe is like a blank wall. Emma’s having too much fun playing the field and flirting with other boys who make her feel special. And she makes her disinterest pretty plain right up front. But the twins are tired of sleeping with spiders. They aren’t giving up on this match any time soon.

Review

This is the second book in the Petersheim Brothers series. I read book one, Andrew, this summer and adored it. That was my first introduction to the author, Jennifer Beckstrand. Then I read two of her Honeybee Sisters books and loved them, too. (You can read my review of book one, Sweet as Honey, here.) It wasn’t until I started Abraham, though, that I realized these two great series are connected.

I fell in love with Abraham in this book. I have some strong introverts in my life whom I adore, so I felt for him early on. It was sad how little he thought of himself because he wasn’t at ease with others like Emma or his younger brother, Austin.  Abraham was resigned to being alone, and he thought that meant he would be a disappointment to his family.

Emma was harder to like. At first she comes across as breezy and fun. And I liked that she was up front with Abe about her feelings even if it did break his heart. But over time I started to see the difference between her public personality – flirty, bubbly, keeping her options open and her focus on fun – and who she was when she was alone with Abraham. When she chose the public personality over the private one, I was incensed for Abraham’s sake.

With Andrew, book one in the series, I loved the faith questions at the center of the story. Andrew wrestles with questions about sin, and I was 100% engaged in that wrestling with him. With Abraham, the wrestling is more with self, for both Abraham and for Emma. And I enjoyed that exploration, too.

I have adored everything I have read so far from Jennifer Beckstrand. She is now part of my must-read authors list. Pair her books with my favorites from Sarah Price for some fun, romantic Amish fiction. This one was romantic and funny and riling – and everything I hoped it would be. Do not miss out on this series! Book 3, Austin, releases in the summer of 2020.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

REVIEW: Where You'll Find Me by Natasha Friend

REVIEW: Where You’ll Find Me by Natasha Friend

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Anna can’t believe she’s living at her dad’s house. He had gotten engaged to Marnie before her parents’ divorce was even final. And their baby appeared soon after their wedding. She’d done a careful job of avoiding sleeping there. Daytime visits only. Anything else felt disloyal to her mother. But that was before.

Before her mother tried to kill herself and ended up in the hospital.

And when it rains, it pours. Anna has also lost her best friend. She’s stuck at school hanging out with the weird kids. It seems like everyone – other parents, teachers at school – is talking about Anna’s mom. And Marnie’s trying too hard with Anna, making her feel suffocated.

It all leaves Anna feeling lost and adrift. But help will arrive from places she least expects.

Review

I pulled this from a middle grade pile on my bookshelf, but when I looked the book up, the publishing information says this is for teens. I was confused. Anna is only 13 in this story – young for a teen book. And while her processing of all the things feels appropriate for 13, it also feels young for a teen/YA book. It might be a good fit for the new “Older Middle Grade” category for readers 10 to 14. But there’s some mature content – some swearing, Anna hears her dad and step-mom having sex, etc. – things you don’t generally find in middle grade books. All of this made it hard for me to get a good grasp on this one. Who exactly is this book for?

That aside, I loved the story. My heart broke for Anna. The near suicide is a huge stressor, but there’s so much MORE going on:

  • The unspoken things between Anna and her dad and the ways she has felt abandoned by him, left to care for her mom on her own.
  • Anna’s fears of finding her mother dead.
  • Anna’s memories of her mom’s manic episodes as she learns about Bipolar 2.
  • Anna’s shame about her mom’s illness.
  • The loss of her best friend.

All of these things are conveyed SO well. I was rooting for Anna through the whole book – that she would make new and better friends, that she would see her step-mother as an ally, and that she would share the burden of her mom’s illness with someone. There’s a great happy-for-now wrap up to this that was so satisfying.

Find the right audience and this will be a hit with readers. I loved it! (Language, sexual references, references to Wicca, CW: Suicide)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

REVIEW: The Dating Charade by Melissa Ferguson

REVIEW: The Dating Charade by Melissa Ferguson

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Thomas Nelson in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

After a string of bad dates, Cassie is giving up on her dating app and the blind date scene. Her best friend is convinced the string of bad luck is because her dating profile says she doesn’t want kids. She actually does, but she physically can’t have them. And that has caused enough heartache all on its own. She can’t get attached to a guy and then find out it’s a deal breaker.

Jett can’t believe he found Cassie on that dating app. He had such a huge crush on her when she was a senior in high school. As a lowly freshman, she didn’t know he even existed. But now he has a chance to try again.

And they hit it off. They have a great first date. They exchange some flirty texts. And then, in a moment, everything changes. Each of them becomes the caretaker of three kids. And neither wants to tell the other and risk ruining the tender new relationship they had just started to explore. But the girls in Cassie’s care are in desperate need of love and stability. And Jett’s niece and nephews are traumatized after being abandoned. They have to prioritize the kids. But how long can they keep up the charade of being the same single people they were on their first date?

Review

This was great! I loved watching how these two single people were transformed when they became instant parents to three kids each. It was hard, but they also determined it was worth every struggle.

The end was a little abrupt, at least on Cassie’s side. We get no explanation of how things wrap up like they do. But I enjoyed the wrap up and the epilogue.

I expected more Christian content since this is published by Thomas Nelson, but other than an extended scene at church, there aren’t really any faith pieces to this.

Expectations are a BIG deal when it comes to this book. The publicity materials sell this as a “romantic comedy.” I did not find that to be true at all. Jett and Cassie barely spend any time together before the arrival of the kids, and even less after. It’s almost like the romantic relationship is based on imagination and potential rather than reality. Thankfully the epilogue takes place a year later so I could tell myself they had a real foundation by then. But there’s not a lot of romance happening in the story. I also didn’t find it especially funny. I thought of it as a Christmas story, and in that regard, I was satisfied. This situation is fascinating. I would have liked more obvious treatment for the girls in Cassie’s care and more discipline and boundaries for Jett’s three. But I enjoyed the story for what it was – a story of two adults who let the unexpected upend their lives for the sake of kids who need them.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

BONUS REVIEW: The Amish Cookie Club by Sarah Price

BONUS REVIEW: The Amish Cookie Club by Sarah Price

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Edna, Verna, Wilma and Mary gather together every couple weeks to bake cookies for Sunday worship services. Family and friends flippantly call it their “cookie club,” but it’s more like cookie therapy. As they gather and bake, they share one another’s burdens.

Mary’s daughter is painfully shy and probably over-protected. The women wonder how she’ll ever make her way in the world. Wilma’s twins seem to be in constant battle with one another. Perhaps Wilma’s own abrasiveness has rubbed off too much. Edna grieves that she was never able to raise a daughter. Her sons are almost all grown, but they don’t seem to have any interest in courting or starting a family. And Verna’s daughter, Myrna has just lost ANOTHER job. Her strong and vocal opinions cause her problems with employers and customers alike.

Edna has the idea of helping Myrna find a job in an Amish home where her hard work might be appreciated and she could learn some more agreeable methods. And Ezekiel Riehl’s farm could be the perfect solution. Ezekiel has four children including a baby less than a year old. The story is that his wife developed cancer, and Ezekiel refused to let her get treatment, insisting they pray and trust it to God. Myrna doesn’t quite like the sound of that, but she doesn’t have to agree with him to watch the kids and clean the house. She needs a job, and he needs help at home. It’s just a business arrangement.

Review

This was delightful! I loved Myrna! Her strong opinions and organizational skills felt very familiar to me. She needed a place that both needed AND appreciated those skills. And she found that.

The author does a good job of setting up the four moms and their concerns which will be covered in future books while also focusing on Myrna’s story. The balance between those threads was great. Personally, I got  a little tired of Wilma. I’m glad the next book (An Amish Cookie Club Christmas, out now) will focus on Mary’s daughter and Edna’s family.

It’s clear early on that this medical care situation is going to be a factor in Myrna’s relationship with Zeke. As often happens in novels, gossip, assumptions and lack of communication go a long way towards thwarting love. Readers will have to check this book out to see if Myrna and Zeke  can triumph.

This is another fantastic Amish story from Sarah Price. She is now a must-buy author for me. I love her work! I recently read the second book in the series – An Amish Cookie Club Christmas – and it was just as good! (♥♥♥♥½)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

REVIEW: Crying Laughing by Lance Rubin

REVIEW: Crying Laughing by Lance Rubin

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Knopf Books for Young Readers in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Winnie loves comedy. She grew up watching I Love Lucy and Abbott and Costello sketches. She even thought about doing stand up, but that was before her bat mitzvah. After bombing at her own party, Winnie has sworn off performing ever again.

Winnie’s dad is her comedy idol. He’s been having some weird symptoms lately like randomly dropping things and some slurred speech that has her concerned. Then her parents tell her – the doctors think her dad has ALS.

A cute guy and the need for a distraction from her dad’s health lead Winnie to a meeting of the school’s improv group. Even though she is clueless about many of their routines, when a sketch clicks, she starts making people laugh. Winnie begins to feel at home on stage and in front of an audience again. But at the same time, so many other things start to fall apart. Suddenly she finds herself all alone with more questions than answers and more crying than laughing.

Review

This is a solid contemporary YA story. There are friend pieces and boyfriend/crush pieces. Winnie’s dad’s illness and the impact on their family is of course a huge piece of the story. And then the comedy pieces – from the improv group to using humor to mask fear and pain – work in as well. Through it all, Winnie shines.

The core of the book is the family story. From hiding the initial diagnosis to shielding Winnie from the grim prognosis to a big blow up in a public spot, the family is struggling. Hurts from the past get drawn in, and the whole thing shakes Winnie’s foundations. And while she’s dealing with all that, her relationships at school change too, leaving her feeling alone and lost.

Winnie is remarkably resilient through it all. I loved that she wasn’t immediately amazing at improv. She struggled. Everyone knew it. Some people took advantage of it. I liked the layers that added to the story. Ultimately her improv group has her back, which might have been my favorite part of the whole story.

There’s some humor here, but also a ton of heart! (Language, LGBTQ+)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥