Tag: gangs

BONUS REVIEW: Silent Bite by David Rosenfelt

BONUS REVIEW: Silent Bite by David Rosenfelt

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

Andy Carpenter’s status as a retired defense attorney is in jeopardy again when his business partner, Willie Miller, asks Andy to take on a new client. Tony Birch was Willie’s cellmate once, and Tony has been arrested again. The prosecution’s story is that Tony was angry at the guy who testified against him and put him in jail. But when more bodies start piling up, it seems that Tony might have been set up.

As Andy and his team dig further into the case, the frame up becomes more clear, but the reasons are elusive. If the defense can’t catch a break, Tony could go to jail for something he didn’t do.

Review

This is book 22 in the fun Andy Carpenter series. As always, this has a terrific dog as well as Andy and his top notch team.

I am happy to say I puzzled out what was really going on before Andy did, although he did fill in a couple gaps for me in the end to round the case out. This one was tricky, and for awhile I wondered if Andy was going to pull it together in time.

While this takes place around Christmas, the holiday is not a major factor in the story. And other than a new cast member, there weren’t any big non-case-related surprises here for the series.

Series fans will enjoy spending some snark-filled hours with Andy, watching him wrestle through another case. This hits all the usual beats for the series. Newcomers should be able to enjoy this on its own without issue. But if you love the team here like I do, you’ll want to go back and pick up some of the earlier books. Some of my favorites are: Bury the Lead (♥♥♥♥♥), Play Dead (♥♥♥♥♥), and The Twelve Dogs of Christmas (♥♥♥♥♥).

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read.

REVIEW: The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

REVIEW: The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Starr feels like two different people at times. There’s the person she is at home and in her neighborhood. That’s the most genuine version. Then there’s the person she is at her mostly-white, suburban school. There she works to always speak in full sentences and complete words – no slang, always “yes, ma’am” and “no, sir.” She reigns in her feelings so she can’t be accused of ever being too angry or having too much attitude.

One night at a party in her neighborhood, shots ring out. Starr’s childhood friend, Khalil, gets her safely away from the violence and the party. But on their way home, they get pulled over by a police officer. The officer is belligerent about pulling them over; Khalil is indignant. After the officer pulls Khalil out of the car to pat him down (three times) and goes to run his license, Khalil comes back to the car to check on Starr. Three shots are fired. Khalil dies in the street in Starr’s arms.

Suddenly everything in Starr’s life changes. She questions her relationships and her two personalities. She watches as her two worlds respond to the shooting, and she wonders what, if anything, she can do for Khalil, for his family, and for her community.

Review

Wow, this was so good. It was challenging, too. It challenged me to examine my biases and assumptions. There were cultural pieces and slang that I didn’t understand (not enough to impact my understanding of the story as a whole). And the topic itself – white officer kills unarmed black teen – is timely and difficult. But so important to think about and talk about.

I loved Starr. She’s not perfect. Her friends and boyfriend challenge her choices in the midst of her double life at home and school as well as the situation with Khalil. But she’s honest. She’s 16 and wrestling with big questions about home and identity. She wonders what her responsibility is to herself, her family, and her neighborhood. And there are no easy answers.

This is terrific food for thought – and discussion. If you are looking to add some diversity to your reading life or your high school classroom library, try this book. (language, violence)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥