Book Review: "In Bloom" by Liz Allan

“It doesn’t matter anymore. We are trouble. We have always been trouble. Our mothers have been telling us this for years.“

At first glance, this book appears to be fairly simple and straightforward. But it’s only as you come to the end that you realize what quiet power Liz Allan’s debut novel really possesses.

It’s 1994 in Vincent, a small coastal town in Australia. Four high school girls, longtime friends, have a band called The Bastards, because none of them has a father present. They’re obsessed with Nirvana, with loud, angry music, and believe the band is their ticket out of their horrible little hole of a town.

These girls live by a self-fulfilling prophecy. They’re almost a group of ruffians—poor, rowdy, disdainful, and not particularly smart—so no one expects much from them. But they don’t care—they’re just biding their time. And an upcoming Battle of the Bands competition is the key to freedom.

Trouble strikes when their lead singer, Lily, drops out of the band. Shortly thereafter, she accuses the girls’ beloved music teacher (and perhaps their only champion), Mr. P, of sexual assault. The other three girls know he’s innocent and don’t understand why Lily would accuse him of such a horrible act. They’re determined to discover the truth, and nothing—or no one—will get in their way.

Most of the book is narrated by the three remaining Bastards in a collective voice. This was an interesting and very effective choice. You really feel for these girls, who just want to be viewed in a positive light by their peers and their families. The book really made an impression on me!

Book Review: "Between Friends & Lovers" by Shirlene Obuobi

Dr. Josephine Boateng is better known to her hundreds of thousands of followers as “Dr. Jojo,” the woman who tells it like it is when it comes to matters of health, sex, and love. It doesn’t matter that Jo has never really had a relationship, because she’s been in love with her best friend Ezra since college.

Jo knows that Ezra is aware of how she feels. But the handsome rom-com actor is always quick to throw her over for the woman of the minute without thinking. The last straw, however, is when Ezra’s date for his 30th birthday party is none other than Ashley, who bullied Jo when they were younger, and he took Ashley's side when she and Jo interacted.

Malcolm is a photographer-turned-bestselling novelist, much to his surprise. His debut novel, a love story, is climbing the charts. He’s invited to Ezra’s birthday party because his famous mother is interested in optioning the book for film. But Mal doesn’t really enjoy schmoozing or crowds, so he hides in an empty bedroom in Ezra’s home.

Jo is shocked to find a man in her bedroom at Ezra’s house, especially one as handsome as Malcolm. From their conversation, she feels seen for the first time, and realizes that Mal could be her ticket out of pining for Ezra. Mal is all too interested, but he wants to woo Jo, and this has never happened to her.

Their relationship experiences highs and lows, especially when Jo comes into contact with Ezra, who realizes how much he misses her adulation. And with Jo’s own issues with love and trust, she isn’t sure where to turn, or what to do.

I don’t normally enjoy love triangles, but this one worked for me. While Mal was the only truly sympathetic character, the dynamics between him and Jo, and Jo and Ezra, were fascinating. This was a more emotional book than I expected, but it really was a good one.