Book Review: "PS: I Hate You" by Lauren Connolly

“Arguably, hiding myself in a closet is in everyone’s best interest. These strangers want to watch me cry prettily. (But is that even physically possible? Who can have saltwater leaking out of their eyes and not look like a flushed, snotty mess?)”

Maddie’s older brother Josh died of cancer before he turned 30. He was the adventurous one, always trying to get Maddie to try new things and have fun. And this didn’t stop with his death: in his will he requested that she spread a portion of his ashes in each of the 8 states he never visited.

But Josh had one more trick up his sleeve, in that he assigned her a partner for her trips—Dom, his best friend. Maddie was in love with him for as long as she can remember, until one thing sent her running across the country to get away from him. Dom has always been a stickler for rules, so he’s not letting Maddie handle the ash-spreading herself, no matter how much vitriol she sends his way.

As they make each trip, there are awkward moments and emotional ones, as well as times when all Maddie wants is to be as far from Dom as possible. Along the way, they discover things about one another and each of their relationships with Josh, and Maddie realizes she must come to terms with her other fears and issues. She also must realize that her feelings for Dom have never dissipated; they’ve just grown stronger.

I’m a sucker for the found family trope, and I loved Maddie’s relationship with Dom’s family. Her mother and grandmother were written as one-dimensional monsters, and it broke my heart to see the way they treated her.

I wanted to love this book but it felt so schizophrenic to me. At times it was so moving and powerful; other times, Maddie was difficult to sympathize with and the miscommunication between her and Dom drove me crazy. It also got sooo steamy and it felt odd to me. But even with all that, I still cried, so…

Book Review: "Sleeping Giants" by Rene Denfeld

Whenever I read a book by Rene Denfeld, I know that it will be both emotional and thought-provoking. Denfeld’s books often look at the most vulnerable or marginalized in society, and I’ve been a huge fan since her incredible debut, The Enchanted.

Amanda was adopted as a baby, but she had no idea that she had an older brother Dennis, who died years ago. In need of connection to her past, she travels to the remote Oregon town where he drowned when he was nine.

Seeing the memorial the community put up after he was lost to the ocean prompts Amanda to find out what happened to him. She meets Larry, a retired, widowed police officer, who wants to help Amanda find answers.

They find out that Dennis was living in a home for disturbed boys from the time he was four. While the home had at one point been well-regarded, the boys were subjected to a controversial and dangerous form of treatment, and several boys disappeared. The home is now in ruins, and those still around to remember things are fairly reluctant to share any details. And someone will stop at nothing to make sure secrets stay secret.

“They say inchoate memory, formed before language, is the worst of all, because it flies like bats in your bones: you cannot heal from what you cannot voice.”

The book shifts between past and present, following Dennis’ time in the home and Amanda and Larry’s search for information. This book made me cry—definitely check trigger warnings because it packs a powerful punch. But out of the sadness comes hope.

Book Review: "Blood in the Cut" by Alejandro Nodarse

If you are a vegan or vegetarian, or if detailed descriptions of butchering might make you feel squeamish, you’ll probably want to skip this book. You could also skim those scenes as I did, but there are more than a few.

Iggy Guerra is released from a Florida prison and returns home to chaos. His mother has died, his father is healing his grief through alcohol and mysterious activities late at night, and the family butcher shop, La Carnicería Guerra, is in financial trouble. Iggy’s father doesn’t want him around, but he promised his mother he’d try to be patient with his father, so he’s doing the best he can.

It’s not long before Iggy discovers there are threats from all sides. There’s a new high-end restaurant/butcher shop scheduled to open just down the block, his father is in debt to a dangerous big-game hunter in the Everglades, and there’s an animal rights vigilante looking to make people pay for their wrongdoings.

The last thing Iggy wants is to go back to prison, but he keeps finding himself in situations that test his patience, his hunger for revenge, and his need to protect the family business. Orin, the big-game hunter, wants Iggy to take over the business deal he had with his father, a deal that is not only illegal and unethical, but immensely dangerous. But what will refusing Orin lead to?

This is a raw, tense, brooding book, with moments of surprising emotion among the violence and suspense. It definitely has glimpses of S.A. Cosby’s books in the ways it looks at how flawed people are forced into decisions they don’t want, but might be compelled to make.

Blood in the Cut is Alejandro Nodarse’s debut, and I definitely look forward to seeing what he does next. The pacing is a bit uneven, but I found Iggy to be a fascinating character I couldn’t help rooting for.