Boy Interrupted by Patrick King

TW: rape, torture, molestation, animal cruelty, gruesome depictions of murder

4.5 stars, rounded up. The more I think about this book, the more intriguing and heartwrenching it becomes to me.

Boy Interrupted is the story of little Kenny Hanson, who at the age of 4 has his innocence shattered in an attack by his own father. He endures this savagery for eight more years until his "sweetness" is gone and daddy doesn't want him anymore.

As happens in some cases of molestation, young Kenny finds an outlet for his pain and rage, and he does so at a young age. Eventually, Kenny is placed in an institution, where it's expected he will live out his life, unable to hurt anyone.

More than 20 years pass and the elder Dr. Hanson continues to practice medicine with his buddies who also took part in his early charades with young Kenny. But bodies start piling up, all doctors, all tortured and killed in horrific ways.

It's up to Susan, Brian, Raif and the rest of the team to find the connection between these men and stop the killer. Coincidentally (or not?!), Susan at one time was a patient of Dr. Hanson. What role this might play, it's up to the reader to discover.

Boy Interrupted had me at the edge of my seat throughout. Although many parts of this book were gruesome, I stuck with it, and I'm glad I did. Indeed, I found myself seeing life through Kenny's eyes, even if only temporarily, to try to understand some of the things he did.

Each of the characters had great depth and were well written and explored, including Dr. Hanson, who's insanity was hard to fathom, yet written to perfection.

I'm looking forward to more by this author. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

See this review on Goodreads, Amazon, Netgalley or Barnes & Noble.

Little House on the Wasteland By Laura Ingalls-Wei

It's not often that I refer to a post-apocalyptic book as a "joy" to read because, well, the subject matter usually isn't that joyful, but it's the perfect descriptor here. Little House on the Wasteland is the story of Laura and her family and their desire to find some semblance of peace at a time when it's every man for himself.

We aren't privy to the year this story takes place or what caused the Great Bust that pulled the U.S. apart financially and physically, but we do know one thing: a plague (or "ague" as our characters refer to it) has wreaked havoc on the world and the things we take for granted in 2020 are no longer available. There is no electricity. No running water. No cars, trucks, buses, manufacturing, restaurants, newspapers. Even buildings and roads have gone by the wayside. It is what it is.

But you have little Laura, her two sisters and ma and pa eking out an existence in what was once Wisconsin. Until they can't any longer. And that's when they take to the (former) road in search of a new life in the wastelands, what once was the midwest.

This is the story of that journey and the trials and tribulations the family faces on that long trip. They must take shelter in places you and I wouldn't dream of. They must stand up to villains and those exhibiting signs of the illness. They must make friends with those they might not otherwise interact with and trust in people who might otherwise be untrustworthy.

When I call this story a joy, I mean that while the subject matter is tough and heavy and mostly not pretty, the writing is simply superb. The story elements are a delight and the character development deep and most worthy of something with the "Laura Ingalls" name attached. Our storyteller's cleverness with spelling and pronunciation made me laugh out loud at times, and I adored the song choices that dotted the pages of this read. I'd love to see a sequel.

Many thanks to Reedsy/Discovery for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Little House on the Wasteland is available here. See this review on Goodreads.

The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

If nothing else, this book is un-put-downable. Because--and this is no spoiler--we need to know what really happened and why Alicia won't talk.

Beyond the extraordinary plot, Michaelides really has a gift for developing the characters in the Silent Patient. Do we like or dislike Alicia? Depends on the day, I guess. Do we like Theo? And what about Elif, who's periphery character fascinated me.

There is a twist, of course, and it's a good one that I wasn't able to figure out until about 30 pages until the end. That's great news because I hate when it's given away too far in advance. It's how I was able to finish the book in three sittings (reading typically puts me to sleep, what can I say?).

Five stars to a well-written and conceived novel. So much fun! Find the Silent Patient here.

Flowers for the Dead by C.K. Williams

4.5 stars rounded up
TW: rape, suicide

This was an exhilarating read, everything I would hope for in a psychological thriller. It is the story of Linn, who as a 17-year-old was brutally raped. Nineteen years later and forever traumatized by what she can and cannot remember about that night, Linn decides to revisit the past and finally find some answers.

Williams deftly takes us deep into Linn's past and her friendships with Anna and Teo, and Jacob, whom she dated briefly. Minor troublemakers, as kids Linn, Anna and Teo played ding dong ditch throughout the town and had a very specific way of signaling each other through a three-count tapping or doorbell ring. This plays heavily throughout Flowers for the Dead, for while Linn investigates her past and that night, someone torments her with those same doorbell rings in the dead of the night.

I loved the character development in this story. Williams did a wonderful job of digging deep into Linn's trauma and reminding readers that unless you have experienced it, it's difficult to understand the reasoning behind some of the actions victims take (for example, and this is no spoiler, Linn chooses to stay in the house where the attack happened, despite there being no cell service).

I took off half a star because I knew the "whodunnit" about a quarter of the way through the book. Also, I wasn't crazy about the shift in narrators, particularly in the last quarter of the book. Despite those minor annoyances, Flowers for the Dead is a worthy thriller. I look forward to more by this author.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Flowers for the Dead is scheduled to publish March 30, 2020. Find this book here. See this review on Goodreads.

Good Girls Lie by J.T. Ellison

From the publisher:
J.T. Ellison’s pulse-pounding new psychological thriller examines the tenuous bonds of friendship, the power of lies and the desperate lengths people will go to in order to protect their secrets.

Goode girls don’t lie…

Perched atop a hill in the tiny town of Marchburg, Virginia, The Goode School is a prestigious prep school known as a Silent Ivy. The boarding school of choice for daughters of the rich and influential, it accepts only the best and the brightest. Its elite status, long-held traditions and honor code are ideal for preparing exceptional young women for brilliant futures at Ivy League universities and beyond.

But a stranger has come to Goode, and this ivy has turned poisonous.

In a world where appearances are everything, as long as students pretend to follow the rules, no one questions the cruelties of the secret societies or the dubious behavior of the privileged young women who expect to get away with murder.

When a popular student is found dead, the truth cannot be ignored. Rumors suggest she was struggling with a secret that drove her to suicide.

But look closely…because there are truths and there are lies, and then there is everything that really happened.

Don’t miss this fast-paced suspense story from New York Times bestselling author J.T. Ellison!

4.5 stars rounded up to 5
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Long books usually intimidate me. This one didn't ... Primarily because of the author's provocative prologue and opening chapters. She had me, hook, line and sinker.

I liked Ash, mostly, but every other student? Detestable, and that's putting it lightly. But that's what was so great about this novel. Ellison took what we know about private boarding schools, bullies and spoiled rich kids and made this story just shine.

There were a few twists and turns that you couldn't possibly see coming, so anything you think may be true could just as easily be false. And I savor that kind of writing.

And it is great writing, to be sure. I nicked half a star because I had to look up so many words. It seemed to me she used million-dollar words far too often. And, I'll admit, it was longer than I would have liked, but the extra scenes added to the story.

I enjoyed the epilogue. You may not, but I found it fitting.
Find this book here.

Good Talk by Mira Jacob

From the publisher: Mira Jacob's touching, often humorous, and utterly unique graphic memoir takes readers on her journey as a first-generation American. At an increasingly fraught time for immigrants and their families, Good Talk delves into the difficult conversations about race, sex, love, and family that seem to be unavoidable these days.

Inspired by her popular BuzzFeed piece "37 Difficult Questions from My Mixed-Raced Son," here are Jacob's responses to her six-year-old, Zakir, who asks if the new president hates brown boys like him; uncomfortable relationship advice from her parents, who came to the United States from India one month into their arranged marriage; and the imaginary therapy sessions she has with celebrities from Bill Murray to Madonna. Jacob also investigates her own past, from her memories of being the only non-white fifth grader to win a Daughters of the American Revolution essay contest to how it felt to be a brown-skinned New Yorker on 9/11. As earnest and moving as they are sometimes laugh-out-loud funny, these are the stories that have formed one American life.

I have to say, I couldn't put it down. I wasn't sure how I would like a graphic novel, although I had read a shorter one before. Turns out, I'm a huge fan! Or maybe it was just such a great book that I wasn't bothered by the art (nah, I loved the art!).

I was so intrigued by Mira's life (she's too dark, what??), particularly the interactions with her mother- and father-in-law during the 2016 election. And while I loved the Mira/Jed interactions, it was her conversations with Z that really grabbed me. I want to meet this kid!

I was so enthralled with this memoir that I sat and read it in two hours. Think I'll pick it back up and go through it for the art this time. You can pick up this book here.

side note - I had the good fortune of meeting and chatting with Ms. Jacob last year and I just loved her. She'd make a great dinner guest!

King Clown by Mark Lages

King Clown is the story of Adam Stern, a middle-aged man dealing with pneumonia and his father's death. A recovering alcoholic, Adam, while hospitalized, has vivid dreams in which past and present collide in some interesting and amusing ways.

When our protagonist's father dies, he leaves Adam a box with a handful of strange, and unrelated items, including a poem that references a "King Clown." With no idea who or what this king clown is or its relation to him, Adam spends his time in the hospital attempting to figure out why this poem was left for him.

This is my second Mark Lages book and his writing style is consistent throughout. He writes conversationally and the book is riddled with personal stories designed to further character development, which he does well.

If you're looking for a thrill ride, this isn't your book. But if you want a slow burn with interesting, fun and sometimes heart wrenching background stories, King Clown might be for you. I find myself reflecting on his books and realizing I enjoyed them, but sometimes become restless while reading. I think I'd rather sit down and chat with Lages face-to-face to hear his many wonderful stories (although he's told me he writes better than he converses-ha!).

Many thanks to the author for the book in exchange for an honest review.
See this review on Goodreads. Buy this book here.