River Readers

This graphic novel that is an adaption of the podcast of the same name is delightful. I am not a listener of the podcast but the creativity and humor of this novel may convert me. It is filled with beautiful artwork and plenty of snark as well as a inventive story line that is sure to delight.

It’s 1990 and small town life is harsh in Quinn, Montana. It’s especially harsh for Rachel, a recovering alcoholic, who’s back in town to seek absolution for the countless transgressions she racked up during her turbulent teen years. Her own mother won’t speak to her, and the locals avert their gaze when she walks by. Of course, they’d hate to get on Laverna’s bad side. As owner of The Dirty Shame, Quinn’s only bar, Rachel’s brazen mother Laverna, wields her power over the town’s tap fiercely- and she’s not exactly known for her compassion. And then there’s Jake.

"They call themselves the May Mothers--a group of new moms whose babies were born in the same month. Twice a week, they get together in Brooklyn's Prospect Park for some much-needed adult time. When the women go out for drinks at the hip neighborhood bar, they are looking for a fun break from their daily routine. But on this hot Fourth of July night, something goes terrifyingly wrong: one of the babies is taken from his crib. Winnie, a single mom, was reluctant to leave six-week-old Midas with a babysitter, but her fellow May Mothers insisted everything would be fine. Now he is missing.

At first blush, the premise of Lim's dystopian novel is a familiar one: a deadly flu pandemic sweeps across the world in the early 1980s. But the solution is inventive: people whose loved ones are sick can sign up to travel to the future and work as bonded servants for a company called TimeRaiser in exchange for the cure (also from the future) for their loved ones. This is Polly's only recourse when her boyfriend, Frank, falls ill in 1981. Polly signs up to travel to 1993, planning to reunite with Frank when she does.

This book was nothing like I expected. It was a different telling of the Sea Queen and sirens. Also the prince is a pirate and much happier that way. I found myself rooting for them to find the stone to destroy the evil queen and right many wrongs. I was pleased to find an ending that made sense and wasn't fairy-tale perfect either.

Cam discovers a mysterious Hotel Between one day in a place that never had a hotel before. The Hotel is a magical doorway that connects all over the world through a central hub. Cam's mother and father used to work for the Hotel but never told Cam or his twin sister Cassia. Mom died and dad disappeared leaving only wooden coins for the twins. They are being raised by their grandmother Oma who has to deal with Cassia's medical issues. Cam takes a job with the Hotel in the hopes that it will help him find his father and a cure for Cassia's spina bifida. But who can he trust?

One night Mateo sees a couple of skunks stealing his old tricycle. Of course no one believes him. His family thinks he has hidden the tricycle so his little sister won't get it. So Mateo finds the skunks and discovers they talk! 

Mateo is also having problems at school. His old best friend Johnny has moved on and become friends with the class bully. Mateo has befriended Ashwin, but they are kind of loaners at school. They are both interested in knights and medieval weaponry though. 

This is a first novel for Jennifer Laam whose intense interest in the Russian Royal family led to her writing this story of three women, Veronica, Lena, and Charlotte, of all whom lived within different periods of time, yet who are connected by history. Veronica, living in the present day is anxious to write an academic book about the last empress of Russia, Alexandra. Lena, is a servant in the imperial palace of the Romanovs and is privy to may of the royal family's secrets. Charlotte, a former ballerina, is determined to survive the Nazi occupation of Paris.

I liked this book a lot because it was a bit different. While the dysopian society is similar to others, I liked the idea of belonging to a passion. I'm not sure I would want that passion to decide my fate, but I guess in a way that is what choosing a career does - just not usually at seventeen. I had a little trouble keeping everyone straight, but the charts at the front were a good reference tool. I began to care for many of the characters and look forward to the next book to see how Brienna and the others fare.