Book Reviews

Reviewed by B. Ullsvik, November 2021

Reviewed by B. Ullsvik, November 2021

Frannie O’Neill is a veterinarian working in Colorado. Many years ago, her husband mysteriously died, haunting her to this day. Out of the blue, another murder happens, under the radar of the local people. This leads to FBI agent Kit Harrington on her doorstep. They stay out of each other’s way, even though Frannie is starting to like him.  One day, Frannie hears what she thinks is a hurt animal, out alone in the woods. She runs into the woods, searching for this animal. But what she finds, will change her life forever.

Reviewed by B. Ullsvik, November 2021

Reviewed by A. Klink, September 2021

Naomi Nakane has just learned about her uncle’s death. She travels home to check on her grandmother; the woman who practically raised her. While at her aunt’s cottage she finds memories in the attic, which cause her to reminisce about the full life she had lived with Obasan: the life as a Japanese Canadian during World War II. The Nakane family went through many hardships during this time, and Kogawa details them all. 

Reviewed by A. Klink, September 2021

This thriller is a work of nonfiction which transports the reader to the World's Fair in Chicago, 1893. Larson throws the reader between two storylines: architect Daniel Burnham, and serial killer HH Holmes. Burnham is frantically attempting to manage the fair’s construction amidst worker strikes and budget struggles, while Holmes is busy creating a successful facade to lure in new victims. Their two paths could not be more different, but the paths intertwine during the World’s Fair. 

Reviewed by A. Klink, September 2021

The novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God, written by Zora Neale Hurston is a work about the African American population in the early 20th century. The book follows Janie around southern Florida as she moves from husband to husband. Searching for true love and escaping commanding husbands, Janie searches for one thing: herself. When faced with a decision, Janie must decide whether it is best to stay and suffer, or leave and fulfill her dream of finding happiness. 

Reviewed by S. Cox, Sept. 2021

“A Muslim and an aetheist walk into a pagan afterlife…”  -Samirah “Sam” al-Abbas, Valkyrie

Reviewed by R. Yelk, October 2021

Reviewed by S. Cox, September 2021

Sixteen year old Thomas wakes up in a dark underground elevator with no memory of his life before that moment, and arrives at what the other boys there call ‘the Glade’. No one remembers how they got there, why they’re there, or who they used to be. They just know that once every month the lift doors open and a new boy is dumped into their midst, with no memories other than his first name. Supplies are sent up every two weeks and there are livestock, so they won’t starve. 

Reviewed by S. Cox, June 2021

What do you do when all of the water in the world is contaminated, when a single drop of the contaminated water will kill you?