Black Rabbit Hall

Black Rabbit Hall by Eve Chase
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Black Rabbit Hall is an absorbing family drama full of history, love, tragedy, and suspense set on a gothic Cornish estate. The story is seen through the point of view of Amber and Lorna, two people who feel tied to Black Rabbit Hall for different reasons. While Amber is a teenaged-girl and Lorna is a grown woman, Black Rabbit seems to call to them, even when they wish they could break away.
The author does a wonderful job of creating a picture of the house and grounds, so the reader can picture it, feel it, hear it, even smell it. The descriptions are very detailed, sometimes almost to the point of exasperation on the reader's part--we think, "Get on with it! We don't need to know what color the apron was, or what kind of legs are on the wardrobe, or what color a random circle on the globe is!" But what the reader begins to realize is that the author is leaving us little clues. All of the rich detail is actually a trail of breadcrumbs to help us piece together, along with Lorna, what happened at Black Rabbit Hall in the late 1060's.
The reader gets to know everyone through Amber's eyes, and then later, to an extent, Lorna's as well. We see events unfold through the course of about two years, and then see Lorna attempt to make sense of these events decades later. Because of the semi-limited points-of-view, a few of the characters can come off as not very well-developed. In actuality we are just seeing these characters from the perspective of a 15-year-old girl, which means she views these people from her own lens. Hugo might seem flat, Caroline like a cliche, and one is never quite sure if Rupert is to be trusted. But that is how Amber sees them.
A sense of foreboding permeates this book. The reader just knows something terrible is going to happen. And when it does, the tension is not relieved--it is always there, just in the background, until it begins to build again. Even at the end, when connections are made, people are forgiven, and lives are rebuilt, there is still a feeling of "what if," of sadness over tragedies that did not have to be.
This was a book that stayed with me, that pulled me in and did not let go even after I was finished reading. I felt Amber's loss, I felt her confusion, her despair, and her fragile hope. I felt Kitty and Barney's pure young joy in life, and I felt Nancy's deep and true love for her babies.
This book begs to be read a second time, to pick out all the clues the author left for the reader. I would definitely recommend it to others, and I feel as though it is an incredible book.


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The House Between Tides

The House Between Tides by Sarah Maine
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this book. It was a perfect read on an extremely hot summer day. The setting on wild Scottish islands, with the wind, the water, the birds, and the weather was amazingly described. It all transported the reader right to pre-WWI Scotland.
I did start and stop the book a few times in the beginning chapters, but once I delved in, I was drawn in. The dual time-lines were handled quite well, and I found myself staying up too late to find out what happened next.
The mystery was interesting, and although I guessed some aspects, others were a surprise.
One problem I had with the book was the character of Hetty. I did like her, and sympathized with her circumstances, but whenever she interacted with her "boyfriend" and his associates, she just seemed to turn into a helpless doormat with no voice. She literally let them take over, and would not speak up. There were several times when I was saying in my head, "Just interrupt them and say 'NO!'"
The only other real criticism I had with the book was that in the last chapters all the actions were focused on Hetty in the present. We discovered what really happened in the past along with her. A lot of big things took place that I think would have had a bit more resonance with readers if we could have gone along with the characters as they lived the actions. At least sat along with them as they wrote the letters Hetty would read almost 100 years later. And not to give away any spoilers, but who grabs Beatrice's arm at the bonfire? I would have really liked to have known what happened after that. I'm sure it would have been quite the scene. It was as though everything in the past was resolved without too much mess or emotional pain to make it easier on Hetty, when the reader knows it would have been agonizing for Beatrice and the other characters. The closing chapters of the book were dedicated to Hetty and Beatrice kind of got brushed under the rug. It was a little disappointing to me, because more attention had been paid to Beatrice throughout the earlier portions of the book. While I was interested in what was happening for Hetty, I was just not as invested in her as I was Beatrice. Perhaps if Hetty's character and her interactions with the present-day inhabitants of the island had been fleshed out more deeply, and if we could have had one more chapter with the characters in the past, this novel would have really been amazing.
As it is, this in an interesting book with an intriguing mystery, as the present intertwines with the past. I did enjoy reading it, and the way the author describes the setting was great. The story was resolved in the last few chapters, but a couple of changes could have made the ending amazing instead of leaving the reader saying, "Oh, well...that's nice..."


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The Hatching (The Hatching #1)

The Hatching by Ezekiel Boone
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This was an exciting suspenseful book. The author did a good job building tension. The biggest issue I had with the book is that the first part of the book jumped around to too many characters and too many settings/situations. I am used to these types of books having to move around to various places and people to set up the conflict for the reader. In this book however, the author introduced way too many people and jumped all over the place. Too much detail was added to situations that really had no bearing on the story: did we really need to know that the lady who herded sheep had lost her husband and daughter a long time ago, or that the scientist from India was dumped by his new girlfriend? Way too much time was spend setting up these little vignettes and adding detail that really did not matter in the long run. And that took away time that could have been devoted to developing the main characters and the plot. It seemed like all of a sudden the scientists were discovering things about the spiders without the readers being able to follow along, because the readers were forced to learn about a random dog's bathroom habits.
Then with about one chapter to go, the reader realizes this is only the first book of a series. While, at this point, all of the time spent developing the multitude of characters and situations starts to make more sense, it is disappointing to learn there really is no resolution in this book. It really is just one extremely long introduction.
I do feel with a few slight changes these problems could have been resolved. *** Contains spoilers---In the last chapters the readers could have been allowed to follow along with the scientists as they made important discoveries about the spiders. The military could have launched an attack on the spiders and beat them back. And then the characters could have discovered new spiders and egg sacks in the very last pages. That would have at least have provided some sense of a climax and resolution before the characters moved along to the next part of their adventure.
I would probably read the next book to see what happens to everyone, but this first book definitely could have been better.


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Dandelions

Dandelions by Katrina McKelvey
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a very sweet book about a father and his little girl. After he mows over all the dandelions in their yard, she is upset because she loves dandelions. He takes the time to show her where more are, and then they have a sweet conversation about dandelion seeds. The illustrations in this book were magical and appealing. Daddies and little girls should enjoy this book.


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A Shadow Bright and Burning (Kingdom on Fire #1)

I really liked this book, but have not read the other books in the series yet. From what I understand the subsequent books follow new characters, though, so I am not quite sure about them...

A Shadow Bright and Burning by Jessica Cluess
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The setting, the characters, the action--everything added up to a great read. Henrietta was a very well-developed heroine and I had no trouble identifying with her or believing her actions and motivations. She was smart, cautious, loyal, brave, and willing to take risks when the time came. Her friends and fellow trainees were also very believable.
The world that the author creates is just familiar enough to not require a lot of explanation. The alternate history is described just well enough to satisfy the reader without going into so much detail that it takes away from the action of the book.
I was very entertained by the various twists and turns in the book, and all of the action really added to my enjoyment. I finished the book in less than two days because it was so well-written and I was really drawn in. I cannot wait for the next installment.
If I had to pick out something that might have made it better, I would say that the relationship between Henrietta and Rook could have used a little more development in the beginning. Perhaps the flashback that occurs later in the book detailing their first meeting could have been moved to a prologue or something. Then the reader might have an even deeper understanding of the bond between the two.
I would definitely recommend this book to any one looking for a good YA adventure. I loved it and am looking forward to the second book.


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Currently Reading: The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle

I am currently reading this book:
It is a bit weird/crazy and took several chapters to really get in to, but I really like it. I read an interview with the author Stuart Turton yesterday and it only made me like the book more. 😊 I am about half-way through and am very impatient to get back to reading so I can find out the answer to the mystery and see how everything will turn out!

Riot of Storm and Smoke (Threats of Sky and Sea #2)

Riot of Storm and Smoke by Jennifer Ellision
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed the first book in this series, but had a very hard time getting into this second book. The characters seemed to not be as vivid or engaging. I was disappointed.


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