Book Review: The Red Lotus by Chris Bohjalian

The Red Lotus not only kept my interest but creeped me out a little!

Alexis is an introverted emergency room doctor who lives a quiet life. One night Austin comes in with a bullet wound in his arm, and her life becomes more exciting.  Austin is an avid biker, and after six months of their blooming relationship, he plans a trip to Vietnam where he will bike and Alexis will enjoy the country. Austin plans to bike to a site in Vietnam where his father was wounded and his uncle was killed during the war. Because this is personal to Austin, and he is an experienced rider, the tour guides allow him to go alone on this quest.

Austin never returns, his body is found the next day, and Alexis finds out he hasn't been completely honest with her. In fact, he has told her some pretty big lies. Alexis gets caught up in the investigation, even after returning home, and can't let it go, even though the authorities think Austin's death was an accident. She decides to hire a private investigator to see what he can find out.

What the detective and Alexis herself find out will put them in grave danger. Well, actually, it will put the entire world in grave danger. The creepy part of the book has to do with antibiotic-resistant diseases that rats carry. Not only in Vietnam, but in New York. I don't want to say too much more about that.

The Red Lotus is a twisted tale that is well-paced and the tension builds nicely. The danger is real, and the part about these awful diseases seems entirely plausible and scary. The ending may be a bit unbelievably happy, but that was okay with me.

I would recommend The Red Lotus to readers who enjoy twisted, suspenseful mysteries. I've read several of Bohjalian's books, and The Red Lotus may be my favorite yet.

Published by Doubleday, March 17, 2020
eARC obtained from NetGalley
400 pages

Rating: 4/5

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Book Review: The Fireman by Joe Hill

To summarize my feelings about The Fireman very quickly: fascinating premise but too long.

A new disease is spreading like wildfire (pun intended.) This disease causes the person to get scales like a dragon, but eventually the victim bursts into flame and burns up, many times burning everything surrounding them.

Harper is a nurse who volunteers to help those who are infected, at least until they burn up. There is no cure. The hospital eventually burns and she returns home to her husband to try to stay safe. But that isn't to be. She becomes infected and her husband leaves her.

She ends up meeting some people who have started a community for those who are infected to live. They are in hiding, since there are Cremation Squads who are looking for the infected so they can wipe them out. They also have discovered a way to stay alive. They don't have a cure, but they've adapted so that they can control the disease. One of these people, The Fireman, actually can use the disease to help them fight. Harper is pregnant, her husband has gone rogue and is hunting her down, and all she wants to do is stay safe until her baby is born.

Life is not easy, dealing with the disease, trying to hide, and trying to get along with the leaders of the camp. There are interesting side characters that I also became attached to. Harper must overcome obstacle after devastating obstacle. Just when you think she's finally safe -- well, she's not.

There is a lot of excitement and tension within the pages of The Fireman. But there's a lot of boring, long, extra spots too. That's really my only complaint. Sometimes, for example when Harper first gets to the camp, it's just too long before anything significant happens. I know that Joe Hill is Stephen King's son, so I guess he gets this penchant for long books from his father...

I would definitely recommend The Fireman to those who enjoy apocalyptic novels. Just be prepared to spend some time with this one.

Published by William Morrow, May 17, 2016
Copy obtained from Edelweiss
768 pages

Rating: 4/5

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Book Review: A Death-Struck Year, by Makiia Lucier

A Death-Struck Year is an emotional book about a very interesting period of U.S. history.

After recently reading In the Shadow of Blackbirds and seeing that A Death-Struck Year was about the 1918 flu pandemic, I knew I had to read it.

Once again I will remind you that historical fiction is my favorite genre, so my reviews are always biased because of that. But, I just absorbed A Death-Struck Year.

It's a very short book, but powerful. It moves fast (as the flu epidemic did) and slams you hard with the realities of the situation. Cleo has been staying at her boarding school because her much older brother and his wife (who are her guardians) are on a 6-week holiday. Cleo would much rather have stayed at home, but her brother would not allow it. When the flu comes to Portland, Oregon, all schools and public gatherings are cancelled. All the parents must pick up their students. If your parent can't get there, you must stay at the school.

Cleo's sister-in-law just found out she's pregnant, so they can't travel home to pick up Cleo. She can't stand the thought of being at school, so she escapes and goes home. All by herself. She's never had to care for herself before, but even the housekeeper isn't there. Cleo sees an announcement that the red cross is in need of volunteers to help with the pandemic, and she decides to sign up.

Cleo has a car and knows how to drive, so she is assigned the job of going door to door, handing out masks and information to the healthy and getting the sick to the hospital. She also ends up helping in the hospital. Along the way she makes some good friends, including Edmund, a young medical student who becomes the love interest.

But, this isn't a romance. This is a stark portrayal of the blood, gore, and death that surrounded the Spanish Influenza epidemic. Cleo is brave. Very brave. I don't know if I could have risked what she did and many who tried to volunteer ended up backing out. But Cleo didn't. She kept coming back every day to help.

A Death-Struck Year is emotional -- sad, happy, scary, repulsive. You name it. It's a short book, and reads very quickly. If you don't know much about the pandemic of 1918, this is an excellent resource. Or if you just want to know more. Or if you just like books about teens who are truly heroic. Great for reluctant readers. Highly recommended.

Published by HMH BFYR, March 4, 2014
eARC obtained from Edelweiss
288 pages (qualifies for my Books You Can Read in a Day Challenge!)

Rating: 5/5

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Book Review: In the Shadow of Blackbirds, by Cat Winters @catwinters

In the Shadow of Blackbirds is my kind of book, you guys. Historical fiction with a little macabre twist. Yummy!

It's 1918, and the world is in turmoil. The U.S. has entered the war, and there's a world-wide flu epidemic and people are dying by the thousands. Our main character, Mary Shelley, has to leave her home in Portland to stay with her Aunt Eva in San Diego. Her mother died in childbirth, and her father just got arrested for treason.

She's is worried about her father, but excited about seeing her best friend, Stephen, who moved to San Diego.

There are so many aspects to this rich story. First, the flu. Everyone wears masks. They have all these things that supposedly keep you from catching it. Eating onions. Chewing garlic flavored gum. Drinking kerosene. Of course, none of it worked very well, and it seems only a small percent of people survive this deadly disease.

The war. When Mary Shelley visits Stephen, who wants to be a photographer like his father, it is the day before he leaves to enlist in the army. There relationship has progressed into the romantic area, and Mary Shelley is devastated that Stephen is going to war. This was the first war that had things like machine guns and horrible fighting conditions, so there were many soldiers killed or maimed. Mary Shelley eventually volunteers at a hospital for those wounded in the war.

Spiritualism. People were dying right and left. Their relatives were desperate for some consolation. So, spiritualism became very popular. Seances were common. Stephen's brother, Julius, has a thriving business taking portraits of people where the spirits of their dead relatives appear after the picture is developed. Both Mary Shelley and Stephen think this is a scam. But Aunt Eva is a believer.

Mary Shelley gets struck by lightening, and it changes her. She can now see spirits, and feel their pain. I don't want to say too much more about this, because it involves some spoilers. But this is the main element of the mystery in In the Shadow of Blackbirds.

The end involved some surprises that were unexpected and enjoyable. There's a nice resolution to the story, although not entirely happy. How could it be, with all this suffering? I learned a lot about this period in time, especially what it was like trying to avoid getting sick. The flu ended up killing more people that WWI!

In the Shadow of Blackbirds reads so easily and quickly. I couldn't put it down and when I had to, I kept thinking about it. I had the urge to wear a mask when going out! As you can tell, I was pretty immersed in the story. And I love that feeling.

If you enjoy historical fiction, I would highly recommend In the Shadow of Blackbirds. Even if you don't like paranormal stories, this is very subtle. The spiritualism "epidemic" makes the paranormal aspects of the story seem very realistic. I really need to start pushing this one to my students. I think I know many of them that will enjoy In the Shadow of Blackbirds.

Published by Amulet Books, April 2, 2013
Copy obtained from the library
390 pages

Rating: 5/5

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Book Review: Across a Star-Swept Sea, by Diana Peterfreund

Across a Star-Swept Sea surprised me with it's political intrigue and interesting world building all wrapped around a slow building romance.

Across a Star-Swept Sea is really a spy novel. There's a revolution on one island, Galatea, and a secret spy from the other island, Albion, in what is left of the world. Then we have Justen, who has escaped the revolution because all he wants is to find a cure for the drug that his island is giving the aristocrats that damages their brains and turns them into slaves.

Justen convinces Isla, the ruler of Albion, that he needs to be able to do research to continue to find a cure -- research that his famous grandmother started years ago. Isla thinks Justen and her best friend, Persis, should pretend to be in a romantic relationship. What Justen doesn't know is that Persis is the secret spy who is rescuing aristrocrats of Galatea. Persis finds out things about Justen that causes her to believe his motives may not be truthful.

The politics, and the history of how the islands got to this point is complex, but interesting. The characters are well developed. I really liked Persis. She acts pretty much like a rich airhead -- but is really an intelligent and very successful spy. There are subtle nuances that add a lot to Across a Star-Swept Sea. The intricacies of the disease, how it affects the "regs" as opposed to the "aristos" and how the disease has changed over the years is all very intriguing. The technology is unique, and the differences between Galatea and Albion technology just adds to the tension.

The plot is steady, although I wouldn't consider Across a Star-Swept Sea to be unputdownable. The ending provides much tension, but up until that it's just a really interesting, well-paced story that I really enjoyed.

Because of the details, I wouldn't recommend Across a Star-Swept Sea to reluctant readers or younger teens. Although it adds a bit to the story to have read For Darkness Shows the Stars, it isn't necessary. I haven't read The Scarlet Pimpernel, so I can't comment on Across a Star-Swept Sea as a retelling. Those teens who like a bit of espionage with their romance will enjoy this one for sure.

Published by Balzer + Bray, October 15, 2013
Copy obtained from Edelweiss
464 pages

Rating: 4/5

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Book Review: Dance of the Red Death, by Bethany Griffin

Dance of the Red Death wasn't able to engage me as much as Masque of the Red Death. I'm not sure why, but I'd like to talk about it with you.

The world is the same, and they are once again in danger -- pretty much all of the time. But I didn't feel much tension. Part of the problem is that I didn't remember enough about Masque. I was unable to relate because I couldn't pick up on the feeling I had at the end of Masque. I remembered what happened, but not the emotions to go with it.

Not much happened in Dance of the Red Death until the end. It seems they are just floundering -- looking for people, things, cures, trying to keep each other safe--but they really don't make any progress towards these goals until the end, when it all happens at once. And I liked the end, but the rest of the book was flat by comparison.

I really couldn't care less about the romance in Dance of the Red Death. Once again, I couldn't remember the background of the two men well enough, so I couldn't decide which one to root for. I couldn't get emotional when a character died. I didn't really care about any of these characters for some reason.

After finishing Dance of the Red Death, I think it should have all been one book. I think one, slightly longer book could have covered this whole story quite adequately and with some editing could have been more engaging. A re-read of Masque would have helped with my enjoyment of Dance, but who has time for that. I really think that if a sequel is done well, it can pull you right back in no matter how long it's been since you read the previous book. And, for me, 2013 has been "the year of the sequel" having read so many great ones. Unfortunately, Dance of the Red Death won't be joining that list.

If you've read and enjoyed Masque, then I would still recommend Dance of the Red Death. It's an interesting world, and I do think that part is well done. And, I'm assuming you want to know what happens, so it's still worth your time.

Published by Greenwillow Books, June 11, 2013
eARC obtained from Edelweiss
336 pages

Rating: 3/5

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Book Review: Sky on Fire, by Emmy Laybourne @EmmyLaybourne

Sky on Fire is an excellent second book in the Monument 14 series.

The group is split at the end of Monument 14. Sky on Fire is narrated from two perspectives: Alex, who is on the move, and Dean who is still in the superstore. Both groups are not having an easy time. They continue to encounter severe obstacles -- usually other people wanting to steal the few supplies they have.

Laybourne isn't afraid to kill off our heroes, so be prepared. But I really appreciate that in a story -- it makes it so real.

I'm giving Sky on Fire more "hats" than Monument 14 because of the ending. It's a great wrap up. All isn't perfect, but the kids are in a more stable situation, and there are some really happy reunions (which may be a little unbelievable, but I love it). However, the ending almost assures us there will be another adventure for at least some of these kids.

Sky on Fire is short and riveting. I would love to introduce some of my reluctant readers to this series. Boys will enjoy this survival story as much as girls -- there's violence and dirt, and the romance isn't too mushy. This series is definitely worth the short time it takes to read!

Published by Feiwel & Friends, May 28, 2013
ARC obtained from Around the World ARC Tours
224 pages (qualifies for my Books You Can Read in a Day Challenge!)

Rating: 4/5

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Book Review: Masque of the Red Death, by Bethany Griffin @_bethanygriffin

The atmosphere in Masque of the Red Death will leave you squirming, covering your mouth, and incessantly washing your hands!

The city has been devastated by a deathly plague, and only the privileged few wear the masks that can keep them from contracting this disease. Araby is one of the privileged. Her best friend, April, has a steam carriage that can take them to the Debauchery Club where they can forget all the scenes of death and destruction, providing alcohol, drugs, and companionship.

April is the niece of Prince Prospero, who is holed up in his castle and controls the masks so that only those in his favor have access to them. Eliott, April's brother, is one side of our love triangle. Araby's father is the scientist who invented the mask technology, and Eliot is trying to organize a resistance movement. He wants Araby to steal the plans so they can mass produce masks. Will is the other love interest. He works at Debauchery, and when Araby gets to know him outside of the club, she realizes how special he is.

April gets kidnapped. There's a rival resistance group destroying the city and threatening to ruin all of Eliot's plans. People turn out to not be what they seem. Araby and Will are summoned to Prospero's castle - a dangerous proposition. Really, just one horrible thing happens after another and the reader must hang on for the ride.

The ending is even more surprising and dangerous, and while there's some sense of safety, it is apparent that it won't last long. The main characters are already plotting their next move. Sadly, I can find no information about the next book!

The atmosphere and fast pacing make Masque of the Red Death stand out. I enjoyed the characters, and I don't really have any specific complaints, but I don't really care about the romance nor do I feel particularly attached to any of them.

I had never read Poe's Masque of the Red Death, so I took a few minutes to do so. It was OK. I see the connection, but Griffin's version is a real, fully developed, intricate story. Poe merely sets a scene which Griffin developed masterfully.

Steampunk, dystopian, and apocalyptic fans should not miss this one. Masque of the Red Death is definitely worth your time. Please, tell me there's more!

Published by Greenwillow, April 24, 2012
Copy won from Bewitched Bookworms! (It's signed!)
336 pages

Rating: 4/5

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