Book Review: Open and Shut (as a downloadable audiobook)

Open and Shut

by David Rosenfelt (downloadable audiobook)

Defense Attorney Andy Carpenter is known in the courtroom for his dramatic and unusual style. Judges groan when they learn they are going to be hearing a case with him as the attorney. Andy doesn’t mind being a pain to people, he would rather spend time with his golden retriever Tara (the smartest dog on the planet, in Andy’s opinion), than people anyway. When Andy’s ex-D.A. father asks him to take an appeal case that he himself tried years ago, Andy thinks it is a little odd, but agrees. Andy’s father then dies and leaves Andy $22 million dollars that Andy did not know he had. Andy must figure out if the money and the case are connected. With some lighthearted humor thrown in, this was an entertaining read, and in my opinion the series gets better with the following books as readers become more familiar with the characters (this is the first book — out of 20 so far — in the Andy Carpenter series).

[ official Open and Shut page on the official David Rosenfelt web site ]

Note: Marie P. has left the Lincoln City Libraries and now works for the Council Bluffs Public Library. We asked her to share one final review with our Staff Recommendations page before she left!

Recommended by former Lincoln City Libraries staff member Marie P.
Bennett Martin Public Library

Have you read or listened to this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewer’s recommendations!

There's Someone Inside Your House by Stephanie Perkins

There’s Someone Inside Your House
by Stephanie Perkins [YA Perkins]

Moving from Hawaii, running from some incident that is unclear to the reader, Makani Young has restarted her life with her grandmother in Nebraska. New friends, new job, new boyfriend. Things are going well until students from her high school start being murdered. First the lead of the school play, then the football star, and it continues. Makani’s boyfriend Ollie is thrust into the forefront of the investigation. Makani and Ollie try to clear his name and figure out who is committing the gruesome murders.

Part romance, part slasher-thriller, this book is a slightly odd combination. There are definitely some cheesy parts, but as a reader from Nebraska, there are also some comical parts. Some tense moments make this a good book for the month of October.

[ official There’s Someone Inside Your House web site ] | [ official Stephanie Perkins web site ]

Recommended by Marie P.
Bennett Martin Public Library

Have you read this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewers recommendations!

The Reformed Vampire Support Group by Catherine Jinks

The Reformed Vampire Support Group
by Catherine Jinks [YA Jinks]

If you are looking for a fresh take on vampires, this is the book for you. Nina Harrison is a vampire who was “fanged” when she was fifteen. She is tiny and is still treated like a child by her mother, and everyone else in her Vampire Support Group. The group meets every week and encourages each other to share their feelings and struggles, and encourages each other in their attempts to never fang a human. When one of their group is discovered as a pile of ash in his coffin, the members of the group are thrust into a mystery. Who killed Casimir, and is the rest of the group going to be targeted as well? Nina is finally going to get the adventure she has always wanted.

This downloadable audiobook is narrated by Caterine Lee. The book takes place in Australia, so the audio was fun to listen to for the accents.

I listened to the downloadable audio from Omaha Public Library, but the item is available in book format from Lincoln City Libraries.

[ official Reformed Vampire Support Group page on the official Catherine Jinks web site ]

Recommended by Marie P.
Bennett Martin Public Library

Have you read this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewers recommendations!

Daughter of the Pirate King by Tricia Levenseller

Daughter of the Pirate King
by Tricia Levenseller [YA Levenseller] 

Captain Alosa is successful when she gets herself kidnapped by another pirate crew who are expecting a large ransom for the daughter of the feared pirate king. However, they do not know that getting kidnapped is exactly what Alosa wants. Her father has sent her on a mission to locate part of a map which is somewhere aboard the ship on which she is now captive. It’s a battle of wits as she and her interrogator Riden, the attractive first mate, try to get information from each other.

Alosa is a feisty, quick-witted and stubborn character, and her exchanges with Riden and the crew are humorous. This was a fun, quick read.

[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Daughter of the Siren Queen, also by Tricia Levenseller.]

[ “Daughter of the Pirate King on the official Books page on the official Tricia Levenseller web site ]

 

Recommended by Marie P.
Bennett Martin Public Library

Have you read this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewers recommendations!

Walk on Earth a Stranger by Rae Carson

Walk on Earth a Stranger
by Rae Carson [eBook and downloadable audio only]

Lee Westfall has a carefully guarded secret; she can sense gold. Whether it is gold buried in the ground, surrounded by stone, or her mother’s locket, she can point directly to it. This ability has allowed her family to survive, even when times are tough. She enjoys life with her parents, even if she is picked on by all the girls at school. Lee knows that if anyone knew her ability, they may attempt to use her gift for themselves. Sure enough, the secret that Lee and her parents have carefully guarded slips out, and now Lee must fight against those who would try to use her for their own purposes. Lee joins the many others headed west in the California Gold rush, in an attempt to escape and to make a new life for herself.

There were a few times that the storyline moved a little slowly, but this was a fresh take on the California Gold Rush.

[ publisher’s official Walk on Earth a Stranger web site ] | [ official Rae Carson web site and Twitter feed ]

Recommended by Marie P.
Bennett Martin Public Library

Have you read this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewers recommendations!

I've Got You Under My Skin by Mary Higgins Clark

I’ve Got You Under My Skin
by Mary Higgins Clark [Clark]

Laurie Moran knows firsthand what it feels like to live without closure of a loved one’s murder. Five years ago, her husband was murdered in front of their then three-year-old son Timmy. Timmy still has nightmares about “Blue Eyes,” the only distinguishing feature of the killer. Laurie is haunted, not only by the questions of who and why but also the killer’s last words to Timmy, “Tell your mother she’s next, then it’s your turn.”

As producer of the new show Under Suspicion, Laurie examines murder cases which have gone cold. By getting viewpoints from friends and family of the victim, Laurie hopes that her show can bring new light to unsolved cases. The first episode is to feature Betsy Powell, who was killed 20 years ago after the graduation gala of her daughter and three friends. As details begin to emerge from each of the people who was in the house that night, Laurie learns that each of them had their own reasons for wanting Betsy dead.

Laurie hopes that Under Suspicion will not only capture audiences when it airs, but more importantly, bring the killer to justice. The show has already caught the attention of a pair of blue eyes…

Laurie Moran is a down to earth character that audiences will relate to. The authors do a good job balancing the heaviness of the cases with Laurie’s family life and coworkers, which bring lightness and humor to the book. The suspects are presented, and the reader is allowed to draw their own conclusions before the killer is revealed in an exciting conclusion. As the other books in this series feature the same main characters as I’ve Got You Under My Skin, readers who enjoy this title will certainly enjoy others in the series. Aside the novels that she has written with her daughter, Carol Higgins Clark, this is the first book that Mary Higgins Clark has co-authored.

[Note: Although this first entry is written only by Mary Higgins Clark, all subsequent volumes in the series are co-written by Clark and Alafair Burke.] [If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try The Burning Room, by Michael Connelly, A is for Alibi, by Sue Grafton or Desert Heat, by J.A. Jance.]

[ official “Under Suspicion” series page on the official Mary Higgins Clark web site ]

Recommended by Marie P.
Bennett Martin Public Library

Have you read this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewers recommendations!

Pawn by Aimee Carter

Pawn
by Aimee Carter [YA Carter] 

Kitty Doe has just been tested, and will spend her life as a III. This means she won’t starve, but she will be a sanitation worker for the rest of her life, and will likely die at a young age. When the prime minister approaches her and asks if she would be Masked – surgically transformed into Lila Hart, his niece, who was killed. It’s an easy choice, and Kitty accepts. She will have to leave her life and friends behind, but she will get to live as a VII, practically royalty. There’s just one catch, Kitty discovers that she must also stop the rebellion that Lila started, the one that she believes in and supports.

[ official Blackcoat Rebellion series page on the official Aimee Carter web site ]

Recommended by Marie P.
Bennett Martin Public Library

Have you read this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewers recommendations!

#famous by Jilly Gagnon

#famous
by Jilly Gagnon [YA Gagnon] 

This is essentially a novelization of the “Alex from Target” story.

Rachel and her friend Mo have a running joke of sending funny pictures to each other via Flit (much like Twitter). Rachel sneaks a picture of Kyle while he’s working at the Burger Barn with the hashtag “I’dlikefrieswithTHAT.” She doesn’t think twice about it, because she has three followers, and Mo doesn’t have very many either. There’s no way anyone else from school will see it, right? To Rachel’s horror, the picture goes viral, everyone sees it (and now knows about her secret crush), Kyle becomes insta-famous, and Rachel becomes the subject of online bullying.

Told in alternating points of view between Rachel and Kyle, this was a cute story. It also brings attention to online bullying, which today, is important for people to be aware of.

[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Awkward, by Marni Bates.]

[ publisher’s official #famous web page] | [ official Jilly Gagnon web site ]

Recommended by Marie P.
Bennett Martin Public Library

Have you read this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewers recommendations!

One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus

One of Us is Lying
by Karen M. McManus [YA McManus] 

Five high-school students walk into a detention and only four of them emerge alive.
What happens when a student dies, four people had a motive for wanting him silenced, and no one knows exactly what happened? Simon is an outcast, who has created a gossip app featuring other students from Bayview High School. No one can verify that what he posts is true, but no one has ever proven it’s not. Using this app, Simon has made life miserable for more than one student in Bayview. On Monday, Simon dies during detention. The police find out that, on Tuesday, Simon had planned to post secrets about each of his four classmates who were also in detention with him. One of them clearly did not want their secret shared, but which one? Bronwyn, the brain, is counting on a scholarship to Harvard, and never breaks rules. Addy, the beauty, is popular and liked by everyone. Nate, the criminal, is already on probation for dealing drugs. Cooper, the athlete, is Bayview’s star pitcher.

This is told through alternating viewpoints of each of the four students. The reader constantly questions each person’s story, and wonders whose perspective can be trusted. The reader is gripped to the end.

[ publisher’s official One of Us is Lying web site ] | [ official Karen McManus web site ]

Recommended by Marie P.
Bennett Martin Public Library

Have you read this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewers recommendations!

Daughter of Deep Silence by Carrie Ryan

Daughter of Deep Silence
by Carrie Ryan [YA Ryan] 

Frances Mace is the only person who knows that Senator Wells and his son Gray are lying about what really happened to the cruise ship Persephone. According to the Wells’, a massive wave sunk the ship. As they were adrift for 7 days, Francis and her friend, Libby, relived the horror of unknown men boarding the ship and shooting everyone. Hours before they were rescued, Libby died. Believing Francis could be in danger, Libby’s father offers her protection by taking Libby’s identity until they can figure out the truth of what happened.

Years later, Frances has yet to figure out what happened the day that Persephone was attacked. Her confusion, hurt, and despair have turned into anger towards the Senator and his son. Using resources available to her as “Libby,” Frances comes up with a plan to work her way into the Senator’s life, where she can continue to search for answers, and set her revenge in motion.

[ official Daughter of Deep Silence page on the official Carrie Ryan web site ]

Recommended by Marie P.
Bennett Martin Public Library

Have you read this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewers recommendations!

Faceless by Alyssa Sheinmel

Faceless
by Alyssa B. Sheinmel [YA Sheinmel] 

Maisie Winters is a high-school track star, who is expecting to get a scholarship to the University of her choice. She’s popular and has the boyfriend of her dreams. This all changes when she is involved in a freak accident. While running one morning, a storm suddenly comes up, lightning strikes, and Maisie is caught in an electrical fire. She receives severe burns to her body, and her face is destroyed. Maisie is able to receive a face transplant, which at least gives her a nose, cheeks and a chin, but makes her look like a stranger. Her new face was supposed to give Maisie her life back, but now people treat her differently, and she can’t do the things she used to love, like running. Maisie must figure out her new identity, and what is important to her.

This was a good book about self-discovery. A story about how no one else can truly define you, you have to decide that yourself. The reader feels Maisie’s pain and frustration as people continually tell her how “lucky” she is, and will root for her to fight her way out of her dark time.

This book is a 2017-2018 Golden Sower Nominee.

[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try The Running Dream, by Wendelin VanDraanen.]

[ official Faceless page on the official Alyssa Sheinmel web site ]

Recommended by Marie P.
Bennett Martin Public Library

Have you read this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewers recommendations!

The Prisoner of Night and Fog by Anne Blankman

The Prisoner of Night and Fog
by Anne Blankman [YA Blankman] 

1930’s Munich is a dangerous place for most, but Gretchen Müller has grown up in the National Socialist Party, and is protected from those worries by her “uncle” Dolf. Uncle Dolf is none other than Adolf Hitler, who became Gretchen’s sort-of-guardian when Gretchen’s father traded his own life for Adolf’s, and she is now his favorite, his pet. When Gretchen meets a Jewish reporter named Daniel, who has crazy ideas about the Party and uncle Dolf, Gretchen does not want to listen, but in curious when some of Daniel’s stories seem to make more sense than what she has always been told. Gretchen must examine her heart, and decide who to believe.

I really appreciated this book, because most of the books which are based off the Holocaust are from the viewpoint of Jews, or those who were sympathetic to them. This book is different in that Gretchen is German, and part of the National Socialist Party. It gives an insight into what life may have been like for Germans who were not in agreement with everything that was done during that time.

[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Conspiracy of Blood and Smoke, also by Anne Blankman, The Tyrant’s Daughter, by J.C. Carleson or Code Name: Verity, by Elizabeth Wein.]

[ official Prisoner of Night and Fog page on the official Anne Blankman web site ]

Recommended by Marie P.
Bennett Martin Public Library

Have you read this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewers recommendations!

The 100 by Kass Morgan

The 100
by Kass Morgan [YA PB Morgan] 

In this post-apocalyptic world, the human race now resides on spaceships. Enough time has passed that the leaders believe the earth may be inhabitable once again. They decide to send 100 juvenile delinquents to earth, to see if they can survive… if they can’t, no one’s going to miss the delinquents anyway, right? We follow Clarke- the girl who was arrested for treason, Wells- the chancellor’s son, who refuses to leave his girlfriend’s side, Bellamy- who fought his way onto the ship to protect his little sister, and a handful of others as they arrive on earth and attempt to establish some kind of order and life, while struggling to survive against the elements of this planet that they have never experienced.

The book was an enjoyable, quick read. Switching between perspectives of the characters gives insights and clues about what is happening elsewhere. The reader can become conflicted about characters, as they view them from other perspectives, and also hear the internal thoughts of the character, and the reasons behind certain actions. The book ends with a cliff-hanger that makes the reader eager for the next book of the series. This book also has a television show based off of it.

[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Carve the Mark, by Veronica Roth, The Testing, by Joelle Charobnneau or Legend, by Marie Lu.]

[ Wikipedia page for The 100 book series ] | [ Wikikpedia page for Kass Morgan ]

Recommended by Marie P.
Bennett Martin Public Library

Have you read this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewers recommendations!

Fuzzy Mud by Louis Sachar

Fuzzy Mud
by Louis Sachar [j Sachar] 

Fifth grader Tamaya and seventh grader Marshall have been walking to and from school together for years. When Marshall is challenged by Chad to a fight, he decides to take a shortcut home through the off limits woods to avoid Chad. Tamaya decides to follow him rather than walk home by herself, which is against the rules.

As Marshall and Tamaya make their way through the woods, they make a discovery that could threaten their lives, and the world.

This was a quick, but enjoyable read. There are notes throughout the book from Senate Hearings which take place three months after event, and serve to increase suspense as the reader tries to decipher the fate of the characters. This book is nominated for the 2017-2018 Golden Sower Award.

[ official Fuzzy Mud “featured” page on the official Louis Sachar web site ]

Recommended by Marie P.
Bennett Martin Public Library

Have you read this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewers recommendations!

Heartless by Melissa Meyer

Heartless
by Melissa Meyer [YA Meyer] 

Catherine’s goal in life is to open her own bakery. She is known as one of the best bakers of Wonderland, and in being so, has caught the attention of the unmarried king. Dealing with pressure from her family to encourage the king’s advances, Catherine herself is trying to rebuff them.
At the royal ball that Catherine has been dreading, where it is rumored that the king is going to propose to her, she meets Jest. Experiencing attraction for the first time, she and Jest begin a secret courtship.

This is a fresh look at Alice in Wonderland’s Evil Queen, and Wonderland. What was the queen like when she was young? What caused her to become the hated Queen of Hearts?

[ official Heartless page on the official Melissa Meyer web site ]

Recommended by Marie P.
Bennett Martin Public Library

Have you read this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewers recommendations!

Desert Heat by J.A. Jance

Desert Heat
by J.A. Jance

Joanna Brady, her husband Andy, and daughter live in small-town Bisbee, Arizonia, where Andy is a local lawman currently running for sheriff. Everything changes for Joanna when Andy is shot and the authorities are convinced it is a suicide. Joanna doesn’t care what they say, she knows that Andy was not involved in drug smuggling. Motivated to find who in the law department IS corrupt, Joanna decides to run for sheriff in Andy’s stead.

This is a light-easy to read mystery. Joanna is a spunky character, and the rest of the books in the series are just as enjoyable.

[ official Joanna Brady page on the official J.A. Jance web site ]

Recommended by Marie P.
Bennett Martin Public Library

Have you read this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewers recommendations!

Escape From Mr. Lemoncello's Library by Chris Grabenstein

Escape From Mr. Lemoncello’s Library
by Chris Grabenstein [j Grabenstein]

This was a fun, light read. Kyle Keeley loves games, especially any created by the famous gamemaker, Luigi Lemoncello. When Kyle learns that Mr. Lemoncello is the man who has funded and helped design the new Alexandriaville Public Library, he is desperate to see it. Kyle and his friends win tickets to spend the night in the library, before anyone else gets to walk through the doors. They are in awe of the new library and all it’s amazing automations, and have a blast playing games and eating delicious food. When they wake in the morning, they discover that all the adults are gone, and that Mr. Lemoncello has saved the best game for last; escape the library!

[ official Escape From Mr. Lemoncello’s Library page on the official Chris Grabenstein web site ]

Recommended by Marie P.
Bennett Martin Public Library

Have you read this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewers recommendations!

Shatter Me by Lindsey Stirling on CD

Shatter Me
by Lindsey Stirling [Music Compact Disc 781.66 Sti]

Stirling began gaining recognition as a YouTube artist. She blends her violin compositions with electronic music, as well as different genres such as rap, rock, pop, country, rap, alternative, country and pop. In this way she creates a completely unique sound as an artist.

[ official Lindsey Stirling web site, including her YouTube videos ]

Recommended by Marie P.
Bennett Martin Public Library

Have you listened to this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewers recommendations!

El Deafo by Cece Bell

El Deafo
by Cece Bell [j Bell] 

Cece has adjusted to life with a large hearing aid strapped to her chest, and she enjoys her all deaf school. When her family decides to move, and she leaves all her friends and must begin going to a school where she is the only deaf person, she is nervous that the other kids won’t like her and will make fun of her. When Cece gets a stronger hearing aide, she suddenly can hear her teacher wherever she is in the building: teachers lounge, hallway, even the bathroom. This seems like a super power and is the source of inspiration for her superhero alter-ego El Deafo. Cece learns how to accept her deafness, and how to navigate the world and the people in it.

I thought this book was somewhat inspirational. Cece struggles and even gives up at times, but in the end, she learns to be happy with who she is. This book is somewhat of a memoir, as the author tells about her life growing up hearing impaired.

[This book is a current Golden Sower nominee!] [ El Deafo page on Wikipedia ] | [ official Cece Bell blog ]

Recommended by Marie P.
Bennett Martin Public Library

Have you read this? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?  
  New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewers recommendations!

Monument 14 by Emmy Laybourne

Monument 14
by Emmy Laybourne [YA Laybourne]
When their school bus is caught in a monster hailstorm, the bus driver crashes through the front doors of a superstore, to protect the kids. Then the driver leaves to go get help. Now there are 14 kids, ranging from high-schoolers to little kids who have barricaded themselves in the store, waiting to be saved. Outside the store, people are trying to survive the freakish weather, and a chemical weapons spill. Those exposed to the chemicals have different reactions to the chemicals, including paranoia, and extreme, animalistic rage. The kids inside the store seal themselves off from the outside world, which is tearing itself apart.

I read this book a couple years ago, but the year I read it, it was one of my top-five favorite books that year. It is still one of my favorite post-apocalyptic books.

[Note: **This book does include a near-rape scene**.] [If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Sky on Fire and Savage Drift, the next two volumes in this series, by Emmy Laybourne]

 

[ official Emmy Laybourne web site ]

Recommended by Marie P.
Bennett Martin Public Library

Have you read this? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewers recommendations!