In the Woods

By Tana French

While I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, I do have two complaints. The first is that this book is written by an Irish author and I don't understand some of the slang and references. It frustrated me that I would have to take a pause in my reading to look up a word online to discover it's true meaning. The second irritation is that the main crime in this mystery novel is never solved!! Granted there are really two crimes in the novel and the crime that the main character is investigating is solved, but the real mystery in his past is never solved.

This is a murder mystery that involves a 12-year-old victim and absolutely no strong evidence. The two detectives on the case have reached a standstill on leads. That is, until, they discover evidence that links the murder to a previous crime in one of the detectives past. It's an engrossing novel that makes you want to skip ahead and read the end just to find out what happens. I had to restrain myself from doing that and was a little disappointed when they didn't solve the past mystery. On the plus side, there is a "sequel" that the author just published and I can't wait to see if it visits the past as well!

Similar Novels: The River King by Alice Hoffman and The King of Lies by John Hart

Length: 464 pages

Copyright: 2008

But Inside I'm Screaming

By Elizabeth Flock

This is Flock's debut novel, but I read it after I read her other novel Me and Emma. I really enjoyed Me and Emma and this novel wasn't a let down. It's similar in the fact that it deals with a mental disability as well. In this novel the main character suffers a mental breakdown due to depression and a need for perfection. She spends the majority of the novel in a mental institution.

The novel is written as the main character is in the mental facility, or "nut hut" as the town people call it. She has flashbacks to try to determine what exactly led to her this place in her life. While the main character is suffering from severe depression, she feels like she has nothing in common with her counterparts in the facility. In the beginning, she refuses to participate in any activities or therapy. As the novel continues, she realizes that she does have something in common with her room mates and that she has a unique opportunity to help herself heal, while others in the facility will never be completely "healed." It's an interesting look inside the mind of a "sane" mental patient and even made me laugh out loud in some areas.

Warning: There is some foul language in this novel. Not too much, but it is there.

Similar Novel: Me and Emma by Elizabeth Flock

Length: 316 pages

Copyright: 2005

13 Reasons Why

By Jay Asher

There really is only one word appropriate for this book: depressing. While I enjoyed reading the novel and it kept my interest enough for me to finish it, the subject matter was just depressing. The book deals with teen suicide. The story is told from a double narrative. One narrative is the girl who committed suicide speaking through recorded tapes, and the other is one of her friends listening to the tapes. I liked the storyline and the book really was intriguing, but it is just a depressing subject so there was no way around that feeling.

The main character is a teenager in high school who is dealing with the suicide of one of his classmates. About two weeks after the death, he comes home to find a shoebox of tapes sitting on his doorstep. Inside he finds seven cassette tapes that contain narrative from his classmate who committed suicide. She says there are 13 sides to every story and she begins her explanation of a chain of events that led to her death.

Similar Novels: Before I Die by Jenny Downham and The Pact by Jodi Picoult

Length: 304 pages

Copyright: October 2007

Wish You Well

By David Baldacci

I've never read Baldacci before, but I've always noticed his novels on the shelves in the store. I took him to be another Kellerman or Grisham. Now that I've finished this novel, I will definitely search for other novels by Baldacci. Simply put, I loved this novel. It started out with a bang and kept on going. It grabs your attention and maintains a high level of excitement until the end. Similar to Jodi Picoult novels, this story ends with a high stakes court trail which outcome could mean disaster for the main character.

The story is narrated by a young girl, who under desperate circumstances is sent to the mountains of Virginia to be taken care of by a great-grandmother she's never met. The girl is introduced to mountain life and how to live off the land. The struggle in day to day life on the mountain makes the novel sincere. I don't want to give too much away, so I'll end my synopsis there. I would recommend this novel to people who enjoy a good read.

Similar Novel: The Last Juror by John Grisham

Length: 420 pages

Copyright: 2007

The Society of S

Susan Hubbard

So, usually if I finish a book and review it, that means it's a good book. I never really finish books that don't grab my attention and are poorly written. This book is an exception...I kept thinking it would get better, but it never did. I finished the book because I wanted to find out why the main character's mother disappeared, not because it was an interesting novel.

This novel centers around a 13-year-old girl who's family turns out to be vampires. The main character spends the entire novel obsessing about her missing mother. Towards the end of the novel, she goes on a quest to find the lady who left her behind. I had trouble getting into this novel, especially in the beginning. The author flew off on too many tangents for me to follow. There is a scene in the middle of the book that is never even explained. The best friend of the main character is murdered and afterwards, she comes to her house and asks her to play even though she's dead. It never explains if this is a dream or reality; the novel left it open for either, but it REALLY creeped me out. I don't think I'd recommend this novel to anyone but die hard vampire fans. Even then....

Similar Novel: The Twilight Series by Stephanie Meyer

Length: 320 pages

Copyright: 2008

The Zookeeper's Wife

By Diane Ackerman

This was the One Book/One San Diego selection for 2008. I decided to join in the reading and purchased a copy at the Barnes and Noble After Christmas Sale. I'm sooooo glad that I did! This book is excellent. It's written from historical documents and the main character's actual diaries. The novel is based on a true story of a husband and wife who hid Jews during the war. They accomplished this by using the buildings in their Zoo to house the refugees.

The Warsaw Zoo is heavily damaged during the invasion of Hitler's army, but the Zabinski's still manage to stay open and stay alive. By forming friendships with influential people, the Zabinski's are able to smuggle people out of the guarded slums of Warsaw. These people are hidden in the Zoo until other arrangements are made to keep them safe. This novel is excellently written with quotes from Antonia Zabinski's diary. The author is a non-fictional writer who took this opportunity to highlight a family of heroes who risked everything for their less fortunate countrymen.

Similar Novels: Number the Stars by Lois Lowry and Summer of My German Soldier by Bette Greene

Length: 368 pages

Copyright: 2008