All Our Wrong Todays ~ Reviewed by Elizabeth Barnes

"It is amazing how much damage one person can do."







Tom Barron is from the world we were supposed to have, a technologically advanced utopia with flying cars and space vacations. He wakes up in the wrong today - our present. His life is surprisingly more fulfilling, but he feels guilty about erasing the lives of millions of people. Should his loyalties be to the people in his original world or the future people who make his new life so much better? Is salvaging his old world even possible? Everyone is skeptical of Tom's story. Could Tom's memories of a Tomorrowland like reality be delusions? How can he prove that his memories are real without advanced technology of his original world?

Like most science fiction, one of the best parts of the book was the constant questions that made you think. Tom draws several parallels between the fantastic aspects of his story and the ordinary lives we lead. Existing in multiple realities is not just something that happens in science fiction. As Tom matures, he sees how everyone is complicated. We all consist of different versions of ourselves, even some versions we'd rather live without. Tom sees that time travel isn't necessary to destroy a world. Tom has to learn that beliefs not backed by action are useless and to possibly never stop being open to different possibilities.

While the technical aspects of this story appealed to me, I had a hard time connecting with the main character. First-person, single point of view made this a very difficult issue to overcome. Tom is my least favorite type of character. He is a narcissistic, self-described loser who these women keep sleeping with. He is completely aware of how annoying and whiny he is, but that does not stop him. Sometimes it was hard to get too annoyed with him, because he'd read my mind every time I would start to have a negative thought.

Throughout the book, I found that there are a lot of messages to learn from. I narrowed it down to the most important messages. The central messages I walked away with were:
1.) There is no such thing as the life you are supposed to lead.
2.) Trying to control your world/life can have disastrous consequences.

I give this book a 3 out of 5 stars.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for the copy!

Undiscovered Country ~ Reviewed by Elizabeth Barnes

"I just want to do some good for my country"





After losing her mother to cancer, a teenage girl seeks escape from her grief by joining a volunteer organization in a war-torn South American country. This story is told in alternating chapters labeled "Before" and "After". The "Before" chapters tell the story of Cat, a teenage girl struggling through her senior year, juggling schoolwork, and becoming the parent to her parents as her mother is diagnosed with cancer that will eventually take her life and her father sinks into a crippling depression. The "After" chapters take place mostly in Calantes, the Amazonian "undiscovered country," where Cat finds that her fellow teen volunteers are, like her, motivated but have a need to escape their own demons. In Calantes she also falls in love and awakens to her sexuality. When tragedy eventually strikes, Cat realizes she cannot run away from grief.

I really wanted to like this book, but there were several issues that I just could not get past.

I believe that the author had the chance to develop a bit deeper into the South American culture as well as the civil war occurring around the narrator. Instead, the conversations began to feel a little bit like a broken record especially when Rafael (the love interest) was involved. Rafael speaks a lot about this "change," but the most we learn is that he is somehow involved with local drug cartels in his efforts to fight back against the government. The time spent on the civil war felt very shallow and disconnected from the story line.

For someone who is smart and capable enough to be accepted to Stanford despite having to watch her mother slowly die, Cat seems like quite the vapid personality. I was hoping the book would spend more time on Cat's year away and what she learns about herself during that time.

Although I did not connect with the story, there are things that I did feel held promise: The interchanging chapters that go from present-day to when her mother was first diagnosed with breast cancer was a great format. It allowed the reader to slowly learn the whole story behind what Cat and her parents went through after her mothers cancer diagnosis while also staying in the present in South America.

I give this book a 2.5 out of 5 stars.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the copy!

The Dead Inside ~ Reviewed by Elizabeth Barnes

"I don't like depending on people because people leave all the time."





Let me start out by saying that I do not know how I will be reviewing this book because it is a memoir. I cannot judge the characters, plot, or setting. The accounts that happened throughout the book were memories; they happened in real life, specifically to a young woman named Cyndy.

Cyndy Etler isn't a model child, but she's certainty not a druggie or anyone who should have ended up at Straight Inc. To the outside world Straight Inc. appeared as a drug rehabilitation center for teens, but inside it was frighteningly more cult-like. In her cutting and honest memoir Etler shows us inside Straight Inc. and how it affected those unlucky enough to be inside.

It is difficult to review a memoir of someone's life as the plot and characters all come from reality. The Dead Inside proves to be a chilling and eye-opening tale of a child from a damaged family being forced into the worst circumstances and brainwashed. It's heart wrenching to watch her fighting spirit die and see her slowly start to believe that she is the one who has done something wrong.

I feel that the story was cut short. Hopefully the sequel will cover Etler's reintegration into society but it might have been nice to hear a bit more about that in this novel. I also believe that this specific memoir would have benefited from a little more of Etler's adult voice interjecting. It seems to lack a lot of the woman that Etler is now and I would have liked to hear more of her opinion.

I give this book a 2 out of 5 stars.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the copy!   

One Moment ~ Reviewed by Elizabeth Barnes

"You're still alive, Mags. You might not feel like it. But you have to keep going."





Maggie has lost her two-year boyfriend in a horrible accident for which she was the only eye witness, and yet she can't remember a thing. They were a tight group of friends but with Joey's passing, they now drift apart, and nothing makes sense anymore. Does she even want to understand what happened during that one moment?

This book was quick to read, even if the topic felt heavy at times. I thought that the overall story was beautiful. It was more than talking about tragedy, it focused on friendship and healing. This book reminded me of "Thirteen Reasons Why" because the main characters and the readers have a mystery to solve throughout the book.

What really surprised me was Maggie's development throughout the story. She was definitely the most sheltered character among the six main characters. But by the end I feel that she is more mature and a lot more stronger. It was definitely a thumps-up ending for any teenager who is going through a loss of a loved one or a close friend. I also believe that the characters were easy to relate to. I could really feel their voices and personalities throughout the pages.

While I thought the story could have more twists, I can say that I was satisfied. I would highly recommend this book for book clubs and discussion groups for high school students. There are so many important parts to be discussed such as loss, friendships, relationships, guilt, and hard choices.

I give this book a 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the copy!

Pretty Fierce ~ Reviewed by Elizabeth Barnes

"My mother had once told me you couldn't trust people who came into your life at the exact moment you needed them."

Eighteen months ago, while on a mission with her parents, Kaia and her mother were attacked. Her family was destroyed, her parents were both missing presumed dead, and Kaia put into action the plan that was only to be used if everything went terribly wrong. For the past eighteen months, Kaia has been living with her 'grandparents', colleagues of her assassin parents. She has the most wonderful boyfriend, Oliver, and she is no longer endlessly plagued by nightmares. But all of those fears resurface when she is brutally attacked and Oliver sees her take out her assailant. Now her secrets have been revealed and she isn't sure Oliver will want to stick by the crazy girl who was raised by assassins.

As Kaia discovers more about her family and their secrets, she also learns about the secrets Oliver has been hiding from her. Together they face assassins, sometimes in the strangest forms. At times the story was a little unrealistic, but its balance between playfulness and threat makes this an interesting book to read.

It did take me a few chapters to situate myself within the story, but the action eventually grabbed my attention. "Pretty Fierce" is a thrilling story, with plenty of action and drama.

I give this book a 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the copy!

February Book Club

Meeting Date: TBA 
Time and Where: 8:00 am in the Library! 
Please answer the discussion questions when posted! 
Published by: Elizabeth A. Barnes
From Goodreads: 



"Internationally acclaimed crime write Jo Nesbø’s antihero police investigator, Harry Hole, is back: in a bone-chilling thriller that will take Hole to the brink of insanity.

Oslo in November. The first snow of the season has fallen. A boy named Jonas wakes in the night to find his mother gone. Out his window, in the cold moonlight, he sees the snowman that inexplicably appeared in the yard earlier that day. Around its neck is his mother's pink scarf.

Hole suspects a link between a menacing letter he's received and the disappearance of Jonas's mother - and of perhaps a dozen other women, all of whom went missing on the day of a first snowfall. As his investigation deepens, something else emerges: he is becoming a pawn in an increasingly terrifying game whose rules are devised - and constantly revised - by the killer.

Fiercely suspenseful, its characters brilliantly realized, its atmosphere permeated with evil, The Snowman is the electrifying work of one of the best crime writers in our time."  

Book Club ~ 1st to Die (Women's Murder Club #1)

Book Club Discussion Questions

Please answer the questions in the comments section below. Label them with the question number.

1.) What did you think about Lindsay's character and her attitude? Did you identify with a specific character in the Women's Murder Club? 

2.) In the beginning of the book, the bride and groom killer is introduced. Did you find it amusing and entertaining how the author introduced the killer so early on? Did you enjoy reading the killer's point of view? 

3.) Throughout the book, Lindsay is suffering from a disease called Negli's aplastic anemia. How do you think this disease affected Lindsay? How would you have reacted if you were trying to solve a murder and fight a disease at the same time? 

4.) Lindsay, Cindy, Claire, and Jill are all in a group called the Women's Murder Club. What were your thoughts about this private club? Would you like to be part of a club like thiers? 

5.) Lindsay works as a homicide inspector for the San Francisco Police Department. What would you do if you had such a demanding and big job like hers? Would you be scared or thrilled? 

6.) What are your opinions about Chris Raleigh and his relationship with Lindsay? 

7.) Nicholas Jenks was the "suspected" killer at first, how did you react when Lindsay and the three girls questioned him about his past relationships and his bestselling book? Were you for sure that he was the killer? 

8.) Every time that someone new is killed, one thing ends up missing; the bride and groom's wedding rings. Why do you think the killer wanted to take and keep the rings? 

9.) How did you feel about the ending of the book? Did the real killer surprise you? Did Chris Raleigh's death surprise you? 

10.) Throughout the book two things happen: one being the romance between Lindsay and Chris Raleigh and the relationship between Lindsay, Cindy, Claire, and Jill. Second being the gory and gruesome scenes between Lindsay and the killer. What part was your favorite? Explain why. Would you be willing to read the next books in the series? 

The Passenger ~ Reviewed by Elizabeth Barnes

"It's always good to go home."





Frank Dubois is lying dead at the foot of the stairs, and his wife Tanya is weighing her options: should she call the police, get rid of the body, or run away? Since she has already been running from the law for the last decade, she decides to leave, assumes a new identity and drives South without looking back. As she travels across the U.S. she meets Blue, another woman trying to escape from her past. They decide to help each other to get brand new lives. However, nothing goes according to plan, especially as two thugs show up to kill Tanya. But what made her run in the first place? Will she be able to put the past behind her for good?

The Passenger is a fast-paced psychological thriller that deals with problems of identity and loneliness. On her road trip, Tanya assumes different names, and her values shift when the situations becomes more desperate, bringing her to do things she would never have dreamed of doing before. In fact, I thought it was really interesting to see how she tries to live off the grid, as this appears to be more and more difficult because of her age and the time period we are currently living in. While I thought the big reveal at the end was surprising, I felt there were some loose ends when the book ended. I thought that Blue was an intriguing character, and I would have liked to have known more about her. Perhaps a sequel could tell her story? I hope so!

I give this book a 4 out of 5 stars.

Special thanks to my family for the copy of this book for Christmas. I enjoyed how fast of a pace it was to read.

2nd Chance (Women's Murder Club Novel #2) ~ Reviewed by Elizabeth Barnes

"You can't bring the dead back. You can't even make sense of why things happen. All you can do is the best you can to let the living believe their souls are at peace."






Lindsay, Cindy, Claire, and Jill are back for the second outing as the Women's Murder Club, and this time the murderer is going to hit them right at home. Lindsay has just recovered from the shock of losing someone close to her and finds herself in a brand new role. Now she is the Lieutenant of Homicide, thanks to the effort of bringing an end to the bride and groom murderer. This next enemy is considered to be even more evil.

This murderer starts his dangerous mission on the property of a local church, where a choir youth group is just finishing up practice. As they start heading out of the church, a rain of gunfire falls upon them as a gunman working alone seems to want to create a moment of panic and fear. Fortunately only an eleven year old girl is killed, the youngest girl in the choir group. The community expects it to be an act of random violence, until a pattern starts to form.

Before the church shooting occurred, an African American woman hung herself in her home. She was the widow of a former police officer of the San Fransico police department, as was the Uncle of the eleven year old girl shot and killed outside the church. To cement the relations between the two incidents, the image of a "chimera" is found at both crime scene locations. This starts the hunt for the killer Chimera.

As even more victims start falling to this new killer, it becomes clear that he was a cop with ties to some dark history at the police department. History also starts to play a big role in Lindsay's personal life when her father shows up out of the blue.This does not make Lindsay's life any easier when she finds out that her father also has a dark history with the police department.

All of the victims showing up dead are either  African American or once apart of the police department, as this makes it easier for Lindsay to put all of the pieces of the case together. Before these connections can eventually be made, the woman's murder club goes through their own share of turmoil and dangerous situations.

This was an incredible sequel to the previous book. The story was less of a group tale because it focused more on Lindsay. The other women had roles, but they were much smaller. I am looking forward to the next books in the series.

I have already started the third book! :)

I give this book a 5 out of 5 stars.

Everything You Want Me to Be ~ Reviewed by Elizabeth Barnes

"You turn into someone else, a crowd of someone else's, and it makes me wonder if there's any such thing as Hattie Hoffman."





To Hattie's parents, she is the perfect daughter, the outgoing Minnesota farm girl who does quite well in school and rarely ever causes any trouble. To her friends, Hattie is the best listener who is always there for each and every one of them. Her boyfriend, thinks she is a sweet and loving girl who is hesitant and too pure to go "all the way." Peter Lund, her English teacher, thinks she is a predator, and an "over-sexed" psychopath who will stop at nothing to have him. And the creepy part is, he wants to let her.

In Sheriff Del Goodman's opinion, Hattie Hoffman is a murder victim. Someone stabbed an eighteen year old rising actress and threw her body into a lake one chilly, Minnesota night. But the main question is, who? The key to find her killer is in discovering her true self, the true Hattie Hoffman. Someone she never knew until it was too late.

I have to say that this was the best thriller that I have read in quite a long time. I felt like Hattie's character was so complex and fantastic and a character that I could relate to in the first few chapters. I rooted for her, and I also wanted to strangle her in some parts. The detective Del, was a perfect character in this book and how he was rough around the edges in a mid-west sort of way.

This book is completely surprising and suspenseful in a manner that is also very realistic. The authors skill was also spot on.

I give this book a 4 out of 5 stars.

Special thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the copy.