September 24, 2017

Girl in Snow - Danya Kukafka


Simon & Schuster, August 1, 2017.

 

 Four Stars


 

On a frozen, snow-covered morning, the body of popular high school student Lucinda Hayes is found in a local park. In the small Colorado neighbourhood, everyone knew Lucinda – and everyone is affected by her death, whether they liked her or not.

 

Girl in Snow is narrated by three characters with connections to Lucinda. Cameron is an anxious, unpopular boy who was obsessed with Lucinda – he drew detailed portraits of her and watched her through her bedroom window at night. Jade is an edgy girl with an alternative style, whose alcoholic mom and miserable home life make her jealous of Lucinda’s seemingly perfect world – she also admittedly hated Lucinda for stealing her babysitting job. Finally, Russ is the officer in charge of investigating Lucinda’s murder, and he also has a strong connection to the family of his main suspect, Cameron.

 

Each character works to expose the others’ secrets while confronting their own emotions as they all search for the truth about Lucinda’s death. The novel explores how people can see us and interpret our lives in different ways, while never knowing the truth about who we are – not just Lucinda, but all of the characters are judged by who they appear to be. Cameron expresses himself through his artwork, while Jade’s sections often shift into her dramatic screenplay in which she envisions the scenes that she wishes had taken place, and the conversations that sounded better in her mind.

 

Lucinda could have been killed by anyone in her small suburb, but as more backstory is revealed through the eyes of different narrators, the identity of the murderer becomes inevitable. This novel is ostensibly a mystery-thriller, but the focus is ultimately on character development. The only exception is Lucinda, who remains fairly flat, but she acts as a device to bring everyone else together. The story is written in clear, concise prose, yet it is saturated with depth and emotion – Kukafka’s words are evocative without being overly descriptive. As the characters become increasingly intertwined, they show the unknown connections between all of us – and how appearances can be deceiving.

 

I received this book from Simon & Schuster and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

September 20, 2017

The Only Cafe - Linden MacIntyre


Random House Canada, August 8, 2017.

 

Four Stars


 

Cyril Cormier grew up in Toronto with a Lebanese refugee father and a mother from Cape Breton. They divorced when Cyril was young, and he didn’t see much of his father Pierre, who was a successful corporate lawyer with a new, younger wife and infant son. During an international scandal at the mining company where he worked, Pierre went missing under suspicious circumstances – there was an explosion on the boat he was living on, and his body was never found.

 

Five years after Pierre disappeared, one of his bones is found and he is finally declared dead. When the will is read, Cyril and the rest of the family discover that Pierre included an unusual request – instead of a traditional funeral, he asked for a “roast” to take place at a bar in Toronto’s east end called The Only Café. There is also a mysterious name on the guest list, “Ari”, that none of the family had ever heard Pierre mention.

 

At the time his father is declared dead, Cyril is interning at a national newsroom (likely modelled after the CBC) that is working on a documentary about homegrown terrorism. When Cyril’s Lebanese background is discovered by his bosses, they ask him to bring a personal perspective to the war on terror. Cyril decides to investigate the events that led to his father’s death, and the first step is meeting with the mysterious Ari. Cyril discovers that Ari was an Israeli soldier who met Pierre in Lebanon in the 1980s, during the Lebanese civil war.

 

Cyril suspects that Ari can answer questions not only about Pierre’s past but also about whether his father is truly dead. Soon Cyril’s personal investigation intersects with the larger story of terrorism at the newsroom, and there are surprising connections to his friends and colleagues. The deception stretches from the present day back to the Lebanese massacres of September 1982, and the plot is grounded in these historical events, bringing the current political climate in the Middle East into sharp focus.

 

The Only Café is a slow-paced mystery with both historical and contemporary relevance. It demonstrates how history is constantly repeating – with different forms of terrorism always in the background and bubbling up to the surface over time – and it puts a personal spin on the stories we often hear from a distance. There is plenty of dialogue to keep the story moving forward, although there perhaps could have been more inner contemplation and character development. There are constantly shifting perspectives, which were sometimes confusing and overly complex – there are only so many health, family and work dramas that one person can go through, and they really didn’t add that much to the story. But despite my issues with the novel, the writing was powerful enough to continually draw me back in to this complex and timely story of family secrets and their effects on global events.

 

I received this book from Random House Canada and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

September 17, 2017

Emma in the Night - Wendy Walker

St. Martin’s Press, August 8, 2017.

 

Five Stars

 

Emma in the Night is Walker’s second novel after 2016’s All is Not Forgotten, and while the two books share much in style and substance, I found this one more compelling and enjoyable. Three years ago, the Tanner sisters – 17-year-old Emma and 15-year-old Cassandra – went missing with no explanation. The circumstances were suspicious – Emma’s car was found abandoned in a parking lot near the beach, and her shoes abandoned by the shore. There was no evidence that Cass was with her, and yet she is gone too.

 

Now, three years later, Cass shows up on her mother’s doorstep – without Emma. She tells an incredible tale about kidnapping and captivity on an isolated island which cannot be located, and a daring and dangerous plan for escape. Forensic psychiatrist Abigail Winter worked on the Tanner sisters’ case years before, and she always felt that there was some obvious clue that she was missing. Now, hearing Cass’s story and watching her interactions with her mother, she suspects that the reason for the girls’ disappearance is close to home. With Cass’s help, Abby slowly uncovers the dysfunctional family’s secrets of narcissism and abuse.

 

The novel is told in dialogue, as Cass slowly reveals her (perhaps unreliable) story in careful moderation – she manipulates her audience much as Walker leads the reader on this fascinating journey. The structure of this novel is much like Walker’s first novel – it is an unconventional thriller in which the story takes place after the main action has concluded. It is more like reading the case notes of a crime, delving into the obsession and mental illness that formed these characters. There is much more telling than showing, and yet it works. Cass’s story is perhaps even more compelling because we did not witness the action and therefore cannot know if anything she’s saying is true.

 

The procedural aspects of the story are not all that realistic, but it is worthwhile to suspend disbelief and trust that each piece will eventually fit together. The slow reveal is geared towards reader manipulation – to keep us guessing and successfully create suspense. I thought some of the characters could have been more complex, instead of so clearly good or evil – but Cass especially was intriguing. Her narration is detached and cold, which keeps the reader at a distance, but it works because she withholds her true feelings and motivations right up to the last scene.

 

While Emma in the Night has its flaws, Walker is a talented storyteller who manages to lead the reader without oversimplifying the story. The descriptions of mental illness are fascinating and disturbing, especially as Emma and Cass are affected by their mother’s behaviour in very different ways. Cass’s flat narration has a strong emotional undercurrent that gives depth to the novel, creating an intelligent and thoughtful mystery that crosses genres in unexpected ways.

 

I received this book from St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

September 14, 2017

Shadow of the Lions - Christopher Swann


Algonquin Books, August 1, 2017.

 

Three Stars


 

Ten years ago, Matthias graduated from the prestigious Blackburne boarding school, shortly after his best friend and roommate Fritz disappeared. Matthias and Fritz had had an argument about the school’s strict honour code, after which Fritz took off into the woods and was never seen again. While a search for the young man was conducted, he was eventually declared legally dead by his family – a decision that destroyed Matthias’ relationship with Fritz’ sister.

 

Ever since Fritz disappeared, Matthias has carried the guilt for his part in their argument. Living in New York City as a successful novelist, Matthias' career has stalled and his most recent relationship has ended. He is at his lowest, feeling like a failure as a writer and as a man. He never wanted to return to Blackburne, but when he is offered a job teaching English there, it suddenly feels like a lifeline.

 

Two stone lions guard the gate of Blackburne school, and when Matthias passes under them, all his old feelings return. Once he is back on campus, he quickly gets wrapped up in an investigation into Fritz’s disappearance – meanwhile, he is pulled into faculty politics and the tragic death of a student. Matthias’ search also leads back to Fritz’s wealthy and powerful family, who may know more about the past than they let on.

 

Shadow of the Lions is a coming of age story that takes several dark and surprising turns – it shows that sometimes growing up means leaving the mysteries of the past behind. While I found the novel perhaps relied too much on the readers’ previous knowledge of life at a boys’ boarding school – which I do not have – I think the story was strong and the character development was impressive. The plot kept me mostly intrigued, although it could have been more concise, and the ending was kind of random and implausible. It wasn’t all that suspenseful or surprising, but that wasn’t really the point – it was more about Matthias’ growth through these unusual experiences. While Fritz was the boy who disappeared, the impetus of the novel is Matthias’ search for his own lost youth and ultimately for his place in the world.

 

I received this book from Algonquin Books and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

September 11, 2017

A Killer Harvest - Paul Cleave


Atria Books, August 1, 2017.

 

Three Stars


 

Joshua is a blind teenager who believes that his vision impairment is part of a larger family curse that also caused the deaths of his biological parents. Now the father who raised him, Detective Logan, has been killed while investigating the murder of a young woman. The only good news to come from this tragedy is that Joshua is being offered corneal implant surgery to regain his vision – he will receive the eyes of his deceased surrogate father.

 

The surgery seems to be a success, but Joshua begins to recognize people and places that he has never seen before. He sees and feels memories that may have belonged to the previous owner of his transplanted corneas – and not all of the memories seem to be coming from his father. It soon comes to light that there has been a mix up at the hospital – Joshua received one eye from Detective Logan, and one from the suspect that was killed by Logan’s partner on that same morning. The images that come to Joshua from the eye of the suspect, Simon Bower, show him the darkness that exists in his new world of sight.

 

In alternative chapters, Simon’s accomplice Vincent wants revenge for the death of his friend. Logan’s surviving friends and family become targets in his scheme, and he is getting increasingly closer to Joshua. Meanwhile, he is also involved in the case of the murdered young woman, and the disappearance of several others. Although Vincent is somewhat flat as a character, the multiple points of view work well to form a full picture of the events of the novel.

 

I found the issue of cellular memory (Joshua’s ability to “see” the memories of his eyes’ previous owners) to be very interesting, and even if it isn’t based in scientific fact, I could suspend disbelief and consider the possibilities. However, I just didn’t find the plot to be particularly thrilling or scary. It was mostly just unbelievable and not even that exciting. The characters were undeveloped and the dialogue was stilted and unrealistic. The layered plot is what kept me reading, but when all the threads came together in the end, it was disappointing. I enjoyed this novel for what it was, and I would probably read something else by Cleave, but in the end I found both the plot and the characters lacking in depth and excitement.

 

I received this book from Atria Books and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

September 08, 2017

See What I Have Done - Sarah Schmidt


Grove Atlantic, August 1, 2017.

 

Four Stars


 

The ax murder of Lizzie Borden’s parents is one of the most fascinating and famous historical crimes of all time. Here it is retold in the intimate tone of a domestic thriller – it is the story of a woman raised in a violent, abusive home who yearns for freedom, and the dysfunctional family that surrounds her.

 

On August 4th, 1892, the Borden house is shaken by Lizzie’s screams – she has just discovered the bloody body of her deceased father Andrew. As the police arrive and Lizzie is comforted by her sister Emma and their maid Bridget, they soon discover another body upstairs. It belongs to Lizzie’s stepmother Abby, and everyone is shocked that this respected married couple with no known enemies should be brutally murdered. From the outside, the Borden family had seemed perfect, but the reality is very different – an angry father, a cruel stepmother, and the spinster sisters Emma and Lizzie who are desperate to leave home and gain independence, at any cost.

 

Lizzie’s memories of the morning in question are scattered and unclear, and Emma tries to help her get her story straight. We revisit the crime scene through Lizzie’s troubled eyes, and her balancing act on the edge of madness adds to the unsettling tone of the novel. The events leading up to the double murder are slowly revealed by multiple narrators, including Emma, Bridget, and a mysterious stranger named Benjamin who has unusual insights into the Borden family.

 

This novel is well-structured and exciting as it exposes the secrets behind the unlikeable Borden family, and it somehow lends sympathy to Lizzie even though she isn’t particularly likeable either. All of the characters are strongly developed, not just Lizzie, which adds to the realism of the story. There is also a solid sense of setting, with sensual descriptions of the sights, smells and (especially) foods that make up the background.

 

Although Lizzie was tried for the murder of her parents, she was eventually acquitted due to lack of evidence – however, she was convicted by public opinion. See What I Have Done is a true crime story, fictionalized through dreamlike emotion and the saturation of the senses. The missing hours before the discovery of the dead bodies are handled especially well, and the emotions of the survivors are convincing, lending themselves to the haunting atmosphere of this compelling novel.

 

I received this book from Grove Atlantic and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

September 02, 2017

The Lauras - Sara Taylor


Crown Publishing, August 1, 2017.

 

Five Stars


 

In the middle of the night, Ma pulls thirteen-year-old Alex out of bed after one too many arguments with Alex’s father. Alex is dragged to the car, and the two of them set out on a road trip with no explanations. Alex only ever saw her as Ma, but suddenly she becomes a real, complex person with a rich, dangerous past. Mother and child follow a cryptic map of Ma’s childhood in foster care and as a teenager on the run – they travel across the United States and eventually to Canada, keeping old promises and tying up loose ends from Ma’s tumultuous past.

 

The story is told from Alex’s perspective, and it is complicated further by Alex’s own coming-of-age story – Alex is gender neutral, identifying as neither male nor female. The novel contains a realistic and sensitive portrayal of Alex’s sexual awakening – Alex is undecided yet unconfused about gender identity, and surprisingly self-assured for such a young person. Alex’s identity develops alongside Ma’s past, highlighting the contrasts between the two stories. The pilgrimage to the past is necessary to move forward and face an uncertain yet hopeful future.

 

Ma’s past includes several women named Laura, hence the title – the Lauras are friends, mentors and lovers, but all of them are an integral part of the mother’s development. Each location to which she brings Alex requires the telling of stories and secrets that complicate Alex’s view of Ma. However, after years of travel and life on the run, Alex also has unfinished business to attend to, including a reconciliation with the father that was left behind.

 

Both Alex and Ma have lived hard, heartbreaking lives – but their reactions to life’s struggles showcase strength and resilience. The mother is tough, gritty and often seems insensitive, but she supports Alex completely. Their entire journey is an exploration of identity, and it questions how much of who we are comes from a parent, and how much comes from lived experiences. Alex has always been gender neutral, but Ma’s stories and support allow Alex to be completely secure and comfortable with the decision to not be just a boy or a girl.

 

There are many complex stories to be told on this journey, and they are sometimes overwhelming or distracting from the main narrative, or seemingly told as a vehicle to interject certain beliefs into the novel – but mostly Ma’s digressions are interesting and worthwhile for Alex’s development. The language is stark yet emotional, with lyrical prose that finds beauty even in the darkest moments. I completely enjoyed this immersive journey with Alex and Ma, both of whom are the kind of characters we need to read about in the world today.

 

I received this book from Crown Publishing and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.