The Girl from Krakow by Alex Rosenberg
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Holocaust affected the lives in one way or another, of almost every living person on Earth. I’m not really sure how to follow that sentence without sounding ignorant, shallow, or discompassionate. But that’s the first thing that comes to mind as I find myself gravitating towards stories of the people (real or fictional) that lived through it and those that did not. In a time when information is so readily available, and news spreads quickly, it’s easy to take for granted what the Jewish people and their supporters went through; how easily the Third Reich ripped apart humanity and nearly succeeded in wiping out an entire people.

Of course, even today, we see the makings of monsters and hear the whispers of genocide on the wind via the internet, but even so, I have to wonder if society, given the ability to know things a million times faster than our predecessors 80 years ago, would we take the necessary measures to STOP history from repeating itself? Or will we just sit back and watch until the threat once again, landed upon our doorstep?

Um, sorry… political musings in a book review are probably weird. Moving on, I’d say that for “The Girl from Krakow”, I’d give it a 4.5. I didn’t absolutely LOVE it, but it was an excellent read. Both M/Cs have the unmistakable knack for quick thinking and resourcefulness, and the ‘luck’ of not ‘looking’ or appearing quite so Jewish. This, again, is ironic because of how varied in appearance, ethnicity, and nationality, the Jewish people really are. We saw that same thing immediately following 9-11 when Hindu and Sikh people were harassed and even murdered for being suspected “Muslim Terrorists”…

Plot: So, moving on… The plot of this story is believable, in a ‘Modern day horror story equivalent’ kind of way. The story follows both Rita and Tadeusz (her love interest), in alternating chapters, 3rd person POV, as they both manage to (barely) survive Nazi Europe. As both Rita and Tadeusz live their separate lives in their own attempts at survival, you feel that at some point these two brief lovers might find a way back to each other. At times, however, it doesn’t look like they will, and their paths look bleak, especially having the advantage as a reader in the future, knowing the past and how most Jews on the run (& Jewish people in general) faired.

*Dear Reader: I apologize for such a long review. Obviously, this story stirred something in me.

Characters: Rita ended up being a strong heroine who found herself and her strength through an amazingly rich and terrifying and heartbreaking few years as a Jewess hiding in plain sight. She lost so much, as many like her did, and she still managed to not break at the end, when the final pieces of the puzzle had been put into place. Had she been a real/non-fictional woman, I’m almost certain she’d have gone on to become an ambassador or Civil Rights leader… or the bare minimum, she would’ve been someone that young people could look up to, as she had all the makings of a person strong of character and convictions.

Tadeusz was crafty and intelligent, and in the end, a hopeless romantic. He thoughtfully made his own destiny, and his forethought served him well.

The Writing: The writing is the type that says a lot in very little. Sure there are detailed scenes in here, but I appreciate when the expanse of a few (somewhat ordinary) months can be skipped over & summed up in a paragraph or two.

In Case You Wanted to Know: As far as details go, it’s a WWII Holocaust Novel, if this book spared any of the imagery that those people witnessed, for the sake of the reader, it would NOT (IMO) do the victims/survivors of (it) justice. So, yes, there are details… none of which made me turn away or have to put the book down.

Maybe I’m odd, but I just feel that if an author does the research and talks to people who lived through it and then from that info, constructs a story BASED on that information, then it is only right to read through it and feel some of their pain; to connect to the past, etc.

Overall: As you can hopefully tell, I liked this novel. Again, I couldn’t say I LOVED it, because it being Historical Fiction and all, plus the subject matter, means that even though it had a mostly HEA ending, there was still too much (unnecessary for ANY human being to EVER go through) realistic pain to had to have been gone through, that couldn’t be excused as artistic liberty by the author and/or fantasy. Unimagined horrors, meaning, not made-up, have NO PLACE in any society… and yet, they do exist.

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Marked by Sarah Fine
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I love futuristic, dystopian America novels. I think it’s just the abundance of coverage we see in our modern times, where global disaster appears to be imminent that makes me devour stories in this genre, like crazy. “Marked” is a wonderful addition to this brooding obsession of mine.

Plot: Based in Boston, many years into the future, after economic collapse and global changes that have turned Boston into a Venetian waterway; sprinkled with ancient Greek mythological veins, this story follows the Ferry Family- escorts to the afterlife, in a clever, fast-paced, detail-rich, action, romance, mystery- adventure. Whew, super run-on sentence, I know! But this book has it all. Ms. Fine has done a remarkable job combining so much of what I love to read. I like to escape my life and get swept into a story that engages my senses with a bit of intrigue; let me read about someone else’s family burdens, sexual tensions, and impending doom for a while, so I forget mine- ya know?

Characters: That’s what was accompanied with “Marked”. If you’ve ever read Sherrilyn Kenyon’s “League Series” (maybe her others do as well, but I haven’t read them yet), the books at the beginning of that series (I haven’t read past book #5) have a romantic subplot, mixed in nicely with the main conflict, and you have to get quite a ways into the story before the sexual tension that is almost unbearable, is consummated. Well, that sums up Cacy and Eli’s relationship (the two MCs), nicely. Both characters had developed backstories, and the supporting characters were given proper roles and purposes that made sense.

The Writing: The writing was flawless. There was no waste of space describing too much detail. “Marked” is told in 3rd person POV, alternating from Cacy and Eli’s viewpoint mostly, and then some of the minor characters.
In case you wanted to know: Yes, there are detailed sex scenes, some violence, but not nearly enough to be problematic. Again, think of S.K.’s League novels, and that’s about right where this novel lands. Violence too, but in the realm of supernatural creatures and events… so I’m not sure how that would be classified.

Overall: I chose “Marked” back in December 2014 as my 1st Reads choice. It’s been sitting in my Kindle since. The design of the cover had me assume it was a YA novel, which is fine, but I just was never in the mood to read it; based off of the synopsis. I am so glad I changed my mind and just read it anyways.

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Wreckage by Emily Bleeker
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I read this book a few years ago when I stayed with my mom while she was in the hospital… long before I started writing book reviews. I decided to reread it when I ran across it in my Kindle Library, to reacquaint myself with the details, so I could write this review. As I remembered it, it wasn’t that good. Boy, am I glad I reread it with a clearer head; not with the 8 days of deprived sleep/food-brain I had while keeping vigil next to my recovering mom.

Plot: The story alternates between the Present Day, as the survivors of the initial plane crash are being interviewed after being rescued, and the two years of their ordeal on an island near Guam after drifting at sea for three days. A secret is alluded to early on, when the present-day interviews are being conducted, and there are lies being kept… but for what purpose, exactly, you don’t find out until much later, and it’s not just an info dump, which I liked.

Characters: I remembered my impression of this book’s characters being along the lines of ho-hum, and they could’ve been through worse. Re-reading it proved that reading while semi-delusional… is maybe not a good idea. Lillian (Lily) and Dave, the two main characters, spent two years on an island; alone for a good portion of that time. Both had spouses/family at home, but were naturally… presumed dead. The developing character arcs of these two, developed and grew, although I do see why I’d originally felt the way I did; it was the constant changing of timelines with the alternating chapters and characters, that had made it slightly difficult to see the arcs and to be fully engaged. So, in sum- don’t read this when you’re sleep deprived and stressed out. You gotta have your wits about you to keep up.

The Writing: The writing itself is easily digested and moves along seamlessly. However, the chapters go from Lily’s 1st person POV to Dave’s 1st person POV, to Lily’s Present Day 3rd person POV, to Dave’s Present Day 3rd person POV. It didn’t bother me either time I read it, but it is a factor my mom hates in stuff she reads… so there’s that. And like I said above about the character Arcs, I can understand why this might be a deterrent for some people.

In case you wanted to know: There are some graphic, well-illustrated violent scenes in the book… an almost rape, a self-defense murder, and a fairly descriptive body disposal. There is some other “natural course of events” types of scenes, but I don’t want to spoil the book. Let’s just say that there are parts of the book that made me cry with wads of empathy for the struggle the characters endured, which as a whole story… it was all plausible.

Overall: I’m glad I reread “Wreckage”. This was a beautiful story of survival, love, and sacrifice; woven together by just a small twist of fate that started with disaster.

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Inheritance by Thomas Wymark
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Just. No. I started this book, and then quit somewhere around page 20 something. I just couldn’t deal with the M/C anymore, nor the OVERLY DETAILED DESCRIPTIONS and did I mention… details? And… ugh!!

But… even after reading much of the same sentiment in most of the 1-star reviews (which is what I was originally going to give this novel), I decided I’d give it another go about three days later. I REALLY hate quitting. Plus, having suffered a concussion myself, back in 2017, I figured, why not? I love mind study & behavioral analysis stuff… so, I began again. Now, I’m going with a three-star review, and here’s why…

Let me start by asking you this… Have you ever had a friend or relative relate a story to you that was SOOooo minutely detailed, you found yourself zoning out and only tuning back in when he or she raised their voice in emphasis, denoting a plot twist, etc.? Well, that’s this book. Lots and lots and lots of minute details… Pages worth.

In fact, to be completely honest, I stuck with the story, patiently hoping the pace would pick up and I would actually be given more ‘story’ to go along with my generous serving of ‘details’, soon and in more abundance, as a reward… NOPE. I made it to about 46% (page 257 of FIVE HUNDRED and FIFTY FIVE!!!) before I finally said “forget this” (I didn’t say that though… it was MUCH WORSE) and fast forwarded to page 484 (a random number chosen near the end). I can HONESTLY say that when I came across new characters & new developments in the plot, that I didn’t recognize, it wasn’t difficult to figure it all out and piece together what I’d “missed”, without losing ANY of the storyline.

Now, from 484 on… it’s a DArN good read. The ‘aha’ moments of how everything came together was BEAUTIFUL, making this a good story. Good story, but regrettably, not a good read. So much could have been omitted without ruining the thread. And this is coming from an INCREDIBLY long-winded individual, me. Easily could’ve been a 5-star novel if my endless patience hadn’t gotten annoyed with the mundane.

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The Accidental Demon Slayer by Angie Fox
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I’m giving this book a solid 3 stars for corniness and preposterous-ness. Okay, maybe a 3 1/2? I can’t knock something because it’s not what I like to read, can I? I do not particularly care for vanilla, sugar & spice- type stories. Cutesy and Demon Slaying doesn’t do it for me.

Plot: The plot and its believability? Eh. I think more world development would have made this a better story. I’ve read quite a few books of “magic among us” themes, but this one was all over the place. And the spells were ridiculous, and I’m not talking Boggarts. Here are a few of them by name: Giggle Spell, Mange Spell, Anaconda Spell (with No SNAKE involved???), Lose your Keys Spell, Hot Foot Spell, Stubbed Toe Spell, and my favorite (not really): the Mexican Food Craving Spell. The silliness for me did not match the peril Lizzie (M/C) was supposedly en route to face.

Characters: This story has witches and werewolves, a sexy but lying griffin (aren’t they all?), demons, a talking dog, and many other colorful characters and elements. In fact, I kinda liked everyone else, except Lizzie. She was white bread- dull when everyone else was burnt-pumpernickel that’s been run through a blender and ended up tasting like chocolaty-goodness once put back together… Yeah, you see how corny and stupid that description was and how much of the (M/C) wasn’t described, elaborated upon, nor developed?? That’s the kind of frustration I had when reading this book. To be fair, I get that Lizzie was a preschool teacher literally 5 minutes before she found out about her supposed lineage, but damn… If everyone is cussing up a storm (which they are/and do), it’s hard for me to accept a cutsie girly girl, becoming a total bad a-s-s and defeating a demon, JUST by ‘looking within’, in the short span of a few days.

In Case you wanted to know: Not that cussing has ANYTHING to do with it. I’m just saying that if she is so squeaky clean and NEVER knew she had ANY powers, what-so-ever… then there’s NO WAY in a time frame of THREE DAYS, this (reinforced several times in through the descriptions) goodie-goodie, was able to completely and fully accept her powers, while being (perceivably) kidnapped and forced to ride around with a coven of old lady witchy bikers that she’s apparently related to the leader of???... and then subsequently accomplish her tasks. The culture shock alone would’ve done her in. Maybe all that this story needed was a longer suggested timeline to be a bit more believable; then the cutsie/silliness could’ve been stomached.

Overall: The writing was done well and flowed nicely for what it’s worth. I’m not saying I totally hated this book because I didn’t. There were elements in certain scenes where I could see the brilliance of the author’s imagination shine through. I just felt that the execution of and ESPECIALLY the development and illustration OF THOSE ELEMENTS were not adequately fleshed out. I do have book 2 in my Kindle ready to read, and in all honesty, after seeing that this book is from 2008 and the series itself is quite a number of books long, AND has done quite well over the years… I’m willing to be a better person and read a few more from Ms. Fox and see just how she has evolved over the years as a writer. As I said, the elements to a great story were there, just delivered in an underdeveloped, vomit of the brain, serving of-bleh. I’m sure it gets better. At least, I’m hoping.

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