And here we have the rest of my April books! Some of these were really awesome, so you should read them!

Hestia Strikes a Match by Christine Grillo
The Lake House by Sarah Beth Durst
Pieces of Me by Kate McLaughlin
The Cherished by Patricia Ward
The Other Side of Infinity by Joan F. Smith
In the Lives of Puppets by T.J. Klune

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Hestia Strikes a Match by Christine Grillo
on April 18, 2023
Pages: 400
Format:eARC
Source:Copy provided by publisher for review, via Netgalley

Christine Grillo's Hestia Strikes a Match is the slyly funny story of a woman looking for love and friendship in the midst of a new American civil war.

Unionists against Confederates, children against parents, friends against friends: The year is 2023 and the United States has collapsed into another bloody civil war. Hestia Harris is forty, newly single by virtue of abandonment for the Union cause, and her parents are absconding to the Confederacy. She is adrift, save for her coworkers at the retirement village and her best friend, Mildred, an eighty-four-year-old resident, who gleefully supports Hestia's somewhat half-hearted but nonetheless hopeful attempts to find love in a time of chaos and disunion. Let's Not Date a Confederate! Hestia avers as her parents put up a sign proclaiming Make Liberals Feel Sad and Mildred reminds her It'll pass . . . It always does.

For fans of Maria Semple, Andrew Sean Greer, Ling Ma, and Gail Honeyman, Christine Grillo's Hestia Strikes a Match is an irreverent, incisive, laugh-out-loud interrogation of modern love of all kinds, in all its messy beauty. As it fills your heart to fend off despair, it asks the seemingly ever-relevant question: How do you embrace an entire life when the whole world is breaking into bits and madness?

Oh hi, I loved this book. Loved loved looooved. So much that I pre-ordered it so my mom could read it and love it too. The premise is wonderful, and twofold: First, we are hanging out with main character Hestia during her daily life of trying to find love and friendships and such, which seems pretty normal. The second part is, she’s doing this as the country is in full-blown war and chaos. And holy crap is it realistic.

In the story, Joe Biden dies. I mean- the author doesn’t call him out by name, but we know it’s him. And Kamala becomes president. And the Shitty White People™ in the Shitty White People™ parts of the country basically lose their racist, sexist minds. And so, we fight, because this is what people do. I have seen a lot of reviews marking this as alt-history, but the truth is, this is set like… today, and this could so very easily be our today. Or tomorrow, it doesn’t actually matter, because it is so spot on in terms of how this country reacts over stuff. There’s even a bit where Hestia comments that we have really been at war for years, but “we were in the habit of giving it names like ‘arson,’ or ‘shootings'”. Which wow, yep. Basically, instead of alt-history, I felt like I was reading an eerily accurate description of our future.

Anyway, the story isn’t just about the awfulness of the country, which was what makes it so incredible. It was about Hestia trying to navigate this new-but-not-really society (more like, coming to terms with it being so out in the open) and also trying to find her own place. She’s a bit adrift after finding herself newly separated, and finding her parents on the wrong side of the war. You can’t help but feel for her, as she discovers how messy her parents’ viewpoints are, and finds herself back in the dating pool in her forties.

She’s also just a really likable character, frankly. Her bestie is an old lady named Mildred who lives in the senior center she works at. Mildred is the best. She is so funny, and reminded me of my own grandmother. I loved their bond so very much. Hestia eventually finds some other people to add to her circle, but you’ll have to read about that for yourself. And look, it is hard enough finding your People as an adult. Imagine doing it during a literal civil war! Hestia even has to rely on an app to tell her which places are probably not going to get attacked, especially since she lives on a boarder city in Maryland.

The best thing about this book was how authentic it felt. How plausibly this could be our world, and how completely relatable Hestia was as a character. She commented at times about how strange it was to still be doing mundane things like going to work, or meeting someone for a drink while the world fell apart around her, and that is facts. It is also exactly how I’d see the actual civil war happening, frankly, because people don’t want to give up the mundanity that makes them feel sane. Also, Hestia’s concerns are everyone’s concerns: worrying about how to deal with family who have toxic views, trying to feel less alone, worrying about friends. It’s all just so relatable, and so life-affirming. Like, if Hestia can do it in the midst of crisis, maybe we can too.

Bottom Line: As war rages on, this book shows us that there is still a whole life to live, and we can still find ourselves in the darkest of times.

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The Lake House by Sarah Beth Durst
Published by HarperTeen on April 25, 2023
Pages: 368
Format:eARC
Source:Copy provided by publisher for review, via Netgalley

Claire’s grown up triple-checking locks. Counting her steps. Second-guessing every decision. It’s just how she’s wired – her worst-case scenarios never actually come true.

Until she arrives at an off-the-grid summer camp to find a blackened, burned husk instead of a lodge – and no survivors, except her and two other late arrivals: Reyva and Mariana.

When the three girls find a dead body in the woods, they realize none of this is an accident. Someone, something, is hunting them. Something that hides in the shadows. Something that refuses to let them leave.

I love when books beyond solely contemporaries introduce characters with mental health issues! Because it is so realistic. Like- not everyone running from a killer, or a monster, or fighting wizards or whatever has mental health totally in check. It’s just not possible. So it is a breath of fresh air to have a main character in a thriller novel who is simply not in the best state of mind to figure out this creepy lake town’s secrets. But, you know, has to anyway.

So anyway Claire is thrown into this situation abruptly- she and two other girls find themselves dropped off at this camp their parents are making them attend… only the camp is no longer. It’s burned to its studs, and there isn’t a soul around. There is, however, a dead body that the trio quickly locates in the woods. Needless to say, this isn’t exactly the campfires and kumbayas the girls were expecting.

I enjoyed how the girls had to rely on each others’ strengths to survive. Where one lacked knowledge or ability, another picked up the slack. They grew to trust each other, which was nice, and Claire had the chance to build some bonds. I mean- not in the ideal situation, mind, but still. The author definitely nailed the atmosphere, as this place feels very desolate and eerie. I loved the survival aspect, and the stakes definitely felt appropriately high.

There is a potential paranormal entity at play, and that part wasn’t my favorite, but that is probably more of a personal preference. I also really liked that the author tied up the story, and gave the reader the answers they were looking forward to finding out.

Bottom Line: Atmospheric with a great focus on female strength and friendship, this is definitely a unique survival thriller!

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Pieces of Me by Kate McLaughlin
Published by Wednesday Books on April 18, 2023
Pages: 368
Format:eARC
Source:Copy provided by publisher for review, via Netgalley

The next gut-punching, compulsively readable Kate McLaughlin novel, about a girl finding strength in not being alone.

When eighteen-year-old Dylan wakes up, she’s in an apartment she doesn’t recognize. The other people there seem to know her, but she doesn't know them – not even the pretty, chiseled boy who tells her his name is Connor. A voice inside her head keeps saying that everything is okay, but Dylan can’t help but freak out. Especially when she borrows Connor’s phone to call home and realizes she’s been missing for three days.

Dylan has lost time before, but never like this.

Soon after, Dylan is diagnosed with Dissociative Identity Disorder, and must grapple not only with the many people currently crammed inside her head, but that a secret from her past so terrible she’s blocked it out has put them there. Her only distraction is a budding new relationship with Connor. But as she gets closer to finding out the truth, Dylan wonders: will it heal her or fracture her further?

TW at start of book: “Some of the thematic material within contains discussions of suicide, child abuse/sexual assault, and alcohol abuse, as well as mentions of vaping, smoking, and sex.”

Okay let’s get this out of the way: I have no idea whether this is accurate rep of  Dissociative Identity Disorder. I just don’t. The author’s note clearly states that she did a ton of research, but I do not think this is #ownvoices. So. Do with that what you will, I am just going to comment on my thoughts on the story as a whole. Which I thought was quite well done.

We first encounter Dylan, who is legit missing huge chunks of time. Like- she wakes up and days have passed, and she is scared, because of course she is. And so begins her journey into figuring out if she has Dissociative Identity Disorder. Actually, I feel like a pretty decent chunk of time is spent for Dylan figuring out that she does have the disorder, and finding the appropriate treatment avenues. But I did really love how heavily this book leaned into how important it is to find the proper mental health treatments. Because that can be a journey in itself, and I was really glad that this book highlighted that.

There is also an element of Dylan’s past, one that she can’t totally remember, which is likely being blocked by her alternate… erm, fellow brain dwellers? I don’t know the exact proper terminology, so work with me. Anyway, I had a feeling that I knew exactly what that element was (and I happened to be correct) but that is more Dylan’s journey than the reader’s regardless. I really loved how Dylan had some wonderful people in her life who she could lean on, people who loved her no matter her mental health status. This book did a fabulous job destigmatizing DID and mental illness in general, so I am putting that firmly in the win column.

Basically, the story boils down to Dylan learning to accept herself for who she is, all the parts of her, past and present. It’s not easy, especially when she is not always in control of her mind and body, but she seeks the help she needs at every turn, with the support of her wonderful family and friends, and that is pretty great in itself.

Bottom Line: While I can’t comment on the rep, this book did a phenomenal job of removing the stigma around mental illness while also encouraging readers to seek help to be their best selves. That is an absolute win in itself for me, bonus points for the great story.

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The Cherished by Patricia Ward
Published by HarperTeen on April 18, 2023
Pages: 336
Format:eARC
Source:Copy provided by publisher for review, via Netgalley

For fans of Claire Legrand, Rory Power, and Danielle Vega comes a visceral horror thriller in the vein of Midsommar, as one girl inherits a mysterious house from her estranged grandmother—and a letter with sinister instructions.

Jo never expected to be placed in her absent grandmother’s will—let alone be left her house, her land, and a letter with mysterious demands.
Upon arriving at the inherited property, things are even more strange.

The tenants mentioned in the letter are odd, just slightly…off. Jo feels something dark and decrepit in the old shack behind the house. And the things that her father used to talk about, his delusions… Why is Jo starting to believe they might be real?

But what Jo fears most is the letter from her grandmother. Because if it’s true, then Jo belongs here, in this strange place. And she has no choice but to stay.

With a deadly enemy that cannot be seen, a world that may only be unlocked by a chosen few, and a chilling past that must be unearthed at any cost, The Cherished is an original, hypnotizing contemporary horror—one that will thrill readers of White Smoke, Wilder Girls, and The Hazel Wood.

Based on the reviews I’d seen on Goodreads, I was ready to be positively appalled by this book. But… I really have no idea what the hate is about? I mean, it’s not my new favorite or anything, but nor does it have me outraged either. I will say, there were a few moments where I was like “wait are you really using this very racially insensitive term in 2023?” and I agree, that is not acceptable. But it was also one or two instances, and I really am holding out hope that they get edited out of the final version. Someone read it and let me know. Or I will use this as an excuse to shuffle over to B&N to check for myself, even better!

What I Liked:

• The concept was actually pretty interesting. There are a lot of questions that the reader is going to want the answer to, from the start. Why’s Grandma leaving Jo this house? Why was she being so extra about it? Why is Jo’s family so against it? Intriguing, right?
• I was definitely invested enough to want to know what was happening. Frankly, I wanted to know what this place was all about! Not just the house, but the whole town seemed iffy, and I definitely wanted to know why!
• I liked that family dynamics were very much at play. I loved that we were being let in on both deep-seated family secrets from years gone by as well as dealing with the relationship that Jo currently had with her mom.
• It’s fast paced and quite readable. I mean look, it’s short and sweet, and the mystery is pretty compelling, so. I am always here for a book like that.

What I Struggled With:

• I felt no connection to the main character. I mean, this is fairly self-explanatory, yes? I didn’t really dislike Jo or anything, she was fine. She just… didn’t have a huge effect on me one way or another? It was almost like I was being told about her, but I wasn’t really getting the emotions behind that. I think had it been told in first person, some of that could have been resolved. But alas.
• It required a pretty sizable suspension of disbelief. This is likely at least partly on me, because I am not always so good with the supernatural/paranormal, but if you are more able to “go with it” than I am, this may be less of an issue for you.
• The aforementioned insensitive comments. Again, this one kind of speaks for itself. See above.

Bottom Line: It’s not without issues, but it is also a pretty fun and entertaining mystery/thriller.

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The Other Side of Infinity by Joan F. Smith
Published by Feiwel & Friends on April 25, 2023
Pages: 336
Format:eARC
Source:Copy provided by publisher for review, via Netgalley

They Both Die at the End meets The Butterfly Effect in this YA novel by Joan F. Smith, where a teen uses her gift of foreknowledge to help a lifeguard save a drowning man—only to discover that her actions have suddenly put his life at risk.

It was supposed to be an ordinary day at the pool, but when lifeguard Nick hesitates during a save, seventeen-year-old December uses her gift of foreknowledge to rescue the drowning man instead. The action comes at a cost. Not only will Nick and December fall in love, but also, she envisions that his own life is now at risk. The other problem? They’re basically strangers.

December embarks on a mission to save Nick’s life, and to experience what it feels like to fall in love—something she’d formerly known she’d never do. Nick, battling the shame of screwing up the rescue when he’s heralded as a community hero, resolves to make up for his inaction by doing December a major solid and searching for her mother, who went missing nine years ago.

As they grow closer, December’s gift starts playing tricks, and Nick’s family gets closer to an ugly truth about him. They both must learn what it really means to be a hero before time runs out.

I really enjoyed most of this story. It was emotional, and unique, and heartfelt. But then the ending happened, and I hated it. Like- not just “not my cup of tea” hated it, but kind of made me wonder why the heck I had read the book? The thing was, it probably would have been a “not my cup of tea” ending, but there ended up being a lot of threads that just… didn’t come together with the ending being as it was. I can’t say more than that, for the obvious reasons, but yeah.

Let’s talk about all the good, though. Because please don’t misunderstand, this book was really good until I got mad. And maybe you will like the way it ended! We meet two main characters in this story. Nick is a lifeguard who is actually terrible at saving lives, and December is a girl who can see people’s entire pasts and futures for some reason. Their paths cross when Nick fails to save Mr. Beloved Teacher (I don’t recall his actual name, sue me), and December steps up to the plate, saving him. She’s never been able to change her visions before, but upon changing Mr. Man’s fate, she sees a new one for Nick- his untimely demise, but also, their love story.

So yeah, the premise is pretty great, right? And it was! I adored December, even though her name kept confusing me and I thought we were suddenly in the month of December during many chapters. I digress. Nick was a wonderful character in his own right. I also adored the focus on all the relationships in their lives, especially the family bonds. Of course the story was emotional in sad ways, but also in really heartwarming ways too. Basically, I was loving every single thing about this story. Which is why I am only docking a star for the ending.

This is not actually a spoiler but if you’re anything like me you do not like to know anything at all about endings so I put it in spoiler tags just in case. View Spoiler »Here’s the thing about the ending. It wasn’t even that the ending itself didn’t fit the story- it did, even though it made me a little stabby, I could have lived with it. It was more… more the abruptness that irritated me, and the way that it made certain aspects of the story not make a lot of sense anymore. I can’t/won’t say more but. Yeah. « Hide Spoiler

Bottom Line: I loved this book right up until the end. And even so, I still highly recommend it for all its heartwarmingly and heartbreakingly wonderful bits.

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In the Lives of Puppets by T.J. Klune
Published by Tor Books on April 25, 2023
Pages: 432
Format:eARC
Source:Copy provided by publisher for review, via Netgalley

In a strange little home built into the branches of a grove of trees, live three robots--fatherly inventor android Giovanni Lawson, a pleasantly sadistic nurse machine, and a small vacuum desperate for love and attention. Victor Lawson, a human, lives there too. They're a family, hidden and safe.

The day Vic salvages and repairs an unfamiliar android labelled "HAP," he learns of a shared dark past between Hap and Gio-a past spent hunting humans.

When Hap unwittingly alerts robots from Gio's former life to their whereabouts, the family is no longer hidden and safe. Gio is captured and taken back to his old laboratory in the City of Electric Dreams. So together, the rest of Vic's assembled family must journey across an unforgiving and otherworldly country to rescue Gio from decommission, or worse, reprogramming.

Along the way to save Gio, amid conflicted feelings of betrayal and affection for Hap, Vic must decide for himself: Can he accept love with strings attached?
Author TJ Klune invites you deep into the heart of a peculiar forest and on the extraordinary journey of a family assembled from spare parts.

This is my second TJ Klune book, and what we have learned here is that he can write amazing characters like no other. While I wasn’t as enthralled by the story as I was Under the Whispering Door, I still fell completely in love with the characters. They are just… delightful. There is really no other way to put it. Even the more villainous characters are splendid. Genuinely, loved them all.

The story itself moved a little slowly, but I loved that it was centered on human Vic trying to locate his father, Gio. He has help from his robot friends: a vacuum named Rambo who is anxious and innocent and loyal and wonderful, a nursebot named Nurse Ratched who is delightfully sarcastic and a self-described potential sociopath, and Hap, who the group rescued from near-death. I mean, you want to read about them, right? You do, I promise, you really do.

As they go on their adventure, I did wish I knew a little bit more about the world and what was happening around them. The basic gist is certainly made clear, but I am a sucker for knowing all the things, so. Regardless, I would follow this band of misfits literally anywhere, so I was happy to make the journey with them. They encounter some… less desirable folks along the way, but they still have their own special wit and charm, even if you want to dismember them.

The story is very focused on finding oneself, determining what you want to do with the chances you have. I always like that! I probably would have liked a bit more action, but I certainly enjoyed following these amazing characters on their messed up way! It has a perfect blend of heartwarming and humorous bits, which I also loved.

Bottom Line: It’s an extremely character-driven novel, which is totally fine because the characters are the actual best.

Have you read any of these books? Plan to? Let us chat about them!