Hell Bent (Alex Stern #2)

By: Leigh Bardugo
Published Year: 2023
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Pages: 496

Amazon Barnes & Noble

Summary (Provided by Goodreads): Find a gateway to the underworld. Steal a soul out of hell. A simple plan, except people who make this particular journey rarely come back. But Galaxy “Alex” Stern is determined to break Darlington out of purgatory―even if it costs her a future at Lethe and at Yale.

Forbidden from attempting a rescue, Alex and Dawes can’t call on the Ninth House for help, so they assemble a team of dubious allies to save the gentleman of Lethe. Together, they will have to navigate a maze of arcane texts and bizarre artifacts to uncover the societies’ most closely guarded secrets, and break every rule doing it. But when faculty members begin to die off, Alex knows these aren’t just accidents. Something deadly is at work in New Haven, and if she is going to survive, she’ll have to reckon with the monsters of her past and a darkness built into the university’s very walls.

Thick with history and packed with Bardugo’s signature twists, Hell Bent brings to life an intricate world full of magic, violence, and all too real monsters.

First Impressions

I loved the first book in this series, Ninth House, when I read it 3 years ago and have been patiently waiting ever since to read the sequel. Complerely honest, the cover kind of creeps me out and I wouldn’t have picked it up based off of that alone.

What I thought

I did enjoy this book and it sparked a desire to get back into reading fantasy again, but I think I would’ve enjoyed it more had it come out closer to the original. If you haven’t read the first one and want to, I would recommend skipping this review because there will be some spoilers.

Darlington is stuck in Hell and Alex and Dawes are trying to save him. Alex’s past is coming back to make life difficult and she is unsure how far she will be able to go to accomplish her mission.

The hardest part of this book for me was that it had been so long since I had read the original. I should’ve done a re-read, but I didn’t have time. As a result, I was very confused for the first part of the book. I couldn’t remember some of the characters or their back stories, even though I read a review of the book. As much as previous book summaries kind of drive me nuts in series, I would’ve appreciated a little bit of a reminder.

As a result, it took me a little time to get sucked into the book, but eventually I did and I enjoyed the journey. Alex is an interesting character. I don’t think she’s what you would usually call likable, but somehow you still are on her side and cheer for her every step of the way.

Bardugo has created a really good world within Yale and Lethe. It made me realize that I’m a big Urban Fantasy fan, where demons and ghosts and other creatures exist within our world. A lot of what Alex does seems feasible, even though you know it’s fantastical.

I’m a little frustrated because even though there was a lot of resolution in this book, it’s left open to be continued in a series. I’m worried it’s going to be another 3 years before the next part of the story comes out and I will yet again be forgetful and confused.

I didn’t love this one quite as much as the first one. I think part of that was due to my memory, but I also think it moved a little slower than the first. I do appreciate that this series is more centered around mystery and personal growth than love or trying to save the world from ending. I think sometimes fantasy series reach too far and big or get swept up with the heroine falling in love and this one doesn’t. I highly recommend checking it out and still need to read more by Bordugo in the future.

The Mostly True Story of Tanner and Louise

By: Colleen Oakley
Published Year: 2023
Publisher: Berkley
Pages: 352

Amazon Barnes & Noble

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This in no way shape or form influenced my opinion of this novel.

Summary (Provided by Goodreads): Twenty-one-year-old Tanner Quimby needs a place to live. Preferably one where she can continue sitting around in sweatpants and playing video games nineteen hours a day. Since she has no credit or money to speak of, her options are limited, so when an opportunity to work as a live-in caregiver for an elderly woman falls into her lap, she takes it.

One slip on the rug. That’s all it took for Louise Wilt’s daughter to demand that Louise have a full-time nanny living with her. Never mind that she can still walk fine, finish her daily crossword puzzle, and pour the two fingers of vodka she drinks every afternoon. Bottom line -- Louise wants a caretaker even less than Tanner wants to be one.

The two start off their living arrangement happily ignoring each other until Tanner starts to notice things—weird things. Like, why does Louise keep her garden shed locked up tighter than a prison? And why is the local news fixated on the suspect of one of the biggest jewelry heists in American history who looks eerily like Louise? And why does Louise suddenly appear in her room, with a packed bag at 1 a.m. insisting that they leave town immediately?

Thus begins the story of a not-to-be-underestimated elderly woman and an aimless young woman who—if they can outrun the mistakes of their past—might just have the greatest adventure of their lives.

First Impression

I’ve read a lot of books by Oakley and they have really run the gambit when it comes to type of story. This cover isn’t my favorite and I was even a little iffy on the synopsis. To be honest, if I hadn’t previously read and enjoyed books by Oakley, I don’t know if it would’ve made a good first impression.

What I thought

Tanner is in her early 20s. She has recently moved back home after an accident that caused her to lose her soccer scholarship. Louise is in her 80s. Her daughter has decided she needs a caregiver after she broke her hip. When Louise finds out that a long lost friend from her past is in danger, she takes off in the middle of the night and brings Tanner along with her.

While I enjoyed a lot of this book, it felt very long to me and a little bit slow. I think I would’ve enjoyed it a lot more if like 50-60 pages had been edited out. I think there were definitely parts of the journey that could’ve been taken out without making any change to the major points of the story.

I definitely preferred Louise to Tanner. I don’t know if I would’ve liked her a little more if I had been reading this book when I was in my 20s, but she came off a little whiney and immature to me. I didn’t care much for the chapters that were from her point of view and wanted to shake her a little bit and tell her to get over herself.

I did enjoy that the chapters not only alternated with Louise and Tanner’s points of view, but with text exchanges between Louise’s kids, Tanner’s mom, and even the police. I liked the mystery of the story more than I liked the journey and there was a small twist I didn’t expect.

This wasn’t my favorite of Oakley’s novels. The story felt a little cliché and the characters a little boring. I think if it had been shorter I would’ve been much more entertained. I also think that novels with main characters where the focus of the relationship is geriatric and young adult it’s not for me. I think Oakley has some much better books than this one, and while I didn’t dislike it, I was a little disappointed.

The Love Wager

By: Lynn Painter
Published Year: 2023
Publisher: Berkley Books
Pages: 320

Amazon Barnes & Noble

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This in no way shape or form influenced my opinion of this novel.

Summary (Provided by Goodreads): Hallie Piper is turning over a new leaf. After belly-crawling out of a hotel room (hello, rock bottom), she decides it's time to become a full-on adult. She gets a new apartment, a new haircut, and a new wardrobe, but when she logs onto the dating app that she has determined will find her new love, she sees none other than Jack, the guy whose room she snuck out of.

After the joint agreement that they are absolutely not interested in each other, Jack and Hallie become partners in their respective searches for The One. They text each other about their dates, often scheduling them at the same restaurant so that if things don't go well, the two of them can get tacos afterward.

Spoiler: they get a lot of tacos together.

Discouraged by the lack of prospects, Jack and Hallie make a wager to see who can find true love first, but when they agree to be fake dates for a weekend wedding, all bets are off. As they pretend to be a couple, lines become blurred and they each struggle to remember why the other was a bad idea to begin with.

First Impressions

The cover isn’t my favorite. I appreciate that it’s different and yellow and might’ve caught my eye based on color alone, but I’ve seen better illustration. The summary on the other hand immediately caught my attention. I loved the idea of a couple that started being friends as a bet but fell for each other over time. This is the second book in the series, but since it’s a romance series you don’t have to read the first one to understand this one.

What I thought

Hallie and Jack met at his sister’s wedding where they had a one night stand. After that night, they are both convinced that it’s time for them to enter the dating app world. When Hallie comes across Jack on the app, she teases him over message and they begin to chat. Over time, they decide to motivate each other to find their soulmates on the app by making a bet. Whoever falls in love first wins.

Jack and Hallie were so good. They had amazing banter which I’m always a sucker for in romance novels. I immediately fell in love with Jack. I loved that even though he had his personal issues, they weren’t massive. Hallie also had some small issues, but everything felt very relatable. Their chemistry was off the charts. I honestly couldn’t understand how it took them so long to get together.

I also felt like Painter did a great job accurately writing about the world of online dating. The few dates that they went on made me laugh and I definitely understood Hallie being heart broken over the possibility of something more than losing the person you were dating.

One other thing I loved about this novel was that the conflict wasn’t ridiculous and was resolved quickly. I hate when the conflict is a huge overreaction that takes forever to get resolved. This didn’t happen in the book and it made me like it so much more.

I flew through this book. I thought it was funny, light, romantic, and a complete joy. Painter writes clever and relatable characters who I was rooting for the entire time. I will definitely check out more of her novels in the future and highly recommend looking into her if you like banter in your romance novels.

Book Club February 2023- Remarkably Bright Creatures

By: Shelby Van Pelt
Published Year: 2022
Publisher: Ecco
Pages: 368

Amazon Barnes & Noble

Summary (Provided by Goodreads): After Tova Sullivan's husband died, she began working the night shift at the Sowell Bay Aquarium, mopping floors and tidying up. Keeping busy has always helped her cope, which she's been doing since her eighteen-year-old son, Erik, mysteriously vanished on a boat in Puget Sound over thirty years ago.

Tova becomes acquainted with curmudgeonly Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus living at the aquarium. Marcellus knows more than anyone can imagine but wouldn't dream of lifting one of his eight arms for his human captors--until he forms a remarkable friendship with Tova.

Ever the detective, Marcellus deduces what happened the night Tova's son disappeared. And now Marcellus must use every trick his old invertebrate body can muster to unearth the truth for her before it's too late.

Shelby Van Pelt's debut novel is a gentle reminder that sometimes taking a hard look at the past can help uncover a future that once felt impossible.

What I thought

I heard about this book from multiple people last year. They all raved about how it was one of the best books they read that year so when it was my turn to pick for book club I knew I needed to pick this one.

Tova is 70 years old and cleans the small town aquarium each night. 30 years ago she lost her son to a mysterious disappearance and she hasn’t been the same since. She also lost her husband a few years ago and feels very alone. When she meets the Pacific Octopus Marcellus on one of her shifts, her world slowly begins to change.

This book alternates between a whole bunch of perspectives, one of which belongs to the octopus. That’s right, the octopus. I was worried that it would be weird and cheesy, but his ended up being my favorite chapters. We all know octopi are smart creatures, so hearing his inner thoughts and observations was so fun. I wish that he had more chapters because towards the end he had less and less and I wanted more of Marcellus. The other main perspectives are Tova and Cameron, but you do get chapters from other characters’ perspectives which is nice because it helps to connect you to smaller sider characters and not just the main ones.

This book is one that is built around connection. Are you connected to others? Who connects you to this world? What happens when you feel like you have no connection? I’ve read some books similar to this one, with The Authenticity Project specifically coming to mind, so I don’t think this book hit me as hard as it did others. Don’t get me wrong, I loved this book. But I think if you haven’t read this type of book before it’ll speak to you more.

The chapters were short and sweet, making this a quick read. The characters were all intriguing and lovable in their own way (mostly). I think it’s a well written story and I understand why it spoke to so many people.

What Book Club Thought

Book club success! Not only did everyone finish it, but everyone enjoyed it. I think the overall consensus was that parts of it were predictable, but that it was overall very enjoyable and well-written. I’m curious to see Van Pelt’s sophomore novel. It was interesting to see how we had all predicted different parts but still enjoyed it. I definitely would recommend this as a book club pick and I think if you haven’t read something similar you’ll really enjoy it.

Best Served Hot

By: Amanda Elliot
Published Year: 2023
Publisher: Berkley Books
Pages: 352

Amazon Barnes & Noble

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This in no way shape or form influenced my opinion of this novel.

Summary (Provided by Goodreads): By day, Julie Zimmerman works as an executive assistant. After hours, she’s @JulieZeeEatsNYC, a social media restaurant reviewer with over fifty thousand followers. As much as she loves her self-employed side gig, what Julie really wants is to be a critic at a major newspaper, like the New York Scroll. The only thing worse than the Scroll’s rejection of her application is the fact that smarmy, social-media-averse society boy Bennett Richard Macalester Wright snagged her dream job.

While at the Central Park Food Festival, Julie confronts the annoyingly handsome Bennett about his outdated opinions on social media and posts the resulting video footage. Julie's follower count soars—and so does the Scroll’s. Julie and Bennett grudgingly agree to partner up for a few reviews to further their buzz. Online buzz, obviously.

Over tapas, burgers, and more, Julie and Bennett connect over their shared love of food. But when the competitive fire between them turns extra spicy, they'll have to decide how much heat their relationship can take.

First Impressions

Elliot’s debut novel, Sadie on a Plate, was one of my top reads of 2022. When I was given the opportunity to read and review her second novel, I accepted without a second thought. Admittedly, the cover isn’t my favorite. I think it’s much cuter after you’ve read the story, but I don’t know if I would’ve picked it up based off of the cover alone.

What I thought

Elliot is starting to cement herself as one of my auto-read authors.

Julie is a food review influencer. Or at least, she’s trying to be. She has a solid following, but not enough to only review full time. She applies to be a reviewer for a newspaper, but loses out to a rich white male who she immediately decides she dislikes. When she runs into him at a food festival, she gives him a piece of her mind. Her friend records their fight, and Julie decides to post it to point out the disparity growing between food critics and food influencers. The fight goes viral, leading the newspaper to want to capitalize on the publicity and have Julie and Bennett complete reviews together.

This book has a bit of a different vibe from Sadie on a Plate, but it does exist within the same universe which I always love. There is less of a Jewish influence in the story, but it is mentioned a handful of times that Julie is Jewish. I always love a good enemies to lovers trope and I think Elliott handled it well. A lot of the dislike comes from Julie’s side, which helps to make their eventual liking of each other a lot easier to handle. I never found him to fall into the “I like her so much so I must be mean to her” type of situation which can sometimes happen.

I did love the food based storyline and loved reading about all of the different types of restaurants Julie and Bennett got to review. I did find that towards the end it got a bit much and I found myself skimming Julie’s thoughts on everything that she ate as she described it.

I was intrigued by the supposed beef between food critics and influencers. I never would’ve thought about it or any issues it caused, but it made a lot of sense. Food critics are known for being stuffy old men, so I loved reading about how women and women of color were making their way into the industry by their own rules.

Of course, most importantly, I loved the chemistry between Bennett and Julie. It was believable and I liked both of them. I think it could’ve been easy to make Bennett dislikable or make him fall flat, but I enjoyed him, though I do wish we could’ve gotten a little bit more depth of character.

I flew through this book and enjoyed every minute. I like that Elliott balances the romance with good character development and intriguing storylines. There were multiple non-romance related storylines that I greatly enjoyed. I’m a sucker for romance stories that have great side characters who you want to follow on their own adventures and there were a lot within this story I’d gladly read about. While it wasn’t as much of an instant favorite as Sadie, I enjoyed it and am looking forward to more.

We Were Dreamers: An Immigrant Superhero Origin Story

By: Simu Liu
Published Year: 2022
Publisher: William Morrow
Pages: 289

Amazon Barnes & Noble

Summary (Provided by Goodreads): Marvel's newest recruit shares his own inspiring and unexpected origin story, from China to the bright lights of Hollywood. An immigrant who battles everything from parental expectations to cultural stereotypes, Simu Liu struggles to forge a path for himself, rising from the ashes of a failed accounting career (yes, you read that right) to become Shang-Chi.

Our story begins in the city of Harbin, where Simu's parents have left him in the care of his grandparents while they seek to build a future for themselves in Canada. One day, a mysterious stranger shows up at the door; it's Simu's father, who whisks him away from the only home he had ever known and to the land of opportunity and maple syrup. 

Life in the new world, however, is not all that it was cracked up to be; Simu's new guardians lack the gentle touch of his grandparents, resulting in harsh words and hurt feelings. His parents, on the other hand, find their new son emotionally distant and difficult to relate to - although they are related by blood, they are separated by culture, language, and values. 

As Simu grows up, he plays the part of the pious son well; he gets A's, crushes national math competitions, and makes his parents proud. But as time goes on, he grows increasingly disillusioned with the expectations placed on his shoulders, and finds it harder and harder to keep up the charade. 

Barely a year out of college, his life hits rock bottom when he is laid off from his first job as an accountant. Unemployed, riddled with shame and with nothing left to lose, Simu finds an ad on Craigslist that will send him on a wildly unexpected journey, into the mysterious world of show business. 

Through a swath of rejections and comical mishaps, it is ultimately Simu's determination to carve out a path for himself that leads him to not only succeed as an actor, but also open the door to reconciling with his parents. After all, the courage to pursue his ambitions at all costs is something that he inherited from his parents, who themselves defied impossible odds in order to come to Canada.

We Were Dreamers is more than a celebrity memoir - it's a story about growing up between cultures, finding your family, and becoming the master of your own extraordinary circumstance.

First Impressions

I really enjoyed Simu in Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. When this book was nominated as one of the top memoirs on Goodreads for 2022, I immediately added it to my list. The cover is clean and not over the top. I also this the title is cute. So, solid first impression.

What I thought

This is easily one of the best audiobooks I’ve listened to, second to The Rural Diaries by Hilarie Burton Morgan.

Simu’s voice is so soothing and confident throughout this entire novel. His charisma is immediately evident and I would highly recommend listening to this book over reading it. You will also get a bonus of getting a chance to hear Simu sing some ‘NSYNC!

I knew nothing about Liu prior to this memoir. He shared not only about his childhood but about his parents’ history as well. It was fascinating to learn so much about China pre-1980s. I also appreciated how Simu shared the perspectives so that later in the story when he shares a lot of the traumas of his childhood, you have a different understanding of his parents and don’t immediately despise them.

The book spans Simu’s parents’ childhoods, Simu’s childhood, his college years, and up to when he got the part of Shang Chi. This book made me fall in love with him a little bit, which to me, is a good sign for a memoir. It always bums me out when I finish a memoir and dislike the person. He’s definitely a bit cocky, but it somehow comes across as likable.

Without giving too much of a review, since that always feels a little weird to review someone’s life, this book was fabulous. It was funny, serious, discussed racism in the entertainment industry as well as in Canada and was beyond entertaining. I am looking forward to checking into more of Liu’s backlist of movies and TV shows and cannot wait to see more from him in the future.

Malibu Rising

By: Taylor Jenkins Reid
Published Year: 2021
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Pages: 369

Amazon Barnes & Noble

Summary (Provided by Goodreads): Four famous siblings throw an epic party to celebrate the end of the summer. But over the course of twenty-four hours, their lives will change forever.

Malibu: August, 1983. It’s the day of Nina Riva’s annual end-of-summer party, and anticipation is at a fever pitch. Everyone wants to be around the famous Rivas: Nina, the talented surfer and supermodel; brothers Jay and Hud, one a championship surfer, the other a renowned photographer; and their adored baby sister, Kit. Together, the siblings are a source of fascination in Malibu and the world over—especially as the offspring of the legendary singer, Mick Riva.

The only person not looking forward to the party of the year is Nina herself, who never wanted to be the center of attention, and who has also just been very publicly abandoned by her pro tennis player husband. Oh, and maybe Hud—because it is long past time to confess something to the brother from whom he’s been inseparable since birth.

Jay, on the other hand, is counting the minutes until nightfall, when the girl he can’t stop thinking about promised she’ll be there.

And Kit has a couple secrets of her own—including a guest she invited without consulting anyone.

By midnight the party will be completely out of control. By morning, the Riva mansion will have gone up in flames. But before that first spark in the early hours before dawn, the alcohol will flow, the music will play, and the loves and secrets that shaped this family’s generations will all come bubbling to the surface.

First Impressions

I love the cover of this book, though I do love the UK cover a bit more. I have loved everything of TJR’s and added this book to my list without reading the summary.

What I thought

I don’t know why, but for some reason it took me forever to get to this book. I picked it up from the library shortly after it came out, read a few chapters, and then ended up returning it. Partially because I didn’t have enough time to read it and had nor renewals, but also because I was hesitant to read it. After I read Carrie Soto is Back in the summer of 22 and love it, I knew I needed to go back and read Malibu Rising.

Nina and her three siblings are the children of the famous Mick Riva. Every summer they hold a massive party where everyone wants to be seen. But Nina doesn’t want to throw the party this year and her siblings are all going though their own troubles.

This story alternates between the 24 hours the day of the party and flashbacks to when Nina’s parents met and her childhood. I think the way the book is described is what put me off a little bit. I didn’t have much of a desire to read about a party that over the course of a day ends in destruction. However, this book is so much more. Is it my favorite of TJR’s? No. But is it still a wonderful read? Absolutely.

One of the things I love about TJR’s world of modern historical fiction is they’re all connected. There are characters in this book that cross Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, Daisy Jones and the Six, and of course Carrie Soto. Because of this, you feel an immediate connection to the characters you’ve just met.

The flashbacks were much more central to the story than the summary leads you to believe. Learning about Nina and her sibling’s childhood is heartbreaking. I was rooting for all of them and cursing Mick Riva.

If you’ve been putting off reading this book, don’t. The characters are just as lively and heartwarming as every other book TJR has written. The party isn’t as central as the summary makes it sound and it’s not a book centered around disaster. TJR has a special way with modern historical fiction, and if you’ve read and enjoyed her others, I recommend continuing with this one.

The Great Alone

By: Kristin Hannah
Published Year: 2018
Pages: 545
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin

Amazon Barnes & Noble

Summary (Provided by Goodreads): Alaska, 1974.
Unpredictable. Unforgiving. Untamed.
For a family in crisis, the ultimate test of survival.

Ernt Allbright, a former POW, comes home from the Vietnam war a changed and volatile man. When he loses yet another job, he makes an impulsive decision: he will move his family north, to Alaska, where they will live off the grid in America’s last true frontier.

Thirteen-year-old Leni, a girl coming of age in a tumultuous time, caught in the riptide of her parents’ passionate, stormy relationship, dares to hope that a new land will lead to a better future for her family. She is desperate for a place to belong. Her mother, Cora, will do anything and go anywhere for the man she loves, even if it means following him into the unknown.

At first, Alaska seems to be the answer to their prayers. In a wild, remote corner of the state, they find a fiercely independent community of strong men and even stronger women. The long, sunlit days and the generosity of the locals make up for the Allbrights’ lack of preparation and dwindling resources.

But as winter approaches and darkness descends on Alaska, Ernt’s fragile mental state deteriorates and the family begins to fracture. Soon the perils outside pale in comparison to threats from within. In their small cabin, covered in snow, blanketed in eighteen hours of night, Leni and her mother learn the terrible truth: they are on their own. In the wild, there is no one to save them but themselves.

In this unforgettable portrait of human frailty and resilience, Kristin Hannah reveals the indomitable character of the modern American pioneer and the spirit of a vanishing Alaska―a place of incomparable beauty and danger. The Great Alone is a daring, beautiful, stay-up-all-night story about love and loss, the fight for survival, and the wildness that lives in both man and nature.

First Impressions

This book cover is really pretty and has always caught my eye. All of Hannah’s books tend to have beautiful covers. I was on the fence with this one regarding the summary but the so many people mentioned how amazing it was so I added it to my list. I finally bought it when I saw it at my library’s book sale.

What I thought

I now understand why this book is at the top of so many lists.

Leni is 13 when her mom and dad move her to Alaska in the 1970s. Her dad was a POW and has struggled since coming back from Vietnam. When he spontaneously moves them to the wild of Alaska, they quickly learn that the danger of the wilderness and the winter aren’t they only things they’ll be fighting.

This book is beautifully written while also being adventurous and anxiety inducing. It’s one of the darker, heavier books I’ve read in a while and even though it’s over 500 pages I couldn’t put it down.

Leni’s dad is a broken man who takes his trauma out on his wife. Leni is a child who is just trying to survive. When their family is moved to Alaska, they unknowingly find themselves a home and a community. Though they can’t outrun Leni’s dad’s darkness.

I did find the beginning of this book to be a bit slow at times. I also did struggle with reading some of the storylines with Leni’s dad. I was anxious about what dangerous thing was going to happen next and what he could end up doing. I mean, obviously, this means it’s well written at least.

When I first read the description for this book, I thought that’s all it was going to be. However, there is a lot more to this book than a dark winter in Alaska with an abusive man. This book follows Leni as she grows up, discovers herself, finds love. There is also a lot of tragedy but also a lot of forgiveness. This book delved deeper than I thought it was going to and I really enjoyed it. I found myself unable to put it down.

Hannah’s world building is wonderful. I could feel Alaska as its own character. The town of Kaneq and all of the characters within it were perfectly written. I felt as though I was living in the Last Frontier in the 1970s. It definitely felt like it could’ve been two separate books, but Hannah managed to make it work.

This is my first Kristin Hannah book and it definitely won’t be my last. Her writing is beautiful and her words breathe off of the page. I enjoyed the adventure of Alaska and even though parts of this were hard to read, it is a book that will stick with me. I think this lives up to the hype and I can’t wait till someone I know has read it so we can discuss it!