So how did you decide to give me so much love: THE FAMILIAR DARK.

The Familiar Dark by Amy Engel

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars


Eve Taggert grew up poor in Barren Springs, Missouri. Her mother was a meth user and dealer, a hardened woman who had little love for Eve or Eve's brother, Cal. When Eve became pregnant with her own daughter, Junie, she resolved their life would be different. While they might not have gotten out of Barren Springs--and they are still poor--Eve loves Junie fiercely. So when Cal, now a policeman, comes into the diner where Eve works with the worst of news: Junie is dead, found murdered with her best friend, Ivy Logan, Eve's world is shattered. And she resolves that she will stop at nothing to seek justice for her daughter.


"They died during a freak April snowstorm, blood pooling on a patchy bed of white. Afterward, some people said the killer must have had one eye on the gathering gray clouds. Taken the weather as a cue to strike and picked the moment when everyone else was huddled indoors, shivering in their optimistic shirtsleeves and muttering about global warming."


This book was powerful and utterly absorbing. I couldn't wait to get my hands on it after reading Amy Engel's previous novel, The Roanoke Girls, which is one of my favorite of books. It's one that I recommend to everyone. The Familiar Dark has much of the grittiness of The Roanoke Girls and, man, Engel is an amazing writer who excels at creating these worlds that just suck you in and, in some ways, spit you right back out.


"It had happened now, finally. The disaster I'd been anticipating from the second Junie was born. And I had never even seen it coming."


The title of the book simply doesn't cover it. This is a dark story. Engel captures the small town of Barren Springs perfectly. Our story is told completely from Eve's perspective, which I loved, and things unwind and unfurl as she figures things out. As mentioned, this is a dark tale, as Junie and Izzy's deaths are terrible. Eve's grief just pours off the pages. She is quickly pulled back to the horrors of her childhood and all that she endured. We see immediately that she's going to seek vengenance for what happened to Junie--no matter what. In any fashion, in any way.

I felt as if I almost became one with Eve as I read this book. She is riveting. As a mom, this book broke my heart, and the novel was a testament to a mother's love. It's oddly tender despite its horrifying and sad moments, and I defy you not to love Eve, despite her flaws. The book shows how her childhood formed her, and her brother Cal, whom is really the only person Eve has left after Junie's death.

I could rave on and on, but I don't want to risk spoiling anything. This book isn't for the faint of heart and it's not exactly an uplifting read, but as mentioned, it still resonates as a read about the power of family and love, despite its tense, uncomfortable moments. I am wowed by Engel's writing and can't wait to see what she comes up with next.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and Dutton in return for an unbiased review.

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Lucky Thirteen - The "Best of" Edition for 2017.

It's that time -- to look back on my favorite books of the past year. At the beginning of 2017, I set my goal on the site, Goodreads, to read 80 books this year. It was a good (!) year, and I surpassed the goal, ultimately reading 114 books. If you follow this link, you can take a look at all the books I read in 2017 and my ratings. Note that not all books were published in 2017, of course, they just happened to be books I picked up over the year. In fact, because some of them were Advanced Reader Copies (ARCs), they won't be published until 2018.

You can find reviews of any of these via my Goodreads site, or simply follow the link in each entry to the in-depth review in this blog. Happy reading in 2018 and beyond!!

So, in no particular order, my top thirteen favorite books read in 2017...

*1. NOW IS EVERYTHING, by Amy Giles - Sometimes a book comes along and takes me by surprise (in a wonderful way) and that was the case with Amy Giles' absolutely breathtaking NOW IS EVERYTHING. Seriously, this was one of my favorite books I read this year. Even if you don't typically read YA, you should pick up this amazing, powerful, and heartbreaking book. Giles tells the story of teenage Hadley and her wealthy family, who look perfect from the outside. But inside, it's a different tale. Hadley's father works at breaking her down on a daily basis--belittling her, monitoring her whereabouts and food intake, and much worse. Hadley endures it though, as long as it keeps his focus and abuse off her wonderful, spirited ten-year-old sister, Lila. She finds even more reason to power on when she meets Charlie Simmons, and begins secretly dating him. But then, there's a plane crash, and Hadley is the only survivor. What happened that day and why can't Hadley talk about it? Told in a "then" and "now" format from Hadley's point of view, this is a wonderful slow build novel that sucks you into its suspenseful format. I stayed up late to finish the second half because I was so drawn to Hadley and Lila - rarely have I felt so strongly for characters in a novel in such a long time! I could rave about this book for ages (and do so in the review at my blog). Simply put: read it, you won't regret it.

*2. THE DARK LAKE, by Sarah Bailey - Every once and a while, you read a book and then realize it's from a debut author and your mind is blown! That's the case with Sarah Bailey's THE DARK LAKE from Grand Central Publishing. This intriguing and compelling mystery centers on the death of popular yet mysterious teacher Rosalind Ryan, whose body is found floating in a lake. Detective Gemma Woodstock and her partner Felix are called to investigate. Gemma knew Rosalind from school and the case--and the novel--intersect impeccably between Gemma's past and present. Gemma's a great narrator, the story itself is wonderful, and best of all, I had *no idea* who killed Rosalind or where everything was going to go. I found myself genuinely shocked by several of the novel's twists and turns.

*3. ELEANOR OLIPHANT IS COMPLETELY FINE, by Gail Honeyman - Much ado has been made about Honeyman's debut novel and finally... a book that lives up to the hype! I'm so glad I finally picked this one up. Honeyman captures Eleanor's voice perfectly--and she's just this amazing combination of heartbreaking, tough, and tender. A lonely woman formed by her traumatic childhood, her life changes when she meets a fellow co-worker and they save a man who falls on the street. Watching Eleanor discover the world around her is truly magical. The entire book is mesmerizing and beautiful. Indeed, ultimately, this is a lovely book, with beautiful well-written characters. Eleanor's tale will stay with me for a long time.

*4. SYCAMORE, by Bryn Chancellor - This is a magical book: the story of Jess unfolds in snatches and snippets of the novel's characters. Each chapter is told by a different inhabitant of Sycamore. There's a sweet tenderness to this book that I cannot truly describe. It really touched me. It's not always an easy read, or a happy one, but it's a lovely book in many ways. It's wonderfully written, surprisingly suspenseful, and a heartbreaking but amazing journey.

*5. AFTER THE FALL, by Julie Cohen - I adored this lovely novel chronicling the lives of Jo; her teen daughter, Lydia; and Jo's former mother-in-law, Honor. After Honor takes a fall in her home, she comes to live with Jo, and the lives of all three women change drastically. It's just a beautiful, poignant book, which captures its characters and draws you into their lives perfectly.

*6. THE DRY, by Jane Harper - I had been hearing about THE DRY since before its release and wasn't sure it would live up to the hype, but I was wrong. This was an incredibly well-written, interesting, and intricately plotted novel that just flowed effortlessly. Aaron Falk is an investigator for the federal police in Melbourne. There, he follows money trails left by criminals. And while he may live a rather solitary life, at least he's also left behind his childhood home of Kiewarra, where the locals literally ran him and his father out of town. But all that changes when Aaron finds out that his best friend in Kiewarra, Luke Hadler, is dead. The story at its core is a dark one, and the town of Kiewarra is a sad and depressing place: the townspeople find it easy to believe Luke killed his family because everyone is down on their luck. You know when an author just captures her characters' voices perfectly? That was this book for me. I enjoyed how the story kept me guessing the entire time, which isn't easy to do. I was completely captivated by the story and frantically turning the pages to find out what had happened--both in the present and the past.The novel truly hooked me from the very beginning and never let me go.

*7. THE WIDOW'S HOUSE, by Carol Goodman - You know how sometimes you start a novel and immediately know, from the first page, that you'll enjoy it? THE WIDOW'S HOUSE was that way for me. It sucked me in immediately and kept me interested throughout. Jess and Clare Martin decide to move back to the Hudson River area and take on duties as caretakers at Riven House, the home of their former college professor, Monty. And as they settle in, Clare begins to hear a baby crying at night and see shadowy figures around the pond of Monty's property. The book is filled with complicated characters, starting with Clare. You start to realize she's the ultimate unreliable narrator, but are never able to tell exactly how much. You find yourself working and guessing with Clare as she unravels local history and the events unfolding at Riven House. There are parts of this book that are incredibly spooky, and it's quite well-done. I loved that I was frantically flipping the pages, constantly second guessing everything and wondering what was happening. There are some great twists that shock you, even as you're still trying to figure things out in you're head (much like Clare). This novel will leave you guessing. It's crazy and confusing, but fascinating and incredibly hard to put down. It's completely enjoyable and stays with you after you've finished it, going over various plot points.

*8. THE ROANOKE GIRLS, by Amy Engel - This is quite the novel! Lane Roanoke is just a teenager when her mother commits suicide, and Lane is sent to live with her grandparents in Kansas. When Lane arrives in Kansas, she quickly befriends her cousin, Allegra, and is amazed by the kindness of her grandfather, but she also realizes not everything is as it seems. Eleven years later, after Lane has fled the farm (and left her family there behind), Lane receives a call from her grandfather: Allegra is missing. Reluctantly Lane returns to a place she vowed she'd never see again to search for her cousin, whom she has always felt bad about leaving behind. I was immediately captivated by this novel and read it in less than 24 hours. It's not some "feel good" novel, but it's amazingly well-written and just spellbinding. It starts off with a bombshell and then hooks you from there with the dark story of the twisted Roanoke family.

*9. THE WRONG SIDE OF GOODBYE, by Michael Connelly - Picking up a Harry Bosch book is always like coming home again, and this one was no exception. It's well-done, featuring dual cases, and Bosch is just such a wonderful character - I really enjoyed it. (And I recommend the entire series!)

*10. THE NOWHERE GIRLS, by Amy Reed - One of the most powerful and timely books I've read this year, Amy Reed's THE NOWHERE GIRLS centers on three female teens, Grace, Rosina, and Erin, who form an unlikely union and create a secret group to protest the horrible culture at their school. It's this culture that condones actions such as rape and sexual assault and allowed for another girl, Lucy, to be shunned after accusing several popular boys of rape. This novel is well-written and encapsulates the struggle felt by teens and young women in dealing with sexual assault, rape, and violence against women. Its strength comes from its characters (I defy you not to fall for these three girls) and its brutal honesty. It can be a bit slow-moving at times, but it's a powerful read and there's something about it that will leave you with hope, despite the horrors covered, and that's so important right now.

*11. THE LAST PLACE YOU LOOK, by Kristen Lepionka - This is a just a great book. It's easy to read and funny, albeit dark and sad at times. The mystery plot draws you in immediately and keeps you guessing. Definitely recommend this one to mystery and thriller fans alike. (I'm so excited that Roxane Weary is coming back in a second book!)

*12. THE BLACKBIRD SEASON, by Kate Moretti - I'm a sucker for a good, character-driven thriller and Kate Moretti's latest delivers! It's just another day in Mt. Oanoke when the birds start to fall: hundreds of starlings dropping from the sky. And that's just the beginning. A reporter in town to cover the bird story sees beloved high school teacher and baseball coach Nate Winters embracing a student, Lucia. Suddenly Nate is under investigation for having an affair with her and, then, Lucia disappears, and things get even worse for Nate. His wife, Alecia, doesn't know what to believe, nor does their friend Bridget. This is a wonderful, complicated novel that's both a character-driven study and intriguing mystery. Do we believe that Nate's an affable guy or a serial cheater? Moretti is a wonderful writer and this novel is realistic and compelling.

*13. THE GOOD DAUGHTER, by Karin Slaugher - Karin Slaughter's latest mystery--while dark and graphic at times--is a spell-binding novel that will keep you reading and guessing until the final pages. The story of two sisters who witnessed a brutal assault as teens, the book comes out swinging and never stops. A mystery at its core, it also covers the topics of race, social class, and how society deals with mass tragedy. The characters are detailed and fascinating, the plot is intricate and constantly changing, and there are some truly beautiful moments along the way.

Tuesday's Book Bag: New Releases for 3/7.

It's our first Book Bag for March and boy, it's a great one! Four new releases to cover today and three of them are 4+-star reviews - that's exciting! Let's get right to it, shall we?

First we have Cat Clarke's wonderful middle school/YA novel, THE PANTS PROJECT, which draws you in immediately. Liv (Olivia) was born a girl, but knows in his heart that he's a boy. But this realization isn't easy for a kid entering middle school, which can be a heartless place for anyone. What complicates things for Liv is a move to a new school, which brings a stringent dress code: girls must wear skirts. No exceptions. While Liv knows that he's a boy, the school system (and kids at school) don't see it that way. Liv is already dealing with enough, but now he feels uncomfortable everyday in his school clothes. It also doesn't help that his best friend is dropping him for a group of mean-spirited bullies who bully him on a daily basis. But Liv perseveres and comes up with an idea: Operation Pants Project. Liv is going to get this uniform dress code overturned, no matter what. This is an excellent YA novel; I found the storyline to be interesting from the very beginning, and it never wavered. Liv is a wonderful, amazing, resilient young man, and I loved him from the moment I met him. Liv's story is heartbreaking at times, but also very poignant. I see this tale as a must-read for transgender kids, but also all middle school kids, as it offers a wonderful chance to teach empathy. But, seriously, just having this story, and the way Liv expresses his thoughts on being transgender is so key. Yes, a lot of the story is probably a tad simplified, but still. It's just so refreshing to see this in book form. Overall, I loved this book, and I wish it was on the shelves of every middle school (and high school) -heck all libraries and bookstores-- everywhere! Huge portions of it make you smile, and you will find yourself just rooting for plucky, wonderful Liv and his spirit. There's a great sappy message in this book that I wish everyone could read in these troubled times. 4+ stars

Next is Amy Engel's spellbinding novel, THE ROANOKE GIRLS, a completely alluring book that took me by completely (good) surprise. Lane Roanoke is just a teenager when her mother commits suicide, and Lane is sent to live with her grandparents in Kansas. While Lane lived a sad life with her depressed, volatile mother, her wealthy grandparents represent a chance for a new start - and Lane can meet her cousin, Allegra, who is close to her age. When Lane arrives in Kansas, she quickly befriends Allegra and is amazed by the kindness of her grandfather, but she also realizes not everything is as it seems. Eleven years later, after Lane has fled the farm (and left her family there behind), Lane receives a call from her grandfather: Allegra is missing. Can she please come home? Reluctantly Lane returns to a place she vowed she'd never see again to search for her cousin, whom she has always felt bad about leaving behind. But returning only brings up bad memories, and Lane quickly worries that something terrible has happened to Allegra. This is quite the novel! The story alternates between the present-day and that fateful summer (from Lane's point of view), with a few snippets from earlier generations of the other Roanoke girls thrown in. It quickly pulls you in and never lets you go. I was immediately captivated by this novel and read it in less than 24 hours. It's not some "feel good" novel, but it's amazingly well-written. It starts off with a bombshell and then hooks you from there with the dark story of the twisted Roanoke family. There is something completely alluring about how messed up and sick the Roanokes are. I couldn't turn away from them. Overall, I was incredibly impressed with this book. Its entire plot was creepy and twisted, and it was compulsively readable, with plenty of shocking moments. Yet it also had empathetic, well-written characters. It was an amazing dark look at the power of childhood, your parents, and your past. It's a mean and twisted novel and impeccably written, because you feel such a range of emotions for its characters. One of my favorites so far this year - definitely recommend. 4.5 stars

Another dark saga of tormented families comes from Dan Chaon and his novel ILL WILL. In Chaon's tale, Dustin Tillman is a psychologist in Ohio; he's married with two sons and rarely even thinks about the horrific incident of his childhood, when his adopted brother, Rusty, murdered Dustin's parents and his aunt and uncle. Dustin was just a child then, and his brother was arrested largely on the testimony of Dustin and his cousin Kate and the 1980s' fears over satanism. But now Dustin learns that Rusty is being released from prison; his appeal has been granted, and his verdict overturned based on DNA evidence. Meanwhile, Dustin is struggling with one of his patients, Aqil, a former police officer who believes there is a link among a group of drunken college boys who have died by drowning. As more and more things start going wrong in Dustin's life, he gets drawn into Aqil's paranoia, and he threatens to bring down his family with him. This book has an interesting premise: linking two sets of crimes in the past and present, but I felt like that premise was a little forced/falsified, and I never got into the book, or the characters. As a reader, you'll probably find the way it's written either brilliant or incredibly irritating, and I fell squarely into the irritating camp. There are very abrupt chapter switches between the present and the past that are quite annoying, making it difficult to tell exactly where you are in time. Even more, the story is written quite like the characters think--which is fine in theory--for instance, this includes Dustin's tendency to just stop mid-sentence, something his family teases him about. After a bit you get somewhat used to the random sentences that end mid-thought, or the weird white spaces, but it's still strange. Other parts are the story are split into two or three parts on a page and told almost in parallel, causing you to flip back and forth to read each set. I never was quite sure of the point of that. Yes, people in the novel are going crazy and on drugs. I could get that concept and not have to flip back and forth constantly to read chunks of the story. It's one of those storytelling devices that, to me, could be amazing, but just winds up driving you slightly insane. This novel is also very dark. Again, that's fine. After all I loved the aforementioned THE ROANOKE GIRLS, which was incredibly dark. But this one: I just didn't find it that interesting. I found myself finishing it more out of a vague curiosity and duty than anything else. I figured out one of the main plot points pretty on and wasn't engaged with any of the characters. Then, after all of this, the ending is awful and vague, and there's no resolution, and I found myself just throwing the whole thing down in disgust. Definitely not one of my favorites. I can see the potential for others, but it wasn't for me. 2 stars

Finally, in this batch, we have Carol Goodman's latest, THE WIDOW'S HOUSE. In Goodman's novel, Jess and Clare Martin met at Bailey College, in the Hudson River valley, but have been living in New York for years. Jess wrote a successful first novel not long after graduation, but that money has long been spent. He's been working on his second book for ages; it's long overdue, and he needs a new muse. So the two decide to move back to the Hudson River area, where Jess can focus on the book without distractions. They take on duties as caretakers at Riven House, the home of their former college professor, Monty. They can live in a nearby cottage in exchange for helping the elderly Monty with chores. But the setup has its own issues: it's Monty, after all, who wrote a review of Jess' first book that torments him to this day. And as they settle in, Clare begins to hear a baby crying at night and see shadowy figures around the pond of Monty's property. As she investigates local history, she thinks what she sees may be tied to the house's tormented past. The locals say the place is haunted and destroys everyone who stays there. Are Clare and Jess next? You know how sometimes you start a novel and immediately know, from the first page, that you'll enjoy it? THE WIDOW'S HOUSE was that way for me. It sucked me in immediately and kept me interested throughout; I read it in about 24 hours. The book is filled with complicated characters, starting with Clare. You start to realize she's the ultimate unreliable narrator, but are never able to tell exactly how much. The entire story is told from her point of view, and we're stuck with all events being filtered through her lens. It's genius really, and it is a refreshing change from so many novels lately that change narrators and time periods. You find yourself working and guessing with Clare as she unravels local history and the events unfolding at Riven House. The novel is certainly told in the Gothic tradition. Unlike some Gothic novels, you do not have to suspend much disbelief as the creepy events unfold around Clare and Jess. There are parts of this book that are incredibly spooky, and it's quite well-done. I loved that I was frantically flipping the pages, constantly second guessing everything and wondering what was happening. There are some great twists that shock you, even as you're still trying to figure things out in you're head (much like Clare). This novel will leave you guessing. It's crazy and confusing, but fascinating and incredibly hard to put down. It's completely enjoyable and stays with you after you've finished it, going over various plot points. Highly recommend. 4.5 stars

There you have it: some excellent novels out today, and I highly recommend picking some of these up! Just don't expect to get any sleep for a couple of days!

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I think I'm stuck in some bad dream: THE ROANOKE GIRLS.

The Roanoke Girls by Amy Engel

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars


Lane Roanoke is just a teenager when her mother commits suicide, and Lane is sent to live with her grandparents in Kansas. While Lane lived a sad life with her depressed, volatile mother, her wealthy grandparents represent a chance for a new start - and Lane can meet her cousin, Allegra, who is close to her age. When Lane arrives in Kansas, she quickly befriends Allegra and is amazed by the kindness of her grandfather, but she also realizes not everything is as it seems.

Eleven years later, after Lane has fled the farm (and left her family there behind), Lane receives a call from her grandfather: Allegra is missing. Can she please come home? Reluctantly Lane returns to a place she vowed she'd never see again to search for her cousin, whom she has always felt bad about leaving behind. But returning only brings up bad memories, and Lane quickly worries that something terrible has happened to Allegra. Can Lane face her fears and figure out what happened to her cousin?

This book, oh this book. Wow. This is quite the novel! The story alternates between the present-day and that fateful summer (from Lane's point of view), with a few snippets from earlier generations of the other Roanoke girls thrown in. It's slightly confusing at first (you'll need easy access to the family tree at the beginning of the book), but quickly pulls you in and never lets you go. I was immediately captivated by this novel and read it in less than 24 hours. It's not some "feel good" novel, but it's amazingly well-written and just spellbinding. It starts off with a bombshell and then hooks you from there with the dark story of the twisted Roanoke family.

There is something completely alluring about how messed up and sick the Roanokes are. I couldn't turn away from them. The book is great because you become quickly intrigued and invested in the story of what happened to Allegra, but there's also a bit of suspense to the "then" storyline as Lane finds out something terrible about her family. Engel is remarkably talented because we know the secret already, and Lane knows it in the present-day portion of the book, but it's still enthralling watching it unravel as she's a teen. There's also just a pure fascination and horror at this family. There are also periodic shockers throughout the entire novel and several "wow" and "didn't see that coming" moments for me. The whole thing is extremely well-done.

I was extremely impressed by Engel's characters. For instance, Lane is a broken and damaged person who cannot trust or love. As such, she is frustrating with her guarded heart but still sympathetic. She drove me crazy, but I loved her. Engel did an excellent job with all of these characters. Even those that seemed (or were) absolutely awful; they all seemed so real. She also did a great job at portraying small towns and their tangled web of secrets. The broken Kansas town where the Roanokes lived was expertly done, with all of its bit characters and the descriptions of its streets and happenings.

Overall, I was incredibly impressed with this book. Its entire plot was creepy and twisted, and it was compulsively readable, with plenty of shocking moments. Yet it also had empathetic, well-written characters. It was an amazing dark look at the power of childhood, your parents, and your past. It's a mean and twisted novel and impeccably written, because you feel such a range of emotions for its characters. Definitely recommend.

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Netgalley (thank you!) in return for an unbiased review; it is available everywhere as of 03/07/2017.



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