Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson

Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Many thanks to Casey Ciocca for lending me this book! It is also going to be our Albright College Zoom Book Club for April. This debut is a must read! The book starts with a huge mystery that is uncovered very slowly, rocking Bennie & Byron's world and everything they knew and believed. This book awesomely covers many years, many different characters, and many different plots yet Wilkerson weaves them seamlessly. The mysteries and betrayals as they are uncovered are mind altering---what will happen to Benny & Byron plus all the other characters that will be affected by the truth----too long in coming. Will Byron & Benny survive the audiotape their mother dictated before her death. A must read!


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We Set the Dark on Fire by Tehlor Kay Mejia

We Set the Dark on Fire by Tehlor Kay Mejia
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I had no idea this was the beginning of a new series!!! I loved the narration by Kyla Garcia, the strong and multifaced character, Dani, who must never let anyone know where she really came from; even more intriguing was the inner dialog from Dani as she shed or donned her faces---she was such a winner at graduation she lands the highest role, Primera, to the highest ranking political family while also having to deal with her enemy, Carmen, being chosen as the Segunda (the wife who bears the children) in the Garcia home. I bit my nails as Dani spied for La Voz and at the same time warred with hating and being fearful while wanting to do so much more to help with the movement. The characters were all so interesting; Medio was a place of magic and beauty but there were so many who suffer under harsh government control, a wall, and lives lost due to no medicine or hospitals. I was not entirely sure about Carmen and their insta-friendship. She made 5 years of Dani's life hell, so I am going to wait until the 2nd book and see what really continues for Dani and Carmen. An exciting, thrilling read!

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All Of This Is True by Lygia Day Penaflor

All of This Is True by Lygia Day Peñaflor
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Oh was this book delicious! Using different formats to tell this story of 3 girlfriends and new guy student enthralled by a new young adult author, Fatima Ro, and her first book, Undertow, makes for a thrilling read as author, Fatima befriends the teens and they start a fan club, mimic her hairstyle, and spend time at Fatima's house. But all is not as it seems; unbeknownst to them- Fatima is using their lives (lies and secrets) in her second novel; and their worlds come tumbling down! Teens will love author, Penaflor's use of interviews, videos, magazine articles, and excerpts from second book, The Absolution of Brady Stevenson, to build the mystery and suspense of their failed fan friendship, many betrayals by Fatima, and outing new guy's sordid past. I could not stop turning the pages; teens will devour this psychological thriller! #BookJunkies #FatimaWasHere #Allofthisistrue

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Tell Me Something Real by Calla Devlin

Tell Me Something Real by Calla Devlin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I read this wrenching book for The Hub Reading Challenge (William Morris Award) about 3 sisters and their father who are losing their mother to leukemia. They live in San Diego and commute to Mexico for Laetrile (banned in US) treatments. While there they meet people who come to feel special to them. One boy, Caleb and his mom, Barb, end up moving in and helping Adrienne, Vanessa, Marie cope with their hellish life that has been torn apart by this devastating illness. Vanessa, the middle child tells the story and it is her love of piano that helps her daily to deal with the leukemia and what it is doing to their mother. It is Caleb who is in remission from lymphoma who becomes her lifeline, support, and reality when another insidious truth becomes reality. I could not put this book down, I rooted for the sisters to survive their journey and be "safe and free" LOVED LOVED this book; a must read. Teens will love these sisters.

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