Tag: fiction

With the Fire on High

~ rachelbenzine ~ Leave a comment

Review:

The two most important people in Emoni Santiago’s life are her daughter (two year old Emma, affectionately called Babygirl) and the grandmother who is raising her (‘Buela). Emoni is a senior in high school this year. When her school decides to offer an elective class in culinary arts, she is torn between the desire to improve her cooking skills and the knowledge that she doesn’t have time for a seemingly frivolous class. But Emoni’s cooking seems to be magical – it brings out emotions in the people who eat it. In her heart, she knows that cooking is her calling.

I absolutely adored With the Fire on High. The chapters are written in short vignettes, so it’s a great book to read if you only have a couple minutes at a time. But be forewarned – it’s so compelling that you can’t help but pick it up again shortly after you put it down. It’s a great read for high school students, particularly for those who are trying to decide how they want to navigate life after high school. It comes out one week from today, and is a must to add to your TBR list!

Favorite Passage:

I dream everyday for Babygirl. I see people in business suits on the bus and I imagine Babygirl grown up with a briefcase and a nice executive office job. I watch a TV show and imagine Babygirl as a famous actress winning an Oscar. There’s so much I want for her that somethings I think the seams of my skin aren’t enough to contain every hope I have. And I whisper it to her all the time. When I’m feeding her. When she’s asleep in my arms. When we are playing at the park. I whisper all the everything I know she can be and the ways I’ll fight for her to be them. I want her to know her entire life her mommy may not have been much but that her moms did everything so that she could be an accumulation of the best dreams.
— Dreams

What I Loved Most:

I’ve read several books about teen pregnancy, but they always seem to be about that moment when the girl finds out she’s pregnant and is deciding what she wants to do. With the Fire on High is an empowering story of a teenager who is successfully raising her daughter. It goes beyond the “OMG I’m pregnant” time period to focus instead on what it looks like to raise a child while being in school and working to help support a household. Emoni is a great mom, and I loved exploring her mindset and the way she cares so fiercely for her daughter.

Read this book if you like:

Contemporary fiction, teen moms, dreaming, charting your own path

Book Details:

The First True Thing

~ rachelbenzine ~ Leave a comment

Review:

Marcelle’s best friend, Hannah, asked Marcelle to cover for her. The next day, Hannah is missing, and Marcelle doesn’t know what to do.

Marcelle has been sober for just a couple of weeks, after drunkenly crashing her bike, ending up in the hospital, and being mandated to attend treatment at the Center. As part of her recovery process, she promised her parents she wouldn’t lie to them anymore – so now she feels like she can’t come clean about Hannah’s text that night. But the longer she goes without hearing from Hannah, the harder it’s getting to maintain the delicately balanced statements she made.

The First True Thing is told partially as a narrative of current events, and partially in flashbacks of Marcelle’s drinking days. This is a really heavy book, dealing with serious issues like drug and alcohol addiction, sexual exploitation, and death. It’s definitely not for younger teens, but it tells an important story. People who are in recovery might find some of the scenes triggering, so read with caution. I received an Advanced Reader’s Copy of this book from the publisher, HarperTeen. It will officially be released one week from today – look for it on April 23!

Favorite Passage:

More than anything, I wish Hannah and I both could go back in time. But I know it’s useless to think this way. I am the girl who crashed on the Death Wish path. I can’t be any other girl.
— Chapter Fifteen

What I Loved Most:

Needell’s portrayal of addiction and recovery is raw and real. She doesn’t shy away from addressing how addiction can comprise someone’s identity, and how stopping addictive behavior often means removing the major thing that you identify yourself with. I am of the opinion that getting sober is one of the bravest things you can do. We’re starting to see more books being published for teens that address mental health issues like addiction, which I feel is crucial for helping teens identify these issues in their own lives or the lives of those around them.

Read this book if you like:

Suspense, identity searching, gut-wrenching honesty

Book Details:

Misty Lake

~ rachelbenzine ~ Leave a comment

Review:

After Samantha Taylor’s grandfather passed away, she finds out that she inherited his property in Misty Lake, Minnesota. She’s reeling from his loss, as well as the passing of her brother, but decides to move up to the property and start a new life. A series of strange crimes on her property brings her into contact with Sheriff Jake McCabe. Feelings soon blossom between the two, setting the stage for a sweet romance novel with some suspense added for good measure.

I’m a Minnesota girl, and I love reading any book set in my home state. There was so much Minnesota culture here for my heart to smile at – from Sam’s insistence on bringing pasta salad to a summer barbecue, to shopping at the Mall of America, to Sam’s grandfather’s saying that if you’re going to do something, you have to do it right. The author of Misty Lake (Margaret Standafer) is my aunt, and I’m super proud to be able to review this book so highly.

Favorite Passage:

“Why is everyone so concerned about the fact that I live alone?” she asked, her voice rising. “I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself as I have had to explain to everyone who’s been out here. What, just because I’m a woman I’m helpless? Really, this isn’t the nineteenth century anymore. And, I bet those women were a lot more capable than men gave them credit for,” she added, well on her way to working up a head of steam.
— Chapter 9

What I Loved Most:

Feminism rings through Misty Lake. Sam is working in a traditionally male-dominated industry, and mentions an experience where a customer was upset to find out that the Sam who ran the woodworking business was a woman. Yet she’s absolutely crushing, and quickly builds up business after moving to Misty Lake. She calls people out on their assumptions that she shouldn’t be living alone because she’s a woman. She doesn’t flinch away from identifying sexual harassment for what it is. She’s a strong woman, and she doesn’t apologize for it.

Read this book if you like:

Clean romance stories, mysteries that you can enjoy without being too freaked out, adorable dogs named Rigi, lake life

Book Details: