Young Adult Fiction: Blood in the Water by Tiffany D. Jackson

Author Tiffany D. Jackson is no stranger to the YA genre, so I was interested to see what happens when she writes a mystery and suspense novel geared more towards middle grade readers. Blood in the Water follows a young girl who is investigating a mysterious death while away from home on summer vacation. As with all of Jackson's books, nothing is quite as it seems, and the young detective has her work cut out for her.

The Situation: Kaylani McKinnon is not exactly excited about spending the summer at Martha's Vineyard, away from her home in Brooklyn. It means staying with a strange family she has not seen in years, in a house she does not know, and even further away from her dad, who is in prison on embezzlement charges. Every night, Kaylani waits for him to call, always feeling like the minutes run out too quickly, and there is too much time before the next day, when she will get to speak to him again. Despite her misgivings, Kaylani ends up at Martha's Vineyard with the Watson's, and their annoying granddaughter, London.

The Problem: It is clear that London is even less excited than Kaylani about her staying with her family. London's older sister Cassie is not too thrilled either, but she is more distracted by a few of the boys her age on the island. Kaylani does her best to get comfortable, even managing to make some friends, until tragedy strikes the island and a young boy ends up dead. With a few recent shark sightings in the waters surrounding the island, people are not sure if the boy's death is the result of a rare shark attack, or something more sinister. Kaylani is eager to solve the case, but the more she finds, the more secrets are revealed not only about the island, but the people she is staying with.

Genre, Themes, History: This is a middle grade novel set mostly in and around Martha's Vineyard. Kaylani is on the island as a guest of the Watson's, a wealthy family that spends their summers on the island, which means Kaylani is there along with the Watson's granddaughters, Cassie and London. For the majority of the story, the main antagonist is London, whose only interests include clothes, makeup, and being able to be seen with her older sister Cassie, who is less than interested in being around the two younger girls. During her time on the island, Kaylani will learn about the history of Martha's Vineyard, as well as the nature of shark attacks, all while trying to solve the possible murder of a local boy.

My Verdict: When I first realized that this book was going to be geared more towards middle grade readers, I wondered how Jackson was going to tailor her writing for a younger audience. As with several of Jackson's previous books, this one includes a murder mystery, but is not quite as heavy as far as the subject matter, which works well for younger readers. There is still a mystery to solve, very real danger to be avoided, and plenty of suspicious characters that may or not be on the protagonist's side. Almost any reader of any age can recall the feeling of having to spend a summer somewhere other than where they want to be, which is where Kaylani's story starts, and then it devolves from there. This is a smart, quick, and enjoyable read.

Favorite Moment: London is spoiled, stuck-up and annoying, and everyone knows it. It was satisfying to see some of the characters pointedly seek out Kaylani's presence instead, despite her being an outsider, and most everyone knowing her father is in prison. 

Favorite Character: Kaylani is smart, and stubborn when she needs to be. Her father also taught her to be observant and to know her surroundings, something that comes in handy more than once.

Recommended Reading: My favorite of Jackson's books remains to be Monday's Not Coming. 

Contemporary Fiction: Park Avenue by Renée Ahdieh

The debut adult novel of author Renée Ahdieh has been compared to both Crazy Rich Asians and Succession. With the focus of the story being on an ultra-wealthy Korean family, Park Avenue takes readers on a journey with an ambitious lawyer desperate to reach her goals, but her latest case may prove to be too treacherous, and with simply too much family drama.

The Situation: Jia Song has just made junior partner at her law firm, which means she is on the right track to achieving her goals. As the middle child, and only daughter, of Korean bodega owners, Jia has dreamed of the day that she could enjoy the ridiculous luxuries she witnessed others enjoying as she grew up in New York City. And while Jia is well on her way, finding success with her latest case assignment could be the thing that fast-tracks her career towards becoming senior partner. It seems that the extremely wealthy Park family is in need of a lawyer to assist in a family matter, one that involves infidelity, possible fraud, theft, and so many secrets.

The Problem: The Park family's reputation is enough to make them intimidating. And when Jia meets them, she comes face-to-face with Sora's (the oldest sister) icy demeanor, Suzy's (Sora's twin) knack for reckless and destructive honesty, and Minsoo's (the younger brother) preference for decorum and discretion, while also not being all that helpful. Oh and another thing: the three of them do not get along. But they need Jia's assistance in proving that their father is hiding money from their mother. Seven and Jenny Park are going through a divorce, while Jenny is also dealing with terminal cancer. It is the kind of case that only a future senior partner could handle, but with no one wanting to cooperate, and everyone keeping secrets from Jia, she certainly has her work cut out for her.

Genre, Themes, History: This is a work of fiction set mostly in New York City, but also has the protagonist travel to Greece, and the Cayman's, as well as Paris, all as part of her effort to discover what the patriarch of the Park family is really up to. It is clear to Jia from the beginning that she was recommended for this case because she, like the Park family, is Korean-American, but she immediately feels out of place in their family's presence. She may be on her way to owning a Birkin bag of her own (a goal she has long been obsessed with), but it takes one cold look from Sora, and a few small verbal jabs from Suzy for her to know exactly where she stands. Jia also thinks back on her place in her own family as the one who did what needed to be done, but was never the priority. 

My Verdict: This is an intriguing premise that kept me guessing, for the most part. And even the parts I was able to figure out were not so obvious to be annoying, or boring. If anything, the twists and turns often threatened to be a bit too much, a few of them teetering on the edge of believability. A few reviewers have criticized the author's use of a narrator that, in some chapters, chose to address the reader directly to offer cryptic explanations and apologies for their own role in the story. And while this was not my favorite choice, I did not hate it as much as some other readers did. My main issue would be Jia's lack of maturity, or, as I mentioned before, some of the plot reveals that I had a hard time believing.

Favorite Moment: When confronted with a former boyfriend, Jia manages to hold it together when it is most important.

Favorite Character: Pretty much everyone in this story is either deeply flawed, or holding onto some secret that could be their own undoing, or the undoing of someone they care about. Everything is about money, all of the time, even when it seems like it is not, and it felt like the worst side of nearly every characters was on full display.

Recommended Reading: Olga Dies Dreaming by Xóchitl González would be a nice follow-up.

Nonfiction: Careless People by Sarah Wynn-Williams

Interestingly enough, I found out about this book through a post on Facebook. Given what Sarah Wynn-Williams' Careless People is about, I have to find that more than a little humorous. In the book, the author, a former Facebook employee herself, details her time there, complete with accounts of misogyny, double standards, and most anything else that makes up a toxic work environment.

Genre, Themes, History: This is a work of nonfiction that follows Wynn-Williams' career during her time at Facebook as their Director of Global Public Policy. After a short prologue, and a brief story from the author's childhood about when she was attacked by a shark, Wynn-Williams goes into just how she got her job at Facebook, essentially managing to convince leadership to create a whole new position for her. Convinced that Facebook had the power to change the world for the better, Wynn-Williams wanted the role of helping Facebook with geopolitical issues. She gets her wish, but what follows are years of watching a company grow in power, while their leaders become more corrupt, and more focused on getting the platform in as many places as possible, by any means necessary. And the author struggles to hold onto her idealism, while also being asked to work an unsustainable schedule in the middle of growing and raising her family. There are awkward encounters with international leaders; intense meetings at the Facebook office(s); and a constant feeling of being in a 'This is Fine' meme.  

My Verdict: This is one of those books I found myself having to read as quickly as possible, and not because it is a bad book, but because the subject matter is so unsettling. Granted, I knew that would be the case, but some of what Wynn-Williams reveals is so absurd and ridiculous, and also a bit soul-crushing as it shows humanity at its worst, and how power and money can become the ultimate focus, especially for those who already have so much of both. I must point out the role that Wynn-Williams played in many of Facebook's nefarious successes, which is something she does acknowledge...somewhat...but only after reiterating her continued belief that the company had the power to do so much good in the world, and that she only wanted to help. Well, the results of her 'help' only aided in putting the company where it is now.

Favorite Moment: Any one of my favorite moments would be a major spoiler if I were to post it here. The entire book will serve as validation for many who have long suspected what Facebook has been up to. For me, there is one Facebook executive in particular whose behavior I found both fascinating and horrifying. 

Recommended Reading: I recommend Babel by R.F. Kuang. Yes, Babel is fiction, and set in a different time and place. However, I kept thinking about its themes of knowledge and exploitation while I was reading Careless People. And Wynn-Williams reminds me of one of the characters that also meant well, but just did not seem to 'get it.'

Contemporary Fiction: My Friends by Fredrik Backman

Author Fredrik Backman is possibly most well-known for A Man Called Ove, which is one of those books I recommended to my mother, and now she is determined to read all of Backman's work. His latest book, My Friends, centers on an artist and the group of friends that encouraged him to draw and paint, leading to a career he never saw for himself, but his friends always believed was possible. 

The Situation: Almost 18 year-old Louisa has what she has decided is a genius plan as she sneaks into a church. On this particular evening, the church is hosting an art auction full of pieces that only the extremely rich would be able to afford. The whole thing has Louisa infuriated because she knows these people do not want the art so they can look at it and appreciate it. To this crowd, the art is an 'investment,' and something else for them to brag to their other rich friends about. So she sneaks in and manages to make it over to her favorite piece, The One of the Sea. It is the painting that is on the postcard she carries with her, the one that says "Miss you, see you soon. - Mom" on the back. But things take a turn when someone else notices her, and her backpack, which is full of cans of spray paint.

The Problem: Through a series of mishaps after a genius plan that turned out to not be all that genius takes a turn, Louisa finds herself on an adventure she had not planned for. Something about the painting is that there are three figures in it. These are three friends hanging out on a pier that most people who view the painting never even see. But now, Louisa is on a cross-country adventure, learning all about the artist, and his three friends Joar, Ted, and Ali. More than two decades ago, the group of friends would spend every day of the summer on that pier, each escaping the harsh realities they had to face at home. Not only is Louisa getting the full story, but it has been determined that she, of all people, should have the painting...which seems ridiculous seeing as she does not even currently have a home.

Genre, Themes, History: This is a work of fiction where the setting is not specifically mentioned, but Louisa does take a journey from the town where the auction is being held, to the seaside town where the artist grew up. Along the way, she is told the story of those four friends who would hang out on the pier, and how the artist was encouraged to paint something for an art competition, the result of which was The One of the Sea. The power of friendship is evident not only in the artist's story, but in Louisa's as well, as she looks back on her time with her best friend Fish and all of the adventures they had together. But there is also the power of art and stories, and the possibility of happy endings. 

My Verdict: Something I love about Backman's work are the slow reveals. As the story progresses, layers are gradually peeled back that not only offer more of the story, but provide more details about the characters, and they are usually details that the reader would have already assumed. So when those assumptions are proved wrong, it is indeed surprising, while also helping the reader see just how much is still unanswered. Backman also masterfully injects humor into serious moments, while not losing any of the tension or sincerity. This book is for the ones who love a good journey, or a good story about friendship, or even a book full of unique and quirky characters. 

Favorite Moment: I love trains, so it delights me that Louisa's journey happens mostly by train.

Favorite Character: Ted is seemingly afraid of everything, which is not quite accurate, but he is afraid of quite a bit. For one, he does not like to fly (hence the train ride), but he is also a bit afraid of dogs, cars, and germs. But he is loyal to a fault, and will do his best to take care of his friends.

Recommended Reading: I recommend Backman's Anxious People, which has also been made into a series on Netflix.