Young Adult Fiction: Sunrise Nights by Jeff Zentner and Brittany Cavallaro

It is no secret on this blog that I am a big fan of Jeff Zentner's books, so it should not be a surprise that I have finally come around to talking about Sunrise Nights, a young adult novel he cowrote with Brittany Cavallaro. A mixture of poetry and prose, the book follows two teens across three separate nights, over the course of three years.

The Situation: Jude Wheeler loves photography, and has since he was a young kid. He has a good eye, and it is the one thing that allows him to feel in control. With his parent's splitting up, retreating to his camera gives him solace, and it is the reason he is attending Harbor Arts Camp in Michigan. It is also where he meets Florence, a girl who loves dancing, and knows she is good at it. Thing is, she is losing her eyesight, and it is all but certain the her time as a dancer is limited. When the two meet, they proceed to spend the entire last night together - known at the camp as Sunrise Night - by exploring the town, only parting at sunrise after they make a pact: no contact for the next year. Not even through social media. And they will meet up next year at camp.

The Problem: Both Jude and Florence manage to stick to their agreement, but simply meeting up the next year at camp proves to be more complicated than it sounds. Quite a bit has happened to both of them over the last 12 months, and neither of them is ready to be completely honest about it. When a misunderstanding threatens to undo the bonding they have managed to do in just the handful of hours they have known each other, it is not clear what the next 12 months will do to their relationship, and what their last Sunrise Night at camp will bring. 

Genre, Themes, History: This young adult fiction novel is a collaboration between Zentner and Cavallaro, and takes place over three separate nights, each one 12 months after the previous one. Split almost equally between poetry and prose, with the prose being mostly conversation, Jude and Florence proceed to get to know each other exclusively during what is known as Sunrise Night at the Harbor Arts Camp in Michigan. Since the campers are allowed to stay up past their usual curfew, though they must check-in at predetermined times, Jude and Florence explore the city, ending up at a bowling alley, diner, coffee shop, arcade, and even a Target. As they take turns being the first person narrator, Jude and Florence tell their story, while they also learn about each other.

My Verdict: I opened this book at a time when I was kind of lamenting my inability to find YA books like this in 2024. Clearly, I am either not looking hard enough, or my search method is flawed, because this book is exactly what I was hoping it would be. The format is a welcome change, and while I am always quick to admit my struggle in reading and understanding poetry, what is found in this book is accessible, fun without being vapid and cliched, and the conversation is smart, witty, but also believable. Jude and Florence are two teenagers whose worlds are changing a little quicker than they may like, and they only get to catch up with each other for one night of the year. It is an interesting concept that the authors pull off well. 

Favorite Moment: There is a reoccurring character that shows up at one point during each of the Sunrise Nights, and every encounter is funnier than the last. 

Favorite Character: Jude Wheeler is a lot braver than he thinks he is, as he never would have met Florence if he had not gathered up the courage to approach her on that first Sunrise Night. 

Recommended Reading: I recommend Zentner's In the Wild Light, his most recent solo YA novel.

Historical Fiction: The Seventh Veil of Salome by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Today I am discussing the fifth book I have read by popular and well-loved author Silvia Moreno-Garcia. The Seventh Veil of Salome is partly a Bible story, and also part historical fiction set in 1950s Hollywood, as a young actress is offered the role everyone wanted.

The Situation: The movie is The Seventh Veil of Salome, and things would be going much smoother if they could just find someone to play the lead role. It is bad enough that the director is hard to work with; rewrites are still happening; and there are certain things that the censors simply will not allow, but the role of Salome still needs to be cast. When the completely unknown Vera Larios is given the part, many cannot believe that a no name from Mexico has landed the coveted role, especially the young and hopeful Nancy Hartley.

The Problem: With the sudden move from Mexico to Los Angeles, Vera finds herself in almost as much confusion and turmoil as Salome, the young woman in the movie who must choose between her loyalties to her family and the throne, and her love of a bold but doomed preacher. Vera is not even sure she wants to be an actress, but the pressure from her mother and the desire to do a good job keep her going. Hollywood is difficult to navigate, but having a few new friends close by may be enough to help Vera hold onto the opportunity she has been given. Meanwhile, Nancy is not quite ready to accept defeat, and is willing to do whatever it takes to be a star. But desperation can be a very dangerous thing.

Genre, Themes, History: This is a historical fiction novel set in 1950s Hollywood, but also tells the story of Salome, the woman who asked King Herod for the head of John the Baptist after dancing for him. Vera Larios arrives in Hollywood and comes face to face with both racism and jealousy, but she is determined to perform the role she was hired for. But she also must be willing to deal with insistent and entitled male co-stars, demanding directors, and the relentless gossip columns. Vera, Nancy, and Salome are the main focus, but other interested side characters offer their viewpoint on what occurred.

My Verdict: For whatever reason, I felt immediately detached from Salome's story, perhaps because I was already familiar with the version that appears in the Bible. I was much more interested in what was happening with Vera in Hollywood, as a naive young actress trying her best to navigate an often hostile industry, at least for a young actress from Mexico. Her growth over the course of the novel was executed well, and Nancy's resentment over her career not going how she thought it should was displayed in a way that somehow still made her a three dimensional character. Perhaps Salome's story deserved its own book, apart from those who hope to use it to make their careers.

Favorite Moment: There is a moment when we get to meet Nancy's father, and the reader gets a glimpse into her past and why she views Hollywood the way she does.

Favorite Character: Vera is incredibly naive, especially in the beginning. But she slowly begins to speak and stand up for herself, even against her own pushy mother.

Recommended Reading: Brendan Slocumb's Symphony of Secrets is a different kind of historical fiction novel, this time focusing on a young composer hoping to make it big, but no one is interested in the music he comes up with on his own.  

Contemporary Fiction: Slow Dance by Rainbow Rowell

I am a long-time adorer of Rainbow Rowell. Her YA novel Fangirl remains as one of my all-time favorites, and is one of the few times I have truly felt like I could just read a book for forever. So I did not hesitate to pick up her most recent book, Slow Dance, a contemporary novel written for adults.

The Situation: Shiloh is a single mother of two, now living with her own mother, and doing her best to co-parent with her ex-husband, Ryan. Once a self-assured teenager who was great at making decisions, Shiloh now feels like every decision she has made has led her wrong. But today she is deciding to attend the wedding of one of her best friends from high school, Mikey, even though that means making small talk with strangers and former high school classmates. But the chance of running into her other best friend from high school, Cary, is something she must take advantage of. Sure, it has been 14 years since they have seen each other, and Shiloh is not sure what will come of this meeting. It could be great, but it could also be a disaster.

The Problem: Attending Mikey's wedding turns out to indeed try Shiloh's patience, as well as threaten to completely drain her social battery. But Cary is there, just as she both hoped and feared, and the two manage to reconnect. But has it been too long? Back in high school, everyone thought they were together, but they never were. And now Shiloh feels like their moment may have passed. When she went off to college, and Cary enlisted in the Navy, they promised each other that nothing would change, that they would each stay in touch. But a combination of miscommunication, lack of communication, and of simply not recognizing what was happening has allowed the two of them to lose track of each other. And now it feels like they are starting all over.

Genre, Themes, History: This is a contemporary fiction novel set mostly in modern-day Omaha, Nebraska, but also moves back and forth through time between Mike's wedding and the months after, and when the three friends were in high school just trying to survive adolescence. It seemed clear to nearly everyone back in high school that Shiloh and Cary were interested in each other, but Cary has always been hard to read, and the most Shiloh can manage is to awkwardly poke him, punch him, kick him, pinch him, basically touch him just enough to be annoying. The novel gives the long and full history of Shiloh and Cary's relationship, and how two kids who were clearly in love in their teens, are now attempting to reconnect in their 30s.

My Verdict: Shiloh and Cary's story is interesting enough, and the 'will they won't they' of it all is enough to keep the story engaging while it moves along, reaching back in time while also moving forward at a steady pace. However, the much more interesting story of Cary's family steals the show for me. It is as if the opening band at a concert put on a better show than they headlining act (which does indeed happen), and left the crowd wanting more. More details regarding Cary's family history are given, but I found myself wishing that the book was only about that. Cary's family is given so much background that I would have loved a 500-page saga about them, John Steinbeck East of Eden style. The story of Shiloh and Cary is endearing; the story of Cary's family seems utterly captivating.

Favorite Moment: Shiloh's mother may not have always been the best parental figure, but there is a moment when she breaks into a disturbance between Cary and his family and proves she is no one to mess with.

Favorite Character: Junie (short for Juniper) is Shiloh's oldest child, and while she may be five years old when the novel starts, I enjoyed her overly dramatic reactions to everything, as well as her wild-eyed observations and declarative statements. 

Recommended Reading: I will always recommend Fangirl for those interested in YA, as well as Attachments for the adults. 

Door Stop: Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens

The time has come to tackle another door stop. On this blog, a 'door stop' is essentially any book that is 500 pages or more, and this week, it is Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens. In this tale, Dickens tackles poverty, debtors' prisons, and bureaucracy and red tape in 19th century England.

The Situation: Life inside of the Marshalsea debtors' prison is the only life Amy Dorrit, or Little Dorrit, has ever known. She was born in the prison, and after her mother died when she was very young, she has spent her life being of service to her father, older brother and sister, and their uncle. William Dorrit entered the prison over 30 years before, and has become known as the "Father of the Marshalsea," while trying to hold onto the class and status in which he was raised. Though it would anger her father if he knew, Little Dorrit works as a seamstress for various individuals, one of which is the stern and harsh mother of Arthur Clennam. Arthur suspects that his family may have something to do with William Dorrit being in the debtors' prison, and resolves to find out and right any potential wrong.

The Problem: It is clear that Arthur's mother is holding back on some vital piece of information regarding Arthur's deceased father, so he must make his own investigation, while also entering into a business partnership with a local inventor. Meanwhile, the kind and good-natured Mr. and Mrs. Meagles worry over their spoiled daughter's potential attachment to a young artist who does not make much money, and who is also friends with a mysterious and potentially dangerous man known only as Blandois. Throughout the story, Little Dorrit remains sweet, and good, and hard-working, and while it is clear some take advantage of her goodness, including her own father, she would never hear of going against any of them, and remains a true and faithful servant.

Genre, Themes, History: This is a story of fiction written by Dickens and was published in 19 monthly installments, beginning in December of 1855. Little Dorrit may be the title character, but there are large chunks of the novel when the character disappears completely, while the story focuses not only on Arthur, but also the Meagles, Blandois, and a few other key characters. One major theme is that of imprisonment, as several characters end up bound to their locations for various reasons. Another heavily explored subject is that of government bureaucracy, as the narrator talks at length about the Circumlocution Office and their specialty of not getting anything done. And then there are several characters who experience sudden and severe turns of fortune.

My Verdict: This book is long...like Bleak House long. If there was ever a reason to be thankful for jury duty (and in my mind, there are few), it is because of the long stretches of time in which it allowed me to make headway with this book. The character of Little Dorrit is indeed incredibly good, and sweet, and pitiable, but she is also frustratingly naive, and good to the point of not wanting to cause anyone trouble, including those who do her wrong. Those familiar with Dickens will recognize the style of writing, the fun character names, and the dialogue that often feels to be going in circles (and sometimes it is). If I had to give it a ranking among the other Dickens books I have read, I would have to put it somewhere between Bleak House and David Copperfield, with A Tale of Two Cities still being my favorite.

Favorite Moment: Little Dorrit's older sister Fanny takes advantage of her younger sister's good nature, much like her brother and father. But even with all of her bluster and boasting, there is a moment when even she seems to admit that her situation is not ideal, though she does not do so with words.

Favorite Character: Mr. Pancks is a rent collector who, naturally, is viewed as a villain by those he has to collect rent from, but also enjoys a sort of side hustle as someone who restores people's lost inheritances, therefore helping to reverse the fortunes of a few characters. 

Recommended Reading: Middlemarch by George Eliot is even longer, but also follows a variety of characters in 19th century England. 

Contemporary Fiction: The Lost Story by Meg Shaffer

Reader's absolutely adored last year's The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer, so this year I went ahead and picked up the follow-up, The Lost Story, which was inspired by C.S. Lewis' The Chronicles of Narnia, specifically The Silver Chair. Shaffer leans even more into the magical realism for this story, offering up a fantasy book for adults who are not too old for fairy tales.

The Situation: Jeremy Cox has a seemingly supernatural ability to find lost girls and women. He is known all around the world for the people he has found, and is currently appearing on a documentary TV show as a special guest, which is where Emilie Wendell meets him. She desperately wants to meet Jeremy to see if he will help her find her sister, who went missing 20 years ago. The thing is, Emilie's sister went missing in the Red Crow State Forest of West Virginia, which is the same forest Jeremy himself went missing, along with his best friend Ralph 'Rafe' Howell, 15 years ago. Both boys emerged six months later, mostly physical okay, but definitely different. Only Jeremy remembers what happened during those six months, and if he is to return to Red Crow to find Emilie's sister, he will need Rafe's help.

The Problem: Even though Jeremy remembers where he and his friend were while they were lost, he has always refused to tell Rafe anything about it, who cannot remember a thing. In fact, the two of them have not spoken in years. While Jeremy has become a famous missing persons investigator, Rafe has become somewhat of a reclusive artist, mostly emerging from his home to protect his property and the animals on it from poachers. But if Jeremy is to find Emilie's sister, it means telling Rafe the truth. A strange truth about the magical land they were in while they were gone. It was a world full of beauty and magical creatures, but also incredible dangers, and haunting memories. Emilie is not the only one looking for something she has lost, and Jeremy and Rafe will have to confront their shared past to find it.

Genre, Themes, History: This is a fantasy book set primarily in West Virginia, specifically the fictional Red Crow State Forest, but also the magical realm of Shanandoah. Nearly half of the book is set in the world we know, and the other half in Shanandoah, where evil and mischievous entities known as the Bright Boys cause havoc, but are almost always outdone by the queen and her Valkyries. Occasionally, the book's storyteller will interrupt to provide background, or let the reader know that certain details are being skipped intentionally, or to even give props to the reader for noticing specific details. The book also confronts the pain of traumatic memories, and considers if beauty and love are worth it if they bring pain, sorrow, and grief along with them. 

My Verdict: The part of the story that involves Jeremy, Rafe, and Emilie moving around in our world has moments that are incredibly compelling, and help build the mystery about Shanandoah. The part about the magical place with unicorns and insects with wings of fire is enchanting and wonderful. But for some reason, the bringing of the two worlds together does not quite work for me, and I do not know what the disconnect is. It is like two separate stories smashed together. Also, I will admit to not being a fan of the interrupting storyteller, as I did not fully see any added value in the mechanic. Fantasy lovers may still enjoy the adventure, and it seems there is a chance there will be more in the future.

Favorite Moment: There are two horses in Shanandoah who are incredibly loyal and helpful, and come in clutch when dealing with an enemy.

Favorite Character: Rafe's mom will not let him into her house unless he shaves. But once he does, she feeds him and his friends, and together they are able to deal with what happened when Rafe was a child.

Recommended Reading: I recommend Shaffer's previous book The Wishing Game, and also the entire The Chronicles of Narnia series.

Young Adult Fiction: Such Charming Liars by Karen M. McManus

Another year seems to mean another YA thriller from author Karen M. McManus. This time it is Such Charming Liars, set in a remote New England town where a jewelry heist plot goes terribly wrong, and two teenagers with a complicated past must work fast to solve the puzzle.

The Situation: Sixteen year-old Kat has always considered her and her mother Jamie to be a team. For as long as she can remember, it has been the two of them sticking together through everything. And after a career of being a jewelry thief, Jamie has decided that life is no longer for her. One more job, and the two of them can move on to some sort of normalcy. Liam has never considered himself and his serial con artist father Luke to be a team. And it is no surprise when Luke seems to have designs on the daughter of a wealthy man, whose birthday party they are attending at the family's compound. But what is a surprise is the appearance of Kat and Jamie, the latter of which was once married to Luke for 48 hours, 12 years ago, and whose latest jewelry heist assignment is at the same compound. 

The Problem: The 48 hours that Jamie and Luke were married are full of memories that neither Kat nor Liam care to revisit, but they still manage to treat each other as something closer to step-siblings, even after all these years. And when a murder takes place on the compound, throwing everything and every plan into chaos, Kat and Liam must stick together. Even with security on high alert, it becomes clear that the threat of danger is still very real, and the newly reconnected stepsiblings may now be targets. Kat's past experience and street smarts will come in handy, and Liam is just charming and naive enough to be endearing, but it may not be enough to save them, or at least help them solve an ever-growing mystery.

Genre, Themes, History: This is a young adult thriller novel set mostly in and around a small town in Maine. The majority of the action takes place on the Sutherland Compound, where billionaire Ross Sutherland's birthday party is to take place. There are two narrators, though Kat is allowed more chapters than her former stepbrother Liam. While Kat has essentially been raised by a jewel thief, who has worked for years for a woman who has used a cleaning business as a front for a theft ring, which meant having to move often, Liam was raised by his mother, before her death meant moving in with his scam artist father. The story is similar to McManus' other thrillers, but this time being centered more around a jewelry heist, and moving away from the usual setting of a high school or camp.

My Verdict: No matter how many twists and turns a McManus book takes, I always remain invested and interested in seeing where everything ends up. Each twist and bend in the story may be slightly more ridiculous than the last, but it is never quite enough where the believability goes completely out of the window...though I will say that this book got closer to that point than any of the seven McManus books that came before it. The story is exciting and intense, the setting is refreshing, and I think YA thriller lovers have another fun book to explore.

Favorite Moment: Kat's lockpicking skills are impressive, and they come in handy more often than they probably should. 

Favorite Character: From the beginning, it is clear that Liam knows exactly the kind of man his father is, and even takes active steps to ruin many of his plans.

Recommended Reading: For a different sort of YA thriller, I recommend Holly Jackson's Five Survive. 

Historical Fiction: The Briar Club by Kate Quinn

Author Kate Quinn has become one of my favorite historical fiction writers in recent years, so I was excited to pick up The Briar Club, her latest book set in Washington, D.C. in McCarthy's America, when some of the population was scared of communists, while others lived in fear of being accused as one.

The Situation: It is Thanksgiving of 1954, and two detectives have arrived at the Briarwood House to find a dead body on the top floor. The Briarwood House is a fairly ordinary boarding house for women, run by the penny-pinching and nosy Mrs. Nilsson, and her young son Pete. But since Mrs. Nilsson was out at her bridge club, the detectives must look closely at the other residents and some of their guests. There is the policeman's daughter Nora, who is wanting to create a life away from her family and past; Reka, the older woman who came to the U.S. to escape Hitler; Fliss, an English woman and mother who is somehow always so frustratingly put together; Bea, a former baseball player; Claire, a woman who dreams of a house of her own; Arlene, the one no one likes but is desperate for everyone's approval and attention; and then Grace, the mysterious newcomer who says little about herself, but whose apartment it is in which the dead body was found.

The Problem: The story begins four years ago, when Grace March first arrived at Briarwood House and agreed to rent out the available room on the top floor. As the fateful night of Thanksgiving 1954 approaches, each resident of the boarding house tells their story and how they got to be where they are. They each have their own views on what McCarthy has done, and their own feelings about communism, and they all certainly recognize that the young Pete deserves a better fate than the one Mrs. Nilsson has carved out for him. While they are all different, what they now have in common is that they are all being looked at as suspects, and each one must decide what truth they will tell.

Genre, Themes, History: This is a historical fiction book with the majority of the action taking place in Washington, D.C. between the years 1950-1954. Along with the young Pete Nilsson, each female guest at the boarding house gets their own chapter and the chance to tell their story and how they ended up at the Briarwood House. In between the chapters, the story returns to where it started, Thanksgiving night of 1954, when the police find a dead body in Grace's room. As each resident tells their story, time moves forward, slowly revealing a full picture of how it came to this, all against a backdrop of the McCarthy era and the paranoia of post-World War II America. 

My Verdict: Sometimes, stories told by multiple narrators suffer that fate of having some characters be less interesting than others. What is smart about The Briar Club is that instead of switching back and forth between the different narrators, each one simply gets their own chapter, giving the readers the details for that specific point in time, and then moves on to the next character. Each chapter has its own sense of closure, while also continuing the story, and allowing room for the story to continue. And while readers will certainly have characters they like more than others, none of them are boring, and each detail has a purpose and a payoff. Quinn has weaved together yet another intricate and intriguing story with several strong women at the forefront of the action. 

Favorite Moment: Ever Thursday night, the ladies of Briarwood House meet in Grace's room for dinner, which is how the term 'Briar Club' comes to be. Included in each chapter is one or two recipes that are relevant to the story, and I am usually a sucker for food details in almost any story.

Favorite Character: Baseball player Bea may be obsessed with a sport that I have never had the patience for, but she is tough, knows what she wants (to play baseball, be around baseball, and be involved in all things baseball), and her enthusiasm for the sport may be grating to some, but is endearing to some of the least likely people in the book. 

Recommended Reading: I recommend both The Nightingale and The Women by Kristin Hannah.