The adventure that began in 2016 with The Butterfly Garden now comes to an end. The Vanishing Season is the fourth and final installment in Dot Hutchison's The Collector Series. It has been a wild ride, and the conclusion will certainly be as thrilling and fascinating as the previous three books.
The Situation: Eliza Sterling has a job she loves, despite what it forces her to deal with. She even broke off an engagement to continue to work, which
also caused a considerable rift between herself and her mother. As one of the newer(ish) agents with the FBI in the Crimes Against Children division, Eliza regularly comes face to face with some of the most gruesome, and also heartbreaking, crimes against innocent children. Just a few years before, someone was "rescuing" children from their parents by leaving them scared and frightened on the doorstep a fellow agent, but only after forcing them to witness their parents being brutally murdered. As terrible as it can be, Eliza could not imagine doing anything else, or with any other team. And when a call comes in that a little girl has been kidnapped on her way home from school, it is more or less another day on the job, until an unsettling connection is made to a cold case, and one of their own.
The Problem: Eight year-old Brooklyn Mercer has seemingly vanished on they way home from school. She usually walks home from school with her best friend, but she was sick that day. And due to conflicting schedules and crossed wires, Brooklyn's parents neglect to make alternate plans. Now an entire community is searching for the little blonde-haired blue-eyed girl, who coincidentally looks like a child-sized version of Eliza. With her own blue eyes and blonde curls, pretty much everyone is visibly startled after taking one glance at the agent. It is these physical characteristics that will link Brooklyn's disappearance with that of another blonde-haired blue-eyed girl a few years earlier, and in a different location. And yet another one a couple years before that, in yet another location. And another, and another, until the Bureau has gone over 30 years into the past. Not only does this bring the team closer to finding Brooklyn, but also to finding out what happened to Detective Brandon Eddison's sister Faith, who is on the list of girls who went missing.
Genre, Themes, History: This is a horror/thriller novel set in the modern day US. Following in the tradition of the previous three books, this one has switched to yet another viewpoint, this time following Eliza Sterling. It has been a few years now since she has joined the team, and she fits in well. She considers Mercedes to be more like a sister than a coworker; she feels like yet another stray that has been adopted by Victor and his wonderful family; and she has been dating Brandon for a couple of years now. The closeness of the team certainly allows them to work well together, but things get awkward quickly when one of them has a personal connection to a case, and the agents all have personal connections to each other. With this book, Hutchison brings to the forefront a cold case that she introduced in the The Butterfly Garden. Everything is coming together, and the characters that readers have gotten to know over the last four years make a final appearance as they all rally around one of their own.
My Verdict: While it does lack the intensity that set The Butterfly Garden apart from so many other books in its genre, at least for me, this is still an appropriate and fitting final novel in what has been one of my favorite book series going today. There is once again a killer on the loose, one that has been active for decades, and while there is plenty of focus on that, there is even more focus on the relationships between the characters: how they work together; why they work together; and what needs to happen when a little girl goes missing, and she is only one in a long string that spans over 30 years. It makes sense to end the series with a case that has plagued and tormented one of the main characters. And while the overall forcefulness has been paired down, it is at least in the interest of focusing on closure.
Favorite Moment: When it is finally acknowledged how weird it is that Eliza looks like an older version of Eddison's missing sister.
Favorite Character: Hard to say really. Since this is the culmination of a series, there are characters coming out of the woodwork, and I have enjoyed the majority of them. So I suppose I will pick Victor Hanoverian, who serves as the de facto father to all of them. He takes care of his team, as well as quite a few of the victims the team has gotten to know over the years. When it is clear someone is not taking care of themselves, they ultimately have to answer to him, and his mother.
Recommended Reading: My favorite of the series is still The Roses of May. As for books outside of The Collector Series, I recommend Sadie by Courtney Summers.
Last year I decided to pick up Monday’s Not Coming by Tiffany D. Jackson, and was excited when I found out about her new novel and today’s selection, Let Me Hear a Rhyme. Set in Brooklyn in 1998, a year after the death of The Notorious B.I.G, the book follows three teenagers as they come to grips with a death in their own neighborhood, and decide that this time, the young man will not be another statistic or name people read in the newspaper.
The Situation: It seems impossible, but Steph has been killed. His best friends, Jarrell and Quadir, can hardly believe it. The spot in Brooklyn where the three of them would hang out will never be the same. Already, their end of summer tradition of visiting Coney Island - a combination of marking the end of summer, and welcoming a new school year - has been called off. Steph’s younger sister, Jasmine, is not only drowning in grief, but she is also attempting to hold together what is left of her family. First it was her father, and now it is Steph. It is while hanging out in her brother’s room after the funeral that Jarrell and Quadir find her, and together they discover the music Steph was working on. All three of them acknowledge he was one of the best. The lyrics he wrote down were nothing short of miraculous, and the rhymes he could come up with on the fly were a revelation. Ultimately, they figure that the world does not have to miss out on hearing them just because Steph is dead.
The Problem: Getting a record deal for someone who is living is no easy thing. Scoring one for someone who is no longer alive is almost impossible...maybe. Jarrell, Quadir, and Jasmine’s plan is simple enough: take the tracks that Steph had already laid down, make a bunch of copies, and get them circulating. Once people hear them at parties, and from the tables of vendors that have agreed to sell them, people will be hooked. They are all both surprised and not surprised at how well their plan works, gaining Steph - whom they have decided to call ‘the Architect’ - the attention of one of the hottest producers around. But the longer they go on with their plan, and the closer they get to finding out what really happened to Steph, the harder it becomes to keep everything going without it all spinning out of control. Soon, all three of them are in over their heads as they each have their own secrets and motives. If they want to bring the right attention to Steph’s talent and finish what they set out to do, they will not only have to stick together, but also do the impossible, and find out who killed him.
Genre, Themes, History: This is a young adult fiction novel set in Brooklyn in 1998. It is a time when hip-hop lovers everywhere were discussing their theories as to who killed Tupac and Biggie Smalls. Since this book is all about Brooklyn, Jarrell and Quadir naturally align themselves with the east coast rappers like Biggie, Jay Z, Nas, and the Wu-Tang Clan. While Jasmine does not necessarily disagree with them, she also would like for female rappers to gain the same kind of attention, and not because of how they look or dress. She may be younger than her brother and his friends, but she refuses to be treated like a child and like she cannot hold her own. While others may find her love for her natural hair and habit of speaking seemingly random black history facts odd, she keeps at it, even when it makes her feel alone, or not one of the crowd. And then there is Steph, the talented you man who never got the chance to share his skills, so his friends fight to do it for him. They refuse to let him become another black teen killed in the hood, and Jasmine refuses to let whoever is responsible get away with taking her brother from her. Everyone handles grief differently, and these three decide to use it to give Steph what he deserved in life.
My Verdict: In Jackson’s acknowledgements, she states that this is a love letter to her hometown of Brooklyn, to hip-hop, and to those who were taken to soon. It is a lovely tribute to all three of those things, with smart and dynamic characters that are desperate to do right by a friend and brother. Every setting and scene is beautifully set, and the mention of the various musicians that were popular at the time will bring back great memories for anyone who was alive at the time. Even those who cannot remember when Mix CDs were a thing, or when MTV still played music videos, will be able to fully imagine and enjoy 1990s Brooklyn. Add on top of it the mystery as to what happened to Steph, and readers are in for an adventure with a 90s hip-hop soundtrack. At the very least, nearly everyone will be able to identify with the feeling of wanting to do something for someone they lost, even when it seems like there is nothing to be done.
Favorite Moment: When Jasmine’s mom slapped an uppity executive who had the nerve to act a fool in her house.
Favorite Character: I adore Jasmine, and I feel her pain. It can be a strange thing to know that what your likes and dislikes are what make you different, and what make many people not want to be around you, but you also have very little desire to change.
Recommended Reading: Monday’s Not Coming is worth a read, and I also recommend Angie Thomas’ On The Come Up.
Since I relish an opportunity to cover a graphic novel, and I adore Rainbow Rowell, it was an easy decision to pick up Pumpkinheads by Rowell and Faith Erin Hicks. The cover alone made me excited to more or less sit back and enjoy a fun story of two high school seniors enjoying their last shift at the local pumpkin patch.
The Situation: Deja and Josiah are best friends...but only between September 1 and October 31 of every year. Once Halloween is over, the pumpkin patch closes, the corn maze is steamrolled, and both Deja and Josiah return to their respective lives as it exists without the persistent smell of kettle korn, and the required uniform of a plaid shirt and overalls. But when they are working at the Succotash Hut, they are pretty inseparable, and have gotten to know each other pretty well over the last four years. But this is senior year, which means it is their last year working together at the pumpkin patch. Deja is all about taking this opportunity to experience, and eat, everything the pumpkin patch has to offer, while Josiah is a little more somber and reflective. Almost from the beginning, this final shift will prove to be much different from any other.
The Problem: For the most part, Josiah is the reflective and over-thinking type. He almost always earns employee of the month, and he takes his duties at the pumpkin patch incredibly seriously, even if it mostly entails stirring and serving succotash. But as dutiful as he is to the job, somehow he has never been able to commit to gathering up the courage to talk to Marcy down at the Fudge Shoppe. Every year he admires her from afar, and does nothing to get to know her. But this year, Deja is determined to change that. She even has the two of them moved to work at the Pie Palace in order to be closer to the Fudge Shoppe. It seems like a full-proof plan, but things begin to go awry almost immediately. After a night of eating, dealing with kids hyped up on sugar, and getting lost in the pumpkin patch despite knowing the staff shortcut, Deja and Josiah's last shift turns into something completely different from what either of them had planned. And they both may finally realize that this friendship does not have to be seasonal.
Genre, Themes, History: This is a graphic novel set during the last night at the pumpkin patch. It's Halloween, and it's the last night for caramel apples, s'mores, apple cider slushies, Frito pie, and pumpkin bombs, and Deja is determined to eat all of them. If she is all about seizing the day and making the most of their last night, then Josiah is on the opposite end of the spectrum, and would be content with simply doing his job as he has always done it, a plan that has allowed him to nearly dominate the Employee of the Month board for as long as he has worked there. Despite how different they are, they have stuck together every season since their first one, and they would not have it any other way. But when Josiah decides to go with Deja's plan to enjoy the night, a plan where the goal is to get him to finally talk to Macy, everything takes a turn no one was prepared for, and the reader is not only taken on a colorful tour of the pumpkin patch, but is also introduced to the various staff members, and even the occasional animal.
My Verdict: So much about this story works. First is the contrast of Deja's determination to have fun and eat everything to Josiah's over thinking and insistence to pretty much do what he has always done, even if it means never talking to the girl he has been fixated on for the last few years. The two of them go well together, even though it seems like they shouldn't, at least on paper. Second is the fun atmosphere and setting of the pumpkin patch, along with the Halloween season. And then of course there are the amazing illustrations, which help to bring across the cooler weather of Autumn, the smell of kettle korn, the fear of seeing a loose goat, the sense of being lost (though not really) in the middle of a corn maize, and the feeling of something important coming to an end. The marriage between the story and the pictures comes out beautifully, and I cannot recommend this book enough.
Favorite Moment: Any moment when Buck the goat shows up, as he has gotten loose and is terrorizing the visitors of the pumpkin patch.
Favorite Character: I like both Deja and Josiah a lot. They both have their quirks, and somehow those quirks serve to balance each other out.
Recommended Reading: Rowell's Fangirl still remains my favorite of all of her books.
Today's selection has been sitting in my 'to read' pile for quite some time now, mostly due to its length. Daniel Deronda is not the longest book I have read by George Eliot, as Middlemarch will always hold that title. Even so, I knew it would take some time, and more than a little perseverance.
The Situation: It is mid-1860s England, and Gwendolen Harleth can only think of herself. She is young, beautiful, self-centered, somewhat manipulative, and cannot understand why there should ever be any obstacle standing in the way of what she wants. She has four younger half-sisters, but completely dominates her mother's time and is always able to sway her to her will. But it is while she is away in Germany that she crosses paths with Daniel Deronda, and the two begin a friendship that will carry them through the remainder of the novel. As the ward of the wealthy Sir Hugo Mallinger, Deronda does not know who his real parents are, and has simply been raised to be an English gentleman, while occasionally entertaining the possibility that he is actually Sir Hugo's son. Always one to help others, even at great cost to himself, Deronda rescues a young Jewish woman who is moments away from killing herself, and makes it his mission to make sure she is cared and provided for.
The Problem: Gwendolen has no interest in being a wife, or a working woman, or basically anything she does not want to be. Unfortunately, her family is in a financial situation that forces her to choose, leading her to become the wife of the awful Henleigh Mallinger Grandcourt, which allows for financial stability for both herself and her mother. Despite this union, she and Deronda remain close, even while Deronda becomes closer to Mirah and her family. This friendship allows for Deronda to learn more about the Jewish people, a subject in which he becomes increasingly interested, much to the annoyance of some of his close friends. As Gwendolen suffers in her unhappy marriage, Deronda struggles with what he learns, which soon includes the truth about his own birth. The time soon comes when he must decide what path he will take, and who he will become.
Genre, Themes, History: The is a fiction novel that first opens upon a scene in Germany in 1865, where Gwendolen is at a roulette table and finds Deronda looking at her. The story then goes back to England in 1864, and explains how both the hero and heroine will find themselves together in that room less than a year later. The first half of the book focuses greatly on Gwendolen, only occasionally mentioning Deronda, and a lot of the time it is only in relation to his interactions with her. The mystery of his parentage is brought up, and his rescue of Mirah is presented, but the novel remains primarily focused on Gwendolen, right up to her marriage to Grandcourt. Once she is clearly established as unhappily married, the real focus on Deronda begins, as well as his new Jewish friends, their history, and their surroundings. More than a few critics have argued that the book's focus should have remained on Gwendolen, as she is considered to be one of Eliot's best characters. Of course, some of these critics would also have liked for the book to be rid of the Jewish section completely, finding it unnecessary. Even so, the book focuses heavily, especially near the end, on the Jewish people, and the general feelings of discrimination against them in mid-19th century England.
My Verdict: It is always a bit confusing when a book is named after one character, but focuses more so on another character, especially right at the beginning. In the case of Daniel Deronda, it was not only confusing, but also frustrating, as Gwendolen Harleth is not a good person. I was eager for her downfall, or at least for her realization that she is not the center of the every one's universe. It was a relief as the book began to focus more and more on Daniel, but it still left things to feel a little off-balance. And as long as the book is, I cannot say that all that much happens in 700+ pages that could not have happened in half that amount. It is not a bad book, just so much of it seemed unnecessary, and I am not joining the critics who believe that the Jewish sections should be cut. That part was interesting, and if anything, could have used more exploration.
Favorite Moment: When Gwendolen is faced with the reality that she can either get married to a wealthy suitor, or become a governess.
Favorite Character: Ezra Mordecai Cohen is *spoiler alert* revealed to be Mirah's brother. From the beginning, he is supportive and sympathetic, while also being more than a little curious (and suspicious) concerning Deronda's true heritage.
Recommended Reading: Eliot's Middlemarch is another one that requires patience, but is a bit more complex, story wise.
The adventure that began in 2016 with The Butterfly Garden now comes to an end. The Vanishing Season is the fourth and final installment in Dot Hutchison's The Collector Series. It has been a wild ride, and the conclusion will certainly be as thrilling and fascinating as the previous three books.
