by Janie Chang Dragon Springs Road by B.C. author Janie Chang combines historical fiction and fantasy to present a coming of age story for a Eurasian girl named Jialing. Jialing is abandoned by her mother and taken on as a bond slave by the Yang family. She develops a friendship of sorts with the family’s […]
Minds of WinterBy Ed O’Loughlin In 1845, the Erebus, an Arctic exploration vessel captained by Sir John Franklin was lost to the harsh conditions of the North. Neither man nor artifact was ever recovered from this expedition and there has been much speculation about what happened to the ship and its crew. However, historians […]
by Heidi HeiligNix has spent her life sailing aboard her father’s ship, the Temptation. It’s not your average boat, though. As a Navigator, Nix’s father can steer the Temptation through space and time. As long as he has a map, he can take them there – even fantastical, supposedly imaginary places. Nix has spent […]
by Adam SilveraGriffin is a sixteen-year-old boy suffering in the aftermath of the loss of his ex-boyfriend Theo, who has just died in a drowning accident in California. On top of grieving the death of his first love, Griffin is also struggling with worsening symptoms of his OCD, the deterioration of his friendship with another […]
Killer InstinctBy S.E. GreenWhat would you do if you had urges to kill? How would you feel if a local serial killer was sending you morbid messages? Most of us would be horrified, not Lane, the protagonist of Killer Instinct, book one of the Killer Instinct series by S.E. Green.Lane spends her days keeping up […]
Don’t I Know You?by Marni Jackson There is a slightly surreal quality to Marni Jackson’s debut novel, Don’t I Know You? A novel broken into short stories, each one following Rose McEwan’s life from 16-60. These stories go through Rose’s life chronologically, and each one contains a pop culture figure as a central character role […]
by E. K. JohnstonExit, Pursued by a Bear is a worthy successor to Laurie Halse Anderson’s seminal novel Speak. In Speak, Melinda Sordino was so traumatised by her assault that she was unable to even say the words “I was raped,” to herself, much less out loud for months afterwards. Hermione Winters, the protagonist of Exit, […]
The Husband’s SecretThe Husband’s Secret by Liane Moriarty The Husband’s Secret was an unexpected choice for me as I don’t usually seek out mystery, and am always wary of it getting too dark and creepy. Luckily Liane Moriarty filled the bill on a great, suspenseful read. A mysterious sealed letter from her husband- to […]
By Sophie Kinsella Sophie Kinsella, of the Shopaholic series fame, brings us this account of Audrey, a teen suffering from anxiety as the result of some sort of traumatic event (we don’t know what) that has sent her into darkness and despair. She is unable to leave her house, or go to school, or talk […]
The Sisters Brothers By Patrick DeWitt Patrick DeWitt’s The Sisters Brothers is an old western with a modern twist. Even if you don’t like westerns (like me), you might like this one. Hilarious and grotesque at the same time, The Sisters Brothers is surprisingly funny and doesn’t shy away from a bit of self-reflection. The […]