The Skeleton TreeBy Iain Lawrence I’ve already mentioned that I love survival stories and this one is no exception. Twelve-year-old Chris doesn’t know much about the outdoors. His parents never taught him to fish or hunt or survive in the wild. He’s scared of wild animals and downright terrified of mountain climbing. Chris’s dad, who […]
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 […]
Jungle JittersBy Lisa DalrympleThis post was originally published in Canadian Materials, Volume XXIII, Number 23, February 24, 2017. Tate, aka the Potato, is known as a pretty boring kid. Nonetheless, when he and some of his grade six classmates get the opportunity to travel to the Amazon with their teacher to help build a school, he […]
The Thickety: A Path BeginsBy J.A. White Kara Westfall is a witch – at least that’s what the townsfolk keep telling her. Her mother was a witch too, although Kara doesn’t remember any magic or spells. She does remember a loving mother whom she misses very much. Kara’s mother’s legacy and reputation as a witch […]
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, […]
Mark of the Plague By Kevin Sands This follow up to the wildly popular Blackthorn Key is equally good. Christopher Rowe is back, but his master is dead. Although the apothecary shop has been left to him, he is still an apprentice and therefore not allowed to sell his wares. He is in dire straits […]
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 […]
By: Laura Ruby Gossip reigns high in the small farm town of Bone Gap, USA. In a town where everyone knows everyone else’s business (or at least thinks they do), Finn is laden with guilt over the misconceptions of his peers. Roza, a beautiful Polish woman who recently appeared in Bone Gap under mysterious circumstances […]