"Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six" by Lisa Unger is Fantastic!

Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six by Lisa Unger is a thriller about six people who go to a cabin for relaxation and to unplug, but encounter foul play that they totally did not expect.  This storyline converges with a second storyline about Henry, who discovers his father was a sperm donor and a very bad man!   

This book was pretty good, but there are a lot of characters and I didn't like how it jumped back and forth between the two storylines.  I liked the first storyline better.  The theme of the book is that our DNA does not have to control us.  We can choose who we want to be.  (Karen's review, 4 stars)

Gerard's review 11/18/22:
In Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six by Lisa Unger, six couples rent a cabin in the woods for a weekend.  It is away from everyone, very secluded.  They look forward to a week of fun, relaxation and making happy memories.  One person wants these people to remember this weekend too for all the wrong reasons.   This is a fantastic book that kept me turning pages.  (5++ stars)

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"Mrs. Patty Is Batty!" by Dan Gutman (My Weird School Series Book 13)

Mrs. Patty Is Batty! by Dan Gutman is a children's Halloween story that is about trick-or-treating.  I thought it was pretty good because it had some humor and suspense to it.  I think young children would like it.  (Karen's review, 4 stars)  

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"The Walk On" by John Feinstein

The Walk On by John Feinstein is the first of The Triple Threat series about a high school freshman quarterback, Alex Myers.  There are two QBs ahead of him in the depth chart, the starter being the coach's son!  Alex is a very good passer though and the coach's son is not.

I thought this book was good and enjoyed the dynamics on the football team as well as the insight in play calling during games.  I liked Alex and his girlfriend who was a reporter for the school newspaper.  I thought the story line was good, although predictable.  The only thing I did not like was ending.  I would have liked to have seen how the Championship game played out!  (Karen's review, 4 stars) 

Gerard's review of 5/16/21:

In The Walk On by John Feinstein, Alex Myers is a very good Freshman quarterback.  He is starting at a new school and wants to play for the varsity football team.  The problem is that the quarterback they have is not only good, but also the coach's son!  I thought this book was good for a children's book.  It goes fast but is predictable.  It is light reading which is a break from normal.  (4 stars)

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"The Guest List" by Lucy Foley

The Guest List by Lucy Foley revolves around a wedding.  Jules and Will are going to be married.  However, when old friends get together, secrets begin to get revealed.  What should be happy ever after is not!  The story is told by various people.  It goes back to the past some but in my opinion, would have been better to be told chronologically.  There are some twists and turns and the ending was a bit of a surprise.  (Gerard's review, 4 stars)  

Teaser from page 3:  The guests freeze.  They stare at one another.  They are suddenly afraid again.

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"Three Things I Know Are True" by Betty Culley

In Three Things I Know Are True by Betty Culley, Jonah and Clay are friends who live across the street from each other.  One day when they are together, a gun shot goes out.  Both boys' lives will never be the same again!  I thought this book was very good.  I was into it from page 1.  The story flowed along quickly and I especially enjoyed all the teen characters.  It is hard to believe this is the author's first book!  Job very well done and written in verse!
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

Teaser from page 10:  It's only afterward that we know it was THAT shot--not Clay's dad's weekend target shooting in their backyard.

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"Just After Midnight" by Catherine Ryan Hyde

Just After Midnight by Catherine Ryan Hyde centers on two women--Faith and Sarah.  Faith escapes her abusive husband, for now.  While at her friend's beach house, she befriends a young girl, Sarah.  Sarah is going through a rough time.  Her mom just died unexpectedly but the death is suspicious.  Also, her dad sold her house without saying anything to Sarah.

This book was pretty good.  I enjoyed Faith and especially Sarah.  I would have liked a little more action though.  (Gerard's review, 4 stars)

Teaser from page 17:  "Faith.  What if it works this time?  What if I ride her and make her look really good, and it works, and somebody buys her?  Then what?"

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"A Nearly Normal Family" by M. T. Edvardsson

A Nearly Normal Family by M. T. Edvardsson is set in Sweden. It tests a father’s faith, a mother’s ethics when Stella, their 18-yr.-old daughter is charged with the murder of a 32-yr.-old man on a playground. Stella and Amina are unlikely best friends since Kindergarten (or preschool). Stella is impulsive, seeks adventure, and is a skilled liar who feels her parents are too controlling. Her father, Adam, is a pastor and her mother, Ulrika, is a criminal defense attorney. Amina is a good student, plans for her future, and likes and understands Stella. They were both on the same handball team and were good players, but Stella quit because she got bored having to follow all the planned plays! This book asks the questions, “How well do you know your own children?” and “How far would you go to protect them?”

This book was pretty interesting although it moved along a bit slowly and doesn’t have much action. It touches on issues of ethics, rape, and family. The is presented in three parts: part 1 is from the father’s perspective, part 2 is from the daughter’s perspective (the most interesting), and part 3 is from the mother’s perspective.
(Karen’s review, 4 stars)

Teaser from page 13: With an eighteen-year-old daughter you have two options: either you drown under the constant worry or your refuse to think about all the risks she seems to love taking. It’s simply a question of self-preservation.


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"The Accomplice (Theodore Boone series)" by John Grisham for teens

The Accomplice by John Grisham is a contemporary teen fiction story of Tony, a 16-yr.-old and his brother, Woody, a 13-yr.-old who are charged with being accomplices to armed robbery! Both are actually innocent, which the reader knows from the start. They made a poor decision one night and were arrested and put in jail. This story gives some insight into the youth court system and also shows how things are not always fair. Theodore Boone, who aspires to be a judge or lawyer one day, helps his friend, Woody, and is instrumental in helping raise bail for him.

This is geared to teens and may help them see the importance of school and making good decisions. I enjoyed it because Theo Boone is a good kid and a main character. It’s a quick, easy read.
(Karen's review, 4 stars)

Teaser from page 25: From the back seat, Woody heard the words he would never forget. A cop said loudly, “Stop right there, kid.”


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"Heroine" by Mindy McGinnis

In Heroine by Mindy McGinnis, Mickey is a young teen girl.  She has had a rough life to this point in her young life.  She is a bit of a loner.  There is one place where she feels good:  being the catcher on her high school girls' softball team.  Her best friend is the pitcher.  But when they both get into a car accident, all of a sudden Mickey's spot on the team is in danger.  To make matters worse, it is her senior season!  She will do and take anything to make sure she is ready to play!

This book is fiction but it rings true to life for me.  It goes fast and the story moves along at a good pace.  Give it a try, you will be glad you did!
(Gerard's review, 5 stars)

Teaser from page 9:  Carolina wipes a tear from her face as she looks down at me.  She takes a deep breath and it hitches, stuck in her lungs, refusing to release.

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"The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise" by Dan Gemeinhart

The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise by Dan Gemeinhart is a heartwarming children’s story about a father and daughter on a road trip. They just bought a bus and drove all over together for five years after the wife and other two daughters were killed in a car accident when Coyote was 7. The father tries to forget by changing their names—he Rodeo Sunrise and the girl Coyote Sunrise. At 12 years old, Coyote gets talks on the phone to her grandmother and finds out the park is being torn down in a few days. Coyote is determined to get there to dig up the box her and her sisters and mom buried just before they died but needs to get her father to go somehow. As her and her dad travel from Florida back home to Washington State, they pick up some travel companions along the way: a cat she named Ivan, a boy and his mother, a musician, the boy’s aunt, a runaway girl, and a goat!

This book is a fun read with lots of touching moments and some wild, fun times. I liked both the dad and his daughter and her best friend, Salvador. As soon as Coyote got a kitten, I was hooked! This book has a good lesson: don’t judge people by how they look and most people want to help others if they can. Although this is a children’s book, it kept my interest all the way. It is a quick read I enjoyed! (Karen's review, 5 stars)

Teaser from page 26:  Ivan, superstar kitten that he was, managed to keep his grip on Rodeo's neck through all the screeching and the leaping.  Once Rodeo had shot to an upright position, Ivan decided he'd rather not be attached to a screaming, vertical hippie.


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"The Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls" by Claire Legrand is creepy and far out

The Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls by Claire Legrand is a very creepy children’s book mystery. Victoria, a 12-yr-old girl who is very smart and conceited investigates why kids are turning up missing, including her one and only friend, Lawrence. Victoria likes everything to make sense and to be in order so I doubt if she would actually like this book. It makes no sense! It has a house that appears to be alive, lots of bugs that are everywhere, and a mean lady who lived long ago that runs the children’s home.

This book started out slow and progressed to stupid and unbelievable, but kids might find it a fun read. One thing I really did like about this book is the cover and the pictures of the tiny bugs on pages throughout the book and on the inside covers.
(Karen's review, 2 stars)

Teaser from pg. 31: Unacceptable. That wouldn’t happen. It couldn’t. She would find a way to win.


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"Play Makers" by Mike Lupica (Game Changers series)

Play Makers by Mike Lupica is part of the Game Changers series. This one is about a boys middle school basketball team that struggles all season after one of their best players hurts his ankle. Ben is the team leader of the Ram and known for his skill, but when a new kid (Chase) who is even better joins another team, Ben gets a wake-up call challenging him to get better. Ben also has a girl friend, Lily, who is the one who gave him the heads up about Chase. Chase is out to prove he is the best and even tries to move in and become friends with Lilly, making Ben very mad.

This is a cute story about being a leader and friendship set in a basketball setting. I enjoyed it, but thought it had a fairy tale ending. It goes quickly with lots of basketball game action which I liked. I would recommend it to kids who enjoy playing basketball.
(Karen's review, 4 stars)

Teaser from pg. 29:  As easy as it would have been to just write it off as one bad day, one lousy scrimmage, Ben knew in his heart that he had looked as bad as he had because Chase was that good.


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"The Gunners" by Rebecca Kauffman

The Gunners by Rebecca Kauffman tells the story of a group of childhood friends who are now adults and come together at a funeral of a girl who was in their circle of friends.  Long-held secrets come out and some truths are told!  I thought this was pretty good.  I enjoyed all the characters and found them to be funny and interesting.  It has a real nice ending and goes quick, only 257 pages.
(Gerard's review, 4 stars)

Teaser from pg. 35:  "Long story," Lynn said.  "Ill tell you later."

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"Grist Mill Road" by Christopher J. Yates

It is hard to write a review of Grist Mill Road by Christopher J. Yates without giving something away, but I will try. Patrick, Matthew and Hannah were involved in an incident when they were in their teens.  Now, years later, their paths cross again.  Will there be a resolution to that incident?  Although this book goes back and forth in time, I did not have a problem with it.  I thought the three main characters were well developed.  Some parts of the book dragged along, but there is more good than bad.  The ending was just okay but still worth the read.

Teaser from page 15:  Mornings after, she remembers only the screaming, not the words.  But even so he can't lie to her.
(Gerard's review, 3.5 stars)

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