"When the Men Were Gone" by Marjorie Herrera Lewis

When the Men Were Gone by Marjorie Herrera Lewis is based on a true story that is inspiring.  In fact, it even inspired the author to give coaching football a try!  Brownwood, a small Texas town during WW II was on the verge of canceling their High School football season because they did not have a coach.  Tylene, a former English teacher and now assistant principal at the High School loved football and what it meant to the town.  She also hated to see the season canceled, knowing the then some of the seniors may drop out to enlist.  She began her search for a coach and found herself stepping into the role!  A lady football coach was unheard of in the 1940s, but Tylene ignored the insults and proved she knew the game and could play!

I enjoyed this book very much.  I really liked the football parts and how Tylene and Moose interacted with the players and how she convinced the men she could be the coach.  I give this 4 stars because I would have liked to have had more football games than just one.  This is a quick read and I was sad to see it end.
(Karen's review, 4 stars)


Gerard's review:
When the Men Were Gone by Marjorie Herrera Lewis is based on a true story.  In the early 1940s, in a small town in Texas, it's time for high school football.  It is the place to be on Friday nights!  But, with the men of fighting the war, somebody needs to step up to coach the team.  With no one coming forward, it looks like the season will be called off until a woman steps up!  How will that go over?

I enjoyed this book very much.  Tylene was a great character and rally carried the book.  The story line rang very true in this quick read.
(5 stars)

Teaser from page 3:  "When are you going to call the shots out there, Tylene?"  Mr. Periwinkle asked.
      "I'll go down there right now if they'll let me," I said.
      My father turned to the men.  "Don't kid yourselves.  She might just take over before the second half."

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"One of Us" by Craig DiLouie

One of Us by Craig DiLouie is about a bunch of children who were born with extreme genetic mutations.  They are kept in a home, but this is not a happy home to say the least!  They want that to change.  I thought this book was okay.  The story line was told pretty well; however, some parts did not hold my interest.
(Gerard's review, 4 stars)

Teaser from page 62:  "You creepers keep away from normal kids, you hear.  Next time, there won't be no warning.  I'll just take off my belt and get to whuppin'.  Understand?"

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"The Last Straw" by Ed Duncan is Full of Violence

The Last Straw by Ed Duncan is adult fiction with several story lines and several main characters.  First is the story line of why a Chicago crime boss is ordering a hit on a teenage girl who witnessed a car jacking in which the driver was killed.  The other is about the relationship between Paul (a well-respected lawyer and friend of the witness's family) and a hit man named Rico.  There is a lot of killing and action from the get-go in this dark adult fiction book.  It has racketeers, hit men, a prostitute, an inter-racial affair, murder and suicide.  

I got this book in exchange for a review and that's really the only reason I finished it.  There are a lot of characters in this, to which most I could not relate.  Rico was a hit man with a conscience which to me made him the most interesting character; however, this book is mostly about action and killing.  I felt the characters could have been developed more.  This book was just too dark for my taste with the only wholesome thing about it being the teenage eyewitness who was willing to testify.       
(Karen's review, 2 stars)

Teaser from page 13:  Jerry was the closest thing he had to a friend.  Yet when he found out about his death, he had felt nothing akin to grief.  Indeed, what he felt was almost nothing at all, except that he might be next.

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"The Lying Game" by Ruth Ware - Husband Loved It, Wife Didn't

My husband and I had completely different opinions about The Lying Game  by Ruth Ware.  He loved it, liked all the four girls and the pacing.  For me, I liked the dog best and Isa's husband, Owen.  I didn't care for any of the girls much nor the story line in general.  Throughout the book it was all about what really happened in the past with Kate's father, an art teacher at a girl's boarding school.  I did not like how the book went from present to past and and felt it was slow moving.  I was very glad when I finally finished it. 
(Karen's review, 2 stars)

In The Lying Game by Ruth Ware, Kate texts her three boarding school friends from the past saying "I need you."  It has been 17 years, but Fatima, Isa and Thea know they must come--first, because of their friendship and second, because of the incident that will forever bond them together!  I thought this book was fantastic!  I loved all the four girls in it.  The pacing of this book was perfect and the writing was very good!  Ruth Ware's books are always good!  Put this on your TBR list and you will be glad you did!
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

Teaser from page 81:  But that's a lie, and worse, it's a lie to Fatima.  That was the most important rule of the Lying Game.  Lie to everyone else--yes.  But to each other--never.

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"Sadie" by Courtney Summers

Sadie by Courtney Summers is teen fiction.  A radio personality gets a call to help find a missing girl--Sadie Hunter.  At first, he blows it off, but when he finds out Sadie is on the hunt for the man that killed her sister, he decides to go look for her!  This book is told by Sadie and West McCray, the radio personality.  It is pretty good and held my interest because of the really good parts by Sadie.  I think the ending could have been told better than it was though.
(Gerard's review, 4 stars)

Teaser from page 19:  It makes me sick to think about her throwing her life in the garbage like that because that's what it amounts to.  Every little bit that made her, everything, was all in the trash and when I found it, I just started to cry because she'd . . . it wasn't worth anything to her anymore.    

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