Book Review - The Forbidden Garden: The Botanists of Besieged Leningrad and Their Impossible Choice by Simon Parkin

 

The Forbidden Garden: The Botanists of Besieged Leningrad and Their Impossible Choice by Simon Parkin is about a group of botanists who tried to protect the world’s first seed bank while their city was under siege during World War II. In the summer of 1941, German troops surrounded the city of Leningrad with a plan to besiege it, but first, they aimed to starve its citizens to make the takeover easier. This began the longest blockade in recorded history. 

According to records and historians, the siege claimed around three-quarters of a million lives, and this was just a conservative estimate. In Leningrad at the time, it housed the largest collection of seeds and plants, stored in a converted building in the city center. The seeds were hand-collected under the leadership of the world-famous explorer Nikolai Vavilov. His and his staff’s efforts created the greatest living library of plants ever assembled, with materials collected from all over the world, including rare seeds. Their attempts to evacuate the collection before the siege failed, leaving the seeds and plant material trapped in a city where supplies were limited, and the population was starving. The botanists faced a terrible dilemma: do they use the seeds to feed the starving city or preserve them so scientists can breed crops to prevent future famine and address world hunger? 

The book is emotionally challenging to read.I did feel the book was longer than it needed to be, and some parts were repetitive.  The author did a great job researching and writing it. However, it was hard to read about the harsh and horrible conditions inflicted by the occupiers and even by their own government, which failed to protect them and their country. I liked that the book sheds light on a subject I was unfamiliar with. I learned a lot about plants and the people of Leningrad. 

I do not envy the difficult decisions those botanists and scientists had to make. I am saddened that their sacrifices are mostly forgotten or discredited to make them look bad. I questioned myself multiple times while reading if I could make the same selfless choices they did, and I know I probably could not. Sometimes, given how they were treated by their government, I was surprised they managed to hold onto their ideals and continued to think about the future of mankind. It is an interesting read, but full of death and sadness. However, if you are a history buff with an interest in World War II, I think this would be a good read for you.

Book Review - The Real Michael Swann by Bryan Reardon

 

The Real Michael Swann by Bryan Reardon follows Julia Swann, a woman who discovers that her husband, Michael, may be involved in a terrorist plot. One summer day, Julia is on the phone with Michael when the call suddenly drops. She isn’t worried at first, assuming it’s just a bad connection. However, news soon breaks that a bomb has gone off in Penn Station—where Michael was waiting for a train home—and the entire city has erupted into chaos.

Panicked and desperate, Julia decides to go into the city to look for him. She creates flyers with Michael’s photo and posts them everywhere, hoping someone has seen him. When she finally receives a call from someone claiming to have spotted her husband, she’s relieved—but also uneasy, especially since Michael still isn’t answering his phone. Julia becomes increasingly frantic, worrying about what might have happened to him and why he hasn’t reached out.

At first, I really liked how the novel began, but by the midpoint, I hated it. The extremely short chapters felt like an attempt to create urgency and suspense, but instead the story dragged. There were pages and pages where nothing meaningful happened.

The book alternates between the present and Julia’s memories of meeting and falling in love with Michael. I think the author intended these scenes to humanize the characters, but as the story went on, I found myself disliking both of them. Julia was incredibly frustrating; she rarely seemed to think through the consequences of her actions and often leapt before looking. Some plot elements also felt far-fetched and unbelievable. While the ending was somewhat redeeming, it wasn’t enough to make the rest of the book feel worth it. Overall, I found it disappointing and tiresome.

Book Review - Dry by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman

 

Dry by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman follows a teenage girl, Alyssa, and her family as they struggle through an extreme drought in California. Recently, the state has been hit with unseasonably warm weather, and it hasn’t rained in a long time. The drought has lasted so long that people have started calling it the “Tap-Out.” Everyone is trying to adjust to their new normal of not using water excessively while hoping water levels eventually return to normal.

Then one day, the taps run dry. Suddenly, Alyssa’s quiet suburban street becomes a war zone as neighbors and families turn against one another in the hunt for water. Alyssa’s parents leave to refill their water jugs, but they never return. Worried for herself and her younger brother, Garrett, Alyssa decides to take matters into her own hands. She’s forced to go up against people she once considered friends and must make hard decisions if she hopes to survive.

I found the novel to be an interesting read. I thought it was well-written, though at times I got frustrated with how irritating Alyssa could be. She often made selfish and reckless decisions that affected everyone around her. The novel tackles important themes—water conservation, climate change, political corruption, and the dangers of privatizing natural resources. It was gripping reading about Alyssa’s harrowing search for water. However, one thing that stayed in the back of my mind was why characters never considered ordering water from other regions. The drought didn’t seem to affect the entire world, and some places were even experiencing excessive flooding. Overall, the story carries important messages, and I would be open to reading more books by this author.

Book Review - Sister, Maiden, Monster by Lucy A. Snyder

 

Sister, Maiden, Monster by Lucy A. Snyder follows three women during an outbreak and the aftermath of the planet’s transformation. The world is collapsing as a virus devastates people worldwide. It turns people into monsters and causes unforeseen changes. Erin was infected, and her personality begins to change. She starts to develop a taste for a specific woman and her brain. Erin knows that acting on her desire could lead to disastrous results.

Savannah used to sell her body so others could satisfy their sexual desires. Now she has a new deadly obsession. She loves committing brutal murder and that helps her get off sexually. Since childhood, Mareva’s body has been plagued with tumors that seem to constantly grow and create new ones. Mareva realizes she has an important role in the apocalypse, but she’s afraid of the damage it might cause.

I was on the fence about this novel. It's divided into three parts, each narrated from the perspective of that woman. I found this structure strange and thought a lot of far-out things happened. Sometimes, I think the author added a lot of strange and weird details just to confuse and shock readers. At times, I felt the writing was all over the place.

I didn’t quite love or hate the novel. It had a few interesting moments, but I don't think I would read anything else by the author. Some readers might enjoy the storyline, but it wasn’t for me.

Book Review – Olivia Gray Will Not Fade Away by Ciera Burch

 

Olivia Gray Will Not Fade Away by Ciera Burch is about a middle schooler, Olivia Gray, trying to navigate the challenges of feeling invisible while coming to terms with her asexual identity. As Olivia begins the seventh grade, she knows this year will be different from last year. Her beloved brother has come out and found a boyfriend. Instead of spending time with Olivia, he spends all his time with his crush. Her friends only want to talk about boys, who likes who, and school dances.

When Robbie, the most popular boy in school, asks Olivia to the dance and she unknowingly rejects him, her life is thrown into a tailspin. Olivia goes viral on the social app KruSHH after rejecting Robbie. Now the chatter about Robbie and dating is nonstop among her friends, and Olivia feels left out and invisible.

When Olivia feels invisible, only the new librarian and Jules, a friendly kid she met who also struggles with feeling invisible, notice her. As Olivia tries to figure herself out and come to terms with being asexual, she struggles to find where she fits in and to deal with the negative perceptions of the label. All Olivia wants is to fit in with her friends.

I thought the book was a cute read. I have read another book by the author, and this one seemed geared toward older kids who are struggling with their identity. At times, I did get annoyed with Olivia, as while she tried to fit in, she wasn’t always receptive to other people’s wants and needs, especially when they didn’t align with hers. I did like seeing her grow and become a better friend and sister. I would be open to reading more books by the author.

Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are entirely my own and were not influenced by the publisher or author.