Book Review - The Cave Dwellers by Christina McDowell

 

The Green Book was a diary created by the niece of Edith Roosevelt’s social secretary. It only includes the families that are worthy. These families and their aristocratic bloodlines helped build the fabric of Washington - generation after generation. Their power and privileged is on prominent display in the streets of Georgetown, Kalorama, and Capitol Hill. They only socialize with people of their own rank and social circle and ignore the political merry-go-round unless it serves them.

I thought this novel was going to be a thriller and not a political commentary about the elite. I felt like the murders were introduced as a shock value but, we didn't really learn anything about them. Instead we were treated to a boring and pointless story of how the elite use and abuse their power and treat the people around them. Perhaps, if I had known that the novel would be mostly focused on selfish and spoiled people I wouldn't have wasted my time.

Book Review - The Heart's Invisible Furies by John Boyne

Photo Credit - Amazon

Cyril Avery was adopted from birth and his adoptive parents remind him that he will never be a true Avery. He was born out of wedlock to a teenage woman who was thrown out of her Irish community of the church. Only, Cyril's best friend Julian Woodbead allows Cyril to feel like he belongs and has a true friend. However, as Cyril grows older he realizes he wants more than just a friendship with Julian and struggles to cope with his sexual preferences. Will Cyril act on his feelings for Julian? Will Cyril be able to find someone who understands him? 

In this coming of age novel, it shows the struggle when one tries to find their true self. The novel spans the entire life span of Cyril and it allows readers to see how Cyril grows and adapt to his surroundings. While, the novel was a fun and interesting read, I felt like it had one too many coincidences and tidy "clean ups" but it was very entertaining to read. I look forward to Mr. Boyne's next novel.

*Disclosure - I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion**

Book Review - The Catch: A Vanessa Michael Munroe Novel

As a newcomer to the series, this is the latest book in the Vanessa Michael Munroe series.  I wasn't sure what to expect especially with all of the fanfare from the other books. Thankfully, each of the novels are self contained and don't have to be read in a certain order unless you care about character development. With the mind of a goldfish, this didn't bother me.

The novel takes place in Djibouti, Africa where Munroe runs to escapes her past. But since when does running every take someone away from the drama? As expected, as Munroe runs from her past it catches up to her. She boards a freighter (albeit against her will) in the hopes that it would be a regular security detail but things are not always what they appear. They are shortly invaded by pirates and the ship is captured. She narrowly escapes but manages to bring the captain with her and will prove to be an important piece to the puzzle. While death is following Munroe she does her best to figure out all the pieces of the puzzle .

A deeply engrossing novel that had me captivated for the three days it took me to consume it. However, I felt the character and story line was a bit lackluster and predictable. I wanted more and this novel left me craving it. I was also confused on why Munroe risked her life many times over people that didn't seem to care or worry about her. At times, I didn't even think Munroe liked them but I sense that her bloodthirsty nature is probably what makes her seek the violence her body craves but her heart doesn't want. I would read the other Munroe novels hoping this one is the anomaly instead of the norm.

**I received a free copy of this book for my honest opinion. This is no way affect my overall review of the book**