The big question of Dear Edward by Anne Napolitano is what does this twelve-year-old boy, the lone survivor of a plane crash that killed his parents and brother, owe to those who died? Napolitano slices back and forth between the flight and Edward's post-crash life. It is a genuine, gripping story. Edwards wants to return to normal, but the truth-tellers in his life, his therapist, and his best friend, Shay, convey that he will never be Eddy again. This is a coming-of-age story, a quest story, and a grief story. I gave it five stars on Goodreads.
🌟🛩️📬✉️🌟
I love everything by Connie Willis, but I especially enjoy her earlier books. Uncharted Territory is a humourous, sci-fi, western romance. Two government-sponsored explorers are mapping a new planet with the help of an indigenous scout who can fine them for every transgression against his home planet, like walking on the ground or speaking disparagingly about the planet or the scout. A starry-eyed new guy is added to the team; he is an expert in mating rituals who has followed the hologram adventures of Findiddy and Carson for several seasons. This is short, more of a novella, but Willis has several story threads bringing tension and hilarity. Classic Connie Willis.
👽🤠❤️
Mrs. Nash's Ashes by Sarah Adler has many things going for it. The main characters, Millicent, a romantic, optimistic former child actor, and Hollis, a cynical, jaded writer, are on an unexpected road trip. There is good chemistry and sparkling banter between the two of them. Millie is on a mission to reunite her deceased elderly best friend with the lost love of her life from when they were in the Army in World War II. She is in hospice in Florida, so the clock is tick, tick, ticking. Airplanes and cars conspire against them as they travel from New York City. Millie carries three tablespoons of Mrs. Nash's ashes in her backpack. Hollis doesn't believe in lifelong love but is roped in. They encounter many roadblocks and adventures. The book sounds delightful, but I felt it was meh. The good guys in the story were squeaky clean, and the bad guys were unredeemable. The book could have used more tension in the plot. I'm good with a formula romance but I still need surprises and more complex characters.
💖🚙☀️
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