Wish You Were Here by Jodi Picoult

WISH YOU WERE HERE

EXPECTED PUBLICATION DATE: NOVEMBER 30 2021

Diana works at Sotheby's as an associate specialist. Finn is a surgical resident at New York Presbyterian Hospital. They have been  saving up for years for a tip of a lifetime to The Galapagos Island. Diana expects Finn to purpose during their vacation but Covid-19 rears its ugly head in New York (only 19 case) and Finn is no longer allowed to go as the hospital is expected to be overrun within days with Covid cases. 

Finn encourages, Diana to take the tip alone. She is hesitant but the non-refundable tickets sway her and she embarks on the journey alone. When she arrives her luggage is lost and  people are leaving the island. The boat she is on will be the last boat leaving the island. but she makes a quick decision to stay on the island. The hotel she was staying is has closed, she has no internet access but luck intervenes. She's given a place to stay and the entire island to explore on her own while Finn finds himself working long hours trying to save lives and watching people die of Covid.

Finn emails Diana quite often about what is going on with the virus. His experiences are haunting and realistic. You will  be left aching  and wanting to know more about his life in rather than Diana's on the island. Be prepared for an emotional overload during Finn's portions of the book. 

Diana and Finn are leading vey different lives. Both of their experiences are unique to one another's however Finn's reality is frightening and pulls you back into reality over and over again while Diana's gives you some reprieve. 

Diana eventually finds her way off the island and back to Finn but the twist leaves you gasping for air. 

Expect beautifully crafted and complex characters. This is one book you won't want to put down. 

* I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Initial Insult (The Initial Insult, #1) by Mindy McGinnis

 I was given the opportunity to listen to the audio book of, The Initial Insult but was unable get into to it so I picked up a copy of the book and I'm thankful I did because this read took me on a rollercoaster. 

Tress Montor used to have an ideal life. A happy life. She had a best friend, a lovely home and her parents then one night her parents disappeared. Now she lives with her drunk, cantankerous grandfather, who runs a wild animal attraction. Her one idea life is messy in more ways than one. 

Her old best friend, Felicity  was the last person with her parents before they went missing. The friendship is broken and Tress has a plan up her sleeves to find out what Felicity knows about her parents missing. The plan is rather sinister.

They story flips back and forth between past and present day. McGinnis has a unique writing style and will keep you captivated. The book's ending isn't exactly satisfying but I think that's because there is a sequel. I can't wait to read it! 

Unspeakable Things by Jess Lourey

 Unspeakable Things has been inspired by a true story. 

Cassie McDowell is twelve years on and lives with her parents and sister in rural Minnesota. It's the 1980s and boys in her town are going missing. They are being abducted and sexually abused. No one really pays attention or cares until a boy goes missing from the rich part of town. When her close male friend goes missing she decides to play, Nancy Drew and figure out who is haring her classmates.

Cassie's homelife isn't ideal. Her parents hold parties, that are not appropriate for minors. Unspeakable acts go on in their home and Cassie and her sister are not allowed to discuss it. She can't sleep at night and lives in constant fear of her dad coming into her bedroom. Her dad is unpredictable and has secrets. 

The writing is dark and can be triggering for some. The reading can be a bit slow and the ending left me wanting more. 

56 Days by Catherine Ryan Howard

It's the year 2020 and Cia lives in Ireland. Covid-19 is making its rounds and they are about to go into lockdown. 

Cia meets Oliver and they start a romance. Oliver suggests Cia moves in with him during the lockdown and she agrees. Living together slowly reveals truths and Oliver isn't who he claims to be. 

A decomposing body is found inside Oliver's apartments. Detectives are left with a mystery on their hands and the lockdown might have just made it possible for someone to get away with the perfect crime.

There are several timelines taking place and multiple point of views luckily Howard does an excellent job and making them all flow. I didn't see some things coming which made the read exciting and fun. 

Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid

 The Riva family is not your average family. They have had more than their fair share of tragedy but they have also had love and one another. 

Their story is told in two portions. The first half is the story of Mick Riva, before he was famous and his wife June. It's a story of love, happiness and then heartbreak and pain brought on by fame. 

The second portion is about the Riva children. The love they have for one another and the unbreakable bond these siblings have even when they are tested. 

The characters are unique and each with an interesting story to tell. 

I wouldn't classify this is a favorite book or one I would reread but it's good enough to pass the time. 

The Damage by Caitlin Wahrer

 

Nick has been sexually assaulted. It was violet and left him battered. Tony is Nick's bigger and older bother. He is filled with rage and the urge to protect his brother and seek revenge.

Tony and his wife support Nick and when Nick's attacker is arrested they think justice will be served but will it be? 

The story is told in multiple perspectives and timelines. It can get dark as it deals with a lot more than sexual violence. It is well written and full of twists and turns. 

Surviving Dirty John: My True Story of Love, Lies, and Murder by Debra Newell

I listened to the podcast, I saw the series and now I've read the book. If it wasn't for my addiction to True Crime podcasts I would have missed out on Debra's story of love, survival and heartbreak.

The book is much grittier and scarier than the portrayal in the TV series. Debra opens up her life story while others would have hid it potentially saving many other women from a similar or worse fate. 

John Meehan was a predator and he found his perfect prey. He did, what is typical of abusers. He isolated his prey, manipulated them and lied over and over again. John Meehan waved red flag after red flag but his master manipulation made it invisible. 

Debra's account will leave you frustrated until you realize that you can't and shouldn't victim blame. It's easier to look in from the outside and make judgments. She has a history of abuse making her the perfect target. 

The writing can be repetitive but it is a simple read especially if your a fan of the TV series. 

The Wife Between Us Greer Hendricks

Are you in need of a twist? An unreliable narrator? A book you can devour in hours? If so, this is the book for you!

This psychological thriller will have you turning the pages and making all the wrong assumptions. 

Vanessa is a divorced woman who is using alcohol in an attempt to heal herself. She's barely keeping it together and on the edge of being sacked from her job. 

Everyday is a struggle and when she finds out her ex-husband is getting married to the younger women he dumped her for she makes it her mission to make sure the marriage doesn't happen. 

The Hunting Wives by May Cobb

 Sophie and her husband Graham have left Chicago and returned to the small city in Texas that Shopie grew up in.  They have plans to relax, slow down and raise their son in a different lifestyle. 

Sophie quickly learns that the city she grew up in  has changed and is quite different from that of her childhood. She finds herself wanting to form a friendship with the "Queen" of the city Margot but once she enters the friendship circle she finds out that this friendship group hides under the facade of perfection. 

The friendship with Margot and the rest of the group comes at a cost and Sophie is on the road to losing everything unless she can uncover the truth. 

This is a witty read. It's like Mean Girls for adult women with some Heathers mixed in! This is a page turner with unlikable and unreliable characters! I wasn't sure if I was going to like it but I ended up loving it and I think you might too! 

How Lucky by Will Leitch

Daniel has a degenerative disease called Spinal Muscular Atrophy or SMA that has him confined to a wheelchair. He is slowly losing more and more of his abilities. He can't walk, has minimal speech and his ultimate death is just around the corner. He lives alone and has a job working online for a regional airline. 

Daniel is lucky in that he lives alone, has a support system and people who help make it possible for him to live independently. His life isn't exciting or thrilling but that changes when he sees a women get into a car who is reported missing the next day. 

Daniel reaches out to others but no one seems to believe him, so he reaches out to Reddit, thus setting things in motion making that can endanger his life.

The book started off strong and I was intrigued but then .... it feel flat. I can't exactly pinpoint what happened but I found myself skimming pages to get to the resolution. Skimming pages isn't something I do often but I am thankful that I read this book as I knew nothing about SMA and was able to further educate myself on it. 

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

 The Handmaid's Tale takes place in Gilead, a city in a future dystopian world.  A world in which women are mearley objects. They are essentially put into three categories, Marthas, Handmaids and Wives. The Wives are infertile and the Handmaids have the potential to be fertile. Handmaids are used to produce children for the Wives. There are strict rules to follow and broken rules can result in death. 

Offred is our main character and a handmaiden. Her only purpose it to produce a child for the Commander and his wife. She will be used as a baby factory going from Commander to Commander until she can no longer fulfill her purpose. If she is unable to produce a child her fate will be ugly and uncomfortable. 

Offred's life is told in the past and present giving hints of how the past was and what lead to the formation of Gilead. 

The Handmaid's Tale touches upon many important issues of the past, present and perhaps the future.  The reading can often be slow moving but push through it to get to the message of this cautionary tale.