Warning: Spoilers in the review

Kamali’s “The Stationery Shop” offers a “first-hand” (albeit through fictional characters) glimpse into the events and experiences of the people surrounding the 1953 Iranian coup d’etat (of which I didn’t know much until I read up on it as I read this book, check out the U.S.’s involvement online!), which was what originally drew me to this book. I love historical fiction, and in particular, books that explore periods of history not typically written about in historical fiction (i.e., the King Henry era, WWI and II).

True Places is the first novel by Sonya Yoerg that I’ve encountered and I will certainly seek out more by this gifted writer! Yoerg presents us with an interesting question . . . and not the one you’ll likely find in the blurbs summarizing the book online (what would you do if you found a 16-year-old girl alone, gravely ill, emaciated, non-communicative and frightened on the side of the road?).

To begin, Yoerg deftly draws us into the world of Suzanne Blakemore – a highly driven, involved and capable suburban mother of two teens (difficult for different reasons) who is overcommitted, under-appreciated and forging full-steam ahead in a (self-induced) complicated and busy life that leaves her breathless yet unfulfilled at the same time. (“His wife accommodated everyone—the kids, him, her parents—keeping them together, keeping things running. Duty. Suzanne wore it like a cloak.”)

“The Hate U Give” is a ‘stop-what-you’re-reading-and-read-this‘ debut novel by Angie Thomas (and if the National Book Award Longlist accolade is any indication, others agree!) 

Thomas tells the story of Starr, a sixteen year old girl from “the ghetto” (her words, not mine) who is living in two very distinct worlds.  She resides in Garden Heights, a neighborhood better known for its gangbangers and “King Lords” than the typical residents who run the corner store (Starr’s dad, Mav, has owned theirs for years) or the local pharmacy. But Starr spends most of her day at an up-town private school (Williamson) in the suburbs, a 45-minute commute from her home in Garden Heights, where she transfers after her best friend is murdered in a drive-by shooting when they were only 10 years old. It’s no secret (so no spoilers) that Starr witnesses the murder of her other childhood best friend and that tragic event is the catalyst that Thomas leverages to guide us further into the machinations of both Starr’s psyche and the social psyche of the world around her (including the press, her family, the folks of Garden Heights and her peers at Williamson.)