I’ve read Chloe Gong’s previous duology, but I wasn’t aware she was coming out with a new
book with the same setting and (roughly) same characters. After seeing multiple reviews of this
book on Goodreads and having it recommended to me by a friend, I was eager to read it.
There are spoilers for her original duology (These Violent Delights and Our Violent Ends).
Valiant Ladies, by Melissa Grey, is a stunning story of love, mystery, and finding
yourself. Kiki is a rich girl who only wants to sword fight and be with Ana, she doesn't
want to be married and have to stay at home. Ana grew up on the streets until she
found Kiki. She now lives in a beautiful house and might soon lose Kiki. After Kiki’s
brother’s sudden death, the girls decide to find the murderer and the culprit of the other
Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys is a historical fiction book that takes place during World War II.
This book is told from four perspectives. Each is hunted by guilt, fate, shame, and fear. Each is
from a different homeland. Each is in search of a different destiny. But, they all share the same
goal: survive for those you love. Joana is a nurse in search of her mother. Florian is a Prussian
soldier with stolen Nazi treasure in search of his sister. Emilia is eight months pregnant and in
Queen of Ice is a fiction mystery book. This book is an amazing read if you are interested in learning about other cultures. The information about the culture in the book is not direct but as you read you start to get an insight on other cultures, making the book informative. The overall storyline of the book is great and attention-getting since it’s very unpredictable. The mystery aspect of the book is tied in smoothly to the other themes making it so that the book isn’t exactly a thriller but not just fantasy fiction either.
All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr is by far one of the best books I have ever read. Set in WWII, this historical fiction novel is narrated from two different perspectives; one from Werner, a German boy, and Maurie Laure, a blind French girl who remarkably cross paths. There is so much anger and conflict created between the contradicting backgrounds of the two characters, but their personal interactions with each other tell a much different story.
Last Night at the Telegraph Club is a story about Lily Hu in 1954 Chinatown. She’s stuck between complications with Red-Scare paranoia affecting her family, and her friend Shirley trying to set her up with Will, a boy from school that she has zero interest in. But everything gets turned upside down when Lily meets Kathleen Miller and realizes that there’s an obvious reason why she isn’t interested in Will.
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, by Taylor Jenkins Reid, is a historical fiction novel set in the mid to late 1900s. The novel tells the tale of a famous Hollywood actress, Evelyn Hugo, as she narrates her story to a journalist. Evelyn Hugo is seventy-nine and has made the decision to finally open up about her mysterious and scandalous rise to fame, including the stories of her seven husbands. She chooses to tell her story to Monique Grant, a relatively unknown magazine journalist.
Peter Van Pels is a boy who goes into hiding as the Nazis take over Germany. With the help of three people, Peter and his family, along with another family, hide in what is called “The Secret Annex.” The Van Pels family hid with the Frank family. While they are in hiding, Peter tries to be happy. He tries to forget what is happening, but things become worse after they are found.
This historical fiction book is a profound narrative that recounts the story of Abilene Tucker’s move to Manifest, Kansas. In moving to Manifest, Abilene soon discovers that the town is full of secrets, many that include her family. With her newfound knowledge, Abilene is determined to uncover the truth of her ancestors and Manifest.
Run, don’t walk, to pick up a copy of Adam Gidwitz’s unbelievably great book, The Inquisitor’s Tale! A blend of medieval history, myth, commentary, fantasy, comedy, and drama (and probably a bunch of other genres too), The Inquisitor’s Tale, or The Three Magical Children and Their Holy Dog, is so different from most books in the library.
