I'll cover the dud first. Innocent Little Crimes by C.S. Lakin sounded somewhat promising. A wealthy, wildly successful comedienne calls together her college drama group for a weekend reunion at her palatial home on an island in the Pacific Northwest. Of course, all isn't as it seems and the reader quickly finds out that Lila has several motivations for inviting the specific guests to her revenge-driven event. I just couldn't get into the mean-spiritedness of so many of the characters. I didn't really want to root for any of them, as they raced through the island's forests and beaches on a quest to not be killed during the "game" Lila devised. Even the epilogue was just "meh." Skip this one.
Donna Gephart's young adult novel Lily and Dunkin is important because it addresses issues that impact young people today; these concerns influenced young adults in the 50s too, but they certainly weren't ever talked about: one character is transgender and the other has bi-polar disorder. At the heart of the novel is how alone and scared teens feel when they know they are different from the majority of their peers. Gephart handles the content confidently (her son is bi-polar) and with sensitivity, and she steals your heart as you come to know Lily (formerly Tim) and Dunkin (formerly Norbert), as well as their many supportive and non-supportive family members. I think what I liked best about this book is that it strips away all of the labels I've mentioned above and allows you to see Lily and Dunkin for who they are, while also showing how much pain they are in, even as they outwardly appear to ably navigate life. This book touches on several other mental health issues, but I won't go into detail because I don't want give anything away. It is quick read, told in alternating voices. Don't think you would enjoy reading anything about transgender people? This book will surprise you, and you probably should keep a box of tissues nearby as the ending wraps up.
Currently reading: The Kind Worth Killing by Peter Swanson. Ignore the cheesy book cover, and strap yourself in for a ride reminiscent of Gone Girl.
Lily Kintner is an intelligent, attractive, and compelling female character. When she was a pre-teen, the male houseguest who came to stay in her bohemian parents' home that summer left one day, without saying goodbye. Or did he? Lily is cool, collected, analytical and does have a sense of right and wrong, especially when it comes to people who deserve punishment. She may have met her match in the beautiful, enigmatic Miranda, who has her own motivations for building a luxurious mansion on the Maine coast, while working extremely closely with the contractor Brad (her husband Ted continues to grow their wealth back home in Boston). How do these stories connect? Check out the book - so far it has been hard to stop listening, and I'm having a tough time predicting the ending!
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