Sea Escape by Lynne Griffin

“Sea Escape is the story of the layers that exist in the relationship between a mother and a daughter. The author does a nice job of examining both the things that kept the relationship together and the walls that kept the two apart. The characters in this novel seem very real and you can almost imagine you are at their house on the beach on the east coast. The setting is almost its own character. The lives of mother and daughter parallel in some ways that are revealed through the book. It felt like each family secret that was revealed was a breadcrumb that led to something bigger at the end. I do wish that the author had given more explanation at the end. Overall, this was a decent book with lots of layers.”

Wither by Lauren DeStefano

"Set in the future where all the genetic modification has created humans that live for hundreds of years; and their offspring who die at age 20 or 25. There is a futile rush to find a cure for the virus that kills off subsequent generations. Rhine is a twin who get sold to become one of three new brides for a wealthy man. I never knew who to trust or root for but that is what made the book so thrilling. The story of Rhine and her sister wives definitely keeps your attention from start till end. Everything that happens in this well told story has a sense of urgency because of the end time on their lives. The worst part about this book is that I have to wait for the sequel."

The Legacy by Kristin Tranter

"While the plot overall was good, I feel like the author could have chopped at least 50 pages of description from this book. The first two thirds of this novel were spent developing the characters. While this is obviously important, at times it seemed like overkill. Now, looking at the book as a whole, it just seems unnecessary. Besides character description, she spent a lot of time on describing things, places, situations. Maybe I just didn't "get it" but a good majority of these lengthy descriptions didn't seem to relate to anything else or have much purpose at all. Maybe this has more to do with personal preference, but most of the novel, I felt like shouting, "ok, get on with it!" The last third of the book was very good and kept my attention (as long as I skimmed through a few of the paragraphs full of description that didn't pertain to anything). I like the way the author had many different themes stretching through book. She used dreams to examine many of these. Overall, this was a decent story, just felt like it took too long to tell it."

Blue Nude by Elizabeth Rosner

"I love when a book can truly make you look at something from a whole new light. This is a complex story that pulls you in right away. I felt connected to both of the main characters even though I don't have a background similar to either one. I loved how this author tells just what is needed to get the story across. The most important things in this book are the backgrounds of the characters. The author wrote those like an onion, constantly revealing new layers. It was exciting not knowing everything about the characters all at once. Would definitely recommend."

29 by Adena Halpern

"A lighthearted look at a serious question: "If you had the chance, what would you change about your life?" I enjoyed Halpern's view on the subject. While keeping the plot light, fun, (and at times slightly loose) by the end of the book, the characters are able to fix their lives for the better and come to terms with issues of their pasts. Also fun are the comedic differences in generations in the book. Great for a quick read that is definitely enjoyable."