July Book Club Books
Shelf Awareness Teen Book Club
Deep Blue by Jennifer Donnelly
Serafina, daughter of Isabella, Queen of Miromara, has been raised with the expectation - and burden - that she will someday become ruler of the oldest civilization of the merfolk. On the eve of the Dokimí ceremony, which will determine if she is worthy of the crown, Sera is haunted by a strange dream that foretells the return of an ancient evil. But her nightmare is forgotten the next day as she diligently practices her songspell; eagerly anticipates a reunion with her best friend, Neela; and anxiously worries about Mahdi, the crown prince of Matali, and whether his feelings toward her and their future betrothal have changed. Most of all, she worries about not living up to her mother's hopes.
The Dokimí proceeds, a dazzling display of majesty and might, until a shocking turn of events interrupts it: an assassin's arrow wounds Isabella. The realm falls into chaos, and Serafina's darkest premonitions are confirmed. Now she and Neela must embark on a quest to find the assassin's master and prevent a war between the mer nations. Their search will lead them to other mermaid heriones scattered across the six seas. Together they will form an unbreakable bond of sisterhood as they uncover a conspiracy that threatens their world's very existence.
Deep Blue has always been one of my favorite books, not because it is a literal masterpiece or because it has a plot that leaves me gasping at the intricate detail and thinking about it for days, but because of the simplicity and the sense of adventure. It doesn't have mind-boggling plot twists or a love story that will go down in history, but it does have aspects that love, such as humor, suspense, and adventure, which is about all it takes for me to fall in love with a book. Or maybe Deep Blue is a five-star read for me because it is a nostalgic read from my childhood that I've found myself returning to over the years.
I've heard many people say that Deep Blue reminds them of the Percy Jackson series, and they aren't exactly wrong, aside from the obvious fact that Deep Blue is about mermaids and Percy Jackson is not. Deep Blue's storyline follows an unsuspecting young Princess Serafina as she is thrown into a quest in search of answers after her mother's assassination, which proves difficult as she faces a prophecy looming over her head, betrayals, a bounty on her head, unknown territory, and unexpected allies in a group of criminals, all while trying to prevent a war that could wipe out all of the mermaid kind. The plot always kept me on my toes, and I found myself flying through the book, desperate to know what happened next and how Serafina would escape the new mess that she found herself stumbling upon.
Most of the characters are pretty likable. Serafina is a 16-year-old mermaid thrust into a leadership position before she is ready. She suffers significantly with little time to grieve, often making her tense. Her hero complex is classic for a main character, in which she believes that she can save everyone. Neil, Serafina's best friend, acts as the comic relief, which is a breath of fresh air compared to Serafina's personality. Neela is obsessed with sweets and often tries to relieve the tension by offering her endless supply of candy as a peace offering or by making light-hearted jokes and critiquing other mermaids' fashion sense. Mahdi, Serafina's betrothed, is a charming prince who left me with many conflicting emotions, making me go back and forth on whether he deserved Serafina. The internal battle only got worse when the mysterious masked Blu entered the picture, who is by far one of my favorite characters in the Waterfire Saga series. It was also relatively easy to pinpoint who not to trust without needing clarification on who the villains are.
One of my few critiques about Deep Blue was the world-building. It's not that it was underdeveloped, but overdeveloped to the point where I felt like the author was information dumping. With fantasy worlds comes new terminology and geographical locations, but it needs to be more balanced. Most of the new terminology could have been described better to give the reader a clearer picture of the scene. For instance, many different foods and sweets were mentioned throughout the book, but very few were described, such as how they looked or tasted. I didn't have much trouble remembering the locations mentioned, seeing as there was a map at the front of the book that I could easily look at. I love Deep Blue, but it could do with more in-depth descriptions to really immerse the reader in the story.
Overall, Deep Blue isn't the most beautifully crafted book I've ever read. Still, I thoroughly enjoyed the characters and the plot, especially the tension between Serafina and Blu during high-stakes situations. If you are looking for an underwater adventure filled with friendship, love, and danger, then Deep Blue is for you! Don't miss out on the rest of Serafina's adventure in the following books.
Literary Ladies Book Club
The Women by Kristin Hannah
Women can be heroes. When twenty-year-old nursing student Frances “Frankie” McGrath hears these words, it is a revelation. Raised in the sun-drenched, idyllic world of Southern California and sheltered by her conservative parents, she has always prided herself on doing the right thing. But in 1965, the world is changing, and she suddenly dares to imagine a different future for herself. When her brother ships out to serve in Vietnam, she joins the Army Nurse Corps and follows his path.
As green and inexperienced as the men sent to Vietnam to fight, Frankie is over- whelmed by the chaos and destruction of war. Each day is a gamble of life and death, hope and betrayal; friendships run deep and can be shattered in an instant. In war, she meets—and becomes one of—the lucky, the brave, the broken, and the lost.
But war is just the beginning for Frankie and her veteran friends. The real battle lies in coming home to a changed and divided America, to angry protesters, and to a country that wants to forget Vietnam.
The Women is the story of one woman gone to war, but it shines a light on all women who put themselves in harm’s way and whose sacrifice and commitment to their country has too often been forgotten. A novel about deep friendships and bold patriotism, The Women is a richly drawn story with a memorable heroine whose idealism and courage under fire will come to define an era.
Kristen Hannah has done it again! She's created another thrilling historical fiction novel that consumes the reader, enthralling them in her book. She writes to tell an important story, that women can be heroes too. This story takes place during the Vietnam War, revealing how women played a crucial part in the war that is not recorded in the history books. They made unimaginable sacrifices, suffered significant losses, and experienced PTSD like many of the soldiers. Still, they were turned away when they tried to tell the story of their suffering. After all, they weren't heroes.
Word of warning, this book will absolutely tear your heart to shreds with its emotional impact as you follow Frances "Frankie" McGrath's story. You will feel as if you are living through her fears, heartbreak, anger, pain, and loss. Her internal struggle screams, just wanting to be heard, for someone to listen to the pain that she experienced while she was at war, but nobody will listen. Frankie's journey will draw you in and trap you, so clear your schedule because once you start The Women, there's no stopping as you are transported to the jungle of Vietnam, the whirl of the helicopters overhead, and the agonizing cries of the injured soldiers.
The story begins on Coronado Island with Frankie's family celebrating her brother's enlistment in the war. In an attempt to escape from the party with her family, she hides in her father's study, where she takes in a vast number of photos of family members from various wars. Frankie can't help but wonder what it would be like to be out on the front lines, aiding the heroes in the war. Her thoughts are peculiar, though; she's never considered being a hero; after all, women can't be heroes. She knows what her family expects of her. She is meant to marry a respected man and have many children. But when Rye, her brother's best friend who is also hiding in the study, brings up something she's never thought about: why can't women be heroes? Suddenly, Frankie is uprooting her entire life and applying to the Army Corps Nurse program, where she will be a combat nurse. She soon finds herself thrust into a world of chaos, death, and destruction; realizing that she is a young, inexperienced woman, Frankie quickly realizes that she is in way over her head. In only a short span of time, Frankie finds herself becoming terrified of the bloodshed, and she's on the edge of teetering over the edge when two women, Barb and Ethel, come offering to share the weight of her burdens.
The Women spans over 20 years of Frankie's life, from before she entered the war till she returned from the battlefield, but life isn't as easy once she's back home as Frankie had hoped. She's consumed with grief over her substantial losses, battling addiction, and those who don't understand her pain, which is described in a heartbreakingly realistic description. Kristin Hannah writes Frankie's emotions in a way that you feel as if they are your own. Every cruel word she hears, every tear she sheds, every sigh, and every smile is Frankie's, but it quickly becomes your own.
Each character has distinct flaws and strengths, which makes Kristin Hannah's characters so realistic. It almost feels like I'm reading a biography instead of a piece of fiction. Frances "Frankie" McGrath is an unforgettable, courageous, honest, vulnerable character, and most importantly, a hero.
When reading a book, it's easy to be swept away by the story, and then when you finish it, you shelf it, claiming it was a good book, then move on with your life to the next read, but I don't think that's possible after reading The Women. It was clear that Kristin Hannah put a lot of hard work and research into her writing to create vivid characters and capture the deadly atmosphere of a war zone. While The Women was my first book by Kristin Hannah, it will definitely not be my last!
Written by Carlie Renee
