Waubgeshig Rice

Four suspenseful books set in a wide range of places, from post-apocalyptic Canada to a haunted apartment building in New York City.

Moon of the Turning Leaves by Waubgeshig Rice
My rating: 5 stars

Set in a post-apocalyptic world, MOON OF THE TURNING LEAVES tells the fate of an Anishinaabe community in Northern Ontario, twelve years after a detrimental global power failure. It’s been one of my most anticipated releases since I read the first book a few years ago, and it was everything I hoped it would be! This sequel to MOON OF THE CRUSTED SNOW was beautifully written, suspenseful, and heart wrenching. It answered the questions I had from the first book, and left me in tears at the end, but also hopeful. An amazing, emotional story. [Library]

The New Couple in 5B by Lisa Unger
My rating: 4.5 stars

A true crime writer and her husband move into an upscale flat with a disturbing past in THE NEW COUPLE IN 5B. This was a fun read, and I loved the creepy gothic atmosphere. How could I resist an old luxury New York apartment building with dark secrets to keep? It’s a dash of Rosemary’s Baby with some Simone St. James mixed in. I greatly enjoyed this modern ghost story from Lisa Unger. It’s well written, and I loved the unique, compelling (and twisted) characters. [Library]

Northwoods by Amy Pease
My rating: 3 stars

Overall, I was impressed with the quality of writing in this debut novel. NORTHWOODS is a literary crime mystery that tackles the deadly opioid epidemic in a small Wisconsin resort town.

The deputy sheriff Eli North is troubled and struggling. Since he finished his tour in Afghanistan, he’s suffered from serious PTSD and alcoholism. He only keeps his job because his mother is the sheriff, always covering for him. He spent the majority of the book drunk, hung over, or being a terrible father to his young son, which, let me tell you, was difficult to read.

This was definitely a character driven, slow-burn mystery. And while I think it was well written, I didn’t enjoy the subject matter overly much. I’m disappointed that the young FBI Agent Alyssa Mason didn’t play a bigger role, because she was my favorite character. [BOTM]

She’s Not Sorry by Mary Kubica
My rating: 3 stars

This latest thriller from Mary Kubica has a fantastic twist that really pulled the rug out from under me, however, it took FOREVER to get there. The first 65-70% was pretty slow moving with way too many mentions of the main character walking around Chicago at night naming streets and landmarks. Just stop. At one point, I think there were three plotlines happening, and two of them came together smashingly. So twisted and good. The other plot was fairly obvious where it was going and not necessary? I did question the motivation behind most of the characters doing, well, anything they did. Three stars for the awesome twist, but overall the story needed tightening up. [Library]

Publisher: ECW Press
Release Date: October 2, 2018

This was a haunting cautionary tale! Set in northern Canada, MOON OF THE CRUSTED SNOW is a character-driven, slow-burn thriller about what happens in a remote Anishinaabe community when the unthinkable happens. Their power goes out, their phones quit working, and suddenly they’re cut off from the rest of the world. Winter is setting in, food supplies are low, and word from the south is that the chaos is widespread. When an outsider arrives seeking shelter, their precarious situation gets worse.

I’m not usually a fan of dystopian/post-apocalyptic fiction, BUT something about the premise of this book pulled me in. I’m so glad I took a chance and read it. The wonderfully tense, ominous atmosphere kept me glued to the pages. What a terrifying situation to be in, and I felt like I was a part of it, wondering what was coming next.

One of the most memorable moments was when main character Evan talked to an elder about the meaning of “apocalypse,” and how their world had already ended when they were forced off their land and had their children taken away.

If a dystopian novel can be realistic, then this was it. In the end, I was left with a lot of unanswered questions, but in an actual apocalypse, would you have all the answers? I just read that there will be a sequel coming out (next year, maybe), and I can’t wait to find out what happens next! — 𝓓𝓲𝓪𝓷𝓪

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