The Gift by Freida McFadden

This book is considered a Thriller, Mystery, Mystery Thriller, etc. 

It is also a Christmas Short Story. 

Trigger Warning: 

This book deals with murder, poverty, and manipulation.

"You don't know what it's like to meet the man of your dreams, then meet his beautiful wife."

It is Christmas Eve, and Stella Hansen is dead on her feet. Despite working two jobs to help support herself and her husband, they are barely making ends meet. Stella is devastated by the thought of their first Christmas as a married couple being so pitiful. 

As Stella and her coworker close the dinner, a mysterious woman is sitting at a back booth. No one saw her come, and neither of them waited on her. The mysterious woman is a storekeeper; she owns a pawn shop. And she insists that Stella stop by her store on her way home. 

But what does Stella have to trade? She can't afford anything from the woman's shop, and all she has is her beautiful hair. 

The Review

This book is a dark twist on the classic, The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry. Unfortunately, it felt very flat for me. If you aren't familiar with The Gift of the Magi, it is a beautiful tale about true love. Della nd Jim have fallen on tough times; they can barely afford their new apartment, their car has broken down, and life is just one big expense after another. In order to buy each other Christmas gifts, Della chops off her hair to get Jim a chain for his pocket watch. Jim sells his pocket watch to get Della a comb for her beautiful hair. In the end, they both laugh it off and realise the most important thing about Christmas is being together. 

This story is not like that. It has a "Freida McFadden twist". Which could have been interesting, but unfortunately, I didn't find it very unique. I read one comment on GoodReads saying it felt like a creative writing course assignment, and I have to agree.  

SPOILER ALERT

When Stella gives her husband her gift, he is a bit underwhelmed. It seems like he doesn't really understand her gift. Stella tells him it is a chain for his watch, but it seems like a necklace in this story, and the husband doesn't really understand why she would buy that for him. The husband didn't buy Stella anything. Instead, he tried to make homemade brownies for her because they were her favourite. He ended up making a mess and burning the brownies. Which set Stella off. 

She felt he was being too cheap and didn't even consider her. She cut off all her hair for him, and he burnt brownies! Stella noticed the suitcase in the hall closet, and she knew after his rant that her husband was planning on leaving her. So she stabbed him. 

I borrowed the audiobook from the library through the Libby App. 

Rating and Recommendation

If you have never read The Gift of the Magi, please read that first. It is such a beautiful story and a classic. If you have never read a Freida McFadden novel, please read any of her other novels (I recommend The Housemaid). This would definitely put most people off Freida McFadden, I think, and that would be a shame. If you are a fan, prepare yourself. This is not the type of writing you are used to. If you treat it as a little short story to get the creative juices flowing, you will probably enjoy the little story as a palate cleanser before going on to something else. But don't expect a masterpiece here. 

I wouldn't buy this book. It really isn't worth it in my opinion. And quite frankly, if it had been longer than an hour (audiobook format), I wouldn't even recommend listening to it. 

Conclusion

I am not really sure what to conclude about this book. I guess the best thing I can say is, if your library has it, check it out. The worst case, you waste an hour of your life. If you like it, buy it. If not, cure me and move on to something better. 

You can find The Gift in its respective mediums below: 

* Book cover image retrieved from GoodReads. All rights belong to the author and/or publisher. 
* All the "stickers" in this blog were provided by Bookish (presented by NetGalley).

* Knife Photo via Pixabay, and used under the Pixabay Content License
* Links in this blog may be generated through the Amazon Associates Program. By using this link, I may make a small profit (at no cost to you) from your purchase.

The Queens of Crime by Marie Benedict

This book is considered Fiction, Crime, Mystery, Thriller, Historical Fiction

Trigger Warning: 

This book deals with murder, crimes against women, sexism, child loss/abortion, and threats/blackmail.

"Most of us are mysteries unto ourselves, and part of our lifelong quest is an effort to understand our authentic selves and our purpose."

The best crime writing women in history, Dorothy L. Sayers, Ngaio Marsh, Margery Allingham, Baroness Emma Orczy, and of course, Agatha Christie, have banded together to form a secret society; The Queens of Crime. Together, they decide to take up the case of May Daniels, a young English nurse whose death has caught their eye as suspicious and is being investigated by the police. 

While on an excursion in France with a fellow nurse and friend, May seemingly vanishes into thin air. Months later, her body is found in a nearby woods. While the whole situation seems fishy, the authorities seem content to paint May's death as just a tragic accident or overdose leading to suicide. But the Queens of Crime aren't buying it. Why would a nurse go all the way to France just to buy something she could readily get at home?

Determined to prove that the police have not taken May's death seriously, the Queens of Crime take on their own investigation. In doing so, Dorothy Sayers finds herself being threatened, attacked, and suddenly blackmailed to back off. 

The Review

I wanted to love this book. The concept is brilliant. Mystery writers are diving into a real-life crime, trying to solve it as their fictional characters would. But unfortunately, it fell short for me. I had never heard of any of the "Queens" except Agatha Christie, and after reading the book, I can say I don't really know anything more about Emma Orczy, Margary Allingham or Ngaio Marsh than I did going in. Frankly, if I didn't know about Agatha Christie, I don't think I would have gotten an accurate idea of who she was as a person or author either. That being said, it is hard to imagine Dame Agatha Christie as a side character in anyone's story. Though that did seem to be explained away somewhat. 

I was a little put off by the story because of the underlying theme. Obviously, the point of the book was to champion feminism and point out how sexist men (especially police officers) were in the 1940s. It seemed to be a gentle jab at men in general, and even the "good men" like Dorothy's husband were depicted as a bit sexist and condescending. And yet at the same time, there was more talk about pretty dresses, fancy dinners, and tea time and any actual sleuthing.
 

SPOILER ALERT

I enjoyed the twist at the end. That it wasn't the insurance salesman after all, and that someone else was the father of her unborn child. That definitely was a twist. I fell into the trap of thinking that the married insurance man would have done anything to keep his shameful secret, just that, a secret. But it was much more sinister than that. A pregnancy resulting from a rape and stuffy old men trying to keep it all under wraps. It definitely fit the time period and was very realistic. 

My only hang-up about this ending is that there wasn't really any hint at this possible outcome. We knew that May had visited someone at the theatre that night. And we quickly figure out who. But there was never any implication that anything untoward happened or that he might be her assailant. It all seemed very out of the blue and rushed to have an ending. Like someone was picked out of a crowd, and then everything else pieced together. 

I borrowed the audiobook from the library through the Libby App. 

Rating and Recommendation

I think a part of the disappointment I had in this book was that I expected these exceptional authors to play a bigger role in the plot. To be honest with you, it could have been any five women, and it wouldn't have made a difference. Only once was there a mention of one of the women having done excessive research on a subject that was actually helpful to their investigation. You could have literally changed the name of all the characters, and it wouldn't have mattered. 

I also felt that what little Agatha Christie did appear in the book, her characteristics (that she is known for) didn't shine through at all. I don't know the other authors, but I wonder if that was the case for the majority of them also. (I would assume the only one that matched her true self would be Dorothy Sayers, though I have never heard of her.) This kind of took me out of it, also. They were all so two-dimensional when Agatha Christie (and I am sure the others) had such a dynamite personality. 

I wouldn't buy this book. I did see a few other Marie Benedict books that interested me. If I enjoy them and buy them, I may think of adding it to my collection at some point. But I definitely wouldn't go out and buy it beyond that.

Conclusion

I read a lot of people find Marie Benedict's books hit or miss. If you are one of them, give it a try. It wasn't for me, but maybe I am just not used to her style yet. The idea is very interesting, and it will definitely keep you guessing (sometimes wondering what is going on). I think if you know any of the women "starring" in the book, you may have better luck enjoying it. (Though don't quote me on that!) 

It made me want to research some of these women and see what they wrote, and if that would be more my speed. 

You can find The Queens of Crime in its respective mediums below: 

* Book cover image retrieved from GoodReads. All rights belong to the author and/or publisher. 
* All the "stickers" in this blog were provided by Bookish (presented by NetGalley).

* Magnify Glass provided by bluebudgie via Pixabay, and used under the Pixabay Content License
* Links in this blog may be generated through the Amazon Associates Program. By using this link, I may make a small profit (at no cost to you) from your purchase.

Where the Crawdad's Sing by Delia Owens - Book Review

This book is considered Historical Fiction, Contemporary, Coming of Age, Romance, and Mystery

Trigger Warning: 

This book deals with mature subject matter, including sexual assault, murder, injustices, and instances of racism reflective of the time. 

"In town, they tell the story of the Marsh Girl."

Where the Crawdads Sing is a beautiful book about Kya Clark, a young girl whom society forgot. Dubbed the "Marsh Girl", Kya grows up on the outskirts of Barkley Cove, a small fishing village in South Carolina. 

Kya's journey is a powerful coming-of-age story. As a child, with no formal education, and later as a young woman trying to navigate the world, she learns everything through observation and experience. From societal expectations to relationships, Kya's story is a rollercoaster ride of solitude and genetic propensity to being drawn to fitting in. 

Alone for most of her life, Kya relies on the marsh and its wildlife for survival and understanding. With only one day of schooling, she learns all she needs from the world around her. 

As she grows older, Kya begins to crave a connection. She is drawn to two young men from Barkley Cove: Tate Walker and Chase Andrews. Tate is kind, grounded, and familiar; his life and values align closely with Kya's. His father is a fisherman, and he knows the value of a hard day's work and has a love for the marsh as well. 

Chase, on the other hand, is Barkley Cove's golden boy. He is popular, charming, and from a well-respected family. He is the quarterback of the football team, and he is always surrounded by people. But Chase Andrews has a secret. He's been meeting up with the "Marsh Girl". 

When his body is later found at the base of a water tower, the question becomes impossible to ignore: what really happened?

The Review

In my opinion, the book has a slow start. It's heartbreaking to read about Kya's early life. This book is one of those rare books that hits differently depending where you are in life. I think if I had read it when I was younger, it may have evoked different emotions. That said, I think everyone can connect with the themes of Where the Crawdads Sing. Loneliness, survival, trauma, these are all very relatable themes and even if we haven't personally experienced these emotions are triggers we can typically empathise with.  

As the story progresses, I think most women can identify with Kya. She is experiencing life alone, and she is learning and growing into a young woman. Kya has to navigate life largely on her own, her first period, her first love, her first heartbreak, all without her mother and older sisters for guidance. She learns, at times the hard way, to trust her instincts.

When the Climax nears, the focus shifts more heavily to Chase Andrews and his death. By the time of his death, Chase was married to Pearl and had seemingly the perfect life. But only his mother really knew that he was still sneaking out to the marsh to visit with Kya. What happened to him? And what role did his connection to Kya play? 

SPOILER ALERT

When Chase attempts to rape Kya, everything changes. I believe Kya realises that she is not safe. She has invited a predator into her life, and he deceived her. She has seen this in nature and recognises that males like Chase Andrews will not stop. Unless they are stopped. Inspired by fireflies, Kya leads Chase to the water tower and leads him to his death. 

Kya proves to have grown into a brilliant young woman. She planned everything. Every minute of Chase's death was planned so that she had an alibi. Even though she was arrested and spent some time in jail, Kya was acquitted of Chase's murder after the evidence proved that she was meeting her publisher in the town over and there was no evidence she had made it to Barkley Cove and back in time to be seen at breakfast the next day. 

As I said, I think this book hits differently depending on a person's stage of life. I found myself shocked and, in a complicated way, proud of Kya when I learned that she had killed Chase. She recognised she couldn't live life in fear. While I don't support violence or vigilantism, I think many readers, especially those who have experienced sexual assault (or assault in general), can understand what Kya was feeling at that time. 

I read this book as an ebook. 

Where the Crawdads Sing was one of the books in a reading list for a course I was taking. While none of the assigned books initially sparked my interest, I had heard a lot about this one, especially with the release of the film adaptional. My course led me to a free PDF file from Internet Archive, I downloaded it, and read it on my Kindle Scribe. 

Rating and Recommendation

I originally gave this book four stars; looking back, I downgraded that to three and a half. As I mentioned, I had to read this book for school. And it was good for a school book, I was pleasantly surprised, and I think that biased my rating originally. As I was writing this review, I realised that I really had no desire to read it again. 

Typically, for my reviews, I listen to books I have previously read at double the speed, just as a refresher, as I write my reviews. A way to jog my memory about the book and my feelings about it. I borrowed this book from the library (Libby) and couldn't bring myself to listen to it. It didn't appeal to me. And that may be because I had to do such an intense dive into the book for school.

I am glad to have read it, it was a welcome surprise compared to some of the other things I had to read for school, but definitely not on my list or rereading go-tos, which is slightly embarrassing since I just put it on my favourites bookshelf last week! 

I didn't go out and buy this book. And to be honest, I didn't even put it on my wish list. I have the free PDF file, and that's good enough for me. If I ever did see it on sale (for a reasonable price), I probably would add it to my library, but it's not high on my list.

Conclusion

If you have never read it, it's definitely worth a try. A lot of people love this book. If Historical Fiction is your typical genre, you may be better suited to this book. If you can't get through the book, definitely check out the movie. 

There are many different themes to this book, so it does speak to a wide range of people. If you enjoy a little mystery in your stories, you may enjoy this one. That's what drew me to it in the first place. It's not a "whodunit", but there is a play on it. Also, if you are a new adult reader, especially a young lady, this may be a wonderful book for you. This is one of the only times I think I can say that I enjoyed the movie more than the book. 

You can find Were the Crawdads Sing in its respective mediums below: 

Where the Crawdads Sing (2022, directed by Reese Witherspoon and Laura Neustadter) is currently available on Netflix, though it is leaving soon! It is available to rent or own on Prime Video.

* Book cover image retrieved from GoodReads. All rights belong to the author and/or publisher. 
* All the "stickers" in this blog were provided by Bookish (presented by NetGalley).
* Links in this blog may be generated through the Amazon Associates Program. By using this link, I may make a small profit (at no cost to you) from your purchase.

* Stack of books provided by anaterate via Pixabay, and used under the Pixabay Content License