February Wrap Up #2

In the latter half of February, I read 4 books.

For a book club, I read The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey. This story details the crushing loneliness of the Alaskan wilderness in the 1920's. The woman despartely wants a child but is unable to have one. They build a snow child out of snow and the next day, a little girl appears. Is she real or is she magic? The book keeps you guessing the whole time, providing evidence for both. I wished it had been conclusive one way or the other. For that, I gave it 3 stars.

For one of my challenges, I read the picture book Sulwe by Lupita Nyong'o. This is a cute story about a black child who is "as dark as midnight" and wishes for her skin to be lighter. In the end, she learns acceptance. The illustrations were awesome and the story was good. I gave the book 4 stars.

Then finally my hold of Long Bright River by Liz Moore came in. I had heard it described as a "literary thriller." I wouldn't describe it as a thriller at all. There is a central mystery plot but it is quite slow. The story focuses on a woman police officer looking for her missing sister who is an addict and prostitute. There is a serial killer targeting prostitutes and she is concerned that her sister may have been a victim. I found the information of opiate addiction interesting but felt the sister mystery was a bit too slow. I gave the book 4 stars.

Lastly, I read the graphic memoir  I was Their American Dream by Malaka Gharib. Malaka is born to a Filipino mother and an Egyptian father and raised in the U.S. In the memoir, she highlights her feelings of never belonging to any of the groups. The art style is not my favorite but the story held my attention. I gave the book 3 stars.