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I was surprised by the pedestrian writing in this book. After 20 pages, I looked to see if it‘s tagged YA. Nope. Maybe it's a debut novel? Again, no. I kept going, but my eyeballs continued rolling. Several plot points strained credibility. Was I supposed to believe that a 6-year-old child who had received almost no education could read and understand a book with words like "indigenous" and "captivity"? In the end, this book disappointed me.

October favorite! TJ is beating everyone else though. And the LMP book is added as a bonus ♥️ #readingbracket2024 @CSeydel

July — You Like it Darker
August — The Elephant Vanishes
September — Real Americans
October — Sleeping Giants

Tough decisions are going in to my #topread2024 #readingbracket

Rene Denfeld‘s novels tend to educate readers about the kinds of issues a social worker might encounter regarding underserved, voiceless people. In this novel we meet a boy that was abandoned by foster parents and the sister that uncovers what became of him. I thought it was a well written and satisfying read.

A dark, heavy, but beautiful and brilliant read. I‘m so amazed (again, as I‘ve now read all of her books) at how Rene Denfeld manages to write so poignantly about such trauma. She shines a light on the forgotten in every one of her books. Highly recommend but beware, trigger warnings abound. #readyourkindle

I have been a fan of this author since I read “The Enchanted“ back in 2013 and this book did not let me down. She manages to tell a wonderful story and also educate the reader about some of the darker parts of our world. I loved the characters in this one, all of whom were realistically flawed in some way. Be sure to read the author's note at the end. Thanks to Edelweiss+ and the publisher for making the digital ARC available to me. 4.5/5 stars

Darkly hopeful and unputdownable novel about an adopted young woman trying to find out the circumstances around her biological brother‘s death by drowning

Loved it. Denfeld is one of my favorite authors. She writes about dark, heavy things with such care and sensitivity. Totally gripping, great characters—highly recommend!

#ihavequestions Thanks for the tag, Rae!

I‘ve read some great mysteries this year, but I‘ll have to go with A Judgement in Stone by Ruth Rendell for the best. SO GOOD!

Looking ahead to early 2024, I‘m most excited for the new Denfeld (tagged) and The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels by Janice Hallett.

Not exactly a trope, but I‘m always drawn to mysteries with a supernatural element. Oh, and I can‘t resist an elderly sleuth.