If You Tell: A True Story if Murder, Family Secrets, and the Unbreakable Bond of Sisiterhood

Today’s Nonfiction post is on If You Tell: A True Story if Murder, Family Secrets, and the Unbreakable Bond of Sisiterhood by Gregg Olsen. It is 405 pages long and is published by Thomas and Mercer. The cover is a picture of a valley covered in mist with a lone house. There is foul language, discussion of sex, and violence in this book. The story is told from third person close of the family. There Be Spoilers Ahead. 

From the dust jacket- After more than a decade, when sisters Nikki, Sami, and Tori Knotek hear the word mom, it claws like an eagle’s talons, triggering memories that have been their secret since childhood. Until now.

For years, behind the closed doors of their farmhouse in Raymond, Washington, their sadistic mother, Shelly, subjected her girls to unimaginable abuse, degradation, torture, and psychic terrors. Through it all, Nikki, Sami, and Tori developed a defiant bond that made them far less vulnerable than Shelly imagined. Even as others were drawn into their mother’s dark and perverse web, the sisters found the strength and courage to escape an escalating nightmare that culminated in multiple murders.

Review- One of the most horrendous, heartbreaking, and disturbing true crime stories I have ever read. Olson interviews as many of the first-hand participants in this story as he can, and the story they have to tell is one that is truly horrifying. The three daughters tell the story from their memories and what journals they were allowed to keep to try and get all of the facts as clear as possible. Olsen follows all the history he can on Shelly Knotek.  He interviews her stepmother who has known her from the time she was about five years old, all the way until the end with her daughters giving him access to the letter she has written them from prison. She was a truly disturbed person who should never be allowed out in public again because she would only find someone else to torture to death as she did to at least two people, or someone else to murder for their money. Knotek was cruel to everyone she met. There was not a person who knew her beyond a casual, extremely casual, acquaintances who could say anything positive about her. the fact that her daughter's managed to survive in a household where beatings, bathing with bleach, being forced to go out in the Washington winters without clothing on and being sprayed down outside, survived and have become loving giving members of the society says so much about their character. If you like true crime stories and are prepared for a story that is of this intensity level I do recommend this but with caution. 

I give this book a Four out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.

Midnight Secretary, vol 4

Today’s post is on Midnight Secretary, vol 4 by Tomu Ohmi. As it is the fourth in the series you need to have read the first three volumes to understand the story. The cover is yellow with Kyohei and President Takasu on it. There is mild foul language, sex and sexuality, and no violence in this volume. The intended reader is someone who likes josei manga, vampire love stories, and manga. The story is told from the first person close of the main character Kaya. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- Kyohei has left the family firm to start his own business, and Kaya is at his side as his indispensable secretary...but only at night. By day she’s still the executive secretary for Erde, a subsidiary of the company Kyohei just quit. The increased workload isn’t a problem, but when the president of Erde discovers that Kaya is seeing an ex-Tohma Corp executive, he starts to question her professional ethics! Will being a vampire’s secretary put an end to her career?

Review- Kaya this volume is forced to make a choice between her career at the two places that she is currently working. Of course she goes on to become CEO Kyohei executive secretary for his new company, which is not really separate from his family's old company, but it is still something that he is still branching out to do on his own. Also they are starting to really have to deal with the discrimination that they face a vampire and a human being involved more deeply than just food and sex. Kyohei of course is being ridiculous and stubborn, Kaya is not helping by pretending that her feelings do not run deeper than they do. With an old friend of Kyoheis’ coming around more frequently now Kaya is going to have to deal with her feelings if she wants to be satisfied in her life at all. Of course as this is a romance I fully expect the two of them to end up together at the end but with only three more volumes to wrap up the series I am sure that the author will have lots of trouble for them to get into between now and then. 

I give this manga volume a Four out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I bought this manga with my own money. 

Screenshot

Today's post is on Screenshot by Donna Cooner. It is  295 pages long and is published by Point Books. The cover is a series of snap shots of the main character. The intended reader is young adult, likes drama filled stories, and interesting main character. There is mild foul language, no sex, and no violence in this novel. The story is told in many ways from first person as the main character Skye then chapter breaks with different characters in third person. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- Skye's social media game is always on point. Until her best friend, Asha, posts an embarrassing video of Skye at a sleepover. But Asha deleted the post, so everything's okay. Right?
Then someone texts Skye a screenshot from the video. This person threatens to share the shocking photo everywhere... unless Skye does whatever they say. Suddenly, Skye's perfect image- and privacy- are in jeopardy. What will Skye do to keep the screenshot under wraps? And who is trying to ruin her life?

Review- Online bullying is a very serious issue and this book gives the reader a look into that experience. Skye is just goofing off at a sleepover when her friend takes a joke picture and everything goes from there. The person who is bullying her was surprising but their reasoning was terrible. The story itself is very interesting with Skye trying to handle this by herself, the writing is good very engaging, and the world building is good. The chapter breaks with the other character's perspective is how the world is build for the reader, we see the world from other character's perspective away from Skye. The side characters are really great, they add so much to the story and to Skye's character development. 


I give this novel a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.

Rosemary: The HIdden Kennedy Daughter

Today’s Nonfiction post is on Rosemary: The Hidden Kennedy Daughter by Kate Clifford Larson. It is 302 pages long and is published by Mariner Books. The intended reader is someone who is interested in American history and likes biographies. There is mild foul language, no sex, and no violence in this book. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- Joe and Rose Kennedy’s strikingly beautiful daughter Rosemary attended exclusive schools, was presented as a debutante to the Queen of England, and traveled the world with her high-spirited sisters. And yet, Rosemary was intellectually disabled — a secret fiercely guarded by her powerful and glamorous family. 

In Rosemary, Kate Clifford Larson uses newly uncovered sources to bring Rosemary Kennedy's story to light.  Young Rosemary comes across as a sweet, lively girl adored by her siblings. But Larson also reveals the desperate and duplicitous arrangements the Kennedys made to keep her away from home as she became increasingly difficult in her early twenties, culminating in Joe's decision to have Rosemary lobotomized at the age of twenty-three and the family's complicity in keeping the secret. Only  years later did the Kennedy siblings begin to understand what had happened to Rosemary, which inspired them to direct government attention and resources to the plight of the developmentally and mentally disabled, transforming millions of lives. 

Review- Memoir about a forgotten child in a glamorous family. Rosemary Kennedy's life was marked from her birth, when her mother was unattended by a doctor and some kind of birth trauma happened to her. From a young age she was markedly different from her other siblings and at first her family didn't know what to do but over time they sent her to different schools, doctors, and tried many different methods ultimately ending in a lobotomy. Rosemary's brothers and sisters had no idea what her parents had done to her for so many years and so were very shocked when they discovered the true extent of what had happened to her. A very heartbreaking story about a young girl who was mentally disabled yes and was going through frustrating time, but ultimately was horribly mistreated by the people who should have taken more care of her. Although Rosemary's life itself was very tragic the final chapter of this book is called Rosemary made a Difference because when her siblings realized what happened to her, they became very concerned about what else was happening to other people and her siblings were people with power; so they did something. If you are interested in a piece semi-forgotten of Kennedy family lore I would recommend this book but be warned it is very heartbreaking and at times extremely difficult to read, not because of the writing style because of the content.

I give this biography a Four out of Five stars. I get nothing for this review and I was given this book as a gift. 

The Promised Neverland, vol. 1

Today’s review is on The Promised Neverland, vol. 1 by Kaiu Shirai and Posuka Demizu. It is 192 pages long and is published by Shonen Jump Advanced. The cover is a picture of the three main characters on it looking at the reader. There is no foul language, no sex, and implied and discussion of violence in this manga. The story is told from third person close of different characters. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- Emma, Norman and Ray are the brightest kids at the Grace Field House orphanage. And under the care of the woman they refer to as “Mom,” all the kids have enjoyed a comfortable life. Good food, clean clothes and the perfect environment to learn—what more could an orphan ask for? One day, though, Emma and Norman uncover the dark truth of the outside world they are forbidden from seeing.

Review- Fantastic first volume and a new series with an incredible start. The Promised Neverland starts off very slow with the reader not being sure anything is wrong until well into the first chapter; all you see the idyllic life that the children are lead, some of them are adopted and some of them are not but they all get enough to eat, their clothes are clean and they receive an education, everything that they could possibly need to thrive including a woman that they call Mother. But by the end of the first chapter our main characters Emma and Norman realize that they are being raised as food for things they call Monsters. From there the story continues slowly with them discovering the limitations that they have on them, how far they can go, and how tragically little they know of the real world. Emma is a driving force in the manga and she is determined to save every one of her siblings that she can, even though she understands that no matter what she does a lot of them are probably going to die. I look forward to seeing where this manga goes and what the outside world is really like.

I give this manga a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing from my review and I bought this mango with my own money. 

The Wallflower Wager

Today’s post is on The Wallflower Wager by Tessa Dare. It is the third in her Girl Meets Duke series but you do not have to have read the first two in order to enjoy this story. It is 353 pages long and is published by Avon Romance. The cover has the two main characters on it about to kiss. There is some mild foul language, sex and sexuality, and no violence in this book. The story is told in third person close of the two main characters moving as needed by the story. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- The Call Him the Duke Of Ruin
Wealthy and ruthless, Gabriel Duke clawed his way from the lowliest slums to the pinnacle of high society- and now he wants to get even.
Loyal and passionate, Lady Penelope Campion never met a lost or wounded creature she wouldn’t take into her home and her heart.
When her imposing- and attractive- new neighbor demands she clear out the rescued animals. Penny sets him a challenge. She will part with her precious charges is He can find them loving homes.
Done, Gabriel says. How hard can it be to find homes for a few kittens? And a two-legged dog. And a foul-mouthed parrot. And a goat, an otter, a hedgehog…
Easier said than done, for a cold-blooded bastard who wouldn’t know a loving home from a workhouse. Soon he’s covered in cat hair, knee-deep in adorable, and bewitched by a shyly pretty spinster who defies his every attempt to resist. Now she’s set her mind and heart on saving him.
Not if her ruins her first.

Review- A cute story about two misfits finding home with each other. Penny has to start doing something in society or she is going to go back to her family’s country estate and she will do anything to not go back there. Gabriel has bought the house next to her, is remodeling it, and Penny is important to his getting the most money for it. So they work together to get what the both want; Penny her continued freedom, and Gabriel more money. As they are thrown together, they begin to see each other in a new light and a romance is born. The story is pretty fast paced, doesn’t get too bogged down in details, and has good central characters. If you are looking for a quick read then you should try this one.

I give this novel a Four out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this novel from my local library.

Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You

 

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Today’s post is on Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi. It is 273 pages long and is published by Little, Brown, and Company. The cover is white with a silhouette in black on the center. The intended reader is someone who is interested in American history, African American history, and repressed history. There is no foul language, no sex, and discussion of violence in this book. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- Racist ideas in our country did not arise from ignorance or hatred. Instead, they were developed by some of the most brilliant minds in history to justify and rationalize the nation's deeply entrenched discriminatory policies. But while racist ideas have always been easy to fabricate and distribute, they can also be discredited. In examining the history of racist ideas in America, this remarkable re-imagining of Dr. Ibram X. Kendi’s National book award winning Stamped from the Beginning also offers the tools needed to combat them.

Through a gripping, fast-paced, and energizing narrative that speaks to young people as only Jason Reynolds can, this book shines a light on the many insidious forms of racism-  and on ways readers can identify and stamp out racist thoughts and their daily lives. 

Review- A good first primer on racism in America and how systemic racism is built into every facet of our society.  Reynolds and Kendi help take a very difficult dense subject and break it down to its important moving parts that can be lost when you start looking at the overall picture of America and racism in America. and they do a very good job of that, the language they use is appealing to a young reader but not skipping out on the complexity of the topic. They can be read and engaged with by persons of any race, as they are just telling the truth about how America was built and on the backs of who it was built on. The notes of the back or helpful, if the reader wants to do a more in-depth study, and everything that is presented in this book is presented in an approachable easy style. If you are looking to start to learn about America's racist past or have a young person in your life who is interested in why Black Lives Matter movement is happening and why it's causing such controversy Across the Nation, then I would recommend this book. 

I give this book a Four out of Five stars.