Fifteen year old Laurel Summers has just lost her mother, her brother, Rowan and sister, Tansy in a horrific car accident.  Now, all that's left of their family is Laurel and her father.  Laurel's father is dealing with severe depression and grief as he leaves Laurel to attend a bereavement camp and improve his mental health.  Laurel's father leaving her is just a little too much for her to handle, Laurel begins to spiral.  She has her best friends to lean on, Hanna, who is practical and knowledgeable and Lyssa who is unpredictable and insightful to help ground her in reality as she tries to help her father by finding a rowan leaf and tansy flower that he was so desperately searching for. 


Laurel Everywhere is an insightful exploration into a teenager's grief.  From the very beginning, when Laurel was left in her namesake bush, I could feel her grief, frustration and anger rolling off of the page.  Laurel sees herself as the family peacekeeper between her older brother Rowan and younger sister Tansy but can't seem to find her own peace as she still sees the ghosts of her deceased family members.  It was interesting to read Laurel's thoughts and mental breakdown as she not only dealt with the death of her siblings and mother, but what she felt like was abandonment from her father as dealt with his own grief.  Laurel's inner dialogue also deals with her coming to terms with her sexuality while dealing with the fact that Hanna is someone she can reliably lean on, but does not want to talk about their relationship.  I liked that Laurel's sexuality was not at the forefront of the story, rather just one more normal thing that a fifteen-year old girl is dealing with.  The ending did not tie everything up neatly, since dealing with grief is a long process, yet it showed hope and healthy steps in the right direction for Laurel and her father.  

This book was received for free in return for an honest review. ​

​Graham's life has not been easy. His parents died when he was young, then Graham was placed with an abusive foster parent. Now, Graham has found himself in jail.  However, he has been offered a deal to live in The City, hidden away from the outside world, given a job and a home, but bound forever to The City.  The City is ruled by The Man, a monstrous figure with many robotic arms.  The Man wants Graham to have a job in advertising and eventually becomes a tester for the new Pow! sodas.  With one sip of the orange Pow! soda Graham feels intense emotion and addiction.  With each new flavor he tries, Graham's emotional world is opened up as well as the reality of The City and the lives of the people imprisoned there. 


Orange City is an emotional journey through a dystopian future.  The City itself drew me in and is created as a grim reminder of how humanity could end up- constantly monitored, fearing an unseen leader and enslaved by consumerism and drugs. I had so many questions about The City, The Man and the Grand Plan.  Graham's story was intriguing as he discovered that he was not just another cog in the wheel. The idea of the Pow! sodas controlling emotions was fascinating as Graham was led down a rabbit hole of emotion and color with each corresponding flavor.  The flavors and colors almost seemed to go along with the sins; however, it is only through these sins that Graham realizes the truth behind The City.  Orange City ended a little abruptly and a little too easily; however, with Graham's discovery it seems that the power of POW! isn't going to stop at The City.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review

​ A devastating earthquake hits Portland in the year 2030.  The earthquake instantly kills, injuries and cuts off many from clean water, food and medical help.  Among the survivors are the dysfunctional Sparrow family. Eldest sibling, Olivia, the keeper of the family trauma, is attempting to get out of downtown and back to her daughter and family home.  Sherman, owner of a dispensary bed and breakfast and Morgan, the family risk taker are both at the family home taking care of their aging father, Clyde along with Olivia's daughter, Melanie and Clyde's nurse, Wanda when the quake hits. The unlikely team of survivors now must make decisions that impact others as well as themselves.  While they are trying to sort through the trauma, the Sparrows uncover the source of their family strife, a secret that their family kept for decades that hurt many others along the way. 

Faultland is an unexpected family drama that slowly unfolds after a major earthquake Portland. Set ten years in the future, the consequences of the current COVID-19 pandemic and fallout from the Trump presidency play a large part in how the world now works. It was interesting to see how this impacted daily life in the not too distant future.  Faultland is carried by the characters. None of the characters are especially good, and I didn't find myself rooting for anyone in particular.  The earthquake forced the Sparrow siblings to come to terms with their childhood and make decisions for the greater good that they would have never made before.  The secret that Clyde had kept had far reaching effects. The author weaves parts of the secret through the story through the memories of each character so that it seems more important to their personal stories than the whole at first and does not fully connect till the end.  

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.