Unraveling Oliver (audio)

Oliver Ryan, handsome, charismatic, and successful, has long been married to his devoted wife, Alice. Together they write and illustrate award-winning children’s books; their life together one of enviable privilege and ease—until, one evening after a delightful dinner, Oliver delivers a blow to Alice that renders her unconscious, and subsequently beats her into a coma.

In the aftermath of such an unthinkable event, as Alice hovers between life and death, the couple’s friends, neighbors, and acquaintances try to understand what could have driven Oliver to commit such a horrific act. As his story unfolds, layers are peeled away to reveal a life of shame, envy, deception, and masterful manipulation.

The first sentence, I expected more of a reaction the first time I hit her, grabs your attention and the story unravels from there told in multiple voices of those who have known Oliver over the years. Oliver is a reliable narrator even though he is unlikeable.  I could not stop listening to the audio, not only to find out what caused Oliver to do what he did, but because it was a well crafted story with engaging, interesting characters.  Many times a multiple narrators can be distracting, but the choices for this novel (Sam O'Mahony, Roy McMillian, Tracy Keating, Kevin Healey, Steven Hogan, Kathy O'Brien, Steven Lovadee, Michelle Moran)  were perfect. For me this book lived up to the hype at BEA. .

*Thanks to Simon and Schuster Audio for this review copy*

The River At Night

Winifred Allen needs a vacation.

Stifled by a soul-crushing job, devastated by the death of her beloved brother, and lonely after the end of a fifteen-year marriage, Wini is feeling vulnerable. So when her three best friends insist on a high-octane getaway for their annual girls’ trip, she signs on, despite her misgivings.

What starts out as an invigorating hiking and rafting excursion in the remote Allagash Wilderness soon becomes an all-too-real nightmare: A freak accident leaves the women stranded, separating them from their raft and everything they need to survive. When night descends, a fire on the mountainside lures them to a ramshackle camp that appears to be their lifeline. But as Wini and her friends grasp the true intent of their supposed saviors, long buried secrets emerge and lifelong allegiances are put to the test. To survive, Wini must reach beyond the world she knows to harness an inner strength she never knew she possessed.

Joy Osmanski narrates this debut book. The story is told in the POV of Wini, but she does a great job with the three other character's personalities. I appreciated the narrator's ability to hold my attention during the slow set up of the girl's weekend. Once their river trip gets going the story takes off and doesn't let up.  They each respond differently to the challenge to survive and their friendship is put to the test. I could not stop listening 

*Thanks to Simon and Schuster for this review copy*

The German Girl (audio)

1939 before everything changed, Hannah Rosenthal lived a charmed life. Her family moved in Berlin’s highest social circles, admired by friends and neighbors. Eleven-year-old Hannah was often taken by her mother for an afternoon treat at the tea room of the beautiful Adlon Hotel, both dressed in their finest clothes. She spent her afternoons at the park with her best friend Leo Martin. But, in an instant, that sunlit world vanished. Now the streets of Berlin are draped with red, white, and black flags; their fine possessions are hauled away, and they are no longer welcome in the places that once felt like home. The two friends make a pact: come what may, they promise to have a future together.

As Hannah and Leo’s families desperately begin to search for a means of escape, a glimmer of hope appears when they discover the Saint Louis, a transatlantic liner that can give Jews safe passage to Cuba. After a frantic search to obtain visas, the Rosenthals and the Martins depart from Hamburg on the luxurious passenger liner bound for Havana. Life aboard the ship is a welcome respite from the gloom of Berlin—filled with masquerade balls, dancing, and exquisite meals every night.

As the passengers gain renewed hope for a bright future ahead, love between Hannah and Leo blossoms. But soon reports from the outside world began to filter in, and dark news overshadows the celebratory atmosphere on the ship; the governments of Cuba, the United States, and Canada are denying the passengers of the St. Louis admittance to their countries, forcing them to return to Europe as it descends into the Second World War. The ship that had seemed their salvation seems likely to become their death sentence.

After four days anchored at bay, only a handful of passengers are allowed to disembark onto Cuban soil, and Hannah and Leo must face the grim reality that they could be torn apart. Their future is unknown, and their only choice will have an impact in generations to come.

Decades later in New York City on her eleventh birthday, Anna Rosen receives a mysterious envelope from Hannah, a great-aunt she has never met but who raised her deceased father. In an attempt to piece together her father’s mysterious past, Anna and her mother travel to Havana to meet Hannah, who is turning eighty-seven years old. Hannah reveals old family ties, recounts her journey aboard the Saint Louis and, for the first time, reveals what happened to her father and Leo. Bringing together the pain of the past with the mysteries of the present, Hannah gives young Anna a sense of their shared histories, forever intertwining their lives, honoring those they loved and cruelly lost.

This debut book is wonderfully written, pulls you in and won't let you go as you grit your teeth for Hannah, her family and friends. Hannah and her family escape Germany for Cuba in this historical event that I didn't know much about. Joy Osmanski does a great job with the tension, fear, anger, hope and triumph of the characters. She easily takes us from Hannah's to Anna's POVs. If you liked The Nightingale and All The Light We Cannot See, read this book. .

*Thanks to Simon and Schuster Audio for this review copy*

With Love From The Inside

Grace Bradshaw knows the exact minute she will die.

On death row for murdering her infant son, her last breath will be taken on February 15 at 12:01 a.m. Eleven years, five months, and twenty-seven days separate her from the last time she heard her precious daughter’s voice and the final moment she’d heard anyone call her Mom. Out of appeals, she can focus on only one thing—reconnecting with her daughter and making sure she knows the truth.

Secrets lurk behind Sophie Logan’s big house and even bigger bank account. Every day when she kisses her husband good-bye, she worries her fabricated life is about to come crumbling down. No one knows the unforgivable things her mother did to tear her family apart—not her husband, who is a prominent plastic surgeon, or her “synthetic” friends who live in her upscale neighborhood.

Grace’s looming execution date forces Sophie to revisit the traumatic events that haunted her childhood. When she returns to her hometown, she discovers new evidence about her baby brother William’s death seventeen years ago—proof that might set her mother free but shatter her marriage forever.

Sophie must quickly decide if her mother is the monster the prosecutor made her out to be or the loving mother she remembers—the one who painted her toenails glittery pink and plastered Post-it notes with inspiring quotes (“100 percent failure rate if you don’t try”) all over Sophie’s bathroom mirror—before their time runs out.

I love mother/daughter relationships - thankfully I have happy/healthy ones as a daughter and as a mother. The ones that are told in books-  ugly, heartbreaking, non-existent, competitive and even good intrigue me.  This one had a separation, unknown truths and un-acknowledgement, but was still there for both Grace and Sophie. This is their story more than a story about what Grace has been convicted of, although it does have a profound impact on the story. It was easy to care for these characters and I was very invested in the outcome. A stellar debut novel that would make for a great book club selection.

* Thank to Penguin Group via NetGalley for this review copy*