Brawler
by Neil Connelly
Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books
Publication Date: March 26, 2019
BRAWLER is about Eddie MacIntyre, an amazing wrestler who loses all his scholarships when he attacks a referee. He is such a great wrestler because of his rage that he keeps deep inside. But when it comes out, the consequences are devastating. He is sought out by an agent from a secret organization of brawlers who make money off illegal street brawls. Mac leaves with a warrant for his arrest and moves in with Khajee, who is to be his brawling trainer. Mac must correct his wrongdoings while dealing with a disturbing past. I liked this book a lot. The plot had many layers that were quite interesting. It kept me reading the book, that's for sure. The complex wrestling moves were described in a simple and understandable way. I specifically enjoyed the relationship between Mac and Khajee. There was a lot of effort put into their relationship and it worked. I enjoyed the fast paced action and the writing was excellent.
The Agony House
by Cherie Priest
Illustrated by Tara O'Connor
Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books
Publication Date: September 25, 2018
THE AGONY HOUSE written by Cherie Priest and illustrated by Tara O’Connor initially attracted me because of Priest’s previous work I AM PRINCESS X. Once again I find Priest and O’Connor make expert use of integrating illustration to add dimension and mystery in duality to richly written characters and settings. Despite them being similar in that aspect, THE AGONY HOUSE is wholly its own in story and structure. Denise and her family move back to New Orleans to fix up an old, run-down house in hopes of making a small bed and breakfast with what little savings they’ve got. As they begin renovations, strange occurrences lead Denise to suspect supernatural presence. When she discovers an old manuscript for the unpublished comic, Lucinda Might, in the attic she can no longer deny the connection between her house and the comic book. Throughout the novel she acquires a cast of friends and begins to uncover the secrets within the “agony house” are far more sinister than she could have imagined.
Despite Denise’s optimistic, light, often sarcastic demeanor, the story, aided heavily by the comic drawings, is able to maintain a spooky, yet not terrifying, tone. While the narrative focuses on the supernatural mystery it also lightly explores her family's economic difficulties, race prejudice in New Orleans, and, in general, Denise’s struggle to fit in in this new, unfamiliar town. By the end you’ll feel satisfied and definitely will want to flip back to the beautifully illustrated comic pages. I’m excited to see what comes next for Cherie Priest as her first two books are simply addictive.
Into the Hurricane
by Neil Connelly
Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books
Publication Date: June 27, 2017
INTO THE HURRICANE is pretty much about what you’d expect it to be about: two kids getting
trapped in a city while a category 5 hurricane passes right through
it. Eli, one of the protagonists, is a depressed teenager who
witnessed his older sister die. While Eli has some extreme views on life, he is a very relatable character due to his interests. Max,
on the other hand, initially seems to be the complete opposite of
Eli, but throughout the book, we see that they really have more and
more in common than either they or we realized. As expected, a
relationship forms between Eli and Max, but I really liked that it
was formed appropriately over time, and never even started until the
end of the book. I really liked this because it portrays a sense of
realism, and does not distract anyone from the real threat. The main
antagonist in this book is not the rifle wielding, car stealing,
cult-like family they encounter, but Hurricane Celeste, which
threatens everyone on the island.
This book really reminded me of THE MARTIAN, due to its “man vs. nature” theme. They both have their environments try to destroy their protagonists. The characters somehow find a way to escape, only to have another disaster sent to them. There is some death caused by the hurricane, but in my opinion, there was not enough. While unfortunate, I feel it would have been more realistic if at least one more character died due to the hurricane.
I really enjoyed
reading this book, and while I had some minor problems with it,
it was not enough to detract from my enjoyment of reading it. INTO THE HURRICANE is a bit shorter that I would have liked for this plot, but Connelly has still done a great job for the length that it is. This
thriller really allows you to relate to its nicely developed
characters, while still telling a great story.
