Reviews

But I remember back in the day when I could pop into the library between classes and grab another book to kill some time with.

And one of those books was The Only Alien on the Planet. Just this little, nothing-book crammed between other, better known volumes. But there’s only 5 minutes between classes, so you grab one quick and go. There is no pressure. If it’s bad, just swap it for another during next break.

But this book was one of those good ones: the ones that grab you and suck you in until you’re done. I was hooked, and this became a frequent re-check for me throughout high school. And about a month ago, after more than a decade away from this old favorite, I ordered it for nostalgia’s sake.

When my copy arrived, I climbed into the hammock and cracked it open. I expected it to be like many of my favorites from childhood – less than I remembered. But Alien lived up to my good memories. I lay in that hammock without getting up for 5 straight hours and finished the whole thing.

I haven’t done that in years.

The Only Alien on the Planet is a simple book. It’s easy reading with likable characters and an intriguing mystery in Smitty, the titular character. It is NOT a sci fi book (which was my first guess based on the title and the cover art), but rather a shockingly sweet story about how an abused boy finds his voice, and the girl who unwittingly pushes him to it.

Ginny is a great main character. She is refreshingly average without being obnoxiously so. She’s no beauty queen if only she’d take off her glasses. She’s no clumsy-but-hot female protagonist. She’s good at school, makes friends easily, is a bit of a coward, occasionally makes rash decisions, and mostly just wants to mind her own business.

The side characters are a bit shallow, mostly Ginny’s family, but it wasn’t a deal breaker for me. The story wasn’t about them.

Smitty’s family infuriate me, more so now that I’ve become a parent myself. We don’t get a lot of insight into their characterizations, but considering the tone of the book, I think it was appropriate. This is a light read, not an introspective on psychology. It would take volumes to get through the Tibbs alone, and those wouldn’t be much fun to read, I’m sure.

All in all, I highly recommend this book. It deals with upsetting topics, but the read itself is not upsetting and has a satisfying end. It includes a sweet romance, has a good voice, and sticks with you. And it also shines some light on mental illness and child abuse – specifically the kind that goes unnoticed by the abusers themselves. And that’s never a bad thing.

Country Bride is set in a small town with an un-glamorous but attractive teacher as the main character and a hunky ranch hand for a love interest. This is my kind of book, surely! Simple, romantic, guilty pleasure, entertainment.

Well I was right about one thing: the setting, characters, and situation were all totally fine. Nothing to write home about, but entertaining and fun.

But when I got about a quarter of the way through and encountered some rather abusive behavior portrayed as romantic, I couldn’t continue. When Kate is on her way out the door to go on a date, Luke tries to convince her she’s in love with him instead. She’s protesting, and he’s kissing and touching. He’s insisting she’s in love with him, even if she doesn’t know it yet.

And after several repetitions of “No,” “Stop it,” “Don’t,” Luke responds with this winner: “I don’t think I should stop.” (paraphrased for clarity) And he continues to press kisses on her.

Oh hell no. That’s an immediate DNF for me.

Force is not confidence. It’s not romantic. It’s abusive and gross. If someone tells you to stop, YOU EFFING STOP. Pencils down. Test over. The end. I don’t care if she really does love you deep down and you’re destined to be together forever. Right now, she said stop.

And this isn’t just because of sexual assault. Luke couldn’t be bothered about Kate’s wishes. He couldn’t respect her enough to take her at her word when she told him what she wanted/needed. That’s not love.

But hypothetically, what if Luke was right (he wasn’t)? What if Kate did want him to continue kissing and touching her. Well if Kate decided to play games in that situation (saying no when really she meant yes), then I’d lose all respect for her anyway.

So all in all, that conversation put the whole book to bed. The situation was gross, and I came out the other side disliking both characters.

Raelyn Bell is suddenly transplanted from her idyllic country life and forced to finish her final year of high school in a new city. She has no idea that the reason for the sudden move was because her father, William, had begun receiving threats about files her deceased mother may have left behind.

Raelyn is a good protagonist: shy, romantic, and strong minded. The real standout is her new best friend, Cali. She’s the outgoing show stopper that all introverts love to be adopted by. The final main character is Kody, the brooding military man struggling to protect the people he loves, while helping Raelyn search for answers. Together, they attempt to uncover the truth about Raelyn’s mother and disentangle the growing conspiracy around her death.

The romance between Raelyn and Kody was perhaps a little predictable, but the characters had excellent chemistry and I was pleased with how well their growing relationship drove the suspenseful plot line. Overall the biggest strengths were the well-drawn characters, which is a major plus for me personally. You can have the best plot in the world, but if the characters are flat, I’m bored. That was not the case with Break the Stone. Raelyn, Cali, and Kody were all engrossing, likeable in their own ways, and full of depth. And William’s journey toward connecting with Raelyn and finally coming to terms with being a single father was heartfelt and real.

The plot was also engrossing. Most of my initial predictions were way off, which isn’t usual for me. I won’t spoil anything here, but the ending is satisfying and leaves plenty of room for a sequel. Can’t wait for more from this author!

Break the Stone is still in development, so readers will have to wait a little until it’s officially published. It’s currently scheduled to be released in 2021. Keep an eye on her goodreads page for updates!