No Boundaries

Ford, Donna. No Boundaries. Bold Strokes Books. 2014. $16.95. 256p. SC 978-1-62639-060-7.

Gwen has just moved to rural Tennessee to start her life over again. She and her dog need a fresh start away from the mistakes of her past. Andi lives in the same small town, where she, too, is hiding from a difficult past. The locals are used to Andi’s reclusive ways, and naturally become curious when she and Gwen start spending time together. Gwen and Andi are attracted to each other from the start, but Andi keeps pushing Gwen away, and when her secret past comes back to haunt her, she has to decide whether to tell Gwen the truth about her past or to spare her the pain and break up with her.

This is a romance novel with a fairly standard plot: person #1 and person #2 are perfect for each other, but at least one of them is hiding a secret, and when it finally comes out, they both have to decide what to do about it. There isn’t a lot of action to this story; it’s the relationship between Andi and Gwen that carries the story along. The characters are very real and well-defined, and a willing suspension of disbelief allows the reader to agree that two lesbians could both flee to the same rural town in Tennessee. This book would make an excellent addition to a public library’s romance novel collection, and is recommended as a beach or poolside read for fans of Karin Kallmaker’s writing.

Kitty Genovese: The Murder, the Bystanders, and the Crime that Changed America

Cook, Kevin. Kitty Genovese: The Murder, the Bystanders, and the Crime that Changed America. Bold Strokes Books. 2014. $25.95. 242p. HC 978-0-393-23928-7.

In 1964, Kitty Genovese was murdered as she returned home after her job as a bartender. This event led to the development of the “bystander effect,” where crowds of people can watch a violent crime occur and choose not to help if they can believe that someone else will step up and help instead. This much-discussed case led to the creation of Good Samaritan laws in many states. Cook maintains, however, that although it is true that people did not choose to help Kitty when she was being stabbed by her murderer, the story is not as simple as it seems.

Drawing from eyewitness accounts, court transcripts, interviews, and newspaper articles, Cook paints a picture of a neighborhood where some people may have chosen not to act, but where most people were likely asleep or assumed that the noise, typical in a growing city where people stay awake throughout the night, was simply the scream of a silly, possibly drunk young couple out too late at night. While it is true that Kitty was a lesbian and that she was murdered, her murder was not a hate crime, but rather a crime of opportunity.

This true crime story is excellently told. Cook gives an appropriate amount of background both for Kitty and her murderer, leading up to the night the two of them met on the street and Kitty was killed. The aftermath, including Winston Moseley’s trial, conviction, escape, and return to prison. The author also details the sociological results of this event and how a newspaper story led to the common belief that thirty-eight people heard Kitty cry for help and chose to ignore her. This book would be a fantastic addition to a public library’s true crime section as well as an academic library’s collection.

Switchblade

Taite, Carsen. Switchblade. Bold Strokes Books. 2014. $16.95. 231p. SC 978-1-62639-058-4.

The third book in the Luca Bennett mystery series, this novel picks up as Luca heads to the bondsman in order to get some more work so she can pay her bills. In the course of rounding up the usual suspects, Luca finds herself in possession of both a dog and a mystery involving corrupt cops, drugs, and a rookie who has taken the fall for what was obviously someone else’s work. Luca also must decide if she wants to be friends or more-than-friends with her ex-girlfriend or the new woman on the scene. Between her love life and her working life, Luca has a lot on her plate.

While this book is very much a typical mystery/private investigator story along the lines of Michael Connelly’s Harry Bosch series, this genre writing did not detract from the story itself. Luca is a very flawed, very believable main character who is struggling both with her own personal problems and with solving the case she’s taken on for work. She typifies the standard private investigator character, with a scruffy appearance, rundown apartment, and a savings account that she keeps in a coffee can. The mystery’s solution was fairly obvious from the beginning, but it was enjoyable to watch Luca struggle through the story and discover the answers on her own. The compelling pace and suspenseful tone of this book will keep readers turning the pages to see if their suspicions are correct. This book would be a great addition to a public library’s mystery collection.

The Fourteenth Goldfish

Holm, Jennifer. The Fourteenth Goldfish. Random House BFYR, 2014.

Ellie is in 6th grade, and she's finding middle school to be a difficult adjustment. On top of that, she doesn't really understand her parents' obsession with theater. When her mother brings home a thirteen-year old boy who has a startling resemblance to Ellie's grandfather, Ellie begins to question what she knows about life.

This is a weird, weird book. Ellie's grandfather has been trying to discover the fountain of youth, which he apparently found in some jellyfish's DNA. So now he looks thirteen and has to live with Ellie and her mom. He teaches Ellie a lot about science and helps her develop her interest in it, a topic he loved and his daughter, Ellie's mother, rebelled against by joining the theater. Ellie helps her grandfather attempt to retrieve the rest of his jellyfish from his lab and makes some decisions about the cycle of life. All in all, this is pretty obviously a "shove science in front of kids to make them want to learn about it" type of book, but the entertaining story will keep many middle graders interested, and this would be a great read-aloud book for an upper elementary science class.

Recommended for: middle grade
Red Flags: none
Overall Rating: 4/5 stars

Read-Alike: The 14 Fibs of Gregory K.

Paper Cowboy

Levine, Kristin. The Paper Cowboy. Putnam Juvenile, 2014.

Tommy is a bully who gets away with things because he's a cute kid. He picks on the weaker kids and school and even picks on his own friends. At home, though, Tommy has a lot to deal with. His mom has an undiagnosed mental illness and frequently vacillates between extreme happiness and beating Tommy for the smallest infraction. Also, Tommy blames himself for an accident that happens to his older sister, so he's feeling guilty on top of taking care of his younger sisters and his house and covering his older sister's paper route. Things come to a head as Tommy realizes that all actions have consequences and that sometimes all a person needs to do is ask for help.

This was an excellent book, although it wasn't an easy book to read. Tommy is not a likable character, but the glimpses into his home life help explain why he is such a jerk to the people around him. I could very easily use this book as a read-aloud in an upper elementary or middle school classroom. There is a great discussion of the Cold War and McCarthyism throughout this book, as well as dealing with bullying, abuse, and mental illness.

Recommended for: middle grade, tweens
Red Flags: abuse (mom beats the kid on several occasions)
Overall Rating: 4/5 stars

Read-Alikes: Paperboy, Okay for Now, Dead End in Norvelt