Looking for Smoke: a story of murder, mystery and a stark reality for Native women

Looking for Smoke by KA Cobell is a young adult fiction of murder, mystery and a very real situation plaguing young Native women. Mara Racette recently moved to the Blackfeet Reservation with her parents and is on the outside looking in. When Loren Arnoux includes her in a traditional Blackfeet giveaway to honor her missing sister, Rayanne, Mara thinks she is finally making friends. However, when Samantha White Tail, another girl from the giveaway, is found murdered, everyone who was a part of the giveaway becomes a person of interest. Each one may have had a motive. From Mara and Loren to Brody Clark, the class clown, and tough guy Eli First Kill, each with a deep mistrust of each, take the matter into their own hands to clear their names. Can they discover the truth? Is one of them a murderer?

I love stories about Native Indigenous people and their culture and struggles. So when the opportunity to read Looking for Smoke came up, I jumped at it. In a powerful debut novel, Ms. Cobell weaved a story of loss, betrayal and mystery that was engaging with a shocking twist and surprise that had my jaw on the floor! Weaved through the story is the very real nightmare of missing and murdered native women. The statistics the author discussed at the end of the book were heartbreaking and horrifying! The characters were complex and the growth throughout the story was great. The imagery and the descriptions of the festivals and rituals were breathtaking. I could not put this story down and read well into the night. I am looking forward to reading more stories by KA Cobell. I highly, highly recommend Looking for Smoke. 

Looking for Smoke will be available in hardcover, eBook and audiobook on June 4, 2024

Oye: a coming of age through family drama

Oye by Melissa Mogollon is one young woman’s story as she deals with family drama among high school drama and an incoming hurricane. Luciana is the baby of her very large Colombian American family. She is usually pushed to the sidelines; however, she suddenly finds herself front and center as the voice of reason during an unexpected crisis. As South Florida residents are ordered to evacuate as a hurricane heads their direction, Luciana is left to deal with Abue, her eccentric grandmother, who refuses to leave. When a crushing medical diagnosis forces Abue to move into Luciana’s room, the two find themselves on a personal journey neither wanted. Forced into the role of caretaker, translator and keeper of Abue’s secrets, Luciana finds herself facing adulthood and ready for the challenge. 

Billed as a “coming-of-age comedy. A telenovela-worthy drama. A moving family saga. All in a phone call you won’t want to hang up on,” I found the premise of Oye to be intriguing. With an eye-catching cover, I could not pass on this story. However, I was quickly confused as the story is told mostly as a one-sided phone conversation and series of voicemails. I could not find the comedy, the telenovela drama or the family saga. Perhaps I am simply not the audience for this story to fully appreciate its unique format. While labeled as adult fiction, I feel it belongs in the young adult category. Overall, I found it hard to enjoy this story. However, if you think you may enjoy a story told in an unique and unconventional format, I recommend giving Oye a try. 

Oye is available in hardcover, eBook and audiobook

Curvy Girls Can't Date Quarterbacks: an emotional young adult romance

Curvy Girls Can’t Date Quarterbacks by Kelse Stelting is the first book in The Curvy Girls Club series. Rory Hutton has struggled with her weight for a long time. She’s been called a big girl, “plus sized” and forced to try every diet imaginable and she can’t stand it anymore. On the day Rory gets devastating news from her doctor, Merrit Alexander, Emerson Academy’s resident Mean Girl, runs her mouth off that fat people simply need to lose weight. Rory snaps and it leads to the worst decision of her life. She bets Merrit that she can get Beckett Langley to ask her to the homecoming dance. Beckett is the school’s star quarterback with a line of girls just waiting to date him. She has had a crush on him for as long as she can remember. With the help of her fellow curvy girls, Rory sets out to get Beckett’s attention. Once she does, she learns the real Beckett. The Beckett who is more than just a great quarterback, a Beckett who feels deeper than anyone thought possible. As their relationship progresses, Rory realizes she has one big problem: Beckett doesn't know that their relationship is based on a bet. How can she tell him the truth without risking losing the first and only guy she loves? Can she prove that curvy girls deserve a happily ever after too? 

Why did I wait so long to read this book?!?!? I added it to my To Be Read list and forgot about it. Until an ad for the book popped up and reminded me. I started reading and could not put it down! I read well into the night as I was hooked on Rory and Beckett’s love story. If the story premise sounds familiar, it should. A similar storyline is the plot of the 1999 teen comedy, She’s All That. However, this story takes a deeper and more emotional turn than the movie. I was angry during the first 25% as a curvy girl and woman who has always struggled with her body image, my heart broke for Rory. I felt Rory’s pain and frustration. I laughed, sighed and grinned during the middle 50%. Beckett and Rory are perfect for each other. And I ugly cried, sobbed really, at the final 25%. It is a great story about how it can take just the right person to break through the self-doubt to find the confidence and beautiful sexiness you always hoped was there. Yes, it is a Young Adult novel with a bunch of teen drama and immaturity but there are life lessons to be learned that even adults can learn. I look forward to the rest of the series! I highly, highly, highly recommend Curvy Girls Can’t Date Quarterbacks. 

Curvy Girls Can’t Date Quarterbacks is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook

From a Distant Star: an adventure story filled with lesson on life, love, and relationships

From a Distant Star by Karen McQuestion is a Young Adult book about loyalty and the power of love. Lucas Walker is near death, according to his doctors, it’s only a matter of time. One night a shooting light is seen falling near Lucas’ home. The next day, he miraculously recovers from terminal cancer, everyone is astonished. Everyone that is but Emma, his girlfriend, who never gave up hope. As his family and friends celebrate, Emma is concerned. Lucas has changed. Something is different, off. He speaks haltingly, can’t recall past events and even his dog, Mack, doesn’t recognize him. What happened to the Lucas she knows and loves? Is his strange behavior connected to the light seen the night before? Soon, the two set off on a road trip in search of the truth, the journey filled with unknown enemies and help from unlikely allies and a  desperate race against time.

From a Distant Star is a mixture of love, adventure, and the extraterrestrial. It is sweet, adorable, filled with young love and the fight to be together. While it is tagged as a Young Adult novel, it has great insight on humanity from the perspective of an outsider and the complexity of human relationships. I feel that adults and teens can enjoy this story and gain new insights on life, love and relationships. I enjoyed all the characters and their interactions ranged from the breezy banter to deep conversations. The ending had me smiling and I closed with the book, satisfied with a great story. It was not overly complicated and the action flowed very well which made reading it enjoyable. It is a great mixture of science fiction, romance and wonder. A great book for troubling times. I highly recommend From a Distant Star. 

From a Distant Star is available in paperback, eBook, and audiobook

Let Me Fall: the drama of high school can have a lasting effect

Let Me Fall by Lily Foster is the fifth book in the Let Me series. Each book stands alone and Let Me Fall is the story of Carolyn and Jeremy, secret admirers of each other since grade school and are reunited in their junior year of high school. Carolyn is the smart, nerdy girl who helps the struggling Jeremy pass his classes so he can play football. As the two draw closer, the drama and rumor mill runs wild around the school. Until one day, tragedy strikes, and Carolyn and Jeremy are torn apart and set on different plans they ever planned. Three years after high school, Carolyn and Jeremy start seeing each other around town and the old feelings are still there. Will they be able to move forward? Will the events of high school come back to haunt them?  Can the past be forgiven?

Let Me Fall is a young adult book and it is definitely geared toward that audience. The high school drama, the sexual exploits and the cattiness between the female characters feels like a teen drama show. It was a hard read. The action was slowly building with a lot of hints and rising excitement, only to be let down as the suspense is dragged on further. The sex scenes and the language were hard to get through; however, I feel it is probably accurate to the real interaction of teenagers. It was not my personal experience, but I do know it was the story of others. I loved Jeremy’s character. I sympathized with his struggles and his self-doubt as he viewed himself lower than his classmates. Carolyn was hit and miss for me. I cheered as she recovers from her ordeals than she does and says something that is so immature like geez, have you learned anything? Overall, I enjoyed the book. However, it is not a series I will be continuing. I do recommend Let Me Fall for teen and young adult audiences.

Let Me Fall

is available in paperback and eBook