Book Review: Rainbirds

Author: Clarissa Goenawan

Publication Date: March 6, 2018

Publisher: Soho Press

Set in an imagined town outside Tokyo, Clarissa Goenawan’s dark, spellbinding literary debut follows a young man’s path to self-discovery in the wake of his sister’s murder.

Ren Ishida has nearly completed his graduate degree at Keio University when he receives news of his sister’s violent death. Keiko was stabbed one rainy night on her way home, and there are no leads. Ren heads to Akakawa to conclude his sister’s affairs, failing to understand why she chose to turn her back on the family and Tokyo for this desolate place years ago.

But then Ren is offered Keiko’s newly vacant teaching position at a prestigious local cram school and her bizarre former arrangement of free lodging at a wealthy politician’s mansion in exchange for reading to the man’s ailing wife. He accepts both, abandoning Tokyo and his crumbling relationship there in order to better understand his sister’s life and what took place the night of her death.

As Ren comes to know the eccentric local figures, from the enigmatic politician who’s boarding him to his fellow teachers and a rebellious, captivating young female student, he delves into his shared childhood with Keiko and what followed. Haunted in his dreams by a young girl who is desperately trying to tell him something, Ren realizes that Keiko Ishida kept many secrets, even from him.

Ren Ishida, our main character, is far different from protagonists that I usually read. He is standoffish, timid, and maybe a little self-conscious. Whereas, I usually read bold, brilliant, brave protagonists that are adamant about conquering obstacles. However, Ren’s perspective was just what I needed and was a nice change of pace for me. More often than not, I read from a female protagonist’s perspective, and Ren’s male voice was a nice change of pace for me. I admired how much he cared for his sister and I loved how subtly that was portrayed in his voice and actions. He was not an upbeat character, but he was highly inquisitive and that added a nice touch to her developing character.

I was most intrigued by his sister, Keiko Ishida. Keiko was murdered before the start of the novel, so unfortunately we never get to meet her and hear from her character’s perspective. However, Keiko’s character, as described through Ren, is so mysterious and vague and it only made me want to know more about her. Readers never understand a lot of Keiko’s motives until the end of the book. Ren describes her as being very closed and silent with her personal life. We find out more and more about her as the story unfolds. I never truly felt like I had her character figured out, but I think this is part of what intrigued me so much.

This was what I would call a quiet mystery. It was not a fast-paced read but a slow burn read. The writing was melodic and provided a calming effect as I read. Usually I am bored with slow burns and cannot get through them; however, this book provides a beautiful and mysterious setting and characters that make it enchanting and easy to hang on until the end. Reading this book felt like a dreary, rainy day where you feel sad and down – but I mean that in the best way possible. There were really no upbeat moments in the story but more moments where Ren realizes who he is and just how much the relationship he shared with his sister meant to him.

“Remember this, Ren. Sadness alone can't harm anyone. It's what you do when you're sad that can hurts you and those around you.” 

Keiko Ishida had fallen into an irreversible sleep. Even a tsunami couldn’t wake her from her eternal dream.

Had it been a mistake to move here? Even then, I could tell the house was full of dark secrets.

Overall, I was pleasantly surprised with this novel and Clarissa Goenawan’s writing style. This was far different from what I normally read, but it was a nice change of pace for me. I greatly enjoyed reading in a Japanese setting, as it is one of my favorites to read about. I wish we would have been given more information about the Japanese culture – this is probably one of the biggest qualms I had after reading. However, I really enjoyed the slow burn mystery and will look for more of Goenawan’s writing in the future.

***A free copy of this book was provided in exchange for my honest review from the publishers at Soho Press***

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Book Review: A Girl Like That

Author: Tanaz Bhathena

Publication Date: February 27, 2018

Publisher: Farrar Straus Giroux Books for Young Readers

A timeless exploration of high-stakes romance, self-discovery, and the lengths we go to love and be loved. 

Sixteen-year-old Zarin Wadia is many things: a bright and vivacious student, an orphan, a risk taker. She’s also the kind of girl that parents warn their kids to stay away from: a troublemaker whose many romances are the subject of endless gossip at school.  You don't want to get involved with a girl like that, they say. So how is it that eighteen-year-old Porus Dumasia has only ever had eyes for her? And how did Zarin and Porus end up dead in a car together, crashed on the side of a highway in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia? When the religious police arrive on the scene, everything everyone thought they knew about Zarin is questioned. And as her story is pieced together, told through multiple perspectives, it becomes clear that she was far more than just a girl like that.

This beautifully written debut novel from Tanaz Bhathena reveals a rich and wonderful new world to readers. It tackles complicated issues of race, identity, class, and religion, and paints a portrait of teenage ambition, angst, and alienation that feels both inventive and universal.

The main character, Zarin, is not what I expected her to be at all. After reading the synopsis, I knew that she would probably be a girl with a bad reputation, but I was not predicting how sorry I would feel for her after reading her story. She was a strong girl who overcome so many bad circumstances that were out of her control to begin with. I could not imagine living and growing up in the world that Zarin did. I love books like this that make me appreciate the life I do live.

Porus, the other main character who dies in the car crash with Zarin, is compassionate and sympathetic when so many other characters in this novel are not. He sees Zarin for who she really is and not for others say about her. He sticks up for her, even when it means going against his own mother. I admired him greatly and wish he and Zarin could have had a happily ever after.

Since this book was intended for a young adult audience, I must say that the writing style is very approachable and relatable for that target age group. I enjoy a lot of dialogue, which Bhathena provides; I feel that it makes the story go faster and allows me to connect to the characters more. Because Bhathena writes about a world and culture foreign to people like me, I greatly appreciated the glossary she provided at the back of the book to help me learn all the Saudi/Indian terms that I would have never known on my own. I learned so much from the story, which is always a plus.

The book deals with some pretty intense topics: rape culture, death, abuse, and bullying. Bhathena's writing is simplistic, but moving and poignant. She covers these topics in a way that is subtle but does each of them complete justice.

The first time I smoked a cigarette, it felt I’d swallowed a piece of burning coal.

Illegitimate. Half-Hindu. Gangster’s daughter. I’d heard the words before.

“You’re different,” he said. “Different from any other girl I know.”

People came into our lives, people left.

This was not an easy book to read, but it was easily a 5 star read. It will also not be a book that I am just so anxiously waiting to pick up again just because of how intense it was and how hard some of the material was to get through. However, I do not want to dissuade anyone from reading it; stories like this need to be read and told. Young girls and young boys need to know what type of people exist in this world and where they can go for help. This story was empowering, jaw-dropping, and completely changed my world.

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Book Review: The Policeman's Daughter

Author: Trudy Nan Boyce

Publication Date: February 27, 2018

Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons

Series: Detective Sarah Alt # 3

From author Trudy Nan Boyce, whose police procedural debut was hailed as "authentic" (NYTBR) and "exceptional" (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel), returns with a stunning prequel to the Detective Salt series, the story behind the case that earned Salt her promotion to homicide.

At the beginning of her career, Sarah "Salt" Alt was a beat cop in Atlanta's poorest, most violent housing project, The Homes. It is here that she meets the cast of misfits and criminals that will have a profound impact on her later cases: Man Man, the leader of the local gang on his way to better places; street dealer Lil D and his family; and Sister Connelly, old and observant, the matriarch of the neighborhood. A lone patrolwoman, Salt's closest lifeline is her friend and colleague Pepper, on his own beat nearby. And when a murder in The Homes brings detectives to the scene, Salt draws closer to Detective Wills, initiating a romance complicated by their positions on the force. 

When Salt is shot and sustains a head injury during a routine traffic stop, the resulting visions begin leading her toward answers in the case that makes her career. This is the tale of a woman who solves crimes through a combination of keen observation, grunt work, and pure gut instinct; this is the making of Detective Salt.

Detective Sarah “Salt Alt was a breath of fresh air as far as characters are concerned. She is a white cop in the crazy, unpredictable streets of Atlanta who stops at nothing to solve a case and bring about justice. I must be honest in saying this is the first book I have read in this series and will be picking up more of them shortly due to Salt’s brave actions and intelligent crime solving skills. She literally stops at nothing to get answers and that is part of what made this novel so thrilling for me. Even though I have not read any of the other books in the series, I felt that I was given enough of Salt’s backstory to understand her motives and actions in all situations. She was an easy character to support and I quickly grew to admire her.

This book and story became even more real for me after I read the author’s bio and learned that she, herself, used to be a homicide detective for Atlanta PD. I was impressed, shocked, and completely enthralled at that point. I have recently been obsessed with watching crime TV shows like Dexter and NCIS and this book was a nice break between my TV binge watching. Boyce’s writing became all the more intriguing when I realized she was writing from personal experience. The scenes she describes, crime scenes, nights riding around in her car, and constant worry over the kids she tries to save from the streets were powerful scenes to read because you, as the reader, are constantly contemplating if all of this was real for her. It was moving and completely believable writing.

“Why you a cop? It’s what you know. I know the street. Rich people do what they know. They get their share. I’m just getting my share.”

“You askin’ if I shot her, the answer is no. Life kilt her and it’s gonna kill me, too. Ain’t none of us getting’ outta this shit alive.”

“Ooowee, he shine like new money.”

Although this book is different from what I normally read, it has inspired me to pick up more novels just like it. I was intrigued by the streets of Atlanta and was surprised at the authenticity with which Boyce was writing. She speaks from her firsthand experience as a cop from the streets of Atlanta; her ethos is powerful and makes this book, the plot, and the strongly developed characters captivating and impossible to walk away from!

***A free copy of this book was provided by the publishers at G.P. Putnam’s Sons in exchange for my honest review***

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Book Review: Next Year In Havana

Author: Chanel Cleeton

Publication Date: February 6, 2018

Publisher: Berkley

After the death of her beloved grandmother, a Cuban-American woman travels to Havana, where she discovers the roots of her identity--and unearths a family secret hidden since the revolution...

Havana, 1958. The daughter of a sugar baron, nineteen-year-old Elisa Perez is part of Cuba's high society, where she is largely sheltered from the country's growing political unrest--until she embarks on a clandestine affair with a passionate revolutionary...

Miami, 2017. Freelance writer Marisol Ferrera grew up hearing romantic stories of Cuba from her late grandmother Elisa, who was forced to flee with her family during the revolution. Elisa's last wish was for Marisol to scatter her ashes in the country of her birth.

Arriving in Havana, Marisol comes face-to-face with the contrast of Cuba's tropical, timeless beauty and its perilous political climate. When more family history comes to light and Marisol finds herself attracted to a man with secrets of his own, she'll need the lessons of her grandmother's past to help her understand the true meaning of courage.

There are so many wonderful characters in this story, but I am only going to spend my time on two of them: Marisol and her grandmother, Elisa. These two women make the story the magical, thrilling joyride that it is. The story is told through alternating viewpoints and chapters – some in present day with Marisol and some in 1950’s Havana with Elisa Perez. Both Marisol and Elisa’s point of views were fascinating but as the story progressed, I found myself longing for more of Elisa’s life in Cuba.

Elisa was my favorite perspective to read from because of the depth of knowledge we received about her life in Cuba – she became real to me; she jumped off the page and felt like a friend. She was brave, naïve, passionate, and completely willing to live her life on a leap of faith. I fell in love with Cuba through her eyes and supported her every move by the end of the story.

Marisol was trying her best to learn her grandmother’s history and why she kept so many secrets from her. She wanted desperately to feel connected to her grandmother, since her recent passing, and I felt a strong pull toward Marisol because of her devotion to keep her grandmother’s legacy alive. Walking the streets of Cuba with Marisol for the first time was a breath of fresh air and a fresh perspective of what the country is probably like today.

My best friend is Cuban and her family immigrated to the United States from Cuba during Castro’s reign, so I am slightly familiar with the political intrigue, terror, and devastation that the country has suffered throughout the years. However, I now feel like I have a more vast and vivid knowledge of what Cubans endured during the reigns of both Batista and Castro. This novel was true historical fiction in its more extraordinary form. This was a history lesson in disguise and I loved learning all that I did about the country and the suffrage withstood by its citizens.

The descriptions of the city of Havana and the major landmarks described created full scenarios in my mind as I pictured Elisa and Pablo walking toward arm in arm after one of their evenings full of discussions and shared dreams. I would love to visit Havana if it were only half as beautiful as Chanel Cleeton describes throughout her novel. Her words are poetic, tender, and capture what I can only imagine was one of the most devastating times in Cuba’s history. 

I am Cuban, and yet, I am not. I don’t know where I fit here, in the land of my grandparents, attempting to recreate a Cuba that no longer exists in reality.

There is no home for us in a world where we can’t speak our minds for fear of being thrown in prison, where daring to dream is a criminal act, where you aren’t limited by your own ability and ambition, but instead by the whims of those who keep a tight rein on power.

We carry our home with us in our hearts, laden with hope. So much hope.

Loyalty is a complicated thing - where does family fit in the hierarchy?

Above or below country? Above or below the natural order of things? Or are we above all else loyal to ourselves, to our hearts, our convictions, the internal voice that guides us?

I was sad when I flipped the last page and Elisa and Marisol’s story was over. The characters are still with me. The political history behind Cuba’s infamous dictators has intrigued me so much that I have spent the last two days conducting research of my own and learning more about this beautiful country. I was probably the most happy when I learned that Cleeton plans to release another book next year following the life of Elisa’s eldest sister, Beatriz. Ecstatic is an understatement. I cannot wait for more of Cleeton’s Cuba!

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