This story follows Rae, a dying cancer patient, who is offered the chance to escape into the world of Time of Iron, her favorite fantasy book series. Once she arrives, she discovers that she is not a heroine in the story but a villainess so she decides to band together with all the other villains of the story in an attempt to change their fate. However, things quickly take a dangerous turn and Rae must attempt to survive while still keeping the story intact.
I loved almost all of the characters in this book! Rae was a unique main character. She could be selfish, stubborn, and frankly villainous at times, but she ultimately had a good heart. She was also snarky, funny, and so resilient, and I thoroughly enjoyed following her journey as she went from viewing the world/characters around her as entirely fictional and inconsequential to genuinely trying her best to help and protect them. Her love for the Time of Iron books also strongly resonated with me. Like Rae, books have given me something to hold onto when it felt like I had nothing else. In Other Lands also by Sarah Rees Brennan is one such book that saved my life so it was really nice to read about this character whose lifeboat, much like mine, was her favorite story.
As for the rest of the characters, I adored Key with everything in me! He was protective and loyal, and I simply can’t resist a guy who’s absolutely obsessed with the women he loves. I also loved the Golden Cobra. He was kind-hearted, genuinely cared about people, and was also very sarcastic and funny.On the other hand, I didn’t completely fall for Marius at first as he seemed uptight, judgmental, and the type of person who thinks everyone else is below him. However, he had a great story arc, and I really liked where his character seemed to be going at the end of the story. At first, I was unsure what to think of Li, but I strongly enjoyed how she subverted the "damsel in distress" trope. Her character didn’t receive as much attention as some of the others, as she didn’t appear in the flesh until later in the book but I liked her, and I hope to see more of her in the sequel. Finally, we have Emer, who I unfortunately didn’t love as much as the rest of the cast. This was largely because her entire personality seemed based on cynicism and anger. Her negativity was often unenjoyable for me to read and it was hard to care for a character who seemed to hate everyone I loved. However, by the end, Emer was finally beginning to let people in a bit more so I'm hoping I'll come to care for her more in the sequel.
In addition to the individual characters, the relationships between them were fantastic! To avoid spoilers, I won't get into the details, but there were some really heartwarming friendships as well as romances where the tension and chemistry were dripping off the page! They contained hilarious banter, adorable expressions of affection and love, and in true Sarah Rees Brennan fashion, heart-wrenching, soul-crushing pain and I can't wait to see where all of them go in the sequel.
Mom - In The Boy With the Star Tattoo by Talia Carner, the plot is interspersed between 1942 and 1968. In 1942, when Claudette Pelletier experiences the love she never thought she'd have, her son Benjamin is the result. She has the baby marked with a star tattoo on his foot as a way to enable him to share the Jewish heritage of his father who has been forced to flee. Shortly afterward, Claudette is also forced to flee and leave her child in the care of a nursemaid. When she returns her son has disappeared.
In 1968, Sharon Bloomenthal is recruited by Israeli Naval Officer, Daniel Yarden, to participate in a secret Israeli Naval mission in Cherbourg, France. Sharon's late mother came to Israel as part of the Youth Aliyah, a movement that was tasked with finding Jewish World War II orphans and bringing them to Israel. Suspecting that Danny may have a similar origin, she takes it upon herself to look into his unknown past.
The historical aspects of this story are quite interesting. Both the Israeli Youth Aliyah following World War II and the later Cherbourg boat operation are fascinating topics that many people are not likely to know a lot about. However, some parts of the story may feel slow if you aren't into both topics.
Claudette is a feisty admirable heroine who does not let her disabled leg hamper her determination and drive to do what she must. Despite its brevity, the relationship between her and Raphel is quite touching. This part of the book is quite enjoyable although extremely heartbreaking at times.
On the other hand, Sharon is somewhat unlikable. She is a real busybody. She is determined to uncover Danny's background even though it is not her business, and he repeatedly tells her he is not interested in finding out about it. She has no regard for the fact that the information she uncovers may be painful and/or harmful to him. The relationship between the two other than as coworkers and friends seems underdeveloped and unbelievable. Thus, this part of the story is not as enjoyable.
The background stories of the Jewish orphans found by the Youth Aliyah movement are incredibly moving. It's heartwrenching what some of these children were forced to endure to survive the war, but heartwarming to see them found and returned to their people. Their stories are another reason the earlier timeline is the best part of the book.
Movie: Spyral
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Photo courtesy of Platform Media Group
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Spyral, a documentary about a young wife and mother's descent into mental illness, and drug and alcohol addiction is painfully raw. The futility of her husband's repeated efforts to help her is just heartbreaking. Although the film includes a disclaimer that the case presented in this film is extreme it seems like just a way to attempt to artificially distance the viewer from the full impact of the film when in reality a case this extreme could happen to any of us or our loved ones, The film is yet another reminder of the urgent need to better address both the mental health crisis and the drug crisis in this country.
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