Dreamland Burning by Jennifer Latham

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Some bodies won’t stay buried. Some stories need to be told.

When seventeen-year-old Rowan Chase finds a skeleton on her family’s property, she has no idea that investigating the brutal century-old murder will lead to a summer of painful discoveries about the past, the present, and herself.

One hundred years earlier, a single violent encounter propels seventeen-year-old Will Tillman into a racial firestorm. In a country rife with violence against blacks and a hometown segregated by Jim Crow, Will must make hard choices on a painful journey towards self discovery and face his inner demons in order to do what’s right the night Tulsa burns.


As I get older I find that I don't read YA books as often as I used to so were it not for a venture into a local bookstore where I wound up chatting with one of the booksellers, I wouldn't have been made aware of what has turned out to be one of my favourite books of 2017.

Dreamland Burning is a suspenseful part murder mystery, part history lesson told through dual timelines. How Jennifer Latham connected all the dots still astounds me. Not only was she able to create a mystery that I couldn't get enough of, she also drew parallels between the highly combustible atmosphere of a city on the brink of self-destruction and today's current social climate. The story is split between POVs - that of Will in 1921 and Rowan today. Rowan, who decides to take on the mystery of the skeletal remains found on her property, couldn't have known how uncovering the truth from the past would impact her own life in the present. 

Will's POV was a tough read and honestly, I was unsure about him initially. I thought he was a knucklehead but the fact of the matter is that he was simply naive and inexperienced. He did have the most dramatic character development where his inherited beliefs gradually evolved. His growth from that of a self-absorbed teen to that of someone with a conscience and desire to do that decent thing is perhaps my favourite part of the book. And it all happened because of an unlikely friendship.

Rowan goes through her own growth as well. Being the daughter of a black woman and a white father, she's observant of how people respond to her and her mother. As she's attempting to uncover who the skeleton was, she becomes embroiled in her own controversy. Drawing back the layers of the mysterious skeleton's history makes her reevaluate her sense of social justice.

While Will and Rowan are indeed fictional, Latham does reference the real event that incited the Race Riot that took place in Tulsa from May 31 to June 1, 1921. I looked it up and found disturbing images that made my stomach churn. Not many people know of this horrible event but I am thankful to Latham for bringing it to light in such a bold, engrossing and thoughtful story. 

~ Bel

The 100 Book/TV Show Blitz

I am so excited that THE 100 returns to TV tonight! And to help celebrate the show's return Little Brown Books For Young Readers and Rockstar Book Tours are giving away 5 Boxed Sets of the Complete series! So if you’d like a chance to win, enter in the Rafflecopter at the bottom of this post.

About The Book:

Title: THE 100 Box Set (Books 1-4)

Author: Kass Morgan

Pub. Date: January 3, 2016

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Pages: 1360

Formats: Paperback

Find it: Amazon, Goodreads

All four thrilling novels in The 100 series, now available in a paperback boxed set! 

Ever since nuclear war destroyed our planet, humanity has been living on city-like spaceships hovering above the toxic surface. As far as anyone knows, no one has stepped foot on Earth in centuries--that is, until one hundred juvenile delinquents are sentenced to return and recolonize the hostile land. The future of the human race rests in their hands, but nothing can prepare the 100 for what they find on this strange and savage planet. 

Read the series that inspired the hit TV show. The 100, Day 21, Homecoming, and Rebellion are gathered together for the first time in this striking box set, perfect for fans and series newcomers alike.

About Kass Morgan

Kass Morgan studied literature at Brown and Oxford, and now resides in Brooklyn, where she lives in constant fear of her Ikea bookcase collapsing and burying her under a mound of science fiction and Victorian novels. Kass is currently working on the sequel to The 100, which she’ll finish as soon as she finds a coffee shop that allows laptops on the weekend.

Twitter | Goodreads

Giveaway Details:

5 winners will receive the complete boxed set of THE 100 Series, US Only.

Ends on February 8th at Midnight EST!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Scarlett Undercover by Jennifer Latham

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A voice-driven mystery perfect for fans of Veronica Mars.

Meet Scarlett, a smart, sarcastic, kick-butt, Muslim American heroine, ready to take on crime in her hometown of Las Almas. When a new case finds the private eye caught up in a centuries-old battle of evil genies and ancient curses, Scarlett discovers that her own family secrets may have more to do with the situation than she thinks -- and that cracking the case could lead to solving her father's murder.

Jennifer Latham delivers a compelling story and a character to remember in this one-of-a-kind debut novel.

This is a story driven by a smart, sassy and fearless young woman who knows what to say and how to get her way. Scarlett is often nonplussed when things don’t go exactly as planned. She manages to make the most out of situations and get to the point.

Scarlett is hired by a young girl who is worried about her older brother’s strange behavior as of late. She suspects that her brother has something to do with the recent death of a friend. This person’s death was all over the news and at first Scarlett's instinct is to decline the case. But when she sees how scared this little girl is, she can’t turn her back. After meeting this brother and getting strange vibes off of him, Scarlett thinks that her client may actually be on to something.

Scarlett is a resourceful young detective who isn’t afraid to seek out the truth. And as she digs further into this mystery, she becomes a target. It turns out that this case may hit closer to home than she realized as she starts to make connections between a cult-like group of kids and her father’s murder. Here the story branches out into the paranormal with some intriguing myths and history.

This was a fun mystery to read but in all honesty, I was drawn to this story after hearing that the heroine was a Muslim-American. I was curious to see how that would factor into the story itself. If anything, it exposes the reader to some of the customs and how those are integrated into their every day lives. Scarlett to a certain extent is more progressive with regards to her religion. Scarlett’s older sister, who’s studying to become a doctor, has found comfort in many of the traditions since the death of their parents. Both girls show a healthy respect for their beliefs though both practice differently.

However, this is only a small part of the person Scarlett is. She’s a compassionate person who looks after her client. She’s a fighter who refuses to be shut down. She's a snarky opponent who sees through people's bull. She's loyal to her family and friends. And she’s a young girl in love. All these aspects combined make Scarlett a fine role model for young readers everywhere. Scarlett Undercover is a fun read and I’m excited to introduce my daughters to this!

~ Bel

Salt & Storm by Kendall Kulper

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A sweeping historical romance about a witch who foresees her own murder--and the one boy who can help change her future.

Sixteen-year-old Avery Roe wants only to take her rightful place as the witch of Prince Island, making the charms that keep the island's whalers safe at sea, but her mother has forced her into a magic-free world of proper manners and respectability. When Avery dreams she's to be murdered, she knows time is running out to unlock her magic and save herself.

Avery finds an unexpected ally in a tattooed harpoon boy named Tane--a sailor with magic of his own, who moves Avery in ways she never expected. Becoming a witch might stop her murder and save her island from ruin, but Avery discovers her magic requires a sacrifice she never prepared for.

If you’re looking to be transported to a different time, Salt & Storm should be your top pick. It was amazing to be taken to a place that is so far removed from the world as I know it. A world that is on the cusp of modernization but still clings to the superstitions of its ancestors.

Avery is a very interesting girl who has spent her young life preparing to take over her family’s legacy. They’re witches whose magic is highly sought after. It's their magic that keeps Prince Island prosperous. The people of the island know who to turn to create fortune in their lives or to ensure safe passage through the waters surrounding the island. She has watched her beloved grandmother weave all kinds of spells to help them. Then her mother shows up one day to remove her from this environment and threatens the grandmother that should she come for Avery, they will leave the island for good.

The next few years for Avery are like a prison that she’s determined to escape. She wants to return to her grandmother and become the next witch. Her mother is adamantly against it. Matters get worse when Avery has a series of dreams that foreshadow her own death.  She desperately needs guidance and to find a way to change her fate, if that’s even possible.

The world of Prince Island, a whaling town, is quite fascinating.  It’s a mix of old world mystery and a burgeoning hunger for new world money. Gossip and fear of the unknown run rampant. Despite the inevitable change that is slowly making its way toward them, the island people cling tightly to their traditions. 

Salt & Storm is very gripping, getting more so as Avery’s plight becomes more treacherous. Her friendship with Tane brings her the companionship that she’s never had before and he introduces her to a world outside of Prince Island.  Even so, Prince Island is her home. Her fate and the island’s future are so heavily entwined that nothing can tear her away from what she has known and wanted all her life, not even the threat of imminent danger. 

~ Bel

The Shattering by Karen Healey

* * * * 1/2

“If you want to find out who murdered your brother, follow me.”

Keri, Janna and Sione have one thing in common: Their older brothers are dead.  Each death was ruled a suicide, but there were no notes, no warnings, and no explanations.

So they’ve worked out a theory: Their brothers were murdered – and weren’t the only victims.

As the search for the serial killer goes on, mysterious forces are unearthed and suspicion is cast on those the three trust the most.  When secrets shatter around them, can they save the next victim?  Or will they become victims themselves?

Wow!  That was exactly what I thought when I had finished The Shattering, a quiet thriller set in a beautiful paradise town of Summerton in New Zealand.   

Keri kicks off the story recounting the memory of her brother’s recent death.  Still reeling from the shock, she refuses to accept that it was a suicide.  A chance encounter with former childhood best friend, Janna, who implies that Jake’s death could possibly be a homicide, wakes Keri from the stupor she's been in and fires her ambition to find and destroy the murderer.  Janna organizes a meeting of the minds along with her friend, Sione. These three form an unlikely friendship as they delve into the mystery surrounding their brothers’ deaths and unwittingly expose more mysteries about the small town of Summerton and its inhabitants.

This is essentially Keri’s story though the reader gets a glimpse into Janna and Sione’s world through third person narrative.  Inviting the reader to view events and memories through each character's experience is genius.  Each brings their own unique perspective that allows the mystery to unfold as it does.  Keri’s inherent need to be in control and always be prepared keeps the threesome’s task in order. Sione’s detailed research of the murders allows them to connect the dots. Janna’s tendencies toward flightiness and witchcraft encourage them to open their eyes to the unlikely possibility that perhaps there’s something far more sinister than just a serial killer on the loose.

The story starts off slow which allows for important groundwork to be laid out before things pick up.  When a series of scary and inexplicable events causes them to either behave out of character or succumb to harm, they realize that there are in fact dealing with diabolical forces.  

The Shattering is a brilliant, gripping novel that had me so wrapped up in the enormity of the mystery that I never for a second even considered the twist ending that made me gasp.


~ Bel