"Turtles All the Way Down" - Book Review -

 "Turtles All the Way Down"

Written by John Green

Reviewed by Diana Iozzia

"Turtles All the Way Down" was a disappointing read from an author I believed I would not read from again. John Green, the author, has a way of creating pretentious characters, bare-boned plots, and disinteresting dialogue. In this story, the main characters Aza, our narrator, and her best friend, Daisy, learn of a wealthy fugitive running from the law. Aza and Daisy know the son of the fugitive, Davis. With The three of them on the case, they decide to learn more about Davis's eccentric father. However, along the way, Aza's mental and physical health have affected their progress.

Following a character with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and intrusive thoughts was an interesting experience. As a woman who experiences neither, learning more about mental health is always a bonus. Aza's experience with OCD is very trying, as she spends a large majority of the book peeling off band-aids, re-infecting wounds, and sanitizing the wounds. Additionally, Aza's coming-of-age story felt realistic because her experience of first love and a difficult friendship. 

Unfortunately, my dislike for the novel overtook my interest. There are many fundamental problems that I found in this book. For one, I found that Aza's mental health portrayal was presented in an irritating way, without forgiveness or gravitas, as if John Green had never even met someone with OCD and is prejudiced against it. Additionally, Daisy's character was incredibly irksome, calling Aza by her nickname "Holmsey" in every conversation at least once. Most of her arc is talking about the Star Wars fan fiction she writes, which did not add anything to the lessons of the story. Lastly, this may be petty. I wanted the story to be mostly about the search for the billionaire fugitive, but we have about 10 percent of the novel dedicated to it. The book itself felt too short without great characterization, appealing plot points, or a resolution. Most of the time while listening to the audiobook, I questioned 'is that it? Is that all we're going to get?'

In conclusion, I can recommend this novel for the coming-of-age portrayal of a young girl struggling with emotions from her father's death, her mental illness, and her first romance. However, I disliked this novel so much more than I thought. I have never been a fan of John Green's, but I gave this a chance, liking this novel even less than other works of his. The story just felt too incomplete to me, and I was gutted.

I rate this novel at 3 out of 5 stars.

"The Dark Path" - Book Review -

 "The Dark Path"

Written by Michelle Sacks

Reviewed by Diana Iozzia

"The Dark Path", or also known as "You Were Made For This", was written by newcomer Michelle Sacks. The novel can be characterized as a domestic thriller or the newly proclaimed "Scandi-noir". In this novel, we learn of main characters Merry, Sam, and Frank. Overall, I was incredibly disturbed by this book, by its content matter, its unreliable narrators, and contrived ending.

To hide the past, Merry and her husband, Sam, move to an isolated wood in Sweden, close to Stockholm. Unfortunately, we learn very early on that Merry has a pattern of abusing and neglecting their son, Conor. When her best friend Frank comes to town,  Merry becomes increasingly aware of the dangers in their relationship. Frank has an illicit affair with Sam and a neighbor. When Conor is found dead, possibly by murder, there is no turning back for any of the protagonists. Who would and could hurt Conor?

My main dislike for this novel is the treatment of an abuse victim. I found that the scenes in which Conor was injured and physically abused were far too much for me. I felt uncomfortable and emotionally charged. Additionally, I felt that the story did not condemn the murderer as much as they should have done. The villain is revealed to have killed Conor to put him out of his misery, as one of the strangest motives I've ever seen.

Furthermore, I do not recommend this novel. Although Sacks has a great writing style, she wrote a really disturbing novel that I do not think one should read. I'd consider reading more work from her in the future, but I feel very apprehensive.

I rate this novel at two out of 5 stars.