"Best Kept Secret" Book Review

 Best Kept Secret

Written by Amy Hatvany

Reviewed by Diana Iozzia

    How to start writing a review, after stopping for about seven months of not doing so. Well, I have been busy, as most of us have been. Burn out, Covid, and my personal life have all contributed to my lack of interest posting about books on social media. I've gained weight, and I find it difficult to appear in pictures. Strangely enough, I feel myself ready to return. The first book I have read since deciding to start book blogging again is Best Kept Secret by Amy Hatvany.

    Do we still consider dramatic fiction about women to be called women's fiction? Do we still need to categorize novels based on the gender of who primarily reads them? I am sure that the Lifetime company leans into their female audience with far too many puns about cats, fire, and make-up, but perhaps we shouldn't be doing that as readers.

    Best Kept Secret is a drama fiction novel, following the main character, Cadence, as she struggles to keep custody of her son while she battles heavy alcoholism. Ask me if I would have read this two years ago, two months ago, two years from now? I am not sure. As someone who has an unhealthy relationship with alcohol, one who has stopped drinking entirely at twenty-five years old, perhaps this book hit close to home. We can joke endlessly about women and teachers who need a whole bottle of wine at the end of a busy day, but perhaps we should not use language about alcohol so freely in comedy.

    Cadence's family and friends are not wonderfully supportive, but as she quickly spirals and hits rock bottom, those people around her start to forgive and help. Although the novel does not have a particularly enlightening ending, I found it fitting and appropriate. There is no shocking plot twist, and I am quite glad for that. Thinking this novel to be intriguing and arresting is one thing, but we do not need every fiction involving a female to have a heart-stopping climax. Most of the novel does feel slow and belabored, however, it creates a fuller and more effective plot.

    Amy Hatvany writes in a brilliant style, providing all the right details, creating interesting sequences, and fleshing out every character. Although the plot was not ideal for someone like me, I felt that I enjoyed the book, because she wrote it. I firmly intend to read any future books by her. I could recommend Best Kept Secret to fans of Jeannette Walls and Colleen Hoover. 

On Returning to Book Blogging

 On Returning to Book Blogging and a Review of "Best Kept Secret"

    It has been many months since I have sat at a keyboard or glanced at Instagram, but I feel that my personal life incredibly influenced the separation. In wishing my life to improve, I found myself lose my interest in reading, especially in telling the world what I thought about the books I barely could pick up. Turning pages felt like pushing a boulder up a mountain, especially when my thoughts could not focus on the words on the pages in the first place.

    I do not know if I will be back for long. There is a strong possibility that I will disappear into the abyss once more, even possibly next week. However, for now, it feels incredible to focus on something other than crying along to "Coney Island" by Taylor Swift and blindly driving to work in the morning. I cannot be doing those two things anymore. Wish me luck.

    Lately, I have enjoyed reading:

"The Flipside" by James Bailey

"We Are Inevitable" by Gayle Forman

"Half a World Away" by Mike Gaile

    I also have been writing a story myself. Might it turn into a full-fledged book? I'm unsure, but I have been absorbed by it. I have been jotting down haphazard notes and spending far too much on used books about mortality, mortician work, and the good death. Is that a hint what I could be writing about? Duh.

    See you soon, if anyone reads this blog.

"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.