The Darkest Corners by Kara Thomas

The Darkest Corners

by Kara Thomas

April 2016

Random House Children's

I obtained an electronic copy of this book after I requested it from NetGalley. What first caught my attention was the fact that the publishers are comparing it to Gillian Flynn's novels and the Pretty Little Liars series.  A book that can combine a teen novel with an adult mystery has accomplished something rare.  I wanted to see for myself if it was as good as it was intended.

The description is intriguing.  Tessa and her friend Callie testified against Wyatt Stokes in a murder trial that put him on death row when the girls were children.  Now teenagers, Tessa is beginning to doubt what she really saw the night it all went down and a visit to her hometown brings her suspicions and memories back to the forefront of her mind.

The methodical way in which Kara Thomas slowly weaves together personalities and facts allows for the story to become more intriguing and engrossing.  Tessa is a likable protagonist.  She is not the stereotypical teen in a young adult novel.  She has many struggles, one of those being that she now lives with her grandmother after her dad was put in jail and she and her mother were living out of their car.  Her hometown is like so many towns in the U.S. - washed up and fading.  The ending to the book (without spoiling anything), though satisfying, left so much still in flux.  This is my one complaint; it seemed to wrap up just a bit too quickly.  I was left with just as many questions as I had at the beginning of the novel. The only difference being that my questions at the end were not about what did happen, but what happened between the final chapter and the epilogue.  I wanted more from the characters even after the satisfying conclusion.

This is a book that certainly will be added to my library's collection after it is released.  The Darkest Corners delivered what it promised: a captivating mystery that will leave you wanting more, both from the story and the author.

Dumplin' by Julie Murphy

Dumplin’

by Julie Murphy

September 2015

HarperCollins

I had the incredible fortune to hear a synopsis of this book by Julie Murphy herself at a Texas Library Association convention panel.  After the panel, I immediately went down to the author signing line and stood in her line (along with many others who were listening to the panel).  I wanted to read this ARC.  This book did not disappoint in any way at all.

Small town Texas is accurately portrayed and the fantastic character of Willowdean Dickson drives the plot.  She is an unapologetically “resident fat person”, whose mother is a former beauty queen who is currently in charge of the Miss Teen Blue Bonnet pageant.  As an unexpected relationship begins with Bo (a mysterious former jock), Willowdean, the pinnacle of confidence, starts to crumble.  Only an entry into her mom’s world of pageantry can help her regain her confidence and perspective.  

Any book that starts with a Dolly Parton quote is bound to be spectacular.  Willowdean is certainly not just a “resident fat person.”  By having Willowdean as not simply a secondary character, Murphy deftly and easily avoids her being the stereotypical “fat girl” in the novel.  Will is relatable to readers of all sizes, and that really is why I enjoyed this book so much.  People have issues regardless of their jean sizes.  Murphy focuses more on Willowdean’s internal struggles (some that are because of her size, many not) and her conflict with her mother, rather than her problems with her peers.  The humor that Murphy infuses in her book allows for an incredibly fun read.

This book is funny, heartwarming, emotional, and a chance for every reader to analyze their own feelings of self-worth, all the while learning that everyone should do as the tagline says and “go big or go home.”