Minimal ghosts- more like 'skeletons in the closet'
As far as ghost stories/horror, this one was pretty disappointing. Mei is a teen who uses her intelligence and drive to tutor children from well-off families. The summer after highschool, she is offered the chance to tutor a young girl from a very prestigious family, and spend the summer with them in their vacation home on Arrow Island. Ella, her student, is an odd little girl, and the family seems to have its share of secrets. Ella insists that the house is haunted by a forgotten daughter of the historic Arrow family, and meanwhile Ella's older brother Henry has taken an interest in his sister's appealing tutor. This story wasn't bad, but I was expecting a ghost story, and it read more like a teenage version of The Nanny Diaries.
Culture Clash and Generational Tension
Maya has many identities. She is Indian. She is also American. She is Muslim, too. She tries to make her parents happy, but they have very traditional values, and they want her to become a doctor or a lawyer. Meanwhile, Maya wants to study film at NYU, and has a budding relationship with a (white) boy she's known since grade school. This book is reminiscent of the 2002 movie Bend It Like Beckham, and equally enjoyable. The ending was happy, but not in the most predictable way.
Award Winning Historical Fiction
I finally got around to reading The War That Saved My Life, after a couple years of everyone telling me how good it is. I had purchased an ARC of it at a thrift store a while back, and I took it to work one day recently. I devoured it. The day after I finished it, I went to my local library to get The War I Finally Won. I love historical fiction, and even though there is no shortage of WWII books, this one focused on a character with such a unique voice, that I think it's more than just a WWII story. It's one that celebrates overcoming adversity, and also contributes to the #weneeddiversebooks catalog because of its focus on a girl with a physical disability.
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