Mark Guerin’s coming of age story You Can See More From Up Here delves into what happens when lies grow into something unexpected and push family members apart. In 2004, Walker Maguire is summoned to his estranged father’s bedside and in that moment he finds himself turning his mind back to 1974. This is the year where his father, unhappy about retiring from the Air Force and now a plant physician, and Walker found their lives diverging. When a bloody fight, witnessed by Walker, is falsely blamed on a Mexican immigrant, he keeps quiet and these lies and eventual betrayals break the relationship between father and son. In order to move beyond what happened back then the two men will have to confront the past and examine how it has led to their present. Continue reading “You Can See More From Up Here Book Review from @kleffnotes”

From the author of Searching for Bobby Fischer, Fred Waitzkin, Deep Water Blues is inspired by a true story and tells the story of a Bahamian island that became the battleground for a pirate war. Bobby Little built his own paradise on the island of Rum Cay. While the island life was something people flocked to, Bobby and his larger than life personality were the rule lures. When a tragedy strikes the island swiftly changes and tourists no longer wish to visit these once exotic shores. Bobby finds himself fighting against a new sort of entrepreneur and the water begins to run red with blood, but there might be someone who can help find a way to return the island to its former glory. Continue reading “Deep Water Blues Book Review from @kleffnotes”

Raven Burns was forced to witness the numerous crimes of her father, the first of which was the murder of her mother at his hands. Floyd “Fire” Burns’ terrible deeds are what pushed his daughter to become a homicide detective. In trying to prove she is nothing like him she still has never been able to escape his voice in her head. After an accidental shooting on the job she must confront her past and the blemishes on her soul in order to stop a killer in A Killing Fire. Continue reading “A Killing Fire Book Review from @kleffnotes”

In 1904, the very young Max is rushed away from Czarist Russia by his father after the brutal rape and murder of his mother at the hands of Russian soldiers. While this tragedy is what pushed them to leave for the shores of American, Max finds someone he winds up falling in love with. Sophie is a young Polish girl who becomes close friends with Max almost immediately after they meet. As much as he loves her, Max finds Sophie ripped away from him when she is forced to marry a local crime boss. In the pages of American Dreams readers follow as Max pushes himself to climb the criminal ladder and Sophie struggles to find a way to still live her dreams. Continue reading “American Dreams Book Review from @kleffnotes”

Jake Baker has previously spent most of his time with his Uncle Calvin, an eccentric occult and conspiracy theory enthusiast, but after turning twelve he befriends two siblings who are new to town. In their first summer together, Jake and his new friends are initiated into his uncle’s “Saturday Night Ghost Club.” What begins as a fun way to spend a summer investigating local ghost stories and urban legends slowly begins to take a darker turn as mysteries are uncovered. The Saturday Night Ghost Club by Craig Davidson is a coming of age story perfect for fans of cult classic films like The Goonies and The Lost Boys as well as more recent 1980’s inspired works like Stranger Things. Continue reading “The Saturday Night Ghost Club Book Review from @kleffnotes”

Maureen Joyce Connolly’s debut novel, Little Lovely Things, is a book that will keep you on edge until the very end. This page-turner story focuses on Claire, who is finishing up her final year of residency while trying to balance being a wife and mother. One day as she rushes to drop off her daughters at daycare she finds herself succumbing to a violent allergic reaction. She wakes up in shock in a gas station bathroom with no idea what has happened to her daughters. This contemporary fiction work is told through four different voices is full of emotion and love in this hauntingly tragic plot. Continue reading “Little Lovely Things Book Review from @kleffnotes”

Title character, Marigold Star is on a quest to learn just what her super power is. In the city of Brambycrumbly she has always had a star above her head, which means she is destined for greatness. The downside for her is that she doesn’t think she is particularly great at, except making friends. When her star starts flickering she finds herself suddenly in the human world and not only that, but her wand has wound up in the hands of a girl who insists she doesn’t like anyone. Marigold might always try to find the best in others and this journey will push her to find out what is best about herself in Elise Primavera’s middle grade book Marigold Star. Continue reading “Marigold Star Book Review from @kleffnotes”