January Book Reviews
The following book reviews appeared in the print issue of Ponca City Monthly magazine. Get full access to all online articles, videos and content by becoming a paid subscriber. We offer free and paid subscription plans. Find rack locations to pick up your free print copy here, or subscribe here to get online access plus exclusive content.
Where Are the Children?/Where Are the Children Now? By Mary Higgins Clark
Reviewed by Tara Anson
I will start this review by saying Mary Higgins Clark is known as the “Queen of Suspense” and for good reason! If you are looking for a perfect mystery that leaves you guessing until the end, you are in the right place.
Where Are the Children? was originally published in 1975, but has been reprinted over 75 times, as it remains on bestseller lists throughout the United States and United Kingdom.
We join Nancy as she is still recovering from the tragic murder of her children that she was blamed for, though not convicted. Nancy has attempted to move on. She has relocated to the quiet Cape Cod area, met and married a wonderful man and now has two more beautiful children. Nancy is careful to protect these children as she still fears her past. She is so careful that she can’t believe when the children disappear right from her own backyard. Once again she is thrown in to the spotlight, and it’s suggested that she had something to do with the disappearance. As the search for the children proceeds, we are introduced to numerous characters, who seem innocent, but how can we really know? With clues and surprises along the way, you will be guessing until the last chapter who took the children!
Forty-eight years later, Mary Higgins Clark has blessed us with a sequel to her bestselling suspense novel. Where Are the Children Now? joins Nancy 40 years later, as she prepares for her daughter Melissa’s wedding day. Melissa is welcoming a young stepdaughter into her family. When the girl disappears, Nancy can’t help but relive her past and feel like it is happening for a third time to her poor family! Where Are the Children Now? This is available in paperback on Dec. 26.
Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians by Brandon Sanderson
Review by Lorrie Layton
In Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians, Brandon Sanderson kicks off a giggle-inducing, laugh-out-loud, fantasy series for middle grades. The title is what originally caught my attention – you know, the “Evil Librarians”?
The book opens on Alcatraz’s thirteenth birthday. Alcatraz Smedry has grown up in the foster care system; he’s been in it since birth and knows nothing of his parents, although he’s certain they must have had a twisted sense of humor. Seriously, who names their child after the most infamous prison in the United States? He’s forever breaking things, which doesn’t endear him with his foster parents, so he’s been shuffled around a lot.
Back to Alcatraz’s thirteenth birthday: The postman delivers a gift for him from his parents. It’s his inheritance. It’s a bag of sand. Weird, huh? What’s even weirder is that people seem to want Alcatraz’s new bag-o-sand. They’re willing to steal and even murder to acquire it.
The weirdness just continues. An older gentleman wearing a tuxedo and driving a Model T, shows up claiming to be Alcatraz’s grandfather. They discover the bag-o-sand has been stolen by those Evil Librarians and rush off to retrieve it.
It turns out that the Evil Librarians are out to take over the world by spreading fake news and silencing the truth. It’s up to Alcatraz and Grandpa Smedry to battle the Evil Librarians and save the known world. Sadly, the only thing that Alcatraz is good at is breaking things. Grandpa is amazed. It seems all Smedrys have a Talent and the Talent of breaking things is an incredibly powerful Talent that hasn’t been seen for centuries! In case you’re wondering, Grandpa Smedry’s Talent is arriving late.
Aiding the Smedrys is a sword-wielding knight and a collection of dinosaurs (with British accents). This was such a fun book!
Brace Books has been locally owned in Ponca City, Oklahoma since 1983. Our physical store carries books of all types but we also carry toys, calendars, gift items, and a coffee bar.
Any order questions would be best resolved by emailing orders@bookshop.org. With that said, we will do our best to help you in any way that we can. We want your book buying experience to be as easy as possible. Please contact us at 580-765-5173 or info@bracebooks.com for any more information!
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