February was all over the place. I read some books I really liked, and I read some books that I really didn’t like. I have to say the two I loved the most shocked me. I’m also shocked that Kingdom of the Wicked wasn’t a favorite. It just fell flat to me. But that’s enough rambling. Let’s get into my February 2021 Wrap Up.
The Devil All the Time
Synopsis:
Set in rural southern Ohio and West Virginia, The Devil All the Time follows a cast of compelling and bizarre characters from the end of World War II to the 1960s. There’s Willard Russell, tormented veteran of the carnage in the South Pacific, who can’t save his beautiful wife, Charlotte, from an agonizing death by cancer no matter how much sacrificial blood he pours on his “prayer log.”
There’s Carl and Sandy Henderson, a husband-and-wife team of serial killers, who troll America’s highways searching for suitable models to photograph and exterminate. Then there’s the spider-handling preacher Roy and his crippled virtuoso-guitar-playing sidekick, Theodore, running from the law. And caught in the middle of all this is Arvin Eugene Russell, Willard and Charlotte’s orphaned son, who grows up to be a good but also violent man in his own right.
My Rating: 2/5
Crystal Shadows
Synopsis:
Sarah Field lives alone with her dad, a teacher at her school. The two of them share a close bond and, unusually, both have the same birthday, which they also share with Sarah’s grandfather, who died when Sarah was small. Sarah knows very little about her grandfather, and her dad insists on keeping it that way.
However, one night, Sarah finds her dad acting in a mysterious way and also hears strange noises after her dad has gone out. Sarah’s friends come to the rescue to help her investigate, and they make a shocking discovery. Someone is living in the attic! And that someone is none other than Sarah’s grandfather! But, this is no ordinary grandfather…
My Rating: 3/5
The Child Wore Pearls
Synopsis:
June Randolph and her father make the perfect team at their small, family-owned jewelry store. While the pair have always maintained a close relationship, the dynamic she shares with her mother has proven much more challenging throughout the years.
Now at seventeen years old, June has found herself contemplating life beyond working at her father’s shop. Though it isn’t until she is befriended by a ritzy, older customer that June begins to come out of her shell.
My Rating: 5/5
Kingdom of the Wicked
Synopsis:
Emilia and her twin sister Vittoria are streghe – witches who live secretly among humans, avoiding notice and persecution. One night, Vittoria misses dinner service at the family’s renowned Sicilian restaurant. Emilia soon finds the body of her beloved twin…desecrated beyond belief. Devastated, Emilia sets out to find her sister’s killer and to seek vengeance at any cost-even if it means using dark magic that’s been long forbidden.
My Rating: 3/5
Children of Blood and Bone
Synopsis:
They killed my mother.
Took our magic.
They tried to bury us.
Now we rise.
Zélie Adebola remembers when the soil of Orïsha hummed with magic. Burners ignited flames, Tiders beckoned waves, and Zélie’s Reaper mother summoned forth souls.
But everything changed the night magic disappeared. Under the orders of a ruthless king, maji were killed, leaving Zélie without a mother and her people without hope.
Now Zélie has one chance to bring back magic and strike against the monarchy. With the help of a rogue princess, Zélie must outwit and outrun the crown prince, who is hell-bent on eradicating magic for good.
Danger lurks in Orïsha, where snow leoponaires prowl and vengeful spirits wait in the waters. Yet the greatest danger may be Zélie herself as she struggles to control her powers and her growing feelings for an enemy.
My Rating: 4/5
So that’s my February 2021 Wrap Up. I hope you guys had a great month. Drop your favorite read of the month in the comments. I’m always hunting new reads.
What was on your February 2021 Wrap Up?
Get 10% off of $25 at Books a Million!
