The Dream Protocol (Descent: Book 1) by Adara Quick

The Dream Protocol: Descent (Book I) by [Quick, Adara]

Publisher:

Date of publication: April 20th, 2016

Series: Descent

The Dream Protocol—Book 1

Genre: Science Fiction, Dystopia, Young Adult, Fantasy, Mystery, Fiction, Romance

Goodreads Synopsis:

WHATEVER YOU DO, DON’T GET OLD.

In fiery young Deirdre Callaghan’s home of Skellig City, no one has dreamt their own dream in over a thousand years. Dreams are produced by the Dream Makers and sold by the Ministry, the tyrannical rulers of the city. In Skellig City, years of life are awarded equally and the ruined are cast away beneath the city on their 35th birthday.

Unbeknownst to the Ministry, Deirdre’s handsome friend Flynn Brennan is afflicted with a terrible disease – a disease that accelerates the aging process. Knowing his fate if the Ministry should ever discover his illness, Flynn has lived his whole life hiding from their watchful eyes. When Flynn’s secret is finally discovered, Deirdre is determined to free him from the Ministry’s grasp. But to save him, she will have to reveal herself to a shadowy enemy…one that none of them even knew existed.

This was an interesting book. A society of people lives in an underground city called Skellig City. These people have never dreamed their own dreams. They pay for dreams that are made by the Dream Makers. These dreams are sold by the Ministry, the ruling government of Skellig City.

The book starts when Deirdre Callaghan is late to the attendance of her friend’s Descent. In this society, you are considered ruined at 35. Then you are sent through a tube to Tir Na nOg, their version of an afterlife. Her mother is due to have her Descent next week, and Deirdre is sick at the thought of her mother leaving her.

While that is going on, Deirdre is fighting to keep Flynn from being discovered by the Ministry. Flynn’s aging disease makes him seem much older than his 15 years. Because of this, he has been hiding from the Ministry and their Drones.

One day, Flynn is found out and captured, and Deirdre is forced to take action to help him. The series of events that happens afterward blows Deirdre’s mind.

Interestingly, the author chose 35 as the age for being ruined. Not interesting bad, but interesting good, if that makes sense. The comments about the ruined are very interesting too. “They are a drain on our society” was one quote that stood out in my mind.

The wannabe romance between Flynn and Deirdre was cute. The touches and glances were enough to convey how they felt about each other. It made me go “Awww” and get a sappy grin.

I liked that the author included the roots of Skellig City. It was interesting to read, and I hope she continues it in the 2nd book.

The ending was a bit of a cliffhanger, but I figured that much when I saw “#1” after the series name. The cliffhanger wasn’t that bad, but it made me “Grrrr” when it ended.

I would recommend The Dream Protocol to anyone over 16. There is no sex, no language, and mild violence.

Stuck in the Game (Dream State Saga: Book 1) by Christopher Keene

Stuck in the Game (Dream State Saga Book 1) by [Keene, Christopher]

Publisher: Future House Publishing

Date of publication: August 4th, 2016

Genre: Fantasy, Science Fiction, Young Adult, Cyberpunk, Action, Adventure

Series: Dream State Saga

First in the Game—Book 0.5

Stuck in the Game—Book 1

Back in the Game—Book 2

Ghost in the Game—Book 3

Lost in the Game—Book 4

Found in the Game—Book 5

Purchase Links: Amazon | AbeBooks | Alibris | Powells | Indigo

Goodreads Synopsis:

After a terrible car crash puts seventeen-year-old Noah Newbolt into a coma, he is hooked up to the innovative Dream Engine—a virtual reality helmet that immerses the player in an online fantasy game. The Dream Engine keeps Noah’s mind alive while doctors frantically work to heal his body, but his death in the game could result in irreversible brain damage.

While Noah learns to navigate the Dream Game, his girlfriend, Sue, suffers injuries from the same crash. Then the doctors’ attempts to connect her to the game result in her apparent death. When a mysterious avatar drops notes suggesting the last remnants of Sue’s consciousness are being held prisoner in the most dangerous part of the game, Noah takes it upon himself to rescue her.

He allies himself with a group of high-level players to help him in his quest, but his rise through the ranks earns him a bounty. With top players across the world gunning for Noah, can he stay alive–and awake–long enough to save Sue and escape the game?

This book was great!! As a long-time gamer, I loved that the author picked an MMORPG game to set this story. Call me a huge nerd, but I liked that he did that.

I did feel for Noah. He is stuck in Dream Engine in a coma after being in a car crash with his girlfriend, Sue.

When Noah awakens in Dream Engine, he is confused. Wouldn’t you be if you were awakened in an online virtual reality game? When his mom gets in contact with him and explains what happened, he sucks it up. His parents hired one of Wona’s employees to “protect” him. Also, to help him level up while he was being brought back to health in real life.

I laughed when I started reading the areas Noah was going to quest/level up/grind. Reminded me of the different areas of WoW. Duskshire was the main one. I giggled when Noah was hunting spiders for silk to make a robe. Been there, done that. The other areas reminded me of Kalimdor, Northrend, Pandaria, and Booty Bay.

The elitist attitudes portrayed in this book were hilarious and very on point. Noah’s friends have views when they realize he is being run through dungeons. If you have ever sat in trade chat, you know what I am talking about.

There is a huge twist in the story that did take my breath away. Not giving too much away because you need to read the book, but I cried and then got mad.

This book ended with one of my biggest pet peeves, a cliffhanger. I hate them with a passion, but it did grab my attention and make me wish that book 2 was there. I want to find out what happens to Noah after he wakes up and if things get resolved!!!

I would recommend Stuck in the Game to anyone over 16. There is no sex, mild violence, and no language.

If you enjoyed reading Stuck in the Game, you will enjoy reading these books:

The Regrets of Cyrus Dodd (Wyattsville: Book 4) by Bette Lee Crosby

The Regrets of Cyrus Dodd: Family Saga (A Wyattsville Novel Book 4) by [Crosby, Bette Lee]

Publisher: Bent Pine Publishing

Date of Publication: June 15th, 2016

Genre: Historical, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Contemporary

Series: Wyattsville

Spare Change—Book 1

Jubilee’s Journey—Book 2

A Home in Hopeful—Book 2.5

Passing through Perfect—Book 3

The Regrets of Cyrus Dodd—Book 4

Beyond the Carousel—Book 5

Goodreads Synopsis:

“Regret is what stands in the way of happiness,” she said then turned and walked away…

From award-winning USA TODAY Bestselling Author BETTE LEE CROSBY, comes an early twentieth century family saga of two Southern men who come up against one another. Both are prideful, iron-willed and stubborn. One will lose his farm, the other will lose his family. In a tale that delves into the heart of a small town West Virginia community two men discover that being right is not the same as being happy.

Believing he has lost everything, Cyrus Dodd has no choice but to start over. He and wife Ruth leave their farm and travel to Wyattsville. As they settle down to a life far different than what he’d planned, Cyrus is forced to deal with one challenge after another, and the regrets trail behind him like a row of ducklings.

He told Ruth they were leaving trouble behind and swore this time it would be better; but now he’s wondering if that’s a promise he can keep.

Readers View says, “An engrossing story of ordinary people…a tale richly told.”

Indie Book Awards, Historical Fiction Finalist

This book is great about what happens after you’re hit with blow after blow in life, and you don’t give up. It had a positive message woven throughout it. It shows what happens when you have everything but lose the most important thing: family.

This was an easy read and would be perfect for the beach or pool. You can put it down and not lose your page or your way with the plot. After a tense couple of first chapters, the book evens out and is smooth sailing.

I didn’t like the chapters that started Cyrus’s musing, Ruth’s, or even Bethany’s. It struck me as odd, and didn’t need to be there. I got enough from the actual story to read that. That took away from the story.

This is book 4 in a series, but it can be read as a standalone book. No reference to previous books at all. If this didn’t have a #4 after it, I wouldn’t have known it was part of the series.

I would recommend The Regrets of Cyrus Dodd to anyone over 21. There is marital rape, spousal abuse, child abuse, and murder.

If you enjoyed reading The Regrets of Cyrus Dodd, you will enjoy reading these books:

Children of Icarus (Children of Icarus: Book 1) by Caighlan Smith

Publisher: Switch Press

Date of Publication: August 1st, 2016

Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult, Mythology, Science Fiction, Dystopia, Mystery, Retellings, Adventure, Greek Mythology, Young Adult Fantasy

Series: Children of Icarus

Children of Icarus—Book 1

Children of Daedala—Book 2 (review here)

Goodreads Synopsis:

It is Clara who is desperate to enter the labyrinth and it is Clara who is bright, strong, and fearless enough to take on any challenge. It is no surprise when she is chosen. But so is the girl who has always lived in her shadow. Together they enter. Within minutes, they are torn apart forever. Now the girl who has never left the city walls must fight to survive in a living nightmare, where one false turn with who to trust means a certain dead end.”

This is one of the best YA books that I have read in a while. I read it in one sitting. I was engrossed by the story.

The book is based on the myth of Icarus and Daedalus and the myth of the Labyrinth.

In this story, a whole society has formed around that Greek myth. Society never goes outside but instead lives within many skyscrapers. Once a year, 6-7 children, ages 10-16, are chosen to run the Labyrinth and find the Angels.

The story’s main character is Nameless, and she is a bit of a wuss. She lives in her best friend, Clara, shadow. She is excited and afraid when she is picked to go into the Labyrinth along with Clara. Clara is everything she isn’t. Beautiful, creative, brave…

Once they get into the Labyrinth, everything changes for the worse. What happens in the Labyrinth is awful, and these children are an annual sacrifice. A lucky few are rescued by a group of children who have survived the Labyrinth.

I am not going to go into the book other than to say from the moment that Nameless enters The Fates to the ending was unbelievable. I ran the full gauntlet of emotions. From happy to sad to upset to disbelief.

I would recommend Children of Icarus to anyone over 16. There is violence and one scene of attempted rape.

If you enjoyed Children of Icarus, you will enjoy these books:

Welcoming the Bad Boy (Hero’s Welcome: Book 3) by Annie Rains

Welcoming the Bad Boy: A Hero's Welcome Novel by [Rains, Annie]

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group-Loveswept, Loveswept

Date of publication: August 2 2016

Genre: Romance

Where the book can be found: Amazon

Book synopsis:

From the bestselling author of Welcome to Forever (“Full of heart and emotion!”—Lori Wilde) comes a sweet, sexy novel about breaking all the rules. In Seaside, North Carolina, the boys on the base are heroes—but that doesn’t mean they’re always well-behaved.

As a preacher’s daughter, Valerie Hunt only dates the very respectable, very boring men who meet her father’s strict standards. In private, however, she leads a double life as a romance writer of steamy stories about the least respectable sorts of men. Valerie has always kept her hottest fantasies separate from her real life, but when she nearly runs a hot-blooded biker off the road, the lines begin to blur.

Even though Valerie almost killed him, Griffin Black can’t be angry after he learns the reason for her distracted driving: an unruly puppy belonging to her ailing friend. As a member of the military police K-9 unit, Griffin insists on training the dog himself. But he soon wonders how he’s ever going to stay disciplined around the most alluring, down-to-earth, and totally unattainable woman he’s ever met. Valerie is the ultimate good girl. And Griffin is going to need all his old tricks to unleash her wild side.

My review:

I LOVED this book. I don’t say this about books in a series if I haven’t read the first 3 books but I will say it about this one.

The beginning was hilarious. Val is taking care of her friend’s Pomeranian, Sweet Cheeks (OMG, THE NAME!!!) while she is in a nursing home recovering from a hip replacement. Because of Sweet Cheeks, Val almost runs down a motorcyclist, who happens to be Griffin. Sparks fly immediately and the story takes off from there.

Griffin offers to train Sweet Cheeks in exchange for Val to help him with his mother. Griffin’s mother has Alzheimer’s and has no memory of him. All he wants is for his mother to remember him so he can apologize for their last encounter.

I cried during parts of this book. I legit ugly cried during Griffin and his mother’s scenes. The heartbreak, the regret came right off pages and into my heart.

I couldn’t stand Val’s father. I understand his wife died when Val was younger but he was so cold towards her and very unsupportive of her dreams. I didn’t get into his miraculous turn around at the end.

If I hadn’t of looked this book up, I wouldn’t have known it was the 3rd book in a series. You can read this as a stand alone.

3 things I liked about Welcoming the Bad Boy:

Val and Griffin’s romance
Val’s alter ego
the storyline

3 things I disliked about Welcoming the Bad Boy:

Val’s father
Alzheimer’s disease
It made me ugly cry

How many stars will I give Welcoming the Bad Boy? 5

Why? I absolutely loved this book. It had everything. Great sex, people falling in love over the course of a month and the plot was fantastic. I LOVED the ending (read the book!!!)

Will I reread it? Absolutely

Will I recommend to family and friends? Yes

Age range: Adult

Why? Lots of steamy sex scenes.

Is the book part of a series. Yes, it is book 3. The other books are:

Welcome to Forever

Welcome to Forever–Starting Today (Short story about Micah and Kat)

Welcome Home, Cowboy

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

The Summer That Melted Everything by Tiffany McDaniel

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Date of publication: July 26th, 2016

Genre: Fiction, Magical Realism, Contemporary, Literary Fiction, Fantasy, Adult, Historical, Historical Fiction, Horror, Adult Fiction

Goodreads Synopsis:

Fielding Bliss has never forgotten the summer of 1984:
the year a heatwave scorched the small town of Breathed, Ohio.
The year he became friends with the devil.

When local prosecutor Autopsy Bliss publishes an invitation to the devil to come to the country town of Breathed, Ohio, nobody quite expected that he would turn up. They especially didn’t expect him to turn up a tattered and bruised thirteen-year-old boy.

Fielding, the son of Autopsy, finds the boy outside the courthouse and brings him home, and he is welcomed into the Bliss family. The Blisses believe the boy, who calls himself Sal, is a runaway from a nearby farm town. Then, as a series of strange incidents implicate Sal — and riled by the feverish heatwave baking the town from the inside out — there are some around town who start to believe that maybe Sal is exactly who he claims to be.

But whether he’s a traumatised child or the devil incarnate, Sal is certainly one strange fruit: he talks in riddles, his uncanny knowledge and understanding reaches far outside the realm of a normal child — and ultimately his eerily affecting stories of Heaven, Hell, and earth will mesmerise and enflame the entire town.

Devastatingly beautiful, The Summer That Melted Everything is a captivating story about community, redemption, and the dark places where evil really lies.

I don’t even know what to write here (which is a first) because the book was THAT good. It was written so that you couldn’t help but get sucked into it, and then you can’t put it down. As I said, it is THAT good.

I was introduced to the Bliss family in the book’s first chapter. Autopsy, Stella, Grand, Fielding, and Aunt Fedelia. Autopsy is the local prosecutor for the town of Breathed. Autopsy decided, one day, to write a letter to the devil inviting him to Breathed and posted it in the newspaper. Guess what? A young boy claiming to be the devil showed up right before a major heat wave.

This is where the story became interesting. The author kept you guessing if Sal (Satan and Lucifer’s name combined) was the devil. He had insight into the different relationships that were going on in the town that no 13-year-old should know. I never figured out if he was the devil or not.

Strange events started happening every time Sal went into town. The heat kept rising; a woman had a tragic accident, a mob was incited, and stuff along those lines. He isn’t allowed out of the yard/house to keep him safe.

The story is told in flashbacks from a 70-something-year-old Fielding. Who suffers survivor’s guilt. I don’t like it when books are told in flashbacks. You lose something from it. In this case, it worked. I got to see the long-term damage caused by the events of that awful summer/fall, which is heartbreaking. The author did a perfect job of taking older Fielding’s memories and turning them into a story about younger Fielding.

There was a huge twist in the story that I saw coming. It involved Elohim, Fielding’s former mentor and Sal’s biggest enemy in town. I did a WTF when it was revealed.

I would recommend The Summer that Melted Everything to anyone over 21. There is strong language and violence.

If you enjoyed reading The Summer that Melted Everything, you will enjoy reading these books:

Her Survivor (Black Eagle Ops: Book 1) by Vonnie Davis

Her Survivor: A Black Eagle Ops Novel by [Davis, Vonnie]

Publisher: Loveswept

Date of publication: July 19th, 2016

Genre: Romance, Romantic Suspense, Contemporary Romance, War, Military Fiction, Military Romance, Contemporary, Disability, Fiction, Suspense

Series: Black Eagle Ops

Her Survivor—Book 1

Hers to Heal—Book 2 (review here)

Purchase Links: Amazon | B&N | Indigo | Kobo | Apple Books

Goodreads synopsis:

Vonnie Davis welcomes readers to Wounded Warrior Falls! In this sizzling contemporary series, broken heroes meet women worth fighting for—and discover the healing power of love.

Navy SEAL Dustin Frank can handle physical pain; it’s his soul that needs mending. After losing part of his leg in an explosion, the panic triggered by his PTSD nearly drives him over the edge. So Dustin retreats to the Eagle Ridge Ranch, a charming hideaway tucked into the Hill Country of Texas. There he finds solace in the arms of a shy beauty who reawakens desires he thought he’d lost forever—and who makes him want to lose control, just when he needs it most.

Kelcee Todd sees beyond Dustin’s scars to the real man beneath: fiercely protective, strong yet tender. She wants nothing more than to feel his battle-hardened hands on her body. However, Kelcee is not the ordinary small-town girl she appears to be. Her brother is a killer with ties to the Russian mob, and after her testimony put him in prison, he’s out and eager for revenge. Now Dustin is her best defense, even if it could cost him everything. Kelcee could never ask him to make that sacrifice . . . but she can’t stop him, either.

I am guilty of stereotyping a book, and I am sorry. When I first started reading this book, I thought, “Wounded Army vet meets spunky girl, and sparks fly. Yawn.” And I am here to say, “I am wrong” and “Not even close.”

Dustin’s character was well written, and his PTSD symptoms were point on. There were points in the book where I wanted to cry for him. I understand how his mental fog, anxiety, and depression affected his everyday life. So when ZQ offered him a place at the ranch, I wanted to cheer.

When I couldn’t get any more vested in the book, we met Kelcee and the rest of the town. Talk about a town that I would love to live in!!! What eccentric people. I loved it. From ZQ’s mom to Sugar Loaf/Silver Stud, they stick in your mind. I also could see Kelcee being one of my good friends. She was so real, and I giggled at some of her zingers and one-liners.

The sexual tension and sexual chemistry between Kelcee and Dustin were off the wall. The tension was there from the minute they met, even though they did not want it. And when they finally ended up in bed, it was so bittersweet that I wanted to cry.

The subplot about Kelcee being in the Witness Protection Program was kept under wrap. Translated: I didn’t pay attention to the blurb (was too busy staring at the cover and drooling). When it was revealed, it was surprising to me. The only thing I didn’t like about this was that Kelcee took forever to tell Dustin. Which, in my mind, was stupid because he could have ended that whole thing for her when she got hurt.

The ending was hilarious, in a way. Not giving anything away, but when Junebug freaks out, I laughed until I had tears running down my cheeks. It was that funny.

3 Things I liked about Her Survivor:

Dustin and Kelcee’s romance
Junebug (OMG, loved her)
Nance

3 Things I disliked about Her Survivor:

Kelcee’s brother
Dustin’s PTSD
Instalove

I would recommend Her Survivor to anyone over 21. There are graphic sex scenes, language, and violence.

If you enjoyed reading Her Survivor, you will enjoy reading these books:

The Last Time She Saw Him (Julia Gooden Mystery: Book 1) by Jane Haseldine

The Last Time She Saw Him (A Julia Gooden Mystery Book 1) by [Haseldine, Jane]

Publisher: Kensington

Date of Publication: June 28, 2016

Genre: Mystery, Fiction, Thriller, Suspense, Mystery Thriller, Crime, Psychological Thriller, Adult Fiction, Contemporary,

Series: Julia Gooden Mystery

The Last Time She Saw Him—Book 1

Duplicity—Book 2 (review here)

Worth Killing For—Book 3

You Fit the Pattern—Book 4

Goodreads Synopsis:

In Jane Haseldine’s gripping and brilliantly crafted debut, a reporter searching for her kidnapped son must untangle the connection to her brother’s long-ago disappearance.

Julia Gooden remembers nothing about the worst night of her life. Thirty years ago, her nine-year-old brother Ben—the person who promised he would always protect her—was abducted from the room they shared. Try as she might to recall any clue or detail, there is a black hole where Julia’s memories of that terrible event should be.

Now a crime reporter at a Detroit newspaper, Julia tries to give others the closure she’s never found. But guilt and grief over Ben’s disappearance have left her fearful that whoever took her brother is going to come back. Nowhere seems safe—not the city, not the suburbs, not even the secluded lake town where she plans to raise her children. And then, on the anniversary of Ben’s disappearance, Julia’s worst fears are realized when her two-year-old son, Will, is snatched from his bed.

Convinced that the crimes are related, Julia tries to piece together memories from her final day with Ben. Are the sudden reminders of her brother clues that will lead her to her son’s abductor, or merely coincidence? Julia knows she has hours at best to find Will alive, but the deeper she digs, the more personal and terrifying the battle becomes, and an undying promise may be her only hope of saving herself and her son.

My review:

If you are looking for a book that showcases the best and worst of people and has a dash of the supernatural in it, read this book.

Julia was not a character that was likable, and I love that the author wrote her that way. She suffers survivor’s guilt after her older brother was kidnapped out of their room when she was 7. That one event shaped her entire life. Julia tortures herself over his disappearance. This has affected all areas of her life, from her job and marriage to how she parents her children.

The story got going when her 2-year-old was kidnapped out of his room. The author did a great job writing that part of the book too. She captured Julia’s terror and her fight to get her child away from the kidnappers.

The book then became a mishmash of the present and past. It was discovered that the same Indian head arrow was left under Will’s crib. Which was a connection to her brother’s disappearance.

But all is not what it seems. Clues were given by a pedophile pastor. A police detective was halfway in love with her. I didn’t know what direction the book was going in. And that was the best thing about it!!!

I didn’t know who the kidnappers were until the very end of the book. The author did a fantastic job of keeping that hidden. She threw out red herrings and created a couple of false leads that, when it was revealed, I went, “Whaaaat??“

I would recommend The Last Time She Saw Him to anyone over 21. There is violence, language, and no sex. There are also graphic descriptions of sexually abused children.

If you enjoyed reading The Last Time She Saw Him; you will enjoy reading these books:

The Alienation of Courtney Hoffman by Brady Stefani

The Alienation of Courtney Hoffman: A Novel by [Stefani, Brady]

Publisher: SparkPress

Date of publication: June 7th, 2016

Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Aliens, Fiction, Teen, Fantasy, Coming of Age

Goodreads Synopsis:

Fifteen year old Courtney wants to be normal like her friends. But there’s something frighteningly different about her—

My grandpa Dahlen was crazy. According to my mom, anyway. I was seven when he had me tattooed, and then tried to drown me in his bathtub to escape the bad men. Whether his obsession with alien visitors drove him over the edge or he just knew things we didn’t, I can’t say.

He used to tell me things, though. Things that normal people would never believe. Secrets about an ancient alien-human bloodline, covert societies, and wormholes to the alien universe.

My grandpa’s dead. But people still say that I have his same silvery-blue eyes. What they don’t know is, I inherited far more from him than just his eyes.

This book was fantastic. The book starts with Courtney as she runs through her backyard. She is trying to escape alien visitors and her memories of her beloved grandfather.

I felt bad for Courtney. Her mother was a grade-A bitch. At some points in the book, I wanted to reach through the pages and take Courtney away. She was in competition for Mommy Dearest. The best thing that happened to Courtney was when she was sent to live with her father. He was more accepting of her.

The story got going once Courtney met Agatha. Once Agatha came into the picture, the ball got rolling. Everything Courtney remembers wasn’t the truth. The truth was so much more than what I expected.

The ending was great. There were a couple of twists that I saw coming from a mile away and that I went eh at. The biggest one was saved for the end. I was disappointed that events were forgotten by everyone except Agatha and Courtney. It made me want to scream. I did like that the author left it open for a possible sequel (Jorge and his blue eyes….swoon)

I would recommend The Alienation of Courtney Hoffman to anyone over 16. There is mild violence, mild language, and no sex.

If you enjoyed reading The Alienation of Courtney Hoffman, you will enjoy reading these books:

The One Man by Andrew Gross

The One Man: The Riveting and Intense Bestselling WWII Thriller by [Gross, Andrew]

Publisher: Minotaur Books

Date of publication: August 23, 2016

Genre: Historical, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Thriller, War, World War II, Holocaust, Suspense

Goodreads Synopsis:

1944. Physics professor Alfred Mendl is separated from his family and sent to the men’s camp, where all of his belongings are tossed on a roaring fire. His books, his papers, his life’s work. The Nazis have no idea what they have just destroyed. And without that physical record, Alfred is one of only two people in the world with his particular knowledge. Knowledge that could start a war, or end it.

Nathan Blum works behind a desk at an intelligence office in Washington, DC, but he longs to contribute to the war effort in a more meaningful way, and he has a particular skill set the U.S. suddenly needs. Nathan is fluent in German and Polish, he is Semitic looking, and he proved his scrappiness at a young age when he escaped from the Polish ghetto. Now, the government wants him to take on the most dangerous assignment of his life: Nathan must sneak into Auschwitz, on a mission to find and escape with one man.

This historical thriller from New York Times bestseller Andrew Gross is a deeply affecting, unputdownable series of twists and turns through a landscape at times horrifyingly familiar but still completely compelling.

I am going to start this review with a dedication. I found out that Elie Wiesel died today at the age of 87. He dedicated his whole life to keeping the memory of the Holocaust alive. I read Night in 9th grade as part of an English assignment. So, to say I was (and still am) very interested in the Holocaust is an understatement. I read everything and anything about the Holocaust (from fiction to nonfiction) that I get my hands on. So RIP Elie Wiesel.

This was one of the best books that I have read to date. From the beginning, when an old man in a nursing home decides to open up to his daughter, it takes off. It is a whirlwind ride that left me breathless (and in tears) at the end of the book.

I was taken back to Nazi-occupied Germany and Roosevelt-era USA. The atrocities committed against the Jewish people in the book were vividly written. I had to put my book down at some points because I was crying so hard. Introduced in the book, in no particular order: Nathan Blum, Alfred Mendl, Leo Wolciek, and Greta Ackerman. All their lives become intertwined at Auschwitz.

This book is fast-paced, and I did not want to put it down in case I missed something. There are several twists to the plot, but the two biggest were saved for the end, and they took me by surprise.

3 things I liked about The One Man:

Nathan Blum
The storyline
Leo Wolciek

3 Things I disliked about The One Man:

Auschwitz
Kurt Ackerman
The scene right before the ending

I would recommend The One Man to anyone over 21. There is brutal violence, language, and sex.

If you enjoyed reading The One Man, you will enjoy reading these books:

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