All the Birds in the Sky by Charlie Jane Anders

Science Fiction

I struggle to find the words to describe this book for me. It centres around two characters: Patricia and Laurence. Patricia is a witch who can cast spells, heal people, fly, and talk with animals. Laurence is a tech geek who can build incredibly complex machines and AI. The two should have absolutely nothing in common but they find each other as outcasts in school. When Laurence learns of Patricia's skills, they drift apart but reconnect as adults. Meanwhile, the world around them is turning to shit and it could be on them to fix it.

In a book of science fiction and fantasy, I expect some realism to ground the story but there were things that just didn't make sense. For example, in school, Patricia is made to look like she is cursing and throwing a dead animal at the guidance councilor. She runs away from the school and the entire town groups up to find her. Excuse me? Why does a town care enough about a school kid an a supposed curse to hunt her down?

There's also the trained assassin sent to kill the kids. He has a heavy presence at the start of the book, completely disappears for a while, then pops up again with an incredibly quick and unsatisfactory resolution to the point where I dont even understand the purpose of introducing this character at all.

The book was riddled with weird problems like the two described. I liked Patricia and Laurence as characters and the premise of science vs nature was a good one, but the execution just wasn't satisfactory for me.

First Line: "When Patricia was six years old, she found a wounded bird."

Rating:
(2.5/5)

The Dressmaker's Dowry by Meredith Jaeger

Historical Fiction

Sarah Havensworth is blessed to have a husband that has allowed her to stop work and focus on her novel, but Sarah is having problems finding inspiration. Coming from a journalism background, Sarah finally finds a spark when she reads about two dressmakers that went missing in late 1800 San Francisco. Sarah re-focuses what she's working on. Someone finds out and starts sending her threatening emails. Determined to write this story, Sarah continues on and the story of the two dressmakers come to life.

In 1876, there are two immigrant dressmakers that want more for themselves and their families. When a handsome young man comes in to get some clothing tailored and treats the two girls well, they swoon. This man ends up being a Havensworth, from Sarah's husband's family. When one of the dressmakers goes missing, the other enlists Havensworth's help to try and find her.

Sarah and one of the dressmakers, Hannelore, have a lot in common. They come from less privileged lives and fall for men much better off than them.

This book is a very easy read. It's easy to connect to the characters, though they were a bit over-dramatic, and pull for them. The two stories flow very well with each other.

Both 1870s San Francisco and present day San Fran were portrayed very well and made you feel like you were in the city then and now. I've only been to San Francisco once but could remember pieces of it and tried to paint over what I remembered with the 1870s description from Jaeger.

Overall, an incredibly strong debut from Jaeger. I'm looking forward to more from her.

Thank you to TLC Book Tours for letting me be a part of this tour. If you want to purchase the book, you can do so here.

First Line: "A doorman ushered me toward the historic garden court inside the Palace Hotel, the sequins on my gold shift dress catching the light."

Rating:
(4/5)

About the Author Meredith Jaeger was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, the daughter of a Swiss father and an American mother. While working for a San Francisco start-up, Meredith fulfilled her dream of writing a novel, the result of which was The Dressmaker,s Dowry. Meredith lives in Alameda with her husband, their infant daughter, and their bulldog. Find her on Facebook, Twitter, or at her website.