Brilliant book. This was a surprise. When I began reading, I thought it would be just another book about Nazi hunters and justice. It turned out to be so much more.
Like the best novels, this one is about the primary characters and how they change in the course of their quest. A woman who accidentally gets wrapped up with an enclave of Nazis in hiding eventually finds a better focus for her life by becoming more mature. A man who survived the camps is given the opportunity to finally triumph in a life filled with failures…failures to bring Nazis to justice, and a deep and abiding failure to live his life for its own value rather than living always in the past pain.
A very subtle yet highly suspenseful read. I couldn’t put this one down. Well worth the time, and I will look for more by this author.
5 stars!
Want to read another novel that focuses on the impact of events on characters and their lives? Try He Drinks Poison, a deeply moving journey with a woman who, as the child of rape, brings the men who perpetuate violence against women to justice.

A very strong finish to the series. I really was gripped and couldn’t wait to get back to reading this every evening. The action was fab, as always, and the character stayed strong, which is very enjoyable with a female lead.
One complaint was that the author sent her to sleep far too often with morphling. This can be used once or perhaps twice in a book but here, the author just seemed to drug Katniss whenever things got too tough. It would have been much better to allow her character to deal with the psychological issues by keeping her awake and allowing her to feel the pain of different events.
The other complaint here was that Katniss’ guilt started to feel overdone. It has been a thread through all three books, but by the third book, her observance of all the people who are dying because of her just felt overused. There wasn’t any real emotion to it, and it would have been better, especially in this third book, to have her really work through that or break down because of it. Instead, we get thoughts that seem blah in their impact and morphling.
I do recommend that you overlook these two flaws and read the book anyway. It’s a lot of fun, and Katniss still exhibits strong traits that make her appealing.
5 stars!

As with Collins’ first book, I found this one much more enjoyable than the movie. You get to see the inner journey of Katniss, and understand her feelings and confusion along the way. It was a great read, clips along well, yet stays rooted in how she feels and how she’s growing. A strong follow-up to the first book.
4 stars!
Come back tomorrow for a review of the third book in this series.

I wasn’t sure I’d like this because YA has to be very strong to appeal to me. It tends to be a bit quick on the draw, and the category doesn’t always provide the depth of characterization I enjoy.
This book turned me around. I had watched the movie first to see if I enjoyed the story enough to read the book. Once I began reading I was pleased to discover a very nice depth to the characters.
4 stars!
Come back tomorrow and the next day for reviews on books 2 and 3 in this series.

This is one of those books that’s going to stand alongside classics like Mutant Message by Marlo Morgan. Drawing from Native American wisdom and the beliefs of a world filled with respect for nature and its spiritual elements, Herrera has created a global book of wisdom for a global world where no act impacts only the region in which it happens.
The only flaw comes with the prose connected to the angel who oversees the coming together of the many characters who act to save the planet. It’s overwritten and, since it’s in the first chapter, might put readers off the entire work. That would be a mistake. Read on, and find a clear prose that follows many characters through their lives and their actions.
For today and the future, read this book!
4 stars!
Want more like this book? Try Message Stick (fiction) and Seven Sisters: Spiritual Messages from Aboriginal Australia (nonfiction).