Book Reviews

Here are a few more book reviews, and it looks like once again, I have more children's books than adult ones. I swear that I do read adult books, but I keep getting recommendations for children's, so that's what I've mostly been reading. 

 Run for the Hills by Kevin Wilson, adult fiction, 2025

Apparently, I put this book on hold a while back, but I didn't remember it when it showed up in Libby. Somebody, somewhere, must have recommended it, so I checked it out. I read this as an e-book. Not my preferred way, but that was what was available. 

The book is about a group of 4 half-siblings who take a road trip across the country to find their father. Their father, Charles, was a good father until he disappeared and never made contact with them again. Each time he left, he reinvented himself and started a new family elsewhere. They would all be happy until his child was around 10 years old, and then he left. He was a different person each time. First, he was a mystery writer; next, a farmer; then a basketball coach; and finally, a filmmaker. 

The oldest sibling, Ruben, who was in his 40s, hired a private detective to find out what happened to his father. Through this, he learned that he had half-siblings. He started in Boston and went to Tennessee, where he met Mad, his sister, and convinced her to go to California to find their father. Along the way, they met and their other two siblings, and they all ended up doing the road trip together. None of them knew about the others, so there was a lot of shock and disbelief when they were approached. The group eventually finds their father and confronts him with all the questions they've had over the years.

Most of the book revolves around the four strangers getting to know each other as they drive across the country. They are bonded by the fact that they had the same father who left each of them. I enjoyed that part of the book.

The premise of the story was intriguing, and I was compelled to read to find out what the father's story was. Personally, I found the reasons given for the father's behavior at the end to be weak. But you can give it a read and see what you think.

Enola Holmes Mystery Series by Nancy Springer, children's mystery (middle grades)

Enola Holmes Mystery Series is a six-book set of stories about Enola Holmes, Sherlock Holmes's fourteen-year-old sister. There is a recurring theme throughout the books. Enola's father died when she was four, and her mother disappeared on her fourteenth birthday. With no proper guardians, her brothers want to send her to boarding school to become a proper lady. Enola does not want to go, so she runs away to London and is in hiding. She is also hoping to find her mother, and along the way, she finds mysteries to solve. Enola is very clever and outsmarts her famous detective brother again and again.  I reviewed the first book in my last Book Review post. Below are the next two in the series.

The Case of the Left-Handed Lady by Nancy Springer, 2007

This is the second book in the series, and it picks up where the first one left off.  This one finds Enola posing as a secretary for a perditorian (finder of lost people). She is working for an imaginary male boss because women are considered too brainless to do serious work. Lady Cecily disappears, and Enola eventually finds and saves her. 

The Case of the Bizarre Bouquets by Nancy Springer, children's mystery, 2008

In book #3, Dr. Watson goes missing, and Enola sets out to find out what happened to him. She has to reinvent herself to remain in hiding, so now she is disguised as a beautiful, cultured woman. She solves the mystery of Watson's whereabouts and leads Sherlock to him without revealing her own location.

I am enjoying this series. The language is rich, the descriptions are vivid, and the mysteries are interesting. Enola is a clever, spunky, very likable heroine.  Although they are marketed for children, I think adults would enjoy them as well. Because they are written for children, there is no sex and no foul language. But there is violence and detailed descriptions of the poor in London in the late 1800s. That was not a pretty picture. 

Ward has read all six now and said there is a satisfying ending to the story arc throughout the books. While each could be read as a standalone, they are better read in order. I have ordered the next two from the library.

Note: Eleven years after the original six books were published, the series was revived with at least three more books. Also, Netflix has made two movies based on the books, with a third one in production. 

Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus by Dusti Bowling, children's fiction (elementary and middle grades), 2017

Kris recommended this book in the comment section of the last Book Review post. So, I promptly put it on hold and recently read it. 

The book is about Aven and her friend, Conner, both of whom suffer from disabilities. Aven was born with no arms, and Conner has Tourette's Syndrome. Barking is his main tic. They meet when Aven's family moves to Arizona to manage a dying western-themed park and become good friends as they bond over not fitting in and feeling like freaks at times. 

As they navigate school, Aven also decides that they need to solve the mystery of who actually owns the ranch on which the theme park is located. While Conner does not have strong support from his parents, Aven does and is a positive and resilient girl.

While the book deals with some difficult issues, it is a feel-good story with a surprise ending. It also does a good job of presenting the ups and downs of the disabilities and the feelings that come with those.  

The book was critically acclaimed and was on many "Best of" lists. In addition, it is part of some school curricula. While this book is written more an elementary/middle school level (certainly more than Enola Holmes), I thought it was an enjoyable read. Ward also read the book and liked it.  

Until next time...