Locking Up Our Own provides a detailed look at how mass incarceration and the war on drugs and guns came to disproportionately affect people of color. These policies often had the support of African American leaders and community, and over time, they slowly contributed to making America the most locked-up country in the world. Many people are thrown in jail for minor infractions, which then robs them of the chance to get good educations and have job opportunities.

What's amazing about this book is its nuance and empathy. Forman shows that there were many factors that contributed to this appalling outcome. These factors were the best wisdom of the time, thought up by well-respected folks (such as community leaders, politicians, cops and police chiefs), doing what they thought were the best thing for their people. Instead, their policies exacerbated the already hopeless conditions of poor African American communities.

I found this book to be timely and insightful. It is a must-read for those who wish to understand why our criminal justice system is the way it is today, as well as some ideas on how we can help poor minority communities plagued by hopelessness and crime rise above them.

Readaroo Rating: 4 stars

In Nine Perfect Strangers, nine people arrive for a ten-day health cleanse at Tranquillum House. Each one is there for a different reason, but they have all been promised a transformative experience. But could there be more going on than meets the eye at Tranquillum House? And what is each guest's story?

This book falls squarely into the over-promised category. It was promoted as a thriller and a mystery, but it wasn't either, really. There were a few small reveals that kept the story interesting, but this book is mostly about its characters. We follow the guests and the people running Tranquillum House, discovering what happened that led each of them here and their progress as they work towards a better and happier version of themselves, even in the face of some odd happenings.

The characters are interesting, though some get more development than others simply because there are quite a few of them. Moriarty sprinkles her typical wit and sharp observations throughout, which led to a few good chuckles. She has this way of writing that grabs me immediately and pulls me into her story, and this is no exception.

I did feel a little let down at the end that nothing more exciting was going to happen since I waited for that through the entire book. But even without the mystery/thriller that was promised, I found this to be an engaging and fun read.

Readaroo Rating: 3 stars

One Day in December originally caught my eye because of its intriguing premise. The idea that two people would see each other through a bus window and know instantly that it was love at first sight is soo romantic. It totally appealed to the sentimental mush in me. Besides, I'm always up for squeezing in a seasonally appropriate read this time of the year.

There is a lot I liked in here. Laurie and Sarah's heartwarming friendship is a real highlight, coming alive off of the pages with their joy and mutual devotion to each other. Laurie's growth as a character is well-done, showing how she matured through the years, evolving from a starry-eyed fresh grad into a confident and caring young woman. I also enjoyed the depiction of Laurie and Oscar's relationship, filled with so much love and happiness along with all of its struggles.

But for me, the real disappointment is Jack. He is mean and childish through most of this story. The parts from his perspective focuses on him thinking about how hot women are and how he wants to get with them. When Laurie starts dating Oscar, Jack refuses to be nice and essentially takes the attitude that Laurie shouldn't have a boyfriend even though he himself has a girlfriend. To be honest, I'm not sure why anyone would want to be with him. I just don't buy the book's premise that someone sweet and kind like Laurie would fall in love with a negative man-child like Jack.

I think the other thing that rubbed me the wrong way is that while this is supposed to be two people in love with each other equally, it came across as Laurie pining so hard for Jack while he hardly cared. He went from one woman to another, but there was never a feeling that he wanted to be with Laurie until the very end. It's just such a cliché to read about a woman longing for a man while he happily enjoys a succession of women, all the while stringing her along by saying how he would love her if only circumstances were different.

In the end, there is nothing I liked about Jack, which is a real bummer since this is a romance. Still, I found all the relationships other than the main one to be poignant and heartwarming, and for that, I'm glad I picked up the book.

Readaroo Rating: 3 stars

In Girls of Paper and Fire, Lei is from the Paper caste, the lowest and physically weakest of the classes. One day with no warning, she is ripped from her family and taken to the palace to become a Paper Girl, a concubine of the king. She must find a way to endure and ultimately escape from her cruel path.

There is so much to like in this book! The world-building is rich and interesting, and happens at a pace that is easily consumable. The premise of the story is interesting, and coming from a Chinese background, I liked all the Asian references in here. The plot unfurls steadily, and there is even a female/female relationship. There are so many compelling characters, including the other Paper Girls, and their diverse personalities and friendships with Lei are a real highlight.

Unfortunately, I did find the main character Lei to be incredibly grating at times. She is emotional and impetuous, doing whatever she feels like at any moment without thought for consequences. Many times, due to her words or actions, bad things happen to her and those around her. But she doesn't seem to have the insight to understand that.

While I was happy to see a young adult book that includes a female/female relationship, the way it was written was extremely childish. Pretty much every scene that the two of them are in together makes me cringe from how melodramatic and overwrought it is. Lei follows the other person everywhere, crying because she thinks they are cheating on her and lecturing them on the importance of trust, while not understanding the irony of that. She gets extremely upset if the other person doesn't tell her everything she wants to know, and proceeds to make a huge fuss about it. It's so frustrating to read and feels like such a missed opportunity. Ngan could have made Lei strong, but instead she comes across as whiny and needy. Thankfully, there aren't too many scenes with the two of them together.

Even though the book was a bit uneven overall, I still really enjoyed it, especially the plot. It looks like this is the first book in a trilogy, so I look forward to reading the next one. I just hope it contains more of the awesome plot and less of the main character emoting.

Readaroo Rating: 4 stars