The Hawaiian word 'oumuamua . . . is loosely translated as "scout." In its announcement of the object's official designation, the [IAU] defined 'oumuamua slightly differently, as "a messenger from afar arriving first." Either way, the name clearly implies that the object was the first of others to come.

Holy cow, I'm not afraid to say this freaked me out a bit! Could evidence of intelligent life have really whizzed by our Sun a few years ago and we were none the wiser?

In the Fall of 2017, an object raced through our solar system and quickly left. It was traveling so fast that it could only have come from afar. Extraterrestrial: The First Sign of Intelligent Life Beyond Earth lays out all the data we have regarding this interstellar visitor, and makes a compelling case for why all the facts and anomalies point to this being a piece of advanced alien technology.

This completely blew my mind! It was utterly fascinating (and also kind of freaky) to follow along as each piece of data was presented and then matched up with the alien technology theory. And it seems academically sound and wholly plausible.

So why the low rating? Well, that discussion is just a very small part of this book. In the thirteen chapters, only chapters 1 and 3 were totally dedicated to 'Oumuamua.

And here's the crux of the issue: all the information, data, and facts collected regarding 'Oumuamua can be squeezed into a long article. So to make a book out of it, the author really had to expand upon the topic. It doesn't help that his expansions are heavily pedantic, often turning concepts the layman can understand into complex technical jargon that only those in the field could wade through.

To further expand and turn this into the length of a book, the author filled the majority of this book with information about his family and how he grew up, his professional career, summaries of pretty much every paper he has written that is even remotely relevant, every person he has worked with, his personal views on philosophy and science, and numerous rants against the scientific community's inability to consider new ideas.

It feels like the author decided to use this book as his personal soapbox and as a chance to show off how accomplished he is. Which is silly because I already believe he is someone worth listening to and his theory has plausibility, hence why I'm reading this.

If you're interested in 'Oumuamua, I obviously don't recommend this book. Instead you can just look up some articles or videos, get the gist of it, walk away slightly freaked out like I am, and save yourself several hours.

Readaroo Rating: 2 stars

"That is just me. I add nothing. I am wallowing in self-pity."

No truer words have been said by Nora, the world's largest wet blanket. Woe is her, folks.

Nora ends up at The Midnight Library, a place between life and death, because she doesn't want to live anymore. The library is full of books, each representing a life she could've had, had she made different choices. Now she has a chance to undo all her numerous regrets and to try out all the lives she's missed out on, to see if there is another one she would like better.

Lest you think I'm cold-hearted for not loving this, I assure you, I'm not. Normally, I love sappy, cheesy, inspirational mush. I watch Hallmark movies. I believe in soulmates and happily ever after. I cry during every sweet scene in every movie. And yet this book left me so cold inside, and I'll try to put into words why.

For one thing, this story doesn't come across as fiction so much as self-help disguised as fiction. The lessons to be learned in here are pretty obvious right from the beginning, yet they are presented like some sort of epiphany that can only be understood if explained slowly and repeatedly. We are forced to endure these lessons over and over every time Nora goes back to the library. Either Nora is the most dim-witted of characters, or the author thinks us readers are.

Another problem is that it's really hard to connect with Nora. She'll take a situation, suck every ounce of joy out of it, and interpret what's left in the most negative way possible. She's full of regret for every decision she's ever made, and thinks the grass is always greener. However, other than being negative, she literally has no other personality traits. She's a blank slate, dull and uninteresting.

I also have issues with the core messages in this book. Nora finally learns her lesson, but only after having fixated on each regret, remade every decision, and lived all subsequent lives. I'm also uncomfortable with the implication that if you're depressed, you only need to change your outlook and you will feel better. That goes against everything we understand about mental illness, including that it's important to seek out professional help, that it can be chemically based, and that it's not a matter of not trying hard enough.

So many readers loved this book, as evidenced by its overwhelmingly favorable reviews. But it's just not for me. This is the second book I've read by Matt Haig, and I've had trouble connecting with both. So I think it's time I part ways with this author and just accept that we are not compatible.

Readaroo Rating: 2 stars

If I ever wondered how long it would take for the world to end, I know: forty-five seconds.

Vera is the illegitimate daughter of Rose, madam extraordinaire of San Francisco's most notorious bordello. At fifteen years old, she is sharp and resourceful, though the one thing she wants most but never had is a mother's unconditional love. When the 1906 earthquake hits and levels the entire city, Vera will need to reach deep within and gather all her wits and courage if she is to survive.

At its heart, Vera is a coming of age story, of a young girl thrust into an unrecognizable world, where everything she previously held dear and counted on is now no more. She must think on her feet, forge new relationships, and make impossible choices if she is to come out of it unscathed.

The writing is so sharp and vibrant. The characters, in particular Vera, come across interesting, fully-formed, and nuanced. The descriptions of San Francisco, both before and in the aftermath of the earthquake, were real and vivid, to the point where the devastated, burning landscape of the city was seared into my mind's eye. Edgarian's writing style pulled me in immediately, and I was swept away in this tale of resilience and courage.

On thing I didn't expect was the unflinching portrayal of racism against Chinese people during this time. As someone who is Chinese, I found it it really hard to read both the casual and systematic injustices they were forced to endure. I appreciated that the author didn't attempt to whitewash what happened, and instead incorporated it into the story. Even our main character Vera wasn't immune to the thinking of its time, which made her growth and her connection to Tan over time that much more satisfying to see.

This story surprised me in all the best ways. I normally don't gravitate towards character-driven, coming of age stories, thinking that they might be dull or uninteresting. But the narrative here was riveting, propelled forward by sharp writing and vividly-sketched characters facing catastrophe and making the best of it. It's the sort of book where I find myself reading sentences and paragraphs twice or thrice, just to experience them again. I honestly could not get enough.

Readaroo Rating: 4 stars

A thriller that actually thrills from beginning to end? Yesss, sign me up!

College student Matt Pine receives the most devastating news: almost his entire family has perished on what should've been a fun-filled spring break trip to Mexico. Now the only remaining person left in his family is his brother Danny, who did not go because he is serving a life sentence for killing his girlfriend seven years ago. At first, their family's death is ruled an accident, but soon clues emerge that make it look ever more suspicious.

This book grabbed me from the very first page. It was action packed and masterfully paced. It felt like the plot was propelled forward by every chapter, and there was no waste or dillydallying just to stretch the fluff or fill the pages. The story is told from a few different characters' perspectives, their narratives interweaving until we see it all coming together in one explosive ending. The short chapters kept me turning the pages, wanting to read just a little bit more.

There were so many awesome characters in here. Almost everyone is likable and worthy of our admiration. In particular, Agent Keller really shined. She was quick on the uptake, competent, levelheaded, and compassionate... in other words, a complete badass! Likable characters aren't a must for me, but they do make the reading experience so much more pleasant and enjoyable.

In terms of the mystery itself, I found the twists to be fun and the ending satisfying. Because of the taut pacing, I was immersed in the story and didn't really think much along the way. And that's how I like my thrillers to be. I'm not huge on slowly paced ones, because my mind wanders and then I start pondering the mystery and before you know it, I've figured out enough to have ruined it for myself. This story just sucked me in and kept me riveted until the very end.

What an impressive debut from Alex Finlay. I read so many thrillers that I often feel jaded. But this one made me remember how much sheer fun a great one of this genre can still be. I cannot wait to read more from this author.

Readaroo Rating: 4 stars

People We Meet on Vacation is a sweet, fluffy, beachy read that gets a little long in the tooth towards the end.

Poppy and Alex have been best friends since college. Even though they are as different as two people can be, they just get each other. As life keeps them apart geographically, their only chance to catch up in person is to take an epic summer trip together every year. But two years ago, they had a falling out and haven't spoken since. Now Poppy wants one more trip to fix everything.

The trope of friends to lovers has been done so many times, yet this book finds a way to give it a fresh take. Poppy and Alex are fun and hilarious together, and I found myself smiling through all their banter and interactions. Poppy is the zany one while Alex is the straight lace, but both are equally loveable in their own way.

Where this story fell a bit short is towards the end. I started to find Poppy's antics too over-the-top. Often, instead of just saying what she's feeling, she'll go and do crazy things to avoid talking. She starts coming across as needy and high-maintenance, sending mixed signals and jerking Alex around. And poor Alex just had to take it.

I also found their inability to admit how they feel about each other getting old. It was cute and endearing earlier in the book because they didn't know. But once they figured it out and acted on it, I don't understand why they continued to deny their feelings. It reminds me of Chinese gift-giving culture, where the receiver of the gift (of love, in this case) has to refuse many times before finally accepting in order to avoid appearing greedy or eager. They'll say things like "I can't possibly accept! This is too much! I don't deserve it!" Meanwhile I'm like, please just accept this love for goodness' sake, so I can move on with my life.

Romance books are so personal. What works for one person doesn't always work for another. Usually we are drawn to the stories that remind us of ourselves and our love language. And this is a case where the longer the book went on, the less I could see myself in Poppy.

Still, other than the drawn out ending, I very much enjoyed this story. It was such a fun and funny romance, with its jet-setting and vacation-y scenes. It makes me want to pack a bag, fly somewhere tropical, and sit on a beach with one those little drinks with an umbrella in it. And in that respect, this book hits the perfect spot.

Readaroo Rating: 3 stars

This was my Book of the Month pick for April. If you're curious about BOTM or want to find out how to get your first book for $5, click here.

There's only been one time that Rose couldn't stop me from doing the wrong thing and that was a mistake that will haunt me for the rest of my life.

Fraternal twins Fern and Rose are as close as two sisters can be. Fern has sensory processing issues, and Rose has looked out for her all her life. When Fern unexpected comes across a chance at love, secrets from their past start to surface. And soon, it's not at all clear who really is The Good Sister.

I found the initial chapters of the book to be riveting. Both Rose and Fern are well-developed characters, and they really jump off the pages. Fern, in particular, with her unique difficulties, is so sincere and loveable. She tries hard to fit into the world around her, but she's constantly bumbling it up just a bit. The love story in here is my favorite part of the book, and it was a joy to read the interactions between Fern and Wally.

But to imply that this is a thriller of any kind is really stretching it. This is first and foremost a domestic drama, with just a hint of a secret in there to propel the narrative forward. I found the pacing to be quite slow, especially after the initial setup. Maybe I didn't have the right expectations going in, but I kept waiting for something exciting or shocking to happen, which didn't materialize. It was clear where the story was headed by the halfway point, after which all the suspense fizzled out. As a result, it started to lose steam for me, and my attention drifted away.

Still, the ending pulled it all together. It delivers the secrets that have been promised all along, and wraps everything up with satisfaction. While nothing truly surprised me, I did enjoy the story overall. It's my first time reading Sally Hepworth, and I'm impressed with her characters. They really made this story shine.

I think fans of women's fiction centered around intriguing family drama will very much enjoy this story, as long as expectations of shocking twists are kept in check.

Readaroo Rating: 3 stars

My heartfelt thanks for the copy that was provided for my honest and unbiased review.

The premise of The Echo Wife is insanely good. Evelyn Caldwell is a scientist at the forefront of cloning technology. Unfortunately, her husband Nathan doesn't love her anymore. Instead, he has transferred his affections to a clone of her named Martine. Evelyn is understandably upset about this. But when something happens to Nathan, Evelyn and Martine are forced to team up to fix the problem.

That sounds crazy, right? If you could resist such a premise, you're a much stronger person than I am, because I could not. That, plus the cover, and I immediately had to get my eager hands on it.

When a book has such an amazing premise, the question that always comes up is, did it deliver? And I'm torn here. On the one hand, the plot is brilliant and unique, and it unfolded with lots of surprises along the way. But there were a couple of things that really didn't work for me.

First, the science in here is pretty laughable. Now, I understand this is science fiction, and creative liberties are allowed. But the way science and cloning are explained makes me think the author threw a bunch of advanced biology words into a giant word salad, swirled them around, and just haphazardly grabbed words out to fill in the blank whenever a scientific phrase was needed. But those words mean something already, and they don't really make sense in the context they're dropped in.

Also, cloning is an existing technology in our real world today, one in which we've already had extensive discussions regarding its ethics. But this book throws all that out the window. Instead, it approaches it without even a basic understanding of the dilemma within. It's hard for me to reconcile how advanced the cloning technology is in the book with its less than rudimentary consideration of the associated ethics and morality issues.

Still, my biggest problem is with Evelyn's character. The story is told from her point of view, and it is overwrought with her emotions. She is constantly in a fit of rage. Things which set her off include (but are not limited to) an old couch, someone helping her unpack, coworkers not realizing that she's upset, but also coworkers realizing and asking if she's upset. Goodness gracious, you just can't win with her. Every time I had to read another passage on her self-righteous fury, I wanted to stab myself with something sharp. I wish all those excessive emotions were left out, as it took a lot away from the story.

In the end, if you're debating whether to give this book a try, I think my answer is still yes, simply because of the brilliant and unusual premise. It's a short read at only 250 pages, and it's interesting to see how the plot plays out. Just try to ignore all the science mumbo jumbo and overwritten feelings.

Readaroo Rating: 3 stars

Wowzers, what the heck did I just read!

Who Is Maud Dixon? That is indeed the question. She is a novelist who has won critical acclaim and commercial success, but no one knows the identity of the person behind the pseudonym. Enter Florence Darrow, an assistant at a publishing company. She's not happy with her slavish job, but feels it's a stepping stone to becoming the famous and revered writer that she is meant to be. Unfortunately, she isn't getting any closer to her goal, until a series of choices upends her life and puts her on a collision course with destiny... and Maud Dixon.

And that's all I'm going to say regarding the plot, because anymore would be spoiling the goodies. In fact, don't read the official book blurb before going in. It pretty much gives away the entire first half of the story, which is crazy. I cannot believe how much information is just divulged, willy-nilly, right there on the book jacket.

(Seriously, publishers, if you're reading this, please stop oversharing in your blurbs and taking away the fun. I think 20% into a book is about the max that should be revealed. Definitely not 50%.)

The story unfolds slowly, and a good part of the fun is not really knowing where it's headed. There's this sense of ominous foreboding that permeates throughout. The feeling of dissonance, that something isn't quite right, hangs over Florence, and it ratchets up over time, little by little. This atmosphere reminds me of the best of classic noir, in the vein of Hitchcock.

Even though it takes a while to get to the denouement, the story still grabbed me from the very first page. The writing is so sharp and sly. And Florence is a cunning lead character. She's self-centered, unapologetic, and desperate to achieve her ambitions. She makes the perfect femme fatale... or is she just a victim in all this?

The fact that this is Alexandra Andrews' debut is astonishing, as it reads like a truly masterful thriller. I cannot wait to see what else she comes up with.

Readaroo Rating: 5 stars!

Exit grabbed me with its premise of assisted suicide gone wrong, but it didn't quite turn out the way I was hoping.

Felix is an old man past his prime. He doesn't have much going on, but he is part of a small organization of like-minded individuals who help those suffering at the end of life find a way out with grace and dignity. When one of those sessions goes horribly awry, it seems he will go down for murder unless he can figure out what really happened.

The beginning of this book was riveting, and I was immediately sucked into this interesting and unusual premise. The first 100 pages flew by while I tried to figure out where the story was going. I find assisted suicide to be a fascinating topic, and was looking forward to seeing how the book would explore this complex and worthwhile idea.

But then we reached the core of the story, and it just started dragging on. The pacing slowed way down. There were frequent asides about horse gambling, boats, and sailing terminology. My eyes glazed over. Lots of seemingly irrelevant characters were introduced (some with multiple names), and I started having trouble keeping them straight. Meanwhile, the actual murder investigation stalled.

The pacing did pick up at the very end, but the story itself left me somewhat bewildered. All of a sudden, random people started showing up and crazy things started to happen. Yes, there were lots of twists near the end, but they didn't feel like the satisfying sort. Rather, they left me confused, and I didn't really understand what was going on or who was who.

Part of my detachment from this story is that I never connected with the characters, in particular Felix. I can see that he is meant to be a bumbling and endearing old man, but I found him really trying. He couldn't figure out the right things to do and often went in circles with decisions. This book also employs a pet peeve of mine, in which conflicts come from misunderstandings that could be immediately cleared up by the characters just talking to each other. But they don't, so I am stuck reading 200 extra pages of puzzling subterfuge.

The other thing that disappointed me is the way assisted suicide was presented in this book. I know it can be a contentious topic, which is why I was so looking forward to seeing how it would be explored in this story. But no insightful tidbits were offered. Almost everyone in here seems to think assisted suicide is akin to murder, and their views did not change throughout. There were no subtlety or complexity offered, and in fact, there was hardly any discussion about it at all.

While I enjoyed the story enough, I didn't quite connect with it the way I wanted. I had gone in hoping for a smart and insightful commentary on assisted suicide, something that would give me a new way of thinking about this complicated topic. But instead, this became more of a dithering story with a large cast of characters, which ended on a muddled explanation that left me more confused than satisfied.

Readaroo Rating: 3 stars