The Last House on the Street by Diane Chamberlain

 

Book Title: The Last House on the Street
Author: Diane Chamberlain
Audiobook Performer: Susan Bennett
My Rating: 4/5 stars
Content Rating: R (mature themes, racial injustice, violence, murder, language)

This was my first Diane Chamberlain book, and it did not disappoint! I went into this one mostly blind, which I don't typically do. But it was audio, so I didn't have a book jacket handy to read a run-down. I knew it had an eerie/creepy aspect to it, but not too scary. But beyond that, I really didn't know what to expect. 

This book is written in dual timeline (1965 and 2010), which is a format I really enjoy. We begin by meeting Kayla in 2010, an architect whose husband died after falling from a ladder while helping build their dream home. After a mysterious visit from a woman who advises Kayla not to move into the house at the end of the street, Kayla is understandably shaken.

Then we meet Ellie, a well-to-do white twenty year old who joins civil rights activists one summer in North Carolina, much to the chagrin of her family and friends.

As the two stories unfold, these two women will find themselves connected in unexpected ways. 

While I was able to figure out some of what was coming, there were a few extra twists I wasn't expecting. And the story itself was very compelling. I think the narrator did an excellent job, which is a big deal for me with fiction, it turns out. 

Definitely a good read, though it makes me sad to contemplate that these kinds of things really happened. Hate is so destructive. 

Content warnings: some language, racial injustice, murder

Nancy Drew and the Secret of the Old Clock by Carolyn Keene

 

Title: Nancy Drew and the Secret of the Old Clock
Author: Carolyn Keene
Reading Level: middle-grade
Movie rating equivalent (in my opinion): G

It was very interesting to read this as an adult. In my pre-teen years, I loved Nancy Drew and read all these original books. I didn't remember them seeming quite so unrealistic back then. But I was young, and they are certainly written for young girls. And I think they are perfect for readers moving from early chapter books into middle-grade books. So while I can't say I enjoyed the story as an adult, I 100% feel this series has merit and is still a great choice, and I'm so glad my daughter loved it and is now on the 3rd in the series!!

 

If I had to apply a movie rating to this book, I'd definitely rate it a G.  Though my daughter did say she felt anxious during a couple parts, it was nothing too scary.  And there certainly aren't any other content concerns with language, mature themes, or otherwise.  

Also, I may have known this before, but I forgot it: Carolyn Keene wasn't  a real person!! It was a pen name for a variety of writers over the years. It makes sense, of course, but I felt surprised when I googled it.