I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.
The Banned Books Club by Brenda Novak Published by MIRA on September 17, 2024
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads
She left her hometown following a scandal—but family loyalty is dragging her back…
Despite their strained relationship, when Gia Rossi’s sister, Margot, begs her to come home to Wakefield, Iowa, to help with their ailing mother, Gia knows she has no choice. After her rebellious and at-times-tumultuous teen years, Gia left town with little reason to look back. But she knows Margot’s borne the brunt of their mother’s care and now it’s Gia’s turn to help, even if it means opening old wounds.
As expected, Gia’s homecoming is far from welcome. There’s the Banned Books Club she started after the PTA overzealously slashed the high school reading list, which is right where she left it. But there is also Mr. Hart, her former favorite teacher. The one who was fired after Gia publicly and painfully accused him of sexual misconduct. The one who prompted Gia to leave behind a very conflicted town the minute she turned eighteen. The one person she hoped never to see again.
When Margot leaves town without explanation, Gia sees the cracks in her sister’s “perfect” life for the first time and plans to offer support. But as the town, including members of the book club, takes sides between Gia and Mr. Hart, everything gets harder. Fortunately, she learns that there are people she can depend on. And by standing up for the truth, she finds love and a future in the town she thought had rejected her.
Angsty and so much more than I was expecting! There are certain books that grab onto your heart and pull on it very quickly when based on the blurb you weren’t even sure you were going to like the storyline and this is indeed one of those. This book is about so much more than banned books, and the heart of the story is very attention grabbing and heartfelt. I loved Gia from the start and her connection with Cormac winds up being very endearing regardless of the drama surrounding them from the start. Her sister has her own problems and is guarding her secrets even from those who love her. The characters are attention grabbing, the turmoil is on point and the resolution to their problems is satisfying. I loved their story and highly recommend it to anyone who loves a women’s fiction novel that is very family centric as life’s problems and unresolved issues grab your attention and won’t let go until that happily ever after comes along.
Leave a Reply