Books in Bloom
- 14 hours ago
- 4 min read
Don’t judge a book by its cover, unless that cover is one of these beautiful floral covers and is hiding a story you won’t want to put down. Grab your library card and check out these underrated floral reads at UCL!
American Betiya by Anuradha D. Rajurkar
American Betiya is a touching and insightful novel from debut author Anuradha D. Rajurkar. The novel follows Rani Kelkar, 18-year-old daughter to Indian-American immigrants. Rani has never had any reason or need to lie or keep things from her parents before Oliver Jensen, tattooed, artistic, beanie-wearing “bad boy,” who Rani describes as “her mother’s worst nightmare.” Initially, Rani and Oliver’s fling is the stuff of teenage rom-coms but slowly turns sour as Oliver’s home life worsens and Rani wakes up to his fetishization of her culture and race following her trip to India. Rani’s relationships with other characters, namely her best friend Kate and her family members, are by far the best part of the book. Issues of racism and familial duty are also well-handled in the book. However, issues like drug use and suicide were not handled as well. Rani’s character development is a little disappointing and some things feel a bit like reductive stereotypes, e.g. Rani being a high-achieving student who aspires to be a doctor and her parents working in IT. It is noticeable at times that Rajurkar is a debut author. Regardless, American Betiya lives up to its promise as a coming-of-age novel that tackles important issues of our time. Borrow it here as a book.
Small Favors by Erin Craig
Erin Craig is a highly talented YA author who writes books inspired by fairytales and is well-known for her novel House of Salt and Sorrows. Small Favors is a captivating historical fantasy with themes of eerie horror. It is set in the small and deeply religious town of Amity Falls and follows Ellerie Downing, a practical girl who tends to her family’s beehives. The town is surrounded by a deep, dark forest filled with unknown horrors that begin to reveal themselves over the course of the novel. A group of mysterious and charismatic magical entities known as the “Firefly Girls” emerge from the forest and offer the townspeople “small favors” to help them fix their problems. However, these favors come with a price whose interest seems to compound over time. Ellerie notices her family and fellow townspeople get enchanted by the Firefly Girls and her tight-knit community begins to unravel. Though the novel is inspired by Rumpelstiltskin, it is very reminiscent of “The Crucible.” I would strongly encourage a read. Borrow it here as a book.
Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson
Tiger Lily is a unique and arresting retelling of Peter Pan. Narrated by the silent and omnipresent Tinker Bell, the novel follows Tiger Lily, who is a fierce, independent, and socially ostracized indigenous girl. Tiger Lily falls head-over-heels in love with Peter Pan, who in this retelling is impetuous and brave. However, there is soon trouble in paradise for Tiger Lily and Peter Pan when the Englanders, including Wendy Darling, move to Neverland. Their arrival changes Tiger Lily’s life in irrevocable ways, from the colonization of her people to the shift in Peter Pan’s attention from Tiger Lily to Wendy Darling. The novel does deal with some very dark themes of colonial violence from suicide to rape. Tiger Lily will grab you with both hands and yank you into the novel. Anderson brings her usual strong style to this novel and it is utterly compelling, so I would urge a read. Borrow it here as a book.
The Dead Girls Club by Damien Angelica Walters
The Dead Girls Club is a suspenseful, dual-timeline mystery that balances perfectly on a knife's edge. Back in 1991, Heather Cole and her pre-teen friends formed a club centered around true crime and a local witch legend known as the Red Lady. The summer ends in tragedy when her best friend Becca dies under mysterious circumstances. Thirty years later, Heather is a successful child psychologist whose life completely unravels when she begins receiving packages and threatening texts from someone who claims to know the dark secret of what actually happened that night. Heather is a fascinatingly flawed and deeply unreliable narrator, driven by decades of suppressed childhood guilt and is still running from her past. Walters handles the tension masterfully, and the book is deliciously suspenseful. It’s dark, gripping, and perfect for fans of twisty thrillers. I would really recommend it. Borrow it here as a book.
Tyler Johnson Was Here by Jay Coles
Tyler Johnson Was Here is a visceral, devastating novel that addresses the heavy realities of systemic injustice and police brutality with sensitivity. The book follows twin brothers Marvin and Tyler Johnson. Marvin is quiet, studious, and college-bound, while Tyler is the vibrant, charismatic life of the party. When a neighborhood party is raided by police, Tyler vanishes, and later, a video surfaces online showing his brother being shot and killed by a white police officer. Marvin’s journey from a grieving brother to a young man finding his voice to demand justice is deeply interesting to read. Coles derives many of the events in the novel from his own life. My biggest criticism is that the novel tries a little too hard to be The Hate U Give and it is evident at times that Coles is a debut author, but I don’t regret the time I spent reading it. Borrow it here as a book.
