TopShelf Magazine April 2017 | Page 23

ren: the monster’s death reviews impossible task becomes at once heart-wrenching and heartfelt, as she faces a seemingly incessant parade of obstacles that bring her closer and MASTERFULLY EXECUTED! AVAILABLE NOW "Everyone dies. Everyone. No account of immortality has ever been documented and yet we continue to fear this certain fate. Humans take every precaution to secure there life but their is no home safe enough. No healthcare plan that can prevent disease. There is no escape. Death is the shadow that follows all of us. And its promise is a real one that it has never failed to deliver." Sarah Noffke I'm going to skip my normal summary, as the author summed it up perfectly, and go straight to the review. Let's talk emotions. No one, and I do mean no one can bring emotions like Sarah Noffke. You don't just relate to her characters, you feel them down to your very soul. You laugh with them, you cry with them. They become a part of you. They live through you. Not just her main character, which alone is no easy feat. No, all of her characters. Every single one of them, which is plenty in each book. They are long- lost friends w ho you eagerly anticipate reading about in the next installment. Even the villains are written so flawlessly that they www.TopShelfMagazine.net ~Kris Miller, TopShelf Reviews “I’VE SAID IT BEFORE AND I’LL SAY IT AGAIN. If it’s got written by Sarah Noffke on the cover, I’m reading it!” too, become favorites. This book really brought the feels! I thought I knew Ren, but with this final book came an even deeper evolution that, well, you'll just have to read to understand. Sorry you'll never get spoilers *insert evil laugh*. The storyline was executed masterfully, bringing those highs and lows. It also was the perfect set-up for her new series, which is now leaving me in breathless anticipation. I've said it before, and I'll say it again and again. If it's got written by Sarah Noffke on the cover, I'm reading it. This is arguably one of her best books yet, and that is truly saying a lot, since I've loved every one. Each book continues to get better, drawing you in and keeping you there within her world. Turning the last page is always a bittersweet experience. If you haven't read her other books, I very much urge you to check them out. REVIEWS closer to achieving her dream. This in spite of relying on experience gleaned from little more than the likes of Tinker Toys and Erector Sets. Thrillers derive their popularity from heroes who overcome impossible odds en route to ultimate triumph. The same holds true in Rise, a sumptuously simple tale belying an emotional depth that defines its very core and makes us root for Brookins and her kids as much as any fictional heroes. rise SUMPTUOUS... AVAILABLE NOW The title Rise (St. Martin’s, $25.99, 320 pages) may suggest a thriller, and Cara Brookins’ superb, family-dominated, nonfiction tale is every bit of one, though for totally unexpected reasons. The book tells the story of Brookins reassembling her life and family by literally building a house with her children. Losing herself in a Cara Brookins seemingly ~Jon Land, TopShelf Reviews TOPShelf magazine APRIL2017 23