BOOK REVIEW: THE CORRIDOR BY A.N. WILLIS

Title: The Corridor
Author: A.N. Willis
Genre: Science Fiction, Young Adult

Published on: June 23, 2015 by Alloy Entertainment

Infinite worlds. Endless possibilities . . .

Stel Alaster has never known life without the Corridor. It appeared suddenly seventeen years ago, the only portal to a parallel version of our world—Second Earth. Everyone on First Earth fears Mods, the genetically modified Second Earthers who built the Corridor. They are too smart, too strong, and have powers that can’t be controlled. Any Mod found on First Earth is branded, then detained in the Corridor’s research labs.

Only Stel has a dangerous secret. She has a power, too: She can open a portal to Second Earth . . . and several other parallel universes she’s discovered. If anyone ever finds out, she’ll be imprisoned, no better than a Mod or common lab rat.

But when the Corridor starts to fail, emitting erratic bursts of energy that could destroy First Earth, Stel must risk everything to save the people and world she loves. With the help of an escaped Mod and an infuriatingly arrogant boy from a third universe, Stel sets out to unravel the mysteries of the Corridor and stabilize it before it’s too late. The fate of every world lies in the balance. . . .

I've never actively searched for parallel universe sci-fi novels, but I've read a bunch of them. The Corridor is one of those. I found this book while browsing the Kindle store. The synopsis sounded compelling, and I liked the cover art. The Corridor's main character is Estele "Stel" Alaster. She's a girl in her late teens who lives in a world very like ours. The difference is that its people know that parallel realities exist. Almost two decades ago, a sphere portal they called the Corridor opened without warning. It leads to Second Earth, a place that used to be far more technologically advanced than Stel's home. The Corridor ravaged Second Earth, though, so the people of First Earth have been helping them since the opening of the portal.

When the story begins, Stel is doing schoolwork in the observation area near the Corridor. As her father is Chair of the Corridor Facility, they both live in the compound. The portal suddenly acts up, and in the aftermath Stel ends up with a special power. She can open up her own temporary portal, which lets her visit other worlds. Yes, it doesn't take Stel long to discover that there are more parallel worlds besides Second Earth. Unfortunately, the Corridor's flare up had other consequences. Beyond damaging the Facility's structure, it caused Dr. Alaster to lose his post. Stel has a best friend named Lissa, whose scientist mother became the new Chair. This drove a wedge between the two friends.

BOOK REVIEW: LAST DAY BY LUANNE RICE

Title: Last Day

Author: Luanne Rice

Genre: Mystery

Published on: February 1, 2020 by Thomas & Mercer

From celebrated New York Times bestselling author Luanne Rice comes a riveting story of a seaside community shaken by a violent crime and a tragic loss.

Years ago, Beth Lathrop and her sister Kate suffered what they thought would be the worst tragedy of their lives the night both the famous painting Moonlight and their mother were taken. The detective assigned to the case, Conor Reid, swore to protect the sisters from then on.

Beth moved on, throwing herself fully into the art world, running the family gallery, and raising a beautiful daughter with her husband Pete. Kate, instead, retreated into herself and took to the skies as a pilot, always on the run. When Beth is found strangled in her home, and Moonlight goes missing again, Detective Reid can’t help but feel a sense of déjà vu.

Reid immediately suspects Beth’s husband, whose affair is a poorly kept secret. He has an airtight alibi—but he also has a motive, and the evidence seems to point to him. Kate and Reid, along with the sisters’ closest childhood friends, struggle to make sense of Beth’s death, but they only find more questions: Who else would have wanted Beth dead? What’s the significance of Moonlight?

Twenty years ago, Reid vowed to protect Beth and Kate—and he’s failed. Now solving the case is turning into an obsession . . .

Going by the cover alone, I’d expected Last Day to be a psychological suspense. After reading it, the book turned out to be more mystery-suspense. It takes place in a seaside town called Black Hall. That’s memorable, as I’ve never heard of any city with “Hall” in its name. One of the main characters is Kate Woodward. She’s a young woman who finds her sister murdered. Conor Reid, the second protagonist, is a veteran—though not old—police detective.

Kate’s sister, Beth Lathrop, hadn’t been answering her calls for days. She was alone in the house because her husband, Pete, was on a boat trip with friends. Kate goes to the Lathrop house and breaks in with a police officer’s help. There, they discover Beth’s dead body in her ice-cold bedroom. They report it, and Detective Reid arrives shortly after. He has history with the Lathrop sisters. Twenty years ago, he rescued them from a robbery at their family’s art gallery. Their mother did not make it alive, unfortunately.

BOOK REVIEW: THE EDGE OF ALWAYS BY J.A. REDMERSKI

Title: The Edge of Always
Author: J.A. Redmerski
Genre: Romance, New Adult

Published on: November 5, 2013 by Forever Romance

He was taking the long road. She was taking the road to nowhere. It just so happened that they led to the same place…

When everything falls apart, love remains . . .

THE EDGE OF ALWAYS

Camryn Bennett has never been happier. Five months after meeting on a Greyhound bus, she and her soul mate Andrew Parrish are engaged—and a wedding isn’t the only special event in their future. Nervous but excited, Camryn can’t wait to begin the rest of her life with Andrew – a man she knows in her heart will love her always. They have so much to look forward to—until tragedy blindsides them.

Andrew doesn’t understand how this could happen to them. He’s trying to move on, and thought Camryn was doing the same. But when Andrew discovers Camryn is secretly harboring a mountain of pain and attempting to numb it in damaging ways, there is nothing he won’t do to bring her back to life. Determined to prove that their love can survive anything, Andrew decides to take Camryn on a new journey filled with hope and passion. If only he can convince her to come along for the ride…

The Edge of Never is one of my favorite 5-star-rated books. It’s even first on my list of the best novels I read in the 2010 decade. While it may not be a literary masterpiece, TEON was still really enjoyable. It also wraps up the story well, with no major loose ends. This is why I was slightly surprised to hear about a sequel. More Camryn and Andrew, though? Sign me up right away! This second entry picks up a short time after TEON ended. Andrew and Camryn are now engaged and living in Galveston, the former’s hometown.

Right from the first page, Andrew tells the reader Camryn is expecting his child. They give the good news to their family and friends. There’s happiness all around, but a few doubts plague Camryn. If you remember, she’s someone who wants to avoid a monotonous, robotic life at all costs. Andrew is much the same way. They’re trying to decide whether to live in Galveston or Raleigh, North Carolina (where Camryn’s from). It doesn’t matter nearly as much to Andrew as it does to Camryn. Wherever she wants to go, he’ll follow.