Andie Robertson has relied on her mentor and PhD adviser, Dr. James Corwin for much of her life, especially after her mother left. All of Andie's life, she has had strange hallucinations that take her into an eerie shadow world. After Dr. Corwin is mysteriously murdered in Italy, Andie finds some research of Dr. Corwin's that is out of his field of study along with drawings that looks exactly like her hallucinations. With the drawings, Andie finds the Star Phone, a strange device that leads her on an adventure with a series of clues. The clues are associated with a secret society, The Leap Year Society and The Ascendants. On the other side of the US, a disgraced investigative journalist, Cal, is desperately trying to find the people who ruined his career. Once Andie and Cal figure out that they are both being hunted by a very dangerous and secretive group, they team up to help one another on the perilous path that has befallen them.

Unknown 9: Genesis is a complex science fiction thriller featuring secret groups, code breaking, hidden history, conspiracy theories and mind bending scientific breakthroughs. This is the first book of a trilogy and the beginning of the book was a gradual set up of characters, events and background before getting too heavy into the plot. The writing gripped me from the beginning, building suspense as Dr. Corwin is running for his life. After that, the set up bounces back and forth between Andie, Cal, Omer who is contracted to deliver them, and Ettore in the 1930's. This lends to a slower pace in the beginning, however it does a wonderful job of creating deep characters and intriguing story line that is compounded, but easily followed. I enjoyed the fast paced adventures in Egypt and Italy's historical spaces. I'm deeply interested in the Leap Year Society and the secrets they want to protect. I was absorbed by the idea of The Fold and the potential it could unlock. There is much more to explore with all of the characters and the journey they are on, I can't wait to read more.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.

Belief in things seen and unseen is different for everyone, yet how one acts on that belief has ramifications to others and yourself.  To a God Unknown by John Steinbeck follows newly arrived Joseph Wayne has he begins a family ranch believing his father’s spirit inhabits a tree that protects the land which scares religious individuals in and around the ranch.

Joseph Wayne receives the blessing of his father, John, to leave Vermont and go to California.  Upon arriving and purchasing land, Joseph receives a letter from his religious brother Burton about the death of their father but after reading the letter Joseph feels his father in a huge tree next to the house he’s building.  Joseph’s three brothers and their families arrive months later and start a growing cattle ranch with Joseph always interested in the fertility of the land and his cattle while giving reverence to the tree which gets noticed by Burton.  The nearby town receives a new teacher which gets every single male’s attention, but Joseph somehow gets her to be his wife and the two have a “interesting” marriage that results in a son, young John, and ends with his wife’s death at a sacred rock that is on Joseph’s land.  After the ranch hosts a fiesta in which Joseph’s behavior towards the tree alarms the local priest and Burton.  Burton decides to leave for a safely Christian town but removes a ring of bark around the tree leading to its death.  Almost immediately the weather turns and over the next year drought devastates the ranch leading to Joseph’s brother leading what cattle he can to greener pastures while Joseph’s stays with the land.  Then as he watches the last water dry up from around the sacred rock. Joseph cuts himself and sees his blood moisten the ground then thunder in the distance.  He then sacrifices himself for the land and feels the rain in his dying moments.

Belief and how it affects people is the central theme of the novel, though the connection between farmer/rancher and the land goes hand in hand with it.  There are also clashes of belief, from Joseph’s paganism to the Christianity of Burton and the local priest who is also in conflict with local Indian beliefs.  This theme is the essential to the entire book as every character has their beliefs which make them unique and how they relate to everyone else.  But while Steinbeck goes into character beliefs, it doesn’t mean they’re all well rounded characters especially the women though Joseph’s sister-in-law Rama comes close.

To a God Unknown is the last of Steinbeck’s early works before his commercial and critical success but gives a glimpse of his later more well-known works.  As my first non-school related (The Pearl) Steinbeck work, I found this thought-provoking and intriguing but still a tad “rough” in style.  However, if you’re interested in getting to Steinbeck try this book and see if like myself, you’re figuring out which other Steinbeck books you’ll want to read.

Another Cassie book, another low rating. It's not Cassie's fault - its just this plot had little going for it.

A woman named Crazy Helen has reported some odd behavior in the local wild horses to Cassie's dad.

Sidebar: OK, where in the country are these people? They're in a city big enough to have a few skyscrapers, major television stations, a theme park/zoo, malls, as well as seashore, virgin forest, mountain ranges, arid lands, and wild horses now? All a 'morph away with time to be home by dinner? Come on Applegate.)

I don't know why that is so important now. I should be more puzzled by the lack of video surveillance anywhere.

Where was I? Right. Wild horses. The wild horses were acting strange according to Crazy Helen so Cassie and her dad went to check it out with Rachel along for the ride. The horses were bizarre.

The strange horses have an interest in 'Area 91', an Air Force base in the heart of the Dry Lands where rumors of UFOs have attracted scrutiny in the past. Obviously, the Animorphs need to check this out.

The Animorphs, even the Andalite one, are kids, so their plans can be a little patchy. I have serious objections to the Yeerk plans at the government facility and later in the House of Horrors at the theme park (don't ask). What is this? The one point of humor relates to the 'secret' at the heart of Area 51, I mean 91.

Animorphs

Next: 'The Escape'

Previous: 'The Andalite Chronicles'

As I type this, the President of the United States Donald J. Trump has attacked Rep. Elijah Cummings.  It was a racist attack.  This attack comes on the heels of countless attacks on four women of color who are also representatives, including a false claim that one of the women was married to her brother.  One of his opening attacks was telling the women to go back to their countries – all four are American citizens, three were born in American, and the one who is naturalized has been a citizen longer than the First Lady and her Be Best campaign.  Then there was the time he said Congresswoman Wilson was a stripper.  Trump also believes that Obama is not an American and that the Obama family book deals should be investigated.

                People are wary to say the following – Trump is a racist - because of reasons.  I’m not entirely sure what those reasons are.  I know that some of them have to do with press rules, but considering that the above is only a fraction of what the Trump presidency has done in terms of attacking people of color, including the targeting of reporter April Ryan, and considering Trump’s record in NYC,  it should be a matter of record that Trump is in fact a racist.

                Tie that to the Federal Government going back to executions (under a President who wanted the Central Park Five executed after their innocence was acknowledged/proven), and we are entering an even scary time than most people (dare I say most white people) are aware.

                Dray’s history of lynching in America makes it abundantly clear that same circumstances that existed to allow lynching exist today.  In spades.   It wouldn’t be too hard to draw a connection between the violence that has been threatened towards AOC and Omar, and lynching’s.

                It is not surprising that Trump targets people of color who call him out on his behavior or are critical of his policies.  (And what is the difference between MAGA and the change that Omar and the squad say is needed?  Outside of how the policies are different, both are saying the country needs to be improved).  It is the same reason why lynching was done – it is a way to keep the power in the relationship, to enforce a racist hierarchy.

                But you know this. 

                In his book, Dray details not only famous and lesser known cases of lynching (including one at a university) but also the whys for the violence (he moves beyond the accurate if board racism) as well as those who fought against it (and sometimes those people will surprise you), he also details the society that allowed it.  The comments in the news, by people and such.  And many of those comments are pretty much the language that Trump and his supporters are using.

                That is one reason why you should read this book.

                You should also read this book because this part of American history is something that we should not ignore or be ignorant about.  In part, this is so we can avoid it, but also so we can understand and acknowledge the problems in the relationship between the justice system and minority communities: many of the lynching’s were done with approval or little intervention from the justice system, and we still see that impact today .In part, so that we can confront the ugly history the same way that countries such as Germany have confronted theirs.

                That is another reason to read this book.

                Dray’s writing is engaging.  He doesn’t shy away from the graphic unpleasant details, but he does not use load language to try to heighten the reader’s emotional responses. The cases that he focuses on are either famous enough to warrant mention, or because the lack of or response to the attacks is important historically.  While the book does have photos, and some of those are disturbing to look at (as they should be), the book is primary description, which as always makes the horrific even more so.  (If you are worried about being triggered, the photos are in the photo section (just over mid-way in.  The first photo in that section is not bad.  So, if you need to skip the photos, you can).

                The book is packed with information and you will discover other books to read in the narrative.  The one strange thing was that he starts with W. E. B. DuBois, and I was hoping for Ida B. Wells.  But I guess more people know DuBois as opposed to Wells.  Though, hopefully this book helps to correct that.