Niki's Picks - Surprise endings you won't see coming!

Contributed by: Niki Neal, The Hive Overland Park

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Niki Neal, a high school teacher and Hive Member, is an avid reader - so much so that she is in two book clubs and reads about a book every other week! Goals! When The Hive heard about her affinity for books, we couldn't wait to hear about some of her favs. Niki's Picks -Surprise endings you won't see coming! will keep you turning pages into the wee hours!

The Housemaid by Freida McFadden

This is the first novel of a trilogy. If you like twisted, psychological thrillers that keep you turning the pages, you must read this book!

Milllie has secrets from her past that she is trying to hide. She needs a job but doesn't want someone to check her background. She thinks she has finally landed one that would give her a place to live and provide an income with the wealthy Winchester family. The Winchesters seem okay at first. Sure, the daughter is spoiled, the wife a bit odd and demanding, but the husband at least seems normal, is handsome and hardworking, too! Millie doesn't understand the attraction between the husband and wife. She begins to hear strange things and notices she may not be the only one who is hiding secrets. 

The author explores hidden identities and the consequences of hiding behind a "mask" of one's true self. The ending had me guessing until the end, and then WOW! I can't wait to read the next book, The Housemaid's Secret.

The Measure by Nikki Erllick

The Measure is a dystopian society novel where every adult wakes up one morning with a box outside their door. Inside is a string. These strings cannot be cut, burned or shredded. At first people are puzzled by these strings and not sure what they mean. Soon they discover the length of your string depicts the measure of your life span. When someone turns 21 a box appears at their doorstep.

The question becomes, do you open your box? Would you want to know how long you have to live?  If my string is short, do I still have children? Get married? Go to medical school, etc...

The length of strings soon divides people between "short stringers" and "long stringers". Some couples find themselves questioning their relationship when they find out one has a short string. People have opinions on who should hold certain positions in society based on the length of the string they possess. 

There are political, social, personal and moral messages throughout. This is such a thought provoking novel and makes for in-depth discussions. Great choice for a book club!!

Rouge: A Novel by Mona Awad

Think of a gothic fairytale for modern times. The book is told from Belle's point of view with back and forth between her past and the present, which is a smooth transition, not leaving the reader confused. She appears to be in her mid 30's and has a serious obsession with skin care products, just like her beautiful mother, Noelle.

Belle returns to California from Montreal after her mother's accidental death, where she must deal with her mother's considerable debts and decaying condo. As the novel progresses Belle begins to question if the death was accidental or not. She finds many red jars of serums and beauty products along with broken mirrors in her mother's condo. This makes me think of Sleeping Beauty. There is a beautiful, mysterious woman in red, a mansion on a cliff, red shoes that Belle is attracted to (Think Cinderella), and a man that appears to Belle in a mirror and in person.

Is this book about our society's obsession with beauty and youth or is there a dracula/scary fairytale vibe going on...I think a bit of both! The ending surprised me. I will say this book could have been a little shorter, but the writing keeps you interested!

What book do you recommend to keep us turning pages into the wee hours?