Read a courtroom drama about an unexplained explosion and a police investigation
Miracle Creek — Angie Kim
What to Read This Week
Miracle Creek by Angie Kim
What It’s About
I’m still baffled when I talk about this book and find that so few people have read it—it was published in 2019, which is when I first read it, and I still think about it so often. Set in a small town in Virginia at a hyberbaric chamber, a specialized medical treatment facility people attend for a variety of reasons, Miracle Creek follows several characters as the unthinkable happens: the chamber explodes.
The hyperbaric chamber is an oxygen treatment facility, and when it explodes, killing two people, it’s clear right away that the explosion was not an accident.
As investigators interview everyone involved, it’s also clear that everyone is keeping secrets of their own.
This is both an incredibly riveting mystery and a heartbreaking drama about family, loss, and challenges with current medical facilities and healthcare as everyone tries to do what’s best for their loved ones.
Who Will Like It & Why You Should Read It
It’s not often we get a true Little Fires Everywhere comparison, but this one absolutely holds up. It’s got the same emotional impact combined with an unputdownable mystery—this book is one I’d love to see on the screen in some way. And if you’re like me and patiently twiddling your thumbs waiting for Celeste Ng’s new book, Our Missing Hearts (out October 4!), this is a great one to pick up in the meantime.
And as I’ve been thinking more and doing more reading into chronic illness, our broken healthcare system, and those it affects, it’s one I want to pick up again for rereading because of these reasons. The families involved in this story have all been through hardships, and on top of that, are battling a terrible medical system that has left them feeling desperate and frustrated. If you haven’t experienced it yourself, it’s worth picking this up for the emotional impact it will have, and it will help you see how difficult it can be inside the system. Other books I’d recommend picking up for this topic are Inferno, What Doesn’t Kill You, and The Lady’s Handbook for Her Mysterious Illness.
Next Up
Over the holiday weekend, I’ve been racing through this super fun middle-grade series by Katherine Arden. The first two have been on my shelf for years, and as I was organizing last week, I realized now was the perfect time to finally start them, and I’m so glad I did! Small Spaces is the first, following Ollie and her friends through a haunted corn maze full of scarecrows that come to life. It’s a great series to read with kids during the fall, as it’s the perfect blend of scary but not bloody or violent—but you’ll for sure look twice at scarecrows this fall! Dead Voices, pictured below, is the second, set at a haunted ski resort during a snow storm.
End-of-Summer Giveaway!
Thank you to everyone who entered the giveaway—I’m hard at work tallying up entries and will randomly select two winners! More info coming soon, so stay tuned. Don’t forget to subscribe to not miss an issue and stay up to date on future giveaways and exciting book news.
More Books
Can’t get enough, or looking for a different recommendation? Browse the archives, or check out some popular past recommendations:
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Okay, okay, I’ll finally give this one a read.
I LOVE Miracle Creek. I listened to it while packing up my old apartment last spring and just devoured it. I'm constantly pushing it on people.