Cameron
The writing of this novel was very well done. It's very obvious Tessa Hadley is talented.
This book just wasn't for me. I was not a fan of the ending and the characters left something to be desired. I wish we were given just a bit more detail to round out the story.
This was a required book for school and I had a great time reading it!
There were alternating characters, timelines, and storylines, but they all eventually came together to create a beautifully done story.
Byron and Benny's mother has recently passed of an illness, and she leaves behind an audio recording explaining her past and what brought her to her beautiful life. She also leaves behind a black cake in the freezer for her children to share when the time is right. However, only they get to decide when that time is.
Throughout the story we are learning with Byron and Benny who her mom its and the history she faced. The points of views by different characters are also thrown in to show a different perspective in the scenes.
My enjoyment of the book coupled with the short chapters made it seem like I was flying through this book! I simultaneously wanted to find out the ending while also preserving the book for as long as I could.
I'm floored that this was Wilkerson's debut novel, and I can't wait to see what she creates in the future.
I want to preface this review by saying this was required reading for my major. I do not typically gravitate toward dystopian/general fiction often.
That being said, the premise if the novel seemed interesting. Frida, a divorced mother, has a “very bad day” in which she leaves her 18-month old daughter home alone for 2 hours. She is inevitably caught, and has to attend the school for good mothers to try to regain custody of her daughter.
The story started off strong and I was totally hooked. However, as soon as Frida arrived at the school, the story took a huge shift. It was beyond repetitive and could have been waaaaaay shorter. I don't feel like the in-depth detail of each day/unit is necessary after the first two months or so. Not to mention Frida's attitude toward the other parents. She kept referring to her “very bad day” as if she was justifying what she did while judging everyone else.
Also, the ending was extremely lack luster. It was inevitable, yet left on a cliffhanger which could have easily been resolved. It was as if it was trying to give us shock factor yet completely missed the mark. This book just didn't stand out for me.
I have been slowly but surely reading through Freida McFadden's entire backlist. I want to share my feelings on this book, which honestly blew me away.
Summary:
Compared to the other books I've read by this author, this one is the best so far. We follow surgeon Nora Davis who has worked hard to leave her past behind her. Her life is turned upside down when her patients start to get killed off. The killer takes a unique trophy from each of his victims, similar to Nora's father, notorious serial killer, The Handyman. With her father still in prison, Nora wonders if the copycat is closer to her than she may think.
Review:
I'd like to say I'm a seasoned thriller consumer, so it takes quite a bit to get a 5 star rating. I genuinely only give a book 5 stars when I get a certain ✨feeling.✨
I swear I'm not that crazy. It's just a physical reaction I feel in my chest after reading a book. This one did it for me. I didn't see the twists coming, and I really enjoyed the pacing, characters, and the narrators tone. It created an intoxicating cocktail for a 5 star read.
Unlike McFadden's other work, this book really stood out. There was something about the main character that drew me in and by the time the ending came around I was so consumed by the story I didn't want it to end. Although I'm still going through the author's backlist of novels, I definitely recommend you pick this one up if you're looking for a good introduction to her books or thrillers in general. The writing is easy to digest and captivates you from the first chapter.
I enjoyed the Cat and Mouse duet so I expected to like this book as well. Unfortunately, this missed the mark.
If you've read the Cat and Mouse series, you know you have to suspend disbelief for this book. (Ex. She's never been in a car or any form of transportation... So you're telling me she walks to every new fair location?)
Plus, some things, like the house layout, are over explained and took me out of the story.
I'm excited to read other releases by H.D. Carlton but this book just wasn't for me.
This book surprised me!
Based on another book by this author, I was nervous to read a 700+ page book from them.
This is a three book compilation following different timelines. At first, it was super confusing, but I went along for the ride and it was pretty good.
The first book wasn't great. It wasn't bad, but not my favorite. The second book was definitely better, but the standout was book three. I was captivated and loved the alternating timelines. It was definitely worth it to get to the end but I wish that cliffhanger was resolved... you can't win them all I guess.
Overall, this was a decent read. I paired it with the audiobook which made it more bearable. That definitely played a part in my rating.
Would I recommend? Probably not because it was wayyy too long. Save yourself the time.
The ending saved this story. I was struggling to finish this and found not connect with the characters but that cliffhanger was kind of everything ngl
3.5/5 stars
I definitely enjoyed a lot about this book. The story line was interesting and high stakes, and the characters were fully fleshed out. Not to mention the authors attention to detail when describing scenes. It was fully immersive and I had a good time reading it.
The only things that I did not enjoy was Rae's whining. That got in the way so often that I never fully believed in their romance. Also, I personally think the story could have been a bit shorter since there was not much happening around the middle of the book. Things just got repetitive.
Leon was very smutty yet adorable though and that made up for everything.
New favorite book boyfriend alert! I mean cmon Manson is a dream. Despite being a short novella and having 95% spice, this had great plot and character development.
Also if you complained about the clowns, y'all are boring and we simply can not be friends. Sorry
For about 90% of the book, my rating sat at 2 stars. The last few chapters redeemed the book a bit and now I'm interested in continuing the series mostly to see how everything plays out. I definitely wasn't expecting the twists either which is always a plus
“O Beautiful” by Jung Yun was a required book for my English major so I tried going into it without bias since I would not have typically gravitated toward it.
The writing was extremely well done and I enjoyed the plot and pacing of the story overall.
The main issue I have is the ending. The entire point of Elinor going to North Dakota was brushed over at the end and stopped so abruptly. I wish it elaborated a bit further on the piece she was writing and how it was completed. The ambiguous ending took away from my enjoyment and left me wanting more. Plus I did not enjoy how Elinor focuses so heavily on peoples physical appearances and overall body types when introducing characters. I don't think pointing out someones weight is influential to the plot at all.
I probably wouldn't recommend this book because it fell short for me. If there was a bit more of an elaborated ending it could have been higher rated.
I would be interested in checking out other work by this author though because I really enjoyed the writing and use of descriptive detail (aside from focusing on describing characters based on their body types).
I started off not liking the writing style of the book. The characters said things that were unrealistic and cringy. Over time though I opened up to the characters character development was strong and I loved the plot and the issues they faced. The ending also seemed like the perfect closure to the story. I was surprised I liked this book as much as I did.
This was my first taste of Melissa Grace's writing and I can't wait to read her other books!
This is a dual pov story depicting Liv, a recently divorced woman, finding herself again after an emotionally taxing relationship with her ex-husband. Jax is a singer for the band Midnight in Dallas who struggles with his past and wants a place to call home. Once they meet, they jump head over heels and help one another fix their broken pieces.
Here's some aspects of the book I enjoyed:
-FMC is very relatable
-Insta-love
-I instantly believed their connection
-Jax is totally butterfly inducing
-There was so much interaction between them within the first 30% of the book which strengthened my love for their relationship
My only negative (although I hate to call it that because it wasn't a huge issue) was that the story slowed down significantly in the middle.
However, it quickly picked back up again and the epilogue was so perfect that it made up for it.
I would definitely recommend this book and will be picking up the next one!
This was a pretty okay read!
I loved the atmosphere and the overall plot. As a whole it was original and interesting.
This story was way too overhyped though so I think I got my hopes up for what it could have been but it missed the mark.
The ending was predictable and the ending was too abrupt and skipped over some major resolution.
If you want a quick, mindless, atmospheric read, this one is definitely for you!
This took FOREVER to finish. I hated the writing style and the immaturity of the characters. Saw the ending coming from a mile away and it wasn't even explained in an interesting way.
This was the first time I found myself making a list while I was reading about the things that I didn't like. The premise of the book seemed interesting but the execution was so disappointing.
For starters, this book was told in the POV of a character who described each of their movements like a list. (Ex. First I did this. Then I did this. Followed by this and this)-you get the drill.
Next, the MC is a teacher but is so beyond clueless it was frustrating. You're telling me this woman has a teaching degree but doesn't know not to put DISH soap on WINDOWS???? Cmon.
Finally, the romance was so bland I was not sold on it one bit. There was barely an evolution of their relationship so when I got to the final chapter I was rolling my eyes constantly.
Only giving this 2 stars because of the friendship dynamics.
This was a quick, mindless read. I wish there was more of a backstory on Cosmo's stay at the orphanage. The premise seemed interesting but it was brushed over within the first chapter. There also wasn't a big climactic moment, just a series of small ones. The ending was very unexpected but I thought it was done well and I loved the friendship dynamics between the Supernaturalists.
I was completely misled by the book community into thinking this book was a shock-filled thriller. It was not, but I had a hard time putting it down because I was flying through it. So even though it didn't reach my expectations, it was still well done.
The highlight of this book for me was the writing. Lisa Jewell has such a captivation writing style that I love. Once you get past the first few chapters of learning which POV is which, you get sucked in.
Sadly, I wished this book was more thrilling than it was. By the time I got to the ending I was just so confused. I saw the resolution coming, but I was shocked they didn't elaborate more on what happened. There was a character that was giving off such creepy vibes but it was brushed over! I want more of that! I hope the next book in the series follows through with that character because it left me wanting more.
This was a fun, mind-numbing read. I look forward to reading other books by Lisa Jewell in the future.
Rules for Vanishing is unlike any book i've read in awhile!
We follow the ghost story of Lucy Gallows and the road where people keep disappearing. In an attempt to find her missing sister, Becca, Sara and her friends embark on the adventure of a lifetime.
The atmosphere? Spooky.
The friend dynamics? Adorable.
The multi-media components? Fun as heck.
Plus we always love some LGBTQ+ representation in YA.
The only downside is it slowed down significantly around the 60% mark and the ending was confusing. Otherwise, this was a great time and I would highly recommend!
Was it worth the hype? Unsure.
Was it fun? Definitely.
Was it smutty? Not really. Based on what I heard from this book, it ended up being far more tame.
Quick, mindless, simple read if you're in a slump. Would recommend.
If you love Stranger Things as much as I do, you need to pick up this book!
This middle grade follows Ollie, an eleven year old avid reader who lost her mother after a tragic accident. One day on her way home from school, she sees a seemingly crazy woman attempt to throw a book into the river. Ollie, in an attempt to save a precious book, snatches it and runs. In this book is a story about the Smiling Man who will make a deal with anyone for the right price.
The next day, she is on a field trip to Smoke Hollow, a local farm with a dark history and a creepy, never ending mass of scarecrows. On their way home from the trip, the bus breaks down. Ollie and two of her classmates are the only ones to follow the bus drivers warning and run into the forest. With his one final piece of advice, “Avoid large places. Keep to small,” the kids are swept on a terrifying adventure to steer clear of the scarecrows and find their way back home.
This book was so cute and fun! I loved Ollie's humor and her budding friendship with her two classmates. It also touches on grief and healing.
There was a quick resolution but it's middle grade so it's expected.
Overall, I can't wait to pick up the next few books in this series. They're the perfect mix between spooky without being scary.
This is my first book by Lucinda Berry and I will definitely be picking up more! The character development and the fast paced plot was captivating. It also acknowledged various mental illnesses which was done well. Despite all that, I felt like the epilogue was unnecessary and the book could have been more impactful leaving off on the revel.
Nope. This was not for me.
I am far from the intended audience of this book. I acknowledge the author is an extremely talented writer, but the writing style is not for me.
My classmate said it best so here's a quote from them: “This is just a tour guide through the eyes of a pedophile”
It is not worth the time for me but I see why some enjoy it. I just could not stand the narrator or the authors lack of development for any of the female characters.