An amazing character driven story about a college professor named Phoebe who finds herself in the midst of an unexpected turn in her life and how this propels her to make a life altering decision that will forever change her.
This insightful story explores some complicated themes pertaining to grief, infidelity, infertility, depression, and suicide. And it handles these complex topics with wit and dark humor making this story not as heavy as it could've been.
Phoebe's journey of self discovery and actualization was beautiful like a caterpillar that becomes a butterfly. It's easy to root for this woman and want her to overcome the challenging circumstances in her life.
A touching and thought provoking story.
This was an amazing book that was beautifully written and explored the darker elements of academia and intellectuals as their humanity and morality crumbles.
We see how these pursuit of enlightenment and transcendence becomes deadly and the far reaching consequences that lead to the unraveling of a close knit group of Classics students.
This book also explores how the longing to belong and become members of particular groups or cliques forming unhealthy attachments and how far you'll go to stay apart of such groups. What secrets will you keep, what things will you do? How far is too far concerning things such as morality and ethics?
This was top tier storytelling and masterful writing with gorgeously complex characterization and slow burn suspense. A true modern classic and the originator of the dark academia genre. Superb!
I love a good slow burn thriller and while this was definitely a slow burn which I enjoyed I'm not sure how I liked it.
On one hand I enjoyed how everything came together, the interesting relationship dynamics and how everyone seemingly unraveled into this madness.
While it was clear to me who really killed Julian from early on I didn't see the other little twists that were revealed at the end.
That being said I don't really like the narrative given to Grace the whole fat and ugly narrative was a little tired for me and came off as lazy and unimaginative.
Like you couldn't develop this character in a more complex way that didn't just rely on her appearance and lack of attractiveness? This fell flat for me. And while I enjoyed the plot, the writing style and the suspense I just can't reconcile with how weak and flimsy this narrative is.
3.5 ⭐️
While the story was super fast-paced and intriguing there were elements that weren't altogether believable and came off so convenient or I felt didn't need to be included.
Additionally it felt like the ending was rushed and anticlimactic. Like we just breezed through everything and lickety split everything is taken care of with little to no conflict or pushback. That was a bit of a letdown.
Lastly not a fan of the pseudo romance and the massive miscommunication on Kathryn's part that monopolized a great portion of the story.
3.5 ⭐️
This gave me Gossip Girl but make it murder vibes. I mean the story was ok but it just didn't hit the mark for me.
And I really disliked Jessica and how I was force fed to see her as this morally grey, dark villainous character through her assertions and conclusions about herself instead of the author allowing her actions and behavior to speak for her.
I don't like this tactic it comes off as false and ruins the magic like I'm capable of seeing and discovering this for myself.
3.5 ⭐️
A cute holiday romance similar to The Holiday movie where two women swap houses for the holidays for a much needed reset for their lives and discover the truth about who they are while falling in love in the process.
The romances were cozy and cute with Clover and Beth. Wing my favorite romance with the most chemistry in my opinion. But Bee and Knox were cute as well.
I like how everything came together in the end giving me all the happy holiday vibes.
A thought-provoking and enlightening read. As a person who never really paid attention to politics and foreign policy this was eye-opening.
I have a better understanding of what our primary motivations are concerning foreign policy and how it's not based on democracy but the desire for power and domination which is controlled by the wealthy elite and how our policies and legislation often reflect their interests to make more money and obtain more power.
Of course this is just one of the many points that were mentioned and discussed in this book but it's the one that really stuck out to me.
Also how the public's views and opinions regarding American aggression towards other countries and questionable alliances are dismissed and not taken seriously by our governing bodies. And how they'll craft a particular narrative to sway public opinion to their side while omitting the truth about their true motivations and behaviors.
It is so true that we the citizens should do the work to educate ourselves and utilize our privilege, and constitutional rights to work towards making changes to this system, improving our communities, supporting the marginalized and disenfranchised and impacting our local and federal governing bodies.
This is my first time reading a Sally Rooney novel and I'm completely floored.
Between the unique writing style, complex characters, deep and thought provoking explorations of navigating non traditional relationships, strained family dynamics and the pervasive effects grief. This was a masterpiece.
I do not know how Rooney managed to craft such a rich and multi-layered story but she did and it was stunning.
This book was utterly amazing. So well written with a cast of complex characters full of secrets, jealousies, passion, lust and unrequited love.
The inclusion of Shakespeare's work in this story enrich the tale as we see art imitating life as the friend group begins to reenact the drama and tragedies that are well known in his works.
I'm blown away by this novel and enjoyed it immensely.
What a cute and super sweet romance. I'll admit I'm the beginning I wasn't feeling they had much chemistry and wasn't fully on board.
However Jay really stepped up and pursued Bebe. I also love how they communicated with each other and were honest about their feelings and misgivings. There wasn't any silly miscommunication and going around in circles.
And I adored how he cared about her daughter Hope and cheerfully and respectfully stepped up being the father she never had.
Adorable holiday romance
I love a strong, fierce female lead and Kenna is that bitch. While she made some questionable choices throughout the book it doesn't change the fact that she's unwaveringly loyal, courageous, and smart.
Additionally, the world building was epic and I love how everything came together in the end.
However, I'm quite anxious because it ended on a cliffhanger and I need to know how it all plays out because I see a lot of shifting loyalties to come and it promises to be very interesting.
Even better than the show! I mean of course books are always better.
What I most enjoyed was understanding Jason's mindset, emotions, thought process and feelings as he went through this wild experience.
I loved the themes about identity and how the choices we make concerning our lives and the environment we are in play a large roll in our decision making process and defining our identity.
An amazing fast paced read.
I feel a sad sort of emptiness having finished this series. Like I just lost my best friends and I don't quite know what to do with myself.
This was an action packed sequel that had my heartbeat racing. I experienced all the emotions, anger, fear, anxiety, heartbreak, disappointment, grief, hope I was an emotional wreck.
But Bardugo did such an excellent job wrapping up this series. We learn more about the characters backstories and their motivations which made them that much more endearing.
I really hate to say goodbye to these characters but I'm satisfied with the ending because everything is as it should be.
What a fun little holiday romance to kick off the Christmas season! I enjoyed this sweet romance between Kira and Bennett.
I liked that Kira wanted to keep her independence and was adamant on establishing herself so she wouldn't need to lean on others. That was admirable.
And Bennet was such an adorable man. Helpful to a fault and so generous with his love and affection.
They made an excellent pair.
4.5 ⭐️
When I say I want to read a good domestic thriller this is what I want!
The writing style was equal parts slick and witty as well as shocking and jaw dropping.
The characters were unlikeable and trifling. Like y'all these people are horrible with zero redeemable qualities.
BUT this story was diabolical. Absolutely amazing. The twists were perfection. The bar has been set for domestic thrillers I need them all to come with this same sinister and psychotic energy that because I felt all the thrills with this one.
As a woman who struggles with ADHD this book was so eye-opening. To understand that while there is a genetic predisposition to this condition environment and attachment play a role in this as well. Which makes so much sense looking back at my formative years.
I also appreciated his insight on medication and how care should be given when prescribing medication. That it's not a magical solution for ADHD but part of a comprehensive and integrative approach to treatment.
I was also encouraged to know that much of what I've been prioritizing the past few years addressing my past trauma, emotional dysfunction and becoming more self-aware and accepting of myself are key tools in helping to heal and manage symptoms in adulthood. So, I'm on the right track!
A deliciously gothic and charming tale with a touch of mystery.
Signa was such a spunky character and I enjoyed her attitude and fierce protectiveness over her extended family.
While I was able to piece together a few parts of the mystery I have to admit I did not see the final twist at the end coming.
And the whole entanglement with Death thing is rather intriguing I must say. And the ending was enough to make me want to immediately pick up the next book.
A super emotional exploration of the dynamic friendship between Johanna and Rachel. And how despite their closeness there were secrets and truths they hid from each other for fear of damaging the friendship.
This story was beautifully written and dealt with challenging themes and topics in such an honest yet tender way.
The characters in this story are layered and multi-faceted bring such richness and depth to the story. And it really tugs at your heart strings.
This was a good domestic thriller with a time loop element.
I enjoyed this story and Jen's determination to save her son from his future actions by unlocking the truth about what ultimately led to these things taking place.
The origin of what led up to her son Todd's trouble lead back to an unexpected source with plenty of twists and reveals along the way.
The only thing I didn't like was how the author sometimes repeated seemingly basic words in an effort to add emphasis to them. It was overdone and became really annoying.
Aside from that I had a good time with this one.
What a rich and intricately written story. While I confess I kinda jumped into this series before reading the An Ember In the Ashes series which is the prequel to these events and was a little confused at the beginning. I quickly overcame those obstacles and really dived into this story.
These characters are so dynamic and complex which I love. And I also rather enjoyed the world-building it's so cultural, rich and diverse. Now I have to go back and read the previous series so I can better understand all that's taking place because wow was this a wild ride.
4.5 ⭐️
I can confirm Isabel Cañas is one of my new favorite authors. I enjoyed this book even more than Vampires of E Norte.
Her prose per usual is exquisite and crafts an atmosphere so rich in detail and emotion you're immediately immersed into the story.
She also knows how to create dynamic and resilient characters that are multi-faceted and real. I loved Beatriz and her determination and perseverance to fight back against the forces in the hacienda threatening her despite the lack of support from others around her.
Anxiously looking forward to her next novel!
While this was a frustrating and heartbreaking read for so many reasons. I have extreme respect for Grann's ability to recount this long forgotten historical event sharing the tragic stories of the Osage and the murderous plot enacted to claim their money.
As standard for Grann's work you can tell he researched this topic heavily and with the utmost care. He truly has a knack for finding and bringing forgotten historical events to light.
To read my full review visit my blog: https://www.kathleenhaagenson.com/killers-of-the-flower-moon-by-david-grann/