Joan

The premise of this book was so intriguing. It reminded me a little of the Hunger Games in that young people are forced to participate in an activity to the death as a form of entertainment for society. The story mainly focuses on the inner lives and relationships that develop between these young men as they walk. I found it to be compelling and depressing. The ending felt a little flat. 3.5 star read for me.

The story kept me interested throughout and I enjoyed the twists and turns.

Love the original story line and look forward to reading the next edition.

This series is just out and out fun!

Enjoyable series that held my interest with its twists and turns. The main characters were nicely fleshed out as well and I look forward to seeing where the author that is taking over this series goes with them in book 4.

“You sit down to dinner and life as you know it ends.” Didion does a wonderful job of letting us experience her mind in the year after her husband died of a heart attack. Memories and stories from the past are loosely told as she gives us the sense of how her thought process became “mudgy.” If you like meandering stories capturing a life experience, you will enjoy this memoir.

I listened to the audiobook version and really enjoyed it. The story is a creepy, fast-paced mystery told from the point of view of the son of an infamous serial killer. In spite of the subject matter, there are some humorous moments as well which give the story some levity and balance. The characters are interesting, too. The ending was a bit abrupt with a huge cliffhanger, so I am tracking down book #2 in the series right away.

Fun read for those that like stories involving magical worlds and wizards. I didn't feel invested in the characters by the end, though, so will probably not continue the series.

I enjoyed this short character-focused, literary novel.

What a compelling memoir! I listened to the audio version read by the author and it was engrossing. It gave me the same vibes as “Educated” by Tara Westover.

One of my favorite Will Trent books so far. This installment has an Interesting and fast paced plot. I love watching the characters develop as the series progresses.

4.5 stars. Enjoyed the fantasy adventure. Look forward to continuing the series.

Read the first half and skimmed the second half of the book. The narrator's musings didn't interest me and I had a hard time being interested enough to devote more time and attention to the story.

This book was fast paced and I enjoyed the mystery part of it. I didn't care for the supernatural elements or the ending. If it would have stayed a straight mystery/thriller, I think I would have enjoyed it more.

I enjoyed this book! The mystery aspect was interesting and King creates such fleshed out characters. It isn't at the top of my Stephen King list, but it was a good read.

I love the Will Trent series, so my expectations going into this installment were high. That being said, it was good, but not one of my favorites. I found that it dragged some in the middle and there wasn't as much growth with the main characters and their relationships as some of her other books. It was more focused on the unraveling and solving of the crime plot.

If you are a fan, go in with reasonable expectations. It is well written and the plot is interesting.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital ARC.

Not as good as previous installments. Hoping this series will have a strong ending.

This was a gem of a book! Patchett is so good at weaving a story together. This one brings together two timelines as a mother tells her daughters about a summer when she was young. I love how Patchett's writing is simple yet evocative as she tells her tale. This didn't end up being my favorite Patchett book, but if you enjoy character-focus novels, give this one a try.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the digital ARC.

Love the new twist on familiar characters. Fun read!

3.5 stars. This was a pretty average suspense-thriller novel. The plot kept me interested and the ending was satisfying. There wasn't anything groundbreaking here, just a quick propulsive read.

I was really looking forward to reading this book after hearing positive comments about it on The Currently Reading Podcast.

It has an interesting premise and in the end, the story was okay but did not end up being a favorite for me. The author did do one thing interesting with this book, but other than that, the characters fell flat and I didn't find myself that interested in the story.

I will try other books by this author, though, and maybe have better luck.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for a digital ARC of this book.

This was a difficult but amazing book. I couldn't put it down and felt so engrossed in the story and characters. Highly recommend!

I enjoyed “Nothing to See Here,” so I was excited to read this latest offering by Kevin Wilson. I didn't resonate with the phrase on the poster or the main character. The story was unique and well-written. I will check out more of Wilson's books in the future.

3.5 stars rounded up. I had to pick up this book after hearing so much about it. It is a nice, cozy fantasy. I hope the author writes more stories in this world.

After loving the first book in the series, this was one of my most anticipated books of 2023. I wish I could say that I loved it, but I found the first 75% of the book to be slow, and not in a good way. I enjoy the setting up of a story and character development, but this seemed more like “filler” and wasn't that interesting. There was also a shift in this book to more supernatural elements which just took me out of the story. I was interested in the people here.

The last 25% off the book got back on track with more action, conflict, mystery, and character development which were all the reasons why I loved the first book so much.

I will read the next one, but this one was a dip in the series for me.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the digital ARC.