Mollie

This is a bit of a tough one for me to rate, but ultimately solidly a 3, I think. The dark moodiness of this bookis enveloping, and I immediately wanted to keep reading to discover all of Frannie's journeys and secrets. But the pace is slow, and the ending felt a bit less revealing than I wanted (but maybe that ultimately drives home the point of hopelessness for someone who isn't a white, rich, straight man.)

Not a light read and certainly not for everyone, but it was interesting.

3.75. This book is not without it's problems, but I enjoyed it. The characters can be annoying when they make obviously wrong choices- but I felt like that just made them feel more real to me.

I found myself thinking “I'd rather have read the magazine version of this story” multiple times during the reading.

It just felt long and arduous (which in part may be reflective of my own reading rut.) I found the author's attitude and lack of grace for any other human in this story hard to swallow at times. If it was anger from an adolescent, I'd understand, but she's in her 50s. By this point she should surely know that humans are fallible and complicated, and our parents are not omnipotent beings but humans just like ourselves.

Do not get me wrong- it would certainly be shocking to find out what she did.

Wow, I am glad I went into this book not really knowing what it was about.
The author does a great job of handling a really relevant topic(s)- in fact, I don't even want to really say what they are as it spoils her slow unraveling of the tragedy the main character faced and her attempts to move past a truly traumatizing event (one that unfortunately is way too much of a reality in this country.) At first I struggled with the 3rd person narration but, as it went on, I understood the choice. It doesn't feel preachy, but is still extremely affecting and effective. It's the kind of book certain people (or extremely powerful lobbying groups.......) should read, but never will. She connects these issues very well to the realities of what it's like to be a woman- especially the way it is so hard to create boundaries that are really respected without ridicule.

I haven't loved past books by Caletti, but this one feels mature while still realistically a focusing on a teenager's experience, thoughts and actions.

Wow.
I'm not even sure how to review this book.
It is unsettling from the very first page. But the thing is, you can't quite figure out why. And that just makes the whole thing even more unsettling.

If you like horror, you'll likely find it to be a captivating read. It's not enjoyable. It's not fun. But I could not put it down. I'll contemplate it for awhile. Enjoying isn't the right word- but it's whatever that feeling you get from a good horror movie is.

From a writing standpoint, there's some really interesting conversations to be had about cultivating an exacting mood in a story from the very first page.

3.5.
I found this one overall a fun read, mixed with some serious moments and important issues. It felt a little short to me- especially the end, it just felt like she skipped over kind of a lot of years. I enjoyed getting to know her better though and appreciated her candor and honesty, even at points where it did not put her in the best light. It is extremely conversational, which at some turns is great and at other times can be distracting.

Probably closer to a 3.5.

There was so much hype for this book that I found it to be a bit of a let down- but here's the thing. Someone should make this into a movie/musical. Call Gaga and Bradley and make it happen. It would be good, probably better than the book.

I think the format of this book made it hard for me to feel attached and really get into this book for the first 3/4. In fact, I read slow- slower than I normally do because while I enjoyed it, it just wasn't making me need to read it for hours on end.

The last quarter is great- emotional, unexpected, bittersweet.
I think if you love classic rock then you'll enjoy this one. It's a bit like indulging in another re-watch of Almost Famous.

Edit: I wanted to see if anyone else had this idea and apparently Reese Witherspoon is producing a TV show. (My unwanted/unearned opinion is that it should be a movie or musical. )

This was a great palette cleanser after a string of bad books. It's an easy read to tear through, but the whodunit is well constructed. I did not figure out the villain until nearly the end. Good amount of twists without being ridiculous.

I really liked most of this book.
First of all, I have never read a YA novel dealing with the AIDS crisis in the 80s/90s. These stories are so important to hear, and need the opportunity to get to be told more often.
The characters in this book are nuanced and even the ones we don't want to like are at least multi-faceted. There are some beautiful, frank, and open conversations between teens and adults about sex in this book that need to happen more often in YA and the world in general- but what is missing from these conversations is consent. There were a few scenes in this book where consent is not asked for appropriately, but it is not clear what intention of this choice is. I think it was a missed opportunity to talk about consent and how important it is to sexual well-being as well.
But overall, this is a moving novel that talks about an important time not so long ago that we cannot allow to be forgotten.

This isn't for everyone. But if you are a person who thinks endlessly in a million directions, and also a person who worries about whether someone will every really... get you, then you'll relate to this in a way that feels important.

I appreciated the interesting characters here and was ultimately drawn in, but it was a bit shallow at times for me with where the story was meandering to or what the depth was.

Somewhere between 3.5 and 4, to be specific.

Definitely the most creative, original and intricate plot I've read in a long time. If you are a fan of some detective work and mind puzzles, you'll enjoy this. I definitely found myself mulling over what seems to be the main thesis of this book- I won't state it here since, spoilers, but it is interesting to ponder over- though ultimately I do not agree. The setting was definitely an interesting way to present the themes this book covers.

This isn't terribly written and while I support the themes at the heart of this novel, I felt like I just couldn't bring myself to feel like I actually cared about the characters in this book. I'll admit that Fantasy is typically the hardest genre for me to enjoy/suspend belief enough to enjoy, but I felt overwhelmed by the amount of jargon/scenes of fantastical things/beliefs that I felt like I couldn't even picture what was being described. It just felt a little unfinished in this regard.

Moreso, for a YA novel that shies away from most conversations around sex (there are some, but they are very innocent and not detailed) the violence felt like a stark contrast. The violence is very well described, and I'm not saying that I was put off by it, but more that it felt gratitious and incongruent with the way that the rest of the novel was written. Horrible things happened to these women over and over and over, and while I think it's important to talk about that- it felt like it was just like trauma for traumas sake at some point.

The story was interesting, but it was not quite there for me.

I would say that the writing and construction of the plot deserves higher. But really- I cannot get over the way I felt the violence against women in this novel was beyond gratitious. I am in no way one to shy away from horrible realities, but the way it is written in this novel feels.... icky. I just couldn't get behind that.

I have been going back and forth on whether I feel like this is a 3 or 4, so I'll just go with 3.5 for now, even though I'm not fully convinced on that rating, either.

I have never read a book quite like this. It's utterly unique and twisted and sometimes funny and othertimes sad. I am having a hard time distilling it down to a meaningful review. It's a quick read that I'll remember for a long time.

2.5. You can tell this is Taylor Jenkin Reid's first novel. I'm probably rating this so hard because I really, really enjoy her novels (especially Evelyn Hugo.) It's not a bad read. The conversations are just lack authenticity and I just felt like I wasn't fully connected to the characters, or their choices.

This one might fall slightly under a 4 for me. There are parts where the writing style and the main character's monosyllabic “uh” or “ums” get to be a bit clunky, but I think the core of this book is a good read. The friendship in the book was special in a way that is rarely shown in YA novels. The relationship between Darius and his father was nuanced. I learned about a good deal about Persian culture, too and had never heard of Yazd, so I liked a peek into the culture, landmarks, and geography there.

This just wasn't it for me. While I enjoyed some of the more outdoorsy joys, I really struggled with his writing style. It was interesting in its syntax and structure but a chore for me in some regards, as the sentences can run on for quite a long time- which obviously from this sentence alone, you can tell I usually don't care about. But here, it's too much, too long, too complicated for me to read as easy and without an in depth narrative.

3.75. A quirky, very unique quick read that is sometimes sad but ultimately a bit hopeful.

2.5. I have mixed feelings on this one. It is very clearly based off of the crimes of Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka, yet the author NEVER mentions this fact.... which really rubs me the wrong way. Kinda feels like the author is profiting from a very, very real and horrific events. I think they at least needed to note the connection.

Just like the character in this book, Karla accepted a plea and said she was forced into the murders by her abusive partner, but later video evidence showed otherwise... she is alive and free to this day, and just like the character in this book- has children. These similiarites are far to0 convienent and yet the author just brushes through it as pure fiction. 3 women are dead at the hands of those horrific killers- those three victims shouldn't be fodder for a thriller plot so clearly derived from their stories.

Aside, this is not written poorly and it did build the suspense well, but the end did seem too fast and had some loose ends that I felt were brushed over.

This one is a hard one to rate. Maybe more like a 3.75.

I appreciated the depth of this novel, the weaving of these storylines and how the characters were all drawn to the same event. It was a bit slow for me at the beginning, but as the event draws near, the weaving of the story is evident and the pace picks up. The last quarter of this book really flew by me.

Something was still missing for me by the end of novel- it just left me with a kind of emptiness and feeling like I didn't quite get enough about the aftermath of the story.

3.75

The obscene amount of time it took for me to read this does not reflect the quality here. I've been a terrible slump. Here's to maybe finding my way out!

Lori feels like she becomes your friend through this book. Once I finally buckled down to read it, I whizzed through. It's an easy read but ultimately is equal parts a peak behind the curtain as well as a ode to the difficulties and joy of being alive. There's many beautiful, devastating, achingly human stories in here.

(I would not rate this the same now- I read this years ago and did not see it wasn't listed as read until now, but did have my initial rating still intact)

I just thoroughly enjoyed this. Perfect balance of spicy yet sweet. I was rooting for the characters & wishing for the best for them.

Just barely 3. Barely.

Nothing much happens & it's so short compared to the other novels that it feels rushed and unnessecary. Sure it's still enjoyable to read but it's definitely the most boring of the series.

Here's two things that drive me nuts about this whole series:
1.) everyone is barring their teeth. It's such a common phrase here but like.... why?
2.) I hate the word mate and I roll my eyes every time.