Lisa

Was exactly the type of popcorn thriller I've wanted lately. This sucked me in and all I could think about was reading this book. Some parts felt a little repetitive though, despite the short length of the book. One part of the ending I guessed early on, but the last little reveal I wasn't expecting, but also didn't like. it was pretty obvious Lily was cheating on Christian with Jake, but I half expected the baby to be his as well. I didn't expect Nina's mom to be the killer, kind of a strange twist tbh

Very strangely edited. I thought each day would have a different collaborator, but the same characters had multiple collaborators. One story just goes right into the next with some disjointed group talks in between. The majority of the stories went on way too long and the stories I liked the best were the quickest. Out of everything the only ones I enjoyed were The one about the Nun and Elijah Maine's stories, “Iron Lung” and the one about the curses with the ice cubes. I found the spider one very intriguing. You don't find out who rode what until the end which was also interesting. I think at the end of the day I would have preferred a connected short story format instead of this disjointed novel format. Also the ending how they all died was SO stupid. I hate stories like this. Especially in using COVID as a plot device. With some of these stories sappy and some hopeful themes (like the cheering of healthcare workers everyday) you would think there would be a more positive ending. Maybe even a flash forward 1 year later to see where everyone ended up.

Very cute, reminded me of Keke's Delivery Service and was a great palate cleanser. The full page illustrations were beautiful

The first 2/3 of this was stellar. It was so fast paced and fun to read, almost like a movie. The last 1/3 felt too choppy. I also hated the multiple POV. Most of the book we follow Heather around but every so often we would follow someone else. It could be any character, and I usually couldn't tell who it was until the end of the chapter, if at all. I couldn't follow some of the writing style. It's almost as if 3-4 different authors wrote it. The different characters were so different, some even read nonsensical, or dreamlike? I couldn't even tell.  LI DNF'd The Chain, I don't think I'll be picking up from this author again 

Liked it at the beginning, was creepy & fun. Then I got bored and it got too weird

I listened to the audiobook while reading which was a cool experience with so much mixed media. However, it became very convoluted yet repetitive. I liked the first third, but the rest didn't do it for me 

This is one of those books I will wish I could relive reading for the first time. I had heard rave reviews and decided to pick it up and so glad I did. The twist at the end of part one was unbelievable, all of part one was just masterful storytelling. The writing was captivating, and I loved how each chapter was from a different point of view. My opinions changed on each character as I read more about them. Such a layered story, and pretty scary to think about how far people will go for revenge. The final chapter similarly had my jaw drop, just like the first. Absolutely a new all time favorite. I hope I can find a hidden gem like this again. 

Elin Hilderbrand does an excellent job of writing character-driven lighthearted books. Her characters feel so real and they have their flaws. I loved the hotel setting and the story of getting the coveted “five keys”. The ending tied up all of the side plots in a nice little bow, with some unexpected twists (like the identity of the mysterious blogger) and I really enjoyed reading the “Blue Book” at the end of Elin's personal recommendations. Such a great summery read; her books feel like a hug. 

I liked the time travel, but thought this would be more of a domestic thriller. I liked the clever ending, but it was a little too “crime-y” for me. 

To be honest, the story had a lot going on and was confusing. However, where it shined was the writing style. I have never read anything so meta, self-aware, and fun. My favorite parts of this book were the breakdown of the fourth wall. Such a unique way of storytelling. About halfway through there was a chapter just telling the reader the most important points and all the players (there were a lot) in the story. This was the point in the story where I felt the most confused and this little bit helped so much, and basically solidified a 4* at least no matter what happened. Loved the reveal at the end , it was surprising and done so well. Classic detective-style in the parlor. The setting was really fun, you could feel the same cold as the characters. I am so excited for book 2, and it's on a train! It can't come soon enough. Hats off to the author, this was so unique and absolutely brilliant. 

This was so cozy and sweet and I'm so sad that I didn't read this as a child. Yet in a way, I was able to heal and reconnect with my younger self. It was smart with adult themes, and only felt juvenile in Miss Trunchbull's interactions with the kids. Any reader would enjoy this, and I'm glad I could appreciate it as an adult. Can't wait to see the screen adaptations for the first time!

I liked the interview format, but parts of this just dragged for me and the last few chapters felt convoluted. I did like the social commentary on sensationalized true crime. 

Was on track to rate this a 3-3.5 until the ending, which bumped it up. There were parts in this which dragged a little, and I did have to flip to the beginning to distinguish between characters (which I am so thankful that was included). The ending answered all my questions and cleverly threw away some red herrings, making for a surprising reveal. The last few pages added an unexpected zinger, and really just had me so impressed with the cleverness this entire book is written in. This is a series (author) to watch, it is so much fun and still meta unlike anything I've read. Waiting patiently for the next one! 

This format was so fun and best experienced through audio. That being said, I don't think I would have enjoyed (maybe even finished) this book had I not had the accompanying audio. With a full cast, it gave the story more depth. I found some of the layers confusing and had a bit of a hard time keeping up with all the different characters. It was also VERY British which I usually have a hard time getting into, but I appreciate the author explaining terms I may not be familiar with. I did love the alternating between filming and broadcast. The fake reveal was  obvious, and I was pleased with the killer's actual identity. Very Halloween/Michael Myers

So slow and boring

I can't believe this is a debut novel. The writing was beautiful, and the characters felt so real. Marcellus is one of my all time favorite characters, and I loved reading chapters from his perspective. Cried at the end, but I cried reading the first chapter. This book felt like a hug. 

Another great book about grief. I enjoyed reading the mixed media aspects of different messages between group members and the types of challenges the members would be set on. The murders of the children were very sad to read about, but had me rooting for the mothers to get their revenge. 

This book was beautifully written. The characters felt so real and my heart broke with them. The middle bits felt a little slow, and my favorite perspective was definitely Lavender's. Her first entry in the book had me absolutely bawling so much I had to set the book down. I found myself speeding through the detective pov, except her first entry, it just wasn't my favorite. The very few pages also had me sobbing. It was such a wonderful choice to see what the girls Ansel killed would have been up to. This was a sad, tragic, beautiful book. 

Very fast paced, but didn't like the direction it ended up going. I liked the setup and idea of a full-contact experience and I wish more of that would have been explored. I didn't feel attached to any characters so the stakes didn't feel too high. Maybe 50 more pages or shrinking it down to a novella would have been better. I did like the epilogue where the “final girl” charity diesbecause it was unexpected. 

I didn't like the writing, and the two perspectives were written too similarly and I couldn't tell who I was reading from. All of the characters were unlikeable, and I saw the twist(??) from a mile away. also I found it weird that being “best friends”, Summer never knew of Amanda.

Loved the writing, the initial set-up, and the inclusion of mixed media. I just thought it went on a little too long near the middle and the rising conflict happened too quick. 

Liked the record store and Austin vibe, but the whole story of the uncle going missing was not exciting, and the characters were written much older than how they were supposed to be. 

Sadly a little disappointed in this collection. The first story I found confusing with the time jumps and the second was forgettable. The third story with the glass was my favorite and the most interesting, and the last one was fun but even still not enough to save the collection for me 

This was engrossing. So quickly paced, I loved the format and the pacing. Was absolutely horrific and disgusting at parts, but so good. I will be thinking about this for a long time. 

This was ok, liked the first book ever. Kind of surprised because Hannah was one of my favorites from book 1 but this was missing some magic from Piper's story. I liked the realness of Fox's insecurities and how people made assumptions about him; it felt very real. I liked the moviemaking component as well and how Hannah grew in her role there. Some minor plot points felt too similar to the first book though. I felt like some read exactly the same as the first and the framework was recycled. I also love an epilogue, but this one felt too cheesy for my liking.