Dee
This was a ride! I was curious the whole way through. How was someone who was supposedly dead suddenly targeting them? I needed to know! There was a very specific false herring that I bought in to and if it had turned out to be true I wouldn't be mad at it. As it stands I also liked the actual twist.
I would recommend.
P Djeli Clark knows just how to suck me in. The culture, the character development, the mystery, all of it wins for me. I wish I could follow Agent Fatma and the gang forever.
For anyone looking for fantasy set outside of the typical American or European setting, with lgbtq+ and African representation. Please read this series...maybe we can bully* Clark into continuing the series.
Bullying is bad, maybe intense begging might be better*
This has been a fascinating read, watching as fumble after fumble allows Cream to reign terror disguised as medical aid. Dean Jobb's thorough research of the topic is clear throughout. Brilliant.
I was never so relieved as when the deed was done. That man was overconfident, but the fact that he had gotten away with it for so long allowed him to be so.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
3.5 stars for this collection that truly has something for everybody. Diverse doesn't even cover what this anthology offers: the ability for almost anyone to find themselves in these pages in a myriad of genres and scenarios.
Every story pulls at your heartstrings, if it leaves you warm and happy is a completely other matter.
Top tier stories in my opinion are:
NEVER HAVE I EVER by Karen McManus, SHARK BAIT by Tiffany D Jackson and MISSING by Kathleen Glasgow but they are all worth checking out.
I am a SUCKER for a good fake relationship trope and this did not disappoint! Add the social butterfly x academic loner element and you've got this book.
Delysia and Alex start off with a very closed off, rules and all, professional relationship that you just know is going to lead to the best breakdown you can ask for in these types of situations. We got to see the build up where they try their hardest to fight their attraction. Their chemistry was obvious from the first interaction, even though there were so many tense and awkward moments where Alex tries to adjust to his newfound fame, so that the moment that the finally give in to each other you breathe a sigh of relief. We are all Faye in this situation (once you've read this, you'll get my reference).
It's steamy, and it's full of heart.
Delysia has more to her than initially meets the eye, and watching as she finally unravels the tight hold that she has on herself is a beautiful thing to behold.
Very cute overall.
I really wanted to love this one. It had all the right things to make me love it, but it fell just short of making me care about Eleanor's struggle.
I will say, however, that even though I didn't care for Eleanor's decisions, I did appreciate the intrigue of the story once the plot finally kicked in. I wouldn't have minded if more time had been spent on dealing with the antagonist.
Overall, I would recommend to fans of unlikeable main characters who also happen to like unreliable narrators. Atmosphere wise, I also recommend it to horror fans who fit into the above subsets.
Riley Sager wrecks my brain. Every. Time
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Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.
CW: Disassociative behaviours, gaslighting (these are the main two)
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As with all things Sager, this one has so many twists and turns with some easily predictable elements sprinkled to lull you into thinking you have it all figured out.
This one plays out like a movie, complete with scene tags and all. It's the perfect formula for a cult indie horror flick - the heroine who doesn't know who to trust, the sketchy and suspicious side characters, the tension and buildup. It won on all points.
Of course, we also need to acknowledge that Sager is the king of unreliable narrators, so this one had me so unsure of what was reality and what was a side effect of Charlie's disassociation. You also became so invested because while Maddy Spoilerwasn't the best friend out there, she didn't deserve to die because of someone's delusional outlook. and I needed to see if justice will ever be met. Or at least some sense of closure.
The overall experience is very much worth the price of the ticket. Read it.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an advanced copy of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
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Before I get to the plot itself, let's talk about the audiobook on the whole. There's a single narrator for both POVs but it doesn't get confusing or tiring especially since we mostly followed Chaya. I think they made a good choice with the narrator as their accent made the entire experience feel more authentic.
Now for the novel as a whole. I really enjoyed the platonic chemistry between our two main characters, it was obvious from the beginning how well they complemented each other. By my own fault, I had expected things to turn rocky a lot sooner than it did, however, when things did start falling apart my heart broke for both of them (though I felt worse for one more than the other). The betrayal of their agreement wasn't just brushed off as often happens with marriages of convenience in romance novels, instead, there were real consequences.
Overall, if you want an easy to get into story with a fake relationship that doesn't lead to romance, then this could be a great place to look.
CW: deals with death and grief
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If you've ever been interested in books based on different mythologies/lore, then this book is up your alley.
If you've ever been a fan of ‘the screw up now has to save us all', then this one is for you.
If you like stories that have action and a mystery, but also character growth, then hop on in.
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This is the perfect opener for what can be a really fun and addictive series. TJ is stubborn, self-deprecating, caring and determined, exactly what you would hope for in a main character. He isn't the shining hero that you can immediately tell will conquer the baddie. Instead, you watch him struggle with finding himself and finding his power, surrounded by persons far superior to him in skill.
The friendships are gold, even though they didn't all start off on the best foot, by the time it's over, you can't wait to journey with them onto the next stage of their lives.
All of this is to say, get this book immediately, and then pre-order book 2 as soon as it becomes possible to do so. TJ needs the encouragement.
Meh.
The premise of this one was seemingly perfect for me, but somehow the execution fell flat. I didn't like the characters nor did I like many of the decisions the author had the main character making. It didn't come across as logical choices for a woman to be making Spoileron an island where she is one of three women who are inexplicably outnumbered by men. Who goes swimming in the pool on their own in a situation like that? Let alone goes wandering through the woods without telling your husband? Granted, some degree of suspension of disbelief is required here in order for the conclusion to be possible or make sense, I still couldn't get behind it.
Had this book been what the last third was, it would have been an easy five stars. Swanson left all of the thrill for the end, which isn't always a bad thing, but in this book it would have boded well to have at least a bit of it up front. Or at least have Abigail react a bit smarter when SpoilerScott showed up in New York after finding her real name and email address. Then to have him turn up at your wedding and you still don't call the police? Right...okay then.
To its credit, this book is a quick read despite your feelings on the contents.
Should you read it? I wouldn't discourage you, because the ending makes the drudgery of the first third and the slight intrigue of the second, worth it.
I need everyone to explain to me how 43 pages could be quite so captivating?? How? I managed to fall in love with the characters, become invested in the mystery, and feel all of the appropriate emotions that Clark wanted us to feel.
Now I'm going to have to start yet another series that I don't have the time for, all because P. Djeli Clark is an actual Djinn.
I want to say more, but if I do, then what would I leave for you to discover on your own? All you need to know is that this world has the capacity to be so expansive, and if it's this good in under 50 pages, well then the sky's the limit for a full length novel.
All that I can say about this other than how absolutely beautiful the art is, is the fact that anyone who is mean/rude to Nicholas will feel my WRATH! Seiji is so rude, to EVERYONE, I can't wait to see him get turned into an absolute softboi in the end.
I am also intrigued by the father, legitimate son vs unacknowledged bastard plotline. Aiden is a scamp (and I want to see what about him has everyone falling at his feet like that). Bobby is a winner in my books (an amazing friend, comic relief, and determined af). More of him please.
I can listen to this book on repeat. It's like the perfect bed time story and I would highly recommend that you get it in audio as that is the optimum way to experience it.
Auntie Xan and Glerck made me laugh. They bickered like an old married couple, Fyrian is baby and needs to be protected even though he is a literal DRAGON and could kill me with a sneeze. Luna though? Luna is chaos walking. That girl can cause a problem by looking at it, and the worst part is that she doesn't know that she's doing it. It's hilarious.
Aside from them...this book hurt. The Protectorate are Spoilerscum.. The nuns Spoilerare even worse. The sorrow that permeated that village was understandable so Spoilerthe way it ended gave me all of the serotonin