Kyra
I really enjoyed the atmosphere of this book! Though it wasn't scary it still gave a pretty spooky vibe. The characters were all equally as interesting so I did really enjoy the multiple characters pov. Perfect book to get cozy with during the fall season. It's a little over the top in some sections, but overall super happy I pick it up.
I really really loved this read! I think the narrators did an amazing job especially Sam, I highly recommend the audiobook.
The plot was dark and I think really captured the horrors that can come from hobbies like caving and mountain climbing, as well as feeling very accurate in terms of what living with trauma can be like. The descriptions really helped with the feeling of the cave and mountain without being overbearing.
All the characters were written well even when unlikable they felt very really, and I really felt for them. And the main character Simon really goes through it and changes quite a lot of the course of the story.
Was a very enjoyable read from beginning to end!
First a thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for give me early access for review.
I don't really know what to say when it comes to this book, I think that the premise is super interesting however it didn't really live up to it. Nothing really feels all that explained at the end, feels very unfinished. It also kinda feels like nothing really happens in it and none of the revels really had any emotional weight.
The characters are very one dimensional and they seem to lack clear motive.
There is though pieces of a really great story, the religion aspect seemed super cool and I definitely wish it was expanded on more. I also think that though the characters were kinda bland they had some promise. A lot of potential that just wasn't reached for me.
A thank you to Netgalley and Severn House for access to an early copy for review.
This was a very disappointing read for me. The plot seems all over the place, for one so many things happening that don't really feel connected, no tension and no sense of purpose. And two in the end I felt super lost in what I was supposed to understand had happened.
And everyone in this book is super unlikeable I couldn't really root for anyone. And normally I am all for morally grey characters but these people just suck. Also was way to much description of things and details that didn't really add much, or certain people's backgrounds that I couldn't care about.
If I wasn't reading this for a review I probably wouldn't have finished it. Though I get the atmosphere that the author was going for, to me it fell very short of it.
This was a great quick book to read, it had a tense and creepy atmosphere, it also felt fully real like something that could actually happen. The characters were all great though him being six years old in a lot of it felt a little off but I still really enjoyed it.
I also really enjoyed the time jumping around, and the order that the story was told really add to the overall creep factor.
I don't really know what to say about this book, I loved most of the parts where Merry is telling the story, however the part of the blog I hated reading and found incredibly annoying. And the end was kind of nothing, it's not bad per say and I did really like Merry's narration of her family's story but the grander story really missed the mark for me.
First a big thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for giving a copy to review.
This was a very well done thriller mystery, I had so many constant and changing theories about what might be happening, some twists were less surprising than others but it kept me on my toes the whole time.
The main character had very enjoyable POV to read, and the rest of the characters all had just enough flaws to make them seem guilty while also having enough reason to see them as innocent.
That's really all I can say as I don't want to spoil any of it, highly suggest this book for those who love a good thriller mystery.
Thank you to NetGalley and Gillian Flynn Books for giving me early access to this audiobook for review.
This was a wild one for sure, and it may need a second reading for me to really grasp the whole thing. There are many things however that it says about womanhood and being a woman of colour that felt very really and struck a cord with me.
Also as a linguistics major I absolutely adored how this book looked at and talked about language, how it relates to us and our culture as well as how these things make us who we are.
It is a bit of a think piece and there is a lot of nothing that does seem to happen with my interest in languages and my love of reading about different POC it was enjoyable but I think it might not be for everyone.
I do think that once it comes out I may give it another read as I imagine this is the type of book that benefits from multiple reads.
This is a really dark book and I highly suggest that you check content warnings before continuing to read this book.
The writing itself was really good , the main character though not really “loveable” seemed to be highly relatable to those with mental illness and who have had extreme trauma until the end. The twists aren't really ground breaking and the end was kinda meh.
I know the author has a background in clinical psychology but this book is not an accurate look at mental health, the characters are all caricatures of mental illness. And the hospital setting was wild, all the therapists in this book needed to be fired. This needs to be made more clear somewhere, people shouldn't go into this thinking it is realistic but due to her credentials being included anyone could get the wrong idea.
And the one thing I can't really get over is the depiction of people with BPD, again I know the author has a background in clinical psychology but she should have known better. They are shown as being cruel, dramatic liars, and I don't care if some of them are this is incredibly stigmatizing to people with BPD as a whole. I don't have BPD however I have close friends and family that do and this very much so missed the mark. And even though I enjoyed the other parts of this book I don't know if I'll be able to read her other work as I greatly worry about she might depict other mental illnesses.
I want to make it clear that my opinions come from being someone with mental illness, who comes from a background of severe childhood trauma, and adoption, who has not only been in hospital but who have close family that has, and on top of this has a grandmother with a PhD in psychology.
When I first looked at the size of this book I was like that's a lot of pages but I sat down and finished it in one sitting. It was gripping and I didn't want to put it down, any thrillers or mysteries I read after this will have big boots to fill.
The characters were all pretty typical of your classic CSI/ criminal minds show but more enjoyable as the length of it allowed for so much for detail.
I always enjoy reading books set in other parts of the world so I really loved it for that aspect.
And the mystery in my opinion really caught me off guard! I am normally pretty good at figuring out endings but this one was a complete surprise.
Definitely will be reading more from this author!
This book was written so well, and I think it has some really good lines in there about the interest of true crime. The beginning was amazing and started like an episode of criminal minds or CSI, but gets a little stale and the moments in between when the main character is speaking with his father was rather boring and/or weird. None of the characters are likeable, and it made it hard to really enjoy reading from any pov. But in the end I did really enjoy the writing, and even though the end didn't really feel like anything and nothing feels figured out I did enjoy it for the most part.
The first times I read this book it was a 5/5 but I was younger and hadn't read a ton of adult fiction, was also before I understood how weird large age gaps felt. It still has a nostalgic feel for me so that definitely plays into my feelings.
I still do really enjoy this book, it is however very very slow and there are tons of moments where it feels like nothing but talking is happening but I really enjoy it. The focus on science and history is super fun to me. I love basically all the characters however as I've gotten older I've really come to dislike a lot of Mathew's traits sexism isn't cool and controlling behaviour like that shouldn't be romanticized. That is common in these types of books so not really surprised, especially for when this book came out.
In the end I still do love this book even though it has problems and will likely read it again.
What a page turner! The action starts almost right away really gets you into the story, didn't want to put it down, the action never stop and was relentless.
This however is maybe the one time I wish a book was shorter I think trimming it down it some place would have made for a even more enjoyable read. Also there was just some parts that felt a little out of place as far as what horrible people would actually do that felt like it was only there to add page count.
But still this was a great book and is a quick read, so if you like a secluded horror feel then this is the book for you. Definitely check trigger warnings.
This book was not at all what I was expecting! Seems to follow one kind of genre and then flips into something else, but I really did like the twist. Though as with most short stories I did wish that it was a bit longer, the ending felt a little rushed and also a little out of nowhere. But Jess as a character is someone you can really empathize with, no matter what's happening she is very kind and it really makes you root for her. The writing while good felt a little heavy in some points and I found myself drifting out of focus now and again but did enjoy it overall.
Thank you to NetGalley and North Star Editions for giving me early access to this book.
Wow! This is how YA should be wrote more often! This story was incredible and the main character Olive was very relatable to teens and young adults dealing with grief. Death isn't something we talk a lot about even as adults and I feel like this story really captures a lot of the fears and emotions that come along with the unknown that is death. This was tackled in a beautiful and fun way, the spooky elements helped keep it fun and more lighthearted making it a more accessible way to talk about the hard stuff.
The pacing felt pretty close to perfect didn't really lag but also didn't speed past the interesting parts. And though the ending wasn't a huge surprise it still managed to be enjoyable and kept my interest throughout.
I did feel like there was a tiny bit of not like other girl vibes, but it wasn't super bad and not as outright as most YA.
I think even if you're not a fan of YA this can be an interesting read especially if you have experienced any type of grief, then it feels really relatable. About a 4.75 which I am rounding up to a 5.
First a thank you to NetGalley and wicked house publishing for giving me an early copy of the book to read.
This book kept me guessing up until the end, not knowing what was going on, struggling to come up with theories and I love that in a book.
The relationship between the three men at the heart of story was really beautiful and not really something I've read about before, each character felt unique and yet I could feel the shared history.
The setting was wild and creepy from the beginning, all the side characters added to its very off atmosphere. And though certain aspect felt similar to other stories it's twists and turns made it very unique.
The writing was well done, the dialogue felt natural and the descriptions were great balancing between painting a picture and the other over done description I find in some other books.
A great book overall, with a compelling narrative and an exciting mystery, mixed with dread and terror in a perfect way. A book I didn't want to put down and couldn't wait to pick up.
I really wanted to like this book because it had a cool premise and an interesting style but it was hard to follow and felt more like rambling inside someone's head. I do think it has an audience out there but I am not it. Also tons of really gross imagery so be careful if you're squeamish.
I did receive a Digital copy from Brigids Gate Press via NetGalley.
It's started out really good but I found myself less and less interested in the story, Jack isn't the greatest father, and the reason why he won't tell his wife his past is lack lustre. And overall by the end I was just feeling kinda meh about the story. The writing however is excellent I do really enjoy this authors writing style and will read more! 3.5
I was given this ARC so that I could review it before it comes out.
The idea behind the world of this book is incredibly interesting. The writing in this book also shows a great deal of growth for Laura from her last book, I really enjoyed the flow of it and though some things felt a little over descriptive it was still very very enjoyable to read. This is especially true in the first and second parts of the book both which were well paced and mysterious. The world building had a few places that I was a little confused but overall those two part were pretty great. The third party and end however was very abrupt and it felt like a lot of loose threads are still hanging, definitely unpredictable as it went way off in a direction I wasn't expecting. Not necessarily bad just felt a little empty and off to me because it felt like it was building to something else. Finally though more mature than her last book in tone it still felt a little more YA but not in a bad way at all.
Overall a decent read and I hope to see more the author.