Lauren Henderson

Both of these characters were broody and stuck in high school. I did not like them at all. The dialogue was cringey. There were lots of snippets from the past or side plots about other people in each of their current lives that felt pointless. Just didn't like anything.

The MCs are in their mid thirties, so this could have been a good story about growth and finding the right person after so many years.. but all they were doing was going backwards and holding on to past feelings. So yuck. I gagged almost out loud so many times.

This entire story felt like the author going down memory lane for her own sake of telling some secret she needed to get out. I've read other Rowell books, and I think she's mostly a decent author, but this one was just really not good.

Nancy Drew books were my favorite as a middle graders (ish). I re-read this one for nostalgia's sake after getting my collection from my parents' house. It still held up for me, even though the story line and writing are pretty simple. Thanks for the trip down memory lane, Nancy!

This book sucked me in.. and what a relief. I have started (and not finished) so many books in the past few months, so much so I was beginning to wonder if I would ever figure out what I like to read now.

This story was a light whodunit with great pacing. It kept me engaged from page one to the very end. Of course, it was mostly surface level as far as character development but on par with the genre from that perspective.

One thing that really stood out was the author's creative way of incorporating descriptions via showing. I really enjoyed the writing style and look forward to seeing how this series develops!

DNF at 50%, so I'm marking it read. I loved this book at the beginning, but after the spirit came into the story not as much. I kept trying to read it, but the spirit stuff interrupts the whole story and feels forced. So I called it quits. Jesmyn Ward's writing style is beautiful though, so I'm going to try her other books.

This was on my “Read” list on Goodreads... but I have literally no recollection of finishing it. I've been wracking my brain. And I'm pretty sure I got bored and stopped reading it... which I also don't remember ever decidedly determining I would not finish it. But here we are... I think I just didn't return to it one day, and I have no desire to.

The plot is basically identical to the first book.. just with slightly different circumstances. Not my cup of tea for a series. I want to see the characters grow and have new adventures and stories.. you know, like life.