This mystery spans the fall of the Berlin Wall in the late 1980s and contemporary America, with 3 narrators (including a disabled Middle Eastern immigrant teen). It was an easier read than expected, though not as engaging as hoped for.
This audiobook single-handedly made me a Juno Dawson fan for life. Can I please be in her coven? If you like morally grey characters, an ensemble cast, and a fab balance of character- and action-driven plot, pick this one up.
Tana French’s The Witch Elm had a slow start, but once the mystery came to light it was a rollicking ride right to the last page.
Emily Henry explores grief in a poetic but genuine, raw way with this novel. If you’ve recently lost a close loved one, it may not be a good time to read this unless you *want* to cry a lot.
Well Played is the sequel to Well Met, which I loved. It has some pros and some cons, so let’s break those down here.
Binti is a lovely YA example of Afrofuturism and how it shines in unifying ancient culture with classic scifi themes. I struggled a bit with the writing style, but switching from paperback to audiobook helped alleviate that.
The combination of girl-escapes-cult (a favorite trope of mine) and retelling of a lesser-known fairytale, with the juxtaposition of sickening brutality with hard-earned self-knowledge and even maybe a little hope, was truly impressive.
Characters: 9, I loved every single character in this book. And I appreciate that even the characters we’re meant to dislike (with one exception) were complex and complicated in their own right. With the exception of Lucy, all the characters at Nowhere House were unique and distinguishable and I could picture them perfectly. Part of that, I’m sure, is that I listened to this as an audiobook and the narrator, Samara MacLaren, was perfect with the voices and accents. Atmosphere: 8, I could definitely picture a lot of the story- characters and setting alike. It was immersive enough that I […]
Characters: 5, I didn’t connect with any of the characters. The MC has some distinct traits such that I could describe them to someone, but all the secondary characters were very flat and forgettable. And the MC’s inner tensions were resolved so easily that I wasn’t very invested in their arc. Atmosphere: 5, I suspect that if I cared about South Carolinian architecture I might feel more immersed, but instead I felt pretty pushed out of the environment. The romantic and sexual tension has some problematic aspects, so that aspect of the story also wasn’t as immersive as I wanted. […]
Credibility/Research: 10, filled with (referenced) information that’s presented comprehensively; it somehow never feels overwhelming, but continually educational. Authenticity: 10, the first book I’ve ever seen that covers the current state of kitten welfare in the US, how to foster kittens (and other ways to help!), a light guide to common kitten ailments, tips on feeding and socializing, and challenges us to change our vocabulary as part of the solution. Writing: 10, a unique voice that blends aspirational messaging with education, and storytelling tidbits (also fantastic photographs); I really appreciated the hope woven throughout the entire book. Personal Impact: 10, in […]