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pagesplotsandpints's Reviews (2.1k)
<b>Read Completed 5/25/24 |</b> 2.5 stars
<b><I>Thank you to the Hachette Audio / Grand Central Publishing & Netgalley for the opportunity to listen to this advanced audiobook review copy! This did not affect my review in any way.</b></I>
I haven't read Ally Condie since her Matched trilogy in 2013 and I was really interested in her adult debut, especially something in mystery/thriller category. It seems to be the case for a lot of former YA authors and I am here for it! THE UNWEDDING is definitely more mystery than it is thriller, being described as having an Agatha Christie feel. I prefer thrillers more than mysteries nowadays, but if a book is well-written, that doesn't matter and I can enjoy just about anything, but this one didn't do it for me.
THE UNWEDDING is a locked-room concept, which I usually enjoy! The main character, Ellery, is the narrator here (a nod to Ellery Queen?) and she ends up in this mix after a unexpected separation and divorce from her husband, leading her to take this non-refundable trip to Big Sur alone. When she finds the groom who turns up dead, more mystery ensues and inclement weather traps everyone together with a murder in the mix.
I think I prefer thrillers more often than mysteries because the main character is wrapped up in the mix. Ellery's character was too far removed from the action for me and didn't have any connections to any of the other characters. She had a backstory that was heavily hinted at and slowly revealed as the book went along, but it really wasn't shocking, didn't have a big reveal, and still didn't really have anything to do with anything else. It was actually more of a let down because I was hoping it would tie in somehow, but it barely made a difference and I would have rather it wasn't even included.
This was a large cast of characters from a wedding party to an influencer couple to a pair of quirky friends that immediately take Ellery in. It wasn't hard to keep track of everyone, but it also didn't really give the reader time enough to connect with any of them. Naturally, I liked Nina and Ravi the most with their outgoing personalities and having spent the most time with them as Ellery's immediate friends at the resort.
Mostly, the plot just didn't engage me enough. I was interested enough to keep reading and see what happened, but half of the reason I was sticking around was because I had already DNFed a few other books and didn't want to drop this one too. I did find myself being interested enough to keep reading, though. The reveals were lackluster and a bit anticlimactic. I really didn't like how the crew explained how they figured everything out in the end. I feel like the book should be doing that job, not the characters explaining things like we're in an old detective show.
This was a little blah and forgettable for me, but I'm glad I read it. I would have been curious about it if I didn't. I'd probably try another mystery/thriller from Ally Condie in the future, but if that didn't work for me too, I likely wouldn't pick up another.
AUDIOBOOK THOUGHTS: Christine Lakin was the narrator for this audiobook and I really love her narration. I like her voice and I think she always does a great job of bringing the characters to life. There's nothing off-putting about her narration for me and I enjoy everything that she's done, even if I don't love the books.
<b><I>Thank you to the Hachette Audio / Grand Central Publishing & Netgalley for the opportunity to listen to this advanced audiobook review copy! This did not affect my review in any way.</b></I>
I haven't read Ally Condie since her Matched trilogy in 2013 and I was really interested in her adult debut, especially something in mystery/thriller category. It seems to be the case for a lot of former YA authors and I am here for it! THE UNWEDDING is definitely more mystery than it is thriller, being described as having an Agatha Christie feel. I prefer thrillers more than mysteries nowadays, but if a book is well-written, that doesn't matter and I can enjoy just about anything, but this one didn't do it for me.
THE UNWEDDING is a locked-room concept, which I usually enjoy! The main character, Ellery, is the narrator here (a nod to Ellery Queen?) and she ends up in this mix after a unexpected separation and divorce from her husband, leading her to take this non-refundable trip to Big Sur alone. When she finds the groom who turns up dead, more mystery ensues and inclement weather traps everyone together with a murder in the mix.
I think I prefer thrillers more often than mysteries because the main character is wrapped up in the mix. Ellery's character was too far removed from the action for me and didn't have any connections to any of the other characters. She had a backstory that was heavily hinted at and slowly revealed as the book went along, but it really wasn't shocking, didn't have a big reveal, and still didn't really have anything to do with anything else. It was actually more of a let down because I was hoping it would tie in somehow, but it barely made a difference and I would have rather it wasn't even included.
This was a large cast of characters from a wedding party to an influencer couple to a pair of quirky friends that immediately take Ellery in. It wasn't hard to keep track of everyone, but it also didn't really give the reader time enough to connect with any of them. Naturally, I liked Nina and Ravi the most with their outgoing personalities and having spent the most time with them as Ellery's immediate friends at the resort.
Mostly, the plot just didn't engage me enough. I was interested enough to keep reading and see what happened, but half of the reason I was sticking around was because I had already DNFed a few other books and didn't want to drop this one too. I did find myself being interested enough to keep reading, though. The reveals were lackluster and a bit anticlimactic. I really didn't like how the crew explained how they figured everything out in the end. I feel like the book should be doing that job, not the characters explaining things like we're in an old detective show.
This was a little blah and forgettable for me, but I'm glad I read it. I would have been curious about it if I didn't. I'd probably try another mystery/thriller from Ally Condie in the future, but if that didn't work for me too, I likely wouldn't pick up another.
AUDIOBOOK THOUGHTS: Christine Lakin was the narrator for this audiobook and I really love her narration. I like her voice and I think she always does a great job of bringing the characters to life. There's nothing off-putting about her narration for me and I enjoy everything that she's done, even if I don't love the books.
<b>Read Completed 5/24/24 |</b> 3.5 stars
<b><I>Thank you to Dreamscape Media & Netgalley for this audiobook review copy! Receipt of this book for review did not affect my opinion in any way.</b></I>
I saw this title on NetGalley and any time you compare something to Black Mirror, you immediately have my attention. BABY X definitely fits the bill, and I also love the comparison to Gattaca as well, which I enjoyed watching in high school biology ๐ This book reads as a techno thriller / sci-fi thriller, which is a subgenera I'm also really enjoying right now.
This was an interesting futuristic concept where science is now able to change any cell into a gamete and embryo testing is a normal for everyone's child, so natural conception is now an oddity. There's also the issue of protecting yourself and any DNA you may leave behind so someone doesn't steal it to create their own baby. I suspended some disbelief here and went with the idea, and it was an interesting story to follow!
I liked the three different story lines here. The author did a great job at creating a plot for the three women who voice the story and giving them different background and challenges to follow. You also know that they have to connect at some point (also great for John Marrs fans) so I was wondering the whole time how one of them would actually connect and somehow I didn't see it coming! I think the author did a great job with the twists in the book and it certainly kept me on my toes.
I really enjoyed this read and it was easy to fly through! I did have a couple hang-ups in the writing where it didn't quite leave me with a four star rating. Some of the writing was just a little more... I don't quite know how to describe it. Kind of like how popcorn thrillers feel less dense? That's how I felt about the writing here. There was just something about it that could have pushed it into a higher rating for me, but didn't. The villain was also a little too villain-y. I like it more when there's a bit more grey area, or when it feels a bit more realistic. I was already suspending some disbelief so the supervillain kind of feel was a bit much for my tastes.
I'm interested to hear what other people think of this! It won't be a new favorite for me, but it was definitely entertaining.
AUDIOBOOK THOUGHTS: This book had three separate narrators for the three different POVs: Jennifer Jill Araya, Imani Jade Powers, and Abigail Reno. I really liked the voices of all three women and I think they did a great job voicing all of the characters! The narration was consistent and steady, never once taking me out of the listening experience. All of the voices were pleasing to listen to and I would listen to any one of them again!
<b><I>Thank you to Dreamscape Media & Netgalley for this audiobook review copy! Receipt of this book for review did not affect my opinion in any way.</b></I>
I saw this title on NetGalley and any time you compare something to Black Mirror, you immediately have my attention. BABY X definitely fits the bill, and I also love the comparison to Gattaca as well, which I enjoyed watching in high school biology ๐ This book reads as a techno thriller / sci-fi thriller, which is a subgenera I'm also really enjoying right now.
This was an interesting futuristic concept where science is now able to change any cell into a gamete and embryo testing is a normal for everyone's child, so natural conception is now an oddity. There's also the issue of protecting yourself and any DNA you may leave behind so someone doesn't steal it to create their own baby. I suspended some disbelief here and went with the idea, and it was an interesting story to follow!
I liked the three different story lines here. The author did a great job at creating a plot for the three women who voice the story and giving them different background and challenges to follow. You also know that they have to connect at some point (also great for John Marrs fans) so I was wondering the whole time how one of them would actually connect and somehow I didn't see it coming! I think the author did a great job with the twists in the book and it certainly kept me on my toes.
I really enjoyed this read and it was easy to fly through! I did have a couple hang-ups in the writing where it didn't quite leave me with a four star rating. Some of the writing was just a little more... I don't quite know how to describe it. Kind of like how popcorn thrillers feel less dense? That's how I felt about the writing here. There was just something about it that could have pushed it into a higher rating for me, but didn't. The villain was also a little too villain-y. I like it more when there's a bit more grey area, or when it feels a bit more realistic. I was already suspending some disbelief so the supervillain kind of feel was a bit much for my tastes.
I'm interested to hear what other people think of this! It won't be a new favorite for me, but it was definitely entertaining.
AUDIOBOOK THOUGHTS: This book had three separate narrators for the three different POVs: Jennifer Jill Araya, Imani Jade Powers, and Abigail Reno. I really liked the voices of all three women and I think they did a great job voicing all of the characters! The narration was consistent and steady, never once taking me out of the listening experience. All of the voices were pleasing to listen to and I would listen to any one of them again!
<b>Read Completed 5/22/24 |</b> 3 stars
I'm always excited to read a new Ruth Ware book but this definitely wasn't my favorite from her. I know sometimes her thrillers can be more slow burners and this one took forever to get into the good stuff, in my opinion. The concept is a couples reality show gone horribly wrong on essentially what becomes a deserted island paradise, but the book spent far too long setting everything up. I couldn't have cared less about the TV show aspect, getting to know all of the couples, etc. This is something that could have been incorporated into the plot as it was going along. The introduction to everything was very long and boring and took a good 25%.We also spent way too much time getting to know the boyfriend when he was just going to get kicked off the show and get killed off page. How boring.
The thrills and the murders on the island were... okay. I was definitely interested in what was going on but there were a lot of characters and some of them just blurred together. I'm also kind of irritated that this is <I>another</I>And Then There Were None concept because we already did that with ONE BY ONE by Ruth Ware. I mean, it's a thriller trope you can use over and over again, but it really didn't work here for me like it did with ONE BY ONE.
There were things in the book that literally went nowhere that I was confused were left open-ended. The twist in the end felt like it was thrown in at the last minute and it made NO sense at all. I feel like this book was just kind of sloppy. The pacing didn't flow, the concept was not executed well, the dialogue was not good, and the characters were incredibly flat.
I'll probably leave this at 3 stars because I do like Ruth Ware and there's also a sense of familiarity in her writing. This was probably one of her weaker books, though, and I felt like a lot of things are just pandering to BookTok nowadays. I miss the impact of her earlier works!
AUDIOBOOK THOUGHTS: I listened to this as an audiobook, narrated by Imogen Church who does all of Ruth Ware's books (British accent and British characters, if you didn't know). I still really like her narration! She's very hit or miss with some people, and some of her narration choices to get on my nerves sometimes, but I do really like her voice and she always does a good job at differentiating the characters so it's not confusing to listen to. Her narration can be a bit slow, but that also helps me since she has an accent and it's easy for my to listen to and follow along!
I'm always excited to read a new Ruth Ware book but this definitely wasn't my favorite from her. I know sometimes her thrillers can be more slow burners and this one took forever to get into the good stuff, in my opinion. The concept is a couples reality show gone horribly wrong on essentially what becomes a deserted island paradise, but the book spent far too long setting everything up. I couldn't have cared less about the TV show aspect, getting to know all of the couples, etc. This is something that could have been incorporated into the plot as it was going along. The introduction to everything was very long and boring and took a good 25%.
The thrills and the murders on the island were... okay. I was definitely interested in what was going on but there were a lot of characters and some of them just blurred together. I'm also kind of irritated that this is <I>another</I>And Then There Were None concept because we already did that with ONE BY ONE by Ruth Ware. I mean, it's a thriller trope you can use over and over again, but it really didn't work here for me like it did with ONE BY ONE.
There were things in the book that literally went nowhere that I was confused were left open-ended. The twist in the end felt like it was thrown in at the last minute and it made NO sense at all. I feel like this book was just kind of sloppy. The pacing didn't flow, the concept was not executed well, the dialogue was not good, and the characters were incredibly flat.
I'll probably leave this at 3 stars because I do like Ruth Ware and there's also a sense of familiarity in her writing. This was probably one of her weaker books, though, and I felt like a lot of things are just pandering to BookTok nowadays. I miss the impact of her earlier works!
AUDIOBOOK THOUGHTS: I listened to this as an audiobook, narrated by Imogen Church who does all of Ruth Ware's books (British accent and British characters, if you didn't know). I still really like her narration! She's very hit or miss with some people, and some of her narration choices to get on my nerves sometimes, but I do really like her voice and she always does a good job at differentiating the characters so it's not confusing to listen to. Her narration can be a bit slow, but that also helps me since she has an accent and it's easy for my to listen to and follow along!
<b>Read Completed 5/21/24 |</b> 3.5 stars, rounded down
I've been going through D.J. Palmer's works and they're all a bit popcorn-y as far as thrillers go, but most of them have been pretty enjoyable. This wasn't my favorite of his books but it was entertaining and definitely still had me guessing the whole book.
I felt like a few parts dragged on, especially towards the end where the book kind of kept repeating the same things over and over again. The ending was a little too far-fetched, and I don't love that most of his books end with villain speeches because it's just so cheesy and at least the way they're written here, not believable.
I did enjoy the book, though, and was still kept guessing the whole time so it earned an extra star for that!
I've been going through D.J. Palmer's works and they're all a bit popcorn-y as far as thrillers go, but most of them have been pretty enjoyable. This wasn't my favorite of his books but it was entertaining and definitely still had me guessing the whole book.
I felt like a few parts dragged on, especially towards the end where the book kind of kept repeating the same things over and over again. The ending was a little too far-fetched, and I don't love that most of his books end with villain speeches because it's just so cheesy and at least the way they're written here, not believable.
I did enjoy the book, though, and was still kept guessing the whole time so it earned an extra star for that!
<b>Read Completed 5/20/24 |</b> 3 stars
<b><I>Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the audiobook review copy! Receiving this book from the publisher has not affected my review in any way.</b></I>
I was on a romance high after finishing a good romcom read and was excited to pick up SAVOR IT. This was my first Tarah Dewitt book and it has some fairly consistent high ratings, but I still wasn't sure to expect. This one didn't do it for me, unfortunately, but I'm glad I picked it up to try it.
SAVOR IT is a small town romance with some opposites attract vibes and a touch of grumpy x sunshine. It felt like the author was trying a little too hard to make it be Stars Hollow meets Emily Henry meets Abby Jimenez. I felt like the writing was constantly trying to BE something and it just really didn't flow at all for me. Romances don't have to have plots, but when they're beautifully character-driven, I don't even notice. I struggled with these characters and they just felt pretty flat for me, so sadly, it was noticeable that not a lot happened here and those little moments where the characters are connecting were lost on me.
I'd say this is a little less rom-com than my normal preferences. It's not overly serious or full of grief despite it definitely being present. MMC Fisher has custody of his teenage niece after her mother died, but that happened three years ago, and FMC Sage's parents both died, but that was also a while ago. I was hoping for just a touch more banter, but what was there, I didn't really feel. The characters did have some good chemistry here and there, but it wasn't until later in the book that I started to feel it.
I just wanted a little more growth and a little more purpose. Obviously, the goal here is that they fall in love and Fisher & his niece end up moving to be with Sage or vice versa, but who really leaves the small town in these books? So we know that's really the end game. I just wanted a few other plot points to stand out, some more growth from other characters.... there were some good supporting characters with potential, but they all faded in the background when they really could have helped this small town charm shine. Everything really ended up falling a little flat.
The author also used the word "savor" WAY too much. It's cute to use it once, maybe twice, since it's in the title of the book, but when it's used like 8-10 times, it gets annoying and forced.
I don't know if I'd try another Tarah Dewitt book. I actually would have DNFed this one, but it was a review copy from the publisher and I had already DNFed a couple other review books and didn't want to do that to so many. It wasn't a BAD read, but I knew I wasn't going to click with it when I hadn't gotten there at 25-30%.
AUDIOBOOK THOUGHTS: This was narrated by two of my absolute favorites, Karissa Vacker and Zachary Webber in a dual narration. I really liked their narration, but the story didn't really help their voices shine and bring this book to life. I adore Zachary Webber but sadly, I felt like his narration was a little dull here, probably because I felt like Fisher was a little dull. There just wasn't enough range emotion to pull from and things ended up being cheesy instead of romantic. Karissa Vacker also did a nice job, but like with Zachary Webber, it was just a little boring due to the characters not being as interesting as I wanted them to be. I would still recommend them as narrators, though, and if it had been narrators that I DIDN'T love, I really would have probably DNFed.
<b><I>Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the audiobook review copy! Receiving this book from the publisher has not affected my review in any way.</b></I>
I was on a romance high after finishing a good romcom read and was excited to pick up SAVOR IT. This was my first Tarah Dewitt book and it has some fairly consistent high ratings, but I still wasn't sure to expect. This one didn't do it for me, unfortunately, but I'm glad I picked it up to try it.
SAVOR IT is a small town romance with some opposites attract vibes and a touch of grumpy x sunshine. It felt like the author was trying a little too hard to make it be Stars Hollow meets Emily Henry meets Abby Jimenez. I felt like the writing was constantly trying to BE something and it just really didn't flow at all for me. Romances don't have to have plots, but when they're beautifully character-driven, I don't even notice. I struggled with these characters and they just felt pretty flat for me, so sadly, it was noticeable that not a lot happened here and those little moments where the characters are connecting were lost on me.
I'd say this is a little less rom-com than my normal preferences. It's not overly serious or full of grief despite it definitely being present. MMC Fisher has custody of his teenage niece after her mother died, but that happened three years ago, and FMC Sage's parents both died, but that was also a while ago. I was hoping for just a touch more banter, but what was there, I didn't really feel. The characters did have some good chemistry here and there, but it wasn't until later in the book that I started to feel it.
I just wanted a little more growth and a little more purpose. Obviously, the goal here is that they fall in love and Fisher & his niece end up moving to be with Sage or vice versa, but who really leaves the small town in these books? So we know that's really the end game. I just wanted a few other plot points to stand out, some more growth from other characters.... there were some good supporting characters with potential, but they all faded in the background when they really could have helped this small town charm shine. Everything really ended up falling a little flat.
The author also used the word "savor" WAY too much. It's cute to use it once, maybe twice, since it's in the title of the book, but when it's used like 8-10 times, it gets annoying and forced.
I don't know if I'd try another Tarah Dewitt book. I actually would have DNFed this one, but it was a review copy from the publisher and I had already DNFed a couple other review books and didn't want to do that to so many. It wasn't a BAD read, but I knew I wasn't going to click with it when I hadn't gotten there at 25-30%.
AUDIOBOOK THOUGHTS: This was narrated by two of my absolute favorites, Karissa Vacker and Zachary Webber in a dual narration. I really liked their narration, but the story didn't really help their voices shine and bring this book to life. I adore Zachary Webber but sadly, I felt like his narration was a little dull here, probably because I felt like Fisher was a little dull. There just wasn't enough range emotion to pull from and things ended up being cheesy instead of romantic. Karissa Vacker also did a nice job, but like with Zachary Webber, it was just a little boring due to the characters not being as interesting as I wanted them to be. I would still recommend them as narrators, though, and if it had been narrators that I DIDN'T love, I really would have probably DNFed.
<b>Read Completed 5/17/24 |</b> 4.5 stars
Oh, I just loved this. I immediately connected with it, and the reunion of Anna and West after years apart while still being fake married was hilarious. Normally I don't like when characters are kind of in shambles, but Christina Lauren made Anna quirky while being realistic and not over-the-top. I loved the tropes involved (marriage of convenience, fake dating, only one bed) and I just really clicked with how all of them were executed.
I really felt the chemistry here, like I don't normally with other romance books. It was also a bit of grumpy sunshine, though Liam wasn't grumpy, just more reserved. It was so much fun watching Anna and Liam connect, open up to each other, and their physical and emotional chemistry was just perfection. The tropical island paradise was also such a fun setting.
The conflict was INTENSE. Liam's family is wildly wealthy being grocery chain moguls and there's a legal agreements and stipulations that each child has to adhere to in order to receive their inheritance. Liam has a very heavy burden to carry for his family and complicated relationships with all of his family members. I really loved seeing Anna bring some normalcy regarding family into his life and Liam gets to see that it doesn't have to be the way it is. I don't always like rich people stories, but I did like how all this was handled and it was essentially constantly showing how their money actually made them miserable, and figuring out if there is a balance there somewhere.
Mostly, the characters really made this one of my favorite Christina Lauren books. They were just a delight and I connected with them so much. There were some laugh out loud lines, lots of tender moments, and I forgot I was reading about book characters and instead, got lost in the story.
Oh, I just loved this. I immediately connected with it, and the reunion of Anna and West after years apart while still being fake married was hilarious. Normally I don't like when characters are kind of in shambles, but Christina Lauren made Anna quirky while being realistic and not over-the-top. I loved the tropes involved (marriage of convenience, fake dating, only one bed) and I just really clicked with how all of them were executed.
I really felt the chemistry here, like I don't normally with other romance books. It was also a bit of grumpy sunshine, though Liam wasn't grumpy, just more reserved. It was so much fun watching Anna and Liam connect, open up to each other, and their physical and emotional chemistry was just perfection. The tropical island paradise was also such a fun setting.
The conflict was INTENSE. Liam's family is wildly wealthy being grocery chain moguls and there's a legal agreements and stipulations that each child has to adhere to in order to receive their inheritance. Liam has a very heavy burden to carry for his family and complicated relationships with all of his family members. I really loved seeing Anna bring some normalcy regarding family into his life and Liam gets to see that it doesn't have to be the way it is. I don't always like rich people stories, but I did like how all this was handled and it was essentially constantly showing how their money actually made them miserable, and figuring out if there is a balance there somewhere.
Mostly, the characters really made this one of my favorite Christina Lauren books. They were just a delight and I connected with them so much. There were some laugh out loud lines, lots of tender moments, and I forgot I was reading about book characters and instead, got lost in the story.
<b>Read Completed 5/15/24 |</b> 3.25 stars
Booktok, you've steered me wrong again.
Look, I know I won't agree with all the BookTok ratings, but I saw a handful of readers who loved so many of the same books that I do that I really hoped this would at least be a four star read for me. ARTIFICIAL WISDOM started out really interesting, and I loved the 2025 dystopian concept. Between AI, global warming, and an election for a dictatorship, we were really cooking up something plausibly scary.
I feel like the book got bogged down and could have been edited to be a bit smoother. The pacing wasn't bad, but there were parts of it that were more dystopian, parts that were murder mystery, and parts that were sci-fi thriller. Combined, those all make for an amazing book, but I felt like some of those parts didn't seem to talk to each other while the rest of the book was going on. There were sections that felt so chunky and and not quite interwoven with the rest of the vibe. Granted, it obviously all connected plot-wise but I felt like the feel was changing here and there while I was still trying to get a feel for the book.
I don't know if this was really a 4 star book during the middle for me, but the ending was really disappointing. I'm actually surprised more people weren't upset by it from all the 4 and 5 star reviews. We had a huge reveal and honestly, in the last chapter, I was getting upset thinking that this was the first in a series and I didn't know it because it did not feel like it was wrapping up at all. The very end felt very rushed and while we got some really interesting things, there wasn't time to do anything with them.
Sadly, I was just a little disappointed in this one. With all the five star ratings from people with similar tastes, I really hoped this would be an easy win for me, but I just didn't quite get it. There were so many good pieces and there was really good plotting, but something about it just never really connected for me, personally. It was like it was always on the way to breaking through and becoming great but it kept swelling up to that point and crashing, never really reaching star-level. Oh well! I had to try.
AUDIOBOOK THOUGHTS: I listened to this as an audiobook, narrated by Steven Pacey. I don't know if I've listened to him before, but his voice sounded familiar. The main characters are British and his accent was also British. I think he did a fine job narrating! It's not instant favorite status, but he was pleasant to listen to, and his voices were different enough that I had a decent time separating the characters. Some of his American accents were pretty terrible. Everyone was southern? I don't know if they were supposed to be, and it's difficult to get Louisiana Southern different from other accents, especially if you're not American. It wasn't horrible to move past, but it was apparent. I still enjoyed his narration well enough!
Booktok, you've steered me wrong again.
Look, I know I won't agree with all the BookTok ratings, but I saw a handful of readers who loved so many of the same books that I do that I really hoped this would at least be a four star read for me. ARTIFICIAL WISDOM started out really interesting, and I loved the 2025 dystopian concept. Between AI, global warming, and an election for a dictatorship, we were really cooking up something plausibly scary.
I feel like the book got bogged down and could have been edited to be a bit smoother. The pacing wasn't bad, but there were parts of it that were more dystopian, parts that were murder mystery, and parts that were sci-fi thriller. Combined, those all make for an amazing book, but I felt like some of those parts didn't seem to talk to each other while the rest of the book was going on. There were sections that felt so chunky and and not quite interwoven with the rest of the vibe. Granted, it obviously all connected plot-wise but I felt like the feel was changing here and there while I was still trying to get a feel for the book.
I don't know if this was really a 4 star book during the middle for me, but the ending was really disappointing. I'm actually surprised more people weren't upset by it from all the 4 and 5 star reviews. We had a huge reveal and honestly, in the last chapter, I was getting upset thinking that this was the first in a series and I didn't know it because it did not feel like it was wrapping up at all. The very end felt very rushed and while we got some really interesting things, there wasn't time to do anything with them.
Sadly, I was just a little disappointed in this one. With all the five star ratings from people with similar tastes, I really hoped this would be an easy win for me, but I just didn't quite get it. There were so many good pieces and there was really good plotting, but something about it just never really connected for me, personally. It was like it was always on the way to breaking through and becoming great but it kept swelling up to that point and crashing, never really reaching star-level. Oh well! I had to try.
AUDIOBOOK THOUGHTS: I listened to this as an audiobook, narrated by Steven Pacey. I don't know if I've listened to him before, but his voice sounded familiar. The main characters are British and his accent was also British. I think he did a fine job narrating! It's not instant favorite status, but he was pleasant to listen to, and his voices were different enough that I had a decent time separating the characters. Some of his American accents were pretty terrible. Everyone was southern? I don't know if they were supposed to be, and it's difficult to get Louisiana Southern different from other accents, especially if you're not American. It wasn't horrible to move past, but it was apparent. I still enjoyed his narration well enough!
<b>Read Completed 5/10/24 |</b> 3.75 stars
This was a very entertaining read, until the end of the book where it felt like it should have been a series instead of a stand alone. It's very confusing unless you know that THE SWORD OF KAIGEN is technically a prequel to some young adult books that featuring a widely small side character of TSOK about 11 years later. I read that it was a prequel maybe halfway through my read, but I was disappointed that the ending really did feel like it was unfinished if you haven't read the other series because I had so many more questions and I felt like it did the rest of the book a great disservice because the rest of it was very enjoyable. This left it feeling open and unfinished. I'm not mad at the author -- she designed it this was and I feel like this book kind of blew up in a good way. I'm mad at everyone else who read this before me, telling me it was a stand alone because A) it's really not if it's a prequel to another series and B) the way it ended, you're telling me you were satisfied with that without reading the other series? I don't believe you.
Mostly, I'm mad that this shaped my feelings for the book because now I'm mad instead of being happy with the rest of the experience that I had, which really was enjoyable. This was wildly character-driven, which I didn't mind. It reminded me of the beautiful character-driven story and relationships of The Green Bone Saga combined with the magic and feel of The Stormlight Archive. I had a really great time getting to know all of these characters and watching them grow throughout the book. I really could have been invested in this if it was a series, but I guess this just makes me interested for the author's future books!
I had a little trouble with some of the pacing. The most action-packed sequence happened halfway through the book, and that was really the tipping point for all of the action. With that being halfway and a major THING happening that was bittersweet, I just lost all momentum to finish the book. I still did, and I still wanted to, but it felt slow and like I was pushing much harder to finish because there was still so much left to go.
There were a lot of good things about this book, but I still think the book community overhyped this for me ๐ Mostly because of the plot. We don't get answers! There's the big hoopla about the government hiding things from this community, covering things up, making them vulnerable, and we don't really get more details about their reasoning for it and what else is happening outside of this slice of life. I liked that there were some more modern aspects in the book, but I was still confused a little bit exactly how much technology the rest of the world had and why it wasn't used here. Obviously I already had my complaints about the ending, but there's clearly a bigger plot and I wish it wasn't introduced here, or it was explained in further detail because this just felt like a cliffhanger for the next book that doesn't exist.
I can't say that I'd recommend this book as a fantasy stand alone, because it's really not. There are things that don't get resolved here that are introduced and that really bothered me. I'm mostly mad that these are the feelings I'm left with now because there was so much good in this book too.
This was a very entertaining read, until the end of the book where it felt like it should have been a series instead of a stand alone. It's very confusing unless you know that THE SWORD OF KAIGEN is technically a prequel to some young adult books that featuring a widely small side character of TSOK about 11 years later. I read that it was a prequel maybe halfway through my read, but I was disappointed that the ending really did feel like it was unfinished if you haven't read the other series because I had so many more questions and I felt like it did the rest of the book a great disservice because the rest of it was very enjoyable. This left it feeling open and unfinished. I'm not mad at the author -- she designed it this was and I feel like this book kind of blew up in a good way. I'm mad at everyone else who read this before me, telling me it was a stand alone because A) it's really not if it's a prequel to another series and B) the way it ended, you're telling me you were satisfied with that without reading the other series? I don't believe you.
Mostly, I'm mad that this shaped my feelings for the book because now I'm mad instead of being happy with the rest of the experience that I had, which really was enjoyable. This was wildly character-driven, which I didn't mind. It reminded me of the beautiful character-driven story and relationships of The Green Bone Saga combined with the magic and feel of The Stormlight Archive. I had a really great time getting to know all of these characters and watching them grow throughout the book. I really could have been invested in this if it was a series, but I guess this just makes me interested for the author's future books!
I had a little trouble with some of the pacing. The most action-packed sequence happened halfway through the book, and that was really the tipping point for all of the action. With that being halfway and a major THING happening that was bittersweet, I just lost all momentum to finish the book. I still did, and I still wanted to, but it felt slow and like I was pushing much harder to finish because there was still so much left to go.
There were a lot of good things about this book, but I still think the book community overhyped this for me ๐ Mostly because of the plot. We don't get answers! There's the big hoopla about the government hiding things from this community, covering things up, making them vulnerable, and we don't really get more details about their reasoning for it and what else is happening outside of this slice of life. I liked that there were some more modern aspects in the book, but I was still confused a little bit exactly how much technology the rest of the world had and why it wasn't used here. Obviously I already had my complaints about the ending, but there's clearly a bigger plot and I wish it wasn't introduced here, or it was explained in further detail because this just felt like a cliffhanger for the next book that doesn't exist.
I can't say that I'd recommend this book as a fantasy stand alone, because it's really not. There are things that don't get resolved here that are introduced and that really bothered me. I'm mostly mad that these are the feelings I'm left with now because there was so much good in this book too.
I picked up this book because I had previously enjoyed LOVE YOU GONE by the same author and was exciting to try more of her works. This one sadly just didn't really do it for me. I was expecting more domestic thriller/suspense, but there was a lot of flashback time and connections to Natalie's time in prison and I just didn't really care about it.
I felt like the book dragged on a bit too long and by the ending, I just wasn't super excited for it anymore so I really lost steam about halfway through.
It wasn't a bad read, but it wasn't what I was hoping for. I'm not sure if I'll check out more of her books after this one.
I felt like the book dragged on a bit too long and by the ending, I just wasn't super excited for it anymore so I really lost steam about halfway through.
It wasn't a bad read, but it wasn't what I was hoping for. I'm not sure if I'll check out more of her books after this one.
Read Completed 5/5/24 | 4.25 - 4.5 stars, but I think I'm going to be generous with this one. I may come back and change my rating depending on how this sits EDIT: Iโm back as promised. Now that itโs sat, Iโm going 4.25
I picked this up on a whim, not quite sure how this book would fall into a category. Was it contemporary? Was it romance? Was it scifi? I jumped in with only a brief read of the synopsis, waiting to see what it had to offer.
MEET ME IN ANOTHER LIFE was a wonderful surprise. The beginning starts off slowly but doesn't take long to let readers ease into the concept. Thora and Santi meet each other in one life and continue meeting each other across multiple lives. They're potential lovers cut short, teacher and student, husband and wife, father and adopted daughter, brother and sister, and on and on and on. I got a little frustrated for a while, I must admit, as we keep seeing these new lives without the plot really moving forward. While I really enjoyed seeing them encounter each other in new ways over and over, I didn't really know what the point of the book was. I had some obvious guesses (which I think the readers are supposed to guess) and I was hoping they were true.
I felt like it took JUST a touch too long for the reason of their connection to really start poking through, otherwise this probably would have been a 4.5 - 5 star book. If that had been a bit more apparent OR if some of those beginning worlds were a little bit longer, it would have felt so repetitive at the moment. I was worried this was going to keep going without any explanation and finally, we got more obvious clues that I could follow.
I loved how this was a light sci-fi concept (sort of alternate universes feel and more that I won't divulge so you can experience them yourself) and I really LOVE seeing character work like this. Both characters are true to themselves but also help each other grow. As they said in a book, you can't ever really know the whole of a person because you'll only ever know them from your specific perspective as your relationship. The only way you can know them is through multiple lifetimes. I really loved seeing them grow, struggle, become better people, and rise up from being their worst selves.
The ending was so beautiful and the reveal of everything was exactly what I hoped it would be. I didn't expect a couple things in the end and having seen these characters go through multiple lifetimes together, the ending was something that really stuck with me and probably earned this book an extra half star. I would LOVE to see this adapted as a TV show where this is the first season and season 2 would let the story continue on, because I'm a sucker for this concept and there could be so much that this has to offer if adapted and tweaked for show.
Anyway, I was really happy with this read and I love that it was something a little different to provide me with an experience that I was surprised by. This is definitely one I will be recommending!
I picked this up on a whim, not quite sure how this book would fall into a category. Was it contemporary? Was it romance? Was it scifi? I jumped in with only a brief read of the synopsis, waiting to see what it had to offer.
MEET ME IN ANOTHER LIFE was a wonderful surprise. The beginning starts off slowly but doesn't take long to let readers ease into the concept. Thora and Santi meet each other in one life and continue meeting each other across multiple lives. They're potential lovers cut short, teacher and student, husband and wife, father and adopted daughter, brother and sister, and on and on and on. I got a little frustrated for a while, I must admit, as we keep seeing these new lives without the plot really moving forward. While I really enjoyed seeing them encounter each other in new ways over and over, I didn't really know what the point of the book was. I had some obvious guesses (which I think the readers are supposed to guess) and I was hoping they were true.
I felt like it took JUST a touch too long for the reason of their connection to really start poking through, otherwise this probably would have been a 4.5 - 5 star book. If that had been a bit more apparent OR if some of those beginning worlds were a little bit longer, it would have felt so repetitive at the moment. I was worried this was going to keep going without any explanation and finally, we got more obvious clues that I could follow.
I loved how this was a light sci-fi concept (sort of alternate universes feel and more that I won't divulge so you can experience them yourself) and I really LOVE seeing character work like this. Both characters are true to themselves but also help each other grow. As they said in a book, you can't ever really know the whole of a person because you'll only ever know them from your specific perspective as your relationship. The only way you can know them is through multiple lifetimes. I really loved seeing them grow, struggle, become better people, and rise up from being their worst selves.
The ending was so beautiful and the reveal of everything was exactly what I hoped it would be. I didn't expect a couple things in the end and having seen these characters go through multiple lifetimes together, the ending was something that really stuck with me and probably earned this book an extra half star. I would LOVE to see this adapted as a TV show where this is the first season and season 2 would let the story continue on, because I'm a sucker for this concept and there could be so much that this has to offer if adapted and tweaked for show.
Anyway, I was really happy with this read and I love that it was something a little different to provide me with an experience that I was surprised by. This is definitely one I will be recommending!