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pagesplotsandpints's Reviews (2.1k)
Read Completed 7/8/23 | 4.5 stars
Wow, this one took me by surprise. I became an instant Abby Jimenez fan after starting my author journey with her with PART OF YOUR WORLD and YOURS TRULY. I circled back to THE FRIEND ZONE and went in order from there, so this is book 5 out of 5 for me, and I just wasn't expecting to be so involved in this book. Maybe because I wasn't expecting quite as much, I loved it even more.
Firstly, the characters always make the book. I really loved Vanessa and Adrian -- both as their own individual characters and them together as a couple. Vanessa has a 50/50 chance at getting ALS due to a genetic connection and so she's living her life to the fullest in every way. Adrian is a bit of a control freak but it comes off in so many endearing ways throughout the book and not in a controlling, aggressive way. Vanessa softens him, gets him to loosen up, and encourages him to try things that he wouldn't normally do. Adrian is able to help Vanessa by being a support system through emotional support and using connections to help as she tries to keep her family together and healthy while dealing with addiction, hoarding, and everyone still dealing with their grief after the loss of their mother (from a car accident due to ALS and her declining health). I thought these characters really fit and brought out the good sides of each other.
Abby Jimenez always has a major life concern in her books, whether that's infertility, death, disease, etc. I was nervous having a character who is dealing with what she suspected to be early warning signs of ALS and how that might end for her, and I didn't really know how I hoped the book would end. (No spoilers here.)
I actually liked the third act break-up because it was kind of something the characters needed to go through. It was a battle of control, but both for good reasons. It doesn't mean it was handled well (the the characters -- I like how the author played out the conflict), but it was out of concern and love and as someone new to the scene and relationship, Adrian didn't have the practice and knowledge to go into it and not be overwhelmed. It felt like a natural reaction and an honest reason for them to sort of break up and be separated before the ending of the book.
I did like the ending and was happy with the way things wrapped up! Everything really ended perfectly for my tastes, even with Grace's future. It was also a nice lesson in listening to your loved ones, compromise, and learning that forcing things into an "ideal" situation doesn't always mean that's ideal for everyone.
I was very connected to this book and very emotional about it. Abby Jimenez just manages to write stories that I can easily fall into, and I can honestly say that I've enjoyed every single one, which doesn't happen often for me.
Wow, this one took me by surprise. I became an instant Abby Jimenez fan after starting my author journey with her with PART OF YOUR WORLD and YOURS TRULY. I circled back to THE FRIEND ZONE and went in order from there, so this is book 5 out of 5 for me, and I just wasn't expecting to be so involved in this book. Maybe because I wasn't expecting quite as much, I loved it even more.
Firstly, the characters always make the book. I really loved Vanessa and Adrian -- both as their own individual characters and them together as a couple. Vanessa has a 50/50 chance at getting ALS due to a genetic connection and so she's living her life to the fullest in every way. Adrian is a bit of a control freak but it comes off in so many endearing ways throughout the book and not in a controlling, aggressive way. Vanessa softens him, gets him to loosen up, and encourages him to try things that he wouldn't normally do. Adrian is able to help Vanessa by being a support system through emotional support and using connections to help as she tries to keep her family together and healthy while dealing with addiction, hoarding, and everyone still dealing with their grief after the loss of their mother (from a car accident due to ALS and her declining health). I thought these characters really fit and brought out the good sides of each other.
Abby Jimenez always has a major life concern in her books, whether that's infertility, death, disease, etc. I was nervous having a character who is dealing with what she suspected to be early warning signs of ALS and how that might end for her, and I didn't really know how I hoped the book would end. (No spoilers here.)
I actually liked the third act break-up because it was kind of something the characters needed to go through. It was a battle of control, but both for good reasons. It doesn't mean it was handled well (the the characters -- I like how the author played out the conflict), but it was out of concern and love and as someone new to the scene and relationship, Adrian didn't have the practice and knowledge to go into it and not be overwhelmed. It felt like a natural reaction and an honest reason for them to sort of break up and be separated before the ending of the book.
I did like the ending and was happy with the way things wrapped up! Everything really ended perfectly for my tastes, even with Grace's future. It was also a nice lesson in listening to your loved ones, compromise, and learning that forcing things into an "ideal" situation doesn't always mean that's ideal for everyone.
I was very connected to this book and very emotional about it. Abby Jimenez just manages to write stories that I can easily fall into, and I can honestly say that I've enjoyed every single one, which doesn't happen often for me.
Read Completed 7/5/23 | I've been enjoying all of Brandon Sanderson's secret projects and I'm happy to see this one so grounded in the Cosmere! I'm always hungry for more of this universe and I loved seeing another part of it.
DO I NEED TO READ THE OTHER "SECRET PROJECTS" BEFORE THIS ONE? No. TRESS OF THE EMERALD SEA is in the Cosmere universe, THE FRUGAL WIZARD'S HANDBOOK is not. While TRESS is still in the Cosmere, these two books aren't connected directly.
DO I NEED TO READ ANY OTHER COSMERE BOOKS BEFORE THIS ONE? Technically speaking, you can read YUMI as a stand alone. If you have zero other knowledge of the Cosmere, some things definitely won't make sense to you (notably some explanations in the end of how some of the Cosmere magic works) so depending on how you get along with the book, it might just go right over your head. If you've read other Cosmere works, specifically The Stormlight Archive, you should be able to make some good connections. There are also some namedrops to Mistborn books and magic, but it's really just a passing comment and won't spoil anything. I also wouldn't say that this would spoil anything for The Stormlight Archive. If you haven't read it yet (or aren't caught up), chances are that you wouldn't remember what was mentioned even if it was a spoiler, and it more just plays on some things readers have learned rather than spoiling things.
Okay, back to the book! YUMI was a fun read and I always love seeing new Cosmere planets. I liked the inspiration for this book (author's note credits Final Fantasy, manga, and Japanese and Korean cultures) and how we get to see another totally different planet, civilization, and culture. I'm always greedy for more magic and connections so it took me quite a while to get invested in the book (no pun intended...) but I did really like the characters throughout the whole book! This was a little more character-driven with some of the more plot-heavy and action-heavy sequences coming in the last 25% of the book. We learn things about the plot along the way, but like Sanderson said in his author's note here, this had much more of a love story (as encouraged by his wife) so it focused a lot on the connection between the two main characters.
I think I would have liked a little more in-book explanation on a few things. I always end up heading to the Coppermind (the Brandon Sanderson wiki) to go over the books and see any connections I missed, things I forgot, etc. I feel like sometimes things are just mentioned and I'm supposed to remember something detailed and there's so much going on that of course I forget. Every once in a while I keep hoping for some magic elements or world-building points to be drilled in a bit more instead of just mentioned and passed along.
I liked that Hoid was the story-teller again in this book! He's off in the background but on-planet in YUMI so he is still the narrator, but less so than TRESS. I do like that he's a part of more stories and that we get to see these stories because of his world-hopping abilities and he can tell them since he's witnessed them on other planets. It's a neat way to tie things together, and I'm fascinated and amused by Hoid at all times.
This was a sweet story with a lovely ending and I was really happy with this read! If I had been a bit more connected in the beginning (and I didn't take so long reading it), I think I would have liked it even more.
Audiobook Thoughts: I always love the return of Michael Kramer! Unfortunately, I'm not a big fan of Kate Reading (and she's a huge part of the Stormlight Archive audiobooks and other Sanderson works hahaha. Oh well for me), so I was a teensy bit bummed to see her here. She ended up reading Yumi's side of things while Michael Kramer read Painter's (even though the book is all in third person still). The only reason I really bring it up is because technically *Hoid* is still narrating this book so it was really weird when she read Hoid's voice. I just didn't like it and I don't like her male voices at all, whereas I think Michael Kramer does a great job of getting that wit and sting for Hoid's sarcasm and humor. I just honestly hated her narrating Hoid's voice. The rest of the book was fine, audio-wise! I tend to forget that I don't like Kate Reading (until those parts). That's just a total personal preference for me though! I'm sure others feel differently, and others feel the same.
DO I NEED TO READ THE OTHER "SECRET PROJECTS" BEFORE THIS ONE? No. TRESS OF THE EMERALD SEA is in the Cosmere universe, THE FRUGAL WIZARD'S HANDBOOK is not. While TRESS is still in the Cosmere, these two books aren't connected directly.
DO I NEED TO READ ANY OTHER COSMERE BOOKS BEFORE THIS ONE? Technically speaking, you can read YUMI as a stand alone. If you have zero other knowledge of the Cosmere, some things definitely won't make sense to you (notably some explanations in the end of how some of the Cosmere magic works) so depending on how you get along with the book, it might just go right over your head. If you've read other Cosmere works, specifically The Stormlight Archive, you should be able to make some good connections. There are also some namedrops to Mistborn books and magic, but it's really just a passing comment and won't spoil anything. I also wouldn't say that this would spoil anything for The Stormlight Archive. If you haven't read it yet (or aren't caught up), chances are that you wouldn't remember what was mentioned even if it was a spoiler, and it more just plays on some things readers have learned rather than spoiling things.
Okay, back to the book! YUMI was a fun read and I always love seeing new Cosmere planets. I liked the inspiration for this book (author's note credits Final Fantasy, manga, and Japanese and Korean cultures) and how we get to see another totally different planet, civilization, and culture. I'm always greedy for more magic and connections so it took me quite a while to get invested in the book (no pun intended...) but I did really like the characters throughout the whole book! This was a little more character-driven with some of the more plot-heavy and action-heavy sequences coming in the last 25% of the book. We learn things about the plot along the way, but like Sanderson said in his author's note here, this had much more of a love story (as encouraged by his wife) so it focused a lot on the connection between the two main characters.
I think I would have liked a little more in-book explanation on a few things. I always end up heading to the Coppermind (the Brandon Sanderson wiki) to go over the books and see any connections I missed, things I forgot, etc. I feel like sometimes things are just mentioned and I'm supposed to remember something detailed and there's so much going on that of course I forget. Every once in a while I keep hoping for some magic elements or world-building points to be drilled in a bit more instead of just mentioned and passed along.
I liked that Hoid was the story-teller again in this book! He's off in the background but on-planet in YUMI so he is still the narrator, but less so than TRESS. I do like that he's a part of more stories and that we get to see these stories because of his world-hopping abilities and he can tell them since he's witnessed them on other planets. It's a neat way to tie things together, and I'm fascinated and amused by Hoid at all times.
This was a sweet story with a lovely ending and I was really happy with this read! If I had been a bit more connected in the beginning (and I didn't take so long reading it), I think I would have liked it even more.
Audiobook Thoughts: I always love the return of Michael Kramer! Unfortunately, I'm not a big fan of Kate Reading (and she's a huge part of the Stormlight Archive audiobooks and other Sanderson works hahaha. Oh well for me), so I was a teensy bit bummed to see her here. She ended up reading Yumi's side of things while Michael Kramer read Painter's (even though the book is all in third person still). The only reason I really bring it up is because technically *Hoid* is still narrating this book so it was really weird when she read Hoid's voice. I just didn't like it and I don't like her male voices at all, whereas I think Michael Kramer does a great job of getting that wit and sting for Hoid's sarcasm and humor. I just honestly hated her narrating Hoid's voice. The rest of the book was fine, audio-wise! I tend to forget that I don't like Kate Reading (until those parts). That's just a total personal preference for me though! I'm sure others feel differently, and others feel the same.
Read Completed 6/28/23 | 3.75 - 4 stars
I had seen some buzz for this and was hoping I'd feel similar to the excited reviewers. Thankfully, this one landed for the most part and I was highly entertained!
It took a while for me to get into this book. I felt like the pacing in the beginning was a little slow, focusing on Lee's introduction to the book, which was important but could have been cleaned up and edited a bit. The book does switch back and forth between Lee's POV and Hazel's. I actually didn't realize there was more than one POV so I was a little frustrated waiting for things to pick up, and then we get a nice twist and Hazel's part jumps in, so that was another surprise!
Things really picked up from there and we get a few chapters from Lee and a few chapters from Hazel, switching back and forth for the rest of the book. I kind of felt like Hazel took over most of the book and I was a little disappointed that there wasn't more balance, but Lee did still maintain her importance in the end. I was worried it was going to end without her popping back in one more time. I think those POVs really could have been a bit more balanced and I didn't quite click with the writing choices on how they were split and structured.
The story was quite entertaining, though. There were some good twists, for sure! Many things that I wasn't expecting and I was glad the book kept me guessing. Parts of Hazel's story were a little over the top (and also a story line that I've read many times in thrillers and is starting to feel a little overdone at the moment), and parts of Lee's story weren't developed enough and we kind of neglected the things that got her to the west coast in the first place that never came full circle.
Overall, this was a fun thriller with a sort of fresh feeling that I haven't read in a while. I'm glad I enjoyed it, even with the things I picked on and would have changed.
I had seen some buzz for this and was hoping I'd feel similar to the excited reviewers. Thankfully, this one landed for the most part and I was highly entertained!
It took a while for me to get into this book. I felt like the pacing in the beginning was a little slow, focusing on Lee's introduction to the book, which was important but could have been cleaned up and edited a bit. The book does switch back and forth between Lee's POV and Hazel's. I actually didn't realize there was more than one POV so I was a little frustrated waiting for things to pick up, and then we get a nice twist and Hazel's part jumps in, so that was another surprise!
Things really picked up from there and we get a few chapters from Lee and a few chapters from Hazel, switching back and forth for the rest of the book. I kind of felt like Hazel took over most of the book and I was a little disappointed that there wasn't more balance, but Lee did still maintain her importance in the end. I was worried it was going to end without her popping back in one more time. I think those POVs really could have been a bit more balanced and I didn't quite click with the writing choices on how they were split and structured.
The story was quite entertaining, though. There were some good twists, for sure! Many things that I wasn't expecting and I was glad the book kept me guessing. Parts of Hazel's story were a little over the top (and also a story line that I've read many times in thrillers and is starting to feel a little overdone at the moment), and parts of Lee's story weren't developed enough and we kind of neglected the things that got her to the west coast in the first place that never came full circle.
Overall, this was a fun thriller with a sort of fresh feeling that I haven't read in a while. I'm glad I enjoyed it, even with the things I picked on and would have changed.
Read Completed 6/28/23 | 3.5 stars
I saw this book floating around social media for a while with a lot of hype and praise and finally got my library hold in. I was excited to start it but apprehensive as well. It was an entertaining read but not quite well-rounded enough for me.
Firstly, this is a series and in a series, I need to care about the characters, but I just didn't.The main detective has a backstory but we don't really see much about it. The killer also has a backstory and his is told through a journal that is left behind, and the readers get to see that as alternate POVs so we get his story interspersed with the present-day narrative. I just really didn't connect to either one and thought they could have been a little bit better characters.
I did like the more unique concept to outline this serial killer story. I can't really say *exactly* what it was without spoilers, even though it's early on in the book, so if you want to know a tiny spoiler for the beginning.... I liked that we find out the man that was killed early in the book was IDed as the killer! It was interesting to read the book thinking about how he's already dead and wondering where it would go from there, and why it's important if he already died. There's more to it than that, and an interesting twist later on, so there were definitely good things happening here too.
As with any serial killer book, sometimes I have a hard time balancing the line of over-the-top and something plausible. Okay, it's a serial killer, it's a sensational story concept. It's *going* to be over-the-top in some ways, but some of the backstory just felt like things were thrown in there for shock value without really needing to be there. It wasn't explained further or used later... it was just shocking thing after shocking thing. I liked seeing some history and something a bit different than what I usually read, but I also kind of wasn't buying it. There was a LOT crammed into this story later on that helped connect things, but it was a bit too much for me.
This was entertaining and I was definitely intrigued, but I doubt I'll continue the series. There was a reason for all of this to happen the way that it did, but I thought it was a little much, and also too little too late. Sometimes I really like being able to connect the clues and some things I guessed, but some things that I didn't felt like too much of a stretch to make it all work. I can definitely see the appeal of all of this, but it wasn't amazing for me.
I saw this book floating around social media for a while with a lot of hype and praise and finally got my library hold in. I was excited to start it but apprehensive as well. It was an entertaining read but not quite well-rounded enough for me.
Firstly, this is a series and in a series, I need to care about the characters, but I just didn't.The main detective has a backstory but we don't really see much about it. The killer also has a backstory and his is told through a journal that is left behind, and the readers get to see that as alternate POVs so we get his story interspersed with the present-day narrative. I just really didn't connect to either one and thought they could have been a little bit better characters.
I did like the more unique concept to outline this serial killer story. I can't really say *exactly* what it was without spoilers, even though it's early on in the book, so if you want to know a tiny spoiler for the beginning.... I liked that we find out the man that was killed early in the book was IDed as the killer! It was interesting to read the book thinking about how he's already dead and wondering where it would go from there, and why it's important if he already died. There's more to it than that, and an interesting twist later on, so there were definitely good things happening here too.
As with any serial killer book, sometimes I have a hard time balancing the line of over-the-top and something plausible. Okay, it's a serial killer, it's a sensational story concept. It's *going* to be over-the-top in some ways, but some of the backstory just felt like things were thrown in there for shock value without really needing to be there. It wasn't explained further or used later... it was just shocking thing after shocking thing. I liked seeing some history and something a bit different than what I usually read, but I also kind of wasn't buying it. There was a LOT crammed into this story later on that helped connect things, but it was a bit too much for me.
This was entertaining and I was definitely intrigued, but I doubt I'll continue the series. There was a reason for all of this to happen the way that it did, but I thought it was a little much, and also too little too late. Sometimes I really like being able to connect the clues and some things I guessed, but some things that I didn't felt like too much of a stretch to make it all work. I can definitely see the appeal of all of this, but it wasn't amazing for me.
Read Completed 6/26/23 | 3.5 stars
I don't love (or even like?) Freida McFadden books but I keep reading them because they're still entertaining, short, and I pretty much know what I'm going to get from every single one of them.
This one still managed to surprise me when I thought I had it all figured out, so that was fun. I didn't really like the twist, but what else is new. There's always a little surprise in Freida McFadden's books and they're just ultimate popcorn thrillers. This was maybe her best writing-wise for me? I liked it up until about 75% through. It wasn't super deep, but my attention was held and I was entertained. I felt like the writing quality was a touch better even though Tricia was really annoying and repetitive.
I don't love (or even like?) Freida McFadden books but I keep reading them because they're still entertaining, short, and I pretty much know what I'm going to get from every single one of them.
This one still managed to surprise me when I thought I had it all figured out, so that was fun. I didn't really like the twist, but what else is new. There's always a little surprise in Freida McFadden's books and they're just ultimate popcorn thrillers. This was maybe her best writing-wise for me? I liked it up until about 75% through. It wasn't super deep, but my attention was held and I was entertained. I felt like the writing quality was a touch better even though Tricia was really annoying and repetitive.
Read Completed 6/25/23 | 3.5 stars
THE QUIET TENANT was a very character-driven story. I wasn't sure what to expect when I started reading it but the beginning sets up the tone and the characters pretty quickly, so if you're intrigued and into it in the beginning, you're good to go. If you're not, chances are you won't really enjoy the rest of the book.
I was interested enough to keep moving forward and managed to read large chunks at a time. I was curious to see where the story would go. This really wasn't a thriller -- this was much more suspenseful and I actually liked that it was more about the story of the women surrounding the serial killer than it was about your typical serial killer book and them man himself. We've all read those books and I've gotten sick of them, to be honest, because they're always written the same way, so this was a good chance of pace. There are POVs narrated by Aiden's current victim who's being held captive instead of being killed right away (the main POV, also told in second person, narrating to herself), his love interest (a woman who works in/owns a local restaurant), his daughter (who comes into the narration later in the story), and interludes from the women he's murdered.
The ending wasn't unsatisfying but I still feel like I was missing something. I wasn't quite as attached to the story was I wanted to be, but I was definitely invested in the characters. I wish I had a bit more connection to the daughter since she did get her own voice. I actually kind of forgot about Emily...
I really like the concept of this and appreciated that it was a different take on a serial killer story! It didn't have to focus on him in order for it to be interesting and I kind of liked that you don't ever see his background and he doesn't get the attention. Overall, I just didn't connect to the writing as much as I had hoped. This will be a very compelling read for some and a big miss for others, but I appreciate what it did and I'm glad I read it!
THE QUIET TENANT was a very character-driven story. I wasn't sure what to expect when I started reading it but the beginning sets up the tone and the characters pretty quickly, so if you're intrigued and into it in the beginning, you're good to go. If you're not, chances are you won't really enjoy the rest of the book.
I was interested enough to keep moving forward and managed to read large chunks at a time. I was curious to see where the story would go. This really wasn't a thriller -- this was much more suspenseful and I actually liked that it was more about the story of the women surrounding the serial killer than it was about your typical serial killer book and them man himself. We've all read those books and I've gotten sick of them, to be honest, because they're always written the same way, so this was a good chance of pace. There are POVs narrated by Aiden's current victim who's being held captive instead of being killed right away (the main POV, also told in second person, narrating to herself), his love interest (a woman who works in/owns a local restaurant), his daughter (who comes into the narration later in the story), and interludes from the women he's murdered.
The ending wasn't unsatisfying but I still feel like I was missing something. I wasn't quite as attached to the story was I wanted to be, but I was definitely invested in the characters. I wish I had a bit more connection to the daughter since she did get her own voice. I actually kind of forgot about Emily...
I really like the concept of this and appreciated that it was a different take on a serial killer story! It didn't have to focus on him in order for it to be interesting and I kind of liked that you don't ever see his background and he doesn't get the attention. Overall, I just didn't connect to the writing as much as I had hoped. This will be a very compelling read for some and a big miss for others, but I appreciate what it did and I'm glad I read it!
Read Completed 6/23/23 | I don't know if I'd still be reading Ruth Ware if 1) I hadn't enjoyed some of her earlier books so much and 2) if Imogen Church wasn't narrating them. At this point, I feel like a good narrator is one of the few things keeping me interested.
ZERO DAYS was a nice change of pace from Ruth Ware's normal slow burn, gothic vibes. Or it would have been, if I had enjoyed the way it was written. This was a fast-paced fugitive style thriller with a mystery to solve in order for Jack to clear her name. I was disappointed by the Mr. and Mrs. Smith reference when trying to describe the book because it really doesn't have that feeling at all except for the first chapter alone. Jack and her husband Gabe are "penetration specialists/testers", and their job is to break into companies (hired by the companies themselves) to find weak points in their security, so that's where the Mr. and Mrs. Smith vibe comes from, but once Jack is on the run, that quickly fades away and it's all fugitive, all the time. In fact, Jack, who could have been an awesome fugitive given her specialty and training, forgets about all of this until halfway through the book and barely uses it. I would have liked to have referenced that a bit more because that would only make sense...
I go into books blindly so I didn't know her husband was going to die (not a spoiler -- it's in the synopsis of the book and happens within the first 1-2 chapters), so I was expecting more of classic Ruth Ware husband betrayal... Oops. That was my fault. But the mystery that Jack has to solve in order to clear her name from being the main suspect in her husband's murder was just... not good enough for me. I felt like Ruth Ware didn't dig into it enough and really make it an interesting overall factor in the book. The whole "Zero Days" thing was kind of meaningless, counting down to a random day that kind of didn't matter? I was also expecting her to get some sort of threat like she had to specifically do something in X amount of days. It was barely mentioned and not very exciting, and not even something she was personally involved in.
There was a twist I saw coming a mile away. I don't know if we were supposed to see it, but it was really obvious to me. I feel like Jack should have seen it too, but I guess grief + pain + brain running on overdrive, I guess I can forgive that. I also thought it was really unrealistic how Jack decided to start running from the police when she found out she was going to be a suspect and her sister was just like sure, I'll help you no questions asked. Really? Even if you're the closest sisters in the world, you're not going question this judgement? And then when the police finally catch up with Jack, it's no big deal because she solved the mystery and found the real killer (obviously)? She was on the run for like, a week. They wasted a lot of time and resources chasing her down. It would be bad for a book's heroine to have negative consequences but I feel like it's weird to be a fugitive and then it's no big deal later on. I guess it's a big concern with a fugitive story anyway...
I could have excused more but the ending wasn't satisfying either.The culprit is some faceless company/corporation with a big, bad agenda. Yes, it's really bad, but they're not involved in the book in any way, so there's no personal connection. Cole was basically an outside contractor so he's the only connection. We don't even really know who these people are, what their motives are, and we feel no attachment or surprise. Eh. It's a throw away villain, and I didn't like that.
I didn't hate the book and the energy and story were fine to follow the whole way, but this was a pretty disappointing read, plot-wise. The characters were fine, but not great. The book was too long for a fast-paced thriller. I feel like this could have benefitted from a lot more editing.
ZERO DAYS was a nice change of pace from Ruth Ware's normal slow burn, gothic vibes. Or it would have been, if I had enjoyed the way it was written. This was a fast-paced fugitive style thriller with a mystery to solve in order for Jack to clear her name. I was disappointed by the Mr. and Mrs. Smith reference when trying to describe the book because it really doesn't have that feeling at all except for the first chapter alone. Jack and her husband Gabe are "penetration specialists/testers", and their job is to break into companies (hired by the companies themselves) to find weak points in their security, so that's where the Mr. and Mrs. Smith vibe comes from, but once Jack is on the run, that quickly fades away and it's all fugitive, all the time. In fact, Jack, who could have been an awesome fugitive given her specialty and training, forgets about all of this until halfway through the book and barely uses it. I would have liked to have referenced that a bit more because that would only make sense...
I go into books blindly so I didn't know her husband was going to die (not a spoiler -- it's in the synopsis of the book and happens within the first 1-2 chapters), so I was expecting more of classic Ruth Ware husband betrayal... Oops. That was my fault. But the mystery that Jack has to solve in order to clear her name from being the main suspect in her husband's murder was just... not good enough for me. I felt like Ruth Ware didn't dig into it enough and really make it an interesting overall factor in the book. The whole "Zero Days" thing was kind of meaningless, counting down to a random day that kind of didn't matter? I was also expecting her to get some sort of threat like she had to specifically do something in X amount of days. It was barely mentioned and not very exciting, and not even something she was personally involved in.
There was a twist I saw coming a mile away. I don't know if we were supposed to see it, but it was really obvious to me. I feel like Jack should have seen it too, but I guess grief + pain + brain running on overdrive, I guess I can forgive that. I also thought it was really unrealistic how Jack decided to start running from the police when she found out she was going to be a suspect and her sister was just like sure, I'll help you no questions asked. Really? Even if you're the closest sisters in the world, you're not going question this judgement? And then when the police finally catch up with Jack, it's no big deal because she solved the mystery and found the real killer (obviously)? She was on the run for like, a week. They wasted a lot of time and resources chasing her down. It would be bad for a book's heroine to have negative consequences but I feel like it's weird to be a fugitive and then it's no big deal later on. I guess it's a big concern with a fugitive story anyway...
I could have excused more but the ending wasn't satisfying either.
I didn't hate the book and the energy and story were fine to follow the whole way, but this was a pretty disappointing read, plot-wise. The characters were fine, but not great. The book was too long for a fast-paced thriller. I feel like this could have benefitted from a lot more editing.
Read Completed 6/21/23 |
THE ONLY ONE LEFT (2023) | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | 4 stars
THE HOUSE ACROSS THE LAKE (2022) | ⭐️⭐️✨ | 2.5 stars
SURVIVE THE NIGHT (2021) | ⭐️⭐️⭐️ | 3 stars
HOME BEFORE DARK (2020) | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨| 4.5 stars
LOCK EVERY DOOR (2019) | ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ | 3.5 stars
THE LAST TIME I LIED (2018) | ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ | 3.5 stars
FINAL GIRLS. (2017) | ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ | 3.5 stars
This was one of the better Riley Sager books for me! I really liked the gothic horror/thriller feel, which is something I enjoyed about my favorite of his books, HOME BEFORE DARK. I wish the book had leaned into the Lizzie Borden-esque vibe, and while the backstory is a big part of the book, it doesn't really take up *a lot* of the book. I think it would have been cooler to make it a little creepier, even though it's thriller and not horror.
This was a little Lizzie Borden meets Verity/The Wife Upstairs. The infamous Lenora Hope has suffered a stroke and has limited range and can no longer speak. It lacked a little excitement for me since I've just read so many stories like this already, but there is always a mystery and a question that really makes you wonder how much she's aware of and what she can do.
There were some twists at the end I didn't see coming and some things that I totally saw coming. I liked that it was a mix and that there were still surprises. I will say that there was a bit TOO much at the end, for my tastes. It started getting over the top and melodramatic, packing in a little too much.
I did like the story and the main characters, and I liked the feel of the book. The 80s setting wasn't really important except to eliminate technology so they had to communicate via typewriter and to set the events in the past so they could go back to 1929 and really set the Gothic horror feel.
I'm very thankful I liked this one because Riley Sager can be so hit or miss for me. When you have to many misses, it's not very encouraging. I think this will be a big hit with a lot of people and will also have a big crowd that hates it. I'm just glad I enjoyed my reading experience.
THE ONLY ONE LEFT (2023) | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | 4 stars
THE HOUSE ACROSS THE LAKE (2022) | ⭐️⭐️✨ | 2.5 stars
SURVIVE THE NIGHT (2021) | ⭐️⭐️⭐️ | 3 stars
HOME BEFORE DARK (2020) | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨| 4.5 stars
LOCK EVERY DOOR (2019) | ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ | 3.5 stars
THE LAST TIME I LIED (2018) | ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ | 3.5 stars
FINAL GIRLS. (2017) | ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ | 3.5 stars
This was one of the better Riley Sager books for me! I really liked the gothic horror/thriller feel, which is something I enjoyed about my favorite of his books, HOME BEFORE DARK. I wish the book had leaned into the Lizzie Borden-esque vibe, and while the backstory is a big part of the book, it doesn't really take up *a lot* of the book. I think it would have been cooler to make it a little creepier, even though it's thriller and not horror.
This was a little Lizzie Borden meets Verity/The Wife Upstairs. The infamous Lenora Hope has suffered a stroke and has limited range and can no longer speak. It lacked a little excitement for me since I've just read so many stories like this already, but there is always a mystery and a question that really makes you wonder how much she's aware of and what she can do.
There were some twists at the end I didn't see coming and some things that I totally saw coming. I liked that it was a mix and that there were still surprises. I will say that there was a bit TOO much at the end, for my tastes. It started getting over the top and melodramatic, packing in a little too much.
I did like the story and the main characters, and I liked the feel of the book. The 80s setting wasn't really important except to eliminate technology so they had to communicate via typewriter and to set the events in the past so they could go back to 1929 and really set the Gothic horror feel.
I'm very thankful I liked this one because Riley Sager can be so hit or miss for me. When you have to many misses, it's not very encouraging. I think this will be a big hit with a lot of people and will also have a big crowd that hates it. I'm just glad I enjoyed my reading experience.
Read Completed 6/19/23 | THE WHISPERS didn't really stick with me like THE PUSH did. I don't know what I really have to say about it, I suppose. It was a little bit thrilling but mostly drama and suspense, though not too suspenseful. There was an underlying dark tone throughout the book, for sure. In the end, I didn't care enough about the characters and it didn't feel as necessary to have all of their POVs. There were a lot of things going on in this neighborhood but it just never really clicked for me. It took me about halfway through the book to even sort out all of the women because I feel like it took that long to get to know them. I didn't really feel like there was enough to set them apart for a while.
I'd probably still try another Ashley Audrain book but this one was a little laborious for me.
I'd probably still try another Ashley Audrain book but this one was a little laborious for me.
Read Completed 6/19/23 | 3.25 stars
The Santa Clarita Diet meets True Blood, kind of...
THIS DELICIOUS DEATH was a fun read! This was a good kind of three stars and not bad. It was fairly light YA horror, though the main characters are... ya know... ghouls and eat flesh. The book was so easy to read and plot-wise, things were pretty light in terms of packing in plot points. The set-up let you get to know the characters for a while before introducing the larger conflict and that was basically the sole focus of the book, so readers didn't have to go off into a bunch of different directions.
What would have kicked this into a 4 star range for me would have been some humor. The cover made me feel like this would have some laughs, be campy, and have some good sarcasm and zingers. This was still fairly campy but I just really wanted it to be *funny* too.
I also really didn't care about the romance in the sense that I don't care about the romances in any book that is not specifically a romance novel. I'd just rather spend time with the plot and especially in a horror book, to get into the gory/scary stuff. I don't really care about butterflies and first kisses when all this other stuff is going on! It was still well done, but I just generally don't care about young adult first loves anymore.
One thing I also really did like was the structure of the book! I REALLY liked that it started after the event that turned a large chunk of the population into ghouls. The story starts two years after the main event and we get a flashback for the important characters, showing how they first were turned/infected and their sort of ghoul origin story. Some characters get more than one flashback (or a continuation thereof) if they're main characters. I liked that it wasn't a whole plot set in the flashbacks. The main story was the important part and the time in the past was just showing us the horrific events of everyone turning, and I enjoyed it!
The other thing I really liked was that this was technically young adult (the characters were in the summer before going off to college so it's a little older YA) but it really didn't feel like it was young. I've been getting tired of YA lately and have been hesitant to read much, so I really liked the writing style and how it didn't feel overly young or immature.
I did enjoy the read but it didn't wow me as much as I had hoped, and like I said, I just wished it had some really laugh out loud moments! That's not the book's fault but it definitely would have been something that would have escalated the experience for me.
The Santa Clarita Diet meets True Blood, kind of...
THIS DELICIOUS DEATH was a fun read! This was a good kind of three stars and not bad. It was fairly light YA horror, though the main characters are... ya know... ghouls and eat flesh. The book was so easy to read and plot-wise, things were pretty light in terms of packing in plot points. The set-up let you get to know the characters for a while before introducing the larger conflict and that was basically the sole focus of the book, so readers didn't have to go off into a bunch of different directions.
What would have kicked this into a 4 star range for me would have been some humor. The cover made me feel like this would have some laughs, be campy, and have some good sarcasm and zingers. This was still fairly campy but I just really wanted it to be *funny* too.
I also really didn't care about the romance in the sense that I don't care about the romances in any book that is not specifically a romance novel. I'd just rather spend time with the plot and especially in a horror book, to get into the gory/scary stuff. I don't really care about butterflies and first kisses when all this other stuff is going on! It was still well done, but I just generally don't care about young adult first loves anymore.
One thing I also really did like was the structure of the book! I REALLY liked that it started after the event that turned a large chunk of the population into ghouls. The story starts two years after the main event and we get a flashback for the important characters, showing how they first were turned/infected and their sort of ghoul origin story. Some characters get more than one flashback (or a continuation thereof) if they're main characters. I liked that it wasn't a whole plot set in the flashbacks. The main story was the important part and the time in the past was just showing us the horrific events of everyone turning, and I enjoyed it!
The other thing I really liked was that this was technically young adult (the characters were in the summer before going off to college so it's a little older YA) but it really didn't feel like it was young. I've been getting tired of YA lately and have been hesitant to read much, so I really liked the writing style and how it didn't feel overly young or immature.
I did enjoy the read but it didn't wow me as much as I had hoped, and like I said, I just wished it had some really laugh out loud moments! That's not the book's fault but it definitely would have been something that would have escalated the experience for me.