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pagesplotsandpints's Reviews (2.1k)
Read Completed 5/11/23 | This was 100% a cover read for me and I probably wouldn't have picked it up without such an eye-catching cover.
I don't read a lot of young adult anymore but I really wanted to give this one a shot. It was a pretty easy and fast read and I'm actually happy that I finished it! I've been quick to quit most YA reads I pick up lately and this captivated me enough to not think about putting it down. I also listened to the audiobook, narrated by Karissa Vacker, which was another reason I picked it up in the first place AND that's also a thing that kept me listening.
Mostly, my thoughts on this one was that I wanted more horror. There's a Big Thing that provides answers to all the questions but it isn't really explored. I guess that's a lot of horror, though, right? It's not sci-fi that has a scientific explanation or a thriller that has maybe a psychological explanation... horror is supernatural and just IS. I still felt like there could have been a bit more development on that somehow, though. I think I just wanted more trippy type feelings -- almost like watching Lost. Stranded on an island, weird things happening, but with a horror twist -- except that wasn't it. There was a lot of survivalist time during the plot, which kind of had to be there, but I didn't really care about it.
I liked the interpersonal journeys and the each of the girls growing and feeling more confident in who they are. I did wish the characters felt a bit more developed. They each kind of had their "thing" and then were dominated by it the whole book. Claire was sort of the main character and she is dealing with her anxiety but it kind of became the only thing we knew about her. It was a little ironic because she didn't want that to be the only thing people thought of when they thought of her and I wished the author had given us other things about her personality so that wasn't her only defining trait. Reyva was the one who was all badass and has no emotions and Mariana randomly is the one who loves working on cars, which seems to only be a factor because it's used in the plot later. That part just felt so forced and randomly thrown in there that it was weird, and I guess it ended up being a part of the plot but... the reason for it was also kind of dumb. (How they use her knowledge, that is.)
I didn't love the ending but I made it through the book and my interest was at least held!
I don't read a lot of young adult anymore but I really wanted to give this one a shot. It was a pretty easy and fast read and I'm actually happy that I finished it! I've been quick to quit most YA reads I pick up lately and this captivated me enough to not think about putting it down. I also listened to the audiobook, narrated by Karissa Vacker, which was another reason I picked it up in the first place AND that's also a thing that kept me listening.
Mostly, my thoughts on this one was that I wanted more horror. There's a Big Thing that provides answers to all the questions but it isn't really explored. I guess that's a lot of horror, though, right? It's not sci-fi that has a scientific explanation or a thriller that has maybe a psychological explanation... horror is supernatural and just IS. I still felt like there could have been a bit more development on that somehow, though. I think I just wanted more trippy type feelings -- almost like watching Lost. Stranded on an island, weird things happening, but with a horror twist -- except that wasn't it. There was a lot of survivalist time during the plot, which kind of had to be there, but I didn't really care about it.
I liked the interpersonal journeys and the each of the girls growing and feeling more confident in who they are. I did wish the characters felt a bit more developed. They each kind of had their "thing" and then were dominated by it the whole book. Claire was sort of the main character and she is dealing with her anxiety but it kind of became the only thing we knew about her. It was a little ironic because she didn't want that to be the only thing people thought of when they thought of her and I wished the author had given us other things about her personality so that wasn't her only defining trait. Reyva was the one who was all badass and has no emotions and Mariana randomly is the one who loves working on cars, which seems to only be a factor because it's used in the plot later. That part just felt so forced and randomly thrown in there that it was weird, and I guess it ended up being a part of the plot but... the reason for it was also kind of dumb. (How they use her knowledge, that is.)
I didn't love the ending but I made it through the book and my interest was at least held!
Read Completed 5/11/23 | This was a fun read! Very different than what I was expecting, but enjoyable. I thought this was going to much more techy and sci-fi and it was much more suspenseful combined with a little bit of espionage-type vibes.
This is not dystopian but it kind of reminded me of The Hunger Games feelings -- the suspense and tension of a select number of contestants being hunted down and trying to stay off the radar, plus a dash of government resistance. I wouldn't recommend it as a read alike in any way, but it was fun getting that kind of feeling for a little bit and it also helped set the tone of the book.
I wasn't as invested in the second half but I did like how the story kind of pivoted. It kept the plot fresh and gave the characters even more backstory!
This was a fun, suspenseful read without being a "regular" psychological or domestic thriller. I always love trying to venture outside of that "normal" thriller feel and I'm glad I picked this one up! I was hoping for a sci-fi/technothriller but this worked really well too and I'm happy I still liked it despite my (incorrect) expectations for it.
This is not dystopian but it kind of reminded me of The Hunger Games feelings -- the suspense and tension of a select number of contestants being hunted down and trying to stay off the radar, plus a dash of government resistance. I wouldn't recommend it as a read alike in any way, but it was fun getting that kind of feeling for a little bit and it also helped set the tone of the book.
I wasn't as invested in the second half but I did like how the story kind of pivoted. It kept the plot fresh and gave the characters even more backstory!
This was a fun, suspenseful read without being a "regular" psychological or domestic thriller. I always love trying to venture outside of that "normal" thriller feel and I'm glad I picked this one up! I was hoping for a sci-fi/technothriller but this worked really well too and I'm happy I still liked it despite my (incorrect) expectations for it.
Read Completed 5/9/23 | 3.5 stars
This was my first Angie Hockman book (I wanted to read SHIPPED but the audio quality was so bad?) so I didn't know what to expect. It was a cute concept that started out nicely but I just never really got excited about it. I didn't know how I felt about the idea of Devin being possibly made up, and then when we found out he was real, I just didn't trust him. I didn't know how this was going to connect with Cass knowing who he was and I was worried he had played her in the past.
The story was okay. I wouldn't really call it a love triangle, but the feelings do shift towards the brother. I actually liked that, but I kind of felt like the time spent actually dating Devin felt like a waste when we could have been swooning for Perry the whole time. The "falling for the brother" trope is a tricky one to nail and I just never quite got there.
I did like that Cass had her own personal growth, that the "mean girl" in the office wasn't 100% a mean girl, and that there was a fun best friend who also got a romance of her own. The book overall was good but I'm still not rushing to recommend it to everyone. I also didn't quite love the way that it ended. We do finally find out how Cass knew Devin and ... eh. I didn't care for it. I was back and forth on how I felt about this one as a whole and it ended up being just okay for me.
This was my first Angie Hockman book (I wanted to read SHIPPED but the audio quality was so bad?) so I didn't know what to expect. It was a cute concept that started out nicely but I just never really got excited about it. I didn't know how I felt about the idea of Devin being possibly made up, and then when we found out he was real, I just didn't trust him. I didn't know how this was going to connect with Cass knowing who he was and I was worried he had played her in the past.
The story was okay. I wouldn't really call it a love triangle, but the feelings do shift towards the brother. I actually liked that, but I kind of felt like the time spent actually dating Devin felt like a waste when we could have been swooning for Perry the whole time. The "falling for the brother" trope is a tricky one to nail and I just never quite got there.
I did like that Cass had her own personal growth, that the "mean girl" in the office wasn't 100% a mean girl, and that there was a fun best friend who also got a romance of her own. The book overall was good but I'm still not rushing to recommend it to everyone. I also didn't quite love the way that it ended. We do finally find out how Cass knew Devin and ... eh. I didn't care for it. I was back and forth on how I felt about this one as a whole and it ended up being just okay for me.
Read Completed 5/8/23 |
More detailed review to come
This was cute and reminded me a ton of the movie While You Were Sleeping (I think it was maybe supposed to be inspired by it?) but the movie is such a favorite of mine and this one fell short. It was a nice book but A) I felt like there wasn't enough to drive Layla and Ian apart and B) the romance with the brother, Matt, took way too long to develop that I didn't really have any feelings towards him.
Loved the concept, fairly poor execution, didn't care at all about the theater and the play.
More detailed review to come
This was cute and reminded me a ton of the movie While You Were Sleeping (I think it was maybe supposed to be inspired by it?) but the movie is such a favorite of mine and this one fell short. It was a nice book but A) I felt like there wasn't enough to drive Layla and Ian apart and B) the romance with the brother, Matt, took way too long to develop that I didn't really have any feelings towards him.
Loved the concept, fairly poor execution, didn't care at all about the theater and the play.
Read Completed 5/7/23 | 4.25 stars
Thank you to NetGalley & Macmillan Audio/St. Martin's Press for the audiobook review copy!
This book was such a delight! I think it has a little bit more dose of serious than THE BODYGUARD did (and that's the only other Katherine Center book I've read since I prefer to read romcoms over more serious/sad/dramatic romances) and I was a tad worried in the beginning when it was taking a while to get to some laughs. I really did appreciate it though! There were still plenty of swoons, cute moments, and some really valuable perspectives in this book.
I REALLY liked the concept of face-blindness in a romance story. Once the love story started to develop, I knew how it was going to go but I liked being able to see both sides of it as the reader! (I think we're supposed to be able to know/guess... the author's note at the end talks about hope and positivity in romance novels vs calling them "predictable" because they're kind of supposed to be predictable.) The face-blindness was an interesting and unique angle to use in a romance... falling in love with someone because of who they are and how they act without ever knowing what their face looks like was a fresh perspective and I always love when a romance can give you something new! I loved seeing Sadie interact with Joe and appreciating his kindness so many times without knowing that it's him half the time.
The only thing I didn't love about the book was the evil step-mother/evil step-sister thing. I'm sure some marriages and family blending does cause terrible relationships and there are tons of step-families that don't get along, but I would have rather had that be a bit less polarizing. There was some resolution there that was really heart-warming and I liked that not everything was perfectly tied up, either.
I also did enjoy that not everything was 100% perfect happily ever after to keep some more reality in this adorable book. There is still a happy finale with the romance, so don't worry there! But Sadie doesn't get everything she magically wanted and there are some real struggles, real hurdles to overcome, and relationships that get better, but aren't perfectly fixed.
This is also a NO SPICE book, which I loved. I adored the close moments between Sadie and Joe and there's some wonderful scenes to make your heart flutter and fall in love with Joe too.
I am forever here for new Katherine Center books and I loved the combination of cute rom-com and real life seriousness without either one taking over in extreme.
Recommended for fans of: Emily Henry, Abby Jimenez
Also check out: Linda Holmes, Ellie Cahill
Thank you to NetGalley & Macmillan Audio/St. Martin's Press for the audiobook review copy!
This book was such a delight! I think it has a little bit more dose of serious than THE BODYGUARD did (and that's the only other Katherine Center book I've read since I prefer to read romcoms over more serious/sad/dramatic romances) and I was a tad worried in the beginning when it was taking a while to get to some laughs. I really did appreciate it though! There were still plenty of swoons, cute moments, and some really valuable perspectives in this book.
I REALLY liked the concept of face-blindness in a romance story. Once the love story started to develop, I knew how it was going to go but I liked being able to see both sides of it as the reader! (I think we're supposed to be able to know/guess... the author's note at the end talks about hope and positivity in romance novels vs calling them "predictable" because they're kind of supposed to be predictable.) The face-blindness was an interesting and unique angle to use in a romance... falling in love with someone because of who they are and how they act without ever knowing what their face looks like was a fresh perspective and I always love when a romance can give you something new! I loved seeing Sadie interact with Joe and appreciating his kindness so many times without knowing that it's him half the time.
The only thing I didn't love about the book was the evil step-mother/evil step-sister thing. I'm sure some marriages and family blending does cause terrible relationships and there are tons of step-families that don't get along, but I would have rather had that be a bit less polarizing. There was some resolution there that was really heart-warming and I liked that not everything was perfectly tied up, either.
I also did enjoy that not everything was 100% perfect happily ever after to keep some more reality in this adorable book. There is still a happy finale with the romance, so don't worry there! But Sadie doesn't get everything she magically wanted and there are some real struggles, real hurdles to overcome, and relationships that get better, but aren't perfectly fixed.
This is also a NO SPICE book, which I loved. I adored the close moments between Sadie and Joe and there's some wonderful scenes to make your heart flutter and fall in love with Joe too.
I am forever here for new Katherine Center books and I loved the combination of cute rom-com and real life seriousness without either one taking over in extreme.
Recommended for fans of: Emily Henry, Abby Jimenez
Also check out: Linda Holmes, Ellie Cahill
Read Completed 5/6/23 | I REALLY wanted to like this. Its overall rating on Goodreads wasn't fantastic but it did have some really good reviews and comparisons to other books I've really enjoyed, so I was hoping I'd feel the same way, but the writing just didn't come together in this one.
There are three different POVs/timelines that we follow: a young boy, a near 30-year-old, and a middle-aged man with a daughter. We don't know how these connect for a long time, but I had some guesses, but even with my guess (which was correct), it still didn't feel as exciting as it should have. There was too much time spent in the youngest's timeline and I just didn't think we needed to be there so long. There are also chapters that detail the plot of the MC's favorite TV show which has become a cult following (just for him, I think... it wasn't an important TV show or popular), and honestly, I just skipped through those after a while. It wasn't important to the story at all and could have easily just been a strong reference instead of having to go over several TV show episodes.
Mostly, I was disappointed at the lack of time travel focus. I almost DNFed this book but things got interesting around the 30% mark RIGHT as I was considering it. I stuck around to get into the captivating parts of time travel, but that was kind of a dud as well. The concept of it was vague, the aforementioned company with possibly sinister motives lacked, the suspense wasn't there. This was definitely more contemporary, focusing on family and just the characters themselves, but I really wanted some plot to go with it. I expected it, with a bright, flashy cover like this and the synopsis promising "reality unraveling" and the company covering up a "string of violent crimes". That... didn't really happen. Brandon had many confusing moments where he lost time but it was poorly explained and as confusing as it was for him, it was also confusing for me to follow. The batteries were weird and poorly explained, the cereal was weird. It just could have used a little more focus.
I DID like the tone and the writing. If it flowed a little better, I would have liked it a lot more. I don't mind not knowing everything in a sci-fi novel and being a little confused, but I felt a little too lost in some parts and a little too bored in others. I would have liked some more balance between everything -- past and present, character and plot, fast and slow.
The ending clicked a bit but then it got mushy again. I just really wanted more plot for this one. The marketing let me down here. I think with a different cover and a slightly adjusted synopsis, this would have been better represented and I probably wouldn't have picked it up in the first place. I'm much more interested in fast-paced, suspenseful time travel concepts. I have read some nice, more contemporary ones as well, but that wasn't what I was expecting here.
There are three different POVs/timelines that we follow: a young boy, a near 30-year-old, and a middle-aged man with a daughter. We don't know how these connect for a long time, but I had some guesses, but even with my guess (which was correct), it still didn't feel as exciting as it should have. There was too much time spent in the youngest's timeline and I just didn't think we needed to be there so long. There are also chapters that detail the plot of the MC's favorite TV show which has become a cult following (just for him, I think... it wasn't an important TV show or popular), and honestly, I just skipped through those after a while. It wasn't important to the story at all and could have easily just been a strong reference instead of having to go over several TV show episodes.
Mostly, I was disappointed at the lack of time travel focus. I almost DNFed this book but things got interesting around the 30% mark RIGHT as I was considering it. I stuck around to get into the captivating parts of time travel, but that was kind of a dud as well. The concept of it was vague, the aforementioned company with possibly sinister motives lacked, the suspense wasn't there. This was definitely more contemporary, focusing on family and just the characters themselves, but I really wanted some plot to go with it. I expected it, with a bright, flashy cover like this and the synopsis promising "reality unraveling" and the company covering up a "string of violent crimes". That... didn't really happen. Brandon had many confusing moments where he lost time but it was poorly explained and as confusing as it was for him, it was also confusing for me to follow. The batteries were weird and poorly explained, the cereal was weird. It just could have used a little more focus.
I DID like the tone and the writing. If it flowed a little better, I would have liked it a lot more. I don't mind not knowing everything in a sci-fi novel and being a little confused, but I felt a little too lost in some parts and a little too bored in others. I would have liked some more balance between everything -- past and present, character and plot, fast and slow.
The ending clicked a bit but then it got mushy again. I just really wanted more plot for this one. The marketing let me down here. I think with a different cover and a slightly adjusted synopsis, this would have been better represented and I probably wouldn't have picked it up in the first place. I'm much more interested in fast-paced, suspenseful time travel concepts. I have read some nice, more contemporary ones as well, but that wasn't what I was expecting here.
Read Completed 5/4/23 | 2.5 stars
This book had so much potential and when I started reading it, it had very similar feelings to What Lies in the Woods by Kate Alice Marshall, which I rated 5 stars earlier this year. Sadly, I KNOW YOU KNOW just never really made that special jump into the amazing connection territory and I actually struggled most of the book to click with it. I still kept trying because I was hoping for that moment, but it never happened.
My biggest issue with the book was the characters. I felt like they were all over the place. There's a difference between allowing them to keep secrets and hiding things from/changing things on the readers. Jessica's difference was growth, so there was that, but I had such a hard time understanding who Fletcher was supposed to be and why Felix needed to be so important. It's like all of the pieces were there but they were forced together incorrectly and jarringly so instead of a puzzle being put back together.
I was going to leave this as a 3 star rating, letting it go that maybe I just didn't click with it, but the ending really left me feeling even more unhappy about the book. It was incredibly unsatisfying, a little weird, and felt like more than a couple of odd choices. I personally VERY much don't like when an author throws in a random character or situation in the end to solve a mystery when they weren't even parts of the main plot, and I felt a little tricked here. There were SO many opportunities to keep the shock value but make it good. This felt like a cop out, and then added some twists so throw everyone's character up in the air again for another jumbled mess for good measure.
This was my first Gilly Macmillan book and I chose it because it has two of my favorite narrators (Steve West, Imogen Church) and sadly, even this book made me not like their performances. They were still great, but I felt like their characters were just so blah during the book as well that they didn't even have the chance to make them interesting and bring them to life.
Just a disappointment all around. I REALLY expected to like this one so I kept listening and then I reached a point where it was too late to stop (I don't count my DNFs as read, no matter how far I get, so I finished the book and hey, I also wanted to see if maybe the ending got better too. It did not).
This book had so much potential and when I started reading it, it had very similar feelings to What Lies in the Woods by Kate Alice Marshall, which I rated 5 stars earlier this year. Sadly, I KNOW YOU KNOW just never really made that special jump into the amazing connection territory and I actually struggled most of the book to click with it. I still kept trying because I was hoping for that moment, but it never happened.
My biggest issue with the book was the characters. I felt like they were all over the place. There's a difference between allowing them to keep secrets and hiding things from/changing things on the readers. Jessica's difference was growth, so there was that, but I had such a hard time understanding who Fletcher was supposed to be and why Felix needed to be so important. It's like all of the pieces were there but they were forced together incorrectly and jarringly so instead of a puzzle being put back together.
I was going to leave this as a 3 star rating, letting it go that maybe I just didn't click with it, but the ending really left me feeling even more unhappy about the book. It was incredibly unsatisfying, a little weird, and felt like more than a couple of odd choices. I personally VERY much don't like when an author throws in a random character or situation in the end to solve a mystery when they weren't even parts of the main plot, and I felt a little tricked here. There were SO many opportunities to keep the shock value but make it good. This felt like a cop out, and then added some twists so throw everyone's character up in the air again for another jumbled mess for good measure.
This was my first Gilly Macmillan book and I chose it because it has two of my favorite narrators (Steve West, Imogen Church) and sadly, even this book made me not like their performances. They were still great, but I felt like their characters were just so blah during the book as well that they didn't even have the chance to make them interesting and bring them to life.
Just a disappointment all around. I REALLY expected to like this one so I kept listening and then I reached a point where it was too late to stop (I don't count my DNFs as read, no matter how far I get, so I finished the book and hey, I also wanted to see if maybe the ending got better too. It did not).
Read Completed 5/3/23 | 3.75 - 4 stars
This one didn't grab me as much as his books usually do. I loved the familiar feel, the references to the other books (THE ONE, THE PASSENGERS -- also highly highly recommended to read those first), and the shocking twists John Marrs is always guaranteed to include in these books. For some reason this one didn't quite seem to have the magic the other two books did. It almost felt like it wasn't over? And other books have gotten characters a bit more entangled. But still, very enjoyable.
This one didn't grab me as much as his books usually do. I loved the familiar feel, the references to the other books (THE ONE, THE PASSENGERS -- also highly highly recommended to read those first), and the shocking twists John Marrs is always guaranteed to include in these books. For some reason this one didn't quite seem to have the magic the other two books did. It almost felt like it wasn't over? And other books have gotten characters a bit more entangled. But still, very enjoyable.
Read Completed 5/1/23 | 3.75 stars
I appreciated that this book was also very focused on family and had some depth to it, and yet, I felt like it took away from the romance instead of adding some good layers *in addition to* the romance. I wanted more swoon and cute moments. This almost feels like it would be a better movie. It was very cute and I loved the involvement of the nieces, as well as a romantic lead of a single dad with a young teenage daughter. Unfortunately for some reason, I kept picturing him as a Hollywood actor who I fund unattractive so that didn't help (it just popped in my head and I couldn't get it out because it wasn't even how he was described), but I really did like the chemistry that was there between the two main characters. I just wish there was MORE. I felt like we didn't get to spend enough time swooning and they both fought it off for too long. I really did like the story, though.
I appreciated that this book was also very focused on family and had some depth to it, and yet, I felt like it took away from the romance instead of adding some good layers *in addition to* the romance. I wanted more swoon and cute moments. This almost feels like it would be a better movie. It was very cute and I loved the involvement of the nieces, as well as a romantic lead of a single dad with a young teenage daughter. Unfortunately for some reason, I kept picturing him as a Hollywood actor who I fund unattractive so that didn't help (it just popped in my head and I couldn't get it out because it wasn't even how he was described), but I really did like the chemistry that was there between the two main characters. I just wish there was MORE. I felt like we didn't get to spend enough time swooning and they both fought it off for too long. I really did like the story, though.
Read Completed 5/1/23 | 3.5 stars
This ended up being really interesting but I felt like the beginning was really, really slow. The synopsis sounded incredible and the reviews were so good that unfortunately, I expected a lot out of the gate.
It did need some significant set up BUT it also felt like it took too long to get to the good stuff. There was a cool hook around 27% - 30% that pulled me back in because I was toying with the idea of not finishing. I’m glad I did continue because I really liked the concept but I’m also a little disappointed that I didn’t get to spend as much time with it as I had hoped.
I didn’t love the style with nearly all of the book being told in letter form. I guess it’s technically no different in narration, but it felt like there were no chapter breaks and that it just went on and on. I never really thought about how much chapter breaks make a difference but they really do! (Note: I was listening to the audiobook so there may have been physical breaks in the print version. In the audio version, it felt like nothing.)
I also didn’t love the narrator. His voice was fine but I felt like he was kind of fast so I really had to slow down my pace. It wasn’t a huge deal but it irritated me 😂 I’m not taking any ratings off for that or anything — just an experience note.
This really was a cool concept. I’d be interested if the author writes more sci-fi type books like this! An author’s writing and vibes can be so different from book to book that there’s always potential I’d like another one more.
This ended up being really interesting but I felt like the beginning was really, really slow. The synopsis sounded incredible and the reviews were so good that unfortunately, I expected a lot out of the gate.
It did need some significant set up BUT it also felt like it took too long to get to the good stuff. There was a cool hook around 27% - 30% that pulled me back in because I was toying with the idea of not finishing. I’m glad I did continue because I really liked the concept but I’m also a little disappointed that I didn’t get to spend as much time with it as I had hoped.
I didn’t love the style with nearly all of the book being told in letter form. I guess it’s technically no different in narration, but it felt like there were no chapter breaks and that it just went on and on. I never really thought about how much chapter breaks make a difference but they really do! (Note: I was listening to the audiobook so there may have been physical breaks in the print version. In the audio version, it felt like nothing.)
I also didn’t love the narrator. His voice was fine but I felt like he was kind of fast so I really had to slow down my pace. It wasn’t a huge deal but it irritated me 😂 I’m not taking any ratings off for that or anything — just an experience note.
This really was a cool concept. I’d be interested if the author writes more sci-fi type books like this! An author’s writing and vibes can be so different from book to book that there’s always potential I’d like another one more.