Scan barcode
spinstah's reviews
1266 reviews
Murder Your Employer: The McMasters Guide to Homicide by Rupert Holmes
slow-paced
3.0
This was okay, I think the execution didn’t quite live up to the concept. The best parts were the parts that took place on campus, I didn’t think following the deletists after graduation added much.
Anita de Monte Laughs Last by Xochitl Gonzalez
dark
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
It took me a little while to get into this but once I did I found it really engaging. I liked the parallel structure of Anita and Raquel’s lives and thought the way the trial was handled in the narrative was perfect.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder and Domestic abuse
The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo
5.0
This was so immersive, with great characters. I do think that if you're not typically into historical fiction you may not enjoy this, but if you do enjoy it, and you also like fantasy, this is worth your time. I particularly enjoyed the ending, which has endless montage vibes and I thought tied things up just enough.
Dominicana by Angie Cruz
4.0
This was really compelling, but really hard to read at times. Especially when I remembered that the protagonist, Ana, was only 15, and she was married to a man in his 30s. This was essentially a business relationship for their families - a daughter to marry in exchange for land - and you can feel it throughout the novel. Ana manages to persevere, and there's a lot to like about this story, including the writing. But it's a tough one because I knew that, while it's fiction, it's based in a reality that many women endure.
Real Americans by Rachel Khong
4.5
I really enjoyed this. It’s a family saga told in three parts, but not in generational order, which I liked. The third section wasn’t quite as compulsively readable as the first two, but it was still really good and answers some questions from earlier sections.
Shark Heart: A Love Story by Emily Habeck
3.75
This is a weird concept that I really liked. The writing, in particular some of the text layout, was interesting and the tone alert of had the rhythm of poetry at times, but without the lyricism. Definitely not for everyone.
One of Us Knows by Alyssa Cole
dark
fast-paced
3.5
This book has a really interesting concept: the POV character has dissociative identity disorder. I do think the plot was a little convoluted with two mysteries (one internal, one external), and there are a couple of loose ends that I wish had been tied up, but overall this was enjoyable.
Godkiller by Hannah Kaner
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
4.5
This was really fun! The world-building is woven throughout in a very natural way, and I liked how you get a fairly clear sense of what the past of each of the characters was probably like, but without any flashbacks. It did end a little abruptly, but I can understand not wanting to make the book any longer, especially as it’s the start of a series.
Shubeik Lubeik by Deena Mohamed
5.0
This was really great. I enjoyed the stories and the illustrations supported them wonderfully.