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briimarie's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
As a diabetic myself, this title jumped out to be at B&N and I had to buy it. This book single handedly pulled me out of a 6 month reading slump. (Other than an audiobook)
The character driven writing took a bit to get used to, but once I did I was drawn in. Despite reading this on the way back from work, I looked forward to it. The hour ride flew by.
The character driven writing took a bit to get used to, but once I did I was drawn in. Despite reading this on the way back from work, I looked forward to it. The hour ride flew by.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Medical content, and Grief
Moderate: Murder
Minor: Animal death
menastarr's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
⇢ 5 ★
i am trusting my favorite booktuber, hailey hughes, with book recs for the foreseeable future. my goodness, this book was SO riveting!! what i loved about this thriller is that, while we do have an exciting plot, i'd say that it was more character driven. this is the first thriller that i actually cared for the characters more than the plot. in my opinion, if there ever was a film adaptation, i think yorgos lanthimos, A24, or david fincher would nail it.
ruby simon is thrown into an interrogation room and is informed that she is being accused of four murders, one including her husband, but the truth is... she's only guilty of three, and she KNOWS she did not kill her husband. i had a roller coaster of emotions for the main character, ruby. she is far from perfect, but that somehow makes her ten times more likable. at times you will question her decisions, and others, you will truly feel for her.
the only thing that i wasn't a huge fan of (but i understand why it was a part of the plot) was the unexpected and abrupt animal death. i was under the guise that this would be a fun and mysterious pool read, and there was a set of particular chapters i landed on while at the pool on vacation that really dampened my mood. if animal death, specifically PET death, is something that you are sensitive to, this book is absolutely still worth the read, but please be aware of this before diving into "blood sugar". in fact, it would be wise to check trigger warnings in general for this book, because there is a handful of them. the ones i listed aren't even the exhaustive list.
as someone who is planning to go into a career of psychotherapy, i LOVED the mental health representation and rothchild's portrayal of psychologists. it felt very authentic, which was a breath of fresh air compared to some other thriller books i have read.
if you want an unputdownable, unforgettable thriller that you will devour in no time, get your hands on "blood sugar" asap!!
౨ৎ TRIGGER WARNINGS
✧ murder
✧ drug use
✧ animal death
✧ death of a loved one
✧ grief
✧ sexual assault
✧ chronic illness
✧ child death
✧ racism
i am trusting my favorite booktuber, hailey hughes, with book recs for the foreseeable future. my goodness, this book was SO riveting!! what i loved about this thriller is that, while we do have an exciting plot, i'd say that it was more character driven. this is the first thriller that i actually cared for the characters more than the plot. in my opinion, if there ever was a film adaptation, i think yorgos lanthimos, A24, or david fincher would nail it.
ruby simon is thrown into an interrogation room and is informed that she is being accused of four murders, one including her husband, but the truth is... she's only guilty of three, and she KNOWS she did not kill her husband. i had a roller coaster of emotions for the main character, ruby. she is far from perfect, but that somehow makes her ten times more likable. at times you will question her decisions, and others, you will truly feel for her.
the only thing that i wasn't a huge fan of (but i understand why it was a part of the plot) was the unexpected and abrupt animal death. i was under the guise that this would be a fun and mysterious pool read, and there was a set of particular chapters i landed on while at the pool on vacation that really dampened my mood. if animal death, specifically PET death, is something that you are sensitive to, this book is absolutely still worth the read, but please be aware of this before diving into "blood sugar". in fact, it would be wise to check trigger warnings in general for this book, because there is a handful of them. the ones i listed aren't even the exhaustive list.
as someone who is planning to go into a career of psychotherapy, i LOVED the mental health representation and rothchild's portrayal of psychologists. it felt very authentic, which was a breath of fresh air compared to some other thriller books i have read.
if you want an unputdownable, unforgettable thriller that you will devour in no time, get your hands on "blood sugar" asap!!
౨ৎ TRIGGER WARNINGS
✧ murder
✧ drug use
✧ animal death
✧ death of a loved one
✧ grief
✧ sexual assault
✧ chronic illness
✧ child death
✧ racism
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Chronic illness, Drug abuse, Drug use, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Gaslighting
Minor: Racism, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment
amaranth_wytch's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, and Grief
Moderate: Bullying, Drug abuse, Drug use, Violence, Car accident, Murder, Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Cursing, Gun violence, Infidelity, Racism, Medical content, Stalking, Abortion, Lesbophobia, Alcohol, and Deportation
charlottereads_books's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Drug use, Sexual assault, Violence, and Murder
Minor: Chronic illness and Mental illness
a_libraryghost's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
I liked blood sugar, it was fine-but I don’t know if I’d call it a thriller. It barely even counts as a mystery. Ruby is surprisingly a really likeable character and I enjoyed being in her head and I love how the author didn’t fall into the stereotypes of sociopathy and psychopathy. I cared about her and the people she cares about, and all the side characters had distinct identities.
However the depth put into the characters did not seem to carry over to the plot. The story is fast paced and a genuine page turner but the pace is so even that there’s no climax or major low points. I never stopped reading cuz I did want to know what happened next, because nothing had happened. Jason’s death is a low point but we know that’s coming and it’s very heavily hinted how it’s going to happen. There is a bit of a plot twist at the end but it felt very underwhelming and the ending in general felt very rushed and unrealistic.
However the depth put into the characters did not seem to carry over to the plot. The story is fast paced and a genuine page turner but the pace is so even that there’s no climax or major low points. I never stopped reading cuz I did want to know what happened next, because nothing had happened. Jason’s death is a low point but we know that’s coming and it’s very heavily hinted how it’s going to happen. There is a bit of a plot twist at the end but it felt very underwhelming and the ending in general felt very rushed and unrealistic.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness and Death
Moderate: Animal death and Sexual assault
Minor: Confinement
abbiebonnyman's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Loved this book. Really makes you think of the concept of morality. Really enjoyed how things mentioned briefly earlier in story have links to later parts.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Death, Drug use, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Chronic illness, Rape, Sexual assault, Blood, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Cursing
greatexpectations77's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
I was extremely into this, and I'm really interested in reading more by this author. I thought it unfolded really interestingly, and I absolutely did not expect to sympathize with this main character, but I liked her?? A really fun read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Death, Blood, Grief, and Murder
Moderate: Addiction, Animal death, Bullying, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, and Alcohol
Minor: Violence
minimicropup's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Atmosphere: 👌
Mostly Miami Beach setting paired with feel-it, see-it writing. Immersive even though we are also deep in our MCs mind and viewpoint.
Main POV: 👌
TLDR; a morally grey serial killer. Our MC is complex, open-minded, intuitive, loving, empathetic, perceptive, intelligent…but also judgemental, protective, quick to act, technically evil, and the type of person who will step up to fix a problem when society doesn’t seem to have a good (or legal) solution.
Growls and Howls: 🐺
I think if you don’t identify with, like, or appreciate the MC then this book will not be fun at all for you. I think that because the murders are not the focus; the thriller aspects come from caring about the MC and what happens to them.
Cred Rating: 👍
Plausible to realistic depending on the era and forensic competence. The plotting around key witnesses near the end seemed a bit convenient but not unbelievable necessarily. A serial killer like this seems a fantasy - I don’t think the human mind has managed to balance being ‘moral and murderous’.
Show’n’tell: 👌
Show and tell exactly how I like it. Tell me when it’s necessary, otherwise show me everything. Like a captivating kindergarten session where you go home and play school after.
Show and tell exactly how I like it. Tell me when it’s necessary, otherwise show me everything. Like a captivating kindergarten session where you go home and play school after.
Reading Journey: 👍
Meandering evening summer drive alone with the windows down
Great match if you like:
-literary fiction vibes with a side of thriller/suspense from false accustion
-exploring complexities of growing up, families, relationships, friendships, and grief
-character study from childhood to adulthood
-antihero elements (haven’t we all pondered if we could act on “I could just kill ___” if we knew we’d get away with it?)
-thought-provoking discussion points on morality and what to do with incurable abusers
-legal thriller elements (defendant focus)
Vibes: 🥰🫢🥳
Format: Library E-book via Libby
Format: Library E-book via Libby
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Chronic illness, Drug use, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Murder, and Alcohol
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders and Medical content
chronic illness refers to type 1 diabetes and animal death is natural death of a pet (not from cruelty).bookswithlauren's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I have never read anything like this nor do I think I will ever read anything like this again. The writing, the plot, the characters and their development, are all incredibly planned out and impeccably portrayed. Sascha Rothchild has written a book so clever, so intriguing and intellectual but also so precarious and multi dimensional, it is unparalleled.
"Blood Sugar" is nothing short of profound and extraordinary.
"Blood Sugar" is nothing short of profound and extraordinary.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Car accident, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Deportation
ainrosle's review against another edition
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I've never felt more in sync with a character which I ADORE immensely like I did with Ruby in this book. This book was very reflective, and it held all the right emotions which I did NOT expect coming into the book.
It felt very wholesome and apart from the 3 dead people, the rest of the characters are a joy to get to know more about!
Ruby is a character that has so much depth and is just as real and raw as any therapists I've read in books before. Whatever perfect notion you had before about a therapist, just throw it out the window. Yes Ruby murdered 3 people in her lifetime but... is she a bad person...? I vote no 😉
It felt very wholesome and apart from the 3 dead people, the rest of the characters are a joy to get to know more about!
Ruby is a character that has so much depth and is just as real and raw as any therapists I've read in books before. Whatever perfect notion you had before about a therapist, just throw it out the window. Yes Ruby murdered 3 people in her lifetime but... is she a bad person...? I vote no 😉
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Bullying
Moderate: Chronic illness