Reviews tagging 'Grief'

Blood Sugar by Sascha Rothchild

13 reviews

briimarie's review against another edition

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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. 
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amaranth_wytch's review against another edition

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dark mysterious fast-paced

4.0

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missgrangerr's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I have not stopped recommending this since I read it a year ago. Interesting premise and an even more interesting protagonist. Loved reading about Ruby's past and present.
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thequeendavina's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This was my #1 read of 2023. I loved this book, I could’ve finished in under 2 hours but I wanted to savor the ending. I loved the gray area plot and honestly was rooting for her! 
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soobooksalot's review against another edition

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dark mysterious reflective tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Meet Ruby Simon.
 She's easily one of the most absorbing characters I've met this year. 
 Sociopathic, to be sure. But you can't look away.
 Blood Sugar is a fantastic suspense portrait of a serial killer. It's not a whodunnit - we know who done what, starting in the first chapter - but a who else. And why!
 I'll definitely be watching for more from author Sascha Rothchild. I haven't seen Blood Sugar on social media very often, but I highly recommend giving this lesser-known and tightly-written read a go.
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greatexpectations77's review against another edition

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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.
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minimicropup's review against another edition

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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. 

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
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bookswithlauren's review against another edition

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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.
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unicornofthesea's review against another edition

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dark slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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m_sesoko's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious reflective tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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