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krayreads's reviews
1197 reviews
A Girl Like Us by Anna Sophia McLoughlin
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
comparing this to succession and saltburn is wiiiiiild. while there are a FEW aspects in this book that touch upon themes in both those, it's not nearly enough to be blurbed as such. here you have the typical story of an outsider, maya, marrying into an upper echelon family, the sterlings, and mysteriously being named the heir to inherit the entire family fortune after the previous heiress dies.
the writing was super clunky. there was a lot of telling and not showing which, in a mystery/thriller, basically negates those aspects of the book. the first few chapters were filled with nothing but paragraphs of info dumping (and before any of you say a single thing, YES I READ PARAGRAPHS). i understand that was necessary to set up the world/characters, but it made it hard for me to get into the story. the pacing was very slow - we hardly got anything worthy of note to do with the actual plot until about 30-40% in. the middle was filled with repetitive scenes of the wealthy family making the new wife feel like the gum on the bottom of their shoes. like we GET IT. she's "never be a sterling". ugh.
the last third of the story was when things finally started to pick up. right as i was finally getting into it, the plot twists that were revealed felt...boring? lackluster? it wasn't anything i didn't kind of guess was going to happen. i wasn't truly shocked by it. and then immediately after the big reveal, we cut straight to the epilogue. now that actually was a surprise because i didn't expect such an abrupt ending. it also felt a bit unsatisfying. i wanted more closure with the endings of certain characters because the set up was there for a bigger conclusion and we got none of it.
this story takes place in 2004 and i do have to hand it to the author - she did capture what the world and culture was like during that time perfectly.
overall, there wasn't anything about this book that really stood out. nothing that i haven't already read before.
the writing was super clunky. there was a lot of telling and not showing which, in a mystery/thriller, basically negates those aspects of the book. the first few chapters were filled with nothing but paragraphs of info dumping (and before any of you say a single thing, YES I READ PARAGRAPHS). i understand that was necessary to set up the world/characters, but it made it hard for me to get into the story. the pacing was very slow - we hardly got anything worthy of note to do with the actual plot until about 30-40% in. the middle was filled with repetitive scenes of the wealthy family making the new wife feel like the gum on the bottom of their shoes. like we GET IT. she's "never be a sterling". ugh.
the last third of the story was when things finally started to pick up. right as i was finally getting into it, the plot twists that were revealed felt...boring? lackluster? it wasn't anything i didn't kind of guess was going to happen. i wasn't truly shocked by it. and then immediately after the big reveal, we cut straight to the epilogue. now that actually was a surprise because i didn't expect such an abrupt ending. it also felt a bit unsatisfying. i wanted more closure with the endings of certain characters because the set up was there for a bigger conclusion and we got none of it.
this story takes place in 2004 and i do have to hand it to the author - she did capture what the world and culture was like during that time perfectly.
overall, there wasn't anything about this book that really stood out. nothing that i haven't already read before.
A Killer's Code by Isabella Maldonado
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
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
4.0
i can't believe this is the last book in this series (and that i binged the whole thing lol). i have loved the fast paced action packed world of dani vega and all of her found family members. the little romance in the end made me heart ACHE. ugh. this was such a fun ride!
The Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
this was an absolute delight. whimsical, fantastic imagery, and incredible writing. the mini-stories we got were full of love, loss, strength, and perseverity. such a powerful book in a short amount of time!
"angry mothers raise daughters fierce enough to fight wolves." PERIOD.
"angry mothers raise daughters fierce enough to fight wolves." PERIOD.
All the Lovers in the Night by Mieko Kawakami
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
i love mieko's writing with my whole heart. she's not one to shy away from feminist topics and it is usually the driving force behind the growth of her characters. i didn't love this one as much as breasts and eggs but i still enjoyed and appreciated the conversations it sparked and the themes it explored!
Hearing Red by Nicole Maser
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
sapphic!!! zombies!!!! tension!!!! high stakes!!! this was everything i wanted.
also, this was a caitvi fanfic and i will die on that hill.
also, this was a caitvi fanfic and i will die on that hill.
A Forgotten Kill by Isabella Maldonado
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
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
4.0
the twist in this had me gagggggged. there was so much action, this one was a lot more fast paced than the last! dani continues to be one the most badass heroines i've ever read and she just keeps getting better. this was such a fast-paced story! i'm sad the next book will be the last in the series!
A Victim at Valentine's by Ellie Alexander
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
slow-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? It's complicated
4.0
thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing an e-arc in exchange for an honest review!
this continues to be one of my fave cozy mysteries! i loved the premise behind this because it was such a unique concept - a dating app CEO comes to our beloved Secret Bookcase shop to host an in person matchmaking event. honestly? iconic.
i loved revisiting this cute northern california small town and all of the characters i've grown attached to! i didn't know where the mystery was going this time, as there were a ton of possible suspects but girl when i tell you the twist had me GAGGED!!! and also, the overarching plot of annie's best friends death hit such a crazy climax in this book!
this continues to be one of my fave cozy mysteries! i loved the premise behind this because it was such a unique concept - a dating app CEO comes to our beloved Secret Bookcase shop to host an in person matchmaking event. honestly? iconic.
i loved revisiting this cute northern california small town and all of the characters i've grown attached to! i didn't know where the mystery was going this time, as there were a ton of possible suspects but girl when i tell you the twist had me GAGGED!!! and also, the overarching plot of annie's best friends death hit such a crazy climax in this book!
Dead of Winter by Darcy Coates
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
A Killer's Game by Isabella Maldonado
adventurous
dark
emotional
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
4.0
wow this was such a surprise! i love a good FBI show so i was hoping this would give me the same action, suspense, and plot twists that i get out of those and this delivered on everything. we follow fbi agent daniela vega - AN ICON, A BADASS, THAT BITCH - as she goes undercover on a dangerous mission to figure out who's behind an assassination attempt on a senator. this went in a completely different direction than i thought it would and i had such a fun time with the story.
i loved all the technical aspects of this book! the author included such a fantastic insider perspective on how cases like these are handled within the fbi. and i was gaggggged at the twist in the end. i am so excited to continue on with the series!
i loved all the technical aspects of this book! the author included such a fantastic insider perspective on how cases like these are handled within the fbi. and i was gaggggged at the twist in the end. i am so excited to continue on with the series!
Restitution by Leigh Rivers
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
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
4.0
kade this, kade that-UM DADDY TOBIAS!??!?!?! on my knees for him.
i haven't binged a dark romance series in the longest time!!!! this was DARK and TWISTED, but incredibly addicting. loved it so much. these characters will live in my heart forever.
i haven't binged a dark romance series in the longest time!!!! this was DARK and TWISTED, but incredibly addicting. loved it so much. these characters will live in my heart forever.