michelles_book_nook's reviews
259 reviews

KILLING WOMEN: The True Story of Serial Killer Don Miller's Reign of Terror by Rod Sadler

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challenging dark informative reflective medium-paced

4.0

⚠️ TW: rape, sexual assault, physical assault, violence, murder, multilation, graphic content ⚠️ I first came across this case a few weeks ago when discussing the controversial plea deal that was given to Don Miller, and having never heard about it before I just knew I had to read this book! This book follows the life and crimes of Donald Gene Miller, a serial killer from Lansing, Michigan, who was known for being a quiet, reserved man who was a former youth pastor and a recent graduate of Michigan State University in Criminal Justice at the time of his arrest. He was arrested in 1978 for the attempted murders of two teenagers and during the investigation it was quickly discovered that he was likely responsible for the disappearances of 4 other women. Yet despite this he was offered a controversial plea deal that is still being questioned. And now after 40 years in prison he has served his time and is due to be released in 2031. This book is such an interesting read that examines the crimes, the 'justice' and Miller's impending freedom. We all know I'm a big true crime lover and this case has genuinely shocked me and left me with so many questions that I will be endlessly researching. This is such an unknown case, to my knowledge, and I think that's what makes it scarier because I've since read book reviews from people that lived in the area at the time or went to MSU in the same year but never knew of this case. It seems it was all kept very quiet until the full extent of the plea deal came out within the last decade. Overall, I highly recommend this read if you are into true crime and anyone that is aware of this case please message me 🙈
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The Perfect Child by Lucinda Berry

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challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

⚠️ TW: child abuse, infertility, drug abuse, animal abuse, mental illness, murder, parental death and brief mentions of miscarriages ⚠️ If you're looking for a deeply chilling psychological read that you won't be able to put down then you need to read this book! This book follows Hannah and Christopher Bauer, a happy married nurse and surgeon, who more than anything want a child. Then when Janie, an abandoned little girl, turns up at their hospital Christopher forms an instant connection with her and convinces Hannah they should take her home as their own. However, she's no ordinary child and proves to be more than they bargained for as her behaviour becomes increasingly disturbing. And as Janie’s behavior threatens to tear Christopher and Hannah apart, the truth behind her past surfaces and it might just be enough to push them all over the edge. This book weaves a dark web of suspense that you know is going to end badly but you just can't stop reading, while still having some truly shocking twists! Throughout the whole book you feel the need to check that you're reading a work of fiction because it is written so well that it could easily be a true story. I loved so much about this read but my favourite part was the multiple pov's between Hannah, Christopher and Piper, their social worker, because it made it feel all the more real and like you were experiencing all of the changing emotions as the story progressed. However, the ending felt quite rushed and it was left on a big cliffhanger which left a lot of unanswered questions. Overall though, I highly recommend this book but please take the TW's into account.
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The House of a Hundred Whispers by Graham Masterton

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

3.0

⚠️ TW: gambling addiction, murder, rape, brief mentions of child murders ⚠️ If you're looking for a classic feeling haunted house read then this one is definitely for you! This book follows the story of the Russell family and their childhood home of All Hallows Hall, a rambling Tudor mansion on the edge of the bleak and misty Dartmoor. It is not a place where many would choose to live, yet the former governor of Dartmoor Prison did just that. Then upon his demise his children, who are long estranged, were set to inherit his estate. But when the family come to stay after the old man's death, the atmosphere of the moors seems to drift into every room. Floorboards creak, secret passageways echo and the wind whistles in the house's famous priest hole. And then in the morning when the family decide to leave and never come back, their young son Timmy disappears. This book was a good gothic spooky season read that had the opportunity to be great but unfortunately it did disappoint a little. It immediately grabbed my attention from the very beginning and I was so gripped. However, in the middle it started to really slow down and later on in the book there was a lot of waffling explanations relating to myths, priest exorcisms and witch craft which while interesting to hear it did break up the flow even more and then left me feeling like the ending was rushed. My biggest issue with this book is that there is a rape scene roughly two thirds of the way into the book that is completely unnecessary to the plot and felt very pointless and it definitely ruined it quite a bit for me unfortunately. Overall, other than the things I've mentioned I did like this spooky read and do recommend it if you're wanting a haunted house/exorcism-esque read!
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The Watchers by A.M. Shine

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adventurous challenging mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

⚠️ TW: parental death, child abuse, PTSD ⚠️ If you're looking for a spine chilling read for spooky season that gives you the perfect mix of supernatural and psychological horror then this one is for you! This book follows Mina who during a trip to make some quick cash and help out a friend breaks down and ends up stranded in the remote countryside of Ireland at the edge of an uncharted forest. But little does she know this sinister forest has a dark history and she's about to come face to face with it when she realises she has no other choice but to leave her car to get help. And just as she sets off she hears a woman shouting and urging her to run to a concrete bunker deep in the forest but once the door slams shut behind her the entire building is besieged by screams. She then comes to find herself in a room built of glass with a light that only comes on at nightfall when creatures known as the watchers come above ground to observe their captive humans and terrible things happen to anyone who doesn't reach the bunker in time. This book is incredibly gripping, eerie and claustrophobic and definitely not one you want to read at night. Throughout reading it you can't help but feel jumpy and have that paranoid feeling that you're being watched. It is so well written with multiple pov's from the different characters that just make it so binge worthy as well as having some great twists. The only reason I dropped it down a star is because the ending felt slightly rushed. Overall though, I highly recommend this read!
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Demon in the Wood Graphic Novel by Leigh Bardugo

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

5.0

The perfect origin story to the Darkling and everything Grishaverse! This book follows Eryk and his mother, Lena, who have spent their lives on the run because of who they are and they fear they'll never find a safe haven to call their home. They are not only Grisha but they are the deadliest and rarest of their kind. Feared by those who wish to destroy them and hunted by those who would exploit their gifts, so they must continue hiding their true abilities and identities everywhere they go. But unfortunately sometimes even the deadliest of secrets have a way of revealing themselves. This book was so beautiful from the story to the exceptionally stunning art work within and I just loved every single page so much. It is one of those that you can't say too much about because it would give spoilers for not only this book but the all of the Grishaverse books. Trust me though, it is a must read for Grishaverse fans. Overall, I highly recommend this beauty!
Nasty Little Cuts by Tina Baker

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challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

⚠️ TW: mental health, drug abuse, alcoholism, domestic abuse, sexual assault, rape, ableism, homophobia, fatphobia, animal abuse, murder, suicide and brief mentions of infertility and miscarriages ⚠️ If you're looking for a dark and haunting read then this one is for you! This book follows Debs and her family when on Christmas Eve a nightmare jolts her awake, but little does she know her nightmare is just beginning as she finds a man in her kitchen wielding a knife. But it's not an intruder, it's her husband Marc. When they first got together their differences were what drew them together and sparked their whirlwind romance. Him an ex-army officer from an upper class family in London and her a fitness instructor who grew up above a pub in Nottingham. But now the differences are all that are left. Haunted by war, Marc screams in his sleep. And Debs hardly knows the person she's become. Yet, neither of them know what the other is capable of. This book had my heart in my mouth all the way through and whilst it was a really tough read in parts it was also a good one too. The various timelines gave a glimpse of the immense amount of threads within this story that lead to not only the progression of the relationship but also the downfall of their marriage. And despite not really liking Debs or Marc, I did like that it showed how they were both incredibly flawed and had their own toxic traits that lead to their explosive life. However, even though I enjoyed the timelines I did struggle with the older ones as they weren't in order and I think it would have helped the flow by taking the reader on the journey throughout their lives and relationship. Overall though this was a really good, compelling read!
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All That's Left Unsaid by Tracey Lien

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challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective 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? It's complicated

5.0

⚠️ TW: murder, grief, racism, xenophobia, alcoholism, drug abuse, addiction, misogyny, sexism, fatphobia, gang violence, overdose, domestic violence and brief mentions of child abuse ⚠️ Wow, this was a hugely challenging, dark and emotional read that gave such a vivid portrayal of life as a Vietnamese refugee in Sydney in the 90's. This book follows the Tran family as they journey through their grief left following the brutal murder of their son and brother, Denny, whilst also searching for answers as to what happened on that fateful night. Denny was simply out celebrating his high school graduation with friends at a busy restaurant in the Sydney suburb of Cabramatta, a refugee enclave facing violent crime, an indifferent police force and the worst heroin epidemic in Australian history, when he never made it home. Moving forward to his funeral his sister, Ky, discovers that the police are stumped by her brother's case and that despite a list of people being present that night everyone claims to have seen nothing and they are all staying silent. She then decides to track down the witnesses herself in a quest to learn what truly happened. And as she peels back the layers of the place that shaped her she confronts the complex traumas weighing on those present that night and learns that their silence began well before her brother's murder and so much has been left unsaid about colonialism, the war in Vietnam and the choices everyone made to survive. This book is such a hard hitting read and even though it is fiction with aspects that are based on real life it just absolutely left me speechless. It is beautifully written, compelling, harrowing and so poignant. Overall, I cannot recommend this book enough!
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The Way it is Now by Garry Disher

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dark mysterious slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.0

⚠️ TW: murder, xenophobia, rape, victim blaming, harassment, mental health ⚠️ Despite this being an easy read it just wasn't for me unfortunately. This book follows Charlie Deravin and his family whose mother, Rose, went missing 20 years ago and even though her body was never found she was believed to have been murdered. As this dark tragedy hung over the family things only got darker as people continued to throw suspicion on his father, Rhys. Now 20 years on that suspicion is still looming as strong as ever as Charlie returns to his coastal hometown in Australia whilst he is on disciplinary leave from his job with the police sex-crimes unit, and permanent leave from his marriage. And after two decades of examing the mystery of his mother, he's run out of leads. Then the skeletal remains of two people are found and the past comes crashing back. This book is an easy read, slow burner crime procedural novel that takes you on the journey of Charlie re-examing his mother's disappearance as he has to come to terms with unanswered questions and dead ends as well as new evidence and information that sends him on a rabbit hunt whilst also trying to keep his job and career intact. However, I didn't really enjoy it unfortunately for a number of reasons. Firstly, I struggled with the amount of characters because there were so many that in parts it got quite confusing. Also, I just found it to be too slow and it didn't feel like it had any big reveal moments to make it worthwhile. And finally, the main timeline of the story is set in late 2019 to early 2020 when c*vid was beginning to spread and I really hated that it was referred to as 'that Chinese virus' multiple times. Overall, this was an easy read but not for me unfortunately 🙈
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I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy

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challenging dark emotional funny reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

⚠️ TW: parental death, fatphobia, dieting, anorexia, gaslighting, manipulation, domestic violence, physical abuse, mental abuse, mental health, grooming, body dysmorphia, binge eating, bulimia, alcoholism, drug use ⚠️ Wow this book was one hell of an emotional rollercoaster that just kept astonishing me at every single chapter! This book is a memoir from Jenette McCurdy, one of the main characters from the popular 2007 Nickelodeon show iCarly, about her life and upbringing in acting as well as her relationship with her Mom, Debra, both during her life and after her death. Jennette was 6 years old when she had her first acting audition. Her mother’s dream was for her only daughter to become a star and Jennette would do anything to make her mother happy. She went along with heavily calorie restricted diets and weighing herself five times a day. She endured so much manipulative and gas lighting abuse from her Mom where she would go along with anything just for her love and approval but it never seemed enough. Even to the extent that she was showered by her Mom until age sixteen, sometimes even alongside her older brother, while sharing her diaries, emails and all of her income. This book is so harrowing to read but also darkly hilarious as Jenette uses humour throughout to discuss the events she went through after discovering therapy and quitting acting as she now embarks on recovery and for the first time in her life gets to make decisions truly for herself. Overall, I highly recommend giving this one a read but please take the TW's into account because it is a very hard read.
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I Was Born for This by Alice Oseman

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective 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? It's complicated

4.0

⚠️ TW: alcoholism, assault, mental health, suicidal ideations ⚠️ If you're looking for a seemingly cute YA read with a much deeper meaning then this one is definitely for you! This book follows Angel, a life long fan of the world renowned teenage boy band called The Ark, and Jimmy, The Ark's frontman, as they end up on an unexpected whirlwind journey both physically and emotionally. Angel is a hijabi wearing teen who has devoted herself to being part of The Ark's fandom and it has given her everything she loves - her friend Juliet, her dreams and her place in the world. Whilst Jimmy owes everything he has to The Ark and it has let him play in the band with his friends, Rowan and Lister, which is all he's ever dreamed of doing. But dreams don't always turn out the way you think, and when Jimmy and Angel are unexpectedly thrust together they find out how strange and surprising facing up to reality can be. This book was such a great read that is one of those that is hard to review without giving spoilers but trust me it's such a rollercoaster. And as always with Alice Oseman's books it is filled with amazing representation, this one has the most perfect lqbtq+ rep, specifically trans, gay and bisexual, and religion rep with Christian and Muslim main characters. Overall, I highly recommend reading this book!
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