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shellballenger's reviews
479 reviews
The Final Gambit by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.25
Type of read: Commuter Read.
What made me pick it up: I started The Inheritance Games series back in 2022 and have finally been able to get my hands on book #3 from my local library.
Overall rating: I do wish I would have had a bit of a refresher on the first couple of books before I dove back into the world of the Hawthorne's but Barnes did OK getting me up to speed in the first few chapters of the book (still not like a super great recap, so if it's been awhile for you, read some Cliff Notes). Overall, I enjoy the Inheritance Games series. I think it reminds me a bit of Percy Jackson* with the antics and the POV and that's why I originally got into the first and second books of the series. 'The Final Gambit' wasn't bad. It all felt very anti-climactic, though. It was nice to have closure on the series, but I feel like Barnes spent more time on the fluff and less on the actual substance of the story (which ultimately led to that anti-climactic feeling). Not mad that I read it, but I feel like the series deserved a bit better final chapter.
*Percy Jackson will always be a favorite, and honestly, The Inheritance Games doesn't touch it in terms of top books in my world, but the vibes are similar.
What made me pick it up: I started The Inheritance Games series back in 2022 and have finally been able to get my hands on book #3 from my local library.
Overall rating: I do wish I would have had a bit of a refresher on the first couple of books before I dove back into the world of the Hawthorne's but Barnes did OK getting me up to speed in the first few chapters of the book (still not like a super great recap, so if it's been awhile for you, read some Cliff Notes). Overall, I enjoy the Inheritance Games series. I think it reminds me a bit of Percy Jackson* with the antics and the POV and that's why I originally got into the first and second books of the series. 'The Final Gambit' wasn't bad. It all felt very anti-climactic, though. It was nice to have closure on the series, but I feel like Barnes spent more time on the fluff and less on the actual substance of the story (which ultimately led to that anti-climactic feeling). Not mad that I read it, but I feel like the series deserved a bit better final chapter.
*Percy Jackson will always be a favorite, and honestly, The Inheritance Games doesn't touch it in terms of top books in my world, but the vibes are similar.
Lover Enshrined by J.R. Ward
dark
reflective
medium-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
3.75
Type of read: Commuter Read.
What made me pick it up: I stumbled across the Black Dagger Brotherhood in early 2024 with Darius (Book 0) and I got sucked into this crazy, cracked-out, sexy, throwback-feeling, world of vampires fighting something more evil than themselves.
Overall rating: 'Lover Enshrined' takes a bit of a left turn from Ward's typical storylines focusing on just one of the brothers. I feel like while this was definitely Phury's story, we got so much more. It was almost a connector in the series to help tie all of the pieces together from the first five books. If you're expecting this to focus solely on Phury, you're going to be completely overwhelmed with the amount of info and characters we're following through 'Lover Enshrined.' Phury, Zhadist & Bella and their baby girl , Cormia and The Chosen, John, Lash, Blalock, Quinn, Rehv, Xhex, and let's also throw in the entire Glymera for good measure. There's honestly so much happening in 'Lover Enshrined' that it's hard to do a review without giving anything away. 'Lover Enshrined' follows in Ward's traditional writing style; we've got fighting and blood and guts, but there's also love and sex and fantasy. We've got world-building and character development. Overall, not mad. It's not my favorite of the series so far, but I'm not mad. (I'm also just not a huge Phury fan so that could be why I was a little less interested.)
I know I've said it before in previous reviews for this series, but I feel like I just have to say it with each book, this is just a good escape read. You don't have to think too much about it, you don't have to try and keep things straight (Ward does a great job dropping little reminders at the beginning of each book and throughout so you keep the characters and their traits straight), and you can just dive into a (slightly dated) world of sexy vampire warriors. I'm here for it.
Reader's Note: 'Lover Enshrined' includes themes of death; dying; consensual sexual activity; drug use; drug abuse and addition; violence; kidnapping; torture; murder; sexual assault; and character recollections of physical and sexual abuse.
What made me pick it up: I stumbled across the Black Dagger Brotherhood in early 2024 with Darius (Book 0) and I got sucked into this crazy, cracked-out, sexy, throwback-feeling, world of vampires fighting something more evil than themselves.
Overall rating: 'Lover Enshrined' takes a bit of a left turn from Ward's typical storylines focusing on just one of the brothers. I feel like while this was definitely Phury's story, we got so much more. It was almost a connector in the series to help tie all of the pieces together from the first five books. If you're expecting this to focus solely on Phury, you're going to be completely overwhelmed with the amount of info and characters we're following through 'Lover Enshrined.' Phury, Zhadist & Bella
I know I've said it before in previous reviews for this series, but I feel like I just have to say it with each book, this is just a good escape read. You don't have to think too much about it, you don't have to try and keep things straight (Ward does a great job dropping little reminders at the beginning of each book and throughout so you keep the characters and their traits straight), and you can just dive into a (slightly dated) world of sexy vampire warriors. I'm here for it.
Reader's Note: 'Lover Enshrined' includes themes of death; dying; consensual sexual activity; drug use; drug abuse and addition; violence; kidnapping; torture; murder; sexual assault; and character recollections of physical and sexual abuse.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, and Alcohol
The Pumpkin Spice Café by Laurie Gilmore
lighthearted
medium-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
2.0
Type of read: Commuter Read
What made me pick it up: Book Lovers United Book Club pick for November 2024.
Overall rating: Do you want a quintessential fall book? Something that screams 'Hallmark movie'? A book that is almost so cliche you might gag a few times? Then have I got a deal for you! 'The Pumpkin Spice Cafe' is what you're looking for. Here's the thing: This is not a bad book. It's cute, warm and fuzzy, and there's a bit of spice, but it's not going to make you blush too much. It's just very...simple. I felt like the writing style was simple, the storyline was predictable (yeah a few tiny twists, but nothing super surprising), and that I'd met most of the characters before. It also felt like Gilmore was trying to put so many character quirks and oddities in that they forgot about the actual substance of the characters. All that said, obviously I finished the book in two days, so it didn't totally suck.
Reader's Note: 'The Pumpkin Spice Cafe' includes themes of consensual sexual activity.
What made me pick it up: Book Lovers United Book Club pick for November 2024.
Overall rating: Do you want a quintessential fall book? Something that screams 'Hallmark movie'? A book that is almost so cliche you might gag a few times? Then have I got a deal for you! 'The Pumpkin Spice Cafe' is what you're looking for. Here's the thing: This is not a bad book. It's cute, warm and fuzzy, and there's a bit of spice, but it's not going to make you blush too much. It's just very...simple. I felt like the writing style was simple, the storyline was predictable (yeah a few tiny twists, but nothing super surprising), and that I'd met most of the characters before. It also felt like Gilmore was trying to put so many character quirks and oddities in that they forgot about the actual substance of the characters. All that said, obviously I finished the book in two days, so it didn't totally suck.
Reader's Note: 'The Pumpkin Spice Cafe' includes themes of consensual sexual activity.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Death of parent
Sinner by Sierra Simone
medium-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
3.75
Type of read: Commuter Read
What made me pick it up: I read 'Priest' and thoroughly enjoyed it so it seemed like a no brainer to read 'Sinner.'
Overall rating: I'm going to start by saying that I really appreciate that while this is the second in the series, the books are more stand-alone and you don't <i> have </i> to have read 'Priest' before this one. Although, I do think it helped to have the backstory and information from 'Priest' as I went through 'Sinner.' Consequently, 'Sinner' answered some of the questions I thought were left unanswered in 'Priest.' As I said with 'Priest' the spicy scenes are written very well. 'Sinner' definitely has more of a teacher vibe between the FMC and MMC as they explore each other, which, isn't really my vibe, but it did make sense with the storyline.
Spicy content aside, there is an absolutely beautiful conversation between Sean and Tyler about sexuality, worthiness, hurt, and sins about a third of the way into the book (I forget what chapter specifically, but it's in the 10-12 area). I feel like for those of us who were born into and grew up heavily steeped in the church, it gives a perfect explanation of why we might feel the way we do about sexuality and sexual acts as we work to find ourselves, specifically as sexual beings.
Overall, not mad I got sucked into this series. I'm still not positive if I'll finish the series and read 'Saint.' The tropes aren't really my style and I don't want that to hinder my enjoyment of the book, but I would not be opposed to picking up more from Simone in the future.
Reader's Note: 'Sinner' includes themes of suicide, religious trauma, sexual assault and rape (related to the main character's backstory but not actively part of the sexual scenes in the book), and consensual sexual relationships. There is an age gap between the FMC and MMC (21 to 36); however, consent is HUGE in 'Sinner.'
What made me pick it up: I read 'Priest' and thoroughly enjoyed it so it seemed like a no brainer to read 'Sinner.'
Overall rating: I'm going to start by saying that I really appreciate that while this is the second in the series, the books are more stand-alone and you don't <i> have </i> to have read 'Priest' before this one. Although, I do think it helped to have the backstory and information from 'Priest' as I went through 'Sinner.' Consequently, 'Sinner' answered some of the questions I thought were left unanswered in 'Priest.' As I said with 'Priest' the spicy scenes are written very well. 'Sinner' definitely has more of a teacher vibe between the FMC and MMC as they explore each other, which, isn't really my vibe, but it did make sense with the storyline.
Spicy content aside, there is an absolutely beautiful conversation between Sean and Tyler about sexuality, worthiness, hurt, and sins about a third of the way into the book (I forget what chapter specifically, but it's in the 10-12 area). I feel like for those of us who were born into and grew up heavily steeped in the church, it gives a perfect explanation of why we might feel the way we do about sexuality and sexual acts as we work to find ourselves, specifically as sexual beings.
Overall, not mad I got sucked into this series. I'm still not positive if I'll finish the series and read 'Saint.' The tropes aren't really my style and I don't want that to hinder my enjoyment of the book, but I would not be opposed to picking up more from Simone in the future.
Reader's Note: 'Sinner' includes themes of suicide, religious trauma, sexual assault and rape (related to the main character's backstory but not actively part of the sexual scenes in the book), and consensual sexual relationships. There is an age gap between the FMC and MMC (21 to 36); however, consent is HUGE in 'Sinner.'
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer, Death, Racism, Rape, Sexual content, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, and Alcohol
Daughter of No Worlds by Carissa Broadbent
adventurous
challenging
dark
medium-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
5.0
Type of read: Commuter Read
What made me pick it up: One of the online book clubs I'm part of has many who have read or recommend 'Daughter of No Worlds.' I also saw a TikTok that was something along the lines of 'if you like ACOTAR but want it to be more swords and kick butt womanhood' and I was like, say less.
Overall rating: I'm so happy that I finally picked up 'Daughter of No Worlds.' IT'S. SO. DANG. GOOD. There's substance, there's world-building, there's deception and dark pasts. It felt both familiar and completely new. I appreciate the subtle sexual innuendos and jokes throughout the book. This is definitely a slow burn between Tisaanah and Max and I'm 100% here for it. I enjoyed the book in the audio version and I would love to see how it's tangibly written and how the language barrier is portrayed because the audio version was throwing me off a bit. I understand that it's a barrier for Tisaanah, but something about how it's done just annoys me—it makes her seem weak and unintelligent and not in a way that benefits the book (like when she uses the voice and mannerisms from when she was a slave to her advantage) but just in a 'we didn't know how else to do this so we slowed things down and said them weird' sort of way.
Overall, 100% would recommend and 100% a good read. Definitely going to be continuing the series!
Reader's Note: 'Daughter of No Worlds' includes themes of slavery, abuse, consensual sexual activity, non-consensual sexual activity, sex work, rape, possession of one's body by another entity, violence, and gore.
What made me pick it up: One of the online book clubs I'm part of has many who have read or recommend 'Daughter of No Worlds.' I also saw a TikTok that was something along the lines of 'if you like ACOTAR but want it to be more swords and kick butt womanhood' and I was like, say less.
Overall rating: I'm so happy that I finally picked up 'Daughter of No Worlds.' IT'S. SO. DANG. GOOD. There's substance, there's world-building, there's deception and dark pasts. It felt both familiar and completely new. I appreciate the subtle sexual innuendos and jokes throughout the book. This is definitely a slow burn between Tisaanah and Max and I'm 100% here for it. I enjoyed the book in the audio version and I would love to see how it's tangibly written and how the language barrier is portrayed because the audio version was throwing me off a bit. I understand that it's a barrier for Tisaanah, but something about how it's done just annoys me—it makes her seem weak and unintelligent and not in a way that benefits the book (like when she uses the voice and mannerisms from when she was a slave to her advantage) but just in a 'we didn't know how else to do this so we slowed things down and said them weird' sort of way.
Overall, 100% would recommend and 100% a good read. Definitely going to be continuing the series!
Reader's Note: 'Daughter of No Worlds' includes themes of slavery, abuse, consensual sexual activity, non-consensual sexual activity, sex work, rape, possession of one's body by another entity, violence, and gore.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Gore, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Murder, and War
Priest by Sierra Simone
medium-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
Type of read: Commuter Read
What made me pick it up: BookTok and my book club made me do it.
Overall rating: Whew...not going to lie, 'Priest' is a doozy. I don't know if it's the fact that I grew up in a very religious household and then found myself a bit as I got out of college, but there was something that went straight to my heart with 'Priest.' Tyler clearly has a savior complex (duh) for both his sister and Poppy and I'm not sure that Simone does the best job of explaining why he seemingly went from bad boy heartthrob to clergy cutie trying to maintain his purity. Yeah, you get the little lines of 'this is why I do it...' or 'I have to remember my purpose...' but it's not super realistic the way that Tyler's storyline seems to develop.
There are quite a few good quips and lines, but overall 'Priest' feels like it juuuusssssst isn't quite there and could be so much deeper and impactful. Although not every book needs to be deep and impactful in the same way...and there are plenty of deep and impactful things happening between these pages, it's just not emotions or storyline. 😂 I do like the juxtaposition of the priest and the stripper, the good and the bad, the worthy and the broken. And as far as the spicy scenes go - praise Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, they are written VERY well. However, if you're sensitive to the use of a specific four-letter C-word to describe female anatomy, this isn't the book for you. I've already recommended 'Priest' to multiple people and I finished it in less than 24 hours, so realistically, for me at least, it was a good read.
Reader's Note: 'Priest' includes themes of suicide, religious trauma, sexual assault and rape (related to the main character's backstory but not actively part of the sexual scenes in the book), and consensual sexual relationships including light BDSM.
What made me pick it up: BookTok and my book club made me do it.
Overall rating: Whew...not going to lie, 'Priest' is a doozy. I don't know if it's the fact that I grew up in a very religious household and then found myself a bit as I got out of college, but there was something that went straight to my heart with 'Priest.' Tyler clearly has a savior complex (duh) for both his sister and Poppy and I'm not sure that Simone does the best job of explaining why he seemingly went from bad boy heartthrob to clergy cutie trying to maintain his purity. Yeah, you get the little lines of 'this is why I do it...' or 'I have to remember my purpose...' but it's not super realistic the way that Tyler's storyline seems to develop.
There are quite a few good quips and lines, but overall 'Priest' feels like it juuuusssssst isn't quite there and could be so much deeper and impactful. Although not every book needs to be deep and impactful in the same way...and there are plenty of deep and impactful things happening between these pages, it's just not emotions or storyline. 😂 I do like the juxtaposition of the priest and the stripper, the good and the bad, the worthy and the broken. And as far as the spicy scenes go - praise Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, they are written VERY well. However, if you're sensitive to the use of a specific four-letter C-word to describe female anatomy, this isn't the book for you. I've already recommended 'Priest' to multiple people and I finished it in less than 24 hours, so realistically, for me at least, it was a good read.
Reader's Note: 'Priest' includes themes of suicide, religious trauma, sexual assault and rape (related to the main character's backstory but not actively part of the sexual scenes in the book), and consensual sexual relationships including light BDSM.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicide, and Grief
An American Marriage by Tayari Jones
challenging
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Type of read: Lunch/Weekend Read
What made me pick it up: One of the TN R.E.A.D.s prompts for August was to read an epistolary novel or collection of letters. The description for 'An American Marriage' seemed like something I would enjoy.
Overall rating: I enjoyed 'An American Marriage.' It was real and raw, as someone married for over 15 years, I could feel the emotions and almost transport myself into the conversations Roy and Celeste had about love, being together, and the future. Some of the book moved a bit slowly for me, but it all worked into the story in the end. Overall, I'm glad I came across this one!
Reader's Note: 'An American Marriage' includes themes of sex, violence, death, rape, and racism.
What made me pick it up: One of the TN R.E.A.D.s prompts for August was to read an epistolary novel or collection of letters. The description for 'An American Marriage' seemed like something I would enjoy.
Overall rating: I enjoyed 'An American Marriage.' It was real and raw, as someone married for over 15 years, I could feel the emotions and almost transport myself into the conversations Roy and Celeste had about love, being together, and the future. Some of the book moved a bit slowly for me, but it all worked into the story in the end. Overall, I'm glad I came across this one!
Reader's Note: 'An American Marriage' includes themes of sex, violence, death, rape, and racism.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Confinement, Death, Hate crime, Infidelity, Racism, Rape, Sexual content, Violence, and Grief
Minor: Abortion
The German Wife by Kelly Rimmer
challenging
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Type of read: Commuter Read
What made me pick it up: We're planning a trip to Germany in December and many times I'll try to match some of my reading content to upcoming travels and adventures. Additionally, I was a huge fan of 'The Tattooist of Auschwitz' and when the description for 'The German Wife' mentioned that book, it all clicked.
Overall rating: Oof. 'The German Wife' might be one of my top books for 2024. There is so much weaving through these pages and it's absolutely heartbreakingly, beautiful. The juxtaposition of the two main characters is very well done and you can feel the emotions of each character through their tellings of their experiences. 'The German Wife' is told from dual perspectives (Sofie and Lizzie) and there is quite a bit of time jumping (1930s to 1950s); however, the author does a great job of labeling each chapter/section so you know exactly who is talking and what year it is. Even enjoying it as an audiobook, it was probably one of the easier dual perspective/time jumpers I've read in a while.
As a US citizen, I find some of the situations in the book compared to our current political climate incredibly frustrating and devastating to read. There's a line, fairly early on in the book, where they talk about history and that if we don't learn from it, it's bound to repeat itself and I just feel like it was one of those gut-punch moments in the book where you realize the severity of what's happening - both in the book and daily life in general. That's not to say you haven't realized the severity before...it's just again brought to the forefront and you start wondering how a nation could allow themselves to get to such a point when they've seen or even experienced it happening before.
Overall, I feel like Rimmer did a great job of capturing the tension, questions, and struggles of the characters and their life. I would 100% recommend 'The German Wife.' I also have to say that Nancy Peterson and Ann Marie Gideon did amazing jobs at the narration. Especially when you're listening to a book that has accent work, it's so nice when the character is still clear and easy to understand. Both of these individuals put so much emotion and thought into their narrations and it truly made the book shine.
Reader's Note: 'The German Wife' includes themes of antisemitism, torture, death, suicide, loss of a parent, alcoholism, depression, and PTSD.
What made me pick it up: We're planning a trip to Germany in December and many times I'll try to match some of my reading content to upcoming travels and adventures. Additionally, I was a huge fan of 'The Tattooist of Auschwitz' and when the description for 'The German Wife' mentioned that book, it all clicked.
Overall rating: Oof. 'The German Wife' might be one of my top books for 2024. There is so much weaving through these pages and it's absolutely heartbreakingly, beautiful. The juxtaposition of the two main characters is very well done and you can feel the emotions of each character through their tellings of their experiences. 'The German Wife' is told from dual perspectives (Sofie and Lizzie) and there is quite a bit of time jumping (1930s to 1950s); however, the author does a great job of labeling each chapter/section so you know exactly who is talking and what year it is. Even enjoying it as an audiobook, it was probably one of the easier dual perspective/time jumpers I've read in a while.
As a US citizen, I find some of the situations in the book compared to our current political climate incredibly frustrating and devastating to read. There's a line, fairly early on in the book, where they talk about history and that if we don't learn from it, it's bound to repeat itself and I just feel like it was one of those gut-punch moments in the book where you realize the severity of what's happening - both in the book and daily life in general. That's not to say you haven't realized the severity before...it's just again brought to the forefront and you start wondering how a nation could allow themselves to get to such a point when they've seen or even experienced it happening before.
Overall, I feel like Rimmer did a great job of capturing the tension, questions, and struggles of the characters and their life. I would 100% recommend 'The German Wife.' I also have to say that Nancy Peterson and Ann Marie Gideon did amazing jobs at the narration. Especially when you're listening to a book that has accent work, it's so nice when the character is still clear and easy to understand. Both of these individuals put so much emotion and thought into their narrations and it truly made the book shine.
Reader's Note: 'The German Wife' includes themes of antisemitism, torture, death, suicide, loss of a parent, alcoholism, depression, and PTSD.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Hate crime, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Antisemitism, Grief, and War
Minor: Child death
A Touch of Ruin by Scarlett St. Clair
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Type of read: Commuter Read
What made me pick it up: I had read 'A Touch of Darkness' and honestly, wasn't the biggest fan but it wasn't horrible. I recently found myself in the middle of a bunch of serious books and just needed something that I knew I wouldn't have to think with and that had just enough spiciness to be a complete change from the serious reads I have going.
Overall rating: If it's possible, Persephone becomes even more of a sniveling, wishy-washy, no-backbone character who doesn't know how to hold up her side of the story. I'm not a fan of the progression of two characters in particular. One makes sense but was done sloppily Lexa and the other makes no sense and feels like an afterthought Pirithous . I also refuse to believe that Hades and Persephone have been together so long and Hades hasn't mentioned the no-go spots in the Underworld...or you know the places that will legitimately mess with your mind if you go there. You'd also think that Persephone would just be smart enough to figure out how not to keep putting herself in danger in the very world she's going to be queen of. Ugh, I hate that 'A Touch of Ruin' was such a good distraction read, it makes it harder to hate it. 😂
Reader's Note: 'A Touch of Ruin' includes themes of stalking, conversations of rape, suicide, death, sex, blackmail, retaliation, and torture.
What made me pick it up: I had read 'A Touch of Darkness' and honestly, wasn't the biggest fan but it wasn't horrible. I recently found myself in the middle of a bunch of serious books and just needed something that I knew I wouldn't have to think with and that had just enough spiciness to be a complete change from the serious reads I have going.
Overall rating: If it's possible, Persephone becomes even more of a sniveling, wishy-washy, no-backbone character who doesn't know how to hold up her side of the story. I'm not a fan of the progression of two characters in particular. One makes sense but was done sloppily
Reader's Note: 'A Touch of Ruin' includes themes of stalking, conversations of rape, suicide, death, sex, blackmail, retaliation, and torture.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Sexual content, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Grief, and Stalking
Minor: Rape
A Sunny Place for Shady People: Stories by Mariana Enríquez
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
2.25
Type of read: Commuter Read
What made me pick it up: One of the TN R.E.A.D.s prompts for October is to read a book by a Hispanic or Latinx author. The title and cover art drew me in.
Overall rating: I struggled with this one. I didn't find the stories to be all that entertaining and I had to keep reminding myself to put this one on to listen (I read as an audiobook). I'm not sure if there's something missing in the translation (I read an English translation) or if I just wasn't getting into the content. Some stories were better than others in my opinion, but many of them just seemed like random diary entries of overly imaginative individuals. Maybe I expect more scare and thrill from my thriller/horrors, but this wasn't it for me. I probably wouldn't recommend it, but I'm glad I was exposed to some different authors from who I usually read.
Reader's Note: 'A Sunny Place for Shady People' includes multiple stories that include themes of sex, sexual assault, rape, death, dying, torture, dismemberment, supernatural activity, general assault, and witchcraft.
What made me pick it up: One of the TN R.E.A.D.s prompts for October is to read a book by a Hispanic or Latinx author. The title and cover art drew me in.
Overall rating: I struggled with this one. I didn't find the stories to be all that entertaining and I had to keep reminding myself to put this one on to listen (I read as an audiobook). I'm not sure if there's something missing in the translation (I read an English translation) or if I just wasn't getting into the content. Some stories were better than others in my opinion, but many of them just seemed like random diary entries of overly imaginative individuals. Maybe I expect more scare and thrill from my thriller/horrors, but this wasn't it for me. I probably wouldn't recommend it, but I'm glad I was exposed to some different authors from who I usually read.
Reader's Note: 'A Sunny Place for Shady People' includes multiple stories that include themes of sex, sexual assault, rape, death, dying, torture, dismemberment, supernatural activity, general assault, and witchcraft.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Gore, Mental illness, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail