tabatha_shipley's reviews
1326 reviews

What I Did Like:

+Sofie and Cam. Together or separately these two are adorable. I especially love that they’re written in such a way to help you understand and almost relive that high school crush flutter. 

+Well done red herrings. That’s all I’ll say, no spoilers.

+The last podcast was great! In fact, the whole idea of giving you podcast episodes as the book went on worked to support the story.

Who Should Read This One:

-Readers who like the idea of a cold case true crime podcast digging into a case and helping! This was a fun one. It is YA though, keep that in mind.

My Rating: 4 Stars

For Full Review: https://alltherightreads.com/2024/08/12/2024-book-review-missing-clarissa/ 

What I Did Like:

+The opening chapters set up a compelling premise that pulls you in easily. You want to understand the rules and try to find a way to beat them  for these characters. You want to know everything about their world and their curse. 

+The emphasis on writing an accurate historical fiction piece comes through, even with the fantasy elements. The characters and their struggles shine here, from the challenges of schooling kids on a farm to the challenges of war and race. It’s beautifully written and well researched. 

+The initial moments for each of the characters you follow through the time travel are brilliant. Those first moments when they realize what has happened and have to cope are just well written and original, even for the genre. 

Who Should Read This One:

-Readers of historical fiction who want to try something a little fantastical with the time travel element are really the audience for this one. The historical fiction really shines here.

My Rating: 4 Stars

Well written and well researched. 

For Full Review: https://alltherightreads.com/2024/08/12/2024-book-review-the-fallen-fruit/ 

What I Did Like:

+Right away this one would make for a GREAT movie because of the vibe you have going on. The gothic style house out in the middle of nowhere, the creepy things going on, the main characters who give off this sort of worrisome vibe … all of that would translate well to the big screen (at least the way I picture it in my head comes out cool).

+There’s at least one twist you won’t see coming. That’s high praise for this genre coming from someone who reads a LOT of thrillers and tends to predict a good chunk of things ahead of time. 

+Unreliable narrator. This is one you either like or don’t, I get that. But if you like unreliable narrators who may lie to you at the drop of a hat, this one is done well. There are lies, they do throw up red herrings for plot twists, and you’ll be suitably offended/outraged when you realize you’ve been lied to. 

Who Should Read This One:

-Thriller fans who want the juicy twist and don’t mind if characters don’t behave completely naturally as long as it comes out shocking in the end.

My Rating: 3 Stars

For Full Review: https://alltherightreads.com/2024/08/07/2024-book-review-never-lie/ 

What I Did Like:

+Lyrical prose. No one would argue that James McBride can’t craft a sentence. The language is beautiful. 

+Slow moving picture of life in 1970s Pennsylvania. Each character is brought to life and shows a different aspect of life. 

Who Should Read This One:

-Historical fiction fans who like slow moving character driven prose. 

My Rating: 2 Stars

The back cover description felt like it was for a completely different book and that, combined with the rambling prose, ruined this one for me. 

For Full Review: https://alltherightreads.com/2024/08/05/2024-book-review-the-heaven-earth-grocery-store/ 

What I Did Like:

+The pronunciation guide was great! 

+The Greek traditions and culture brought into this one is well done. It’s introduced well and explained in a way that will help other cultures understand the terms and traditions while still giving those who celebrate the same way that fun feeling of nostalgia. 

+The ending works. It’s got a cute feeling while still staying true to the legend we were trying to tell. Plus, there’s some good lessons hidden in there for kids! 

Who Should Read This One:

-Middle grade readers who don’t mind a little scary monster style story. Good characters, good lessons, and good introduction to Greek customs. 

My Rating: 4 Stars

For Full Review: https://alltherightreads.com/2024/08/05/2024-book-review-fotinoula-and-the-christmas-goblin/ 

What I Did Like:

+I do love the points made by the main character about equality, which is the point of the novel. She’s absolutely right about all of it and eloquent in her delivery.

+The second half of the book is beautiful. The main character just sings in this role and it gives the story depth. That being said, if we hadn’t taken the journey in the first half, we wouldn’t understand her well enough to let this half work. 

+Mad is a great character. Yes, there’s the intelligence and the logic but there’s also a questioning of life and existence. Still, at her roots, she’s a kid. Somehow, you never forget that. 

Who Should Read This One:

-Readers who want something about women coming into their roles and demanding equality during unequal times. Fans of Marvelous Mrs Maisel, for example, may enjoy this. Although it’s chemistry, not comedy! 

My Rating: 4 Stars

For Full Review: https://alltherightreads.com/2024/08/02/2024-book-review-lessons-in-chemistry/ 

What I Did Like:

+The book had a sense that you’re not getting the full story and can’t trust anything you’re hearing from the beginning. This is a good vibe to add tension because you’re on alert for clues or things you missed. 

+Unreliable, unlikeable main character. From the beginning, you’re not sure who you can trust. This gives the entire book that familiar unreliable narrator feeling, even when we’re in third person and there’s no official narrator. 

+The vibe change for the end is fun. It creates a reveal that answers a lot of questions. 

Who Should Read This One:

-Fans of unreliable narrator stories who like a big sort of rewind-the-story-and-explain-everything reveal may like this one more than I did. 

My Rating: 2 Stars

The awkward pacing and skipping important things part of the book made reading it a bit frustrating and problematic. Plus, for me, the ending didn’t work. It answered questions but not in a good way. 

For Full Review: https://alltherightreads.com/2024/08/02/2024-book-review-the-guest/ 

What I Did Like:

+This is a great example of a time an author knew the rules of grammar well enough to break them for their purposes. This is evident early when a chapter suddenly has little to no punctuation, giving the impression the character is overwhelmed and out of it. Personally, I love when things like that are used to help you connect to a character emotionally. 

+The brilliance of little reveals to give you more connection to a character comes through here. This one pops between Before and After chapters but they’re set up to give you a little more of a connection to our main character each time. It’s the kind of story where you feel yourself being reeled in slowly until you are completely under the spell. It’s captivating.

+Well researched. Evident in the handling of the psychiatry as well as in the police procedures, this one had a lot of careful research. If you’re interested in some of the roots, be sure to read the author's note. 

Who Should Read This One:

-If you’re a fan of realistic fiction that tells stories ripped from the headlines in a fast paced way, this one is highly recommended.

-Also, if you’re a YA fan who likes strong independent main characters, give this one a read.

My Rating: 4 Stars

Brilliant and powerful, this one delivers. 

For Full Review: https://alltherightreads.com/2024/07/31/2024-book-review-after-the-fire/ 

What I Did Like:

+Good vibe at the start. There’s a “there’s something we don’t know here” vibe permeating the entire beginning of this story, which is excellent. 

+The reason people love this story is clearly and obviously that ending. I won’t spoil anything but right around Chapter 35 the vibe changes (again) and this time what’s left of the story is AMAZING. 

+A fast, fun thriller. It moves quickly and shocks, which is the point!

Who Should Read This One:

-Fans of shocking thrillers who might normally read other genres, this is a good way to find yourself falling into the genre.

-Fans of unlikeable casts.

My Rating: 3 Stars

For Full Review: https://alltherightreads.com/2024/07/29/2024-book-review-the-wife-upstairs/ 

What I Did Like:

+The action scenes are well written. It’s easy to understand what happens and they are suitably intense. 

+The overall sense that you aren’t sure which side you even agree with, because this feels like a battle where you aren’t given all the information, is intense. It helps you to feel that this society may be sort of broken, setting the scene well.

+The juxtaposition of a sort of police thriller with dragon fantasy is interesting. I am sure the point of the series is to explore this even more and that’s intriguing. This one sets that tone well for the series if that’s the case. 

Who Should Read This One:

-Fans of genre blending might like the way this one comes together, especially if you’re a fan of dragon fantasy but want something a bit different. 

My Rating: 3 Stars

This one has a slow start and is pretty niche, but it has appeal! 

For Full Review: https://alltherightreads.com/2024/07/26/2024-book-review-reptiles-and-renegades/