thebookishlass's reviews
317 reviews

I found these characters to be highly unlikeable. All of them. I still enjoyed learning more about this scandal, and the writing was good, but boy, these people are all terrible people.

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

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emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

What a wonderful book! This has been my most favorite read of the year. The author strikes the perfect balance between humor and grief, and had me both laughing out loud and crying. The plot is clearly laid out, and you can't wait for the characters to make the connections as well. Shelby Van Pelt's debut novel is remarkably poignant and heartwarming, and will leave you with the understanding that you need more octopi in your life.

Two Nights in Lisbon by Chris Pavone

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adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

3.5/5 stars

I enjoyed the premise of this book. It's a well-done mystery/thriller with all of the right twists and turns. What keeps it from being a solid 4-star read for me is the non-linear timeline that isn't well differentiated in the book. In general Ariel was a likeable character. The impact of her traumatic past was front and center, even if the reader wasn't fully aware of the extent and nature of that trauma in the beginning. The author slips back to Ariel's past in the middle of chapters, and it makes it difficult to know when that was happening, especially in the audio edition. I think it would have been better done if they were separate chapters. Content warning, there is a great deal of violence against women in this book, so if that is a difficult subject for you, proceed with caution. Narrator January LaVoy did a great job, as usual.

Blood Sugar by Sascha Rothchild

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dark mysterious tense

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

4.5

A really enjoyable read. I loved the premise, which makes it different from many others in the genre. Rothchild does a great job of threading the needle of making Ruby a villain, without falling into the "therapists behaving badly" trope. Despite being a murderer, I couldn't help but to root for Ruby to clear her name of the one murder she didn't actually commit. This is a perfect summertime read!

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thebookishlass's reviews 317 reviews

thebookishlass's reviews
317 reviews