xabbeylongx's reviews
168 reviews

Spoilers Ahead: 

This book was another example of how excellent a writer Coben is. Another thrilling novel, one I would definitely recommend. 

We follow Paul Copeland throughout. His wife passed away from illness, which left him alone with his daughter, Cara, and he’s an attorney. When he was younger, he had a summer romance with a girl called Lucy at a camp, and when he left his post (he as a ‘guard’) to, *ahem*, mess around with her, his sister went missing, as did three other campers. Two bodies were found as remains, but not his sister. 

After years of Paul and Lucy not talking (I should point out that Lucy’s father owned the camp, and their family was put through the wringer for not having good enough security) Lucy receives a journal which has very similar events to what happened that night, except it states that they both lied. When they start to look into it further together, they are lead down a series of different, confusing paths. Everyone believes her to be dead, but Paul has a different feeling about it. There’s a body that arises, the third body that supposedly went missing that night, but he’s grown up and has only just been murdered. That give him hope, albeit, only a small amount, that his sister is still alive and out there. 

Meanwhile, he is working on a TW r*pe case, and he has been getting pressure from the other side to drop whatever he’s doing, otherwise information about him will be dug up. 

There is a lot of digging, and Ira, Lucy’s father, who suffers from Alzheimers, asks to speak to Paul directly. When he does, Ira pulls out a gun, and shoots him. He only stops when Lucy begs him not to, and he, instead, shoots himself. 

They find remains of a skeleton just like Camille (Paul’s sister) but he doesn’t believe it’s her. After a visit to ‘Red Onion Prison’ - I love that name - to see the person who was assumed to have done the murders, he admits to it. He says that Gil Perez (the third victim) wanted to play a trick on one of the girls who was acting ‘slutty’ and ‘teasing’ him, so they wanted to play a prank on her. Too late, they realised he was actually a murderer, and he killed them. Gil and Camille managed to escape, but with them digging now, they had resurfaced. Camille is alive, and living with Paul’s Uncle. The murderer also tells him that Lucy was an accomplice. Her father was a drug addict, and the murderer threatened her father and so she pulled Paul away from his post, so the killings could be done. 

Honestly, writing this review there is a lot that doesn’t make sense to me. There are a lot of twists and turns, a lot of different things and different people to remember, and almost too many plot twists - almost - that sometimes it’s hard to keep up. Some of it, I didn’t really see the relevance. Like the IRA stuff, it was mentioned briefly throughout and then dropped? And the remains that were found (apparently Paul’s father strangled her, and she knew where Camille was this whole time and she found out he had sold her mum and dad to the government, and she was going to spill?) was Paul’s mother, and was she pregnant? I swear that’s what they said, and if that’s the case, don’t they have a sibling out there somewhere? But, to be fair the book is very entertaining, and I like being kept on my feet. So, whilst sometimes it’s a bit difficult to get your head around (and also some of the language is slightly misogynistic, but I don’t know if that is just me being sensitive) but I would definitely recommend! 

Spoilers Ahead: 

Wow. This book was absolutely stunning. A fantastic read, very very beautiful. 

We follow Grace, who is one of the conjoined twins, joined at the hip with Tippi. They get told that they have to go to school, a public school, which is their idea of hell. Bu they go, and they meet Yasmeen and Jon. 

Grace quickly falls for Jon, but because of her condition - and also the rule her sister made up - she can’t do anything about it. They have to go through school, and the stares and the name-calling, but at least they have new friends. But when their parents become jobless, they need to leave school - and they’ve already started enjoying it now! 

The twins do something they’ve always vowed not to do, and they sell their lives away to make a documentary, which gets them the money they need to continue going to school. But, when they collapse and wake up in hospital, they know that not everything is okay. 

Grace has a heart condition, and to live, they need to be separated. They don’t want this, but it’s their only chance at surviving. Grace’s chances of surviving are really low, anyway. She manages to get through the surgery, but when she wakes up, Tippi ins’t doing well. She hangs on to see Grace, who then tells her she can go, if she needs to, and Tippi passes away, having hung on enough to see Grace one last time (*sobs*). Grace promised Tippi that she would carry on for her, and that’s what she does. 

I loved everything about this book. Even the spaces between the text, I loved that too. It all contributed to the book, making the gaps between words longer to help the pacing and create tension, and it worked so well. The characters were beautiful, very realistic from a teenage-girl sort of perspective, especially with the two different personalities of Tippi and Grace, and hearing about the reality of conjoined twins, both physically and mentally, was a really big eye-opener, to be honest. I liked being able to learn more about a world that I haven’t experienced. Sobbed when Tippi passed. Especially when Grace told her that she should ‘Go’… absolutely bawling. The whole of this book is just beautifully melancholic, and I love the relationship between the two twins. It’s a must-read!! 

Spoilers Ahead: 

Once again, Meddings has passed with flying colours, with the third book in the series of ‘Sad Ghost Club’. A beautiful series of books, and I’m really hoping that there will be more soon? 

We follow SG, Socks and Rue as more ghosts turn up to the club! They ask what the other sad ghosts need help with, and one of them, Benji, tells them he’s performing in town soon, and he would like support. They all are so excited to support him, and they get to work right away. Rue starts to make posters, and stickers, and suddenly that consumes their life. They’re so desperate to be liked, and to not let anyone down, that they start to overwork themselves. They skip on their therapy, de-piroritise their homework, and they keep offering to do more work for them. Socks is worried about them, but SG says they wouldn’t say they could do it if they couldn’t handle it (anyone struggling with mental health knows that is a massive untruth), and they keep on going until Rue breaks, after realising one of the names on their poster is wrong. They go home and they get into bed, and they stay there, thinking they’ve messed everything up. SG and Socks call Rue’s Grandma, and tells her that they are struggling, and then Rue gets the help they need. 

Rue opens up to them, and tells them that they have been experiencing grief after the loss of their father. They all work it out, and they go to Benni’s gig to help support him. 

Okay, I adore how the books all follow on immediately from each other as if it’s a new chapter, no time in-between, and I love the fact that each book focuses on a different character. First SG, then Socks, and now Rue! I’m hoping to see more from Benji next, and I’m really hopeful we get to see some more of the ghosts and their mental health struggles. 

Additionally, the characterisation is perfect in this series, and so is the plot and the art, all of it is just perfect. And Socks… well, Socks is my little baby. I love Socks so much. And Rue, my beautiful ghost, their character arc is pure and amazing, and, arguably, the best one so far. I love the fact that they discuss grief in this book, and how it contributes to the mental health struggles that are already there. It’s beautiful, it’s lovely, and I adore the friendships that are blossoming and being created in these books. I also love the fact that not only is it normalising asking for help in these books, it’s also normalising letting a loved one know if you’re worried about their mental health. A lot of people would find this invasive, and I can see why, but it’s mostly done with the best intentions, and I love that! Read it!! :) 

Spoilers Ahead: 
The second book in the ‘Sad Ghost Club’ series written by Meddings, and she managed to stay consistent and engaging throughout. The series is quickly becoming one of my favourites, for sure!
We follow SG and Socks, the two ghosts from the first book, as they plan to meet up with someone who found their poster, and wanted to meet with them to feel less lonely. When SG and Socks meet up the day after the poster is put up, SG is really excited to meet the other sad ghost, but Socks is just very tired. They have a lot of qualms about meeting up with this ghost, and they don’t really want to go, but they aren’t give much of a choice - SG has a certain ability of not listening!
They go to meet the other sad ghost. Their name is Rue, and they get along really well with SG at first, so much so that Socks is left out, and they leave early. They spend the days after in their bed, pushing people away so they won’t do it to them first. When SG turns up one day, thinking everyone is annoyed with them because Rue isn’t responding either, they talk it out and SG says that they will always be there for them. And they go and find Rue, and they say the same to them, and then they decide to make an even bigger club, for even more sad ghosts. When lots of people turn up, they are shocked! SG is a bit nervous, but with their friends by their side, what can go wrong?
A beautiful book, and another perfect representation of mental health. We got to see a little more into Sock’s character this book, which I adore because Socks is beginning to become my new favourite character. t’s very humbling, seeing how much all these characters represent me. I’ve been in a situation like this a few times before, and I reacted the same way that Socks did. To be honest, I’m not a fan of the way SG reacted to Socks’ mental struggles at all. I don’t know whether that’s part of their character, but it felt a little bit demeaning for Socks. Especially when they came over and immediately started talking about Rue? It felt a little insensitive to me, but I suppose I am biased, as I have been in similar issues. It would be interesting to hear what other people think of SG, as I don’t remember them being like that in the first book? Although, I’m not too sure, but I think that maybe SG has some form of autism - I could be 100% wrong - and if that’s the case, then it really has been done well for the character.
Also, I didn’t realise it at first in the series, but the ghosts go by they/them pronouns, and I love that! It’s the perfect use of them, and I really love the subtle inclusivity in the book. Honestly, it may not seem like a big deal, and it works really well for the plot too, but just as someone part of the LGBTQ+ community, it’s such a refreshing thing to see. Just one of the many reasons why I loved reading this book, and I would definitely recommend!

Spoilers Ahead: 

This book was absolutely gorgeous. A comic book based on mental health, with cute ghost to narrate… what could be better? 

We follow a ghost who has a very big case of anxiety, as their parents leave them with their cat, Pocket, for the weekend. The ghost gets invited to a party, but is unsure of whether to go or not. All day, they can’t make up their mind, and they say they’re going and then they change their mind, consumed by all these questions and ‘what if’ scenarios, until they eventually decide to go. 

When they get there, they try to join in, but to no avail, and no one seems to understand or want to talk to them. They spot another ghost, but they are stand-offish at first, until they meet properly. This ghost has depression, and they also had to drag themselves out of bed to go to the party. They spend the night talking and understanding each other. When the night ends, the ghost puts up a poster, so that other sad ghosts can joint heir club and feel less alone. 

This book was so cute, and I loved hearing the positive representation on mental health. I related to both of the characters, and, ironically, I felt a little less alone reading about people who are the same as me, even if they are ghosts. A very good book, a very good message, and… to be fair, I don’t have much to say, only that I would definitely recommend, and I can’t wait to read the next books in the series! 

Spoilers Ahead: 

This is the first book of Coben’s I’ve ever read, although admittedly not the first one I’ve bought. This was the one which enticed me in, grabbed my attention, and I read it super quickly. And, can I say, I’m very sorry to ever put off reading any of his books. 

We follow David Beck, a respected doctor in the community, throughout this book. His wife, Elisabeth, died eight years ago, and although it was quite a long time ago, he never got over her. They were childhood sweethearts, and inseparable. She was kidnapped when they were on vacation in the mountains, and her body was found a few days later. Dr Beck had suffered a blow to the head, so he couldn’t save her, either. So when he receives a weird email from someone anonymous, with intimate details about his relationship with his former wife, he’s confused. And, dare I say it, he had a little bit of hope that she would actually be alive. He told his confidant, Shauna, who was with Linda, his sister (yay, queer representation!) and she wasn’t as convinced, but that did nothing to extinguish his hope. The email was very vague, and told him to keep his eyes open, as he was being watched. 

When Dr Beck is investigated to do with his wife’s murder eight years later, he knows there is something not right. And, when two bodies are found in connection to his wife’s murder (they were the ones who allegedly kidnapped her) and the police come after him, blaming him, he does the only thing he can think of. The emails, of which he assumes are from his wife, state for him to meet the sender later. He knows it’s Elisabeth, and so desperately wants to see her. His plans are stunted when the police tries to arrest him, so he runs. 

Elisabeth doesn’t show, and he is hunted down. Tyreese - the father of one of his regular patients - is a drug dealer, and helps him out, keeping him safe until they gather the evidence to know that he is actually not part of the murder (first time I’ve ever had that in a crime book!) and Elisabeth’s father had everything to do with it. He hid the autopsy report pictures, and it turns out, they ID’ed someone as their Elisabeth, as she was being hunted for killing someone high up, very important, in regards to her charity work. However, Hoit - Elisabeth’s father - goes to hand Dr Beck over to the father of the boy that Elisabeth killed, and he admits to the murder. He shoots the father, and then himself, to the shock of Beck. He and Elisabeth are then reunited, and they live happily ever after with each other. However, it is then revealed that Dr Beck is the one who actually killed the son, and Elisabeth was just protecting him. 

Honestly, such a lot more goes on in this book that my summary doesn’t even do it justice. Please read it! If you’re into psychological thrills and crime and endearing relationships, then please read it! Dr Beck (it’s weird calling him David) and his relationship with his wife is so beautiful, and pure. The fact he was loyal to her all this time - pretty much, save for a few dates that don’t really count - is so sweet, and I love that. All of the characters (apart from Linda - I can’t stand her!) are so realistic and well-planned and I loved reading about them. Tyreese is my favourite though, I need to know what happened to him and his son! The best character in the book, I can’t lie. Oh, and I thought Elisabeth was very selfish for the longest of times, but that changed very suddenly when the ending revealed she was just covering up Dr Beck’s murder (he was doing it in self-defence, okay?). I owe her the biggest apology. 

I loved this book, but I can’t lie, the ending was very long. The book is so drawn out, and every part of it is so exciting, that the ending felt slightly a bit ant-climactic. Only slightly though, because that ending knocked me for six, I can’t lie. It felt like there was a double ending, with the actual ending being used to actually open up a whole new set of questions. Whilst I do find it insanely infuriating, I also thought it worked so well. However, not telling us about Shauna and Linda’s fate, and what happened to Tyreese and his son, is cruel, and cannot be forgiven. But oh well, what can you do? 

Spoilers Ahead: 

This is a beautiful book, and I absolutely adored reading it. I wasn’t expecting to like it as much as I did, but I am pleasantly surprised. 

Jamie is gay, teenage boy in the late nineties, although he doesn’t know he is gay just yet. He’s just trying to get through school, when the librarian hands him a book, specifically for him. When he gets home, he reads it, and he finds out that the story has nothing to do with what’s on the cover. 

It’s a gay story, about two gay boys falling in love. 

Something resonates within him, and he starts going through an identity crisis. Which is so confusing, because due to Action 28, the mention of gay relationships is strictly forbidden in school. However, someone puts a message in the book, saying he feels the same way. After much deliberating, Jamie puts a message back, and waits for a response. 

He and this mystery guy talk through the pages of the book, and Jamie tries to figure out who it is. He finds out when they’re brought to the Principle’s office, and Rob West - the guy who is always in detention - is there. The book is labelled ‘offensive’, and ‘pornographic’, and “action needs to be taken”. Whilst they are investigating, he and Rob make plans to steal the book. 

It eventually gets out that it’s Jamie and Rob that are the undercover queers. When people find out, they start to get bullied, and beaten up. Most teachers turn a blind eye, saying they brought this n themselves. 

Rob’s dad is a very high-up political man, and he threatened to send Rob away if he was ever seen as gay to other people - his reputation is at stake (of course!). So when it is leaked that they are gay, everything - essentially - goes to shit. 

Jamie is the leader - or was, before some dickhead called Debbie took it over - of the school dance, and he desperately wanted Rob to go with him. Unfortunately, Rob’s dog was sold, and the only reason he wasn’t sent away was because he promised not to talk to Jamie again, and he promised to have a public girlfriend. However, when Jamie finds photos of Rob’s dad fumbling about with his secretary (she was the one who ratted out both Jamie and Rob when they were caught, btw) whilst Rob’s mum died of cancer. Jamie threatened to release them unless they let them be happy with each other, and so Jamie did end up taking the boy to the ball! 

This is such a beautiful story, and I had my fist in my mouth the whole time. Jamie and Rob’s relationship is so sweet, I just love love, especially when it means people finding out about themselves along the way - in my opinion, it makes it so much sweeter. 

The narration throughout was just perfect, so comical and conversational, and it was so engaging along the way. The characters were all perfect, so loveable and most of home had a very good character arc, and it was just an amazing book to read. It’s so sad, hearing about the troubles that gay men have to endure, and I was tearing up when Jamie realised that he wasn’t the problem, society is. When he said about how anybody can hate love, I swear my heart broke, because he’s so right. The only thing I would say is that I think, honestly, it’s a little unrealistic that, during that time period, all of the people that love him would be supportive. I don’t know, I could be wrong, but I thought there would be a little bit of a bigger fallout than that. Still, it’s such an amazing book, and would definitely recommend! 

Spoilers Ahead: 
Another short and sweet read from Liz Maverick. This is the third book in the series of ‘Winter Nights’, and Maverick kept bringing the consistency and the same themes of the first two, but with some extra sass.
So, we bring another friend into the group when Cher turns up. She’s done a flat-share with Marcus, who lives across form Elliot, to get over her heartbreak. When she turns up and finds him putting out ‘trash’ on the floor, she finds him weird, and they start off on the wrong foot. However, he takes her luggage up to her room, and tells her to knock if she needs anything.
To his surprise, she does! It’s a shithole, with no decorations or any washer, so she asks to use his. He finds himself trying to make her life a lot better. He’s trying to get over Sarah, and she’s trying to get over some asshole who fired her from her job when he broke up with her, and so they try to help each other.
Elliot invites her into the friendship group, and she is welcomed with open arms. They sort out Hanukkah decorations for her house, invite her out for shopping trips, and her and Elliot go off by themselves. He takes her around, and they take lots of photos for their social media. People assume they’re engaged, which they both secretly don’t mind.
Everything was working well, but she was only staying until her flat-share was up, and he didn’t want to get attached, only for her to leave him. When her ex turns up and offers her her job back, she’s shocked, and Elliot is extremely hurt (shocker). But Cher overhears him saying some awful stuff to his father, and she’s so glad she didn’t sign. Her and Elliot end updating.
Honestly, if you’ve seen my other reviews, you’ll know I wasn’t a great fan of Elliot from the other books. I thought he had a massive attitude problem, he had a weird obsession with Sarah, and he took it out on her. He was starting to be bearable in this book, and that’s because Cher was bearable… That’s the only reason why. He’s still a whiny, self-centered bitch in this one, which is a shame, as he could have had a mad redemption arc. Cher didn’t really have anything that made her a different character from all the others, apart form where she’s from, so it was a pretty meh book to be honest. There was a lack of conflict, I found, which isn’t my cup of tea at all. It’s a decent book, a reasonable length, but definitely not some of her best work tbh.
However, I think I’d like for Tamara to have her happy ending next, please! Maverick, please make it happen! Save this series (and me, for that matter).

Spoilers Ahead: 

This book was genuinely nothing that I expected. Nothing could have prepared me for what I read. I’ve read one or two books of Hoover’s, and I can’t say I’m a massive fan, but I bought it ages ago and I wanted to get rid of it off my TBR to be honest. 

We follow Daniel and Six (which, to start off with, what sort of a name is that?) and they are a couple but they haven’t bee right for ages. This is due to the fact that they had sex in a dark closet (they didn’t know it was with each other until after they started dating?) and Six got pregnant. She had the baby, and gave him up for adoption, and they haven’t been the same since. 

One night, he decides to talk to her about it, and it’s the closest they’ve felt in a while. He decides, even though they’ve signed a ‘closed adoption agreement’ - meaning they are not allowed to contact or harass the people who adopted their son - he decides to try and contact them. There is a teacher Six was close with, and he calls her, who gives the details over to the parents. 

He talks to the adoptive father, and he says he will have a think as to whether he will tell his wife, and they both try to not get their hopes up. However, they get an email from her, saying how could she deny them the opportunity to see the baby that brought them so much joy, as they couldn’t have children themselves. She decides they will meet, and when they do after Christmas break has begun, Daniel and Six’s relationship is fixed! 

A very quick read. Got it done in a day. It hasn’t done anything except convince me that nothing like this would ever happen in real life. The character’s themselves are not very likeable, in my opinion, especially Daniel. I think he has a disgusting attitude, and I think he isn’t given enough shit for what he’s done. His sisters are so much worse, because I get the whole sibling banter, but they were just plain cruel. As I said though, he’s not a nice enough character for me to feel bad. The only person I mildly like is Six, and even that is touch and go. Just the thought of them doing it in the dark, not knowing who each other is, makes me feel a bit icky tbh, but I know it happens. Just not really my cup of tea as a book, tbh. The novella itself doesn’t set the scene very well either. I wouldn’t bother reading it, personally, unless you want to try and increase the amount of books you’ve read, which would work, as it’s a very simple and easy read. 

Spoilers Ahead: 

Liz Maverick delivered, once again, with a very enjoyable book to read. 

We follow Sarah - one of the friends from the first book in this series, ‘Eight Winter Nights’ - and Adam. They were once friends in the beginning, but they grew apart. When Adam comes to her, after 10 years of silence, asking her to be her fake date after accidentally telling his mum he was dating her (to get the pressure off of him, of course, which is a totally rational thing to do) and she reluctantly agrees, despite things being weird. 

Things are also weird between her and Elliot, her childhood best friend. He said that he liked her, but she didn’t feel the same way. And as she starts developing feelings for Adam, feelings outside of their agreement, things start to get a little complicated. 

Their friendship group is less than accommodating, especially Elliot. Tamara helps them with the PR side of things, which helps them. Sarah has moved into his flat due to hers being uninhabitable and freezing. it’s all for this yearly ball they go to together, and after that they plan to break up and go their separate ways. 

But both of them don’t want that, although there is a miscommunication. Towards the end of the ball, Adam is jokey, because he wants to cheer Sarah up, but she thinks he’s not taking it seriously, and so she doesn’t tell him that she’s actually in love with him. Luckily, though, he catches up with her, and he tells her how he feels. They start dating, and eventually the whole group starts to hang out again… even Elliot, who’s actually quite friendly with Adam now, despite his misgivings at first (very weird testosterone moments in the book tbh, but mostly from Elliot). 

Honestly, I can’t lie, this book took me so long to get into for how short it is, but I felt so bad for Sarah and Adam. Sarah’s friends, I’m sorry, are absolutely shite, and I think she deserves much better. We all know how I felt about Tamara in the last one, so I expected to dislike her again - which shows the consistency of the characters, I guess - but Rachel? I expected better from you. I felt they spent a lot of time just moaning at her, not supporting her, just not really being the people she needed them to be. Which I think is so sad, as she definitely would do that for them. Forever a Sarah defender until the day I die (disregarding the fact she did the same to Elliot as Adam did to her, we’re going to gloss over that fact). Let’s, also, not divert from the fact that Elliot is a massive knobhead? How can he get annoyed at her? She told him that she didn’t like him, and he wasn’t getting the hint? What is she supposed to do, not date until he’s over her? Complete cretin. I can’t stand people like that, how he made himself a victim when someone doesn’t like him… grow up! And, I know you can’t help who you like, but I’d be absolutely fuming at him in turn, for ruining the friendship that way? I almost broke when I heard Sarah say that it wouldn’t be the same again, because that shit hurts. The way he acted as well… unacceptable. Sarah and Adam forever! 

Not a massive fan of the miscommunication trope, and this one felt very rushed and a little sloppy if I’m being honest, but I’m overlooking it for my queen Sarah. 

A very lovely read, and I can’t wait to read the next one!