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3.81 AVERAGE
3.81 AVERAGE
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
mysterious
medium-paced
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I think I liked this book the more time that passed after I read it.
Admittedly, I went through a ~journey~ while reading this. About a third through, I wasn’t jazzed about it. It reminded me of another “con-woman with a heart” book that I read previously that I didn’t like so I was fighting this bias. But I was pleasantly surprised when it took a turn for the better!
I really liked how we got both Nina and Vanessa’s perspectives on the same events and both of their back stories. Both leading ladies and the story in general ended up having way more depth than I anticipated and I was happy that my original bias was proven wrong.
Admittedly, I went through a ~journey~ while reading this. About a third through, I wasn’t jazzed about it. It reminded me of another “con-woman with a heart” book that I read previously that I didn’t like so I was fighting this bias. But I was pleasantly surprised when it took a turn for the better!
I really liked how we got both Nina and Vanessa’s perspectives on the same events and both of their back stories. Both leading ladies and the story in general ended up having way more depth than I anticipated and I was happy that my original bias was proven wrong.
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I am conflicted with my feelings on this book.
I found myself highlighting so many quotes in the first half of this book. The author hit the nail on the head when it comes to social media and the psychology around those whose lives revolve around the fake life that is social media. I was enthralled with that plot point of the story.
However, that is where it kind of ended for me. Even though the social media aspect was interesting, the rest of the book itself fell flat for me. The story was slow. There was a lot of filler that didn't contribute to anything. I found myself skimming from time to time, just wanting the book to end.
I found I ended up not liking any of the characters in this book. They are all self absorbed and out of touch with reality. I can't find a redeeming quality in any of them.
The ending was one of the best things about the book. Revenge and retribution are always a great thing for an ending. And two of the characters get theirs in the best kind of way.
Overall, this book was okay. It moved slow. It had a handful of good parts. I didn't love it, but I didn't dislike it either.
I found myself highlighting so many quotes in the first half of this book. The author hit the nail on the head when it comes to social media and the psychology around those whose lives revolve around the fake life that is social media. I was enthralled with that plot point of the story.
However, that is where it kind of ended for me. Even though the social media aspect was interesting, the rest of the book itself fell flat for me. The story was slow. There was a lot of filler that didn't contribute to anything. I found myself skimming from time to time, just wanting the book to end.
I found I ended up not liking any of the characters in this book. They are all self absorbed and out of touch with reality. I can't find a redeeming quality in any of them.
The ending was one of the best things about the book. Revenge and retribution are always a great thing for an ending. And two of the characters get theirs in the best kind of way.
Overall, this book was okay. It moved slow. It had a handful of good parts. I didn't love it, but I didn't dislike it either.
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Pretty Things by Janelle Brown was packed with twists and turns that kept the plot moving. This story pieced itself together in a way that kept me wondering what would happen next, since each turn it took felt unnatural (in the best way). Though I loved the overarching story, I wasn’t a huge fan of the repetition of scenes. That being said though, I did love seeing it from both perspectives. I thought that having these perspective changes humanized both characters, and made for an interesting dynamic, I just wish we didn’t have to relive the same scenes moments after we first read them. It made the book feel very confined to a few events, but I also didn’t hate it as much as I thought I would after the first perspective change. It revealed key insights and information with each flip, and I think it worked well in this case for what the author was working toward. If you love books that take unexpected turns, I would definitely add this one to your TBR.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Cancer, Death, Drug use, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Classism
Moderate: Grief, Gaslighting
This book was just meh. It felt underdeveloped, almost the Sparknotes version of a better story. I'm sure there are difficulties in writing a book from multiple perspectives, but sometimes it is worth making the book twice as long, and I submit that this would have been one of those times. The climax was very abrupt and out-of-character for those involved, and wrapped it up a little too nicely for my liking.
I probably won't read it again, but I got it on sale, so I don't have any major complaints.
I probably won't read it again, but I got it on sale, so I don't have any major complaints.
I’d describe this book as pretty dark and moody. I wasn’t entirely sure how it was going to end so that kept me going until the end. It was a bit weird and had a couple of interesting twists.