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hkburke2's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-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
3.5
Glad I read this even though I didn't enjoy the plot summary teaser (I guess that's not surprising) - it felt unique even with a plot that was (for me) fairly predictable. The social media commentary was my least favorite bit, but the two female leads and the timeline made up for it for me!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Mental illness, Cancer, Death of parent, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Addiction
Minor: Drug use and Murder
kyrstin_p1989's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- 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
I found much of the plot predictable and yet I really enjoyed this book. It was exciting, dramatic, and full of twists and turns. A good thriller that had a happy-ish ending.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Fatphobia, Gaslighting, Grief, Infidelity, Blood, Cancer, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Suicide, Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, Gun violence, Self harm, Mental illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Violence, Classism, Death, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Murder, and Suicidal thoughts
hmserm's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness and Infidelity
jenn_reads's review against another edition
dark
fast-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
4.75
This book has everything! Alternating narrators, terrible rich people, grifters, intrigue and betrayal, murder, snow. A++
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Mental illness, and Suicide
Moderate: Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Murder, and Vomit
Minor: Pregnancy
schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, why is it always fuckingmiserablesplendor's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-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
4.0
How far would you go for a person you love? Depending on who you ask, the answers could range from not very far at all to murder.
For Nina, when her mother’s cancer refuses to go into remission, she’s forced to go back to her scamming ways to fund the treatments. And who else would be a better target than Vanessa Liebling, the rich heiress who just moved into her family’s vacation home, up in the mountains? Their history goes back far further than she cares to admit, but Nina knows that locked away in that vacation home is a few million dollars in cold hard cash. And with her mother’s life on the line, Nina can only hope that Vanessa doesn’t recognise her.
Pretty Things came recommended to me through BookTok of all places but I was hooked on the premise the moment I heard it. I have a serious love for heist media; I grew up watching Leverage and I adore Ocean’s 8, so this book is definitely up my alley. It did sit on my To-Read list for a while before I was able to get around to it, but when I did, I promise this book is so hard is put down.
The twists in the novel are never ending, with red herrings being revealed with each new arc as the con becomes increasingly complex. And by the time the story comes to an end, it has gone into a completely different direction from what I had anticipated.
There’s also a lot of backstory that is built into Pretty Things; and the novel is told from both Nina’s and Vanessa’s view point, slowly unravelling the story of the two women’s know each other, how exactly Nina started conning others in the first place and why Vanessa had moved back home in the first place.
One complaint I have is that I found Vanessa to be pretty annoying. That’s not on Janelle Brown, she is meant to be annoying in the first place, which is why Nina choses her as a target for her scam. But I found her to be so privileged, that even when she discussed her family struggles, I couldn’t find an ounce of sympathy for her.
Regardless, even in the moments where I got irritated with Vanessa, Brown is a talented enough writer that I’m able to overlook it. And her backstory is so integral to the plot that I spent those moments looking for the hints about what was really going on. Nina also more than carries the story when Vanessa cannot.
If you are a fan of heist stories with dark undertones, Pretty Things by Janelle Brown is the novel for you this spooky season. But be warned, there are candid discussions of suicide and mental illness within its pages.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide and Mental illness
elizabethkore's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-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
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness and Suicide
bookedupbabe's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
showingshelflove's review
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Murder, Cancer, and Mental illness
omgmkg's review
dark
mysterious
tense
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
4.5
I was on the edge of my seat for this entire book. Oh my goodness the twists and turns, the characters, the full and genuine exploration of these two highly flawed and deeply intertwined characters. Each time I thought the large twist was here, there was another. This book is delicious and dark and smarter than you might think (though a bit heavy handed with themes of blame, and a lot more complicated with themes of “pretty things” than I initially expected). I listened to the audiobook and Julia Whelan absolutely excels, per always. Also a million points for the primary characters being mostly women and a not terrible portrayal of severe mental illness.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Murder, Vomit, Toxic relationship, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Mental illness, Grief, Drug abuse, and Death of parent
Minor: Alcoholism
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