Reviews with content warning for Animal death - Blood Sugar

This was a riveting read that was hard to put down! I had heard only a little about this when I picked it up off the library shelf and ended up really enjoying it. The main character is surprisingly sympathetic for the subject matter and I can always appreciate books that are very reflective and spend a lot of time in the character's head or getting to know the character. As such, the first half where we spend time going through all the people who have died around Ruby and get to know about the most important events in her life leading up to the death of her husband was my favourite part.

However, the book lagged a bit in the back half as we follow Ruby dealing with the grief of losing her husband (and also

her dog prior

) and the investigation into his death. Ruby loses her irreverent charm and her spark, which might be understandable given the circumstances, but when you spend so much time simply getting to understand the character's personality and motivations and how they act... Well for it to be flipped on the reader like that is a bit jarring and a little unsatisfying. I wanted her to fight harder for what she wants, not just become passive like she did.

Anyway, rant over, I still loved this book. I think anyone who enjoys books that have the vibe of "I support women's wrongs" or "good for her" or "she did nothing wrong <3" I would highly recommend this book to. It's chaotic and fast-paced and felt a bit like really fucked up therapy.

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a_libraryghost's review against another edition

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fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

I liked blood sugar, it was fine-but I don’t know if I’d call it a thriller. It barely even counts as a mystery. Ruby is surprisingly a really likeable character and I enjoyed being in her head and I love how the author didn’t fall into the stereotypes of sociopathy and psychopathy. I cared about her and the people she cares about, and all the side characters had distinct identities.

However the depth put into the characters did not seem to carry over to the plot. The story is fast paced and a genuine page turner but the pace is so even that there’s no climax or major low points. I never stopped reading cuz I did want to know what happened next, because nothing had happened. Jason’s death is a low point but we know that’s coming and it’s very heavily hinted how it’s going to happen. There is a bit of a plot twist at the end but it felt very underwhelming and the ending in general felt very rushed and unrealistic.

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jennamalena's review

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challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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brimclala's review

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challenging dark mysterious sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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greatexpectations77's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

I was extremely into this, and I'm really interested in reading more by this author. I thought it unfolded really interestingly, and I absolutely did not expect to sympathize with this main character, but I liked her?? A really fun read.

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redistributionofmatter's review

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Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

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hazelgirl21's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective fast-paced

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

4.25

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minimicropup's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

Atmosphere: 👌

Mostly Miami Beach setting paired with feel-it, see-it writing. Immersive even though we are also deep in our MCs mind and viewpoint.

Main POV: 👌

TLDR; a morally grey serial killer. Our MC is complex, open-minded, intuitive, loving, empathetic, perceptive, intelligent…but also judgemental, protective, quick to act, technically evil, and the type of person who will step up to fix a problem when society doesn’t seem to have a good (or legal) solution.

Growls and Howls: 🐺

I think if you don’t identify with, like, or appreciate the MC then this book will not be fun at all for you. I think that because the murders are not the focus; the thriller aspects come from caring about the MC and what happens to them.

Cred Rating: 👍

Plausible to realistic depending on the era and forensic competence. The plotting around key witnesses near the end seemed a bit convenient but not unbelievable necessarily. A serial killer like this seems a fantasy - I don’t think the human mind has managed to balance being ‘moral and murderous’.

Show’n’tell: 👌
Show and tell exactly how I like it. Tell me when it’s necessary, otherwise show me everything. Like a captivating kindergarten session where you go home and play school after.

Reading Journey: 👍
Meandering evening summer drive alone with the windows down

Great match if you like:

-literary fiction vibes with a side of thriller/suspense from false accustion

-exploring complexities of growing up, families, relationships, friendships, and grief

-character study from childhood to adulthood

-antihero elements (haven’t we all pondered if we could act on “I could just kill ___” if we knew we’d get away with it?)

-thought-provoking discussion points on morality and what to do with incurable abusers

-legal thriller elements (defendant focus)

Vibes: 🥰🫢🥳

Format: Library E-book via Libby

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