Scan barcode
karkei's review
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
Started off strong but then later, I felt like too much was said without the plot actually moving forward. It killed the thrill for me a bit, especially when I feel like this book was meant to be plot-driven. The characters didn’t have too much depth, after all.
The twist did get me, but I’m also annoyed that it ended without really ending 😂 I’m not sure if I want to continue reading this series. I hate leaving anything open-ended but at the same time, not sure I want to sit through another reading of a book like that.
The twist did get me, but I’m also annoyed that it ended without really ending 😂 I’m not sure if I want to continue reading this series. I hate leaving anything open-ended but at the same time, not sure I want to sit through another reading of a book like that.
reading_styles's review
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
lyssabev7's review
4.0
January 2024 book club pick by Jenny
I’m annoyed. But entertained? And now I have to go read the other books in the series.
I’m annoyed. But entertained? And now I have to go read the other books in the series.
thornsides's review
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-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
4.5
kelseytakara's review against another edition
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
jadenal10's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
milo_venus's review
3.0
3.5 stars
***** There will be some spoilers in this*****
These are my “high-level” review points. There is soooo much more I could add, but honestly, this is what I have time for right now. Lol
It was good. I mean, I literally read the entire thing in one sitting (RIP sleep), couldn't put it down kinda good. Then why the lower rating? There were definitely a few too many times when I was like, UGH. But it really was a fun read.
FMC:
Okay, so Avery was a solid 4/5 for me when it comes to lead female characters. She's smart, she's sassy, heart of gold but willing to stand up for herself. Has been dealt a crap hand in life but is literally doing all she can to make the most of it without being that weird overly positive girl that a lot of female leads get written as. That being said, there were a few things that I was like, well, that's not believable. (STITCHES. insert eye roll because maybe it was just decided that they weren't going to put too much into that part, but the little bit we did get, her reaction? nah. not normal, not believable, not happening.)
I'm tacking on a brief piece to this regarding darling Libby. She made me want to facepalm so many times. SO. MANY. TIMES. I get there are things in her past that really suck from her mom, that set her up for some failure in her current place in life, but good lord girl. Please for the love of all that is holy, let the douche-canoe float away down the river already. Your sister has been telling you for 2 years. He hit you. You know what he's saying in the media. You see all this idiocy and everything he is doing to tear your sister down, and you still don't simply BLOCK HIM??? Like, it takes attempted murder for you to finally, FINALLY cut him off(and unfortunately, I still don’t completely trust it.). Ugh. However, I loved that she had her own unique style, and stayed like that. Other than the overly done people pleasing, I loved how much she loved her sister and was willing to do (almost) anything for her.
Romance:
Honestly, I do love some MMC/love interests that are jerks too (let's not read too much into that please and thank you), but there was something so off-putting about both Jameson and Grayson. Like, Jameson seems to have some major type of undiagnosed (as of yet, it's also only book one) mental health issues. I know the uber rich prefer to hide behind their richness, but can we get this guy some counseling? I know he's grieving, but he's also beyond obsessive, and between that and having watched someone die, he needs help. I don't dislike him overall, but it's hard to kind of put him in that "tragic backstory, quirky puzzle-loving, messed up hottie" space and not the "this dude just has super weird issues from all aspects and needs extreme help" category.
Grayson is set up to kind of be the perfect "morally grey, super jerk with a heart of gold/stone protector of the few things he actually loves" but honestly just kinda falls flat to me. Like, he's an a-hole from the start, so it's to be expected for that to continue, but even when he had those moments of non-a-hole-ness, he was just kinda bland. Which sucks because I wanted to love him. I mean, hottie with grey eyes? Yea, I'm normally all for that. But his whole handling of the Mother thing just pissed me off.
Twisties and Turnies:
I will just say regarding these, that I’m glad there are 2 more books in the original trilogy and that I have all 3 of them and can read them consecutively. I truly went into this book with basically nothing other than the book blurb, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised by one of them, but the others were lackluster for me.
Harry - 4/5 stars (I figured it was something from the start, but it went a completely different direction than I was expecting).
Emily - 2/5 stars I saw this coming from a mile away the second they started talking about her. I’ll maybe give it a simply because in the end it seemed wholly unnecessary and I hate the “let’s play friends/brothers off each other because I was sick and my parents spoiled me and I’m an entitled brat now” trope. It got 2 instead of 1 because I’m lumping in the fact that the sister was genuinely not a bad person and I liked that part.
“Killer” – 0.5/5 stars Truly, the only thing I can say positive about it is the fact that while Libby is irritatingly loveable, the way this was laid out made me question her loyalties overall and it was well done in that aspect. I didn’t necessarily see it coming, but it also wasn’t some big reveal that blew me away. At all. My actual reaction was, “oh. That’s it?” Idk. It was just kind of a bummer.
Overall:
Overall, I have no regrets reading it, and honestly, probably will and should reread it because there are most likely a lot of things I missed the first time around that may tweak my previously stated opinions. I did love the puzzle/word games that the old man left and how they all tied in together. That was really fun to try and follow. And the explanation of the “house” and how it all is laid out honestly just cracked me up in such a good way. I love old houses and their nonsensical floor plans and hidden things. I would probably recommend to others as a good YA, but go into it with lower-ish expectations. I went in with midlevel, and it was about on par, maybe a hair lower.
***** There will be some spoilers in this*****
These are my “high-level” review points. There is soooo much more I could add, but honestly, this is what I have time for right now. Lol
It was good. I mean, I literally read the entire thing in one sitting (RIP sleep), couldn't put it down kinda good. Then why the lower rating? There were definitely a few too many times when I was like, UGH. But it really was a fun read.
FMC:
Okay, so Avery was a solid 4/5 for me when it comes to lead female characters. She's smart, she's sassy, heart of gold but willing to stand up for herself. Has been dealt a crap hand in life but is literally doing all she can to make the most of it without being that weird overly positive girl that a lot of female leads get written as. That being said, there were a few things that I was like, well, that's not believable. (STITCHES. insert eye roll because maybe it was just decided that they weren't going to put too much into that part, but the little bit we did get, her reaction? nah. not normal, not believable, not happening.)
I'm tacking on a brief piece to this regarding darling Libby. She made me want to facepalm so many times. SO. MANY. TIMES. I get there are things in her past that really suck from her mom, that set her up for some failure in her current place in life, but good lord girl. Please for the love of all that is holy, let the douche-canoe float away down the river already. Your sister has been telling you for 2 years. He hit you. You know what he's saying in the media. You see all this idiocy and everything he is doing to tear your sister down, and you still don't simply BLOCK HIM??? Like, it takes attempted murder for you to finally, FINALLY cut him off(and unfortunately, I still don’t completely trust it.). Ugh. However, I loved that she had her own unique style, and stayed like that. Other than the overly done people pleasing, I loved how much she loved her sister and was willing to do (almost) anything for her.
Romance:
Honestly, I do love some MMC/love interests that are jerks too (let's not read too much into that please and thank you), but there was something so off-putting about both Jameson and Grayson. Like, Jameson seems to have some major type of undiagnosed (as of yet, it's also only book one) mental health issues. I know the uber rich prefer to hide behind their richness, but can we get this guy some counseling? I know he's grieving, but he's also beyond obsessive, and between that and having watched someone die, he needs help. I don't dislike him overall, but it's hard to kind of put him in that "tragic backstory, quirky puzzle-loving, messed up hottie" space and not the "this dude just has super weird issues from all aspects and needs extreme help" category.
Grayson is set up to kind of be the perfect "morally grey, super jerk with a heart of gold/stone protector of the few things he actually loves" but honestly just kinda falls flat to me. Like, he's an a-hole from the start, so it's to be expected for that to continue, but even when he had those moments of non-a-hole-ness, he was just kinda bland. Which sucks because I wanted to love him. I mean, hottie with grey eyes? Yea, I'm normally all for that. But his whole handling of the Mother thing just pissed me off.
Twisties and Turnies:
I will just say regarding these, that I’m glad there are 2 more books in the original trilogy and that I have all 3 of them and can read them consecutively. I truly went into this book with basically nothing other than the book blurb, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised by one of them, but the others were lackluster for me.
Harry - 4/5 stars (I figured it was something from the start, but it went a completely different direction than I was expecting).
Emily - 2/5 stars I saw this coming from a mile away the second they started talking about her. I’ll maybe give it a simply because in the end it seemed wholly unnecessary and I hate the “let’s play friends/brothers off each other because I was sick and my parents spoiled me and I’m an entitled brat now” trope. It got 2 instead of 1 because I’m lumping in the fact that the sister was genuinely not a bad person and I liked that part.
“Killer” – 0.5/5 stars Truly, the only thing I can say positive about it is the fact that while Libby is irritatingly loveable, the way this was laid out made me question her loyalties overall and it was well done in that aspect. I didn’t necessarily see it coming, but it also wasn’t some big reveal that blew me away. At all. My actual reaction was, “oh. That’s it?” Idk. It was just kind of a bummer.
Overall:
Overall, I have no regrets reading it, and honestly, probably will and should reread it because there are most likely a lot of things I missed the first time around that may tweak my previously stated opinions. I did love the puzzle/word games that the old man left and how they all tied in together. That was really fun to try and follow. And the explanation of the “house” and how it all is laid out honestly just cracked me up in such a good way. I love old houses and their nonsensical floor plans and hidden things. I would probably recommend to others as a good YA, but go into it with lower-ish expectations. I went in with midlevel, and it was about on par, maybe a hair lower.
eve_08's review
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
interesting. I did get bored in the middle but it does get interesting in the end. And I did like the characters. Xander is going onto my list of lovable characters. So there's that. All that "Emily would've wanted" started to get me a little annoyed. Can't wait to read the next one. I'm sure it's gonna get quite interesting. I'm just gonna add my little rants while reading the book down.
1st book page 256-257
since i'm halfway through the book, i thought i'd write about ut a little.
so, the story in general is interesting. it's something i haven't read before. it's fun. i like it. makes me wanna solve the riddles with them.
now the hawthorne brothers. xander's a swetheart. he's a cutie. nash is nice. he seems to be a good guy. it's great that he's taking care of everyone in the story. then we have the main ones. let's start with jameson. tf is up with him. smth is seriously wrong with him obviously. kissing someone and then talking about a game. like bro. what ???? but then i also think about what he must've been through to turn out like this. it's a shame really. he could've been a great guy if he wanted too. but oh well.i really liked him at first tho.he was being so nice and sweet, then he just had to go and ruin it. smh. now, onto grayson. hot guy. i admit. he seems to warming up to her. that's nice. but rn i can't really tell his story. ig we'll find iut later. i have high hopes for him tho. hopefully no future disappointments.
now the other characters. Libby, her people pleaser sister. now for the most part she's nice. but she's too much of a pushover and is hurting avery in the process. i hope she learns to care only about thr people that matter. and smth is obviously there with nash. so can't wait for that.
then we have skye, don't really like her. seems like a bitch. zara- idk no thoughts. don't like her either. don't know her husband well enough but seems like a douche so don't like him either. nan seems pretty nice tho. as nice as a hawthorne can be.
now onto alisa, i like her. a boss bitch. seems to be really loyal. nice too. so professional. i love her. (fuck you nash). anw, onto oren. now that's just our perfect bodyguard. oren is like the father figure she never had.
moving on to max. a very good friend. she honestly seems like the nicest one here. and her not cursing is also so funny. so cheers to you max.
fuck drake. dickhead.
then there's Rebecca (rebecca laughlin), sister to emily. more about emily later but to me rebecca seems a little sus. i wanna believe that she's nice. but the whole emily thing is making me suspicious of her. seems like Rebecca is not sure of herself. smth must've happened right ? and also the line "emily would've ....." is giving me a weird feeling.
then there's thea. was gonna like her but now i don't. i swear, what is up with her ???
again with the "emily would've wanted this" like okay ??? she's dead ?? she can't want things now. at first i felt sorry fir emily but goddamn now she's pissing me off. who is she and why does she have such an effect on everybody. emily emily emily. that's enough. mahn i swear.
still wanna know what happened to her tho.
page 271
why are you apologising sweetheart? that too for someone else ? it's not your fault either yk. now i'm getting really curioud about what happened? why are the hawthorne's so broken ?
thank you for the details grayson. i was getting tired of the riddles amd word plays
page 274
it's not because of you. don't blame yourself for smth like that. i mean, she doesn't seem like that good of a person either so don't worry.
page 282
mahn, i love him. he is the best of them. grayson was right.
page 286
thank you making me laugh during this sad depressing book.
page 292
i swear, if they don't stop with the "emily would've wanted" she's dead. she can't want things anymore
wow everyone here thinks that they're the main character, don't they ? "it's all because of me. it is all my fault" like, our girl is the main character. chill.
page 311
NO WAYYY I KNEW IT. I KNEW HARRY HAD TO BE SOMEONE. HE'S TOBY ??? HE'S ALIVE ?? he seemed like a nice guy. why-
no you can't end it like that. i wanna knowwww
wow okay that was something. so i guess the game has just started. i love that we're getting more of xan. sweet boy. funny. but damn. smth must've happened to toby, huh ? we'll find out ig. this was kinda fun.