_chrstnlvly's reviews
216 reviews

dark mysterious tense 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

Reread rating: 5

After reading a lot more YA mystery books over the last 2 years, I've come to appreciate the A Good Girl's Guide to Murder series more. The way Holly Jackson weaved the whole story and everything came full circle was just amazing. I will never shut up about how good her writing (and this series is). I hope if they decide to continue the AGGGTM TV series, they will do all the books justice, especially As Good As Dead.

I love how the series gets darker and darker. I love how we got to see how Pip spiraled. I love looking at how it led her to this point, understanding the reasons why this needed to be how it ended.

*

Initial read rating: 3.5

Content Warnings

Good Girl, Bad Blood by Holly Jackson

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dark emotional mysterious tense fast-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

Initial rating: 3.5
Reread rating: 5.0

Everytime I read a book in this series, I cry. I cry because I am so amazed at how Holly Jackson's mind can be this phenomenal. I cry because I see fragments of myself in Pip. I cry because Ravi is perfect.

Stanley Forbes, they could never make me hate you.

Content Warnings

The Woman in Me by Britney Spears

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 7%.

I tried to read this book. I really did. But after several months later, I still get bothered by the writing style. I can't get past it.

Dark Matter by Blake Crouch

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adventurous mysterious tense fast-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? It's complicated

5.0

A brilliant physicist named Jason Dessen is living in Chicago with his wife, Daniela, and son, Charlie. He is a true genius, and while there was a point in his late twenties when his research could have made him a star in his field, he instead chose a family-focused life. One night, while walking home, he's abducted by a mysterious masked man and injected with a drug. When he next awakes, his world has completely changed. He's no longer married, doesn't have a son, and has achieved professional success beyond his wildest dreams. This sets him on a thrilling, mysterious, and at times terrifying journey to learn what has happened to him, and to find his way home to the people and the life he loves. -Blake Crouch when asked about the premise of Dark Matter

Dark Matter unexpectedly brought me to tears. It made me reflect on life and the choices we make. It made me stop and reread certain parts because they resonated deeply.

The book explores the concept of "What If?" and emphasizes that what's meant for us will always find its way to us. It also reminded me that we are ultimately responsible for our paths in life, as our past choices shape our present circumstances.

I believe Dark Matter came into my life at exactly the right moment and it really made a significant impression on me.

This was the first book I've read by Blake Crouch, and it impacted me in such a powerful way that I rated it five stars, despite other readers' opinions that his other books are better.

Content Warnings

Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo

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adventurous slow-paced

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

2.5

At last, I finally finished it. It was somewhat difficult to finish (read: boring) because there wasn't much of a plot—they were just travelling and waiting for something to happen.

All I could hope was that Shadow and Bone was merely a duology rather than a trilogy. The events in Siege and Storm may have made up no more than 20% of a book.

A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson

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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

Review after rereading:

I guess my hyperfixation to this series reignited after watching the show. I appreciated Holly Jackson's writing more after my reread. She is indeed a genius.

And since I can't wait to read again how it all ties together, I'm off to read Good Girl, Bad Blood.

Content Warnings