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actuallyjusthanne's reviews
19 reviews
Call It What You Want by Brigid Kemmerer
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I picked up this book at the library because I wanted to read an emotionally devastating book, and I knew that Brigid Kemmerer had 2 contemporary fiction books that are that for me! Unfortunately for me, I ended up getting my least favorite out of her contemporary novels LOL so that itch is left unscratched for me. With that being said, the writing and the plot are still superb, because it is a Brigid Kemmer novel, but it just wasn't what I was looking for.
This is my second time reading this book, and looking over my review, I feel very similarly to how I felt when I read it for the first time. There's something about the main characters that just don't feel particularly relatable, and it's not that the story feels contrived necessarily, but it doesn't hold a ton of weight for me personally. With that being said, the entire story feels very realistic and believable. While living in and going to parties in mansions isn't very relatable, the whole story was written in a way that made it very easy to believe and understand why/how people would do it.
The small town setting in this book was so lovely, and being able to go hang out and get fast food or go to Wegmans seems so fun! I liked Maegan's relationship with her sister and how that grew over time. Rob's relationship with Owen was hard to read, but did end up turning out positively, which I did like. There were some heavier topics discussed, such as disability, suicide, abortion, social isolation, and bullying.
All in all, this book was good, but wasn't my favorite. I probably wouldn't read it again.
This is my second time reading this book, and looking over my review, I feel very similarly to how I felt when I read it for the first time. There's something about the main characters that just don't feel particularly relatable, and it's not that the story feels contrived necessarily, but it doesn't hold a ton of weight for me personally. With that being said, the entire story feels very realistic and believable. While living in and going to parties in mansions isn't very relatable, the whole story was written in a way that made it very easy to believe and understand why/how people would do it.
The small town setting in this book was so lovely, and being able to go hang out and get fast food or go to Wegmans seems so fun! I liked Maegan's relationship with her sister and how that grew over time. Rob's relationship with Owen was hard to read, but did end up turning out positively, which I did like. There were some heavier topics discussed, such as disability, suicide, abortion, social isolation, and bullying.
All in all, this book was good, but wasn't my favorite. I probably wouldn't read it again.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abortion
Moderate: Bullying and Suicide attempt
Death at Morning House by Maureen Johnson
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? It's complicated
4.0
I didn't know that this book was coming out, so it was a pleasant surprise to learn about its existence, and to get it from the library very quickly after it was released! I really liked reading the Truly Devious series, but I did think that those characters and that setting was getting pretty old, so I was glad to see that Maureen Johnson was branching out and writing new stories with similar vibes.
This story is told in a split timeline: one present day, of Marlowe Wexler learning to be a tour guide at this old estate, and the other of the people who used to live on the estate in the 1930s. I thought the historical storyline was much more interesting to follow, especially because I wanted to learn about the history of the house and the vibes of that family. The family that owned the estate--the Ralstons--gave serious Cheaper by the Dozen vibes and I thought it was so interesting to follow! The present-day mystery timeline wasn't as interesting to me, but following the characters and what they were up to was still really fun. The vibes of the estate, both past and present, were really good and it was so fun to read it over the summer!
The solve for the historical side of the mystery was so well done, and it was super satisfying to see the pieces come together. However, I thought the modern-day side mystery was just okayApril, the perpetrator, was given far too little screen time to really be a suspect, and so I thought she just came out of the blue? Though with that being said, I suppose the historical perpetrator was also similar, which I suppose was intentional. . I also really liked that Marlowe and her crew weren't the ones who solved the historical mystery, which I think would have killed the believably of the story, but that it was revealed THROUGH LETTERS! MY FAV which I thought made it really well done.
The cast of characters was super diverse, which I liked. A huge part of the story was Marlowe and her crush on Akilah, and this book also featureda lesbian love triangle, which I have never seen in a book before , which was super exciting! All the characters were interesting, and I was sad they didn't get more screen time, because they felt really interesting to follow!
I was hoping that Marlowe'sfire background wasn't going to feed into the mystery, because that would really be too cliche, but of course they went there. It really wasn't my favorite but it is what it is, I suppose. . To be honest, I wasn't a huge fan of her narration voice: it seemed really young (which may be a me issue; I am 24 and she is literally in high school) and some of the decisions she chose to make, especially in the name of her crushes, were questionable.
I did think that her character wasn't very self consistent: there were a lot of mentions of her being awkward and weird, but at the same time she integrated into a group of people who have been friends for their whole life with very little problem and was very smart and adept at solving a mystery? It may just come down to being a teenager, but I did think that her personality could have been more consistent.
If I had to describe this book, I would say it's We Were Liars by e. lockhart x Cheaper by the Dozen, which is a weird mix but it was fun! I read it really quickly and had a good time, which is the best kind of book. I would recommend, and I am looking forwards to reading future Maureen Johnson books!
This story is told in a split timeline: one present day, of Marlowe Wexler learning to be a tour guide at this old estate, and the other of the people who used to live on the estate in the 1930s. I thought the historical storyline was much more interesting to follow, especially because I wanted to learn about the history of the house and the vibes of that family. The family that owned the estate--the Ralstons--gave serious Cheaper by the Dozen vibes and I thought it was so interesting to follow! The present-day mystery timeline wasn't as interesting to me, but following the characters and what they were up to was still really fun. The vibes of the estate, both past and present, were really good and it was so fun to read it over the summer!
The solve for the historical side of the mystery was so well done, and it was super satisfying to see the pieces come together. However, I thought the modern-day side mystery was just okay
The cast of characters was super diverse, which I liked. A huge part of the story was Marlowe and her crush on Akilah, and this book also featured
I was hoping that Marlowe's
I did think that her character wasn't very self consistent: there were a lot of mentions of her being awkward and weird, but at the same time she integrated into a group of people who have been friends for their whole life with very little problem and was very smart and adept at solving a mystery? It may just come down to being a teenager, but I did think that her personality could have been more consistent.
If I had to describe this book, I would say it's We Were Liars by e. lockhart x Cheaper by the Dozen, which is a weird mix but it was fun! I read it really quickly and had a good time, which is the best kind of book. I would recommend, and I am looking forwards to reading future Maureen Johnson books!
The Bullet That Missed by Richard Osman
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
This series just keeps getting better and better! I read this one both in physical format and on my Kindle, and I was surprised by how much I was able to get into the story. For the first two book, I had to listen to parts of it to really get into the story, but although I bought this book from Audible, I finished it before I even had a chance to start listening to it.
In this book, The Thursday Murder Club works on a mystery that happened a couple decades ago: a mysterious disappearance of a news-journalist who disappeared but whose case never got solved. Simultaneously, Elizabeth is getting pulled into some drama of her own, which she doesn't tell anyone else about. The whole plot/side plot? with the Viking were really fun: I liked that he got drawn into the group of friends as well, though that whole part of the story was pretty hard to believe for me. I thought that his character was a fun twist though!
I really appreciate that so far, all three of the mysteries from this series are vastly different from each other: while the characters are very steadily the same (part of the charm of them being old), they are still growing and their crime-solving skills and team work are improving (especially for Joyce, whose perspective we get to see the most of). Like always, there are so many good quotes from this book and funny moments that made me chuckle.
The crime cinematic universe, if you will, was expanded a little. I was surprised to see Connie Johnson still being mentioned, and her involvement in the mystery. I did feel like this mystery was a little more contrived than the others, but with a little suspension of disbelief, I still had a fun time following the plot. In particular, the ending felt a little too perfect, but I really didn't end up minding, as a lot of the charm of the story actually turned out to be following the characters rather than the plot.
Joyce finally got her dog Alan, which was so sweet to follow! There weren't a ton of mentions of him, but I really enjoyed whenever he was mentioned. Donna andBogdan got together, which I didn't expect?! Though I guess the main thing is that I have no idea how old Bogdan is, so that certainly contributes. More and more people are pairing off, which I was not expecting, but probably shouldn't have been surprised by.
The scenes with Stephen in it are SO sweet: he may well be my favorite side character in these books, and the passages where his dementia worsens are absolutely devastating.The scenes where Bogdan is playing chess with Stephen and realizing his dementia is getting worse??? and then they go out together?? ohhhh my god . I loved seeing more of him in this book, and his own scenes were so heartwarming.
All in all, this was a really fun read, and I am excited to read the next book!
In this book, The Thursday Murder Club works on a mystery that happened a couple decades ago: a mysterious disappearance of a news-journalist who disappeared but whose case never got solved. Simultaneously, Elizabeth is getting pulled into some drama of her own, which she doesn't tell anyone else about. The whole plot/side plot? with the Viking were really fun: I liked that he got drawn into the group of friends as well, though that whole part of the story was pretty hard to believe for me. I thought that his character was a fun twist though!
I really appreciate that so far, all three of the mysteries from this series are vastly different from each other: while the characters are very steadily the same (part of the charm of them being old), they are still growing and their crime-solving skills and team work are improving (especially for Joyce, whose perspective we get to see the most of). Like always, there are so many good quotes from this book and funny moments that made me chuckle.
The crime cinematic universe, if you will, was expanded a little. I was surprised to see Connie Johnson still being mentioned, and her involvement in the mystery. I did feel like this mystery was a little more contrived than the others, but with a little suspension of disbelief, I still had a fun time following the plot. In particular, the ending felt a little too perfect, but I really didn't end up minding, as a lot of the charm of the story actually turned out to be following the characters rather than the plot.
Joyce finally got her dog Alan, which was so sweet to follow! There weren't a ton of mentions of him, but I really enjoyed whenever he was mentioned. Donna and
The scenes with Stephen in it are SO sweet: he may well be my favorite side character in these books, and the passages where his dementia worsens are absolutely devastating.
All in all, this was a really fun read, and I am excited to read the next book!
Meet the Austins by Madeleine L'Engle
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I was recommended this book by Hailey: I read A Wrinkle in Time when I was in middle/high school and didn't like it, and haven't felt like picking up another Madeleine L'Engle book since, but she recommended it to me so strongly that I picked it up!
The book opens with a tragedy that changes the trajectory of the Austins' life, and they are going to be taking in a child from another family: Maggy, who was raised differently from them. At the heart of the book, it is a coming of age/growing up story, where the intrusion of Maggy into their life forces them to grow up and face the real world in ways that the Austin children hadn't conceived of.
I thought it was a sweet book: it was a series of slice of life anecdotes about a family with 5 children, reminiscent of The Moffats or The Melendy family books. It had a really classical old-timey feel with a very wholesome family-centric message, which was fun to read but nothing particularly to write home about. Some/most of the anecdotes were fairly dated (getting measles, snowy days, the mentions of how hospitals and schools operated) but as someone who grew up on Wholesome Stories From The 60s, it was really sweet to read.
The narration voice was really similar to Cheaper by the Dozen or maybe Caddie Woodlawn, and it was just very all-American feeling. There are those vibes that it could very quickly turn racist, but to date, it has just been about growing up and how to operate as a family.
All in all, a very cute little middle grade book! I do plan on reading the rest of the series, but am not in a particular rush to pick up the rest of the books.
The book opens with a tragedy that changes the trajectory of the Austins' life, and they are going to be taking in a child from another family: Maggy, who was raised differently from them. At the heart of the book, it is a coming of age/growing up story, where the intrusion of Maggy into their life forces them to grow up and face the real world in ways that the Austin children hadn't conceived of.
I thought it was a sweet book: it was a series of slice of life anecdotes about a family with 5 children, reminiscent of The Moffats or The Melendy family books. It had a really classical old-timey feel with a very wholesome family-centric message, which was fun to read but nothing particularly to write home about. Some/most of the anecdotes were fairly dated (getting measles, snowy days, the mentions of how hospitals and schools operated) but as someone who grew up on Wholesome Stories From The 60s, it was really sweet to read.
The narration voice was really similar to Cheaper by the Dozen or maybe Caddie Woodlawn, and it was just very all-American feeling. There are those vibes that it could very quickly turn racist, but to date, it has just been about growing up and how to operate as a family.
All in all, a very cute little middle grade book! I do plan on reading the rest of the series, but am not in a particular rush to pick up the rest of the books.
The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I wasn't really sure of this series when I read the first book, but the Thursday Murder Club is quickly winning me over! I really had a lot of fun reading this book as well as listening to the audiobook from Audible, and I am obsessed with everyone's personalities from this book! It's not really the normal style of book that I would really like to read, but it is a fun slow palate cleanser type book that's slow and doesn't have too much to worry about.
The mystery was far more interesting in this book than in book 1, in my opinion. Elizabeth's backstory is so cool and I am so glad that they went into it in this book! The premise of this book really isn't that relatable, but it is the slight absurdity of the situation that is making the story so fun to follow.
I am really starting to be able to tell the characters apart, which I absolutely not able to do in the first book LOL, and unsurprisingly, that made the book much more fun (who'd have thunk). I also liked the side characters and their developing personalities: Chris and Donna, Bogdan, Douglas, and even Connie Johnson. Everyone seemed much more fleshed out, and I am glad I continued on in the series because of it: I thought the first book was just okay, and really debated about continuing.
There were so many lovely lines written. The chapter about Ibrahim going out on his bike was HEARTBREAKING, but it was also written so sweetly. The last line is DEVASTATING???"I'm ever so sorry to interrupt [. . .] but I don't suppose anyone here knows anything about twenty million pounds from Antwerp?" which doesn't make ANY sense in any context, but is sooooo heartbreaking in the context of the book. Also the double meaning of the title in relation to the story, but also as a reference to dementia? devastating. Each of the characters is so beautifully human, even the antagonists, and the whole book tells the story with wisdom garnered throughout a lifetime of living.
The storyline where Joyce was getting an instagram and a dog was sooooo cute and I loved following along with it. There wasn't that much of a mention about it all in all, but it made me laugh whenever the line or two about it showed up. Joyce is soo sweet--I understand that we get more from her perspective because part of the story is told through her journal entries--but her thoughtfulness to Poppy and Siobhan and the care she shows towards the whole case is so lovely. Chris and Patrice together is such a fun storyline, and Ron, Ibrahim, and Kendrick are so cute together it makes me want to sob.
All in all, I really liked this book, and I am excited to continue on in this series!
The mystery was far more interesting in this book than in book 1, in my opinion. Elizabeth's backstory is so cool and I am so glad that they went into it in this book! The premise of this book really isn't that relatable, but it is the slight absurdity of the situation that is making the story so fun to follow.
I am really starting to be able to tell the characters apart, which I absolutely not able to do in the first book LOL, and unsurprisingly, that made the book much more fun (who'd have thunk). I also liked the side characters and their developing personalities: Chris and Donna, Bogdan, Douglas, and even Connie Johnson. Everyone seemed much more fleshed out, and I am glad I continued on in the series because of it: I thought the first book was just okay, and really debated about continuing.
There were so many lovely lines written. The chapter about Ibrahim going out on his bike was HEARTBREAKING, but it was also written so sweetly. The last line is DEVASTATING???
The storyline where Joyce was getting an instagram and a dog was sooooo cute and I loved following along with it. There wasn't that much of a mention about it all in all, but it made me laugh whenever the line or two about it showed up. Joyce is soo sweet--I understand that we get more from her perspective because part of the story is told through her journal entries--but her thoughtfulness to Poppy and Siobhan and the care she shows towards the whole case is so lovely. Chris and Patrice together is such a fun storyline, and Ron, Ibrahim, and Kendrick are so cute together it makes me want to sob.
All in all, I really liked this book, and I am excited to continue on in this series!
Heartstopper Volume 4 by Alice Oseman
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I think this is my favorite one of the Heartstopper books to date! In it, Nick and Charlie really come into their own. A lot of the stuff that has been developing over the past few books come to a head in this book, and they are really starting to come into their own, both as individuals and as a couple, which I really liked. I also enjoyed seeing the side characters from the other books growing up alongside Nick and Charlie, both going through their own issues as well as having life milestones.
Like the other books, there is a nice balance of lighthearted fun scenes--going to the beach, the first day of school, Nick's birthday, and so on--with heavier topics and scenes--having an eating disorder and getting hospitalized for it, Nick's homophobic brother and absent father, the need to repeatedly to come out to people--and I think it was done very well. I think this book had the most impactful scenes, and I thought the subject matters were discussed really well (as has been usual for this series).
This book really felt like Nick and Charlie were adults trying to figure out adult life, while still having a lot of issues that teenagers have, which I really liked; I think that is more relatable to the stage of life I'm in right now. I am really looking forwards to reading the next couple, because I think those will really hit hard (and I am really hoping that everything turns out happy for them).
Like the other books, there is a nice balance of lighthearted fun scenes--going to the beach, the first day of school, Nick's birthday, and so on--with heavier topics and scenes--having an eating disorder and getting hospitalized for it, Nick's homophobic brother and absent father, the need to repeatedly to come out to people--and I think it was done very well. I think this book had the most impactful scenes, and I thought the subject matters were discussed really well (as has been usual for this series).
This book really felt like Nick and Charlie were adults trying to figure out adult life, while still having a lot of issues that teenagers have, which I really liked; I think that is more relatable to the stage of life I'm in right now. I am really looking forwards to reading the next couple, because I think those will really hit hard (and I am really hoping that everything turns out happy for them).
Such Charming Liars by Karen M. McManus
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
I have read every book by this author, and I am mainly glad that she is finally fully branching away from the high school drama/thrillers! I was really intrigued by the premise of this book and the jewel heist/scamming aspect of the book.
I was really invested in the first half/two thirds of the book, with how the characters were meeting and their backstories and premises. I really love the concepts of jewel heists and was really excited to see this book exploring it, especially with the stakes that it has.
The friendship developing between Kat, Liam, and Augustus was super fun! I wish we got to see more of Augustus' backstory--part of it is because he didn't have a perspective, and he was more of a minor character (or at least, he was meant to be). My favorite perspective was Liam's perspective: I thought that Kat's perspective was meant to be written as though it was supposed to be an unreliable narrator, but then it never got pulled off correctly, and her voice just turned out to be annoying and not a good storyteller. It was unfortunate, because I really liked her perspective at the start of the book, but then she started making one bad decision after another, and then it was reinforced that she was 16 and should really not have been in charge of doing all that, and the whole thing kind of fell apart.
My main issue with this book is that it seemed as though there was a lot of the story that was plotted but never explicitly said. I felt like the set up for the book wasn't ever particularly clear, and I had to gain backstory from reading the back blurb. The whole 24 hour marriage in Vegas thing was made the most clear in the back blurb, and all the characters of the Sutherland family were introduced in one fell swoop, which made it really hard to keep track of. Also, during the second half of the book it seemed like there was backstory and ties that were being connected together that the reader would have never been able to figure out, because it was never made explicit earlier in the book.
The whole role that Gem was playing was SO deeply unclear: I really liked the parts of the book that she appeared in at the very beginning of the book, and I was hoping to see more of her. I don't think that her character was well developed enough to be believable as the antagonist: it isn't a plot twist if the reader has no clue to expect it. The same thing happened with the whole thing about Jamie getting sick . . . we had no way to expect it being sabotage until Kat figured it out . . . way too easily it appeared??? and it just felt really jarring. Also, the role of Morgan in the whole heist/family dynamic didn't really make much sense. All in all, it just seemed like there should have been set up for the story when there just wasn't.
Also, what happened with thenecklace??? like...that is the crux of the story and we all just kind of collectively chose to ignore it?? . I thought that the things that were supposed to have a lot of weight weren't given the gravitas that they were supposed to have, but then there were full scenes that didn't end up connecting with the main story, like Gem bringing Kat to scout out jewelry, and giving all the backstory on how they chose their targets, without that information ever paying off or the whole scene about Liam and Luke painting??? wtf was that about
There was a lot of heavier topics that were discussed, which I thought was good, but it was really only briefly mentioned. I also don't understand why the48 hour marriage wasn't just annulled?? like how did it become a whole plot point that they never divorced??? and why did it not come up until very far into the book?? and if they hadn't divorced, why hadn't it come up with Kat or Liam for that long???
Overall, I thought this book had a lot of potential but it ended up a little half baked. The book wasn't even that long, and I think it would have really benefited from taking some more time to explore the backgrounds and motivations of all the characters, and it would make the story so much more hard hitting. This book was a fun read but all the storytelling did was make me frustrated.
I was really invested in the first half/two thirds of the book, with how the characters were meeting and their backstories and premises. I really love the concepts of jewel heists and was really excited to see this book exploring it, especially with the stakes that it has.
The friendship developing between Kat, Liam, and Augustus was super fun! I wish we got to see more of Augustus' backstory--part of it is because he didn't have a perspective, and he was more of a minor character (or at least, he was meant to be). My favorite perspective was Liam's perspective: I thought that Kat's perspective was meant to be written as though it was supposed to be an unreliable narrator, but then it never got pulled off correctly, and her voice just turned out to be annoying and not a good storyteller. It was unfortunate, because I really liked her perspective at the start of the book, but then she started making one bad decision after another, and then it was reinforced that she was 16 and should really not have been in charge of doing all that, and the whole thing kind of fell apart.
My main issue with this book is that it seemed as though there was a lot of the story that was plotted but never explicitly said. I felt like the set up for the book wasn't ever particularly clear, and I had to gain backstory from reading the back blurb. The whole 24 hour marriage in Vegas thing was made the most clear in the back blurb, and all the characters of the Sutherland family were introduced in one fell swoop, which made it really hard to keep track of. Also, during the second half of the book it seemed like there was backstory and ties that were being connected together that the reader would have never been able to figure out, because it was never made explicit earlier in the book.
Also, what happened with the
There was a lot of heavier topics that were discussed, which I thought was good, but it was really only briefly mentioned. I also don't understand why the
Overall, I thought this book had a lot of potential but it ended up a little half baked. The book wasn't even that long, and I think it would have really benefited from taking some more time to explore the backgrounds and motivations of all the characters, and it would make the story so much more hard hitting. This book was a fun read but all the storytelling did was make me frustrated.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse and Abandonment
Heartstopper Volume 3 by Alice Oseman
There was also more exposition about Nick and Charlie's friends in this book: characters from the previous books are coming into their own.Elle and Tao finally start becoming a thing??? omg it's sooo fun and Tao finally becoming self aware and a more normal person was refreshing too . I love the dynamic between Nick, Charlie, and their friends, and I love that they have a gay little circle of friends, where everyone is nice. I'm excited to see where they go in the future.
Every book in this series has tackled a new hard concept: this one talks about self harm and disordered eating (which I think will progress into the next book). I'm impressed with the level of complexity that can be portrayed in such a short amount of time/space, with the amount of nuance needed to discuss hard topics. It's a bit on the nose, but all in all, a totally reasonable direction to take the book/story, in my opinion.
My ranking so far of the books in this series: 1>3>2. I'm getting really excited to watch the show after I finish book 4!
emotional
lighthearted
relaxing
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
3.5
This book was really sweet! Nick and Charlie get closer to each other in this book, and some of the stuff they have struggled with in the past come to light. They also come out to more people in their life and face more opposition about their sexuality and relationship.
The majority of this book was set while they were on a school trip to Paris, which was really fun. It was a change of pace from their usual setting and gave them more opportunities to discuss things that came up. It portrayed the experience of going on mildly supervised high school trips with your friends and acquaintances SO wellNick and Charlie not getting to share a bed? omg absolutely DEVASTATING and I thought that the teachers getting together was SO FUN and such a sweet touch . It was PERFECT that it was set in Paris because it fits the song Paris by Taylor Swift so well!
Stumbled down pretend alleyways / Cheap wine, make believe it's champagne / I was taken by the view
Like we were in Paris / Like we were somewhere else / Like we were in Paris, oh / We were somewhere else
The majority of this book was set while they were on a school trip to Paris, which was really fun. It was a change of pace from their usual setting and gave them more opportunities to discuss things that came up. It portrayed the experience of going on mildly supervised high school trips with your friends and acquaintances SO well
Stumbled down pretend alleyways / Cheap wine, make believe it's champagne / I was taken by the view
Like we were in Paris / Like we were somewhere else / Like we were in Paris, oh / We were somewhere else
Privacy sign on the door / And on my page and on the whole world / Romance is not dead if you keep it just yours
There was also more exposition about Nick and Charlie's friends in this book: characters from the previous books are coming into their own.
Every book in this series has tackled a new hard concept: this one talks about self harm and disordered eating (which I think will progress into the next book). I'm impressed with the level of complexity that can be portrayed in such a short amount of time/space, with the amount of nuance needed to discuss hard topics. It's a bit on the nose, but all in all, a totally reasonable direction to take the book/story, in my opinion.
My ranking so far of the books in this series: 1>3>2. I'm getting really excited to watch the show after I finish book 4!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder, Homophobia, Self harm, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Bullying, Outing, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Vomit and Alcohol
The Midnight Feast by Lucy Foley
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-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? It's complicated
4.5
This is the third book by Lucy Foley that I have read, and I think its my favorite one to date! All of Lucy's books are so atmospheric and have such a distinct aesthetic and setting, and this one is the one that has the best vibes, in my opinion.
The book is set on The Manor, a luxury retreat that has just been built, touting health and wellness for all the fanciest guests. The owner, Francesca, has cultivated the whole place to be the inviting and elite, with an infinity pool, cocktail bar, personalized cottages, and the works, and opening night is slated to be on the summer solstice. While the wealthy guests live in splendor, getting every whim fulfilled at a moment's notice, the local people are seeing the facade. From the start, it is clear that Francesca has exploited resources to build The Manor; as the story unveils, the level of exploitation becomes more and more obvious.
There are only 4 main perspectives in this book, as opposed to 5 or 6 from Lucy Foley's other books, which I appreciated because it made it easier to keep the story clear. However, the trade off is that the backstory is much more convoluted and becomes revealed very slowly. I had a bit of trouble piecing the story together--it was a split present, past, and future timeline--throughout the first half of the book, but I started following it pretty well as the book continued. I also thought the journal entries from the past were a nice touch and really gave the backstory a lot of depth.
The backstory reminded me a little of We Were Liars by E. Lockhart, and the overall vibes of the book reminded me, strangely enough, of Normal People by Sally Rooney, with a touch ofThe Glass Onion . The stakes were revealed fairly early on into the book, and the story unraveled what happened to lead up to that point. The undercurrent of uneasiness that runs throughout the book makes it constantly feel like something is going to happen.
The ending was by far my favorite out of the 3 Lucy Foley books I've read: one thing about me is that I LOVE books where the storylines all converge at the end, and this one does it so well. I was so impressed by the way everything fit together in a (for me) believable sense.I thought the chapters set in the future from the perspective of the Detective Inspector, because it felt super jarring and didn't fit in with the rest of the storytelling, but when the whole thing tied together, those chapters tied right into the story so well! I thought that the way everyone came together to settle their debts from years past was so well done and believable .
The only thing that I was a little confused by was the variousname changes and characters from the past that had a tie-in to the present story: it was hard to keep them straight from the journal entries (because I didn't know I had to be on the lookout for them) but tl;dr, as a teenager, Francesca killed Cora through poisoned brownies. As it turns out, Cora had a son, then known as Shrimp, who reinvented himself as Owen, who went on to marry Francesca and was the designer of The Manor. Michelle, the assistant to Francesca, was a local girl who was violated by Francesca's brothers (who are investors at The Manor). The whole thing was run behind the scenes by DI Walker, who turns out to be the third in the summer gang of Bella/Allison, Francesca, and Jake, where Cora was killed. He is also the older brother of Eddie, the serving boy who has managed to get a job here to help support his family, which has fallen apart since his brother tried to commit suicide and then left town. While confusing, it was necessary for the story to play out, and once they are kept straight, it was really quite genius.
I was a little worried that there was going to be asupernatural magical realism twist to it, because it would have made it utterly unbelievable (duh) and would feel like an incredible cop out, but there wasn't! It was really left unclear until the very end but I thought it was done very well.
All in all, I really liked this book! The summery aesthetic was perfect to read this time of year, and the whole aesthetic of The Manor was such a vibe. This is one of my favorite suspense reads, and I see myself rereading this in the summer again in the future!
The book is set on The Manor, a luxury retreat that has just been built, touting health and wellness for all the fanciest guests. The owner, Francesca, has cultivated the whole place to be the inviting and elite, with an infinity pool, cocktail bar, personalized cottages, and the works, and opening night is slated to be on the summer solstice. While the wealthy guests live in splendor, getting every whim fulfilled at a moment's notice, the local people are seeing the facade. From the start, it is clear that Francesca has exploited resources to build The Manor; as the story unveils, the level of exploitation becomes more and more obvious.
There are only 4 main perspectives in this book, as opposed to 5 or 6 from Lucy Foley's other books, which I appreciated because it made it easier to keep the story clear. However, the trade off is that the backstory is much more convoluted and becomes revealed very slowly. I had a bit of trouble piecing the story together--it was a split present, past, and future timeline--throughout the first half of the book, but I started following it pretty well as the book continued. I also thought the journal entries from the past were a nice touch and really gave the backstory a lot of depth.
The backstory reminded me a little of We Were Liars by E. Lockhart, and the overall vibes of the book reminded me, strangely enough, of Normal People by Sally Rooney, with a touch of
The ending was by far my favorite out of the 3 Lucy Foley books I've read: one thing about me is that I LOVE books where the storylines all converge at the end, and this one does it so well. I was so impressed by the way everything fit together in a (for me) believable sense.
The only thing that I was a little confused by was the various
I was a little worried that there was going to be a
All in all, I really liked this book! The summery aesthetic was perfect to read this time of year, and the whole aesthetic of The Manor was such a vibe. This is one of my favorite suspense reads, and I see myself rereading this in the summer again in the future!
By the Book: A Novel of Prose and Cons by Amanda Sellet
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
This is the kind of book I would have liked when I was younger. Mary Porter-Malcom, a literature enthusiast, is coming off of years of going to an experimental private school, and is going to public high school. Her old friend has dropped her, and she is forced to make new friends and figure out social life anew. On top of that, Mary's parents are literature professors and she has 6 siblings, so life is just chaotic in general.
My main grip with this book was that it . . . just wasn't . . . very interesting? More importantly, the parts that were interesting and should have had more exposition didn't have enough, and the parts that I didn't care for were the main focus of the book. I don't know if that's just because I am not the target demographic, or because what was discussed was just simply very interesting, but I wasn't very invested in the ins and outs of Mary's high school life.
Mary's whole personality pre-high school was literature; she has an encyclopedic knowledge of classic novels, from Jane Austen to Elizabeth Gaskell to Henry James. She quoted/cited from them CONSTANTLY, which was both fun but also deeply insufferable. She also constantly used big words in her speech, which I wouldn't have believed if I hadn't grown up with homeschoolers. I related to her at large, but I wasn't super connected to her (but maybe that is because she is FIFTEEN) so I wasn't particularly invested in her life.
Mary's friends--Arden, Lydia, and Terry--were really fun, and I liked that they accepted Mary as one of their friends nearly immediately. However, I thought they were incredibly two dimensional for being such major parts of the book. I could hardly tell them apart despite them having very different personalities (allegedly, at least). They also didn't really have any personality and any of their life from outside of school never really showed through.
One thing I did really like was Mary's family dynamic! She had a big family with academic parents and the banter was TOP TIER. I wanted to see more scenes from her family! I also wanted to learn more about the Scoundrel Survival Guide (the guide that Mary and her friends made to describe men), which is ostensibly the main point of the book, but there really wasn't a lot of detail about it other than mentions here and there. Similarly, I wanted to hear more about the play that Mary's sisters were putting on, but that was barely mentioned at all.
The threads of romance throughout this book were very prominent yet not too overbearing. There wasn't a lot of pining and the focus was more on Mary's friends/family members getting paired off rather than her, which I really liked. Overall it was really clean and I feel like this is a book a lot of Christian/homeschool teenagers would read and enjoy--at least, I would have when I was younger--though I don't know how they would feel about the extremely liberal only-eats-whole-foods-and-hates-white-men view that Mary's parents have.
I keep feeling like it is reminding me of another book, but I cannot for the life of me place what it is. Overall, I had a good time reading this book, though I didn't love it due to both being too old for it and the story not flowing very well.
My main grip with this book was that it . . . just wasn't . . . very interesting? More importantly, the parts that were interesting and should have had more exposition didn't have enough, and the parts that I didn't care for were the main focus of the book. I don't know if that's just because I am not the target demographic, or because what was discussed was just simply very interesting, but I wasn't very invested in the ins and outs of Mary's high school life.
Mary's whole personality pre-high school was literature; she has an encyclopedic knowledge of classic novels, from Jane Austen to Elizabeth Gaskell to Henry James. She quoted/cited from them CONSTANTLY, which was both fun but also deeply insufferable. She also constantly used big words in her speech, which I wouldn't have believed if I hadn't grown up with homeschoolers. I related to her at large, but I wasn't super connected to her (but maybe that is because she is FIFTEEN) so I wasn't particularly invested in her life.
Mary's friends--Arden, Lydia, and Terry--were really fun, and I liked that they accepted Mary as one of their friends nearly immediately. However, I thought they were incredibly two dimensional for being such major parts of the book. I could hardly tell them apart despite them having very different personalities (allegedly, at least). They also didn't really have any personality and any of their life from outside of school never really showed through.
One thing I did really like was Mary's family dynamic! She had a big family with academic parents and the banter was TOP TIER. I wanted to see more scenes from her family! I also wanted to learn more about the Scoundrel Survival Guide (the guide that Mary and her friends made to describe men), which is ostensibly the main point of the book, but there really wasn't a lot of detail about it other than mentions here and there. Similarly, I wanted to hear more about the play that Mary's sisters were putting on, but that was barely mentioned at all.
The threads of romance throughout this book were very prominent yet not too overbearing. There wasn't a lot of pining and the focus was more on Mary's friends/family members getting paired off rather than her, which I really liked. Overall it was really clean and I feel like this is a book a lot of Christian/homeschool teenagers would read and enjoy--at least, I would have when I was younger--though I don't know how they would feel about the extremely liberal only-eats-whole-foods-and-hates-white-men view that Mary's parents have.
I keep feeling like it is reminding me of another book, but I cannot for the life of me place what it is. Overall, I had a good time reading this book, though I didn't love it due to both being too old for it and the story not flowing very well.