amymalbeuf's reviews
179 reviews

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.5

When the Nanny of a wealthy family mysteriously dies after a fall out of a window in the family estate, the families child, Rose, goes silent.

As part if Rose's parents pending divorce and custody battle, Stella, a BIA (best interest attorney) sets out to discover what custody situation will be best for Rose and report back to the judge.

Upon Stella's arrival, Rose's behaviour becomes increasingly concerning and disturbing. Having had childhood trauma herself, Stella is determined to heal Rose and get to the bottom of what truly happened to her Nanny.

House of Glass sucks you in from the very first chapter. Throughout the read, Pekkanen does an expert job of twisting a web of lies and deceit that leaves you question what you truly believe.

Completely unputdownable, dark, and complex, House of Glass is perfect for reads of Jennifer Hillier, Freida McFadden, and Heather Gudenkauf.

4.5/5

The Last to Vanish by Megan Miranda

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mysterious slow-paced

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

2.5

She's Not Sorry by Mary Kubica

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dark emotional mysterious tense 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

4.5

Mary Kubica has been a hit or miss author for me- having loved The Other Mrs, but not enjoying Local Woman Missing (unpopular opinion, I know). I had heard great things about She's Not Sorry, but was skeptical, as others loved Local Woman Missing, when I didn't.

I started reading She's Not Sorry and finished it in less than 24 hours. It wasn't a book that I had to get into, I was hooked from the beginning. I figured out one twist very early on, but there was more that I never would have expected. At one point, my jaw quite literally dropped, and I had to reread what I had just read to make sure I wasn't mistaken! I think if I hadn't figured out the one twist, this would have absolutely been a five star read for me.

This movie should 100% be turned into a TV series or movie, as I envisioned it as one in my head the entire time.

Meghan- Felicity Jones
Sienna- Kathryn Newton
Caitlin- Dakota Johnson
Mrs. Beckett- Julianne Moore
Mr.Beckett- Bryan Cranston
Ben- Josh Peck
Luke- Andrew Garfield

4.5/5

Twenty Years Later by Charlie Donlea

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.25

The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins

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dark mysterious medium-paced

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

2.75

Having previously read two of Rachel Hawkins books, The Villa (a hit), and Reckless Girls (a miss), I was very curious to see where The Heiress would land.

Unfortunately, this landed closer to the miss category for me. The beginning starts with a lot of information and a lot of characters thrown at out. Once I got into it, I started to really enjoy the middle. While there were some interesting twists, they felt lackluster and thrown in all at once near the end. This is one of the first books I've had to look up what all happened in the end, as I was so confused by everything happening.

Had potential, and some may enjoy, but it's not for me.

2.75/5

The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth

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dark mysterious sad medium-paced