andie's reviews
239 reviews

Sobre Minha Filha by Kim Hye-Jin

challenging reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

3.0

You, With a View by Jessica Joyce

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

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

3.0

Stories that deal with grief always get me in a different way, and I felt like the way this one handled the grief Noelle felt about her grandma was done nicely. The story itself felt like Letters to Juliet, which is one of my favorite movies. If you've watched it, you can see some similarities. The road trip and the letters were my favorite part of the book.

I was so invested in this story up until half of the it, but then things started to fall flat for me. I didn't get it at first, because some of the excitement of the first half was still with me and I wanted to see where it would end – specially since the infamous third act conflict doesn't happen until so much later in the book – so it was only when I finished and actually took some time to think about it that I realized some of the problems that I had with this.

As much as I like a good rivals to lovers romance, the fact that this entire romance is based on a rivalry that used to happen 10 years prior is so? Sure, feelings can resurface if the person was really a crucial part of your daily life back then, but to keep acting like both of you haven't changed and just fall back into the habit of bickering is amusing at first but it gets tiring at some point. 

Noelle and Theo's relationship during the trip they took was built on sexual tension and not so much in emotional feelings, and as much as the author tries to justify it during the book, it didn't sell it for me. We saw a lot of sex scenes and not so much of them emotionally connecting or any real convos between these two, besides the bickering and teasing. There's even a moment where Noelle tries to justify it to the reader saying that their connection is both physical as it is emotional, but is it really? Because we got like, two heart to heart conversations between these characters and that was it? 

I won't talk about the third act conflict because that annoyed me so badly. But let's just say that if you want to do a third act conflict, why not just make it happen earlier in the story instead of establishing the relationship and make us watch them being happy for more than a 100 pages when we know something bad is coming? 

One more thing before I wrap up this review: why doesn't Noelle have any strong friendships (or more female friendships)? Sure, she has her brother and his girlfriend, but not showing enough of their friendship in this book was definitely a choice. 

Maybe I'm being way too critical of this story, but even though it's enjoyable for the most part and I really liked some of the quotes, I still feel like some of the narrative choices could've been better. 

As Últimas Sobreviventes by Jennifer Dugan

dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

O fantasma de Canterville by Oscar Wilde

funny lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

4.0

fiquei feliz de começar a ler oscar wilde por esse, ainda mais que esse conto veio antes de o retrato de dorian gray (que ainda não li). me diverti muito!!! existem tantas temáticas por trás dessa história de só 80 páginas que acho que vou ficar pensando nela por um tempo até conseguir refletir sobre tudo direito. adorei ter descoberto esse livro! 

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Murder in the Family by Cara Hunter

mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

li o livro junto com o audiobook, e ajudou bastante na experiência! como a narrativa é contada em formato de scripts de um documentário com os personagens conversando entre si e as descrições das cenas, junto com recortes de jornal, mensagens de texto e e-mails, o audiobook com um elenco completo foi ótimo pra me ajudar na ambientação. o livro pode ser um pouco confuso no começo e até demora pra você se acostumar com o tipo de narrativa, mas eu gostei bastante do formato e achei bem visual, mesmo nos momentos em que li sem o audiobook pra me acompanhar. você consegue visualizar os personagens sentados ao redor da mesa discutindo sobre o caso, quase como se estivesse vendo mesmo o documentário na sua cabeça.

sobre a história em si: a cara hunter entrega mais um mistério muito bom, e é incrível que mesmo depois de ter lido uns seis livros dela, ela não cansa de me surpreender. gostei da crítica sútil aos reality shows e aos documentários de true crime também. até onde vamos para descobrir a verdade e transmitir isso pra milhares de pessoas, em troca de audiência, doa a quem doer?

cara hunter é uma das minhas autoras de suspense favoritas e recomendo sempre!

The House Across the Lake by Riley Sager

dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

esse é o terceiro livro riley sager que eu leio e infelizmente o que eu menos gostei... ele começa de um jeito muito impactante, que já te prende de cara, mas os capítulos seguintes foram tão lentos pra chegar no motivo que ia deixar a casey obcecada em observar a casa que eu fui ficando entediada com o livro. quem já leu riley sager sabe que ele ama colocar uns quatro plot twists mais pro final da história, mas achei que não funcionou aqui. e o último plot twist do livro ainda foi a gota d'água pra mim, porque jura que a coitada da casey já não tinha sofrido o suficiente??

apesar de não ter uma boa experiência com esse livro em particular, gosto muito da escrita do riley sager e com certeza vou ler outras obras dele. the only one left é o que gostei mais até agora, então fica a minha recomendação! 

All In by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

4.5

Instinto Assassino by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

4.0

Academia dos casos arquivados by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

4.5