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bbethcasas's reviews
222 reviews
The Young of Other Animals by Chris Cander
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Paula’s relationship with her mother is strained. Mayree has never really been able to freely give her love to anyone except her husband, but that was early in their marriage, before the hurt and betrayal started. Paula feels unloved and not even liked by her mother, yet they are temporarily living together in the home Mayree and Frank shared after Paula went off to college. Things have been especially tough since Frank’s death a few months earlier. Paula was Daddy’s little girl and misses her father, but Mayree is struggling to live with the humiliation that Frank died of a heart attack in his mistress’s bed! So, there is a lot going on emotionally!
Paula’s boyfriend recently broke up with her so her best friend, Kelly, talks her into going to a party to “cheer her up” and get her out of the house. But while at the party, something happens to Paula that changes her drastically. She soon learns who she can and can’t trust and rely on, and the answers aren’t what she expects!
This was a slow starter and I almost didn’t stick with it. I don’t see myself reading this one again, but there were definitely some exciting, edge-of-your-seat parts!
So it earns a 3.5 for me.
This was a slow starter and I almost didn’t stick with it. I don’t see myself reading this one again, but there were definitely some exciting, edge-of-your-seat parts!
So it earns a 3.5 for me.
No Exit by Taylor Adams
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.0
This book was a real nail biter!! Right from page 1,I was in a state of panic that continued to get worse and worse! A little trigger warning here, there is some pretty fierce torture tactics used in this book!
Darby is on an emergency road trip from Colorado to Utah to see her estranged mother on her deathbed. Along the way she gets stranded at a rest stop by a raging blizzard with 4 strangers. As she wanders back outside to attempt to find a cell signal, she happens to glance into the van parked next to her. To her shock a child’s hand splays out on the back window, then retreats back into the darkness of the vehicle. She knows it’s up to her to find out who the child is and how she got locked into the back of the van!!
Read this one with the lights on!
Gore included!!
Darby is on an emergency road trip from Colorado to Utah to see her estranged mother on her deathbed. Along the way she gets stranded at a rest stop by a raging blizzard with 4 strangers. As she wanders back outside to attempt to find a cell signal, she happens to glance into the van parked next to her. To her shock a child’s hand splays out on the back window, then retreats back into the darkness of the vehicle. She knows it’s up to her to find out who the child is and how she got locked into the back of the van!!
Read this one with the lights on!
Gore included!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Confinement, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Vomit, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail
Violet Is Nowhere by Faith Gardner
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Violet is the front “man” in the band Violet & the Black Sheep. The morning after a concert, she wakes up locked in an unknown cabin in the middle of nowhere with no idea where she is or how she got there. She finds a note, a cell phone, and her usual foods and drinks stocked in the cabin. The note explains that the cellphone can only dial one number. She has one week to work with this stranger to find how they are connected or she will lose her life.
After the connection is finally discovered, the story takes a very creepy and somewhat realistic turn that honestly leaves me moderately unnerved!!
You’ll enjoy this one, even though it’s somewhat of a slow burn.
Kudos to Faith Gardner!!
After the connection is finally discovered, the story takes a very creepy and somewhat realistic turn that honestly leaves me moderately unnerved!!
You’ll enjoy this one, even though it’s somewhat of a slow burn.
Kudos to Faith Gardner!!
The Queen of Sugar Hill by ReShonda Tate
RaShonda Tate’s historical fiction book The Queen of Sugar Hill took me through the full range of human emotions while learning of the events in the life of Hattie McDaniel.
Hattie McDaniel is most known for her role as Mammy in Gone With the Wind, one of my absolute favorite novels and movies, for which she won an Oscar, making her the first black actor to win this award. She almost wasn’t allowed to attend the awards ceremony and was forced to sit at a tiny plain table near the kitchen while the rest of the cast sat at a large, beautiful table near the stage. She was NOT allowed to enter the club for the after party, and simply took a car home, where thankfully, her friends had their own after party waiting for her.
She encountered struggles her whole life, but never let them get her down. She worked hard to overcome the many injustices of society and Hollywood, hoping to make the way easier for future actors and actresses of color.
Not only did she struggle in her professional life, in her personal life she had hardship, as well. She wanted to find someone to love her as she was, to share life and spread kindness. All she ever found was liars, cheats, and thieves.
Hattie was well recognized and respected by many, but certain groups seemed to target her and were eager to downplay and badmouth any role she took or any goal she pursued. Her actions were often twisted into ugly lies and accusations, just to keep her name in a negative light in the media. She couldn’t please the white movie makers with the parts she wanted to portray, but the black papers always printed scathing reviews of her parts as “keeping them in slavery.”
In spite of all of this, Hattie tried hard to keep a good heart and always worked hard for her career. She did anything she could to help upcoming actors and actresses prepare for the careers ahead of them.
Hattie had a temper…something I loved about her but most of the time, she could keep a level head and give people the “what for” if they crossed her or a cause close to heart.
RaShonda Tate did anything OUTSTANDING job of researching and getting into the mind of Hattie in the writing of this book. I feel like the adjustments she made to piece together the story of Hattie’s life was imagined in a way that were as close as possible without having actually been there. I learned so much about Hattie McDaniel through reading this book!
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
5.0
Hattie McDaniel is most known for her role as Mammy in Gone With the Wind, one of my absolute favorite novels and movies, for which she won an Oscar, making her the first black actor to win this award. She almost wasn’t allowed to attend the awards ceremony and was forced to sit at a tiny plain table near the kitchen while the rest of the cast sat at a large, beautiful table near the stage. She was NOT allowed to enter the club for the after party, and simply took a car home, where thankfully, her friends had their own after party waiting for her.
She encountered struggles her whole life, but never let them get her down. She worked hard to overcome the many injustices of society and Hollywood, hoping to make the way easier for future actors and actresses of color.
Not only did she struggle in her professional life, in her personal life she had hardship, as well. She wanted to find someone to love her as she was, to share life and spread kindness. All she ever found was liars, cheats, and thieves.
Hattie was well recognized and respected by many, but certain groups seemed to target her and were eager to downplay and badmouth any role she took or any goal she pursued. Her actions were often twisted into ugly lies and accusations, just to keep her name in a negative light in the media. She couldn’t please the white movie makers with the parts she wanted to portray, but the black papers always printed scathing reviews of her parts as “keeping them in slavery.”
In spite of all of this, Hattie tried hard to keep a good heart and always worked hard for her career. She did anything she could to help upcoming actors and actresses prepare for the careers ahead of them.
Hattie had a temper…something I loved about her but most of the time, she could keep a level head and give people the “what for” if they crossed her or a cause close to heart.
RaShonda Tate did anything OUTSTANDING job of researching and getting into the mind of Hattie in the writing of this book. I feel like the adjustments she made to piece together the story of Hattie’s life was imagined in a way that were as close as possible without having actually been there. I learned so much about Hattie McDaniel through reading this book!
Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This was a really good, really sad book! As a month, I can’t imagine!!
VAGUE synopsis:
Paul and Laurel Mack have 3 children, Jake, Hanna, and Ellie. Ellie, 15, is the shining star of the family. She works hard in school and is currently cramming to study for her GCSEs, which she will undoubtedly ACE, but she disappears without a trace on her way to the library to study.
10 years later, after remains are found and buried, after Laurel and Paul have been divorced, and the other kids are grown and moved away, a new man comes into Laurel’s life. With Floyd comes new bits of memories and information regarding Ellie. Floyd happens to have a daughter from a previous wife, Sara-Jade, and a younger daughter, Poppy, from a complicated relationship with a complicated woman. And it just so happens that Poppy looks exactly like ELLIE.
LOTS to unravel here! I developed a theory early on that was sort of right but not entirely and the ending was not what I expected. Have tissues handy!!
VAGUE synopsis:
Paul and Laurel Mack have 3 children, Jake, Hanna, and Ellie. Ellie, 15, is the shining star of the family. She works hard in school and is currently cramming to study for her GCSEs, which she will undoubtedly ACE, but she disappears without a trace on her way to the library to study.
10 years later, after remains are found and buried, after Laurel and Paul have been divorced, and the other kids are grown and moved away, a new man comes into Laurel’s life. With Floyd comes new bits of memories and information regarding Ellie. Floyd happens to have a daughter from a previous wife, Sara-Jade, and a younger daughter, Poppy, from a complicated relationship with a complicated woman. And it just so happens that Poppy looks exactly like ELLIE.
LOTS to unravel here! I developed a theory early on that was sort of right but not entirely and the ending was not what I expected. Have tissues handy!!
Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
LOVE!!!
Initially, the book was a little slow for me. I was nervous that I wasn’t going to like it and even through a lot of the games, I felt it was not as eventful as I expected. But if you’re feeling this way too, just STICK WITH IT!!!
I ended up loving the book! I feel like I understand Haymitch so much better now and his connection with Katie’s and Peeta is so special to me now!
Can’t wait to watch the movie now!!
Initially, the book was a little slow for me. I was nervous that I wasn’t going to like it and even through a lot of the games, I felt it was not as eventful as I expected. But if you’re feeling this way too, just STICK WITH IT!!!
I ended up loving the book! I feel like I understand Haymitch so much better now and his connection with Katie’s and Peeta is so special to me now!
Can’t wait to watch the movie now!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney
dark
mysterious
sad
slow-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
4.0
Surprising twists! On a trip that will hopefully revive their struggling marriage, Amelia and Adam can’t help but blame one another for the odd and frightening things that are happening in the old chapel in Scotland. Until things suddenly become familiar to Adam, then he realizes what is happening. Shocking events are yet to come, but I won’t spoil that!
The Writing Retreat by Julia Bartz
4.0
A budding new author, Alex, wins a contest to her favorite author’s home for a one month writing retreat with two (three?)other winners, during which time they will each write a novel with guiding conferences with the author through the process. At the end of the retreat, the author will award one of the “mentees” the award of publishing her book with the forward written by the author.
Sounds promising and exciting, right? But that’s not exactly how things go. Nothing is at it appears at the secluded mansion. The contestants are pitted against each other through lies and forced alliances. As the truth begins to show through the cracks, it is hard to tell who to trust. But when the real truth is revealed, you won’t believe how heartbreaking it is. So twisty and jaw dropping!
Sounds promising and exciting, right? But that’s not exactly how things go. Nothing is at it appears at the secluded mansion. The contestants are pitted against each other through lies and forced alliances. As the truth begins to show through the cracks, it is hard to tell who to trust. But when the real truth is revealed, you won’t believe how heartbreaking it is. So twisty and jaw dropping!
Under Her Care by Lucinda Berry
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
3.5
Love LOVE Lucinda Berry, but this was not one of my favorites of her books.
The mayor’s wife is murdered and a boy with autism is considered a person of interest in the case. His mother is the former Miss USA, Genevieve Hill, and is so overly protective of her son that it’s hard for the police to process or question him or get much done with the case, which is fine with them, they are good with him taking the wrap. The public is crying out for the case to be solved and naming Mason as the guilty party would wrap it all up for them.
Casey Walker, a local autism expert, is called in to consult on the case and does her best to keep an open mind. But too many things don’t sit right with her over Genevieve AND Mason, and she vows not to rest until the truth is found, even when it begins to cost her dearly!
The mayor’s wife is murdered and a boy with autism is considered a person of interest in the case. His mother is the former Miss USA, Genevieve Hill, and is so overly protective of her son that it’s hard for the police to process or question him or get much done with the case, which is fine with them, they are good with him taking the wrap. The public is crying out for the case to be solved and naming Mason as the guilty party would wrap it all up for them.
Casey Walker, a local autism expert, is called in to consult on the case and does her best to keep an open mind. But too many things don’t sit right with her over Genevieve AND Mason, and she vows not to rest until the truth is found, even when it begins to cost her dearly!
Only If You're Lucky by Stacy Willingham
3.0
Besties from very young, Margot and Eliza were inseparable. That is, until the day Levi moved in next door. Eliza and Levi became a thing..more of a thing than Margot and Eliza. Margot felt Levi was dangerous, not only to their friendship but to Eliza, as well. And in a shocking turn of events, Margot is right.
When Margot starts college at the school she and Eliza were scheduled to begin together, she struggles to fit in, until attention seeking Lucy asks her to move in with her and her roomies for the second semester. They live in off campus housing next to the crazy Kappa Nu house, who they pay crazy cheap rent to. Things seem to go great until they don’t and Margot feels confusion and gaslighting at every turn, never knowing who to trust, always feeling danger lurks around the corner.
Some interesting twists.
When Margot starts college at the school she and Eliza were scheduled to begin together, she struggles to fit in, until attention seeking Lucy asks her to move in with her and her roomies for the second semester. They live in off campus housing next to the crazy Kappa Nu house, who they pay crazy cheap rent to. Things seem to go great until they don’t and Margot feels confusion and gaslighting at every turn, never knowing who to trust, always feeling danger lurks around the corner.
Some interesting twists.