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bethniamh's reviews
219 reviews
Jawbone by Mónica Ojeda
dark
mysterious
tense
3.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse
Minor: Rape
Your Driver Is Waiting by Priya Guns
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
3.5
The St. Ambrose School for Girls by Jessica Ward
1.0
Many thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group for a digital ARC in exchange for a review.
This really didn't work for me. Far too much of the book was taken up by lengthy descriptions of things that didn't need to be lingered on, or hypothetical events imagined by the MC. Most of the book was set-up for the main event promised early on; this didn't happen until the 80% mark and ended up feeling very rushed. I get the impression the author was trying to build suspense, but there was so little actual evidence for the assumptions the MC was making that it just made me bored and frustrated.
The treatment of mental illness really didn't sit right with me, to the point where I found it borderline offensive and outright harmful at times. None of the characters felt well developed - Greta and 'Strots' in particular felt like complete stereotypes and I felt very little sympathy towards the MC. I ended up skimming through lots of the book without feeling like I was missing anything important.
This really didn't work for me. Far too much of the book was taken up by lengthy descriptions of things that didn't need to be lingered on, or hypothetical events imagined by the MC. Most of the book was set-up for the main event promised early on; this didn't happen until the 80% mark and ended up feeling very rushed. I get the impression the author was trying to build suspense, but there was so little actual evidence for the assumptions the MC was making that it just made me bored and frustrated.
The treatment of mental illness really didn't sit right with me, to the point where I found it borderline offensive and outright harmful at times. None of the characters felt well developed - Greta and 'Strots' in particular felt like complete stereotypes and I felt very little sympathy towards the MC. I ended up skimming through lots of the book without feeling like I was missing anything important.
The List by Yomi Adegoke
3.5
Many thanks to NetGalley and 4th Estate for a digital ARC in exchange for a review.
This was an easy-to-read book which dealt with pretty complex subject matter. The writing was very well done, and the ending was as satisfying as it could be in a story like this. It challenged me on what I would do if I found myself in Ola's situation; we'd all like to think we'd know what the morally correct thing to do would be, but Ola's response is very realistic and understandable. I'm a bit split on whether or not that very last reveal was necessary, but it does recontextualise a lot of what came before it in an interesting way.
This was an easy-to-read book which dealt with pretty complex subject matter. The writing was very well done, and the ending was as satisfying as it could be in a story like this. It challenged me on what I would do if I found myself in Ola's situation; we'd all like to think we'd know what the morally correct thing to do would be, but Ola's response is very realistic and understandable. I'm a bit split on whether or not that very last reveal was necessary, but it does recontextualise a lot of what came before it in an interesting way.
Girls of Little Hope by Sam Beckbessinger, Dale Halvorsen
3.5
Many thanks to NetGalley and Titan Books for a digital ARC in exchange for a review.
While I'm a big fan of horror films, I don't tend to go for horror fiction - I don't know why. The mystery aspect of this book drew me in, however, and I raced through the second half in a single sitting. I can understand the comparisons to Stranger Things, but for me this book was more enjoyable.
I was very interested in each of the three girls' background, but I found myself wanting more about Rae; she seemed to be the least developed character of the three and was given less to do. The ending also felt a little rushed - maybe a chapter or two more would have given a bit more room for a more satisfying round-off.
Ultimately, I really enjoyed this book, and it kept me guessing up until the end.
While I'm a big fan of horror films, I don't tend to go for horror fiction - I don't know why. The mystery aspect of this book drew me in, however, and I raced through the second half in a single sitting. I can understand the comparisons to Stranger Things, but for me this book was more enjoyable.
I was very interested in each of the three girls' background, but I found myself wanting more about Rae; she seemed to be the least developed character of the three and was given less to do. The ending also felt a little rushed - maybe a chapter or two more would have given a bit more room for a more satisfying round-off.
Ultimately, I really enjoyed this book, and it kept me guessing up until the end.