Take a photo of a barcode or cover
booksonawednesday's Reviews (487)
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
An easy-to-read YA thriller, similar to A Good Girls Guide to Murder and One of Us is Lying.
Sariyah is a Black teen with premonition-like powers, that allow her to identify someone’s “needs”, although if these needs are left unfulfilled, she is left with a splitting headache.
Sariyah and her best friend, Malcolm, are still recovering from Malcolm’s twin’s, Tessa’s, disappearance from a few years ago. They now have to relive their traumas when their close friend, Deja, goes missing at a music festival. Sariyah tries to use her powers to uncover the truth behind Deja’s disappearance.
I really enjoyed the concept behind Sariyah’s ‘superpower’, but there wasn’t much of an explanation about why it only related to psychical things, e.g. a pen, earplugs, pepper spray, instead of more abstract things, e.g. sleep, love, sex.
I also appreciated the message that the author was trying to convey about disappearances of Black teens not being taken as seriously as white teens. However, this left the ending of the book a bit too unrealistic for me. I was also expecting a bit more of a connection to and explanation of Tessa’s disappearances, but this book almost solely focused on Deja. There was a slight cliffhanger at the end though, and I am intrigued to learn more.
Thank you to Net Galley and Bloomsbury for sending me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Sariyah is a Black teen with premonition-like powers, that allow her to identify someone’s “needs”, although if these needs are left unfulfilled, she is left with a splitting headache.
Sariyah and her best friend, Malcolm, are still recovering from Malcolm’s twin’s, Tessa’s, disappearance from a few years ago. They now have to relive their traumas when their close friend, Deja, goes missing at a music festival. Sariyah tries to use her powers to uncover the truth behind Deja’s disappearance.
I really enjoyed the concept behind Sariyah’s ‘superpower’, but there wasn’t much of an explanation about why it only related to psychical things, e.g. a pen, earplugs, pepper spray, instead of more abstract things, e.g. sleep, love, sex.
I also appreciated the message that the author was trying to convey about disappearances of Black teens not being taken as seriously as white teens. However, this left the ending of the book a bit too unrealistic for me. I was also expecting a bit more of a connection to and explanation of Tessa’s disappearances, but this book almost solely focused on Deja. There was a slight cliffhanger at the end though, and I am intrigued to learn more.
Thank you to Net Galley and Bloomsbury for sending me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book was like a work of art to me. I loved every second of it, and I could hardly put it down.
Despite the name of the book, the main character is Gillian Larking, a schoolgirl in 1938 at a boarding school. She’s introduced to her new roommate, Violet Claybourne, who is quirky, eccentric but full of love and childhood innocence. Violet invites Gilly back to her home, Thornleigh, for the Christmas holidays, and Gilly is quick to accept.
Thornleigh is a big estate and the Claybourne family are rich, but the money is running out and the estate is starting to crumble. Gilly becomes obsessed with being accepted by Violet’s two older sisters, Laura and Emmeline, even at Violet’s own expense. But how far will she go to fit in?
I’ve not seen many reviews talk about this, but I felt that there was a strong dark academia vibe, perhaps drawn from some inspiration of books like The Secret History, but with more of a family element, rather than friendship.
I really loved the style of writing, and the fact that the book started in 1999, with only the knowledge that Laura died (of her own accord) back in the 1940s. It set a perfect level of intrigue.
None of the characters were excessively likeable - Gillian was needy, Violet was childish, Laura was weak and Emmeline was cold. However, I love books with morally grey characters, so this just made it more enjoyable for me.
I’m normally quite good at predicting the plot, and while I did predict some of the key events, most of the book swung in an entirely different direction than what I was expecting. Everything tied up at the end in a way that made sense, which is so tricky to do in books like this.
I would recommend this book to everyone - in fact, I’m desperate for people to read it because I need to talk about it with someone!
Thank you to Bonnier Books UK (specifically Eleanor) for sending me a copy of this book to review.
Despite the name of the book, the main character is Gillian Larking, a schoolgirl in 1938 at a boarding school. She’s introduced to her new roommate, Violet Claybourne, who is quirky, eccentric but full of love and childhood innocence. Violet invites Gilly back to her home, Thornleigh, for the Christmas holidays, and Gilly is quick to accept.
Thornleigh is a big estate and the Claybourne family are rich, but the money is running out and the estate is starting to crumble. Gilly becomes obsessed with being accepted by Violet’s two older sisters, Laura and Emmeline, even at Violet’s own expense. But how far will she go to fit in?
I’ve not seen many reviews talk about this, but I felt that there was a strong dark academia vibe, perhaps drawn from some inspiration of books like The Secret History, but with more of a family element, rather than friendship.
I really loved the style of writing, and the fact that the book started in 1999, with only the knowledge that Laura died (of her own accord) back in the 1940s. It set a perfect level of intrigue.
None of the characters were excessively likeable - Gillian was needy, Violet was childish, Laura was weak and Emmeline was cold. However, I love books with morally grey characters, so this just made it more enjoyable for me.
I’m normally quite good at predicting the plot, and while I did predict some of the key events, most of the book swung in an entirely different direction than what I was expecting. Everything tied up at the end in a way that made sense, which is so tricky to do in books like this.
I would recommend this book to everyone - in fact, I’m desperate for people to read it because I need to talk about it with someone!
Thank you to Bonnier Books UK (specifically Eleanor) for sending me a copy of this book to review.
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Thank you to bookouture for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I really enjoy a good psychological thriller, and there were a lot of things I liked about this book. Sophie is a high-flying TV presenter, living with her husband (also in the media) and their two children. Their youngest child has become troublesome and was recently expelled from school, so they need to get some outside help (enter Deanna) to tutor her. Sophie quickly becomes suspicious of Deanna, and sees her getting a bit too close to her husband.
The dual narration (Sophie and Deanna) worked really well, and while the writing was quite slow at the start, it kept me gripped.
The mental health trope in books like this is a difficult line to tread, but I felt it was done quite well. I really felt Sophie’s confusion and paranoia throughout.
I wasn’t surprised at the twist at the end, as I did partially guess it. The ending wasn’t quite as satisfying as it could be, and there were a few plot inconsistencies. Overall, it’s a solid thriller and worth the read!
I really enjoy a good psychological thriller, and there were a lot of things I liked about this book. Sophie is a high-flying TV presenter, living with her husband (also in the media) and their two children. Their youngest child has become troublesome and was recently expelled from school, so they need to get some outside help (enter Deanna) to tutor her. Sophie quickly becomes suspicious of Deanna, and sees her getting a bit too close to her husband.
The dual narration (Sophie and Deanna) worked really well, and while the writing was quite slow at the start, it kept me gripped.
The mental health trope in books like this is a difficult line to tread, but I felt it was done quite well. I really felt Sophie’s confusion and paranoia throughout.
I wasn’t surprised at the twist at the end, as I did partially guess it. The ending wasn’t quite as satisfying as it could be, and there were a few plot inconsistencies. Overall, it’s a solid thriller and worth the read!
challenging
informative
medium-paced
Thank you to Vintage Books for sending me this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
I was really impressed with how Yuval Noah Harari explained complex topics in such an easily digestible way.
The rise of AI is an area that is growing, and going to have more of an impact on society in the decades to come. The author talks about things that had never even occurred to me - like the impact of AI on totalitarian states. There were certain parts of this book that will stick with me for a long time, such as the paperclip thought experiment.
You know that you’re reading a special book when you keep referring to it in small talk with people, and it keeps popping up in your head throughout the day.
Unfortunately, I didn’t gel well with the narrator of the audiobook. While it is quite a dry and technical topic in some respects, the narration was a bit too monotonous for me.
I was really impressed with how Yuval Noah Harari explained complex topics in such an easily digestible way.
The rise of AI is an area that is growing, and going to have more of an impact on society in the decades to come. The author talks about things that had never even occurred to me - like the impact of AI on totalitarian states. There were certain parts of this book that will stick with me for a long time, such as the paperclip thought experiment.
You know that you’re reading a special book when you keep referring to it in small talk with people, and it keeps popping up in your head throughout the day.
Unfortunately, I didn’t gel well with the narrator of the audiobook. While it is quite a dry and technical topic in some respects, the narration was a bit too monotonous for me.
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Thank you to Datura books for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The concept of this book immediately drew me in, as it’s so unique: a heist that ends with guns being fired, followed by short stories by different authors from the various perspectives of those involved.
It reminded me a lot of the Netflix show Kaleidoscope, which I really enjoyed. Many of the short stories were self-contained; once you’d read the heist, you could read many of the stories in any old order and it would still make sense.
To say that different authors contributed - presumably with different writing styles - it felt really cohesive and well put together. However, the number of characters and the intricacies of the plot (particularly for such a short book) made it quite hard to follow at points. Some stories stuck with me a lot more than others (my personal favourite was that of the Financier’s).
The concept of this book immediately drew me in, as it’s so unique: a heist that ends with guns being fired, followed by short stories by different authors from the various perspectives of those involved.
It reminded me a lot of the Netflix show Kaleidoscope, which I really enjoyed. Many of the short stories were self-contained; once you’d read the heist, you could read many of the stories in any old order and it would still make sense.
To say that different authors contributed - presumably with different writing styles - it felt really cohesive and well put together. However, the number of characters and the intricacies of the plot (particularly for such a short book) made it quite hard to follow at points. Some stories stuck with me a lot more than others (my personal favourite was that of the Financier’s).
informative
lighthearted
dark
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was original, quirky and yet highly relatable.
Our nameless protagonist lives a privileged life: she’s young, blonde, thin and living comfortably off her parent’s inheritance. Yet her main aspiration is sleep. She wants to spend the majority of her time sleeping to wake up in a renewed and refreshed life.
Our main character is fundamentally unlikeable, but her existential experiences make her very relatable for someone who is also in her 20s (and questioning life too). Her best friend, Reva, is painfully desperate and her psychiatrist can only be described as deranged; they both made interesting recurring characters.
If you’re in the mood for a slow-paced book with dark humour and a slightly unhinged, drug-hazed tone, this is the one for you.
Our nameless protagonist lives a privileged life: she’s young, blonde, thin and living comfortably off her parent’s inheritance. Yet her main aspiration is sleep. She wants to spend the majority of her time sleeping to wake up in a renewed and refreshed life.
Our main character is fundamentally unlikeable, but her existential experiences make her very relatable for someone who is also in her 20s (and questioning life too). Her best friend, Reva, is painfully desperate and her psychiatrist can only be described as deranged; they both made interesting recurring characters.
If you’re in the mood for a slow-paced book with dark humour and a slightly unhinged, drug-hazed tone, this is the one for you.
dark
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
A stunning gothic romance and reimagining of Dracula’s bride. I’d heard great things about this book for a while, but I’d been putting it off as I wasn’t sure if sexy, polyamorous vampires were up my street. Turns out, they are!
The writing was just beautiful and I really liked the second person narrative throughout most of the book. Not a lot happens, but the characters are well-written and addictive. It’s a short book, and I could hardly put it down.
The perfect Halloween read! I will definitely be reading more of S T Gibson’s books.
The writing was just beautiful and I really liked the second person narrative throughout most of the book. Not a lot happens, but the characters are well-written and addictive. It’s a short book, and I could hardly put it down.
The perfect Halloween read! I will definitely be reading more of S T Gibson’s books.
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I’m not sure how I can put into words the impact that this book has. While there is a slow start and build up, it set the scene for the evermore devastating events that took place. I’m embarrassed to say that I don’t know much about the Syrian war, but the devastation to the country and its people was made clear.
The writing was simplistic yet beautiful, and it made me cry. Several times. The characters were relatable and well-written.
Despite the awful nature of the war and the difficult scenes, I was left with a feeling of hope and inspiration. Salama and Kenan show us that love will always find a way in dark times.
The writing was simplistic yet beautiful, and it made me cry. Several times. The characters were relatable and well-written.
Despite the awful nature of the war and the difficult scenes, I was left with a feeling of hope and inspiration. Salama and Kenan show us that love will always find a way in dark times.
dark
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A haunting, gothic thriller set on the rugged Cornish coast.
Morgan’s father, Owen, is released from prison having been acquitted for murdering Morgan’s mother. Morgan has always known that he was innocent, and so to escape the ghosts of the past, the two of them decide to leave their family home to become caretakers of an empty property in Cornwall.
Soon after they arrive, they are visited by a mysterious bald-headed man, who is eerily similar to Morgan’s mother.
I thought this novella was well written and chillingly addictive. I read it in one sitting. There were themes of family, mental illness, and regret. I also really enjoy stories where you’re not quite sure if there is an unreliable narrator.
If you’re after a quick read during spooky season, this is for you!
Morgan’s father, Owen, is released from prison having been acquitted for murdering Morgan’s mother. Morgan has always known that he was innocent, and so to escape the ghosts of the past, the two of them decide to leave their family home to become caretakers of an empty property in Cornwall.
Soon after they arrive, they are visited by a mysterious bald-headed man, who is eerily similar to Morgan’s mother.
I thought this novella was well written and chillingly addictive. I read it in one sitting. There were themes of family, mental illness, and regret. I also really enjoy stories where you’re not quite sure if there is an unreliable narrator.
If you’re after a quick read during spooky season, this is for you!