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celinevekeman's reviews
146 reviews
The Names They Gave Us by Emery Lord
4.0
REVIEW (no spoilers)
The names they gave us by Emery Lord
This was the first book I read by Emery Lord. I was excited but also didn’t get my hopes up since I know some people like her books and others don’t.
It’s about Lucy, her mom has cancer and her boyfriend puts their relationship on pause. She goes to a camp as counselor where she meets new people that give her new visions on life and help her find herself.
When I read the summary I didn’t think this book would be so religious, I am not religious at all. So I was skeptical about the book when I read the first chapter and it mentioned God a lot. But I was going to give it a try.
I am SO SO happy I continued reading. I don’t cry often over books but this book definitely gave me teary eyes. This book isn’t a book that gives you much excitement but is mostly about learning lessons and finding yourself. About how you have to deal with life and how everyone got his/her own story and past.
It’s about finding a belief system when you think everything is failing you, and I was at times hoping for something dramatic to happen but that wasn’t what it’s about. I think this book portrays a realistic life of a young girl finding herself through what happens.
I think this is definitely worth a read. (like I read this book in a day and a halve which means I was really into it.)
The names they gave us by Emery Lord
This was the first book I read by Emery Lord. I was excited but also didn’t get my hopes up since I know some people like her books and others don’t.
It’s about Lucy, her mom has cancer and her boyfriend puts their relationship on pause. She goes to a camp as counselor where she meets new people that give her new visions on life and help her find herself.
When I read the summary I didn’t think this book would be so religious, I am not religious at all. So I was skeptical about the book when I read the first chapter and it mentioned God a lot. But I was going to give it a try.
I am SO SO happy I continued reading. I don’t cry often over books but this book definitely gave me teary eyes. This book isn’t a book that gives you much excitement but is mostly about learning lessons and finding yourself. About how you have to deal with life and how everyone got his/her own story and past.
It’s about finding a belief system when you think everything is failing you, and I was at times hoping for something dramatic to happen but that wasn’t what it’s about. I think this book portrays a realistic life of a young girl finding herself through what happens.
I think this is definitely worth a read. (like I read this book in a day and a halve which means I was really into it.)
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
2.0
REVIEW (no spoilers)
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
I had pretty high expectations after I read the reviews of other people. So when the book arrived I couldn’t wait to read it.
The story is about Alicia Berenson’s, one night her husband is murdered (shot multiple times). When the police arrive she was the one holding the gun so everyone suspected her of the murder. The problem is that no one can really know what happened because since that night Alicia hasn’t spoken a word. She doesn’t plead guilty but she also doesn’t reveal information in her defense.
Alicia is placed in a mental hospital, years go by and she still doesn’t speak. Until a new therapist named Theo arrives and wants to treat her. Finally she slowly reveals the truth.
This is supposed to be a psychological thriller. Now correct me if I’m wrong but a thriller means you’re supposed to sit on the edge of your seat, be scared yourself and there’s supposed to be tension throughout the whole book.
With me that wasn’t the case. I think this was a boring thriller. The only reason I continued reading is in the hope that it was just the beginning and it could change. But it didn’t. After a while I just read it because I did want to know who did it (out of curiousity) but I wasn’t as excited as in the beginning.
The ending to me was also a complete failure. There was a huge plot twist near the end. It's just like they drop a bom without building any tension. to me it was like the writer himself just thought ‘oh you know this seems like a fun ending’ (it wasn’t).
There are so many things that didn’t add up. Like for instant the lighter, in the beginning of the book Theo couldn’t bring the lighter with him in the institute, at the end he even helped patients smoke. Or other characters who didn’t have any development in their character and just change in a moment.
I have to say I did like the writing style. There’s chapters where you can read the diary of Alicia right before what happened and then you have most chapters in Theo’s point of view.
But to me this book was pretty disappointing. I don’t think I’ll reread this one.
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
I had pretty high expectations after I read the reviews of other people. So when the book arrived I couldn’t wait to read it.
The story is about Alicia Berenson’s, one night her husband is murdered (shot multiple times). When the police arrive she was the one holding the gun so everyone suspected her of the murder. The problem is that no one can really know what happened because since that night Alicia hasn’t spoken a word. She doesn’t plead guilty but she also doesn’t reveal information in her defense.
Alicia is placed in a mental hospital, years go by and she still doesn’t speak. Until a new therapist named Theo arrives and wants to treat her. Finally she slowly reveals the truth.
This is supposed to be a psychological thriller. Now correct me if I’m wrong but a thriller means you’re supposed to sit on the edge of your seat, be scared yourself and there’s supposed to be tension throughout the whole book.
With me that wasn’t the case. I think this was a boring thriller. The only reason I continued reading is in the hope that it was just the beginning and it could change. But it didn’t. After a while I just read it because I did want to know who did it (out of curiousity) but I wasn’t as excited as in the beginning.
The ending to me was also a complete failure. There was a huge plot twist near the end. It's just like they drop a bom without building any tension. to me it was like the writer himself just thought ‘oh you know this seems like a fun ending’ (it wasn’t).
There are so many things that didn’t add up. Like for instant the lighter, in the beginning of the book Theo couldn’t bring the lighter with him in the institute, at the end he even helped patients smoke. Or other characters who didn’t have any development in their character and just change in a moment.
I have to say I did like the writing style. There’s chapters where you can read the diary of Alicia right before what happened and then you have most chapters in Theo’s point of view.
But to me this book was pretty disappointing. I don’t think I’ll reread this one.
P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han
4.0
I can always appreciate a cheesy romance novel. I didn't think it was as good as the first book but it still had me hooked.
Not Always Blu Skyes by Gabrielle McMaster
4.0
I received a copy of this book to do an honest review. So here it goes.
Take a spoon of love, add a pinch of fake friends and some drama and mix it with some serious topics and you get Not always Blu Skyes.
I’m not going into what the book is about because this book honestly spoke to me by its cover. I liked not knowing what it was about before reading the book.
I read this book in a day and I really enjoyed reading it. At times I did feel like the book was just going on about the same thing and it got a bit boring but I got pulled back into it again.
What I really liked about this book is that I could relate to it, the main character has some mental health issues and I think over all she has a very relatable personality. I mean who never felt lonely in a room full of people? This book describes how she deals with those issues and she comes to conclusions I wish I knew at that age. I think you can really get some life lessons out of this book and I wished this was out when I was still in high school.
This book deals with mental health like I mentioned before and I think it does a fine job at describing how it feels for some people without overhyping it and letting people think that love can solve your problems.
I did predict the plot twists and the ending of the book pretty soon into it, but maybe that’s just because I read too many cliché love stories. (I think I might have an obsession with them. OOPS)
So if you’re up for a cliché love story that is easy to read please pick up this book. If you need more reason to, let me tell you that I enjoyed it so much that I’m thinking about buying myself a paperback copy if it ever comes out!
Take a spoon of love, add a pinch of fake friends and some drama and mix it with some serious topics and you get Not always Blu Skyes.
I’m not going into what the book is about because this book honestly spoke to me by its cover. I liked not knowing what it was about before reading the book.
I read this book in a day and I really enjoyed reading it. At times I did feel like the book was just going on about the same thing and it got a bit boring but I got pulled back into it again.
What I really liked about this book is that I could relate to it, the main character has some mental health issues and I think over all she has a very relatable personality. I mean who never felt lonely in a room full of people? This book describes how she deals with those issues and she comes to conclusions I wish I knew at that age. I think you can really get some life lessons out of this book and I wished this was out when I was still in high school.
This book deals with mental health like I mentioned before and I think it does a fine job at describing how it feels for some people without overhyping it and letting people think that love can solve your problems.
I did predict the plot twists and the ending of the book pretty soon into it, but maybe that’s just because I read too many cliché love stories. (I think I might have an obsession with them. OOPS)
So if you’re up for a cliché love story that is easy to read please pick up this book. If you need more reason to, let me tell you that I enjoyed it so much that I’m thinking about buying myself a paperback copy if it ever comes out!
Snakes and Lovers by Anne Lovett
3.0
I got a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The main character is Daisy, she works in a bar as a ‘beach bum’. One of her neighbors goes missing leaving her with a snake and her kid named Raj. In the meantime she has to go home again to Sawyer to repair her parents’ marriage while having to confront her first boyfriend Luke who betrayed her.
due to circumstances she has to go on a road trip with Luke, Raj and the snake, searching for her father and raj’s mother.
I’m honestly not sure if I liked this book or not. Let me start by saying what I didn’t like.
This book is categorized as a romance novel, but I didn’t like the romance. This book is more about heartbreak and ex-husbands/wives than it is about romance. The romance part between the two main characters was rushed. Also, I’m going to be honest. I don’t ship them. I can’t stand the behavior of Luke. He’s making important decision’s for her not even caring about her opinion or what she wants. Trying to influence her opinion.
I thought this book was quite difficult to get into as well. I’m not sure if it’s because I can’t really relate or if it was the writing style.
The ending was rushed as well. I really got into it the last 50 pages and the ending disappointed me.
What I did like about the book was that it wasn’t that predictable. I mean of course romances are always predictable but I got surprised by some things.
The main thing I liked is Daisy and her feminism. She’s not depending on men, she’s taking care of her own and showing that she doesn’t need anyone. She has this idea about being independent and free.
Still I think some people will love this book. I give it a 3 stars, because besides what I didn’t like I still sort of enjoyed reading it, especially near the end.
The main character is Daisy, she works in a bar as a ‘beach bum’. One of her neighbors goes missing leaving her with a snake and her kid named Raj. In the meantime she has to go home again to Sawyer to repair her parents’ marriage while having to confront her first boyfriend Luke who betrayed her.
due to circumstances she has to go on a road trip with Luke, Raj and the snake, searching for her father and raj’s mother.
I’m honestly not sure if I liked this book or not. Let me start by saying what I didn’t like.
This book is categorized as a romance novel, but I didn’t like the romance. This book is more about heartbreak and ex-husbands/wives than it is about romance. The romance part between the two main characters was rushed. Also, I’m going to be honest. I don’t ship them. I can’t stand the behavior of Luke. He’s making important decision’s for her not even caring about her opinion or what she wants. Trying to influence her opinion.
I thought this book was quite difficult to get into as well. I’m not sure if it’s because I can’t really relate or if it was the writing style.
The ending was rushed as well. I really got into it the last 50 pages and the ending disappointed me.
What I did like about the book was that it wasn’t that predictable. I mean of course romances are always predictable but I got surprised by some things.
The main thing I liked is Daisy and her feminism. She’s not depending on men, she’s taking care of her own and showing that she doesn’t need anyone. She has this idea about being independent and free.
Still I think some people will love this book. I give it a 3 stars, because besides what I didn’t like I still sort of enjoyed reading it, especially near the end.