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chapterchatswithcaroline's reviews
121 reviews
The Teacher by Freida McFadden
The book is divided into 3 parts and the chapters alternate between the three main characters (Eve, Addie & Nate), telling us the story from 3 perspectives. The plot was intriguing, fast paced & managed to keep me hooked for majority of the books. Though, there were certain times in the book, where I thought the writing got a bit repetitive (with Kenzie‘s constant bullying and Eve’s obsession with shoes). As for the suspense part, I found it to be very predictable. After 25 to 30 chapters in, I totally had a clue of who was behind all the façade and in which direction the story was headed.
The second part of the book though, was the part I enjoyed the most because it saw some major twists & turns & also kept me second guessing myself but this was all short lived because the third part was just so unrealistic (or should I say filmy) as compared to the rest of the book. Even the epilogue also kind of felt silly to me. The author also tried to throw in some horror aspects in the end which didn’t do much for me atleast.
The book also sees some notorious characters who have hidden secrets, compulsive obsession with a certain hobby, bullying and mental illnesses.At the end, all I can say is that the story is full of sexual offenders and child predators. So be warned with its contents before you dive into this one because you are in for a lot of triggers.
There were also some elements in the book that went unanswered like, “was there really something between Mr. Tuttle and Addie? Or was it just a rumour?” And due to which the book felt a bit incomplete. According, to me the author should write up something like a prequel to this main story.
Overall, I did enjoy reading this book apart from all its shortcomings and will surely recommend this book to readers who love fast paced psychological thrillers.
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
“Digging a grave is hard work.” is the opening line of Author Freida McFadden The Teacher & a line that i m sure will not leave my mind any time soon. It’s this line that kept me on the edge of my seat & what kept me moving forward.
The Teacher follows a simple plot of an relationship between a teacher and his student, where the student is totally convinced that the connection she shares with her teacher is something out of this world & they are soulmate for life & that they are willing to do anything to be together. But all that is in jeopardy, when another teacher threatens to expose them & bring their affair to light, which in turn would ruin their lives & career forever, if they don’t stop her from going to the principal.
The Teacher follows a simple plot of an relationship between a teacher and his student, where the student is totally convinced that the connection she shares with her teacher is something out of this world & they are soulmate for life & that they are willing to do anything to be together. But all that is in jeopardy, when another teacher threatens to expose them & bring their affair to light, which in turn would ruin their lives & career forever, if they don’t stop her from going to the principal.
The book is divided into 3 parts and the chapters alternate between the three main characters (Eve, Addie & Nate), telling us the story from 3 perspectives. The plot was intriguing, fast paced & managed to keep me hooked for majority of the books. Though, there were certain times in the book, where I thought the writing got a bit repetitive (with Kenzie‘s constant bullying and Eve’s obsession with shoes). As for the suspense part, I found it to be very predictable. After 25 to 30 chapters in, I totally had a clue of who was behind all the façade and in which direction the story was headed.
The second part of the book though, was the part I enjoyed the most because it saw some major twists & turns & also kept me second guessing myself but this was all short lived because the third part was just so unrealistic (or should I say filmy) as compared to the rest of the book. Even the epilogue also kind of felt silly to me. The author also tried to throw in some horror aspects in the end which didn’t do much for me atleast.
The book also sees some notorious characters who have hidden secrets, compulsive obsession with a certain hobby, bullying and mental illnesses.At the end, all I can say is that the story is full of sexual offenders and child predators. So be warned with its contents before you dive into this one because you are in for a lot of triggers.
There were also some elements in the book that went unanswered like, “was there really something between Mr. Tuttle and Addie? Or was it just a rumour?” And due to which the book felt a bit incomplete. According, to me the author should write up something like a prequel to this main story.
Overall, I did enjoy reading this book apart from all its shortcomings and will surely recommend this book to readers who love fast paced psychological thrillers.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual violence
The Stranger At Black Lake by Christina McDonald
And wait Stop! I completely forgot to praise the author for her beautiful writing skills. The writing had a very rhythmic tone to it, due to which I just couldn’t stop myself from turning the pages even more faster. I just can’t wait to get my hands on the main story. I just hope to see Jess Lambert work with Detective Rivero in the main story.
A great thriller and a well recommended one, for all mystery and thriller fans.
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
The Stranger at Black Lake is a intriguing prequal to the book “These still waters”. Though, I haven’t yet read the main story, I just couldn’t stop myself from requesting this book as the premise was so intriguing.
This book being a short novella is jam packed with mystery, thriller, horror, secrets, revenge, lot of twist & turns. The setting is bloody, eerie, scary, dark & the ending is a one I completely didn’t see coming.
This book being a short novella is jam packed with mystery, thriller, horror, secrets, revenge, lot of twist & turns. The setting is bloody, eerie, scary, dark & the ending is a one I completely didn’t see coming.
And wait Stop! I completely forgot to praise the author for her beautiful writing skills. The writing had a very rhythmic tone to it, due to which I just couldn’t stop myself from turning the pages even more faster. I just can’t wait to get my hands on the main story. I just hope to see Jess Lambert work with Detective Rivero in the main story.
A great thriller and a well recommended one, for all mystery and thriller fans.
Paper Girl and the Knives that Made Her by Ari B. Cofer
I liked that the book started off with a content warning, so that the reader is totally aware of what’s in store. The poems are written from a heartbroken, drepressed, raped, fucked (mind my language), soiled and suicidal girls point of view. Each poem recites like a therapy session of a girl’s worst nightmares. I felt like there was a lot of the author personal life experience in each of the poems.
There were some poems which I loved and could relate to as well:
The book also advises you to talk to or share with family and friends, if you feel you are someone going through mental health, suicidal tendencies, or other forms of depression, sexual or drug abuse.
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
3.5
For my first poetry book, this book was too dark, gloomy and heavy for me to process. There is no doubt that each poetry is well written. Though, the author say’s that, this book is half fiction and half truth, it only feels like it’s based on whole truth wrapped in a blanket of poetry’s .
I liked that the book started off with a content warning, so that the reader is totally aware of what’s in store. The poems are written from a heartbroken, drepressed, raped, fucked (mind my language), soiled and suicidal girls point of view. Each poem recites like a therapy session of a girl’s worst nightmares. I felt like there was a lot of the author personal life experience in each of the poems.
There were some poems which I loved and could relate to as well:
- The fairy tale becomes a memory
- I saw their wedding photos on Facebook
- when the well ran dry
- Magic
- Rest in pieces
- I don’t want to give you the pleasure of reading your name
- New girl
- Good girl
- My sister turns 20 this month
- When our skin is too much
- Permanent
The book also advises you to talk to or share with family and friends, if you feel you are someone going through mental health, suicidal tendencies, or other forms of depression, sexual or drug abuse.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, and Sexual content
Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Read this book as a part of my Bookclub botm and its the first book, I read based on Japenese literature.
The book follows 36 year old Keiko Furukura, a social misfit from childhood but when she finds herself a job at a convenience store, keiko believe that there is no world beyond that convenience store and she would never fit in with the normalcy of the world and can never be fixed.
Convenience store woman is a tiny book with a big meaning. This book does convey the message of how important it is to be normal and fit into the world rather then being a misfit like keiko and being nudge all the time by family, friends, colleagues and more over the society.
The subject that the author hits on, in this tiny book made me stop and think, "Don't we all sometimes in our life struggle to fit into societies normalcy and that there is always a pressure to do something, be somewhere, become something or follow normal social traditions like find a job, get married at the right age, make more money, have children etc, it's like we always have to jump from thing in life to another & if we fail at even one of societies normalcy, we are termed as a misfit or as someone who needs to be fixed."
This book is surely very high on social commentary as I could personally relate to many of the social behaviours, expectations and pressures mentioned in this book.
The book does start of in a quirky and laugh out aloud manner but is much much more then that. The writing style is easy going as well as the characters, though the Character of Shiraha was sometimes annoying and manipulative but he always ended up stating relatable facts about the way society behaved. I also quite loved the convenience store setting and how it functioned 24/7 and how much hardworking and attention to detail went into running a convenience store.
There was only one tiny problem that I had with this book, was that I was hoping for a different kind of ending, so it fell a little flat for me.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I'm looking forward to reading more Japanese translations.
I would definitely recommend this book and I feel everyone should read it atleast once in a lifetime.
The book follows 36 year old Keiko Furukura, a social misfit from childhood but when she finds herself a job at a convenience store, keiko believe that there is no world beyond that convenience store and she would never fit in with the normalcy of the world and can never be fixed.
Convenience store woman is a tiny book with a big meaning. This book does convey the message of how important it is to be normal and fit into the world rather then being a misfit like keiko and being nudge all the time by family, friends, colleagues and more over the society.
The subject that the author hits on, in this tiny book made me stop and think, "Don't we all sometimes in our life struggle to fit into societies normalcy and that there is always a pressure to do something, be somewhere, become something or follow normal social traditions like find a job, get married at the right age, make more money, have children etc, it's like we always have to jump from thing in life to another & if we fail at even one of societies normalcy, we are termed as a misfit or as someone who needs to be fixed."
This book is surely very high on social commentary as I could personally relate to many of the social behaviours, expectations and pressures mentioned in this book.
The book does start of in a quirky and laugh out aloud manner but is much much more then that. The writing style is easy going as well as the characters, though the Character of Shiraha was sometimes annoying and manipulative but he always ended up stating relatable facts about the way society behaved. I also quite loved the convenience store setting and how it functioned 24/7 and how much hardworking and attention to detail went into running a convenience store.
There was only one tiny problem that I had with this book, was that I was hoping for a different kind of ending, so it fell a little flat for me.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I'm looking forward to reading more Japanese translations.
I would definitely recommend this book and I feel everyone should read it atleast once in a lifetime.
Bombay Bhel by Ken Doyle
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
Bombay bhel is a rare but wonderful collection of 9 short stories shown to us through the eyes of writer Ken Doyle.
Set in then Bombay now Mumbai & true to its name Bombay bhel is uniquely a sweet, tangy, pungent & spicy bhel of stories reminiscent of the life, love, innocence, struggles, culture, heritage & traditions of the people & its communities in Bombay.
Each of the stories also gives the readers a glimpse into the Goan - Anglo Indian community in which the writer grew up. From Jesuit priest to the all famous Prawn balchao, from places like Crawford market to Dockyard road this book have a little of it all.
The stories that touch me most were:
Cats: The story of Neil Sequeria who inherits a fortune as he innocently befriends and tries to save the home of Eleanor an elderly, older women.
The wedding gift: The story of an newly married couple who begin life in their new home at Pearly gates.
The deep blue sea: A love story which doesn't see the light of the day due to caste and cultural differences.
Bhel Plaza: Another emotional stories between a war veteran turned bhel puri wala and a bidding writer Nancy.
Recommended, if you are someone living in Mumbai or someone who is simple in love with this city.
Set in then Bombay now Mumbai & true to its name Bombay bhel is uniquely a sweet, tangy, pungent & spicy bhel of stories reminiscent of the life, love, innocence, struggles, culture, heritage & traditions of the people & its communities in Bombay.
Each of the stories also gives the readers a glimpse into the Goan - Anglo Indian community in which the writer grew up. From Jesuit priest to the all famous Prawn balchao, from places like Crawford market to Dockyard road this book have a little of it all.
The stories that touch me most were:
Cats: The story of Neil Sequeria who inherits a fortune as he innocently befriends and tries to save the home of Eleanor an elderly, older women.
The wedding gift: The story of an newly married couple who begin life in their new home at Pearly gates.
The deep blue sea: A love story which doesn't see the light of the day due to caste and cultural differences.
Bhel Plaza: Another emotional stories between a war veteran turned bhel puri wala and a bidding writer Nancy.
Recommended, if you are someone living in Mumbai or someone who is simple in love with this city.
The Patient by Teri Terry
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The patient is Teri Terry's newest & first adult book . The synopsis of this book was so intriguing that I would stop myself from requesting for it on Netgalley.
The Patient follows the story of Saphy, who has a heart condition & is in need of a heart transplant. She is soon lucky to find a donate in the form of Flora, who has been declared brain stem dead & her life is saved but she soon finds herself obsessed & involved in the life & the family of her donor, which in turn opens up a pandora's box of hidden secrets & untold mysteries.
The book is for sure a slow burner as the major twist & turns come in the last 25% of the book. I felt the beginning to be very confusing though after 10 chapters I was able to figure out where the story was headed & the connection between the characters. I liked that the book was told from a dual POV. The characters were okay. The plot was good but the writing was too repetitive. There was a lot of mind talking & reflections on conversations already had between the characters. I felt that the book could be easily shortened by a good number of pages or the author could has used it more wisely by giving us some real life insights on how a heart recipient really feels on receiving another persons heart. The author had touched on a serious & thought provoking subject of organ donation but had she spent a little more time in that rabbit hole, she would have done full justice to this book. I would have love to see that interview scene happen, had the author thrown more emphasis on it.
Overall, a good book & recommended to ppl looking for a slow burner.
Thanks to Netgalley, Bookouture & the publisher for this ARC.
The Patient follows the story of Saphy, who has a heart condition & is in need of a heart transplant. She is soon lucky to find a donate in the form of Flora, who has been declared brain stem dead & her life is saved but she soon finds herself obsessed & involved in the life & the family of her donor, which in turn opens up a pandora's box of hidden secrets & untold mysteries.
The book is for sure a slow burner as the major twist & turns come in the last 25% of the book. I felt the beginning to be very confusing though after 10 chapters I was able to figure out where the story was headed & the connection between the characters. I liked that the book was told from a dual POV. The characters were okay. The plot was good but the writing was too repetitive. There was a lot of mind talking & reflections on conversations already had between the characters. I felt that the book could be easily shortened by a good number of pages or the author could has used it more wisely by giving us some real life insights on how a heart recipient really feels on receiving another persons heart. The author had touched on a serious & thought provoking subject of organ donation but had she spent a little more time in that rabbit hole, she would have done full justice to this book. I would have love to see that interview scene happen, had the author thrown more emphasis on it.
Overall, a good book & recommended to ppl looking for a slow burner.
Thanks to Netgalley, Bookouture & the publisher for this ARC.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, and Sexual harassment
Animal Farm by George Orwell
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
“All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.”
A classic which is quick & fast pace with only 10 chapters. A well written book & very thought provoking as well. This story makes us realise how power can make animals & humans behave alike.
The book aims at the political satire of the Russian revolution & the characters of the animals just represent the historical figures seen in the revolution.
This book is a fairy tale for grown ups and is mostly read in all universities.
A classic which is quick & fast pace with only 10 chapters. A well written book & very thought provoking as well. This story makes us realise how power can make animals & humans behave alike.
The book aims at the political satire of the Russian revolution & the characters of the animals just represent the historical figures seen in the revolution.
This book is a fairy tale for grown ups and is mostly read in all universities.
The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Mitch Albom has done it once more & as I read more of his books, I’m turning into one of his biggest fans.
The five ppl you meet in heaven follows the story of Eddie 86, a maintenance guy at Rudy pier who leads a simple life (or as he thinks he leads a simple life). But an accident at the amusement park results in his death & furthermore into his afterlife where he meets 5 different ppl, teaching him five different lesson about his life on earth.
This story was so heartwarming as well as heartbreaking all at the same time. The author has much good story telling skills, his writting kept me hook from the every beginning. Each person & each lesson is so through provoking and very reflective, making one reflect on our lives on this earth.
A very highly recommended book if u like a quick read.
The five ppl you meet in heaven follows the story of Eddie 86, a maintenance guy at Rudy pier who leads a simple life (or as he thinks he leads a simple life). But an accident at the amusement park results in his death & furthermore into his afterlife where he meets 5 different ppl, teaching him five different lesson about his life on earth.
This story was so heartwarming as well as heartbreaking all at the same time. The author has much good story telling skills, his writting kept me hook from the every beginning. Each person & each lesson is so through provoking and very reflective, making one reflect on our lives on this earth.
A very highly recommended book if u like a quick read.
They Fell Like Stars From the Sky & Other Stories by Sheikha Helawy
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
3.5
It was interesting to get an insight into the lives of Bedouin Palestinian women and girls. The 18 stories in this book focuses on the courage, resilience, tragedies and triumphs of the women & girls in this society.
Though, most of the stories were interesting, there were some that I felt were incomplete.
Stories I enjoyed:
They fell like stars from the sky.
Pink dress.
I’ll be there.
Ali
Serpent
W-h-o-r-e
The day my donkey died
The door to the body
Though, most of the stories were interesting, there were some that I felt were incomplete.
Stories I enjoyed:
They fell like stars from the sky.
Pink dress.
I’ll be there.
Ali
Serpent
W-h-o-r-e
The day my donkey died
The door to the body
The Mystery Guest by Nita Prose
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
🧹I had the pleasure of reading the Arc of “The Maid” & couldn’t wait to be approved a copy of this one as well.
🧹Same settings, familiar characters, a murder, a mystery to be uncovered and a maid to be blamed or should we say not to be blamed, forms the plot of Nita Prose’s next book in this series. Molly the Maid finds herself involved in another murder at the Grand Regency hotel. Will she be the main suspect or will she uncover the mystery behind the murder?
🧹Nita Prose has did it once more, by keeping us entertained in this cozy mystery with lots of twist & turns. The setting of the plot is the same with familiar characters, we have already met in her first book. I like that the book is written in dual timeline. Though, I did find the initial half of the book to be a bit of a slow burner🔥 with all the major twist & turns coming in the end. But still the author has done a good job of keeping her readers guessing till the end. Some parts & phrases in this book felt a bit repetitive.
🧹Overall, this book did keep me hooked & guessing till the end. A well recommended cozy mystery as well.
Watching out for book three, is there gonna be one?
Thanks to Netgalley, the publishers at Harpercollin’s UK and Author Nita Prose for this advanced copy.
🧹Same settings, familiar characters, a murder, a mystery to be uncovered and a maid to be blamed or should we say not to be blamed, forms the plot of Nita Prose’s next book in this series. Molly the Maid finds herself involved in another murder at the Grand Regency hotel. Will she be the main suspect or will she uncover the mystery behind the murder?
🧹Nita Prose has did it once more, by keeping us entertained in this cozy mystery with lots of twist & turns. The setting of the plot is the same with familiar characters, we have already met in her first book. I like that the book is written in dual timeline. Though, I did find the initial half of the book to be a bit of a slow burner🔥 with all the major twist & turns coming in the end. But still the author has done a good job of keeping her readers guessing till the end. Some parts & phrases in this book felt a bit repetitive.
🧹Overall, this book did keep me hooked & guessing till the end. A well recommended cozy mystery as well.
Watching out for book three, is there gonna be one?
Thanks to Netgalley, the publishers at Harpercollin’s UK and Author Nita Prose for this advanced copy.