Take a photo of a barcode or cover
clairebartholomew549's reviews
716 reviews
Flirting Lessons by Jasmine Guillory
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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
4.0
A few years ago, I tore through basically all of Jasmine Guillory's books and was obsessed with them! I haven't read a book from her in a while, so I was thrilled when I saw this book was coming out and I had to jump on it. This is also Jasmine's first queer romance, which makes me so happy.
Avery has just gotten out of a relationship and wants to try dating women for the first time, but she has no idea where to start and doesn't feel confident at all. Taylor, meanwhile, is incredibly sure of herself and knows exactly how to flirt and date, but she has no interest in being in a relationship. The two meet and hit it off, and Taylor decides to give Avery flirting lessons to ease her into the dating scene. Of course, sparks fly and things get complicated!
I found this book really endearing and sweet from beginning to end, and the spice is gooooddd! Avery and Taylor are both such fully formed and fun characters, and their chemistry is immediate and palpable. I loved how right away Avery and Taylor got along great and could communicate very well, and how that friendship made for a wonderful romantic connection later as well. The device of flirting lessons worked really well I thought, and the evolution of both Avery and Taylor's personal lives was satisfying too. This one was fun :)
Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review!
Avery has just gotten out of a relationship and wants to try dating women for the first time, but she has no idea where to start and doesn't feel confident at all. Taylor, meanwhile, is incredibly sure of herself and knows exactly how to flirt and date, but she has no interest in being in a relationship. The two meet and hit it off, and Taylor decides to give Avery flirting lessons to ease her into the dating scene. Of course, sparks fly and things get complicated!
I found this book really endearing and sweet from beginning to end, and the spice is gooooddd! Avery and Taylor are both such fully formed and fun characters, and their chemistry is immediate and palpable. I loved how right away Avery and Taylor got along great and could communicate very well, and how that friendship made for a wonderful romantic connection later as well. The device of flirting lessons worked really well I thought, and the evolution of both Avery and Taylor's personal lives was satisfying too. This one was fun :)
Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Infertility, Miscarriage
Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
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? No
4.0
Suzanne Collins is all hits and no misses! I didn't really know what to expect from this new prequel - The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes was quite unlike the main trilogy but had Suzanne's signature themes and analysis, but I had more context for Haymitch as a character and that time in the world of the books than I did for the origin of Snow and the first District 12 victor, so I wasn't sure where this book would go. But this was one of my favorites of the books for sure. I absolutely loved how we got insight into the earlier days of the revolution and how many times the resistance tried and failed before they got anywhere in overthrowing the Capitol - that's a message I REALLY need to hear right now lmao. Seeing the evolution of Haymitch's character gave so much depth to the rest of the series: we see he was not always mean and closed-off, but trauma and witnessing so much destruction and evil did unimagine and irreversible damage to his psyche. I also loved learning more about Panem and the world's history. Really anything Suzanne writes in this universe I will read and love :)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Moderate: Police brutality, Medical content, Death of parent
Minor: Torture, War
The Beauty of the End by Lauren Stienstra
challenging
emotional
reflective
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? Yes
4.0
This book was so up my alley. Charlie and Maggie are twins in a suburb of Pennsylvania who live a relatively normal life, until scientists discover that humanity will be extinct in four generations due to a genetic mutation. 10 years later, Charlie and Maggie graduate high school and join the Mendelia, the government agency tasked with trying to find a cure through any means: principally, by having scientists combine eggs and sperm in interesting combinations to see if they can create babies that do not have the genetic mutation (it's more complicated than that of course, but I don't want to give anything away). Charlie and Maggie have very different feelings about the Mendalia, and their bond is tested as they navigate being adults in a fragile world.
I really enjoyed this book. It raises incredibly interesting questions about whether sacrificing a few is worth it to save the many, how much of the present we should let go for the future, and how ethical it is to play God with people's reproductive choices and futures if they give you "permission." It's also a really moving story of family and sibling love, and what we do when we don't understand or agree with each other. And, it's a fast-paced story that sucks you in right away with just enough context before getting into the action. This story feels particularly relevant at a time when it's becoming more and more possible to make custom embryos, and I was fascinated by the candid conversations the characters had about the implications of their work. I also appreciated that the book did not shy away from the fact that the government scientists sought to take advantage of marginalized populations and capitalized on people's trust in science to mislead them and cover up way too many things, as that is unfortunately how these situations generally go. This book covers a lot of ground in not that many pages, and I left the book with a couple questions, but overall this was extremely satisfying!
Thank you to Little A and NetGalley for an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an advanced reader's copy!
I really enjoyed this book. It raises incredibly interesting questions about whether sacrificing a few is worth it to save the many, how much of the present we should let go for the future, and how ethical it is to play God with people's reproductive choices and futures if they give you "permission." It's also a really moving story of family and sibling love, and what we do when we don't understand or agree with each other. And, it's a fast-paced story that sucks you in right away with just enough context before getting into the action. This story feels particularly relevant at a time when it's becoming more and more possible to make custom embryos, and I was fascinated by the candid conversations the characters had about the implications of their work. I also appreciated that the book did not shy away from the fact that the government scientists sought to take advantage of marginalized populations and capitalized on people's trust in science to mislead them and cover up way too many things, as that is unfortunately how these situations generally go. This book covers a lot of ground in not that many pages, and I left the book with a couple questions, but overall this was extremely satisfying!
Thank you to Little A and NetGalley for an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an advanced reader's copy!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Chronic illness, Terminal illness, Medical content, Grief, Pregnancy, Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Miscarriage
Minor: Alcoholism, Child death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Suicide attempt
Where Shadows Meet by Patrice Caldwell
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-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
4.0
I love me a vampire story, and this was one was so fun! As usual in books involving vampires, gods, and humans, the world-building is a little confusing, but thankfully it becomes clearer as you go on, and the book includes different characters' perspectives so you get a more wholistic view of things.
It's hard to distill this book into a tidy paragraph, but I'll give it my all! Essentially, a thousand years ago, after a goddess named Thana became the first vampire, she descended from the Heavenly Realms to attempt to conquer the human world, setting off a hundreds-year war. For a variety of reasons that are revealed in the book, Thana's daughter kills her, and the vampire-human war rages on. In present day, it has been one year since the end of the war, and all the vampire bloodlines are united under one queen. Leyla, the vampire princess, sees her best friend get taken by creatures from the Island of the Dead, and she goes to get her back, with the help of a seer named Namaja. Of course, these storylines converge, and chaos ensues, as it does.
This was just fun. I loved existing in a world where sapphic love was the norm, and where women were the real star of the show: almost every important character in this book is a woman, and that was so satisfying. We have two separate main romances, one of which is a bit of insta-love but is very pure and sweet, and another that is toxic and codependent and incredible lol. The juxtaposition is interesting and provides a lot of nuance, and the characters are developed well enough that you root for them and feel for them. It's more of a closed door romance but still enjoyable, and the action was exciting. I liked this one!
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review!
It's hard to distill this book into a tidy paragraph, but I'll give it my all! Essentially, a thousand years ago, after a goddess named Thana became the first vampire, she descended from the Heavenly Realms to attempt to conquer the human world, setting off a hundreds-year war. For a variety of reasons that are revealed in the book, Thana's daughter kills her, and the vampire-human war rages on. In present day, it has been one year since the end of the war, and all the vampire bloodlines are united under one queen. Leyla, the vampire princess, sees her best friend get taken by creatures from the Island of the Dead, and she goes to get her back, with the help of a seer named Namaja. Of course, these storylines converge, and chaos ensues, as it does.
This was just fun. I loved existing in a world where sapphic love was the norm, and where women were the real star of the show: almost every important character in this book is a woman, and that was so satisfying. We have two separate main romances, one of which is a bit of insta-love but is very pure and sweet, and another that is toxic and codependent and incredible lol. The juxtaposition is interesting and provides a lot of nuance, and the characters are developed well enough that you root for them and feel for them. It's more of a closed door romance but still enjoyable, and the action was exciting. I liked this one!
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Sexual content, Violence, Murder
Moderate: Death of parent, War
Minor: Self harm
Any Trope but You by Victoria Lavine
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This was a 5/5 romance for me! Gorgeous setting, doesn't take itself too seriously, deals with real emotions and relationship issues, chemistry is palpable from the beginning but not forced or insta love, spice is incredible, etc. If you like romance at all, you'll love this one.
Margot is a best-selling romance author who doesn't believe in love and has a secret Happily Never After file where she writes alternate bad endings for her couples - the couple gets a bad divorce, or the husband cheats, or one of them gets a terminal illness, etc. - and vents about her readers' naivete in thinking happy endings exist. When her accounts are hacked and her Happily Never After file is leaked to the world, she gets "canceled" by her readers and her publisher. Margot is a full-time caretaker for her sister Savannah, who has a chronic illness, and so she needs to make money fast. Unbeknownst to her, Savannah books Margot a six-week stay at a lodge in Alaska so she can write in a new genre: murder mystery. Of course, when Margot arrives in Alaska, she immediately meets a man named Forrest who embodies every trope she seeks to avoid, and the rest is history :)
I really adored this one. Margot is witty, sassy, and not too self-deprecating, but she wrestles with her flaws and points of view and does real emotional work and growth. Forrest is obviously hunky af - I absolutely adored every time Margot thought to herself that it was so annoying that Forrest had so many romance hero tropes all in one - and Lavine's cheeky ways at putting them together are so funny and fun. As usual, I love when a romance book addresses the protagonists' whole lives, not just their romance, and this one did a particularly good book of parsing Margot and Forrest's issues and decisions to be made. The sex scenes are really well-written and not remotely cringy, and they were well-paced and furthered the emotional narrative. The Alaska setting is also breathtaking, and the lodge and cabins feel cozy and lovely. All in all, this one was a treat from start to finish!
Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review!
Margot is a best-selling romance author who doesn't believe in love and has a secret Happily Never After file where she writes alternate bad endings for her couples - the couple gets a bad divorce, or the husband cheats, or one of them gets a terminal illness, etc. - and vents about her readers' naivete in thinking happy endings exist. When her accounts are hacked and her Happily Never After file is leaked to the world, she gets "canceled" by her readers and her publisher. Margot is a full-time caretaker for her sister Savannah, who has a chronic illness, and so she needs to make money fast. Unbeknownst to her, Savannah books Margot a six-week stay at a lodge in Alaska so she can write in a new genre: murder mystery. Of course, when Margot arrives in Alaska, she immediately meets a man named Forrest who embodies every trope she seeks to avoid, and the rest is history :)
I really adored this one. Margot is witty, sassy, and not too self-deprecating, but she wrestles with her flaws and points of view and does real emotional work and growth. Forrest is obviously hunky af - I absolutely adored every time Margot thought to herself that it was so annoying that Forrest had so many romance hero tropes all in one - and Lavine's cheeky ways at putting them together are so funny and fun. As usual, I love when a romance book addresses the protagonists' whole lives, not just their romance, and this one did a particularly good book of parsing Margot and Forrest's issues and decisions to be made. The sex scenes are really well-written and not remotely cringy, and they were well-paced and furthered the emotional narrative. The Alaska setting is also breathtaking, and the lodge and cabins feel cozy and lovely. All in all, this one was a treat from start to finish!
Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Sexual content
Moderate: Abandonment
Minor: Cancer, Death of parent
The Float Test by Lynn Steger Strong
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I didn't quite know what to expect from this book, and I enjoyed it a lot. The plot is definitely not the point of this book: four siblings deal with their mom's death, but really it's about their relationships and interactions. Jenn is the eldest sister who stayed in Florida with their parents and seemingly has it all together. Fred is the second-oldest sister who everyone thinks is "flighty" and "difficult." Fred and the third-youngest, Jude, were always close until an unknown betrayal meant they're no longer on speaking terms. George is the baby, and they treat him as such. After their mom's death, the siblings come home among personal turmoil.
This book made me think and feel a lot. It's a simultaneously beautiful and scathing portrayal of a dysfunctional family that deeply loves each other but doesn't understand each other. We get narratives from most of the siblings, which gives us insight into how they view themselves and each other. This book also explores what it's like leaving your hometown and coming back; how sometimes we only know our parents as parents and can't see them as real people; and how people don't always love us in the way we want them to. None of the characters are particularly likable, but they're not unlikable either - they're just flawed, scarred individuals. Florida is also its own character here, and I appreciated how the author wove in the oppressive effects of the heat and humidity, as well as the changing and deteriorating climate. This book also has some critique of white neoliberalism, which I always enjoy. But above all else, this is a moving family portrait.
Thank you to NetGalley and Mariner Books for an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review!
This book made me think and feel a lot. It's a simultaneously beautiful and scathing portrayal of a dysfunctional family that deeply loves each other but doesn't understand each other. We get narratives from most of the siblings, which gives us insight into how they view themselves and each other. This book also explores what it's like leaving your hometown and coming back; how sometimes we only know our parents as parents and can't see them as real people; and how people don't always love us in the way we want them to. None of the characters are particularly likable, but they're not unlikable either - they're just flawed, scarred individuals. Florida is also its own character here, and I appreciated how the author wove in the oppressive effects of the heat and humidity, as well as the changing and deteriorating climate. This book also has some critique of white neoliberalism, which I always enjoy. But above all else, this is a moving family portrait.
Thank you to NetGalley and Mariner Books for an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Grief, Death of parent, Alcohol
Moderate: Cancer, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Medical content
Minor: Drug abuse, Sexism, Abortion
Crash Landing: A Novel by Annie McQuaid
adventurous
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
This is a fun, breezy, and kind of shallow read despite the premise. Piper and Wyatt dated in high school, but Wyatt broke Piper's heart and they haven't spoken since. Now, eight years later, they are both headed to the same wedding. After Piper's flight is cancelled, Wyatt offers to fly them both down in a small plane. But in a random (and unrealistic lmao) turn of events, their plane crashes and they get marooned on an island somewhere in the Caribbean. They have to figure out how to survive until they get rescued, and of course deal with their past.
I really wanted to like this book, but it just didn't work for me. I didn't totally buy the chemistry between Piper and Wyatt - it felt like the book was just telling us that they had a lifelong connection, rather than showing us what they liked about each other or what their relationship was like. Their relationship never seemed to evolve past their high school selves, and their conflicts felt contrived and yet also way too easily overcame. Piper's "crisis" about not going after she wanted had no depth to it and felt like a story I've read a million times, and Wyatt's PTSD from the army felt like it was just thrown in to add complication; it didn't feel like the narrative did that justice.
Also, this book's treatment of class felt very one-dimensional and pat. The way Piper and Wyatt's worlds are juxtaposed is completely cliche: Piper's mother's character, for example, is reduced to just her disapproval of Wyatt, and what she says about Wyatt feels like it's been recycled from Dirty Dancing or something. The goody two shoes falls for the bad boy trope is very overdone, and this book did not have a good iteration of it. The way Wyatt's mom is depicted also really bothered me. There were lots of throwaway comments about his mom's drug use and "flightiness," and there's one scene set in the high school days involving his mom that is incredibly cringe and made it obvious that the author has no experience with poverty and drug issues and did not bother to do any research or include any nuance. Of course, I don't expect my romances to have perfect politics or treat every issue with care - I know that's not the point, and I don't judge romances on that point. But the romance was also silly and shallow, so the other stuff stood out a lot.
Thank you to NetGalley, Avon, and Harper Voyager for an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review!
I really wanted to like this book, but it just didn't work for me. I didn't totally buy the chemistry between Piper and Wyatt - it felt like the book was just telling us that they had a lifelong connection, rather than showing us what they liked about each other or what their relationship was like. Their relationship never seemed to evolve past their high school selves, and their conflicts felt contrived and yet also way too easily overcame. Piper's "crisis" about not going after she wanted had no depth to it and felt like a story I've read a million times, and Wyatt's PTSD from the army felt like it was just thrown in to add complication; it didn't feel like the narrative did that justice.
Also, this book's treatment of class felt very one-dimensional and pat. The way Piper and Wyatt's worlds are juxtaposed is completely cliche: Piper's mother's character, for example, is reduced to just her disapproval of Wyatt, and what she says about Wyatt feels like it's been recycled from Dirty Dancing or something. The goody two shoes falls for the bad boy trope is very overdone, and this book did not have a good iteration of it. The way Wyatt's mom is depicted also really bothered me. There were lots of throwaway comments about his mom's drug use and "flightiness," and there's one scene set in the high school days involving his mom that is incredibly cringe and made it obvious that the author has no experience with poverty and drug issues and did not bother to do any research or include any nuance. Of course, I don't expect my romances to have perfect politics or treat every issue with care - I know that's not the point, and I don't judge romances on that point. But the romance was also silly and shallow, so the other stuff stood out a lot.
Thank you to NetGalley, Avon, and Harper Voyager for an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Fan Service by Rosie Danan
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I've loved Rosie Danan ever since I read The Roommate, and I'm so excited that she's turning towards fantasy / the supernatural, because she really has a knack for it. This is a patently ridiculous premise, but the book and the characters just lean into it, and I love that so much. This book is an ode to fandom and what it can give us as teenagers looking for somewhere to belong and/or something to believe in, and also an exploration of how people look down on fanfiction and fan art and everything else. The werewolf lore/transformation was well balanced with the slow building of trust, chemistry, and intimacy between Alex and Devin, and no one writes sex scenes better than Rosie. I also appreciated the depiction of how society treats "washed-up" actors, as well as actors on "teen dramas." But more than anything, this was just a really fun ride, and I treasure Rosie's brain :)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Cursing, Gore, Sexual content, Sexual harassment
Moderate: Bullying, Abandonment
Minor: Stalking
Swept Away by Beth O'Leary
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I love basically everything Beth O'Leary writes (except for one or two exceptions, which we don't need to discuss lol), and so it was for this book. This is a pretty ridiculous premise, which is sort of O'Leary's calling card, and as in her other books she somehow makes it work. Lexi and Zeke have a one-night stand on a docked boat, but when they wake up they realize the boat has come loose and they are adrift at sea with no land in sight. They have to come together and figure out how to survive, all while getting to know each other and - of course :) - falling in love.
This book was definitely more serious and stressful - and certainly darker - than I expected. I deeply loved it, but just be warned it is not a frivolous lost at sea story, but instead a harrowing journey really getting into how you would survive if you were in the middle of the ocean for days on end on a houseboat that had not sailed in years. Lexi and Zeke are both incredibly lovable, and we see them just white-knuckling it and figuring out each problem that comes their way, all the while also trying to get rescued. This book has O'Leary's signature banter and soft relationship growth, and getting both Lexi's and Zeke's perspectives really helped me feel invested in both of them. I also appreciated that we got to know both of them as they got to know each other, and that O'Leary didn't rush the connection between them (of course the actual time that passes is not very long, but the challenges they face and the conversations they have made it all seem earned real). I always like when a romance takes the time to help the characters grow in all aspects of their lives, not just romantic, and so I loved that aspect of this book too. Overall, one I really enjoyed!
Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review!
As we neared the end of the book, I wondered what twist was coming that would complicate Lexi and Zeke being together once they were rescued. I don't know what I expected, but I was not a fan of that twist being that Zeke is actually Mae's dad who told Penny he didn't want to be part of Mae's life - and then there being another twist that in fact Penny never actually told Zeke she was even pregnant. It honestly felt way too convenient and gimmicky, and it definitely felt forced. I feel like Lexi and Penny could have worked through their codependence - and Lexi could have figured out she needed a life of her own - without shoehorning in this supremely unrealistic "twist" (they don't even live in the same city)! It reminded me a bit of the twist in The No Show, which wasn't my favorite.
This book was definitely more serious and stressful - and certainly darker - than I expected. I deeply loved it, but just be warned it is not a frivolous lost at sea story, but instead a harrowing journey really getting into how you would survive if you were in the middle of the ocean for days on end on a houseboat that had not sailed in years. Lexi and Zeke are both incredibly lovable, and we see them just white-knuckling it and figuring out each problem that comes their way, all the while also trying to get rescued. This book has O'Leary's signature banter and soft relationship growth, and getting both Lexi's and Zeke's perspectives really helped me feel invested in both of them. I also appreciated that we got to know both of them as they got to know each other, and that O'Leary didn't rush the connection between them (of course the actual time that passes is not very long, but the challenges they face and the conversations they have made it all seem earned real). I always like when a romance takes the time to help the characters grow in all aspects of their lives, not just romantic, and so I loved that aspect of this book too. Overall, one I really enjoyed!
Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, Medical content, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Sexual content, Grief, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
Just Our Luck by Denise Williams
emotional
funny
hopeful
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
3.0
Kieran is a serious, thoughtful med student who has temporarily left med school to run his family's donut shop while his grandfather recovers from a stroke. Sybil, meanwhile, is described by her family as flighty because she hasn't quite figured out what she wants to do with her life. Kieran and Sybil have a meet-cute of course, and along the way, Sybil wins a lottery ticket, and they decide to fake a relationship and split the winnings.
I wanted to like this book, but it was pretty meh. The beginning was promising and fun, but the middle part definitely dragged, and we kept hitting the same character beats over and over again. By the end, I was waiting for it to finish, which is never a good feeling. I did appreciate Sybil learning she had ADHD, but that felt like an afterthought tacked on at the end; I wish the book had engaged more fully with her neurodiversity and her journey to discovering it. Unfortunately, overall this book was kind of forgettable.
Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review!
I wanted to like this book, but it was pretty meh. The beginning was promising and fun, but the middle part definitely dragged, and we kept hitting the same character beats over and over again. By the end, I was waiting for it to finish, which is never a good feeling. I did appreciate Sybil learning she had ADHD, but that felt like an afterthought tacked on at the end; I wish the book had engaged more fully with her neurodiversity and her journey to discovering it. Unfortunately, overall this book was kind of forgettable.
Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Abandonment
Minor: Racism