claudianeureads's reviews
295 reviews

None of This Is True by Lisa Jewell

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins

challenging dark emotional 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

5.0

The God of the Woods by Liz Moore

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

After having this book highly recommended by friends and other reviewers, I finally read this one for our staff book club. I really enjoyed this book and found it so different from any other mystery or thriller I have read recently. The characters and setting were well developed and written with such great imagery. I can see why this book is being classified as a literary thriller because of the artful writing.

I will admit that at the beginning (up until page 50 or so) of the book I was quite lost because of the multiple character perspectives we read from in addition to the time jumping but eventually I caught on and it helped that as you progress through the book there is a timeline at the beginning of each chapter to center readers.

Now I am going to get into some spoilers so beware! I really loved how the book layered clues that really gave each character the plausible motive to be involved in Barbara and Bear's disappearances

and I was truly surprised when I found out that Alice was responsible for Bear's death. For most of the book I believed that the McLellan family was involved so that they could take over the Van Laar bank business. I was not a big fan of having Alice responsible for the death because it felt like she was the only one who cared for him but after debriefing with my book club, I recognize now that everyone was guilty of creating the situation Alice was in which ultimately led to her alcoholism and Bear's death. Likewise, I found it so interesting that Liz Moore never needed to write specifically that TJ was gay but readers could deduce it from how she was treated by the Van Laar family and her distance from living in the town. I found it so sweet that her father wanted to keep the camp as a safe place for TJ so that she could continue to be herself and keep her passion of nature.

This book truly speaks to the themes of social class and how the wealthy could not survive without the "local" working class and how the locals could not survive without the jobs that the wealthy provide on their estates. Likewise, the misogyny that the female characters face throughout this book was really interesting because at times it felt that the book took place much earlier than the 1970s with how they were treated by the men in their lives.

Barbara truly represented the new age of women who want independence and power. I am so glad to see that she was able to take to herself in the woods and be the god of the woods.

Overall, a really amazing literary mystery to read! It is 470+ pages so it is a commitment, but I never found that the details Moore gave were too much or unnecessary. If you are a reader of historical fiction, mysteries, thrillers, or general fiction I think that there may be something for you in this book.


Highly recommend listening to this short (spoiler free) interview of the author and her inspiration behind the setting and characters: https://www.npr.org/2024/07/06/nx-s1-4699446/liz-moore-on-her-novel-the-god-of-the-woods

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse

Moderate: Child death, Blood

The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood

emotional funny medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

The Love Hypothesis was a super cute romance and I love how the setting is so different than other romance novels that I have read. The setting in academia added an interesting layer to the book and I liked how they also called out the different romance tropes while following them as well. I would recommend this book to people who want a contemporary romance novel and who would enjoy a "nerdier" read. 

The Quarry Girls by Jess Lourey

challenging dark tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

This book came highly recommended by a few friends and I did enjoy it, but maybe did not read it at the right time. I really enjoyed how the prologue to the book that explained the authors inspiration and her relation to the St Cloud area. I thought the setting really made this book with its forgotten factory town vibe and found the tunnels very spooky. I would give this book a try again and think it would make a great read if you are interested in thrillers/mysteries with a true crime vibe. 

Delilah Green Doesn't Care by Ashley Herring Blake

emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This is my second Ashley Herring Blake book and I really enjoyed it as much as I did Make the Season Bright. I found all the characters well developed and found them funny! I loved having a some new queer characters to root for and enjoyed how they were all so different but could connect with one another. I’m excited to read the other books in the Bright Falls series! 

Maybe in Another Life by Taylor Jenkins Reid

emotional lighthearted reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

One of my goals before TJR’s new book comes out in 2025 is to read her backlog and this is my second of her earlier works. Reading this, I can see just how much TJR has grown as a writer and how much she thrives in a historical fiction genre. This book is not a bad read, but it is also not one I will think about much now that I’ve finished. I preferred Forever, Interrupted because I felt it showcased TJR’s talent more. This was a unique story and had a great premise with the two storylines but felt quite repetitive with Hannah’s only traits being her big boobs, high bun, and love of cinnamon rolls. 

Make the Season Bright by Ashley Herring Blake

emotional lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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

A great  romance to help get in the holiday spirit. Loved having a WLW romance to read but I did find both Charlotte and Brighton to be unlikable characters at points in the book. 

In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren

lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

I really enjoyed this one! A super cute holiday romance that got me in the mood for the season. If you’re looking for a pretty tame holiday romance, this could be the one for you.