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486 reviews
The Reappearance of Rachel Price by Holly Jackson
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This book felt like a roller coaster....
There's a reason why I never reviewed the AGGGTM series, or wrote a long review of Five Survive. Holly Jackson has a way of writing the best plot twists, weaving complicated mysteries that I could never predict. Her books always leave me shocked and exhilarated, and The Reappearance of Rachel Price was no outlier.
This one features Bel, an 18-year old whose mother Rachel disappeared when she was young. A documentary is being filmed of her family, which she is not overly happy about, when suddenly Rachel Price returns...
Sharing my opinions of the plot twists or the very complicated members of Bel's family would spoil a lot, so I'll just describe this book by comparing it to a roller coaster. The start was slow, but I could feel it preparing for a drop. Then came the speedy dashes around, down, side to side, more and more information and twists thrown at me. Then the ending, when it slowed down and sweetly steered back to starting position. The ending to this book (the last 2/3 chapters after the climax) felt out of place for me.
I'm rating this book 4 stars, because I didn't like Bel's treatment of Ash (the clumsy camera assistant) at the beginning and because the ending felt wrong. But I hope that doesn't discourage mystery fans from picking up this YA mystery thriller.
There's a reason why I never reviewed the AGGGTM series, or wrote a long review of Five Survive. Holly Jackson has a way of writing the best plot twists, weaving complicated mysteries that I could never predict. Her books always leave me shocked and exhilarated, and The Reappearance of Rachel Price was no outlier.
This one features Bel, an 18-year old whose mother Rachel disappeared when she was young. A documentary is being filmed of her family, which she is not overly happy about, when suddenly Rachel Price returns...
Sharing my opinions of the plot twists or the very complicated members of Bel's family would spoil a lot, so I'll just describe this book by comparing it to a roller coaster. The start was slow, but I could feel it preparing for a drop. Then came the speedy dashes around, down, side to side, more and more information and twists thrown at me. Then the ending, when it slowed down and sweetly steered back to starting position. The ending to this book (the last 2/3 chapters after the climax) felt out of place for me.
I'm rating this book 4 stars, because I didn't like Bel's treatment of Ash (the clumsy camera assistant) at the beginning and because the ending felt wrong. But I hope that doesn't discourage mystery fans from picking up this YA mystery thriller.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Kidnapping, Abandonment
Moderate: Stalking, Murder, Gaslighting
Minor: Emotional abuse, Infertility, Pregnancy
Where Sleeping Girls Lie by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé
dark
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
"Boys with everything. The world had been and always would be theirs for the taking.
Sade had learned to fear the men who had everything, because even the moon, the skies and the earth could not sate them."
Where Sleeping Girls Lie
By Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé
5/5⭐️
Genres: Young Adult, fiction, contemporary, mystery
In this book, our protagonist Sade Hussein starts at a new expensive boarding school, Alfred Nobel Academy, and is shocked when her roommate Elizabeth disappears soon after. She and her new friend Baz must discover what happened, amidst learning all about the students' shady secrets.
Alfred Noble is a school containing a bunch of rich privileged boys and a headmaster who'd happily let them do as they please, as long as the public don't hear about it. Fortunately, it also has some very great characters who are not misogynistic bigots.
Sade is such an amazing protagonist! She was brave, not hesitating to face anyone who she suspected of doing something sneaky. She was able to have moments of fun with Baz and Persephone amidst the mystery and fear, which made her seem very realistic. I enjoyed how swimming was a refuge for her, where she could be peaceful. One of my favourite things about her was how when anyone mispronounced her name, or got it wrong entirely, she would immediately correct them. I'd be much too awkward to do that, so I admire her for it. Sade was not just a good character, but a good person, even when she didn't think she was. Faridah, thank you for creating such a perfect protagonist.
Basil, or Baz, was so loyal! He would help his friends without question. He was probably the most lovable character, especially when he adopted Muffin the guinea pig and cared for her so much. His ability to stand out from everyone else without fear was so admirable.
Elizabeth, who we didn't meet for long, was clearly a brave person.
Persephone was certainly my favourite character. She was sharp, speaking her mind, but also seemed such a safe person. Someone you could trust, and run to in times of fear. She was also one of the "Unholy Trinity", a Mean Girls-esque group of three beautiful popular girls. Unlike Regina, Gretchen and Karen, April, Persephone and Juliette were not self-centered, but actually nice people who might've deserved the popularity, though I don't think any school needs to have one clique who reign above everyone else.
There were so many characters, I can't share my opinions on the rest without spoilers. But I'll tell you this: my opinion of August changed so rapidly throughout the book, I loathed Jude, and I liked Miss Blackburn from the scene where she bought Baz and Sade chips onwards.
The romance in this book wasn't a main focus, so I'll let you enjoy the slow burn without telling you whose involved :).
This book is quite big, 567 pages, but it felt extremely short. This delighted me, I dislike when books drag on and this one was the ideal length for its plot.
If you read this book because you liked Ace of Spades, the two are very different but in both every event could, horrifically, occur in real life as people that disgusting; and in AOS's case, racist; unfortunately do exist. AOS is a thriller, which did lead to me expecting this one to have that fast-paced heart-racing climax which most thrillers contain, my mistake, this is not a thriller, but it is a fantastic mystery that will keep your mind running in circles until the end!
By the way, this book has a map of the school at the start! Usually when a book has a map I have to flick back to it whenever any location is mentioned, but here everything was described so well I didn't need to use the map at all!
Overall, I think this book is a masterpiece, and when Faridah's next book is released I'll get my hands on it as soon as possible! I highly recommend Where Sleeping Girls Lie!
I'm finishing this review with some of my favourite quotes from this book:
"But there was nothing comforting about the stronghold of delusion or false hope."
"She had just about had it with boys who thought they could do whatever they liked because they knew how to charm and gaslight."
"Keep swimming. Or if that's too hard, at the very least, float."
Queer rep:
Sapphic protagonist
Lesbian sc
Achillean scs
TWs: sexual assault, rape, suicide, murder, drug use, alcohol, parent death, lesbophobia, misogyny, sexism, grief, gaslighting
Sade had learned to fear the men who had everything, because even the moon, the skies and the earth could not sate them."
Where Sleeping Girls Lie
By Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé
5/5⭐️
Genres: Young Adult, fiction, contemporary, mystery
In this book, our protagonist Sade Hussein starts at a new expensive boarding school, Alfred Nobel Academy, and is shocked when her roommate Elizabeth disappears soon after. She and her new friend Baz must discover what happened, amidst learning all about the students' shady secrets.
Alfred Noble is a school containing a bunch of rich privileged boys and a headmaster who'd happily let them do as they please, as long as the public don't hear about it. Fortunately, it also has some very great characters who are not misogynistic bigots.
Sade is such an amazing protagonist! She was brave, not hesitating to face anyone who she suspected of doing something sneaky. She was able to have moments of fun with Baz and Persephone amidst the mystery and fear, which made her seem very realistic. I enjoyed how swimming was a refuge for her, where she could be peaceful. One of my favourite things about her was how when anyone mispronounced her name, or got it wrong entirely, she would immediately correct them. I'd be much too awkward to do that, so I admire her for it. Sade was not just a good character, but a good person, even when she didn't think she was. Faridah, thank you for creating such a perfect protagonist.
Basil, or Baz, was so loyal! He would help his friends without question. He was probably the most lovable character, especially when he adopted Muffin the guinea pig and cared for her so much. His ability to stand out from everyone else without fear was so admirable.
Elizabeth, who we didn't meet for long, was clearly a brave person.
Persephone was certainly my favourite character. She was sharp, speaking her mind, but also seemed such a safe person. Someone you could trust, and run to in times of fear. She was also one of the "Unholy Trinity", a Mean Girls-esque group of three beautiful popular girls. Unlike Regina, Gretchen and Karen, April, Persephone and Juliette were not self-centered, but actually nice people who might've deserved the popularity, though I don't think any school needs to have one clique who reign above everyone else.
There were so many characters, I can't share my opinions on the rest without spoilers. But I'll tell you this: my opinion of August changed so rapidly throughout the book, I loathed Jude, and I liked Miss Blackburn from the scene where she bought Baz and Sade chips onwards.
The romance in this book wasn't a main focus, so I'll let you enjoy the slow burn without telling you whose involved :).
This book is quite big, 567 pages, but it felt extremely short. This delighted me, I dislike when books drag on and this one was the ideal length for its plot.
If you read this book because you liked Ace of Spades, the two are very different but in both every event could, horrifically, occur in real life as people that disgusting; and in AOS's case, racist; unfortunately do exist. AOS is a thriller, which did lead to me expecting this one to have that fast-paced heart-racing climax which most thrillers contain, my mistake, this is not a thriller, but it is a fantastic mystery that will keep your mind running in circles until the end!
By the way, this book has a map of the school at the start! Usually when a book has a map I have to flick back to it whenever any location is mentioned, but here everything was described so well I didn't need to use the map at all!
Overall, I think this book is a masterpiece, and when Faridah's next book is released I'll get my hands on it as soon as possible! I highly recommend Where Sleeping Girls Lie!
I'm finishing this review with some of my favourite quotes from this book:
"But there was nothing comforting about the stronghold of delusion or false hope."
"She had just about had it with boys who thought they could do whatever they liked because they knew how to charm and gaslight."
"Keep swimming. Or if that's too hard, at the very least, float."
Queer rep:
Sapphic protagonist
Lesbian sc
Achillean scs
TWs: sexual assault, rape, suicide, murder, drug use, alcohol, parent death, lesbophobia, misogyny, sexism, grief, gaslighting
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Drug use, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment
Moderate: Child death, Death of parent
Minor: Lesbophobia
Breeze Spells and Bridegrooms by S.O. Callahan, Sarah Wallace
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-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
THIS BOOK! How could it be so sweet! Every single chapter was so heartwarming and I never wanted to stop reading it, it could've gone on forever! It was just so amazing, please read it if you like cozy historical mlm fantasies!
Breeze Spells and Bridegrooms
By Sarah Wallace and S.O. Callahan
5/5⭐️
This book features two protagonists, Roger (30) a human, and Wyndham (29) a fae. When they are 12, every child is tested on magical ability and given a score which determines their marriage prospects and whether they inherit from their parents over their siblings. Roger has a solution to this, and the Council partner him with a fae, Wyndham. They are shocked as they hate each other, but after a paper publishes an announcement that the two are engaged, they start to fall in love.
Roger was a hardworking character who loves having a challenge to set his mind to. He was awkward, anxious, dependable, caring, and altogether just so lovable as a protagonist. He was also a plus-sized character, and I hope that plus-sized folks found him to be good representation.
Wyndham was hardworking too, sarcastic and curious. He had a strong fashion sense, and I loved how he kept urging Roger to change his wardrobe. He quickly lost energy in social situations, and I loved how Roger so quickly became supportive and noticed when he needed a break. (The authors have confirmed that Wyn has social anxiety disorder.)
The slow-burn romance between the pair was incredibly adorable, and I was beyond delighted to find no dreaded third-act breakup.
In the world of the book, fae had magic inside them while humans used sigils drawn on spell-paper. Roger and Wyn experimented with many aspects of the magic together, and I found those scenes very gripping.
Possibly my favourite thing about this book was the Queernormative society, where people of all sexualities and genders were accepted.
This was a historical fiction book, set in 1800s England.
So I guess you could say I liked this book.... I LOVED IT! Highly recommend it, can't wait to see what Wallace and Callahan write next!
Queer rep:
Queernormative society
Pan demisexual mc (Roger)
Gay mc (Wyn)
Achillean characters
Sapphic characters
Non-binary characters
TWs: bullying, sexusl content, classism, cursing, emotional abuse, gaslighting
Breeze Spells and Bridegrooms
By Sarah Wallace and S.O. Callahan
5/5⭐️
This book features two protagonists, Roger (30) a human, and Wyndham (29) a fae. When they are 12, every child is tested on magical ability and given a score which determines their marriage prospects and whether they inherit from their parents over their siblings. Roger has a solution to this, and the Council partner him with a fae, Wyndham. They are shocked as they hate each other, but after a paper publishes an announcement that the two are engaged, they start to fall in love.
Roger was a hardworking character who loves having a challenge to set his mind to. He was awkward, anxious, dependable, caring, and altogether just so lovable as a protagonist. He was also a plus-sized character, and I hope that plus-sized folks found him to be good representation.
Wyndham was hardworking too, sarcastic and curious. He had a strong fashion sense, and I loved how he kept urging Roger to change his wardrobe. He quickly lost energy in social situations, and I loved how Roger so quickly became supportive and noticed when he needed a break. (The authors have confirmed that Wyn has social anxiety disorder.)
The slow-burn romance between the pair was incredibly adorable, and I was beyond delighted to find no dreaded third-act breakup.
In the world of the book, fae had magic inside them while humans used sigils drawn on spell-paper. Roger and Wyn experimented with many aspects of the magic together, and I found those scenes very gripping.
Possibly my favourite thing about this book was the Queernormative society, where people of all sexualities and genders were accepted.
This was a historical fiction book, set in 1800s England.
So I guess you could say I liked this book.... I LOVED IT! Highly recommend it, can't wait to see what Wallace and Callahan write next!
Queer rep:
Queernormative society
Pan demisexual mc (Roger)
Gay mc (Wyn)
Achillean characters
Sapphic characters
Non-binary characters
TWs: bullying, sexusl content, classism, cursing, emotional abuse, gaslighting
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Classism
Moderate: Bullying
Minor: Cursing