cordelia_gretson's reviews
283 reviews

Love & Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch

adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No

3.75

Ward D by Freida McFadden

dark mysterious 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? No

3.5

The Housemaid Is Watching by Freida McFadden

adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-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

3.5

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

3.25

Here We Go Again by Alison Cochrun

adventurous emotional funny inspiring reflective sad 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? Yes

4.5

One by One by Freida McFadden

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.25

The Guncle by Steven Rowley

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted sad 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

3.75

The Locked Door by Freida McFadden

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.5

Guessed the twist pretty early on in this one and then became a dog with a bone and wouldn’t let it go. Would’ve preferred to have been wrong for a nice pay off. 

FMC is frustrating. For being a smart and accomplished she actively chooses to do the opposite of what she knows she should do. (Seems like a theme for Freida’s MC’s TBH).

Had the essence of Hannibal (but not as smart), mixed with Tess Gerritsen’s Hoyt in R&I (but not as cunning and stealth).

Also, can we get some different looking characters? So many of Freida’s characters seem painfully similar. Similar descriptions of hair and eyes, and of course “gorgeous” male eye candy for the FMC. 

I should have a running tally of how many times a tire has been slashed in her books or single lightbulbs to illuminate a given space. It’s a bit redundant, especially when you read five of these books in a month. 

The Teacher by Freida McFadden

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.75

What decreased my rating:

Utilized a trope I’m not a fan of, then pushed it, then pushed it some more. I could have tolerated it once, but it just kept going until the very last twist and decreased believability. In good news, the trope is dead. Frieda killed it and there’s no more situations that could occur, she used them all in this book. 

One too many twists at the very end, decreased star rating for how unbelievable it is with the information we have about the set of characters.

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Rape, Violence, Murder

Never Lie by Freida McFadden

adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.0