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davinareads's reviews
848 reviews
Wellness by Nathan Hill
emotional
informative
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
4.5
I have been loving reflective reads and Wellness did an excellent job in making me think. It was also a beautiful story
Like
- I love Jack and Elizabeth, devouring their story from the start
- The psychology and information on the evolution of emotions and human behavior was interesting to get through and I found myself reflecting on my own actions and thoughts throughout the read
- I throughly enjoyed the random tidbits of human interactions shared
- This is a medium paced book that balanced a reflective story that was fun to read. It was humorous in certain areas and eye watering in others and overall touched on the topics of love, relationships, marriage and how to environment we grow up in can effect tbe person we grow up to be
Dislike
- A few parts felt unnecessarily, making the parts of the story feel dragged out
Like
- I love Jack and Elizabeth, devouring their story from the start
- The psychology and information on the evolution of emotions and human behavior was interesting to get through and I found myself reflecting on my own actions and thoughts throughout the read
- I throughly enjoyed the random tidbits of human interactions shared
- This is a medium paced book that balanced a reflective story that was fun to read. It was humorous in certain areas and eye watering in others and overall touched on the topics of love, relationships, marriage and how to environment we grow up in can effect tbe person we grow up to be
Dislike
- A few parts felt unnecessarily, making the parts of the story feel dragged out
The Other Mothers by Katherine Faulkner
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A fantastic read up until the end. It was a well written murder mystery that got me guessing what truly happened.
I love the twist and turns this book took and was ultimately pleased with the story. We followed Tash - a freelance journalist- take on a job to discover how Sophie died because her mother thinks she was murdered unlike the police who wrote her death as an accident. As the story progresses, we learn Tash is a mother struggling to get her son settled in daycare which lead her to befriending three other mothers along the way who invites her and her son on playdates at their luxurious houses or expensive outings. Consequently enough, these three mothers are tied into the case she is trying to solve and it becomes a dangerous game she is playing.
It was a well paced plot that had me questioning everyones intentions. Suspicious and suspense was created throughout the book and I enjoyed the uncertainty it aroused. I liked Tash as a main character but did question her actions in some areas. The other characters themselves were mysterious in their own ways with more secrets hidden than shared.
I liked how the pieces came together in the end but did notice there were a few loose ends that didn’t feel like it was wrapped up nicely to me. I was expecting one more chapter in the end to really finish it off neatly but was left with the feeling of "that's it?". With this, I think there were some questionable details that should have been addressed to make the story more believable.
Overall, I was absorb in this read and found myself invested. The plot was interesting and unique but I wished the ending could have been a bit better.
Thank you Simon and Schuster for providing me this ARC.
I love the twist and turns this book took and was ultimately pleased with the story. We followed Tash - a freelance journalist- take on a job to discover how Sophie died because her mother thinks she was murdered unlike the police who wrote her death as an accident. As the story progresses, we learn Tash is a mother struggling to get her son settled in daycare which lead her to befriending three other mothers along the way who invites her and her son on playdates at their luxurious houses or expensive outings. Consequently enough, these three mothers are tied into the case she is trying to solve and it becomes a dangerous game she is playing.
It was a well paced plot that had me questioning everyones intentions. Suspicious and suspense was created throughout the book and I enjoyed the uncertainty it aroused. I liked Tash as a main character but did question her actions in some areas. The other characters themselves were mysterious in their own ways with more secrets hidden than shared.
I liked how the pieces came together in the end but did notice there were a few loose ends that didn’t feel like it was wrapped up nicely to me. I was expecting one more chapter in the end to really finish it off neatly but was left with the feeling of "that's it?". With this, I think there were some questionable details that should have been addressed to make the story more believable.
Overall, I was absorb in this read and found myself invested. The plot was interesting and unique but I wished the ending could have been a bit better.
Thank you Simon and Schuster for providing me this ARC.
Powerless by Lauren Roberts
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-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? It's complicated
3.0
First 33% of the book had me screaming. Last 66% had me going this is now too much. It is lacking balance.
I absolutely loved this book when I picked it up. We were introduced to some amazing characters with an enemies to lover story ready to bloom. I was giddy with old YA vibes and was so excited to go back into that YA fantasy. The relationship between Paeyden and the prices, especially Kai got me yelling at anyone who would listen. The banter and charm between them were wondeful and perfect. But for once, I do not need more.
As much as I enjoyed Paeyden and Kai's relationship, it was too much. This whole story turned into a Y/N storyline where I felt there was no balance between an actual stronge plot and character dynamics. It had everything you can think of in an enemies to lover story mashed up with the Y/N plot. There was Paeyden being hurt and Kai going "tell me who did it", there was rain and the heated movement, there was a shared bed. Literally every Y/N or tensed relationship plot you can think of is shoved into this one read which caused it to lack any desire to want more character interaction. I wanted a story too.
The story itself is the most basic and predictable YA story line you'll read. There's a bit of Hunger Games mixed in with Brigid Kemmerer's world that I found cool but again, lacking in any creative spin off. There just wasn't a strong enough plot for these characters which made my rating drop. While it's important to have loveable characters which Lauren accomplished, it's equally important to me to have a decent storyline.
Overall, if you're looking for a book that is predominantly character based and specifically filled with the witty back and forth conversations between enemies then give this a read as it succeeded in this area. For me, it was just too much and I found myself craving a story to love as well. However, for a debut read, I think Lauren did an exceptional job in creating easily likable characters and built out their relationship extremely well.
I absolutely loved this book when I picked it up. We were introduced to some amazing characters with an enemies to lover story ready to bloom. I was giddy with old YA vibes and was so excited to go back into that YA fantasy. The relationship between Paeyden and the prices, especially Kai got me yelling at anyone who would listen. The banter and charm between them were wondeful and perfect. But for once, I do not need more.
As much as I enjoyed Paeyden and Kai's relationship, it was too much. This whole story turned into a Y/N storyline where I felt there was no balance between an actual stronge plot and character dynamics. It had everything you can think of in an enemies to lover story mashed up with the Y/N plot. There was Paeyden being hurt and Kai going "tell me who did it", there was rain and the heated movement, there was a shared bed. Literally every Y/N or tensed relationship plot you can think of is shoved into this one read which caused it to lack any desire to want more character interaction. I wanted a story too.
The story itself is the most basic and predictable YA story line you'll read. There's a bit of Hunger Games mixed in with Brigid Kemmerer's world that I found cool but again, lacking in any creative spin off. There just wasn't a strong enough plot for these characters which made my rating drop. While it's important to have loveable characters which Lauren accomplished, it's equally important to me to have a decent storyline.
Overall, if you're looking for a book that is predominantly character based and specifically filled with the witty back and forth conversations between enemies then give this a read as it succeeded in this area. For me, it was just too much and I found myself craving a story to love as well. However, for a debut read, I think Lauren did an exceptional job in creating easily likable characters and built out their relationship extremely well.
The Hike by Drew Magary
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
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? It's complicated
4.0
The only way I can describe this read is as a modern retelling of Alice in Wonderland with some deeper meaning buried throughout
Like
- This book is weird. It felt like a wild fevered dream where nothing makes sense but it was good
- The theme is about what a father would do to get back to his family but make it 100 times more insane and unpredictable
- It managed to reach into multiple genres, touching adventure, mystery, humor, horror and had some eye watering moments
- One of my favorite character is a talking CRAB for crying out loud. That's what kind of read it is
- A smart book where all loose ends are tied up. Nothing will make sense until the end where a bit of sense comes back. However, the nonsense part was very enjoyable to get through
- Very creative book and it surprised me in multiple ways
Dislike
- Felt the middle dragging out a bit and why my rating dropped
Like
- This book is weird. It felt like a wild fevered dream where nothing makes sense but it was good
- The theme is about what a father would do to get back to his family but make it 100 times more insane and unpredictable
- It managed to reach into multiple genres, touching adventure, mystery, humor, horror and had some eye watering moments
- One of my favorite character is a talking CRAB for crying out loud. That's what kind of read it is
- A smart book where all loose ends are tied up. Nothing will make sense until the end where a bit of sense comes back. However, the nonsense part was very enjoyable to get through
- Very creative book and it surprised me in multiple ways
Dislike
- Felt the middle dragging out a bit and why my rating dropped
The Jazz Club Spy by Roberta Rich
dark
emotional
mysterious
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
A really strong start but fell into predictability half way through for this historical ficiton read.
The story started with a brutal scene and I was instantly hooked. It was ugly and raw which gave us the back story to our main character Giddy.
I love Giddy as a character and I think she was well written. She is smart as an individual and has heen forced to grow up too fast at a young age, having witnessed the devastating crime of her village being destroyed, along with the lost of loved ones. However, she still has this innocent in her that made her too trusting to a handsome face that is a constant visitor at the Jazz Club she worked at as a cigarette girl and it leads to a lot of trouble she did not need.
The Jazz Club scenes were excellent and I wanted more. The atmosphere created was wonderful and again, part of the strong start. I felt like all of that disappeared after 25% into the book. Then the story became quite predictable and I wasn’t surprised by any of the following events that took place and a little disappointed by how blinded Giddy was over a handsome stranger's face.
Giddy is a strong, and brave individual who survived through so much to make it to America with her parents that I found it a bit hard that she would fall for someone so quickly. That part didn’t really fit with her character personality to me.
I did enjoy the parts of Giddy being a spy and I love the relationship she has with her ma and little brother. There were many emotional parts with their past history that was excellent to get through.
This being called The Jazz Club spy, I was expecting more spying in the Jazz Club but was disappointed that it wasn’t. The story felt a bit disconnected without real need of the Jazz Club. Giddy could have worked in a restaurant or a clothing store and the story wouldn't have been effected.
The pacing was well done but I felt the writing could have been better. Of course this being an ARC, the writing can change and I am hoping the last few chapters will be revised a little in writing style. The use of common sayings appeared much more frequently and it lowered the quality of writing to me.
Overall, it was an enjoyable read but I felt like there were parts of the story and action that didn’t match with the strong character Giddy is. The writing started out strong as well but again, it tapered off nearing the end. Having read many books over the years, it was a predictable read too so there was nothing surprising to me. However, I will still recommend giving this book a read because it was still interesting and emotional.
Thank you Simon & Schuster for this ARC.
The story started with a brutal scene and I was instantly hooked. It was ugly and raw which gave us the back story to our main character Giddy.
I love Giddy as a character and I think she was well written. She is smart as an individual and has heen forced to grow up too fast at a young age, having witnessed the devastating crime of her village being destroyed, along with the lost of loved ones. However, she still has this innocent in her that made her too trusting to a handsome face that is a constant visitor at the Jazz Club she worked at as a cigarette girl and it leads to a lot of trouble she did not need.
The Jazz Club scenes were excellent and I wanted more. The atmosphere created was wonderful and again, part of the strong start. I felt like all of that disappeared after 25% into the book. Then the story became quite predictable and I wasn’t surprised by any of the following events that took place and a little disappointed by how blinded Giddy was over a handsome stranger's face.
Giddy is a strong, and brave individual who survived through so much to make it to America with her parents that I found it a bit hard that she would fall for someone so quickly. That part didn’t really fit with her character personality to me.
I did enjoy the parts of Giddy being a spy and I love the relationship she has with her ma and little brother. There were many emotional parts with their past history that was excellent to get through.
This being called The Jazz Club spy, I was expecting more spying in the Jazz Club but was disappointed that it wasn’t. The story felt a bit disconnected without real need of the Jazz Club. Giddy could have worked in a restaurant or a clothing store and the story wouldn't have been effected.
The pacing was well done but I felt the writing could have been better. Of course this being an ARC, the writing can change and I am hoping the last few chapters will be revised a little in writing style. The use of common sayings appeared much more frequently and it lowered the quality of writing to me.
Overall, it was an enjoyable read but I felt like there were parts of the story and action that didn’t match with the strong character Giddy is. The writing started out strong as well but again, it tapered off nearing the end. Having read many books over the years, it was a predictable read too so there was nothing surprising to me. However, I will still recommend giving this book a read because it was still interesting and emotional.
Thank you Simon & Schuster for this ARC.
Murder Your Employer: The McMasters Guide to Homicide by Rupert Holmes
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
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
What a concept and the most unique idea I've read in a while. Definitely worth checking out
Like
- The idea of having a secret school dedicated to educating individuals in committing and getting away with a successful murder is everything
- Very unique voice used. It was funny and unexpected. I loved the entire concept shared and the terrifying thought that went into this book scares me
- The characters themselves with their own goal in murdering their employeer was very fun to read. It was so in depth and so detailed that again, it scares me the thought that went into this book. A very well written read
- I think I have a horribly better idea... if I ever need to commit a crime (WHICH I WILL NOT) on how to do it 💀
- Amazing and interesting read I would recommend to everyone
Dislike
- A lot of characters introduced with not so easy names to pronounce in my head
- Very detailed read so you'll have to pay attention to what you're reading to understand what is happening. The voice used may take some time in getting used to
Like
- The idea of having a secret school dedicated to educating individuals in committing and getting away with a successful murder is everything
- Very unique voice used. It was funny and unexpected. I loved the entire concept shared and the terrifying thought that went into this book scares me
- The characters themselves with their own goal in murdering their employeer was very fun to read. It was so in depth and so detailed that again, it scares me the thought that went into this book. A very well written read
- I think I have a horribly better idea... if I ever need to commit a crime (WHICH I WILL NOT) on how to do it 💀
- Amazing and interesting read I would recommend to everyone
Dislike
- A lot of characters introduced with not so easy names to pronounce in my head
- Very detailed read so you'll have to pay attention to what you're reading to understand what is happening. The voice used may take some time in getting used to
The Way I Used to Be by Amber Smith
emotional
sad
medium-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? It's complicated
3.0
The beginning and end broke my heart but the inbetween is where I started to lose any feeling toward the characters
Like
- How innocence can be destroyed so quickly had me destoryed
- The build up in character development for Eden was well done. We didn’t necessarily see a main character get better until the very end but demolished herself by keeping her secret
Dislike
- Don't think the writing style did justice to the story. It's not something I will likely remember in 3-5 years time
- Some areas felt rushed while other's felt dragged out
Like
- How innocence can be destroyed so quickly had me destoryed
- The build up in character development for Eden was well done. We didn’t necessarily see a main character get better until the very end but demolished herself by keeping her secret
Dislike
- Don't think the writing style did justice to the story. It's not something I will likely remember in 3-5 years time
- Some areas felt rushed while other's felt dragged out
I'm Thinking of Ending Things by Iain Reid
dark
mysterious
tense
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
3.5
The most confusing thing I've read this year and left me going WHAT for half an hour
Like
- It was creepy and left me feeling uneased
- No idea what was happening for a good chunk of the book... but it was weirdly interesting
- The ending killed me
Dislike
- Had to google what happened to get a better idea about the story
- I'm not that invested to want to read the story backwards again
- If you don't like being confused for a good chunck of the book then this isn't for you
Like
- It was creepy and left me feeling uneased
- No idea what was happening for a good chunk of the book... but it was weirdly interesting
- The ending killed me
Dislike
- Had to google what happened to get a better idea about the story
- I'm not that invested to want to read the story backwards again
- If you don't like being confused for a good chunck of the book then this isn't for you
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
sad
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
3.0
It was a beautifully written book, but I did not shed a single tear
Like
- I loved the voice and the writing style. It was just missing something to make me feel anything
- The characters themselves are perfect. I love them fiercely and I enjoyed the relationship between them
- Really strong start and I can see the appeal this book has with many
Dislike
- The sentences and meanings were sad and disgusting but it did not evoke emotion
- It felt in a way, like reading a social textbook where really bad things happened but I didn’t feel anything with it
- The plot was okay but felt linear in tone
- (Don't hate me but I will say it... it's a bit overhyped)
Like
- I loved the voice and the writing style. It was just missing something to make me feel anything
- The characters themselves are perfect. I love them fiercely and I enjoyed the relationship between them
- Really strong start and I can see the appeal this book has with many
Dislike
- The sentences and meanings were sad and disgusting but it did not evoke emotion
- It felt in a way, like reading a social textbook where really bad things happened but I didn’t feel anything with it
- The plot was okay but felt linear in tone
- (Don't hate me but I will say it... it's a bit overhyped)
Immortal Longings by Chloe Gong
adventurous
dark
fast-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
4.5
I had no expectations going into this read but is happy with how amazing it turned out to be
Like
- Comparing this to Lightlark is an unfair comparison in my opinion because Chloe Gong is a much more mature writer and it shows. There was obvious thought and effort to her characters and world building so I am very confused with where some are dragging this read down to that level
- I thoroughly enjoyed the characters introduced in this book. They do follow similar personalities written before but - I think it's quite hard to create new personalities when they've been done multiple times already. The characters in this book is well done with established drive and growth.
-The world building is very descriptive and again, well written which creates a playing fields for our characters.
- The storyline is basic and done before but AGAIN, I thought it was done well. I found the one idea Chloe had to be unique enough to make it stand out from other reads.
- It was a violent adult fiction with enemies to lovers based story that I really liked.
Dislike
- The pacing is what dragged this rating down a bit. It took some time to get into because I was getting overwhelmed with the dump of information. That is the only part where I did see similarities to Lightlark was in the rapid world building. There was for sure a leap in knowledge being thrown at me but when reading at a slow down pace, it was comprehensive and quite interesting.
- After the intial shock of content, it does slow down to a medium pace
Like
- Comparing this to Lightlark is an unfair comparison in my opinion because Chloe Gong is a much more mature writer and it shows. There was obvious thought and effort to her characters and world building so I am very confused with where some are dragging this read down to that level
- I thoroughly enjoyed the characters introduced in this book. They do follow similar personalities written before but - I think it's quite hard to create new personalities when they've been done multiple times already. The characters in this book is well done with established drive and growth.
-The world building is very descriptive and again, well written which creates a playing fields for our characters.
- The storyline is basic and done before but AGAIN, I thought it was done well. I found the one idea Chloe had to be unique enough to make it stand out from other reads.
- It was a violent adult fiction with enemies to lovers based story that I really liked.
Dislike
- The pacing is what dragged this rating down a bit. It took some time to get into because I was getting overwhelmed with the dump of information. That is the only part where I did see similarities to Lightlark was in the rapid world building. There was for sure a leap in knowledge being thrown at me but when reading at a slow down pace, it was comprehensive and quite interesting.
- After the intial shock of content, it does slow down to a medium pace