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jackiebookstackie's Reviews (113)
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
I certainly enjoyed the unique premise of this book and the representation of a child therapist/therapy. Ultimately I found less suspense/tension than I hoped and when the killer was revealed I found the motive pretty thin and no real tie-in which kept this rating on the lower side for me.
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I have to get my thoughts together for a review but this book very surreptitiously sunk into my heart and punched it at the same time. The gentlest, realest, heartache.
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
slow-paced
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
I really wanted to like this book! It had so many elements that speak to me - dark academia, a little magic/occult, the backdrop of NYC, and a mystery, but sadly even with these ingredients this book was a flop for me.
My biggest gripes: the pacing was so slow, and I’m sorry to say 😬 boring. There are really only 4 characters and nothing truly happens in this book until about 2/3rds of the way through. By then I still wasn’t invested enough to truly “care” where the story went. There were some attempts made for “twists” at the end, but most of them felt unnecessary or obvious and did nothing to change my overall opinion. With neither plot nor rich character development to pull the story along I found myself fighting to read it and finish.
Overall, cool idea, poor execution 😕
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This one grabbed me right away. The audiobook of this is great! I loved the way this book was written with multiple POV’s (5 main characters + their partners, narrated by 5 voices) made the experience so rich and immersive with just enough character development that I was invested in everyone’s story and found something to root for (and occasionally be horrified by) for everyone. The pacing is also perfect with tiny chapters always leaving you wanting more. Definitely thriller pacing.
Personally, I really enjoy books that pose questions about the paradox of choice/the multiverse/the power of knowledge/quantifying the intangibles (like love) so the premise of this book already was up my alley. The questions the book raised about what having information about “the one” might mean for couples, families, and society as a whole was so interesting and, like most dystopian inquiries, what starts out good and with the best of intentions, often has unintended consequences.
Personally, I really enjoy books that pose questions about the paradox of choice/the multiverse/the power of knowledge/quantifying the intangibles (like love) so the premise of this book already was up my alley. The questions the book raised about what having information about “the one” might mean for couples, families, and society as a whole was so interesting and, like most dystopian inquiries, what starts out good and with the best of intentions, often has unintended consequences.
dark
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
So. Many. Amazing. Sentiments. In. This. Book.
This is a gentle and powerful must read. It will grow and weave its way into your heart and psyche one quotable, reflective moment at a time. I think beyond the story, I loved the way this author wrote. So many times I found myself needing to take pause to re-listen to something simple yet profound a character said. It hooked me by its honest, raw, nature.
This book is about humans, it’s about nature, about adaptability - both our own and our environment’s, and it’s about impermanence - having things lost and ripped away, and starting again. It makes you think about the way we live and maybe ask, is there another way? And ultimately reminds us that we are guests here on this planet and Mother Nature isn’t afraid to change the house rules as needed.
Up against this backdrop of catastrophic weather changes and societal collapse; there is survival, love, and renewal.
It’s not a *perfect* novel but it’s one that will stay with me a good long while.
This is a gentle and powerful must read. It will grow and weave its way into your heart and psyche one quotable, reflective moment at a time. I think beyond the story, I loved the way this author wrote. So many times I found myself needing to take pause to re-listen to something simple yet profound a character said. It hooked me by its honest, raw, nature.
This book is about humans, it’s about nature, about adaptability - both our own and our environment’s, and it’s about impermanence - having things lost and ripped away, and starting again. It makes you think about the way we live and maybe ask, is there another way? And ultimately reminds us that we are guests here on this planet and Mother Nature isn’t afraid to change the house rules as needed.
Up against this backdrop of catastrophic weather changes and societal collapse; there is survival, love, and renewal.
It’s not a *perfect* novel but it’s one that will stay with me a good long while.
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
sad
medium-paced
This book was hard to read. Will we ever learn our lesson? When will we stop seeing gentleness, differentness, kindness, openness, as characteristics to be extorted and lorded over? The only thing that is truly color blind is greed and power. I am left feeling heartbroken and disgusted by what people will do for money. And not “individuals.” This was a whole system created to swindle, and kill, and profit. People, and business, institutions, and governments all banding together to make mass murder possible and invisible. And not for need or survival, but to be wealthy. To “have riches”.
It left me feeling perplexed about what I could possibly be offered, monetarily or materialistically, that would be worth killing someone for. I am so grateful my answer is, nothing. I have everything I need to be okay and anything more than that, is just more.
Lessons we don’t know or don’t learn from repeat. It’s a story worth knowing but it will hurt.
It left me feeling perplexed about what I could possibly be offered, monetarily or materialistically, that would be worth killing someone for. I am so grateful my answer is, nothing. I have everything I need to be okay and anything more than that, is just more.
Lessons we don’t know or don’t learn from repeat. It’s a story worth knowing but it will hurt.
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
I read this book as an audiobooks and I’m so glad I did!
LIKES:
- Good pacing
- Main character Millie is adorable, likable, and funny. I definitely laughed out loud a couple times.
- *Enemies* to lovers trope
- Inclusive love (age & orientation)
- Great balance of sweet & spice
- Takes place where I lived (and author lives there too?)
DISLIKES:
- None off the top of my head!
……..well my heart wishes for just one or two tweaks at the end but I don’t think they would have actually been the right choice for the story.
LIKES:
- Good pacing
- Main character Millie is adorable, likable, and funny. I definitely laughed out loud a couple times.
- *Enemies* to lovers trope
- Inclusive love (age & orientation)
- Great balance of sweet & spice
- Takes place where I lived (and author lives there too?)
DISLIKES:
- None off the top of my head!
……..well my heart wishes for just one or two tweaks at the end but I don’t think they would have actually been the right choice for the story.
mysterious
slow-paced
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
I’m a little bewildered by this book and I think that attributes for some of my low rating. I was going in, under the pretext of the title and the synopsis, thinking this would be more of a sinister mystery thriller about the events of “prom night” but aside from the very beginning of the book, and the very end, it seemed to play a very small role in the story and momentum of the book. I found the pacing very slow and, because of that, find it hard to call it a thriller. It felt more like watching a character driven train wreck of a man making bad choices and women getting caught up in it. I also found the “Joe asks her to do the unthinkable” teaser pretty unbelievable once read and was not a fan of the twists at the end for both Meredith and Amber’s characters. The 2020/2021 backdrop seemed unnecessary and, for me, actually detracted from the story and made it even slower since there was very little the characters could actually “do” due to lockdown and social distancing.
I did like the back and forth in time and that parts of the story took place in MD (where I used to live).
All books are for someone, but overall for me this one was a miss.
I did like the back and forth in time and that parts of the story took place in MD (where I used to live).
All books are for someone, but overall for me this one was a miss.
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I was intrigued by the premise of this book and I love a good human story with a moral dilemma. The plot starts right away and, at first, this was actually a bit of a turn off for me. I wanted to know more about the characters, to care about them a little bit more before we jumped into the conflict. But, accepting that and moving forward, I really liked this book. As the story went on I definitely felt invested. It was impossible not to put yourself in the shoes of the two main characters and wonder about how you would feel/what choices you would make. I found myself empathizing with, and being frustrated by, both of Tess and Katherine in a very balanced way.
A challenge spots for me was that I did feel there were some moments that felt too coincidental, but honestly overall this book was good! I image this is a hard topic to write about, but to do it via two POV, I think the author nailed it. I appreciated the ending. Also, not for nothing, I loved this cover.
A challenge spots for me was that I did feel there were some moments that felt too coincidental, but honestly overall this book was good! I image this is a hard topic to write about, but to do it via two POV, I think the author nailed it. I appreciated the ending. Also, not for nothing, I loved this cover.