jessidbee's reviews
243 reviews

Elphie: A Wicked Childhood by Gregory Maguire

reflective 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

4.0

“Maybe it doesn’t matter how we’re made, in the end; it matters only who we are”
The story of Elphaba before. A young girl growing up as the daughter of a traveling minister and the events that would shape her into who she becomes. Maguire’s prose is elegant in a way that makes you feel like you’re stilling through the woods in deep conversation with a philosophy professor. Thank you to #netgalley and #williammorrow for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Boyfriend by Freida McFadden

Go to review page

mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.75

After the last Freida McFadden I wasn’t sure if I would like this one. I’m glad I gave it a chance. I was pretty sure I had figured out the killer about a quarter of the way into the book. I was SO wrong! I love when a story wraps up loose ends and manages to surprise me.

The Unmaking of June Farrow by Adrienne Young

Go to review page

mysterious slow-paced

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

4.0

Gingerbread Cookie Murder by Laura Levine, Leslie Meier, Joanne Fluke

Go to review page

mysterious fast-paced

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

2.0

Nightcrawling by Leila Mottley

Go to review page

dark sad medium-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? Yes

5.0

If the phrase “making the best decision possible from terrible choices” was a book, this would be the book.
The tenacity that the FMC displays to keep going just to survive her surroundings is inspiring. Yet her story makes you rage against the injustices she is forced to endure again and again for the “crime” of being a young poor black woman.
I read this in one sitting because I literally couldn’t put it down. Fair warning this one does not have a happy ending.

The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter

Go to review page

lighthearted mysterious fast-paced