jessieweaver's reviews
1016 reviews

The Missing Treasures of Amy Ashton by Eleanor Ray

hopeful lighthearted mysterious 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

4.25

The Missing Treasures of Amy Ashton is the story of a hoarder and her past. Amy is in her late 30s, trapped in an office job when she was formerly an artist, feeling stuck in her small home outside London. But she can't leave ... because what if Tim or Chantel comes back?

The great mystery of her life is how her boyfriend and best friend one day up and disappeared without a trace. Everyone assumes they ran away together, but it just doesn't seem to connect for Amy. The flashbacks we get from Amy's life, starting when she is 17 and meets Tim, fill us in and make us see how Amy could be - vibrant, artistic, and happy. 

The new children and dad next door kick off a new investigation into the past when they break a pot in her collection outside. And Amy has to face what was, what she's become, and decide whether she can move on. 

I really enjoyed this one, and found myself hooked and reading as fast as I could. If you enjoy a little curmudgeon (think A Man Called Ove or Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine), I think you'll quickly become attached to Amy as well.

Content Warnings

The Towering Sky by Katharine McGee

Go to review page

dark mysterious 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? Yes

4.0

Content Warnings

A Pho Love Story by Loan Le

Go to review page

lighthearted 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

3.5

Blue-Skinned Gods by SJ Sindu

Go to review page

dark reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.25

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me an advanced review copy of this book.

It took awhile for me to get into this story of Kalki, age 10 when we enter the novel, whom we see grow into young adulthood. But once I was sucked in, I was turning (digital!) pages quickly, eager to hear the rest of his story.

Kalki knows a few things. 1. His skin is blue. 2. He is the tenth incarnation of the god Vishnu. At age 10, he is set up to perform three miracles, proving his godhood. And yet, everything doesn't seem right, especially when his family situation changes and new faces enter the ashram where he lives.

A coming-of-age novel with a fascinating set-up, I liked growing alongside Kalki as he discovers what's really going on with his family. I'm rating it about a 3-star because I felt like it took awhile to get into the story and I found the ending to feel a little bit rushed and not entirely satisfying.

(Trigger warnings abound, but these are all tread on lightly. I am a major highly sensitive person - HSP - and I didn't think anything was gratuitous or too much for me.)

Content Warnings