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joyceheinen's reviews
177 reviews
Heartstopper Volume 2 by Alice Oseman
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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
5.0
If you are open to trying graphic novels, but are not sure if it’s for you, the Heartstopper series is the perfect choice. Also if you want to read more books with LGBTQ+ representation. And if you want to meet your reading goal quicker, these novels are also a good pick, because you fly through them.
In “Heartstopper: Volume 2”, Nick and Charlie are still best friends. Charlie already had feelings for Nick, but he’s also sure Nick is not into guys. Meanwhile, Nick is struggling with his feelings and believes he might like girls ánd boys.
Nick is struggling to come out as bisexual and Charlie knows exactly how he’s feeling. Nick is not ready yet, but knows that he will eventually tell other people. It’s so lovely to see how much support Nick and Charlie get from the people that matter.
I already really enjoyed “Heartstopper: Volume 1”, but I absolutely loved the second book. Q very quick read, to make you feel happier within the first few pages.
In “Heartstopper: Volume 2”, Nick and Charlie are still best friends. Charlie already had feelings for Nick, but he’s also sure Nick is not into guys. Meanwhile, Nick is struggling with his feelings and believes he might like girls ánd boys.
Nick is struggling to come out as bisexual and Charlie knows exactly how he’s feeling. Nick is not ready yet, but knows that he will eventually tell other people. It’s so lovely to see how much support Nick and Charlie get from the people that matter.
I already really enjoyed “Heartstopper: Volume 1”, but I absolutely loved the second book. Q very quick read, to make you feel happier within the first few pages.
The Villa by Rachel Hawkins
mysterious
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? No
2.5
Emily and Chess, two best friends since childhood, decide to take a trip to Italy, staying in Villa Aestes in Orvieto. Both want to take time to write their books, but especially Emily doesn’t feel inspired. Until she hears about a murder that occurred in the 70s, at the villa the two women are staying at.
The story follows two timelines, the current one with Emily and Chess, and the one in 1974, about writer Mari, her rock star friends and step sister Lara. The story sounds interesting and I always enjoy reading dual timelines. But this book feels more like a historical fiction with a mystery element, than a mystery thriller.
I expected more twists, reveals and suspense, but there was one of that. I was still invested in the story, especially the mystery in 1974, but it was all very predictable. And I really did not like the conclusion of both the timelines.
It was just okay, I will probably forget most of this book withing a few days.
The story follows two timelines, the current one with Emily and Chess, and the one in 1974, about writer Mari, her rock star friends and step sister Lara. The story sounds interesting and I always enjoy reading dual timelines. But this book feels more like a historical fiction with a mystery element, than a mystery thriller.
I expected more twists, reveals and suspense, but there was one of that. I was still invested in the story, especially the mystery in 1974, but it was all very predictable. And I really did not like the conclusion of both the timelines.
It was just okay, I will probably forget most of this book withing a few days.
What Lies in the Woods by Kate Alice Marshall
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-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
4.0
What Lies in the Woods” is slow-burn mystery that is hard to put down. Before this, I only read one other book by Kate Alice Marshall, which was “Rules for Vanishing”, a young adult. “What Lies in the Woods” is an adult thriller.
Naomi survived a brutal attack when she was only eleven years old. She and her two best friends Olivia and Cassidy where exploring the woods when it happened. Cassidy and Olivia manages to identify the attacker as Alan Michael Stahl and he went to prison for it. Now, over twenty years later, Stahl has died in prison and it bring the three friends back together. But back in the woods, so many years ago, the girls discovered something that they have kept a secret. And now Naomi is doubting her memories from the attack.
Marshall shows us that, as time goes by, you can convince yourself that certain memories are true, even when they aren’t. Naomi starts doubting her own memory and doesn’t know whether Stahl was the man that Olivia and saw that night.
The characters in the book are interesting and have depth, although you never really get to like or love any of them. They are all very flawed, but also damaged and dealing with their trauma each in a different way.
The story had some predictable moments, and some obvious red herrings, but the twist in the end was really good.
Naomi survived a brutal attack when she was only eleven years old. She and her two best friends Olivia and Cassidy where exploring the woods when it happened. Cassidy and Olivia manages to identify the attacker as Alan Michael Stahl and he went to prison for it. Now, over twenty years later, Stahl has died in prison and it bring the three friends back together. But back in the woods, so many years ago, the girls discovered something that they have kept a secret. And now Naomi is doubting her memories from the attack.
Marshall shows us that, as time goes by, you can convince yourself that certain memories are true, even when they aren’t. Naomi starts doubting her own memory and doesn’t know whether Stahl was the man that Olivia and saw that night.
The characters in the book are interesting and have depth, although you never really get to like or love any of them. They are all very flawed, but also damaged and dealing with their trauma each in a different way.
The story had some predictable moments, and some obvious red herrings, but the twist in the end was really good.
Happiness Falls by Angie Kim
emotional
mysterious
reflective
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
3.5
When Mia’s younger brother Eugene comes back home alone from a walk with their dad, she doesn’t think much of it. He is probably behind. But when her mom and her twin brother John return home, questions start arising. Their dad is clearly missing. And nothing is at it seem. The only person who knows what happened is Eugene, but he has a rare condition called Angelman syndrome, he cannot speak.
“Happiness Falls” is not your standard mystery. The book focuses on the characters, the family we follow in this book.
The story is told through the perspective of twenty-year-old Mia, the daughter of the Korean-American Park family. Mia is not a typical narrator, nor is this a typical family. The building and exploring of these characters is the heart of the book. If you’re not a character driven reader, this book may not be for you. I’m not either, most of the time, but the way this story was told did captivate me. And the mystery is one I wanted to see solved. But still, I would have loved it more when I did enjoy character driven books more.
The novel goes in several different directions, because Mia and her family also do some investigating of their own. And the way Angie Kim treated the character of Eugene was so beautiful. I never heard about Angelman syndrome before. I read, from people who are more familiar with this condition, that Kim was very respectful about it.
I really liked this book, but never got to the point of loving it.
“Happiness Falls” is not your standard mystery. The book focuses on the characters, the family we follow in this book.
The story is told through the perspective of twenty-year-old Mia, the daughter of the Korean-American Park family. Mia is not a typical narrator, nor is this a typical family. The building and exploring of these characters is the heart of the book. If you’re not a character driven reader, this book may not be for you. I’m not either, most of the time, but the way this story was told did captivate me. And the mystery is one I wanted to see solved. But still, I would have loved it more when I did enjoy character driven books more.
The novel goes in several different directions, because Mia and her family also do some investigating of their own. And the way Angie Kim treated the character of Eugene was so beautiful. I never heard about Angelman syndrome before. I read, from people who are more familiar with this condition, that Kim was very respectful about it.
I really liked this book, but never got to the point of loving it.
We Spread by Iain Reid
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I already couldn’t fault Iain Reid’s “Foe”, which I believe to be a masterful piece of literature. I kept reading that “We Spread” was his best book or at least it was the favorite of Reid’s book for many readers. And I now know why. What an amazing book! And it’s a possibility it will be my favorite of the year.
Penny lives alone after her long-term partner has passed. She is content with her life as is, but after a fall she is being placed in a care facility her partner had arranged for, right before his passing. Soon after settling in, Penny starts to lose her grip on time and reality.
“We Spread” is an incredibly tense story. It’s horror how I like it: psychological, fear of everyday things, not knowing whether you can trust your own observations. Penny has difficulties with aging, loneliness and forgetfulness, but she still feels sane enough to trust her own instincts. But when moving to Six Cedars, even that becomes un uncertainty. You feel her fear and because we follow the story through her perspective we never know what is real and what’s not.
Iain Reid keeps ups guessing until the end. I could not put this book down. I loved everything about this and, like “Foe”, I can’t fault this book. It’s perfection.
Penny lives alone after her long-term partner has passed. She is content with her life as is, but after a fall she is being placed in a care facility her partner had arranged for, right before his passing. Soon after settling in, Penny starts to lose her grip on time and reality.
“We Spread” is an incredibly tense story. It’s horror how I like it: psychological, fear of everyday things, not knowing whether you can trust your own observations. Penny has difficulties with aging, loneliness and forgetfulness, but she still feels sane enough to trust her own instincts. But when moving to Six Cedars, even that becomes un uncertainty. You feel her fear and because we follow the story through her perspective we never know what is real and what’s not.
Iain Reid keeps ups guessing until the end. I could not put this book down. I loved everything about this and, like “Foe”, I can’t fault this book. It’s perfection.
The Maid's Diary by Loreth Anne White
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
4.5
I had no expectations going in this book. It came in last in the GoodReads choice Awards 2024, for the mystery/ thriller category and I didn’t hear any Booktubers or Bookstagrammers talk about this book. This book was a pleasant surprise.
We follow this book through multiple perspectives. First, Kit, the maid. She is writing in her diary and we are witnessing this. We also follow the perspectives of a Daisy, who is pregnant, her husband John, detective Mallory van Last, the neighbor of a murdered couple and a photographer. At first, you have no clue what the links between all these characters is. Slowly everything unfolds and the pieces fall into place.
I had the same experience with this book as when I read “The Kind Worth Killing” by Peter Swanson. The book is filled with plot twist and even more twisted characters. You’re constantly on the edge of your seat.
At one point in the book, I felt they should have ended it. The book drags on a bit too long at then end. This is the reason I’m not giving this book a perfect score. But overall, “The Maid’s Diary” is a very underrated and overlooked thriller, that more people should read.
We follow this book through multiple perspectives. First, Kit, the maid. She is writing in her diary and we are witnessing this. We also follow the perspectives of a Daisy, who is pregnant, her husband John, detective Mallory van Last, the neighbor of a murdered couple and a photographer. At first, you have no clue what the links between all these characters is. Slowly everything unfolds and the pieces fall into place.
I had the same experience with this book as when I read “The Kind Worth Killing” by Peter Swanson. The book is filled with plot twist and even more twisted characters. You’re constantly on the edge of your seat.
At one point in the book, I felt they should have ended it. The book drags on a bit too long at then end. This is the reason I’m not giving this book a perfect score. But overall, “The Maid’s Diary” is a very underrated and overlooked thriller, that more people should read.
Bunny by Mona Awad
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
“Bunny” is a dark comedy with rabbits and a cult of girls. It sounds like a weird story and it is. This book is not for everyone.
Samantha Heather Mackey goes to Warren University in new England. She hates this girl clique in her school that call themselves “Bunny”. They call each other that too. Samantha is all of a sudden invited to one of their gatherings and eventually feels drawn to their dark and mysterious world.
If you think you know what to expect, think again. Because there is no way you can predict what happens in this book. The book is very unique and original and the writing is amazing. But it’s a little bit too weird for my liking. I was really mesmerized at first, couldn’t put it down. But when we got into the world of the bunnies deeper and deeper, I start liking it less and less. Think of “Mean Girls” meets “Heathers”, but much darker.
I would for sure recommend this book, to the right people. It’s a very particular group of readers that absolutely love this book, and I understand it. But again, it’s just a bit too weird for my liking.
Samantha Heather Mackey goes to Warren University in new England. She hates this girl clique in her school that call themselves “Bunny”. They call each other that too. Samantha is all of a sudden invited to one of their gatherings and eventually feels drawn to their dark and mysterious world.
If you think you know what to expect, think again. Because there is no way you can predict what happens in this book. The book is very unique and original and the writing is amazing. But it’s a little bit too weird for my liking. I was really mesmerized at first, couldn’t put it down. But when we got into the world of the bunnies deeper and deeper, I start liking it less and less. Think of “Mean Girls” meets “Heathers”, but much darker.
I would for sure recommend this book, to the right people. It’s a very particular group of readers that absolutely love this book, and I understand it. But again, it’s just a bit too weird for my liking.
The Coworker by Freida McFadden
mysterious
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
1.5
When Nathalie goes to work one day and sees the cubicle next to her empty, she immediately thinks something is wrong. Her coworker Dawn is punctual and has a very strict schedule. She has never been late, but all her other coworkers think she is overreacting. But as Nathalie tries to find Dawn, something more dark and mysterious is going on.
Freida McFadden knocks out two to three books a year. And is shows. Her books are very easy to read and mostly follow the same pattern. That made this book a bit predictable and I didn’t get any shocking twists. If it is someone’s first McFadden, it probably will be more surprising.
I was never invested in the mystery and I hated the main female character. McFadden wrote her to be the one you root for, but I never felt any empathy with her, whatsoever. I felt more sympathy for Dawn, in a way, because people have been so mean to her and making fun of her behind her back. Especially making fun of her obsession with turtles. It’s clear that Dawn is on the autism spectrum and it’s just not okay to treat people like that. So, the fact that we are supposed the be on Nathalie’s side feels wrong.
I did not like this book and won’t recommend it to anyone.
I was never invested in the mystery and I hated the main female character. McFadden wrote her to be the one you root for, but I never felt any empathy with her, whatsoever. I felt more sympathy for Dawn, in a way, because people have been so mean to her and making fun of her behind her back. Especially making fun of her obsession with turtles. It’s clear that Dawn is on the autism spectrum and it’s just not okay to treat people like that. So, the fact that we are supposed the be on Nathalie’s side feels wrong.
I did not like this book and won’t recommend it to anyone.
Homecoming by Kate Morton
Did not finish book. Stopped at 9%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 9%.
I wasn't feeling it, this book is also way too long. I'm don't want to spend this much time reading a book I don't care about.
I Have Some Questions For You by Rebecca Makkai
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Thalia Keith was 17 years old when she was found dead in the swimming pool of the exclusive Granby boarding school in 1995. Gym teacher Omar Evans was convicted, but Thalia’s roommate Bodie Kane always thought they caught the wrong guy. In 2018, Bodie returns to Granby, to teach a class. When her students choose to study Thalia’s case, Bodie has no choice to stir up old memories and doubts.
Many questions are being raised, like the title predicts. Did racial prejudice play a big part in Evans’ conviction? Was Thalia’s manipulative boyfriend a more plausible culprit? Did music teacher Denny Bloch have any involvement, since Thalia supposedly had an affair with him?
“I Have Some Questions for You” sounds like an interesting whodunit. A cross between “The Secret History” by Donna Tartt, “A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder” by Holly Jackson and the crime series “How to Get Away with Murder”. But it’s anything but interesting. The book is pretty dull, it’s way too long and I never felt invested in either the mystery nor the characters. And it was lacking a satisfying resolution.
I have read this type of mystery thriller before, but they all did it better.
Many questions are being raised, like the title predicts. Did racial prejudice play a big part in Evans’ conviction? Was Thalia’s manipulative boyfriend a more plausible culprit? Did music teacher Denny Bloch have any involvement, since Thalia supposedly had an affair with him?
“I Have Some Questions for You” sounds like an interesting whodunit. A cross between “The Secret History” by Donna Tartt, “A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder” by Holly Jackson and the crime series “How to Get Away with Murder”. But it’s anything but interesting. The book is pretty dull, it’s way too long and I never felt invested in either the mystery nor the characters. And it was lacking a satisfying resolution.
I have read this type of mystery thriller before, but they all did it better.