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kt2e56's reviews
76 reviews
The Fury by Alex Michaelides
dark
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
2.5
First off, the voice actor did a lovely job.
This was entertaining enough that I didn’t completely give up on it but it was also pretty cringey and had me rolling my eyes quite a bit because adults just don’t act this way? And people don’t speak this way? And the setting felt so completely unnecessary.
The big twist is easy to guess within the first three pageswhich is why I hate the unreliable narrator trope so much. Especially when the unreliable narrator has zero charm, makes hackneyed jokes, and keeps calling attention to the fact that he’s an unreliable narrator making everything up. And like that twist works so much better if the fictional writer is you know…a good writer. But by constantly calling attention to the artifice (he’s like a Greek chorus! Get it? GET IT!?) it’s like “okay so when is he going to tell us that he’s in prison for killing Lana and he’s writing everything afterwards?” It feels like author is aiming for The Talented Mr. Ripley or even Saltburn but because they never come off as charming or clever (like Ripley) and they never FULLY commit to being completely batshit (like Saltburn) it just sort of leaves you shrugging and already looking to forget about this once you find something better.
This was entertaining enough that I didn’t completely give up on it but it was also pretty cringey and had me rolling my eyes quite a bit because adults just don’t act this way? And people don’t speak this way? And the setting felt so completely unnecessary.
The big twist is easy to guess within the first three pages
Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke And Other Misfortunes by Eric LaRocca
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke: 3.5 out of 5. Really great (and disgusting) descriptions and a fairly unique story but borders a little on parody by the end and due to the nature of it just being emails and IMs we’re reading, I feel like a lot is missing. Maybe would have been better if it was longer? I think a slow burn would have been better so the escalating craziness would have made a bit more sense instead of feeling like Agnes went from zero to batshit too quickly.
The Enchantment: 4 out of 5. Creepy but most things about religion are for me. Just a really well written and uncomfortable story that had me squirming in my seat. I guess we all so desperately want to believe in something that it’s easy to find yourself engrossed here.
You’ll Find It’s Like That All Over: 2.5 out of 5 Definitely the weakest of the bunch. The other two had me on the edge of my seat while this one was just…fine. It felt like a first draft, to be honest.
Annie Bot by Sierra Greer
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Stunning. Will be really poignant but also difficult for anyone who’s ever been in an abusive relationship or has struggled with the anxiety of being a people pleaser. A fantastic (and horrifying) sci-fi book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting, Slavery, Sexual assault, Misogyny, Abandonment, Domestic abuse, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Abandonment, Body shaming, Fatphobia, and Eating disorder
Vampires of El Norte by Isabel Cañas
adventurous
dark
hopeful
lighthearted
tense
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
3.75
A wonderful central love story with two very lovable characters but the horror elements are definitely what’s most interesting here. I like the correlation made between vampires and American colonizers. I only gave this a 3.75 though because I feel like the ending was rushed and the main battle at the end felt a bit anti-climatic (along with Nena finding out that those who were bitten can just…will the vampires away?) The description of the vampires themselves and how they’re more wild animal than human is really cool, though and a really creative twist on well established lore.
The Salt Grows Heavy by Cassandra Khaw
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Staggeringly good. A creepy and beautiful novella that truly feels one of a kind.
Black Sheep by Rachel Harrison
dark
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
2.0
Ugh. I loved The Return so this was disappointing. Idk. This just wasn’t scary but the comedy didn’t really land for me at all either? Kinda felt like a bad fanfic about the Devil’s daughter . Harrison made every lazy choice possible when building the world here: calling the cult “Hell’s Gate?” *sigh* Vesper went to a school as a kid where she had to wear your typical Catholic school uniform but with pentagrams and in black and red instead? *groan* There’s a key confrontation with her dad at a bar and “Sympathy for the Devil” comes on the jukebox? *boo hiss* I think the end is a solid critique of true crime culture which is why it’s so baffling that the author does literally everything she’s trying to mock? Idk. Just all edge, no point. And REALLY cheesy.
Rememberings by Sinéad O'Connor
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
5.0
Really gorgeous and definitely benefits a lot from listening to Sinéad’s own voice narrating it. Hearing her still able to laugh and giggle and reflect after all she’s been through was just such a lovely experience and I’m glad I got to hear her story in her own words. The ending feels bittersweet now hearing how hopeful she was about her new album and touring again after COVID completely shut everything down. Some highlights are definitely her story about meeting (and having a crush on) a tour guide she met in Lourdes as a young girl and how she’s able to look back now at the abuse she endured at the hands of her mother and no longer feel rage but instead compassion for her mother’s mental illness.
The Housemaid's Secret by Freida McFadden
dark
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
1.0
None of the plot adds up.
There’s no strong characters.
There’s ZERO chemistry between Millie and Enzo as well as Millie and Brock.
The voice acting is atrocious. Again, still not at all what a Brooklyn accent sounds like and Enzo’s “Italian” accent borders on parody. And as if that wasn’t bad enough, apparently there’s no editing done for this audiobook because the actress mispronounces the most basic words (regardless of which character is speaking).
Millie is by far the stupidest protagonist I’ve ever had the misfortune of reading about. I think the author chose to make Millie a “tough” former convict to make up for giving her literally no personality but at no point is it believable. If Millie was railroaded by the justice system before, why would she have such extreme trust and confidence in the NYPD? And how does she have ZERO street smarts?
I feel like everything from the last book was completely just written out aside from the laughable romance between Millie and Enzo (despite them having zero chemistry), who in this book the author turned into a complete and total moron. Wow, he keeps calling her boyfriend “Broccoli” instead of Brock. So funny. 🙄
Also the author is dreadful at world building. No descriptions of pretty much anything. “He hands me a dress.” Okay, what does the dress look like? Or feel like?
None of this believably sounds like New York. Any actual New Yorker would tell you that nobody just drives in and out of the Boroughs all the time as much as Enzo and Millie and Brock do. Most New Yorkers don’t even have cars due to the shoddy parking situation (unless they’re commuting often to Long Island which literally nobody but Douglas seems to do). And each time Millie had to say how she lives in the South Bronx like five times per sentence, I just cringed.
The big “twist” made zero sense. Especially considering Millie’s boyfriend is a lawyer? Why not go to him sooner once you’ve figured out that you’ve never actually met Douglas before!?
I just can not for the life of me figure out why any of this author’s books are so highly rated because honestly it’s giving amateur hour.
There’s no strong characters.
There’s ZERO chemistry between Millie and Enzo as well as Millie and Brock.
The voice acting is atrocious. Again, still not at all what a Brooklyn accent sounds like and Enzo’s “Italian” accent borders on parody. And as if that wasn’t bad enough, apparently there’s no editing done for this audiobook because the actress mispronounces the most basic words (regardless of which character is speaking).
Millie is by far the stupidest protagonist I’ve ever had the misfortune of reading about. I think the author chose to make Millie a “tough” former convict to make up for giving her literally no personality but at no point is it believable. If Millie was railroaded by the justice system before, why would she have such extreme trust and confidence in the NYPD? And how does she have ZERO street smarts?
I feel like everything from the last book was completely just written out aside from the laughable romance between Millie and Enzo (despite them having zero chemistry), who in this book the author turned into a complete and total moron. Wow, he keeps calling her boyfriend “Broccoli” instead of Brock. So funny. 🙄
Also the author is dreadful at world building. No descriptions of pretty much anything. “He hands me a dress.” Okay, what does the dress look like? Or feel like?
None of this believably sounds like New York. Any actual New Yorker would tell you that nobody just drives in and out of the Boroughs all the time as much as Enzo and Millie and Brock do. Most New Yorkers don’t even have cars due to the shoddy parking situation (unless they’re commuting often to Long Island which literally nobody but Douglas seems to do). And each time Millie had to say how she lives in the South Bronx like five times per sentence, I just cringed.
I just can not for the life of me figure out why any of this author’s books are so highly rated because honestly it’s giving amateur hour.
The Housemaid by Freida McFadden
dark
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? It's complicated
2.5
The narrator was awful (begging more voice actors to learn what an actual Brooklyn accent sounds like. Also she outright just didn’t know how to pronounce simple words? Is there no editing in Audiobooks?) and both Millie and Nina were competing in the Pick Me! Olympics and were really frustrating to read about because they both felt so completely underdeveloped .
It’s weird how little detail McFadden gives us. Is this a new trend? Taylor Jenkins Reid writes like this too. They just assume “a large, expensive looking room” or “white pants” are enough when none of that actually paints a picture for me as a reader. There was more detail (like ten pages worth) and description when Nina accidentally squirts breast milk everywhere at work than there is like anything else in this book.
AlsoMillie’s backstory makes zero sense to me. You’d think someone who spent 10 years in prison would have more street smarts and common sense but no. She makes the most absurd mistakes.
And she really leans HARD into the whole “pick me!” NLOG thing. It was hard not to roll my eyes every time she said something along the lines of “Nina is an ugly fat bitch unlike me who is sexy and petite and model gorgeous (despite doing 10 years in prison then living in my car for months) but also young and fertile.” Like girl, STAND UP. Have some self respect lmfao. No man is worth it. Especially not the blank void of a character that is Andrew (we just know he’s hot but we’re never given much description part that and even before shit gets crazy, he has no personality at all).
Nina and Enzo’s scheme also makes ZERO sense. And is pretty revolting tbh. It’s weird that they both really thought setting up another woman to be tortured by Andrew was a good idea. This is another example of an author being so wrapped up in having a twist that they forgot how to actually develop one that makes sense.
This was a fast listen and entertaining enough so 2.5 stars is I think an adequate rating but yeah, the author has a lot of work to do before writing anything else 😬
It’s weird how little detail McFadden gives us. Is this a new trend? Taylor Jenkins Reid writes like this too. They just assume “a large, expensive looking room” or “white pants” are enough when none of that actually paints a picture for me as a reader. There was more detail (like ten pages worth) and description when Nina accidentally squirts breast milk everywhere at work than there is like anything else in this book.
Also
And she really leans HARD into the whole “pick me!” NLOG thing. It was hard not to roll my eyes every time she said something along the lines of “Nina is an ugly fat bitch unlike me who is sexy and petite and model gorgeous (despite doing 10 years in prison then living in my car for months) but also young and fertile.” Like girl, STAND UP. Have some self respect lmfao. No man is worth it.
Nina and Enzo’s scheme also makes ZERO sense. And is pretty revolting tbh. It’s weird that they both really thought setting up another woman to be tortured by Andrew was a good idea.
This was a fast listen and entertaining enough so 2.5 stars is I think an adequate rating but yeah, the author has a lot of work to do before writing anything else 😬
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Body shaming, and Fatphobia
Dying of Politeness by Geena Davis
funny
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
3.0
Very light and breezy. Geena is lovely and quirky and honest but don’t expect salacious Hollywood gossip from this one. She’s a class act.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Sexual assault, and Pedophilia