kt2e56's reviews
100 reviews

Cult X by Fuminori Nakamura

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 22%.
My brain is just not functioning enough for it for whatever reason.
Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard

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dark 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

3.0

Why are all of these adult men sleeping with these children?
They Never Learn by Layne Fargo

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dark hopeful mysterious 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

4.0

Whip smart and really engrossing! Definitely couldn’t put it down until it was over. I think it’s something all survivors will find cathartic to read.
Sirens & Muses by Antonia Angress

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dark emotional hopeful reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Was hoping I’d like this more than I did but it was enjoyable! Louisa and Karina should have been the main focus. Robert didn’t really fit in much with the other storylines (and his internal crisis about Vince could have been its own, interesting separate book) and Preston was such a cliche it bordered on parody (and not in a good way) but the initial infatuation to inspiration to obsession sapphic love story between Louisa and Karina I really did enjoy. I think the ending was way too abrupt and I wish we had just one more chapter from Karina after Louisa’s final phone call. I think that would have made this book feel more complete.
The Fury by Alex Michaelides

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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 pages
which 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.
 
Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke And Other Misfortunes by Eric LaRocca

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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

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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.
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Vampires of El Norte by Isabel Cañas

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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

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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

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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.