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kt2e56's reviews
116 reviews
The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-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
2.0
An interesting set up! Unfortunately, some shoddy performances (Mimi and The Concierge both stand out) and some truly baffling “twists” with a laughable amount of plot holes sort of takes away from what could have been an interesting mystery.
I think hiring actual French voice actors (or in the case of The Concierge, an Albanian voice actor) would have helped quite a bit.
I also don’t believe for a second that there was any chemistry or romance between Jess and Theo so that was pretty funny to have them just fuck randomly in a bathroom.
Speaking of Jess, she was Bella Swan levels of bland which was extra apparent when other characters would try and describe her as “fiery” or “brave” or “in love with danger.” She’s quite literally none of those things? She’s just a blank slate protagonist that spends all of her time moping.
Another chemistry issue was between Sophie and Mimi. By the end, suddenly Sophie is supposed to be a warm, doting, devoted mother? Even though for 99% of the book she doesn’t mention having children (step or otherwise) and Mimi goes on and on about her issues with her father but also never once mentions that she has a mother that she’s super close with? Really? I think the author picked the family twist without putting any actual effort into executing it realistically because it really just doesn’t hold up. At all.
This was a big disappointment for me. I’ve seen it hyped up and it really did have me interested in those first few chapters but it just seemed to spiral out of control from the author.
I think hiring actual French voice actors (or in the case of The Concierge, an Albanian voice actor) would have helped quite a bit.
Speaking of Jess, she was Bella Swan levels of bland which was extra apparent when other characters would try and describe her as “fiery” or “brave” or “in love with danger.” She’s quite literally none of those things? She’s just a blank slate protagonist that spends all of her time moping.
Another chemistry issue was between
This was a big disappointment for me. I’ve seen it hyped up and it really did have me interested in those first few chapters but it just seemed to spiral out of control from the author.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Misogyny, Slavery, Trafficking
Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Fatphobia, Blood, Death of parent, Gaslighting
The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones
Did not finish book. Stopped at 20%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 20%.
I just can’t get into this one unfortunately. Maybe I’ll try again some other time.
Portrait of a Thief by Grace D. Li
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-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
This was a blast to read from the start! Interesting characters that felt like they could be real people. A fun, adventurous story. I’m an art history nerd, so I liked stopping every now and then to go down rabbit holes about different pieces of art mentioned or certain periods of Chinese history so I had a frame of reference.
Also this book had a lot of heart. The hopes, dreams, and fears of the characters all were very strong, you could tell the Grace D. Li put a lot of thought into the individual stories she was telling about each character and their identities.
Oh and of course there’s a fun sapphic enemies to lovers storyline <3
Also this book had a lot of heart. The hopes, dreams, and fears of the characters all were very strong, you could tell the Grace D. Li put a lot of thought into the individual stories she was telling about each character and their identities.
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
This was ROUGH to get through as an audiobook. I didn’t like the voice actor at all. His accents for different characters weren’t very good and actually distracted from quite a few serious moments making it harder to connect emotionally.
I thought about DNF-ing quite a few times and a lot of that has to do with me doing this as an audiobook but I also honestly found Ryland Grace to be such an annoying character to spend most of our time with. Lots of Joss Whedon “well that just happened” style writing and corny dialogue. I think Andy Weir thinks Ryland Grace (which also…wtf kind of WattPad romance name is that?) is much more quirky and charming than he actually is. I’m sure Ryan Gosling and his insane charisma can fix this problem if this movie ever winds up happening.
The flashbacks felt a bit clunky, too. This book really could have trimmed down a lot and give us a more concise story.
That being said, thanks tothe introduction of Rocky the alien and the last third of the book, I started to really enjoy this book so much more. I think their dynamic is lovely and I really liked that Rocky became a key part of the story and not just a brief plot point. He’s the heart and soul of this book for me. Two stars are easily just because of Rocky.
I’m thinking about maybe re-reading this in a few months to see if reading a print copy improves my thoughts because I really think a lot of what I found to flaws had to do with it being an audio book.
I thought about DNF-ing quite a few times and a lot of that has to do with me doing this as an audiobook but I also honestly found Ryland Grace to be such an annoying character to spend most of our time with. Lots of Joss Whedon “well that just happened” style writing and corny dialogue. I think Andy Weir thinks Ryland Grace (which also…wtf kind of WattPad romance name is that?) is much more quirky and charming than he actually is. I’m sure Ryan Gosling and his insane charisma can fix this problem if this movie ever winds up happening.
The flashbacks felt a bit clunky, too. This book really could have trimmed down a lot and give us a more concise story.
That being said, thanks to
I’m thinking about maybe re-reading this in a few months to see if reading a print copy improves my thoughts because I really think a lot of what I found to flaws had to do with it being an audio book.
Ariadne by Jennifer Saint
adventurous
dark
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
This started out very promising but it started to lose its luster for me as Ariadne made ridiculous choice after ridiculous choice. It’s odd that the premise of the book is how in Greek mythology, women were often punished and tortured for the crimes and desires of men and Ariadne is so keenly aware of this at the very beginning and claims to want to change her fate and yet she just does nothing? She’s brace when she assists Theseus but from that point on she just chooses to sit by and do literally nothing and allow the men in her life to save her or torment her or continue to do as they wish with her.
Juxtapose that with her little sister Phaedra (who is the far more complex and fascinating narrator here, particularly when dealing with Post Partum Depression) who is so bold and headstrong and vibrant and also determined to live her own life despite her status as a prize for Theseus (and she succeeds! She convinces him to keep adventuring so she can do as she pleases while he’s away!) untilshe literally out of nowhere becomes obsessed with her 14-year-old stepson?
Now, yes, that’s correct in terms of the original mythology but I thought the whole point of the book was to flesh out female mythological figures more? This book offers ZERO explanation for the insanely drastic change in character when it comes to Phaedra. Was she being used to punish Theseus? Did she upset Aphrodite? Was she just mad? We literally never find out. Her only reason for loving Hippolytus is because he’s different from Theseus but it still feels bizarre to me that a 28-year-old woman, who as far as we know was completely sane, would fall in love with a child literally out of nowhere.
I’m really not someone who needs media spelled out for me but in this case some explanation would have been great because it truly is that sudden of a change. It’s a storyline that feels rushed, like the author felt she had to shoehorn in that myth about Phaedra because it’s so well known but she didn’t really connect it very well with her version of Phaedra that she created for this book.
Jennifer Saint is a talented writer. She paints vivid pictures and there’s a lot here that’s compelling and interesting but to me, this book just didn’t quite stick the landing.
Juxtapose that with her little sister Phaedra (who is the far more complex and fascinating narrator here, particularly when dealing with Post Partum Depression) who is so bold and headstrong and vibrant and also determined to live her own life despite her status as a prize for Theseus (and she succeeds! She convinces him to keep adventuring so she can do as she pleases while he’s away!) until
Now, yes, that’s correct in terms of the original mythology but I thought the whole point of the book was to flesh out female mythological figures more? This book offers ZERO explanation for the insanely drastic change in character when it comes to Phaedra. Was she being used to punish Theseus? Did she upset Aphrodite? Was she just mad? We literally never find out. Her only reason for loving Hippolytus is because he’s different from Theseus but it still feels bizarre to me that a 28-year-old woman, who as far as we know was completely sane, would fall in love with a child literally out of nowhere.
I’m really not someone who needs media spelled out for me but in this case some explanation would have been great because it truly is that sudden of a change. It’s a storyline that feels rushed, like the author felt she had to shoehorn in that myth about Phaedra because it’s so well known but she didn’t really connect it very well with her version of Phaedra that she created for this book.
Jennifer Saint is a talented writer. She paints vivid pictures and there’s a lot here that’s compelling and interesting but to me, this book just didn’t quite stick the landing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Gore, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Mental illness, Pedophilia, Rape, Torture, Grief, War
The Return by Rachel Harrison
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Unlike most of the other reviews, I actually didn’t mind the buildup before shot hits the fan. I think it adds a lot to the story and makes the characters feel real, still a little annoying, but real. Some of their questionable decisions make sense because we spent so much time with them. The horror elements really work once shit kicks off. The tension is thick. The creature design is great. I really dug it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Confinement, Gore, Infidelity, Mental illness, Self harm, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Stalking, Murder, Toxic friendship
House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland
dark
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? It's complicated
5.0
Okay so this is described as a dark fairytale on here, but it’s actually a bleak fairytale. One of the very few books I’ve read that doesn’t waste a single page. It genuinely holds you captive from beginning to end. Nothing feels wasteful. Nothing feels unnecessary. All of the characters are compelling. The twists and turns and reveals feel earned. I just really loved this book a lot. Krystal Sutherland has such a visceral voice as a writer, I can really feel and see and touch and smell and taste EVERYTHING she puts on the page.
Very much looking forward to reading more from her.
Very much looking forward to reading more from her.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Bullying, Gun violence, Misogyny, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Violence, Vomit, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Stalking, Abandonment
The Resting Place by Camilla Sten
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-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? It's complicated
2.75
I liked this one more than The Lost Village although some of the flaws in that book are still here. The story captures your interest but it was a little slow to get through because the most compelling character was Anushka. Eleanor, the protagonist, is boring and a lot of what she says feels like a broken record. I also feel like her face-blindness sort of goes in and out. Like it’s forgotten about for quite a bit until it’s needed as a plot device again. This ending was definitely much more plausible than whatever the fuck that was in The Lost Village, even if a lot of the mysteries and twists here feel a little similar and I wasn’t shocked by the twist.
Hide by Kiersten White
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
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
5.0
“Finally, to everyone who still insists they pulled themselves up by their own bootstraps: For fuck’s sake, look up the origin of the saying.”
The author included that in her acknowledgments at the very end and I feel like it adds so much to what I just read.
Obviously, I love horror. But even with my love of horror, it’s rare in the past few years that I’ve finished a book in less than a day.
This was sharp and ugly and bare bones and I loved it. Enough is told. There’s nothing unnecessary. This book just builds and builds it’s dread then moves on after leaving you with some surprisingly big questions.
The author included that in her acknowledgments at the very end and I feel like it adds so much to what I just read.
Obviously, I love horror. But even with my love of horror, it’s rare in the past few years that I’ve finished a book in less than a day.
This was sharp and ugly and bare bones and I loved it. Enough is told. There’s nothing unnecessary. This book just builds and builds it’s dread then moves on after leaving you with some surprisingly big questions.
I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
5.0
Disturbing and bleak but necessary. I’m glad Jennette is healing and survived all she has been through.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Body shaming, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Grief, Death of parent