Take a photo of a barcode or cover
manikahemmerixh's Reviews (218)
Soft DNF? I read ¼ and I find the premise very very interesting, and I do think that I could like this book. However, at this time I was struggling to bring myself to pick it up and really get engaged with the story and now it's due back at the library so maybe I'll try again later.
If I were to think of this story as a form of murder mystery satire, I think that I'd give it a 3-3.5⭐. The problem with that, of course, is that it's not satire, and yet it was so deeply unserious. It's kind of hard to care too much about a character being framed if that character is really annoying with few (if any?) likeable qualities. If you like lots of melodrama and don't need stories (and characters for that matter) that feel realistic, then the general plot of this story actually isn't so bad and as thrillers go I think the twist is fine. It's not too predictable. Having read one of Jeneva Rose's newer releases I think that she's grown a lot as a writer since publishing this one.
I've read two of Kristin Hannah's novels now, and feel confident saying that I really enjoy her writing style. She creates a great atmosphere for her stories and it truly feels like you're inserted into the time period. Both works I've read have also been very easy to read due to the way that the story moves and flows. I will say that this story was maybe a little too reminiscent of The Nightingale. Both are beautiful stories and good works, but having read The Nightingale diminished some of the powerful moments in this story. This one just didn't feeling touching in quite the same way.
Continues Tremblay's theme of analyzing human behavior and perception at the horror level. Can be summed up with "what if a few people who were maybe not quite "normal" - but mostly harmless - made a movie that was not normal or harmless, how would that experience push their boundaries and distort them?" The screen play can be hard to read, but because it's well done. The plotline as a whole is slightly predictable though.
This is one of the few novels I've read that I found truly unsettling. I think I could easily do a deep dive into reading more and unraveling parts of this story, or read it multiple more times and still pick up on new signs and pieces each time. At the same time, I also find it almost too creepy to even think about too much. We Used to Live Here absolutely leaves you with more questions than answers, but in a way that's hauntingly satisfying.
OK. So, I picked this book up because I read Hidden Pictures, and found it so unique in a genre that can get a little repetitive (which is ok but makes it extra enjoyable when you find something that feels truly distinctive), and then I saw Rekulak had another book coming out and was ready for something new and fresh again. . .The Last One at the Wedding is not that.
Almost all of the elements are something I've seen done before, but that's actually not the nail in the coffin for this book. What I truly could not stand was the characters. They are i n s u f f e r a b l e. And I do actually mean pretty much everyone apart from a 10 year old and one other character who when they are in a scene say almost nothing and are referenced to more than they're actually present in the story (Aidan ). I felt that way from start to finish too, even before the secrets start to unravel, which took most of the umpf out of any reveal. There's no nuance to them, just a bunch of people with personalities as intricate as a flat sheet of cardboard. I think that there's meant to be character redemption by the end, but it was too late for me.
I chose not to DNF because Rekulak is still a good writer, and I was actually so perturbed by the characters that I felt the need to finish. While I personally don't know anyone that I would recommend this book to, I'm not surprised that people like it. Having highly rated Hidden Pictures, I know what it's like when this author's work lands correctly, this one just didn't do that for me.
Almost all of the elements are something I've seen done before, but that's actually not the nail in the coffin for this book. What I truly could not stand was the characters. They are i n s u f f e r a b l e. And I do actually mean pretty much everyone apart from a 10 year old and one other character who when they are in a scene say almost nothing and are referenced to more than they're actually present in the story (
I chose not to DNF because Rekulak is still a good writer, and I was actually so perturbed by the characters that I felt the need to finish. While I personally don't know anyone that I would recommend this book to, I'm not surprised that people like it. Having highly rated Hidden Pictures, I know what it's like when this author's work lands correctly, this one just didn't do that for me.
I loved the beginning, and at first really liked Sloane as an FMC. My feelings after that are complicated. I love vampires, I love complicated women with complicated relationships with themselves (and others), and I liked Rachel Harrison's writing style. However, I don't think there was enough room to execute real character development and any effort to do so felt rushed/forced (and it did seem like some character growth was integral to the story). It's not a bad book though.
Way too on the nose for me, and too many of the big reveals really don't make sense if you give them any thought. I couldn't suspend my disbelief enough, but I do understand what this book was trying to do by modernizing classic slasher tropes.