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museaway's reviews
18 reviews
The Guest by B.A. Paris
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Fun audiobook selection while I was working! Kept my attention most of the time and was nice and twisty.
Did not anticipate the epilogue's twist:Unreliable narrator was the murderer! Very Murder of Roger Ackroyd-esque.
Did not anticipate the epilogue's twist:
Send Them a Farewell Gift for the Lost Time by Cocomi
emotional
hopeful
sad
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
5.0
A refreshing find on Hoopla and easily one of the best manga I've read recently. The emotions leapt off of the page! A hairdresser has left his emotionally distant novelist boyfriend, but they continue to hook up in the aftermath of the breakup due to lingering feelings. Will they get back together??
It's a BL manga, of course they will. And it's super satisfying.
Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
I've seen several film adaptations of this story but had never read it, so I fully expected a negative reaction from Poirot at the end of the book. But the book doesn't end like that at all! The crime is solved, and that is that. No moralizing. It feels more in character for him, although I can understand why later films added this element. The resolution is shocking and makes for a good debate.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
The victim is repeatedly stabbed to death. The scene isn't on page. If it would upset you to read a book where the murderer gets away with it, skip this one.
The Secret Talker by Geling Yan
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Giving this a five since I devoured it in about 24 hours. Stalking isn't a topic I typically read, but like the main character, I was intrigued by the standoffish person cloaked by email.
I did figure out who it was early on, although it was so simple, I figured I was wrong. I did not anticipate the second twist concerning the young woman's identity, which did understandably complicate things and made the secrecy a little more understandable. In reality, it's a ridiculous setup, but it was fun to watch unfold.
Structurally, I liked the way Hongmei would include a story about her childhood mid-scene as a summation of an email she had just sent. Sometimes in-scene flashbacks can be clunky but this novel had a quick pace and never stalled.
I didn't particularly like the main character but she was interesting, and while I would never have made the choices she did, it was fun to slip into someone else's head and see what would happen.
My favorite character was actually the best friend, Nini, who went from being a gold digger to a war protester. She had the best character development of the book and provided some necessary comic relief.
For someone looking for a thriller that will keep them guessing, this is not it. This is about people desperate to communicate and doing so through unconventional means.
I did figure out who it was early on, although it was so simple, I figured I was wrong. I did not anticipate the second twist concerning the young woman's identity, which did understandably complicate things and made the secrecy a little more understandable. In reality, it's a ridiculous setup, but it was fun to watch unfold.
Structurally, I liked the way Hongmei would include a story about her childhood mid-scene as a summation of an email she had just sent. Sometimes in-scene flashbacks can be clunky but this novel had a quick pace and never stalled.
I didn't particularly like the main character but she was interesting, and while I would never have made the choices she did, it was fun to slip into someone else's head and see what would happen.
My favorite character was actually the best friend, Nini, who went from being a gold digger to a war protester. She had the best character development of the book and provided some necessary comic relief.
For someone looking for a thriller that will keep them guessing, this is not it. This is about people desperate to communicate and doing so through unconventional means.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Stalking
Moderate: Child death, Infidelity, and War
There are descriptions of the main character's life in China and the village she grew up, which include descriptions of child death and references to young teenage girls being seduced by a visitor.
Hongmei's stalker had also been accused of (tw: rape) raping his daughter, although it is revealed that this was ultimately the work of a bad psychiatrist and untrue. For this reason, the book contains references to incest.
The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yōko Ogawa
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
I love this author and this book did not disappoint. I cried through the final pages. A lovely look at the way relationships impact us.
What Lies in the Woods by Kate Alice Marshall
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
1.0
It's rare when I can't find anything to appreciate in a story. This book was repetitive to the point of infuriating. A slew of on the nose moments, pacing isssues, and a plot hole that should have been fixed during the planning stage. To top it off, I didn't like one character in the book.
I listened to the audiobook and the narrator's performance was excellent, but it couldn't make up for the poor writing.
I listened to the audiobook and the narrator's performance was excellent, but it couldn't make up for the poor writing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide and Murder
Moderate: Gaslighting, Mental illness, Toxic friendship, and Sexual content
Multiple recollections of statutory rape
When We Believed in Mermaids by Barbara O'Neal
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
We read this for book club. It's not my tea, but it was interesting.
My major issue was the treatment of a character as a plot device. He was easily the most interesting and sympathetic character, but we knew almost nothing about him, and he was introduced and taken away to further the sisters' story. If the novel had been about HIS disappearance and his rediscovery 20 years later, I would have loved the story.
My take is that the author felt she needed significant shared trauma to pull off the story. Both of the girls had plenty without this character's demise.
My major issue was the treatment of a character as a plot device. He was easily the most interesting and sympathetic character, but we knew almost nothing about him, and he was introduced and taken away to further the sisters' story. If the novel had been about HIS disappearance and his rediscovery 20 years later, I would have loved the story.
My take is that the author felt she needed significant shared trauma to pull off the story. Both of the girls had plenty without this character's demise.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Suicide, Sexual assault, and Suicide attempt
Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
The Way of the Househusband, Vol. 3 by Kousuke Oono
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
5.0
My current favorite manga series
Season by Mitsuaki Asou, 麻生ミツ晃
Matsuoka is a gangster and at one point is shown cutting off someone's ear. There's also a flashback scene where he's ostensibly working as a prostitute.
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
Azuma, the teenaged son of a deceased kimono maker, falls for the mysterious Matsuoka--a man who insists on caring for Azuma and his sickly mother, saying he is only paying back a kindness. As he falls in love, Azuma grows jealous of his father's memory, believing that he was Matsuoka's savior, but his eyes are opened in more than one way when he visits Matsuoka in Tokyo.
My absolute favorite by Asou Mitsuaki. I own it in Japanese. Her works are all so melancholy and beautiful. I'd do anything for another chapter of these two.
My absolute favorite by Asou Mitsuaki. I own it in Japanese. Her works are all so melancholy and beautiful. I'd do anything for another chapter of these two.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence