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rcrouch's reviews
113 reviews
Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
5.0
4.5/5- I’ve been really reading some feeling hitters lately! The beginning was a bit slow to start for me and that is the the only reason i took the .5 off. I found Eleanor to be truly annoying, but that was the entire point and i loved the amount of growth the author displayed for her character in such a short book. I enjoyed so much in this book. Very happy with the ending as well.
In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren
4.0
4/5- this book was such a cute holiday special, i totally liked it a lot. I also figured out that im not a big fan of someone audibly telling me about an intimate scene, no fault on the author for that. Even with momentarily uncomfortableness i still enjoyed the perfect holiday read!
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
4.0
4/5 wow! This was an interesting one, i listened to the audio version. I loved the twist, at first i didn’t really see it coming but i soon figured out what was happening. I don’t think the book was that deep though, like it explained issues with characters but didn’t go into too much depth in my opinion. Im still happy i gave it a chance and would recommend it for anyone who likes psychological thrillers.
Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo
4.0
4/5! ALRIGHT so. I know this book took me forever to read, but audiobooks had a hold on me for a bit haha.
Anyway back to it, i liked it a lot. Did i like it as much as the first? No. Where some aspects better than the first? Yes. The new characters are such a welcomed addition to the series, it needed a little pizazz. Nikolai fits that roll perfectly. He is my little darling and he makes me feel so sick of Mal. I get Mal is some macho hunter but like, could they have made him a little more likable? I do feel like the whole middle of the book was a bit drab with feeling like it wasn’t going anywhere. But that ending... YES. I LIVED FOR IT OKAY. For a split second, when it happened, (and you all know what i mean if you’re a darkling fan) i just about fell out of my chair!
Anyway back to it, i liked it a lot. Did i like it as much as the first? No. Where some aspects better than the first? Yes. The new characters are such a welcomed addition to the series, it needed a little pizazz. Nikolai fits that roll perfectly. He is my little darling and he makes me feel so sick of Mal. I get Mal is some macho hunter but like, could they have made him a little more likable? I do feel like the whole middle of the book was a bit drab with feeling like it wasn’t going anywhere. But that ending... YES. I LIVED FOR IT OKAY. For a split second, when it happened, (and you all know what i mean if you’re a darkling fan) i just about fell out of my chair!
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
5.0
5/5 yes. I just cant describe my utter amazement at this story. This is the epitome of the book being far better than the movie. Dont get me wrong i loved the movie but now that ive gotten to hear the book they just seem like 2 totally different things entirely. I was so happy and a little sad to get to the end. Definitely one of my tops from this year. I enjoyed the story and all of its references to things that i know about, i delve into games as well. It just felt so nostalgic and unreal, i mean i guess it is unreal but you get my point!
The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune
5.0
5/5 wonderfully deserved stars. This book is now on my all time favorite list. Quite possibly my number 1 favorite. I loved it from start to finish. I felt so immersed in this cerulean world and truly feel as astounded as Linus was. Such an amazing lesson learned for our character Linus. (Obviously Arthur and Linus have my whole heart) Just the fact of knowing that home is truly where you make it, where your family is. I literally wept when i finished. I think there is a real message that could be directed at so many people with this book. Its not about what you were told, its about who that person is. Make your own opinions for yourself and make sure they are always from the heart. Change your perspective.
Our Darkest Night: A Novel of Italy and the Second World War by Jennifer Robson
5.0
5/5 I cant express how much raw emotion was in Our Darkest Night, but I appreciate every page. Im not usually reading many books involving history and Ill never know what it was like for anyone going through this, but my heart aches knowing this was the world at one time. Antonina, while fictional bore the story of many other Jewish females and I felt every one of her emotions. I was a total mess at most parts of this book wether it be unbearable happiness or utter despair. Im so glad that I took the time to really enjoy every page.
Thunderhead by Neal Shusterman
4.0
4/5 SHOOK..
That ending was mind blowing. Literally. I say 4 stars because yes, there were some uninteresting parts in my opinion, but they were absolutely all necessary. I feel like this is some mad game of chess and the author knew just how much he had to set up to pull it off honestly. I don’t think caught one plot hole whatsoever.
I so enjoyed all the character development i seen displayed throughout the story, i absolutely love Rowan. He’s so absolutely selfless for the people he loves. I love the budding relationship with Curie and Anastasia, they really do make a brilliant team. I have to admit i totally missed the scythe inputs between chapters. I often skipped the thunderheads inputs just due to them not being very interesting, some were but not really. I do like the new addition of our friend Grayson Tolliver, hes such a cute little dude. Just wants to be approved of by the only parent he knows no matter what.
That ending was mind blowing. Literally. I say 4 stars because yes, there were some uninteresting parts in my opinion, but they were absolutely all necessary. I feel like this is some mad game of chess and the author knew just how much he had to set up to pull it off honestly. I don’t think caught one plot hole whatsoever.
I so enjoyed all the character development i seen displayed throughout the story, i absolutely love Rowan. He’s so absolutely selfless for the people he loves. I love the budding relationship with Curie and Anastasia, they really do make a brilliant team. I have to admit i totally missed the scythe inputs between chapters. I often skipped the thunderheads inputs just due to them not being very interesting, some were but not really. I do like the new addition of our friend Grayson Tolliver, hes such a cute little dude. Just wants to be approved of by the only parent he knows no matter what.
The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix
3.0
3.5/5
I round down due to my thoughts being closer to 3 than a 4.
There are so many trigger warnings in the book! It felt all over the place.
While i did enjoy it, i also disliked it in a few ways. Most of the characters were my issue. I absolutely despised Carter and all of his “friends” *eyeroll* i do understand this book is supposed to be satire so i wont fault it because it was my first reading of one. Im just not the biggest fan of it. I loved Mrs. Green, she may have been my favorite. Patricia was okay but for me she didn’t stand her ground a lot. I was very very proud of what she did in the end so that won her some points.
Overall I’m just very in between with this one. While i knew it wouldn’t be what the title alluded to, it just missed the mark for me.
I round down due to my thoughts being closer to 3 than a 4.
There are so many trigger warnings in the book! It felt all over the place.
While i did enjoy it, i also disliked it in a few ways. Most of the characters were my issue. I absolutely despised Carter and all of his “friends” *eyeroll* i do understand this book is supposed to be satire so i wont fault it because it was my first reading of one. Im just not the biggest fan of it. I loved Mrs. Green, she may have been my favorite. Patricia was okay but for me she didn’t stand her ground a lot. I was very very proud of what she did in the end so that won her some points.
Overall I’m just very in between with this one. While i knew it wouldn’t be what the title alluded to, it just missed the mark for me.
Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo
4.0
4/5
From what Im seeing with reviews you either hate it or love it. All of that is due to those last 100ish dang pages. Im on the fence. While i basically loathed the ending, i did appreciate what she did for Alina and Mal. I do think stripping Alina of her powers didn’t sit right with me, also matching her up with Mal to begin with... i never really liked him haha.
Why couldn’t she have the darkling huh? Maybe make him good in the end or something idk. I may have bad taste in men by saying that but he was so close to being deep and intriguing. There could’ve been a breakthrough there. I was truly hurt by the way he died. I wanted him to come to the light.
Or even Nikolai, he wasn’t too sweet or clingy. He tried his best to make her comfortable with the situation she was forced into. He would have made her happy.
If I’m honest Alina never wanted this power. Maybe as she got hungrier for it, it made me hungrier to see her enveloped in it. Now knowing how it ends i could see why Leigh made it seem like she longed for the times where she never had the light in the first place.
Overall i LOVED this trilogy. Im so happy that i finished them all and i would definitely come back to them and read it again
From what Im seeing with reviews you either hate it or love it. All of that is due to those last 100ish dang pages. Im on the fence. While i basically loathed the ending, i did appreciate what she did for Alina and Mal. I do think stripping Alina of her powers didn’t sit right with me, also matching her up with Mal to begin with... i never really liked him haha.
Why couldn’t she have the darkling huh? Maybe make him good in the end or something idk. I may have bad taste in men by saying that but he was so close to being deep and intriguing. There could’ve been a breakthrough there. I was truly hurt by the way he died. I wanted him to come to the light.
Or even Nikolai, he wasn’t too sweet or clingy. He tried his best to make her comfortable with the situation she was forced into. He would have made her happy.
If I’m honest Alina never wanted this power. Maybe as she got hungrier for it, it made me hungrier to see her enveloped in it. Now knowing how it ends i could see why Leigh made it seem like she longed for the times where she never had the light in the first place.
Overall i LOVED this trilogy. Im so happy that i finished them all and i would definitely come back to them and read it again