samantita's reviews
219 reviews

The Last Ferry Out: A Novel by Andrea Bartz

dark tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

In The Last Ferry Out, Abby travels from frigid Wisconsin to the hidden paradise of Isla Colel, a Mexican island where her fiancee recently passed away. On a mission to meet the last people her fiancee bonded with (a scrappy group of expats), Abby wanders the small island alone. Bound by grief, she slowly becomes more and more determined to solve the puzzle of Eszther's seemingly straightforward death.

This read like a thriller to me. I never expect to find good writing in a thriller so this was a pleasant surprise. The figurative language combined with the tension kept me turning the page. 

What took me out of the story a bit was the lack of consistency in switching the POVs. Some characters only get one chapter through their perspective, and I wasn't crazy about it.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read. Thank you to NetGalley for this Advanced Reader Copy.

Sandwich by Catherine Newman

emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad slow-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

With one of the funniest MCs I've ever read in a novel, this story quickly won my heart.

Sandwich follows Rocky, her husband, and her two adult children over the span of a week during their annual summer vacation at Cape Cod. As new empty nesters, Rocky and Nick don't get to see their kids Willa and Jamie too often. Their love for their children, and the way they each express that love, is so heartwarming and genuine. Rocky uses her wit and humor to navigate through menopause, her relationship with her family, and the secrets she's kept that reveal themselves during their vacation. I laughed out loud more than a few times while reading this short but incredibly poignant and mature novel. 

I reveled in Willa's emotional intelligence and the beautifully dynamic relationship she has with her mom. I soaked up the wise tidbits Rocky's mom shares with her about life. I treasured Rocky's level of self-awareness and the honesty she has about her struggles. And I soaked in the sun that is this novel during this cold winter season. 

Though I'm not at the same stage of life as Rocky, I thoroughly enjoyed this read and can't wait to return to it when I'm going through what Rocky experiences. An incredibly well-written and truly phenomenal read.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Miscarriage

Minor: Abortion

Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny 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

Worthy: How to Believe You Are Enough and Transform Your Life by Jamie Kern Lima

hopeful informative inspiring reflective

4.0

I'm always a bit wary about self-help books that make gaining your confidence or self-worth out to be as simple as believing it. If it were that easy, the self-help genre wouldn't be a thing. I appreciate that Lima differentiated between self-confidence and self-worth, and repeatedly stated that it's a lifelong journey that she herself is still on. 

I filled this book up with highlights and sticky notes and will take what works for me and leave what doesn't. I've only finished the book a few days ago, but I already feel my mindset and perspective about myself shifting. This will be one I'll reference and return to in the future.

City of Veils by Zoë Ferraris

challenging dark sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

The Examiner by Janice Hallett

mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

Six students of various backgrounds and ages enroll in an art course for an MA at a prestigious London university. Absolutely nothing could go wrong, right?

I was initially hesitant to pick this book up when I flipped through it and saw the format. However, Hallett brings each character to life through messages, emails, and personal essays that had me questioning what was happening at each corner of the story and quickly turning the page to find out. Because it felt like I was reading a screenshot of someone's text messages, it was a quick and easy read.

I literally dropped my jaw and yelled OH MY GOD at the part where we find out

that Jem is blind

and was a bit disappointed that I hadn't figured it out myself. It makes Hallett's skill all the more impressive to me. I'll definitely be reading more. 

Ask Again, Yes by Mary Beth Keane

challenging dark emotional sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez

adventurous funny hopeful lighthearted sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Emma is a travel nurse who's fine with not putting down roots anywhere. She and her foster sister Maddy, also a travel nurse, take turns picking their assignments and enjoying new locations every three months. That's until she connects with Justin via a Reddit post and decides to take an assignment in Minneapolis to break the curse they both have. Every person they date goes on to meet their soulmate after they break up. So what if Emma and Justin date each other and then break up? The curse cancels itself out and they go on to find their soulmates, right? Easy peasy.

Though just over 400 pages, I found this to be a quick, fun read. I never knew I wanted to visit Minnesota until Emma and Maddy took me to a cottage on Lake Minnetonka, and now I find myself dreaming of curling up with a good book on an Adirondack as the sun sets in August on the lake.

I enjoyed seeing Emma and Justin's situationship play out on the page, and the supporting characters were a hoot, too. I'm glad Maddy was there to pick up the broken pieces of Emma and encourage her to seek out her family. And Brad/Brad (the person and dog) were the support that Justin needed.

I'm not big into romance so when I read a book with romance in it, I prefer it to have nice prose. I didn't really see anything special about the prose in this book, but I was okay with that. I can appreciate the book for what it is.

It's cold where I live right now, so this was a good read to warm up my heart.

Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano

4.0

I finished this in three days. The story was told in 3rd person omniscient and I'm not sure how I feel about it. I get that the author wanted to give us a glimpse into what every one experienced, and how their experiences were similar or different. 

Reading about how Edward grew and evolved around his grief was touching.

I love Napolitano's use of language. The imagery she paints is so soft yet effective. She does an awesome job of making us feel what the characters feel--their pain, their realizations, their nuances.

I felt like Lacey wasn't done much justice. Edward formed this relationship with John that bonded them together and Lacey was sort of left in the dust.

 I liked that Edward and Shay didn't take the next step of their relationship until after the book finished. Otherwise, the romance would've taken away from the true themes of the book, which were hope in the midst of grief.

The ending scene where Edward is remembering Jordan's advice is absolutely beautiful.

Claim Your Confidence: Unlock Your Superpower and Create the Life You Want by Lydia Fenet

3.0

There were a few nuggets of wisdom that I took from this book and can apply to my life, however simple their messaging might have been. The author's stories about how she got through her seemingly small challenges were interesting, but they definitely felt targeted towards people that have the resources to overcome challenges in the way that she did. 

Someone else said that the book might have done better as memoir with all the author's stories in each chapter, and I might agree. I'm also not too keen on the whole power of positivity aspect and the idea that if you believe you'll be fine, then you'll be fine. I know those were the nurse's words in Fenet's story at the end, but that's essentially the message she was trying to convey. If it were that easy, there wouldn't be a need for this book. I don't want to invalidate her feelings and how she got through tough times, but I think her pushing this toxic positivity onto her readers does a disservice to people and will probably make them feel crappy for not staying positive enough through really shitty times.