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sarah2438's reviews
1099 reviews
A Million Junes by Emily Henry
4.5
Proving that Emily Henry has always known her stuff. Can't wait to read more of her backlist.
People Collide by Isle McElroy
Did not finish book. Stopped at 33%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 33%.
I expected so much more from this but it's just boring. There's an opportunity for a really interesting commentary here but he's just wandering around like an idiot.
Cracked Up to Be by Courtney Summers
2.5
Basically nothing happened in the entire book, and the ending really wasn't satisfying.
The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel van der Kolk
Did not finish book. Stopped at 5%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 5%.
After having this on my TBR for literally 5 years, repeatedly picking it up and putting it down, I decided today that I either move forward with it or don't. I read through the first chapter and realized it probably wasn't for me. The author casually brings up the details of a lot of people's trauma as anecdotes in a way that didn't sit right with me. A review that I read on Goodreads summed up what I was feeling by saying this book isn't for those who have experienced trauma, it's for researchers learning about the makeup of it. I've made a lot of progress on my own trauma (initially made me think this book was a right book, wrong time situation) but I still found the first chapter disturbing. I would discourage people from reading this if they are actively experiencing PTSD and trauma.
How to Walk Away by Katherine Center
2.0
Completely unremarkable. Reminds me of Maybe in Another Life by TJR, which was published 3 years before this. But at least that one had an interesting premise. Sigh. Didn't want to start the year with a flop but here we are.
Lucy Undying by Kiersten White
2.0
Gosh, I hate being disappointed but this book delivered that in spades.
It's frustrating when I can so clearly see potential. The chapters where Lucy is talking to her counselor and writing in her diary were actually pretty great. I was still missing a connection to her-- it feels so detached to read her describing her life, whether to a doctor or a person. But the chapters about Iris just bored me to tears. I did not care at all about Iris, and the information given to us by the other two POVs made it just tedious to sit around and wait for Iris to figure these things out. The instalove between Iris and Lucy also did not win me over. I think this story was intended to be reminiscent of A Dowry of Blood (or maybe that's just my wishful thinking) but it simply could not compare. There were so many cringe moments to this. A vampire MLM? Really? It feels too serious to be funny and too funny to be serious. I greatly enjoyed Kiersten White's Paranormalcy series as a teenager but I think it may be time to leave her in that stage of my life.
**I received a free eArc from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**
It's frustrating when I can so clearly see potential. The chapters where Lucy is talking to her counselor and writing in her diary were actually pretty great. I was still missing a connection to her-- it feels so detached to read her describing her life, whether to a doctor or a person. But the chapters about Iris just bored me to tears. I did not care at all about Iris, and the information given to us by the other two POVs made it just tedious to sit around and wait for Iris to figure these things out. The instalove between Iris and Lucy also did not win me over. I think this story was intended to be reminiscent of A Dowry of Blood (or maybe that's just my wishful thinking) but it simply could not compare. There were so many cringe moments to this. A vampire MLM? Really? It feels too serious to be funny and too funny to be serious. I greatly enjoyed Kiersten White's Paranormalcy series as a teenager but I think it may be time to leave her in that stage of my life.
**I received a free eArc from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**
Linghun by Ai Jiang
2.5
I liked it at first but I didn't understand the ending and I wasn't a fan of the random other short stories that were included. Bummer.
If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio
4.5
Way to end 2024 on a BANGER. Wow. A 4.5 star read, finished 3.5 hours before the end of the year, completes my reading goal of 150 books for 2024. I'm such a dork but that's incredible.
This book is pretentious as hell, and that's why I have to deduct .5 stars. But honestly I could still change my mind on that cause the pretentiousness is the whole point with this book.
This book is pretentious as hell, and that's why I have to deduct .5 stars. But honestly I could still change my mind on that cause the pretentiousness is the whole point with this book.
A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman
3.0
I've had this on my TBR for YEARS and it had the audacity to be mediocre?? Ove is clearly intended to be charming but he was just annoying. I expected myself to cry but I was bored! Rude.