sebrittainclark's reviews
1790 reviews

Model Home by Rivers Solomon

challenging dark tense medium-paced

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

3.5

Ezri returns to their childhood home where they and their siblings grew up as the only black family in a white suburb to find her parents dead in an apparent murder suicide. Ezri and their siblings are forced to confront their pasts and their presents to determine what really haunted that house their entire childhoods.

As with many of Solomon's reads this dealt with a lot of difficult topics including racism and child abuse. It was a good book, but a hard read. I felt that it was more of a thriller than a horror novel.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for an early copy.

Sorcery and Small Magics by Maiga Doocy

adventurous lighthearted 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

5.0

Leo and Grimm have been banned from spending time near each other, since they notoriously cannot get along. But when they're partnered together in a class and accidentally place a curse on Leo, they're forced to journey together into the source of magic, the Unquiet Wood, to try to find a cure.

I loved this book so much. The magic system and the characters are wonderful, and I really look forward to future books revealing more of the mysteries of the world, and to see how the relationship between Leo and Grimm evolves.

I loved how distinctive Leo and Grimm's voices were from one another.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for an early copy.

Can't Help Falling in Love by Sophie Sullivan

lighthearted slow-paced

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

2.0

What starts as Lexi and Will pretending to date to avoid Lexi's former friends finding out she hasn't lived up to everyone's expectations, quickly turns into a fake engagement as the situation gets out of their control.

I had a lot of trouble getting into this story. I felt like the story was too slow and the romance was too fast, and it just didn't work for me.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for an early copy.

If I Stopped Haunting You by Colby Wilkens

lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

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

2.0

Penelope Skinner hates Neil Storm (for reasons that were never entirely clear to me), so when they both end up on a writer's retreat in a haunted castle they find that proximity and a mystery can change the way they see each other.

There were a lot of storylines in this novel: the enemies to lovers romance, both protagonists dealing with writer's block, the writing retreat, and the haunted castle. It left me confused on what was really going on throughout the book. I enjoyed the ghost story, and wished there had been more focus on that storyline; though, I felt the ending of it was a little unsatisfying. 

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for an early copy.

Haunt Sweet Home by Sarah Pinsker

funny lighthearted fast-paced

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

4.0

Mara gets a job on a TV show renovating haunted homes, and as a PA, it's Mara's job to convince the homeowners' that their houses really are haunted. But over the summer, it seems like Mara isn't the only one doing the haunting.

This was a short, not particularly scary, ghost story. It has a fun premise, and was a quick read for me.

I thought having different narrators for the episode transcripts made those parts of the book really distinctive from the rest, and I thought the main narrator did a great job bringing the voices to life, especially Jo's.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for an early copy.

How to Help a Hungry Werewolf by Charlotte Stein

lighthearted medium-paced

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

4.5

Cassandra has returned to Hollow Brook to clean out her grandmother's house, but she finds more than she expected when her ex-best friend, Seth, turns into a werewolf and it turns out that Cassandra is a witch. Cassandra has to figure out the supernatural world, how to help Seth deal with all the downsides of being a werewolf, and suppress her feelings for him that she's sure he doesn't reciprocate.

I found the communication issues both very frustrating, but every understandable given both character's backgrounds. This book had so much going on, and while I loved it, I wish I had gotten to learn more about the town, the side characters, and the magic of this world.

I really loved the narration, especially how Seth's voice was very distinctive from Cassandra's.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for an early copy.

The Joy of Connections: 100 Ways to Beat Loneliness and Live a Happier and More Meaningful Life by Dr. Ruth K. Westheimer

informative

4.0

I thought this book was full of simple and practical advice for how to create more connection with others. I think it would be useful to anyone who wants to feel more connected to themself, their family, their friends, or their community, but isn't quite sure how to begin.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for an early copy.

How to Talk So Little Kids Will Listen: A Survival Guide to Life with Children Ages 2-7 by Joanna Faber, Julie King

informative medium-paced

5.0

You Had Me at Happy Hour by Timothy Janovsky

lighthearted medium-paced

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

3.0

Greg Harlow has left New York and TikTok fame in debt and in desperate need of his new job as a bartender at the restaurant Julien's aunt and uncle own. Julien has his own plans to become a sommelier and to move beyond working at his aunt and uncle's restaurant.

I felt like Julien's backstory and motivation felt a little more compelling than Greg's, and I felt like the ending didn't completely answer every question I had, but overall this was a fun read.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for an early copy.

Nobody Needs to Know: A Memoir by Pidgeon Pagonis

emotional informative medium-paced

4.0