shelleys_book_nook's reviews
394 reviews

Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

2.5

Another disappointing thriller with 4+ star rating and I am an outlier once again. I don't agree with the rave reviews for this one either, but I can understand the hype...The chapters were short and punchy making them easy to read and the pages did turn quickly. It just didn't work for me personally for a couple of reasons.

That stupid voice inside the main character, Lucy's head became annoying and repetitive. I know some found it funny but to me it was just dumb. Police didn't check the blood on Lucy, was it splattered there? Is it dripped? Was it because she was holding her friend? Forensics nowadays can figure this out easily. I think Lucy and the police quit too soon, which was unrealistic. It was like Lucy didn't care about the murder of her best friend and that isn't true because throughout the book she makes it clear it is important to her.

Lucy comes off as snarky and downright rude. I didn't find it humorous at all as some have. It grated on my nerves. She is accused by many of being a murderer and she doesn't remember anything so it is quite possible she is a murderer. She uses sarcasm to deal with it instead of trying to find out the truth and I am so over the amnesia trope, it's been done to death.

When Lucy decides to go home for her grandmother's birthday she gets roped into agreeing to do a podcast about the murder and ends up sleeping with the guy, not to mention making out with two others. Why do authors insist on putting sex in thrillers, or making women into sluts? It wasn't necessary here, Lucy and Ben could have just done the podcast and been done with it. I was willing to look past the snark trying to be funny but the gratuitous sex in a murder mystery ruined it for me.

This was absolutely a fast-paced thriller and I liked the way the podcast sections were done but the ending fell flat and the book had me shaking my head too many times. I just don't get it. 

Baby X: A Thriller by Kira Peikoff

adventurous dark mysterious sad tense fast-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? It's complicated

3.5

This book was pretty good and very unique. I am not a big science fiction fan but speculative fiction floats my boat so I thought I’d give this a try and I am glad I did. What an imagination Kira Peikoff has.

Told from multiple points of view, my favourite format, Baby X is about the future of DNA, embryos and science that goes too far. The pacing of the book had me frantically turning pages as I wanted to find out what would happen next. I thought for sure I would be bored to tears with the scientific terminology but Peikoff kept it interesting and didn’t make me feel stupid. (She has a master’s in bioethics) Not all the characters are likeable but there are ones to cheer for and I liked getting each person’s perspective because I felt like I got to know them from the inside.

Three and a half stars is a decent book and I did enjoy most of it even though I figured out one of the twists. BUT…towards the finish there is another twist and I didn’t see it coming and I loved the way everything and everyone came together at the end. It did get a bit over the top but I am going to let it slide because it is speculative. I am going to round up (which I rarely do) because it was just so damn entertaining, it surprised me, it was a fast, easy read and I like popcorn thrillers to a certain extent. I ain’t mad I read it! 

Never Trust the Husband by Jessica Payne

slow-paced

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

0.0

 No. Just no. This book was terrible and it's because of books like this that I don't read as many thrillers as I used to. I was really hoping for a winner but boy was I disappointed. This book has so many four and five-star reviews and a 4.21 Goodreads rating at the time of my writing this, I just don't get it and I am upset. I am more shocked and surprised by the high rating than by anything in the book.

I don't ask a lot from my thrillers, a good pace and a nice surprise or two is all. BUT when your front cover and Amazon title state "A totally gripping psychological thriller packed with twists" you better damn well deliver. Never Trust The Husband does not. It was repetitive...the same thing happens over and over again ad nauseam and too many things were simply unbelievable, like someone faking being a nurse and the RN's identity she stole just happened to have worked with the same charge nurse she is currently working under. Really? And plastic surgery to change the shape of her face so much that her closest loved ones don't know who she is (it's been three years not thirty) and then Gwyn just meeting her and letting a stranger have free rein to look through her house alone? Also, I figured out the big reveal almost right away and it was such a letdown. Boo! Hiss! Boo!

It took me forever to get through this book because I dreaded picking it up, I was going to DNF but kept hoping something thrilling would happen because of the high rating and it never did, it was just dumb. I don't claim to be very smart but it makes me angry when I feel my intelligence is being insulted and that's what the author did. I wish I could give negative stars but for now, we will go with zero. 

Where Butterflies Wander by Suzanne Redfearn, Suzanne Redfearn

challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad medium-paced

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

2.0

 I really wanted to like this book but I had a tough time connecting to the characters and I found too many unbelievable things throughout. Let’s start with the characters. The first thing that irked me was how mature the children seemed. They are eight, twelve and fifteen and they spoke and thought like adults. I can accept that a twelve-year-old and fifteen-year-old are “adult-like” in some ways but when I read the first inner thoughts of eight-year-old Pen the book lost me. Below you will find an example…

I hear the river through the trees and know it’s close. It sounds wide and lazy, not concerned in the least, as truly powerful things often are. As I walk, I collect leaves and berries to show Dad. I’ve also found what I think is a mushroom. It’s the size of my hand and was growing from the side of one of the trees. It’s not pretty like the sort of mushrooms we buy in the store with round umbrella tops and stems, but rather malformed and dark, like a chunk of burned charcoal. It smells a little like wet dirt, but I’m hoping it’s actually something wonderful that Dad, Hannah, and I can cook with.

Malformed? An eight-year-old calls a mushroom malformed? I am sorry but that was the first straw. Now, if that was the only case of this little girl talking and/or thinking like that I could let it pass but it went on and on that way throughout the book. Please do not come at me, I know the kids went through a lot and had to grow up pretty fast because of their circumstances but I have lots of experience with children, one of which has a genius IQ and the other is borderline. My boys were both smarter than me growing up but never ever would they have used the word malformed, at eight years old or otherwise. (Rant over)

I get why this has such a high rating, it’s gut-punchingly emotional, the writing style is easy to read and the story is interesting and unique. I just couldn’t take chapter after chapter of children sounding like adults. It ruined the enjoyment of the book for me because when reading emotional family dramas like this the first thing I expect as a reader is realistic, especially when it comes to internal thoughts and dialogue. I get that writing children is hard, that’s why I appreciate so much when it is done right.

The other character issue I had with the story was the mother, Marie. She is going through the worse thing a parent could possibly imagine and she was a total bitch. I felt no sympathy for her whatsoever. And the son, Brendon was such a spoilt brat I wanted to throat-punch him. He talked like an adult but acted like an infant. The father was a weakling, plain and simple. I mean grow a pair, man! (I guess the rant wasn’t over)

The drama involving Davina felt drawn out and repetitive. And her saviour coming to her rescue didn’t fly with me. Even if I buy that someone would do that the simplicity of her getting into it so fast without paperwork or anything was a joke. I am purposely being vague so as not to spoil it for other readers. I don’t like having my emotions played with, just because a book is sad doesn’t mean I am going to automatically like it. 

The Art of Belonging by Eleanor Ray

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

This was such a lovely read. I so enjoy stories with multiple generations because they show how much we can learn from each other young and old. In this tale, we have three generations of women from the same family having to live under one roof. When Grace's daughter Amelia and granddaughter Charlotte move in with her after Amelia's marriage collapses because of her husband and his financial disaster they learn to let go of past hurts and mistakes through love, perseverance and acceptance...And along the way, they learn a little bit more about each other and themselves.

The story is told from each main character's point of view and I loved how authentic each woman sounded and how clear the voice of each character was. Every one of them has insecurities, wants, needs and loves...and they all come through loud and clear. And even though their three lives are closely entwined they each had their own lives and story going on. Amelia is dealing with her separation and work, Grace is dealing with the upheaval, miniature club, her husband's death and a budding romance. Charlotte's dealing with missing her dad, a new school and new friends. The way Eleanor Ray wrote about these situations and the character's ways of dealing with them was very realistic and true to life. What I took away from this story and what the characters learned is the fact that maybe we're not so different underneath it all. 

The Good Girl by Michelle Dunne

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-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

5.0

I haven't read any thrillers since the end of January because too often they are unbelievable and way too over the top. Enter The Good Girl by Michelle Dunne, finally a book that lives up to its promise to be a totally absorbing psychological thriller. In fact, it was so absorbing I read all 338 in a couple of sittings. There is no whodunit here, we know from the first page who the culprit is and what follows is a page-turning account of the why. Told in two timeline format, we learn about Grace and her sister Amber and how they were raised by a drug-addicted mother (I use that term lightly). Grace has to take over the caregiving of Amber at an early age.

This is a wonderfully thought-out and addictive account of how abuse can repeat itself generation after generation and how Grace tried her best to break the cycle for her and her sister. This was such a heartbreaking read because of what Grace and Amber went through as children and what they continue to go through as adults. And even though we know the culprit right away there are plenty of twists and turns along the way. This one deserves all the stars for how unique it was and how visceral my feelings were towards some of the actions of these characters.

There are lots of triggers in this tale so be forewarned, I do not recommend this to anyone who is faint of heart or weak of stomach. 

The Unfinished Business of Eadie Browne by Freya North

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective relaxing sad fast-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

4.0

I really liked this book, not a lot happens because it is really a character study of Eadie Browne and I especially liked reading about Eadie's early life and younger years because it went a long way to explain why she does what she does as an adult. Character-driven stories can be wonderful if done right and Freya North certainly gets how to do it right.

Eadie has some important relationships while growing up and as she matures these relationships evolve. Eadie the child turns into Eadie the university student and becomes Eadie the wife. From 1976 until 1999 we get all iterations of Eadie, we watch her learn and grow as she tries to find herself. I love how she found empathy along the way and opened her eyes and heart.

This book is very emotional but there is nothing saccharine about it, it is very raw and real. Eadie's meet-cute with her husband added a dash of romance and I loved their story; but this book is not romantic in any way, shape or form. I really enjoyed this heartfelt story and how Eadie decided to deal with her unfinished business. This was such a unique book, I have never read anything like it.

The List of Suspicious Things by Jennie Godfrey

adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful informative mysterious sad tense fast-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? It's complicated

4.0

I saw this book all over Twitter for the last nine months, Jennie Godfrey has a debut hit on her hands for good reason. A coming-of-age mystery set against the backdrop of the 80s while the Yorkshire Ripper does his bad deeds The List of Suspicious Things captures the essence and time and place brilliantly. Godfrey's characters are wonderful and I felt something for every one of them, I either loved them or loved to hate them. 

Our spunky, pre-teen protagonist, Miv deals with a lot of issues in her life and community, there are of course the murders but there is also depression, suicide, racism and domestic abuse to name but a few. Miv has to deal with these issues at home, school and even during her playtime. To give herself a sense of control over what is happening in her life she decides to make a list and investigate The Ripper herself with her best friend Sharon. 

Godfrey is realistic in her writing and sensitive to the issues she writes about and I loved the friendship between the kids in this story not to mention first loves. It was so endearing and the book also showed how The Ripper and all the other things in their family lives gave them each a loss of their innocence. Wonderfully done and so different from the usual mysteries out there and the ending was simply shocking.

The Door-to-Door Bookstore by Carsten Henn

adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective relaxing fast-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? It's complicated

4.0

This was a very charming read about an unlikely friendship between an elderly man set in his ways and a little girl looking for adventure who tries to help him. In the end, they realize they can change the lives of and help those who live on Carl's book route but also each other. Although Carl is the main character in the story to me Schascha stole the show and I liked it. I so enjoy reading books starring children, if it's done right and Henn certainly does that.

The book is a love letter to books and reading but also community. The story contains a lot of love, humour and emotional drama in equal measure. There are some traumatic parts to this book so it isn't sickly sweet or saccharine and that appealed to the part of me that likes the melodramatic. I have always believed that books have the power to change lives. They can inspire, motivate, and educate us. They can transport us to new worlds and introduce us to new ideas and The Door-to-Door Bookstore proves just that.

Frank and Red by Matt Coyne

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing sad fast-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

 It was the most irritated and happy he had ever been. Funny how kids could make you feel both at the same time.

This book was everything I love about reading. It was sad, funny, engaging and had a wonderful cast of characters. I know it's only March but this will be on my top books of 2024, for sure. The book's chapters alternate between showing Frank's point of view and Red's point of view and I loved getting to know the innermost thoughts of these special guys.

Frank and Red are new neighbours and complete opposites. Frank is a widowed older man who likes to keep himself to himself. Red is a six-year-old boy who is chatty and excitable. When Red moves in next door to Frank their worlds collide in a most extraordinary way and both Frank and Red learn you are never too old or too young to make new friends or need your community.

This was such a roller coaster ride of emotions and it was such a joy to be on that ride with Frank and Red. As their friendship grows the two friends learn a lot about each other and themselves. This is the type of book you hug when you're finished. I have read some reviews stating that the book reminded the reader of A Man Called Ove and I get that, BUT Coyne makes this uniquely his own and lovers of Ove will definitely enjoy this as well. I can't believe this is Matt Coyne's debut novel. All. The. Stars.