thebooknookgroup's reviews
14 reviews

The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling

funny fast-paced

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

4.0

I really enjoyed this book. It was a cute, quick listen at 7.5 hours. It delivered exactly what I was hoping for: a whimsically romantic Halloween love story. The narrator did a really great job. I wish her Welsh accent was a little bit better, but she was way better than I would have been!

The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.0

I was really hoping to like it more but it kind of fell flat for me. I felt this premise had so much potential for a robust story! There are three POVs with different narrators which I really enjoyed. However, I found the plot to be quite predictable and I was really disappointed with how the author chose to end the story. Right when I finished, my first thought was, "welp, that was average". Overall, I definitely think this was worth listening to. It didn't wow me, but that's okay! It was enjoyable!

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring sad medium-paced

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

4.5

I just finished listening on audiobook, and I can say that the narrator does a fantastic job. She delivers an immersive experience that has had my jaw dropping and tears falling on multiple occasions. I would highly recommend! I don't even feel like I need to see the TV show.

This story is so much more than its description. Themes include feminism, empowerment, motherhood, sports, and family traumas among others. Please check trigger warnings as there are descriptions of SA.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual assault

The Light Pirate by Lily Brooks-Dalton

challenging inspiring slow-paced

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

3.0

I listened to this audiobook and for the most part enjoyed it! I thought the dystopian setting was really well-executed. It was really imaginative yet realistic. The plot itself was super plausible in a world where Florida is slowly swallowed by the ocean and I really enjoyed imagining this world.

I really wanted to love this book, but I had a hard time connecting to the characters and keeping up with the timeline changes. I felt the story could have used more dialogue where the characters connected with each other so I could buy into the significant relationships the characters supposedly had with each other. I enjoyed the plot but it didn't prompt any significant emotions from me.

I suspect if I read the physical book, the shifts in timeline would have been much more obvious, but on audiobook, there was no obvious delineation between timeline shifts at all. The only way I could tell the timeline shifted was through contextual clues of who was still alive and where they were living. I was constantly trying to figure out when events were happening.

Overall I would recommend this book if you can physically read a copy. I wouldn't recommend the audiobook.