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thenovelstitch's reviews
267 reviews
We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I'm not sure where to start with this one ....
Eve and her partner Charlie buy an old Victorian house in the wood of Oregon and one snowy evening a family shows up asking to look around because the father used to live there. One thing after another happens and the family ends up staying longer than expected, and as they do sinister things begin to happen to Eve and the house.
Overall, this book was really engaging and I couldn't put it down, but not necessarily because I liked any of the characters or the book. First and foremost, Eve was the most insufferable character I've read in a long time. Girl, set a freaking BOUNDARY, like damn. If Eve had the ability to say "No" a single time this entire story wouldn't have happened. I get Eve's character had a ton of anxiety and like the most hilariously obvious anxious attachment style ever written but come ON -- what woman alone in her house would let strangers in, even if she didn't like "being mean". Get real. Also, there is no one on earth with THAT amount of anxiety that would actually answer the door, especially for strangers. That alone killed this book for me, and was the reason I initially DNF'ed this book last year. But I had decided to push through and am I glad I did? Not sure.
Now, the premise is spooky as hell and I'll give the author that.Time slips, alternate realities, never knowing what is true or not, really fucking scary. But I wish so much more of it had been fleshed out. Like, why did we get a glimpse of the old shack with the maps and then never hear about it again when that could have been really useful??? . Also, this book requires you to decode morse code messages and a bunch of other little puzzles which honestly took away from the reading experience for me. A lot of people on reddit seemed to love the puzzles and footnotes and whatnot, but I found it annoying and cumbersome. Plus, I had to switch from audio book to digital because the morse code noises were so grating on my ears.
Overall I think the book was spooky for sure but so unrealistic in the setup that it made it hard for me to really submerge into the story. Having to check the footnotes and decode messages also took me out of the story in a big way. I think this book will be WAY better as a Netflix show once it's finally released.
Eve and her partner Charlie buy an old Victorian house in the wood of Oregon and one snowy evening a family shows up asking to look around because the father used to live there. One thing after another happens and the family ends up staying longer than expected, and as they do sinister things begin to happen to Eve and the house.
Overall, this book was really engaging and I couldn't put it down, but not necessarily because I liked any of the characters or the book. First and foremost, Eve was the most insufferable character I've read in a long time. Girl, set a freaking BOUNDARY, like damn. If Eve had the ability to say "No" a single time this entire story wouldn't have happened. I get Eve's character had a ton of anxiety and like the most hilariously obvious anxious attachment style ever written but come ON -- what woman alone in her house would let strangers in, even if she didn't like "being mean". Get real. Also, there is no one on earth with THAT amount of anxiety that would actually answer the door, especially for strangers. That alone killed this book for me, and was the reason I initially DNF'ed this book last year. But I had decided to push through and am I glad I did? Not sure.
Now, the premise is spooky as hell and I'll give the author that.
Overall I think the book was spooky for sure but so unrealistic in the setup that it made it hard for me to really submerge into the story. Having to check the footnotes and decode messages also took me out of the story in a big way. I think this book will be WAY better as a Netflix show once it's finally released.
Diavola by Jennifer Marie Thorne
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Oh my GODDDD, Diavola by Jennifer Thorne was terrifying and funny and I just want to read it again. It's like if White Lotus met under the Tuscan Sun met The Haunting of Hill House.
Diavola takes place in a small Tuscan village where Anna Pace and her family have decided to rent an Italian villa for two weeks for a family getaway. Anna the self-determined "black sheep" of the family is reluctant and hesitant to go but unable to fight the familial obligation, decides to join. Once arriving at Villa Toccola, Anna starts to feel watched and unsettled as more and more strange things begin to occur. Disturbing dreams, voices and a mysterious warning from a local all set Anna's intuition on high alert that something is not right. Anna tries to raise the alarm but because her family dynamic rests on her being the "crazy" one, no one believes her. Anna must fight to save her family but more so to save herself.
I randomly started this book as I was going grocery shopping and I didn't think that I was going to like it or be able to pay attention to it, but it literally sucked me in from the first minute. I have never had such a clean house because I could not stop listening to this story, so I would find any chore or excuse to pop my headphones in and keep listening. Once it was over, all I wanted to do was start it again and I really really really hope that they make this book a movie or a limited TV series. I thought the pacing was excellent and the story truly terrifying. Also, it weirdly made me want to go to Italty.
I would 100% recommend this book to anyone who loves a good haunted house (or villa) story with a twist.
Diavola takes place in a small Tuscan village where Anna Pace and her family have decided to rent an Italian villa for two weeks for a family getaway. Anna the self-determined "black sheep" of the family is reluctant and hesitant to go but unable to fight the familial obligation, decides to join. Once arriving at Villa Toccola, Anna starts to feel watched and unsettled as more and more strange things begin to occur. Disturbing dreams, voices and a mysterious warning from a local all set Anna's intuition on high alert that something is not right. Anna tries to raise the alarm but because her family dynamic rests on her being the "crazy" one, no one believes her. Anna must fight to save her family but more so to save herself.
I randomly started this book as I was going grocery shopping and I didn't think that I was going to like it or be able to pay attention to it, but it literally sucked me in from the first minute. I have never had such a clean house because I could not stop listening to this story, so I would find any chore or excuse to pop my headphones in and keep listening. Once it was over, all I wanted to do was start it again and I really really really hope that they make this book a movie or a limited TV series. I thought the pacing was excellent and the story truly terrifying. Also, it weirdly made me want to go to Italty.
I would 100% recommend this book to anyone who loves a good haunted house (or villa) story with a twist.
Death in the Air by Ram Murali
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Death in the Air by Ram Murali is charmingly deceptive. You think you're going to get a fairly run of the mill murder mystery whodunnit in the same vein of Agatha Christie, and while you do, there is so so much more that comes as a surprise. Twists, turns, untrustworthy characters, mysterious friends, all set against opulent luxury high in the Himalayan mountains.
I enjoyed Ro's character a a narrator and sleuth, and didn't find his constant noticing of other people's wealth/jewels/brands etc. annoying like other reviewers did.I think it's a trait of his sociopathy, to see and notice what other people have in comparison to what he does not have. It felt like a compulsion. . While its clear the author definitely put himself into Ro, I can't fault him for that. Hemingway did say " write what you know" and I think you'd be hard pressed to find an author that didn't write themselves into some part of the story. Now, was it a bit heavy handed at times? Yes, but I didn't feel like it detracted from the story in a real way.
I am reallyyyyy hoping this begins a series of books, because there is a little bit of a cliff hanger.
I enjoyed Ro's character a a narrator and sleuth, and didn't find his constant noticing of other people's wealth/jewels/brands etc. annoying like other reviewers did.
I am reallyyyyy hoping this begins a series of books, because there is a little bit of a cliff hanger.
How To Solve Your Own Murder by Kristen Perrin
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
While How to Solve Your Own Murder didn't completely resonate with me as reader, it had all the ingredients of a book I should have loved. Dual timelines, a mysterious murder at a wealthy estate, a group of frenamies, and a question of inheritance. Unfortunately, the book didn't captivate me the way I was hoping it would. However, just because it didn't capture me doesn't mean that it was bad in any way!
Annie Adams is shocked to find out that she is a sole inheritor of his great aunt Frances estate, which it worth millions. Annie is uncertain how she came to be the inheritor, and not her mother, of a woman she has never met. Annie set's off to the countryside to meet with this Great Aunt and to confirm the changes to the will. Unfortunately, her aunt is mysteriously killed. Upon her death, her lawyer confirms that in the event of her unnatural death, whoever solves the mystery of her killer inherits the estate. Annie is now set against various family members, community members and a real jerk of a real estate developer as she sets out to find the murderer.
I enjoyed the premise and I thought the plot was clever. I liked the variety of the characters and feeling like you couldn't trust any of them, not even Annie. However the dialogue felt stilted to me and I didn't find myself believing in any of the character's relationships to one another. In essence, I could tell I was reading the whole time and never got lost in the story. The plots points felt weak or unbelievable more times than not and by the time I got to the final reveal I just felt so over the story. I never want to end a book like that, so it's disappointing when I do.
I've mentioned this before in my review of The Sirens by Emilia Hart, but I hate when authors write journal entries as full blown narratives. No one writes pages of prose and dialogue in their journals, recounting every detail of a gathering or experience. I would rather the author just make dual POVs and timelines, instead of trying to convince us we are reading a teenager's journal that reads like a book. I don't think the journal was that necessary of a plot point to the greater story and could have easily been scrapped and reshaped.
While this book wasn't for me, and I likely won't continue reading the rest of the series, it doesn't mean the readers that will love it aren't out there! This book is a charming, cozy, mystery and I think anyone looking for that would enjoy it.
Annie Adams is shocked to find out that she is a sole inheritor of his great aunt Frances estate, which it worth millions. Annie is uncertain how she came to be the inheritor, and not her mother, of a woman she has never met. Annie set's off to the countryside to meet with this Great Aunt and to confirm the changes to the will. Unfortunately, her aunt is mysteriously killed. Upon her death, her lawyer confirms that in the event of her unnatural death, whoever solves the mystery of her killer inherits the estate. Annie is now set against various family members, community members and a real jerk of a real estate developer as she sets out to find the murderer.
I enjoyed the premise and I thought the plot was clever. I liked the variety of the characters and feeling like you couldn't trust any of them, not even Annie. However the dialogue felt stilted to me and I didn't find myself believing in any of the character's relationships to one another. In essence, I could tell I was reading the whole time and never got lost in the story. The plots points felt weak or unbelievable more times than not and by the time I got to the final reveal I just felt so over the story. I never want to end a book like that, so it's disappointing when I do.
I've mentioned this before in my review of The Sirens by Emilia Hart, but I hate when authors write journal entries as full blown narratives. No one writes pages of prose and dialogue in their journals, recounting every detail of a gathering or experience. I would rather the author just make dual POVs and timelines, instead of trying to convince us we are reading a teenager's journal that reads like a book. I don't think the journal was that necessary of a plot point to the greater story and could have easily been scrapped and reshaped.
While this book wasn't for me, and I likely won't continue reading the rest of the series, it doesn't mean the readers that will love it aren't out there! This book is a charming, cozy, mystery and I think anyone looking for that would enjoy it.
How to Sleep at Night by Elizabeth Harris
funny
hopeful
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? No
4.0
I was initially drawn to How to Sleep at Night by Elizabeth Harris because of the premise: Gabe, a lifelong democrat, finds out his husband Ethan wants to run for congress as a Republican. In our current world this felt like a premise that was not only timely but tangible. I continued reading the book, however, because of the wonderful way Harris injects silliness, wit, humanness and imperfection into her characters. No one in this story is perfect, and there are no perfection answers or options. I loved that about this book.
While Gabe and his husband Ethan are figuring out this new dimension that's landed smack dab into the middle of their relationship, Ethan's sister Kate is struggling to understand the greater meaning of her life. Sure she's got a great job as a political reporter and she has a great apartment in NYC, but she still feels like something is missing. One day, and old flame sends her an instagram DM and suddenly Kate's life feels like it might mean something again -- only problem? Her old flame, Nicole, is married (to a man, with kids).
I've read that many reviews thought the book was "pointless" or "didn't go anywhere" and I disagree. I think How to Sleep at Night was not to carry us to an ending that "made sense" or cleanly wrapped up the book because that isn't how life happens. This book felt like getting a backstage glance into a chunk of time in someone's life. It felt like being a fly on a wall for a brief moment, of course there is going to be no neatly tied up ending.
All of the characters grapple with big themes in this book -- morality, justice, identity, loyalty, and integrity (to name a few) and while these theme are meaty and serious, Harris manages to write them in a way that is witty, smart and nuanced. There were so many moments in which I was offered a new way of thinking about a situation or a glimpse into the other side of someone's behavior and I appreciated that. I feel like that is especially hard to do given the main topics: politics and infidelity.
The best way I can describe this book and my reading experiences is this: have you ever seen someone start posting cryptic stuff on their facebook or instagram and just wish you could get the behind the scenes look at what is actually happening? This book feels like getting that glimpse into someone's personal facebook drama. I loved every second of it.
While Gabe and his husband Ethan are figuring out this new dimension that's landed smack dab into the middle of their relationship, Ethan's sister Kate is struggling to understand the greater meaning of her life. Sure she's got a great job as a political reporter and she has a great apartment in NYC, but she still feels like something is missing. One day, and old flame sends her an instagram DM and suddenly Kate's life feels like it might mean something again -- only problem? Her old flame, Nicole, is married (to a man, with kids).
I've read that many reviews thought the book was "pointless" or "didn't go anywhere" and I disagree. I think How to Sleep at Night was not to carry us to an ending that "made sense" or cleanly wrapped up the book because that isn't how life happens. This book felt like getting a backstage glance into a chunk of time in someone's life. It felt like being a fly on a wall for a brief moment, of course there is going to be no neatly tied up ending.
All of the characters grapple with big themes in this book -- morality, justice, identity, loyalty, and integrity (to name a few) and while these theme are meaty and serious, Harris manages to write them in a way that is witty, smart and nuanced. There were so many moments in which I was offered a new way of thinking about a situation or a glimpse into the other side of someone's behavior and I appreciated that. I feel like that is especially hard to do given the main topics: politics and infidelity.
The best way I can describe this book and my reading experiences is this: have you ever seen someone start posting cryptic stuff on their facebook or instagram and just wish you could get the behind the scenes look at what is actually happening? This book feels like getting that glimpse into someone's personal facebook drama. I loved every second of it.
Babel by R.F. Kuang
adventurous
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
holy SHIIIIIIIIIIIIT.
It's been 24 hours since I finished Babel and I'm still trying to process what the hell just happened. While this wasn’t a 'pleasant' read in the traditional sense, it was gripping, thought-provoking, and completely unflinching. Kuang doesn’t shy away from making the reader uncomfortable in all the right ways.
Babel: or the Necessity of Violence: an Arcane History of Oxford Translators’ Revolution (here after referred to simply as 'Babel') takes place mostly in Oxford during the 1830's and 40's. Robin Swift, a young Chinese boy orphaned by cholera in Canton, is brought to England by a Professor Lovell who promises to give Robin the worlds best education, teaching him new languages, provide him housing and food, all in exchange for him to eventually matriculate into Oxford and enter the Royal Institute of Translation, also known as Babel. Britain, and the world at large, run on silver. Little silver bars with inscriptions that help water stay clean, carriages run smooth, ships sail faster. The only people in the world who can manufacture and repair these bars are Babelers.
Isolated for most of his young life, Robin is unnerved by the constant presence and growing closeness of his new cohort, Ramy, Victoire and Letty. Like a thirst finally quenched, Robin feels accepted, wanted, chosen and at peace. Until, that is, one night when he witnesses a robbery of silver bars. Robin's life is forever altered, and with it so are the lives of his friends.
I actually tried reading Babel twice before, both with physical books, because from everything I had heard it sounded like the perfect book for me. However, I just couldn't get into it as a physical book which was really disappointing. I had almost wrote Babel off completely, but I decided to try it as an audio book and WHOA that was the perfect medium for me (and I usually hate audiobooks!). The narration was perfect and it was really wonderful to hear all of the words in different languages being pronounced correctly. This added such a richness to the story and allowed me to feel closer to Robin and his friends in a way that I would not have been able to simply reading the book. I also appreciated the footnotes being narrated by a different voice, so I could easily identify what was a footnote and what was not.
R.F. Kuang explores themes like racism, classism, misogyny, colonization, capitalism, politics, power, love, and shame that is nuanced, uncompromising and resolute. I found Letty's character to be rage inducing and also so well written. As a white woman, listening to Letty's part had me reflecting on my own relationship with complicity, big and small. I wished we had more Victoire. I would have loved for Victoire to have had more page time, it felt like we really only got to see here during the last 30% of the book. I keep finding myself thinking of the last interaction between Victoire and Anthony and honestly, I want a book just about them.
All in all, I think this book had the intended effect because I can't stop thinking about it. Highly recommend.
It's been 24 hours since I finished Babel and I'm still trying to process what the hell just happened. While this wasn’t a 'pleasant' read in the traditional sense, it was gripping, thought-provoking, and completely unflinching. Kuang doesn’t shy away from making the reader uncomfortable in all the right ways.
Babel: or the Necessity of Violence: an Arcane History of Oxford Translators’ Revolution (here after referred to simply as 'Babel') takes place mostly in Oxford during the 1830's and 40's. Robin Swift, a young Chinese boy orphaned by cholera in Canton, is brought to England by a Professor Lovell who promises to give Robin the worlds best education, teaching him new languages, provide him housing and food, all in exchange for him to eventually matriculate into Oxford and enter the Royal Institute of Translation, also known as Babel. Britain, and the world at large, run on silver. Little silver bars with inscriptions that help water stay clean, carriages run smooth, ships sail faster. The only people in the world who can manufacture and repair these bars are Babelers.
Isolated for most of his young life, Robin is unnerved by the constant presence and growing closeness of his new cohort, Ramy, Victoire and Letty. Like a thirst finally quenched, Robin feels accepted, wanted, chosen and at peace. Until, that is, one night when he witnesses a robbery of silver bars. Robin's life is forever altered, and with it so are the lives of his friends.
I actually tried reading Babel twice before, both with physical books, because from everything I had heard it sounded like the perfect book for me. However, I just couldn't get into it as a physical book which was really disappointing. I had almost wrote Babel off completely, but I decided to try it as an audio book and WHOA that was the perfect medium for me (and I usually hate audiobooks!). The narration was perfect and it was really wonderful to hear all of the words in different languages being pronounced correctly. This added such a richness to the story and allowed me to feel closer to Robin and his friends in a way that I would not have been able to simply reading the book. I also appreciated the footnotes being narrated by a different voice, so I could easily identify what was a footnote and what was not.
R.F. Kuang explores themes like racism, classism, misogyny, colonization, capitalism, politics, power, love, and shame that is nuanced, uncompromising and resolute. I found Letty's character to be rage inducing and also so well written. As a white woman, listening to Letty's part had me reflecting on my own relationship with complicity, big and small. I wished we had more Victoire. I would have loved for Victoire to have had more page time, it felt like we really only got to see here during the last 30% of the book. I keep finding myself thinking of the last interaction between Victoire and Anthony and honestly, I want a book just about them.
All in all, I think this book had the intended effect because I can't stop thinking about it. Highly recommend.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Murder, Gaslighting, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Grief, and Gaslighting
Our Last Resort: A Novel by Clémence Michallon
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Our Last Resort by Clémence Michallon is the perfect thriller for anyone who loves locked room-esq mysteries set against the backdrop of a luxury resort with a lot of personal secrets sprinkled in.
Frida and Gabriel are siblings who have decided to take a nine day vacation to a new luxury hotel and spa in the desert of Utah. Frida and Gabriel were not born into money and feel a bit uncomfortable rubbing shoulders with some of the worlds wealthiest and most affluent people. As they start to settle into their vacation, a woman is killed and Frida is convinced her husband is the culprit. Unfortunately, this woman's husband is extremely wealthy and connected, and he quickly turns the eye of the police on the two of them. Frida is furious, just because Gabriel's wife was found killed a few years earlier does not mean he is going around murdering women he doesn't know -- plus, he was never convicted of his wife's death. As Frida works to exonerate her brother's name and figure out who did in fact kill Sabrina Brenner, she is also forced to begin reckoning with her own memories of their childhood and its impact on their present. Both Frida and Gabriel are also forced to acknowledge that neither one fully trusts the other.
I thought our last resort was an engaging, fun and well balanced story that seeks to explore trauma, toxic relationships, and family loyalty. Michallon does a great job balancing the book between the past history of Frida and Gabriel and the present day whodunit.
I want to thank NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for the advanced ready copy in exchange for my honest review.
Frida and Gabriel are siblings who have decided to take a nine day vacation to a new luxury hotel and spa in the desert of Utah. Frida and Gabriel were not born into money and feel a bit uncomfortable rubbing shoulders with some of the worlds wealthiest and most affluent people. As they start to settle into their vacation, a woman is killed and Frida is convinced her husband is the culprit. Unfortunately, this woman's husband is extremely wealthy and connected, and he quickly turns the eye of the police on the two of them. Frida is furious, just because Gabriel's wife was found killed a few years earlier does not mean he is going around murdering women he doesn't know -- plus, he was never convicted of his wife's death. As Frida works to exonerate her brother's name and figure out who did in fact kill Sabrina Brenner, she is also forced to begin reckoning with her own memories of their childhood and its impact on their present. Both Frida and Gabriel are also forced to acknowledge that neither one fully trusts the other.
I thought our last resort was an engaging, fun and well balanced story that seeks to explore trauma, toxic relationships, and family loyalty. Michallon does a great job balancing the book between the past history of Frida and Gabriel and the present day whodunit.
I want to thank NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for the advanced ready copy in exchange for my honest review.
The Last One at the Wedding by Jason Rekulak
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Jason!!! You did it again!!
The Last One at the Wedding by Jason Rekulak is a thriller, yes, but it is also the story of the devotion of parents, the complicated relationships within families, and how we make meaning of the sum of our choices over our lives.
Frank Szatowski lives by strict value system: in everything you show up for, show up all the way. He has spent the last 26 years driving for UPS without a single incident. He parented despite the heartache and loss of losing his wife. He's saved for his retirement, he's saved for emergencies, and he's always keeping up with the insurmountable task of house work. There is one thing that Frank feels like he can't show up for is his only daughter, Maggie, with whom he had a falling out three years earlier and hasn't spoken to since. It's the one thing in his life he can't fix or change, and it's eating him alive.
Until suddenly she calls him out of the blue to announce she's getting married and she wants Frank at the wedding. This phone call spurrs into action a chain of events that leave Frank feeling more and more at odds with his daughter who he is also trying desperately to rehabilitate a relationship with. As Frank uncovers secret after secret during the few days leading up to the wedding (at a beautiful and secluded private lake resort) he is convinced that Maggie's fiance is dangerous and Maggie is in serious trouble.
I loved this book, and I appreciated all the ways in which it was different from Rekulak's first book Hidden Pictures. I like that he didn't try to write another ghost/horror story and I think it landed really well. I particularly liked the subtle exploration of nature vs. nurture throughout the story -- do children turn out the way they do because of their parents? Or because they were just born that way? Can anyone intervene? Is there a certain age where intervention is possible? Are parents blind to the ways their children manipulate? A really interesting philosophical theme to weave into the story, especially given that Maggie and Abigail act as mirrors towards each other, and I guess for Frank too.
I think this was a great thriller and I will always recommend Rekulak's books to any one who wants a well executed story.
The Last One at the Wedding by Jason Rekulak is a thriller, yes, but it is also the story of the devotion of parents, the complicated relationships within families, and how we make meaning of the sum of our choices over our lives.
Frank Szatowski lives by strict value system: in everything you show up for, show up all the way. He has spent the last 26 years driving for UPS without a single incident. He parented despite the heartache and loss of losing his wife. He's saved for his retirement, he's saved for emergencies, and he's always keeping up with the insurmountable task of house work. There is one thing that Frank feels like he can't show up for is his only daughter, Maggie, with whom he had a falling out three years earlier and hasn't spoken to since. It's the one thing in his life he can't fix or change, and it's eating him alive.
Until suddenly she calls him out of the blue to announce she's getting married and she wants Frank at the wedding. This phone call spurrs into action a chain of events that leave Frank feeling more and more at odds with his daughter who he is also trying desperately to rehabilitate a relationship with. As Frank uncovers secret after secret during the few days leading up to the wedding (at a beautiful and secluded private lake resort) he is convinced that Maggie's fiance is dangerous and Maggie is in serious trouble.
I loved this book, and I appreciated all the ways in which it was different from Rekulak's first book Hidden Pictures. I like that he didn't try to write another ghost/horror story and I think it landed really well. I particularly liked the subtle exploration of nature vs. nurture throughout the story -- do children turn out the way they do because of their parents? Or because they were just born that way? Can anyone intervene? Is there a certain age where intervention is possible? Are parents blind to the ways their children manipulate? A really interesting philosophical theme to weave into the story, especially given that Maggie and Abigail act as mirrors towards each other, and I guess for Frank too.
I think this was a great thriller and I will always recommend Rekulak's books to any one who wants a well executed story.
The Sirens by Emilia Hart
emotional
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? No
3.0
The Sirens by Emilia Hart is a new take on the age old legend of the siren -- the half woman half fish creature that lures men to their death with their song. In The Sirens, 18 year old Lucy wakes up with her hand around a boy's neck, chocking him. She has no recollection of how she got there, only that she knows she can't stay at University now. Lucy runs away to Combers Bay where her older sister, an artist, lives by the sea. Except when Lucy arrives, Jess is no where to be found. As Lucy avoids the calls from the school, her parents and the world at large she waits for Jess to return. Lucy starts having vivid dreams of two sisters, long ago, sailing across the ocean from Ireland. Lucy chalks this up to nothing more than an active imagination, until looking closer at Jess' art reveals that Jess, wherever she is, was having the exact same dreams.
Overall I give The Sirens a solid 3/5 stars. I liked the premise of the book and I enjoyed the flashbacks between the sisters on the ship and Lucy in the present day. The book was very atmospheric and I could almost taste salty seawater as I was reading. This would be a great book to read on vacation.
I did think there was a bit too much exposition, especially during Lucy's POV. About partway through the book I found myself skipping whole paragraphs because they felt like they were cutting the emotional legs off the novel. There was more than one intense scene ruined by wayyyyy too much internal dialogue or expository explaining. Since I read an ARC, I'm hoping there is one more round of edits that can solve this issue. It definitely impacted the pacing and the tension in the novel for me. I also found Jess' "diary" entries to be irritating because they weren't written as a diary entry, no one writes sweeping stories of themselves in their journal, and they definitely don't include every word of dialogue that happened. I wish Jess' diary entries had either been re-written or just included as an addition POV.
Overall I think The Sirens is an entertaining and heartfelt story worth reading about the power of female love, friendship, family and justice.
I want to thank NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for my advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.
Overall I give The Sirens a solid 3/5 stars. I liked the premise of the book and I enjoyed the flashbacks between the sisters on the ship and Lucy in the present day. The book was very atmospheric and I could almost taste salty seawater as I was reading. This would be a great book to read on vacation.
I did think there was a bit too much exposition, especially during Lucy's POV. About partway through the book I found myself skipping whole paragraphs because they felt like they were cutting the emotional legs off the novel. There was more than one intense scene ruined by wayyyyy too much internal dialogue or expository explaining. Since I read an ARC, I'm hoping there is one more round of edits that can solve this issue. It definitely impacted the pacing and the tension in the novel for me. I also found Jess' "diary" entries to be irritating because they weren't written as a diary entry, no one writes sweeping stories of themselves in their journal, and they definitely don't include every word of dialogue that happened. I wish Jess' diary entries had either been re-written or just included as an addition POV.
Overall I think The Sirens is an entertaining and heartfelt story worth reading about the power of female love, friendship, family and justice.
I want to thank NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for my advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.