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thereadingraccoon's reviews
1495 reviews
It Happened to Anna by Tehlor Kay Mejia
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
It Happened to Anna is a middle-grade paranormal horror about a tween girl who has been haunted by a possessive ghost her entire life.
After the death of her friend Anna the year prior, Sadie is starting over in a new town and school. Just talking to other students in the library causes the lights to go out, and Sadie worries that she’ll never be able to have a friend again after her ghost caused the accident that killed Anna. But mysterious Mal is not afraid of the consequences and wants to be Sadie’s friend despite the risks. Plus, when they’re together, the ghost is unusually quiet. However, Mal begins pushing Sadie to participate in increasingly disturbing pranks on other students, and the stress of hurting people and the fear of getting caught start to overwhelm her.
This is a moderately spooky and entertaining read about a cursed girl navigating middle school friendships. I saw the twist coming from a mile away, but for a younger crowd, this would be a creepy read that isn’t too violent or gory—though there is a scene with a rat carcass and a mention of the death of a pet cat. It also touches on bullying behaviors and toxic friendships.
🎧 Audiobook notes: The audiobook was narrated by Sara Matsui-Colby who brings a youthful energy to the voice of Sadie.
3.5 stars
An advanced listening copy (ALC) was provided by LibroFm for review purposes.
After the death of her friend Anna the year prior, Sadie is starting over in a new town and school. Just talking to other students in the library causes the lights to go out, and Sadie worries that she’ll never be able to have a friend again after her ghost caused the accident that killed Anna. But mysterious Mal is not afraid of the consequences and wants to be Sadie’s friend despite the risks. Plus, when they’re together, the ghost is unusually quiet. However, Mal begins pushing Sadie to participate in increasingly disturbing pranks on other students, and the stress of hurting people and the fear of getting caught start to overwhelm her.
This is a moderately spooky and entertaining read about a cursed girl navigating middle school friendships. I saw the twist coming from a mile away, but for a younger crowd, this would be a creepy read that isn’t too violent or gory—though there is a scene with a rat carcass and a mention of the death of a pet cat. It also touches on bullying behaviors and toxic friendships.
🎧 Audiobook notes: The audiobook was narrated by Sara Matsui-Colby who brings a youthful energy to the voice of Sadie.
3.5 stars
An advanced listening copy (ALC) was provided by LibroFm for review purposes.
The Lightning Bottles by Marissa Stapley
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
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
5.0
The Lightning Bottles is a novel about a fictional alternative rock duo that finds both success and despair in the ’90s music era.
Before they were famous, Jane and Elijah were just two teenagers exchanging messages, letters, and phone calls in 1989, musing about life and music. Jane was an isolated girl in a strict Canadian household, while Elijah was a high school dropout playing music with his friends in Seattle. When they finally come together after Jane turns 18, their lives are more difficult than she imagined while dreaming alone in her room in Canada. She feels shut out of Elijah’s musical life by his bandmate, Kim, and is naive about the amount of drugs flowing through Seattle’s music scene in 1990. When tragedy strikes, they make a messy exit and head to Los Angeles to make music on their own, but they can’t completely leave behind Kim or Elijah’s issues with drugs.
They quickly find success with a powerful group of songs written by Jane, but misogyny in rock music is rampant, and they agree to let Elijah take credit for her work. Despite his demons, Elijah’s angelic voice paints him as a sensitive soul ready to be saved, while Jane is portrayed as his scowling and difficult guitarist. This reputation follows them across continents as they continue to tour in support of their albums, but the stress of fame and lawsuits by Elijah’s former bandmates, including Kim, spin them further into their separate addictions and away from each other.
Eventually, a desperate Elijah takes a rowboat out into the cold waters of Iceland and is never seen again. With her husband and musical partner presumed dead, Jane must face life without him and conquer her own demons. But five years later, a German teenager (Hen), living next door to her rented house, shows Jane a piece of her past that leads her to a series of graffiti street art memorializing her private life with Elijah. Jane starts to question if he’s really gone or if he’s been waiting for her to find him again.
The Lightning Bottles is a complicated love story set against the backdrop of the early ’90s music scene. It’s easy to imagine this band existing alongside actual bands of the time, and the author makes it feel real and authentic. I loved how she gave Jane a thoughtful and introverted personality, which could easily be misconstrued by the public as angry and controlling. The bare-bones depiction of their spiral into addiction is heartbreaking but realistic for the era and their chosen career. I really enjoyed this unique love story and look forward to reading more from Marissa Stapley.
Before they were famous, Jane and Elijah were just two teenagers exchanging messages, letters, and phone calls in 1989, musing about life and music. Jane was an isolated girl in a strict Canadian household, while Elijah was a high school dropout playing music with his friends in Seattle. When they finally come together after Jane turns 18, their lives are more difficult than she imagined while dreaming alone in her room in Canada. She feels shut out of Elijah’s musical life by his bandmate, Kim, and is naive about the amount of drugs flowing through Seattle’s music scene in 1990. When tragedy strikes, they make a messy exit and head to Los Angeles to make music on their own, but they can’t completely leave behind Kim or Elijah’s issues with drugs.
They quickly find success with a powerful group of songs written by Jane, but misogyny in rock music is rampant, and they agree to let Elijah take credit for her work. Despite his demons, Elijah’s angelic voice paints him as a sensitive soul ready to be saved, while Jane is portrayed as his scowling and difficult guitarist. This reputation follows them across continents as they continue to tour in support of their albums, but the stress of fame and lawsuits by Elijah’s former bandmates, including Kim, spin them further into their separate addictions and away from each other.
Eventually, a desperate Elijah takes a rowboat out into the cold waters of Iceland and is never seen again. With her husband and musical partner presumed dead, Jane must face life without him and conquer her own demons. But five years later, a German teenager (Hen), living next door to her rented house, shows Jane a piece of her past that leads her to a series of graffiti street art memorializing her private life with Elijah. Jane starts to question if he’s really gone or if he’s been waiting for her to find him again.
The Lightning Bottles is a complicated love story set against the backdrop of the early ’90s music scene. It’s easy to imagine this band existing alongside actual bands of the time, and the author makes it feel real and authentic. I loved how she gave Jane a thoughtful and introverted personality, which could easily be misconstrued by the public as angry and controlling. The bare-bones depiction of their spiral into addiction is heartbreaking but realistic for the era and their chosen career. I really enjoyed this unique love story and look forward to reading more from Marissa Stapley.
Lucy Undying by Kiersten White
dark
tense
slow-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
2.0
Lucy Undying is a vampire fiction novel about Lucy Westenra, one of the victims in Bram Stoker’s Dracula.
The story is told through multiple points of view: Lucy’s journals from the late 1890s, where she’s an upper-class girl in love with her governess; an interview Lucy gives to a woman named Vanessa in the present day; and Iris, a young woman in 2024 running from her inheritance of her mother’s cult/wellness MLM.
The amount of information withheld from the reader about both Lucy and Iris makes this a confusing and difficult book to enjoy. Lucy’s story is told from both 1890 onward via her journals, but also at different points in the 20th century through her interview with Vanessa. We know very little about Iris, except that she’s inherited property she’s trying to claim in the UK while remaining cash poor and staying off the radar of her mother’s MLM goons from Utah. Iris is barely scraping by in a strange country, living in an abandoned house with no electricity, yet somehow instantly makes friends on her first day of arrival with her taxi driver, Rahul, and Elle, an attractive woman she bumps into on the street. She spends the next few days (or weeks?) dodging her mother’s people, scouring the property for valuables, and reading Lucy’s journal. Through the journals and Lucy’s interview, we learn about her years spent traveling the world, seeking her lost governess love, Mina, and her maker, Dracula.
I really wanted to enjoy this book. The cover is stunning, and vampires are always a hit. But it felt much longer than it actually was. The pacing was off, and it felt like nothing happened for long periods of time. By the time the action did pick up, I no longer cared. I didn’t feel any chemistry or romantic tension between Elle and Iris, and the entire MLM cult and the family connections went over my head. Sadly, this one was a complete miss for me.
The story is told through multiple points of view: Lucy’s journals from the late 1890s, where she’s an upper-class girl in love with her governess; an interview Lucy gives to a woman named Vanessa in the present day; and Iris, a young woman in 2024 running from her inheritance of her mother’s cult/wellness MLM.
The amount of information withheld from the reader about both Lucy and Iris makes this a confusing and difficult book to enjoy. Lucy’s story is told from both 1890 onward via her journals, but also at different points in the 20th century through her interview with Vanessa. We know very little about Iris, except that she’s inherited property she’s trying to claim in the UK while remaining cash poor and staying off the radar of her mother’s MLM goons from Utah. Iris is barely scraping by in a strange country, living in an abandoned house with no electricity, yet somehow instantly makes friends on her first day of arrival with her taxi driver, Rahul, and Elle, an attractive woman she bumps into on the street. She spends the next few days (or weeks?) dodging her mother’s people, scouring the property for valuables, and reading Lucy’s journal. Through the journals and Lucy’s interview, we learn about her years spent traveling the world, seeking her lost governess love, Mina, and her maker, Dracula.
I really wanted to enjoy this book. The cover is stunning, and vampires are always a hit. But it felt much longer than it actually was. The pacing was off, and it felt like nothing happened for long periods of time. By the time the action did pick up, I no longer cared. I didn’t feel any chemistry or romantic tension between Elle and Iris, and the entire MLM cult and the family connections went over my head. Sadly, this one was a complete miss for me.
Jasmine Zumideh Needs a Win by Susan Azim Boyer
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
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
3.5
Jasmine Zumideh Needs a Win is a young adult novel about a teenager in 1979 who runs for senior class president and faces a series of moral dilemmas.
Jasmine Zumideh is a high school senior who dreams of going to NYU and becoming a journalist. However, her college application is a little light in the extracurricular department, so she decides that a run for class president is the perfect way to stand out. Unfortunately, the early decision application is due before Election Day, which means she must win to keep her application accurate. This puts intense pressure on both her and her friends, who are helping with the campaign. Jasmine’s opponent uses the recent Iran hostage crisis as part of his platform, forcing her to distance herself from her Iranian heritage and her politically active brother. As the campaign progresses toward Election Day, Jasmine makes increasingly questionable moral decisions that put her relationships at risk and jeopardize her campaign.
Jasmine Zumideh Needs a Win is a fun, lighthearted story about the struggle to maintain integrity in the midst of an election, especially when your opponent brings world events into a high school competition. While it’s not a fast-paced, high-stakes drama, it is entertaining and offers valuable lessons about friendship, honesty, and being proud of your heritage. Though the plot didn’t fully pull me in, I loved the inclusion of Southern California landmarks from 1979. It was so much fun hearing those names again!
Jasmine Zumideh is a high school senior who dreams of going to NYU and becoming a journalist. However, her college application is a little light in the extracurricular department, so she decides that a run for class president is the perfect way to stand out. Unfortunately, the early decision application is due before Election Day, which means she must win to keep her application accurate. This puts intense pressure on both her and her friends, who are helping with the campaign. Jasmine’s opponent uses the recent Iran hostage crisis as part of his platform, forcing her to distance herself from her Iranian heritage and her politically active brother. As the campaign progresses toward Election Day, Jasmine makes increasingly questionable moral decisions that put her relationships at risk and jeopardize her campaign.
Jasmine Zumideh Needs a Win is a fun, lighthearted story about the struggle to maintain integrity in the midst of an election, especially when your opponent brings world events into a high school competition. While it’s not a fast-paced, high-stakes drama, it is entertaining and offers valuable lessons about friendship, honesty, and being proud of your heritage. Though the plot didn’t fully pull me in, I loved the inclusion of Southern California landmarks from 1979. It was so much fun hearing those names again!
Loud: Accept Nothing Less Than the Life You Deserve by Drew Afualo
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
3.0
Book Review: Loud by Drew Afualo
Loud is a memoir and feminist guidebook on dealing with men in relationships, the workplace, and social media.
In Loud, Drew Afualo shares her background as a young woman who originally dreamed of a career in sports journalism, but after a layoff, pivoted to content creation on TikTok. She has made a name for herself by calling out trolls and “terrible men” on the internet, earning her 8 million followers (as of September 2024). She emboldens other women to take a stand and call out misogyny when they see it.
This is a helpful book for younger women looking to find their voice in both their professional and personal lives. Afualo doesn’t talk down to the reader, but sheds light on cultural norms that are unfair to both men and women. Although there wasn’t a lot personally for me to take away, I appreciated her voice and what she’s doing in the world to push back on the patriarchy. I would have liked to hear more examples of some exchanges she’s had and how she beats trolls at their own game.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Narrator notes: This book is narrated by the author herself, bringing an engaging and authentic voice to her story.
Disclosure: I was provided a copy of Loud by Macmillan Audio for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Loud is a memoir and feminist guidebook on dealing with men in relationships, the workplace, and social media.
In Loud, Drew Afualo shares her background as a young woman who originally dreamed of a career in sports journalism, but after a layoff, pivoted to content creation on TikTok. She has made a name for herself by calling out trolls and “terrible men” on the internet, earning her 8 million followers (as of September 2024). She emboldens other women to take a stand and call out misogyny when they see it.
This is a helpful book for younger women looking to find their voice in both their professional and personal lives. Afualo doesn’t talk down to the reader, but sheds light on cultural norms that are unfair to both men and women. Although there wasn’t a lot personally for me to take away, I appreciated her voice and what she’s doing in the world to push back on the patriarchy. I would have liked to hear more examples of some exchanges she’s had and how she beats trolls at their own game.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Narrator notes: This book is narrated by the author herself, bringing an engaging and authentic voice to her story.
Disclosure: I was provided a copy of Loud by Macmillan Audio for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
How to Hide in Plain Sight by Emma Noyes
emotional
hopeful
sad
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
4.0
How to Hide in Plain Sight is a contemporary coming-of-age novel that explores both a young woman’s struggle with mental health and a romance.
Eliot has been living away from her large blended family and best friend, Manuel, for three years. But with her older brother’s wedding taking place at the family’s lakeside vacation home, she must return and face everyone she left behind.
This is not your typical romance novel. Eliot has struggled with symptoms of OCD and anxiety since she was a child, following the heartbreaking loss of her brother. Her intrusive thoughts and “worries” send her spiraling in unexpected ways, and for readers unfamiliar with OCD, it’s incredibly eye-opening. Often, authors rely on unrealistic roadblocks and misunderstandings to delay true love, but in Eliot’s case, her disorder makes it genuinely difficult for her to trust reality, leading her to reject and push Manuel away.
I highly recommend this book for those who enjoy complicated family drama, mental health representation, and slow-burn friends-to-lovers romance.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Disclosure: An advanced copy of this novel was provided by Berkley Publishing for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Eliot has been living away from her large blended family and best friend, Manuel, for three years. But with her older brother’s wedding taking place at the family’s lakeside vacation home, she must return and face everyone she left behind.
This is not your typical romance novel. Eliot has struggled with symptoms of OCD and anxiety since she was a child, following the heartbreaking loss of her brother. Her intrusive thoughts and “worries” send her spiraling in unexpected ways, and for readers unfamiliar with OCD, it’s incredibly eye-opening. Often, authors rely on unrealistic roadblocks and misunderstandings to delay true love, but in Eliot’s case, her disorder makes it genuinely difficult for her to trust reality, leading her to reject and push Manuel away.
I highly recommend this book for those who enjoy complicated family drama, mental health representation, and slow-burn friends-to-lovers romance.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Disclosure: An advanced copy of this novel was provided by Berkley Publishing for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Red River Road by Anna Downes
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Red River Road is a contemporary thriller about two women traveling along Australia’s roads for completely different reasons.
Katy is following in the #vanlife footsteps of her sister Phoebe, who disappeared a year ago without a trace. When Beth, fleeing an abusive relationship, hides in Katy’s van, she makes up a quick story, reluctant to share her past with a fellow solo female traveler. The truth is that she and her boyfriend Lucas have been befriending and burglarizing fellow travelers for months. When Beth convinces Katy to let her help solve Phoebe’s disappearance, they must delve into Phoebe’s social media and a series of frightening clues left behind by someone who is following them very closely.
Like any good twisty thriller, this one has plenty of red herrings, misdirection, and secrets. I enjoyed not being able to predict what was going to happen, and the Australian roads and traveler lifestyle made a great backdrop for the drama and suspense. I recommend this one to anyone interested in both crime and psychological thrillers.
4 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🎧 Audiobook Notes: This book was narrated by Maddy Withington, whose authentic Australian accent brings both Beth and Katy to life.
Disclosure: An advanced listening copy was provided by Macmillan Audio for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Katy is following in the #vanlife footsteps of her sister Phoebe, who disappeared a year ago without a trace. When Beth, fleeing an abusive relationship, hides in Katy’s van, she makes up a quick story, reluctant to share her past with a fellow solo female traveler. The truth is that she and her boyfriend Lucas have been befriending and burglarizing fellow travelers for months. When Beth convinces Katy to let her help solve Phoebe’s disappearance, they must delve into Phoebe’s social media and a series of frightening clues left behind by someone who is following them very closely.
Like any good twisty thriller, this one has plenty of red herrings, misdirection, and secrets. I enjoyed not being able to predict what was going to happen, and the Australian roads and traveler lifestyle made a great backdrop for the drama and suspense. I recommend this one to anyone interested in both crime and psychological thrillers.
4 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🎧 Audiobook Notes: This book was narrated by Maddy Withington, whose authentic Australian accent brings both Beth and Katy to life.
Disclosure: An advanced listening copy was provided by Macmillan Audio for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
You Belong with Me by Mhairi McFarlane
emotional
funny
hopeful
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? No
5.0
You Belong With Me is the sequel to the 2016 contemporary romance novel Who’s That Girl.
This book picks up right where the previous installment left off. Edie Thompson is in her new home, making Christmas dinner for family and friends, when her famous ex, Elliott Owen, stops by with a big bouquet and a plea for them to give their relationship another try. Since they are both madly in love and have been unsuccessful at staying apart, they decide to try again. But nothing has changed in Elliott’s career, and they continue to face the same issues—press invasions of privacy and long periods of time apart. They must navigate insecurities about working closely with the opposite sex while in a relationship and figure out what to share with those around them and who they can trust.
Despite the glamour of Elliott’s career, this is a down-to-earth and realistic portrayal of what it’s like for a couple dealing with the pressures of celebrity and long distance. I love the wit and banter of all the characters and would love to see books starring everyone from Edie’s sister, Meg, to Elliott’s musician friend, whom we never meet. I found myself wishing I knew these people and could have a drink with them at a pub in Nottingham.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Who's That Girl? by Mhairi McFarlane
emotional
funny
hopeful
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? It's complicated
5.0
I loved this one! It’s a funny and sweet story of a woman (Edie) in her mid-30’s struggling after a co-worker kisses her at his own wedding. She’s given a respite from office gossip in the shape of returning to her hometown and ghost writing the memoir of a hot young actor (Elliott). But he doesn’t really want the book to happen, the people back at work are amping up the harassment and things are tense between Edie and her vegan/social warrior sister, Meg. I love the way Mhairi can turn a phrase and I found myself highlighting so many great lines.
Empresses of Seventh Avenue: World War II, New York City, and the Birth of American Fashion by Nancy MacDonell
informative
slow-paced
4.0
Empresses of Seventh Avenue is a non-fiction deep dive into the role of the United States in the business of fashion, particularly in the first half of the twentieth century. As the wars in Europe raged, designers, editors, journalists, department store managers, and other tastemakers in the U.S. stepped up and finally gave Paris serious competition.
This is a fascinating read, filled with details about the private and professional lives of women who aren’t famous outside of their field. It’s really interesting to see how far the U.S. has come—from mostly copying French designers to a country that creates and cultivates its own talent. I recommend it to anyone with an interest in fashion as both an art and a business.
🎧 Audiobook Notes: This book is narrated by Gail Shalan, who does an excellent job with the narration, including the pronunciation of French words and names.
Disclaimer: An ALC (advanced listening copy) of Empresses of Seventh Avenue was provided by Macmillan Audio for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This is a fascinating read, filled with details about the private and professional lives of women who aren’t famous outside of their field. It’s really interesting to see how far the U.S. has come—from mostly copying French designers to a country that creates and cultivates its own talent. I recommend it to anyone with an interest in fashion as both an art and a business.
🎧 Audiobook Notes: This book is narrated by Gail Shalan, who does an excellent job with the narration, including the pronunciation of French words and names.
Disclaimer: An ALC (advanced listening copy) of Empresses of Seventh Avenue was provided by Macmillan Audio for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions are my own.