unapologetic_reviews's reviews
245 reviews

The House of My Mother by Shari Franke

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative reflective sad medium-paced

4.0

I listened to Shari Franke's The House of My Mother as an audiobook, narrated by the author herself. It was a mixed experience. In the early chapters—where she describes her mother, Ruby’s childhood and their family’s early years—her reading felt distant, almost detached. Since Shari wasn’t part of that story, it came across as a recitation rather than storytelling. However, once the focus shifted to her own experiences, her narration became more engaging.

Shari is careful not to tell her siblings' stories beyond what directly overlaps with her own, which is intentional and respectful. The only sibling she delves into is her brother Chad, and honestly, I felt bad for him at times. She recounts life before the cameras, the YouTube years, and what happened after their family’s channel declined—suddenly and dramatically, about halfway through the book. At that point, I thought, OK, so what’s the rest of the book going to be about? 

I couldn’t help but compare it to two other memoirs: Jill Duggar’s Counting the Cost and Deborah Laake’s Secret Ceremonies. All three books deal with women raised in highly restrictive religious environments. Like Jill Duggar’s memoir, Shari’s story captures what it’s like to grow up in a large family under public scrutiny. Yet while Jill’s experience includes professional film crews, Shari’s was entirely filmed and curated by her mother—somehow making it feel even more invasive. Both Jill and Shari remain in their faiths, which surprised me. Having studied Mormonism and similar religions for years, I always wonder: Why stay?

That question stuck with me throughout the book, especially when Shari touches on her mother’s background. Ruby was parentified early on, raised with the expectation that her primary purpose was to become a wife and mother. It shaped her identity and, likely, her mental health. There’s also a hint in the book that Ruby had some same-sex attraction. If she’d been allowed to explore and embrace that, her life might have turned out very differently. 

Later in the book, Shari describes an incident involving a man and how the church punished her far more severely than him. It’s obvious this wasn’t his first offence. Yet, as often happens in patriarchal systems, the church’s response was harsh and one-sided. 

Shari acknowledges the injustices, but doesn’t quite connect it to the broader systemic issues within her faith. It’s hard to gain perspective while you’re still inside the system.

For me, this was one of the most frustrating yet fascinating parts of the book. It reminded me of my own research into Mormonism during my university years in the early 2000s and my research into personal stories since then. The subject of my MA Thesis was how women in these patriarchal religions work to reform their faiths rather than leave them altogether. As an atheist, I found myself thinking: Just leave. It’s all nonsense. But Shari’s story—and the stories of others like her—are more complicated than that.

Overall, an interesting look into the life of a young woman who went through a lot of hardships, and psychological manipulation through her short life. At the end of the book she is in a good place, and hopeful for the future. We may see, or not see, how it turns out, but that is now up to her own discretion.

 

The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter

adventurous emotional mysterious reflective slow-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? It's complicated

3.0

I listened to Ally Carter's The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year as an audiobook. It is a blend of romance and mystery. I'm a huge fan of mysteries, especially the classic amateur detective story, but I'm not really a fan of romance. Still, I gave this a chance, as it was Christmas, and I wanted to read a book set during Christmas. Usually, I’m looking for a crime story that takes place during the holidays.

I gave this book three stars because it was okay. It didn't blow me away; it wasn't terrible—it was just okay.

The mystery has a couple of layers. The initial mystery in the story—well, the thing is, no one really cares about that part. The main characters do, but no one else seems to. Then there’s a secondary mystery, which was hard to figure out. The solution for that was... well, without spoiling it, let’s just say it really wasn’t what I thought it would be—in a bad way. Sometimes, a twist can work well if you don’t see it coming, but this felt like it was almost thrown in at the end, like: This was the reason for that. And I’m left thinking, What?

The romance takes centre stage—it’s a lot more prominent. If you were to count the minutes, you’d probably find about seven hours focused on the romance and only one hour on the mystery, out of the total eight-hour runtime.

There are two main characters. Both are mystery writers. One is Maggie, and she’s really the main character. This is a dual point-of-view story, but you don’t get anything from the other perspective until about 50% into the book. I’m not even sure why the second perspective is included; it doesn’t add much to the story.

Maggie is a mystery writer who’s had terrible luck throughout her life. Last Christmas blew up everything good in her life. She gets invited to a Christmas party in England that she reluctantly agrees to go to, and she thinks she’ll be going alone. But Ethan, the other main character, who works for the same publishing company, is also invited and happens to be on the same flight. For some reason, Maggie thinks Ethan is a bad guy, but it doesn’t make much sense. They keep referencing something that happened between them, and you think it’s this big dramatic thing. But when it’s finally revealed, it’s a letdown.

Ethan’s perspective doesn’t add much. Sure, you get to know him better, but it could’ve been introduced in a different way.

It’s obvious that Maggie and Ethan will end up together. No one would start reading this and be surprised by that outcome—it’s glaringly obvious.

There were some other characters, but often I forgot all about their existence as they added so little to the overall story. Even the culprit was barely there.

The writing itself is pleasant. Carter has a knack for detailed descriptions that are often pretty. The strongest part of her writing is the description of still, romantic moments.

However, the writing can also feel overly descriptive. It’s as though every scene is stretched out unnecessarily. I can’t think of a specific example, but let’s say there’s a moment where Maggie is in the middle of something, but she notices a snowflake and starts reminiscing about snowflakes from years ago. The pacing is painfully slow.

At one point, I lay down to rest while listening, fell asleep for an hour, and didn’t even need to rewind—I hadn’t missed much. That says a lot about how slow it was.

Overall, the book feels padded. The mystery could’ve been better, and the romance dragged on far too long. I don’t think I’ll read more from this author—it’s just not my style. The beginning had potential, and Maggie was relatable, but the mysteries were very basic. I appreciated the evocative writing. She’s clearly talented at setting a scene; I just wish there had been more focus on the plot and pacing.

 

The Answer is No by Fredrik Backman

emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

The Answer is No is a short story by Fredrik Backman. It was translated by Elizabeth DeNoma from Swedish. So, this guy is a famous author, and I've never read any of his books because I normally don't read contemporary novels. But this just came out in December, and I saw it as a recommendation. I needed one last book to make my book count, which is only 20, mind you. It's 68 pages, and it was the end of December, so I was like, "Okay, let's give this a shot." The description said it's funny.

I was actually pleasantly surprised by this short story. It talked about the absurdities of modern life in a very intelligent —and also funny way. I chuckled out loud several times while reading this. I also loved how it just started from one little event, and that led into this whole chain of events that culminated in the main character being in a different, but also very similar, space in the end. That was very interesting.

The main character is called Lucas, and he lives in an apartment. He doesn't really like to interact with anyone—not his neighbors, his colleagues, basically no one. He's forced out of his shell by a series of events that make him realize some things about life, the world, and his own life. It's very short, so just read it.

As to whether this is my entry to Fredrik Backman's stories—probably not, because while I enjoyed this, I don't think I could take more than 68 pages of a contemporary story of this style. There are some of his books that were made into movies and a couple serieses. I may check those out, though I'm not that keen on them. I’ll see what the future holds.

An Heir of Water: A Wintery Sapphic Novella by R.A. Sandpiper

adventurous dark sad tense 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

4.5

An Air of Water is a prequel novella set in the Amefyre world, focusing on Viantha Waterborne. It’s an intriguing addition to the series, offering valuable backstory and hints that enhance the main storyline. While it stands alone as a self-contained tale, fans of the series will appreciate its connections to the larger narrative.

The novella is set in winter, but don’t expect a cosy, festive vibe—this is no heartwarming Christmas story. It leans heavily into romance, which makes it more predictable than the main novels, but it’s still an enjoyable read.

Viantha, a somewhat minor character in the main series, is fleshed out here, giving her depth, and explaining a lot of her actions. This development leads me to believe she’ll play a larger role in the next book. Her brother also makes an appearance...

While the novella is well-crafted, I feel R.A. Sandpiper’s writing shines brighter in full-length novels, where the expansive world-building and intricate plots have more room to unfold. That’s why I’m giving this novella 4.5 stars. It’s good, but it doesn’t quite reach the same level as the novels. Still, it’s a must-read for fans eager to explore more of the Amefyre world. 

A Promise of Blood by R.A. Sandpiper

adventurous mysterious tense fast-paced

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

5.0

A Promise of Blood is the second book in the Amefyre series and continues Suri's journey through an increasingly complex world. This instalment takes her to more places than the first, expanding the scope and depth of the story.

The novel picks up where the previous book left off, and for a significant portion, we remain in that initial setting. Without revealing spoilers, I’ll say that during this time, Suri finally gets some much-needed rest and nourishment, which was a relief. We’re also introduced to key characters who play larger roles in this book, and we learn much more about Cole’s backstory.

The opening section is slower-paced than the first book, and I found it a bit challenging to get through at times. However, the slower pace had a purpose, and I appreciated the character development it allowed. Interestingly, Suri herself starts to feel restless in this setting, leading her to make some questionable decisions.

Second books in a series often feel like filler, serving as a bridge between the beginning and the finale, but this one avoids that trap. There’s plenty of action, new revelations, and significant world-building. Questions left unanswered in the first book are explored, and the world feels broader and more immersive.

In fact, I might even say this book is better than the first, which is high praise since I loved the first one. It maintains the same level of excitement and intrigue while expanding the story in meaningful ways.

If you’re looking for a series that keeps delivering, Amefyre is a solid choice. This second book does not disappoint—so keep reading! 

Water Moon by Samantha Sotto Yambao

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring reflective 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

I listened to Water Moon by Samantha Sotto Yambao as an audiobook. The narrator was excellent, though Hana’s voice was sometimes a bit too breathy. That aside, her performance was enjoyable—especially the way she voiced the male characters.

Let me warn you: the book’s blurb is misleading. It describes a whimsical, magical journey through a mystical world, making it sound light, cosy, and happy. It’s not. This book is emotional, raw, and deeply unsettling. It forces you to think, reflect, and question everything. It’s best experienced as an audiobook because, while you’re listening to the story, you can’t help but reflect on your own life. It’s like having two narrations running at once: the story’s journey of self-discovery and your own. You find yourself wondering about all the choices you’ve made—whether they were right, wrong, or simply inevitable.

I finished the book just moments ago, and I haven’t stopped crying. Half of me doesn’t even know why. Japanese fiction always does this to me—reaching into my soul and showing me parts of myself I didn’t realise were there. It holds up a mirror and forces you to look, even if you’re not ready. I can’t fully explain what this book did to me, only that it touched something deep inside and won’t let go.

The story is about choices—the small, fleeting ones that seem meaningless until you look back and realise they changed everything, and the big ones that shape the entire course of your life. Some choices have consequences we can’t erase. Others leave us broken. But sometimes, if we’re lucky, we get the chance to make them better. Our choices define us, but we wouldn’t be who we are without them.

The book has two main characters, Hana and Kei. Kei is the outsider—the one who knows nothing of the world he’s stepped into, so everything is explained to him. In a way, he represents the reader. But even Hana, who belongs to this world, is constantly learning more about it. Their journey is both physical and emotional, set in a magical world where nothing is what it seems. You can’t trust what’s described to you because some things are utterly surreal. The world is beautiful and terrifying in equal measure, shaped by both human kindness and cruelty.

I can’t say much more without spoiling it, but I will say this story deserves to be an animated film—something as stunning as a Studio Ghibli movie. Live action wouldn’t do it justice. The world in this book needs to be seen as much as heard, with its breathtaking beauty and haunting ugliness woven together.

Ultimately, this book is about the journey. The destination doesn’t matter as much as the experience of getting there. Even if you feel stuck, life is still moving forward. Sometimes you have to take the hard road, but even that is a kind of progress.

If you’re open to allegory and philosophy—if you can set aside rational, earthbound thinking—then walk through the ramen shop door and enter this world. It’s amazing, frightening, hideous, and beautiful. Just like our own.

Maybe that’s what this story really is:

Our world reflected in a water moon.

A Pocket of Lies by R.A. Sandpiper

adventurous emotional mysterious 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? No

5.0

R.A. Sandpiper's A Pocket of Lies is a fantasy book. The story follows Suri, a young woman navigating a world filled with gods, politics, and danger as she uncovers secrets about herself and her place in this complex world. There's not much romance in it, which I was very glad about. There's some smut, but it never happens within a love relationship.

The story takes place in a completely different world, one filled with old gods, new gods, poverty, wealthy rulers, kings, and regions with distinct politics. It's a very rich and immersive world. I really appreciated the depth and how distinct their culture felt. The characters wore different clothes, and even accents were mentioned at one point.

Let’s talk about the writing. It was... nice. Not too flowery, which I liked, but not too plain either. There were a few parts where I found it hard to understand what was happening, but this wasn’t consistent. Some fight scenes were very well done—I could picture them easily—but other scenes felt hazy for reasons I couldn’t quite pin down. Overall, though, the writing was enjoyable.

Now, onto the characters.

The main character is Suri. The story is written in past tense and third-person limited, which I really liked. And thank God there’s only one point of view! I can’t tell you how tired I am of multiple points of view—this trend has to stop.

At first, I wasn’t all that keen on Suri, but she grew on me. She’s 20, which is a nice change from the usual 15- or 16-year-old protagonists, though she’s still pretty young. She grew up in poverty, but you can tell right from the start that there’s something special about her. She’s very resilient, which makes sense given her circumstances.

For much of the story, Suri is thrown from one event to another, with little control over what’s happening. While this lack of agency can be frustrating, it’s understandable due to the circumstances. By the end, though, she starts to take control of her own destiny, which I appreciated. That said, she’s constantly in danger. At one point, I thought, “Is she ever going to catch a break?” I was honestly exhausted for her. Plus, there are stretches where she doesn’t get to eat, which made me feel even worse for her. As you can see, I grew to care for her. I felt her struggles, and I was with her the whole way. That’s a testament to how well her character was written.

There are plenty of other characters too. Some appear briefly, but they always feel distinct and memorable. None of them came across as stock characters. For example, there’s this one prince—well, there are several princes—but each feels unique. They all seem like real people, which speaks to the strength of the character building.

And yes, there’s a “shadow daddy” named Cole. I won’t spoil too much, but he plays a major role in the story. While having a shadow daddy might seem a bit cliché, Cole is well-written, and I didn’t mind it.

The plot is full of twists and turns, and I genuinely couldn’t predict where it was going, which is a huge plus since I usually can. While some parts might seem like they’ll fall into cliché territory, they don’t, which was refreshing. The story keeps you on your toes and is consistently exciting.

Overall, the book was very enjoyable. It’s fast-paced and a quick read. It didn’t hook me right from the beginning, but once I got to know Suri better, I was fully invested. Following her journey and seeing what she’d do next kept me turning the pages.

If you’re looking for a fast-paced fantasy with engaging characters and a world that feels alive, A Pocket of Lies is a must-read. It’s an exciting journey you won’t want to miss. 

Five Little Pigs: A Hercule Poirot Mystery by Agatha Christie

mysterious reflective slow-paced

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

4.0

Agatha Christie's Five Little Pigs was written in the 1940s, so it's a rather old book—but that's true of pretty much all of Agatha Christie's books. I actually tried to read this book once before. Funny thing: when I was in high school, I had a summer of reading Agatha Christie. I didn't just read Poirot and Miss Marple, but I also read Tommy and Tuppence’s stories. I highly recommend them; I really love that duo. The best one was N or M?, which is actually more of a spy novel than anything else.

That summer, I got most of my books from an antique store because they were very cheap there. The library didn’t really have Agatha Christie because it was considered lowbrow reading—not classic literature. The books I bought were old. My copy of Five Little Pigs was a misprint, missing parts of the story, so I never finished it. Plus, by the end of the summer, I had to switch back to reading the required school books, which were long and numerous. I got behind because of my Agatha Christie binge and had to catch up during the school year, which wasn’t fun.

This time, I listened to Five Little Pigs as an audiobook because I’m trying out different audiobook services right now, and the one I’m using had it. It was read by Hugh Fraser, who used to play Captain Hastings in the Poirot TV series. I actually watched most of those in Hungarian, too, so it was kind of weird. But I love that series; it’s one of my favourite things to watch on TV. Actually, I’m going to re-watch the TV series version of this book now that I’ve read it.

I think the audiobook format is much better for this book. The whole story is basically in three parts: Book One, Book Two, and Book Three. Book One is Poirot getting the assignment. If you read the synopsis, it’s basically this: 16 years ago, there was a murder, and a woman was convicted for it. The woman’s daughter comes to Poirot, seeking to find out the truth. Her mother wrote her a letter saying she was innocent, and the daughter wants to know whether her mother was really a murderer. She’s getting married, and back then, there was this idea that if your parents were immoral, you’d inherit immorality.

In Book One, Poirot interviews everyone involved in the case. I would have liked it better if this audiobook had been done like a radio play, with different people voicing the characters. The whole book is mostly dialogue, with very little description or action. It would have been amazing if each character had their own voice.

In Book Two, everyone writes letters to Poirot, describing their recollections of the day of the murder and the events leading up to it. Each chapter is one person’s letter.

Book Three is the conclusion, where Poirot gathers everyone in one room and reveals the truth, as he always does. You find out who the murderer was.

Honestly, I would’ve been bored if I had just read this book. I like action and movement in stories. As an audiobook, it worked. It was almost like a podcast, which really suited it.

Agatha Christie also wrote plays, and this book shows how well her stories work in a visual or auditory medium.

I won’t go into the characters because that would spoil the story. But they were all distinct. My one issue was that one of the men was named Meredith. I know it’s an old male name, but nowadays, it’s mostly a female name. I had to keep reminding myself that Meredith was a man. It was funny because I’d picture a woman, and then the text would mention his moustache, and I’d think, "Oh right, he’s a guy."

Overall, it’s a good story, though not one of Christie’s best. I recommend watching the TV adaptation with David Suchet. He is Poirot. Suchet went through all the novels with a fine-tooth comb, noting everything Christie ever said about Poirot. You can’t get better than that. As a side note, watch David’s Who Do You Think You Are episode, it has some amazing stories of his family.

Interestingly, Five Little Pigs reminded me of old epistolary novels, where the story unfolds through letters.

This was the pick for the Agatha Christie Official Book Club for January. They’re choosing books based on occupations this year, and this one was for “artists.” There were alternative options, but I really wanted to get through this one since I missed it during my high school Agatha Christie binge—nearly 30 years ago!

When Among Crows by Veronica Roth

adventurous dark mysterious 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? It's complicated

4.0

I gave this book four stars. Although I’ve never read anything by Veronica Roth, I’ve always known her as the author of the Divergent series—which, frankly, isn’t my thing. I saw the movies and didn’t enjoy them much. But this novella? It’s a different story.

One of its biggest strengths is the use of Eastern European mythology, especially Polish folklore. I loved how the mythical creatures seamlessly blended into the modern world. The fast-paced narrative also worked well for a novella, keeping it engaging and compact.

That said, there were a few drawbacks. The present-tense narration felt jarring and unnatural, which made it hard to settle into the story. I kept hoping it would switch to past tense, and it sometimes did, but that didn't last. Another issue was the excessive descriptions. For a novella, there were just too many details—room layouts, herb lists, even comb counts. These slowed down the plot and felt like filler rather than substance.

Despite these gripes, the core story was intriguing, though it could have been fleshed out more. A stronger focus on events and character interactions would have been a better use of the page count.

Speaking of characters, they were a standout. Each one felt distinct and fully realised, making it easy to empathise with them despite the brevity of the book. There’s also a tiny hint of romance, which I surprisingly enjoyed. I’m not usually into romantice, but this one was subtle and well-handled. The entire story unfolds within 24 hours, so the romance understandably doesn’t have much time to develop. Still, it worked in the context of the story’s tight timeline.

Would I read more of Roth’s work? Maybe. I’m curious about her other urban fantasy stories and might try one in audiobook format to see if that improves the experience. Descriptions tend to feel less tedious when spoken aloud. If she ever turns this novella into a series, I’d definitely check it out.

Overall, I was pleasantly surprised. My expectations weren’t high, given my lukewarm opinion of Divergent, but this novella impressed me. I picked it up as a quick read to meet my yearly reading goal, and while the beginning dragged, the second half hooked me.

I’d recommend this to fans of urban fantasy, especially those who enjoy mythology woven into contemporary settings. Think Percy Jackson, but for adults.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl

5.0