Scan barcode
vanishing_librarian's reviews
441 reviews
The Burning Girls by C.J. Tudor
dark
mysterious
slow-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
2.0
I don't think this author is for me.
The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley
dark
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
I really struggled through this book. I mean, the story itself was actually not too bad but I just really had troubles listening to the audio and following along. I just kind of lost my interest in it by the half way point (if not earlier).
In the future, I will definitely try and pick up the physical books by Lucy Foley instead! Overall, I can recommend the story if you like thrillers that make you question the intentions of every single character. For me this was however just a 2,5 star book for the above mentioned reasons.
In the future, I will definitely try and pick up the physical books by Lucy Foley instead! Overall, I can recommend the story if you like thrillers that make you question the intentions of every single character. For me this was however just a 2,5 star book for the above mentioned reasons.
So Happy for You by Celia Laskey
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
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
4.0
I basically only picked this up because of the good reviews but didn't really expect it to be my thing. However, I was pleasantly surprised that I enjoyed it as much as I did!
Admittedly, I can imagine that Robin is not the easiest person to be around and the relationship she has with the bride is all kinds of toxic but I still did quite enjoy getting to know the story of how they met and what happened to them in college and after. Still, I think the twist could have been prepared a little better, maybe by showing how superstitious the bride can be or something like that.
Overall, I did really enjoy the story and can really recommend the audiobook - I liked the pacing and the voice telling the story! Usually, I do prefer more action-packed thrillers though, hence I will only rate this with four stars instead of five!
Admittedly, I can imagine that Robin is not the easiest person to be around and the relationship she has with the bride is all kinds of toxic but I still did quite enjoy getting to know the story of how they met and what happened to them in college and after. Still, I think the twist could have been prepared a little better, maybe by showing how superstitious the bride can be or something like that.
Overall, I did really enjoy the story and can really recommend the audiobook - I liked the pacing and the voice telling the story! Usually, I do prefer more action-packed thrillers though, hence I will only rate this with four stars instead of five!
Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney
Really liked the way this was told! Even though the story stars a little slow at first, it does pick up after a few chapters!
I quite enjoyed coming up with theories for what was happening but was wrong with everyone of them! The twist was really thought through and was told really well!
Nonetheless, I had a few issues with how this all wrapped up in the end - there could have been more explanation for the last two chapters. But I really enjoyed the writing style and had a good time with this book. Will definitely read more from Alice Feeney in the future!
⭐️ 3,5/5 stars ⭐️
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-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
3.5
Really liked the way this was told! Even though the story stars a little slow at first, it does pick up after a few chapters!
I quite enjoyed coming up with theories for what was happening but was wrong with everyone of them! The twist was really thought through and was told really well!
Nonetheless, I had a few issues with how this all wrapped up in the end - there could have been more explanation for the last two chapters. But I really enjoyed the writing style and had a good time with this book. Will definitely read more from Alice Feeney in the future!
⭐️ 3,5/5 stars ⭐️
Ghostwritten by Ronald Malfi
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I read most of this in October which was the best time to start this in my opinion! All four stories are pretty spooky and I loved the fact that all of them are about books and/or stories.
My favorite of the four stories was definitely the first one. But I also enjoyed the others! Ronald Malfis writing style was also a big plus in this that made me like this anthology as much as I did! I will definitely read more by him as soon as I get the chance!
⭐️ 4/5 stars ⭐️
My favorite of the four stories was definitely the first one. But I also enjoyed the others! Ronald Malfis writing style was also a big plus in this that made me like this anthology as much as I did! I will definitely read more by him as soon as I get the chance!
⭐️ 4/5 stars ⭐️
A Faint Cold Fear by Karin Slaughter
challenging
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This is the third book in the Grant County series by Karin Slaughter which deals with the suspicious suicides of some university students. When another person gets brutally attacked, solving the case turns personal!
Usually, I don't read a lot of series anymore because they just get a little more boring with every book in it. However, with this series - I cannot get enough! I read this book in two days because I was so intrigued by it and really wanted to know what would happen in the end! Especially knowing most characters in so much detail by now makes the investigation almost personal for me as well!
I do have to admit though, that I do not always understand the reasoning for things the characters do - e.g. how Lena deals with her trauma, how Jeffrey deals with Lena's trauma and his relationship with Sara, and how Sara deals with Jeffrey and his way of dealing with all that is happening.
But still, I do thoroughly enjoy how the stories are told and I am able to empathize with all of the characters mentioned above even though I do not fully understand how they behave sometimes.
Usually, I don't read a lot of series anymore because they just get a little more boring with every book in it. However, with this series - I cannot get enough! I read this book in two days because I was so intrigued by it and really wanted to know what would happen in the end! Especially knowing most characters in so much detail by now makes the investigation almost personal for me as well!
I do have to admit though, that I do not always understand the reasoning for things the characters do - e.g. how Lena deals with her trauma, how Jeffrey deals with Lena's trauma and his relationship with Sara, and how Sara deals with Jeffrey and his way of dealing with all that is happening.
But still, I do thoroughly enjoy how the stories are told and I am able to empathize with all of the characters mentioned above even though I do not fully understand how they behave sometimes.
A Head Full of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
This is a story about Merry and her sister Marjorie who have to deal with Marjorie's mental health going downhill quite rapidly. Their father convinces their mother to call in a local priest for help and a production team is involved to film the exorcism they are planning to perform. While her parents try to protect Merry from most of this, they don't succeed in doing so and Merry has to come to terms with all that is happening to her sister and her family.
I was really looking forward to finally reading a book by Paul Tremblay because I was hearing so much praise for him and his novels. However, I think I might have set my expectations too high for this type of story. Usually, I do like books about religious fanatics and ghost stories but this one just didn't really catch me.
For me, it was just too slow-paced and could have done with a few pages less. Maybe the way it was told (especially the present timeline) had something to do with my enjoyment level decreasing throughout the book or maybe the fact that I couldn't really empathize with any of the characters was the cause for it. Also for most of the book, I was a little confused about the stuff the sisters were thinking and/or saying (in the present and the past timeline), which probably also didn't help.
Overall, I was expecting a scary book about an exorcism and complicated family dynamics but what I got was a story that wasn't really scary and characters that confused me throughout most of the story.
I am sure there is an audience for this book - sadly it just is not me. Still, please give this one a try if you're intrigued by the synopsis - you might like it!
I was really looking forward to finally reading a book by Paul Tremblay because I was hearing so much praise for him and his novels. However, I think I might have set my expectations too high for this type of story. Usually, I do like books about religious fanatics and ghost stories but this one just didn't really catch me.
For me, it was just too slow-paced and could have done with a few pages less. Maybe the way it was told (especially the present timeline) had something to do with my enjoyment level decreasing throughout the book or maybe the fact that I couldn't really empathize with any of the characters was the cause for it. Also for most of the book, I was a little confused about the stuff the sisters were thinking and/or saying (in the present and the past timeline), which probably also didn't help.
Overall, I was expecting a scary book about an exorcism and complicated family dynamics but what I got was a story that wasn't really scary and characters that confused me throughout most of the story.
I am sure there is an audience for this book - sadly it just is not me. Still, please give this one a try if you're intrigued by the synopsis - you might like it!
The Creeper by A.M. Shine
adventurous
dark
mysterious
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
This is a story about a historian and an archaeologist who take on the quest to find out more about a secluded town where the people never leave and lock themselves in at night because they are scared of the creeper. If you are to believe the story you will see him three times before he will kill you. So better stay inside and cover your windows! 💀
The premise of this story sounds really mysterious and creepy, so I really wanted to pick this one up!
Overall, I did enjoy the time I had with this but what I didn't like was that the real "action" only started about 60% into the book. Before that, it was quite slow in my opinion. Also, I was a little bit disappointed because for me there was only one scene I found to be really creepy. Everything else "just" felt like a mystery novel to me instead of a horror novel. I wish there would have been more scary instances throughout the book. The characters were also not really loveable to me (but that might have been intended by the author?). The only people I liked in the book were Ben's parents and you only meet them once for like 2 seconds.
Nonetheless, I did like the story and how it turned out in the end. Also, I did enjoy the writing as well!
The premise of this story sounds really mysterious and creepy, so I really wanted to pick this one up!
Overall, I did enjoy the time I had with this but what I didn't like was that the real "action" only started about 60% into the book. Before that, it was quite slow in my opinion. Also, I was a little bit disappointed because for me there was only one scene I found to be really creepy. Everything else "just" felt like a mystery novel to me instead of a horror novel. I wish there would have been more scary instances throughout the book. The characters were also not really loveable to me (but that might have been intended by the author?). The only people I liked in the book were Ben's parents and you only meet them once for like 2 seconds.
Nonetheless, I did like the story and how it turned out in the end. Also, I did enjoy the writing as well!
The Guest House by Robin Morgan-Bentley
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Wow, this was intense! This is a story about a couple who decides to go on one last trip before the baby comes. In the guest house, they are staying in, they get to know Fiona and Barry who are desperate to have a child after their own boy died years ago at two years old. What will they do to get the child they want?
The story starts off really strong! I enjoyed the jump between timelines - it makes it just feel a little more real and gets you invested to find out what happened. Throughout the book, I really felt a lot of empathy for the couple and what happened to them (even though I am not a mother). But while the story was really engaging up until the big twist, it just went quite a big downhill from there in my opinion. The idea was pretty good but I just felt a disconnect to how the last part of the novel was concluded. There are some (in my opinion) very irrational choices made and I just didn't really like/understand the reasoning for the things that happened.
Nonetheless. I did like how the ending did not just stop after the reveal but gave a little more details on what happened after it and how it might continue. I always appreciate it when stories don't just stop abruptly but instead try to give a little bit of close.
3/5 stars
Thanks to NetGalley for providing an advanced copy of this for an honest review!
The story starts off really strong! I enjoyed the jump between timelines - it makes it just feel a little more real and gets you invested to find out what happened. Throughout the book, I really felt a lot of empathy for the couple and what happened to them (even though I am not a mother). But while the story was really engaging up until the big twist, it just went quite a big downhill from there in my opinion. The idea was pretty good but I just felt a disconnect to how the last part of the novel was concluded. There are some (in my opinion) very irrational choices made and I just didn't really like/understand the reasoning for the things that happened.
Nonetheless. I did like how the ending did not just stop after the reveal but gave a little more details on what happened after it and how it might continue. I always appreciate it when stories don't just stop abruptly but instead try to give a little bit of close.
3/5 stars
Thanks to NetGalley for providing an advanced copy of this for an honest review!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death and Miscarriage
The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
dark
mysterious
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
3.0
Not sure if anyone needs another summary of this novel since it is considered a classic horror and there have been movie adaptions for it. But in short: This is about a few people getting invited into a house that might be haunted and develops into a story about madness.
I did really like the writing but I have to admit that I expected to be more scared and creeped out by this novel since it is talked about so much in the community. The story felt just a little weird and like a game of hide-and-seek instead of a proper horror story.
Still, I am happy to have read this now, so I can go on and watch the movie and series! :D
I did really like the writing but I have to admit that I expected to be more scared and creeped out by this novel since it is talked about so much in the community. The story felt just a little weird and like a game of hide-and-seek instead of a proper horror story.
Still, I am happy to have read this now, so I can go on and watch the movie and series! :D
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness