virgilsaeneid's reviews
336 reviews

lighthearted relaxing 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? No

2.5

A Netgalley ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

I need to preface this review with a couple of things: one, this book is a good read if you like lighter historical fiction pieces. Two, there definitely is an audience for American Housewife but unfortunately, I believe I fall outside of that demographic. Ultimately, I rated American Housewife 2.5/5 stars, but wish Abriel all the best on release day.

However, this would not be an honest review if I didn't explain my problems with this narrative. For starters, all of the underlying narrative arcs feel incredibly disjointed. Even once they all tie together, it unfortunately falls short - I think this is largely due to the incredibly low stakes of this piece. Maggie is given everything on a silver platter. Any genuine struggles she goes through as a protagonist are short-lived and resolved without consequence. At no point did I feel worried for Maggie, because the conflicts are set up in a way that suggests she'll come out entirely unscathed - which she does. The primary antagonist of American Housewife is unfortunately a walking stereotype of failing the Bechdel test, incredibly undynamic, and only emerged in the last ~40% of the book. The entire conflict of the book is tied up and resolved in a singular conversation between Maggie and her husband in the last ten minutes of the book, leaving an unsatisfying aftertaste.

While I can definitely see why people of more relaxed, straightforward narratives will appreciate Abriel's writing, the dialogue and scenes felt quite blocky and interrupted the reading experience for me. American Housewife fell short of my expectations, but I can understand and respect the angle it is written from. If you want a historical fiction that is more cozy and low stakes, I would full-heartedly recommend this book.

Goodnight Punpun, Vol. 3 by Inio Asano

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dark 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

The Encyclopedia of Early Earth by Isabel Greenberg

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emotional lighthearted fast-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

BestGhost by C.J. Daley

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dark tense 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? No

5.0

Thank you for the free copy accessed through Netgalley!

BestGhost is functionally the perfect teaser trailer for what can be expected from the rest of this book. As a long-time fan of Buzzfeed Unsolved and Ghost Files, Daley perfectly encapsulates the banter of two guys exploring horrific places. This novelette was eerie, mysterious, and definitely had me looking over my shoulder a few times.

I can't recommend BestGhost enough and (once I put my big girl shoes on) am excited to tackle the full story! 5/5 stars.

These Vengeful Wishes by Vanessa Montalban

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dark emotional mysterious 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

Netgalley ARC provided in exchange for an honest review!

These Vengeful Wishes was an easy, casual read with an intriguing mystery and steady pace. Montalban's prose is easy to read. Ceci and La Cegua's story offered a tragic narrative arc and I found it a compelling mystery. Unlike most people in the reviews, I couldn't have predicted the way the story unfolded and Montalban did an excellent job of building steady tension and mystery. I also have to give at least one whole star to Jamie, I adored the banter between Ceci and him. Honestly, they were easily one of the most fun couple's to root for that I have in a while.

All in all, These Vengeful Wishes was a delightful read, although I did find the beginning a little bit slow. This is exacerbated by the later pace of the book. Despite this, I still had a blast. Easily a 4/5 star read! Best of luck to Montalban on release day!

The Butcher of the Forest by Premee Mohamed

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adventurous dark fast-paced