REVIEW – What It Seems by Emily Bleeker

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What It Seems is a nerve-wracking little book – this had my heart beating fast during a few points in the plot. Mother is terrifying. Tara sometimes makes decisions that make you want to yell at her (but you also understand why she does what she does and thinks what she thinks).

Tara is 20 and has basically been held captive by “Mother” for the past 12 years (under the guise of being a foster child). When she finds an opportunity to intern with her favorite YouTube family, she figures out a way to escape Mother’s grasp and attempt to start a new life.

She quickly learns that things aren’t always as they seem – the “perfect” family well…isn’t. (But I also didn’t think their issues were really THAT bad). The overall plot of this book is good. It meanders a bit and doesn’t quite deliver what I was expecting, but it’s a good, quick thriller read. I’m definitely interested in reading more of Bleeker’s books!

Content warning: sexual assault, abuse (especially severe abuse of a child).

Thank you Books Forward PR for sending me a copy of this book!

REVIEW – In Five Years by Rebecca Serle

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In Five Years is getting a LOT of hype right now, and I can see why. Dannie is a very organized, very detail-oriented lawyer in NYC. When she nails the most important interview of her career (and gets engaged the same day!) she ends up falling asleep and wakes with a jolt – five years into the future. She’s in an unfamiliar bed with a man she’s never met. There’s an engagement ring on her finger, and it’s not the one she just said “yes!” to. Back in the present, Dannie’s “vision” hangs over her head as she navigates her way through her new job and engagement.

Four and a half years later, Dannie meets the mystery man from her dream. Life unravels from there, and what follows is a heartbreaking love story (but not one that you’d expect).

This book gets heavy – FAST. I knew something sad was probably coming, but had no idea what. The main foundation of this story is a strong female friendship, and the romantic components take a backseat (as they should in this instance).

This is a tearjerker for many (although it didn’t make me cry – not many books make me cry…) and I can see it showing up on some “Best of…” lists at the end of the year.

REVIEW – Have You Seen Me? by Kate White

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This has such a great premise – Ally shows up at work one morning, only to be told she hasn’t been employed there for five years. She spends the entire book piecing together the bits of her lost memory. There’s a cold case from her childhood that plays a role here, and overall I was interested to see where the story ended up.

However…it didn’t really end up anywhere. Do we figure out where she was? Yes. Do we find out what triggered her memory loss? Also, yes. (I don’t see these as spoilers, as it’s pretty much explained in the synopsis.) However, the tone of the book shifts in the last 100 or so pages and I found myself going “seriously?” during a few parts.

I think there’s an audience for this book – those who are new to the thriller genre or those who want to read a thriller without too much complexity or gore.

Thank you Harper/Harper Perennial for sending me a copy of this book!

REVIEW – Eight Perfect Murders by Peter Swanson

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Eight Perfect Murders starts off with a plot that aligns perfectly with the current era – it seems that a murderer is following a blog post that Mal wrote some years ago, detailing the “eight perfect murders” from classic thriller and mystery books.

The book is written somewhat as a memoir – we experience everything through Mal’s perspective. From his present-day investigation of the murders, to past memories featuring his deceased wife.

I was intrigued by the overall storyline – I was curious to see who the murderer was, and I definitely had my suspicions. However, although the reveal was surprising, I still found it a bit lackluster.

Regardless of my issues with this book, this was still a decent read. It’s slower than your typical thriller and has a bit of a noir feel to it, if that’s your cup of tea.

I won an ARC of this book through a Goodreads giveaway.

REVIEW – Truths I Never Told You by Kelly Rimmer

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{Available April 14, 2020} Presented in dual timelines (the early to mid-1950s and a few weeks in 1996) The Truths I Never Told You is somewhat presented as a mystery, with maybe a thriller edge, but is really a story about family secrets, the seemingly mysterious death of our main character’s mother, and the surrounding events. This book is sad, but it’s also filled with love and hope.

The family’s strength really shines through in this one – both the present-day situation with the four siblings and the sacrifices made in the past.

I think this story will resonate most with mothers – women who have experienced the ups and downs of pregnancy, childbirth and the early months and years of parenting. As someone without children, I could still understand the anxiety, fear and depression that both Grace and Beth faced, but only on the surface level.

Content warning: mentions of abortion and suicide.

Thank you Graydon House for sending me an ARC of this book!

REVIEW – The Familiar Dark by Amy Engel

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{Available March 31, 2020} Less than a thriller and more of an examination of familial relationships (primarily mother/daughter and brother/sister), The Familiar Dark is a gritty story with an of-the-moment setting. Anyone who has watched Ozark on Netflix will easily be able to picture Eve’s tiny, poor town in Missouri. The book gives off the same gray, unsettling vibe as the show, too.

After Eve’s daughter and her best friend are murdered on a run-down playground, Eve takes it upon herself to investigate the murders and exact revenge on the killer. What she uncovers is more horrific than she could have ever imagined.

There are some heartbreaking twists/reveals in this story, and the entire thing feels very desolate and hopeless. I wasn’t impressed with the ending when I first read it – some of it seems very out of character and almost like a stretch. But the more I think about it, and the more I think about the setting and the personal background of each character…i’m not ENTIRELY convinced that it’s plausible, but i’m starting to come around that maybe it was an inevitable conclusion for these characters. Just be forewarned: it’s dark and it’s sad and there are no winners in this book.

Thank you Dutton Books for the NetGalley ARC!

REVIEW – Meg & Jo by Virginia Kantra

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“This was love. Not holding back, not keeping score, but doing things for each other. Giving to each other. Not out of obligation, but generously, because it was a joy to offer.”

Little Women is one of my favorite books, and i’ve recently re-immersed myself in the story. I re-read the classic in December, before seeing the (amazing, perfect, flawless) movie in theaters. When I heard about this contemporary retelling, I knew I had to pick it up.

Meg & Jo offers a few modern twists on classic moments, and they work for the most part. It doesn’t quite have the coziness that you get from reading Little Women, but I think that’s just a symptom of the modern-day setting. On the bright side, the setting offers a relatability that the original lacks.

“Too bookish, too stubborn, too ambitious, too competitive.”

I found Jo’s story to be a bit more interesting, but isn’t that always the case? Meg has chosen the “typical” path – marriage, babies, etc. – which is exactly what works well for her. I think many of us felt we were a “Jo” when we read the original book, and I think parts of her personality are even more relatable in this retelling.

I did not expect this book to be so adult (a pleasant surprise)! There are some steamy scenes, but nothing too descriptive or explicit if that’s a concern of yours. It’s relatively tame compared to other books out there.

What did I love? CHEF. Oh, Chef. My favorite character in this book and a great spin on the character he mirrors in the original.

And a warning: there is going to be a character in this book that you’ll probably hate. You’ll hate them for good reason. I felt a little conflicted about their storyline at first, but giving the modern setting and the surrounding narrative, it does make sense.

I did feel like Beth and Amy were missing from the story, but their stories are forthcoming from what I understand.

Will this be as beloved as the original? Of course not. But it’s a nice little supplement for fans of Little Women who find themselves wanting to spend more time with the March sisters.

REVIEW – When You Read This by Mary Adkins

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“This whole time I thought my real life hadn’t started yet. Turns out that was my life. I have six months or so to make that okay, somehow.”

Oh, this book. I was intrigued by the premise initially, but I loved this book so much more than I would have anticipated. We follow our three main characters – Iris (recently deceased), her boss Smith and her sister Jade – through a series of emails, text messages and blog posts. The format of this novel made it a very quick and easy read – I flew through the majority of this book in a matter of a few hours.

“We are not special. We do not survive death. We only think we are, and do.”

This is an amazing portrayal of grief, presented in snippets. Smith is grieving the loss of his friend and coworker. Jade is grieving the loss of her sister. And through Iris’ blog posts, we witness her grieving the loss of “what could have been.” It’s sad and it’s funny (like, laugh out loud funny). It’s cliche to say “I laughed, I cried,” but, truly…I laughed. I cried. There are a few notable side characters, like Carl (you’ll hate him, then you’ll kind of love him).

“‘We die as we lived,’ some guy wrote. But how did I live?”

Thank you Harper Books/Harper Perennial for sending me a finished paperback copy of this book!

REVIEW – Catch and Kill by Ronan Farrow

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“If you don’t run with this, if you don’t move forward with this and expose him, you’re on the wrong side of history.”

Catch and Kill is one of those books I should have read immediately upon release, when the Weinstein trial was ongoing and his fate was hanging in the balance (I mean, I guess it still is. But the buzz around this story has died down considerably).

Farrow’s relentless pursuit of the truth, and of bringing Weinstein to justice, is commendable. The book is interesting. It’s good. It’s important. But because I have read so much about this case, I did find myself a bit bored in the middle. This book could have easily been reduced by 100 or so pages (again, I think my opinion would have differed had I read this back in October or November).

Regardless of my reading experience, I was disgusted to learn just how many people were covering up for Weinstein, or turning a blind eye to his crimes. I wasn’t surprised, necessarily, but when it’s spelled out in front of you, it packs a punch. On the flip side, i’m grateful that good, moral people still exist to make sure criminals like Weinstein get what they deserve (although, he got away with it for so long, i’m not sure the punishment can truly fit the crime).

CONSTANT READER REVIEW – The Institute by Stephen King

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“Great events turn on small hinges.”

Ah, The Institute. Where kidnapped kids go to…well, you’ll have to read it and find out. One day, Luke Ellis is just a normal-ish (heavy on the “-ish”) 12-year-old kid and the next, his parents are dead and he’s been taken. At The Institute, he meets a group of kids in “Front Half” and learns about the dreaded, secretive “Back Half.”

As you can expect, the adults in this are despicable and cruel. The kids? You’ll want to hug them (especially Avery. Oh, sweet Avery) and help them escape the horrific fate that awaits them in Back Half.

“And what piece was he? It would be nice to believe himself a knight, but more likely, he was just another pawn.”

There’s another story interwoven here, and I wanted more details that I ended up not getting. However, everything ties together nicely. This book goes exactly where you think it’s headed – there aren’t many surprises or twists here, and that’s okay. When I learned to stop expecting things from the book, and instead decided just to enjoy it, I found my reading experience to be much more positive.

“It came to him, with the force of a revelation, that you had to have been imprisoned to fully understand what freedom was.”

You’ll cheer when bad things happen to the bad guys. You’ll be angry when bad things happen to the good guys. And you might wonder, as one of our characters does towards the end, what if they’re right? (Again, read it…you’ll find out.)

This might be a good King book for non-King readers. It has some disturbing parts (one in particular will haunt me for awhile – OUCH. and also EW), but overall it’s just an interesting story about a top-secret operation that kidnaps kids for…reasons.

I did notice some bits that reminded me of other King books (I mean, Luke and his friends at The Institute are kind of a modern-day Loser’s Club). And you only have to make it to page 10 to find the ever-present blue chambray shirt.