The hype surrounding this book is intense. So here’s an unpopular opinion – I wasn’t impressed.
TJR is a great writer. The writing in this book is good. But the story just doesn’t go anywhere. I felt like there was a lot of buildup for…nothing.
I didn’t care much about the characters. A lot of the drama seemed forced. I also didn’t think the “reveal” of the author was anything special because I never wondered who the author was supposed to be.
Flavia de Luce is a delightful character – like a cross between Anne Shirley and Sherlock Holmes.
I enjoyed The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie for the most part. I did get a little bored towards the middle but the book definitely redeemed itself at the end. I would be willing to pick up the second book in the series.
Full disclosure: I finished this book in one day. Partially because I had the day off with zero plans, and partially because it was so compelling I couldn’t stop reading.
The Alchemy of Noise tackles a lot of serious (and timely, relevant) racial issues. It doesn’t shy away from uncomfortable discussions between characters and it forces some of the characters (and most likely a lot of the readers) to examine their own prejudice and privilege.
I’ll admit, I was a little uncomfortable reading about the constant racism that black people face when this book was written by a white woman. However, Wilke’s note at the end of the book answers a lot of questions and explains why she feels qualified to tell this particular story.
Thank you BookSparks for the free copy!
If I could describe this book in one word, it would be: claustrophobic.
I’m so used to post-apocalyptic books involving a lot of movement and travel and discovery, but we spend the majority of The Last inside L’Hotel Sixieme – and it WORKS.
I don’t want to say too much because I think it’s worth going into only knowing the synopsis. I know it’s probably being compared to Station Eleven, but this also gives me some Bird Box vibes.
One of the blurbs on the back of the book says “It’s Stephen King meets Agatha Christie” and I think that’s fairly accurate. The Last features a cast of characters who aren’t all what they seem, and also there’s horror in the mundane and routine (which is the most chilling part of this book).
We only know what’s happening from the perspective of one character, so I’m sure there’s a lot going on at the hotel that we miss. He also seems to be unreliable at times, but that just adds to the feelings of isolation and insanity that run underneath the main plot.
Don’t sleep on this book – it’s a great one (and make sure you visit the dentist regularly!)
Thank you to Atria for providing me with a copy of this book.
If you ever need a good, quick read that’s interesting and a little funny, you MUST pick up something by Agatha Christie.
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd is amazing – with interesting, complex characters, and the feel that you’re right alongside Poirot looking for clues and trying to solve the murder.
WARNING: This review contains spoilers!
Not Bad People starts off with an interesting premise – three friends release paper lanterns filled with resolutions on New Year’s Eve. The next day, we learn there was a plane crash nearby and one of our characters is convinced that the lanterns were the cause.
I thought this would be a fast-paced suspense/thriller that focused primarily on the crash and the aftermath (maybe a trial? A more in-depth investigation?) but it’s really about these three friends (Aimee, Melinda and Lou), their lives and how their friendship unravels over the course of a few weeks. It leans heavily into the Women’s Fiction genre (not a negative, just an observation).
The friendship falls apart so fast I found it difficult to believe that they were even good friends to begin with (maybe their friendship is a matter of proximity rather than choice). When dealing with Aimee’s mental issues, Lou and Melinda seemed annoyed rather than worried about their friend.
I also thought the author was setting us up for some sort of confrontation with Peter’s stepson, Cameron. There were also some loose ends regarding Cameron and Aimee’s son, Byron.
The book was a bit longer than it needed to be – at more than 550 pages, I feel there were some storylines or repetitive parts that could be cut out.
The writing is good – this is a debut from Brandy Scott and I think it’s promising. I would be interested in reading another book from her if she continues to write.
Thank you William Morrow for providing me with an ARC of this book.
I’m not quite sure why I never read Anne of Green Gables as a kid, but I’ve always been interested in the story.
I read this at exactly the right time – I recently read quite a few disturbing, unsettling books and was in desperate need of something light and cozy.
I didn’t expect to fall in love – with Anne, with Avonlea, with the Cuthberts – everything about this book was lovely.
You can tell that the book is suitable for younger readers, but it didn’t feel like a “children’s” book. I’m excited to read the rest of the series!
This story is INSANE. I have so much respect for John Carreyrou – the scare tactics and intimidation that came from Theranos’s lawyers (and employees…and board members…) were no joke.
It’s amazing how many people (smart, experienced people) fell for Elizabeth Holmes’ charm, her lies, her manipulation. She is really just a bully who thinks she’s smarter than everyone else and thinks she deserves…what? Wealth? Success? Prestige?
It’s almost too ridiculous to be believable, but Bad Blood is solid proof that truth is stranger than fiction.
“What’s feeding in Derry? What’s feeding on Derry?”
IT is King’s ultimate masterpiece. Is it perfect? No. But this book is memorable, and it’s jarring. At first, I didn’t think that it was scaring me much. Yes, there are some creepy, or disturbing, scenes. Yes, there’s always an underlying horror, even (especially?) in the mundane.
But then I found myself looking suspiciously at the drains in my bathroom. And found myself scanning the shadows in my bedroom at night.
IT does so many things well. At it’s essence, it’s a book about friendship and childhood and growing up.
Sure, the ancient entity that terrorizes Derry every 27(ish) years causes bad things to happen. And sure, the residents seem to be poisoned by IT. But many of the terrible things that happen in Derry (homophobia, racism, abuse, assault) happen in other towns, too. Is IT really the one to blame for everything? Or are people monsters too?
[spoilers start here!]
“The kid in you just leaked out, like the air out of a tire. And one day you looked in the mirror and there was a grownup looking back at you.”
I loved the friendship between the seven Losers. I was kind of disappointed that Stan really was just used as a plot device; his presence in the 1958 chapters just didn’t carry much weight.
I was also sad that after finally, officially, defeating IT, they started to lose their memories again. Maybe that just shows us that they ultimately only needed each other for that one purpose. It also makes me wonder what will ultimately happen with Beverly and Ben.
I do think that this book starts to unravel a bit towards the end. I saw the TV movie when I was a kid, and was never impressed by the giant spider. IT’s death was INSANE, but the end sequence is more “action movie” than “horror.”
Little Lovely Things was frustrating, heartbreaking and compelling.
I felt so bad for Claire when she realized her girls were missing – I think we all make little choices each day that could change our lives in an instant.
The multiple perspectives were interesting (I don’t want to give anything away!) and reminded me a lot of Jodi Picoult’s writing.
This is a quick and easy read, but doesn’t lack depth or emotion.
Read with Aimee 