Tag: ARC

REVIEW – The Doll Factory by Elizabeth Macneal

Aimeeeliz

The Doll Factory is an incredible book, meant for the patient reader. The buildup is slow, but oh boy does it pay off at the end.

Macneal does an amazing job of placing the reader right in the middle of gloomy, grimy 1850s London. Each chapter flawlessly leads into the next (seriously. When you start a chapter, go back and read the last sentence from the previous one.)

There are subtle, but terrifying, details that suggest not all is right with Silas “the Cadaver” Reed, but you have no idea the depths of his depravity until it all comes together at the end. There’s a revelation in the last few chapters that made me audibly gasp. It’s THAT good (and THAT horrible).

It’s almost impossible to believe that this is a debut. The way Macneal slowly builds to certain reveals is absolutely masterful.

Also, Guinevere is clearly the best character 😉

Thank you Atria for providing me with a copy of this book.

REVIEW – The Escape Room by Megan Goldin

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You might not be aware that you want to read a fast-paced thriller with a heavy Wolf of Wall Street vibe, but trust me…you do.

The perspective alternates between present day in the elevator and chapters set in the past, leading up to what got Vincent, Sam, Jules and Sylvie in this situation. Needless to say, I’m not too excited to ride in an elevator ever again.

There are some really sad moments in this book, but by the end it’s just pure fun.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press for providing me with a copy of this book!

REVIEW – Montauk by Nicola Harrison

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“No matter how perfect all these lives might have seemed from a distance, so full of possibilities and promise, we all wanted more.”

I was expecting this to lean a bit more towards the historical fiction genre, but it’s ultimately women’s fiction that just so happens to be set in 1938. There were some slight historical references but none of them had any real impact on the story.

Readers who typically gravitate towards romance might really enjoy this one.

The treatment of women was infuriating (not a negative of the book, but of the time). I immediately hated Beatrice’s husband. The author does a great job of covering the overall sentiment towards women, the “necessity” of having children, and the enforcement of very archaic, traditional gender roles. We do have at least one character who has branched out beyond her “place” as a woman, but even she has her problematic views in the end.

That ending though – I was content for this book to take the expected route (rather, one of two) and it didn’t. Which was frustrating because I felt like the way it wrapped up was simply drama for the sake of drama, instead of it serving a real purpose.

I received this book as part of the BookSparks Montauk pop-up tour.

REVIEW – The Islanders by Meg Mitchell Moore

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This book is good. The characters are well-developed, their struggles are realistic and the setting is lovely. It’s a great summer read.

I really enjoyed Lu’s chapters the most, and I thought her friendship with Anthony was sweet and relatable.

The story wasn’t incredibly exciting, but I don’t think it needed to be. When I was about a quarter of the way in I was waiting for something to “kick in” but then I realized it’s simply a book about people and is 100% character driven.

The Islanders is a light, easy read, either for people who gravitate toward these types of books, or for readers like me who need a palate cleanser between thrillers/mysteries.

I received an ARC of this book from William Morrow as part of a Goodreads giveaway.

REVIEW – The Summer We Lost Her by Tish Cohen

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The Summer We Lost Her is an absolute gut punch. Tish Cohen has written amazing, complex and, in some cases, despicable characters.

This book is incredibly atmospheric – I could vividly picture Lake Placid and imagine myself right alongside Elise and Matt. Even though I knew Gracie was going to go missing, the moment in the book where it happens was still incredibly emotional.

I absolutely hated two characters in particular, to the point that my husband had to ask if I was okay because I scoffed so loudly after reading a chapter. Cohen’s writing is THAT good.

An amazing read for anyone who likes deep domestic fiction with just a dash of thriller/suspense.

Thank you Scout Press for providing me with a review copy of this book!

REVIEW – Your Life is Mine by Nathan Ripley

Aimeeeliz

Your Life is Mine reads like an episode of Criminal Minds. There are twists you will likely predict, but others that will be a gut punch.

The best way to summarize this book is: You’re in a cult, call your dad. (Fellow Murderinos will understand!) The cult aspect of this book was eerie – Chuck Varner is like a cross between Charles Manson and a Columbine shooter. The mindset of those who will blindly follow a deranged, violent cult leader is chilling.

Overall, it’s an interesting, gritty thriller. I would recommend this to anyone who has an interest in true crime – there’s definitely some true crime elements in this story.

Thank you to Atria Books for providing me with an ARC to read and review!

REVIEW – Vessel by Lisa A. Nichols

Aimeeeliz

I have been looking forward to reading Vessel since I first read the synopsis. I’ve been wanting to try out the sci-fi genre a bit more, and I love creepy stories about space (Alien is one of my favorite movies!)

Vessel isn’t what I expected, but I still enjoyed it. It’s a relatively complex and rich story, with interesting characters. Some parts in the book definitely creeped me out!

However, it does read more like women’s fiction than sci-fi. (That didn’t stop me from enjoying the book.) There’s a lot of focus on how Catherine adjusts to life back on earth, and how her return impacts her family. This isn’t a negative at all, just an observation.

I was expecting this to be a bit creepier, and a bit darker, but I think it’s a great choice for readers who are interested in a book with a sci-fi theme without being too heavy handed.

Thank you to Atria for sending me a review copy of this book!

REVIEW – The Alchemy of Noise by Lorraine Devon Wilke

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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!

REVIEW – The Last by Hanna Jameson

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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.

REVIEW – Not Bad People by Brandy Scott

Aimeeeliz

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.