I was very excited to receive an ARC of Lost Believers because it explores a unique aspect of Russian culture that isn't really discussed much in the I was very excited to receive an ARC of Lost Believers because it explores a unique aspect of Russian culture that isn't really discussed much in the West: Old Believers. There's a lot to like about the book--the descriptions of life in the taiga are beautiful and although the book's pacing is pretty slow, that didn't really bother me because the descriptions were really lovely.
However, what I am exhausted by and what brings my rating of the book down so far is (view spoiler)[ the book's reliance on the tired trope of a woman being sexually assaulted and getting pregnant from the attack. Look, this plot point has been done hundreds of times in books, television shows, and movies. If you cannot think of a better way of creating conflict for your characters, you're just not a very original writer. There are other ways to traumatize your character without relying on something that has been overdone to the point of exhaustion. Once that event occurs, the plot really does seem to jump shark for the character, and her choices become wildly illogical with no resolution. It makes for an all-around dissatisfying read for a book that starts out with a lot of potential. (hide spoiler)]
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of this book....more
When I saw a new T.J. Klune book available on NetGalley, I requested it without reading the description, which turned out to be a good choice because When I saw a new T.J. Klune book available on NetGalley, I requested it without reading the description, which turned out to be a good choice because if I'd read the description I probably would have skipped it since I don't particularly like robot-centered sci-fi (or Pinocchio). Given that, I'm so glad I read In the Lives of Puppets . It has the feel-good hallmark of Klune's more popular book The House in the Cerulean Sea but with a slightly more cynical bend to it. In the Lives of Puppets takes place in the distant future where robots have taken over the world. Giovanni Lawson, one such robot, has managed to escape to the outskirts of civilization and with his human son (Victor), they build their own family until things go very, very wrong. Victor and his companions must travel to the City of Electric Dreams to rescue Giovanni and face the truth about who he is and what he has done to Victor's world.
Klune's created a really unique retelling of Pinocchio that asks some really good questions about our relationship with technology and humanity. It's not a perfect book--it can get a little goofy at times with the dialog between the robots and it loses the plot a bit once we meet the Blue Fairy--but overall it's worth the read.
Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC of this book....more
I think my favorite book in the series so far is the second one, but this is a solid follow-up and had enough of a cliffhanger to make me want to readI think my favorite book in the series so far is the second one, but this is a solid follow-up and had enough of a cliffhanger to make me want to read the fourth book. With each book the secondary characters get more interesting. I feel like these books are a really fun combination of contemporary women's lit and the thriller genre. I'm excited for the fourth one to come out.
Thank you, NetGalley for the ARC of this book....more
The Sweet Spot is a fun and cozy read. I follow a bunch of book reviewers on Instagram who rave about Amy Poeppel's book, but I hadn't had the opportuThe Sweet Spot is a fun and cozy read. I follow a bunch of book reviewers on Instagram who rave about Amy Poeppel's book, but I hadn't had the opportunity to read one. Based on The Sweet Spot I can see why she has so many fans. I really enjoyed how she wove the characters together and even though at times the plot got a tad ridiculous (seriously, someone should have called CPS on those parents), it didn't take away from my enjoyment of the book.
Thank you, NetGalley for the ARC of the book....more
I loved the first two books in Holly Jackson's "A Good Gir's Guide to Murder" series, did not love the third book, but was still excited to read this I loved the first two books in Holly Jackson's "A Good Gir's Guide to Murder" series, did not love the third book, but was still excited to read this one. Unfortunately, the only word I can think of to describe this book is...bad. Like really bad. The book makes almost no sense. Six teenagers take off for a week in Florida for high school spring break (do high school students do that??), make a wrong turn and find themselves trapped overnight on an old road as a sniper holds them hostage to try to get one of them to tell an important secret. That's the plot.
The characters are almost entirely without personality including the protagonist. The secondary characters are interchangeable with the exception of one being so awful that I kept hoping the rest of the characters would toss him out of the RV just so we didn't have to hear from him again.
Now let's talk about the completely nonsensical parts of the book
(view spoiler)[ The plot literally makes no sense. It's inexplicable why Maddy's and Oliver's mom would pick a teenage girl to set up as a fake witness to a crime--especially one she's known her entire life. Lavoy isn't featured enough to really get a sense of why she'd execute her best friend in cold blood. The advancing her career doesn't have any real logic to it. Red isn't well enough developed to have that plot point make sense. She's not even attending college, so the promise of $20,000 seems to come out of nowhere. It's also super weird that Jackson names the mafia family Gotti, after the most famous New York crime boss, when the characters are from Philadelphia, which has its own notorious crime families. It's a such a strange choice that adds to have nonsensical the book feels. And the ending! Is the moral of the story seems to be "go off with the teenager who assassinates someone to get revenge for you. It's romantic." Are we really supposed to buy into that being a good ending for the character? It's clear from the third GGGTM, Jackson seems to love the idea that teenagers can pull off the perfect murder, but it's just baffling. (hide spoiler)]
Thanks NetGalley for the ARC of this book. ...more
For the most part, I really, really liked this book. I thought the story was really engaging and the foreword made the concept behind the story super For the most part, I really, really liked this book. I thought the story was really engaging and the foreword made the concept behind the story super interesting. The story of of Frankie and Zeke's art has hints of the satanic panic to it, and it was fun to watch how their art took on a life of itself. The only thing that keeps my review for being 5 stars is that the ending feels a bit rushed. The book is short--256 pages on my e-reader--so it almost felt like part of the story was missing once we get to see more of the characters as adults.
Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC of this book....more
I was so excited to see that there's a 5th book in the Truly Devious series. This latest book follows Stevie and her friends as they make their way ovI was so excited to see that there's a 5th book in the Truly Devious series. This latest book follows Stevie and her friends as they make their way over to London for a week. While there, Stevie finds herself involved in yet another murder mystery. I really enjoyed the story and that Maureen Johnson lets her characters grow up. Stevie is still herself but we get to see her become more like a teenager getting ready to head off to college.
This was a very fun book and I cannot wait for the sixth installment.
Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC of this book....more
This was a cute YA book. The main characters are both super likable but the secondary characters are all pretty flat. I think Talia Hibbert is a much This was a cute YA book. The main characters are both super likable but the secondary characters are all pretty flat. I think Talia Hibbert is a much better adult contemporary author, but fans of her books can breeze through this one if they want to venture into YA with her.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of this book....more
I normally really enjoy Fredrik Backman's books, but this one was not a winner for me. First off, the book is gigantic-it clocks in at 688 pages and gI normally really enjoy Fredrik Backman's books, but this one was not a winner for me. First off, the book is gigantic-it clocks in at 688 pages and gets to be absolutely tedious with the overwrought emotions of every single character that has ever graced the series. Just in case there weren't enough intense emotions in the first two books in the series, The Winners will hit you over the head with them.
I don't know if Backman has reached the JK Rowling stage of his career where he doesn't work with an editor, but you could probably skip the first 500 pages of The Winners and not miss anything plot-wise. The book also falls into the overplayed trope of (view spoiler)[ Bury your Gays by killing off the only gay character in the series just to make sure you really understand that people are both bad and good and complicated. (hide spoiler)]
Thank you, NetGalley for the ARC of this book....more
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