Dark and disturbing for sure. Uncomfortable, sad, manipulative. Story of a male teacher who manipulates and abuses 15 yo students. Follows the impact Dark and disturbing for sure. Uncomfortable, sad, manipulative. Story of a male teacher who manipulates and abuses 15 yo students. Follows the impact on one student (Vanessa) and how he twists the situation so everything is on her and how it affects her whole life. SO distressing and definitely full of triggers if you can't read about abuse, mental or physical. Very well written for a debut book that really took me into the mind of a young girl and then into her mind as she's older and trying to come to terms with what happened....more
This is an average thriller with chapters jumping from person to person and timeframe to timeframe. It's a bit jumbled of a way to tell the story, butThis is an average thriller with chapters jumping from person to person and timeframe to timeframe. It's a bit jumbled of a way to tell the story, but there aren't so many characters to keep track of and a few of the minor ones don't really factor into the mystery.
It's sort of a classic 'closed room' murder when a group of friends get together at a remote location to celebrate New Years, they get snowed in, which friend did it? In fact we aren't even sure who the victim is until quite late in the story. We get everyone's back story a chapter at a time then hop forward to the current day, then back to college, current day, recent past, etc. That got a bit distracting.
It's readable enough, moves along at a good pace, but.....I didn't love it....more
3.5 stars Good story that follows the 2 very different paths taken by very light skinned African American twin girls and how their life paths ended up 3.5 stars Good story that follows the 2 very different paths taken by very light skinned African American twin girls and how their life paths ended up being VERY different than they expected - one married a very dark black man and one passed as white and spent her life pretending to be white. With absolutely no frame of reference for the accuracy of the feelings in such a situation, it felt like a believable mix of feelings.
However, the book didn't touch me. I didn't "feel" it somehow and I didn't care at all for the ending. Well written, some interesting situations, but just an okay read for me....more
4.5 stars! What a clever, enchanting, engrossing, detailed book. The writing is stellar, the character of Addie is delightful and ever-intriguing, Hen4.5 stars! What a clever, enchanting, engrossing, detailed book. The writing is stellar, the character of Addie is delightful and ever-intriguing, Henry is an interesting opposite of Addie.
Another excellent story by Schwab - she's fast becoming one of my "must read" authors!...more
3.5 stars I have mixed feelings. There were more than a few situations, quotes, and metaphors that resonated with me for one reason or another. I appre3.5 stars I have mixed feelings. There were more than a few situations, quotes, and metaphors that resonated with me for one reason or another. I appreciate any author that can articulate their personal growth in such a clear and readable way. Talking about, explaining feelings is tough - having the words to describe change and growth is hard. Framing the information so it doesn't feel like a lecture or a know-it-all position is hard. I think she succeeded sometimes and sometimes I found myself skimming along past the blah, blah, blah of ramblings.
The chapters are short making for quick bites of information, usually about a specific situation or issue. She tackles the biggest issue of self actualization/realization as she discusses female self image indoctrination and 'programming'. She shares the failure of her first marriage to her husband and her passionate love and marriage to her wife. She also gives her perspective on everything ranging from how to let your kids be their own person, to the BLM, to God and religion. ...more
I received this book free from #Simon&Schuster - and I'm glad I did. It's a great tale of magic (lots of magic!!), demons, magical libraries with talkI received this book free from #Simon&Schuster - and I'm glad I did. It's a great tale of magic (lots of magic!!), demons, magical libraries with talking books, evil-doers, and then there's the plucky heroine, Elizabeth, that just doesn't give up. Elizabeth and sorcerer Nathaniel are in their late teens and take on the saving of the world against an evil sorcerer and his demons. There are battles of wits and battles with swords; there are tender moments of affection and moments of terror and anger and resolution. This book has it all.
I listened to this book and the best part was the narrator with her Irish accent. The story was okay. A odd, unpopular girl becomes involved with a poI listened to this book and the best part was the narrator with her Irish accent. The story was okay. A odd, unpopular girl becomes involved with a popular boy in high school & they agree to keep it secret. An event causes a rift. They go to college and roles reverse and she comes into her own while he struggles to make friends. And so it goes on.
There are some uncomfortable scenes as we learn about MaryAnne's dysfunctional home life and see how it affects her other relationships and life choices, how it colors her perception of love. She's a bit of a lost person. Except when she's with Connell. Together they're both the better for it, but events keep getting in the way and they keep getting in their own way. I kept thinking - "just talk to each other instead of making all those assumptions!" But then, of course, there wouldn't be a story.
Kind of a COA story about the evolution of a difficult romantic and friendship relationship....more
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