This book was a bit of a mixed bag for me. I immensely enjoyed the setting and the mysterious atmosphere, as well as the re-introduction of a few charThis book was a bit of a mixed bag for me. I immensely enjoyed the setting and the mysterious atmosphere, as well as the re-introduction of a few characters that were absent from the last book, but the overall story and mystery felt a little lacking to me. I found the mystery a little cluttered, and also a little unbelievable. Would things really keep going normally for so long with so many murders on board? It seems unlikely to me.
What I also didn't like was the development of the relationship between Audrey Rose and Thomas. It just seemed way too late to introduce a love triangle, as both of them seemed entirely sure of each other at the end of the last book. The relationship had built up steadily over the past few books, making the sudden conflict and Audrey Rose's hesitations feel very disingenuous. It didn't quite seem to fit. She also seemed to make a lot of stupid decisions in this book, with very flimsy reasoning. (view spoiler)[(The whole 'pact' was silly, I also just really didn't enjoy Mephistopheles as a character. He was getting on my nerves for most of the book.) (hide spoiler)]
I liked it, but not as much as the other books. It's a shame, because I did really love the carnival aspect of it all and the setting was very intriguing. I also think this is the prettiest cover so far. ...more
This book definitely wasn't bad. I liked the start, but the ending was a little meh for me. I feel like the conflict got a little convoluted and hard This book definitely wasn't bad. I liked the start, but the ending was a little meh for me. I feel like the conflict got a little convoluted and hard to follow, and the same went for the magic and the worldbuilding. It may just be that I'm not in the right mood for it right now, but it wasn't as good as the first book was in my opinion. I liked the premise of the first book a lot more, which was what initially pulled me in. But this one went into a completely different direction, and I'm not as interested anymore. Not a bad book, but just okay to me.
I think this is the last book in this series for me. I don't really like the direction it's going in enough to keep going. The side characters all blur together for me, and I feel like I can't really remember any of the details of the story. Not a bad book, but I don't think the rest of this series is for me. ...more
This book was charming, much like the first one. The author really manages to capture a certain atmosphere, and I liked the things that were added in This book was charming, much like the first one. The author really manages to capture a certain atmosphere, and I liked the things that were added in this book. The new characters fit in pretty well, and I can only hope they will make reappearances in later books. But I also noticed now how the story is really mainly focusing on Sophie and Lil, and I do like that as well. I enjoyed their relationship as much as I did in the first one, they really compliment each other well.
These books are definitely a recommendation if you're looking for a fun middle grade mystery series. They are mostly lighthearted, but also go into some dark things. I feel like it's a good middle ground, and incredibly atmospheric. I'll be continuing this series for sure. ...more
With a long TBR on here that I started in 2014, it's rare for me to pick up a random book I had never heard of before. But that's exactly what I did wWith a long TBR on here that I started in 2014, it's rare for me to pick up a random book I had never heard of before. But that's exactly what I did with this book when I went to the library last week, and I'm glad I did!
The Shipyard Girls really pulled me in. It's a story about a few different women in England during WWII, who start working in the shipyards while many men are off at war. Each of the women in the little group have their own problems, and the book focuses on each of them. I really enjoyed reading this, as the plot was very interesting and moved very fast. My favorite thing was the friendship that formed between the women.
I wasn't aware that this was a long series when I picked up this book, but I'm considering hunting down the second one so I can see what happens next. I didn't expect I'd have the urge to do that when I started this. ...more
If I compare this to the previous book, I have to say I liked the first book a bit more than this one. But that doesn't mean this one was bad at all, If I compare this to the previous book, I have to say I liked the first book a bit more than this one. But that doesn't mean this one was bad at all, because I enjoyed it a lot. I liked the change of setting, as it set the perfect atmosphere for the story. The characters felt like the same characters from the first book, but with a bit more development. I really like how the events of the first book really affected Audrey Rose, and how you could see her dealing with it.
The new characters introduced were great, and the mystery kept me guessing. I'm not sure how I feel about the reveal, but I did like how certain things were set up. It definitely wasn't easy to guess for me.
I'm very curious to see what the next book will be like. I really enjoy how Thomas and Audrey Rose go to a new setting in each book. I liked the development of their relationship in this one a lot too, though I hope it doesn't mean the author throws in unnecessary drama to fill up the next two books. ...more
I was a little hesitant about picking up these books, but now I feel a little silly about it. This first oDefinitely a good read for the time of year!
I was a little hesitant about picking up these books, but now I feel a little silly about it. This first one was very entertaining! I think the use of real historical events/names in the titles was putting me off a bit, but I think if I suspend my disbelief a little and simply enjoy the ride, I'll like this series a lot.
Audrey Rose was a fun protagonist, though I did feel like her whole 'I like girly stuff but also like cutting up corpses, I can do both!' thing was sometimes a little unnatural. She would think these things about herself, making it feel more like telling than showing. But I got past that pretty quickly. The cast of characters was fascinating, with just enough people to suspect to keep things interesting. I'm a little pleased with myself for guessing who Jack the Ripper was in this story, but I think the other leads would have worked as well.
All in all, a fun spooky read. I'm curious about the other books in the series. ...more
There's something so immersive about this series, and I can't put my finger on it. The worldbuilding is just the right balance between silliness, wondThere's something so immersive about this series, and I can't put my finger on it. The worldbuilding is just the right balance between silliness, wonder, and realism. I like how the author doesn't over-explain everything that is happening, and instead just lets the world be magical all around the characters.
I loved this book as much as the previous one, Morrigan remains a wonderful main character, and all the supporting characters are great too. I loved the development in this book especially. The world grew a lot compared to the last one, and more and more characters were introduced, and it all felt very natural.
All in all, this was a great book! I can't wait for the next one. ...more
This was a fun and sweet book. A middle grade mystery in a charming setting with fun characters, I really enjoyed it.
Initially I was planning to only This was a fun and sweet book. A middle grade mystery in a charming setting with fun characters, I really enjoyed it.
Initially I was planning to only read this first book, but by the end I was attached enough to the characters to seek out the second one. Sophie, Lil, Joe, and Billy are a very fun group of characters. I also really liked the setting and the descriptions of the store. The mystery itself wasn't really what captivated me, but I was curious to figure it out.
I'm curious to see how the world expands in the future books. I'll at least give the next one a go. This is a very fun middle grade read with a wonderful atmosphere. ...more
Overall series rating: 4 starts This book: 3 stars
I enjoyed this book and the way it ended the series, for the most part, but there were a few things tOverall series rating: 4 starts This book: 3 stars
I enjoyed this book and the way it ended the series, for the most part, but there were a few things that bothered me enough to bump it down to three stars. Was it bad? No! And I loved the series overall. I just think that for me personally, this book was my least favorite in the series.
Lia continues to be great, as to most of the other characters. But what I didn't like was how Rafe seemed to get a personality transplant halfway through the book just to cause a bit of conflict. (view spoiler)[ him practically treating Lia as a prisoner just didn't feel realistic to me. (hide spoiler)]
I think this book ended the series on a good note, and it wrapped everything up neatly. There were times where it felt a little bit rushed, but all in all, it was a good book. I enjoyed the political intrigue in this one a lot.
I'm very curious about the other series in this universe, and I hope to get to it soon....more
Much like Ruth Ware's newer novel The Turn of the Key, this book does a great job of setting up an atmosphere. I felt really immersed in the story, aMuch like Ruth Ware's newer novel The Turn of the Key, this book does a great job of setting up an atmosphere. I felt really immersed in the story, and immediately felt a connection with the main character too. From the premise, it would be easy to make Hal unlikable. Sneaky and dishonest, trying to steal money. And while she technically is doing that, the author makes you feel for her. I was rooting for her throughout the entire book.
I loved the family dynamic in this book and the way the mystery slowly appears to you. It's not a clear and cut thing from the start. You can tell there is more to the Westaway family than you see at first glance, but it takes a while to put the pieces together. The flashbacks helped and only added to the story. I really enjoyed the twist, I didn't see it coming.
I definitely want to keep reading books by this author. ...more
This book was difficult to put down. I think the author did a great job building up the creepy atmosphere, and slowly giving us hints about things thaThis book was difficult to put down. I think the author did a great job building up the creepy atmosphere, and slowly giving us hints about things that would be revealed later without ever giving it away completely. I really enjoyed reading it, and definitely want to read more books by this author.
I didn't rate it 5 stars because I wanted a bit more clarity from the ending and a bit more closure. I understand why it was done the way it was, but it didn't feel entirely satisfying to me.
Still, a great book and a definite thriller recommendation. ...more
I love the cover, I love the concept, I even like the characters quite a bit, but something about it just didn't clickThis book disappointed me a bit.
I love the cover, I love the concept, I even like the characters quite a bit, but something about it just didn't click for me. I guess it was that the conflicts in the story never felt quite real to me, and they all seemed to be easily solvable (by talking to people)
I also think Rachel's dislike for the popular people was a little too exaggerated to feel realistic. The characters felt too much like high school stereotypes at times.
But the romance was very cute, so I did like that. It's definitely a story worth checking out if you're looking for f/f YA contemporary romance. It has a lot of representation, as neither of the main characters are white.
I just wish I had liked the story a bit more....more
I'm not entirely sure what this book wanted to be. Was it supposed to be funny and lighthearted? Serious? Realistic? Unrealistic? I couldn't pin down I'm not entirely sure what this book wanted to be. Was it supposed to be funny and lighthearted? Serious? Realistic? Unrealistic? I couldn't pin down what to expect from it, and that made it hard for me to enjoy it. It was also just a bit tricky to get through because of the format.
It was not a bad book, but not worth the hype for me. Maybe it's just because I expected something a little different than what I got, or because I just wasn't in the mood to read a book like this. But in the end, I didn't really feel connected to any of the characters, which was probably why it was difficult for me to enjoy the experience. ...more
Bleh. I was disappointed. As I write my review I'm even lowering my rating to 2 stars. There's a few things that justCW: Attempted rape/sexual assault
Bleh. I was disappointed. As I write my review I'm even lowering my rating to 2 stars. There's a few things that just really bother me.
I rated the first book higher than this one, but that doesn't really necessarily mean I liked that one a lot better. I just expected different things from these books. I expected the first book to be more setup, which it was, and this book to get into action and explain the significance of the first book more. It... didn't really. It mostly left me wanting more, and I feel like it was almost as much a setup book as the first one.
I know that I shouldn't have had too high an expectation for this book, but it's a book set in the His Dark Materials universe about an adult Lyra, of course I had some expectations that I was hoping would be met. But the whole tone of the book disappointed me. Lyra changed a lot, which I actually like because nobody stays the same person they were at age 12, but some of the changes felt a little too much. I also didn't really enjoy the main conflict of the book, and felt like it all dragged out a bit.
But there's also an issue I have with both this book and the first one. I don't think I mentioned it in my review of the first book, but as it has returned... I feel like I have to say something. Content warning for talk of sexual assault and rape. I will not put what happened in the first book in spoilers, as I assume you'll have read it if you're looking at the sequel. So be careful going forward. Things from this book will be put in spoiler tags.
La Belle Sauvage had a villain who was clearly made to hated, and one of the ways the author made us hate him was by having him prey on underage girls. In the climax of the book, he takes Alice away from Malcom and it's implied he raped her. (view spoiler)[ in this book, this was actually confirmed (hide spoiler)]. I understand that these books are not the children's books the original series were, but it still felt a little too far for me even back when I read that book. It seemed mostly a reason for Malcolm to take certain actions, and left a bad taste in my mouth. The sexual assault or rape of a woman being used to further the male character's character arc in a certain way is never a great plot device, in my opinion.
Now, in this book there is also sexual assault and attempted rape. (view spoiler)[ There's a scene near the end where Lyra nearly gets raped by a group of soldiers on the train. It was very sudden to me, and I really don't see the point. Lyra is a character many of us have grown up with and grown to love, and she was already suffering and miserable for most of the book. What point did this serve? To show us things were terrible? They already were. To show us how lost she was without Pan? We already knew that. To show us Lyra is a fighter? We knew that as well. It felt almost like something to shock the reader. (hide spoiler)] I don't expect these books not to have dark themes, but I feel like something like rape and sexual assault isn't something you add just to add some darkness or 'depth' to your book. Personally, I felt like both instances felt out of place and jarring, and I didn't really like that it seems to be a recurring thing.
It's a shame, because I really did like some of the things the author was doing. I liked the concepts of the (view spoiler)[people without daemons (hide spoiler)] and there were quite a few interesting side characters and plots. But the ending was too abrupt, and I feel like the book was a little too long. But my main issue has been written above. I really don't think any of that was really necessary, and it really lessened my enjoyment of the book.
Oh and I nearly forgot one more thing I hated (view spoiler)[ did Malcolm really have to be in love with Lyra? Who he had known since she was a baby? Did he really have to already be attracted to her as her teacher when she was a teenager? Is this all really needed? (hide spoiler)] I fear for the future potential romance in the next book. ...more
A God in Ruins is a companion novel to Life After Life and I jumped into it almost immediately after finishing the first book, just because I wasn't rA God in Ruins is a companion novel to Life After Life and I jumped into it almost immediately after finishing the first book, just because I wasn't ready to let go of the family and the story just yet.
That may have been a mistake, because A God in Ruins is an entirely different novel, and it took me a lot of getting used to. There were times where I wondered if I should DNF this book, and times where I just didn't feel like picking it up and reading it. But I still ended up really enjoying it in the end, it was just not an easy book for me to get through.
A God in Ruins is the story of Teddy Todd, the little brother of Ursula Todd from Life After Life, Teddy's life is laid out in this book, with time jumping back and forth and showing different aspects of his life during/after the war. It wasn't as focused on his early life and his family (which I had been hoping for), and focused a lot on his children and grandchildren as well (which I wasn't always excited about)
I think what the problem was for me at times was that it sometimes almost read like a series of short stories, all about different periods of Teddy's life. Some captured my attention more easily than others, and some were hard to read. It didn't help that I was picking up this book and only reading a handful of pages at a time. I didn't really get into the book until I sat down and read the last 150 pages in one go.
So while I sound a bit negative about my experience with this book, I have to say it was an incredibly well-constructed novel. What made me unable to give it anything less than four stars was the ending, and how well it was executed. But I realized even as I was reading it (while tearing up which made it difficult to read) that I wouldn't have been as affected by anything happening at the end if the build-up hadn't been done with so much detail and love. The complexity of the book made it a difficult read at times, but in the end it was so worth it.
I think I like Life After Life just a bit better, because I really enjoyed the element of Ursula reliving her life over and over again, but this book is also incredible in its own rights. If you liked Life After Life, I'd give this one a go too, as long as you're aware it's not the same sort of book even if it covers a lot of the same themes. ...more
Objectively, I can say this series is very very good. But it's not one of my favorites, nor one I would probably pick up for a reread. It's a very denObjectively, I can say this series is very very good. But it's not one of my favorites, nor one I would probably pick up for a reread. It's a very dense story, with a lot happening and a lot of complexities. I felt like I was missing things quite often, and feel like I probably couldn't do a satisfying job of explaining what exactly happened in this novel.
But I did feel invested in the characters and their journeys, even if I didn't understand everything. This book adds new flashbacks to the mix, which added to my feeling of confusion, but also added to my comprehension of the world.
I find these books hard to review. They're good, even if they're difficult for me. I would recommend them, but it's not going to be a light read. ...more
This is my second Riley Sager book, and I enjoyed it just as much as the first one. I really liked the setting, as it felt pretty unique. The mystery This is my second Riley Sager book, and I enjoyed it just as much as the first one. I really liked the setting, as it felt pretty unique. The mystery kept me guessing, which is always good. When I thought I knew where it was going, I was a little disappointed in the plot, but there was a twist I really enjoyed.
I think what makes these books so fun for me is that they have very memorable premises. Sometimes it feels like all mystery/thriller books blur together a bit, and I often can't really remember much about them a few months later. But I didn't have that with Final Girls and I don't think I will with this one either. Riley Sager might become a must-read author for me....more
This book was really good! I really liked the mystery and the way it was set up. I guessed one of the big twists, but not the other one. But even thouThis book was really good! I really liked the mystery and the way it was set up. I guessed one of the big twists, but not the other one. But even though I guessed it, I didn't think it was too predictable or boring. I really liked the main character and the premise of the book. I flew through it in a day, which really says enough.
I definitely want to read more by this author. ...more
This book was entirely different than the first one, but that didn't make me enjoy it any less. I kind of flew through this one, and felt like the intThis book was entirely different than the first one, but that didn't make me enjoy it any less. I kind of flew through this one, and felt like the intrigue at the court of Venda was very interesting. I enjoyed the new setting for Lia and Rafe, and enjoyed meeting new characters and new conflicts. At the same time, the book managed to continue a lot of the plotlines from the first book without it feeling strange. I appreciated that a lot too.
I'm never a big fan of love triangles, so I'm always pretty glad when the main character has picked who she likes and sticks with it. It annoys me when someone falls in love with one of the options in book 1, only to start hesitating again in book 2. (view spoiler)[ I like how this book handled that. There was still romantic tension and drama, but to me it feels clear that in Lia's mind, Rafe is the one for her. I'm not overly invested in the relationship, but I do have to say I prefer him to Kaden. (hide spoiler)]
This book fleshed out the world more and made me very interested in the final book in the series. I enjoyed it a lot, and it definitely didn't suffer from second book problems. It was a lot less slow than the first one, and all of the plots felt pretty essential. ...more
The Good Omens TV show is my new obsession currently, which is surprising because I gave the book only a 3.5 rating
I enjoyed reading the script of thThe Good Omens TV show is my new obsession currently, which is surprising because I gave the book only a 3.5 rating
I enjoyed reading the script of the show a lot, it added a bunch of new details, and it's very interesting to get a glimpse at the process of writing a tv show.
Now I really want to reread the original book to see if my enjoyment of the tv show has changed my perspective on the story. ...more
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