Sanctuary by Caryn Lix YA Science Fiction, 2018 by Simon Pulse, 480 Pages What I Didn’t Like: The “oh no he’s so cute” stuff is a bit annoying, although not excessive. The voice feels awkward and fake, more like an adult trying to write like a teenager than an actual teenager. I didn’t love our... Continue Reading →
Her Latent Charm by Dana C Brentson A Fantasy, 2023 by DcBrentson Author, 442 Pages What I Didn’t Like: Slow start. The paving is uneven so some spots move quickly while others drag. It makes it difficult to get your bearings. I didn’t find myself connected to any of the characters, which made it very... Continue Reading →
The Stranger in the Lifeboat by Mitch Albom A Contemporary, 2021 by Harper, 271 Pages What I Didn’t Like: A bit preachy (take that with a grain of salt, of course). This is probably the most religious book Albom has written and it is obvious in the religion. It’s coming in strong. Take that as... Continue Reading →
Ember Queen by Laura Sebastian YA Fantasy, 2020 by Delacorte Books, 512 Pages What I Didn’t Like: This isn’t really a negative, more of a note or warning. The book does very little fill-in of the previous books. To get the most out of this one you definitely want to read them in order and... Continue Reading →
The Institute by Stephen King A Horror, 2019 by Scribner, 561 Pages What I Didn’t Like: I like originality so when it felt like The Shining or Clockwork Orange I rolled my eyes. The character we meet and love first takes a big chunk of the book OFF. I spent a lot of time wondering... Continue Reading →
Have You Seen Her by Catherine McKenzie A Mystery/Thriller, 2023 by Atria Books, 336 Pages What I Didn’t Like: Slow start. This book is a mystery/thriller and it does pick up speed, but the beginning “before” chapters are dry and slow. I didn’t have anyone to root for. I didn’t particularly like or trust any... Continue Reading →
All the Bad Apples by Moira Fowley-Doyle YA Fantasy, 2019 by Kathy Dawson Books, 326 Pages What I Didn’t Like: I will NEVER call someone a bad apple again. Technically, I’m relatively sure I never have. I cringed every time someone was called that in this book (and it was a lot). The flashback chapters/stories... Continue Reading →
The Elite by Kiera Cass YA Fantasy, 2013 by Harper Teen, 336 Pages What I Didn’t Like: The politics took a back seat here and that’s unfortunate because I liked how that made the previous book unique. Some repetition. You feel like the same few points keep coming back up over and over again. Some... Continue Reading →
No Pain, No Gaines by Chip Gaines A Nonfiction, 2021 by Thomas Nelson, 224 Pages What I Didn’t Like: There are no real concrete plans here to build a network. It’s an idea and it’s things that have worked for one incredibly personable extrovert, but it’s nothing really concrete. This is coded as a business... Continue Reading →
Stepsister by Jennifer Donnelly YA Fantasy, 2019 by Scholastic, 352 Pages What I Didn’t Like: Slow start. It felt like it was trying too hard to rely on the story we know and give this character a similar character ARC. Rushed ending. After a slow build up and slow start, I wanted to revel in... Continue Reading →
