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 →
Maybe One Day by Sarah Douglas YA Romance, 2023 by W by Wattpad Books, 416 Pages What I Didn’t Like: Content Warning: accident, death, attempted sexual assault, stalking, sexual situations I wasn’t sure why we had 1 random chapter from Jace only to have the rest from Haley. I’d say either do dual POV or... Continue Reading →
Deja Dead by Kathy Reichs A Mystery/Thriller, 1997 by Scribner, 532 Pages What I Didn’t Like: Slow start. You spend a lot of time building background in this one, which makes sense since it’s the first to introduce us to Temperance Brennan. But that makes for a slow start. I say this every time I... Continue Reading →
Progress Report by Roman Lando A Science Fiction, Independently Published in 2022, 234 Pages What I Didn’t Like: Not sure where I stand yet on the voice. On one hand, the idea of writing out your final thoughts at the end is a popular one that could work. On the other hand, this narrator is... Continue Reading →
The Magic Misfits by Neil Patrick Harris MG Fantasy, 2017 by Little Brown, 224 Pages What I Didn’t Like: Be prepared for conversations with middle grade readers about breaking the law/rules with good faith being different than breaking them in bad faith. Mildly predictable, although that’s common in middle grade stories. The audiobook has music... Continue Reading →
