Good afternoon, bookworms! How's life going? I unfortunately wasn't feeling great the past couple days, but that gave me an excuse to do lots of reading and relaxing! I finished Insurgent, read my buddy read chapters of Ace of Shades, and started Allegiant. And now that I'm feeling better, it's review time! I'm so so so excited to bring you my review of The Girls Are Never Gone! This is probably one of my favorite reads of the year, and I really hope that you'll give it a read when it releases in a couple days. Please tell me if you do read it, too, because I'd love to discuss it with you! Special thanks to Penguin Teen and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review! Synopsis and Book Information
My ReviewI'm not a horror fan. I don't watch horror movies, I don't read horror novels--and yet something possessed me to request an ARC of this book. (Maybe I was actually possessed by a ghost?) I have zero regrets about that choice because this book was absolutely amazing. It had some of my all-time favorites things for books: ghosts, podcasts, adorable pets, excellent diverse representation, and that feature I can't put my finger on that makes it unputdownable. I want to be Dare Chase's best friend. Seriously. She is so cool. She's got blue hair and runs her own podcast and has an adorable dog named Waffles and I really want her to exist in real life so I can hunt her down and become her best friend. Okay, maybe that's a tad aggressive, but you get the point. She's definitely a new all-time favorite character of mine. I love how she's written so authentically and seems like she could absolutely be a real person. She's also bisexual and has type 1 diabetes, and I thought both of these aspects of her character were written really well. I learned a lot about type 1 diabetes from reading this book. The author did a great job of incorporating this condition into Dare's everyday life, where she has to be conscious of her blood sugar and how she's feeling. Plus, she's got Waffles, a service dog alerts her when her blood sugar gets dangerous...or at least he's supposed to. He does his best, and he's adorable and is the best furry friend Dare could ask for. I haven't seen much diabetes representation in books, so this was truly a delight to see. The bi representation was also written so well! At the beginning at the book, Dare has just broken up with her boyfriend; then, during her time at Arrington develops a crush on one of the girls there. It was heartwarming how there wasn't any skepticism or questions about why Dare had been dating a guy and was now interested in a girl; her sexuality was simply accepted, which made me so happy. The romance was really cute! It felt very natural and sweet, and I liked how it didn't overpower the book. The ghosts were the main deal; the romance was just a cute extra. The friendship between the characters was also really enjoyable! The author did a good job of writing characters who were entirely lovable but also seemed a bit suspicious at times. I often wasn't sure who I could trust, but I adored the character all the same. The ghostly creepy vibes were perfect! As I mentioned, I'm not a horror fan, so I liked that this book wasn't too scary. Anyone going into this book expecting jump-scares and horrifying gory moments will probably be disappointed; this was more of a spine-tinglingly atmospheric type of horror. The scary stuff wasn't right in your face; it was more creepily eluded to, building up this hair-raising tension. It was almost more of a mystery than it was a horror novel, but it did have lots of creepy moments. I also loved the paranormal ghostly elements of this book; it reminded me a bit of Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake. As I'm sure you can tell, I absolutely adored this book! An easy Five Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. I'll definitely be rereading this one around Halloween!
Do you like horror novels? Let me know in the comments!
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Good morning, bookworms! How's everyone's week going? Mine's been relaxing and crammed full of reading. I'm trying to soak up every bit of these summer break vibes before school starts back for me this Thursday. However, I am excited to get back on campus for some in-person classes! Maybe I'll meet some fellow bookworms?? I can only hope so. I had full intentions to churn out a bunch of blog posts over break, but that plan just...didn't happen. I don't know, once break started all I wanted to do was read, watch TV shows, and generally do nothing that requires a large amount of brain power. So as a result, this is my first blog post written during break. *sigh* Better than nothing. Today I bring you my review of Dark and Shallow Lies by Ginny Myers Sain! I can't wait to tell you all about this atmospheric paranormal thriller, so let's dive right in... Special thank you to Penguin Teen for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review! Book Synopsis and Information
My ReviewI loved this book! I was immediately sucked into this world of psychics and mysteries and enjoyed every moment of this book. The world-building was really effective, and the descriptions of La Cachette were vibrant and detailed so I felt like I was there with the characters. The small-town mystery vibes were immaculate! The entire book was atmospheric and haunting. I also liked how each character had unique psychic abilities; initially I worried that this would come off as clichéd or tacky, but it actually worked well for this book, enhancing that spooky mystery feeling. The idea of the Summer Children was also interesting! There were so many little details that worked to make this world seem entirely realistic. Overall, I wouldn't say that I loved the characters, but they were certainly entertaining to read about. Many of them were actually quite unlikeable (Hart, I'm looking at you), but it added to this book's unsettling ambiance. I was suspicious of just about every single character at one point or another. Grey was an interesting protagonist, and we watched her struggle with accepting the death of her best friend, her twin flame. She felt like an entirely realistic character, flawed and struggling, often unsure, getting through life day by day. I liked her grandmother, Honey, a lot; she was a bright, warm character, and while still keeping her own secrets sometimes, I could tell how much she loved Grey. The romance felt a bit half-baked to me. It was okay, but not much actually happened nor was there really a conclusion. There was some awkward little love triangle that I was not a fan of. It felt a little like the romance was shoved in just for the sake of having some romance when, in reality, we could have just stuck to friendship and been perfectly fine. The conclusion to the mystery was brilliant, and I never saw it coming! I should have seen it coming--it seems so obvious in retrospect--but alas, I did not. It was a shocking, dramatic end to the book. To conclude, I really enjoyed Dark and Shallow Lies! I highly recommend it to anyone looking for an atmospheric thriller with paranormal elements. I gave this book 4.5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨. Make sure to grab a copy of this book when it hits the shelves September 7th!
What are your favorite paranormal reads? Let me know in the comments! Happy Tuesday, y'all! I hope you're all having a great day. Today I was daring and started reading Rule of Wolves. I swear, that book is a prime example of the word intimidating for more than one reason: 1. it's so thick, 2. I know it's going to break my heart at least once, and 3. it's so huge that if it makes me mad and I throw it across the room, I'm liable to severely injure someone, so I'll try to keep the book-hurling to a minimum (plus it's a library copy, so I need to keep it in nice condition). I'm only 15 pages in so far but I'm already loving it. I'm dying sear more Zoya and Nikolai content into my eyeballs. On other news, I'm hear with my review of Like Other Girls by Britta Lundin today! Happy Book Birthday, dear Like Other Girls because this book came out today! Make sure to grab yourself a copy after reading my review! Special thanks to Penguin Teen for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review! Synopsis and Book Information
My ReviewI almost didn't request an ARC of this book because I thought, Football? Eh, not for me. But I'm so glad that I changed my mind, clicked that little request button, and took a chance on this book...because it was totally worth it. There's so much amazing stuff packed into this book: self-discovery, feminism, heartwarming friendship, and, yes, football, but I discovered that football is way cooler when it involves some badass girls battling gender stereotypes. Mara was a fantastic main character that I couldn't help but root for, and watching her fully discover and accept herself was a beautiful journey. I was honestly so invested in this book, it's not even funny. If there's one thing I love most about this book, it's the friendship. Mara started out absolutely hating the other girls who, inspired by her, also joined the football team. But slowly, slowly but surely, a friendship between the girls began to develop. It felt so natural yet beautiful. There was a slow-burn romance in this book, but the friendship felt like a slow-burn itself. In the end, the girls' friendship was so strong, and it was heartwarming to see them so supportive and caring of each other. Some of my favorite scenes were their hang-outs and parties they had together; it was such a cozy friendship environment, and I wished so badly to join them in those moments. This book does a brilliant job of tackling the issue of gender stereotypes in sports. The sexism and misogyny against Mara and her fellow female football players was disheartening but unfortunately very realistic. There's also has fantastic LGBTQ+ representation, and we see Mara struggle with her mother not accepting her for who she truly is. One character I especially loved was Jupiter; she was so inspirational and encouraging to Mara, really helping her become her true self. To conclude, I absolutely loved this book! There are so many good things about it and I highly recommend it to everyone, whether you like football or not--because if you're anything like me, you definitely will like it after reading this book! Once again, this book hits the shelves today, so why are you still here?? You should be running to the bookstore or ordering a copy right now! I gave this book 4.5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨.
Have a fantastic Tuesday, y'all, and I'll see you around! Do you like hiking? Because I do! I went hiking a few weekends ago up on a nearby mountain (it was a glorious escape from the blazing heat) and brought a hammock and book with me for some relaxing mountain reading time. Sugar Town Queens was the book I brought along, hence the photo above of me and Sugar Town Queens chilling in a hammock. Anyway, I'm here today with my review of the aforementioned book by Malla Nunn! Honestly, I don't have anything else to say (I've already used up all my words on school assignments today), so let's just dive into it! Special thanks to Penguin Teen for providing me with an eARC of Sugar Town Queens in exchange for an honest review! Synopsis and Book Information
My ReviewI didn't really know what to expect going into this book, but it turned out to be a pretty good read. The plot was compelling and I didn't want to put it down! The pacing was a little odd at times and the characters were pretty undeveloped, but overall it was enjoyable and had a nice mystery element. I loved the main character, Amandla. She was brave and strong, and she didn't let other people push her around. She was protective of the people she loved, especially her mother, and was willing to fight to discover the truth about her family. Her character arc was wonderful; you could really feel her coming into her true self. Her mom, Annalisa, was an interesting character too. Her presence was important, but she was more of a catalyst in the plot. I didn't feel much of an emotional connection to her until the end when we learned more about her past. Amandla's friends, Lil Bit and Goodness, felt a bit one-dimensional; however, I liked how they were always there to support Amandla. I'm still interested in learning more about Lil Bit, and I think another book starring her would be great! I feel like there's a lot more to her story. The romance was a minor plot point, but it was cute! I do question how old the romantic interest was supposed to be, though; the book made it seem like he was around 18 or 19 (he was seemingly done with school and working), but Amandla just turned 15 at the beginning of the book, so that would be a pretty wide age gap. In order to keep this review spoiler-free I won't mention any other characters specifically by name, but let's just say that one of them annoyed me throughout the entire book, I wanted to banish two others to the depths of Mordor, and the others were just bland. Overall, I wasn't very impressed with the characters in this book. I did enjoy the mystery in this book! The mystery vibes were subtle, but they added a lot. However, I would categorize this as more of a coming-of-age contemporary than a mystery. This book was very heartwarming, too, and I liked the focus on friends and family. The descriptions were also really vivid and made me feel like I was with the characters in Sugar Town! Thanks for reading my review of Sugar Town Queens by Malla Nunn! I gave this book Three Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️. Have you read this book? What did you think of it?
I hope y'all are having a great week! Happy weekend, bookworms! Have y'all been up to anything exciting lately? The most exciting thing that's happened to me recently was watching the Loki season finale, and I am not okay, I repeat I am not okay. That ending was just cruel...but season two! Just have to, you know, wait a year or two for it. *starts sobbing* Anyway...today I have for you my review of Curses by Lish McBride! I'm super excited to be sharing this review with y'all because I absolutely adored this book. Also, please note the fladgers (flying badgers, obviously) which I've lovingly edited into the photo above. I'm very excited about them, and I hope they bring you the same joy they bring me. Special thanks to Penguin Teen for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review! Synopsis and Book Information
My ReviewOh my gosh this book was fantastic. I was expecting something a bit more dark, but I really loved the humorous, romantic vibes of this book. There were so many unique elements, too: flying badgers (or fladgers, because of course), a support group for people who've been cursed (honestly, brilliant), and a giant cat-like creature named Hob (aka my new favorite character ever). Plus so much more. The complexity of this world was fantastic! The writing style and characters were delightful. I absolutely adored Merit and Tevin; their characters just popped right off the page and came to life so vibrantly in my mind. Merit in particular was fierce and determined, courageous and plucky, and I was inspired by how she never gave up trying to get rid her curse. As for Tevin, I'm pretty sure I fell in love with him from the first page: he's so charming and handsome, and he turned out to have a winning personality, too! The slow burn romance was glorious perfection and I was there for every second of it. It inched along beautifully and I really wanted to shake them and scream at them to admit their feelings PLEASE FINALLY. The side characters were all wonderful too, and I was invested in all of them; I can tell the author put lots of effort into crafting their unique personalities. Ellery, Val, and Amaury were so spirited, amusing, and fun to read about. This book also had some great nonbinary and lesbian rep--it's great to see some LGBTQ+ representation in a retelling! Overall, I loved how, while this was most certainly a Beauty and the Beast retelling, it had so many creative twists. I did feel like some parts were a little slow (and this book is 288 pages, but it felt more like 400?? Is this just me or is the page count wrong? Seriously I'm confused), but that's honestly my only complaint. This is hands-down the best Beauty and the Beast retelling I've ever read! I can't wait for the world to be dazzled with its brilliance. That's a wrap on my review of Curses by Lish McBride! I gave this book Four Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. This book releases in three days (THREE DAYS!) so make sure to grab a copy the moment it hits the shelves! And if you read this book, tell me--I want to nerd out about it with you, and maybe we can start a Hob fan club...
Thanks for reading, y'all! I'll see you around. Isn't summer just made for relaxing inside in the cool AC, curled up with a good book, all the free time in the world just gravitating around you? Well...maybe, but apparently not for me. Yours truly, in a moment of regrettable academic aspiration, signed up for summer courses to get some extra credits out of the way. Genius in theory, right? In reality, I've been plopped in front of my computer trying to make sense of sociological imagination and the scientific method and a whole bunch of other stuff that's turning my brain to mind mush and sucking away my reading timing. Me of Two Months Ago, why did you ever think summer courses were a good idea?? Anyway, that's my explanation for why I've been very inactive in the book community lately. Sorry, everyone--blame school, not me! However, I'm finally stopping by again with my review of When All the Girls Are Sleeping by Emily Arsenault! This book releases tomorrow, so I'm wishing it an early happy book birthday. Now let's get into this review! Huge thank you to the author, Emily Arsenault, for providing me with an eARC and finished copy in exchange for an honest review! Synopsis and Book Information
My ReviewI honestly wasn't too sure what to expect going into this book, but I ended up absolutely loving it! It's one of the best mysteries I've read in a while, and the paranormal aspect of it added to the mysterious vibes. It was packed full of detective investigating, interviews, written excerpts, and all the wholesome detective-y stuff I love in a mystery novel. Also: boarding school! It's a boarding school mystery, and y'all know how obsessed I am with those. Haley was an interesting main character. Despite this being primarily a mystery novel, we got tons of character development and history about her throughout the book. She herself was a bit of a mystery from the start, so I enjoyed learning more about her along with the larger mystery. Plus there was also tons to learn about her dead ex-best friend, Taylor. Even though Taylor was technically dead for the entire book, she felt very alive to me since I got to read about Haley's memories of her. I also found all the side characters captivating to read about because they were so packed full of character. The author did a great job of giving all the characters unique and vibrant personalities, not just the main characters. There were a lot of characters to keep track of, but I didn't have too many issues remembering who was who. The mystery itself couldn't have been better. It kept me guessing through the entire book, and I was totally shocked by the answer at the end. Never saw it coming! But I actually loved the answer, too; it was perfect and fit so well with this book. My only complaint is that some scenes did feel a bit drawn out and dull. Some of the research Haley did in the school archives, while important to the investigation, was just a little boring to read about. However, most of it was very compelling and I didn't want to put the book down! Overall, I really loved When All the Girls Are Sleeping and wouldn't hesitate to recommend it, especially to mystery fans! I gave it 4.5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨.
What are some of your favorite boarding school mysteries? Let me know in the comments! Happy weekend, y'all! I hope you're soaking up these glorious weekend vibes just the same as I am. It's actually been a bit rainy where I am these past couple days, and everyone knows that rainy weather is made for reading. I'm hoping it'll start pouring today so I can snuggle up with some tea and a good book. Fingers crossed! On this day, Saturday the 3rd, I hereby present to you my review of The Taking of Jake Livingston by Ryan Douglass! I'm so sad because I really wanted to like this book, but I just didn't. There was a lot of stuff that didn't sit well with me. There's nothing quite like the despair of a book not living up to your expectations 😭. Anyway, read on, I'll hash it all out in my review! Thank you to Penguin Teen for providing me with an ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review! Synopsis and Book Information
My ReviewI really wanted to like The Taking of Jake Livingston, but it just wasn't for me. I do think it's awesome that it's a horror novel featuring a queer, black protagonist. It has a ton of great representation. Unfortunately, horror novels just aren't my cup of tea, and there were some really disturbing scenes that bothered me. Overall, it was very dark, and I wish I'd been aware of the heavy content present in this book before requesting an ARC of it. There is a lot of potentially triggering stuff in there, so please check out the content warnings before picking up this book! I was also quite confused about a lot of what happened and why things were happening; I would have loved to know why, exactly, Jake can see ghosts, or what even is the ectomist? I felt like many elements of this book were half-baked, just there without any explanation as to why, seemingly just to heighten the creepy vibes. I'm also not sold on including Sawyer's diary entries, told in his own POV, being a good choice; they were deeply disturbing and made me very uncomfortable, and they also had the potential to make readers sympathetic toward him--which, I know he went through a lot of terrible stuff, but he also did many truly horrific things, and the author left me in a place where I was unsure of whether to sympathize with him as a victim or despise him as a villain. I honestly felt like Sawyer was a more dimensional character than Jake, though, which was rather disappointing. Jake honestly didn't have much character at all; he was mainly described as being black, queer, and capable of seeing ghosts, with no other characteristics really being described. His relationship with his family was also rather strange, and there was an awkward explanation for his family's tension tossed in at the end, which just felt forced and sudden. Additionally, the romance felt oddly paced and pretty unnecessary to the plot. So overall, I feel a bit let down by The Taking of Jake Livingston. I'd been really hoping to love it, but there were a lot of elements that I just didn't enjoy or found very uncomfortable or disturbing to read about. However, I do think it's exciting that there's a horror novel with such diverse representation out in the world, and I hope other people will enjoy this book more than I did! That's all for my review of The Taking of Jake Livingston by Ryan Douglass! As I unfortunately did not like this book, I only gave it 1 Star ⭐️. I hope that, if you decide to read this book, you'll enjoy it more than I did...although, once again, please check out the content warnings before reading!
Do you like horror novels? What are some of your favorites? Let me know in the comments! Have a fabulous day, y'all! See you around! Picture this: I'm having a relaxing night at home, just finished watching an episode of Shadow and Bone, and I'm deciding what to do before bed. Even though I'm already currently reading two books, I somehow wind up scrolling through my unread ARCs downloaded on my Kindle. My eyes land on Both Sides Now; it calls to me with its enchanting bookish force, saying Read me, Rose!! And who am I to deny the book's request? I open it up and start reading. Fast forward three hours and there I am, curled up in bed reading the last page of this book even though I should've been asleep an hour ago. I literally could not put this book down. You know those books that have some mystic magnetic force that keeps your eyes glued to the page, unable to be drawn away? The ones that you simply cannot stop reading even though you know you were supposed to be asleep an hour (or two) ago and have to be up early for an exam or coffee date but who cares because I need to keep reading?? Yeah, Both Sides Now is one of those books. Be warned: if you pick up this book, you will not put it down until you've reached the last page. Honestly, it should come with a disclaimer that says that. Anyhow, today I present my review of this charming, unputdownable book! Special thanks to Penguin Teen and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Now let's dive in! Synopsis/Book Information
My ReviewThis book was an absolute delight to read! There were so many great elements to it that combined to make one inspiring, unputdownable story. The writing style and characters really pulled me into this book and I adored every page of it. This book discussed some deeply important issues like transphobia, homophobia, and racism in a way that was both touching and intimate while still providing learning moments for readers unfamiliar with these issues. There is really so much you can learn from this book; there were many eye-opening moments that will certainly help educate readers on many various issues. Both Sides Now is also a brilliant coming-of-age story with lots of self-growth and a healthy dose of teenage angst. I love this book so much, and I can't wait for it to be released into the world for everyone to read. One thing central to this book was debate--Finch is part of the debate team at his school and this story focuses on his nationals debate tournament. For some reason, even though I myself have never been part of a debate team before and don't really even like casual debating with friends or family, debate in books always calls to me. Why? Who knows, really. Perhaps it's because they tend to center around important topics, like this book did with trans rights. But whatever it is, I really enjoy reading about characters participating in debate and speech competitions. The high stakes and and competitiveness ran throughout this book and made it so compelling to read: I needed to know what happened...which resulted in me reading waaaay late into the night. Finch himself was such a great main character. He had all the stuff you want from a protagonist: solid character arc, good self-growth, some flaws and mistakes made to make him seem nice and realistic, and a charmingly perfect personality to top it all off. He had a rough time throughout the book, what with questioning his sexual orientation, dealing with heated parental conflicts, worrying about not getting into his dream university, and being trans and not feeling very supported by his family. I wanted to give the poor guy a hug so many times! I loved watching him learn and evolve throughout this book. He was truly inspirational, and I felt so proud of him by the end of the book. Seeing him stand up for his beliefs and opinions was really touching and heartwarming. The other characters in this book were wonderful, too. Jonah in particular was honestly just the best. I can't even express how much I'd love to have him as my friend. He was just so sweet and I loved how passionate he was about conserving the environment, with his reusable water bottles and timed showers. I also liked Lucy for the most part (although she did annoy me occasionally), and it was nice to read about a character who's vegan, which I feel like we don't often see in YA literature. Unfortunately the romance was the one element of this book that I wasn't a fan of. It just felt weird. It seemed like everyone around Finch was screaming, YOU LIKE THIS PERSON!! ADMIT IT!! and when he did finally admit it, it was more because other people thought he should feel that way? Not because he actually discovered it for himself? I don't know, I had just been expecting it to go a different way, and when it didn't it was a bit disorienting for me. It was cute in the end, but I didn't enjoy the romantic discovery/growth process as much as I would've liked. The end of this book especially hit me so hard. Literally, that last debate scene nearly brought me to tears. It was just so touching and inspiring and the emotions were off the charts. A masterpiece of a scene, there. So good. You'll know it when you read it. Well, that's a wrap on my review of Both Sides Now by Peyton Thomas! I gave this book Four Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. I hope you'll pick it up when it releases on August 24! Personally, I highly recommend binge-reading it in one night. You won't regret it (even if you do wake up bleary-eyed and sleep-deprived the next morning).
Have a fabulous day, and I'll see y'all later! Hey, bookworms! Happy Sunday! To be honest, I kind of wish it were Monday (isn't that a first!) so that I could make some snazzy comment about it being 'Mystery Monday' and channel the power of that glorious alliteration. Alas, we're stuck with Mystery Sunday, which really doesn't have the same pizazz as Mystery Monday, but I suppose it'll do. Well! On Mystery Sunday (and Father's Day, for that matter--Happy Father's Day, everyone!), I'm here with my tour stop for Turn the Page Tours' The Box in the Woods Tour! For those of you who don't know, The Box in the Woods is the fourth book in Maureen Johnson's Truly Devious series. However, it's also a standalone, which is awesome because it means you can read it whether or not you've already read the Truly Devious series! (Although if you haven't read the Truly Devious series, I do highly recommend picking it up--it's a fantastic series!) A huge thank you to Turn the Page Tours for choosing me to be part of this amazing tour, and also thank you to them and HarperCollins for providing me with a finished copy of The Box in the Woods as part of joining this tour! So it's time to pull out our magnifying glasses, don our deerstalkers (did you know that's what those detective hats are called? Because I sure didn't before my lovely friend Paige over at @pagebypaigebooks told me), and join Stevie and her friends for a new murder mystery! But first, make sure to enter this giveaway for a chance to win a finished copy of The Box in the Woods (open to US only). There will be one winner, and this tour began on June 15 and ends on June 22, 2021. And also, check out The Box in the Woods tour schedule here to follow along! Now keep on scrolling to check out my review of and favorite quotes from The Box in the Woods! Synopsis/Book Information
My ReviewIt's such a delight to be back in the world of teen-detective Stevie Bell and her friends! I missed these characters so much after finishing the Truly Devious trilogy, so I was thrilled to get another book about them. This mystery was just as twisty as the Truly Devious case and it was so fun to watch Stevie become her best detective self to solve a new case. Firstly, I'd like to say that Maureen Johnson's writing is simply fabulous. She has this way of weaving wit and dry humor into every sentence, making you snicker and grin at the most mundane remarks. I absolutely adore her writing style! I know Stevie was reckless in the original Truly Devious trilogy, but was she really this reckless? I can't remember for sure, but I do know that she made some slightly questionable decisions in this book. However, I'm not one to judge, because, after all, she's Stevie Bell. She knows what she's doing...I think? Either way, that just adds to the charm of her character. Stevie would probably give me her worst glare for referring to her as charming, but she just does have some irresistible teen detective charm that makes her so great to read about. If she asked me to solve a mystery with her, I'd say yes in a heartbeat, despite the danger that always follows her around like a shadow. Her friends, Nate and Janelle, are also such fantastic characters, so full of personality and quirks. I unfortunately can't say I was that huge of a fan of David in this book (I think I liked him more in the original trilogy? But now I'm questioning my character preferences), and I definitely wasn't thrilled with his and Stevie's relationship. There weren't enough scenes of them together doing relationship-y stuff for it to feel like an actual relationship--more like they were just acquaintances who met up every once in a while to make out in the woods and drive around town. But some of their interactions were pretty amusing, so I won't totally discount their relationship. As for new characters, Carson was simply hilarious and provided the perfect amount of comic relief. All of his weird eccentricities were too amusing to read about--but if we're being honest, Box Box does seem like the sort of odd thing people would be into in real life. Like with the original trilogy, I enjoyed how the chapters include some scenes from the past. This adds to the mysteriousness and drama of the case, and it allows the reader to get an intimate look at the victims, suspects, and surrounding people from that time. One thing I felt was a bit off was how quickly this book wrapped up; it felt like it went from extreme drama and tension to suddenly the case being resolved. Plus, it didn't feel like Stevie had much concrete evidence for her accusation--it was a bit too much guessing for my liking. However, it still was a relatively satisfactory conclusion to the mystery. Overall, I really enjoyed The Box in the Woods! It was an intriguing, twisty mystery that kept me guessing. It was wonderful to be back in the world of Stevie Bell, investigating a new murder case. This book will no doubt please both longtime fans of the series and newcomers alike! I gave this book Four Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. Favorite QuotesAuthor Information
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Title: They'll Never Catch Us Author: Jessica Goodman Genre: Mystery, Thriller Publisher: Razorbill Publication date: July 27, 2021 Pages: 284 TWs: death, murder, substance abuse, addiction, abortion, cheating, bullying My rating: ⭐️⭐️✨ | From rising star Jessica Goodman, author of They Wish They Were Us, comes a new fast-paced thriller about two sisters vying for the top spot on their cross-country team--the only way out of their stifling small town. But their dreams are suddenly thrown into peril when a new girl threatens to take away everything they've worked for... until she disappears. Stella and Ellie Steckler are only a year apart, but their different personalities make their relationship complicated. Stella is single-minded, driven, and she keeps to herself. Cross-country running is her life and she won't let anything get in the way of being the best. Her sister Ellie is a talented runner too, but she also lets herself have fun. She has friends. She goes to parties. She has a life off the course. The sisters do have one thing in common, though: the new girl, Mila Keene. Both Stecklers' lives are upended when Mila comes to town. Mila was the top runner on her team back home and at first, Ellie and Stella view her as a threat. But soon Ellie can't help but be drawn to her warm, charming personality. After her best friend moved away and her first boyfriend betrayed her, Ellie's been looking for a friend. In a moment of weakness, she even shares her darkest secret with Mila. For her part, Stella finds herself noticing the ways she and Mila are similar. Mila is smart and strong--she's someone Stella can finally connect with. As the two get closer, Stella becomes something she vowed she'd never be: distracted. With regionals approaching and college scouts taking notice, the pressure is on. Each girl has their future on the line and they won't let friendships get in their way. But then, suddenly, Mila goes out on a training run and never returns. No one knows what happened, but all eyes are on the Steckler sisters. |
My Review
Having enjoyed They Wish They Were Us by Jessica Goodman, I expected to like They'll Never Catch Us just as much, if not even more. Unfortunately, my hopeful expectations were let down. My main problem was that it didn't feel like a murder mystery to me. For one thing, the murder didn't happen until nearly 50% of the way through the book, which left me just waiting for it to happen for about 100-and-some pages. I was also disappointed that we didn't get to read about any of the murder investigations aside from when Stella or Ellie was being interviewed. I wish that Stella or Ellie had done a bit more investigating on their own, but they both seemed too focused on their cross-country training to bother digging further into the murder case. I was pleased by the conclusion to the mystery; at first, I thought the murderer was going to be the person I'd suspected since the beginning of the book, but then I ended up being shocked by a last-minute twist.
One thing that bothered me throughout this book was how similar the voices of Stella and Ellie's POVs were. Their characters were supposed to be starkly different, yet their narrations sounded exactly the same. It was hard for me to keep track of whose POV I was reading from since they sounded so similar, which detracted from my enjoyment of the book.
Overall, I felt like this book focused more on the cross-country elements of the story than the mystery ones which was a bit disappointing to me. I went into this hoping for an engrossing murder mystery and unfortunately it didn't deliver. Paired with the confusion of the POVs, this book just wasn't it for me. I gave it 2.5 Stars ⭐️⭐️✨.
One thing that bothered me throughout this book was how similar the voices of Stella and Ellie's POVs were. Their characters were supposed to be starkly different, yet their narrations sounded exactly the same. It was hard for me to keep track of whose POV I was reading from since they sounded so similar, which detracted from my enjoyment of the book.
Overall, I felt like this book focused more on the cross-country elements of the story than the mystery ones which was a bit disappointing to me. I went into this hoping for an engrossing murder mystery and unfortunately it didn't deliver. Paired with the confusion of the POVs, this book just wasn't it for me. I gave it 2.5 Stars ⭐️⭐️✨.
That's a wrap on my review of They'll Never Catch Us by Jessica Goodman! Thanks for reading. Even though I wasn't a fan of this book, I hope you'll enjoy it if you decide to pick it up when it hits the shelves July 27!
Hey there, bookworms!
My name is Rose (she/her) and I'm the creator of Books of Magic and Mystery. I love reading YA books, especially fantasy and mystery. When I'm not reading, you can find me baking, studying, or cuddling with my super-furry pets. Visit me on Instagram @booksofmagicandmystery!
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