Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

Title: Fourth Wing

Author: Rebecca Yarros

Pages: 517

Publisher: Entangled: Red Tower Books

Publication date: May 2, 2023

Goodreads synopsis

Enter the brutal and elite world of a war college for dragon riders...

Twenty-year-old Violet Sorrengail was supposed to enter the Scribe Quadrant, living a quiet life among books and history. Now, the commanding general—also known as her tough-as-talons mother—has ordered Violet to join the hundreds of candidates striving to become the elite of Navarre: dragon riders.

But when you’re smaller than everyone else and your body is brittle, death is only a heartbeat away...because dragons don’t bond to “fragile” humans. They incinerate them.

With fewer dragons willing to bond than cadets, most would kill Violet to better their own chances of success. The rest would kill her just for being her mother’s daughter—like Xaden Riorson, the most powerful and ruthless wingleader in the Riders Quadrant.

She’ll need every edge her wits can give her just to see the next sunrise.

Yet, with every day that passes, the war outside grows more deadly, the kingdom's protective wards are failing, and the death toll continues to rise. Even worse, Violet begins to suspect leadership is hiding a terrible secret.

Friends, enemies, lovers. Everyone at Basgiath War College has an agenda—because once you enter, there are only two ways out: graduate or die.

Thoughts

Okay, BookTok. I'll give it to you. I bought this fully expecting it to fall short of the hype, because you can't trust everything you see on the internet, but I get it. I understand the hype. I can't remember the last time I flew through the pages of a fantasy book as fast as this one. There are so many things I really liked about this book. I loved the connection between the dragons and their riders. I loved Tairn's personality and Andarna's contrast from him. The interactions between the three of them were so fun to read. I liked the setting of the war college, I liked the relationships between the other cadets. And of course, I really liked Xaden.

I enjoyed the relationship between Violet and Xaden. I wish the enemies part of the promised enemies to lovers trope had lasted a little bit longer, just to really build some tension, but other than that, I looked forward to the Violet and Xaden scenes.

One of my only gripes with this book is that Violet is not a very interesting protagonist. The characters that she interacts with all have personalities, so I feel like it's easy to overlook that Violet doesn't have one.

Reading about how small and fragile she is does get old pretty fast. I have come to understand that she is breakable because she has a disability, however, this is not stated in the book, and if I hadn't read other's reviews of this novel, I may not have put together that she was disabled. So many protagonists are written to be small and fragile without being disabled that it would be easy to lump her in with those, which is really a shame. If it was framed differently, the disability representation would have been amazing.

The only other thing I would say may be difficult for readers is the striking similarities between this story and other fantasy material. I know completely original ideas are hard to come by these days, and I think this book was marketed as Divergent meets GoT, but I think it's important to note that it really is just Divergent with dragons and sex scenes. I am not complaining, but if you're looking for something all new and groundbreaking, this might not be the book for you.

Overall I really enjoyed this novel and BookTok did steer me right this time. I'm going to continue with this series despite my lukewarm opinion on Violet. I have hope that throughout the series she'll become someone actually interesting, but until then, there's more than enough dragons to distract me from her.

Pride or Die by CL Montblanc

Title: Pride or Die

Author: CL Montblanc

Pages: 336

Publisher: Wednesday Books

Expected publication date: April 15, 2025

*ARC provieded by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

The LGBTQ+ club at Hillview High is in danger after a cheerleader is assaulted during a pep rally, and they're the only ones that were close enough to her to blame.

The school and the police seem happy to let the club members go down for the crime. Nobody is trying very hard to find out who is really behind the assault, so with nobody to help them clear their names, they have to take matters into their own hands if they want a shot at saving their club and their futures.

Thoughts

I don't have too much to say about this one. It's a quick and funny teenage sleuthing story and I enjoyed it. The relationships between all the club members was sweet and really gave the story some heart. I did predict who the culprit was pretty early on in the story, but predicting the assailant didn't take away from my enjoyment of the story at all. All in all a good debut, and I'll be looking forward to more from this author.

Look Up, Handsome by Jack Strange

Author: Jack Strange

Pages: 405

Publisher: One More Chapter

Publication date: September 26, 2024

Intro

Hay-On-Wye is on the verge of losing its only queer bookshop, and the owner, Quinn, has no idea what he's going to do. 

This close to Christmas, Quinn can't believe that he's being evicted by his own stepfather, and it feels like he'll need a miracle to make it through to the new year with his shop still in his possession.

Quinn had no idea that help would come in the form of Noah, a handsome and famous novelist who just so happens to be visiting his hometown for the holidays. Quinn will take all the help that Noah is willing to give, and he wouldn't complain if he happened to fall in love along the way.

Thoughts

I really thought that I would love this cozy, Hallmark feeling, read. The story had potential, but too many things missed the mark for me. Most notably, I didn't feel any chemistry between Noah and Quinn. Obviously for a romance centered story, this is bad news. I feel like they had a few awkward and dry conversations, and started to call that falling in love. I didn't even really buy that they would have had chemistry as friends. I was constantly waiting to feel a connection growing between the two of them in a way that would be at all noteworthy, but I finished the book without feeling any kind of spark that would have made me actually care about the relationship.

Another thing that was tough for me was that the plot felt very repetitive at times. Quinn would panic about losing his shop, plan an event to raise community awareness, and then wait for Noah to show up, either at the event or at Quinn's apartment after. 

I feel like a lot of the repetitiveness was hard to get through because the author tended to do a lot of telling instead of showing. This also felt like it diluted the chance of a good Hermione/ghostwriting subplot, which I would have loved to go deeper into.

Overall, this one missed the mark for me because I didn't feel connected to any of the characters. It had good potential, but ultimately fell short of execution.  

The Dinner by Herman Koch

Title: The Dinner

Author: Herman Koch

Pages: 306

Publisher: Hogarth

Publication date: January 1 2009

Intro

Two couples dine together at a restaurant. Each aware that their children have done something awful together. Over the courses, the events of the night they all know they must talk about are revealed, and tensions between the diners reach a boiling point

My thoughts

I really don't have much to say about this novel. It's the first novel that BookTok has ever influenced me to buy, and I really thought I was going to like it more than I did. It did deliver a tense atmosphere that I loved, but I found that none of the characters were at all likeable. I can forgive a cast of unlikeable characters pretty easily if they're at least a little bit interesting, but I also found that none of the characters were fully developed or fleshed out enough for me to forgive their unlikeable personalities for the sake of the plot. It was hard to care about what happened/what will happen to the characters after the story ends because of this.

Overall, I have a very lukewarm opinion on this one. It's just okay. It was fine for something quick but it's unlikely that this will ever be a story I revisit.  

Everyone Who Can Forgive Me Is Dead by Jenny Hollander

Title: Everyone Who Can Forgive Me Is Dead

Author: Jenny Hollander

Pages: 292

Publication date: February 6, 2024

Intro

Nine years after an event dubbed "Scarlet Christmas" occurred, Charlie Colbert has completely rebuilt her life. Engaged and holding a high position at a magazine, Charlie knows that a movie being made about Scarlet Christmas could tear apart everything that she's worked so hard for.

Charlie doesn't remember everything about that night, and she doesn't know exactly what the movie could reveal. In order to prevent the movie from being made, she has to confront the memories hidden within herself, and she's not so sure she's going to like what she finds.

My thoughts

I am sad to say that this is one of the novels that I liked the idea of more than I enjoyed the actual story.

There are definitely things that I enjoyed about this book. I will always love a murky memory story. An "I don't know what happened bit it wasn't good and I think I had something to do with it" story. I also really liked the dual timeline. THEN, as Charlie pieces together the awful night nine years ago, and NOW  as she does everything she can to avoid the prevent the movie from being made and potentially destroying her life.

The premise was there. The foundation was strong. I really thought this would be at least a four star read for me, and it was shaping up to be one, for awhile at least. I was really enjoying Charlie's descent into paranoia. But soon, the plot became slow and repetitive, and around the 50% mark, I found myself losing interest. I continued reading because I was waiting for the reveal at the end, but I found even the climax to be lackluster. 

This story isn't what I hoped it would be, but I would give the author another look because there were aspects of the writing that I did enjoy. This story just fell a little short for me overall.

Mini Review: You May Now Kill The Bride by Kate Weston

Title: You May Now Kill The Bride

Author: Kate Weston

Publisher: Random House Trade

Pages: 352 pages

Publication date: May 14, 2024

Intro (Goodreads synopsis)

The bride-to-be drops dead at her bachelorette weekend, with all of her bridesmaids as suspects for her murder, in this wry thriller full of deadly twists and characters you'll love to hate.
Who will be left standing when the bouquet is thrown?

Lauren, Saskia, Dominica, Farah and Tansy have been best friends since grade school. They wonder if that was the last time they all actually liked each other. As adults, their lives have splintered. Farah is engaged and is fast becoming a complete bridezilla. Dominica's a successful divorce attorney with no time for anything but work. Tansy runs a vegan cafe and is preparing for a shotgun marriage to awful Ivan. Lauren has had a total “failure to launch” in her career and love life, consumed by a man who has spent years stringing her along. Saskia has married into wealth and a different circle of friends in a fancy part of London. Some days it seems that the only thing holding the group together is an event that happened in their youth twenty years ago—an incident they’ve all sworn secrecy about to protect each other.

When the group is reunited at Tansy’s bachelorette-cum-wellness-retreat weekend, it doesn’t take long for old grudges to surface. Then the bride-to-be chokes to death on a poisoned drink, and all of the bridesmaids are suspects.

Kate Weston explores the complexities of female friendship in this searingly funny, page-turning thriller. One of these bridesmaids may be a killer, and the group had better watch their sash-covered backs, because your oldest friends aren’t always your closest…

My thoughts

I think you'll like this book if you're trying to find a quick story that you're not going to take super seriously. I really wouldn't say that any of the characters were particularly likeable, but I was just interested enough in the shenanigans that the women got up to that I kept reading through until the end, and overall I had a good time. If you are a fan of Young Rich Widows (review here) or other humorous women's fiction, you'll probably enjoy this read.

Her Pretty Lies by Angela Henry

Title: Her Pretty Lies

Author: Angela Henry

Pages: 288

Publisher: Storm Publishing

Publication date: May 3 2024

Intro (Goodreads synopsis)

The paramedics tell me I’m in shock as they load the body bag into the ambulance.

Only days ago, I had everything. A man I wanted to marry. A prestigious fellowship for graduate school. A perfect new apartment. I’m a psychology student. I should have known she was hiding something from the start…Now I’m shivering under a foil blanket wondering how my life became a nightmare.

And when the paramedics check me over, it’s not concern I see on their faces. It’s fear.

They think I did this. They think I killed her…

My thoughts

This book disappointed me a little. I love a fast paced thriller, so I was excited when I got my hands on this one, but at times the plot became so out there and ridiculous that I feel like it read more like a YA fanfiction rather than a thriller meant for an adult audience. It feels like certain mature themes like that of sex and explicit language were inserted for adult marketing, but otherwise the overall plot is very YA which I was not what I was hoping for.

If you're looking for a serious thriller to cozy up with soon, this isn't one that I would recommend, but if you're looking for a fast paced thriller you could probably get through in a day or so, this would be an okay one to try. 

Sacrificial Animals by Kailee Pedersen

Title: Sacrificial Animals

Author: Kailee Pedersen

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Pages: 320

Publication date: August 20, 2024

*ARC received from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. 

Intro (Goodreads synopsis)

Inspired by Kailee Pedersen's own journey being adopted from Nanning, China in 1996 and growing up on a farm in Nebraska, this rich and atmospheric supernatural horror debut explores an ancient Chinese mythology.

The last thing Nick Morrow expected to receive was an invitation from his father to return home. When he left rural Nebraska behind, he believed he was leaving everything there, including his abusive father, Carlyle, and the farm that loomed so large in memory, forever.

But neither Nick nor his brother Joshua, disowned for marrying Emilia, a woman of Asian descent, can ignore such summons from their father, who hopes for a deathbed reconciliation. Predictably, Joshua and Carlyle quickly warm to each other while Nick and Emilia are left to their own devices. Nick puts the time to good use and his flirtation with Emilia quickly blooms into romance. Though not long after the affair turns intimate, Nick begins to suspect that Emilia’s interest in him may have sinister, and possibly even ancient, motivations.

Punctuated by scenes from Nick’s adolescent years, when memories of a queer awakening and a shadowy presence stalking the farm altered the trajectory of his life forever, Sacrificial Animals explores the violent legacy of inherited trauma and the total collapse of a family in its wake.

My thoughts

I had such high hopes for this book. I love atmospheric horror. I adore when the atmosphere itself feels like a character. Like a presence. And I really enjoyed finding these devices in this story. 

What didn't work for me in this story was mostly the writing style. I feel as though the prose really bogged the story down at times and the plot felt very sluggish. I found myself getting bored waiting for something to actually happen. It is well over the halfway mark that the plot actually starts to really get moving, and in my opinion, even what was meant to be the climax of the story wasn't enough for me to justify reading through so many slow points. 

The author also chooses not to use quotation marks to identify dialogue which I respect as a stylistic choice, but their were instances where it was difficult to differentiate between what was dialogue and what wasn't. 

Overall this book wasn't totally my cup of tea, but it did have aspects that I enjoyed, so I would say that if you enjoy atmospheric horror and are okay with a slower story, I would give this a shot.

The Last Girl Left by A.M. Strong and Sonya Sargent

Title: The Last Girl Left

Authors: A.M. Strong, Sonya Sargent

Publisher: Thomas & Mercer

Expected publication date: April 23, 2024

*ARC received from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

Intro

Five years have passed since one terrifying night left Tessa the only survivor of the massacre that killed three of her friends, and Tessa hasn't gone one day without thinking about it. Her life as she knew it stopped the night Patrick Moyer killed her friends and left her for dead, but Tessa knows she can't live her life like this forever. Paranoid, jumping at shadows, and carrying a bat around her sister's house for protection. She needs to confront the past to be able to put it behind her, so she books a one month stay at the exact vacation house she was staying at with her friends the night they died.

When things start going bump in the night, Tessa would love to blame it on her paranoia, but she can't shake the feeling that something is off on Cassadaga Island, and she can't shake the feeling that someone is with her. Watching her. And she doesn't think she'll be lucky enough to be left alive a second time.

--

This book was just okay for me. It had an interesting premise and I loved the setting. I think the authors did a great job with the atmosphere. A secluded, mostly closed down island in November is a great place to start a thriller and I really enjoyed that aspect of it.

There were, however, a few areas that missed the mark for me. I didn't find Tessa to be a particularly interesting protagonist, and her inner monologue was a bit on the repetitive side. In some ways I understand, because Tessa is stuck in her fears, but the content starts to feel dry early on in the story. The story also takes a long time to really start rolling, and that felt repetitive as well. Nothing really starts happening until the last 75 pages or so, so certain parts of the novel felt like filler that the novel didn't need, and I personally didn't feel like the reveal at the end was shocking enough to warrant the drawn out portions.

Overall, this novel felt a little bit predictable and the pacing wasn't my favourite but if you're looking for a thriller to read through in a weekend, this book may be worth picking up. 

Young Rich Widows by Kimberly Belle, Lane Fargo, Cate Holahan, Vanessa Lillie

Title: Young Rich Widows

Author: Kimberly Belle, Lane Fargo, Cate Holahan, Vanessa Lillie

Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark

Expected publication date: April 2, 2024

Intro (Goodreads)

When the four partners of a prominent law firm are killed in a mysterious plane crash, their widows must come together to uncover the truth in this explosive, edge-of-your-seat novel.

It’s 1985 in Providence, Rhode Island, and the four partners of a prominent, mafia-affiliated law firm have been killed in a private jet that went down outside New York City. Four very different women have just lost the loves of their lives: Justine, a former fashion model adjusting to suburban life; Camille, a beautiful, young second wife some suspect is a gold digger; Krystle, committed to leaving the firm to her sons after her husband worked his whole life to support them all; and Meredith, a stripper at the local club who was in a secret relationship with the firm’s sole female partner. While the crash is initially ruled a tragic accident, something’s not adding up: The team wasn’t supposed to be in New York that day, and it’s soon revealed that there was a very large sum of cash that burned up with the plane. The women find themselves thrown together in search of the truth, with new danger and threats unfolding at every turn.

Could a dissatisfied client be seeking revenge? Or were the partners involved in something bigger—something dangerous and deadly? What other secrets were the partners keeping, and how far might people go to ensure they stay hidden? The widows must find the answers in order to protect their inheritance, their families, and their lives.

My thoughts

I enjoyed this novel for what it was. It was a quick, fun read that was a great palette cleanser from some of the darker thrillers that I've been reading. I was looking for something easy to read while also being compelling and this delivered for me. It had some very campy, 80s mobster flick vibes and I loved that.

I loved the switch of POVs between all of the widows and I liked seeing the friendships develop between all the women despite all of their unfortunate circumstances.

The only small gripe I had with this novel is that it does take awhile to get going and to feel like there is actually something happening, but the humor and my general fondness for all of the widows carried me through the parts that felt slow.

I think if you're looking for a quick read and fun that doesn't take itself too seriously, I would recommend this.

The Fortune Seller by Rachel Kapelke-Dale

Title: The Fortune Seller

Author: Rachel Kapelke-Dale

Expected publication date: February 13, 2024

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

When Rosie returns from time abroad to realize that a new girl has made a position in her friend group, she's a little uneasy. She doesn't know anything about Annelise. And now she has to share a room with her. What's even more strange is that the girls in her friend group don't know much about her either. She's a great equestrian. She fits right in on the team. But where did she come from? How does she afford Yale tuition and the lifestyle that comes with being friends with rich girls? Who is Annelise?

In a classic tale of class and ambition, Rosie has to figure out what everybody in her friend group is after, and which of them will stop at nothing to get it.

--

I loved everything about this novel. The way that Kapelke-Dale engrosses readers in atmospheres and how well she develops relationships has never disappointed me, and it didn't let me down here. Just like in The Ballerinas and The Ingenue, I felt completely engrossed in the story unfolding in my mind.

I love the way that her writing captures complicated female relationships and I love the way the tension and pressure builds until it all boils over in a stunning climax. I loved the quiet ending. The way that through everything that happens, there is also space for moving on. How there has to be space for moving on, if you want to keep growing into the person that you are meant to be.

I think as long as Kapelke-Dale is writing anything, I'll be a fan of it. I would probably read her grocery list if it was all I could get my hands on, and as always, even though this novel isn't even published yet, I will be eagerly awaiting her next release. 

Confessions of a Christmasholic by Joss Wood

Title: Confessions of a Christmasholic

Author: Joss Wood

Publisher: HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter

Publication date: October 19, 2023

Intro

Drunk, broke, and unemployed, Sutton comes into Gus' life like a tornado. Gus doesn't really have the time to deal with a drunk stranger, but recognizing that Sutton is the victim of some unfortunate circumstances, Gus welcomes her into his home for the holidays as his nanny. He has his hands full with his twins at the best of times, but nicknamed Mr. Christmas, he is especially busy during the holidays and he could definitely use some help.

Falling for each other is not the goal, but it doesn't take long for sparks to start flying.

My thoughts

This was definitely a cute, easy read, and if you're looking for a quick holiday Hallmark-esque book set in a small town that is reminiscent to that of Stars Hollow from the Gilmore Girls, to get you into the holiday spirit, this could be the book for you! It's adorable overall and easy to read in just a few hours if you're looking to cozy up with a book on a chilly afternoon.

However, if you're looking for anything deeper than just a cute holiday romance, this may not be the book for you. It was very fast paced, and while the relationship between Gus and Sutton was cute, it felt very superficial. When they were having thoughts about falling in love, or having thoughts about already being in love, I found it very hard to believe because they had very little under their belt in terms of meaningful interactions that would lend themselves to falling in love. So if you can't get behind insta-love, or at least, close to insta-love, you might not love this story.

I also wish that the backstories of Gus and Sutton were developed more. It is mentioned multiple times that Sutton had to grow up fast because it was up to her to raise her siblings, and Gus was having marital issues before his wife passed away. Both of these things were mentioned multiple times but the author didn't provide much more details than that. I feel like if those backstories were developed into deeper, I would have felt more connected to the characters.

Lastly, I feel like the ending came about a little abruptly and because of that, I would have loved to see an epilogue. I would have loved to see how Sutton and Gus handled everything a couple months down the road from where the proper story left off.

Despite my small gripes, I enjoyed the novel for exactly what it was. I was on the look out for a cute holiday read and that's exactly what was delivered.

Murderabilia: A History of Crime in 100 Objects by Harold Schechter

Title: Murderabilia: A History of Crimes in 100 Objects

Author: Harold Schechter

Publisher: Workman Publishing Company

Publication date: September 26, 2023

Told through items surrounding brutal crimes, Murderabilia delivers their stories, and those of the deranged criminals behind them, in bite sized passages. Each crime and criminal is summarized in just a few pages each.

I think that this is the perfect book for those who are just getting started in the genre of true crime, because readers get a taste of 100 different crimes, each of which are covered in about 1-3 pages. With the gist of each crime covered briefly, readers can then choose the crimes that fascinate them the most and tumble down the rabbit hole that is true crime media to delve deeper.

Although the crimes and their criminals are covered in just a few pages, the content is well researched and no important detail is forgotten.

Overall, I enjoyed this novel. It covers the well known killers like Ted Bundy, Jeffery Dahmer, John Wayne Gacy, and the lesser known ones, spanning back 100 years. with this wide range, I think there's cases featured here that both new and veteran true crime fans will enjoy. 

All These Sunken Souls: A Black Horror Anthology

Title: All These Sunken Souls: A Black Horror Anthology

Authors: Kalynn Bayron; Ashia Monet; Liselle Sambury; Sami Ellis; Joel Rochester; Joelle Wellington; Brent C. Lambert; Donyae Coles; Ryan Douglass

Publisher: Amberjack

Expected publication date: October 17, 2023

Goodreads synopsis 

Welcome to the Dark.

We are all familiar with tropes of the horror genre: slasher and victims, demon and the possessed. Bloody screams, haunted visions, and the peddler of wares we aren’t sure we can trust. In this young adult horror anthology, fans of Jordan Peele, Lovecraft Country, and Horror Noire will get a little bit of everything they love—and a lot of what they fear—through a twisted blend of horror lenses, from the thoughtful to the terrifying.

From haunted, hungry Victorian mansions, temporal monster–infested asylums, and ravaging zombie apocalypses, to southern gothic hoodoo practitioners and cursed patriarchs in search of Black Excellence, All These Sunken Souls features the chilling creations of acclaimed bestsellers and hot new talents, with stories from Kalynn Bayron, Donyae Coles, Ryan Douglass, Sami Ellis, Brent Lambert, Ashia Monet, Circe Moskowitz, Joel Rochester, Liselle Sambury, and Joelle Wellington.

My thoughts

This was a great anthology. The wide range of themes covered means that there is something for everyone. Are you into haunted mansions? Bloody Mary-esque legends? Zombies? Insidious lovers? You'll find it in here. The wide range of themes here makes it perfect for new and old horror fans alike, and as someone who has consumed her fair share of horror media, I really enjoyed all of the stories, they were unsettling in exactly the way that I hope horror stories will be. 

If you were a fan of the horror anthology Night of the Living Queers: 13 Tales of Terror Delight, and would like to keep delving into the world of horror anthologies especially while we approach the Halloween season, I think this book would be a perfect one for you.

Speak of the Devil by Rose Wilding

Title: Speak of the Devil

Author: Rose Wilding

Publisher: Minotaur Books

Publication date: June 13, 2023

A group of women are connected by their hatred for one man. On New Years Eve, 1999, they gather in a hotel for an emergency meeting. In the center of the hotel room, sits Jamie's head. The man they all have a reason to hate has been beheaded, and nobody knows which one of them is the one who swung the axe.

Told in the alternating POVs of all the women who had their own motives for murder, plus the detective trying to put the pieces together, this is a very character driven novel. Because there are so many POVs to keep track of, it took me a second to get each character straight, but as more of the story unravels it becomes easier to keep each character separate.

I liked all the characters, which actually came as a surprise to me because usually when I read books with multiple POVs, there usually one that seems to drag for me, but that didn't happen at all for me here.

The only gripe I had is that the ending felt very abrupt. After finding out everything that Jamie did to each of the women, the killer is revealed right after and the story is wrapped up, I want to say within about ten pages. I didn't feel like their were any breadcrumbs or any sort of build up to the reveal. The abrupt ending was a little bit disappointing.

Overall, I enjoyed this novel. It reminded me a little of Rachel Kapelke-Dale's writing, so if you enjoyed The Ballerinas or The Ingenue, or if you're looking for a fast paced, character driven thriller, I would give this one a try.

Quick Review: The Ingenue by Rachel Kapelke-Dale

Title: The Ingenue

Author: Rachel Kapelke-Dale

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Publication date: December 6, 2022

Goodreads Synopsis

My Dark Vanessa meets The Queen's Gambit in this new novel of suspense about the bonds of family, the limits of talent, the risks of ambition, and the rewards of revenge.

When former piano prodigy Saskia Kreis returns home to Milwaukee after her mother's unexpected death, she expects to inherit the family estate, the Elf House. But with the discovery that her mother's will bequeathed the Elf House to a man that Saskia shares a complicated history with, she is forced to reexamine her own past--and the romantic relationship that changed the course of her life--for answers. Can she find a way to claim her heritage while keeping her secrets buried, or will the fallout from digging too deep destroy her?

Set against a post #MeToo landscape, The Ingenue delves into mother-daughter relationships, the expectations of talent, the stories we tell ourselves, and what happens when the things that once made you special are taken from you. Moving between Saskia's childhood and the present day, this dark, contemporary fairy tale pulses with desire, longing, and uncertainty, as it builds to its spectacular, shocking climax.

Quick Thoughts

I really enjoyed this novel. For the second time, Kapelke-Dale has delivered a wonderfully haunting contemporary story that I couldn't get enough of. I loved reading the way Saskia's story unfolded both in her present life, and the way she's still intertwined with her past, like all of us are, even if she's tried to shake it. 

It took a little while for the story to get going and really hook me, but just like in Kapelke-Dale's previous novel, The Ballerinas, the story unfolded like a movie in my head, and I was invested from the start all the way to the climax. 

Overall, I am so glad that I got the chance to read Ingenue and I just know I will be eagerly awaiting the author's next work.

The Rumor Game by Dhonielle Clayton and Sona Charaipotra

Title: The Rumor Game

Authors: Dhonielle Clayton & Sona Charaipotra

Publisher: Disney Publishing Worldwide

Expected publication date: March 1, 2022

*Review copy received from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

 Introduction

Bryn, Georgie and Cora are three high school seniors about to find out just how quick rumors spread and spiral out of control, especially in the age of social media.

Bryn made a mistake last summer, and she wants her old life back. It's hard to find her footing again.

Georgie lost weight, and she wants to try on a new personality like she's been trying on new clothes.

Cora thought she had a great relationship, and a great boyfriend, but as rumors fly, is she sure?

Through the good and bad, someone is spreading rumors online about all three of the girls, but who exactly is behind it? Can they figure it out and stop it before all of the girls settle into infamy?

Writing and Characters

I liked all three of the girls and I loved that the authors chose to switch POVs between all three of the girls to make sure that we got a clear view of the interweaving storylines and the rumors surrounding them.

Plot/Pacing

This book moved at a great pace, and there were lots of distinct plot points hit across the way. Also, the authors were great at choosing when to switch POVs so that one side of the story never ran dry.

Social Media/Mixed Media Aspect

I adore when books include other media as storytelling devices. With this book being so social media-centric, the use of screenshots. comments, posts, and emails was extremely effective and made me feel even more immersed in the story than I already would have been.

Themes

There are mature themes in this book, including that of sexual assault, so if that is triggering for you, this novel may not be for you.

Mystery-ish aspect

The discovery of who was feeding the rumor mill new ideas was well done. I didn't figure out who is was absurdly early  and everything was tied up and answered by the last page, so I was satisfied.

Conclusion

I really enjoyed this book! I think if you are a fan of books such as One Of Us Is Lying or Revenge of the Sluts by Natalie Walton, I think you would definitely be a fan of this one. Look out for it's release on March 1, 2022 and add it to your  Goodreads TBR here!

The Ballerinas by Rachel Kapelke-Dale

Title: The Ballerinas

Author: Rachel Kapelke-Dale

Expected publication date:  December 7, 2020

Publishing company: St. Martin's Press

Pages: 302

*This is an adult novel and contains explicit scenes

Introduction

Told in dual timelines, The Ballerinas is a story about three girls-- ballerinas Delphine, Margaux, and Lindsay--and the people they were as students in the fictional Paris Opera Ballet, and the women they have become, without even realizing they were becoming them.

"You start out as potential energy and then you fall."

"You start out as perfect and you become something else."

Cover

This cover is stunning. Every time I look at it I can't help but think about how beautiful it is.

Writing

I loved the writing. It flowed beautifully for me and I could see the scenes that the author was painting vividly in my head. It's been a long time since I felt like I could see a book and all its scenes play like a movie in my mind but from beginning to end, this one unfolded so easily in my mind like a film.

I also want to say that I did not see the plot twists coming, I only just barely realized what was going to happen in the end a few pages before it really happened, so I'd say that the twists thrown in to surprise the reader were very successful.

Dual Timeline

I think the dual timeline between the past and the present was executed perfectly. It was the perfect way to see a great deal of character development in all three of the ballerinas without having to trudge fully through all the events that shaped them, which I sometimes feel bogs down the flow of books. I think the author did a great job of knowing when to switch back to the past/present to keep the reader interested in both of the timelines all the time. Neither of the timelines ever ran dry or felt forced or boring to read. 

Characters

I loved all the characters so much. They were so fleshed out and developed and so deeply flawed in all the right ways. I couldn't get enough of them.

Conclusion

I loved this book so much. The writing, the characters, the plot, it was all phenomenal. It has been a long time since I've been as engrossed in a book as much as I was with this one, and I can confidentially say that this has been my favourite read of 2021. I haven't read any other works of this author but if they're anywhere near as enchanting as this, I'm ready to devour anything that she's ever written.

As the official Goodreads synopsis says, fans Dare Me, Black Swan, and Luckiest Girl Alive will most likely enjoy this book. I also think that if you enjoyed Tiny Pretty Things, this could be the book for you.

The Grimrose Girls (The Grimrose Girls #1) by Laura Pohl

    

Title: The Grimrose Girls

Series: The Grimrose Girls #1

Author: Laura Pohl

Publication date: October 26, 2021

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Pages: 400 (paperback)

Introduction

In this fairytale retelling, teenagers are dying at the prestigious Grimrose Academy, and friends Yuki, Rory, Ella, and newcomer Nani need to get to the bottom of it before whatever is coming for their fellow classmates, comes for them next.

Characters

I liked all the characters, but it times, it felt like their personalities fell a little flat. It felt like while this is not a middle grade novel, that the characters and their personalities were pulled from a middle grade novel and dropped in a young adult storyline. 

Plot

I really enjoyed the plot. Pretty much all fairytale retellings hold a special place in my bookworm heart, and this story isn't an exception. The only gripe that I really had was Nani's original plotline about her father seemed completely forgotten by the second half of the book. A lot of her drive came from wanting to know about what her father had been doing and once that disappeared, it was hard for me to care about her as an individual character rather than just as part of the core group.

Pacing

For the first half of the book, the plot and it's pace was moving very slowly. There were a lot of points where nothing was really going on and those parts were very hard to read passed. The saving grace is that it definitely picks up in the second half, and reading through the slower parts is 100% worth it.

Conclusion

As I said, dark fairytale retellings hold a special place in my heart and that statement includes this book. Overall I really liked the story and I'm looking forward to the future books in the series. 

Bleed More, Bodymore by Ian Kirkpatrick

Title: Bleed More, Bodymore

Series: Bodymore #1

Author: Ian Kirkpatrick

Expected Publication Date: October 31, 2021

Publisher: Steak house Books

Pages: 302

Goodreads

Introduction

Baltimore smells like rot, like corpses, like death. It always has. But ever since Joey was called to collect her friend's car in Baltimore's infamous body dumping ground and found a corpse in the trunk, and her friend MIA, it's been getting worse. The city feels more grim. Ravens seem to be watching her. And where is Wayland? As she tries to find him, she's also finds out just how sinister Baltimore can be, if you just look close enough.

Writing Style

Something about this writing style missed the mark for me, There was a lot of telling, not showing, and because of that, it was very choppy and made it hard for me to feel immersed in the story.

Joey

I didn't connect to Joey as I hoped I would. Mostly because a lot of her dialogue made me cringe and made her come off younger than she was supposed to be. For example, when she is being questioned by a detective and she asks what they found on her record, the dialogue goes like this:

"What do you think I found?"

I shake my head. "Nah fam, not playing."

The insertion of the words "nah, fam." makes her feel so young to me and it was hard to take her seriously during her scenes like this. Additionally, it was hard to take her and the detective scenes seriously at all because she always acted so nonchalantly. It's like it never actually dawned on her that she could be getting herself in trouble. I understand that she's supposed to be tough and edgy and untouchable but at times it was very unrealistic.

Romance: Joey and Jag

Romance wasn't a central theme in the book by any means, but I wasn't really interested in any of what Joey and Jag had going on. I liked Jag individually, but the scenes where he and Joey were acting physically affectionate felt so out of place to me because there was never any foundation established for any kind of intimate relationship. Occasionally they kiss quickly, the moment passes, and Joey never thinks about it. As a reader you just have to accept that that's something they do without ever having any substance to go with it. This might be because their situation is so casual that Joey has no reason to think about it beyond the moments of the affection, but to me, as a reader, the relationship fell flat. I'm hoping that in the future books, if they continue to be involved in some way, it's developed a little more deeply.

Ending

The ending came together really fast. It felt like it took a little bit of a left turn from the rest of the plot in order to drive itself towards a sequel. That being said, I really liked the way it ended, it's probably my favorite aspect of the book.

Conclusion

This book was an okay introduction. Although I had trouble connecting with Joey the plot was interesting enough to keep me going through the book and I am looking forward to seeing how the plot continues, should I read the sequel.