this is the best emily henry novel i’ve read thus far, and i STILL didn’t love it. i always enjoy the side relationships more than the main romantic othis is the best emily henry novel i’ve read thus far, and i STILL didn’t love it. i always enjoy the side relationships more than the main romantic one, and i never end up rooting for the romance until 75% of the way through (aka the Third Act Breakup, for all the rom-com beginners).
january and gus are both fantastic characters on their own, with well-fleshed out quirks and backstories. their banter IS good, and i appreciated the slow(er) build to the romance. and yet, there is something altogether impersonal, aloof, impossibly disconnected about every emily henry romance i’ve read. i never love any of the characters, and i never really care whether they end up together. but that’s a “it’s not you, it’s me” type beat so rip.
also i thought the beach meant the beach of an ocean!! not the beach of a lake!! i am a bit angry and misled !!
the meg ryan watchathon did make me feel some joy however, so not all hope is lost☺️...more
tiffany d. jackson always writes the most heartbreaking contemporary stories with excellent social commentary and a thriller flavor. this one broke metiffany d. jackson always writes the most heartbreaking contemporary stories with excellent social commentary and a thriller flavor. this one broke me. rtc...more
Shine is amazing. I was honestly surprised by how much I enjoyed this, because again: usually, contemporaries don’t get me. But this was such a cleverShine is amazing. I was honestly surprised by how much I enjoyed this, because again: usually, contemporaries don’t get me. But this was such a clever combination of excellently executed elements, I couldn’t help but be in love.
Every character is complex. At first, I thought “oh no, there’s going to be some Mean Girls drama and I HAVE TO DEAL WITH A WANNABE REGINA GEORGE”. However, I quickly realized that it was I who was the fool, not the book*. Rachel, our main character, isn’t perfect. Jason, our love interest, isn’t perfect. Mina, our “mean girl”, isn’t perfect. And this makes every single one of the characters realistic. This didn’t feel like a overly saturated, dramatic novel. It felt so very candid.
*clearly, i’ve been reading too much shakespeare because what the heck…?
Okay, but also??? I LOVED the Kpop aspects??? And all the Korean culture??? Jung truly made the Kpop world come to life, showcasing its joys and struggles, the dreams and hopes and suffering of the trainees. She somehow managed to capture the sparkle of Kpop that everyone loves, while also contrasting that with the dark web of gossip, secrets, and cutthroat competition that exists in Kpop. Just as much as I found myself invested in Rachel’s story, I was also totally invested in this world.
As if being entertaining wasn’t enough, I was genuinely surprised by many of the important issues brought up. Rachel and her fellow females in the Kpop world are not treated the same way as the males, who often don’t even realize their privilege. I
also absolutely adored a particular discussion between Jason and Rachel, where they’re bonding over not fitting in. Rachel is fully Korean but grew up in NYC, and Jason is Korean-Canadian. Their struggles of being either biracial or simply not being seen as “fully one race” was so real and honest. I could relate to so much at times.
ALSO THE ROMANCE. It wasn’t too much, which I appreciated??? It never took away from Rachel’s character but added another layer. It was woven into this book perfectly. It was sweet and romantic and thoughtful at times, but also heartbreakingly earnest at others.
This is more than just a “Kpop novel”. This is a story of a girl trying to chase her dreams, and the corruptness around her. This is about finding yourself, about pushing through the hardest parts of your life, about shining no matter what or who tries to dim you. This is truly one of my favorite books of the year! ____________________________________________
This was so addicting I accidentally binge-read the last 300 pages. Oops.
I’ve tried reading a couple of YA horror books before. They were…eh to say thThis was so addicting I accidentally binge-read the last 300 pages. Oops.
I’ve tried reading a couple of YA horror books before. They were…eh to say the least. So I went into this, turned off all my lights, turned on my phone, and read. And as I slowly felt tendrils of fear crawl up my spine, I realized: wow, this is actually a horror story of quality caliber. It’s not gory and gruesome, or even shockingly exciting in the way of action. No, it reminds me ever so slightly of Jane Eyre, with a huge mansion, but something always seems slightly…off. And that’s the kind of horror that gets me, the incredible combination of creepy atmosphere and suspicious characters. I loved this.
Margot is an interesting dilemma for me. I liked her well enough don’t get me wrong! However, there were times when I felt that she was too eager to please Laura, a little too ignorant of the things happening around her. in all fairness though, this behavior makes sense as the book goes on and we come to understand her character more. I also really loved and appreciated Margot and Agatha’s friendship!
I LOVED the dynamic here. We have a husband who’s hardly ever home, a mother who is caring but has strangely strict rules, and a daughter who hardly speaks or reacts at all. (And I mean, later on we have the Handsome Older Brother but I digress* for now). And this all takes place in a gothic-y mansion.
One of my favorite aspects was actually the perfectly written contrast between the “darker” parts of the story (forbidden rooms, scenes at night) and the “lighter” parts (the bright garden, a “meaningless” conversation here or there). It enhanced the atmosphere by making everything totally unreliable which I think was an absolutely brilliant move on the author’s part.
*am i…actually showing self-control????? this might never happen again let’s enjoy it while it lasts-
Plot-wise, I think normally I would be bored. We hardly move away from the mansion, and a lot of the thrills and chills are psychologically induced. But the author has such a compelling writing style, and keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout the entire book! I found a couple of things a bit obvious, but luckily I didn’t really mind.
As for the romance…I uh…didn’t think it really added to the story. Like yes, I loved getting to see the characters becoming more fleshed out as they become more vulnerable and open with each other. But I also wasn’t feeling the romantic aspects of it. Like cool, they like each other. It felt a little insta-lovey to me at first, but I do think it was resolved rather well in the end.
Honestly? I don’t want to say too much more because spoilers*. But I was pleasantly surprised by how good this was, and I really want to check out the author’s other books. If you’re searching for a good creepy read that won’t terrify you but give you a proper amount of chills, or even anything with a gothic twist, I’d highly recommend this one!
*i have been known to spoil things before irl accidentally but NOT TODAY MY FRIENDS. ________________________________________________ this is absolutely amazing, a twisty horror story with a gothic undertone. i am extremely impressed. full rtc!
a huge thank you to the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!...more
Holly Jackson wrote an absolutely addicting, brilliant mystery when she wrote A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder. Soapparently, lightning can strike twice.
Holly Jackson wrote an absolutely addicting, brilliant mystery when she wrote A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder. Somehow, she managed to do the same thing with the sequel. I know this for a fact because it took me literally two days to listen to the entire audiobook. So, let’s talk about what exactly made this book so incredible!
Pip is one of my all-time favorite leads. Not only is she clever, but she’s empathetic and doesn’t get caught up in meaningless teenage drama like so many other YA mystery-thriller characters. Good Girl, Bad Blood sees her dealing with the trauma of the events of the last book. When she takes on Jamie’s missing person case, she finds herself actively trying to avoid the dangerous obsession she had fallen into last time. That evidence of character development? Perfection.
Also! Pip’s and Ravi’s relationship needs a shoutout here because oh my gosh! I feel like it’s so rare to get healthy relationships devoid of drama, but that still deals with issues because relationships are hard. But Pip and Ravi’s was so, so pure. It was never the focus of the story, but watching the way they quietly supported each other, worked with each other, and dealt with stress in their relationship made me so very happy. It’s such a small part of the book but still such a perfect part.
I know all of you are probably waiting impatiently for me to talk about the actual mystery but I want to get something out of the way first. While A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder was sad, I never felt overly emotional with it. But this one? I found myself in tears at multiple times throughout the book, for so many reasons. As a sequel, Good Girl, Bad Blood has the advantage of working with a foundation of already planted characters and plotlines. The book starts off with Andie and Sal’s memorial service, and yeah, it took a while for my goldfish memory to recall the details of the first book. After that initial hurdle though, I found myself so incredibly heartbroken. And there are multiple moments throughout the book that is really just a testament to Holly Jackson’s prowess at writing both the characters and the storylines. The ending, a trial, the backlash from the last book, and the mystery of this book all played their parts into turning me into a sobbing squash at the end*. And that’s what truly made this sequel stand out to me: the emotional impact upon me, the reader, and the characters themselves.
*or should i say murder squash. ronan lynch gang rise up
Anyways, speaking of the ending, let’s finally talk about the mystery! It takes a long time for the mystery to get rolling. I think it was around the 50% mark when I finally thought that things were starting to happen. Still, I was so invested in the story that I just kept listening and listening. Unfortunately, the pacing simply isn’t as fantastic as the last book. The plot twists aren’t as great either. However, the ending? GOODBYE. I’m literally about to cry thinking about it. This one definitely felt a little less like a local mystery and more like a true crime episode. It’s also worth mentioning that Pip’s goal in this book isn’t finding a killer, but a missing person. That definitely changes the clues and twists. So overall, I didn’t think that the path on the way to the resolution was as good as the first. However, the resolution of the second one itself…that one is haunting.
Alright. I gotta say it. If you know me, then you know that I don’t always enjoy audiobooks*. But the audiobooks for this series are perfection. When Pip interviews someone, the book transitions seamlessly into a true crime podcast format. As much as I want to know how this trilogy ends, I didn’t request the final book on NetGalley just because I love the audiobooks that much. 10/10 would recommend listening to the audiobooks if you get the chance!
*that’s a nice way of me saying that sometimes listening to them literally gives me a headache of boredom. i don’t understand either. Finally, I want to talk about how well this works as a sequel. I know I loosely mentioned this already, but Good Girl, Bad Blood does an absolutely fantastic job of continuing from the first. This isn’t just a story of Pip suddenly trying to find Jamie, but a story of a town dealing with the repercussions of the first book. I’m not going to spoil anything here but a certain trial in particular made me feel so incredibly connected to the characters and their struggles, wishes, dreams, and hopes, rather than static suspects.
To be perfectly honest, I’m so incredibly excited for Holly Jackson’s career as a writer. I think that the YA genre of mystery-thrillers desperately needed her as a new voice, because her talent is so incredible. Overall, I’d give Good Girl, Bad Blood 4.75/5 stars!
pre-review:broken. a word i didn’t think i’d use when talking about this series but here we are. full rtc...more
if this isn’t sequel of the year on my list, i’m going to yeet all of my braincells.
Don’t get me wrong, I adored The Gilded Wolves. But it just didn’tif this isn’t sequel of the year on my list, i’m going to yeet all of my braincells.
Don’t get me wrong, I adored The Gilded Wolves. But it just didn’t have that 5-star, ohmygoshilovethisbooksomuch feeling. But The Silvered Serpents????? THAT’S A TOTALLY DIFFERENT STORY FRIENDS.
SPOILERS FOR THE GILDED WOLVES AHEAD:
I’m genuinely still not over Tristan’s death. That is the one qualm I have with this book: there is no Tristan. I think Chokshi did an absolutely fantastic job of writing how each character dealt with their own grief.
Séverin has closed himself off from everyone. He dove to save Laila, only to realize she was never the target all along. Now, with his failure of keeping his promise to always protect his brother, his only goal now is to protect the others. By distancing himself. Smh, Kaz Brekker-esque logic. I truly felt both sympathetic and annoyed with him.
Laila is dying. And oh my gosh, my heart went OUT to her. She’s dealing with so much guilt and worry. Not to mention, Severin is being a bum so that’s not cool. Her character is so kindhearted, and we really see the strength of her goodness shine through in this one.
Enrique oh my word. He’s still struggling to reconcile himself, and to gain the approval of the Illustrians. There’s so much complexity to his character, and consequently his relationships.
Zofia is honestly one of my favorite characters. Her sister is dying, and she’s dealing with that on top of everything else. Reading from her perspective is also so unique because I believe she’s on the spectrum, and so she sees the world differently. In a fantastic way!
HYPNOS. He cracked me up in the first book but I was howling with laughter in this one. I mean:
“Normally, responsibility gives me indigestion.
What a mood. I also felt so much for him, because he just wants to fit in, he just wants his old friend back. Seriously, I adore him so much.
Roshani Chokshi has some of the most gorgeous writing I’ve ever read. She creates some of the most atmospheric scenes that seem so effortless. A lot of this book takes place in Siberia and Russia, and I swear I could feel the snow, and taste the sugary candy. The magic in this series is so incredible and unique as well. Actually, the magic system is science-based, and a lot of the puzzles are based on historical and scientific knowledge.
I will say that I felt bits and pieces of this story were slow? This series is relatively character-focused, but it totally works. I love these characters with my whole heart and soul, and so I care about what they care about. It’s absolutely brilliant writing/plotting.
BUT THE ENDING. Even if parts of the book were slow, the last 20% fully makes up for it. Plot-twists galore, and a heartwrenching moment that nearly made me cry. I loved this.
a huge thank you to the publisher for an arc in exchange for an honest review!...more
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