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annoyingtiger888's Reviews (344)
I am not a professional book reviewer, I just enjoy reading and sharing my thoughts with others. I also cuss like a sailor and have no sense of what a spoiler is, so read this review at your own risk!
There's so much I need to say here that I don't even know where to begin lol I guess I can start by saying I think this is the FASTEST I've ever finished a book that wasn't a manga. Less than two days to finish 300+ pages, which may not seem like a lot but if you look at my history, it usually takes me a while to finish books because I tend to read a little between doing other stuff. But this book was just... wow. It flew by so quickly, it feels almost surreal.
My first thought when I started reading this book was that it didn't waste any time. Murder on page 18, now that's what I'm fucking talking about man. No wasting time with boring scenes for 50 pages, it got straight to what we all came for - murder. Getting right down to the juicy bits is a smart move that I can definitely appreciate.
I don't personally think the dishes described in this book sound the least bit appetizing because I don't like half the ingredients they use because I'm a literal 5-year-old, but it's still interesting to hear about them and try to butcher the pronunciation of the dishes c: I don't typically care for female protags because most of them are annoying and I just prefer male protags because, while I am a woman, I can relate more to men than women. This main character, though? She's pretty cool. I love her personality. She's really likable and her witty remarks make the story a lot easier to read.
Before starting chapter four, I made a prediction. I didn't have any suspects, but by the way Derek was sweating and shit, I'm guessing he was poisoned before coming to their restaurant. Maybe by that coffee he was drinking? After finishing the book - Fuck yes, I am a motherfucking super sleuth ya'll. I called it! Where's my medal? Or my cookie. I'd settle for a cookie.
Can I just say she has perfect comedic timing? Just look at this shit, man:
{I put my hands on my hips. "Oh, come on. Would it kill you to say something nice for a change?"
He responded by convulsing violently, then face-planting right into the dish.}
So yeah, I guess it WOULD kill him to say something nice, hey =D
{That was a mistake.
All five wheeled around as one. I don't know if you've ever been stared down by an elderly Asian woman, but It. Is. Terrifying. Don't be fooled by the cute florals and jaunty visors - these women will end you, wielding nothing but their sharp tongues, bony elbows, and collapsible shopping carts.}
Why is this the best line in the entire book? I lost it with the shopping carts, man.
Now, I'm a white woman from a white family. To us, family don't mean shit. All of them are liars and only come around if we can offer them something. It's nothing but fighting and arguing between us and we never see each other, not even on holidays. To me, my only family is my mom that I live with. The rest of our blood relations aren't family to me, they never have been and probably never will be. So, reading about how tight-nit Asian families tend to be... it makes me both sad and happy at the same time.
I enjoy the look into the lives of others, so different from the one I've led, and I envy how strong their familial ties are. To them, family comes first. Family is everything. I sometimes wish it were like that for us, too, but it's not. I don't think it ever has been. The love just isn't there for us but the hatred certainly is. So for me, seeing these strong family bonds and these big families who, despite their problems and differences, still love and support one another no matter what... it really enhanced the story for me.
{"Did you know that rice has higher levels of arsenic than other foods?"}
I'm fucking sorry, sir??? Rise has mother fucking ARSENIC in it?! That can't be true... I'm never eating rice again, man. After I read this, my anxiety decided it wanted to be its usual self and I freaked out, googling if this was true and it IS.
Quoted from healthline.com: "There is no doubt about it, arsenic in rice is a problem. This may pose a health risk to those who eat rice every day in considerable amounts." It also recommends that you use plenty of water while cooking it, wash the rice before cooking it because it may remove 10-28% of the arsenic, and that brown rice contains higher amounts than white rice. It says to choose aromatic rice such as basmati or jasmine. This honestly freaked me out and I wish it wasn't true so I'll probably avoid rice for a while before forgetting and just saying feck it.
{I raised an eyebrow, impressed. "Since when do you know Japanese?"
He ducked his head, not meeting my eyes. "I, uh, watch a lot of anime. Like, a lot. I can't speak it or anything, but I can understand a basic conversation."}
MARCUS, MY MAN. He became my favorite character with this one line, let's go~!
Prediction 2: the contractor is the killer. He, Derek, and the health inspector were doing business together and something went wrong. After finishing the book - eh, I was half right. Do I still get points? No? What about half a point?
{Dr. Jae, that coward, stuck with the mild tomato salsa.}
I... feel very called out by this statement lmfao I can't do spicy food, like at all. I don't know why, but it triggers my fucking anxiety and I hate it. So whenever we order Chinese food, I have to request my food without peppers and avoid all the spicy stuff, and honestly, even the non-spicy stuff is usually still spicy. I think that's why I haven't been able to enjoy Asian food like I hoped I could, because they use lots of peppers and onions, both of which I despise.
So, the scene where the restaurant is vandalized and everyone comes to help clean up... I couldn't stop smiling because it was so fucking precious. They really do have a great family, people who will always come to help out and not even fucking charge for it. Like, Amir is this bigtime lawyer that would normally charge out the ass for his services but he's doing all this for his family FOR FOOD. I mean, same really, but he's not charging them, he just wants Rosie to feed him which she is more than thrilled to do. Where can I get a family like this? Someone adopt me.
{"What, is your name pronounced LY-la or LEE-la? Because I've been saying LY-la, but your grandmother just called you..."
I smiled at him. "Yeah, I know. Technically, it's LEE-la, but only my family pronounces it that way. In school, my teachers would always pronounce it the other way and I got tired of correcting them. I just started introducing myself that way since it was easier."}
Not gonna lie, I've been pronouncing it LY-la, too. Even after reading this, I tried to correct myself by saying it properly every time her name came up but my brain just couldn't seem to process this at all. It was a struggle for my brain to read it that way so I just ended up continuing to pronounce it that way, I am so sorry Lila ._.)/
Okay, so... after getting farther into the book I was so damn sure Mr. Long was the one who was behind everything, but then he done did deaded. I couldn't help but wonder who the fuck was behind it all, assuming it was just one person. I did not, for one second, suspect that his wife did it. Okay, that's a lie. When they first found the body, I did think it was weird that she was walking around the house with her hood up. It was SUS man and then it turns out she did do it, but it was in self-defense. I'll be damned. And it's not like he was innocent, he WAS responsible for some of it, just not the murder.
{"We were happy to see him at first. It'd been a while and even though we heard about what he was doing with those other restaurants, we never dreamed he'd do that to us. He was like family! But nobody lets you down like family, I guess."}
Girl, preach that shit. If you can't trust you family which, in my case, you can't, who the fuck CAN you trust? It's a damn shame, lemme tell you.
Now, I would like to say that I figured out who the killer was long before he revealed himself, but then I'd be a big liar pants, wouldn't I? I figured it out about one page before he revealed himself pft I never would have thought Kevin would be behind it all and I genuinely liked him. He seemed like such a nice guy, but that tends to be my curse, you know? Whenever I watch or read something, I always fall for the guys who A - die, or B - end up to be total psychopath murderers with a serious god-complex that you just kinda wanna nudge off the edge of a building. It's a real problem and I don't know how to fix it someone send help.
The author of this book, Mia Manansala, wrote an amazing book that I didn't want to put down, with an amazing main character that was super likable, relatable, and really witty. I have nothing but praise for this book and I hope to read more from her and Lila.
Also, I can't stop thinking about Nisa sprawled across the ground posted on Instagram every time the dog is mentioned, so thanks for that lmao
There's so much I need to say here that I don't even know where to begin lol I guess I can start by saying I think this is the FASTEST I've ever finished a book that wasn't a manga. Less than two days to finish 300+ pages, which may not seem like a lot but if you look at my history, it usually takes me a while to finish books because I tend to read a little between doing other stuff. But this book was just... wow. It flew by so quickly, it feels almost surreal.
My first thought when I started reading this book was that it didn't waste any time. Murder on page 18, now that's what I'm fucking talking about man. No wasting time with boring scenes for 50 pages, it got straight to what we all came for - murder. Getting right down to the juicy bits is a smart move that I can definitely appreciate.
I don't personally think the dishes described in this book sound the least bit appetizing because I don't like half the ingredients they use because I'm a literal 5-year-old, but it's still interesting to hear about them and try to butcher the pronunciation of the dishes c: I don't typically care for female protags because most of them are annoying and I just prefer male protags because, while I am a woman, I can relate more to men than women. This main character, though? She's pretty cool. I love her personality. She's really likable and her witty remarks make the story a lot easier to read.
Before starting chapter four, I made a prediction. I didn't have any suspects, but by the way Derek was sweating and shit, I'm guessing he was poisoned before coming to their restaurant. Maybe by that coffee he was drinking? After finishing the book - Fuck yes, I am a motherfucking super sleuth ya'll. I called it! Where's my medal? Or my cookie. I'd settle for a cookie.
Can I just say she has perfect comedic timing? Just look at this shit, man:
He responded by convulsing violently, then face-planting right into the dish.}
So yeah, I guess it WOULD kill him to say something nice, hey =D
All five wheeled around as one. I don't know if you've ever been stared down by an elderly Asian woman, but It. Is. Terrifying. Don't be fooled by the cute florals and jaunty visors - these women will end you, wielding nothing but their sharp tongues, bony elbows, and collapsible shopping carts.}
Why is this the best line in the entire book? I lost it with the shopping carts, man.
Now, I'm a white woman from a white family. To us, family don't mean shit. All of them are liars and only come around if we can offer them something. It's nothing but fighting and arguing between us and we never see each other, not even on holidays. To me, my only family is my mom that I live with. The rest of our blood relations aren't family to me, they never have been and probably never will be. So, reading about how tight-nit Asian families tend to be... it makes me both sad and happy at the same time.
I enjoy the look into the lives of others, so different from the one I've led, and I envy how strong their familial ties are. To them, family comes first. Family is everything. I sometimes wish it were like that for us, too, but it's not. I don't think it ever has been. The love just isn't there for us but the hatred certainly is. So for me, seeing these strong family bonds and these big families who, despite their problems and differences, still love and support one another no matter what... it really enhanced the story for me.
I'm fucking sorry, sir??? Rise has mother fucking ARSENIC in it?! That can't be true... I'm never eating rice again, man. After I read this, my anxiety decided it wanted to be its usual self and I freaked out, googling if this was true and it IS.
Quoted from healthline.com: "There is no doubt about it, arsenic in rice is a problem. This may pose a health risk to those who eat rice every day in considerable amounts." It also recommends that you use plenty of water while cooking it, wash the rice before cooking it because it may remove 10-28% of the arsenic, and that brown rice contains higher amounts than white rice. It says to choose aromatic rice such as basmati or jasmine. This honestly freaked me out and I wish it wasn't true so I'll probably avoid rice for a while before forgetting and just saying feck it.
He ducked his head, not meeting my eyes. "I, uh, watch a lot of anime. Like, a lot. I can't speak it or anything, but I can understand a basic conversation."}
MARCUS, MY MAN. He became my favorite character with this one line, let's go~!
Prediction 2: the contractor is the killer. He, Derek, and the health inspector were doing business together and something went wrong. After finishing the book - eh, I was half right. Do I still get points? No? What about half a point?
I... feel very called out by this statement lmfao I can't do spicy food, like at all. I don't know why, but it triggers my fucking anxiety and I hate it. So whenever we order Chinese food, I have to request my food without peppers and avoid all the spicy stuff, and honestly, even the non-spicy stuff is usually still spicy. I think that's why I haven't been able to enjoy Asian food like I hoped I could, because they use lots of peppers and onions, both of which I despise.
So, the scene where the restaurant is vandalized and everyone comes to help clean up... I couldn't stop smiling because it was so fucking precious. They really do have a great family, people who will always come to help out and not even fucking charge for it. Like, Amir is this bigtime lawyer that would normally charge out the ass for his services but he's doing all this for his family FOR FOOD. I mean, same really, but he's not charging them, he just wants Rosie to feed him which she is more than thrilled to do. Where can I get a family like this? Someone adopt me.
I smiled at him. "Yeah, I know. Technically, it's LEE-la, but only my family pronounces it that way. In school, my teachers would always pronounce it the other way and I got tired of correcting them. I just started introducing myself that way since it was easier."}
Not gonna lie, I've been pronouncing it LY-la, too. Even after reading this, I tried to correct myself by saying it properly every time her name came up but my brain just couldn't seem to process this at all. It was a struggle for my brain to read it that way so I just ended up continuing to pronounce it that way, I am so sorry Lila ._.)/
Okay, so... after getting farther into the book I was so damn sure Mr. Long was the one who was behind everything, but then he done did deaded. I couldn't help but wonder who the fuck was behind it all, assuming it was just one person. I did not, for one second, suspect that his wife did it. Okay, that's a lie. When they first found the body, I did think it was weird that she was walking around the house with her hood up. It was SUS man and then it turns out she did do it, but it was in self-defense. I'll be damned. And it's not like he was innocent, he WAS responsible for some of it, just not the murder.
Girl, preach that shit. If you can't trust you family which, in my case, you can't, who the fuck CAN you trust? It's a damn shame, lemme tell you.
Now, I would like to say that I figured out who the killer was long before he revealed himself, but then I'd be a big liar pants, wouldn't I? I figured it out about one page before he revealed himself pft I never would have thought Kevin would be behind it all and I genuinely liked him. He seemed like such a nice guy, but that tends to be my curse, you know? Whenever I watch or read something, I always fall for the guys who A - die, or B - end up to be total psychopath murderers with a serious god-complex that you just kinda wanna nudge off the edge of a building. It's a real problem and I don't know how to fix it someone send help.
The author of this book, Mia Manansala, wrote an amazing book that I didn't want to put down, with an amazing main character that was super likable, relatable, and really witty. I have nothing but praise for this book and I hope to read more from her and Lila.
Also, I can't stop thinking about Nisa sprawled across the ground posted on Instagram every time the dog is mentioned, so thanks for that lmao
I am not a professional reviewer, I just enjoy reading books and sharing my thoughts about them. I also have no sense of what counts as a spoiler, so read at your own risk! I also cuss like a sailor.
Before we begin, I feel the need to say that I got sick right as I finished this book, so it's been several days since I completed it and my memory ain't that great. For that, I'm sorry, but I'll do my best to categorize what I thought about this book. I'm still recovering so my brain is wonky and I'm forcing myself to write this before I lose more of my memory of this book so forgive me if I don't make sense. I won this book in a giveaway.
After finishing chapter one, I was really intrigued by what was happening. The copy I got also says it's an unread proof, but there was very few mistakes throughout this book which was honestly surprising to me since my own proofs are FULL of mistakes. Big points for that aspect. I really love the cover and I felt curious to see what was going to happen.
This started as the flu and then wiped out most of the population in six days. Hmm, it's beginning to look a lot like covid~
{When I was younger, the coronavirus seemed to last forever.}
Oh... I guess it ISN'T a covid story then, for fuck's sake lmao One thing that threw me off a lot was the mention of the monstrosity. When the explosion started, she grabbed the 'monstrosity' and darted from the house but I could NOT figure out what the fuck it was until many chapters later.
{"That dish is called the Monstrosity, and it's coming with us. Nonnegotiable."}
I'm honestly not even sure if she mentioned the name - it's the bowl she made by the way - and I honestly couldn't be bothered to go back and check to see if she did mention it. I just know that it left me scratching my head a few times until I finally realized it was the damn bowl.
{I open the back of the car, lift the cargo mat, and hit pay dirt. Not a crowbar, but a tire iron will do just fine.}
This is another thing that really fucking confused me. When she said 'pay dirt' I imagine that with a negative connotation. I have NEVER heard this phrase used in my twenty-eight years of life and every time I read it, I figured she didn't find what she was looking for only to find out it's a positive thing meaning she DID find what she was looking for.
Now, most of the time when I get books, especially giveaway books, I don't read the synopsis which is how this book went for me. I didn't realize it was Sci-Fi, which is one of my least favorite genres. I'm not big on space or aliens at all. I'm not a non-believer per se but it just feels very... farfetched, I guess? And not the pokemon. Like, why the fuck would some other planet ever give enough fucks to come and visit US? Humans are terrible. And who's to say that they are any more advanced than we are? They were probably popped into existence at the same time we were. I don't know, man, it's just not a topic that excites me and it's kinda blah to me. At the time that I wrote this comment, I did not know if it WAS aliens, but if that weird glowy guy in the hospital was anything to go by, I was pretty sure that's where it was heading. I won't lie - when I read the description of this thing and Trey's insistence that it was aliens, my enthusiasm for this book dropped quite a bit, but that may be my fault for not reading the synopsis to know what I was getting myself into.
{"I've personally always thought the world would be better off without humans," Tanq says. "Maybe it's time to give another species a turn at the top."}
We found it, bois, the best line in this book. If you know anything about me, you know that I do not like human beings as a whole and I've thought this many times in the past. Maybe that makes me an asshole, but I've seen the cruelty of human beings just for the fun of it. Humanity is trash and they've honestly gone unchecked for way too long, running free to rob, murder, and rape to their heart's content. Ridiculous. But that's a whole 'nother can of worms.
The March 26th chapter is so goddamn long and goes on for AGES. Every single page, I would tell myself that I would finish the chapter and then go inside, but it continued to go on and on and on and finally, I just said feck it. I understand that the chapters are formatted like diary entries, so if a lot happens in one day, that chapter is gonna be super long, but my fucking god do I hate that format. For me, I'm not fond of taking a break in the middle of a chapter and usually force myself to finish the chapter before taking a break, so when you have a chapter that goes on for 20+ pages, it really fucking sucks. I don't actually know how many pages there were in that chapter and I don't have the energy to check, but it certainly feels like it was 20+ pages.
{"Shawntelle made me swear off of Black guys."
"What? Why?"
"She said that white women fetishize Black guys. That it's a form of racism. And she was my best friend, so... I listened."
"She sounds like an amazing person."}
No, she sounds fucking terrible. I don't know what has me more shocked here, the fact that Shawntelle made her promise that shit or the fact that Paige actually fucking agreed to it. You're deadass gonna sit there and tell me that falling in love with someone of a different skin color is fetishizing them and it's racism... No, fam. You say that is fucking racist. Love does not see color, bro. If Paige happens to fall in love with a black dude, she's racist if she tries to date him?? I honestly can't tell if this author is trying to appeal to the 'woke' community that has cropped up in recent years or if she just genuinely felt like the character needed that personality but my fucking god, bro.
And then they fucking PRAISE her for it. Like yeah, she's dead and you shouldn't speak ill of the dead, but "she sounds like an amazing person"? No, she sounds like a goddamn dumbass.
Don't get me wrong here. There's over 7 billion fucking people in this world so I'm sure there ARE people who fetishize black people (and asians and mexicans and every fucking body else assuming you're not switching preference with fetish which are two very different things), but to look at your BEST FRIEND and say that they can't date an entire fucking race because it's a fetish if she's white... what the actual fuck, man. Like, this is blowing my mind right now. For you to sit there and pretty much say "I don't give a fuck if you fall in love with someone, if they are black and you're white, you're a racist" I... is that not racism in its self??
You're putting the color of someone's skin above all else which does not matter. It's nice to know who are you and to respect your heritage and culture, but at some point you have to stop looking at skin color as a factor to fucking divide people and put them into boxes to fit your own fucking narrative. Like, I know I'm saying more on this topic than I should be but goddamn if this ain't the stupidest shit I've ever read in any book. Just imagine that you fall in love with someone. They are your soulmate and you want to spend the rest of your life with them, but then you got to your BEST FRIEND to share the news and they call you a racist and say that you're fetishizing that person JUST BECAUSE THEY ARE BLACK AND YOU ARE WHITE.
I literally could not continue reading after this. I had to stop and put it down for a while before continuing and, honestly, I wasn't sure I WANTED to continue reading this, but I forced myself to finish it. And when I say force, I mean it. I did not like this book and I think maybe three stars is even too generous, but I'm a bit biased against Sci-Fi and it was my fault for not preparing for that which I think earns it another star.
Overall, I didn't feel any attachment to these characters. They felt paper-thin and didn't seem to have any life to them. I had no emotional response to this book aside from annoyance. It wasn't thrilling to me and, honestly, I wasn't really rooting for them to succeed in the end because I just didn't care about them at all.
The ONLY good character in this book was Emmaline and I don't even fucking like dogs. But, unlike most media featuring pets, she survives. Though I think it would be a lot better if ONLY the dog survived, but you know. Gotta give her props for not killing off the dog, at least.
Before we begin, I feel the need to say that I got sick right as I finished this book, so it's been several days since I completed it and my memory ain't that great. For that, I'm sorry, but I'll do my best to categorize what I thought about this book. I'm still recovering so my brain is wonky and I'm forcing myself to write this before I lose more of my memory of this book so forgive me if I don't make sense. I won this book in a giveaway.
After finishing chapter one, I was really intrigued by what was happening. The copy I got also says it's an unread proof, but there was very few mistakes throughout this book which was honestly surprising to me since my own proofs are FULL of mistakes. Big points for that aspect. I really love the cover and I felt curious to see what was going to happen.
This started as the flu and then wiped out most of the population in six days. Hmm, it's beginning to look a lot like covid~
Oh... I guess it ISN'T a covid story then, for fuck's sake lmao One thing that threw me off a lot was the mention of the monstrosity. When the explosion started, she grabbed the 'monstrosity' and darted from the house but I could NOT figure out what the fuck it was until many chapters later.
I'm honestly not even sure if she mentioned the name - it's the bowl she made by the way - and I honestly couldn't be bothered to go back and check to see if she did mention it. I just know that it left me scratching my head a few times until I finally realized it was the damn bowl.
This is another thing that really fucking confused me. When she said 'pay dirt' I imagine that with a negative connotation. I have NEVER heard this phrase used in my twenty-eight years of life and every time I read it, I figured she didn't find what she was looking for only to find out it's a positive thing meaning she DID find what she was looking for.
Now, most of the time when I get books, especially giveaway books, I don't read the synopsis which is how this book went for me. I didn't realize it was Sci-Fi, which is one of my least favorite genres. I'm not big on space or aliens at all. I'm not a non-believer per se but it just feels very... farfetched, I guess? And not the pokemon. Like, why the fuck would some other planet ever give enough fucks to come and visit US? Humans are terrible. And who's to say that they are any more advanced than we are? They were probably popped into existence at the same time we were. I don't know, man, it's just not a topic that excites me and it's kinda blah to me. At the time that I wrote this comment, I did not know if it WAS aliens, but if that weird glowy guy in the hospital was anything to go by, I was pretty sure that's where it was heading. I won't lie - when I read the description of this thing and Trey's insistence that it was aliens, my enthusiasm for this book dropped quite a bit, but that may be my fault for not reading the synopsis to know what I was getting myself into.
We found it, bois, the best line in this book. If you know anything about me, you know that I do not like human beings as a whole and I've thought this many times in the past. Maybe that makes me an asshole, but I've seen the cruelty of human beings just for the fun of it. Humanity is trash and they've honestly gone unchecked for way too long, running free to rob, murder, and rape to their heart's content. Ridiculous. But that's a whole 'nother can of worms.
The March 26th chapter is so goddamn long and goes on for AGES. Every single page, I would tell myself that I would finish the chapter and then go inside, but it continued to go on and on and on and finally, I just said feck it. I understand that the chapters are formatted like diary entries, so if a lot happens in one day, that chapter is gonna be super long, but my fucking god do I hate that format. For me, I'm not fond of taking a break in the middle of a chapter and usually force myself to finish the chapter before taking a break, so when you have a chapter that goes on for 20+ pages, it really fucking sucks. I don't actually know how many pages there were in that chapter and I don't have the energy to check, but it certainly feels like it was 20+ pages.
"What? Why?"
"She said that white women fetishize Black guys. That it's a form of racism. And she was my best friend, so... I listened."
"She sounds like an amazing person."}
No, she sounds fucking terrible. I don't know what has me more shocked here, the fact that Shawntelle made her promise that shit or the fact that Paige actually fucking agreed to it. You're deadass gonna sit there and tell me that falling in love with someone of a different skin color is fetishizing them and it's racism... No, fam. You say that is fucking racist. Love does not see color, bro. If Paige happens to fall in love with a black dude, she's racist if she tries to date him?? I honestly can't tell if this author is trying to appeal to the 'woke' community that has cropped up in recent years or if she just genuinely felt like the character needed that personality but my fucking god, bro.
And then they fucking PRAISE her for it. Like yeah, she's dead and you shouldn't speak ill of the dead, but "she sounds like an amazing person"? No, she sounds like a goddamn dumbass.
Don't get me wrong here. There's over 7 billion fucking people in this world so I'm sure there ARE people who fetishize black people (and asians and mexicans and every fucking body else assuming you're not switching preference with fetish which are two very different things), but to look at your BEST FRIEND and say that they can't date an entire fucking race because it's a fetish if she's white... what the actual fuck, man. Like, this is blowing my mind right now. For you to sit there and pretty much say "I don't give a fuck if you fall in love with someone, if they are black and you're white, you're a racist" I... is that not racism in its self??
You're putting the color of someone's skin above all else which does not matter. It's nice to know who are you and to respect your heritage and culture, but at some point you have to stop looking at skin color as a factor to fucking divide people and put them into boxes to fit your own fucking narrative. Like, I know I'm saying more on this topic than I should be but goddamn if this ain't the stupidest shit I've ever read in any book. Just imagine that you fall in love with someone. They are your soulmate and you want to spend the rest of your life with them, but then you got to your BEST FRIEND to share the news and they call you a racist and say that you're fetishizing that person JUST BECAUSE THEY ARE BLACK AND YOU ARE WHITE.
I literally could not continue reading after this. I had to stop and put it down for a while before continuing and, honestly, I wasn't sure I WANTED to continue reading this, but I forced myself to finish it. And when I say force, I mean it. I did not like this book and I think maybe three stars is even too generous, but I'm a bit biased against Sci-Fi and it was my fault for not preparing for that which I think earns it another star.
Overall, I didn't feel any attachment to these characters. They felt paper-thin and didn't seem to have any life to them. I had no emotional response to this book aside from annoyance. It wasn't thrilling to me and, honestly, I wasn't really rooting for them to succeed in the end because I just didn't care about them at all.
The ONLY good character in this book was Emmaline and I don't even fucking like dogs. But, unlike most media featuring pets, she survives. Though I think it would be a lot better if ONLY the dog survived, but you know. Gotta give her props for not killing off the dog, at least.
I discovered this book by browsing Bookbub. It was listed as mystery and it was free, so I saw no harm in downloading it. I was very iffy about whether or not I would like it, but I'm so glad I took the chance on this book because no, I didn't like it, I LOVED it! I didn't want to stop reading, despite how reading it on the phone gave me a headache and also despite the fact that I prefer a real book in my hands.
I honestly loved this book so much. Frankie is the coolest ghost ever, and Verity didn't annoy me in the least, which is quite rare for me - I've never been fond of female characters. While reading, I got some serious Supernatural TV show vibes, like this was a filler episode and the Winchesters would pop out at any moment. Having Verity and Frankie help them with a case... oh my god, that would be the best collab ever made. I knew this book was about a mystery but I never would have guessed that Verity would get a ghostly partner to help her solve the mystery. To be fair, I didn't think there would be a murder, either, but I was pleasantly surprised by both. This is such a unique twist on ghost stories/ghost mysteries and I love it!
I really connected with Verity. I felt so bad about the way the town treated her. It really angered me, to be honest, but I'm proud of her for standing her ground and not giving up. I admire her strength and will. I was hoping there would be no romance since I hate that genre, but the romance wasn't typically what you see in books these days. It was subtle and sweet, and it had me smiling rather than cringing, as I typically do. I was also surprised there wasn't a clash between Verity and her ex, but maybe that will come in at a later book.
There was something really special to me about when Verity was helping to shoulder Ellis when he got hurt. It made me smile, because it's usually the other way around or, if the woman is helping, she's too weak to help carry the male or the male protests. Ellis didn't fight her - he was hurt and grateful for the help and, even though she wasn't strong enough to physically carry him, she did her best to help steady him, and that was quite heartwarming.
Did I mention how much I love Frankie? I totally pictured him using an Italian accent with a southern twang to it and I loved it. Not gonna lie, I did think at first that maybe they fell in love. I'm not above love beyond dimensions, don't judge me.
Now as for the ending... ooohhh my goooodddd. I won't spoil it, I promise, but HOLY SHIT, I did NOT see that coming! I've never been good at figuring out who is actually guilty, but I can usually at least suspect the real criminal. But this time? Nada. Zilch. Nothing. I didn't suspect him ONE BIT and it made my jaw job when he revealed himself.
All in all, I'm so glad I got this book for free because I doubt I would have purchased it, and I'm so glad that I got to read this. I even stopped playing my game to get through this book because I wanted to know what happened next.
10/10 - Highly recommend!
Merged review:
I discovered this book by browsing Bookbub. It was listed as mystery and it was free, so I saw no harm in downloading it. I was very iffy about whether or not I would like it, but I'm so glad I took the chance on this book because no, I didn't like it, I LOVED it! I didn't want to stop reading, despite how reading it on the phone gave me a headache and also despite the fact that I prefer a real book in my hands.
I honestly loved this book so much. Frankie is the coolest ghost ever, and Verity didn't annoy me in the least, which is quite rare for me - I've never been fond of female characters. While reading, I got some serious Supernatural TV show vibes, like this was a filler episode and the Winchesters would pop out at any moment. Having Verity and Frankie help them with a case... oh my god, that would be the best collab ever made. I knew this book was about a mystery but I never would have guessed that Verity would get a ghostly partner to help her solve the mystery. To be fair, I didn't think there would be a murder, either, but I was pleasantly surprised by both. This is such a unique twist on ghost stories/ghost mysteries and I love it!
I really connected with Verity. I felt so bad about the way the town treated her. It really angered me, to be honest, but I'm proud of her for standing her ground and not giving up. I admire her strength and will. I was hoping there would be no romance since I hate that genre, but the romance wasn't typically what you see in books these days. It was subtle and sweet, and it had me smiling rather than cringing, as I typically do. I was also surprised there wasn't a clash between Verity and her ex, but maybe that will come in at a later book.
There was something really special to me about when Verity was helping to shoulder Ellis when he got hurt. It made me smile, because it's usually the other way around or, if the woman is helping, she's too weak to help carry the male or the male protests. Ellis didn't fight her - he was hurt and grateful for the help and, even though she wasn't strong enough to physically carry him, she did her best to help steady him, and that was quite heartwarming.
Did I mention how much I love Frankie? I totally pictured him using an Italian accent with a southern twang to it and I loved it. Not gonna lie, I did think at first that maybe they fell in love. I'm not above love beyond dimensions, don't judge me.
Now as for the ending... ooohhh my goooodddd. I won't spoil it, I promise, but HOLY SHIT, I did NOT see that coming! I've never been good at figuring out who is actually guilty, but I can usually at least suspect the real criminal. But this time? Nada. Zilch. Nothing. I didn't suspect him ONE BIT and it made my jaw job when he revealed himself.
All in all, I'm so glad I got this book for free because I doubt I would have purchased it, and I'm so glad that I got to read this. I even stopped playing my game to get through this book because I wanted to know what happened next.
10/10 - Highly recommend!
I honestly loved this book so much. Frankie is the coolest ghost ever, and Verity didn't annoy me in the least, which is quite rare for me - I've never been fond of female characters. While reading, I got some serious Supernatural TV show vibes, like this was a filler episode and the Winchesters would pop out at any moment. Having Verity and Frankie help them with a case... oh my god, that would be the best collab ever made. I knew this book was about a mystery but I never would have guessed that Verity would get a ghostly partner to help her solve the mystery. To be fair, I didn't think there would be a murder, either, but I was pleasantly surprised by both. This is such a unique twist on ghost stories/ghost mysteries and I love it!
I really connected with Verity. I felt so bad about the way the town treated her. It really angered me, to be honest, but I'm proud of her for standing her ground and not giving up. I admire her strength and will. I was hoping there would be no romance since I hate that genre, but the romance wasn't typically what you see in books these days. It was subtle and sweet, and it had me smiling rather than cringing, as I typically do. I was also surprised there wasn't a clash between Verity and her ex, but maybe that will come in at a later book.
There was something really special to me about when Verity was helping to shoulder Ellis when he got hurt. It made me smile, because it's usually the other way around or, if the woman is helping, she's too weak to help carry the male or the male protests. Ellis didn't fight her - he was hurt and grateful for the help and, even though she wasn't strong enough to physically carry him, she did her best to help steady him, and that was quite heartwarming.
Did I mention how much I love Frankie? I totally pictured him using an Italian accent with a southern twang to it and I loved it. Not gonna lie, I did think at first that maybe they fell in love. I'm not above love beyond dimensions, don't judge me.
Now as for the ending... ooohhh my goooodddd. I won't spoil it, I promise, but HOLY SHIT, I did NOT see that coming! I've never been good at figuring out who is actually guilty, but I can usually at least suspect the real criminal. But this time? Nada. Zilch. Nothing. I didn't suspect him ONE BIT and it made my jaw job when he revealed himself.
All in all, I'm so glad I got this book for free because I doubt I would have purchased it, and I'm so glad that I got to read this. I even stopped playing my game to get through this book because I wanted to know what happened next.
10/10 - Highly recommend!
Merged review:
I discovered this book by browsing Bookbub. It was listed as mystery and it was free, so I saw no harm in downloading it. I was very iffy about whether or not I would like it, but I'm so glad I took the chance on this book because no, I didn't like it, I LOVED it! I didn't want to stop reading, despite how reading it on the phone gave me a headache and also despite the fact that I prefer a real book in my hands.
I honestly loved this book so much. Frankie is the coolest ghost ever, and Verity didn't annoy me in the least, which is quite rare for me - I've never been fond of female characters. While reading, I got some serious Supernatural TV show vibes, like this was a filler episode and the Winchesters would pop out at any moment. Having Verity and Frankie help them with a case... oh my god, that would be the best collab ever made. I knew this book was about a mystery but I never would have guessed that Verity would get a ghostly partner to help her solve the mystery. To be fair, I didn't think there would be a murder, either, but I was pleasantly surprised by both. This is such a unique twist on ghost stories/ghost mysteries and I love it!
I really connected with Verity. I felt so bad about the way the town treated her. It really angered me, to be honest, but I'm proud of her for standing her ground and not giving up. I admire her strength and will. I was hoping there would be no romance since I hate that genre, but the romance wasn't typically what you see in books these days. It was subtle and sweet, and it had me smiling rather than cringing, as I typically do. I was also surprised there wasn't a clash between Verity and her ex, but maybe that will come in at a later book.
There was something really special to me about when Verity was helping to shoulder Ellis when he got hurt. It made me smile, because it's usually the other way around or, if the woman is helping, she's too weak to help carry the male or the male protests. Ellis didn't fight her - he was hurt and grateful for the help and, even though she wasn't strong enough to physically carry him, she did her best to help steady him, and that was quite heartwarming.
Did I mention how much I love Frankie? I totally pictured him using an Italian accent with a southern twang to it and I loved it. Not gonna lie, I did think at first that maybe they fell in love. I'm not above love beyond dimensions, don't judge me.
Now as for the ending... ooohhh my goooodddd. I won't spoil it, I promise, but HOLY SHIT, I did NOT see that coming! I've never been good at figuring out who is actually guilty, but I can usually at least suspect the real criminal. But this time? Nada. Zilch. Nothing. I didn't suspect him ONE BIT and it made my jaw job when he revealed himself.
All in all, I'm so glad I got this book for free because I doubt I would have purchased it, and I'm so glad that I got to read this. I even stopped playing my game to get through this book because I wanted to know what happened next.
10/10 - Highly recommend!
The only thing I knew about this story is that "here's Johnny!" meme where he sticks his face through the door. I've wanted to experience this book for a long time and, well... I can say with 100% certainty that this story is way too overhyped. I expected more and was left very disappointed.
This story is way too long and very boring. It was a struggle to stay focused instead of zoning out or nodding off. Both of the parents are annoying as hell, too. The sexual shit is completely unnecessary and only degrades an already bad story. I mean, look at this:
[He squeezed the accelerator like the breast of a much loved woman.]
Or:
[His testicals turned into 2 small, wrinkled sacks filled with shaved ice.]
He is driving a car, no one cares what his balls feel like or that he's picturing a boob when he presses the accelerator. And Jack "playing" with his wife when their small child is less than 5 feet away, asleep? That is disgusting and not a mental image I want in my head.
It feels like he had zero faith in his story so he had to interject these weird, random sexual moments just to keep readers interested because, as we all know, sex sells. It's gross and very jarring.
Not to mention it took nearly 50 chapters - 50! - before anything remotely interesting happened and it only lasted for, what, two or three chapters? It just slogged on and on and felt like it would never end.
And then Wendy, the holy mother who loves her kid soooo much:
"It's too late."
Bitch, that is your child! Your 6 year old child! I don't care if it's "too late" get your ass in that elevator or up those fucking stairs and try to save him! What kind of mother just gives up like that? I hate her. Actually, I hate everyone in this story except the kid.
Also, I love how Hallarann shows up and is immediately taken out. He was described as a large man with the shine and you're telling me he was immediately destroyed? Hell, tiny little Wendy took more damage than he did! Absolute trash.
I hate this book.
This story is way too long and very boring. It was a struggle to stay focused instead of zoning out or nodding off. Both of the parents are annoying as hell, too. The sexual shit is completely unnecessary and only degrades an already bad story. I mean, look at this:
[He squeezed the accelerator like the breast of a much loved woman.]
Or:
[His testicals turned into 2 small, wrinkled sacks filled with shaved ice.]
He is driving a car, no one cares what his balls feel like or that he's picturing a boob when he presses the accelerator. And Jack "playing" with his wife when their small child is less than 5 feet away, asleep? That is disgusting and not a mental image I want in my head.
It feels like he had zero faith in his story so he had to interject these weird, random sexual moments just to keep readers interested because, as we all know, sex sells. It's gross and very jarring.
Not to mention it took nearly 50 chapters - 50! - before anything remotely interesting happened and it only lasted for, what, two or three chapters? It just slogged on and on and felt like it would never end.
And then Wendy, the holy mother who loves her kid soooo much:
"It's too late."
Bitch, that is your child! Your 6 year old child! I don't care if it's "too late" get your ass in that elevator or up those fucking stairs and try to save him! What kind of mother just gives up like that? I hate her. Actually, I hate everyone in this story except the kid.
Also, I love how Hallarann shows up and is immediately taken out. He was described as a large man with the shine and you're telling me he was immediately destroyed? Hell, tiny little Wendy took more damage than he did! Absolute trash.
I hate this book.
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
This story is insane, especially as someone who suffers from mental illness. These women are incredible and it's hard for me to think that they would spend YEARS fighting this for people they never met or knew. To them, these weren't just crazies locked up in asylum. To them, they were human beings that deserved better.
These women are actual angels and I feel bad for those that were locked up here.
I couldn't help but smile and laugh. Miss Daisy is a trip and she reminds me of my grandma - stubborn as an ox and refusing help even when she needed it. This was so precious to listen to.
Angela, may you rest in peace. You were a bright light in this dark world and one of my heroes. You're missed, but your work will live on forever.
Angela, may you rest in peace. You were a bright light in this dark world and one of my heroes. You're missed, but your work will live on forever.
As a crazy cat lady who loves RPGs, this book was absolutely amazing to me. I kept laughing at Florence and her shenanigans, plus the forced friendship between her and Doug which remained both comedic and heartwarming. By the end, I couldn't keep the smile off my face! I'm really looking forward to the next book.
As for the narrator, she did a fantastic job and her interface voice was scary accurate. I could tell she REALLY enjoyed reading this story and really got into her role. She wasn't just reading a book to us, she was experiencing the adventure along with us. She really added a lovely charm to an already lovely book.
This was an incredible journey from start to finish.
I will add a little warning, though (and a slight spoiler) - if you're like me, you might struggle with the descriptions of the cats during battle. They don't die forever, though, which offers some comfort to the soul. Just keep that in mind before you start this series!
As for the narrator, she did a fantastic job and her interface voice was scary accurate. I could tell she REALLY enjoyed reading this story and really got into her role. She wasn't just reading a book to us, she was experiencing the adventure along with us. She really added a lovely charm to an already lovely book.
This was an incredible journey from start to finish.
I will add a little warning, though (and a slight spoiler) - if you're like me, you might struggle with the descriptions of the cats during battle. They don't die forever, though, which offers some comfort to the soul. Just keep that in mind before you start this series!