The Husbands hooked me from the first page to the last. I listened to the audio and I don’t think I zoned out even once, which says a lot about the story and narration. 

In short, this is a story about the unpaid invisible labor of moms. In an idyllic neighborhood, our MC makes an offer on a home for sale. Every woman in the neighborhood is in a powerful career. Unfortunately, one of the husbands recently died in a house fire. What’s the real story there? 

You may see everything coming in this book, so I don’t recommend it if being shocked is important to you. It’s also heavy of the social commentary, so keep that in mind. Overall I had a fun time with this book and I’ll read from the author again, but I probably won’t remember much of this one in the future. 

I love how the characters of Giant Days are growing up and still finding themselves in this installment. There is also a bonus comic at the end with a trip for Ed to Australia with his new girlfriend! I'm not sure if some of this part would be offensive to Australians. 

Brazen is a graphic novel told entirely in vignettes, each one about a particular woman who was beyond her time in one way or another. I took it slow with this book and found it enjoyable in that way; it is not a book that you are likely to binge or read quickly like most graphic novels. 

At first I found the writing style a bit flippant and reductive, but it grew on me as the book went on. I think the author was trying to strike a balance between the gravity of each of these women's contributions and struggles and the fun air of a comic. I think this book would be an excellent jumping off point for middle and high school students to inspire research projects. If you enjoy illustrated nonfiction, pick this up! 

All My Rage is a book that I struggle to find words for. It is a story of immigrant life, a story of past and present trauma, a book of what it means to love a friend, a book of what it means to love your family. It seems almost inappropriate to rate this book, so suffice it to say this novel is beautiful, heartbreaking, and raw. It is exceptionally well written. You will need tissues. 

Told from several points of view, we read from the perspectives of Salahudin and Noor who are best friends in present day California. We also read from Misbah's perspective in the past in Pakistan.  The way the timelines weave together is brilliant. In so many ways this is a character driven novel, detailing what life BIPOC life is like for Sal and Noor's families, but in the second half it becomes more plot driven and even more emotional. 

I'm so glad I read this book and also glad I went into it relatively blind. It is a story about what it means to carry rage with you every day of your life, and it is an important window into an experience many of us do not have. I think this simply must be read to understand. 

While I read this book quickly, Finding Tessa did some things that I just don't enjoy in a thriller and as I reflect back on it all I can think about is the plot holes and the unsatisfactory resolution. 

This is a book about a woman seeking revenge for domestic violence. It is told in dual perspectives and one of the main twists hinges on that device. The guilty party at the end seemed far fetched and unlikely. There were also numerous comments about clingy mothers and derogatory remarks about breastfeeding. I'm sensitive to this in writing and I feel fine calling it out because it added nothing to the story. 

I'll read from this author again because I recently read her newest release and thought it was MUCH better, a ton of fun, and had none of the plot holes or insensitive opinions that I noted in Finding Tessa. I do not recommend this book. 

After a lot of hype on Bookstagram and Booktube, I was excited to finally read Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone. It is a well written and fun mystery/thriller about a family who goes on a reunion to a ski resort in Australia, where they call home. For years, the pattern has been emerging that they have all killed someone but this reunion is after one of the family members did prison time for just that. Since the trial, family dynamics have been dicey to say the least. 

I loved how this book broke the fourth wall and called out frequent mystery tropes and then used them to hilarious effect. The asides to the reader were quite well done, but if you don't like humor in your thrillers- this isn't the book for you. Ultimately I had very high expectations for this book and it fell a little flat for me. The narration of the audiobook was excellent but I still felt the pacing was off at times, leading to me having to force my attention back to the book. I also didn't like the exposition, let the narrator tell you everything that has happened, style of the ending. 

If that kind of ending doesn't bother you and you enjoy the fourth wall demolition, I think this book is hilarious and worth picking up. 

The Pact by Sharon Bolton is a well paced, exceptionally fun thriller. It uses the trope of an old group of friends with a big secret and twists and plays with that to great effect. When they were 18, Amber, Talitha, Zav, Dan, Felix and Megan all spent the summer together before exams. They developed a dangerous routine, and when it comes down to it Megan takes the fall for all of them. With one promise, that they will all owe her any favor she demands when she gets out of prison. 

Twenty years later, Megan is finally released and the torturous requests begin. The friends are beside themselves with fear and must devise a plan to escape Megan's demands. Honestly, you don't need to know anything else going in. This is such a fun ride, and I don't mean that as a pun but it does work. 

I'm an avid thriller reader and this satisfied me, kept me engaged, and I devoured it quickly. I was pleased with the twists and the delightfully unsettling ending. Highly, highly recommend. 

Age of Vice is a compelling, many faceted story of the impact of one late night car crash on many people. Set in India over the span of several decades, we follow a significant cast of characters. Many of them are extremely wealthy and related to a mafia like family that runs all of India in some way, the Wadias. My favorite character is Ajay; we meet him as a young boy in poverty and follow him through a dynamic storyline that includes triumph and tragedies. 

I don't think I could possibly write a review that does this book justice. It is a masterpiece in how it weaves together so many people and shows the complexity of human emotion both explicitly and implicitly. At no point in the 550 pages did I find myself bored, and I always wanted to keep reading. I think that speaks to the quality of the writing and the story. 

Check content warnings before picking this one up, but I'm sure you're going to see this book recommended all over the Internet this year. And for good reason. It's a sweeping saga of a world where corruption reigns but in which the people are all intricate and messy and valuable- regardless of how they are treated. I really loved this book and I think it has great reread potential. I hope you will pick it up!

Fever 1793 is about Mattie Cook, a girl living in Philadelphia at the time of the yellow fever epidemic. Mattie lives above a coffee house with her widowed mother and her grandmother. When the yellow fever comes that summer, Mattie witnesses the privileged wealthy flee to the country but she is stuck behind. We follow the many challenges her family faces as a result of the epidemic, including illness and loss. 

This story moves quickly, but with grace and appropriate attention to historical accuracy and character development. I think the author did a great job noting the racism and classism that was common at the time and part of the epidemic. It was believed that low class people and those of non European ancestry were vile and prone to infection. Germ theory was not yet established and other false beliefs are also called out. The author used historically accurate ways to challenge racism which I also loved. 

For an epidemic story, this one has an uplifting ending. It is a reminder of how fortunate we are to have the advancements of science in our current lives, and a beautiful story of a young girl who faces significant struggle and comes out the other side. 

What Lies in the Woods is a solid, page turning thriller about Naomi-a girl who survived a serial killer and who has grown up with that haunting her. 

Naomi was one of several eleven year old girls who played I. The woods that summer long ago, and they have secrets. When the convicted killer dies in prison, Naomi is not comforted but rather she becomes more afraid than ever. When one of the grown up girls commits suicide, the mystery comes back to the forefront and strange things happen again. 

I loved that this book is full of twists and turns, red herrings that are plausible and believable, and the haunting truths about childhood, mental health, and our desire to see someone punished for bad things- even when it might not be the right person. I highly recommend this for fans of A Flicker in the Dark. This is a well written thriller and I’ll be back for more from this author. 

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ALC in exchange for my honest review.