While I will always have fond memories of this story as a whole, I do think the third book lost steam as it went along. I've been thinking about it, and I truly think this could've worked better as a duology. There was just so much repetition in this series. The first book is still really strong for me. But the second and third just seem to recycle a lot of the interactions and themes and situations. There are still moments that I enjoyed, but I had a really hard time focusing on this final book for the most part. Almost nothing stood out.

I think that if I hadn't read these back to back I would've appreciated this more, because the author does refer back to events that happen in previous books to get us caught up to speed, but for me, someone who read the books one right after the other, it just read as boring exposition to something I'd just read. I appreciate when authors have summaries of previous books in the series, and I'm not even saying you can't refer back to events/history of your world. But when the pacing of the story is affected as we get a full rundown of different characters, groups, and their motivations, it makes it difficult to stay connected. Just put a two-three page summary at the front of the book and call it good!

Still, I really enjoy the discussion of AI and what makes someone alive/what is a soul. There are so many things that this series does right. I just wish the ending was as strong as the beginning.

I’ve read hundreds of historical romances, but somehow never picked up an Eloisa James book until now. I’ve seen the error of my ways and will now attempt to read everything she’s ever written.

I really enjoyed this book. I liked the Hero and heroine, and how their relationship evolved throughout the book from friendship to love.

4.5 stars, rounded up because I can.

Absolutely my favorite Riley Sager. I've enjoyed his books in the past (I think the lowest rating I gave was to Final Girls, and that was still a 3-3.5) but this one feels like it was written just for me. I love stories about creepy houses that may or may not be haunted but definitely have a past. I liked the book within a book. And the ending, while not COMPLETELY blowing me away, was satisfying and plausible.

Usually I hate it when books are compared to other books, movies, or television shows. More often than not, the link is tenuous at best and I end up disappointed. This was being compared to the Netflix adaptation of The Haunting of Hill House, which I was obsessed with when it came out and really want to rewatch soon. So I was immediately on my guard. That being said, Riley Sager has been my favorite thriller writer in the past few years, so I was willing to go in with an open mind.

The comparisons to THOHH are apt. This is VERY similar to THOHH, while still being its own story. I'm not sure how much, if any, of the inspiration for this book came from the show. It's entirely possible that this book was written before the show was even a thing. I love both of them and like I said, I think this book stands on its own merit.

I think that the way the author incorporated the trope of book-within-a-book and combined it with another tried and true thriller trope, dual timelines, was really well done. It felt like a clever way to get the backstory, especially since we know that there is a strong possibility that we are dealing with an unreliable narrator to get that part of the story.

The creepy atmosphere the author creates here is *chef's kiss*. I love the gothic, eerie setting, and I found myself becoming more and more unsettled throughout the course of the book.

This story unfolds in a way that is very satisfying. I was suspicious of everything and everyone, so when we find out the truth of what happened it wasn't a total shock to me, but I definitely had a lot of fun thinking about what might actually be the truth.

I read this book in one sitting today, minus the time it took to make lunch. I just didn't want to put it down. I'm so glad I picked this up when I did, because I was feeling a reading slump coming on, and this brought me right out of it and back to wanting to read everything in sight.

This was a really powerful read. Written as a letter from father to son, Between the World and Me is an unflinching discussion of what it means to be Black in America. The author speaks his truth in a way that is unapologetic, candid, heartbreaking, and ultimately hopeful. We learn not only his story, but how our country's past dictates the present for an entire population of people in a system that was designed to oppress non-white cultures, specifically Black people. This isn't so much written FOR white people, although I think it's an important read that could benefit anyone who is looking to humble themselves and check their privilege.

As I do with most books I read, I looked through reviews before writing mine. I specifically looked at the more critical reviews, because I just didn't understand how anyone could read what I read and give it one star, unless they were racist internet trolls. I saw one review that said that this book was just an angry Black man who hates white people ranting for a couple hundred pages. First of all, that wasn't how I interpreted this book at all. I listened to this on audiobook, and the author himself narrates his story. He is very up front with his son about the facts of how Black people are treated in this country, but he wasn't ranting, in tone or in message. But also, even if he was ranting and angry...so what? He has a right to those feelings. They are completely valid. He didn't say anything that wasn't true.

I thought this was really well-written, evocative and emotional. He has written some other books that I will definitely be looking into.

This is a fantastic introduction for anyone who is interested in discussing race and privilege and the disparity in the United States between white people and BIPOC. In case you are not aware, BIPOC stands for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color.

I listened to this on audiobook, but I am definitely buying a copy when I can to go back through it and annotate. I found it informative, enraging, and heartbreaking. She tells several stories that have stuck with me, but I think the one that hit me the hardest was a story about her brother in school being forced to sit on the floor and being made fun of for it by his classmates. I won't relay the entire episode here, but as someone who is in my son's school quite a bit I was simultaneously heartbroken and pissed off, my mama bear instincts making me wish I would go back in time and ask that teacher what the hell they were thinking. I think anyone who is involved in education, whether as a teacher or an involved parent, this books really goes into how education is nowhere close to fair for Black students and how that disparity follows them throughout the rest of their lives.

There is another section I really appreciate where she talks about really examining your privilege. And she isn't just talking about white privilege. She acknowledges that she herself has certain privileges not afforded to others and how it's important for everyone to understand what their privileges are so they don't use them to oppress others. One of my favorite lines in the book was in Chapter 4, where she says, "When we identify where our privilege intersects with somebody else's oppression we'll find our opportunities to make real change." It may sounds like common sense, but in much of our society that is something that is severely lacking, and I think it's an important thing to think about and act on.

Like I said, this book is a great starting point for people who want to have honest and open discussions about race but aren't sure where to start. I hope everyone picks up this book.