You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
dlrosebyh's Reviews (773)
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A group of people in a tiny town in Virginia know one other because they are members of a special treatment center, a hyperbaric chamber that may heal a variety of problems ranging from infertility to autism. But suddenly the chamber explodes, killing two individuals, and it becomes evident that the incident was not an accident.
As the tale progresses, a tremendous battle builds between people who may be be hidden secrets or concealing betrayals. We swap alliances and gather proof chapter by chapter: Was it a patient's thoughtless mother? Was it the proprietors, intending to profit from a large insurance payout and send their daughter to college? Could it have been a protester attempting to demonstrate that the therapy is unsafe?
It took me a while to get into the book, but that's not my main concern because it's a page turner after that. My main concern is how one of the characters dealt with autism. The portrayal was actually rather nice, however there was one storyline flaw in one particular scenario. A mother attempted to do something to her autistic child, but it was never fully explained why she did so or why she believed it was a good idea. It wasn't brought up again in the following chapters, and as a neurodivergent person, it still bothers me.
Overall, I felt this was an intriguing read. It is a really well-written and unique plot when compared to other mystery thrillers. The characters are flawed, but I did predict the plot twist and thought, "Oh, yeah, suppose that's it" — kind of defeats the purpose of a good mystery novel, doesn't it?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexual assault
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Infertility, Suicide
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Jude and her twin brother, Noah, were inseparable at first. Noah is always drawing and falling for the fascinating lad next door, while daredevil Jude wears red lipstick, cliff-dives, and does all the talking for both of them.
Years later, they are hardly communicating. Something has occurred to the twins that have changed them in distinct but equally painful ways...but then Jude meets an interesting, seductive boy and a mysterious new tutor. The early years belong to Noah, whereas the latter years go to Jude. But they each only know half of the narrative, and if they can only find their way back to each other, they'll have an opportunity to reshape their world.
I wasn't a great lover of the writing style in this book, but the plot was fantastic anyway. I adore lyrical prose and a decent book with superb writing, but this one didn't do it for me. It felt like I was working too hard to write "perfect" poetic language, and I didn't enjoy it. The multiple POVs were also perplexing for me—the twins were too identical to one other, with the main difference being that one was gay and the other was not.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Sexual assault, Death of parent
Moderate: Alcoholism, Car accident, Suicide attempt
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The students at Hailsham, a private school in the lovely English countryside that Kathy, now 31 years old, attended as a kid, were shielded from the outside world and taught that their wellbeing was essential for both themselves and the community they would eventually inhabit. Kathy had long since left this beautiful past behind her, but when two of her Hailsham pals come back into her life, she quits resisting the tug of recollection.
Kathy remembers their time at Hailsham as her relationship with Ruth is revived and the sentiments that once drove her juvenile Tommy obsession start to develop into love. She paints joyful pictures of boys and girls growing up side by side, unconcerned—even comforted—by their seclusion. However, she also portrays episodes of conflict and misunderstanding that allude to a sinister truth concealed under Hailsham's maternal façade. The three friends are forced to face the truth about their childhoods and their current lives as the clarity of hindsight begins to emerge.
Sometimes, even in their own stories, people don't merit being the main characters. Ruth is such a jerk and also such a boring person. Like, why are you a bland AND a jerk? Imagine being only known as a jerk. I wished Kathy wouldn't have reignited their friendship. And let's not even talk about the writing. It was equally as dull and nasty.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Medical content, Medical trauma
Moderate: Bullying, Infertility
Minor: Homophobia
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Despite being in the same state, Héctor Muoz believes San Francisco and Orangevale to be a million miles distant. Being gay didn't make one feel different at home. Héctor couldn't feel more alone at his new school.
Héctor simply wishes he could vanish most of the time. And he complies. The janitor's closet, of course. Héctor finds himself in a chamber that shouldn't be feasible one day when the door closes behind him. The door to a life-altering year full of friendship, adventure, and just a touch of magic is opened by a room that brings him together with two new friends from different regions of the nation.
I truly appreciated this book as a POC queer person. I wish I had read something similar when I was younger to reassure me that being gay is acceptable. Although it does use certain clichés, the writing style, tone, and relatability more than make up for it. I've read one book by Mark Oshiro and didn't enjoy it, so I didn't anticipate enjoying this one as much. It's outrageous how little is known about this book because it was like a warm hug.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Homophobia, Lesbophobia
Moderate: Racism, Xenophobia, Islamophobia
Minor: Death, Outing, Injury/Injury detail
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The only thing Matt Haig excels at is figuring out what the point of life is, and that's about it.
A library with an endless number of novels, each of which tells the tale of a different world, is located somewhere beyond the edge of the cosmos. The tale of your life as it is is told in one book, and the story of the life you could have had if you had made a different decision at any moment in the past is told in another. What if you had the chance to visit the library and discover for yourself how your life may have been? We all wonder how our lives might have been. Which of these alternate lifestyles would be genuinely better?
Nora Seed is compelled to select this choice. She must look within herself as she moves through the Midnight Library to determine what is truly fulfilling in life and what makes it worthwhile to live in the first place. She may be faced with the possibility of changing her life for a new one, pursuing a different career, going back to old breakups, or realizing her dreams of becoming a glaciologist.
This book reminded me of a Hallmark movie, and we all know that Hallmark movies fall into two categories: those that are cringy nd those that are truly beautifully written and make you wonder why you are the way you are. Guess which category this book belongs to: the cringy ones! I appreciate the message, that's about all. As someone struggling with depression, this book is actually my thirteenth reason (/j).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
In August 1983, Malibu, the annual end-of-summer party hosted by Nina Riva will happen today. Excitement levels are at an all-time high. Everyone wants to be around the well-known Riva family, which includes Nina, a gifted surfer and supermodel, Jay and Hud, brothers who are both accomplished photographers and surfing champs, and Kit, their adored baby sister. Since they are the children of renowned singer Mick Riva, the siblings are a source of intrigue in Malibu and throughout the globe.
The only person who is not looking forward to the party of the year is Nina herself since she has never liked to be the center of attention and because her professional tennis player husband recently very publically dumped her. Oh, and Hud—because it's about time he told his brother, with whom he's been inseparable since infancy, something.
Jay, on the other hand, is counting down the seconds till dusk since she promised to be there and he can't stop thinking about her. And Kit has a few secrets of her own, including a visitor she surprisingly invited.
The celebration will spiral out of control by midnight. The Riva home will be in flames by daybreak. However, the booze will flow, the music will play, and the loves and secrets that have defined this family's generations will all rise to the surface before that first spark in the early hours before morning.
I liked how intricate the characters are; they seemed so genuine—so real that I became so disappointed when I googled their names on a web browser and didn't see a real person come up. As a character-driven prejudiced person, this book was very amazing for me. I believe that is consistently true of Taylor Jenkins Reid's books. They are largely character-driven and have a very raw feeling. They have more than one dimension. They are more complex than just "good" and "bad" characters.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death of parent, Abandonment
Moderate: Drug use, Infidelity
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
For a charge, Darcy Phillips may provide you with the answer to any of your relationship problems. She uses her influence wisely (most of the time), passionately detests Alexander Brougham. Whenever it comes to her best friend Brooke, who is in love with someone else, may not have the finest judgment. And lastly, she does not appreciate being blackmailed.
But that's precisely what happens when Brougham discovers her in the act of retrieving letters from locker 89, where she's been operating her dubious legal, anonymous relationship advising service. At least at a generous hourly rate, Darcy reluctantly agrees to serve as his personal dating coach in exchange for keeping her identity a secret. Exactly what was the intention? assist him in getting his ex-girlfriend back.
Darcy has a valid reason for hiding her identity. Some things she's ashamed of will come to light if word gets out that she's hiding behind the locker, and there's a high chance Brooke won't ever talk to her again. So all she needs to do is assist a bratty, entitled, annoyingly, and attractive guy in winning over a woman who has already fallen for him? What might possibly fail?
To sum up this book in one word? Heartwarming. I believe this is one of the first novels I've read with a bisexual female character ending up with a man— and I guess that's due of the biphobia. it's so lovely to read about a bisexual female heroine adoring a man. When bisexuals like someone who is the opposite gender from them, society will accuse them of not being "bisexual enough," and this book extensively addresses that issue.
I suppose there was a period where I was annoyed with Darcy because, God, she can be toxic at times. I do, however, understand her viewpoint. Despite being predictable and cliche (it reads like a Netflix movie), this book is nevertheless beautiful if you can get beyond those.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Biphobia, Toxic relationship
Moderate: Drug use, Infidelity, Vomit
Minor: Violence
