I love Nina George's writing. It's always so heartfelt and beautiful. She creates wonderful scenes and her narratives are rich with descriptive text. The characters are full and dynamic, interacting in a realistic way and having their own flaws. In this case, all of that stayed true. I really enjoyed this story and connected with it. I appreciated the little bit of magical realism. I struggled with the ending. In fact, it's one of those cases where a throw against the wall was likely. I've contemplated the ending since I finished and I'm a bit more at peace with it now. However, it is not what I was wanting. It's also true to Nina George's writing and this phase of her literature (as explained in the letter to the reader at the conclusion of the book). I'm still emotionally torn on this book, but know that it was well worth the read and it was very well written.

* Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. *

4.5 stars. I am SUCH a sucker for magical realism. I love living vicariously through books, I tell you. This is a cute story with a few quirky characters. The plot was a little different than I expected, with less focus on Sarah that I really wanted based on the title, but it worked all the same. Charming, cozy, and cute read. I loved the characters and...noting that there are some unfinished stories and that the author does have a prequel of sorts for this book already...I will be hoping for a sequel.

*Full review to come.*

4.5 stars. This one surprised me. I didn't expect it to be so good. It is apparently a retelling of the fairy tale Bluebeard (one which I am not familiar with).

It's in the realm of magical realism, which is always a personal favorite. Cute and whimsical and yet dark. It's a great combination. Unique and creepy and terribly entertaining. It's an easy read, which is lovely. And there's a cute hedgehog (oddly, maybe my favorite character in the story).

Well worth the read and potentially a reread.

At first I found myself quite lost in the sea of undeveloped characters. I couldn't keep anyone straight and everything just swirled around me. Luckily, the writing is solid and I was able to gain my bearings better as things went on. I still lost a couple of the minor supporting characters now and then, but was able to keep the three running narratives straight. I did enjoy that Moriarty creates characters who become distinctly voiced. They have personality and clear individuality as the story progresses.

As for the story itself, I wasn't sure how it all made sense in the beginning and I will admit that I was occasionally thrown by some little details that were Australian in nature (some terms, for example and the fact that their Easter is in the autumn...that really messed with me for a bit), but as with the characters it all slowly and steadily came into focus. The actual content of the husband's secret itself was a bit disturbing, but could be seen coming...what followed though became a bit of a gut punch. I was simultaneously impressed and disturbed by the ending. It was well done and I didn't see it coming until it was careening down the pages.

A good and solid read...I'd say this one is a good travel read. Entertaining and enthralling enough, but reads fairly smoothly and quickly.

Meh. I enjoy Alice retellings more than the retellings of most fairy tale stories, but this one felt a little lackluster for me. It was just okay. The writing felt overly pretentious -- which was in keeping with the Victorian era setting, but simply rubbed me the wrong way. I enjoyed the different take on the story and thought it was mildly clever, but there wasn't enough originality for me. Not a waste of time, but not a "wow" moment either.

* Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. *

This is an adorable YA contemporary with a very smooth moving narrative. Crane's writing is genuine and flows easily, making the read seem to just fly by. The characters are medium in depth, still lacking a little definition at the edges without seeming overly thin. This does detract from the impact of the narrative, but does not make the story overly flawed.

I read this one in a day's time. It was just that easy to fall into. I didn't want to put it down, but it wasn't because it was overly gripping...it was because I enjoyed Crane's writing style and I liked the development of Wren's character. I could have done with more of the Wilder story line, but overall this was a good comfortable read and I enjoyed it.

I LOVED this book! I have historically liked Lauren Oliver's writing, but I have been used to her dystopian reads. I will admit that I was very much impressed by this one. I enjoyed the dynamic characters and I actually was quite entertained by the fact that I actually didn't like the title character for the majority of the book. I was pretty impressed with how much I was engrossed in the story line given how often I rolled my eyes and shook my head at her. This is a fantastic YA read along the message lines of 13 Reasons Why, but has a fairly original approach to the narrative. I liked the journey and thought that it was well thought out without being overly preachy or condescending. Plus...all the feels.

There is definitely profiling and outdated prejudice present in this novel, but it is still an entertaining and well-crafted read. The mystery holds out well until the end and, though not a completely shocking reveal, does keep one guessing.