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emilyctrigg
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an advanced copy of this title in exchange for an honest review.
Cherish Farrah is the story of Cherish and Farrah-- best friends with very different lives. Both are Black, but one is adopted and raised by white parents. She's what Farrah calls "white girl spoiled" and is basically untouched by any hardships. When Farrah's family falls on hard times, Cherish's parents happily allow her to stay with them to finish out the school year.
But something is wrong-- Farrah isn't quite normal. And who is actually in control here?
This book speaks very eloquently about being Black, being female, and what it's like to have a best friend. The writing was absolutely gorgeous and flowery. It's interesting to see this kind of writing in a thriller/horror story. While I thoroughly enjoyed the tone, ambiance, and subject matter of this book, it was entirely too slow. It's marketed as a suspenseful, psychological thriller but the story doesn't *actually* become thrilling until the last ~15%. I wish we would have had more insight into characters besides Farrah before that point in the story. It would have helped to ratchet up the tension and help push the story forward. I found myself sort of slogging through from about 40-70% of the book until we started getting more action.
I would definitely recommend this book for people who love thrillers/horror, social commentary, and flowery imagery and writing.
Cherish Farrah is the story of Cherish and Farrah-- best friends with very different lives. Both are Black, but one is adopted and raised by white parents. She's what Farrah calls "white girl spoiled" and is basically untouched by any hardships. When Farrah's family falls on hard times, Cherish's parents happily allow her to stay with them to finish out the school year.
But something is wrong-- Farrah isn't quite normal. And who is actually in control here?
This book speaks very eloquently about being Black, being female, and what it's like to have a best friend. The writing was absolutely gorgeous and flowery. It's interesting to see this kind of writing in a thriller/horror story. While I thoroughly enjoyed the tone, ambiance, and subject matter of this book, it was entirely too slow. It's marketed as a suspenseful, psychological thriller but the story doesn't *actually* become thrilling until the last ~15%. I wish we would have had more insight into characters besides Farrah before that point in the story. It would have helped to ratchet up the tension and help push the story forward. I found myself sort of slogging through from about 40-70% of the book until we started getting more action.
I would definitely recommend this book for people who love thrillers/horror, social commentary, and flowery imagery and writing.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an advanced audio copy of this title in exchange for an honest review.
4.5/5 stars
Daughter is the story of Scarlet Murphy. She's a normal teenage girl with some anxiety, interest in cute boys, and some great best friends. Sure, her mother is a little overprotective, but it's all good. Scarlet is about to head off to college and leave her mother behind. Until one day the FBI shows up on her doorstep and tells her that she is the daughter of serial killer Jeff Lake-- the 1990s-2000s Ted Bundy. As if it weren't enough that her whole life has been a huge secret, now she also has to decide if she wants to go visit her dying father in prison. He told law enforcement 20 years ago that there were more girls he'd killed that they would never find and he's decided to take their names to his grave.... Unless they bring him Scarlett so he can meet her before he dies.
Scarlet and her mother are now once again thrust into the limelight and have to contend with all the hate (and creepy awe) that comes with being associated with one of the most notorious serial killers of all time.
This book was a RIDE, let me tell you. I never really knew where the story was going to go next, and honestly I'm not mad about it. I truly enjoyed almost every moment of this story. I felt like Scarlett was a super believable character-- she was honest, raw, and felt like a true teenager. She had tons of flaws, but was trying to be a good and moral person. There was a cute romance with the FBI agent's son which definitely added a lot to the story. I also liked how Scarlett's relationship with her mom changed once the truth had been revealed.
McLaughlin did a great job of really embodying the creepy, horrifying, disgusting behaviors of a psychopath when describing Scarlet's visits with her father. I found myself holding my breath along with Scarlet, hoping she would make it out undamaged (physically and definitely emotionally) with another name of a missing girl she can give to the FBI. The story was truly terrifying and emotional. I honestly felt like Jeff Lake was a real person and there MUST be a true crime documentary about him out there somewhere-- that's how real he was! That kind of writing takes talent. Hats off to Mclaughlin!
Our narrator for this audio book is Justis Bolding. She's a great narrator who has done a lot of my other favorite audiobooks (The female of the species; the lost girls; vanishing girls). She does a great job and I would definitely pick up more audio titles if I knew she was the narrator.
4.5/5 stars
Daughter is the story of Scarlet Murphy. She's a normal teenage girl with some anxiety, interest in cute boys, and some great best friends. Sure, her mother is a little overprotective, but it's all good. Scarlet is about to head off to college and leave her mother behind. Until one day the FBI shows up on her doorstep and tells her that she is the daughter of serial killer Jeff Lake-- the 1990s-2000s Ted Bundy. As if it weren't enough that her whole life has been a huge secret, now she also has to decide if she wants to go visit her dying father in prison. He told law enforcement 20 years ago that there were more girls he'd killed that they would never find and he's decided to take their names to his grave.... Unless they bring him Scarlett so he can meet her before he dies.
Scarlet and her mother are now once again thrust into the limelight and have to contend with all the hate (and creepy awe) that comes with being associated with one of the most notorious serial killers of all time.
This book was a RIDE, let me tell you. I never really knew where the story was going to go next, and honestly I'm not mad about it. I truly enjoyed almost every moment of this story. I felt like Scarlett was a super believable character-- she was honest, raw, and felt like a true teenager. She had tons of flaws, but was trying to be a good and moral person. There was a cute romance with the FBI agent's son which definitely added a lot to the story. I also liked how Scarlett's relationship with her mom changed once the truth had been revealed.
McLaughlin did a great job of really embodying the creepy, horrifying, disgusting behaviors of a psychopath when describing Scarlet's visits with her father. I found myself holding my breath along with Scarlet, hoping she would make it out undamaged (physically and definitely emotionally) with another name of a missing girl she can give to the FBI. The story was truly terrifying and emotional. I honestly felt like Jeff Lake was a real person and there MUST be a true crime documentary about him out there somewhere-- that's how real he was! That kind of writing takes talent. Hats off to Mclaughlin!
Our narrator for this audio book is Justis Bolding. She's a great narrator who has done a lot of my other favorite audiobooks (The female of the species; the lost girls; vanishing girls). She does a great job and I would definitely pick up more audio titles if I knew she was the narrator.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an advanced audio copy of this title in exchange for an honest review.
Insurrection by Hawa Allan is the history of insurrections in the United States, the Insurrection Act, and how the government/society has historically been afraid of Black citizens and the possibility of insurrection from those same Black citizens.
Ms. Allan is a lawyer and that definitely comes across in her writing. She is building a case the entirety of the book and making arguments about the use of the Insurrection act throughout American history. This is interspersed with personal anecdotes from her own life.
While I did learn about American history throughout this title, I had a hard time understanding what Ms. Allan was building her case about. She was constantly making arguments and I would find myself going.... "how did we get here? I'm not sure how this is relevant to what we were just talking about." Maybe I am just not smart enough for this title?
The book is narrated by Ms. Allan herself, and it was interesting hearing the inflections in her writing as she intended them. I LOVE when nonfiction books are read by their authors.
Insurrection by Hawa Allan is the history of insurrections in the United States, the Insurrection Act, and how the government/society has historically been afraid of Black citizens and the possibility of insurrection from those same Black citizens.
Ms. Allan is a lawyer and that definitely comes across in her writing. She is building a case the entirety of the book and making arguments about the use of the Insurrection act throughout American history. This is interspersed with personal anecdotes from her own life.
While I did learn about American history throughout this title, I had a hard time understanding what Ms. Allan was building her case about. She was constantly making arguments and I would find myself going.... "how did we get here? I'm not sure how this is relevant to what we were just talking about." Maybe I am just not smart enough for this title?
The book is narrated by Ms. Allan herself, and it was interesting hearing the inflections in her writing as she intended them. I LOVE when nonfiction books are read by their authors.
