endless_tbr_list's Reviews (537)

I was intrigued and excited by the premise and the Legally Blonde comparison, but unfortunately the execution just did quite not hit the mark for me.

Sydney Parks is an 'Authentic Moms of Malibu' super-fan, having been following the series and its stars for years. So when one of the 'Moms' is arrested for the alleged murder of her husband, Sydney cannot quite believe it when she's chosen as a member of the jury for the high-profile case. Determined to make the most of what is surely to be the highlight of her year - if not life - Sydney is prepared to focus on nothing but the case while they're sequestered. That is, until one of her fellow jurors is revealed to be the boy who broke her heart ten years ago, her childhood best friend, Damon.

This novel was not at all what I expected for a romance, and while I usually love that, something about this story fell flat. Sydney and Damon had chemistry for sure, but I spent so much of the novel wanting to yell at them for their terrible choices as jurors that I couldn't really get into the romance. Similarly, I would have loved to have seen more details concerning the actual trial and deliberation. If this had been framed more as a mystery I think it would have held my interest a bit better. Neely Tubati Alexander's writing is lovely - descriptive and a bit choppy, which I think worked very well with the story's drama - but I just couldn't fall into the book the way I needed to to really care about the characters.

Although this wasn't my favorite read, it was definitely enough to make me want to read more by Tubati Alexander. I really do love unconventional romances for one, and the writing style just called to me in the way that novels like Nora Dahlia's Pick-Up or Humor Me by Cat Shook have done in the past. Well written and almost overflowing with messy characters, I could definitely see this appealing to those who love court and/or reality TV and all the drama that goes along with those genres. 

Thank you to Harper Perennial and NetGalley for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Hollis Brown is trapped in the small town where he was born and, after decades of blue-collar work, will most likely die. When he's not fighting his classmates to feel something, he's spending time with the only two friends he has, Annie and Yulia, who are far too cool to be hanging out with him, but he's not going to complain. All in all, life is listless and a bit lonely. But everything changes for Hollis when he stumbles upon a stranger - a boy - in the woods one night. Tricked into an agreement he didn't fully understand, Hollis finds himself sharing his body with a spirit, and Walt, not Hollis, is holding the reigns. 

I had absolutely no expectations going into this novel, but was drawn in by the cover art and the horror vibes, and while horror this is, it's also one of the most beautiful romances I've read the year. Hollis Brown is such a wonderfully written character and I wanted nothing more than to give him a hug. On the surface he's a boy with anger issues, but over the course of the novel is becomes clear that he's really just scared. Hollis knows that when he and his classmates graduate high school, his friends are going to leave for college and he's going to be stuck in the same town forever. Absolutely valid fears for a teenager! This made the introduction of Walt so interesting to me, because suddenly Hollis is no longer alone, in fact he's sharing his space with someone 24/7 with no where to hide. 

The dynamic between Walt and Hollis was so fun to watch as it evolved, and I think it said a lot about both of them as characters. Walt was very aware of the position he puts his "hosts" in, and Hollis came to understand that sharing space - as well as his thoughts and feelings - with others isn't as bad as he always believed. Anyway, I don't want to spoil the whole thing, so I'm going to stop talking about them now and let you discover the magic on your own.

I've never read anything by K. Ancrum before, but now I'm absolutely going to delve into the rest of their works. Their writing in this novel is beautiful, well paced, and overflowing with emotion. It captivated me from page 1, and I tore through all 300+ pages in only a few hours. The friendships were so heartwarming and the relationship between Hollis and Walt lives in my head rent free. For both horror and romance lovers alike, I urge you to give this book a try. It's not quite what you'd expect for either genre traditionally, but it's without a doubt one of my favorite reads this year.

Julie Soto can do it all!! After absolutely devouring both Forget Me Not and Not Another Love Song, I was both elated and intrigued to see that she was pivoting to a thriller. I had no doubts that I'd love the writing, but with it being such a change of pace I wasn't sure what I'd think of the rest of it - but I realize now I shouldn't have worried, she killed it! (no pun intended)

Jodi Dillon knows in her heart she doesn't really fit in with her friends - they're gorgeous, refined, and loaded - still, ever since second grade she's held a spot at Zack Thrasher's side, and she's determined to stay there. Yet Jodi's plans for senior year start to crumble when the body of Emily Mills is discovered on prom night, sparking whispers blaming the Thrashers for her death. Sure, Jodi remembers being friendly to Emily, but they weren't *friends* like people seem to think, and there's absolutely no way Zack, or any of them, were responsible for Emily's death. None. But when Emily's journal is found, and strange texts start to appear, Jodi realizes her friends might have been keeping secrets after all, and that Emily isn't ready to say goodbye.

Going into this I was convinced it was going to be another Clique / Gossip Girl situation, with the Thrashers as the clear villains and therefore deserving of the criticism and accusations. And while that can certainly be an entertaining concept, especially for a thriller like this, I was delighted to see that wasn't the case! I think what I loved the most was that Emily, Jodi, and the rest of the Thrashers all add something to the story, bringing their own messes and flaws, which I gave the book a delicious level of complexity. Perfectly paced, eerie, and heartwarming in its own way, I highly recommend The Thrashers for fans of Julie Soto's other works, but also for those who just love a little mystery and excitement in their reads!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books, and NetGalley for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Haunted by their pasts, a traveling acrobat and an ex-soldier find themselves on a journey for answers - one in search of help for their family, and the other hoping to unlock the years of memories they awoke without. Filled with monsters, magic, and mystery, this tale takes you on an adventure through the Under World's darkness and up into the skies and the Floating World that resides there.

The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea is one of my favorite books, in part because of the how beautifully Axie Oh describes her settings, and The Floating World lives up to my expectations once again! Oh's writing is simply gorgeous and perfectly fits the world of myth and fantasy that she's created. I love the choice to make Ren a performer and to allow her skills, like acting and stealth, to bleed into her everyday life as she progresses on her journey. It made for a more believable story for me, in terms of her abilities during the many altercations she and Sunho encounter. And speaking of Sunho, I am curious to see where the second novel takes him after the revelations of book one. Particularly in regard to his feelings about himself and the "demon" inside him. 

Despite a few moments where it felt like things moved a bit fast for me, often in terms of the romance, overall I felt this was an intriguing start to a duology and I'm looking forward to seeing where book two takes us. 

p.s. Can we take a moment to appreciate that cover?? Perfection.

Thank you to Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, Feiwel & Friends, and NetGalley for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.