I have always been fascinated by the story of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. I love how she is truly bipartisan and doesn't lean to heavily to the right or left. Her decisions and life are grounded in equality and the people. In this book I was able to learn so much more about her growth and career. I enjoyed being able to glean a bit into her personal life and her struggles. I just admire this woman so much. She has done so much for men, women, and for equality. Notorious RBG: a true badass!

4 stars. Full review to come.

The Reading Buddy begins with a horrific tragedy and the death of two people. The survivor of the tragedy becomes riddled with social anxiety and his therapist encourages him to join a social media platform called The Reading Buddy to ease back into two things he used to enjoy: reading and being a normal kid with friends and relationships.

I loved the premise of this social media platform, The Reading Buddy, because I feel like it is a large part of who we are as active bookstagrammers! I was extremely enticed by the idea of something sinister behind it all - and thought it could hit closer to home and scare me a little more since it was something close to my daily activity. The downside? There's really not much about The Reading Buddy in the book, despite the title and the synopsis. So I definitely wanted more of that.

The ending left me slightly disappointed because just when the book started really gaining in momentum and hinting at wrapping up the mystery, we are hit in the face with the threat/villain of the story is and then it just basically stops. There is not too much of an explanation other than a sentence or two to help us with the motive. I wanted more there, too.

But I think the author did a good job in writing a book that felt like one I would have read growing up. At times I felt like this could have been a book I would enjoy reading after I Know What You Did Last Summer, Stranger With My Face, etc. I enjoyed the nostalgic vibe of it all for sure. This is a book I would recommend someone if they were not sure if this pre-horror/YA-mystery genre was for them or not.

In the end, I enjoyed what was present in the book, but I wanted more (as mentioned above). 3 stars for this one from me - and many thanks to the author for sending copies to the Night Worms in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you to the author, Sam Haysom, for sending this book to the Night Worms in exchange for an honest review.

Sometimes I receive some books that I have researched a lot or am intimately familiar with the plot. Other times I just know a few basic facts of a book before starting. This was the latter. I knew nothing much about this book other than the cover looked desolate and eerie. Sometimes I love going into a book cold, and this was one of those times. I had NO idea what to expect and that just made each twist and turn that much more shocking and entertaining to me.

I enjoyed the format of the story. There are two timelines: the past when a group of young boys go hiking/camping and the "present" where one of the boys (we do not know who it is for the longest time) is narrating. Between the past and the present we are given newspaper clippings where terrible things seem to keep happening: kids going missing, teens being murdered, animals being dismembered or slaughtered, etc. It just keeps adding to the growing suspense of the story.

I really REALLY enjoyed this story and it also solidified that I should never do anything outdoors-y unless it involved a patio and some brunch or a mimosa/bloody Mary. I used to work in the Appalachian Mountains as a research assistant (aka the fool WHO IS GONNA DIE IN SOME CRAZY RANDOM SITUATION) and I am glad I no longer have to mess around with that. It was my first job while I was still in high school. Let me just say that if I read THIS book before taking that job, I highly doubt I would have accepted the position.

I recommend this book and I give it 4.5 stars! Looking forward to more from Haysom!