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finnickdeservedbetter's reviews
199 reviews

Love Unwritten by Lauren Asher

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adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective tense 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

5.0


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They Never Learn by Layne Fargo

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dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Tropes & Themes

Serial killer FMC
• "Victims" are the real villains
• Revenge
• Set in a small college town
• "Good for her" thriller
• Bi FMC
• Secret past


Spice:
Low (there's a couple scenes but they're fairly fade to black)

My Thoughts:
You know, for years I've putting off reading thrillers because I thought they "weren't my thing". I have no idea why though because I had a blast reading this.

The plot twists were maybe a bit predictable but still fun and the ending was so satisfying. 10/10. No notes. The romance also have me giggling and kicking my feet a little ngl.

The rest of the author's books are immediately going on my TBR, especially with her bio saying she "writes dark, dramatic stories that support women’s rights—and also women’s wrongs". Sign me up.

Favourite Quote:
"Tomorrow is the night. So tonight I prepare: picking out the perfect outfit, shaving my legs, shaping my nails. All the things most women do to prepare for a date. But little do they know: killing a man is so much more satisfying than fucking a man could ever be."

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Starling House by Alix E. Harrow

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0


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Two Twisted Crowns by Rachel Gillig

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0


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One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0


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I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy

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challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative reflective sad tense fast-paced

4.75


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Smoke Gets in Your Eyes: And Other Lessons from the Crematory by Caitlin Doughty

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challenging dark emotional funny informative lighthearted reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

Themes

• Death and mortality
• Death positivity and death plans
• The American/western Death industry
• Confronting the fear of death
• Death practices

My Thoughts:
Baby's (23yo's) first memior!

I was already familiar with Caitlin prior to reading this. Both through her YouTube videos and having read her other two novels.

Favourite Quote:
“Through the thick fog, I coyld barely make out a sign above the road: cemetery, 1 mile. I strode up the hill, walking straight down the center of the road with big, bild steps—bigger and bolder than my cardiovascular health should have allowed for."

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Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs?: Big Questions from Tiny Mortals about Death by Caitlin Doughty

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adventurous funny informative lighthearted reflective fast-paced

4.5

Baby's (23yo's) first audiobook ✌🏻

This is my second book from Caitlin (I still need to read her memior but rest assured, it's on the shortlist). I read From Here To Eternity a couple years ago now but I still love it. It's my number one non-fiction rec that I'll badger anybody about that's unlucky enough to ask about it. Needless to say, I knew I was going to like this one.

I've watched Caitlin's YouTube videos for years. I nearly applied to mortuary school becuase of them. Because of that, I opted to listen to the audio version of Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs, despite never listening to audiobooks (hence this being my first). Now I haven't been completely converted...but I am running to listen to her other two books on audio now. 

My problem with audiobooks is that I can never get into them because the voices just aren't right somehow, and even if I can get into them, I get distracted too easily and stop listening on accident. The author being the narrator circumvents a lot of that. Her tone and cadence fits the writing perfectly (imagine that) and she held my attention easily as I listened to it all in one go.

My only complaint really, is that it's too short. I was left almost unsatisfied by the end because I just wanted more. Alas, back to the YouTube channel I go.

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The Six Deaths of the Saint by Alix E. Harrow

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challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Not to be dramatic but this is one of the best things I've read and I feel like a different person than I was an hour ago when I started it.

I don't always retain the details or plotlines of books I read, but I don't think I'll physically be able to to forget this for the rest of my life. Rent free in my head, in a good way and bad way.

I'd like to note that I'm literally sobbing on my bedroom floor as I write this out so take that as you will.

Favourite quote:
"This time, when I push my face into the pool, when the water fills my mouth and floods my lungs, I am smiling. They will never sing my name."

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Be Still My Heart by Emily McIntire, Sav R. Miller

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Tropes & Themes

• Ex-SEAL lobsterman x detective
• Hunting a serial killer
• Small island town
• Set in Maine
• Forced proximity
• Hate to lovers
• Witty banter
• One bed
• Hidden past
• Small town secrets

Spice:
Medium (5+ explict scenes)

My Thoughts:
It wasn't my favourite but overall I enjoyed it. Sloane was kinda annoying in the beginning so it took me some time to warm up to her but eventually I did. Alex actually ended up being my favourite even tho he's only a side character. I wish he had his own book tbh. I'm so curious how his relationship develops with
Daisy
.

The romantic half of the book was pretty good. I cringed at a bit of the lingo used during spicy scenes but it wasn't too bad so I could ignore it. I am someone who prefers slow burn tho so even tho this wasn't insta-love, it was maybe a bit fast for me.

Onto the thriller/mystery half of the book...ngl the plot twists were very predictable. I guessed the first plot twist down to almost every detail within ~20% and then I guessed the killer before the half way mark. The twists themself could have been good. The execution just wasn't quite there.

Like I said tho, I did like the book overall. The foggy Maine island vibes were immaculate and I liked the characters. I hadn't really considered reading either author before now (I've heard good things, I'm just not a fan of retellings personally), but I'm definitely interested in any future books they write along similar lines to this one now.

Favourite Quote:
“Killer, I could stare at you every second for the rest of my life and it still wouldn’t be enough.”

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