morganjanedavis's Reviews (396)

Claire's life is perfect. She lives in a lavish area just outside of Atlanta, spending her spare time volunteering and socializing with women of her caliber (wealthy AF). It took a long time for Claire to get here. From dealing with her eldest sister's disappearance in the early 90's, coping with the estrangement from her middle sister, her father's suicide-- things were rocky for a long time. That is, until Paul. Paul loves Claire deeply, provides for them and their extravagance; she never feels as if she has to want for anything. Her relationship is secure and she's content with the sliver happiness that she's found amidst all of the turmoil. Until Paul is murdered. Claire's world comes crashing down around her and just when things don't seem that they can turn any more sour, she discovers brutal obviously homemade snuff porn on Paul's computer. From here, Claire is sent on a journey that links her past with the present, her old life with her new, and is left with more questions than answers. Who killed all those pretty girls?

I went into this book with high expectations and while I normally *hate* when I do that, I'm happy to report that they were justified. Pretty Girls is the antithesis of lackluster. It's hard to come across a thriller where all story elements are strong and not overplayed; this one outshined across every aspect. Claire and Paul's character development throughout was gripping, and intertwined so well with the plot as the story continued to unfold. The "bad guys" were easily identified early on but, that really didn't matter. The entire reach of the story became so large that pinning the disgusting humans behind it was only half the victory. Because the book is told from Claire's pov, I felt the same frustrations she did as she was trying to untangle the mess her husband made: who to trust? who to confide in? who to warn to RUN?. It became addicting to read as the web kept getting larger and larger, forcing Claire to become someone who was unrecognizable from the beginning of the book. The familial theme that ran throughout the book was beautiful. The Carroll family's history was heartbreaking but, the way they continued to persevere was genuinely touching. I planned spending the entire week reading this book and I took 2 days. Pick this up, now !!

In Jonas’ debut novel Vladimir, our protagonist is a highly-esteemed professor on a small college campus where she is tenured alongside her husband, John. All is well until John comes under fire for sleeping with multiple students throughout his career. This seemingly doesn’t affect our nameless professor or her open marriage, as it’s treated as a bit of a nuisance at best. While this turmoil plays out, she has developed a crush on the new tenure-track professor: Vladimir. Through the lens of her crush (obsession), the reader watches as the professor grapples with sexual agency, her self-view as an aging woman, and how she copes with these.

Vladimir is an exemplary piece of contemporary fiction. The prose was phenomenal and was what kept me interested in the book. This is absolutely a character driven read, with a near stagnant plot, which seemingly only moves so that the characters can ponder the progression. As Jonas crafted them to be, John and the professor were infuriating. John floated through the world like a dumbstruck teen who was taken aback by the consequences of his actions. He didn’t seem to view the power dynamic between the women he slept with and himself as harmful, as he consistently downplayed the situation, even during his hearing. She brushed off her husband’s transgressions and defended the power imbalance of her husband’s victims, stating these women were attracted to him due to his power.

Society is unkind to older women, and the professor has evidently internalized this notion. She is obsessed with youth and being perceived as youthful. From mentally picking apart young women’s bodies in a way that conveys envy, to adopting a meticulous beauty routine, every move she makes is in attempt to appear younger than she is. To start, this made me sympathetic towards her. Although I’ve never felt the sting of ageism, I imagine it burns. Because at the root of women and ageism lies misogyny (when John made a comment to her about her stray chin hair just to strike a nerve I wanted to teleport into the novel and throw hands), I found it ironic that the same system she used to pass judgement and harbor resentment towards these young girls, is the same one that made her feel insecure in her own skin.

Ultimately, the wife is no better, and on par with her husband. Manipulative, predatory boomers who put up a facade of modernization and progressive views, hiding behind the lies to uphold shitty outdated perspectives. This novel wasn’t inherently interesting but, it’s a great conversation piece. Read it if you want to talk about it with others.

Malina’s condition has progressed, she’s really going downhill. Ward’s concern for his wife and her well-being is growing, the Alzheimer’s is taking a larger toll than he anticipated. But what’s the explanation for the weird change in her TONGUE? Why does Ward feel a deep, instinctive fear of his wife? Is this normal? Ward doesn’t think so. With the help of his grandson, Ward is determined to get to the bottom of his wife’s unusual behavior, before it’s too late…for everyone.

Ooh what a read. I’m not sure why but horror involving the elderly adds an extra layer of suspense and eeriness—I don’t want anything bad to happen to them but also they can be so scary?? This translates so well throughout Malinae. Because Ward and Malinae are both elderly and rely on caregivers, I felt really bad for them as they (Ward mainly) tried to get to the bottom of what was happening in their home. I couldn’t imagine having to have someone else provide my basic needs while trying to solve a mystery in secret, it truly made my heart hurt and ramped up the suspense. Although the “bad guy” was easily distinguishable early on, the book had so many unique elements that it didn’t matter. I was sucked in by the culty elements and the fate of Malina and Ward (and the world???). The ending was executed *perfectly*, giving the reader closure while also remaining ambiguous. @booksasmeals and I discussed and she and I agree it’s the perfect length/pacing to read in one sitting. Highly recommend for when you’re in the mood for something extra original!