reading_under_covers's Reviews (1.61k)

This book hooked me right from the beginning and the story is insane!

I lived in the “what the heck is happening” space for so much of it - which I loved - and couldn’t put this book down.

Unfortunately, the ending took a lot of my enjoyment out of it - as far as “resolutions” go, it wasn’t satisfying and also seemed to lean into stereotypes that can be harmful.

This was my second historical fiction by Renée Rosen and I think I can say she has become a favorite!!

This book was full of drama, tension, and life and I loved the added OG Barbie photos at the end!

"Our teacher wasn't the only one who killed my sister. It wasn't just his fault. He couldn't have done it without my help."

WHISPERS OF DEAD GIRLS by Marlee Bush follows Ren who's back in her hometown after ten years and has just accepted a teaching position at her old high school - the school that led to her sister's death. When she meets the charismatic physics teacher across the hall and notices his closeness with one of his students, Ren is reminded even more of her and her sister's time at this school and refuses to just stand by and let things happen.

This book definitely deals with dark subject matter that kept me on the edge of my seat! I was hooked into the story right from the start and really enjoyed the academia and small town setting.

I did think our main character Ren (who makes wild decisions and should maybe not be a teacher??) reached conclusions way too quickly when it came to the pacing of the story - we're given a lot up front that we then have to linger with for a majority of the book before the story truly starts evolving.

3.5 stars instead of 3 mainly because it was really hard for me to put this one down despite my misgivings!

Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

"The car's interior light flickers with an almost inaudible tick, tick, ticking. Her door is wide open. She is gone."

THE MISSING HALF by Ashley Flowers and Alex Kiester is an intimate and moving story of two vastly different girls who disappeared in eerily similar ways and both left sisters behind.

Nic and Jenna were exceptionally flawed, which has become a pattern with Flowers' storytelling - her characters feel real and raw, making the mystery and crime feel the same as well.

I loved the small town midwestern setting and really enjoyed seeing Nic and Jenna bury their heads into solving a case that was deemed cold for the last seven years.

This book is about sisterhood and the messiness, anger, and love that comes along with that, and I could really feel the research and study that went into crafting this story!

Here's to hoping that we'll be getting another book from Flowers in the future 👀🤞

Thanks to Bantam for the free copy for review!

"One thing needs to be made clear: I did not kill my twin sister."

JULIE CHAN IS DEAD is Liann Zhang's DEBUT, ARE YOU KIDDING?!

This book was unhinged in all the best ways. We're immediately thrown into the story and the lavish lifestyle of top influencers as Julie Chan takes on her twin sister's identity after her death.

We have toxic friendships, estranged siblings, a remote getaway and ALL 👏 THE 👏 DRAMA.

I will always be into an influencer thriller, but the way Zhang wrote this one had me absolutely eating it up and gasping! I can't wait to see what she comes up with next!

Thanks to Atria Books for the free copy for review!

Sarah Pinborough always leaves me SHOOK. 

I do wish there was a bit more atmosphere throughout the story - but the last quarter really did it for me!

"Whatever's fueling this place...it ain't the power company. And it ain't natural."

D7 by Philip Fracassi is the latest from the Shortwave Media novella collection and, like all the others I've read, it's a true banger.

The setting, the atmosphere, and just how quickly Fracassi paces the story to land those punches made for this to be such an enjoyable read!

This is very much a "read-in-one-sitting" story and reminded me a lot of sitting around a campfire and telling ghost stories.

I wish this book was longer, but it still managed a whole lot in the pages it did have.

Thanks to Shortwave Media for the early copy for review - out May 27!