reading_under_covers's Reviews (1.61k)

Everyone in the Cunningham family has killed someone, so it’s no surprise when they come together for a family reunion, the body count starts to go up.

EVERYONE IN MY FAMILY HAS KILLED SOMEONE by Benjamin Stevenson is clever, witty, and just a fun time!

It’s narrated by Ernest Cunningham (a writer of ‘how to write a mystery book’ books), and he is charming, trustworthy(?), and breaks the fourth wall with the absolute best banter! I was literally reading passages aloud to my partner because I thought they were so brilliant!

I rolled my eyes a bit when it came to the actual murders and the reasoning behind them (would have been five stars otherwise), but HIGHLY recommend you read this one (or listen!) when it hits shelves!

I’m already looking forward to anything else Stevenson writes in this style because it’s something I’ve realized I desperately need in my life!

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Mariner Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Publication Date: January 17, 2023

Six friends hop into an RV for a spring break road trip, but what they don’t anticipate is breaking down in the middle of nowhere, in the middle of the night, where someone wants one of them dead…

Like a majority of the readers who have their eyes on this book, I loved Holly Jackson’s A GOOD GIRL’S GUIDE TO MURDER series, so I was looking forward to picking up her latest standalone novel FIVE SURVIVE.

This one takes place in real time, which makes it unique as a thriller (but also led to some stilted details and repetitive insights throughout the book), it features a “locked room” element, which is ALWAYS my jam, and also features secrets upon secrets upon secrets.

Despite having some moments of high intensity that I really enjoyed, I found this book difficult to get through. Most of the characters were insufferable, things became extremely repetitive, and many of the big reveals seemed quite obvious to me.

This one was a miss for me, but I think there’s a collective of Jackson’s fans who will really enjoy it!

Thanks to NetGalley, Random House Children’s, and Delacorte Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Publication Date: November 29, 2022

Definitely my least favorite of the three, but I loved how it was wrapped up, and can’t wait to get more books on the Hawthorne brothers!

WOW. Okay, I loved this and devoured it in nearly 24 hours. I almost don’t want to give it five stars because I questioned some motives near the end, BUT, everything leading up to that had me completely invested that the five stars are here to stay! 

If you’re looking for a ridiculous holiday thriller this season, this is the one to snag!

This one was dark and fucked up. The underground tunnel adjoining all of the basements in the neighborhood was easily one my favorite elements. It made this book about youth and being a latchkey kid, while also bringing on that terror of “who is on the other side of the door?”

What happens when ordinary people, in real-life murder clubs, set out to investigate cold cases and other crimes? Nicola Stow answers just that in her book THE REAL-LIFE MURDER CLUBS.

 

This book delves into ~a dozen different true crime cases (both well-known and not), and gives the reader a look at the citizen detectives who had a hand in getting some justice.

 

While I loved the premise of this book, the execution felt disjointed and seemed to spew more about the cases/murderers themselves than on the actual civilians who put in thousands of hours towards getting answers.

 

The timelines within the vignettes also felt random and confusing at times, and I was frequently rereading paragraphs to figure out how I ended up where I was now.

 

I think this book would be great for those new to true crime (and can stomach the more gruesome details), but as a true crime connoisseur myself, this book missed the mark a little.

 

Thanks to NetGalley and Ad Lib Publishers for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

 

Publication Date: November 24, 2022

“I live like my geese.” 🥲

What a fun audiobook!

It did read a little mature at times for this being a middle grade book, but the constant one-two punch jokes really brought me back to the humor that comes with childhood 😂 sooo cheesy, but fun overall!

Up next on the tbr - Adrienne Young’s shopping list.

For real, though, the way this woman continues to write is just so beautiful, her characters feel so real (and are people I want to be when I grow up??), and I will continue to devour every word she has to offer.