reubenalbatross's Reviews (521)

This is a reluctant DNF. I had the audiobook out from my library, but left starting it so late that I now only have 7 days to listen to 15+ hours of it. This is not the sort of book I want to rush, so I'm having to put it down for now. I don't want to keep reading only to get really involved, then have to return it.

I am enjoying it, and will continue if I have another chance at getting the audiobook (it's currently reserved until 2026 at the library). 

This book is so heartfelt, heartwarming, and cosy, if a little predictable. I related to Mika in so many ways, especially about not letting people get close out of the fear of getting hurt.
  
Mika having to hide the secret of being a witch is a clumsy yet heartwarming allegory of people having to mask when in public/finding people to unmask with, and it felt very validating to read.

What a lovely lil' book. 

This was such a book of two halves for me. 
 
The relationships, queer/race conversations, and character work was so well written and powerful. I was so invested in the relationships. I was so moved by the conversations on race and queerness. Buddy Lee and Ike were some of the most distinctive and developed characters I've read in a long time. I was scared at times by just how powerful the writing was. This meant the beginning and end of the book were great for me.
 
However, I was not the biggest fan of the action/fight scenes, they didn't pack much of a punch. I'm also realising I'm not the biggest fan of gang stories, however well written they are, an idea reading this book solidified. This meant that I really didn't care about the plot, especially towards the middle of the story where there was a lot of action and minimal 'emotional' content. I spent the book waiting for the emotional/character moments, and when they came they were brilliant, but weren't enough to carry the rest of it. 
 
It's obvious this book is really well written, but some of it just wasn't for me. Definitely a taste issue rather than a quality issue.  

Holy shit. This book left me speechless. 

What an amazingly intricate, addictively compelling, and masterfully crafted story. I haven't been so lost in a story for a very long time - I couldn't put it down and never wanted it to end. Never have I felt more like Charlie Kelly in the mailroom.

Without a doubt my favourite book of the year so far.  

Before I get into the rant review, I do need to say that the audiobook for this was produced really well. The mixed media aspects were portrayed really interestingly, and brought the story to life.
 
Unfortunately, that's pretty much all the positivity I can give to this review. The more I think about this book, the worse I feel about it.
 
Almost from the beginning of the book I was annoyed by the plot because it felt so familiar. I don't know how many books I've read where the 'abused' wife is actually evil (The Housemaid by Freida McFadden immediately springs to mind), but it's a completely overdone premise. Not to mention it sets a dangerous precedent to not believe victims of domestic abuse.
 
The plot itself was pretty messy. There was absolutely no satisfaction at the end, and there were red herrings and loose threads that were never tied together. This was probably Jewell trying to increase the 'None of This is True' vibe the end of the book had, but to me it just felt like sloppy writing. 
 
Alix really got on my nerves throughout the book. She was annoying and full of herself throughout, right up until the end. She constantly put her children in obvious danger, yet had to do it for 'the story'. She knew things were dodgy, yet decided fame was more worthwhile than her family's safety. But of course she’s the angel of the story.
 
I also felt that Jewell was trying to say something about the popularity of true crime, especially towards the end of the book, but for the life of me I could not figure out what point she was trying to make.
 
The whole book felt like it was villainising people with mental health issues. Of course the mentally ill person is 'evil' with a 'heart of stone'. To me it sounded a lot like Josie had autism (especially given Erin's diagnosis), while not getting any support from her supposed loved ones. Her mother admitted to not caring for her enough as a child, and then Walter basically abandoned her to be a single mother after sexually abusing her for years, no fucking wonder she cracked! If ONE person in Josie's life had actually given her the time of day when she was younger, none of this would have happened, but of course Jewell doesn't touch on this because she's apparently incapable of nuance.
 
Also, Erin REALLY didn't need to be autistic. It felt like a pretty problematic choice, especially as her diagnosis was used as a dramatic reveal. I know Josie is meant to be messed up, but infantilising her autistic daughter was so much worse than if she'd been neurotypical, though her being neurotypical wouldn't have affected the plot in any way. After all of the 'reveals' I also thought Josie hovering outside Erin's door all the time didn't fit into the narrative, something didn't match up there. And what the fuck was 'the smell'? Obviously a weird red herring Jewell thought we didn't need an answer for, or she was just implying that autistic people all have terrible hygiene?? Also, why didn't Erin just leave earlier??? She had more than enough money, her sister was obviously fine for them to live together, but it took years after Roxy leaving for it to happen? Clearly the autistic character was only functional when it suited Jewell.
 
And all of the above isn't even the worst of it. The most egregious thing in the whole book was Josie being blamed for a paedophile’s actions. However evil Josie supposedly is, Walter was STILL INVOLVED with an underage girl. He was still a 40+ year old sleeping with a 16-year-old, a 40+ year old getting involved with a 13-YEAR-OLD. Even if he allegedly wasn't grooming her, and was instead manipulated into a relationship BY A 13-YEAR-OLD, he's still in the wrong!!! She can't consent, and HE'S A FUCKING 40-YEAR-OLD MAN. But because he was a good father and Josie acted out as a kid it's all ok and his paedophilia is forgiven? So. Completely. Fucked.
 
Overall, this is a trashy tabloid read. It read fast, with a sensationalist plot, so I can see why the less discerning reader might like it. But please, I encourage anyone reading this review to think more deeply about the books you're reading, and what fucked messages authors are spreading. 

A heartbreakingly raw, evocative, and beautifully told story. Stuart is an amazing writer. 

This is a really beautifully and tenderly written book about a part of Canadian history I don't know much about. It did have some flaws (as below), but for the most part this was an important and impactful read. 
 

One of the biggest flaws I found in the book was that Clara's timeline got really confused. First she was in the wilderness, then looking after Lucy and Kendra as if she'd never left, then just coming back from the wilderness, then meeting up with Lucy and Kendra again. I assume this was just me missing something, especially as I read this on audio, but I really think there needed to be time stamps at the beginning of each chapter, especially when time skips were involved. 

 
Unfortunately, the last 10%-15% of the story lost me a bit. It felt like everything was much more surface level and not as deep or compelling as the rest of the novel. I didn't feel anywhere near as close to the characters, especially after the big time skip.

Overall though, this was a really great book, and I think a lot of people would benefit from reading it – not just for the content, but also for the beautiful way Good tells these people’s stories.  

Wow. This is fucked.

Well I managed to finish this one, unlike 'Bunny' which I found obstructively pretentious. At least this wasn't that.
 
I think Awad did a lot of great stuff in this book, I felt smothered by it, and the word slips/foggy feeling were really effective. However, it just went on for WAY too long. The ideas started to feel tired, and by the last 20% I just wanted it to be over. If this was novella-length I think this would have been a great book, but as is I found it a struggle to finish and the ending wasn't worth the effort. 
 
I also thought some parts of it didn't make any sense, and not in a good way. For example, how did EVERYONE know almost EVERYTHING about Rouge apart from Belle?? Obviously there is a lot more information about the process and Rouge as a whole out there, but Belle manages to stay completely oblivious?
 
I also got annoyed at Belle being so special without us ever being giving a reason why. Why was she the only person able to fight back? How was she the only one not swept up in the culty vibes when she was in the Rouge house? There was absolutely no reason given for her 'specialness', and it started to give 'I'm not like other girls' vibes. 
 
All in all, I understood what Awad was trying to do, and in some instances it worked, but I didn't really understand why and why it needed to go on for so long... 

Holy fuck, this is a 5-star romance. Compared to 'Book Lovers' (which I gave 2 stars) it's COMPLETELY night and day! I enjoyed this SO much. 

I'd pretty much sworn myself off romance as a genre after a looong stint of bad reads, but this book might have just saved it for me! The situations actually felt realistic, the tension was so good, and I actually liked and could relate to the characters! I also loved to see positive mental health representation in men.   

The miscommunication (an annoying staple of most romances for me) came from emotional constipated-ness, which in this case I don't mind, as it was one of the main points of the book. 

I'm honestly baffled by the difference between my first two Emily Henry books, and can only hope the next one of hers I read is as good as this.