savage_book_review's Reviews (328)

Five high schoolers walk into detention. Only four walk out. Each have their own secrets and lies they want to keep hidden from the world, but is murder amongst them? 

I did like the premise of this book, and I felt the set up was a very clever start to a murder mystery. The fact that the characters are 'teen-movie stereotypes' starts off as a great plot device as it makes each of the suspects so easy to conjure up in you mind, and of course you immediately make judgements about them. In a lot of ways, the plot reminded me of 'The Dead Queens Club' (see book #8 of 2023), with malicious internet postings playing a central role in the story and the predictable behaviour of a teenage student body to juicy gossip or rumour. 

However, as things went on I found myself frustrated by the use of so many standard tropes; even with the murder, it felt like I was reading something quite generic. And even the 'transformations' of each of the suspects are fairly predictable. 

I did find it difficult to follow, as we switch between four narrators. Although the changes are clearly marked, for the most part there are two or three POV changes per chapter, which does make it quite choppy to read. Each does add to the story, but for me Bronwyn took the 'main character' role and almost the whole book could have been written from her perspective only (perhaps saving a few key moments). 

I also didn't find it that engaging as a read. While I cannot claim to have fully worked out 'whodunnit', because of the set up you are only presented with a limited number of options, and there's just not enough intrigue within the comments of each suspect to create any deliberate red herrings, or to really make it feel like you're investigating alongside the police. It needs more depth to make it a properly enthralling mystery. I wouldn't even say there's a satisfying twist leading to the revelation - it's more that you're down to a couple of possibilities and it's just blind luck whether you guess right or wrong. It's not poorly written, but I had hoped for more. 

I will say I haven't seen the Netflix series yet, but I can imagine this would make a good film if done properly... I'm just not sure there's enough to stretch out into a full length TV series, unless they've added subplots etc.

I won't be rushing to read the sequels in this case, I'm afraid, but it was good to read this just so I know what people on Bookstagram etc are talking about when this pops up!

This isn't a final story in the series, but rather a collection of short stories about the Bridgerton family, serving as 'second epilogues' to each of the eight novels. Plus there's an added bonus novella about the life of the Bridgerton matriarch, Violet.

These are all very sweet little additions to the main stories, but they're not strictly necessary as the satisfaction of 'happily ever after' is already there in the main novels. They're just nice little extra peeks into the lives of the characters, in most cases with very little at stake. The ones that stand out for me are Francesca, Hyacinth and Gregory's epilogues. 

Francesca's goes a little deeper than the others, but is dealt with in such a lovely way that it doesn't feel like you're reading about a potentially difficult subject.

Hyacinth's does give you extra satisfaction as an outstanding plot point from the novel gets resolved, which rounds everything off nicely.

And Gregory's actually does have a little jeopardy, which again gives it a different feel. 

I did enjoy reading the novella about Violet; it feels very much like the outline for a Bridgerton spin off TV series. And I'm assuming there might be a lead off into the prequel books, which are all sat on my TBR shelf ready and waiting! It was nice to get a glimpse into her life and what made her into the wonderful woman and mother she is. But where it is only short, it did leave me wanting; I'd love to read a full length story about her! 

Fortunately none of my copies of the first eight novels include these epilogues, but I understand in some editions they have been included. So if you are thinking of getting this one, check whether it's actually necessary first!

I found this effectively a little bit of uplifting, fluffy filler, perfect for when you're having a bad day and just need something gentle to take your mind elsewhere.

The last of the Bridgerton children to find a spouse is Gregory. And he's determined to follow in the footsteps of all of his siblings and fall madly, deeply, passionately in love with his intended. So when he is 'wrecked' by just the sight of Hermione's profile, he fixes upon her as his soul mate. But to woo her, he needs the help of her best friend, Lucy... but is he focusing on the right girl?

I think Gregory is the character I've been least attached to throughout the series, mainly because he's so young for most of it, so he barely gets any attention. But now he's all grown up and seems like a carbon copy of his older brothers. I don't dislike him, but he doesn't feel like a distinct personality, but more of an afterthought; he's the last sibling, so I'd better give him a story to round out the set.

The story itself is no better or worse than any of the others, but I do like that this one starts in the middle of the story. And because you know the Bridgerton series by now, you know exactly how it's going to go... but do you? There are a couple of moments in here to trip you up a little, which is nice as a change. However, after Hyacinth's quite quick paced story, this one does feel a bit static in comparison.

If you're interested; only very very mild smut in this one. One scene, with the vaguest of details. 

There are two things I struggle to get my head around in the Bridgerton books: the timeline of the series (I can't believe Anthony and Kate are approaching middle age in this one!), and just how hard and fast each of the siblings fall. And yet it never feels rushed or forced; in this book, where Gregory is trying to build a relationship with Hermione, you can also see his relationship with Lucy growing in tandem and so, by the time you get to discover what happens at the end of that first scene, the whole premise is completely believable.

They're never going to be everyone's cup of tea, and they're certainly not literary masterpieces, but for a quiet evening in they're great!

This is Hyacinth's story; the youngest Bridgerton, now all of her sisters are married there's nothing to deflect attention from her own prospects. But she's not like the other girls. But when Lady Danbury's grandson, a notorious rake, asks her for help translating an old family document, secrets are revealed and passions are inflamed...

I think this is my favourite of the books so far. Although all of the Bridgerton girls have agency and appear to be fairly enlightened in terms of marrying for love, Hyacinth is the first who comes across to me as truly ahead of her time. She's relatable, funny, acerbic and just generally doesn't fit the mould of the usual Regency leading lady. That made her so easy to read and like as a character. Likewise, the leading man, Gareth St Clair, is a proper foil for her and their developing relationship sings from page one. 

I also like the development on Violet Bridgerton's character - she's always been sweet and attentive to her children, but the author has written this book in such a way to give Violet and Hyacinth a special bond. She does play the interfering mother card a little, but there are some genuinely heartfelt moments between mother and daughter which are beautifully done.

Of course, it does help that the plot is fairly predictable, but that doesn't take away from their budding romance. Yes, if you've read one Bridgerton you've basically read them all, but they are light and easy reading at their best. And if you're not one for smut, you'll be fairly safe with this one; there are a couple of scenes, but nothing too explicit and certainly a couple of notches lower than the last book.

I feel like the TV series has done Hyacinth a bit of a disservice, as now I've read this I think they've taken most of her character traits and given them to Eloise. Part of me wonders if that's because they weren't/aren't expecting enough series to get to Hyacinth's story, but I'd be interested to see how they develop Hyacinth in light of this, and therefore how many changes they might need to make to the storyline.

Very enjoyable.

I've been meaning to read this one for a while, and was finally prompted to do so by Holocaust Memorial Day, and that I keep seeing people reviewing in on The Book Hangout Spot. This is based on the true story of Lale Solokov, with the author having spent a lot of time getting to know him and his story intimately before his death in 2006.

The whole thing is very sensitively portrayed; while it doesn't shy away from the horror of the camps, nor does it go into gratuitous detail or overload you with the myriad of despicable and disgusting actions that were taken by the guards. When these scenes do occur, it feels like a very matter of fact, simple recounting of events, and yet the emotion comes from the reaction of our protagonist. You feel what he feels, rather than the overall debilitating defeat of the camp population.

I think I would have preferred the story to have been told more as a non-fiction biography than in novel form; it is truly fascinating to me how people managed to hold on to hope while in these places, and Lale's story is a prime example of this. However,  where it is on my fiction shelf and is 'based on' true events, it naturally begs the question, just how much is fictionalised? Just the day to day interactions? Or are some of the key moments inventions? There are a few things that may well be factual, but are in the 'stranger than fiction' category, so I'd have liked some straight answers!

Something I found slightly difficult to place was the food situation. Again, I'm sure it's based on Lale's experiences and so I don't doubt its veracity, but the ready availability of chocolate, sausages, nylons etc to be traded for jewels snuck out of Canada just seems so at odds with the accepted wisdom of the period (although I am probably basing that on my knowledge of British rationing - I have no idea about the German/Polish equivalent, or even if there was one!). The fact that Lale just happens to get to talk to a person who can seemingly magic up anything he requests... I'm intrigued more than anything else!

I feel that perhaps the writing style 'softens the blow' of the extreme situation somewhat. While it is beautifully written and very easy to read despite the subject matter, it only feels like it skims the surface of Lale's experiences to tell the tale the author envisions, rather than the full story. 

Definitely worth a read, but I'm just not getting the same 'wow' factor that everyone else seems to, which is a shame.

This one was recommended to me ages ago by someone at work (so long ago, in fact, I can't actually remember who it was!). It tell the intertwined stories of Charlie, an American society girl in 1947, and Eve, a bitter drunkard. But she wasn't always this way. Charlie is trying to find her cousin, missing since the war, and Eve's past service during WW1 might just hold the key to finding her. 

Firstly I would say this reads like a very well researched, deeply respectful retelling of a little known story. While our main characters are fictional, the supporting cast is comprised of real women who undertook unbelievably dangerous roles during the occupation of France between 1914 and 1918. It has definitely made me want to read more on the subject (yay for the recommendations at the back of the book!) to establish the line between fact and fiction. But I suspect even the fictional plot line is very plausible. 

This book does do time jumps and perspective swaps; the chapters alternate between Charlie in 1947 (written in the first person) and Eve in 1915/16 (written in the third person). While you do need to keep your wits about you a little, these changes don't actually have that much of an effect on the overall flow of the piece - I only 'noticed' it once. It's eminently readable! 

There's a nice little bit of romance tagged on for good measure. It's not integral to the overall plot (I think you could take the relationship out all together and it wouldn't have a huge impact), but equally it's just another nice little subplot that gives the warm-fuzzies after some of the darker scenes. It fits well and doesn't feel overly forced,  although as usual for books people seem to fall very quickly! 

While there aren't any huge plot twists or major reveals, the mystery does keep you reading; the structure drip feeds information about Eve's life (which is the more interesting thread), but each time leaves you wanting more. That's not to say Charlie's part of the story isn't interesting, but that is more of the vehicle through which we get this amazing fictionalised version of history. 

The only reason I haven't given this book 5 stars is because it's not sparked a visceral response in me. I like it, and would definitely recommend/read again, but there's nothing in me screaming that I must go and buy this book asap. I'll pick it up when I see it for a good price.

I've had this book since it first came out in 2017; it's by one of my favourite historians, it's about female history and Queens of England. So it should be right up my street. Except I've tried reading it almost once a year since I bought it, and only now have I got through it in full.

The author is extremely thorough in her research, and generally speaking provides a very good narrative history of the period in question, particularly given the sparse primary source material that survives from nearly 1,000 years ago. But therein lies the main issue. If material generally is hard to come by, sources about those early Queens are even rarer. A few letters, a few charters, and that's about it. So, much of the book is simply regurgitating large passages from these documents, or inferring the Queens' whereabouts from the dates and places they were signed, and although the author does try to bring them to life, it's very difficult to get a grasp on them in any detail.

The other major source material is the records of the churches, abbeys, monasteries and nunneries they founded. But again, apart from demonstrating their piety (which you would fully expect during this period), and perhaps giving an insight into their preferred Holy figures or orders, again it feels more like these are just being pointed out to show proof that these women did exist, rather than using them to actually flesh them out. TBH, religious history isn't really my area, and while I appreciate that it's a huge part of the lives of 11th and 12th century people, the many Notre-Dames, Bishops, Archbishops and other ecclesiastical offices leave me a bit lost.

Likewise, we have the same problem as is found throughout history; it's like only half a dozen names were in use! In this case, all bar one of the Queens mentioned are called Matilda. And while the author does a great job at making sure they're clearly identified, when you're losing interest and running on pure determination to finish, it can still be rather confusing.

Now, none of this is the author's fault. History was written by men, usually of the church, meaning they only mentioned a woman if she was almost a saint, or notorious or scandalous in some way. Otherwise, we're all tarred with the 'original sin' brush, considered the chattels of fathers and husbands and can only end up as a wife and mother or a nun. Therefore, even when writing female history, we're looking through the lens of men. In this case, although the Queens are kept in focus, the narrative is still heavily skewed towards what the men were up to. And clearly no-one had any imagination when it came to naming their kids...

The author has done a good job with what she had, but I just found it so, so hard to get through without losing interest. I mean this in the nicest possible way, but if you're suffering from insomnia this may be worth a try.

I was just scrolling through my library's ebook selection randomly and came across this; I had no idea it was a new release until I found the physical version in Waterstones today! This is a collection of short stories by Rainbow Rowell, some of which have previously been published elsewhere. However, as I haven't read any of them before I was particularly intrigued by the fact that some feature characters from her published novels. You can read all of the shorts as standalones though, excepting 'Snow for Christmas', where it probably would help to have read her Simon Snow trilogy first. (Yay for more Simon and Baz - definitely now my favourite wizarding pair!)

Despite the book's title, which makes me think of grey, dull days, the stories are sweet, positive and happy-making. For the most part they are stories about relationships, but there is a nice mix of all sorts of different couples and relationship stages.  From the first blushes of romance to well-established marriages, break ups, menopause and family ties are all included. 

Best of all, there isn't a dud amongst them! Each story manages to pull you in, make you care for the characters, fall in love with them and see them off, sometimes into what you hope will be a happily ever after and other times leaving you feeling genuinely gutted it didn't work out how you hoped, all in a few short pages. All made me smile!

I love the author's writing as I feel like I can really relate to her as a person, and so her stories do speak to me. I mean, one of the stories is about a girl waiting in line for the first showing of a Star Wars movie! She's not afraid to let her geeky fangirl side show through in her writing... and I'm sorry but I stand by my assertion that she's a Doctor Who fan, as she's thrown in yet another Billie Piper reference in one of these stories. Basically, I aspire to be Rainbow Rowell!

I will definitely be buying this book - the only reason I didn't get it today is because the hardback version will mess with the available space on my bookshelf! But I'm there as soon as the paperback is released!

We return to the Court of the Erlking and to Serilda, trapped behind the veil and set to become the Alder Queen, the only way she can protect those she loves. Can she and Gild find a way to break the curse that binds them and restore lost memories to the world?

I actually enjoyed this book more than the first in the series. It seems to flow better as a continuing narrative, rather than the 'important scene... Time passes...' pattern of 'Gilded'. The plot strings all tie together nicely, and it just feels like there's more going on to keep your attention.

I really like Gild as a character; he's got a little bit of everything about him, and his personality really shines through in this book. I feel like I could actually imagine him into existence! Serilda I'm less attached to; she's a good main character and there's nothing 'wrong' with her, but when set next to Gild there just seems to be something lacking in her. Only when she gives the Erlking attitude does she really come alive for me. 

The worldbuilding is good too, although perhaps not as vivid as it could be in places. The belief system and the old Gods play an important role, and this is set out really well, as is the texture and haunting quality of the ghosts; I especially like the moments where Serilda hugs or holds hands with a ghost and, although it sends shivers down her spine, she is determined not to let her discomfort show for their sakes. It's little details like that that really sell the premise.

The ending did feel a little rushed to me; almost like the author had gotten so into her own story that she forgot about tieing up the fairy tale premise it's based on until the last second. I was hoping for one final twist or something as magical as the story, but it ended up being pretty much exactly what you'd expect. But it's not enough overall to spoil the book.

Looking forward to reading more by this author in  the future!

I really, REALLY wanted to like this book. I loved the premise; it sounded to me like a bit of a grown up version of a Percy Jackson story. Mortal man gets out of prison after serving time for relatively minor offence, then suddenly gets pulled into a world of Gods to help prevent a war. But I think that's also where I went wrong. Nothing is ever quite that simple when it comes to Neil Gaiman books. And as a result I come away feeling a bit deflated.

I can honest say I live Neil Gaiman's stories, and the way his mind works to bring all these things together is just incredible. But now having a few under my belt, I actually think his stories are better suited to a visual medium, especially when he's in charge! While he doesn't describe a scene in forensic detail in his books, more often than not there is so much going on or so much plot/character/scene information to take in that I find myself missing a lot. I haven't seen the TV version of this yet, but I would be interested to try. If The Sandman and Good Omens are anything to go by, I think I'll find it easier to follow!

According to the preface, the version I read was a 10th anniversary reprint, which the author has revised since the original publication. This apparently contains about an extra 10,000 words. While I haven't read the original version, I'll be honest and say that I can't imagine those extra pages have added a huge amount to the story, save to make it that much longer. 

There are lots of interludes which don't really add anything to the story for me, and even the main thread of the story feels quite meandering. It's not sure what it wants to be (and clearly noone else knows either, given that it's won fantasy, horror and mystery awards I think!), so it's hard to get a grip on. There's no real crescendo either; it feels like there should be, you're seeing the scene being set... but then nothing really happens. Just a bit of a damp squib. And none of the revelations or plot twists are actually that shocking.

I'm really disappointed I don't feel more connected with this story. But I am glad I read it.