skudiklier's Reviews (647)

I read everything Maureen Johnson writes, but to be honest, for the first quarter or so of this book I was wishing I had looked more into what exactly this book was before requesting it on Netgalley. I think it would be better in a physical copy, but I'm just not the target audience for a mystery you're supposed to solve like this. I like mysteries to go along for the ride and find out what happens as it's revealed, not to try to figure them out on my own. I had no idea who had done it and didn't really try to solve it. But! It was still entertaining, and after the slow beginning I did find the rest of it really engaging and sped through it. I liked the resolution and how everything was laid out with all the information. I'd definitely recommend it to anyone interested.

Thank you to Netgalley and Ten Speed Press for the chance to read and review this ARC.

God, this is fantastic. Caitlin has outdone herself. I was hooked right from the beginning, when the premise was explained, and I stayed hooked the whole way through. I wrote down so many lines and just put exclamation points next to them. I love love love this book, and I definitely want to own my own copy once it's out. 

Also, not super relevant to my review, but reading the first section (about the mother) while pregnant was a trip 🥲

Highly recommend this to any fans of poetry or Caitlin Conlon, but also to anyone who feels like they're putting on a performance for one reason or another. 

Thank you to Netgalley and Central Avenue Publishing for the chance to read and review this ARC. 

I wasn't planning on writing a review for this, but I can't get it out of my head and I need to share my thoughts.

Things I liked: how incredibly readable it was. For a 500-page book that switches back and forth between a lot of perspectives and multiple timelines, it somehow was never slow or boring. I was entirely hooked right from the start. I genuinely couldn't put it down. It's written so well and I was very invested in what happened.

Things I didn't like: the ending. (Major spoilers ahead.)

First of all, we're supposed to buy that a thirteen year old living alone in the woods for five years is the best solution they could come up with here? That a cop would allow this, too? Idk. I get that her family wasn't treating her well, but TJ especially has seen the fallout of what happened with lying about Bear, and you'd think she'd be worried about the domino consequences of everyone presuming Barbara is dead or missing for years. Like. Come on. I'm very glad Barbara was okay but I'm not buying it. Also, why didn't we get to see Alice's perspective at the end, of finding out what really happened to Bear? I get why Tracy needs to not know about Barbara, and her storyline is wrapped up as well as it could be. But Alice??? I need to know how she felt finding out. It feels like such a gaping hole after how long we spent with her up until that point.

Overall I liked this book, but man, it would be 5 stars up until the ending. 

I've loved every book I've read by Alison Cochrun, and this was no exception! To be honest the beginning felt kind of wild to me, but it ended up feeling relatively realistic to the characters (and sometimes you just need to suspend disbelief a little so that the romance novel premise can happen lol). But I just love how Cochrun writes characters and their relationships, and I was totally sucked into this story. The ending was great and none of it felt frustrating or unrealistic. Would definitely recommend!

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for the chance to read and review this ARC.

I loved this author's first book, so I was really excited for this one, and it did not disappoint at all! Similar cozy found family vibes, similar loveable characters, similar well-written romance.* I loved the autistic representation too! After the first quarter of the way in it was hard to put down. I'll definitely be reading more of Mandanna's work in the future! 

Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the chance to read and review this ARC.

*Mild spoiler warning:

Though I just looked at the blurb again and it says Luke was her one night stand from years ago?? That must have been in an earlier draft and was then edited out, that's so interesting. Maybe he was going to be that knight or something haha. I'm so curious about that now.

I really liked this! I liked the way it was written and it definitely captured my attention. I read the last three quarters of it all today. I'm not the biggest fan of the

ambiguous

ending but I think that's a me problem rather than a book problem. Thank you so much to Gallery Books for sending me an ARC of this!