I'll definitely give this book credit for keeping me guessing because I had no idea what was going on the entire time. I only guessed one little aspect of the final reveal. That being said, I do think that Girl on the Train (which has a similar concept) kept me on the edge of my seat much better than this one did, although that could be because I read it first and when I was younger.

One issue that I did have at the end was that the book seemed to villainize mental illness in a way and used it as a plot twist which I found so unnecessary, especially since there was no conversation or deeper analysis into the topic. I think the ending would've been just as good without using that as part of the final twist.

Overall, this was a decent thriller and definitely got me looking forward to reading every day which I haven't felt too much this year.

This was a reread for me, the first time being in middle school so I was curious to find out what my thoughts would be this time. I decided to dnf at about 100 pages from the end because I had no interest in the story and no connection to the characters or what happened to them. 

Also, I had a couple issues with the writing. First was the use of the f slur multiple times which was very unnecessary and was also never challenged or discussed. Second was a couple of things that Finch talked about in regards to jumping off a building that did not sit right with me. He once referred to himself as badass for standing on a ledge and not being afraid to jump off. In another instance, he pictured him and Violet jumping off together and said that they would be legends for it and that people would write songs about them. I just don't know that this is a great way to talk about the subject especially in a book directed toward teens.

Oh also, as someone who lives in Indiana I thought it was so funny how many times the author mentioned that the characters live there. Like she really does not want you to forget it. It was kind of cool to hear places mentioned that I'm familiar with though.

Honestly, if you want to consume this story I would recommend the movie because I liked it way more and I think it's one of those rare instances where the movie actually improves upon the book. For me, I'm just going to leave this as a book I liked in middle school and leave it at that.

Original review 8/9/22 - It took me almost a month to read but I finally finished! This was my first Jane Austen and I liked it enough to want to read the rest of her novels, however I wasn't very gripped by the story and I felt like it was an effort to keep reading at times. The gothic portions of the story when Catherine was at Northanger were my favorite and I wish more of the story had those gothic vibes. I'm not sure how memorable this one will be for me but I feel accomplished that I finally read an Austen novel!

Reread 10/16/24 - I got to reread this in one of my British literature classes and although I’m going to keep my rating the same, I do think I have a better understanding of the novel after discussing it with my professor and peers. I do see myself eventually working my way through the rest of her novels as well.

I honestly enjoyed this one a lot which I think is mostly due to the fact that Becky Albertalli's writing has become almost comforting to me after reading her books for so many years and the fact that I was back with the characters I loved from Simon vs. the Homosapiens Agenda. After hearing so many people say they disliked Leah in this book, I was surprised to find that I didn't dislike her at all and in fact related to her in some ways. She was a closed off person and at times maybe came across as rude but she stuck up for her friends when she needed to and cared about them a lot. The romance in this book was a complete surprise for me but I was rooting for them the whole time and wanted things to work out for them!

One thing that I thought while reading, and something that I know other people thought too, is that the characters didn't quite seem like themselves in this book. I can't remember the scene but at one point Simon does or says something and I thought to myself, "Would he have done/said that in his book?" It didn't bother me too much though because the story was still fun and its been so long since I read Simon's book that its hard to remember their exact personalities anyway.

Now, what I am conflicted about most is the conversation about bisexuality that Leah had with Abby. As someone who is bi myself, it was uncomfortable to hear someone who is bi telling another bi person that they aren't bi enough or that their label is invalid. On the other hand, I feel like maybe Leah was trying to get at the fact that she didn't want to be used as an experiment and she didn't want her feelings to be messed with when suddenly this person decides that they're actually straight again. I can see both sides of this situation and I wish that it had been brought up again later in the book so that these discussions could've been had and maybe things could've been more clear. I think Abby was still trying to figure things out and Leah was scared of getting used and hurt, but this should've been talked about more instead of the story just moving on!

Overall, it was another quick and fun Becky Albertalli book and I'm glad I finally read it!

I don’t know how to feel about this one. I enjoyed most of it and the first twist at the end was really good but then... what you thought was happening turned into “no actually this is happening” and then “no actual it’s this” and then “but really which one is real?” And it left me feeling meh. Too much switching up and explaining what was going on at the end, especially for a short story. Overall it was an enjoyable spooky story but the ending is just not my personal preference.

No thoughts, head empty 

Reread 10/29/20: I had so much fun rereading this! I'm going to keep my original rating of 5 stars. I think this is a really fun and fast-paced fantasy. I love the world of Caraval and how atmospheric it is. It almost reminds me of Wonderland in some ways but with a darker twist. I highly recommend this book if you're looking for a fantasy that you can get through pretty quickly but that is very immersive. Onto book 2!

This was the last Gillian Flynn book I had to read and it was definitely the one I enjoyed most, along with Gone Girl. I was glued to this book and I couldn't wait to know what really happened to the Day family on January 2nd, 1985. I do have to say that I have kind of a love/hate relationship with Flynn's writing. It's really gripping but sometimes she includes details that make me think "Why? Why did I have to know this weird and kinda gross detail?" LOL overall though I really enjoyed this book and it was really fun to read all of her works.

Okay I'm quickly becoming obsessed with this series. These books are just so much fun and such a wild ride!