toreadistovoyage's Reviews (1.58k)

Important and thoughtful thesis presented in the introduction. I felt like some of the essays really worked and some didn’t. I think the first and last essays were strongest.

Beautiful. Hands down one of the best books I read this year.

The premise was promising, but the execution fell short. I wanted more gothic atmosphere.

This was beautifully written. There was an emotional disconnect for me, though. I wanted to care more about these characters. I should have cared more about them. But, for some reason, I just didn't feel invested.

This was one of those books where I realize just how little I know. Well-researched and informative. Definitely worth a read.

This was a clever modern take on Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca. I don't think the gothic mood was consistent and that parts of the story sort of dragged, but the ending did make up for that - there were a few twists I didn't foresee. 

This was short but impactful. Interestingly it conveyed a massive amount of emotion while being written rather unemotionally. The ending is something I will be thinking about for a long time. 

Conceptually this was interesting. I have some issues with how some characters treated/talked to each other, especially since I read it with my son. 

This was well-researched, well-written, and well-told. This is both the story of one family's struggles, trauma, and horrific tragedy with/in the child welfare system as well as a broader look at the system as a whole. It is heartbreaking and eye-opening, but somehow not surprising. Definitely something everyone should read.

This was not what I expected. There was an interesting thesis that wasn't really being explored. It wasn't organized in any logical way, which was frustrating as a reader. There is a good book somewhere in there.