casstalksbooks's reviews
255 reviews

the first few chapters of this novel were very slow, but once the action started, it was relentless and did not stop until the very. last. sentence.

karen mcmanus always has me trying to play the role of detective or private investigator and yet, never once have i been successful at guessing where her plots will go.

content warnings: abusive & toxic relationships, abandonment, death of a friend.

whew

this wholesome story details the life of Albert Entwistle, a lonely postman who has spent the past fifty years hiding from his past. a past where he had found the love of his life; George.

this was such a beautiful read. it nearly made me cry (ME, who has NEVER cried at a book!!!)
the contrasting POVs between Albert and Nicole were wonderfully woven together to form what was a moving and emotional read about building a strong support network that allows you to feel comfortable in revealing your true self.

trigger warnings include: racism & homophobia

OMG, TJR does it again. She does it every time.

Reid’s ability to write stories that are so realistic and intertwine so well is always a joy to read.

While Daisy Jones is still my favourite TJR book so far, this was absolutely incredible.

Fredrik Backman has the talent to write a story that is both brilliantly monotonous and comfortingly human.

At first, every one of these characters was slightly irritating but by the end of the novel, I was enthralled by all of them. Every character in this story is important and the seamless way that Backman tied their stories together was incredible.

This book reaches into the dark depths of your soul and puts your thoughts on paper.

emotional, heartbreaking, unique.

when Julie Clarke’s boyfriend, Sam, dies, she’s left lonely and confused. in an attempt to ease the pain of loss, she tries everything to forget he was ever a part of her life UNTIL she rings his phone to hear the voicemail and….HE ANSWERS! they both know the connection is temporary but Julie falls deeper into the trap of not being able to say a final goodbye.

this plot is everything. i was so interested. the storyline and world building (through flashbacks to the past & Julie’s many memories) were brilliant. for a debut novel, Dustin Thao has done an amazing job of creating a YA story that is easy to read and kept me interested the whole way through.

the reason it doesn’t get five stars from me is because there were moments when i could not stand the mc. even in the flashbacks, she came across as annoying and at times, inconsiderate of those around her. however, ultimately this story was beautifully tragic and i did enjoy it !!!

it is rare that a sequel is better than the first book, but yup, this one right here.

following the events of the first novel, Pip vows that she is done with investigating. that is, until her friend’s older brother goes missing and she is thrown back into the detective world.

holly jackson is a genius and i will die on this hill. this story had me on edge and filled with anxiety (in a good way???) the entire time. i guessed one part of the ending (which i was very proud of, btw) but there were so many things that i was like “OH MY GOD, I DID NOT SEE THAT COMING!!!!”

so excited for book #3!!!!

a harrowing but extremely important read, especially in the wake of the #MeToo Movement

please check trigger warnings <3

please check trigger warnings for this. i made that mistake and ouch it was hard to read at times.

i really liked learning more about Mexican culture and i liked the mental health representation in this novel.

i don’t know if i just read the blurb wrong, but i feel that it misled me. i thought this story was going to be more “investigating the secret life of my dead sister” in like a YA Mexican mystery/thriller type of way. instead, this story details the life of Julia, mourning the loss of her sister and trying to find herself (even though she is constantly scrutinised by her parents for not being like Olga, her sister). the character development was brilliant, don’t get me wrong, it just was a different story to what i was expecting.

the story was interesting, funny, and sad at times but during other parts, i found myself trying to read as fast as i could just to try and find the next interesting bit.

the ending was cute and i liked the reconciliation between Julia and her parents.

Too Much Lip, an extremely informative read that manages to seamlessly weave comedy into its pages.

this novel taught me so much about the effects of intergenerational trauma that Australia’s First Nations people face in an insightful and brutally honest way.

however, the pacing of Part 1 was so, so slow and the shift in POVs between Part 1 and 2 left me confused and i was often left trying to figure out whose perspective i was reading. there was also an instance of ableist language in Part 2 where a different word could definitely have been used.

although, i really enjoyed the ending and i found the afterword extremely moving.