eggbeater's reviews
1209 reviews

Saving Ruby King by Catherine Adel West

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dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I wasn't sure if I would like this book because it centers around a church; I am not religious and I was afraid it would have a preachy subtext. I need not have worried. It was the perfect book of people being people and a great example of how generational pain is passed on. It was more than your average thriller, but it did have some great shocking moments. I highly recommend this. Trigger warnings abound!
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Be Dazzled by Ryan La Sala

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emotional slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I thought the main character was understandably self-absorbed, but it made him difficult to like. Also, I was a little bored. Crafting isn't that exciting in print and I know nothing about cosplay. I think this was more me than the author.
The Escape Room by Megan Goldin

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Wall Street is truly terrifying, add murders and people trapped in an elevator and you've got one hell of a stressful story. It was a good time!
Phantom Pains by Mishell Baker

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adventurous dark funny inspiring mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

This author knows how to hook you from chapter to chapter. This was a great continuation of the series with many surprises and the introduction of new characters who added a lot to the tale. I loved the manticore! You find yourself rooting for Millie in spite of the fact that she sometimes makes questionable decisions. I am looking forward to reading the third book.
Father of the Rain by Lily King

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emotional reflective sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This is the journey of a girl whose parents are at opposite ends of the political spectrum and going through a divorce. I found the father to be utterly revolting, but I enjoyed the tale. I thought it was true to form for a dysfunctional parental relationship, although the ending turned out to be a bit idealistic for real life. It's a slow-moving book, but I was kept interested by the family dynamic for the whole of the book. I kept hoping Daley would tell her dad to get lost.
The Other Side of Everything by Lauren Doyle Owens

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dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This was pretty good. It was more of a character study than it was plot driven for a thriller. I really liked the characters, they were well fleshed out and interesting.
The Nothing Man by Catherine Ryan Howard

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dark tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I found this to be a genuinely scary book. This idea that serial killers are likely average, otherwise unremarkable people made sense to me. Because of that, I thought the book was believable and quite good. I liked the heroine and how she wrote a book to draw the killer out.
Autonomous by Annalee Newitz

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adventurous challenging dark informative reflective tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

This was a very thought provoking book about artificial intelligence. It was a fast paced look at capitalism and ownership. 

Thoughts I had:

- enslaved humans and AI cannot consent to sexual activity with free people, very much like a prisoner couldn't consent to sex with a prison guard. Oh, yeah, and it is wrong to enslave intelligent beings.

- this felt very much like a pointed dig at big pharma, possibly at Perdue Pharma in particular for knowingly manufacturing and pushing addictive drugs for profit. Of course, the author never came right out and said that, but I appreciated it.
56 Days by Catherine Ryan Howard

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

 This was the first book I've read which incorporated the pandemic as part of its fictional story. The plot had a great "what if" type of thriller scenario and the lockdown really fit into that perfectly. The story seemed plausible and I was kept guessing the whole way through. Thumbs up 
Razorblade Tears by S.A. Cosby

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I've never read anything quite like this powerfully evocative, non-stop action thriller story of regret, revenge, and redemption. It is heartbreaking and graphic and at the same time the characters are having important conversations about race and LGBTQIA discrimination. You get to see some surprising people change and grow and some people stolidly refuse and stay the same. It is a fascinating character study and commentary on social justice in the midst of this wild, never boring, vigilante thriller. I highly recommend it.