emmm626's reviews
465 reviews

super cute! love forced proximity. wish there was some more conflict or moves made between the characters earlier on, but it was a ~100 page novella so I can see why the plot was a little simpler. would happily read a full length novel with these characters!

dnf pg 24. death by comma

super cheesy and cringey dialogue. couldn’t do it. DNF 49%

Overall, holy crap. This thriller was so well done. The story focuses on Paul, who as a teen was tangentially involved in a murder in town. Twenty five years later, he’s back in town to care for his ailing mother, and soon realizes that despite his efforts to forget what happened, the events of yesteryear are still causing ripples. His story is intertwined with flashbacks, and the POV of a detective named Amanda who is investigating a copycat killing in a nearby town. The story was so well written. I thought I understood what was happening, and suddenly my perception of the events was totally upended. I really liked how the author introduced an event in present time, then revealed more with a flashback, as this really tied the timelines together. As details were revealed, I noticed some intentional vagueness in the writing. As I read, I understood one thing to be true based on what was written. But realized later on when something else was revealed to have happened, that the author was very intentional about the words used. The reader is led in one direction only to be spun around later on. I also loved the theme of motherly love. The main character Paul had a lot of trauma and emotional pain that made him leave town. His mother never blamed him for this and instead held enough love in her heart for the both of them. This story was very interesting and surprisingly heartfelt. I loved the note from the author at the end that described his inspiration. A truly unique premise that will stick with me.

Honestly, I’m torn on this one. I had a really hard time connecting to the characters, especially Chani. I found the organization of the book/timeline to be really jumpy, and I didn’t really feel all that immersed in the story. The slow reveal of what actually happened felt a bit draggy. I'm a little conflicted as to how I felt about reading about the same events twice--in Chani's article, then with more detail from her first person POV. I guess it was necessary for the story and showing what actually happened in comparison to what she wrote, but it was a touch tiresome for me. I found it really irritating how much emphasis was put on the “journalist sleeps with interviewee in exchange for positive article” stereotype. If I overlook that, the tail end of the story was sweet. There were some really nice details that made me smile and made my heart warm.

really conflicted over this one. i could give it either 3 or 4 stars. I think i’ll pick 3, but i’d still recommend the book. it just doesn’t live up to some others i’ve read more recently. typically I really like megan miranda, but this book was just lacking for me. I didn’t feel that there was much plot…things really seemed to drag, and there were so many characters in the neighborhood that it was 1) hard to keep track and 2) hard to connect deeply with any of them. the solving of the mystery felt anticlimactic, and the super late red herring thrown in felt cheap. I wish there had been more stalkery domestic horror and that it was spookier overall. good read, but it won’t live in my head rent free like some others.

DNF @ 55%
Just couldn’t get into this one. The plot felt slow, and I didn’t really understand the point in all the chapters narrated by the passengers. Spoilers now…………I found the whole climate change protest as the reason behind the hijacking to be super underwhelming. And I have no idea how they plan to connect this storyline back to the (ex?)husband and his gambling addiction. Just…it all feels incoherent and I don’t have the patience to sit through a mediocre book for an underwhelming ending. Not sorry.✌