leandrathetbrzero's reviews
342 reviews

I didn't think it was possible this close to the end of the year, but we may have found my new favorite book of 2024...

Actual Rating: 5.0 stars
Pub Date: 04 June 2024
Reading Format: physical book

*NOTE: While the audiobook is relatively accessible, I would recommend having access to the ebook or physical copy if possible. This is due to the speech style performed between robots. I could see it being confusing at the beginning, preventing the reader from initially connecting with characters.

Charles is a dedicated valet. Even as the world outside the manor is falling apart, he ensures that his tasks queue is cleared by the end of each day and harmony is maintained to his master's (albeit contradictory) satisfaction. That is, until Charles murders his master...

It is rare that I am predicting a 5-star rating as early as I did with Service Model, but I found myself immediately invested in our main character robot, the dying civilization around him, and his quest to find meaning (*cough cough* new employment). This novel has numerous elements that I can see so many readers gravitating towards:

— lovable characters and humorous dialogue (dry humor especially)
— themes of personhood & humanity, climate fiction, found friendship, grief & trauma, and patience
— characters travelling and interacting with numerous groups aka "a journey narrative"
— cozy tone to a plot that simultaneously handles difficult topics
— beautiful, thought-provoking prose (there were so many lines I wanted to underline!)

Needless to say, while this was my first experience with Adrian Tchaikovsky's writing, it will not be my last. I can easily recommend this novel to those who are looking for a lovely blend between A Psalm for the Wild-Built and the Murderbot series.

Thank you NetGalley and Tor Publishing for an E-ARC copy in exchange for this honest review! 

An abandoned fun house filled with puzzles and wrong turns, three supportive friends on a mission, and a promised treasure at the finish line!

Actual Rating: 2.75 stars
Pub Date: 2 April 2024
Reading Format: audio (post-publication date)

SYNOPSIS: Sarah Greene is a twelve-year-old math whiz with the weight of the world on her shoulders. After her father's diagnosis of chronic fatigue syndrome, the Greenes' financial situation worsens to the point where their house faces foreclosure. The only solace Sarah has comes from the Deltas, her friend group with West and Hannah. The three friends love escape rooms, the more challenging the better. And when Hannah shares the local legend of Hans, Stefan and Karl Stein who created the ultimate funhouse, an estate now abandoned and rumored to hide a treasure within its sixteen rooms, the Deltas decide to risk everything to save Sarah's family.

While the premise for this middle grade novel intrigued me, as did the author's name attached to this mystery, I was disappointed with the minimal character development and inconsistent emotional tone throughout the story. It is typical to expect an unsaid history when following a friend group well-established prior to the opening pages, but the number of inside jokes and backstories that cropped up later for convenience of dialogue or bouts of humor between dangerous moments seemed to jar the narrative flow. There are many important themes, and I applaud Currie's inclusion of them: chronic illness, financial stress, supportive friendships, and problem-solving after moments of failure. And it's true that Currie covers serious topics that certainly deserve a voice in middle grade and juvenile narratives, but the moments of despair, fear, and self-doubt would then oddly be paired with a light-hearted joke by West, Hannah, or Sarah. I also found the numerous times where Hannah was to blame for a mishap or added third-act conflict to be too convenient. Unfortunately this likely won't be a middle grade that will immediately come to mind when I am asked for recommendations. If I ever do find myself recommending this, it would be for younger juvenile readers as opposed to an upper middle grade audience.

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Kids for an E-ARC copy in exchange for this honest review! 

The more Tana French I read, the more I vibe with her writing style. I liked this continuation of Cal and Trey's story, and honestly it made the events in book one seem all the more significant. It demonstrated that actions and events lead to a ripple effect in the entire community, and no one is ever left untouched. I liked The Searcher, and it was worth the slow burn tension, but I think The Hunter is far superior!

A travesty this wasn't on the Goodreads Choice Awards list for Mystery/Thriller 2024! 

Honestly so impressed by how well this holds up in 2024. Are there some practices/events that date this book? 100%. Does the humor remain top tier 80ish years late? Also 100%. Shirley Jackson was hilarious! 

Here for the humor and the chaos with this series. The mystery plots are not impressive, so you have to just be into the tone and be invested in the characters. 

The humor/tone got quite repetitive, and the poop jokes...I would like to leave those behind in 2025, please. 

Everything deserves a 4, except the random worry that Arabella has that her love interest might be planning to r*pe her in the last 25 pages of the book...like, what. 

I am so disappointed! The last 100-150 pages is where this narrative falls apart for me.

(1) The disappearance of the son concludes in such a lackluster way when considering how complex the lead up was.

(2) The use of infidelity as a catalyst infuriated me. And we never get closure or a fully fleshed out explanation for this affair's existence. I hate when likeable characters are turned to complete trash when we learn they would willingly participate in infidelity.

SPOILER:

And the fact that it was the older sister, someone depicted as the only shining light in this book...I just can't see her doing that when she is also the one to introduce and encourage the match in the first place...make it make sense.