Scan barcode
maggers94's reviews
215 reviews
Did I Ever Tell You? by Genevieve Kingston
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
Beautifully written and absolutely heartbreaking. Every time she shared a letter I teared up and wanted to call my own mother. The bond and love between mother and daughter just seeps through the pages.
Hannah-Beast by Jennifer McMahon
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Such a good short story! I really enjoy Jennifer McMahon’s writing style. This echoes a lot of what I loved about The Children on the Hill and it definitely makes me want to read more from her.
All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
At first I was unsure how I felt about this book, but over the course of it I fell in love with the characters. I love the way the story spans decades and we see the fallout of all the little decisions made in that first year and how that affects the course of their lives. I didn't realize just how much I'd fallen in love with Monta Claire and it's community until the later portions of the book, but every single person in Saint and Patch's lives fully wormed their way into my heart to the point that I'm somewhat heartbroken to have reached the end. Initially listened as an audiobook, so this may need to be a future re-read in physical form for me!
The Lies I Tell by Julie Clark
I wanted to shake Kat because girl, apply a little Occam’s razor with your fiancé here, but despite that, I liked the overall evolution of her relationship with Meg as she tries to unravel her con. Both characters were easy to be invested in, even if Meg is pretty morally gray, and it made it hard to decide who or what I was rooting for. A very interesting read overall.
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Incidents Around the House by Josh Malerman
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
I really enjoyed the way this was written. Bela’s perspective just really adds to the tension/creepiness. I’ve seen some criticism of the monologues in this, but for the most part I really enjoyed them and there were only a few that seemed to drag. I do wish we had an epilogue that shows what happened to Bela’s family from an outside party just to wrap it all together. Overall, a good read!
Butterscotch: An Extreme Horror Novella by Asia Brito Guerrero, Asia Brito Guerrero
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
3.0
Daisy Darker by Alice Feeney
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Originally was feeling things were a bit slow, but I absolutely loved the ending. I don’t know how I didn’t see it coming, but it completely took me by surprise and broke my heart a little bit alongside Daisy’s.
Return to Midnight by Emma Dues
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I really enjoyed this as a thriller! It reminded me a lot of Final Girls in the format and story, but I found myself more engaged in it. I think it does a really great job of building out the relationship between all the girls in the past while also focusing on the present day. The author’s writing about the girls and their life at college really pulled me in and reminded me so much of my own time at college and living off campus. The ending also felt like it brought all the pieces together and addressed all the little clues throughout without leaving unfinished threads in a way I really appreciated. Bonus points for this story being set local to the Dayton area!
The Doll's House by Lisa Unger
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
I enjoyed this, but I wish it had been a full length novel where more of the characters and their relationships were fleshed out. I think the same plot just would have benefitted from a longer, more detailed format that allowed more suspense to build up. It felt like things just jumped around so quickly and a lot of the characters felt like they were only there to fill plot holes and lacked substance. It was a good concept just didn't feel right for short story format to me.
Where I End by Sophie White
dark
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I have such complicated feelings about this book. It hit on some very real personal fears of mine in a way I’m struggling to digest. The book probably really is 5 stars for me, but having just finished it, Aoileann made me so deeply uncomfortable and her story leaves me so unsettled that saying that feels wrong somehow. The writing is great - very dark, gothic storytelling that feels like We’ve Always Lived in the Castle meets Little Eve. I can absolutely see how it won a Shirley Jackson award.