mcgbreads's reviews
1125 reviews

Turns out this audiobook included other stories by the author, but I stopped at I Am Legend cause that's the only one I wanted to read. 

This was so much better than I expected! I watched the Will Smith movie a long time ago and I kind of enjoyed it for what it is, but compared to the book, it lacks so much depth. Plus, it's a very loose adaptation, so they're both very different stories. I'm thankful for that because this story should be enjoyed on its own, knowing little about where it goes. Now I'm excited to watch The Last Man on Earth (1964), to see how that adaptation compares. 

I really liked the way this explores deep loneliness in a context where you're the last human on earth and you've lost everything. It's very much a character study with some sci-fi/horror elements because you spend most of the book in this man's head. I also enjoyed the way the tables are turned by the end and, like any good post-apocalyptic story, the way it explores how our concept of morality can change along with society, based on what we agree is right or wrong as a collective within the specific context we're in.

The sci-fi aspects of this and the creatures were also very interesting, and I appreciated the lore. That mix of vampire and zombie felt very fresh even now, so I see how this book popularized the concept of apocalypses caused by disease and the concept of zombies cause, if this book didn't exist, we probably wouldn't have gotten Romero's The Night of the Living Dead. 

Overall, a great book that definitely stands the test of time, IMO. 

This dragged a little in the middle, but what a book... 

It's one of the most frustrating, enraging, and sad books I've read. It was very difficult to get through sometimes, not just because you're watching this man groom, gaslight, manipulate, and abuse a girl, but also because you're watching this girl gaslight herself both when she was young and as an adult (it's dual timeline, so it jumps between the past and the present). Still, I couldn't put it down. 

The denial, the contradictions, the inability to accept what really happened to her, it was all so sad, but also very important to explore. Having the perspective of a victim instead of the abuser was an entirely different experience and it wasn't what I expected in the best way. I'm glad Kate Elizabeth Russell didn't listen to the people who told her she should switch to the perspective of the abuser because Vanessa wasn't likable or whatever. 

Like, yes, she wasn't likable all the time, and she was extremely frustrating, but you understand why. Also, I loved the ending because I honestly didn't think we would get that. I thought it would be just as frustrating as the rest of the book or even tragic. But I love that it ends on a hopeful note, with Vanessa starting on the path of healing, which is what I wanted for her throughout the entire book. 

Cute, fluffy, funny, and, yeah, romantic. I always love an MC who's DOWN BAD and knows it. 

This was so adorable! I think it's a perfect middle grade and I love the art soooo much. This one explores themes of transformation and change, and how to deal with it and embrace the unexpected and scary parts of it. So wholesome, I loved it. 

My first Darcy Coates was a success! I've been meaning to start reading her books because they're always recommended as good horror or mystery. This was both, but the horror was lighter than I expected. It's more dreadful than horrific, and unsettling, but it was effective to me. 

I do think this was a little too long. I think it could've been, like, 150 pages less. The beginning was great and it dulled a little in the middle, but overall, it's a solid horror mystery that did give me the creeps. Being underwater and exploring a mysterious sunken ship is scary on its own, so adding paranormal elements just makes sense and it was well done, in my opinion. 

It was atmospheric and tense even though it gets super slow in the middle, I enjoyed the dual timeline, and the characters were good. I expected more from the ending, but it didn't ruin my experience. So this is verging between 3.5 and 4 stars for me!

This is too stream-of-consciousness style for my taste and I didn't enjoy my time with it. I can say it's about a character, Ilana, questioning her life and wondering what could've been if things were different. I can see other reviewers saying that it's thought-provoking, specifically about nature vs. nurture, and conscious and unconscious choices, but I, unfortunately, didn't get that out of this book because I just couldn't engage with it. I just didn't like the writing style or characters, so I had a hard time finding something of value to me. That said, I think a shot should be given to this book if it piques your interest in any way.

Thanks to NetGalley and köehlerbooks for sending me this ebook. 

ARC review; thanks to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, and Del Rey for the access to this ebook. 

This is my first Delilah S. Dawson book and while I've heard great things about Bloom, I'm not sure how to feel about this. 

I enjoyed the way she created atmosphere and quiet tension in this story, but I can't say I enjoyed her writing style as a whole or her characters. For one, it felt like the writing dragged here and there, with too many unnecessary descriptions and repetitions, and stuff that added nothing to the story. The characters were just not very likable and they were a bit strange, I can't quite put my finger on it. I didn't HATE them, but I didn't like them either. 

Also, while there's a creepy mystery here, I don't feel like the plot was executed well at all. The ending felt RUSHED, like she didn't want to write anymore and found the most convenient, easiest way to give the story some kind of conclusion. As a result, there are many loose ends and it's just... not good. 

Some of the twists aren't shocking in a good way, they're shocking as in "Okay, she literally pulled this out of nowhere and I can't believe it," and others were obvious, so it's just messy. Overall, while I liked the premise and the way she created the atmosphere, I can't really say I liked this story. 

My biggest issue is how dissatisfying it is. The first question that came to mind when I finished this was: "Why did I read this? What was the point?" and that's never great. I can't say it was a waste of time, cause I liked some elements of it, but I can't in good conscience say this was good or recommend it 100%. Give it a shot, I guess!

Did I read the other 5 books? No, and I won't, but I watched Cari Can Read's amazing summaries on YouTube and it feels like I have. I didn't want to wait for her to get the summary of this one done cause I was afraid I would forget everything by then, so I requested this from my library. 

Oh, and I should mention I wanted to know what happened in The Mortal Instruments even though I wasn't up for reading 6 books because The Infernal Devices are on my physical TBR and I want to give them a shot. 

Anyway, oof, what a ride this was. A lot happens in this book and there are so many characters and plot lines going on, even new characters, it's crazy. It felt so dragged out sometimes, like this could've and should've been shorter. Still, I didn't hate it, it was a good audiobook to play while I was doing mindless stuff, and before bed; it was entertaining enough. 

They sure do a lot of talking in the first part of the book and the chapters are SO LONG, which I always hate, but when the action started to become more prominent, it was fun. Also, I appreciated many of the moments between the characters; it felt like they knew each other so well and that's how it's supposed to feel, so that was great. There's also so much drama lol. 

I wasn't attached to any character besides Simon and maybe Clary and Jace, though, but that's probably because I didn't actually read the first 5 books. Even so, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have connected with them tremendously if I had. Maybe if I had started the series when I was a teen and had that nostalgic bond to it, it would've been a different story for me. 

I'm not mad I listened to this audiobook and I'll still watch Cari's summary when it comes out. More importantly, I'm ready to read The Infernal Devices. I hope I like them. Even if I don't, I'll be tremendously happy to finally get them off my physical TBR. 

This is a loose Dracula retelling where you'll recognize names and certain incidents, but it's its own thing. I think it can be read even if you haven't read Dracula or much about vampires. That said, this just wasn't for me. As a matter of personal taste, I found the writing style and prose boring and unengaging. While it's a short read, I was struggling to get through it and just wasn't interested. I hope it finds its audience and I already see people enjoying it, I'm just not a part of the majority on this one. 

ARC review; thank you to NetGalley and Bindery Books for the access to this ebook. Pub date: Oct 15. 

This was great! I requested it because it was a gothic mystery and the premise sounded really good, I'm happy to say it didn't disappoint. Set in the 1900s, the story follows Moriarty's daughter, Hel, and Mina Harker's daughter, Sam, as they work to solve a string of murders suspected to be committed by a beast in Paris. 

It's an immersive story because the descriptions really set the scenes and mood, and the gothic vibes are definitely there. The mystery was intriguing and though it wasn't super complex, it had good pacing and tension, so I was hooked. It was also incredibly easy to read cause I felt like I was in it, I wasn't aware I was reading as you sometimes are, you know? 

There's a sprinkle of sapphic romance but it's very subtle and, honestly, not the most interesting part about this. I liked the world and setting most of all, and I really enjoyed that the characters were related to characters from Dracula and Sherlock Homes we know so well. 

It seems like the start of a series, but it doesn't end with a cliffhanger, so you can easily read this as a standalone and enjoy it. That said, I do hope it's a series as long as the author has an overarching story to tell! I will keep my eye on this.