megsbookishtwins's reviews
1177 reviews

A really great end to this duology. It is addictive and entertaining and so much suspense that it just kept me turning pages. I loved the mystery and before the reveal I still had no clue who done it but plenty of theories. I really loved all the characters, especially the four girls that I'm still struggling to figure out who was my favourite.

Megan Abbott is quickly becoming a favourite author. She writes such raw, toxic and twisted stories. I would definitely recommend to fans of Gillian Flynn.

I received this free from the publishers via NetGalley

At the beginning of the school day, June founds out a close ex-best friend of hers has died. She barely even has time to mourn her death when she is confronted by Delia's boyfriend who claimed she was killed. Alongside that she has a voicemail from Delia from the day before she died. June is soon swept into a murder mystery which turns out to be so much more involving lies and betrayal.

How do I feel about Suicide Notes from Beautiful Girls? I'm not so sure. I guess overall it was an okay book with a decent plot and mystery but there were also problems with it which made it sort of a predictable and dull read on occasion.

Ok where to start? I'll start with the characters. They were okay characters, but none were massively developed or had much depth to them and sometimes June, in certain situations, felt out of character. I could explain a bit more but I could spoil something, so I'd rather not, lets just say she got overly jealous at points which didn't seem to fit in with her personality previously. Delia was actually one of the most interesting characters to read about. In the flashback's which showed their friendship etc. I didn't really get a sense of their relationship. I felt they had little chemistry and I never really got the feeling that they really cared for each other. So overall, decent characters and all, but nothing exceptional.

I felt the plot was a little bit all over the place and kind of messy. Especially when it came to some flashbacks, and questions remained unanswered and you were left unsure about which parts of the story were true and which were lies so I was left confused for a lot of the time. For example, I'm still not sure what really happened between Delia and Ryan at that party and whose version was the truth. Some things didn't really seem to fit in the story, and while I don't mind a little extreme and having some aspects unrealistic, but some of Suicide Notes from Beautiful Girls felt a tad far-fetched.

Overall, a decent read, but not the psychological thriller I was expecting.

I really loved Rebel Angels, much more than A Great and Terrible Beauty. It was magical, enchanting and truly captivating. I really love Gemma, and I think she is pretty damn awesome. She is intelligent, brave and curious and I think she had some great character development. The same can be said with Ann and Felicity, and while I sometimes dislike them, I have to admire they are pretty great characters. Pippa was a character which really surprised me in Rebel Angels and I can't wait to read more of her story. I thought the world-building was fabulous and it was truly mystical and it was one of the best things in the Gemma Doyle Trilogy. Libba Bray has fast become one of my favourite authors and I will definitely be reading more of hers.

I received this free from the publishers via NetGalley

Once again, Abigail Rook and her employer Jackaby have been called upon to investigate a supernatural and weird case – their specialty. From shapeshifting kittens to a large beast, they really do have their hands full this time.

I think this series is just full of fun and adventure. Looking for something light-hearted? Read this. Looking for something fun? Read this. Looking for a mix of mystery only seen on Sherlock and Doctor Who? Read this. We revisit our favourite characters, Jackaby, Abigail, Jenny, plus many others. For those that loved Jackaby, well it is an obvious choice to pick this up, for those that haven’t read Jackaby, then I highly suggest you do.

I didn’t enjoy this as much as the first one, hence the lower rating (I rated Jackaby 4.5), and I can’t really put my finger on it. Abigail’s and Jackaby’s witty back-and-forth was still entertaining, but not as entertaining as the first. The story was fun and original, filled with adventure and mystery. I wouldn’t go into this if you are looking for something serious, while it has serious elements in it, it is a fun, light-hearted and easy read.

I liked the romance and again, like the first in the series, I liked that it didn’t take too much away from the main plot and that Abigail realised she can have both – the work and the romance.

Overall, this is a series that I would definitely recommend!

P.S I really love these covers, they are so beautiful.

I received this free from the publishers via NetGalley

Actual Rating: 4.5

Two girls, Aubrey and Lena, are attending Charlie's funeral after his supposed plane accident which left behind a bloodied jacket and is now presumed dead. Little do these ladies know is that they were both Charlie's girlfriends, but both dated different versions of Charlie. The girls travel around the world together to discover the truth and form an unlikely friendship.

I don't know what I expected from Charlie, Presumed Dead, but that ending was not it, but it thrilled me none the less. I guess I never expected it to be as dark as it was. Even the first half of the book wasn't that dark, and gave no indication as to what was to come. I don't really want to spoil anything so I'll keep things simple - also, I leave it too long to write my reviews and I've forgotten all my good points I was going to put in here haha!

I liked the aspect of travel as it kept it feeling fast paced and more captivating because we had change of scenes fairly often, which I think is important with a thriller.

For me the relationship between Aubrey and Lena was one of the best aspects of Charlie, Presumed Dead. At the start I felt like it was hard to distinguish between the two girls as their narratives and voices were fairly similar, but it wasn't long before they became more distinct and different. I loved their relationship. It was sort of a love/hate relationship, where they distrusted each other but wished to protect each other and they bonded over the same experience of being betrayed. I just really loved the dynamic between the two.

Charlie was a very interesting character. That's all I shall say for fear of spoiling anything.

Overall, a thrilling read which gives an unexpected ending. I would probably recommend to fans of Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn and Dangerous Girls by Abigail Haas. I kind of really want a sequel to know what happens next, or at least a novella because the ending is sort of one that could just end and it be a standalone, but there is also potential for it to continue to another book. So I hope there will be a sequel of some sort so I can actually get some closure.

I don't know why it has taken me this long to read Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson because it is a emotional, honest and important read. I recently read All The Rage by Courtney Summers - another honest and gritty read - and I decided it was about time I read this as well. It focuses on the silence that women go through after they have suffered sexual assault. The pressure that is put on them by society, so I do believe this is an incredibly important read that is a must read. We need to change the way society thinks about women who have been assaulted and their forced silences and we need to end the victim blaming. Overall, an incredibly important novel which encourages speaking out even when we feel we can't.

I received this free from the publishers via NetGalley

They were told that the asteroid would be there in two months, that it could miss but it could hit. They were defined by labels - the athlete, the outcast, the slacker and the overachiever. But now they have a choice, continue with life and wait for the asteroid to hit, or take this chance to leave old labels behind and really live. They chose the latter.

I got something from We All Looked Up that I completely did not expect, it was not some shallow contemporary romance, nor some far fetched science fiction novel, but something completely different. It was a great mix between the contemporary fiction and science fiction and it was realistic and believable. It was emotional and raw and truthful. The prose was beautiful and it is a fantastically written book.

There are 4 changing POVs and while it does seem like it a lot, each character had very distinct voices and personalities. I liked Anita a lot, I am pretty positive she was my favourite. She had always been the overachiever and she had all these expectations of her to do really well in school, but all she really wanted to do is sing but her family looked down on it. Eliza was another favourite. She had one kiss with Peter and her whole reputation was ruined, while Peter remained unscathed. She had a love for photography as well and she felt like she needed to document the world going to hell. Peter was an average character for me. I liked him enough and I felt like he really cared for his sister and the ending saddened me, but he was not a favourite. I did not like Andy at all, and I only tolerated his POV, hence the 4 star rating.

The story itself was entertaining and unexpected and dark in places, which was surprising. I felt like We All Looked Uplost me in the middle a bit and I felt like there was not much happening, but I never got completely bored, which is a positive.

Overall, We All Looked Up is entertaining read which is honest and dark. I would recommend.