megsbookishtwins's reviews
1177 reviews

“The face you give the world tells the world how to treat you.”

Actual Rating - 4.5

Camille Preaker has been sent back to her home town in Missouri to investigate and report on the abductions and murder of two girls. Camille does not want to go back for fear she is going to be dragged back into her toxic family who are haunted by past memories. While Camille is investigating the deaths she is relating to the victims and she realises she will have to confront her past to uncover the truth.

I read Gone Girl this year, and I recently watched the movie which put me in the mood for more Gillian Flynn. While I didn't find Sharp Objects as suspenseful as Gone Girl, it was still a pretty damn good, thrilling read.

Gillian Flynn has this was of writing such complex and strong female characters. What is more fantastic is that they are not always the heroes of the story. They are the broken but powerful, both the victims and the villain. I find this fantastic. Rarely in books do you see these totally complex, thrilling, dark and gritty female characters.

Sharp Objects is not for the faint-hearted, or those who will find self harm and abuse triggering. It is a sick and twisted book, and every single one of the character are so fucked up and each have a horror story of a past. Sharp Objects, like Gone Girl, is a psychological thriller which will leave you unnerved at the end but totally in awe of what you just read. The stories Gillian Flynn creates are filled with suspense and twists and turns that you just don't see coming.

The characters and the relationships fascinate me. Amma is a character that shocked me, and completely held my interest. I had a feeling she wasn't all she seemed, the same can be said for her Mother. Camille was a favourite. She was insecure, yet she had this bravery aswell, but she was vulnerable and scared but determined. She really was a character which I really found interesting.

Overall, Sharp Objects is a book I would recommend to adults, who wants a good psychological thriller with a mystery that leaves you shocked and breathless. Gillian Flynn is an author that I will be continuing reading more of.

"To many, I was myth incarnate, the embodiment of a most superb legend, a fairy tale. Some considered me a monster, a mutation. To my great misfortune, I was once mistaken for an angel. To my mother, I was everything. To my father, nothing at all. To my grandmother, I was a daily reminder of loves long lost. But I knew the truth - deep down, I always did. I was just a girl"

The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender was a beautiful and tragic read of a family which has been plagued with loss and pain. It follows the story of Ava Lavander and her parents and grandparents.

This was a beautifully written novel about a girl born with wings who tries to live her life. She is seen as an angel by some and a monster by others. She is kept hidden from the world.

The characters are fantastically written. They are all so strong and brave after being through so much. They all managed to keep going which was very inspiring. Character development was a brilliant aspect of this book each character were so unique and I really did care for them. I loved the relationship between some of the characters, especially the friendships.

This was a very intricate and delicate novel which had beautiful prose. A very compelling read which I highly suggest you read.

“Friends see most of each other’s flaws. Spouses see every awful last bit.”

On the morning of his fifth wedding anniversary Nick Dunne comes back one day to find his house trashed and his wife missing. Evidence starts piling up and the police start to suspect Nick, as do the public.

Wow.

I bought this originally for my mum. I had heard that there was a movie coming out of it soon, and my mum loves a good crime thriller, so I saw this in Waterstones for buy one get one free and I couldn't resist. Fast forward a couple of months and I decide to read it myself.

What a roller coaster ride of a book! I love unreliable narrators. I love the mystery, I love the lies and the unpredictability of the story and the characters. I don't want to talk to much for fear of spoiling something. When I asked my mum if she read it, my sister ran out fingers in her ears because she didn't want to be spoilt. So lets get on with it! Ok, so you read most of the book wondering if Nick did actually hurt his wife, is his wife really missing? Is she lying in her diary entries? What has happened to Amy? The book is split into three different parts, don't really want to say anything else. I had started to guess a couple of things and I had a couple of theories floating round, but I never expected to actually guess the plot twist in the middle! But I was right, and I was very proud of myself.

The ending was great. I would never have guessed it would go in that direction, and then just end!. Fantastic. I heard that the movie will change the ending, so I am very curious as to how they will change it. Will it be a big change or a small change? Really looking forward to watching the movie.

Usually in books that are as hyped as this one, with everyone recommending it to everyone, I usually have my doubts, and I usually go in with very high expectations, or very low. But I was pleasantly surprised by this and I am very glad I read it.

I really did dislike most of the characters. But I loved to hate them! I was also very compelled to read on and find out what happened to all these characters. They were very well written and it all felt so real and realistic. Amy and Nick's relationship is so toxic and unhealthy, and I was so drawn into their relationship and I wanted to know how it ended that I struggled to put it down. It did take me a while to read unfortunately because I've been pretty busy.

I liked Go and Boney. They were interesting characters, and the only characters I actually liked in this book.

Gone Girl is a frustrating, but thrilling read that I would recommend to anyone over 18.

I received this free from the publisher via NetGalley

Rating - 4.5 stars

Release Date - September 16th

Abigail Rook has run away from home in search of an adventure. She arrives in New Fiddleham and she is in desperate need of a job. Abigail runs into R. F Jackaby, an investigator and a seer - someone who can see the supernatural. Abigail gets the job as his assistant. She is valuable to Jackaby as she notices the ordinary and people. On her first day she finds herself on the trail of a serial killer, and they aren't entirely human.

Jackaby is a lovely little novel which will leave you very satisfied and entertained by the last page. It is said to be Doctor Who meets Sherlock, while I didn't really get the feel of Doctor Who, it definitely had the Sherlock who-done-it feel. Our investigator R. F Jackaby is very much like Sherlock in his eccentricity and his factual approach to many things, as well as his directness and outspokenness. All this makes him a very entertaining character to read about. Abigail Rook is his assistant. She is a keen observer, noticing things such as waste bins, mail boxes and people, which are something our Jackaby misses as he focuses on the supernatural elements. I very much liked Abigail. She was independent, assertive and bold. She was determined to have an adventure and do what she wanted and not what others wanted for her. Her and Jackaby's chemistry was fantastic. I liked how it was totally platonic, which is unusual in books with two main character who are male and female. Their personalities fit together like two puzzle pieces fit together. They were very enjoyable.

There were other secondary characters who were also enjoyable, such as Cane, Jenny and Douglas - the duck. They were nice additions and I liked their relationships with the characters. The romance was there, but barely, and the main focus was on the murder mystery. I am actually really glad there wasn't much romance, because can you imagine how rushed it would have been, as the story went over only a couple of days? I like that they just took a fancy to each other and that was all we saw.

I would say the plot was predictable, but it was still fun. The following of the investigation was very thrilling, fun and very full of adventure and I liked it very much. I liked the supernatural element of the book. It made it different and I must say, it made it more enjoyable.

I would personally recommend to any fans of Sherlock, and anyone looking for a good paranormal read.

On a final note, isn't that cover absolutely gorgeous?

Orleans was a genuine breath of fresh air, especially in the dystopia/post apocalyptic genre. There was a lot of world building, and it was very original and so well done. Unlike most dystopian novels and post apocalyptic novels, there was zero romance. This is a story about survival, and Fen de la Guerre need to save her tribe's newborn baby. It was such a well crafted story which was action packed, but slow paced at times and so delicate and well crafted. This was such a fantastically written novel with a brilliant, strong, intelligent and powerful protagonist with an amazing and original setting and world building. I'm going to be raving about this for a while. READ IT.

I received this free from the publisher via NetGalley

Release date – September 8th

Easter comes home to find The Terrible Thing. She then goes to the woods to find her sister Julia, but she gets stuck under a boulder and starts to bleed to death. Memories of her life starts coming back to her as she is in The Woods, bored and disappointed.

It is not that The Lonely was a bad book. It was not a bad book, it just was not my type of book. It was a little too weird, but that is the whole point of the book. I can see why some people may like it, and may be pulled into the story, but I was one of those people who unfortunately was not entirely captivated by this book.

I personally did not find it very humorous either, but others might. As stated before, this is not my cup of tea, but others may find this a great read. It is however, very imaginative, and written very well. It is a dark book and in places it was a little too dark, and I usually don’t mind books that are weird or dark, but this left me confused far too often. I did sometimes feel the need to read on, but sometimes I also did not want to read it.

It is a very complex book which I am having a hard time reviewing.

I did not mind the characters. They were enjoyable, and interesting, but no one I could really connect to.

Overall, an interesting read, which I personally did not get invested into, but this is a book that I think you need to read to decide for yourself.

I received this free from the publisher via NetGalley

You want to know everything? Look at yourself. You discover a truth and can barely function.”

Aisha Damaj has gone missing, and her boyfriend Ethan is being blamed. Cassie is a close friend of Ethan and she has feelings for him. When he decides to go out to the forest to try and find Aisha, Cassie decides to join him. They search a house in the middle of the forest, little do they know what lurks in the basement.

Just to start this off, I really do love this cover, and I think it goes perfectly with the story. Anyway, I'm not sure what I expected with Dollhouse, but not something this weird. I liked the story, I think it had some great potential, but I felt like something was missing. I didn't really feel any of the creepiness or the suspense, but others might. I wanted to know what was happening, why were they down there? The book felt like it was dragging a lot and nothing was really explained until the very end where it all seemed rushed in. We didn't really get much of an explanation as to why they were down there except to entertain her. We didn't get much of an explanation as to how they were down there, and how all the dolls were connected to Jessamine. The travel between worlds didn't have much explanation either. I do tend to read books, forgetting they are a sequel, so the rest of this would probably be explained in the next books.

I didn't really feel much connection to the characters, they were nice and enjoyable, but I couldn't really relate. They didn't have much character development or growth. I didn't really get much sense of the frienships between Aisha, Ethan, Cassie and Lacey, and I would have liked to have seen more interaction between the four of them. The romance was a little boring for me and I didn't really care if they got together or not. There was also a potential love triangle with Henry and I am very glad it didn't happen, and happy that she seemed rather revolted by him. So, that is a positive.

I did enjoy the mystery of the 'Dollhouse', but I didn't feel much suspense leading up the the reveal and the plot twist didn't really shock me as much as I would have hoped.

Overall, it is still an enjoyable read, and I suggest you at least have a look at Dollhouse, even if you don't decide to read it.

I received this free from the publisher via NetGalley

Actual Rating - 4.5

'This Okiku only remembered pain, suffering, hate, vengeance. Time had taught me to temper the malice within. But for a long long time, I was a great and terrible thing. I was a creature that found pleasure in the ripping. In the tearing. I am no longer that monster. But memories of that creature still lurk within this well. There are some things that never fully die.'

Okiku is a ghost. She kills those who kill children. Hundreds of years ago she was thrown down a well, and she haunts and kills men like that of her murderer. She sees a strange boy. A boy with tattoos that move and creates unease in people who see them. This boy has something attached to him. Something dark which he carries with him where ever he goes. Okiku feels for this boy and his protective cousin and their journey will take them from the suburbs in America to remote valleys in Japan.

I was not sure about this going into it. I am not much of a fan for horror stories as I am easily scared and then proceed to sleep with the light on. The Girl From The Well , I personally, did not find that scary. Perhaps because it is harder to create fear on the written page unlike on a TV where you have music and the image itself which can give you quite a fright. Maybe younger people would find it scarier, although not too young as there are some disturbing grim scene which take place quite frequent in the book. Despite not being scary, it is undeniably a creepy and chilling book which does leave you with a feeling of unease.

I found this a very enjoyable read. I am going to be completely honest - I know very little about Japanese culture, despite my older sister being obsessed with Japan and the culture there. So I don’t know how accurate it was, but from what I’ve read of other reviews, it is pretty good. A good amount of knowledge is obviously shown by Rin Chupeco, so that is a big mighty plus. It was very interesting. I have read very little books that don’t take place solely in America with an American culture so The Girl From The Well was a very refreshing read. The story itself was pretty unique and compelling. The start did not capture my attention fully, (I know, shocking right? Who doesn’t love a pissed off ghost scaring the living daylights and murdering a child killer), I was interested, but not fully invested. That soon changed when I got to know Okiku more as well as Callie and Tarquin. I was soon flipping (as well as you can on a kindle) through the pages devouring the story. It lost it’s mojo slightly in the middle, but only for a fleeting moment.

I liked the friendship between Tarquin and his older and protective cousin Callie. But I liked the characters individually. Tarquin was sarcastic and funny and he seemed so down to earth. Callie had this motherly streak to her. She’s passionate, compassionate, caring, kind and brave and I really did like her character. I also liked the relationship between Tarquin, Callie and Okiku. Callie was wary of the vengeance ghost, rightly so, and Tarquin was very welcoming. Despite Okiku not really talking much, Rin Chupeco still managed to create a really interesting and complex dynamic between the three. I do applaud her for that. I was super duper happy that there was little to no romance. Praise the lords and shout to the heavens. How many YA books can you say that about. It was just so nice and refreshing to read the relationship between the three characters as platonic, and one of mutual respect and caring. Very nice.

The Girl From The Well is a compelling, complex and unique read. If you are looking for something different to read then I highly recommend The Girl From The Well.

This is coming out just a little over a month, you can pre-order a copy here at Book Depository

“I answer her with my silence, understanding the full power of it for the first time. Words are weapons. Weapons are powerful. So are unsaid words. So are unused weapons.”

It has been a few weeks since I have read this, so I am only going to do a short little ramble.

Carey has lived most of her life in the Woods with her drug addicted mother and her sister Jenessa. Her mother usually goes off on her own for weeks at a time and Carey is never sure of when she will see her again. But one day, her mother doesn't come back, instead it is a couple of strangers who take her away from the Woods. Carey has a secret though, a secret which causes her sister not to speak and which Carey fears will destroy her future.

I genuinely enjoyed If You Find Me. I found it a good, easy read, which had a unique aspect to it. The edition I had also had a bonus epilogue which isn't in any other books (YAY), and I liked the ending, I had already guessed what her secret was, not in it's entirety, but I got the basic gist of it. I liked the characters, I really did. I also enjoyed the character development with them all as well. I liked the relationship between the two sisters, that was a definite bonus of the story. I also liked the romance, it seemed a bit instant and rushed, but I liked it. I also liked that the romance was a big sub-plot. The story was more character-driven that anything else, and that was a positive.

Overall, a really good read that I do recommend you pick up.

4.5 Stars

“You do not follow me because I am the strongest. Pax is. You do not follow me because I am the brightest. Mustang is. You follow me because you do not know where you are going. I do.”

Darrow is a Helldiver, who are mining Mars for resources needed to make Mars habitable for other humans to come from earth. One day though, Darrow finds out that everything he ever believed is a lie. He used to think his sacrifice was worth it, but he has realised he is just a slave. With the help of the Rebels, Darrow goes undercover as a Gold at a school. However, the school isn't what it seems.

I went into Red Rising with huge expectations. There were some parts of the book that lost my attention and I was a little worried that I would be very disappointed. However, overall, I was thoroughly pleased with Red Rising, and read the whole book with very little disappointment. The start was good. A little slow and confusing. It was a bit of an info-dump, all the levels of people, etc. But when you got into, after things got explained a bit better, it made it easier to read. The middle lost me sometimes though. Only a little bit, but I felt myself sometimes getting a little bored. Yet, I also couldn't put it down, which is a weird feeling for me because I usually don't feel the need to read when I get bored. I think because I was so invested in the characters, and I really wanted to know what would happen. It was an unpredictable book.

As I say in nearly all my reviews of Dystopia books - world building is vital. Pierce Brown did not disappoint. Yes, there were some confusing elements, but overall, there were some fantastic world building. It is a brutal society which is written exceptionally well. It shows that even the rich and the privileged have sacrifices, and have to do unspeakable things. Very well done.

The characters were great. Very well written, and very well developed. I loved Eo, despite how little we saw of her. Darrow is a character you have to grow to love. Sometimes he frustrated me and annoyed me, but you do eventually learn to love him despite his flaws. He is deeply passionate, smart and brave. The characters all felt so real and genuine, as well as the relationships and friendships. A couple of other favourites were Mustang, Pax and Sevro.

Overall, a very well written dystopia which shows a very brutal society. I would definitely recommend.