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minimicropup's reviews
505 reviews

Did not finish book. Stopped at 99%.

Skimmed through starting at 50% mark. It’s mostly a wholesome romance, but with so much humming and hawing about whether to accept invites, show interest, reveal huge clues as they investigate together. It was frustrating me. The premise was interesting to start but it dragged on by mid point and the Big Bad way of handling things at the end was too cartoony and convenient to allow for rescuing, veering off into cheesy popcorn thriller territory. I also found it hugely predictable and that made it feel even more drawn out as the same clues were being waved around for the reader while the main character was oblivious.

Not a bad book though, and if you like will-they-or-won’t-they romances and meet cutes, and cozy mysteries with a heaping side of corruption and rich, conservative, gun-toting Americans behaving badly, you may find this a more enjoyable read than I did.

On the Surface by Rachel McGuire

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dark lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

Overall, I didn’t love it, but I didn’t hate it either. It’s an okay read, but if you’re a regular thriller reader, the plot and writing style might feel boring and predictable. I mostly found myself waiting for it to wrap up.

Energy: Jaded. Indignant. Narcissistic.

🐺 Growls The setting was forgettable unless I actively worked to visualize it.

🐕 Howls The story focuses too much on the characters’ inner monologues and emotional tension at the expense of intrigue. The present-tense narration made everything seem overly dramatic, although it fit the vibe. The repetitive resentments and schemings of the main characters dragged the plot down. Inconsistency in accents with audio (the narrators voiced the characters so differently, it hard to keep track of who was speaking at times, especially early on when I mistook characters for new ones).

🐩 Tail Wags The question of who’s reliable and what really happened the night Dani went missing.

Scene: 🇧🇸 Set in Bahamas where cruisers are docked.

Perspectives (5): A up-and-coming sailing influencer who just got monetized. The partner of the influencer. A friend of the influencer. Someone associated with the influencer. The detective investigating the missing person report.

Timeline: Current (2020s-ish). ☀️ Summery

🔥 Fuel: Twists and reveals. Unreliable narrators. Relationship dynamics. Conflict, drama, tea. What happened to Dani? Who is telling the truth? Are we insider or outsiders as the reader?

📖 Cred: Over-the-Top

Mood Reading Match-Up:

Cryptocurrency. Cruiser parties. Monetization. Butter sauce. Drab office.

Domestic suspense
Sailing influencer behind-the-scenes
Present-tense dramatic writing style
Riches to rags
Make a prediction, who to believe moments
Deeply flawed unlikeable and narcissistic characters
Tagging along with the detective getting clues
Tanged webs, everyone behaving badly
Time jumping narratives

Content Heads-Up: Alcohol (parties, intoxication, blackouts). Missing person. Potential false accusation. Domestic abuse (discussion, accusation, evidence of). Sexual content (toys, foursomes, bondage gear, promiscuity; mention/discovery). Voyeurism (hidden cameras). Malingering, manipulation, lies. Personality disorder. Racism (discussion of media, coverage of missing persons).

Rep: American. Bahamian. Dominican. Cis. Bi. Gay. Hetero. Dark, pale, and ambiguous skin tones.

📚 Format: Libro.fm

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Heads of the Colored People by Nafissa Thompson-Spires

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dark emotional funny tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

I like how these stories connected but were also independent. I think these were a great exploration of humanity using day in the life snapshots to show all the horrors humans do to each other while sometimes exploring the horrible humans too.

1-A cosplayer rejecting a solicitor’s flyer shouldn’t be the end

2-Waring officemates see the light

3-Petty parents acting like children while defending their children

4-How a children’s feud came to be

5-The fragmentation of a high school student

6-A cultural appropriator slowly killing their family

7-A narcissistic irony

8-An ASMR content creator dealing with the loud expectations of school, family, and their online audience

9-A catch 22 of rejection and anger is explored at the DMV.

10-A little unhinged while looking for Mr Right

11-Anthropology grad students studying each other

12-A nurse is visited by patients while they wonder about their son’s future being bleak

Mood Reading Match-Up:

Cosplay. Sketchbooks. Food court. Clinique. Sulfuric eggs. Perspiration. Kawaii. Microwave.

Show not tell social commentary
1990s settings
Snapshot stories and character vignettes
Thrown in the story, start off confused
Short stories that connect
Inferring style reads
Mix of complex, morally grey, unlikeable, unhinged characters
Touch of randomness and irony
Psychological exploration of Black American experiences and navigating White normativity

Content Heads-Up: Gun violence (police, medical). Police brutality (against unarmed; excessive force; fatal). Racism (microaggressions; prejudice; media angles and coverage). Body shaming (weight). Bullying (preteens). Eating disorders (intentional malnourishment of self and child; anorexia; bulimia). Fire (accidental; building, cat death; very brief mention). Blood. Cultural appropriation. Mental illness (schizophrenia; family history). Suicidal ideation, attempt. Narcissism. Sexual harassment (online, groping, threats). Victim blaming. Infidelity (brief mention). Child abuse (physical punishment, rejection). Fetishizing disability.

Rep: Black American. Venezuelan. Cis. Hetero. Dark, chestnut, brown, deep brown, sable, pink, light, bronzed, and pale skin tones. Hyperhidrosis. Wheelchair user. Fibroids. Endometriosis. Albinism. Diverse body sizes.

📚 Format: Kobo

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The Keeper of the Key by Nicole Willson

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challenging dark emotional funny hopeful 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? No

4.5

Creepy and well-paced, and I really liked the main character.

Energy: Assertive. Intuitive. Compassionate.

🐕 Howls The writing leans to the younger side of YA (the tone, not the topics!), but it still worked for me. The very end was a little predictable, but that’s probably because I’m an adult reading a YA book 🤓.

🐩 Tail Wags Relatable main character and feeling how horrifying her life situation has become. The insufferable stepdad character. Mix of creepy paranormal elements and real-life horrors. The spooks. The pacing. How Rachel sticks up for herself. Subtle but powerful commentary on how women’s fears and anxieties are often brushed off as overreactions. Commentary naturally woven through the story. Darker moments I was not expecting.

Scene: 🇺🇸 Old Victorian-style home near the town of St Marys, Virginia, USA

Perspective: A 3rd year high school student spending the summer break adjusting to life in their new stepparent’s home after their bioparent’s whirlwind romance.

Timeline: Current (2010s or 2020s). Over the summer break from school.

🔥 Fuel: The romance, the family life, the basement visions, the missing girls, the situation with Geoff's past and the house history.

📖 Cred: Supernatural/paranormal realism

Mood Reading Match-Up:

Thai restaurant. Furniture polish. Must. Cozy bookstore. Creepy basement. Black hair dye. Cemeteries. Coffee.

My house my rules stepparent
Moving to an old Victorian mansion
Main character you can root for
Touch of missing teens mystery
Bookstore meet-cute
First love romance
Imperfect parents
Gothic coming-of-age
Ghostly visions and vengeance
First person narrator sharing their thoughts and observations
Hints of supernatural and magical realism

Content Heads-Up: Loss of parent (as toddler; child; preteen). Body shaming (appearance, hair dye, style). Blood, death. Alcohol (underage; provided by adult). Dietary shaming (vegetarian). Home invasion, gun violence (brief, on page). Murder. Night terrors, sleepwalking. Sexual content (consenting; make out, first time, birth control; on page). Infidelity (recall). Abusive relationship (physical assault, obsession, stalking). Confinement. Fire (building).

Rep: American. Hispanic or Latin American peripheral character. Cis. Hetero. Pale and dark skin tones.

📚 Format: Advance Reader’s Copy from BooksGoSocial, Parliament House Press, and NetGalley

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Bitter Is the Heart by Mina Hardy

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dark emotional mysterious reflective tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

Strong start with eerie vibes and body horror, but it loses steam in the final stretch. Has some solid body horror and tense moments!

Energy: Tumultuous. Neurotic. Distraught.

🐺 Growls Bogged down at tend with negotiations between MC and the Big Bad, explaining the mechanics of what happened, the original plan, what would happen if the MC made certain choices etc etc.

🐕 Howls In the text there are italics when we get flashbacks or a scene change, but on audio there’s no indicator and it was jarring sometimes, I kept rewinding thinking I missed a transition or to rehear it in the right setting. Lost momentum near the end, too dialogue heavy.

🐩 Tail Wags Slow burn with creepy undertones. Chaotic, unpredictable mother character. Gorey, visceral things happening but can’t look away. The nightwalking sequences. Including Jewish traditions and cultural references without it feeling like info dumping (I’m not very familiar with them, so needed some background).

Scene: Set in Kettering, Ohio, USA

Perspective: A fifty-something who lives alone suddenly finds themselves caring for their elderly mother after she’s kicked out of her independent living facility.

Timeline: 2020s

Fuel: Unsettling vibes and happenings. Mother-daughter dynamics. Unreliable narrator potential. Gore and grossness. Unpredictability.

Is her mother’s condition due to biology/medical issues or is she being purposeful? Who or what is causing the creepiness?

Cred: Mix of surreal, spiritual, and hyper-realism.

Mood Reading Match-Up:

Boxes. Facetime. Hair. Grilled cheese. DNA test. Dirt. TV. Vomit.

Creepy things elderly parents say
Haunted childhood
Parent-child role reversal
Jewish folklore and traditions horror
Spiraling narrator
Swipes of second chance romance
Sleepwalking spooks
Mother-things
Exorcism & possession
Generational trauma mother-daughter symbolism
Tagging along with the main character day-to-day

Content Heads-Up: Pandemic/lockdowns (very brief mention; restrictions recently lifted). Menopause (hot flashes). Alcoholism, alcohol abuse (self-medicating, intoxication; descriptively drinking/enjoying). Abusive parent (emotional, alcoholic). Delusions, hallucinations (auditory). Cannabis (gummies, vaping; prescribed). Gaslighting. Parental abandonment, resentment, rejection. Suicide (recall, description). Dementia (signs of). Abortion (memories, discussion). Vomit, body fluids (descriptive on page). Disrespecting dietary restrictions (Jewish, vegetarian). Sexual harassment (brief; of male). Sexual content (consenting). Matriarchy. Burn injury.

Rep: American. Jewish. Cis. Hetero. Pink and dark skin tones. Childfree by choice.

📚 Format: Library Digital and Everand Audio

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The Sequel: A Novel by Jean Hanff Korelitz

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dark emotional funny mysterious tense fast-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

4.0

This was the perfect multi-tasking audio read for me. I liked this one more than the first, but they’re both good.

If you read The Plot, there’s a bit of a recap woven into the story to remind us of what happened if it’s been awhile.

If you haven’t read The Plot, you should still be able to follow along, but there are parts that might seem vague or overly mysterious without the background (and it may be a little more confusing).

Energy: Exacting. Compelling. Indignant.

🐕 Howls

Aspiring writers may find parts of this a bit harsh or pretentious? It reminded me of Yellowface in that it’s not clear whether there’s some author intrusion going on, but I’m no writer so I loved the drama of it all. The names and aliases sent me for a loop, I had to pause and think it over if I took so much as a tiny reading break.

🐩 Tail Wags

Tangled web of lies and truths. Even when I predicted something it was still fascinating to watch it unfold. Easy listening, great narration (if I read it as text, I may have been a bit bored sometimes). The roller coaster of feelings I had for our morally grey main character. How the story led me to overthink things.

Scene: 🇺🇸 Set in Vermont, New York, and Athens, Georgia, USA

Perspective: The widow of a best-selling author finds themselves in the spotlight after writing about it. They thought their secrets were safely hidden, but someone out there knows the truth and plans to reveal all. We get snippets of manuscript versions being sent to people.

Timeline: Current (2010s or 2020s).

🔥 Fuel: Starting at the end (of the previous book). Intrigue. Escalating guilt, paranoia, unhingedness. Layered secrets. Conflict, drama, tea. Who is the new harasser? Why now? What truly happened that is the “inspiration” for this story?

📖 Cred: Suspended disbelief on the plausible-ish side

Mood Reading Match-Up:

Book signing. Manuscripts. Phone calls. Cash. Pub. Envelopes. Mail.

Morally grey main character
Elements of good-for-them revenge
Book within a book
Authors behaving badly
Air of pretension taletelling
Stolen stories
Plot-driven, vibe-heavy web of secrets and lies
Bad decisions snowballing
Slow burn rampages
Authorship, fiction-writing, and publishing commentary
Reading manuscript snippets

Content Heads-Up: Loss of spouse. Murder. Plagiarism. Rape (off page, memories). Parental rejection. Suicide, suicide attempts. Attempted murder. Lies, manipulation. Drugging. Gun violence (brief, on page). Kidnapping.

Rep: American. Cis. Hetero. Ambiguous skin tones.

📚 Format: Library Audio

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The photographer by Jo Crow

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dark sad tense 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? It's complicated

1.5

This didn’t work out for me. It writing was too clunky with predictable plot points, and I couldn’t connect with any of the characters. Even for high stakes moments I felt indifferent. If you read a lot of thriller mysteries, this may come across as contrived and too boring, but if you’re newer to the genre and don’t mind the writing style and withholding tactics, you may find this intriguing or a good starting point!

The main character’s inner monologue was repetitive and over-explainy. In that way where it’s obvious to the reader when a hint drops what could be happening, and then we have to read the main character go on and on about it in the wrong direction. So even in tense moments, I was eye-rolling and knocked out of the story.
Elements of the story seemed like an afterthought thrown in for convenience. It felt like the main character was wishy washy and weak when it was convenient for the plot, then suddenly assertive and determined when that persona was no longer convenient.
Frustrating, clunky writing style. In my mind’s eye this was playing out like bad acting the way the dialogue was written. ~Character says something.~ ~Long pause.~ ~Character checks script, realizes they are supposed to be getting angry, so screams the next line.~
Overusing the heavily hinting withholding trope for suspense. The main character spends page after page agonizing over mundane details, and then for significant past events gives only vague hints and no depth.
The kid was used as a plot device to stall progress way too much. Like constantly interrupting or doing annoying things every time the main character was having an important conversation, or we were about to get a reveal.

📚 Format: Advance Reader’s Copy from Relay Publishing and NetGalley

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Barely Floating by Lilliam Rivera

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fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Adult me: 4⭐️ This was surprisingly deep and enjoyable.

Middle grade me (probably): 3.5⭐️ Parents are so annoying, see!

Energy: Industrious. Decisive. Eager.

🐕 Howls

A key character’s story was left unresolved and I so needed to know what happened to her and if she’s okay 😥

🐩 Tail Wags

Refreshing exploration of feminism, womanhood, and the complexities of identity. Surprisingly deep exploration of how femininity and empowerment can take many forms, depending on the person. Value of team sports in building confidence without overlooking the potential harm caused by professionalization of kids’ sports. Dives into the intricacies of being Latina, with insightful reflections. Complex main character. The friendship dynamics and development.

Scene: 🇺🇸 Set in Los Angeles, California, USA

Perspective: Our 12-year old main character discovers artistic (synchronized) swimming while hanging out at the local pool, but their parents don’t support them joining a team because of their beliefs around the sport and feminism.

Timeline: Current (2010s or 2020s). ☀️ Summer and early Fall.

🔥 Fuel: text. How will our main character get to participate in artistic swimming? How can she prove to her parents it’s a worthwhile cause?

📖 Cred: Realistic

Mood Reading Match-Up:

Vogue magazine. Outdoor pool. Esther Williams. Fenty lipstick. Sequin swimsuit. Protest marches. Meditation app. In-N-Out. Hamilton soundtrack.

Extracurriculars quest
Opposites attract besties
Body confident, glam, imperfect main character
Growing up in an activist fam
Heart in the right place scheming
Developing interests that differ from your friends
Parents as obstacles to interests and true self
Prove the parents wrong
Trying to balance schoolwork, team sport, and friendship
Bouts of self-doubt
Parents admitting their mistakes
Main character talking to us, giving us insight into her feelings, thoughts, and motivations and plans.

Content Heads-Up: Blackmail. Keeping secrets from parents. Peer snark (indifference, giggling, sneering). Lesbophobia, homophobia (from parent). Parental rejection (homophobic, kicked out).

Rep: Latine. Ethiopian ancestry. American. Cis. Lesbian. Hetero. Fat. Sun-kissed, brown, light-skinned, freckled, and dark skin tones.

📚 Format: Kobo

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Grim Root by Bonnie Jo Stufflebeam

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adventurous dark funny mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Someone please make this a show. I loved the mix of reality show camp and haunted house spooks.

Energy: Saucy. Reckless. Resourceful.

🐕 Howls

Dragged in the survival-action scenes. The action sequences seemed too long and knocked me out of the story because they required feats of strength that felt impossible/too complex to imagine (small gripe).

🐩 Tail Wags

Addictive mix of campy fun and a freaky slow burn psychological horror. The haunted house twist on a reality dating show. The uncertainty of what’s real vs what’s staged. The satire. Character reactions that felt authentic given their personalities. The drama and slow unraveling of everything.

Scene: 🇺🇸 Set in Northern California at an old manor and fruit farm.

Perspectives (2): We follow two of the four remaining women competing to be chosen by the ~~Bachelor~~ Groom. One was invited to the show and very reluctantly accepted after their divorce. The other has fairy tale aspirations and truly believes they are destined to be chosen and find their happily ever after.

Timeline: Current (2010s or 2020s).

🔥 Fuel: Escalating stakes. Relationship and competitor dynamics. Race against time. Action-adventure. Who will win? What is behind the haunted location? What secrets are the competitors keeping from each other?

📖 Cred: Campy satire realism

Mood Reading Match-Up:

Botanical scent of gin. Crooked forest. Mildew, pine, mothballs. Corn on the cob. Pungent rot. Pink goo. Fresh bark. Rotting flesh. Motorcycle.

Reality dating competition behind the scenes with a touch of satire
Pick Me competitor dynamics
Haunted or rigged?
Sapphic & close proximity romances
Sprinkling of crew drama, unethical production, throuple love, backstabbing, show in shambles hanging on by a thread
Isolated by weather
Medical horror, mysterious infections
Stay out of the woods supernatural survival thriller
Destiny, seance, messages from beyond the grave
Exploring love, resilience, and what makes a relationship thrive
Descent into madness
Third person narration, watching the scenes unfold.

Content Heads-Up: Family annihilation (rumoured; very brief recall). Alcohol (casual). Sexual content (consenting; on page). Co-dependent/toxic siblings, emotional incest. Alcoholic parent, family dysfunction. Institutionalized parent (psychiatric; brief recall). Chronic undiagnosed illness (autoimmune; very brief recall). Body fluids (blood, slime, injury, infection). Eye stuff. Corpse (death, loved one). Loss of parent (as child). Divorce (brief mentions). Body gore (after death). Patriarchal roles, expectations, entitlement. Fire (burns, forest). Foster care (brief recall).

Rep: American. Korean ancestry. Mixed race (Korean-White). Cis. Bi. Hetero. Ambiguous skin tones.

📚 Format: Library Digital

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Red River Road by Anna Downes

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dark emotional hopeful 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? No

5.0

I loved this and all the slow burn tension it brings.

Energy: Secretive. Reserved. Driving.

🐩 Tail Wags

The jarring, sometimes disjointed narrative. Eerie, unsettling atmosphere. How the reader is just dropped into the van and left to piece together clues watching the character interactions and memories. Never quite knowing what to think about the characters until the end. How it had me wondering what I would do in their situations. How the high stakes moments felt high stakes without dragging on. How we can piece together clues on page and make predictions.

Scene: 🇦🇺 Set along Coral Coast of Western Australia

Perspectives (4): A twenty-something recreating the route their missing sibling took on their van life journey (first person). Another twenty-something on the run from someone, who is warily taken in on the van life journey (third person). The little brother of an ex who lives nearby. The chapters are interspersed with social media posts and comments from the missing sibling before they disappeared.

Timeline: Current (2020s). ☀️ Summer.

🔥 Fuel: Interlocking mysteries. Revelatory backstories. Atmospheric tension. Compelling characters. Why is Katy retracing her sister’s steps a year later? Does she really expect to find her sister? Can she trust the new travel companion she reluctantly takes along?

📖 Cred: Realistic

Mood Reading Match-Up:

Dusty roads. Gravel. Lacquered bobby pins. Canned soup. Roadhouses. Stones

Grifting con couple
Unexpected sidekick, hesitant friendships
Fleeing abuse
Retracing their steps missing person mystery
#vanlife gone wrong
Men behaving badly
Hints of unhinged and unreliable narrators
Psychological mystery suspense
Piecing together the puzzle, red herrings
Books to read while camping, on road trips, or travelling
Exploration of healing and transformation
Thrown in the story, watching things unfold, overhearing character thoughts
Real-world worldbuilding
Social commentary about the normalization of predatory males, ‘safety’, and violence against women

Content Heads-Up: Alcohol (intoxication, black outs). Memory loss (grief-related). Rape, drugging (by romantic partner; brief recall; off page). Abortion, parental rejection (brief recall; off page). Mental illness. Missing parent/feelings of abandonment. Toxic relationship, intimate-partner and domestic violence and abuse (on page recall; descriptive). Panic attack, flashbacks. Chronic illness (weakness, nauseous). Insomnia. Physical attacks (wounds, blood). Death. Murder. Child abuse (very brief recall).

Rep: Australian, American. Cis. Hetero. Olive and ambiguous skin colours.

📚 Format: Library Hardcover

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minimicropup's reviews 505 reviews

minimicropup's reviews
505 reviews