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sophiesometimesreads's reviews
259 reviews
The Housemaid by Freida McFadden
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
2 stars, maybe 2.5 if I'm feeling generous.
Look, I think this thriller has its audience but that audience is not me. If you're looking to branch into thrillers, then you may really enjoy this but, as someone who has read their fair share of thrillers, this felt very "been there, done that". I guessed the whole resolution with more than 100 pages to go, which equates to about 60% of the way through this book. The dialogue felt clunky, the characters underdeveloped and surface level, and the plot was very convenient. I also didn't find it very thrilling, more dramatic, but this was also because I predicted a lot of the plot. It was easy to read though and quick to get through, so I can see why people like it. Overall, not a completely awful book but it just didn't do much for me personally, and may not be your cup of tea if you've read a few thrillers.
Look, I think this thriller has its audience but that audience is not me. If you're looking to branch into thrillers, then you may really enjoy this but, as someone who has read their fair share of thrillers, this felt very "been there, done that". I guessed the whole resolution with more than 100 pages to go, which equates to about 60% of the way through this book. The dialogue felt clunky, the characters underdeveloped and surface level, and the plot was very convenient. I also didn't find it very thrilling, more dramatic, but this was also because I predicted a lot of the plot. It was easy to read though and quick to get through, so I can see why people like it. Overall, not a completely awful book but it just didn't do much for me personally, and may not be your cup of tea if you've read a few thrillers.
Diwali by Sital Gorasia Chapman
informative
lighthearted
fast-paced
5.0
Thank you NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group - words & pictures for providing me with a copy of the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Diwali is a children's picture book that follows Sonali and her younger brother Jay as they celebrate the Hindu festival of Diwal, surrounded by friends and family.
This book was wonderful! The illustrations were so cute and had enough detail to be capturing whilst not being overwhelming. The story was fun and I learnt some things about Diwali, even as someone far outside of this book's target audience.
I loved the fact we had a little story first, followed by a non-fiction section at the back, and little-kid version of Sophie would've LOVED that little quiz at the end.
This was really a wonderful experience and is very educational whilst be easy to follow and fun. I would definitely recommend.
Diwali is a children's picture book that follows Sonali and her younger brother Jay as they celebrate the Hindu festival of Diwal, surrounded by friends and family.
This book was wonderful! The illustrations were so cute and had enough detail to be capturing whilst not being overwhelming. The story was fun and I learnt some things about Diwali, even as someone far outside of this book's target audience.
I loved the fact we had a little story first, followed by a non-fiction section at the back, and little-kid version of Sophie would've LOVED that little quiz at the end.
This was really a wonderful experience and is very educational whilst be easy to follow and fun. I would definitely recommend.
Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I was intrigued by this and thought how it all came together was smart, but I just struggled to feel really invested in the story such that the twist didn't absolutely floor me, I was just pleasantly surprised. This seems like a me problem not a book problem, though.
Funny Story by Emily Henry
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I really enjoyed this! Miles and Daphne were cute, and the cast of side characters were interesting and fleshed out. It had the usual EH charm but was a little more lighthearted and romcommy than Happy Place was. As is usual for an Emily Henry book, I really loved the personal journey the characters went on as well as the development of their relationships with each other. I had a wonderful time, though I'm sure no one is surprised, and I would recommend this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Toxic relationship and Abandonment
Minor: Drug use and Alcohol
Things You May Find Hidden in My Ear: Poems from Gaza by Mosab Abu Toha
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
fast-paced
This was the first collection of poems I've read, so it's hard for me to know how it compares to other poetry, but as Mosab says, a good poem makes people feel things and the feelings conveyed in these poems did really hit me. A harrowing look into the lives of people in Gaza throughout the years in short yet powerful poems. I would recommend this to anyone.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Medical content, and War
Where Sleeping Girls Lie by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Please check content warnings before reading.
I thought it was good with important messaging and an intriguing plot; however, it was a little longer than it needed to be and I think the same effect could've been achieved with fewer moving parts in the plotline. Some of the resolution was a little predictable, too, but I thought the overall story was important and pointed out some very important issues in academia and private schools.
I thought it was good with important messaging and an intriguing plot; however, it was a little longer than it needed to be and I think the same effect could've been achieved with fewer moving parts in the plotline. Some of the resolution was a little predictable, too, but I thought the overall story was important and pointed out some very important issues in academia and private schools.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Suicide, Grief, Death of parent, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Rape, Sexual violence, and Murder
The Girl from the Sea by Molly Knox Ostertag
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I loved this! So cute, heartwarming, realistic (except the magical creatures...) and funny.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Outing
The Reappearance of Rachel Price by Holly Jackson
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This was well-paced, in my opinion, as it kept my attention the whole time, though I did go in with the expectation that this was more of a mystery over a thriller so wasn't expecting a super fast pace. Some people seem to feel like it dragged in the middle but I didn't really find this to happen for me.
I didn't pick much of the nitty gritty details (and most of the time when I did it was two pages before it was revealed in text). Some of the overarching details I did get, but I was questioning myself the whole time, and there was one reveal that really shocked me but made sense when looking back, so that was fun. I was hoping for a little more of a shocking reveal for a five star read, but there were components that shocked me so I wasn't disappointed, just felt like there was a little room for more shocking details or a big twist to the overarching narrative. In saying this, all the loose ends were tied up one way or another which is something I really appreciate about Holly Jackson's novels. Even the red herrings were explained away.
A lot of the characters are unlikeable, so if that's not your think you might not enjoy this, but I thought it made for an interesting dynamic between them all. Bel did get a bit frustrating at times, but it wasn't enough for me to hate her or to feel as if I didn't want to keep reading. I did feel like her character development happened a little quickly at the end though, and could've been fleshed out a little more, particulalry given the length of the novel, but it was still good to see how her character changed and grew across this novel.
Overall, I really enjoyed my time with this and if you like HJ's other novels, I'm sure you'll also like this one!
I didn't pick much of the nitty gritty details (and most of the time when I did it was two pages before it was revealed in text). Some of the overarching details I did get, but I was questioning myself the whole time, and there was one reveal that really shocked me but made sense when looking back, so that was fun. I was hoping for a little more of a shocking reveal for a five star read, but there were components that shocked me so I wasn't disappointed, just felt like there was a little room for more shocking details or a big twist to the overarching narrative. In saying this, all the loose ends were tied up one way or another which is something I really appreciate about Holly Jackson's novels. Even the red herrings were explained away.
A lot of the characters are unlikeable, so if that's not your think you might not enjoy this, but I thought it made for an interesting dynamic between them all. Bel did get a bit frustrating at times, but it wasn't enough for me to hate her or to feel as if I didn't want to keep reading. I did feel like her character development happened a little quickly at the end though, and could've been fleshed out a little more, particulalry given the length of the novel, but it was still good to see how her character changed and grew across this novel.
Overall, I really enjoyed my time with this and if you like HJ's other novels, I'm sure you'll also like this one!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Dementia, Kidnapping, Stalking, and Abandonment
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Murder, and Pregnancy
Minor: Eating disorder
Bunny by Mona Awad
dark
mysterious
reflective
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
3.0
I finished this book about 12 hours ago at the time of writing this review and I'm still not really sure what to think of it.
Firstly, I want to say I absolutely adored the writing and the prose. It was so interesting and conveyed the story and nature of the content well, and I'd be interested in reading more from Mona Awad if not for this alone.
The thing about this book that confused me in regards to what I think about it was the plotline and ending. I had absolute NO idea what to expect from this going in, which I think was a good thing. It meant the start was really intriguing and I wanted to read more to learn what was going on and WHY it was all going on... and I think that's where it fell flat a little for me. Whilst we did get some clarity on what was happening at the end of the book, I wanted more of a resolution from it, particulalry more on WHY things happened and why Samantha.
I think the pacing of the book fell away about two thirds in, particulalry because I still didn't have much idea as to what was going on and why and felt like I should have at least had a little bit of information fed to me as a reader at that point. The conflict between the Bunnies also felt a little out of place and didn't seem, to me, to fit with the rest of the story.I don't think them fighting over a boy was interesting at all, or in line with the tone of the rest of the book. It just felt like an odd turn to me.
This is a really interesting book because the premise was so intriguing, I enjoyed the writing and had a relatively good time for the most part, I think I just wanted more from the resolution. It's obviously a polarising book, so if the premise intrigues you then it's probably worth a read to see what you think.
Firstly, I want to say I absolutely adored the writing and the prose. It was so interesting and conveyed the story and nature of the content well, and I'd be interested in reading more from Mona Awad if not for this alone.
The thing about this book that confused me in regards to what I think about it was the plotline and ending. I had absolute NO idea what to expect from this going in, which I think was a good thing. It meant the start was really intriguing and I wanted to read more to learn what was going on and WHY it was all going on... and I think that's where it fell flat a little for me. Whilst we did get some clarity on what was happening at the end of the book, I wanted more of a resolution from it, particulalry more on WHY things happened and why Samantha.
I think the pacing of the book fell away about two thirds in, particulalry because I still didn't have much idea as to what was going on and why and felt like I should have at least had a little bit of information fed to me as a reader at that point. The conflict between the Bunnies also felt a little out of place and didn't seem, to me, to fit with the rest of the story.
This is a really interesting book because the premise was so intriguing, I enjoyed the writing and had a relatively good time for the most part, I think I just wanted more from the resolution. It's obviously a polarising book, so if the premise intrigues you then it's probably worth a read to see what you think.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, and Gore
Act Your Age, Eve Brown by Talia Hibbert
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I really loved this! It was fun, a little absurd but never completely unbelievable, and had some wonderful representation. The small-town and B&B vibes were immaculate and made for a wonderful atmosphere, and the dislike to lovers was done well. As usual in Hibbert books, the banter was great. The only (very minor) thing for me was that it did feel a little insta-lovey BUT it was self-aware in this case which meant it wasn't much of an issue for me personally. In saying this, I tend to find instant (or relatively instant) love a little unbelievable but if you don't mind or enjoy this then this is for you! A wonderful conclusion to the Brown Sisters trilogy and I would highly recommend it for everyone who enjoys romance.
Though I loved all 3, my ranking of the trilogy is as follows:
1. Take a Hint, Dani Brown (5⭐)
2. Act Your Age, Eve Brown (4.5⭐)
3. Get a Life, Chloe Brown (4.5⭐)
Though I loved all 3, my ranking of the trilogy is as follows:
1. Take a Hint, Dani Brown (5⭐)
2. Act Your Age, Eve Brown (4.5⭐)
3. Get a Life, Chloe Brown (4.5⭐)