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kaitlynisliterate's reviews
332 reviews
The Only One Left by Riley Sager
2.0
The final plot twist makes absolutely no sense and frankly, ruins the book. Are we supposed to believe that Kit, a caretaker who is extremely familiar with bedridden/wheelchair-bound elderly patients, doesn't notice that Lenora/Virginia doesn't have atrophied muscles when she massages them for two hours every day? Anyone who has ever had to go through physical therapy will know how completely bogus this is. Kit also tested her reflexes, that's not something that you can fake. You can't just "will" yourself to not move.
Somebody I Used to Know by David Bell
2.0
So many little things in this book pissed me off. And the ending sucked. The plot twists were so predictable.
System Collapse by Martha Wells
3.25
Ehhh this is probably the weakest installment of the series by far. The cast of characters has gotten too bloated (due to everyone becoming friends and the narrative aversion to any allies dying).
The Tree Collectors: Tales of Arboreal Obsession by Amy Stewart
4.0
Super interesting overview about a hobby that I would never do myself but love reading about.
Mercury by Amy Jo Burns
3.5
Mercury by Amy Jo Burns is a complex portrayal of a dysfunctional family, the Josephs, with an exploration of toxic relationships between all the characters. Most of the book follows Marley, who moved to the small town of Mercury at the age of 17 and married Waylon, one of the three Joseph brothers. We also see the POV of all three Joseph brothers: Shay (the youngest), Waylon (the middle child), and Baylor (the oldest).
At the center of this book is a mystery concerning what is discovered in the attic of the local church. When I say mystery, I don’t mean in the vein of a genre mystery. Basically, none of the characters are particularly interested in finding out the “truth” of what occurred. Rather the opposite, in fact. Each of the characters’ involvement is slowly revealed during their respective POV sections.
This book is gritty and raw with complex, flawed characters who are trapped inside their own perspectives. There’s very little self-awareness shown by any of the characters which I’m sure is intentional on the part of the author. However, it did make for a frustrating reading experience as everyone acts, at best, complacent, and at worst, like a complete doormat.
This book ends with a lot of things unaddressed and I found the last two chapters to be really rushed, especially since it includes a huge time skip. I had no sense that the toxic dynamics between any of the characters were confronted or even changed. A lot of things are basically hand-waved away including Shay’s feelings and all of the problems with Mick, their father.
Overall, this was an engaging, slow-paced read that provided a nuanced perspective on toxic family dynamics.
Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon Books for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
At the center of this book is a mystery concerning what is discovered in the attic of the local church. When I say mystery, I don’t mean in the vein of a genre mystery. Basically, none of the characters are particularly interested in finding out the “truth” of what occurred. Rather the opposite, in fact. Each of the characters’ involvement is slowly revealed during their respective POV sections.
This book is gritty and raw with complex, flawed characters who are trapped inside their own perspectives. There’s very little self-awareness shown by any of the characters which I’m sure is intentional on the part of the author. However, it did make for a frustrating reading experience as everyone acts, at best, complacent, and at worst, like a complete doormat.
This book ends with a lot of things unaddressed and I found the last two chapters to be really rushed, especially since it includes a huge time skip. I had no sense that the toxic dynamics between any of the characters were confronted or even changed. A lot of things are basically hand-waved away including Shay’s feelings and all of the problems with Mick, their father.
Overall, this was an engaging, slow-paced read that provided a nuanced perspective on toxic family dynamics.
Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon Books for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.