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reading_under_covers's reviews
1400 reviews
Influencer by Adam Cesare
4.0
Loved the full production audio on the audiobook!
This one is definitely really dark, but so good!
This one is definitely really dark, but so good!
Hiding Lies by Stephanie Rose
2.5
Forensic photographer Lydia has spent years trying to leave her traumatic past behind and when a camping couple is found slain, her role on the forensics team gives her life purpose again. As the murders continue, Lydia gets more wrapped up with the victims and a mysterious man who seems to be as tortured as she is.
HIDING LIES by Stephanie Rose is definitely a bingeable thriller.
This book clocks in at ~246 pages, featuring short chapters and two points of view, making it a very quick read - almost two quick. I found the story and character arcs to be lacking and felt an overall rushed quality to the writing.
It was hard to feel sympathy for either of our main characters and I honestly felt grimey reading from their POVs and trying to understand their reasoning for why they think and behave the way they do (this maybe could have been resolved if they were sculpted as characters better). I have read and enjoyed reading from sociopathic characters’ POVs before, so I know I’m not fully averse to those qualities!
The dialogue was extremely cringe at time, and there was a decent amount of repetition throughout the story as well.
I also think the story would have been more suspenseful if we didn’t know who the killer was from the jump!
I’m glad to see some readers really enjoying this one, but it ultimately missed the mark for me.
Thanks to Mad Axe Media and the author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
HIDING LIES by Stephanie Rose is definitely a bingeable thriller.
This book clocks in at ~246 pages, featuring short chapters and two points of view, making it a very quick read - almost two quick. I found the story and character arcs to be lacking and felt an overall rushed quality to the writing.
It was hard to feel sympathy for either of our main characters and I honestly felt grimey reading from their POVs and trying to understand their reasoning for why they think and behave the way they do (this maybe could have been resolved if they were sculpted as characters better). I have read and enjoyed reading from sociopathic characters’ POVs before, so I know I’m not fully averse to those qualities!
The dialogue was extremely cringe at time, and there was a decent amount of repetition throughout the story as well.
I also think the story would have been more suspenseful if we didn’t know who the killer was from the jump!
I’m glad to see some readers really enjoying this one, but it ultimately missed the mark for me.
Thanks to Mad Axe Media and the author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Let Me Hear a Rhyme by Tiffany D. Jackson
4.5
Tiffany knows how to write them, and I know how to read them and weep.
Wilderness Reform: A Novel by Matt Query, Harrison Query
2.5
I really wanted to love this one, but a combination of the slow pacing and the authors’ writing style made it so hard for me to enjoy even when shit hit the fan 😥
One House Left by Vincent Ralph
4.0
Sixteen-year-old Nate grew up a street away from the infamous Murder Road and the lore surrounding it. Him and his family have just settled into a new town in the hopes of finally leaving the curse of that road behind, but Nate finds himself drawn to a group of friends with urban legends of their own.
ONE HOUSE LEFT by Vincent Ralph is a slow-burn, unsettling horror novel.
This book was easily unlike anything I’ve ever read, especially in the YA sphere!
Full of urban legend, grief, and trauma, I found the story to be extremely complex and downright dark by the end.
We get to know each of the characters in an intimate way that makes what they go through even more heartbreaking - and the twist is one you won’t see coming!
Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Wednesday Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Publication Date: August 27
The Sherlock Society by James Ponti
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
Thank you Simon Kids/Aladdin for an early finished copy for review!
THE SHERLOCK SOCIETY was such a fun, quick-paced middle grade read with so many nods to classic mystery stories (including the aforementioned Sherlock).
The story allows the reader to think and get a grasp for the culture and life of Miami - as someone who hasn't been there, I felt like I could really envision (and taste 😋) so much of it!
The characters were also great - this story is as much about true friendship as it is about the love that can be found in a multi-generational family, and everyone brought such a unique perspective to the story!
I can definitely see this series evolving into a classic mystery series among kids!
Publication Date: September 3
THE SHERLOCK SOCIETY was such a fun, quick-paced middle grade read with so many nods to classic mystery stories (including the aforementioned Sherlock).
The story allows the reader to think and get a grasp for the culture and life of Miami - as someone who hasn't been there, I felt like I could really envision (and taste 😋) so much of it!
The characters were also great - this story is as much about true friendship as it is about the love that can be found in a multi-generational family, and everyone brought such a unique perspective to the story!
I can definitely see this series evolving into a classic mystery series among kids!
Publication Date: September 3
This Summer Will Be Different by Carley Fortune
4.5
Only Carley Fortune could make me want to eat some oysters.
This one did get a bit redundant at times, but Felix and PEI really sold it for me!
This one did get a bit redundant at times, but Felix and PEI really sold it for me!
The Good, the Bad, and the Aunties by Jesse Q. Sutanto
3.0
My least favorite of the series, but still a fun time!
So Thirsty by Rachel Harrison
4.5
Huge thanks to Berkley for sending me a free copy of this book for review!
So Thirsty is modern-day vampires at its finest. At it's core, this is a story about female friendships and how those friends can always see to the root of who you are even as you change and time passes, and all of the messy complexities that come with that.
A cumulative look at aging and the idea of settling, this story was full of as many tender moments as there was flesh.
There's also a hot, brooding, 500-year-old vampire love interest, so...
Already looking forward to Harrison's next release!
Publication Date: September 10
So Thirsty is modern-day vampires at its finest. At it's core, this is a story about female friendships and how those friends can always see to the root of who you are even as you change and time passes, and all of the messy complexities that come with that.
A cumulative look at aging and the idea of settling, this story was full of as many tender moments as there was flesh.
There's also a hot, brooding, 500-year-old vampire love interest, so...
Already looking forward to Harrison's next release!
Publication Date: September 10
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Blood, Cannibalism, and Murder