whatmeganreads's reviews
1517 reviews

Greymist Fair by Francesca Zappia

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dark mysterious tense 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

4.0

Dark and twisty and super fun! It jumps around in time a bit, so that might put some readers off, but personally, I loved how all the different individual sections tie together. Very fast-paced - I read it in a day over the course of a few good blocks of reading time. I am definitely going to be looking for more from this author! 
Shark Heart: A Love Story by Emily Habeck

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slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character

3.0

The Wealth of Shadows by Graham Moore

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4.0

I am always entertained when I read this author's work, but I also always learn something - and usually something I never expected I'd enjoy learning about. This one was really good! Not on the same level as The Last Days of Night for me (that one made me HATE Thomas Edison and fall in love, randomly, with Nicola TeslaπŸ€·πŸ»β€β™€οΈπŸ˜‚) but it was still really enjoyable.
Middle of the Night by Riley Sager

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adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot

4.0

Man, this one had me on the edge until the very end. It did get the tiniest bit trite at the very last - just a few "too tidy" touches tying up loose ends that were honestly unnecessary. The majority of the story was really good though! I thought I figured out what happened, was SURE of it, then I was blindsided, then it went back to what I thought, then I was blindsided again. So that's pretty good, I think. 😁
Margo's Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe

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funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I laughed SO hard. But gosh, I was shocked at how much it also made me think. I finished this one more than a week ago and I'm STILL mulling it over. The uphill battle of single-parenting, Only Fans, the ridiculously nonsensical, but completely intentional, system we have in America designed to keep everyone in "their place", professional wrestling, romance. (Not kidding, this book had it ALL.) So. πŸ‘πŸΌ Good.πŸ‘πŸΌ
A Curious Beginning by Deanna Raybourn

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3.5

I liked this one! I went in thinking itwould be a cozy mystery, and it was in many ways, but also much darker/with higher stakes than I expected, which honestly made it even more engaging for me. I'll definitely continue with the series!
Horror Movie by Paul Tremblay

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2.5

2.5 - Paul Tremblay writes novels that either really succeed for me, or they really don't. I don't usually finish one of his books feeling ambivalent. 

Several have fallen into the "didn't  work for me" category - Devil's Rock, The Pallbearer's Club, and Head Full of Ghosts (HFOG being the only one that ended up close-ish to OK or ambivalent with 3 stars.)

A couple others have really impressed me and/or left me thinking about them for ages after finishing (Survivor Song, The Cabin at the End of the Woods). 

Unfortunately, Horror Movie fell into the dislike category. It felt a bit personal art project - like a story and a format Tremblay found interesting and was playing around with, testing to see if it worked. The embedded screen play was a unique concept, but it distracted me, and the present-day timeline didn't develop quickly enough for me to care avout any of the characters or get emotionally invested. I didn't find it creepy. Just weird. Maybe his next one will click with me! 🀞🏼