Mullory is worried about money and has a memory of her mom telling her to beware the strange, right before her mom left. The strange finds her, thoughMullory is worried about money and has a memory of her mom telling her to beware the strange, right before her mom left. The strange finds her, though, in the form of magical letters that appear and invite her to participate in a game to inherit the magical fortune of Xavier Stoutmire by solving the mystery of his murder. She's one of only two participants invited from the outside and do not understand magic, but she's determined to win and get the monetary prize, while others competing are mostly focused on the prize of inheriting his magic.
This had an interesting premise. I liked the magic and mystery blend. It sounded like a lot of fun to have a magical game where the winner will inherit not just money but magic, kind of like The Westing Game (a book I loved as a kid) but with magic. This comparison alone sold me on reading it. However, the actual reading experience didn't fully resonate for me. The narration goes around between the different characters, which is fine, but I never connected with any and the magic felt like it was always on the verge of being explained and becoming interesting but never actually reaching that point. I wanted there to be more character development, more complex characters, and a fully captivating story. All these elements were present, but they just didn't feel fully realized. Additionally, there were multiple parts where something would be written on a paper and the font used for this handwriting/script was really hard to read and continually took me out of the story as I tried to decipher it.
I read about half of this book but seemed to be less and less enthused every time I picked it up again, so eventually I decided I just wasn't going to finish. I feel like this had so much potential; perhaps others would feel completely captivated by this story. Despite there being a lot of "showing" as far as the magical world was concerned, because Mullory didn't know anything about the world, there was also a lot of "telling" to her from other characters. This might have been the main reason I never fully got into the story. Interesting idea, but this just wasn't for me. ...more
Sariyah has the ability to sense when people need something, and it's all she can hear in her head until the need is met, so she's started carrying arSariyah has the ability to sense when people need something, and it's all she can hear in her head until the need is met, so she's started carrying around a bag of items that she can give to people to fulfill their immediate needs. One day, she goes to a music festival with friends, and one of them disappears. Sariyah is scared, especially since the friend's need prior to disappearing was strange. It's not the first time someone Sariyah knows has disappeared, and she's scared of her friend becoming another statistic of a missing Black girl. She starts looking into the disappearance herself and even trying to fulfill other needs in exchange for cash, hoping to get to the bottom of what's going on but potentially placing herself in danger too.
This was quite riveting! The writing was excellent, and the story flowed at the perfect pace. I liked the multiple layers of mystery in here, and Sariyah's ability to sense what others need was a fun addition to what was already a solid plot. I enjoyed the added bonus of slight magical realism that still kept the story grounded in reality. Sariyah and her friends were extremely relatable, and I really liked reading about the friendships and relationships in this book. Sariyah's family had a different dynamic to it, but there was a good relationships between Sariyah and her parents and her little brother. Everyone was depicted nicely and issues were handled in a way that felt believable.
I had a hard time putting this book down because of how invested in the story I got and how much I wanted to keep reading to find out what would happen next. The resolution didn't feel quite as satisfying to me as I wanted, perhaps because it seemed a little more confusing than necessary (or at least it felt that way to me), but I did enjoy the full mystery and full book. I would definitely pick up another book by this author and am curious if she'll be writing another one about Sariyah because there felt like so much that could still be explored in this world. Very engaging!...more
Jenna Chen feels like she's always second best to her perfect cousin, Jessica. So one night, she makes a wish that she could be Jessica, and the next Jenna Chen feels like she's always second best to her perfect cousin, Jessica. So one night, she makes a wish that she could be Jessica, and the next day she wakes up to find that her wish has been granted! Meanwhile, Jenna has basically disappeared and everyone is forgetting that she ever existed. Jenna feels like she should be happy; after all, she's now Harvard-bound and she excels at everything she does. But Jenna starts to realize that Jessica's life isn't as perfect as she thought it was, and she isn't sure whether she actually wants to be Jessica or if she just doesn't like the person she was as Jenna.
This book has really good reviews overall, but it didn't resonate with me as much as it seems to have resonated with others. I liked the concept in here, and I thought the author did a nice job portraying Jenna's feelings about always being less than her cousin and disappointing her parents by not being as smart or as successful. That said, the book felt fairly light on plot, and while it did move forward, I felt like it was often just on the edge of something big happening but never actually got big. I think I wanted more, whether it be deeper characters or a more complex plot or just simply additional subplots woven in. ...more
This is the follow-up book to Frigg's Journey to Anasgar, which was a lot of fun. This book focuses on Ping, a faery who grew up in a dwarf colony, alThis is the follow-up book to Frigg's Journey to Anasgar, which was a lot of fun. This book focuses on Ping, a faery who grew up in a dwarf colony, always wondering if there were other pixies out there but not knowing how to find them. One day, a stranger finds her and tells her that not only does the mythical faery kingdom of Pixiandria exist, Ping is the princess and her mother, the queen, has gone missing! With help from her friends, Ping has to return to her homeland, find her mother, and figure out where she fits in.
This was such a cute story! It started off engaging enough, but the real excitement began when Ping's journey got underway. I loved the kingdom of Pixiandria and all the details about how faeries lived. Even the names of their meals sounded magical! Ping really seemed to come into her own in this book, and I enjoyed learning about her history and meeting other magical creatures as she learned about the new world. The new characters were engaging, and the way faery magic developed was interesting. There were also a handful of fun callbacks to the first book in this series; while you don't need to have read the first book to enjoy this one, I would recommend it for maximum enjoyment.
While there were a few threads in here that didn't feel completely resolved or explained, it's possible that they will get picked up in the next book (which I'm excited for!) and I liked the story enough that a few loose threads didn't affect my enjoyment of the book overall. I think I would have loved this when I was younger, and I hope this book finds those readers because it was such a fun journey! If you like magical creatures and want to read a tale of adventure and friendship, this is the perfect series!...more
4.5 stars. Finley has had the goal of hosting her school’s podcast for years, but on the day of her audition, her boyfriend also decides to audition (4.5 stars. Finley has had the goal of hosting her school’s podcast for years, but on the day of her audition, her boyfriend also decides to audition (using one of Finley’s ideas!) and lands the job. Finley is furious, they break up, and Finley decides that she will seek revenge on him by trying out for the kicker position on the football team (the position he’s always wanted) and stealing it from him. With the help of the former kicker (and her ex’s nemesis), Theo, Finley starts practicing and gets good enough to have a real shot at landing the position. She also surprises herself by starting to fall for Theo.
This was such a fun read! I can generally count on Kasie West to write entertaining, smart romances that are not just about the love story but about the main character’s life in general. This was one of the better ones! I loved the characters in here. Finley was relatable and dedicated to her craft, hosting her own podcast regardless of the lack of listeners. Her friends were fun, albeit not super distinguishable due to not being major characters, and I really liked the relationship that developed between Theo and Finley. I wasn’t sure what to make of Theo at first, but he turned out to be a surprisingly interesting and complex character. And Finley’s grandmother was such a good character too!
The plot in here was also a lot of fun. Who hasn’t dreamed about this kind of revenge on someone? I appreciated the fact that not everything turned out the way Finley wanted it to as she began exacting her revenge, and I also appreciated the lessons she learned along the way. I do feel like the rest of Finley’s family, aside from her grandma, could have been slightly more developed, but at the same time, this wasn’t a book about them. I had a really good time reading this and was disappointed when I finished because I wanted more! ...more
This is the sequel to Divine Rivals, which I read a few months ago and absolutely loved, making me eager to read the conclusion to the saga! If you haThis is the sequel to Divine Rivals, which I read a few months ago and absolutely loved, making me eager to read the conclusion to the saga! If you haven't read the first one, you should absolutely do so before reading this one (and before reading my review, since there may be spoilers for the first book in here).
This book picks up shortly after the first book ends, with the gods Dacre and Enva still warring and Iris, a journalist who'd been injured while reporting on the war, separated from Roman, her love interest and fellow journalist. Iris heads back to the frontlines to report on the war and hopefully find news about Roman's whereabouts. Roman's been captured, healed, and had his memory erased by Dacre. Iris starts writing letters to him, as she had previously, and they're magically delivered to him. Roman doesn't remember her but her letters begin jogging his memory as the war heats up all around them.
This was such an exciting conclusion to the series. I loved that it wasn't just a retelling of the first book, although it continued the same magical universe and had the same kind of feel to it, and I appreciated the author's ability to keep the Iris/Roman love story feeling fresh and swoon worthy instead of getting stale. The plot moved along at an excellent pace, and I loved the way this felt like a blend of fantasy and historical fiction due to the existence of magic but the equal existence of things like typewriters. There were plenty of moments about the relationship between Iris and Roman (especially with their continued letters to each other!), but overall, the plot kept its focus on the war and how it was affecting everyone in the vicinity. The mythology was nicely explained, and the legends about the gods made this feel like such a well-rounded universe.
I had hoped that this book would be a solid conclusion to the story started in Divine Rivals, and I was not disappointed. This is absolutely a book (along with its predecessor) that I'd recommend to anyone looking for a magical read. The characters were so well depicted and three-dimensional, the plot was interesting, and the romance was perfectly portrayed. What a great read! I wish there were more books in this world, but I'm also happy that it ended so perfectly....more
3.5 stars. Wren is at a coffeeshop when she hears a guy named Asher getting roasted by his friend for being potentially stood up by an apparent catfis3.5 stars. Wren is at a coffeeshop when she hears a guy named Asher getting roasted by his friend for being potentially stood up by an apparent catfish. Feeling bad for him, she pretends to be the girl he'd been talking to online and soon finds out that she actually likes him. Wren knows she should tell him she's not really his online friend, but she can't seem to bring herself to do so because she's scared he'll no longer want to be with her.
This started off well but then annoyed me as the story went on and Wren kept not saying anything to Asher about having only pretended to be the person he'd met online. It seemed like a roadblock that was self-created, and it was frustrating to see the lie continue for no real reason except for Wren worrying that he won't like her if he found out she wasn't the same person. That didn't seem like a believable enough reason to keep this secret, which made the whole premise a little tiring and feel convenient for the plot instead of realistic.
I did like the characters in here, and I also enjoyed the subplot was Wren working at an animal shelter, trying to find a home for a dog she loves who's particular about people. It was a fun backdrop for the story in here. I also enjoyed the friendship Wren has with her best friend. There was a minor subplot about Wren dealing with family issues, which I think was handled nicely but seemed to taper off a bit in the end.
Overall, this was a fun story and I enjoyed reading this, but it wasn't my favorite of the author's many books!
Merged review:
3.5 stars. Wren is at a coffeeshop when she hears a guy named Asher getting roasted by his friend for being potentially stood up by an apparent catfish. Feeling bad for him, she pretends to be the girl he'd been talking to online and soon finds out that she actually likes him. Wren knows she should tell him she's not really his online friend, but she can't seem to bring herself to do so because she's scared he'll no longer want to be with her.
This started off well but then annoyed me as the story went on and Wren kept not saying anything to Asher about having only pretended to be the person he'd met online. It seemed like a roadblock that was self-created, and it was frustrating to see the lie continue for no real reason except for Wren worrying that he won't like her if he found out she wasn't the same person. That didn't seem like a believable enough reason to keep this secret, which made the whole premise a little tiring and feel convenient for the plot instead of realistic.
I did like the characters in here, and I also enjoyed the subplot was Wren working at an animal shelter, trying to find a home for a dog she loves who's particular about people. It was a fun backdrop for the story in here. I also enjoyed the friendship Wren has with her best friend. There was a minor subplot about Wren dealing with family issues, which I think was handled nicely but seemed to taper off a bit in the end.
Overall, this was a fun story and I enjoyed reading this, but it wasn't my favorite of the author's many books!...more
I didn't get far enough into this book to fairly give it a starred rating. The writing in here was sooo off-putting and gave off the vibe of trying waI didn't get far enough into this book to fairly give it a starred rating. The writing in here was sooo off-putting and gave off the vibe of trying way too hard to be clever or funny but not succeeding at either. I couldn't handle reading more than a chapter and really couldn't imagine trying to slog my way through the entire book. I felt like perhaps the author was going for funny, quirky, or snarky... but in reality, the character just came off as unlikable and nothing about it was funny because I couldn't get past my annoyance about the writing to even vaguely enjoy (or follow) the plot. Based on the fact that this has overall high ratings on Goodreads, I assume that there is an audience with an appetite for this kind of book. I'm just not part of that group. ...more
3.5 stars. Eric is nineteen and instead of being at college as planned, he's taking a year off and kind of aimlessly trying to figure out his life as 3.5 stars. Eric is nineteen and instead of being at college as planned, he's taking a year off and kind of aimlessly trying to figure out his life as he grieves the death of his best friend, Daniel. Eric was in love with Daniel and felt like they could have had an epic love story, but it will now forever be unstarted and unfinished. He's also having trouble coming to terms with the disappearance of his sister from his everyday life after she left for college. He starts creating imaginary scenarios in his head, trying to cope with everything, and one of the scenarios involves a boy named Haru, who he met on a trip to Japan the previous summer and shared an afternoon with, appearing in his life again. Suddenly it seems like Haru actually is there... except only Eric can see him. Eric feels comforted by Haru's presence, but he realizes that at some point, he might actually have to confront reality.
I had read this author's debut novel, You've Reached Sam, when it came out and absolutely loved it for its poignancy and thoughtfulness. I expected the same traits in this novel, and while it succeeded in some regards, it didn't resonate with me the same way. I sympathized with Eric and really liked the concept in here, but the way it was written felt a bit jumbled to me. Perhaps this was intentional, having scenes progress and then only later in the scene does Eric acknowledge it's just a fantasy in his mind, leaving the reader to have to untangle the story and realize where the actual story ended and the fantasy began. I also did not feel like there was as much depth to the relationships in here as I would have liked. The Eric/Daniel relationship was nicely portrayed, but I felt like there could have been a bit more to give it more depth. I also wish there would have been more about Eric's family in here, since he is constantly missing his sister but doesn't actually spend that much time interacting with his parents so his family feels very peripheral.
On the other hand, I feel like the author did a really nice job depicting a main character struggling with grief and trying to muddle through the days. He makes a number of decisions that the reader knows immediately are bad ones (not necessarily harmful, but ones that he'll regret because he's not fully thinking clearly), but this felt realistic and understandable. There was a twist in here that I didn't expect and lent an additional poignancy to the novel. But overall, I felt like a lot of this book was just kind of muddling through and while this felt realistic for Eric's state of mind, it didn't necessarily make for the kind of truly moving and thoughtful book that I think this could have been. ...more
This is the first book of a two-part (so far) series, each featuring a different main character but set in the same world. I accidentally read the secThis is the first book of a two-part (so far) series, each featuring a different main character but set in the same world. I accidentally read the second book before I read this one, not realizing there'd been a previous book I should read! This one stars Sharlot, who's grown up in Los Angeles but is whisked away to Jakarta for the summer by her mom, who immigrated to the U.S. from Indonesia. Her mom is desperate to get Sharlot to make friends and meet a boy, so she sets Sharlot up with a guy named George, who ends up being the son of one of the wealthiest business families around. Neither teen is especially impressed by this move, but they both have to pretend to be into the other for various reasons, and as Sharlot enjoys getting to know Indonesia and her new cousins and friends there, she also realizes that there's more to George than what she first realized.
This was a cute read and a really fun story! The author's writing, as usual, was filled with cute moments and the voice was very engaging. Although the plot seemed a little farfetched, it was such a fun story that I didn't really mind. Indonesia really came to life in this book, and the descriptions of the country made me want to visit. I really liked all the characters in here as well. Sharlot and George each narrated parts of this book, and both were quite fun. The secondary characters as well were nicely done and felt authentic. Fun read!...more
This was a fun followed up to Thieves' Gambit, which I read a little over a year ago and only remembered vaguely. In here, Ross is working for the OrgThis was a fun followed up to Thieves' Gambit, which I read a little over a year ago and only remembered vaguely. In here, Ross is working for the Organization alongside her occasional love interest, occasional enemy, Devroe, trying to protect herself and her mom from Devroe's mom. After there's a grab for power in the Organization, Ross finds herself working to help decide who will control the organization in the future.
The author did a good job of reminding the reader of what happened in the first book, although I think it helped that I vaguely remembered the storyline; without that, I would likely have been quite lost about some of the details! This started off interesting, and then it really kicked into high gear once the new Gambit gets underway as two factions make a bid for power. I was entertained by the challenges that Ross and her friends had to figure out, and it was also fun to have the book take place all over the world. Realistic? Not really. Entertaining? Definitely.
If you read the first book and enjoyed it, I think this would be equally enjoyable. The characters were fun, the action was almost nonstop, and the stakes were clear. I got more into this book the more it went on, and it had a solid ending. ...more
Ivy is a huge fan of H-MAD, a show about a group of teens with magical powers, and writes fan fiction in her spare time that features a romance betweeIvy is a huge fan of H-MAD, a show about a group of teens with magical powers, and writes fan fiction in her spare time that features a romance between a version of herself and Weston, the star of the show. She wakes up one morning to find Weston beside her—not the actor, but the actual character—and he’s exactly the way she wrote him in her fanfic, telling her he’s in love with her and that they’re soulmates. Ivy doesn’t know what to do and also isn’t fully sure if her dreams really have come true (or if she even wants these dreams now that they’re reality!), so she enlists the help of her best friend and fellow H-MAD super fan, Henry, and her ex-best friend and neighbor, Mack, to figure out how to handle this turn of events!
This book was a lot of fun! I’d previously read another book by this author and enjoyed it, so I picked this up with the hope that it’d be equally as entertaining and fun. It did not disappoint! The story was so engaging, the characters were interesting and multi-dimensional, and the plot was light but also thoughtful. I had a hard time putting this down because I kept wanting to know what would happen next. There were even a few genuine laugh out loud funny parts in here, which is always appreciated.
The author did a good job bringing this plot to life. I wasn’t sure how it would come together, since it was fairly complex, but it ended up feeling seamless. I enjoyed seeing various tropes that Ivy wrote in her fanfic come to life, and I liked the way that magic worked (and didn’t work) in here. Definitely a good read and one I’d recommend to anyone looking for a lighthearted, fun book, especially anyone who’s ever written or read fan fiction! ...more
It's been sixteen years since Bel's mom, Rachel, disappeared, and her disappearance has been a hot topic for the public, all wondering what happened tIt's been sixteen years since Bel's mom, Rachel, disappeared, and her disappearance has been a hot topic for the public, all wondering what happened to her. A documentary is now being made about her disappearance, but then suddenly Rachel reappears! The timing is strange, and the story Rachel tells about what happened is even stranger. Bel doesn't trust her at all, especially since minor details occasionally change in Rachel's description of what happened, and she's determined to find out what really happened all those years ago.
I've read two previous books by this author, one I really enjoyed and another that I didn't, so I wasn't sure what to expect with this book. This was quite solid! The author did a really good job of pacing everything and letting the clues slowly unfold as the story went on. I wasn't nearly as suspicious as Bel, since most of the details that Bel focused on as "proof" that her mom was lying about something could easily be explained away as saying she's trying to recall details from sixteen years ago and has been through a lot in the meantime! Bel, too, was not a particularly likable character, as she had a habit of pushing everyone away. It was understandable, but didn't make me especially care about what happened to her. That said, I thought the story itself was solid enough that I overlooked these relatively minor issues.
I definitely got sucked into this story, eager to keep reading and find out what had actually happened. There were a few twists along the way, which I really liked. Some of them relied on people not doing what they "should" have done, such as not going to the police at various times or not sharing all information with others, which I could understand to a point but overall was convenient for the story. This wasn't perfect, but it was delightfully twisty and kept me guessing along the way. Very enjoyable!...more
4.5 stars. Tia is a head-hopper/immersionist, able to transfer her consciousness into someone else's body if they allow it. There are a number of peop4.5 stars. Tia is a head-hopper/immersionist, able to transfer her consciousness into someone else's body if they allow it. There are a number of people with this ability in the world, but she's kept hers relatively quiet and hasn't registered with the government as required. Instead, she uses it to help others and gets hired by people who want her to do something that they lack the confidence to do themselves. She makes sure her own (empty) body is safe while she does the job, then returns and everyone's happy. After doing a job one day, before returning to her own body, she sees breaking news on the TV that someone wearing her own body just murdered the District Attorney. She has no idea how someone managed to steal her unattended body, or even knew it was going to be empty during that time, but she now needs to prove her own innocence and figure out who used her body to commit this crime, especially since they now want her (as the only "witness") dead too.
This was such a great book and engaging story! I'd read a few previous books by this author and enjoyed them, but I'm pretty sure this book is her best yet. Tia was such a great main character. I loved her narration and how resourceful she was trying to figure everything out. I enjoyed her friendships and the supporting characters in here as well, all of whom seemed like three-dimensional people instead of just characters. The mystery in here was so well done and kept me guessing until the very end; I had no idea who the guilty party would be until it was revealed, which made total sense and also was very exciting because I hate it when I figure out a mystery well before anyone in the book!
The premise in here reminded me of John Scalzi's Lock In, except this is YA instead of adult, and with a Veronica Mars like vibe to the main character and the story. What a fun mash up! There were so many side mysteries, as lots of supporting characters had their own secrets and kept Tia's investigation interesting as she looked into what everyone else wants to keep hidden. I thoroughly enjoyed this. The story wrapped up neatly, but it felt like there was potential for a follow-up book, which I'd easily read if written. ...more
Ivy is a journalist who’s struggling with the absence of her brother, who’s enlisted to fight in a war between the gods Enva and Dacre and has not wriIvy is a journalist who’s struggling with the absence of her brother, who’s enlisted to fight in a war between the gods Enva and Dacre and has not written to her since he left. The war seems faraway but Ivy knows it will eventually get closer to home. She writes letters to her brother and slips them under a door… where they magically end up in the hands of Roman, her rival at the newspaper and soon her anonymous penpal that she falls in love with. As the war drags on, Ivy signs up to become a war correspondent and gets closer to the front lines, trying to better understand the truth of the war and find out what happened to her brother.
This book was so good! The author created such an intricate world, complete with its own mythology and history. I loved the world building in here and the way the myths slowly were revealed to the reader. The idea of letters being magically directed between the two journalists was clever, and I fell in love with both characters through their writings. All the characters in here felt very real, and the story moved forward at such a perfect pace. I had no idea where the plot would go but continually wanted to read on and find out more.
One thing I found interesting about this book is that the author didn’t spend time trying to explain the world in here to the reader; instead, the reader is just dropped into the world and information is slowly revealed as the book goes on to further round the story out and fill in the blanks. It was so well done. The writing was beautiful, the characters engaging, and the story was so interesting. This felt like a blend of fantasy and history. The book ended in a good spot, but there was enough left unsaid that I feel the need to pick up the sequel to this as soon as possible. I’m so happy to see that it’s already out!...more
Mallory is a chess prodigy who gave it up a few years ago after she blamed it for ruining her happy family. Now eighteen, she's constantly stressed ouMallory is a chess prodigy who gave it up a few years ago after she blamed it for ruining her happy family. Now eighteen, she's constantly stressed out working a low-paying job trying to make money to pay bills for her now-single mom and younger sisters, and she agrees to play in one chess tournament for charity at the urging of her best friend. There, she manages to beat Nolan, the current world champion. She suddenly becomes famous in the chess world and agrees to accept a chess fellowship and begin training and competing in more tournaments, making money and trying to avoid Nolan.
This was clearly inspired by The Queen's Gambit and had a cute premise to start. That said, the book quickly started grating on my nerves. Mallory was a really dumb main character. She ended up in problems of her own making and took on more responsibility than necessary at home, despite even her own mom telling her it wasn't necessary and that she wished Mallory would go to college. I could kinda understand why Mallory made the decisions she did, but only kinda. She was supposed to be very smart, but she acted otherwise. Obstacles in here felt more self-created than natural, like the fact that she felt like she had to keep her return to chess secret from her family for reasons that even she admits she didn't understand. The whole "I hate chess" defense that Mallory kept employing was also really dumb; she sounded like she was throwing a temper tantrum. She's 18 and honestly believes that the game of chess is what ruined her parents' marriage? I had to roll my eyes every time she said something along these lines.
The other characters were even less developed than Mallory. The dialogue between Mallory and her sisters, for example, was really irritating and unpleasant, and both of her sisters were incredibly ungrateful, in a way that I guess was supposed to be funny but was actually really dumb. They constantly hit up Mallory for money and get irritated when she doesn't have it immediately (as if it's her responsibility as their older sister to pay for everything?), Mallory has what she thinks is a legitimate worry that one of them will report her to CPS if she uses sunflower seed butter on their PBJ sandwiches, and one of them actually uses the phrase, "Unclench your butthole" when telling Mallory to calm down. Yikes.
The plot was incredibly unrealistic. Mallory hasn't played chess in years because of some secret catastrophic event in the past, yet she's immediately good enough to take on many of the world's best players. It felt beyond unrealistic that she'd suddenly be good enough to beat almost everyone. The author repeatedly said it was really stressful for Mallory and she worried about losing... but she's just the most incredible natural talent there's been in years and she manages to win almost every game she plays. Again, unrealistic and pretty much Mary Sue territory. The rivalry between Mallory and Nolan was also ridiculous. It's mostly comprised of her projecting assumptions on him and running away, which wasn't especially interesting to read about or entertaining.
I read about half this book, the whole time both annoyed but also feeling like the premise of a possibly good book was here and wanting to give it more of a chance. Finally, I couldn't take it any more. After Mallory wins against a bunch of the world’s best chess players, she goes back to studying chess and tells the reader how she’s improving so much… all I could think was, what does she have to improve still since she’s already proved she’s able to beat the best? I had to put the books down at that point. I'm not sure why this has such great reviews. Perhaps the wish-fulfillment in this book resonated a lot more with others than it did with me....more
A group of six friends borrow an RV to drive to Florida for spring break. On the way, they take a wrong turn and end up stuck, with four flat tires anA group of six friends borrow an RV to drive to Florida for spring break. On the way, they take a wrong turn and end up stuck, with four flat tires and no gas. It's clear that it's no accident, since there's a sniper in the wood who's now holding them hostage until one of them gives up a secret that they're holding. Red, the main character, is already teeming with anxiety and as the hours go on, the group fights among themselves and secrets start being revealed.
I remember enjoying another book by this author, so I was hoping that this would be another engaging mystery. Unfortunately, it seemed kind of lackluster. The writing was fine and Red was a decent main character, but the other characters all kind of blended together, making me not especially care about their plight (especially since none of them were likable). The story also seemed to drag, perhaps because all the action takes place over the course of about eight hours and is all set in the RV, but I feel like it could have been more gripping. I didn't find the story plausible and there was too much that ended up being coincidental or unbelievable. ...more
To celebrate high school graduation, Izzy and six of her friends head out to an island where old movies were filmed and dress up and act like it's theTo celebrate high school graduation, Izzy and six of her friends head out to an island where old movies were filmed and dress up and act like it's the 1920's. It's mostly fun, despite Izzy having been the poor kid at her expensive school and the others being incredibly well-off, and despite a lot of arguments being had. Izzy's best friend, Kassidy, planned the entire thing mostly for Izzy's benefit, so she's trying her best to enjoy the experience. Things take a turn when one of the party is murdered, and the killer has to be someone in their group, since they're alone on the island. The police come to investigate, and everyone has secrets they want to hide, including Izzy, who brought the knife that was used for the murder.
This was so well put together and engaging! I wasn't sure how the setting would work, since it's modern day teens but in a 1920's setting, but the author pulled it off! The characters quickly differentiated themselves from each other, and while a lot of them weren't especially likable, I did like the way they interacted with each other and how they all seemed to have scores to settle. I had no idea who the guilty party would be, and I really enjoyed the journey finding out, since little pieces of the story seemed to be revealed in each chapter.
I feel like this started a bit more haltingly than it needed to when introducing the characters and their interests, but once the story got underway, I was hooked! I did not want to put this down, eager to find out what would happen next. I can see why this was compared to both Knives Out and One of Us is Lying and would recommend it to fans of those. A very engrossing story!...more
This was such an engaging and entertaining book! Ross comes from a family of thieves and has been doing heists all her life alongside her mom, who's sThis was such an engaging and entertaining book! Ross comes from a family of thieves and has been doing heists all her life alongside her mom, who's stressed that Ross can't trust anyone who's not family. Ross dreams about doing something a normal teen would do and thinks about going to a summer camp, but before she can put her plan into action, her mom's kidnapped and Ross has to accept a mysterious invitation to participate in the "Thieves' Gambit," where thieves compete against each other and the winner is granted a wish. Ross is determined to win and free her mom, but the competition pushes her in new ways and she's unsure if she can trust anyone else in it, even when she has to to keep going.
The blurb about this book said it's like a cross between Ocean's 11 and The Inheritance Games and I think this is an apt comparison. I liked the setting of this a lot, with all the main characters coming from notorious families of thieves and everyone being loathe to trust anyone else because they know what they're each capable of. The mystery aspect in here was also interesting, as Ross doesn't know who she's working for or what they actually want with her, so she's resourceful throughout as she tries to figure out what's going on. This was just a lot of fun to read and it kept moving forward at such a great speed! There were a lot of characters to start, but it quickly got narrowed down to a smaller, more manageable number, to keep track of. The story was different and clever, and while some of it didn't seem completely realistic, I enjoyed reading this so much that I didn't care. Apparently this is the start of a series, so I'm looking forward to reading the next and seeing where it goes! ...more
Jordy is a rich kid who's now famous because his sister married a prince. He's set to be the star of a new reality show called Second Chance Romance wJordy is a rich kid who's now famous because his sister married a prince. He's set to be the star of a new reality show called Second Chance Romance where a bunch of his exes gather and fight to compete to date him (again), the assumption being that they loved him before he was famous so maybe this is where he'll have the best luck finding love again now. Maya is an ex he dated for almost a year; they broke up because he cheated on her and then dumped her. She's eager to be on the show because she wants revenge. Skye is the girl he cheated on Maya with, who didn't know he had a girlfriend, and she's agreeable to going on the show because she feels like things with Jordy were left unfinished. Once on the show, the two girls get to know each other, fall in love with each other, and start thinking that they can take Jordy down together.
This was a lot of fun to read! I hadn't heard of this book before it was nominated for the Goodreads Choice Awards, and I'm glad I picked it up because it was so engrossing. I loved the story and could absolutely see this kind of show (with some kind of "Jordy" as the hero) getting televised. The reasons all the women had for going on the show totally made sense, and I found it so entertaining to read about all the behind the scenes happening of this ridiculous reality show.
The characters were very entertaining as well. The narration alternated between Maya and Skye, and I really liked both their takes on everything going on. Maya's narration was especially entertaining when she described Jordy, since she was so eager to point out all his flaws to the reader and it was done in a very entertaining manner. Skye was a little less endearing to me, mostly because I didn't get quite as solid of a feel for her personality and found her to be a mix of overly trusting and naive or overly guarded.
The main draw of this book for me was the story about the reality show and how that would end up. Jordy really was a self-absorbed tool and I wanted him to be exposed. It was infuriating to see how much his image was able to be cultivated and fed to the public as a stand-up guy, yet he was feeding all the women/contestants nothing but canned lines and making snide comments that would never be aired. I liked the way the women banded together behind the scenes and how each of them had a reason for being there. It felt fairly authentic, aside from the fact that I felt like a real reality show would have had more cameras behind the scenes than there seemed to be in this book, which would have prevented a lot of the secret scheming and heart-to-hearts from happening. That said, I really enjoyed this overall and was continually eager to get back to reading this every time I set it down. Definitely an entertaining read!...more