What a beautiful and touching story! Full of action, Nowhere on Earth starts with a plane crash and only escalates from there. I was on the edge of myWhat a beautiful and touching story! Full of action, Nowhere on Earth starts with a plane crash and only escalates from there. I was on the edge of my seat as the events unfolded and audibly gasped more than once.
"Emily felt the earthquake friction of different layers of reality rubbing together."
This book is a quick read and is truly best going in without much knowledge of the plot - I enjoyed experiencing and piecing it together. This one is light on the science fiction elements, the world is our world and there isn't futuristic technology or worldbuilding to understand. Memory and reality, particularly how we experience it, are a common theme but it's an accessible conversation that can serve as a primer for other sci-fi works that tackle these themes.
"We're not lost. We've come through that. We're on the other side of lost."
At its core this is a book about the love Emily has for her brother, and their harrowing adventure on a remote mountain in Alaska. But it's also about acceptance and living in the moment, and perhaps even chasing your dreams. "The future is waiting to be shaped."
eARC provided by the publisher for consideration. This does not affect my opinion nor the contents of my review. Quotations are from an unfinished proof and subject to change upon final publication.
OH MY GOD this book??? y'all are sleeping on it wtf. forever mad that I didn't get to it before now. full review to come but just know that this book OH MY GOD this book??? y'all are sleeping on it wtf. forever mad that I didn't get to it before now. full review to come but just know that this book has my heart.
eARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley for consideration. This does not affect my opinion nor the contents of my review. I read a finished copy.
I wish that I enjoyed this novella more than I did. Unfortunately, I found it rather meandering and it didn't really grasp my interest. There are someI wish that I enjoyed this novella more than I did. Unfortunately, I found it rather meandering and it didn't really grasp my interest. There are some beautifully written lines and the overall plot itself was compelling, but the writing style just didn't work for me -- it felt a lot longer than it is and I almost DNFd it.
eARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley for consideration. All opinions are my own.
OH MY GOD THIS BOOK!?!?!?! The Haunting of Alejandra simply blew me away and there is no way t[image] Full review is now available on Reader Voracious!
OH MY GOD THIS BOOK!?!?!?! The Haunting of Alejandra simply blew me away and there is no way that I will be able to do it justice. Haunting and beautifully written, this is a powerful and infuriating story that I won't soon forget.
This book deals heavily with depression and suicidal ideation so please be sure you are in the right headspace before picking it up.
"I watched my husband achieve his dreams while I sat at home wanting to die, forgetting any dreams of my own."
My heart absolutely aches for Alejandra, who had slowly given up pieces of herself to her husband and the life that he wanted for their family. Their interactions are microaggressions against her pain and he treats her like a servant. I love that we watch her unpack these feelings and work with a therapist. I appreciate the trauma and healing tools that are discussed.
"The tension between them remained in the air like a smoldering vapor. In that vapor floated the dust of all the unloving and inharmonious things they have ever said."
Fast paced and effortlessly crafted, the narrative captured me from the first page to the very last. The Haunting of Alejandra is a book about learning to love oneself and heal both personal and generational trauma. It's more than a ghost story and Alejandra is haunted by more than La Llorona. It's also about the horrors of the patriarchy and is an honest look at the thankless reality of motherhood. This book made me cry and while I am not a mother myself, I feel seen and will treasure this book.
Representation: adoption rep, bisexual main character, Mexican American rep, trans rep Content Warnings: ableism, bloody injury and gore depiction, depression, generational trauma, menstruation, miscarriage, parental abandonment, racism, religious oppression, sexual assault mention, suicidal ideation
eARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion nor the contents of my review. Quotations are from an unfinished proof and subject to change upon final publication.
"Ash sleets from the firmament in soft handfuls of black, gathering in gauzy drifts around my ankles. The sky is ink and seething murk, whispe
"Ash sleets from the firmament in soft handfuls of black, gathering in gauzy drifts around my ankles. The sky is ink and seething murk, whispering secrets to itself, the clourds snarled like long, dark hair."
Cassandra Khaw is an auto-buy author for me, and their latest novella The Salt Grows Heavy is just as dark as their other writing. I love mermaids and absolutely adore how Khaw took the legends and shaped them into something wholly and horrifically unique.
Beautifully written with every word in its place, the prose is descriptive and all encompassing. Some readers may struggle with the purple prose or depictions of gore, so be sure to check the content warnings.
"Man mistakes his own experiences as the canvas on which all truths are drawn. He is rarely correct in this respect."
This is a difficult novella to review because it's kind of something to be experienced, but this was a read I won't forget anytime soon.
Content warnings: blood and gore, death, dismemberment, murder
eARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion nor the contents of my review. Quotations are from an unfinished proof and subject to change upon final publication.
The Butcher is an adult western dystopia where "An Eye for an Eye" is taken a bit too literally. An interesting premise and discussion of power, contrThe Butcher is an adult western dystopia where "An Eye for an Eye" is taken a bit too literally. An interesting premise and discussion of power, control, and justice; however, I was left wanting more. More information about the world. More coherent plotting. More compelling narrative. This was almost painful to read but my interest was piqued enough to see how it ended, but the ending didn't offer a satisfying payoff. I didn't enjoy this at all and I'm so sad about it.
eARC & ALC provided by the publisher via NetGalley and LibroFM for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion nor the contents of my review. Quotations are from an unfinished proof and subject to change upon final publication.
Audiobook narration: 100000 gold stars! I read along with the audiobook and Lori Prince did an incredible job bringing this story to life with her narAudiobook narration: 100000 gold stars! I read along with the audiobook and Lori Prince did an incredible job bringing this story to life with her narration.
"[I]t's more important to know who you are than who you think you're meant to be."
Holy heck, this book was powerful and heartbreaking and I want to punch things. This is a beautifully written uncomfortable read, please read the content warnings before picking this one up.
"Are you the girl? he asked. There could only be one answer. More powerful than disappearing was being found. More powerful was being found was being seen."
Beautifully written and effortlessly engaging, I'm The Girl is like a car accident that you can't look away from. Courtney Summers nails the teen voice and writes in a way that feels authentic. There's a raw vulnerability to this story of Georgia, a teenaged girl who desperately wants to grow up and make something of herself. Who never felt support from those around her. Who sees her beauty as a way out of poverty and a path to a better life. Whose desire and naivete draw Bad People to her and she doesn't realize that she's a victim. Georgia infuriates me and I wish that I could hold her close and tell her that she doesn't need to seek validation and that she's worthy of respect. But I remember all too well wanting to grow up, to be Seen by older men and thinking that made me special. The anger and frustration that I feel is as much for my younger self, and for all young girls who have been taken advantage of.
I can't exactly say that I enjoyed reading this book, but it is powerful, timely, and beautifully written. Courtney Summers handles the topic with care and with I'm The Girl she continues her focus on the young victims of society without sensationalizing.
Content Warnings: blackmail, child sex abuse, kidnapping, pedophilia, statutory rape Representation: sapphic main character, poverty rep
eARC & ALC provided by the publisher via NetGalley and LibroFM for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion nor the contents of my review. Quotations are from an unfinished proof and subject to change upon final publication.
Unfortunately I just never got into the story; I found myself bored from the outset and didn't find the characters or whatever the plot was bDNF @ 14%
Unfortunately I just never got into the story; I found myself bored from the outset and didn't find the characters or whatever the plot was building to compelling enough to continue reading.
I do appreciate the casual LGBT rep of the book with nonbinary individuals and queer relationships represented.
eARC provided by the publisher for consideration. This does not affect my opinion nor the contents of my review. Quotations are from an unfinished proof and subject to change upon final publication.
I loved Kit Frick's I Killed Zoe Spanos and was beyond excited to read her upcoming ya thriller, but unfortunately I didn't enjoy this one as muchI loved Kit Frick's I Killed Zoe Spanos and was beyond excited to read her upcoming ya thriller, but unfortunately I didn't enjoy this one as much as I'd hoped. I enjoy when books start at the end and then flash back so you can try to uncover how everything happens, and The Reunion uses this plot device well by interspersing the regular narrative with more "news" as it becomes available. The readers don't find out who went missing until halfway through the book, and then you're left trying to figure out how, which was fun.
The story is told in the alternating first person perspectives of the four teenagers on the trip to Cancun, Mexico: Addison, Mason, Theo, and Natalia. I often struggle with multiple POVs but can enjoy them in thrillers when used to relay information to the reader that the other characters don't know. That really didn't happen here and unfortunately, each character POV sounded the same and it was a little confusing to keep track of. Barring a few surface-level characteristics, each felt paper thin. There's a big Secret that Addison, Mason, and Natalia have been holding for the last three years that blew them apart, and I felt it was a little anticlimactic when revealed considering it is mentioned all the time. However, I appreciated how queer normative the world is, especially how identity and finding oneself is handled.
Ultimately, this was a quick and enjoyable read but I was left wanting on the character development front. The mystery itself is well done and engaging, making this a good summer read on the beach or poolside.
eARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley for consideration. This does not affect my opinion nor the contents of my review. Quotations are from an unfinished proof and subject to change upon final publication.
It pains me to say that writing style The Sleepless did not work for me. I loved the concept and underlying messages on capitalism but found
DNF @ 48&
It pains me to say that writing style The Sleepless did not work for me. I loved the concept and underlying messages on capitalism but found the narrative dragging and circuitous. It took what felt like 48 hours to read 48% (it was really 4.5), and I knew that I'd be back in a slump if I kept reading. Many thanks to my pal Amanda for cheering me on and for ultimately telling me what happens.
"'It's the choice between more or less time, and the answer is pretty obvious.'"
Thank you Kate for the recommendation, I'm so sad this one didn't work for me! This is a smart book with an important message, and I hope you give it a try if it sounds interesting to you!
eARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley for my honest review. This does not affect my opinion nor the contents of my review. Quotations are from an unfinished proof and subject to change upon final publication.
Kal ★ Reader Voracious
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