Genres

The Herd by Andrea Bartz

October 13, 2021 Leave a Comment

336 Pages | Ballantine | Mystery/Thriller | 3/24/2020

I rarely read long-form journalism but I devoured this piece in the New York Times Magazine about the false utopia of the all-female co-working space The Wing, so when I saw this book had a similar premise I had to pick it up.

In this book, the fictional aspirational feminist co-working space is called The Herd and the novel follows the twisty aftermath of disappearance of the founder, Eleanor Walsh.

The Bradley sisters, Katie and Hana, are best friends with the missing Eleanor and as they search for the truth their own dark secrets surface.

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Rise To The Sun by Leah Johnson

September 27, 2021 2 Comments

7 hours 33 mins | Scholastic Audio | Contemporary | 7/06/2021

Content warnings: parental loss, panic attacks, gun violence and nonconsensual picture sharing

You Should See Me In A Crown was one of my favorite reads last year and I was excited to see what Johnson had in store for her sophomore novel. The one was a little more of an emotional heavy hitter with an ambitious plot structure that left me wanting more.

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Meet Cute Diary by Emery Lee

September 11, 2021 2 Comments

7 Hours 3 Mins | Harper Audio | Contemporary | 5/04/2021

In this book, the titular Meet Cute Diary is a wildly popular Tumblr blog of supposedly true meet-cutes from transgender couples. In reality, all the posts are from the imagination of 16-year-old Noah Ramirez–who has only ever dreamed of having his own meet-cute.

When an anonymous troll tries to discredit the blog, Noah and a handsome bookseller stage a social media love story inspired by Noah’s fake posts.

The Meet Cute Diary is a refreshing take on the coming of age YA love story that creates room for queer and imperfect teens but… its main romance left me wanting more.

*mild spoilers below*

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Grown by Tiffany D. Jackson

August 14, 2021 2 Comments

8 hours 19 minutes | Harper Audio | Contemporary | 9/15/2020

CW (from publisher): mention of sexual abuse, rape, assault, child abuse, kidnapping and addiction to opioids

28-year-old superstar Korey Fields promised to make 17-year-old Enchanted Jones singing dreams come true. Instead he lures her into an abusive relationship she can’t escape from. Part contemporary novel and part literary thriller, Grown is a brilliantly modern addition to the canon of YA books about abusive relationships.

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The Lost Man by Jane Harper

August 7, 2021 Leave a Comment

11 Hours 3 Mins | Macmillan Audio | Mystery/Thriller | 2/05/2019

I devoured Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty a few years ago and have been on the lookout for a book with similar vibes ever since. I picked up this Australia-set thriller after Anne Bogel recommended it on the What Should I Read Next podcast. The book opens with two Bright brothers meeting in the middle of the Australian Outback over the body of their middle brother. We then follow Nathan Bright as he tries to piece together what lead to his brother’s mysterious death.

This is one of those slow atmospheric thrillers where secrets are quietly revealed until the truth comes out. I haven’t read much in this genre but once I understood the structure, I found this to be an intense and emotional read.

I was absolutely fascinated by the Outback setting and learning all the precautions people have to take to survive. They are isolated from pretty much everything and have to be prepared for the worse. Let me tell you; it wouldn’t be me.

The audiobook is narrated by Stephen Shanahan, he goes all-in during his dialogue and is a great narrator. While I liked hearing the Australian accent it was sometimes hard for me to understand as an American listener. I had to keep this one at 1x.

The Lost Man is a standalone, but the rest of Harper’s book are in the Aaron Falk series…which was just adapted into a movie. I want to go back and check these out!

I’m still not sure how to review thrillers without spoilers but…there is a lot of of violence against women. Is that just a common thing in the Grip-lit/thriller genre?

Ace of Shades by Amanda Foody

July 9, 2021 1 Comment

CW (via author’s website) : inferred (and highly condemned) pedophilia.

Prim and proper Enne arrives in the sinful city of New Reynes to find for her missing mother, but the city has other plans. Enne is quickly pulled in by Levi Glaysier, an alluring young street lord who helps her navigate the city and uncover its darkest secrets.

It was okay.

New Reynes seems to be an homage to early 20th century Monaco. Amanda Foody infuses this setting with what started off as a pretty basic magical system and history that becomes harder to follow as more layers are added.

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