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beckykphillips's reviews
366 reviews
Shock Induction by Chuck Palahniuk
challenging
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
It had been far too long since I'd read a Chuck Palahniuk novel and Shock Induction reminded me that I have been missing out on his unique and incisive writing style.
Shock Induction explores a phenomenon where incredibly bright teens are committing suicide at an alarming rate, and we soon find out the culprit behind this is an organization called Greener Pastures, that auctions teens off to the highest bidder to become influential members of society at the highest levels. We follow Sam Deel and Garson Stavros down the rabbit hole as they are inducted into this world. Along the way, Palahniuk provides us excerpts from A Guide to Greener Pastures, full of stories of families and their efforts to get into the institution, and we read testimony about the ESE program, a project designed to get more teens literate by infusing books with different manners of substances so that you directly experience what happens in the book. These interludes are all in the name of Shock Induction.
Despite the fact that I'm not entirely sure I understood the whole book, I was down for the ride. I found myself googling items from the book like "Jim Carrey syphilis" and "Self-Amputation of Penis and Tongue after use of Angel’s Trumpet" two things I was rather horrified to find were entirely true, but I should not have been surprised. I was really invested in Sam's journey throughout the book and why she had been selected to go Greener Pastures. I also very much appreciated the broader critique of the commodification of every single thing and experience.
Overall, I definitely recommend the book - if you've enjoyed Chuck Palahniuk's writing before, you'll feel right at home.
Shock Induction explores a phenomenon where incredibly bright teens are committing suicide at an alarming rate, and we soon find out the culprit behind this is an organization called Greener Pastures, that auctions teens off to the highest bidder to become influential members of society at the highest levels. We follow Sam Deel and Garson Stavros down the rabbit hole as they are inducted into this world. Along the way, Palahniuk provides us excerpts from A Guide to Greener Pastures, full of stories of families and their efforts to get into the institution, and we read testimony about the ESE program, a project designed to get more teens literate by infusing books with different manners of substances so that you directly experience what happens in the book. These interludes are all in the name of Shock Induction.
Despite the fact that I'm not entirely sure I understood the whole book, I was down for the ride. I found myself googling items from the book like "Jim Carrey syphilis" and "Self-Amputation of Penis and Tongue after use of Angel’s Trumpet" two things I was rather horrified to find were entirely true, but I should not have been surprised. I was really invested in Sam's journey throughout the book and why she had been selected to go Greener Pastures. I also very much appreciated the broader critique of the commodification of every single thing and experience.
Overall, I definitely recommend the book - if you've enjoyed Chuck Palahniuk's writing before, you'll feel right at home.
The Stars are Dying by Chloe C. Peñaranda
Did not finish book. Stopped at 14%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 14%.
I was very excited about the premise of this one as I really enjoy romantasy and especially loved the idea of revisiting a world similar to the Crowns of Nyaxia series. Unfortunately though, this just didn't work for me - I felt like I was getting a firehose of tropes right off the bat. We have a hundred years games for peace where humans fight to impress the vampires that have taken over, a main character who only remembers 5 years of her life, and is trapped in a brothel. The main characters, Estrella and Nyght, were a bit too insta-love and on top of that, we Nyght saying "Who did this to you?" within the first 5% of the book.
I will say, the duet narration was a real treat - both narrators did a great job and I appreciated having each one come in and out as different characters spoke. In the end though, it just wasn't enough to keep me engaged and stay the course.
Thanks very much to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced copy.
I will say, the duet narration was a real treat - both narrators did a great job and I appreciated having each one come in and out as different characters spoke. In the end though, it just wasn't enough to keep me engaged and stay the course.
Thanks very much to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced copy.
The Night Guest by Hildur Knútsdóttir
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I made the mistake of starting The Night Guest prior to trying to wind down for the evening and did not want to put this book down. The Night Guest hooked me in with Iðunn's first trip to the doctor to try and figure out why she is constantly exhausted and bruised. The initial encounter with the doctor and her the desire understand what's wrong *and* have it be easily fixable from a doctor is highly relatable as someone with a chronic illness. Similarly relatable was the results inevitably coming back normal and well meaning friends and acquaintances try to provide advice, including all of the alternative medicines and essential oils to try to fix you.
As the mystery with Iðunn's illness unfolds, we get hints into what is going on - her fitness tracker has her at 40,000 steps and when she eventually enables the GPS, she finds she's heading to the same place each night. Along the way, we meet her married coworker and ex-lover, Stefan, her dead sister's boyfriend, and plenty of neighborhood cats.
I really enjoyed the novel overall - it's very tightly written, and the increase in Iðunn's desperation gets more and more evident by the single line entries that we get within the book. I could feel the intensity ratchet up, and the writing was further animated by the incredible narrator of The Night Guest, Mary Robinette Kowal. Mary's ability to inhabit the emotional state of Iðunn was fantastic, and I also really appreciated having her pronunciations of Icelandic names so that I could better understand how to say everything myself.
Thank you very much to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing me an advanced copy of the audiobook.
As the mystery with Iðunn's illness unfolds, we get hints into what is going on - her fitness tracker has her at 40,000 steps and when she eventually enables the GPS, she finds she's heading to the same place each night. Along the way, we meet her married coworker and ex-lover, Stefan, her dead sister's boyfriend, and plenty of neighborhood cats.
I really enjoyed the novel overall - it's very tightly written, and the increase in Iðunn's desperation gets more and more evident by the single line entries that we get within the book. I could feel the intensity ratchet up, and the writing was further animated by the incredible narrator of The Night Guest, Mary Robinette Kowal. Mary's ability to inhabit the emotional state of Iðunn was fantastic, and I also really appreciated having her pronunciations of Icelandic names so that I could better understand how to say everything myself.
Thank you very much to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing me an advanced copy of the audiobook.
Zero Stars, Do Not Recommend by MJ Wassmer
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
It's the end of the world and I feel fine about Zero Stars, Do Not Recommend. We follow Danny Foster and his girlfriend Mara as they go for a two week long getaway on a newly-developed resort on a small island in the Bahamas. But, things quickly unravel when the sun appears to explode, encasing the entire island in darkness, cutting the resort off from communications, and leaving everyone to fend for themselves as the island begins to get colder and colder.
There is plenty to like about the book, the quips on masculinity and how men are supposed to act were good commentary throughout the novel and I liked seeing Danny come into himself as the book progressed. Even small things like having Mara worry about not having travel insurance when the sun explodes felt very real. Having the initial villain be an MLM owning, God-Fearing exercise queen was delicious. However, I couldn't shake the feeling that everything came off the rails too quickly and spiraled faster than made sense as I was reading. The situations the characters find themselves in within 24 hours of the sun dying were absurd, and only increased in tragedy as the book continues. The rapid descent into fascism had the bells in my head ringing about the the Stanford Prison Experiment, and turns out I was not so far off in the end.
I listened to this as an audiobook and the narrator, Stephen R. Thorne, did such a wonderful job that I will absolutely be seeking out other books that he reads. Even if ZSDNR was disappointing, I was delighted to find a narrator who really brought the story to life and made every character feel real with their unique voice.
Thank you very much to NetGalley and RB Media for the advanced copy.
There is plenty to like about the book, the quips on masculinity and how men are supposed to act were good commentary throughout the novel and I liked seeing Danny come into himself as the book progressed. Even small things like having Mara worry about not having travel insurance when the sun explodes felt very real. Having the initial villain be an MLM owning, God-Fearing exercise queen was delicious. However, I couldn't shake the feeling that everything came off the rails too quickly and spiraled faster than made sense as I was reading. The situations the characters find themselves in within 24 hours of the sun dying were absurd, and only increased in tragedy as the book continues. The rapid descent into fascism had the bells in my head ringing about the the Stanford Prison Experiment, and turns out I was not so far off in the end.
I listened to this as an audiobook and the narrator, Stephen R. Thorne, did such a wonderful job that I will absolutely be seeking out other books that he reads. Even if ZSDNR was disappointing, I was delighted to find a narrator who really brought the story to life and made every character feel real with their unique voice.
Thank you very much to NetGalley and RB Media for the advanced copy.
A Sunny Place for Shady People by Mariana Enríquez
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A Sunny Place for Shady People is a fantastic short story collection following an array of different characters in a variety of creepy and disturbing scenarios. Through twelve different stories, Enriquez gives the readers glimpses into Argentinian life while exploring occult and horror themes.
I enjoyed the collection and absolutely see myself revisiting these stories, although some of them worked more for me than others. Enriquez has a great voice and this is my first time reading her work, so I will be exploring her previous titles too.
Of the dozen stories, the one that has stayed in my brain the most is Different Colors Made of Tears, which comes about halfway through the book. Our narrator (in the majority of the stories, we don't know the name of the person who's telling them) meets an old man named Noah who is selling his deceased wife's designer clothing and jewelry to the thrift store where she works. However, when she takes them to the store, horrific injuries happen to the wearer. This was a fascinating take on abuse and the literal scars it leaves behind not just to the person who experiences it, but those around them.
I recommend the collection to anyone who is looking for a unique take on horror. Thank you very much to NetGalley and Random House for the advanced copy.
I enjoyed the collection and absolutely see myself revisiting these stories, although some of them worked more for me than others. Enriquez has a great voice and this is my first time reading her work, so I will be exploring her previous titles too.
Of the dozen stories, the one that has stayed in my brain the most is Different Colors Made of Tears, which comes about halfway through the book. Our narrator (in the majority of the stories, we don't know the name of the person who's telling them) meets an old man named Noah who is selling his deceased wife's designer clothing and jewelry to the thrift store where she works. However, when she takes them to the store, horrific injuries happen to the wearer. This was a fascinating take on abuse and the literal scars it leaves behind not just to the person who experiences it, but those around them.
I recommend the collection to anyone who is looking for a unique take on horror. Thank you very much to NetGalley and Random House for the advanced copy.
Pineville Trace by Wes Blake
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Pineville Trace was my first introduction to the novella in flash and I heartily enjoyed it. Pineville Trace follows Frank Russet after his escape from a minimum security prison as he reflects on his life before and works to survive in the present. For those who are also unfamiliar with the novella in flash, it is a short novel with chapters comprised of fewer than 1000 words and each chapter presents a piece of the story and may be somewhat disconnected from the previous. In Pineville Trace, this is beautifully done to be able to see glimpses throughout Frank's life without some of the dragging that may occur in a more traditional novel and by the end you really see the forest for the trees. To that end, I felt like I was kind of floating along with this book. I didn't really even understand the timing of the novel until near then end when Frank notices that it’s 1979 via a newspaper in one of the motels he finds himself in.
This was the truly most pleasant bait and switch where you think you’re going to hear some crazy escape story, but the escape is rather mundane, and instead, you get a tender story about a man and his cat, Buffalo. Their relationship was so wonderfully done and it made Frank into a more human character as he pondered about and cared for Buffalo.
I listened to this as an audiobook and the narrator was outstanding. He brought all of the characters to life and brought so much depth into the performance of it. I also really loved the musical interludes between each chapter. It gave the novella a very homey feel and paired well with the novella in flash format.
Thank you very much to NetGalley and Mindbuck Media Audio for the advanced copy.
This was the truly most pleasant bait and switch where you think you’re going to hear some crazy escape story, but the escape is rather mundane, and instead, you get a tender story about a man and his cat, Buffalo. Their relationship was so wonderfully done and it made Frank into a more human character as he pondered about and cared for Buffalo.
I listened to this as an audiobook and the narrator was outstanding. He brought all of the characters to life and brought so much depth into the performance of it. I also really loved the musical interludes between each chapter. It gave the novella a very homey feel and paired well with the novella in flash format.
Thank you very much to NetGalley and Mindbuck Media Audio for the advanced copy.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism and Animal death
Signal to Noise by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
adventurous
mysterious
medium-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
Signal to Noise follows Meche and her two best friends, Sebastian and Daniela as the novel oscillates between 1988 when they were in high school together in Mexico City and in 2009 when Meche returns to Mexico City for her father's funeral after having moved to Sweden. In 1988, Meche and her friends start dabbling in magic fueled by vinyl records. In 2009, Meche begins to reckon with her past as her friends re-appear in her life.
If there is one thing you can count on in Silvia Moreno-Garcia novels it’s going to be beautifully developed characters. We delve deep into what is making everyone tick. Although Meche is the main character, we get so much depth in Sebastian, Daniela, and Meche’s parents and grandmother. You get such a good sense of how everyone clicks together and I loved seeing how the interactions between the characters ebbed and flowed between 1988 and 2009.
You see a bit of the shape of Silver Nitrate in Signal to Noise, except we have vinyl as the magical catalyst, rather than film. I really appreciated how she bestowed power to the records. Their potency increases depending on the copy, and I loved how that ties into spending time flipping through trying to find just the right one.
I listened to this as an audiobook and the narrator does a good job, no complaints, but I didn't quite feel her bringing everyone to life like I would hope for.
All in all, I definitely recommend this book. Thanks so much to NetGalley and Spotify Studios for the advanced copy.
If there is one thing you can count on in Silvia Moreno-Garcia novels it’s going to be beautifully developed characters. We delve deep into what is making everyone tick. Although Meche is the main character, we get so much depth in Sebastian, Daniela, and Meche’s parents and grandmother. You get such a good sense of how everyone clicks together and I loved seeing how the interactions between the characters ebbed and flowed between 1988 and 2009.
You see a bit of the shape of Silver Nitrate in Signal to Noise, except we have vinyl as the magical catalyst, rather than film. I really appreciated how she bestowed power to the records. Their potency increases depending on the copy, and I loved how that ties into spending time flipping through trying to find just the right one.
I listened to this as an audiobook and the narrator does a good job, no complaints, but I didn't quite feel her bringing everyone to life like I would hope for.
All in all, I definitely recommend this book. Thanks so much to NetGalley and Spotify Studios for the advanced copy.
Funny Story by Emily Henry
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Yes please more Emily Henry forever. Miles and Daphne and all of the characters being full people with backgrounds and their own histories and problems. A love letter to libraries, librarians, and Michigan which I am absolutely here for.
I really needed this because wow the hits keep coming with 2024 and Joey B just dropped out. Highly recommend as a distraction from these “unprecedented times”
I really needed this because wow the hits keep coming with 2024 and Joey B just dropped out. Highly recommend as a distraction from these “unprecedented times”
Doppelganger: A Trip Into the Mirror World by Naomi Klein
informative
medium-paced
5.0
I am so incredibly glad I read this book, and the biggest takeaway message for me was be soft on people, be hard on structures.
It feels kind of hopeless to be in this constant battle where the left is not uniting around a defined strategy and find ourselves in constant arguments. The dissent within the group is important in the because the problems that we have don't have simple fixes, it's structural overhauls. How does that get better when people want to be coaxed with easy fixes.
It feels kind of hopeless to be in this constant battle where the left is not uniting around a defined strategy and find ourselves in constant arguments. The dissent within the group is important in the because the problems that we have don't have simple fixes, it's structural overhauls. How does that get better when people want to be coaxed with easy fixes.
Slow Dance by Rainbow Rowell
emotional
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Slow Dance is a second chance romance where we follow Shiloh and Cary, two best friends in a high school trio, the third being Mikey, come together for the first time in over a decade at Mikey's second wedding. Shiloh finds herself fresh out of a divorce with two young children and Cary is fifteen years deep into a career in the Navy. What follows is a back and forth through time reviewing Shiloh and Cary's situationship as it progressed throughout high school and college and in the present.
I struggled with this book and did not really understand why Shiloh and Carey even liked each other. The two consistently had terrible communication, which I recognize is a trope that some people really enjoy, but I found very frustrating. Additionally, the jumping back and forth in the timeline was challenging to follow follow without some sort of year indicator because it’s not always clear to me how far back in time you go. Sometimes it was back to high school, sometimes college, sometimes back to the wedding.
I will say, I really enjoyed when Shiloh and Carey started exchanging emails, I love a little epistolary moment and that was very fun.
Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the advanced copy.
I struggled with this book and did not really understand why Shiloh and Carey even liked each other. The two consistently had terrible communication, which I recognize is a trope that some people really enjoy, but I found very frustrating. Additionally, the jumping back and forth in the timeline was challenging to follow follow without some sort of year indicator because it’s not always clear to me how far back in time you go. Sometimes it was back to high school, sometimes college, sometimes back to the wedding.
I will say, I really enjoyed when Shiloh and Carey started exchanging emails, I love a little epistolary moment and that was very fun.
Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the advanced copy.