bookedbymadeline's reviews
907 reviews

The writing is so gripping even though nothing happens! There’s no plot and there’s no character development/growth but it was such a captivating read, like a car crash you can’t look away from 😳

The main character Alex is deeply flawed and unlikeable, she is morally ambiguous and pretending to be someone she’s not. Through this you get a glimpse at human psychology and a part of society that I think most of us will never gain access to. It’s an intriguing exploration of society, humanity, and just how far someone will go to escape their mistakes! 

Although I love the blurring of reality and fantasy, and not knowing if we can trust what Alex tells us, I didn’t love it in the end. The last chapter felt rushed and I have no idea what happened?! It was too ambiguous for my taste and I wanted a little more of a clear answer to what was happening. But it makes sense in a way given that we can’t trust Alex and her motives.

Overall it was a story that kept me engaged; providing some entertainment into the lives of the Hampton elites and in depth looks at a cast of characters just trying to belong! I’d highly recommend if you enjoy unlikeable characters, character driven stories, explorations on psychology/society, and stories like “Inventing Anna” 🥰

TW/CW: drug use, drug abuse, toxic relationship, emotional abuse, adult minor relationship, sexual content 

Slow start but intriguing, I really wanted to like this because I love Circe and retellings but I never felt fully engaged in the book. 

Told through multiple POVs via an omniscient third person narration. We get to know about the countess and life in the castle from the servants and young girls interacting with or having knowledge of the countess but never hear from Erzebet herself.

It’s a character driven story with no plot but for this type of story the characters should be more well developed and multi dimensional, they just fall flat!

We get info dumping background on characters in a single chapter and then barely see them again?! I’d prefer little morsels given throughout to grow the character and our connection to them.

I love the idea of exploring human nature and what it would’ve been like to be a powerful, independent, wealthy woman of this time; being accused of a witch simply because of this unprecedented position the countess holds and the men who attacked her for having power. Unfortunately the execution is falling flat for me.

I set this aside thinking maybe I was in a reading slump but after having several amazing reads in a row and trying to come back to try again, it’s not me it’s you (the book) 🥲 DNFd after 132 pages (about 41% in) because at this point of the book I should be connecting with the characters or something should be happening but it’s just been a whole lot of nothing to engage me or hold my interest

This was a beautiful and moving collection of poetry! There were a few I resonated with and wrote down in my quotes journal. I always tend to enjoy this style of poetry writing, although some poems felt too short to make any impact. Others created some beautiful imagery with the symbolism and metaphors.

Overall a collection I’d recommend if you want to read about self love, healing, Black Feminism, and spirituality 

Thank you Netgalley and Blackstone publishing for the eARC!

I was pulled in right away! Emotional, moving story of family, justice, and the trauma, and occasional corruption, tied to adoption especially when it comes to adoptees searching for their identity.

I really related to the infertility depictions and thought they were beautifully handled. Although it does drive home the point that adoption isn’t some plan C if you can’t get pregnant because it’s full of harm and trauma and the mother very clearly needed therapy, not someone else’s child!

Shows the dark and corrupt side of the adoption industry and how parents like Jonathan adopt for the wrong reasons (to fill a void and wish they could have a “clean, history free” child). I fucking hated Jonathan 😳😂

The characters are well written, even the one I didn’t like, with so much depth and care added! The writing was beautiful, I can’t believe this is a debut and look forward to more from Sanford!! 

Overall this was a moving story about a piece of history I hadn’t known about! I flew through this book and loved getting to know the characters. I’d highly recommend if you enjoy stories about family secrets, finding your identity, and strong resilient women with seeds of hope planted throughout the pages 🤍

TW/CW: kidnapping, forced imprisonment, torture, grief, death, adoption trauma, infertility, miscarriage, suicide (brief mention), police brutality, medical trauma, blood, murder, death of parent

It was a little difficult to get into at the beginning. I don’t like the brand name dropping so the mention of Peloton so often started to annoy me 😂 also didn’t enjoy all the made up words are so cringey - powling, smout, smirting, scowting. 

Nora is basically Amanda from The Holiday (I love that movie and that character)! I fell in love with Nora and Charlie. The love of books and reading, trying to find a sense of belonging, being organized, and being parentified by your parents was all so relatable!

I read this in two days which is very fast for me!! The banter has me blushing and giggling, this is why enemies/rivals to lovers is my fave trope-THE WITTY BANTER AND JOKES ARE ADORABLE 😍🥹

I did not want to put this down, I had to force myself to set it aside because stupid responsibilities. The last chapters had me sobbing 😭 Even despite the rough start, I loved reading this so much that by the 50 page mark on, the “negatives” don’t even affect my rating lol Henry does it again and I can’t wait to read more from her!!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5/5)

Read as a buddy read!  Sooo weird and unpredictable, I didn’t fully understand what was going on at times. I had a little trouble feeling fully engaged at some points because it can drag a little and I felt myself losing focus/forgetting what I had read some chapters.

Beautifully written and I marked sooo many passages! I loved the complex, flawed characters and unreliable narrator aspect. This was a Character driven novel that explores vulnerability of people, array of human emotions (such as envy, obsession, and desire), and that we all just want to be loved/seen!

The book could get very dark/violent especially towards the end so do check content warnings. I can’t believe this is loosely based on an actual historical event 👀

I felt like I wanted more, everything comes to a head so quickly and then it’s over. Didn’t love this as much as The Water Cure, but much better than Blue Ticket! A phrase that comes to mind to describe this novel simply is: “be gay, do crime”

I normally love books with multi generational stories, switching timelines/POVs but sadly this wasn’t working for me. I found myself often getting bored or tired after only a few pages. Some chapters are more engaging than others but overall I’m not enjoying the meandering pace or story enough to continue. 

Love getting to know the characters. They’re all flawed and complex, Olga especially isn’t always likeable but that’s what made her interesting!

The book is character driven and told through third person POVs, switching mainly between Prieto and Olga. We do also get some other character POVs plus letters between the two MCs and their mother. The character development was very well done, they felt so believable and multi dimensional watching them grow! I also enjoyed the writing style, making it feel like I was at the weddings and in the Hamptons or New York City.

Mainly a story about family, grief, American dream, corruption, colonialism, and how people pleasing/constantly seeking validation from outside sources can affect you. I really related to how both Olga and Prieto feel the need to do what makes everyone else happy or proud of them, and in the process losing yourself and your own sense of fulfillment! 

There was one moment of telling over showing moment that really rubbed me the wrong way 🫣 We are 300 pages into the book and without spoiling/full context-It read like the first paragraph of a first page the way it presented a “revelation” like I’m not an idiot, I know Olga is his sister you don’t have to say “Olga his sister” this far into the novel. 

It didn’t affect my rating though because overall this was such a beautiful exploration of family dynamics and expectations! I didn’t want to put the book down and it’s an extraordinary debut novel, so I can’t wait to read Gonzalez’s next book. 

TW/CW: abandonment, death of parent, cancer, racism and racial micro aggressions, homophobia, AIDS, drug abuse, addiction, emotional abuse, sexual assault, infertility 

Rep: Puerto Rican MCs, biracial (white&Black) and Jewish side character, Afro-Latino side character, Gay characters, Latina author, positive disability rep (specifically HIV)

I had a hard time feeling immersed in this book and decided to quit when one character (and turns out Mandel inserting her own views) talked about imagining alternate realities where bad things didn’t happen, and included among that list an Israeli PM (Ariel Sharon) “if only he did not have a stroke and instead should have died as a young man in combat.” Nah that’s karma for his war crimes, zio

It started off well with the first chapter and I had such high hopes for how hyped it is. But WTF?! It’s sooooo boring 🥱 I set it aside thinking I’d go back to it but I have no desire to pick it up again. I have been happily ignoring it for other books. Literally nothing is happening and the way the MC talks feels so unrealistic