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bookishgoob's reviews
162 reviews
The Night Shift by Alex Finlay
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.0
Honestly, this book wasn’t terrible but it also wasn’t great. I don’t like reading thrillers written by men. They feature a lot of dead women and that makes my stomach upset.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Stalking, Murder, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
Beartown by Fredrik Backman
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
“One evening in late March, a teenager walks into the forest, puts a shotgun to another teenager’s forehead, and pulls the trigger.“
I don’t even know where to begin with this book. Before I read the authors note, I had so many feelings about a man writing a story about the rape of a young girl, but after reading the authors note, I found out he did his research and handled it as sensitively as he could. This whole book tore me apart. As a woman I felt deeply for the victim, but as a victim myself, I felt even more connected to the victim. This whole book is a trigger warning. The assault happens in chapter 21 and everything from there is a lot of victim blaming, and it really shows the toxic culture of victim blaming and rape culture. I want to go more in detail but it was honestly just a beautifully written but triggering book. I think I will come back to this review at a later time to get my thoughts fully written out.
I don’t even know where to begin with this book. Before I read the authors note, I had so many feelings about a man writing a story about the rape of a young girl, but after reading the authors note, I found out he did his research and handled it as sensitively as he could. This whole book tore me apart. As a woman I felt deeply for the victim, but as a victim myself, I felt even more connected to the victim. This whole book is a trigger warning. The assault happens in chapter 21 and everything from there is a lot of victim blaming, and it really shows the toxic culture of victim blaming and rape culture. I want to go more in detail but it was honestly just a beautifully written but triggering book. I think I will come back to this review at a later time to get my thoughts fully written out.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Child abuse, Homophobia, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Self harm, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Pregnancy, Alcohol, and Classism
Ten by Gretchen McNeil
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.75
10 teens are lured to an island house under the guise of a weekend of partying. Things start to go horribly wrong as one by one, they end up dead. Who is in the house with them? or is one of them the killer?
Ten had a really slow start in my opinion, it took me a minute to get into it but when it picked up, it didn’t stop. A mixture of And then there were none and the ring, this YA thriller had me questioning everyone at all times. I thought I had it figured out but this surprised me!
I had a bit of a problem with the way the mental illness was portrayed. As someone with Bipolar Disorder, the way that Minnie was described as being clingy and moody made me really upset. There is so much that goes into Bipolar disorder that it can’t be boiled down to that. It villainized Minnie in such an uncomfortable way, which is why i rated it lower than i would have if the MI was handled differently.
I really liked the descriptions of everything, it made me feel like I was truly watching a horror/slasher movie. It was such a dark and fast paced read that i didn’t even realize some of the time that i was reading. The plot twists, the clues, the friends to lovers subplot, all of it was handled so great and interestingly. Again, if Minnie’s character was handled better, I would have rated it higher. I do recommend it, especially if you need something to get you out of a reading slump or you want to just have a quick and easy read.
Ten had a really slow start in my opinion, it took me a minute to get into it but when it picked up, it didn’t stop. A mixture of And then there were none and the ring, this YA thriller had me questioning everyone at all times. I thought I had it figured out but this surprised me!
I had a bit of a problem with the way the mental illness was portrayed. As someone with Bipolar Disorder, the way that Minnie was described as being clingy and moody made me really upset. There is so much that goes into Bipolar disorder that it can’t be boiled down to that. It villainized Minnie in such an uncomfortable way, which is why i rated it lower than i would have if the MI was handled differently.
I really liked the descriptions of everything, it made me feel like I was truly watching a horror/slasher movie. It was such a dark and fast paced read that i didn’t even realize some of the time that i was reading. The plot twists, the clues, the friends to lovers subplot, all of it was handled so great and interestingly. Again, if Minnie’s character was handled better, I would have rated it higher. I do recommend it, especially if you need something to get you out of a reading slump or you want to just have a quick and easy read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Racism
All These Bodies by Kendare Blake
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
A young girl is found at a crime scene with 3 dead bodies drained of blood, yet she is covered head to toe in blood that isn’t her own. Arrested, she says she will only give her confession to the sheriffs son, Michael. A short read from Kendare Blake about murder, betrayal, and the way society looks at young women.
I didn’t hate this book, but i didn’t love it either. The way they kept calling Marie “fast” made my stomach churn. I understand why they said everything they said about her, but it didn’t make it easier to read. Women are so often villainized before they are victimized and then made villains once more. Men don’t often understand that 15 year old girls are just that, girls. They aren’t fast or seductresses. They are children. Most of this book hurt my heart. A lot of the stuff that was said about Marie was so sickening. It was a sad story and many people say they recommend it for ages 13-15 but i really think it’s 15-17 ish. The dark themes of this book will not be able to be understood by a 13 year old.
Michael was kind of annoying and I also didn’t like that a lot of the story revolved around him instead of Marie. It’s a story about marie, but it’s ultimately a story about michael growing up i guess? Like a dark coming of age in a way? The ending felt too drawn out but also too rushed. It’s not what I expected, but it was enjoyable to an extent.
I didn’t hate this book, but i didn’t love it either. The way they kept calling Marie “fast” made my stomach churn. I understand why they said everything they said about her, but it didn’t make it easier to read. Women are so often villainized before they are victimized and then made villains once more. Men don’t often understand that 15 year old girls are just that, girls. They aren’t fast or seductresses. They are children. Most of this book hurt my heart. A lot of the stuff that was said about Marie was so sickening. It was a sad story and many people say they recommend it for ages 13-15 but i really think it’s 15-17 ish. The dark themes of this book will not be able to be understood by a 13 year old.
Michael was kind of annoying and I also didn’t like that a lot of the story revolved around him instead of Marie. It’s a story about marie, but it’s ultimately a story about michael growing up i guess? Like a dark coming of age in a way? The ending felt too drawn out but also too rushed. It’s not what I expected, but it was enjoyable to an extent.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Coraline by Neil Gaiman
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
Coraline has been one of my favorite movies for years, but i never got around to reading the book. Part of my inner child healing is reading things under my age that little me would have loved and so I brought myself to read Coraline for the first time. Holy cow, this book is TERRIFYING. I don’t think there is a horror book on the market that can capture the tense atmosphere and terror of this short little book. The rats, the other mother, the unsettling aspect of it all. I loved every minute of it. While i have to say, i hold the movie closer to my heart than the book, i did enjoy the book immensely. This story is such a sad one of loneliness and wanting to find where you belong and realizing you belong where you were, you just didn’t understand it. I think it relays that message in an understanding way for kids. Highly recommend.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Death, Kidnapping, and Grief
One Dark Throne by Kendare Blake
adventurous
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
Such a beautiful and heartbreaking sequel. part of me doesn’t want to go to the next book from the fear of my heart breaking even more. Katharine is terrible and i can not stand any of the arryns. this book series is such an adventure and i very much recommend it
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Body horror, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
All These Beautiful Strangers by Elizabeth Klehfoth
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.75
Prep school, secret societies, an unexplained disappearance, dangerous games. These are just a few of the elements of All These Beautiful Strangers.
17 year old Charlotte has been tapped by the secret society at her new england prep school. Still haunted by the disappearance of her mother 10 years earlier, Charlie tries to balance trying to become initiated into this society and figuring out what happened to her mom.
This was a beautifully written and tense thriller. The characters were so well put together and the delivery of information was so nice. I loved that there was things eluding to things that happened but it wasn’t as blatant as “that was then….. before… the thing happened” and then having to wait to find out. It was so well paced and we found out the information alongside the characters. Some things were predictable, but they were still fun to figure out. I don’t find predictability a problem, i think it’s fun to put together the clues and find out.
One thing i really didn’t like was in chapter 13, Dalton went on a tangent to Charlie about how she wasn’t like other girls and that’s why he liked her. The “you’re not like other girls” thing is so tired. other than that, i think it was a strong story with incredibly strong writing. I wish this author had more books!
17 year old Charlotte has been tapped by the secret society at her new england prep school. Still haunted by the disappearance of her mother 10 years earlier, Charlie tries to balance trying to become initiated into this society and figuring out what happened to her mom.
This was a beautifully written and tense thriller. The characters were so well put together and the delivery of information was so nice. I loved that there was things eluding to things that happened but it wasn’t as blatant as “that was then….. before… the thing happened” and then having to wait to find out. It was so well paced and we found out the information alongside the characters. Some things were predictable, but they were still fun to figure out. I don’t find predictability a problem, i think it’s fun to put together the clues and find out.
One thing i really didn’t like was in chapter 13, Dalton went on a tangent to Charlie about how she wasn’t like other girls and that’s why he liked her. The “you’re not like other girls” thing is so tired. other than that, i think it was a strong story with incredibly strong writing. I wish this author had more books!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Incest, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St. James
it’s really weird what the author chooses to elaborate on and describe. for instance in chapter 14 she elaborates on a phone call between shea and michael about a cat her neighbor dumped on her doorstep, and that’s the bulk of the conversation, but the conversation also implies they had a previous conversation about finding someone to interview and the name changes. to me that seems like a conversation that is more important to elaborate than one about if she should keep a cat or not. this “relationship” kind of reminds me of when reid had a girl friend that her only talked to on the phone in criminal minds. it feels like she’s trying to set up a relationship between these two characters but it is so unimportant, especially with how short the book is. why have a romance subplot?
in chapter twenty one, shea is having a drink with michael for the first time and he’s telling her about his job. he says “i’m mostly in insurance work. taking pictures of people who claim they’re in chronic pain while they lift furniture or go water skiing” I AM SO ANGRY???? that is absolutely disgusting to say. like chronic pain has intensities. I have chronic pain and i love with it every day, but some days i have more energy and less pain and i’m able to do bigger projects. chronic pain doesn’t mean no activity and it doesn’t mean not having fun. what a terrible and awful thing to read. i feel so disheartened and unheard as a person with chronic pain. how dare this author write something like that? this is one of many things it doesn’t seem like she understands. there has been so many things that i’ve said “not how that works but okay” to myself through the course of reading this. it feels like this author thinks up something and makes it true. i’m done with this book. it’s uninteresting, slow, boring, and full of misinformation. If you’re going to write a fiction book, not everything obviously has to be real, but there are somethings, especially if you’re placing your characters in the “real world” that you have to get right or it just sounds dumb. idk. i had been bored with this most of the way through and the chronic pain part really pissed me off. on top of that, she repeats things way too often in the same paragraphs and chapters and it’s like “wait didn’t you just say this?“ i’m finding it hard to understand how so many people rated this 5 stars. I am disappointed that I wasted my time with this book and i’m disheartened at the way this author talked about certain things. I have the sun down motel on my tbr and i’m debating on if it’s even worth it to read. I hate read many authors so it’s saying something that I cant even get through this book.
slow-paced
1.0
A true crime blogger interviews a woman who was accused and acquitted of murder in the late 70’s.
DNF’D AT 42% HALFWAY THROUGH CHAPTER 21.
There is so much i want to say about this book from the little i read but i’ll just leave it at this.
too much description on things that don’t matter, what feels like it should be adding ambiance actually feels like too much information about things i couldn’t care less about.
DNF’D AT 42% HALFWAY THROUGH CHAPTER 21.
There is so much i want to say about this book from the little i read but i’ll just leave it at this.
too much description on things that don’t matter, what feels like it should be adding ambiance actually feels like too much information about things i couldn’t care less about.
the lawyer saying “i know pure evil when i see it” feels unethical and unprofessional. i didn’t finish my schooling, but i was going to school for law and i had to take many ethics classes. going against your client like that, publicly, even after the trial just doesn’t feel like something a lawyer would do irl. confidentiality between an attorney and a client is upheld even after the case is out of court, generally (from the little knowledge i have)
it’s really weird what the author chooses to elaborate on and describe. for instance in chapter 14 she elaborates on a phone call between shea and michael about a cat her neighbor dumped on her doorstep, and that’s the bulk of the conversation, but the conversation also implies they had a previous conversation about finding someone to interview and the name changes. to me that seems like a conversation that is more important to elaborate than one about if she should keep a cat or not. this “relationship” kind of reminds me of when reid had a girl friend that her only talked to on the phone in criminal minds. it feels like she’s trying to set up a relationship between these two characters but it is so unimportant, especially with how short the book is. why have a romance subplot?
in chapter twenty one, shea is having a drink with michael for the first time and he’s telling her about his job. he says “i’m mostly in insurance work. taking pictures of people who claim they’re in chronic pain while they lift furniture or go water skiing” I AM SO ANGRY???? that is absolutely disgusting to say. like chronic pain has intensities. I have chronic pain and i love with it every day, but some days i have more energy and less pain and i’m able to do bigger projects. chronic pain doesn’t mean no activity and it doesn’t mean not having fun. what a terrible and awful thing to read. i feel so disheartened and unheard as a person with chronic pain. how dare this author write something like that? this is one of many things it doesn’t seem like she understands. there has been so many things that i’ve said “not how that works but okay” to myself through the course of reading this. it feels like this author thinks up something and makes it true. i’m done with this book. it’s uninteresting, slow, boring, and full of misinformation. If you’re going to write a fiction book, not everything obviously has to be real, but there are somethings, especially if you’re placing your characters in the “real world” that you have to get right or it just sounds dumb. idk. i had been bored with this most of the way through and the chronic pain part really pissed me off. on top of that, she repeats things way too often in the same paragraphs and chapters and it’s like “wait didn’t you just say this?“ i’m finding it hard to understand how so many people rated this 5 stars. I am disappointed that I wasted my time with this book and i’m disheartened at the way this author talked about certain things. I have the sun down motel on my tbr and i’m debating on if it’s even worth it to read. I hate read many authors so it’s saying something that I cant even get through this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Cursing, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Infertility, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
We Are All the Same in the Dark by Julia Heaberlin
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.25
We are all the same in the dark is told in 5 parts. The first part, short, from the character Wyatt’s perspective. The second part, in the same time line as Wyatt is told from Odette’s point of view; a cop in the town that the crime has taken place. and the last 3 parts are from the perspective of Angel, a young girl who was found by Wyatt & protected by Odette, 5 years later.
We are all the same in the dark: In 2005, the disappearance of a teenage girl rocks the town she is from. They have never let it go, promising themselves and her that they will find out what happened to her. Years later, Wyatt, the brother of the missing teenage girl (everyone suspects he is the reason she and their father are gone) finds a young girl on the road. She is missing an eye and will not talk for any one. Odette, still obsessed with the case from 2005, because she was dating Wyatt when it happened and lost her leg in an accident as a domino affect from the crime, comes to him and takes the young girl. Things are happening to Odette and there is no explanation to them. “gifts” left on her porch, phone calls from private numbers in the middle of the night, all these unexplained events are happening while she is getting closer to the truth. 5 years later, the young girl Wyatt and Odette saved comes back to the town to try and finish where Odette left off. Several mysteries in one, unreliable narrators, and many twists and turns make up the novel.
I completely enjoyed this slow/medium paced thriller. I didn’t know who to trust, and i felt like i was finding everything out with the characters. Things in the middle seemed to not make any sense but when it get tied up at the end, it makes absolute perfect sense and is such a great reveal. I like how it was slightly open ended in a way, and I didn’t like the reveal of what happened to Trumanell. I liked the relationship between the characters and how you never really knew who or what to trust. You can let your mind wander and try to figure it out. Once the reveal happens, it feels like “oooohhhh that makes a lot of sense” because of the foreshadowing that was used (so well, i might add) i’m really glad i picked this book up, knowing little to nothing about it. Even though it was slow paced, it kept me completely hooked all the way through.
Trigger warnings: Rape mention, murder, blood, amputation, child abuse, domestic abuse, mental illness, medical trauma, medical content, death, animal cruelty, infidelity, stalking.
We are all the same in the dark: In 2005, the disappearance of a teenage girl rocks the town she is from. They have never let it go, promising themselves and her that they will find out what happened to her. Years later, Wyatt, the brother of the missing teenage girl (everyone suspects he is the reason she and their father are gone) finds a young girl on the road. She is missing an eye and will not talk for any one. Odette, still obsessed with the case from 2005, because she was dating Wyatt when it happened and lost her leg in an accident as a domino affect from the crime, comes to him and takes the young girl. Things are happening to Odette and there is no explanation to them. “gifts” left on her porch, phone calls from private numbers in the middle of the night, all these unexplained events are happening while she is getting closer to the truth. 5 years later, the young girl Wyatt and Odette saved comes back to the town to try and finish where Odette left off. Several mysteries in one, unreliable narrators, and many twists and turns make up the novel.
I completely enjoyed this slow/medium paced thriller. I didn’t know who to trust, and i felt like i was finding everything out with the characters. Things in the middle seemed to not make any sense but when it get tied up at the end, it makes absolute perfect sense and is such a great reveal. I like how it was slightly open ended in a way, and I didn’t like the reveal of what happened to Trumanell. I liked the relationship between the characters and how you never really knew who or what to trust. You can let your mind wander and try to figure it out. Once the reveal happens, it feels like “oooohhhh that makes a lot of sense” because of the foreshadowing that was used (so well, i might add) i’m really glad i picked this book up, knowing little to nothing about it. Even though it was slow paced, it kept me completely hooked all the way through.
Trigger warnings: Rape mention, murder, blood, amputation, child abuse, domestic abuse, mental illness, medical trauma, medical content, death, animal cruelty, infidelity, stalking.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Infidelity, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Dementia, Grief, Medical trauma, Stalking, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Deadly Little Scandals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
adventurous
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.75
Sawyer, Lily, Sadie-Grace, and Campbell are back and it’s summer time. They are contacted by a super secret society and things from the past and unanswered questions start emerging.
I have to say I enjoyed this book so much. It made me smile and laugh and hold my breath. The way all the stories intertwined was so interesting and clever! I’m so obsessed with JLB’s work right now i just want to read everything she’s written! highly recommend this duology. It’s fast paced and funny! I hope it becomes a trilogy, selfishly.
I have to say I enjoyed this book so much. It made me smile and laugh and hold my breath. The way all the stories intertwined was so interesting and clever! I’m so obsessed with JLB’s work right now i just want to read everything she’s written! highly recommend this duology. It’s fast paced and funny! I hope it becomes a trilogy, selfishly.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Infidelity, Pregnancy, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Confinement, Death, Incest, Grief, Murder, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail