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bringmybooks's reviews
1157 reviews
Homecoming by Kate Morton
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
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
5.0
Thank you to Edelweiss, Mariner Books, & HarperCollins for the opportunity to read and review this book before it's publication date! This in no way affected my review, opinions are my own.
✨ 𝗕𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗚 ✨ B̷O̷R̷R̷O̷W̷ B̷Y̷P̷A̷S̷S̷
I always have such trepidation before starting the newest Kate Morton book, because, I mean, how (?!?) could she possibly top her previous novel? HOW? But somehow she always does and Homecoming was no exception.
There is something about Kate Morton's writing that just feels like coming home - it's every perfect thing I've always loved about reading. I love so much about the way she writes but I think my favorite thing is the way she writes about places - in almost every book I've read from her the setting is almost as much of a character as the people and it creates this incredibly immersive feel about her books.
Homecoming was a haunting story about family, love, loyalty, and community. It sank into my bones and I know it's one that I'm going to think about for years to come. There's probably a lot more to say about it, as far as "reviews" go, but by now your interest is either piqued or it's not - I don't know what else I could say other than she is my absolute most favorite author of all time. That's it, folks, that's the tweet.
And now that I'm up to date with everything she's published, here's my rankings:
1. The Secret Keeper (2012)
2. The Clockmaker's Daughter (2018)
3. Homecoming (2023)
4. The Forgotten Garden (2008)
5. The Distant Hours (2010)
6. House at Riverton (2006)
7. The Lake House (2015)
All that being said, please know that coming up with that list is one of the hardest things I've ever had to do in my reading life, and also that while The Forgotten Garden is *technically* #4 on this list, it's also one of the ones I hold closest to my heart because it is the first Kate Morton I read and it was absolutely spellbinding. (Seriously, the differences between books 1-4 on that list are SO CLOSE)
✨ 𝗕𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗚 ✨ B̷O̷R̷R̷O̷W̷ B̷Y̷P̷A̷S̷S̷
I always have such trepidation before starting the newest Kate Morton book, because, I mean, how (?!?) could she possibly top her previous novel? HOW? But somehow she always does and Homecoming was no exception.
There is something about Kate Morton's writing that just feels like coming home - it's every perfect thing I've always loved about reading. I love so much about the way she writes but I think my favorite thing is the way she writes about places - in almost every book I've read from her the setting is almost as much of a character as the people and it creates this incredibly immersive feel about her books.
Homecoming was a haunting story about family, love, loyalty, and community. It sank into my bones and I know it's one that I'm going to think about for years to come. There's probably a lot more to say about it, as far as "reviews" go, but by now your interest is either piqued or it's not - I don't know what else I could say other than she is my absolute most favorite author of all time. That's it, folks, that's the tweet.
And now that I'm up to date with everything she's published, here's my rankings:
1. The Secret Keeper (2012)
2. The Clockmaker's Daughter (2018)
3. Homecoming (2023)
4. The Forgotten Garden (2008)
5. The Distant Hours (2010)
6. House at Riverton (2006)
7. The Lake House (2015)
All that being said, please know that coming up with that list is one of the hardest things I've ever had to do in my reading life, and also that while The Forgotten Garden is *technically* #4 on this list, it's also one of the ones I hold closest to my heart because it is the first Kate Morton I read and it was absolutely spellbinding. (Seriously, the differences between books 1-4 on that list are SO CLOSE)
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Toxic relationship, Grief, Death of parent, and Murder
The Last House Guest by Megan Miranda
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-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
4.25
And with that, our Megan Miranda season comes to a close ... (for now, anyways)
B̷R̷I̷N̷G̷ ✨ 𝗕𝗢𝗥𝗥𝗢𝗪 ✨ B̷Y̷P̷A̷S̷S̷
1. The Only Survivors (2023)
2. The Perfect Stranger (2017)
3. All the Missing Girls (2016)
4. The Last House Guest (2019)
5. The Last to Vanish (2022)
6. Such a Quiet Place (2021)
Well, there you have it. 6 Megan Miranda books in 6 days. OOF.
(Even as I have them organized as I do, I would recommend any one of these if someone asked - but if you had interest in the plots of the ones towards the bottom, I would just advise you read those first so that they can just get better and better as you go!)
The Last House Guest just so happened to be my Last Megan Miranda book (for the time being) and I think it was a really nice one to go out on. I liked the way it kept going back and forth with the competing timelines, and I was genuinely shocked a number of times.
I love how the author manages to sneak in so many inconsequential details about things that are actually SUPER consequential and when those things come back around you find yourself going, "How did I not see that coming???" when in fact even if you had been looking she went about it in a way that made it easy to miss.
I believed in these characters, and in the story that she told. I believed in the motivations, I believed in the practicality of it, I believed in the plausibility of it. There were a couple of character relationships I would have liked to see a bit more backstory / depth / conclusion on, but when you look at the way the novel is set up I truly believe she closed out all the paths that were relevant to the main character in relation to her story & arc at this time, and ultimately I'm just gonna let it slide!
B̷R̷I̷N̷G̷ ✨ 𝗕𝗢𝗥𝗥𝗢𝗪 ✨ B̷Y̷P̷A̷S̷S̷
1. The Only Survivors (2023)
2. The Perfect Stranger (2017)
3. All the Missing Girls (2016)
4. The Last House Guest (2019)
5. The Last to Vanish (2022)
6. Such a Quiet Place (2021)
Well, there you have it. 6 Megan Miranda books in 6 days. OOF.
(Even as I have them organized as I do, I would recommend any one of these if someone asked - but if you had interest in the plots of the ones towards the bottom, I would just advise you read those first so that they can just get better and better as you go!)
The Last House Guest just so happened to be my Last Megan Miranda book (for the time being) and I think it was a really nice one to go out on. I liked the way it kept going back and forth with the competing timelines, and I was genuinely shocked a number of times.
I love how the author manages to sneak in so many inconsequential details about things that are actually SUPER consequential and when those things come back around you find yourself going, "How did I not see that coming???" when in fact even if you had been looking she went about it in a way that made it easy to miss.
I believed in these characters, and in the story that she told. I believed in the motivations, I believed in the practicality of it, I believed in the plausibility of it. There were a couple of character relationships I would have liked to see a bit more backstory / depth / conclusion on, but when you look at the way the novel is set up I truly believe she closed out all the paths that were relevant to the main character in relation to her story & arc at this time, and ultimately I'm just gonna let it slide!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
The Perfect Stranger by Megan Miranda
challenging
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? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
YES, THIS.
✨ 𝗕𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗚 ✨ B̷O̷R̷R̷O̷W̷ B̷Y̷P̷A̷S̷S̷
Okay, we've now read 5 Megan Miranda books in 5 days, here are the current stats:
1. The Only Survivors (2023)
2. The Perfect Stranger (2017)
3. All the Missing Girls (2016)
4. The Last to Vanish (2022)
5. Such a Quiet Place (2021)
The Perfect Stranger was - in my opinion - the definition of a taut thriller. I could feel myself being pulled to the conclusion and knowing there were so many things that go one way or the other, but that we had most of it figured out ... and even though by the end you had it all figured out, that last page, last interaction, is something I'm going to remember for a long time.
I went over the basics of the synopsis / plot with my husband over lunch the day after finishing this one, and as I told him what happened at the end (see: last interaction) I watched his eyebrows raise and he started asking me follow up questions and I just love when I can get him involved in a book I'm reading like that!
One more MM book to go for the time being (The Last House Guest) but this has been such a fun and unexpected author binge read that I've thus far really enjoyed!
✨ 𝗕𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗚 ✨ B̷O̷R̷R̷O̷W̷ B̷Y̷P̷A̷S̷S̷
Okay, we've now read 5 Megan Miranda books in 5 days, here are the current stats:
1. The Only Survivors (2023)
2. The Perfect Stranger (2017)
3. All the Missing Girls (2016)
4. The Last to Vanish (2022)
5. Such a Quiet Place (2021)
The Perfect Stranger was - in my opinion - the definition of a taut thriller. I could feel myself being pulled to the conclusion and knowing there were so many things that go one way or the other, but that we had most of it figured out ... and even though by the end you had it all figured out, that last page, last interaction, is something I'm going to remember for a long time.
I went over the basics of the synopsis / plot with my husband over lunch the day after finishing this one, and as I told him what happened at the end (see: last interaction) I watched his eyebrows raise and he started asking me follow up questions and I just love when I can get him involved in a book I'm reading like that!
One more MM book to go for the time being (The Last House Guest) but this has been such a fun and unexpected author binge read that I've thus far really enjoyed!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Death, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Stalking, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Such a Quiet Place by Megan Miranda
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I'll tell you one thing, this makes me think about the Next Door app in a whole new light *insert side eye emoji here*
B̷R̷I̷N̷G̷ ✨ 𝗕𝗢𝗥𝗥𝗢𝗪 ✨ B̷Y̷P̷A̷S̷S̷
Fourth Megan Miranda book in a week, and here's the current standings:
1. The Only Survivors (2023)
2. All the Missing Girls (2016)
3. The Last to Vanish (2022)
4. Such a Quiet Place (2021)
This one was *so close* to being really great for me, but the characters is where it went askew. I'm not against an unlikeable character - but if they're ALL unlikeable and it's all in SUCH BLAND WAYS, it's hard to stay super invested. Had I cared more for them (either loving them or hating them), I think the reveal (which was good!) would have hit harder and this one would have made more of an impact - but alas, it kind of ended up being a "welp, sucks to be you ... yes, all of you" kind of thing.
On the plus side, I couldn't put it down waiting to see what would happen, and I was genuinely surprised a number of times over small reveals throughout, so there's that.
B̷R̷I̷N̷G̷ ✨ 𝗕𝗢𝗥𝗥𝗢𝗪 ✨ B̷Y̷P̷A̷S̷S̷
Fourth Megan Miranda book in a week, and here's the current standings:
1. The Only Survivors (2023)
2. All the Missing Girls (2016)
3. The Last to Vanish (2022)
4. Such a Quiet Place (2021)
This one was *so close* to being really great for me, but the characters is where it went askew. I'm not against an unlikeable character - but if they're ALL unlikeable and it's all in SUCH BLAND WAYS, it's hard to stay super invested. Had I cared more for them (either loving them or hating them), I think the reveal (which was good!) would have hit harder and this one would have made more of an impact - but alas, it kind of ended up being a "welp, sucks to be you ... yes, all of you" kind of thing.
On the plus side, I couldn't put it down waiting to see what would happen, and I was genuinely surprised a number of times over small reveals throughout, so there's that.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Grief, Car accident, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol
The Last to Vanish by Megan Miranda
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
How well can we ever really know the place that we live? Especially if we didn't grow up there?
B̷R̷I̷N̷G̷ ✨ 𝗕𝗢𝗥𝗥𝗢𝗪 ✨ B̷Y̷P̷A̷S̷S̷
This was my third Megan Miranda book (in less than a week) and while it was my least favorite of the three, it was still worth the read and I would readily recommend it!
(For those wondering, thus far my favorites in order are The Only Survivors, All The Missing Girls, and then The Last to Vanish)
I love how Miranda plays with memory, first (and second, and third) impressions, and with unreliability in narration. This one didn't feel very taut or propulsive; it was more deliberate in the way that information about both characters and the town itself was parsed out. This worked for setting up the atmosphere, but in a way it kept me kind of removed from creating real attachments to the characters or their motivations.
I didn't see the end coming, and there was at least one jaw dropping moment - so for me, that works as far as what I'm looking for in a thriller!
B̷R̷I̷N̷G̷ ✨ 𝗕𝗢𝗥𝗥𝗢𝗪 ✨ B̷Y̷P̷A̷S̷S̷
This was my third Megan Miranda book (in less than a week) and while it was my least favorite of the three, it was still worth the read and I would readily recommend it!
(For those wondering, thus far my favorites in order are The Only Survivors, All The Missing Girls, and then The Last to Vanish)
I love how Miranda plays with memory, first (and second, and third) impressions, and with unreliability in narration. This one didn't feel very taut or propulsive; it was more deliberate in the way that information about both characters and the town itself was parsed out. This worked for setting up the atmosphere, but in a way it kept me kind of removed from creating real attachments to the characters or their motivations.
I didn't see the end coming, and there was at least one jaw dropping moment - so for me, that works as far as what I'm looking for in a thriller!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, and Murder
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, and Grief
All the Missing Girls by Megan Miranda
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-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
4.75
First of all, LOVE WHEN AN AUTHOR'S COVERS ALL HAVE A SIMILAR VIBE
✨ 𝗕𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗚 ✨ B̷O̷R̷R̷O̷W̷ B̷Y̷P̷A̷S̷S̷
I've now read 2 of Megan Miranda's books (& currently have pretty much her entire backlist either on hold or loan through Libby) and I can tell you now these are books that I'm going to want on my shelves for anyone that says, "Hey, do you have a twisty thriller book that I could borrow? Something I won't be able to put down? Nothing too dark or messed up but, you know, something with grit?" So naturally, as aforementioned, I am *stoked* that they are all going to look so beautiful together!
Now on to this particular book - as I've only read two, I'm not sure if this is a tactic that Miranda employs in all of her works, but I love the way she plays with time and the narrative in this and The Only Survivors. All The Missing Girls hooks you with the prologue, drops you right into the beginning, then jumps two weeks into the future after a local girl goes missing and takes you back, day by day, to the fateful day when everything blows apart. Sometimes I had to remember what I already knew (and what the characters didn't) to try and keep all the threads straight, but I loved how it came together at the end!
I liked the characters in this one a lot, even as you only kind of get surface level with any of them (seems to be the way of it with thrillers, sometimes?) and I love the way Miranda explored relationships, especially those between teenage girls. I saw the undercurrents of relationships like those portrayed here in my own adolescence, and can only say I'm grateful I wasn't too near their orbit. Oof.
(Speaking of which, if you are looking for something like this but that touches way deeper on those bonds we forge as young adults and how those relationships can ripple out in ways we couldn't possibly see coming, check out Tana French's The Secret Place - it's the fifth in the Dublin Murder Squad series but can *technically* be read as a standalone, ALTHOUGH I highly recommend the entire series. Kind of a psychological thriller mystery? Anywho. Love it.)
✨ 𝗕𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗚 ✨ B̷O̷R̷R̷O̷W̷ B̷Y̷P̷A̷S̷S̷
I've now read 2 of Megan Miranda's books (& currently have pretty much her entire backlist either on hold or loan through Libby) and I can tell you now these are books that I'm going to want on my shelves for anyone that says, "Hey, do you have a twisty thriller book that I could borrow? Something I won't be able to put down? Nothing too dark or messed up but, you know, something with grit?" So naturally, as aforementioned, I am *stoked* that they are all going to look so beautiful together!
Now on to this particular book - as I've only read two, I'm not sure if this is a tactic that Miranda employs in all of her works, but I love the way she plays with time and the narrative in this and The Only Survivors. All The Missing Girls hooks you with the prologue, drops you right into the beginning, then jumps two weeks into the future after a local girl goes missing and takes you back, day by day, to the fateful day when everything blows apart. Sometimes I had to remember what I already knew (and what the characters didn't) to try and keep all the threads straight, but I loved how it came together at the end!
I liked the characters in this one a lot, even as you only kind of get surface level with any of them (seems to be the way of it with thrillers, sometimes?) and I love the way Miranda explored relationships, especially those between teenage girls. I saw the undercurrents of relationships like those portrayed here in my own adolescence, and can only say I'm grateful I wasn't too near their orbit. Oof.
(Speaking of which, if you are looking for something like this but that touches way deeper on those bonds we forge as young adults and how those relationships can ripple out in ways we couldn't possibly see coming, check out Tana French's The Secret Place - it's the fifth in the Dublin Murder Squad series but can *technically* be read as a standalone, ALTHOUGH I highly recommend the entire series. Kind of a psychological thriller mystery? Anywho. Love it.)
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Suicide, Terminal illness, Vomit, Car accident, Death of parent, and Alcohol
The Only Survivors by Megan Miranda
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
tl;dr: I read this in one day, practically in one sitting
✨ 𝗕𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗚 ✨ B̷O̷R̷R̷O̷W̷ B̷Y̷P̷A̷S̷S̷
Okay, so, look, I'm by no means a thriller aficionado, so feel free to take all of this with a grain of salt. I'm very rarely going to guess the twist ahead of time, I'm pretty much always going to have a jaw dropping moment, and I'm generally going to fly through thrillers because of the way they're written.
ALL OF THAT BEING SAID, THOUGH - I really, really, really enjoyed this book. I loved how all of it came together, and I loved the narrative choice to go back and forth from the present to the accident (starting with one survivor's POV 7 hours afterwards and going back one hour and switching POVs until you got to the accident itself).
I was swept up in all the winding ways that everything came together, and it all seemed plausible. It is twisty, and fun, and sad, and I thought there was a very good twist at the end! I've also decided to go through Megan Miranda's backlist based on this book alone, so that's another point in this book's favor!
✨ 𝗕𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗚 ✨ B̷O̷R̷R̷O̷W̷ B̷Y̷P̷A̷S̷S̷
Okay, so, look, I'm by no means a thriller aficionado, so feel free to take all of this with a grain of salt. I'm very rarely going to guess the twist ahead of time, I'm pretty much always going to have a jaw dropping moment, and I'm generally going to fly through thrillers because of the way they're written.
ALL OF THAT BEING SAID, THOUGH - I really, really, really enjoyed this book. I loved how all of it came together, and I loved the narrative choice to go back and forth from the present to the accident (starting with one survivor's POV 7 hours afterwards and going back one hour and switching POVs until you got to the accident itself).
I was swept up in all the winding ways that everything came together, and it all seemed plausible. It is twisty, and fun, and sad, and I thought there was a very good twist at the end! I've also decided to go through Megan Miranda's backlist based on this book alone, so that's another point in this book's favor!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Car accident, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Suicide and Alcohol
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Drug use, Gun violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, Grief, Stalking, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol
Juniper Bean Resorts to Murder by Gracie Ruth Mitchell
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
fast-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
3.75
This one took a minute for me to fully get into, but once I did I was hooked!
✨ 𝗕𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗚 ✨ B̷O̷R̷R̷O̷W̷ B̷Y̷P̷A̷S̷S̷
If you liked Finlay Donovan is Killing It but struggled *just the tiniest bit* at suspending your disbelief at some of the hijinks Finlay got herself into (especially as the series progressed), I would highly recommend this book!
It's not a perfect novel (her entire career as a writer, while mentioned often, just seems to hover in the background?) but if you're looking to turn off your brain and get lost in a mix between (slightly heavier) cozy mystery + romance, then this is a solid book to check out.
I surprised myself by liking the romance more than I thought I was going to initially (some of the protests for how long things took to come together annoyed me in the beginning) and I thought everything wrapped up quite nicely at the end!
If there was a sequel featuring these characters again, I would most definitely read it. It didn't end on a cliffhanger in any way (and I don't know if a sequel is planned), but there are so many opportunities to expand these characters!
✨ 𝗕𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗚 ✨ B̷O̷R̷R̷O̷W̷ B̷Y̷P̷A̷S̷S̷
If you liked Finlay Donovan is Killing It but struggled *just the tiniest bit* at suspending your disbelief at some of the hijinks Finlay got herself into (especially as the series progressed), I would highly recommend this book!
It's not a perfect novel (her entire career as a writer, while mentioned often, just seems to hover in the background?) but if you're looking to turn off your brain and get lost in a mix between (slightly heavier) cozy mystery + romance, then this is a solid book to check out.
I surprised myself by liking the romance more than I thought I was going to initially (some of the protests for how long things took to come together annoyed me in the beginning) and I thought everything wrapped up quite nicely at the end!
If there was a sequel featuring these characters again, I would most definitely read it. It didn't end on a cliffhanger in any way (and I don't know if a sequel is planned), but there are so many opportunities to expand these characters!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal death, Death, Rape, Sexual assault, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and Alcohol
Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-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
5.0
Thank you to Edelweiss, Wednesday Books, & Macmillan for the opportunity to read and review this book before it's publication date! This in no way affected my review, opinions are my own.
✨ 𝗕𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗚 ✨ B̷O̷R̷R̷O̷W̷ B̷Y̷P̷A̷S̷S̷
If you combine the trilogy Daughter of Smoke & Bone, add in a dash of the email communication from You've Got Mail (but make it ENCHANTED TYPEWRITERS), throw in a 1920s vibe, and take the absolute best parts of an enemies to lovers trope, then you've got Divine Rivals. And you're gonna love it.
Having found my interest in this novel coming from her adult fantasy Elements of Cadence duology (A River Enchanted & A Fire Endless), I was a bit nervous to read this, not sure if the parts I loved so much about Cadence would translate to a YA book about dueling newspaper columnists during a war of the Gods - but I really could not have been more wrong!
I loved the characters, I loved the development of the plot, I loved the romance, I loved the atmosphere, I loved the plot, and I cannot WAIT to read the next one in 2024!
(As cliffhangers go, it's pretty brutal ... BUT in a way I'm excited, because having read this as an eBook, I'll get to do an audio reread of it before the sequel comes out and I've heard the audio is ... dare I say it? Divine.)
✨ 𝗕𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗚 ✨ B̷O̷R̷R̷O̷W̷ B̷Y̷P̷A̷S̷S̷
If you combine the trilogy Daughter of Smoke & Bone, add in a dash of the email communication from You've Got Mail (but make it ENCHANTED TYPEWRITERS), throw in a 1920s vibe, and take the absolute best parts of an enemies to lovers trope, then you've got Divine Rivals. And you're gonna love it.
Having found my interest in this novel coming from her adult fantasy Elements of Cadence duology (A River Enchanted & A Fire Endless), I was a bit nervous to read this, not sure if the parts I loved so much about Cadence would translate to a YA book about dueling newspaper columnists during a war of the Gods - but I really could not have been more wrong!
I loved the characters, I loved the development of the plot, I loved the romance, I loved the atmosphere, I loved the plot, and I cannot WAIT to read the next one in 2024!
(As cliffhangers go, it's pretty brutal ... BUT in a way I'm excited, because having read this as an eBook, I'll get to do an audio reread of it before the sequel comes out and I've heard the audio is ... dare I say it? Divine.)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, and Classism
Minor: Sexual content
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
sad
tense
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
4.5
Another classic read - via audio - in 2023 and I'm so glad it was Their Eyes Were Watching God!
✨ 𝗕𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗚 ✨ B̷O̷R̷R̷O̷W̷ B̷Y̷P̷A̷S̷S̷
The audio of this novel is absolutely stunning and I cannot recommend it highly enough - Ruby Dee does a phenomenal job narrating Janie's voice and story and I was swept up in the novel from pretty much the first chapter.
I loved the exploration of race, family, and community in the post slavery American South, and had a lot to think about upon finishing this book. I appreciated the vernacular that was used throughout, but definitely think I would have struggled with this had I not been listening to the audio.
Janie's story was heartbreaking but also so beautiful and full of hope. I both loved and hated how things turned out at the end, and can absolutely see why this novel and Zora Neale Hurston's writing has stood the test of time.
✨ 𝗕𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗚 ✨ B̷O̷R̷R̷O̷W̷ B̷Y̷P̷A̷S̷S̷
The audio of this novel is absolutely stunning and I cannot recommend it highly enough - Ruby Dee does a phenomenal job narrating Janie's voice and story and I was swept up in the novel from pretty much the first chapter.
I loved the exploration of race, family, and community in the post slavery American South, and had a lot to think about upon finishing this book. I appreciated the vernacular that was used throughout, but definitely think I would have struggled with this had I not been listening to the audio.
Janie's story was heartbreaking but also so beautiful and full of hope. I both loved and hated how things turned out at the end, and can absolutely see why this novel and Zora Neale Hurston's writing has stood the test of time.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Medical content, Grief, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Classism