husnaibrahim_'s reviews
228 reviews

I’m glad I gave this book a second chance by opting for the audiobook this time. I definitely enjoyed it more than my first attempt. Now, I’m actually looking forward to reading the second book. Maybe this time, I’ll try reading while also listening to the audiobook simultaneously.

While I do acknowledge that this book is better written and structured than the first one, I can't help but wish it didn't throw so many twists and turns at us.

Sure, small towns are rarely as simple as they seem, and people harbor family secrets. But goodness, this book takes complexity to a whole new level. The amount of intrigue and hidden secrets is astonishing.

So much unfolds in this story. I know Doctor Pittman seems to have evaded justice, but I can't help but think his respite won't last. I'm not buying his version of Aunt Marsha being a master manipulator and him being at her mercy’s end. 

Then there's the whole tangled web of love affairs involving Lacy, Jack, and the school principal. It’s a lot to take in, just like Justin’s current situation. I genuinely hope he manages to overcome it.

I’m genuinely excited about the next book. I can’t wait to see Zak, maybe as a deputy at the very least. I know many people encourage him to aim for sheriff, but I'm not sure how realistic that is. He might face resistance from the old-timers in the police department. Well, except for Nadine, as it's clear Deputy Black has a soft spot for him. I’m eager to see where their relationship goes in the next book and whether they’ll decide to take the plunge and move in together. Maybe then I’ll finally enjoy a bit of romance in this book, as I’m definitely not a Tiff and Kenny shipper.

The way this book is structured is so different and confusing but I honestly wouldn’t have it any other way.

I loved almost everything about this book. I mean I'm no stranger to Nora's writing style, having read numerous works under her real name and her pseudonym in the "In Death" series. I found that this book shares a similar structure with “The Witness” and “Shelter in Place,” two of my favorite books by her. So, I’m not surprised I was naturally hooked from the get-go.

First and foremost, I have to say I loved the Nouvelles. They aren’t your typically normal family, but their unique dynamics, from Max down to Mouse, are oddly perfect. Their lifestyle, as part magicians and part elite thieves, had me hooked honestly. I liked how their easily welcoming nature, especially to stray children, brought us Luke, and that was a significant part of what made them endearing.

Now, Luke and Roxanne might not be conventionally perfect characters, but that’s what makes them so compelling. I think they were both complicated characters that made tough decisions in difficult situations even though that might not have been what was best for either of them, but they had immense backbone. I think if this were any other book, I would have been weirded out with their family dynamic and relationship dynamic when it came to each other. But Nora makes it work here, and I guess that simmering sexual tension doesn't hurt also.

That’s probably why, despite everything that unfolded in the middle and latter parts of the book, I still found myself rooting for them. Okay so, perhaps Luke could've groveled a little bit more, or tried a different approach to make amends. Because I expected more from him especially with people like that Finestein guy and lily in his life.

Speaking of Lily, I adored her character and what she brought to the story. She's a master of using her womanly charms to her advantage, and I couldn't help but admire her for it. I'm also glad nothing romantic happened between her and the Finestein guy, as I was getting that vibe, and it would have pissed me off if it happened. Because Max, although no longer physically present, remains irreplaceable. He was an extraordinary man and father, which added to the depth and I just love everything about this book honestly.

Now, after indulging in the “In Death” series, I've grown used to revisiting characters in their later books. So Sometimes I forget, and it saddens me when I finish a stand-alone book by this author, realizing that’s the end of the story. But such is life.

This was a good story and the narrator made it so much better. I just wish the ending didn’t feel so rushed. I also needed to see Anika actually being the person compromising because it felt like Jason was the only one doing that. They were really cute though

I read this because it was recommended to me by a friend. This story was touching and the whole Origami thing was just such a beautiful addition to the story. 

However, I didn’t like the protagonist at all. The only thing I truly liked about this story was his mum. The way the book is written, you can’t help thinking it’s a beautiful story, really connect and also genuinely feel for the mum but also still be unable to see past Jacks flaws. I know the ending is supposed to provide some closure and show us how he is now trying to do things right but I can’t help but feel it’s far too late and far too little. 

Maybe it’s the whole racism and internalised xenophobia that just didn’t sit right with me or maybe I’m being too narrow minded about this and can’t really see what the story is trying to say. Either way it was an okay book for me.

The day Eve Dallas breaks through her denial, embracing the existence of things beyond her world, beyond her understanding and belief system, is when the novellas in this series would truly become interesting.

This story was an emotional rollercoaster.

At first, Hana was more appealing to me than our female main character. But as the story went on, I started wondering if she was the one who snitched on Lena and Alex.

There are several aspects I enjoyed about this book. It did start a bit slow for me, as I struggled to connect with Lena initially, but eventually, she grew on me. Her character development was solid, and I’m eager to see more of it in the upcoming books. I just wish it wasn’t so closely tied to Alex.

Alex, on the other hand, was a character I absolutely loved. I thought he and Lena made a great pair, at least until the ending left us shocked. His experience living both in the wild and outside of it made him a more dynamic character compared to the others. I think? Okay so maybe I hoped he wouldn’t be so cliche with his whole creepy stalker but also nice guy character but it kind of worked well in this sort of dystopian society. Now, I’m curious to see how he’ll survive where he once dreaded his dad’s survival or Lena’s mother. It’ll be interesting to see if Lena finally gets to reconnect with her.

One of the best parts of the book was how Alex helped Lena navigate the new world they stumbled into. Their connection was sweet. I can’t say for certain if they’ll be endgame, but it would be nice to see.

One thing I’ll say about this book is that Lena's comment at her first party really stuck with me. She mentioned how everyone was making her out to be the crazy one for not thinking this was all normal. It felt very realistic to how teenagers can feel like outsiders if they haven't experienced certain social things.

Now, reflecting on one aspect I didn’t quite like, it did get a bit chaotic in the middle. Not entirely filler but not completely connected either. I also wish Lena hadn’t acted like a love-crazed teenager once she and Alex began dating. It would have been refreshing to see a more composed love story, perhaps allowing them to evade the situation more easily. But, I guess it's not entirely realistic, given the upbringing, when you've spent your life suppressing feelings and suddenly they come pouring out.

I'm really looking forward to seeing how Lena adjusts to the social nuances on her new journey.

I loved many aspects of this book. It was a blend of fun and creepiness that I really found intriguing. And the audiobook narrator did an excellent job portraying how nervous and curious Mouse’s was, which added depth to the experience.

I think Introducing the grandmother’s character right from the start was a clever way to kick off the story. I initially thought “who would say such things about their own grandmother? I mean surely she can’t be that bad right” Little did I know, she’d turn out to be even worse than I anticipated. But at least her presence was able to keep those ‘twisted ones’ things away right? 

What really stood out to me was the sense of community portrayed in the book. Foxy’s willingness to help Mouse, even though they were essentially strangers, was heartwarming. I can’t imagine doing that for anyone I considered a stranger. It makes you wonder if they would have gone to great lengths to ensure Anna’s safety too, even after her betrayal. And I suspect they would have also made sure she got out safely if she had made it out. 

I also loved the way the book was narrated. The first-person point of view was a great choice. Because in these sorts of books, we need to actually see and hear the mc’s inner thoughts and reflections. Plus seeing the world building from mouse’s perspective worked really well here too. 

Overall, I can definitely see myself revisiting this audiobook on a lazy day. It’s the kind of story that lures you in and makes you want to know what exactly those twisted ones are and why Coltrane really needed to find that green book all over again!

I hate when the saying ‘don’t judge a book by it’s cover’ proves to be true because this is exactly the situation I find myself in. I bought this book because it’s cover was so beautiful and I in turn was hoping the inside would match up, but, well, it left me kind of disappointed.

I can’t exactly call it a bad book, but I can’t say it’s a great one either, at least not for me. It’s got something to do with how it’s written and also the chemistry between the characters. It feels like it’s aimed at a much younger audience than it was marketed as.

I really liked Xingyin’s mother, and I think I would’ve loved it if the story was more about her. But I couldn’t really get into Xingyin herself or the Emperor’s son, which is a bit weird because, well, the book’s supposed to be about them, right? And why didn’t we see more of Chang’e? I thought she’d be a big deal since the title kind of points to that.

Then there’s the whole love triangle thing. It wasn’t even done well, at all. Weirdly, I found myself kind of liking Wenzhi more because of that whole mysterious slash demon prince angle. Because the relationship between the two main mc’s itself wasn’t developed properly. There was no depth to it at all and it felt so shallow. We weren’t pulled into it anticipating and giggling. And the whole possessive angle didn’t work and only made him very annoying. Their love interest thing seemed like talk more than any real buildup.

Everything just felt too superficial? And we didn’t get that intensive surge of emotions when the action hit because, you know, we weren’t really taken through it as well. Even what they described afterward felt way too unrealistic. Yeah, I get she’s got powers and all, but she can’t be invincible, right? It’s all just too unrealistic when you take into account her physic. She fights like she’s been training for centuries and then somehow nothing ever goes wrong for her. Even after that shoulder incident, she just kept going. Like Idk I just really disliked so many things about this book and I can’t help pointing it out. 

So yeah the plot was all over the place. It’s like they put freeing Xingyin’s mother on the backburner and just piled on all these side quests. Like freeing Liwei’s bethrothed and fighting with the army and what not. That’s all fine and cool if it didn’t seem like fillers because the quest to free her mother felt so short in comparison to all these other stuff. And by the time her mother’s finally free, I just didn’t care anymore. I mean, at that point, I’d lost track of the plot. It was all over the map. 

What I did like however was Chang’e, the Moon goddess, she was pretty cool. And the world-building? That was awesome too because I’m a fan of Asian retellings. The writing was pretty, but it would’ve been nice if it was less stuffy and formal, especially when it came to Xingyin and her supposed ‘romance’

This book was a rollercoaster of emotions. I felt frustration, annoyance, and anger about midway through, yet I couldn’t tear myself away from it. 

I don’t usually mind spoilers, so I was tempted so many times but I found myself resisting the urge to skim the ending, just so I could know what would happen to Alice. Looking back, I’m glad I didn’t. The powerful rush of emotions I had to seriously grapple with as I read through is what makes this book what it is.

It took me a few days after finishing to form a solid opinion. I grappled with whether I would consider it a good book or not.

I believe the book’s unflinching portrayal of brutality is what makes it both powerful and deeply unsettling. I didn’t like that Dana had to keep saving him. I was initially okay with Dana rescuing Rufus, as he seemed like a decent but ignorant young man. However, he quickly transformed into someone as bad as, if not worse than, his slave-owning father.

I detested what he did to Alice and Isaac, and I couldn’t stand that Dana had to save Alice. Because truly, In my view, Alice would have been better off dying before Rufus reached her. What’s worse, he even entertained the idea of doing the same to Dana at some point. That’s the issue with some of these privileged white people, especially back then. They might make you believe they consider you an equal, a person, but fundamentally, they don’t.

What I did love though was the ending. I guess you could say I found some sort of solace. I loved how Dana handled it. I also developed a fondness for Kevin, although I had doubts about him during the middle of the book. The side characters, especially Aunt Sarah, added depth to the story. Even though we only saw a small bit of Dana’s cousin, I couldn’t help but like her. Most importantly, I loved Alice. She was the definition strength and resilience. She’d been free for much of her life, and despite the horrors she endured, she bounced back. What’s amusing is she didn’t even know who Dana was truly to her and didn’t know Dana had her own selfish reasons for saving her but I just loved their relationship. 

In the end, despite the mixed feelings this book stirred in me, I can’t deny that it moved and stirred powerful emotions in me. It’s an impactful book, whether I liked every part of it or not. Nevertheless, it’s not a story I’ll revisit.  Because honestly, Once was enough and I just don’t have it in me to do that again.