thereadingraccoon's reviews
1490 reviews

Such Lovely Skin by Tatiana Schlote-Bonne

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dark reflective 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? No

3.75

Such Lovely Skin is a young adult paranormal horror novel about a teenage girl tormented by a demonic spirit.

Viv has been absent from her Twitch channel for months, where she streams horror video games, following the death of her little sister. Now, she’s decided to return, hoping to regain the followers she lost during her hiatus. The first game she tries is a mysterious “locked room” style game that prompts her to share a secret. Viv confesses the truth about the day her sister died, and things quickly spiral out of control. Suddenly, Viv is plagued by horrific nightmares, and a girl who looks exactly like her begins ruining her online reputation and hurting those around her. Viv must uncover what it will take to banish this evil presence and reclaim her life.

This is a dark and creepy novel featuring a complicated young woman haunted by grief and guilt. The story delivers some genuinely chilling moments that will have readers wondering, “How is she going to get out of this?” I also enjoyed learning a bit about gaming culture and what it takes to succeed as a Twitch streamer. This book would also work well as a teen horror movie or TV series.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

🎧 Audiobook Notes: The audiobook of Such Lovely Skin is narrated by Chandler Gregoire, who does an excellent job capturing Viv’s voice. However, I felt her portrayal of the male voices was less effective.

Disclaimer: a free copy of Such Lovely Skin was provided by PRH Audio for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 
North Is the Night by Emily Rath

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful 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? No

3.0

North is the Night is a fantasy novel about two young women separated by an evil death goddess. 

Sirri and Aina are simple Finnish girls from a small village when they are attacked by the goddess of death, and Aina is dragged to the underworld. Despondent without her best friend and with no one believing what happened to her—since Finland has begun turning away from the old gods and toward Christianity, the new religion brought by Swedish invaders—Sirri becomes convinced she can save Aina. Determined, she heads north to seek the help of the long-missing shaman Väinämöinen, hoping he can teach her how to cross into Tuonela, the land of the dead. Meanwhile, Aina must fight to save herself and the other mortal girls who have been kidnapped and forced to live in the underworld, as Sirri learns how to cross the veil between life and death.

I enjoyed the first part of this book, where the two women fight to stay alive and find their way back to each other. However, at almost 60 chapters and 600 pages, I found myself losing interest somewhere around the halfway point and hoping the two storylines would wrap up. There are too many gods and goddesses to keep track of, the politics of the underworld is complicated, and there are a lot of double-crosses and hidden agendas to follow, which I didn’t find very intriguing. The romantic storyline also takes some twists and turns. While I appreciate the author making unexpected choices, I didn’t find any of the romance swoony or compelling to read.

Overall, this one started strong, and I enjoyed learning about Finland and its struggle to preserve its culture and religion during a time of invasion by Sweden and the rise of Christianity. However, the pacing felt off for me, and the underworld politics dragged the plot out much longer than necessary.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Disclosure: An advanced copy of North is the Night was provided by the publisher for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
A Cruel Thirst by Angela Montoya

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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? No

3.0

A Cruel Thirst is a historical fantasy novel about a newly turned vampire who falls in love with the daughter of a family of vampire hunters.

Lalo is determined to destroy the vampire who killed his parents, but he underestimates her power and is turned into one himself. Horrified by what he has become and racing against time before succumbing to the thirst, he travels to northern Mexico, where he believes the monsters originated. However, his plan to lay low and research their source is disrupted by a beautiful young woman, Carolina, who dreams of joining the men in her family to fight the vampires that have plagued them for generations. Reluctantly, she agrees to help Lalo with his scheme to kill the first vampire and wipe out the entire bloodline before it’s too late.

This book fell a little flat for me. There wasn’t anything particularly adult about it, and it could have easily fit into the young adult section. Although the cover suggests there will be a lot of tension and chemistry, there wasn’t much of that on the page. The couple shares sweet moments and fun banter, but that’s about it. In terms of action and thrills, the violence is limited to a few vampire battle scenes, which weren’t very exciting.

I also found Carolina inconsistent in her skills. I was hoping for a strong, dynamic main character, but instead, I got another beautiful young woman whose family just wants her to stay safe and get married. I didn’t feel like this book brought anything new or exciting to the genre.

🎧 Audiobook Notes:
The audiobook was narrated by Diana Bustelo and Gary Tiedmann, who do an excellent job voicing Carolina and Lalo.

Disclosure:
An advanced copy of A Cruel Thirst was provided by PRH Audio for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
The Good Bride: A Novel by Jen Marie Wiggins

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mysterious 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? No

3.5

The Good Bride is a contemporary mystery and thriller about a family hosting an extravagant wedding in a town still recovering from a hurricane.

Ruth and Teo decide to hold their wedding in the Florida Panhandle city of Blue Compass. The small fishing town has managed to keep out big hotels and developers, but as they rebuild after a devastating hurricane, the wolves are circling. At first, the wedding plans seem to be going smoothly, but when the bride’s expensive necklace goes missing and her sister receives threatening messages on Instagram, it becomes clear that someone has it in for the family.

The story is told from the points of view of Ruth, Teo, wedding planner Karla, and police chief Marcus. Although the mystery (and its conclusion) wasn’t particularly exciting for me, I enjoyed the depiction of a town trying to rebuild while fighting back against low insurance payouts and encroaching high-rise hotels. I especially appreciated Marcus’s perspective, as he tries to solve a crime amidst messy family drama. Readers with complicated family dynamics—especially involving fathers and daughters—will likely connect with Ruth’s relationships with her parents and sisters. However, I do wish Ruth herself had been a more fleshed-out and dynamic character.

Overall, this is a mystery and family drama that readers who prefer less gritty stories without gore may enjoy.
What the Woods Took by Courtney Gould

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dark mysterious 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? No

3.0

What the Woods Took is a paranormal thriller and survival novel about a group of teenagers left to fend for themselves at a wilderness therapy camp.

Devin, Ollie, Sheridan, Aiden, and Hannah are teenagers whose parents have sent them to the REVIVE Teen Rehabilitation program for various issues, including drug use, drinking, and rebelliousness. The program involves hiking and sleeping outdoors to help the teens get back on track. But days into the trip, the two adult guides disappear, leaving the teens to face the wilderness on their own. They soon discover that they aren’t alone—monsters lurk behind the trees.

Unfortunately, I didn’t find most of this book gripping, despite the high stakes. The teenagers came across as angsty and annoying, and the one-dimensional depiction of the parents didn’t help (especially Devin, whose cliché series of terrible foster parents felt overdone). While the scenes with the creepy monsters were entertaining, the rest of the story fell a little flat.
PS: I Hate You by Lauren Connolly

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emotional funny sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

P.S. I Hate You is a contemporary romance about two people with a complicated past, tasked with scattering the ashes of someone they loved at landmarks across the U.S.

Maddie Sanderson had her heart broken years ago by her brother Josh’s best friend, Dominic, when he proposed to another woman the morning after being intimate with Maddie. Devastated, she fled to the opposite coast to start a new life and successfully avoided him for seven years. However, after her beloved brother passes away from cancer, Maddie discovers at the funeral that Josh has requested she and Dominic take a series of trips together with his ashes. Despite her lingering anger toward Dominic, Maddie reluctantly agrees, hoping to feel closer to Josh’s memory. But as the trips unfold, Maddie begins to see glimpses of the Dominic she fell for all those years ago.

This book offers plenty of emotional and romantic moments designed to tug on the heartstrings. For readers who have experienced the loss of a sibling, Maddie’s desire to honor Josh’s memory might feel particularly poignant. However, I struggled with Maddie’s character, whose personality often swung wildly between pitiful, whiny, and a grating try-hard. Her sarcasm and attempts at humorous quips or insults felt more cringeworthy than amusing, and her claims of being a neglected introvert didn’t align with the fact that everyone she interacted with seemed inexplicably invested in her life—including two boys she babysat for one summer when they were thirteen.

Dominic, meanwhile, was reduced to a one-dimensional “growly” and “responsible” archetype. The intimate scenes felt misplaced and overly detailed, clashing with the more poignant themes of grief explored in the story. Maddie’s family—her mother, grandmother, and father—came across as cartoonishly toxic, which detracted from what could have been a nuanced portrayal of a dysfunctional family.

While the premise had the potential to deliver a heartfelt exploration of grief and second-chance romance, the execution fell short due to an irritating protagonist, an overemphasis on love scenes, and unrealistic characterizations.
Darkly by Marisha Pessl

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adventurous dark funny mysterious 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? No

4.5

Darkly is a young adult mystery and thriller about a group of teens recruited as interns at the company of a long-deceased game designer.

Dia Gannon is a teenager who helps run her mother’s antique store, dresses like she’s going to a sock hop, and counts her octogenarian coworkers as her best friends. On a whim, she sends off an application to join other young people from around the world as summer interns for Darkly, a board game design company renowned for its immersive, dark-themed games created by the enigmatic late Louisiana Veda. But when Dia is selected and meets the other applicants in England, they discover the job has much higher stakes than they ever imagined. They’ll be expected to uncover the origins of the legendary game master herself—and play to win.

Marisha Pessl has an incredible way with words and a knack for writing unique teen voices that somehow still feel authentic. This was a fun, twisty novel with excellent pacing and memorable characters. I really enjoyed Dia and would love to see more of her in the future.

Rating: 4.5 stars 

Disclosure: an advanced copy was provided by Delacorte Press for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 
The Shutouts by Gabrielle Korn

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dark hopeful informative mysterious 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? No

4.0

The Shutouts is the follow-up to the 2023 climate fiction novel Yours for the Taking.

This novel explores small groups of survivors living in a rapidly changing North America after global warming has rendered conditions nearly uninhabitable. Through different POVs, readers follow as these survivors attempt to reconnect with friends and family from whom they’ve been separated, establish camps, search for provisions, and seek safety. The book also delves into the origins of Orchid through letters her mother wrote in 2041.

Like its predecessor, The Shutouts highlights the devastating consequences of global warming and the dangers of allowing powerful corporations and corrupt politicians to exploit humanity’s near-destruction. Despite its bleak moments, the story carries a thread of hope, showing how humans can adapt and flourish by working together and building strong communities.

🎧 Audiobook Notes:
Yours for the Taking is narrated by Gail Shalan, who delivers an excellent performance, capturing the distinct perspectives of the various characters.

Disclosure: An advanced copy was provided by the publisher for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer

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funny lighthearted 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? No

4.0

Cute and fun 
Is She Really Going Out with Him? by Sophie Cousens

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted 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? No

4.0

Is She Really Going Out With Him is a contemporary romance novel about a thirty-eight-year-old mom who is fresh off a divorce and trying to hold it all together.

Anna is a journalist for a local magazine and is co-parenting with her ex-husband. She’s been enjoying a workplace rivalry with her hot, younger co-worker, Will, who always has something to say about the typos in her articles. But the tension heats up further after their magazine is sold to a larger conglomerate and jobs are on the line. Needing a fresh angle for the dating column her new boss assigns her, Anna enlists her kids to take turns picking her dates. Hilarity ensues as the kids choose a series of men for their mother to go out with.

This is a novel about finding love—and yourself—in the most unexpected places. Anna has to take on parenting with an ex-husband who’s moving on, navigate the tricky world of raising a tween, find fulfillment in her work in a constantly evolving economy, and discover what truly makes her happy. I really enjoyed following Anna as a character and could relate to her on many levels. There is a lot of humor and smart dialogue, and I look forward to reading more from Sophie Cousens.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Narrator notes: The audio of Is She Really Going Out With Him was narrated by Kerry Gilbert. She does an excellent job, and her voice matched my idea of Anna perfectly.

Disclosure: An advanced listening copy was provided by Penguin Random House Audio for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions are my own.