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Book Review: Loud by Drew Afualo

Loud is a memoir and feminist guidebook on dealing with men in relationships, the workplace, and social media.

In Loud, Drew Afualo shares her background as a young woman who originally dreamed of a career in sports journalism, but after a layoff, pivoted to content creation on TikTok. She has made a name for herself by calling out trolls and “terrible men” on the internet, earning her 8 million followers (as of September 2024). She emboldens other women to take a stand and call out misogyny when they see it.

This is a helpful book for younger women looking to find their voice in both their professional and personal lives. Afualo doesn’t talk down to the reader, but sheds light on cultural norms that are unfair to both men and women. Although there wasn’t a lot personally for me to take away, I appreciated her voice and what she’s doing in the world to push back on the patriarchy. I would have liked to hear more examples of some exchanges she’s had and how she beats trolls at their own game.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Narrator notes: This book is narrated by the author herself, bringing an engaging and authentic voice to her story.

Disclosure: I was provided a copy of Loud by Macmillan Audio for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

How to Hide in Plain Sight is a contemporary coming-of-age novel that explores both a young woman’s struggle with mental health and a romance.

Eliot has been living away from her large blended family and best friend, Manuel, for three years. But with her older brother’s wedding taking place at the family’s lakeside vacation home, she must return and face everyone she left behind.

This is not your typical romance novel. Eliot has struggled with symptoms of OCD and anxiety since she was a child, following the heartbreaking loss of her brother. Her intrusive thoughts and “worries” send her spiraling in unexpected ways, and for readers unfamiliar with OCD, it’s incredibly eye-opening. Often, authors rely on unrealistic roadblocks and misunderstandings to delay true love, but in Eliot’s case, her disorder makes it genuinely difficult for her to trust reality, leading her to reject and push Manuel away.

I highly recommend this book for those who enjoy complicated family drama, mental health representation, and slow-burn friends-to-lovers romance.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Disclosure: An advanced copy of this novel was provided by Berkley Publishing for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Red River Road is a contemporary thriller about two women traveling along Australia’s roads for completely different reasons.

Katy is following in the #vanlife footsteps of her sister Phoebe, who disappeared a year ago without a trace. When Beth, fleeing an abusive relationship, hides in Katy’s van, she makes up a quick story, reluctant to share her past with a fellow solo female traveler. The truth is that she and her boyfriend Lucas have been befriending and burglarizing fellow travelers for months. When Beth convinces Katy to let her help solve Phoebe’s disappearance, they must delve into Phoebe’s social media and a series of frightening clues left behind by someone who is following them very closely.

Like any good twisty thriller, this one has plenty of red herrings, misdirection, and secrets. I enjoyed not being able to predict what was going to happen, and the Australian roads and traveler lifestyle made a great backdrop for the drama and suspense. I recommend this one to anyone interested in both crime and psychological thrillers.

4 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

🎧 Audiobook Notes: This book was narrated by Maddy Withington, whose authentic Australian accent brings both Beth and Katy to life.

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

You Belong With Me is the sequel to the 2016 contemporary romance novel Who’s That Girl.

This book picks up right where the previous installment left off. Edie Thompson is in her new home, making Christmas dinner for family and friends, when her famous ex, Elliott Owen, stops by with a big bouquet and a plea for them to give their relationship another try. Since they are both madly in love and have been unsuccessful at staying apart, they decide to try again. But nothing has changed in Elliott’s career, and they continue to face the same issues—press invasions of privacy and long periods of time apart. They must navigate insecurities about working closely with the opposite sex while in a relationship and figure out what to share with those around them and who they can trust.

Despite the glamour of Elliott’s career, this is a down-to-earth and realistic portrayal of what it’s like for a couple dealing with the pressures of celebrity and long distance. I love the wit and banter of all the characters and would love to see books starring everyone from Edie’s sister, Meg, to Elliott’s musician friend, whom we never meet. I found myself wishing I knew these people and could have a drink with them at a pub in Nottingham.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I loved this one! It’s a funny and sweet story of a woman (Edie) in her mid-30’s struggling after a co-worker kisses her at his own wedding. She’s given a respite from office gossip in the shape of returning to her hometown and ghost writing the memoir of a hot young actor (Elliott). But he doesn’t really want the book to happen, the people back at work are amping up the harassment and things are tense between Edie and her vegan/social warrior sister, Meg. I love the way Mhairi can turn a phrase and I found myself highlighting so many great lines.

Empresses of Seventh Avenue is a non-fiction deep dive into the role of the United States in the business of fashion, particularly in the first half of the twentieth century. As the wars in Europe raged, designers, editors, journalists, department store managers, and other tastemakers in the U.S. stepped up and finally gave Paris serious competition.

This is a fascinating read, filled with details about the private and professional lives of women who aren’t famous outside of their field. It’s really interesting to see how far the U.S. has come—from mostly copying French designers to a country that creates and cultivates its own talent. I recommend it to anyone with an interest in fashion as both an art and a business.

🎧 Audiobook Notes: This book is narrated by Gail Shalan, who does an excellent job with the narration, including the pronunciation of French words and names.

Disclaimer: An ALC (advanced listening copy) of Empresses of Seventh Avenue was provided by Macmillan Audio for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Monstrous Kind is a young adult fantasy novel about a seventeen-year-old girl trying to survive in an alternate England plagued by both monsters and the plotting of the elite class.

Merrick is enjoying the social “season” with family friends in New London when she’s called home because her father has died. Her older sister Essie is their father’s heir, and with his death, the title and power will be transferred to her. But only a series of sentries and lanterns hold back the mist that contains deadly phantoms, and the fail-safes around Merrick’s lands are failing. When Essie goes missing, Merrick teams up with the scarred and mysterious sentry Killian to try to find out who took Essie and why the phantoms keep slipping past their security.

The Monstrous Kind had a nice pace and enough mystery and action to keep me interested. I thought the monsters and dystopian aspect of the plot were intriguing, and although I did figure out some of the secrets before Merrick did, I still look forward to finding out more about this world if there is a sequel. I liked Merrick as a character but felt like she needed rescuing more and more as the book went on. She started off as a good shot and the bolder of the two sisters, but by the end, she seemed a little more like a “damsel in distress,” easily fooled and manipulated by others.

As for the writing, the author relied too heavily on similes and metaphors, with almost every page containing one or two. The opening two paragraphs contain four similes right off the bat, and the book has nearly nine hundred uses of the word “like” (yes, I did a word count), most of which were used as part of a simile. I hope if there is a sequel that the author relies on these less, as they bog down the book in unnecessary detail.

Overall, The Monstrous Kind is an enjoyable YA fantasy with some exciting action and a small romantic subplot.

Disclaimer: I received an advanced copy of this book for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Champions is a contemporary young adult thriller about a high school newspaper reporter who stumbles on to a series of secrets involving the football team. 

Hadley has only been at Sunnybrook High School for a year but she’s already a contender for the newspaper editor. But first she has to write a story about the champion football team the Tigers. But almost immediately she begins to receive anonymous emails telling her to give the story to someone else and not to go to the football game afterparty. The team and the coaches will do anything to keep their secrets even if it means hurting their own and Hadley finds herself right in the middle. 

The Champions is a high school mystery and amateur detective story wrapped up in the toxic masculinity and the unfair privileges of athletes. 

It has an exciting pace and a likable and smart main character that doesn’t give up. I recommend it to readers that enjoy contemporary mysteries revolving around teenagers and high school. 

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Audiobook notes: the audio version of The Champions is narrated by  Brittany Pressley who does an excellent job with the youthful energy and voice of the main character. 

* Disclosure: A free audiobook listening copy (ALC) of this book was provided by Penguin Random House Audio for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

You Will Never Be Me is a domestic suspense novel about two former friends and “mommy influencers” whose rivalry takes a dangerous turn.

When Meredith and Aspen meet, they are single in L.A. and just starting out as social media influencers. Meredith is the more successful of the two and helps her new friend navigate the world of algorithms and hashtags. But once Aspen meets her husband and starts a family, she quickly surpasses Meredith in followers as a popular “momfluencer.” Tension and jealousy begin to build between the two, and soon they are locked into a dangerous game of revenge.

This is a juicy and dramatic story with no relatable or likable heroines. Both women are selfish and image-obsessed, which makes them terrible friends and even worse mothers. I needed a little more background on both characters and someone to root for, but a reader looking for a twisty read set in the world of TikTok and Instagram will probably enjoy the ride.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Audiobook notes: The audio version of You Will Never Be Me is narrated by Eunice Wong and Risa Mei, who do an excellent job and have distinct enough voices to make each character’s POV clear.

We Love the Nightlife is a contemporary paranormal fiction novel about a female vampire desperate to escape her “maker” after over forty years of deadly control.

When twenty-three-year-old Amber met the glamorous Nicola in a disco in 1979, she was new to London, bored in her marriage, and stunning on the dance floor. Nicola had to keep her at any cost, even if it meant asking her new best friend to give up her human life for the eternal beauty of being a vampire. But over forty years later, Amber feels increasingly manipulated and betrayed by her maker and wants to be free. But can she stay one step ahead of Nicola?

We Love the Nightlife is an exciting and glamorous novel about two women who were once the best of friends but slowly dissolve into a toxic relationship. Despite the drama of wealth, blood, and the endless party, at its core, this is a novel about freedom and living life on your own terms, even if it means leaving someone you love.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Disclaimer: An advanced reader’s copy of We Love the Nightlife was provided by Berkley for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions are my own.