This was undoubtedly a slow-burning reading, but it was indispensable for bulding the eerie atmosphere surrounding thLOVE AND HATE, JEALOUSY AND GREED
This was undoubtedly a slow-burning reading, but it was indispensable for bulding the eerie atmosphere surrounding the Surf House and all of its guests. In the end, it turned out (view spoiler)[everyone was implicated in Savannah's death in a way, even though the actual killer was Marnie. I had suspected her from the beginning, even the fact that she was lying about Momo blackmailing them. The only thing I didn't guess was that the robbery gone wrong was all a set-up to get hold of Bea's passport - that was a great twist indeed. (hide spoiler)] Nonetheless, I followed the plot with great attention, because it still was very intriguing and mysterious. I loved the fact that were a lot of passions involved: love, hate, jealousy, greed. Can't wait for the next Lucy Clarke's novel....more
Intriguing and compelling, full of dialogues, suspects and red herrings: this book is everything a great thriller shoulEVERYTHING A THRILLER SHOULD BE
Intriguing and compelling, full of dialogues, suspects and red herrings: this book is everything a great thriller should be. The plot was a complex tangle, very difficult to unravel. The solution was brilliant and shocking, involving a purely evil culprit with a twisty plan and motive. It turned out (view spoiler)[Henry was in cahoots with Dr Hugh to get rid of his own son, whose showing up was crucial to the ending (he was no less than Kit, Rufus' guitar teacher). Looking for the truth, Marielle had kidnapped Simone/Natalie, Dr Hugh's accomplice, but I didn't figure out her role until the very last chapters. This happened because, in Lena's investigation, the author muddled the water casting suspicion on her ex husband Charlie, her client Drew (whose sister SJ was actually alive and breathing) and even her son Rufus (who was in love with a friend, rather than being bullied by him, as Lena thought). (hide spoiler)] This was a wonderful reading experience, not only because I have racked my brain the whole time but also because I could clearly perceive the main character's fear and anxiety. There were a lot of suspenseful moments, as well as creepy details such as (view spoiler)[the keychain in the shape of a bear Lena found in the Morgans' garden and the fake baby she discovered in their house. (hide spoiler)] What else can I say? Claire Douglas is always a certainty and I'm looking forward to reading her next novel.
2,5 stars. Despite the brilliant concept, this book had a very dull and predictable plot, where nothing really happened apart from the two mIRRELEVANT
2,5 stars. Despite the brilliant concept, this book had a very dull and predictable plot, where nothing really happened apart from the two main characters falling in love. Other episodes and characters were, in my opinion, irrelevant. It didn't leave any mark on me....more
This book is yet another proof of the fact that Marrs' characters are the craziest ever! Margot, Anna and Liv form an unlikely trio wTHE CRAZIEST EVER
This book is yet another proof of the fact that Marrs' characters are the craziest ever! Margot, Anna and Liv form an unlikely trio whose world is made up of jealousy and rivalry, subtle insults and chit-chat. What did (view spoiler)[the chapters told from other perspectives (Zain's, Jenny's, Warren's) have to do with them? Not only were these sections about murder and revenge, but also seemed to contain supernatural elements. Much as I tried, I really couldn't imagine a link... until Anna, the most unsuspectable of the three, revealed herself to be the killer of all of those people who, along with Margot, had attempted a robbery at Anna's parents' supermarket, causing their death. In short, the whole book revolved around Anna's revenge against Margot, carried out with the help of her brother Drew (who was posing as her husband). The fact that Anna was capable of hearing the voices of her victims, to the point that she couldn't tell where she ended and they began, (hide spoiler)] was pure genius - both a philosophical concept and a brilliant way to muddy the waters. From there it started a neverending sequence of plot twist I truly wasn't prepared for. Episodes like (view spoiler)[Liv being run over by Margot, Margot being almost killed by Drew in a bonfire, Drew being actually killed by Anna; revelations like Margot and Drew having an affair, Margot being pregnant with Drew's child. (hide spoiler)] All of this really made my head spin, as well as my curiosity rocket so much so that I couldn't put the book down. Coherently the ending was astonishing and terrific. There was an incredibly swift and surprising passage from (view spoiler)[Liv blackmailing Margot and Anna to them framing Liv and Brandon for Drew's murder. Or at least we thought it was Margot and Anna, because the latter continued to use plural - just as she had done the entire novel when speaking about herself and the souls of those she had killed. In the end, Margot becomes one of them: Anna's revenge is completed. (hide spoiler)]...more
Mysterious, intriguing and compelling as always, but Douglas failed to deliver a thriller which is unpredictable ((view spoiCOMPELLING - BUT A FAILURE
Mysterious, intriguing and compelling as always, but Douglas failed to deliver a thriller which is unpredictable ((view spoiler)[Kyle was killed by Alice (hide spoiler)]) and devoid of plot holes. The ending actually left me disappointed and with a lot of unanswered questions: (view spoiler)[who was the man Tasha met in Venice? Who send her the threatening message? Whose were the thoughts written in italic? (hide spoiler)]
A funny and light reading, enriched by ironic footnotes which, contrarily to most reviews, I didn't find annoying at all. The mystery hLIGHT AND FUNNY
A funny and light reading, enriched by ironic footnotes which, contrarily to most reviews, I didn't find annoying at all. The mystery had a good solution, albeit not impossible to figure out. Even though I didn't get attached to any of the characters (apart from Eleanor, of course), I will surely read the sequel to this novel....more
I decided to read it on impulse, captivated by its cute cover and its promise of mermaids (I love them!). Unfortunately, I RELATIONSHIPS OVER MERMAIDS
I decided to read it on impulse, captivated by its cute cover and its promise of mermaids (I love them!). Unfortunately, I got bored very rapidly, when I wasn't neither halfway through it. I just thought that there could have been a better worldbuilding, whereas the authour insisted too much on Elliot constantly changing partners. Add it to the fact that the novel in itself was too long... Be that as it may, "In other lands" is an objectively well-written and delightfully ironical book, but much more a coming-of-age story exploring the theme of sexual identity than a fantasy....more
This sequel to "Lost for words" was very interesting, although not in its league. There were too many characters and, as a consequence, FINDING SOLACE
This sequel to "Lost for words" was very interesting, although not in its league. There were too many characters and, as a consequence, the most of their storylines were dealt with quite swiftly. Nonetheless, the plot was both enjoyable and meaningful. A lot of events took place, among which some very surprising ones such as (view spoiler)[Rosemary's death from COVID (instead of George's) or Craig (Kelly's boyfriend) being Madison's father (hide spoiler)]. I truly cherished the sweet moments between Loveday and Nathan, a couple I'd already grown fond of in the first book. On the other hand, a lot of sensitive themes were covered (adultery, infertility, domestic violence, stress and trauma caused by the pandemic), precisely thanks to the countless characters I've hinted to above. They shared the same sense of fear and disorientation deriving from COVID, some of them having to face the death of a loved one too. But they were also united by the attempt at finding solace in books, which obviously can't cure the body but somehow alleviate the pain of the soul.
Woah, Burgess' killers are Sam and Jonathan because he raped May! (hide spoiler)]
***
Sorry, I really felt the urge to put down in words my immediate thoughts about this book as soon as I conceived them. But let me start from the beginning. This is surely a slow-burning reading, with lots of characters and words from a completely different era that aren't always easy to understand for a non-native speaker. Despite from being a flaw, however, the latter just goes to show how well Ariel Lawhon researched about that period and recreated its atmosphere in a very convicing way. As regards the characters, well, it is precisely the slow pace that allows the reader to get to know them to the point that it is impossible to mistake one for another. The most interesting one is surely Martha Ballard, the protagonist, a historical figure I'd never heard of before. She struck me as an admirable woman because of her proficiency as a midwife and also her bravery as an advocate for women's rights. On the other hand, I also loved her intimate side, the one Lawhon imagined for her. I adored Martha's irony and impulsiveness, her tenderness and loyalty as a mother and a wife. About how much I enjoyed the plot... well, I'll let the two notes above speak for me!...more
Less eventful than the first book in the series, this sequel followed more closely Kitty's private life, exploring the link between heAN UNUSUAL HOBBY
Less eventful than the first book in the series, this sequel followed more closely Kitty's private life, exploring the link between her personal relationships and her, err, unusual hobby. Of course there were some good twists ((view spoiler)[Henrietta's brother being the infamous @BlazeBundy; Kitty's mother getting rid of Max Macintyre's corpse, whom her daughter had just killed (hide spoiler)]). Nonetheless, the focus remained on the reasons behind Kitty's urge to kill. The plot was obviously exaggerated and paradoxical, hilarious in every sentence and situation, but I think I've managed to grasp its ultimate meaning. I even sympathized with the main character, a serial killer, who is after all just a girl who wants to get justice for the whole womankind - and, above all, someone who wants to be loved despite her flaws and her mistakes. I truly felt it when she said that (view spoiler)[Charlie is for her "someone to be good for", a thought that reflects her desire to work on herself in order to be deserving of someone's love. If her mother knows and accepts Kitty for what she is, Kitty herself is aware that she can't really ask that from Charlie... (hide spoiler)] I seriously find it difficult to predict how things will turn out in this regard. That being said, I really look forward to the next book, especially after such an exciting ending ((view spoiler)[Kitty and her newly discovered half-sister Antoinette running after Aidan, Tor's therapist and abusive boyfriend (hide spoiler)]).
***
After this novel, I decided to catch up on another one by the same author. "The murder after the night before" wasn't as witty but equally engaging and surely more intricate. Behind Posey's murder there was in fact a more complex mystery regarding (view spoiler)[the disappearance of a girl (killed by her own mother, in the end), which also involved Posey's neighbours, the undercover detective Jack/Josh and her landlord Jesse (the actual murderer). (hide spoiler)] Molly's life ended up colliding with all of these ones', in a very thrilling narrative which was surprising until the very end....more
"It's not a traditional family but that doesn't mean it's not a family."
4,5 stars. One of my favorite books by Jodi Picoult so EVERYONE MAKES MISTAKES
"It's not a traditional family but that doesn't mean it's not a family."
4,5 stars. One of my favorite books by Jodi Picoult so far - for a ton of reasons. First of all, the engaging narrative style, with irony spilling out from every sentence. Secondly, the apparently calm plot which is actually full of unpredictable turns (such as (view spoiler)[Francesca's betrayal with Gene, or Gabriel's double life (hide spoiler)]) and iconic episodes. About the latter, I loved (view spoiler)[the confrontation between Lila and Marja in the school yard, and even more the ending scene where Celie encourages her half-brother Hugo during the school play. Most of these events take place because of Gene, who unexpectedly turned out to be my favorite character. He conquered me with his quirky personality and then with his honorable actions (helping Celie face the bullies, lying to Bill about Francesca having sex with him). (hide spoiler)] He made me realize that none of us is either completely good or evil: everyone makes mistakes, and it's up to us to make up for them or, if on the other side, to forget and forgive them. Lila's analysis of her failed marriage conveys the same message. It was one of the most lucid and self-conscious speech I've ever read about broken families, a topic I'm very sensible about.
"And then he left and I was so hurt and angry he had done it that I never stopped to think about whether or not it was the right thing. I was so filled with self-righteousness that he had abandoned us, made us all victims. That he had broken our family. And tonight I looked at him and I thought maybe we broke our family. Because we had long stopped trying with each other. Or we stopped being curious about each other. We stopped being kind to each other." ...more
I started to read that because it took inspiration from two of my favorites novels ever, "Wuthering Heights" and "Daisy Jones andNOT REALLY CAPTIVATED
I started to read that because it took inspiration from two of my favorites novels ever, "Wuthering Heights" and "Daisy Jones and The Six" - then ended up loathing it because it followed them too closely and yet didn't manage to equal their greatness. I don't know how to explain it in a better way, but although there were some interesting variations, I felt like "The favorites" lacked originality. I wasn't really captivated by neither the plot (dull and repetitive) nor the main characters (who were a far cry from the ones they were based on). The ending made sense though. 2,5 stars for me.
This is going to haunt me for months. It was mysteryous then unputdownable then appalling as well as totally crazy. TheUNPUTDOWNABLE, APPALLING, CRAZY
This is going to haunt me for months. It was mysteryous then unputdownable then appalling as well as totally crazy. The main reason why I felt unable to stop reading was that I couldn't really tell (view spoiler)[what the relationship between Amanda and Ruth was - or rather what Ruth's storyline had to do with everything else. I was speechless when I learnt that it was set in the past, that Ruth actually was Wendy... and many more identities she used to hide her true self. Very surprisingly, she turned out to be the serial killer. But what should have been the most evil character made me feel very sorry for her instead, because her behavior came as a consequence of a past trauma. In fact, she took the lives of men resembling the one who had attacked her in her own house and was indirectly responsible for her husband's suicide. The identity of the assaulter shocked me as well. It was Billy, who pretended to be helping Amanda but actually only wanted to have Ruth caught. He then disappeared and sent a letter to Amanda in which he revealed he had got rid of Crone (Amanda's daughter's murderer) for her. (hide spoiler)] What a bizarre - and yet brilliant - way to conclude a book! Other than being a terrific thriller, "Kill for me, kill for you" also offered an in-depth analysis of the conflicting feelings and unbalanced state of mind of people who go through traumatic and violent experiences. I literally sympathized with Amanda, I truly shared her grief, her rage and her unquenchable desire to avenge her daughter and her husband. As I said before, I even managed to empathize with (view spoiler)[Ruth and, I'll tell you more, with Wendy's and Bill's pain even though it was all staged. (hide spoiler)] What a great novel....more
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