Disclaimer: I received this ARC courtesy of Sourcebooks Fire through NetGalley. I am grateful for the opportunity to review an ARC for my readers, butDisclaimer: I received this ARC courtesy of Sourcebooks Fire through NetGalley. I am grateful for the opportunity to review an ARC for my readers, but this will not influence my final rating. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and based solely on the book.
Come Out, Come Out, Whatever You Are‘s immediate appeal is for its promised mystery/thriller approach to a reality TV series. Unfortunately, Foxfield’s writing was not strong enough to convince me of the terrors lurking in Umber Gorge caves, and once that premise fell apart, the rest of the novel tumbled like a cave-in.
i don't know quite what to say about this book. BEFORE I FALL was something that i experienced (not personally, but like, the book itself became an exi don't know quite what to say about this book. BEFORE I FALL was something that i experienced (not personally, but like, the book itself became an experience) and speaking about it somehow removes me from everything i felt as i went through its pages.
but for you, i will try.
official rating: 4.5
� samantha from page one is not the same samantha from page 370. as she repeats the day of her death, she realizes the consequences both large and small of her callous and self-centered attitude. i did NOT like page one samantha, even though she did resonate with me from time to time. she loves her little sister, Izzy. she's unfailingly loyal to her best friends, Elody, Allie, and Lindsay. she has occasional insights into her selfish actions, but still gives in to peer pressure and crowd mentality.
� many common teen misconceptions / actions are covered in BEFORE I FALL. Oliver shows how these can negatively play out (especially when samantha gives in to her ego one day and REALLY goes wild). these include: cheating on a partner (and others knowing but keeping it secret); romanticizing student-teacher relationships; sex and virginity (when to have it/its importance); the importance of popularity vs being authentic.
� i believe, since it wasn't stated in the book but the language makes it very much sound this way, that (view spoiler)[ Lindsay was raped. (hide spoiler)] with that said i wish we got a scene where this was said straightforwards and samantha could have set in motion something to help her. especially since this character needed the most growth in the book and esp professionally therapy could give her that.
� the most important thread in this book: juliet. i appreciated how slowly samantha came to realize that no, you can't just say sorry for bullying someone every single day. that doesn't fix things. (view spoiler)[ i do have mixed feelings on the end, on "does killing yourself instead help?" but i don't think that's the way to interpret it, since samantha is already dead, she died because of lindsay's drunk driving. samantha is just changing her cause of death by pushing juliet out of the way of the truck and accidentally getting hit instead. idk it's confusing but that's magical realism i guess. (hide spoiler)]...more
i was a third into the book when i consciously came to the decision to skim to the end. ofc i wanted to know who killed coach Killofficial rating: 2.5
i was a third into the book when i consciously came to the decision to skim to the end. ofc i wanted to know who killed coach Killdare, i've yet to read a mystery book that couldn't at the very least hook me on to the whodunit plot line. nothing else kept me hooked tho and if you're interested to know why i'll go into some greater details below.
lillia: i mean, i didn't know where i stood with you for a lot of this one. but i think you made the rightit's over.
series rating: 3/5 book rating: 2/5
lillia: i mean, i didn't know where i stood with you for a lot of this one. but i think you made the right decision in the end, sorta. i don't get the alex part.
kat: the thing about oberlin? yeah i'm confused. thanks for being the only one who stuck to her beliefs the whole way through. even though get it through your head, rennie was a crap person. yes, mourn her, but also don't praise this girl just because she did. she literally died CHASING DOWN A GUY WHO WASN'T HER BOYFRIEND to expose her ex-best friend. this girl was wild.
mary: i'm sorry you were done so dirty and i came out hating you and pitying your bully. you deserved a better character arc.
reeve: yeah.
alex: no words either.
the story line: mary has finally realized she's a ghost, which makes her an angry and vengeful demon. lillia's friends realized she is dating reeve, who is rennie's boyfriend (never was actually) which make them all angry and vengeful. kat is kat so she is angry and vengeful. mostly just wrath is happening, i guess, until prom and there is an explosion.
not the most satisfying series ending. i felt good in the moment, and then all the questions came up. do not recommend if you want a happy ending, but also, did you expend one from the summary? ...more
mary: her POV could have cut out of this book and my knowledge of significantM E S S Y people gotta stay M E S S Y.
series rating: 3/5 book rating: 3/5
mary: her POV could have cut out of this book and my knowledge of significant events wouldn't have changed a fraction of an ounce. it's not great when you know a character has literally been bullied to the point that they attempt suicide, and yet you have more vested interest in their bully. mary is too bland! none of her personality reaches past the page. i know nothing of her.
kat: she gets a job. she is now steadily my favourite character (excluding PJ) though she really doesn't do anything important in this book. excluding stuff that comes up at the end, where (view spoiler)[ giving rennie the keys was dumb and i don't get why she is so hard on lillia about reeve? can we NOT blame lillia when u did tell her to get in a relationship, what did u realistically think would happen (hide spoiler)]
lillia: just a messy girl in this one. said some of my thoughts in the spoiler above. i'm not mad at her for any choices she makes in this book because at the end of the day, she's a teen girl w/ hormones and nothing was done maliciously imho. she was put in a bad position. one thing i will say is (view spoiler)[ her rape is brought up in full, finally, and i needed MORE from the authors. lillia blames herself and i'm like NO. NO NO. (hide spoiler)]
rennie: i still hate her. nothing she does ever feels authentic, it all seems to be done to manipulate people. (view spoiler)[ her death at the end makes no sense. this is a book, so an author needs to make these events logical. rennie is never redeemed and her death doesn't suit any plot purpose that i can see. (hide spoiler)]
reeve: he is amazing now. jk not really but that is what the book says. i actually can't understand what i feel about him, because he's so back and forth. i get whiplash from this boy. i can't tell if he's lying, if the authors didn't write him well enough, or if he's just hella confused.
alex: another case of whiplash. i cannot deal with the men in this book.
the plot: the plot was just lillia pretending to love reeve and then break up with him to break his heart like he broke mary's. hence why our two other protags had absolutely nothing to do for the rest of the book. we all know what happens in a fake romance plot, so that happened. i didn't like a lot of the surrounding cast in this book. let me screech it for you: JUST BECAUSE SOMEONE SAYS I LIKE THIS GUY DOESN'T ME THEY OWN HIM....more
mary: her chapters are often short and vague. she doesn't do much, or think much. she's everyone in this book is messy.
series score 3/5 book score 4/5
mary: her chapters are often short and vague. she doesn't do much, or think much. she's the least interesting of the trio. this changes by the third book, and by that point, you kind of just hate her. all things considered, it's unfair, which is why i wish in this book she was given a stronger voice to connect with the readers.
lillia: my favourite of the three girls but i don't know if this is saying a lot. she is still M E S S Y. she doesn't mind using other people, even though she has limits. she easily bends to rennie's demands. i like how she cares about her sister, but sometimes the relationship seems more about lillia telling nadia what to do ("THIS will keep you safe") than actual bonding moments. it's clear something bad has happened to her at the college boys' party, and her attitude is affected by it.
kat: actually maybe kat is my fave? i mean she's harsh but she's the most honest. i get thrown off a lot by her "dudes" and "yos" because the characterization doesn't feel authentic. otherwise her character is the most consistent so, i like that.
rennie: i like her for brief seconds when she admits how shitty life can be at home, but then she's an absolute terror to everyone around her even her self-proclaimed best friend, lillia, so nevermind i really can't stand her and she has no redeeming qualities. kat has a bad life and i don't see her calling people fat in front of a group of their peers.
reeve: straight up jerk, no noticeable redeeming qualities except once he let rennie wipe spit off his shirt with his sleeve.
alex: this guy seriously flip flops all over the book. sometimes he's the absolute sweetest guy in the world, sometimes he's a complete raging jerk, and sometimes he's flat out shady. i get the writers did the shady bit on purpose but they do realize he is also the jerk part sometimes, right?
anyway like i said, these people are MESSY except for P.J. literally only good person around. love u p.j.
as to the storyline itself i was hooked which is why this book gets 4 stars despite these messy messy people. in fact, it's because of the messy people this book gets such a high rating. think PLL. everyone has their little secrets and yet they're constantly pulling rank and sneaking around to get dirt on someone. BURN FOR BURN is about three girls who have decided that three people have done irredeemable wrong -- without getting all the facts -- and deserve revenge.
no but i was thoroughly hooked for the entirety of TAKE THE FALL. and when i got to the end i wanted to read itthe ending! the beginning! the middle!
no but i was thoroughly hooked for the entirety of TAKE THE FALL. and when i got to the end i wanted to read it all over again and just scour for clues i must have missed. Hainsworth really got me with this one and if you're looking for a strong YA mystery this is it.
i'mma be honest, i knew the whodunit legit from reading the synopsis but that didn't take away an ounce of mythis is how to write a YA murder mystery.
i'mma be honest, i knew the whodunit legit from reading the synopsis but that didn't take away an ounce of my reading pleasure. Alender's writing is peak in this book. everything is clean and easy to read (like, you know the feel?) and there is paranormal activity and never have i felt so SHOOK reading ghostly comings and goings before. the creepy factor was unreal.
Willa herself is smart and cunning, precisely who i need in my mystery heroines. she doesn't whip out a magnifying glass to hunt for clues (i always have trouble believing books where the protag is like yes, i will solve this mystery completely unrelated to me) but when odd things collide with her life she doesn't ignore her role.
would read another Alender mystery 10/10 also the romance had me like yes please, i support...more
(i) there are two mysteries tangled up into each other in THE DARKEST CORNERS and Thomas isn't as clear on that fi had several issues with this book.
(i) there are two mysteries tangled up into each other in THE DARKEST CORNERS and Thomas isn't as clear on that from the beginning. the plots bump against each other but never quite connect until the very, very end.
we're treated to tessa wanting to see her dying father in prison except, oh no, he's already dead. but she'll stay in Fayette a little longer because it turns out her long lost sister popped up at his jail and now she wants to find her sister. but actually also her sister is a connection to find her MOM. and actually she wants to find her sister because there was a serial killer in town nine years ago and tessa testified against him but maybe he's not the actual killer?
(ii) there are just so many characters. some of them are red herrings. some are leads tessa follows up that eat up page time just to be massive dead ends. the most important characters, jos and tessa's mom, are mostly explored in flashbacks. since they're tessa's motivation, it would have been great to get more real time with them.
(iii) almost every single character is unlikeable. i don't know if this is partly because tessa, as the narrator, *dislikes* so many people due to her past traumas. but all the male characters in particular are either alcoholics, or abusive (emotionally or physically) or simply described as incompetent or ugly. the woman are mostly just distant or weak.
(iv) the book meandered a lot. i was bored for the majority and could see myself DNFing. i really just continued because it's such a short book. the ending was shocking, more from the mystery around tessa's family than the serial killer.
the serial killer plot line: kind of absurd. how it was wrapped up was absurd and kind of unsatisfying.
tessa's family plot line: an intriguing story. i think it would have been stronger if it was a focus of the book, not a side plot. especially because of how rushed it was at the end.
also NONE of the "investigating" done in the book until practically the last third actually helped with any of the two plots so... yeah. oof....more
rep: questioning |Â until now I didn't realize "questioning" could also apply to those unsure about the label they Kick. Push. Coast. Candice Montgomery
rep: questioning | until now I didn't realize "questioning" could also apply to those unsure about the label they wanted to choose, so i'm glad i learned that through this story. i wasn't a fan of the second person POV. there was so much skateboard terminology that i was a bit overwhelmed. the ending left me with a "that's it?" feeling.
What Happens in the Closet Caleb Roehrig
rep: gay male, closeted mlm | i was hooked from the start, how have i not read a Roehrig book before now? thank you for fulfilling my need for ~gay~ vampires (cannot wait for his full vampire novel The Fell of Dark !) and sassy teens. i really hope Lucas sticks to his word because i like this couple.
Player One Fight! Eliot Schrefer
rep: gay male, questioning/closeted mlm |Â i felt for Ricky in this one. i don't think this is an uncommon experience for LGBTQ+ youth, and Ricky's hopefulness mixed with his stated distrust for relationships can be relatable. the formatting of the short story was very cool, based on his love of video games.
Lumber Me Mine CB Lee
rep: wlw, ace |Â i was so here for Jasmine's journey into independence following an emotionally manipulative relationship. i love you, Jasmine!! (still don't get the title, tho.) her tentative start into a new relationship was beautifully written.
Follower Will Kostakis
rep: bi, gay |Â that was so cuuute!! i adored everything, from the writing, to the dialogue between the characters, to the plot (i never would have imagined a story line like that). i had a huge corny smile on my face at the end.
Refresh Mark Oshiro
rep: plus-size mlm, latinx mlm |Â i spent half my read in a state of intense nerves for Rodrigo. and then he met his online crush!! and then the thing happened! and then i was feeling all the other emotions! Oshiro, you hooked all my feelings in with this one.
Victory Lap Julian Winters
rep: mlm | this one was cute and had a welcoming coming out moment. i loved the immediate support Luke got from his father. a lot did happen in a short time in this story, to the point that i felt kind of winded when i finished.
A Road of One's Own Kate Hart
rep: pansexual indigenous, questioning | i struggled a bit with this one. right at the start, we're introduced to Eliza and her three friends as they drive to pick up a fourth person for a camping trip. i got lost with the names, the personalities, the locations that were thrown in. i liked the open discussions on indigenous identity and history, but the romance wasn't a big win for me since i never connected strongly with the characters.
Seditious Teapots Katherine Locke
rep: questioning |Â i was in love with Rory from the first page. this story had very painful moments as Rory questioned the labels they felt comfortable using. tw for depression.
Starcrossed Jessica Verdi
rep: bisexual |Â this was so good! i was hooked from the first line. no more words, just I Need MORE!
Floating Tanya Boteju
rep: wlw autistic (?) |Â boteju's writing is so poetic. i could read it for hours and just ~drift~. this is a character-centric piece where not a lot physically happens but i truly fell in love with Shanti.
The Soft Place Hillary Monahan
rep: wlw |Â this story had a dull ache to it that i felt throughout my reading. there was an element of magical realism. i enjoyed Rey's frank discussions with Kimber, for the "pull up your bootstraps" kind of talk that it was.
A Pound of Flesh Kosoko Jackson
rep: Black mlm | past lives, Greek gods? yes please! sadly i was confused throughout this story. there was too little background on why Carson was being reincarnated or why he kept dying early. i couldn't quite make the ties between the Greek gods' presence and the riots going on.
One Spell Too Many Tara Sim
rep: taiwanese bi, trans male | okay how have i never read a book about witches that run a bakery. tara sim i am PLEADING make this concept a whole book. and if you keep anna and noah as the characters you better bet i will be screeching about this for years. i adored this to the moon and back.
Far From Home Saundra Mitchell
rep: mlm | aliens! this was a fun read although i wish the story had been told in real time and not as a flash back that is my only critique. wade and river are so great and also if *this* was a book... i mean.
The Coronation Meredith Russo
rep: trans |Â i had some trouble following this story. i plan to come back to it another time. there were just some statements that made me go "?" and i need a focused brain to really go through it all. also as a cis person i'm not exactly the person to speak on it.
Once Upon a Seastorm Fox Benwell
rep: trans male |Â there was a lot of abstract writing, almost magical realism, used at the beginning of this story. part of me liked it and another part of me got confused because i didn't know if Theo was actually trans or a selkie. OBVIOUSLY HE IS TRANS, but i spent the beginning thinking oh, maybe he is a selkie, so by the end of the story i needed to readjust my thinking which might be the authors' point (since Theo is confused about his identity) but i think this might need a re-read to digest....more
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