beauty_andbooks's reviews
518 reviews

This is such an important and necessary read for everyone! We don’t see this culture represented often enough and I really enjoyed learning new things. It was slow to start but I binged it in the last 40%. I really liked the characters even though each of them have their own faults. This book provided many different assets of contemporary fiction which was really great. I would recommend this book to everyone!

Thank you to the publishers, Netgalley and the author for sending me a copy to read and review! 

If you have any interest in the scientific processes of our brain and behavior then this is the book for you. It gives lots of scientific evidence to back up what the author writes. I could tell there was tons of research done by Bloom which was super impressive. I preferred the parts that focused more on the history of psychology. I can definitely see myself using the information in this book in my future therapy practice.

This was one of my first experiences reading a satire book and I really enjoyed it! Though this book started out slow, the last 30% of the book flew by and I loved how those last chapters left off with cliffhangers that kept you wanting to read more. I didn’t love any of the characters, which I think is ok for a book like this. The ending gave me Recursion by Blake Crouch vibes which I loved! Trigger warnings though, so look those up!

What I liked:
✔️Helpful to work with clients, both children and adults
✔️Broken down into easily readable sections
✔️Personal stories mixed with fact

What I didn’t like:
✔️focused more on typical symptoms seen in male children. Would have preferred some symptoms discussed usually seen in female population 

This book had so much potential but it fell short for me! I loved the rockstar 70’s setting but the thriller aspect just wasn’t exciting enough. I did like the multiple twists at the end where you’re not sure if what is happening is TRULY happening. That was a fun ending. But I wanted more murder and suspense. I don’t know if this would be more categorized as a mystery. The setting was fun and I liked the different elements in the book like email, newspaper articles and book passages to share the story. 

Most underrated book of the season! If you are a thriller fan, then you need to read this one. Don’t sleep on it! 

Dark and twisted, I loved every moment of this book. Easily bingable and a roller coaster of a plot. If you’re a plot fan then you’ll like this one. I read this book in three sittings, which says a lot for me. 

I read this book with SoCal Story Swappers Bookclub and we all loved it!

What I liked:
✔️Relatable advice for anyone pursuing a counseling career or degree
✔️Felt like a friend talking to you 
✔️Chapters were organized for quick access to reviewing essential information
✔️Super helpful to remember when I experienced my first few therapy sessions with clients 

Keep reading til page 100-150! The story picks up and you won’t be able to put it down after that. Finally in my thriller reading life, I was unable to guess the plot twists. Woo hoo! I enjoyed the interconnectivity of all the details. One thing I struggled with though was the philosophical points. But hey, I’m not philosopher! 😂 This was a great read with a paranormal element to it too.

You’ve probably noticed at this point that I’m not a long reviewer. So let’s discuss this one in a paragraph or two!

Let me start by saying I’m a massive Royals fan and history fan. I enjoy reading the nonfiction historical accounts that are more evidence based, but also enjoy the purely drama side of royal nonfiction.

Going into this book I was beyond excited! My most anticipated read of this year! I loved Harry’s account. There were a few bits in the book where he disproved rumors that had been written in other royalist books I had read in the past and I thought that was great. Never in a million years did I think I’d be reading or listening to Harry’s personal opinions and the “secrets” of the monarchy. I fully appreciate this opportunity. I know the recent talk is whether Harry is telling the truth. And it’s not my place to make that decision or inquiry. All in all I loved the bits about his mother and even more details throughout the book that weren’t told in the Netflix documentary.

This is a top contender for best book of the year and I’m only 3 weeks into 2023!!!

If you don’t know my reading style at this point, I go in blind…always! I’m so happy I knew nothing about this book. And I’m kicking myself because I originally would not have read this one if I hadn’t been sent it by a book box company to review for them (Hey Once Upon a Book Box!).

I loved this story. A mix of mystery/thriller with a really heartfelt plot. I love the fact it was co-written, and you’d honestly not realize! Both authors did such a great job of letting their words flow together seamlessly. I don’t know how to review without including major plot point spoilers, but overall it was a deep story and highly enjoyable.