bookaroundandfindout's reviews
162 reviews

WOW. I am literally stunned speechless.

In "Wool," we witnessed the Silo world unravel as secrets were revealed about what the silo is and what the outside world looks like. The story is set in a post-apocalyptic future where humanity lives in a giant underground silo, and stepping outside is a death sentence. The narrative centers around Juliette, a mechanic who rises to leadership and starts uncovering the harsh truths about their existence. We saw a lot of internal conflict, politics, and deceit within the hierarchy of the silo, especially looking at the lower levels and how the ruling class maintained control over the population.

Juliette is back in the silo, but "Shift," the second book, really gives us what we want - the origins of the silos and where they came from. "Shift" takes us back to the beginning, to the creation of the silos and the events that led to humanity's downfall. We follow the story of Donald, a congressman in our current world, who is manipulated into creating the silos as a safeguard against an impending disaster. The book alternates between different timelines, showing us the construction of the silos and the early days of their inhabitants.

This book really had me feeling crazy with all the hardships of this world that one crazy dude made happen. That’s what it essentially boils down to - one senator thinking he could outsmart everyone and control the future. The complexity of the characters, especially Donald, who grapples with the morality of his actions, adds depth to the story. Howey masterfully intertwines political intrigue, psychological tension, and survival instincts, making "Shift" a compelling read that expands the universe introduced in "Wool."

What struck me the most is the complexity of what it means to be a savior. The mission of Silo 1, where they work in shifts to maintain control over the other silos and ensure the long-term survival of humanity, is both fascinating and disturbing. The idea that they decided, 500 years later, they would choose one part of the silo to survive is something I didn't fully grasp. It raises profound questions about the ethics of their mission and the psychological toll on those deemed "saviors." The fact that these people are working tirelessly with the knowledge that they are the gatekeepers of humanity’s future adds a layer of complexity to their roles and the overall narrative.

Moreover, the individuals in Silo 1 don’t fully know why they’re doing what they’re doing because they “forget” their past and general identities. This element adds to the eerie and tragic nature of their existence. By the end of the book, it seems moot because those in Silo 1 will ultimately never have a normal life, including the frozen people who are in suspended animation. Donald is a fascinating character as he navigates this morally ambiguous role, torn between his sense of duty and the realization of the consequences of their mission.

Another highlight of "Shift" is that we finally understand Jimmy’s mind and psyche before we meet him through Juliette’s perspective in "Wool." His story provides a deeper understanding of his character and the experiences that shaped him, making his later actions and interactions with Juliette more profound and poignant.

"Shift" not only delves into the origins of the silos but also raises questions about human nature, power, and the lengths to which people will go to ensure their survival. It’s a gripping continuation of the saga that leaves you craving for more

Oh my god what an arousingly creepy mind fuck book!
I LOVED IT.

Ami is lost in space. She wakes up to her crew dead (they never woke up from their sleep statis), no fuel, no communicator, and the vastness of space before her with the reality that everyone she loved on Earth is already dead. 

So yeah, her psychological well being is probably not the greatest right. 

By a miracle she is able to hail a ship nearby with a short comm distress signal. As she leaves the ship she feels some excitement and a lot of fear.

Alien life, how exciting! That is...until she sees it. Until she sees  <i>him</i>. 

Dorian Grey. 

He looks like a human, except not...something is so off about him -asides from his painfully beautiful looks. Something is off about everything, the entire ship. And Ami finds herself wondering who the hell is he and where the hell is she and what the hell is going on with this ship. 

This book totally creeped me out and I am so HAPPY about that! Meg's writing is fantastic, keeping it simple and really leading the reader around in circles making us go crazy along with Ami, all the while keeping us on our toes about this tension between Ami and Dorian. The question of what is reality is the main plot theme in this book and I found it enthralling. She has me curled up n a ball frantically reading because I NEEDED to know what happened to Ami's crew and her ship and is Ami going to be okay?? I felt horrified, turned on, creeped out, scared, curious, wigged out completely so she did a great job. 

As her debut horror/scifi/sort-of romanatasy novel, I am so impressed. I'm excited to read her other work and hope she keeps writing more in this scifi world! 

This book is absolutely BRILLIANT! I’ve watched the Silo series and let me tell you you’re not read for the crazy shit that’s going to ensue here. 

I think my favorite part of this series is that it isn’t necessarily happy - it’s very realistic and there’s so much interplay of characters that you could argue that Juliette is the main one but there’s so many other people who, all together as a community, really shape the changes that occur in the Silo. 

The send of mistrust that carries through the book is so satisfyingly eliminated -ehem- and we really get to see the dystopian vibes and ponder what the hell happened to the world that they live in. 

I am so excited to start the next book in this series. I 100% recommend this if you’re into the end of the world type of vibes and dystopian energy! 

What a cute book filled with Fall vibes and sweetness! 

Thank you Scarlett for the opportunity to ARC read this! 


Within the Darkening Woods is a light-hearted, far and human fantasy romance in which Amber, our main female protagonist, is bitten by a giant magical spider and is dying, only to be saved by Eldrin, eldest Prince of the Woods. The world they live in has a mixture of the magical realms and the human, a sudden phenomenon that happened and left people stranded in their own pieces of land or entirely lost to the other realms. 

As soon as they meet there’s a connection and Eldrin finds himself falling in love with Amber, his rather dull life taking life once more as he sees the world through a lens with her in it. 

Amber feels like something is brewing between them too but can they ever be together ? She can’t live in his Woods and he can’t live in the human world. Throw in his despicable brother, the King, and we’ve got some drama in there as well as to who will live and who will die. 

I found this book to be light and cute, great read for some downtime and maybe on a beach day. Really though once it’s truly fall this is a perfect read under a blanket watching the leaves fall in a cabin somewhere. 

Highly recommend if you want something short and sweet to check out in the fantasy world!  

This book is filled with so much rage: feminine rage, masculine rage, societal rage, forgotten and keenly remembered rage. It truly encompasses the deep feelings we carry within us as humans (or in their case, elves). Raeve isn’t who she is, but the problem is that she doesn’t know who she is supposed to be or used to be. She’s filled with anger, revenge, and hidden secrets so deep within herself that she can’t even begin to unravel them.

As we see her journey begin, we quickly learn that Raeve is truly just broken pieces hastily put back together with revenge as the glue and a glaze of fierce hatred.

Initially, Raeve’s mission is to get revenge on a loved one lost, but that soon becomes a problem when she’s captured and tortured for being part of a rebellion group. It is then that we see Raeve has sides to her that she doesn’t even know about.

Through this all, there is Kaan, the Burn King, and the bane of Raeve’s existence. He knows her, but she doesn’t know how he knows her. This is where I’ll stop so that I don’t give you any spoilers because it gets crazy.

You’ve got dragons galore, political powers fighting, an underlying buildup of tension and rage, and so many secrets to unfold. Who is lying to whom, and really, who is lying to themselves the most?

There is also a lot of back and forth through multiple POVs and flashbacks that seem to make little to no sense until we see everything start intertwining in the most crazy cliffhanger of this book.

Overall, I loved this book because it made me angry, it made my heart hurt, it reminded me dragons are no joke, and honestly, it encompasses the unfairness of living. All the bad things that happen will happen, and there isn’t necessarily a happy ending coming your way. I really resonated with that.