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geraldine's reviews
306 reviews
Unmissing by Minka Kent
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
was maybe a third of the way through the book and was struck by the feeling that I wished this was not actually a thriller and was instead just a story about a woman who was kidnapped and declared dead, finding her way back home to find her husband remarried with two kids and how she and the family navigated that and her road to recovery. this is not a criticism at all but actually speaks to the writing style of the beginning, i really liked her character writing.
all the asides about the restaurants really made me laugh i'm not gonna lie. also i genuinely think i would not like clam chowder. i'm not gonna say i would never try it, i'll try most things, but i just don't think i would like it!!!
all the asides about the restaurants really made me laugh i'm not gonna lie. also i genuinely think i would not like clam chowder. i'm not gonna say i would never try it, i'll try most things, but i just don't think i would like it!!!
Go Team Venture!: The Art and Making of the Venture Bros. by Ken Plume, Patton Oswalt, Jackson Publick, Doc Hammer
medium-paced
read this as a PDF on my phone as there is 0% chance I will ever actually own this and then realized this is, in fact, a book, and this is how I beat my 30 books goal I guess.
this book has a red barchetta by rush namedrop in it. that's really all you need to know
this book has a red barchetta by rush namedrop in it. that's really all you need to know
The Book of Goose by Yiyun Li
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
when I opened this on my kindle to read it on the plane I thought it was wild geese by soula emmanuel, to the point that I even marked that one as "currently reading" despite them being completely different books. definitely meant I was a bit confused by the halfway point until I realized my error
solid book, compelling little slice of these girls lives and what they meant to each other
solid book, compelling little slice of these girls lives and what they meant to each other
One's Company by Ashley Hutson
challenging
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
read about 80% of this on an airplane, paused for my layover, and then when i came back later and saw the front cover i was like, damn that's good
compelling but so so so stressful
compelling but so so so stressful
Don't Forget the Girl by Rebecca McKanna
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
liked the writing style, I found it immediately gripping. really liked the focus on the two women and their friend, and the critique of the true crime genre, and appreciated how they were all complicated and messy people.
i feel like i understand the reasoning behind bree's actions, and how different forms of abuse feel so normalized that you start repeating them yourself, but i strongly disagree with the authorial choice of her keeping the baby. i understand why the character does it but i feel like it hurts bree's growth. she recognizes how she hurt zach and takes responsibility for her wrongs at the school and with him...... but lies to him and tells him it's not his baby and keeps it??? continuing to hurt him with this lie.
as though her baby will never ask about their dad or reach out or even just do a mail in DNA test when they get older and now you bring this guy back to when his teacher preyed on him when he was a teenager. i'm not even questioning her desire to be a mother (both as an aspect of her character in the book and also as an authorial choice) but why could she have not gotten an abortion and THEN gotten a sperm donor. like the pregnancy cemented that she realized she did want to be a mother for real, but she knows the circumstances are shitty exactly like the original circumstances with the detective, just swapped around. it was gross when it was her and the detective and it was just as gross when it was her and zach.
anyway. i docked a half star due to chelseahaving her final character breakthrough moment in a lutheran church. true jumpscare of the book. i put my kindle down and ran my hands down my face.
as though her baby will never ask about their dad or reach out or even just do a mail in DNA test when they get older and now you bring this guy back to when his teacher preyed on him when he was a teenager. i'm not even questioning her desire to be a mother (both as an aspect of her character in the book and also as an authorial choice) but why could she have not gotten an abortion and THEN gotten a sperm donor. like the pregnancy cemented that she realized she did want to be a mother for real, but she knows the circumstances are shitty exactly like the original circumstances with the detective, just swapped around. it was gross when it was her and the detective and it was just as gross when it was her and zach.
anyway. i docked a half star due to chelsea
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Homophobia, Infidelity, Grief, Stalking, and Murder
Minor: Pregnancy
The Light Pirate by Lily Brooks-Dalton
challenging
dark
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
so I definitely misunderstood at least part of the premise of this book, and I think if I knew the actual premise I wouldn't have read it.
the writing style was fine and engaging and the characters were compelling, and it does a good job of making you feel the weight of the ever changing weather.
I've got some not-so-positive feelings about some of the themes of the book but i don't want to start typing paragraphs and paragraphs of word vomit """essay""" so I will leave it at that.
the writing style was fine and engaging and the characters were compelling, and it does a good job of making you feel the weight of the ever changing weather.
I've got some not-so-positive feelings about some of the themes of the book but i don't want to start typing paragraphs and paragraphs of word vomit """essay""" so I will leave it at that.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Gun violence, and Grief
The Devil and the Dark Water by Stuart Turton
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
so did this book end with a polycule or what
Pomegranate by Helen Elaine Lee
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The Hacienda by Isabel Cañas
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
solid book and solid mystery. however was juana not justified in killing her brother and his wife? they sucked and she was doing the world a favor there
Never Lie by Freida McFadden
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
i usually read my book club books the weekend before the meetup, and then realized that i absolutely had no time to do that so thought "i'll read it before bed" and then blitzed through it in two days. crazy
very fast paced and quick read!! engaging the whole time and i loved the descriptions of the house. tricia keeps saying "ohh this house is creepy i don't want to buy it" and the more she described it the more I wanted her to buy it
spoiler time:
the "twist" made me literally say "what the helllll" outloud like.... what the hell LMAO
the whole time i was like, ok, ethan being EJ seems way way way way too easy so i'm going to assume they're different people, and i did get that the body under the floor was not adrienne immediately because I remembered the jeans comment, but i kept thinking "if ethan isn't EJ and the body clearly isn't adrienne then it feels like their has to be a fourth person involved in this murder situation aside from adrienne EJ and luke??" and, well,
don't really feel like the twist would hold up on a re-read tbh, but honestly thought it was insane but in a fun way. but honestly i kind of respect her for going full balls to the wall on this one because it was so fun. solid 2.5 book in quality but i had sooo much fun at the end !! what the hell!!!
genuinely hyped for my book club for once i want to hear their thoughts sooo bad
very fast paced and quick read!! engaging the whole time and i loved the descriptions of the house. tricia keeps saying "ohh this house is creepy i don't want to buy it" and the more she described it the more I wanted her to buy it
spoiler time:
the "twist" made me literally say "what the helllll" outloud like.... what the hell LMAO
the whole time i was like, ok, ethan being EJ seems way way way way too easy so i'm going to assume they're different people, and i did get that the body under the floor was not adrienne immediately because I remembered the jeans comment, but i kept thinking "if ethan isn't EJ and the body clearly isn't adrienne then it feels like their has to be a fourth person involved in this murder situation aside from adrienne EJ and luke??" and, well,
don't really feel like the twist would hold up on a re-read tbh, but honestly thought it was insane but in a fun way. but honestly i kind of respect her for going full balls to the wall on this one because it was so fun. solid 2.5 book in quality but i had sooo much fun at the end !! what the hell!!!
genuinely hyped for my book club for once i want to hear their thoughts sooo bad