readingmaria's reviews
539 reviews

Who would’ve thought that 2023 would be the year I read a nonfiction book about this history of some lost buildings in Canada? Not me hahaha, but here we are. This book had really nice drawings, and I loved all the historical facts about the building being highlighted, and what’s in its place today. A great gift book for Canadian readers!

What an actual disappointment! This felt way too long, and I literally cannot believe that this is from a seasoned author - it reads like an inexperienced debut author. I get what she was doing, and I think this book could’ve been so much better. It just had too many unrealistic over-the-top action scenes/forced plot moments, and trying to address so many issues that it made the book disjointed. I was hoping for so much more.

I absolutely loved this book, and I know I’m in the minority here, but that’s ok.

I really love that our main character, Sophie, is so addicted and only feels connected to her life when she’s on social media or her phone in general that we only “hear” her voice in text messages - it’s a little off putting at first, but once you kind of get what Sophie is all about, it’s a really cool thing that the author employed here. So for all those IRL convos happening with Sophie involved, we never see her side of the convo, only her thoughts and the other person’s dialogue.

The two major themes in this book are climate change and the level of disconnect we all have, which in turn connect with the less-prominent themes of toxic masculinity, sibling rivalry, fat phobia, consent, friendship, financial worries, and more. I think everything was explored in-depth throughout the book, and it really speaks to our times and the state of the world.

Also one scene that will really stick with me was near the beginning- when the crack in the sky appears, Sophie is wanting to connect with the people around her and the scariness/ seriousness of the situation and the not knowing wtf is going on - but everyone is on their phone, taking a picture and posting onto their Instagram stories for the sake of posting, not even truly absorbing what’s going on. Really says a lot about society, right? 

If you’re looking for a messy millennial woman story but with existential questioning that actually reflects the world we’re in right now, I really recommend this book. No, it won’t be for everyone, but if you’re one of those people who “get” this, it will speak volumes to you like it did for me. 

Really engaging poems, and such an interesting and personal collection.

This short book of poetry is great for anyone looking for the beautiful use of language, and not necessarily wanting the poems to rhyme. I loved the theme of home throughout each section, and how it means different things to different people.

The story is written perfectly for the older middle grade / maybe the younger young adult side, and can be used as a great resource for teaching kids about the consequences of your action as well as other social issues.

A heart stopping, jaw dropping novel of suspense, fear, and isolation. Such a unique book that had me on the edge of my seat the entire way! 

It just seemed like it was going to be the same recycled story that’s way too similar to what I read in How to Love Your Neighbour, which was mediocre at best. I did not want to put myself through that again.

Definitely overhyped, and the last quarter was way better than the rest of the book. I just don’t think the writing style was for me. I think with the right editor, this could have been great, but ultimately it just fell a little short.