ashmagoffin's reviews
641 reviews

Here One Moment by Liane Moriarty

1.0

 This book was way too long for what it was worth. This book ambled along at a snail length pace and hardly anything happened. The characters spoke in a clunky way that did not seem human. The book had multiple perspectives but every second one was an absolute slog to get through, the explanation was also not worth it. As someone who has read multiple Liane Moriarty books, I don't believe this one was even written by her as it did not seem authentic to her writing. I disliked the amount of loose ends. I believe this one is worth skipping, it nearly sent me into a slump. I read this in a buddy read with Molly and Maegan which was a fun experience we all did not like the book. My mum loved it though so maybe listen to her. 

Intermezzo by Sally Rooney

3.0

 A hard book for me to review. Sally Rooney's writing demands your full attention, I had a busy mind when I was reading this book and therefore my comprehension of this book suffered. Rooney always has a lot to say and some of it did sink into my tired brain, grief, miscommunication, unconventional family relationships. I liked the varying tone of each character’s perspective and how they interacted with the world. The ending felt too convenient and shoe-horned in at the end, an odd feeling considering this book is around 450 pages. This book is not my favourite of Rooney's work, I hope to revisit this one in the future. 

The Bone Maker by Sarah Beth Durst

2.25

 This book had an amazing premise, as soon as I heard about it I knew I had to pick up. I thought I would love this book no matter what just due to what it was about. However, this book fell apart in its execution. The stakes were high and yet I felt nothing at all, the side characters bled into one another and the pacing was off. Highly disappointing because I thought I would be obsessed. I have read another book by the same author written later in her career and her writing has developed. I almost wish she could have another go writing this book now.

Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett

3.0

 Academic rivals to lovers is elite. An enjoyable tale following Emily and Wendell as they research the Hidden Ones in remote Hrafnsvik. Overall I found the main characters enchanting. They had witty banter and realistic flaws which endeared them to me. I've heard criticism on the romance in this novel but I felt like it was more akin to a Jane Austen novel rather to what we see in contemporary romance today (that is a compliment ++++). I found the writing charming, I saw a lot of Emily's character through the tone. However I felt my attention drifting through this novel and it was due to the writing. I understand it is meant to be like a text book but there were stories thrown in which I felt myself skipping. There are ways to weave these in without just dumping it on the reader. I am keen to pick up the next book in the series, I think I will drive straight in. 

Flawless by Elsie Silver

2.0

The subplots did not make sense and were unresolved. The dad was inconsistant to a point that it did not make sense. The writing was pretty poor and most of the people in Summer's life just seemed like panto villians. Not for me.

Things We Never Got Over by Lucy Score

2.0

I recently finished Mr Fixer Upper and I was pleasantly surprised. I was keen to pick up Things We Never Got Over because I had seen it around more than I had Mr Fixer Upper so I assumed it was better. I was wrong there. 

This book could have been half the length. If you are going to write a book that is 500 pages long you need to make sure there is a substantial plot or character development, this had neither. My main issue was with the male protagonist Knox who just could not handle his own emotions and took it out on everyone else. He had 43 years to go to therapy but yet here we are. Between him and Naomi I just could not handle the childishness, Waylay the eleven-year-old was probably the most mature person in this book. I felt like most of the plot was introduced at the beginning and shoehorned in at the end. This book had no business being 500 pages. 

I liked Waylon the dog. 

Stone Yard Devotional by Charlotte Wood

I read this with a head cold and did not understand a single thing

The Pumpkin Spice Café by Laurie Gilmore

2.5

 

I've been on a romance kick lately so I picked this one up. With all the American fall content on my feed I wanted to latch onto the cosy season while I can. This book is just vibes and nothing else. I feel like it lacked chemistry between the main characters in the basic sense. All the characters felt half-baked even for tropes standards. I felt bored, spice shoehorned in at the end but there was nothing to build to. I had high hopes but I felt like this book just never delivered. 

An extra star for Casper the cat.

 

White Noise by Raelke Grimmer

4.0

 Thank you to UWAP for sending me this book in exchange for a honest review.

Set in Darwin, White Noise follows Emma as she navigates the challenges of grief, trauma, autism and change. She takes a lot of responsibility on supporting her father while trying to cope with the loss of her mother three years prior. There are a lot of heavy topics that the characters are dealing with, I feel like this is important representation due to the amount of teenagers who face these problems today. From the growing pains of having your first boyfriend to the responsibility of being the eldest sibling there is lots for teenagers to relate to. Emma is autistic which is a diagnosis she has before the events of the book. The acceptance of Emma's autism was refreshing to see, it felt like it came from a place of love. There were a lot of loose ends not tied up but I thought this book served as an excellent snapshot of Emma's life in this moment of time. I feel like Grimmer captured Australian life authentically within the pages of this book.

This book would be an excellent addition to a school library and is out now. 

Mr. Fixer Upper by Lucy Score

3.5

I've always heard good things about Lucy Score books but the premise for this one did not interest me at all. Trusting everyone else's opinions I got this one out from my local library and was pleasantly surprised. Even though like I said the premise did not interest me this book got me invested in a matter of a couple of chapters. This book was fun, it was formulaic but also the stakes felt more legit than other books I've read in the genre which can tend to get a bit silly. I found Mr Fixer Upper extremely easy to read, it has cracked my reading slump singlehandedly. This was a cute fun romance and I'm so glad I picked it up. 

3.5/5