shelfindulgent_'s reviews
56 reviews

The House of Eve by Sadeqa Johnson

challenging emotional informative tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

YES 1000% YES to The House of Eve. Man, what a powerful, and equally devastating story that really makes you think about how Black women even survived in these times. Mind you, I am not even sure how Black women are able to survive in times today. SMH, but let me not get started!

Pros:

• I love a book with multiple POV's. This book was told from the perspective of 2 women from different class levels. 
• I also love how their lives become intertwined in the end.
• This was not just a fictional story, but it was based on very real events that would take place in this time period. I think this added a level of shock and awe to the story, and also made me feel more connected to it. My grandmother grew up in this time, and I wondered as I was reading, if she experienced anything like this. 

Cons:

• However, the way their lives intersected was not as dramatic or as jaw dropping as I would have hoped. It was actually a nearly invisible intersection, and I wish there would have been more to it. 

Final thoughts: Overall, this book really was as good as everyone says it was. Also, I realize I had never really read historical fiction before. It set a high bar! 

fast by Millie Belizaire

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

I chose this for my book club's read and we were not disappointed! AT ALL! Let's just get into the pros and cons because I feel like we have a LOT to cover!

Pros:

• The voice that Millie gave to the 9 year old version of the character was so spot on. It made the subject matter so much more heartbreaking. I was impressed by how she was able to write from the POV of a child, and when I see an author try to attempt this, I compare to Millie. It is never as good!
• The plot was unfortunately relatable, and we all shed a tear for the character and the life she had to endure. 
• I did enjoy the slightly steamier parts of the book, especially in reference to how it probably helped
  Caprice to heal from her traumatic sexual history

Cons:

• I felt like the ending was very rushed and unrealistically so. I do understand that after all of the trauma, we probably needed a happier ending with a nice little bow on it, but it just didn't seem right to jump into things so fast. 
• I would have loved to see more of the journey with
  Caprice and the patient she was working with at her practice.
• What I didn't enjoy about the steamier parts was that they started to get a bit boring at the end. I think it had a lot to do with the ending feeling rushed as well. 
• I would have liked to see more into her healing journey, and also
  how she connected with her adoptive mother by way of her old teacher

Final thoughts: There were so many great parts of this book! I honestly feel there could be 2-3 separate books just expanding on some of the glazed over plot points. I would love to read more from Millie!

The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

I enjoyed reading Ruth's writing. It was twisty and turny, and dark, but also not completely unrealistic. Well, I guess it depends on who you ask. The plot was interesting, and was just believable enough. I am also reading another one of Ruth Ware's books at the moment called "The It Girl", and I am enjoying it so far. 

Pros:

• I think I rather enjoyed the fact that they were on a cruise ship for most of the book. That honestly made it creepier. It felt like the walls were closing in on the characters a bit. 
• I liked the overall twist of the book.
• I also enjoyed not knowing whether or not Lo would actually get away. 

Cons:

• You know what I just realized.. there was something that happened in the beginning that I never got real clarity on. Why was
  there a break in at the beginning of the book?
  I truly can't remember if I ever got clarity on this at the end?
• This book probably could have shed some unnecessary details and been a bit shorter. 

Final thoughts: I thought the book was decent enough, though I will say I am enjoying 'The It Girl' even more. 

No Two Persons by Erica Bauermeister

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

I loved this book. It was a story about the stories of our lives, and I found each character to be impactful and necessary to the story. Even better, I found that the

lives of each character were connected

!

Pros:

• I really liked that the chapters each told a different person's story. I found the book easy to read, and follow along with, and each story made me want to dive into another. 
• I mentioned this at the top as well, but it was a major pro for me that the
  character's lives were all connected. They could not have more different, but their paths still crossed.
  This is how I feel the real world operates at times, too and I felt moved by this.

Cons:

• What cons? Honestly, none that I can even remember. 

Final thoughts: I will be reading this book again at some point. It was that good. A part of me also wants to listen to it on audiobook as well to see if it adds color to the story. 

Sky Full of Elephants by Cebo Campbell

adventurous dark funny mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

Wow. I have so many thoughts about this book. I hope I can articulate them well through text. Before I even started reading this, I wanted to be able to give it 5 stars so badly. As a matter of fact, I was only a few chapters in when I messaged a member of my book club, and told her I was convinced this would be a 5 star read. However, I cannot give this book 5 stars for quite a few reasons. Before I get into them, let's go over what I really enjoyed about 'Sky Full of Elephants'.

Pros:

• I loved that
  there was not a single white person in the entire story
  . There was something so relaxing about knowing that, even though fictional, I didn't have to worry about a white person coming in to ruin the story line in some way. Well... not a full white person anyway. More on this later in the cons section of my review. 
• I loved the moments where the author takes us through how certain elements of life would be different in his post-event world. The moments on the highways, the moments at the airport, the moments in Alabama painted a vivid picture of how life could be, if only. 
• I also enjoyed some of the characters a lot more than others. The way some of these characters were written felt natural, and like individuals I have encountered before without being overly sterrotypical.
• I do like how Sidney ended up taking Fela's car and going on a solo trip by herself. She was able to see the walkers, and ended up coming to terms with her past, and seeming to accept who she truly is, and who her father is as well. 

Cons:

• SIDNEY. Lord have mercy, where to begin with this girl? This part is actually for Cebo because WHY on earth would this man write a story about what it would be like on Earth if
  all white people were dead and gone
  to then turn around and make 40% of the book from the perspective of a mixed girl who hates her Blackness? I didn't enjoy hearing anything Sidney had to say. 
• I am stuck between two feelings on this next point. Was this genius or absolutely asinine? The author made Sidney, who hated her biological dad, reach out to him solely because she needed his help. Highkey, this could be genius since white people love to hate Black people, but need them at the same time. If that's what he was going for he definitely nailed it. 
• The book got VERY slow in the last half. To the point where it was actually a bit boring to sit through. I felt as if all the action had taken place in the first half of the book, and the book was begging to come to a close by the end. 

Final thoughts: I would recommend this book. I wish I could give it 5 stars, but I simply can't. I do wish that the book had a slightly different plot. In the book,

Charlie has the letter from Elizabeth, and has to pretty much force feed it to Sidney before she understands that her own mother was actually in the raw.

Instead of this happening, I wish that Sidney was the one to find the letter and they Sidney was actually the one to seek out her father and use the facts in the letter to set him free from his own fear and hatred. 

Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn

dark mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

If I am being honest, I think I would have liked to see this as a show more than I would have enjoyed reading the book. It was dark and twisty, which I like. I can say that at least. However, the way the book was written was a bit all over the place. I want to say that the author did this on purpose to really drive home the state of mind of the main character. Regardless, it took a bit for me to catch onto what was even happening in the book. 

Pros:

• Thrilling plot! Also, very dark and a bit gruesome at times. I rather enjoyed it!

Cons:

• The writing was hard to follow at times, but especially in the beginning. 
• The ending was great, but also felt a little rushed?

Final thoughts: I would recommend this book to someone. I would also like to read more books by this author and see if I enjoy them a bit more! 

Counterfeit by Kirstin Chen

adventurous mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Hmm... Let me just start by saying that I resisted reading this book for quite awhile. I would pick it up, even start it, get through 1-2 chapters, and then not pick it up again for weeks. This happened a few times before I actually committed to reading it. Initially, I don't think it captured me like I thought it would. I love an underdog plot and set of characters. I love hearing stories about how the little guy stole from a corporation, and potentially got away with it. This book could have been a bit more exciting overall, I think. 

Pros:

• Love the premise of the book. Anything having to do with a heist, and I am all in. 
• I did like the ending. 

Cons:

• Some of the characters were annoying to me.
• I don't think I was too fond of the POV, or the way the story was told. 

Final thoughts: It was really just ok. I think it maybe could have been better. 

Thicker Than Water: A Memoir by Kerry Washington

emotional inspiring medium-paced

3.75

It has been quite some time since I finished this audiobook, but I can tell you for certain I enjoyed it! Kerry Washington is always someone that I am drawn to. Her life has always been a bit of a mystery to me and I think that is because she is a private person overall, but also because she has played such iconic characters in the past, most people only tend to associate her with Chenille from STLD, or Olivia Pope from Scandal. For instance, I knew she was married, but had NO idea she had 3 kids! 

Pros:

• I liked getting more of an in depth look into her journey into acting, and also her upbringing. 

Cons:

• The storytelling fell a little flat for me. Don't get me wrong, I love hearing Kerry Washington tell a story. Her voice alone is truly iconic. I just felt that I could have felt a bit more moved by what she shared.

Final thoughts: I do feel a bit bad giving this only a 3.75 out of 5, but I think I am comparing  her memoir to my favorite memoir of last year, which is Viola Davis'. Her memoir was moving beyond words, but Kerry's did not impact me as much as I wish it had. 

John Dies at the End by Jason Pargin

adventurous dark funny lighthearted mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

I have no idea what I want to rate this amazing book. 5 stars seems too easy almost. It was so good, and so long, and so complex, that I feel like I should be knocking off points for something to say I really thought about it. However, the book was just so damn good, I feel obligated to give it 5 whole stars. Let's unpack this.

Pros:

• They got right to the shit. There was no slow burn or beating around the bush with this story. Other readers may disagree with me on this since the book is well over 400 pages, but I was entertained pretty much the whole way through. 
• The characters were funny as hell. I could picture each of them, and I laughed out loud so many times throughout this book!
• There were even times where the dialogue/writing was so good or so crazy that I had to stop and reread passages to my husband. It even piqued his interest. 
• This was my first mosey on over into sci-fi/horror/comedy/series/anything like this, and I loved it! 
• It was at this very moment, that I decided to give this book 5 stars. 
• I also purchased every book in the series already, so thank the LORD I actually liked the first book. 
• I pray the other books are just as good!

Cons:

• There were some parts of the story that were so detailed, it made it hard to follow. However, it didn't make me enjoy the book any less overall. I just chalked it up to me not getting it, and moved on.

Final thoughts: I absolutely need someone else in my sphere to read this book so we can both be in awe! I can't wait to read the other 3 books in the series! 

Invisible Girl by Lisa Jewell

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.75

Honey... I have never been more certain that a book was written purely due to a contractual obligation. Let's just jump straight into it. 

Pros:

• There was a story line. It did keep me guessing, and even though this was all over the place, I do love a good whodunit. 
• Some of the characters were cool, but if I think about it now, there was something to hate about each of them. So maybe this is a con LOL
• I did like the ending. She wrapped it up well, but also left us with some lingering questions and the chance to draw our own conclusions about certain characters. 

Cons:

• WHYYY on Earth would Lisa Jewell include this
  incel
  character and plot point? Truly, for the life of me I couldn't understand its relevance. Overall, I think the book could have done without it entirely. Was she trying to get us to feel sorry for them? Or see them in a new light? For one, that will never happen. And two, the book didn't need this at all. 

Final thoughts: Certainly not Lisa's finest work. I may recommend this to someone just to see what someone else would think of it, but overall I could have done without it.