taylorhathcock's reviews
404 reviews

Gold by Raven Kennedy

5.0

“If there is ever a choice between her or the world, it’s going to be her.”

This book. I cannot even begin to express the emotional ride this one took me on. It really had something happening from beginning to end that just leaves you shaken. It plays with all the emotions. I mean like all of them. It didn't feel like the book could stop throwing all these amazing twists and unexpected things at us. Even if it seemed like it was mostly to hurt us. I mean the way things are just dropped is mind-blowing... the fact that we have chapters that leave us hanging on the edge of our seat to know what happened while giving us more of another character... the reveals about our characters... and most definitely the ending... it's designed to make you an emotional wreck!!! 

We finally get to explore the fae lands... and I love the information we are getting. We learn a lot more about Auren and get some insight into what happened when she was taken to Orea all those years ago. Auren and Slade are both separated and focused on doing whatever it takes to get back to one another. However, it seems like the rest of the world has other plans. We start to see an Auren who is strong and capable of almost anything. She finally has her power mastered and she is so determined to thrive. I love her development in this one because she isn't afraid to speak her mind... like at all. Slade is most assuredly still in his villain era in this one and it is fascinating. Malina perhaps shines the most in this book I think. I loved her character arc. We of course have a lot of old characters who have monumental things happening and then some new players who I can't wait to see how they play into things. 

By Any Other Name by Jodi Picoult

5.0

“Life as a woman is not without risks.”

Where do I even start? The characters? They were absolutely phenomenal and engaging. Emilia perhaps more than anyone. Her story caused me to feel so many things all at once. I was outraged, laughed, was happy for her, was utterly gutted, and completely destroyed in the span of a book. She is perhaps one of the most real characters I've read in a long time. Melina... she was so like her ancestor in so many ways and caused me to feel a variety of emotions. However, you can tell that Jodi poured her heart and soul into Emilia's character and she is supposed to be the one who shines. The writing? Engrossing, enthralling, enchanting... everything you could ever hope for. The story? Full of so many layers and emotions it was hard to put down. The various ways that Jodi was able to showcase the struggles of being a woman in a male dominated world never cease to amaze. 

I cannot remember the last time I was so engaged in a character... I think knowing that Emilia Bassano was a real person only makes the story that much more. I love how much thought went into creating this life and motivations for a character who is almost completely silenced by history. I also love when books challenge the male dominated narrative. I mean we see some good evidence, presented by Melina, clearly from Jodi's research as to why Shakespeare wasn't the true author of his plays. I love when a book makes you think like this. I love challenging the narrative and giving voice to the women lost in history. I think maybe that's why this has quickly become one of my favorites that Jodi has written. I truly loved how much this book made me feel. It was one of those stories I could get easily lost in. I loved so much about this book. You can tell this was the story Jodi always wanted to tell. 

The Last Time I Lied by Riley Sager

5.0

The more books I read by Riley Sager the more I fall in love with the writing style. Sager has the tendency to start the book off with a big traumatic moment and then jump into the present while giving tidbits of the past... until the moment when everything is brought into the open. I love it because with each new reveal you think you've figured out some crucial part of the mystery and then Sager throws another twist in and suddenly you have no idea. I really enjoy being kept on my toes like that. I have to say though of the ones that I have read so far... this book takes the cake. It was everything I could have wanted in a story. I really had to force myself to put it down at times. I kept thinking oh just one more chapter and then all of a sudden we have a new piece of the puzzle and I had to keep going. 

 I really loved this one because it's a return to a summer camp that closed down 15 years ago after some girls went missing. Our main character was friends with the missing girls and seems to have a lot of secrets surrounding what happened that summer. She also seems incredibly unreliable as the book goes on... and who doesn't love an unreliable narrator. The book has this element of mystery and uncovering secrets from 15 years ago with like minimal context, which I think makes it so much more intense. I love that it had the ability to make you suspect characters so easily because I mean they all seem suspicious to be fair. I think the ending on this one was phenomenal because it was a twist that I honestly did not see coming at all. 

The Light Between Us by Elaine Chiew

3.0

I am a bit conflicted about this one. I really liked the premise it was a super cool idea and I couldn't wait to see how it played out. I had no knowledge of any of the historical stuff taking place (which actually was a bit of a hindrance) and some of the terms I didn't understand. I think the book struggled a bit to decide what genre it actually wanted to be and the letters between these two weren't the main focus like I assumed they would be. I really think it would have been so much better to build the romance/love story between these two... but the book just kind of has them smitten with one another and pining for each other almost out of nowhere and the romance just felt strange to me. 

 I spent a lot of the book either confused by events because the terminology and culture wasn't something I was familiar with or bogged down in extensive details that weren't really critical to the story. It was interesting to me that the bigger focus of each storyline had almost nothing to do with the dynamic between the two characters (other than to keep them from a relationship with someone else). I guess I just wished for something more romantic honestly. I have to admit that the big moment was predictable from the start which was kind of disappointing. Overall, I think it was a good story but it just was missing something critical for me to love it. 

Dolly by Measha Stone

3.0

I really thought this was going to be one of those books I loved because it gave off the same vibes as Mindf*ck and Still Beating both of which I absolutely adored. However, this one just fell flat for me. I think it tried to hard to be so much like both of those books but also be different that it just couldn't accomplish what it wanted. It threw in this really graphic SA based human trafficking ring that only seemed to get worse the more we learned about it. Dolly for me didn't feel like a character in her 20's she was very childlike and KenDoll is like the complete opposite. I mean setting aside how dehumanizing it is to refer to them by these names (and the way they adopt them for themselves throughout the book) the graphic detail to what they endure is a bit hard to stomach at times. 

 The book is really more of a dark suspense story in my opinion with a super rushed and really psychologically unsound romance attempted. I think the book had so much potential if it could have picked an angle. I mean the whole tone shifts about 30% into the book and becomes this quest for revenge which also is full of a lot of plot issues. However, the author does manage to throw in some really good plot twists that change the whole tone of the story at this point. I honestly am super mixed about how I feel about this one. I wish I had liked it more. I also wish it had better trigger warnings because it delves into some pretty heavy topics. 

Just Another Missing Person by Gillian McAllister

4.0

I love when a book starts off with some vague life changing moment that it will later explain. However, I don't love nearly as much when it's the whole premise of the book to an extent. I enjoyed this book don't get me wrong but there were so many times while reading that it was just irritating how much wasn't actually being said. We get three points of view and each of them has secrets. Julia's is the only perspective in my opinion that didn't read super weird for the most part. The other two perspectives are a bit strange until the characters are able to reveal their big secret within the narrative because everything they say has to be vague and implied. 

 I have to admit that the twists didn't really surprise me much in this one. I think they ended up being pretty clear from the tone of the writing. However, the author does a pretty good job of making you second guess your assumptions for a bit. I think the most interesting dynamic in this story was truly the lengths that parents will go to when it concerns their child. It really is the root of all of the problems that arise for the characters. I thought at times the book was a bit too long and could've sped up the pace by not stretching out the secrets so long. I will admit the actual ending was the only thing I didn't see coming the entire time. I did feel like most of the end was rushed given how much time was spent on the build up. Overall though I think it was an engaging story. 

Victory Parade by Leela Corman

3.0

So this was a book that is completely out of my comfort zone. I can 100% say it's the first graphic novel I've ever read. I gave it a shot because of the World War II dynamic. It was interesting to have illustrations while reading... even if some of them were more revealing than I was expecting haha. I have to be honest and say that I have zero idea about what was happening in this story. I mean it seemed to showcase women who were just trying to survive in the only ways they knew how. It also showcased the trauma from the war that men experienced. I just found it really hard to follow and honestly spent a lot of time confused about what some of the panels were trying to get across. 

The Midnight Feast by Lucy Foley

4.0

This was my first Lucy Foley book and I have to admit that at first I wasn't sure I liked it. However it really grew on me the longer I read. I loved that it sort of had this supernatural undertone throughout the whole book. I really enjoyed that we got so many different perspectives from characters which ended up meshing together in such fascinating ways. The Manor is run by Francesca who really does not care about the ways her resort is upsetting the locals. I loved that we get to see all the way sthat the locals try and protest this and how some have no choice but to work there. Bella has decided to attend on a mission and I love the way we get to watch this unfold. We get pieces of the story from 15 years ago and a holiday that really changed Bella's life. The book is full of twists and turns a lot of which I honestly have to admit that I didn't see coming. I think my biggest complaint however is that the ending felt a bit rushed after all the build up that came with the rest of the story. Overall I feel like I will be adding Lucy Foley books to my never ending TBR. 

A Thousand Boy Kisses by Tillie Cole

5.0

“Maybe it was because sometimes all we get are moments.”

Okay this book... It was not what I was anticipating in the slightest. It was probably one of the most emotional books I have read in a long time. I cannot remember the last time a book crushed me in such a beautiful way. I really thought this was just going to be a cute love story but it was so much more. Poppy and Rune are this adorable and sweet couple who go through so much in such a short time. I cannot express how this book manages to play on so many different emotions. I loved that Rune returns a different person and we get to watch as he and Poppy adapt to the changes in their lives. I think Poppy manages to bring out the best things in Rune and vice versa. However, I don't want to give away too much of the book. Just know that when you decide to read this one... It will cause you to experience an emotional roller coaster from start to finish. It's beautiful and everything you could hope for in a moving story. 

The Fae Princes by Nikki St. Crowe

5.0

“I can feel your love like a million golden stars in the endless abyss that is me.”

I finished the series and I am depression. I really enjoyed this one. It has a lot of intense moments that take place. I really enjoyed this one because it finally answered the question of where Pan came from. It added an interesting element to the story for sure. One that almost opens up more questions in a way. I think it does a lovely job of tying up all the lose ends in the series. We have the huge confrontation that has been building this whole time. I think it really plays out amazingly. So even though I adore the series and will probably read it a million more times at some point, I wish the ending had given me a little more. I felt like things were left a little open ended, which is fine but it makes me want more. However, I think this might actually be one of my favorite Pan retellings that I have read.