I really wanted to enjoy this book because I was really impressed when I read The Good Lie by the same author. I liked some parts of this story, but uI really wanted to enjoy this book because I was really impressed when I read The Good Lie by the same author. I liked some parts of this story, but ultimately it felt really forced and unrealistic when it came to the characters' motivations. It felt like characters were only good or bad based on predisposition, with no room for growth or nuance or surprise. In the future I would pick up more A.R. Torre because I have really enjoyed one of her books, but probably not an auto-buy author and I'll wait to hear a specific synopsis before picking up the next one....more
DNF’d at 48%. This book has everything that should make it a winner for me, namely a spa/retreat type place that the main character finds out is actuaDNF’d at 48%. This book has everything that should make it a winner for me, namely a spa/retreat type place that the main character finds out is actually experimenting on and manipulating memories. I love a good near-future dystopian sci fi, especially that deal with memories, dreams, etc. but something about this story just wasn’t working. I was a little confused on whether the tone was supposed to be suspenseful or confusing (or both) and I got bored of not understanding everything that was going on. There might be some great twist or explanation that I just didn’t get to, but unfortunately I don’t have the time or brain space right now to force myself to stick it out. I’d definitely be interested in trying another book by this author if the synopsis intrigued me and/or I see a lot of positive reviews, and I wouldn’t discourage anyone from trying this one if it sounds like it might be for them!...more
Sometimes I can't decide whether I'm really interested in books about influencer culture, or if it's something a little too close to home and not inteSometimes I can't decide whether I'm really interested in books about influencer culture, or if it's something a little too close to home and not interesting because of how ever-present it already is in my daily life. I felt the same wishy-washy-ness come over me while reading this book - when I started it, I didn't really know if I was going to enjoy it, but then chapter after chapter I found myself thinking that I actually was getting pretty invested in the characters along with the depiction and over-arching discussion/critiques of influencers. While the mystery of this book didn't do much for me, I found myself enjoying the discussion topics and suspense of it in a similar way to Yellowface - actually many parts of the book reminded me of Yellowface, only that it's following social media influencers instead of authors. If that particular information intrigues you, I do think this is worth a read! If you think you'll just get annoyed with two over-the-top mom-fluencers, then I'd say you can skip it. This is my first book by this author, but I've seen overall good reviews for multiple of her other books, so I'm sure I'll give more of them a try in the future....more
I sadly DNF'd this book really early on... not because the writing was bad, or I don't think I'll enjoy it.... I am just NOT in the headspace right noI sadly DNF'd this book really early on... not because the writing was bad, or I don't think I'll enjoy it.... I am just NOT in the headspace right now to focus on this dense and historical of a book. I am interested in the theories related to who really wrote Shakespeare's plays, and when I feel I can better focus and give this book the attention it deserves, I'll come back to it!...more
This book had a really intriguing premise, following a group of tech coworkers stranded after a private plane crash. When they came upon the glass houThis book had a really intriguing premise, following a group of tech coworkers stranded after a private plane crash. When they came upon the glass house, I was fully invested in finding out the mystery of the house and whether the characters would survive. I have to say I was way LESS interested in all of the flashback chapters, where we found out more about the business these characters were involved in and all of their professional and personal relationships. I kept wanting the book to get back to the survival chapters in present-day, but the flashback chapters really took over the majority of the story. Then when we finally get to the action in present-day.... wow. I was not prepared for the sharp left turn and while I can respect a book trying to do something different... this one was just not it for me. I left with very little that I can say I enjoyed about the book, other than the very beginning. I guess I would recommend it to readers very open to strange, sci-fi type twists and are interested in reading a LOT about this fictional company's futuristic invention and (morally gray/offensive) business practices. I wouldn't be against trying this author again in the future, but I think I'll have to do a little more research into the plot and where the story goes before I dive in!...more
This was so entertaining. I love how it flipped misogyny and racism on their heads to highlight how ridiculous some of our society’s biases and stereoThis was so entertaining. I love how it flipped misogyny and racism on their heads to highlight how ridiculous some of our society’s biases and stereotypes are. I don’t know this author from tik tok, but it sounds like she does skits like this often, and I’m sure anyone who enjoys those would also enjoy this full-cast production. Well worth the 3.5 hour listening time, less if you increase the speed. Don’t mind me exclusively saying “oh my goddess” and “Queen and boy-Queen” from now on....more
This book has a super intriguing premise and I loved a lot about the setup: creepy and atmospheric deep-sea chamber housing saturation divers on a misThis book has a super intriguing premise and I loved a lot about the setup: creepy and atmospheric deep-sea chamber housing saturation divers on a mission that goes wrong. Similar to why I love space books, I loved the detailed descriptions of the technology and equipment and how the main character had to meticulously solve each little (big) problem that came up. After a while we kind of deviated from those things that I love in a sciency thriller and moved into a mystery that became repetitive and way more focused on the other characters’ pasts than I was interested in. While I do appreciate that Will Dean likes his twists, this one (or two) didn’t surprise or hit me as much as I would have wanted in order to make the entire book feel worth the read. I’m sure I’ll keep picking up this author’s books in the future, because his unique settings and initial plots are intriguing enough to give a try, but this one definitely was not as much of a favorite as The Last One was. ...more
This… did not even feel like the same author as One Last Stop or RW&RB. It should have been really fun, set in countries all across Europe and followiThis… did not even feel like the same author as One Last Stop or RW&RB. It should have been really fun, set in countries all across Europe and following this queer couple with a complicated past eventually rekindling their romance, especially since second-chance romance is one of my favorite tropes, but something about it was just off. I didn’t love how the first half of the book was narrated by one of the MCs and the second by the other- I definitely think alternating them would have made more sense and felt more natural. I also HATED the way the second MC was voiced in the audiobook - suuuuper melodramatic in a way that completely took me out of the story. I guess I’d recommend it if you’re extra interested in European food and wine and explicit descriptions of each character’s international sexual conquests, but otherwise I think it can be skipped. I probably won’t pick up Casey McQuiston’s next book until see other reviews convincing me I’ll actually enjoy it ...more
I really feel like this book was ALMOST great. It contains some elements that I am an absolute sucker for, that are unfortunately spoilers to mention I really feel like this book was ALMOST great. It contains some elements that I am an absolute sucker for, that are unfortunately spoilers to mention in my review. Ultimately I feel like the book was trying to tackle too much in addition to the fun spoilery parts, and I got lost in trying to keep the character POVs straight and understanding the family element that takes up the entire synopsis but has very little to do with the book itself. A better version of this book, to me, was The Last One by Will Dean. Definitely a bummer after loving The Family Game and enjoying Something in the Water, but I’m sure I’ll keep up with whatever Catherine Steadman writes in the future!...more
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