Suzi

I wasn't sure about this at the start, I was unsure how Maria's story would go, we hadn't met Charlotte and I didn't really connect with Alice's chapters, but there was a shift during one of Maria's chapters and I was completely hooked.

This is dark and atmospheric and I really enjoyed it.

A good intro to the author's world, characters and writing style, all of which I liked. I especially liked the very end which opened up a load of questions about the mysterious assassin in grey and how he fits into the plot.

I thought I knew what Cradle was about...then I read it and realised I didn't know what Cradle was about.

That said, I did enjoy it! It was a bit of a slow start and the world building was a bit lacking, but things definitely picked up in the second half.

I didn't feel particularly connected to Lindon but as the books are quite short, I feel like this will change in the next book.

I really didn't expect the sci-fi elements of this, and at the moment I'm still really unsure where that's going to go and how it will play into the longer plot but I am intrigued.

I loved The Last Mrs Parrish but this was so contrived with so cringy writing and dialogue. It doesn't even seem like its written by the same people.

This has been on my radar for a while and I'm so glad I decided to read it (just ahead of book 3 being released!)

Whilst I love a traditional fantasy setting, I really loved the world that this was set in and the mix of fantasy and industry, such as the pyrestones and stormhulks.

I really enjoyed all of the character POVs and where their storylines took them across the world, the pace was spot on with short, interesting chapters and packed full of action and political maneuvering.

I can't wait to see where this series goes next!

This series just gets better and better with each book. My god.

DNF @ 64% (27hrs audio)

There's a good story in here but I just can't get on with many, many casual threats and mentions of rape and assault. It's been years since I read the first book so I'd clearly forgotten how bad it is, but its so jarring each and every time it comes up, which is a lot. And for this to be written by a woman is even worse.

DNF @ 52%

I think the author was trying to write an adult thriller but it still read very much as YA, from the over explaining of every little detail, to the relationship forming between Alex and Daniel. I'm not against YA but this just felt confused, like it didn't know what it wanted to be. It was also boring and I just don't have it in me to finish.

This was so good, I absolutely flew though this one. Whilst I liked book 2 a little less, this one was definitely on the same level as book 1 for me. Onto the next!

Well that was underwhelming.

Given how much I loved and reread the original trilogy, and how much I enjoyed Haymitch's character, I expected to love this but I was so disappointed.

There's 200 pages of build up in a 372 page book, then a completely dull "games", him pining over "Lenore Dove" and then a super quick ending.

I haven't read Ballad but I am now even less excited to do so. Ugh.

Another great instalment in this series, albeit not my favourite.

I absolutely loved the first half of this one, however the second half just got a bit too wild - there was so much going on, it just became a bit too much at times.

The epilogue was very intriguing so I'm looking forward to book 5.

So this was definitely a vibe....unfortunately it was not my vibe.

I can sort of understand why so many people love this, but it's really not my kind of thing. It's long, slow, pretentious and honestly a bit boring, which is the worst thing a book can be.

The first half wasn't that bad, I was intrigued enough in these fairly unlikeable characters, their mysterious classics class and how they would eventually come to kill one of their friends.

Then said big event happened and after that I just did not care one bit. It was repetitive and meandering, there was a lot of telling and not showing. It was tedious.

I'm glad I tried it as it's so beloved but it wasn't one for me.

I love all of Catherine's books, but something in this one wasn't quit hitting like all of the others have.

It may be that I didn't connect with the characters as much this time, or that I've read so many I can see the clear plot points being hit through the story as her books can be formulaic, although I will say that formula usually works but in this one it just felt slightly predictable.

I did not expect to be crying by the end of this, I thought it was going to be a cute sports romance but it's definitely got deeper levels and has some really emotional moments, especially with Caleb and memories of his dad.

I really liked the relationship between TJ and Caleb and how it grew, as well as the focus on their respective sports.

I'll definitely be reading more from Michae.

This was my first Grady Hendrix and whilst it wasn't a new favourite, I will definitely try more from him.

I mostly liked this, I think the writing was good, and the atmosphere and setting were great, but my main issue with this was that it was just too long. Some scenes were really drawn out when they didn't need to be. If this was around the 400 page mark it would be spot on, but it just seemed never ending, especially as the plot revolves around the suffering of these girls - the suffering they go through with their pregnancies and births, as well as the suffering at the hands of the adults running the home and their own families. It was just a lot for a long time.

T.M. Logan never lets me down with a good, quick, twisty mystery thriller and this one was no different.

I will say that I saw some of the twists coming, but it didn't detract from enjoying how the story played out.

It's not my favourite from this author but it's a tough choice as they're all so good!

Reading some of the other reviews of this book is such a mixed bag, as some are for the original version and some are for the revised version. I haven't read the original so I don't know how different it is and if that did affect some ratings, but I read the new version and I loved it.

I read this one physically and it did take a while as long fantasy books tend to do (and also the font is tiny) but I loved every minute I was in this world. I was so absorbed in the setting, the atmosphere, the characters and the politics of this story.

I've had the original edition sitting on my shelves for 9 years and never got to it, but I'm actually glad I put it off and picked it the new version instead. I'll be ordering the others soon and can't wait to continue.

Also these new covers are stunning!

Absolutely brilliant!!

This was such a unique book and I absolutely loved everything about it.

The audiobook is the way to go with this one, the narration and voices done by Jeff Hays made this such a great experience and I'll be getting to the next one ASAP.

This had such a great premise and the first 100 pages was strong, but it soon became a bit flat, fell into very familiar tropes and failed to develop the world enough to hold my interest.

I will say that its quick and easy to read, so will definitely be a hit for some but I don't think this will be a series I will continue.

This has been on my TBR for over 9 years and I've always been put off because I knew how slow it would be...and I was right!

This is incredibly slow, meandering and some chapters are even boring and pointless, however I never wanted to stop with it, I was swept away in the history and magic of the story.

I will say that I really put a lot of my enjoyment down to the new narration by Richard Armitage, it's brilliant and I know I wouldn't have made it all the way through without listening to it on audio.

This was such a surprise!

It was a totally random pick off my shelves and turned out to be a total win, I just couldn't put it down.

This is set in post-Civil War America where slavery is officially abolished but racisim and segregation is still rife. This is a take on the "industrial boarding schools" at the time which tried to destroy Native and black culture in children and assimilate them into European/white norms.

That in itself is a great premise but then add in zombies. Win!

This was just so good, I was hooked from page 1 and flew though it. I believe it's targeted at YA so does read really quickly but I'm still so impressed with this story. It has so much to say and I loved it.

I feel exactly the same about this book as I did about the author's book, The Woman They Could Not Silence - it's an incredible story and something I previously wasn't that aware of, but it was too long and slightly overwritten in the assumptions and descriptions.

Overall I'm glad I read it and will definitely look for future books from the author, but I know what I'm getting with her books now. Definitely ones to get on audio due to the length (for me at least).

This was good!! It was a great little horror story, packaged in a very unique way. Had to explain I wasn't actually reading an IKEA catalogue so points for it being effective!

I feel like it too so long to get through this, it's longer than book 1 and the differing POVs slow the pace slightly.

I love the political side of fantasy but I do think Talia's chapters were a little long and slow so did affect the pace of Holt's story.

That said, I really enjoyed this sequel and am loving the series as a whole. 😊

Everyone should read this book.

I think, as is mentioned in the book, that a lot of people imagine incels to be a small group of unhappy men complaining about women on the internet. It's mind blowing to hear of the real size of the communities and how absolutely they believe their views.

The author states at the start that the quotes taken from forums, sites and direct messages/emails have not been altered in any way and it's absolutely shocking those words can come from seemingly normal members of society.

One of the most shocking parts for me, as a parent, was hearing how these communities target boys as young as 10 because they're easier to indoctrinate "before their minds are set". Hearing how they find them through online gaming and YouTube videos is just terrifying and makes me want to throw out every device in our house immediately.

So yes, this is a hard thing to read, but it's important that people understand how much of an issue it is so should be read by everyone.