The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon My rating: 1 of 5 stars The Gist Let’s be honest: historical fiction often walks a fine line between reverence and reinvention. In The Frozen River, that line isn’t just crossed—it’s erased. Ariel Lawhon dramatizes the life of Martha Ballard, an 18th-century midwife whose actual diary inspired the Pulitzer Prize-winning A Midwife’s Tale by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich. But instead of adding something new, this version repackages history into fiction that feels simplified, flattened, and uncomfortably polished. The Details Martha Ballard wasn’t a fictional construct. She lived, worked, and recorded the world around her with honesty and grit. Her diary opened a rare window into…
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The Lake
The Lake by Natasha Preston My rating: 2 of 5 stars The Gist I finished The Lake and realized something unsettling: I couldn’t remember a single meaningful detail. That says more than any plot summary ever could. This YA thriller sets out to build suspense around a group of friends returning to the summer camp where something terrible once happened. But instead of delivering chills, it barely made a ripple. The Details The premise had promise. A secluded lake, a haunting secret, and old trauma resurfacing—classic ingredients for a solid thriller. Unfortunately, none of it stuck. The plot meandered, then rushed, then meandered again. Twists landed with a thud because…
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Anatomy: A Love Story
Anatomy: A Love Story by Dana Schwartz My rating: 1 of 5 stars The Gist Dana Schwartz’s Anatomy: A Love Story is a historical romance with elements of gothic horror and medical intrigue. Unfortunately, it falls short of delivering on its ambitious premise. Set in 19th-century Edinburgh, the novel follows Hazel Sinnett, a young woman determined to become a surgeon in a world where such aspirations are nearly impossible for women. While this setup holds promise, the novel struggles to balance its many themes, resulting in a disjointed and underwhelming read. The Details One of the most noticeable issues with Anatomy is the pacing. The novel often feels sluggish, with…
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Finding Grace
Finding Grace by Loretta Rothschild My rating: 1 of 5 stars Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of Finding Grace in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The Gist The longer I think about Finding Grace, the angrier I get. Seriously, this book wasted my time like no other. From start to finish, it felt like a huge, sloppy joke disguised as a novel. I can’t believe I fell for it. First off, the characters. Or should I say, the empty shells pretending to be people. None of them had any depth. None of them felt real. The protagonist,…
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Tell Me What Really Happened
Tell Me What Really Happened by Chelsea Sedoti My rating: 4 of 5 stars The Gist Every now and then, a murder mystery reminds you just how inventive the genre can be. Chelsea Sedoti’s Tell Me What Really Happened doesn’t follow a straight line. Instead, it builds suspense through fractured memories, clashing perspectives, and unreliable narrators—all teenagers, all under pressure. The Details The novel is structured as a series of police interviews after a camping trip goes horribly wrong. Five teens went into the woods. Only four returned. Now, each one is giving their side of the story—and none of them quite agree. There’s paranoia, miscommunication, drama, and plenty of…
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A Song to Drown Rivers
A Song to Drown Rivers by Ann Liang My rating: 4 of 5 stars Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of A Song to Drown Rivers in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The Gist A Song to Drown Rivers by Ann Liang is a novel that pulls you in with soft hands and doesn’t let go. It’s the kind of book you read slowly, letting each sentence settle before turning the page. Liang blends magical realism, family secrets, and raw emotion into a deeply atmospheric young adult fantasy that stays with you. The Details The story follows a…
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Lying in the Deep
Lying in the Deep by Diana Urban My rating: 3 of 5 stars The Gist When I picked up Lying in the Deep, I was ready to be hooked. A semester-at-sea program. A murder on board. An isolated cruise ship full of secrets. That setup should’ve practically written itself into a suspenseful, claustrophobic thriller. And for a while, it really seemed like it would. But once I got past the first few chapters, it became clear that this book wasn’t going to lean into the eerie, locked-room mystery I expected. Instead, it swerved into full-blown teenage drama — complete with jealousy, romantic angst, and more irrational decision-making than I had…
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You Will Be Mine
You Will Be Mine by Natasha Preston My rating: 1 of 5 stars The Gist Let me start by saying I don’t hand out 1-star ratings like candy on Halloween. I’ll usually find something, anything, to hold onto—a compelling plot thread, a charming side character, a sliver of emotional payoff. But You Will Be Mine? No. This book drained every last drop of patience I had, and by the final chapters, I was genuinely questioning my life choices. The Details The premise was promising enough: creepy letters, a group of college friends, someone stalking them, and people dying. I mean, that sounds like a good time, right? Classic popcorn thriller…
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Two Sides to Every Murder
Two Sides to Every Murder by Danielle Valentine My rating: 2 of 5 stars The Gist Let’s talk about disappointment. Not the kind where you drop your ice cream. The kind where you crack open a book with a genuinely eerie, grabby premise and find… teens. So many teens. With so many feelings. And zero critical thinking skills. The Details Two Sides to Every Murder kicks off with a fantastic setup: a summer camp steeped in tragedy, a decades-old murder, and two girls with deeply entangled family histories. I was ready for suspense. I was ready for secrets. But I was not ready for whatever this turned into. Instead of…
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Corpse Walker: The Night Parade
Corpse Walker: The Night Parade by Ralynn Kimie My rating: 3 of 5 stars Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of Corpse Walker: The Night Parade in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The Gist I went into Corpse Walker: The Night Parade with cautious optimism. The synopsis was intriguing—dark folklore, mysterious parades of the dead, and a lyrical writing style that immediately drew me in. Ralynn Kimie has crafted something thoughtful and unsettling, with the potential to be deeply moving for the right reader. Unfortunately, I now realize this book was never going to be a good match…
