The Vanishing of Josephine Reynolds by Jennifer Moorman My rating: 5 of 5 stars Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of The Vanishing of Josephine Reynolds in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The Gist The Vanishing of Josephine Reynolds by Jennifer Moorman hooked me from the very first page. This novel blends a captivating mystery with a heartwarming small-town vibe, creating a reading experience that feels both comforting and exciting. The Details The story centers on Josephine Reynolds, an ordinary woman who disappears without a trace. But this isn’t just a typical mystery. Moorman uses Josephine’s disappearance as…
-
-
House of Hollow
House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland My rating: 1 of 5 stars The Gist I really wanted to love House of Hollow. It had all the right elements: mysterious sisters, a traumatic backstory, eerie vibes, and a fairytale-turned-nightmare premise. On the surface, it promised something dark and dazzling. But beneath the lush prose and moody aesthetic, there’s not much holding the story together. The Details Let’s talk about the writing. Krystal Sutherland clearly knows how to craft sentences, but when every page bursts with metaphors and poetic phrasing, it gets old fast. What starts as lyrical quickly becomes exhausting. The constant references to rot, shadows, and otherworldly beauty pile up.…
-
The Djinn Waits a Hundred Years
The Djinn Waits a Hundred Years by Shubnum Khan My rating: 4 of 5 stars Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of The Djinn Waits a Hundred Years in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The Gist The Djinn Waits a Hundred Years by Shubnum Khan is a beautifully layered and haunting novel that shifts through time. Blending South Asian folklore with the eerie elegance of British gothic literature, it draws you into a story where the past never truly stays buried. Set in a crumbling English mansion called Cilmary, the story follows Ayesha, a teenager who moves in…
-
If You Could See the Sun
If You Could See the Sun by Ann Liang My rating: 5 of 5 stars Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of If You Could See the Sun in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The Gist If You Could See the Sun by Ann Liang is a smart, sharp, and emotionally grounded debut that brings something truly fresh to the young adult genre. Set in an elite Beijing international boarding school, the novel follows Alice Sun, a scholarship student who has always felt invisible—until she actually becomes invisible. What starts as a strange and terrifying discovery soon turns…
-
A Far Wilder Magic
A Far Wilder Magic by Allison Saft My rating: 2 of 5 stars Thank you to the publisher, Wednesday Books, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of A Far Wilder Magic in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The Gist This is the second book I have read that decided to throw historical fiction and modern day elements together without any thought of how that could affect the reader. Like me. I swear, I felt my brain get all hot as I was trying to figure out when this story is suppose to take place. Seriously, my desire to shout “When are we?” followed…
