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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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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Celestial Banquet
Celestial Banquet by Roselle Lim My rating: 3 of 5 stars Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of Celestial Banquet in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The Gist When I picked up Celestial Banquet, I expected food to play a strong role. What I didn’t expect was for nearly every emotional beat, memory, and plot turn to be filtered through recipes, ingredients, and cooking. That’s not inherently a flaw—it’s simply not to my taste. If you love food-centric stories, you may find this novel magical. But if you prefer your fiction with less focus on culinary detail, you…
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No Place Left to Hide
No Place Left to Hide by Megan Lally My rating: 4 of 5 stars The Gist No Place Left to Hide caught me off guard in the best way. I didn’t expect the main story to unfold over a single night, but that choice worked. The tight timeline created nonstop tension. Every moment felt urgent. It added a sense of pressure that kept me flipping pages long after bedtime. The Details The protagonist was a mixed bag—and I kind of loved that. I had a strong love/hate reaction to them. At times, I wanted to yell at the page. Other times, I felt completely drawn in. They weren’t likable, exactly,…
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The Summer She Went Missing
The Summer She Went Missing by Chelsea Ichaso My rating: 1 of 5 stars The Gist Let’s set the scene: small town, a girl disappears, secrets bubble just beneath the surface. You’re thinking ooh, juicy! Maybe this’ll be a tight, suspenseful mystery with compelling twists, layered characters, and psychological depth. You dive in; get comfortable. You prepare for thrills. The Details And then—BAM. The main character arrives and steamrolls every ounce of potential like a drama queen on a mission. Look, I enjoy a flawed protagonist. I really do. But what we’ve got here isn’t a flaw. It’s a full-blown character malfunction. This girl isn’t just immature—she’s emotionally stunted. You’d…
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They Wish They Were Us
They Wish They Were Us by Jessica Goodman My rating: 2 of 5 stars The Gist They Wish They Were Us by Jessica Goodman starts with promise—an elite prep school, a dead student, and a secret society that rules everything. It sounds like it should be dark, juicy, and full of twists. But it isn’t. The story drags, the characters fall flat, and the suspense barely shows up. The Details From page one, the pacing stumbles. For a book centered on murder, it lacks urgency. The plot meanders through parties, popularity contests, and Jill’s repetitive self-doubt. Shaila’s death, which should drive the story, fades behind shallow teen drama. Jill, the…
