Book Review: I Think I Love You by Auriane Desombre

I Think I Love You

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I Think I Love You 〰️

Actual rating 4.5/5 stars.

First off, the cover of this book is stunning. I'm pretty sure I bought this book based on the cover (and the cute title) alone. And it didn't disappoint.

What a cute story. Sure it had lots of tropes and a bit of a lazy-ish plot (both of which I don't mind), but when it hits with the cute scenes, it hits hard. And thankfully, there were plenty of cute scenes.

This book has a lot of strong messages about coming out and about love in general. Coming out is never a one-and-done thing; no one should have to come out when they aren't ready or are not safe to do so. I'm glad Emma felt safe enough to come out, and I totally see why it upset her how her parents reacted. I also love how passionate Emma is about being bi, yet also not making her whole personally "the bi girl." She's a girl who happens to be bi, and that's as important to her as rom-coms are. And I love how Sophia learns to accept love in all its forms (relationship and otherwise).

However, I think the author may have just made up the plot as she went to fit around the love story between Emma and Sophia. Nothing wrong with that. It just sometimes felt like the movie-making plot was sometimes filler to get to the cute romance stuff we all came here for.

Side note, I could tell who sabotaged the whole film project long before the reveal. It was super obvious.

All in all, this was a super cute read. I love how close Emma is to her cousin. I haven't read many books where the MC is besties with their cousin, and I love the close family relationship. Even Sophia learned to be more accepting of her own family.

This was a cute and light read. This book is for you if you are looking for a little bit of gay rom-com.

Book Review: The R*pe of Nanking by Iris Chang

The R*pe of Nanking

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The R*pe of Nanking 〰️

Wow. This book contains some heavy yet powerful reading. And as heavy as a reading it is, I think it is a necessary read. I had no idea of the atrocities committed in WW2 by the Japanese.

They say those who don't study history are doomed to repeat it. That's why this book is so important. Without learning from the past, we cannot let this part of history fade away. The Germans have made it their mission to teach everyone about. the Holocaust, yet Japan wants their dirty secrets wiped off the face of the earth. I don't blame them. The Japan of the past is different from the Japan of today. But that doesn't mean we should forget what happened. I get they are ashamed of what they did, but the world needs to know what happened.

And thankfully, Chang wrote this book to help ensure this dark time in human history doesn't fade away. I can't imagine what went through Chang's mind when collecting all the research to make this book happen. It saddens me to hear of her passing, and I wonder if studying all this horrible history was a small part of her death. But she should be proud of the work she accomplished in making sure the people who died, as well as the survivors, live on. This is a story that needs to be told, even if it's a hard one to hear.

I personally think they should make (or edit it) to be part of a history textbook. It's well-written and researched. If you are in the right headspace and want to learn more about this forgotten Holocaust, I highly recommend this book.

Book Review: Legion by William Peter Blatty

Legion

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Legion 〰️

I wanted to like this book. I really did. I enjoyed the first book, but this one fell flat. At least the dilouge and writing I hated in the first book had improved, so there's that.

I didn't see this book as part of the horror genre, and I barely saw anything demonic besides the killings. And this one is probably a me thing, but I found myself drifting thoughts and thus, I found the book super confusing. I didn't know what was happening most of the time. However, that's probably because I found it pretty dull and had to re-read different passages many times just to figure out what was going on.

I found the pacing to be pretty slow, and it only started being somewhat interesting in part two of the book, a little over halfway done. I felt parts one, and two were completely different novels, with part one being a whodunit and part two sort of demonic possession stuff, but not done nearly as well as The Excorcist.

Also, I wouldn't say I liked Kinderman in The Exorcist. I found him to be highly annoying. But I hated him even more because he was the main MC in this book. At least his speech was slightly different (both making him the same character from book one yet also somewhat different in this book). I felt like this book was written as a cash grab because of how popular the Excorsit was, as there are barely any returning characters from the first book, and we don't even hear about Chris or Regan in this one.

That being said, I'm sure this book appeals to some people. Maybe they may even find it terrifying. Sadly I don't think this book hit the mark.

Book Review: The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty

The Exorcist

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The Exorcist 〰️

This book claims to be the most terrifying novel ever written. (At least the edition I was reading has it so on the cover). It perhaps was back when it was first published. Not to say it wasn't bad. It just wasn't as "scary" as I was hoping. Not even remotely. Still a good read.

This book messes with the mind in a way I didn't expect. We know Regan is passed, most likely by the demon Pazuzu. But the way the book is written, we can almost begin to question whether she is indeed possessed or has some mental disorder. (I'm impressed with all the medical knowledge that Blatty seems to possess. He did his research for writing this book. And not just with medical knowledge but with Catholicism and Satanism as well).

Now fear can be subjective, so while I didn't feel any sense of horror in this book, it doesn't mean it isn't terrifying in its own right. I'm sure even people to this day may find it frightening. However, I will say that for its lack of horror elements, Blatty certainly knew how to make me uncomfortable. When Regan begins to masturbate with a cross (among other things), I felt highly uncomfortable, and those scenes didn't sit well for me. It worked to show she was passed by a demon, but yeah. Felt borderline child p**n, and I did not like that. I haven't seen the movie, but I'm sure they cut that out. At least, I hope they did, and if so, thank God.

I will note that I hated the dialogue. Every character sounded the same or very close to each other. The prose was wonderfully written, and it's in the prose where I got a sense of how each character is and acts. But when they opened their mouths to speak, not going to lie; I was not too fond of most of it. It did get more bearable near the end, but I wouldn't say I liked the dialogue in this book.

That being said, this is still a classic story that has earned its right to be called one of the best.

Book Review: Wrong Place Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister

Wrong Place Wrong Time

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Wrong Place Wrong Time 〰️

Where do I begin? This book sold me from the blurb and delivered on its promise of one helluva story. The plot of solving why the MC's son stabbed someone is a good story. But that's not what made this book outstanding. It was the fact that it was all done in reverse! It was such a cool concept.

Imagine witnessing something so terrible as a murder, and done by your own son no less, only to go back in time to find out it hasn't happened yet. And then not only are you not going forward in time every time you sleep, or even repeating the same day, but you just keep going back and back. Like imagine you had to relieve your whole life again, but going backwards. It's insane! I'd worry that even if I solved the crime and uncovered all the answers I needed to know that I would still just keep going back until I was a baby, and then poof, I'm not born. That thankfully doesn't happen to Jen, our MC, but she does go back 20 years, and that's still insane.

What's cool about this concept is that Jen keeps learning things that will help her understand the future, but with each new day, she's like a new person. She's got all this information that she will technically have only learnt in the future, but the people in Jen's life haven't yet revealed it to her. It's just mind-boggling how things are solved in reverse and how far back the mysteries go.

I cannot recommend this book enough. I'll be thinking about it for days. The plot is so fascinating; the characters somehow get well developed, even though we see them as a before rather than a later self (if that makes sense). And somehow, Jen even changed the present while still being able to live the life she had before. This book is for you if you want a fantastic read filled with unique twists and excellent writing. I'd rate it higher if I could.

Book Review: The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix

The Final Girl Support Group

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The Final Girl Support Group 〰️

I have been waiting a long time to read this book. I bought it last year in October and was waiting until this October to read it as it's now "spooky month." I had great expectations for this book based on the title alone and was super pumped to read it. Did it meet said expectations? Was it worth the wait? Mostly.

I loved the premise of this book, and I loved that I recognized all the movies that each final girl was based on. I thought this book had an excellent story, having all the final girls going to a support group and then they picked off one by one.

Sadly, while the first few chapters were interesting, I did find it to drag a bit in the middle, and the MC was going from destination to destination of shoddy guesswork at best. But don't get me wrong. I still enjoyed it. And it did pick up in the later half of the book to deliver the slasher stuff we were expecting. I didn't like how the MC kept guessing who the killer was, then proven wrong, then immediately suspecting someone else. Sure she is right in the end, and she figures out the true motives behind the killings. But for a while, it felt like she was bouncing around while things happened to her.

But besides that middle bit, I still thoroughly enjoyed my read. And I loved the showdown at the end. I felt like I was inside the mind of someone who had survived unspeakable horrors. It was nice to read the aftermath of a slasher movie (or book, in this case) many years later from the survivors.

If the middle of this book were a tad different, I would have rated it higher. But still, I recommend this to anyone who loves a good slasher movie and wants to hear more of the final girl's story.

Book Review: White Smoke by Tiffany D. Jackson

White Smoke

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White Smoke 〰️

I pre-ordered this book during Halloween, and now that it's October once again, I finally got a chance to dig into it. Was it worth the wait? Absolutely.

This book is everything I love in horror movies and more. I was legit on the edge of my seat reading this. The buildup to everything and pacing was spot on. Jackson knows how to deliver a killer story. I do hope this does become a movie or something someday. I would watch the hell out of it.

And in a twist, this book wasn't even supernatural at all! But it was still written like it was, and when the truth was found out, it was still all believable.

I loved the random bed bug facts throughout the book, and it was interesting to see them come into play at the end. Mari had some significant character growth (and not just with the bugs). She learns she is deserving of love and how to be a better sister/daughter. I loved reading about her growth.

I will say, however, that the last chapter felt rushed and a bit unfinished. Although a lot of horror movies I've watched are also kind of like that, so I guess it's normal. I still wanted more resolve, though. But besides that, it was my only negative about the book, and that's a small one at that.

I'm glad I finally got the chance to read this; it was well worth the wait. I highly recommend this to anyone who loves horror and spooky things in general. Great characters, world-building and engaging writing. This book has it all. Could you give it a go and pick up a copy today?

Book Review: The Ivies by Alexa Donne

The Ivies

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The Ivies 〰️

This book held a lot of promise when I read the premise, and for the most part, it held true. I recently read a series where the plot was similar (keyword 'almost'). Where a murder happens, and a journalism student tries to solve it. Many plot points were the same, but make no mistake, the series and this book are still vastly different.

As much as I loved Oliva and her drive to solve the case, the more that I read, the more I wondered why she was in the Ivies in the first place. Sure, she admitted to some of the Ivies traits, but she was basically nothing like them. (As she clearly states herself multiple times). Though, in the end, she does admit a bit more about why she was an Ivie, it felt like she only became one just out of necessity and not because she admired them or wanted to be their friends. But this is the only negative. Well, there is one more, but I'll touch on that in a bit.

As mentioned, I loved Olivia's detective work. Her random uses of 'big words' plus her crime-solving helped us as a reader see how she got into Harvard.

As a Canadian, I found it fascinating to read what the pressure of getting into an Ivy League school in America was like. I've heard stories about the SATs, and I'm thankful I never had to take anything like that to get into school.

The last thing I will say, however, is that Tyler had real motivation for killing Emma but, in the end, did it because he wanted to write a better admissions essay? That felt a little off.

All in all, this was a delightful read with twists all over the place. I kept trying to guess who the killer was, but I never saw Tyler coming. Donne really nailed it there. A short read, but a great one nonetheless.