A quick and entertaining read. It was interesting to see how much Felicity was expected to do at 11 years old while her mother was away. This aspect wA quick and entertaining read. It was interesting to see how much Felicity was expected to do at 11 years old while her mother was away. This aspect was more fascinating to me rather than the "mystery"- which fell a bit flat. While it wasn't difficult to guess whodunit, the writing was engaging enough to hold my interest. I enjoyed learning about Lady Margaret's character and whether or not her ghost was really in charge of the item disappearances. The author does briefly mention and acknowledge slavery, which the original Felicity books did not to my recollection. This story does also mention child abuse. I don't remember much of the AG mystery book spinoffs, so I look forward to continuing the series. ...more
I definitely enjoyed this plot line more than the previous book. The mystery kept me engaged up until the very end and I did not predict who the murdeI definitely enjoyed this plot line more than the previous book. The mystery kept me engaged up until the very end and I did not predict who the murderer was. The pacing was pretty even and kept me guessing. I was happy to see further character development for Minnie, getting to understand her and her thought process more. The other characters were fleshed out and I liked quite a few of them (most particularly Pam, the antique store owner and Mitchell, the annoying library patron that always shows up at the most inconvenient time) and hope they will be featured in future installments.
I’m curious to see what will happen next for Minnie, as I’m certain she and Tucker won’t work out in the long run. Stephen’s intentions also become more clear and it is revealed what he envisions for the future of the library. I’m glad Eddie played more of a role in here and was in more scenes. This is what I had been hoping for when I started the series. I am getting used to the “show every detail”- it can be a bit redundant, but is enjoyable for the most part....more
Held my interest enough to find out the whodunit, though I was a bit disappointed by the killer’s motive. It felt weak and cliche, almost an afterthouHeld my interest enough to find out the whodunit, though I was a bit disappointed by the killer’s motive. It felt weak and cliche, almost an afterthought of trying to tie all the pieces together. There were parts that dragged and felt very “tell, not show”, but then again, I haven’t read many cozy mysteries and perhaps that is just par for the course for this genre. I also was hoping there would be more Eddie scenes. Can never have enough cats. I received a few more books in this series and will be continuing on. I’m curious to see what will happen next for Minnie and the library bookmobile....more
This was fine, though not something I'd ever reread or honestly think about again. I really appreciated the bi representation, mental health aspe2.5*
This was fine, though not something I'd ever reread or honestly think about again. I really appreciated the bi representation, mental health aspect and dialogue around suicide. I felt like the "mystery" aspect regarding these topics wasn't really necessary though. This is definitely not a thriller as it is labeled under. The short chapters were a bonus and kept me engrossed to find out what happened to all the characters. Clarke certainly did a good job of making me hate "Breakfast Tim". I liked Evan and Harry's relationship, as well as her relationship with her younger brother, Billy. The family aspect was well done. It did feel a bit rushed at the end though....more
I'm sad I didn't enjoy this more. The premise sounded amazing and right up my alley. However, the MC Madeline really ruined the book for me. In th2.5*
I'm sad I didn't enjoy this more. The premise sounded amazing and right up my alley. However, the MC Madeline really ruined the book for me. In the beginning, I actually liked the banter between her and Jasper. But as the book progressed, her "quirky" behavior became over-the-top dramatic and annoying as she dismissed everyone around her. She is a very dysfunctional character, and while that usually doesn't bother me, she doesn't have much character growth throughout and the way she treated Jasper as well as her family made me roll my eyes several times and I wanted her scenes to quickly be over. I wanted to root for the buildup of the relationship with Jasper, but was disappointed when it finally happened because of what she did and how she continued to treat him, not wanting to correct her behavior. And how fast he went from “the bad guy” to “such a good guy” and not the enemy anymore? It didn’t really make sense. It definitely ended up putting a bad taste in my mouth.
I did appreciate the message of enjoying things while they last, as well as the setting of the bookstore (mentions of things like ARCs and BookTube made me so happy :) and Madeline’s mother being added for the complexity of the story. I did like the mother-daughter aspect.
I may read another book from this author in the future. I only hope her other MCs aren’t this toxic....more
Enjoyable read; I liked watching MC Hannah grow as a person and learn to process what her life looks like now (after her accident). The romance be3.5*
Enjoyable read; I liked watching MC Hannah grow as a person and learn to process what her life looks like now (after her accident). The romance between Hannah and Ethan wasn’t rushed and was fun to read. The side characters didn’t come across as interchangeable and actually had distinctive personalities. The relationship Hannah had with her brother and parents felt organic and I was happy to see her parents have a larger part in the story than what is typical for most YA books nowadays.
I did not care for the flashback parts as much. They seemed to be out of place and made the story disjointed at times, which is why it wasn’t a 4* read for me. There were also some darker elements in those parts that didn’t seem fully addressed by the end of the book, almost like they were glossed over. But overall, this is a fun coming of age read and one of Silverman’s better books in my opinion....more
In this specific issue: ending was disappointing, storyline wrapped up too quickly and Ivy was given the short end Overall rating the series a 2.5/3*
In this specific issue: ending was disappointing, storyline wrapped up too quickly and Ivy was given the short end of the stick again. I had hoped that it was going to dive in more regarding her trauma from the fire, but it didn’t. It also dismissed Ivy & Harley’s relationship and the ending attempted to take away what they had been through together. I really liked the artwork, but I’m glad this mini series is over. Definitely forgettable....more
Strongest issue in the series so far. Ivy is gaining more of a leading role and I’m glad we get to see her growth. I wish her trauma wasn’t so overlooStrongest issue in the series so far. Ivy is gaining more of a leading role and I’m glad we get to see her growth. I wish her trauma wasn’t so overlooked, but perhaps it will be addressed later on. This issue felt like it had a bit more going for its storyline, like now we’re actually heading somewhere and I’m excited to see what happens next. 3.5*...more
Halfway done the series and the storyline is lacking. Very slow build up and some loose threads. I’m hoping it will get more interesting in the remainHalfway done the series and the storyline is lacking. Very slow build up and some loose threads. I’m hoping it will get more interesting in the remaining half. The artwork is lovely and I’m glad more time is spent on Poison Ivy in this issue as we get to see a bit more of her inner thoughts, actions, etc. I’m curious to see where this goes. ~Rating 3 stars as it’s the most interesting issue for me so far.~...more
ARC review. Many thanks to Scribner. This will be released 3/5/24.
I was so excited to read this! I really enjoyed Lyon's debut Self-Portrait With BoyARC review. Many thanks to Scribner. This will be released 3/5/24.
I was so excited to read this! I really enjoyed Lyon's debut Self-Portrait With Boy and couldn't wait to see what she would do next. Unfortunately, I didn't connect with this book as much as I'd hoped. It is well written and in the beginning, I was deeply intrigued and wanted to know what would happen to Cory. But about 2/3 in, it started to drag, and I began to lose interest. I was also getting really annoyed at Cory's actions and internal monologues. It could be argued that they are realistic to her 18-year-old character, but I had a difficult time overlooking her naivete without becoming irritated. The sexual tension (assumption, more like) between her and Rolo was uncomfortable and I honestly couldn't wait for their scenes to be over. I definitely preferred Emer's chapters over Cory's and appreciated reading about her reflecting on her regrets as a parent. I didn't particularly care for any of the characters, but I respect Emer for never giving up on her search to find Cory. This mother and daughter aspect was the highlight of the book for me.
I will mention that I wasn't super familiar with the Persephone and Demeter tale this story is loosely based on beforehand- would that have changed my perspective on this? Maybe, but most likely not. Overall, I don't feel it will be a read that will stay with me. I will still continue to read from this author. Hopefully her next book will work out better for me....more
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