Book Review: The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

You know that one classic book that everybody should read for the thriller genre is The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins. It’s a psychological thriller and let me tell you this book has altered my whole brain system not because of the twist but the thoughts and what was going on in the main character’s mind. It is about Rachel who catches the same train every morning and she knows when the train will stop at what signal each time, overlooking the back gardens. She started to feel that she knew one of the couples who lived in one of the houses and they seemed the perfect couple. However one day she sees something very shocking that changes everything about her life and now she is not just a girl on the train anymore.

For a thriller, the plot twist was not shocking, I saw it coming at the start of the book. The plot is also basic it’s nothing extraordinary however the writing of the author legit sucked me in. Rachel the main character is very complex, she is going through a lot and the author’s writing made me feel every emotion that Rachel was going through. The book focuses on Rachel and how she is dealing with her life and basically, I think I was in the mind of Rachel the whole book. The other characters are good and it is great to see how they get tangled in the mess with Rachel or Rachel gets tangled with them.

The psychological aspect is very high because Rachel is already going through a lot and finds herself in a twisted situation. I don’t dare to pick up this book again because even though I read it a year ago, I still remember my mind was not having a great time reading what Rachel was going through.

I will never forget this book ever and I highly recommend this book but please check the trigger warnings.

Rating: 4.5/5

Till we meet again, Be Happy, Be Grateful, and Keep Smiling – a girl who likes to write.

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August 28, 2024 2

Book Review: Verity by Colleen Hoover

This is the only Colleen Hoover book I have read and this book is so crazy. This is a psychological thriller book with romance as a subplot. So it focuses on Lowen Ashleigh who is struggling as a writer and is about to go bankrupt. Jeremy Crawford is the husband of bestselling author, Verity Crawford. However Verity is severely injured, so he hired Lowen to complete his wife’s remaining books. She started living with them and one day found a disturbing manuscript of Verity and from that point, her life changed completely.

So I read this book after reading The Housemaid by Freida McFadden and if you have read it you know that the characters are the same in both the books, two women and one man. So I already know the plot between the three of them and what it would be, however, the suspense and plot of the books are totally different. The book Verity is very fast-paced and you won’t realize how much you are engaged until the suspense starts to keep you on the edge of the seat. The plot is astonishing as the manuscripts are so disturbing. My mind was having an internal battle because if I were in the place of Lowen I would have packed my bags the first day and would love to go bankrupt but again in thrillers characters are supposed to be dumb and curious. Apart from manuscripts, Verity herself was deranged which adds another bone-chilling point to the book.

Jeremy Crawford, I don’t know what to say about this character because you can’t figure him out. The way he is written, he is just too good as a person which means in a thriller he should be on the top of the list as a prime suspect. Verity, she is crazy however the book doesn’t let you know the truth, so it is up to you to decide what you feel about her. Lowen is the main storyteller of the book and there is nothing extraordinary about her except the shocks she gets when she reads the manuscripts.

The book ending left me gasping, that is all I am going to say, and it is up to you to figure it out. So the book is delivered into POV, first Lowen’s current POV and second Verity’s POV through her manuscripts. So the audience is divided into a team letter or a team manuscript. Or maybe Jeremy is the real psychopath, nobody knows that.

I wish I could say that this is the best thriller book I have read but the romance ruined it for me. I can’t stand romance in a thriller book. And in this book, it was so cheap and unrealistic. The setting is definitely creepy and brings more thriller to the book. But this book is still in my mind, I read this almost a year ago but I still remember everything because of the ending. I think that fulfills the main aspect of the thriller and the author did an incredible job of writing the book in a way that will make you gasp every time you remember this book.

I will definitely recommend this book.

Rating: 4/5 (Please check trigger warnings)

Till we meet again, Be Happy, Be Grateful, and Keep Smiling – a girl who likes to write.

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August 14, 2024 0

Book Review: Dark Matter by Blake Crouch

What I am most afraid of is that one day I wake up and realize that my life is all fake and the people I am living with are not recognizing me. If you want a better perspective of what I am trying to say read the book Dark Matter by Blake Crouch and get lost on how perfectly the book is written. First of all how in the world he came up with this incredible and astonishing idea? I will not give a lot away but it is about Jason, a simple man whose life gets turned upside down when he gets kidnapped in a way you could probably never imagine in the whole world. It is sci-fi, which is amazingly written with a twist of thriller that perfectly balances out the book. The entire time I was so engaged in what would happen next and till the last page my reaction was thrilling and shocking.

The story is so engaging and at a certain point in the book my mind was blown by what was happening. This book truly shows that the decision we make in the past definitely at some point in our life affects our present which leads to the future being uncertain. The book also focuses on family relationships, Jason keeps going and not giving up because he wants to see his wife and son and that courage worked out for him. This sci-fi is not at all boring as there is a mixed thriller, which makes it very interesting. Till the end I was not bored, the book is definitely a page-turner as nothing will make sense until the very end which I am saying in a good way. I highly recommend this book, just pick it up and thank me later.

Rating: 5/5

Till we meet again, Be Happy, Be Grateful, and Keep Smiling – a girl who likes to write.

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July 31, 2024 0

Book Review: King of Pride by Ana Huang (Kings of Sin #2)

“Even when we broke up. Even when I walked out. Just knowing you existed somewhere in this world was enough.” – Kai to Isabella

Let’s get ready for my unexpected review of this book. King of Pride is the second book in the Kings of Sin series by Ana Huang and honestly, I liked it better than the first one. I know I might get a lot of hate but hear me out. The book’s plot is written more diligently and feels like a proper book than the first one. It’s about Isabella Valencia and Kai Young who cross paths with each other and attraction begins, but both try to restrict that. It has a straightforward plot but I don’t know why I enjoyed this book so much. I giggled, laughed and even blushed maybe because of Kai Young, he is a gentleman who should be appreciated more.

I know a lot of readers like MMC that are grey and here me out I am one of you as well. However, saying Kai is a gentleman does mean a perfect gentleman but also a sultry gentleman that one look from him and you are under the mercy of him. I loved Isabella’s character, she is so outgoing, has no filter, and is actually entertaining. I loved their banter, it was actually bantering and hilarious. The book vibe is very cool and easygoing which I liked. It is a simple book but at the same time will give you a fun read. I liked the fact that there is no breakup, they are very open with each other. They have one of the healthiest relationships filled with sultry flirting, dirty talks, romance, and actual communication.

“I’m never going to stop being me, Kai, and I don’t want you to stop being you. So how can we be together when we belong to separate worlds?”

“By building one of our own.” – Kai to Isabella

Like I said the banter was bantering which was one of the reasons I liked this book. Their silly jokes, straightforward answers, and the tension everything I found were perfectly balanced in this book. The plot is simple, there is nothing extraordinary but still, I liked it maybe because it’s like a palate cleanser but with more banter, I guess. This is one of the few books where I liked the MMC and FMC equally.

I would recommend this book if you want a quick read with a straightforward plot, hilarious banter, likeable protagonists, and romance.

Rating: 4/5

Check out the review for the King of Wrath (Kings of Sin #1)

“Rest assured, you’re not my type, so you don’t have to worry about me hitting on you.” – Isabella to Kai

Till we meet again, Be Happy, Be Grateful, and Keep Smiling – a girl who likes to write.

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July 17, 2024 2

Book Review: King of Wrath by Ana Huang (Kings of Sin #1)

“Get rid of any romantic notions you may have of us falling in love and living happily ever after. It won’t happen. This is a business arrangement. Nothing more. Are we clear?” – Dante to Vivian

King of Wrath was my first book by Ana Huang and I was disappointed. I have not read her twisted series but I have heard that they are way better than this series. For me, it’s the vibe of the book if I enjoy reading, if I smile, giggle, and laugh then I would love that book. However, this book went flat for me, the main genre was marriage of convenience which I think was not greatly written. I just forgot the book because I did not vibe with the book at all.

Dante Russo and Vivian Lua belong to a wealthy family and are set up for arranged marriage for their respective reasons. I know how much people loved Dante Russo but I couldn’t love him, he did not give me a standard fictional man energy. It was like a Wattpad hero trying too hard, I even cringed. Please do not come for me, if you like Dante that’s great I just didn’t and it’s okay.

Vivian Lua, I don’t know what to say about her she is wealthy and has her own business but is a puppet for her family. I think her family drama was way too dragged, she is independent but can’t take a stand for herself, I thought we were in the era where strong female leads are highly appreciated and maybe a new background story.

I will just say this is another Wattpad kind of read because marriage of convenience is a very hard trope to write. The perfect balance between meeting, banter, and realization is hard to write for this particular trope and this book messed it up. I just think this book missed the whole middle plot, they went from hating each other to craving each other in a matter of seconds I did not understand how it got such a big switch without a proper unfolding.

Just read a Wattpad story that would be better. The book was not for me but might be for you, so all the best.

Rating: 1/5

“You don’t think we’re a good idea but I’ll prove we are. Give me time, mia cara. That’s all I need, besides you.” – Dante to Vivian

Side Note: I just want to clarify that this is entirely my opinion, you are free to love this book and I am free to give my opinion on this book. I would be very happy if you loved this book but please do not take this review to heart; it is okay to have different tastes. Thank You.

Till we meet again, Be Happy, Be Grateful, and Keep Smiling – a girl who likes to write.

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July 6, 2024 1

Book Review: Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell

Then She Was Gone was my first book by Lisa Jewell and I think there are way better books she has written than this one. It is about Laurel Mack, whose daughter, Ellie Mack disappeared 10 years ago. So Laurel Mack is trying to move on and meets a man named Floyd Dunn and his daughter Poppy who look exactly like Ellie Mack and then the story begins.

This was the thriller where I predicted everything the second every character was introduced, which is in the starting part of the book. I had already imagined everything and was flipping pages to read. I have seen many reviews saying it was dark and obviously what happened to Ellie was devastating, however, I did not find this book that dark it was okay for me maybe because I knew what was going to happen. Honestly, I expected more from this book as there is only one plot twist and other times it is just the story going on with no revelation which might be boring but since Lisa’s writing is so simple and addicting and just like that I was finished with the book. For me why it was not dark because Ellie’s POV is not much what was happening to her was told in just a few lines it was from another POV also Laurel’s feelings for her daughter’s disappearance were not explored enough and it was rushed what I felt.

Talking about the setting, it did bring some creepiness to the book and Poppy’s character definitely elevated more. However no other characters stood out to me as such, I felt it was very basic. The other characters were not much explored even Floyd which I felt if explored would make the book more thrilling.

The ending was rushed as I expected more but it ended in a very basic way which for a thriller I did not find thrilling. It was not a bad book, you could definitely read it but I personally would not find myself thinking about this book in the future.

Rating: 3/5 (Please proceed by looking at the trigger warnings.)

Till we meet again, Be Happy, Be Grateful, and Keep Smiling – a girl who likes to write.

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June 22, 2024 0

Book Review: The Archer’s Voice by Mia Sheridan

“I thought about how Bree and I were so different…and yet so similar. She carried the guilt of not fighting when she thought she should have, and I carried the scar of what happened when you did. We had each reacted differently in a moment of terror, and yet we both still hurt. Maybe there was no right or wrong, no black or white, only a thousand shades of gray when it came to pain and what we each held ourselves responsible for.” – Archer

I have another romance book to review for you guys. The plot of this book is so beautiful and healing. It is about Bree and Archer dealing with a traumatic family drama. So Bree comes to the small town of Pelion, Maine to overcome her past and create a new life. However, she does not know that there she will meet a boy named Archer Hale who does not like to communicate yet he still will capture the heart of Bree through his captivating eyes.

You know how one random person comes into your life and changes everything, and this book is that for me. I admire Archer and how strong he is as a person who has dealt so much in life and doesn’t even have someone who can support him until Bree. He can’t speak and people don’t even try to talk to him yet he learned sign language.

“It suddenly occurred to me that Archer Hale had taught himself an entire language, but hadn’t had a single person to talk to. Until me” – Bree.

Bree is a sweetheart that truly understands Archer and there are so many quotes in this book that I just love. Bree communicates with Archer with sign language even though Archer can hear why because that would make Archer more comfortable. These are the moments where both understand each other so much.

The family drama is quite to deal with and it definitely breaks my heart when I read about how a child has to go through this all alone. Archer the way in the end stood for himself and made himself strong is so admirable to watch. I love that in the end, the author did not bring Archer’s Voice back otherwise it would not be realistic and it would lose the meaning of the book.

The ending is so cute and just beautiful and I think I also healed a part of myself just like Bree and Archer. Highly recommend this book. Bree lost all of her hope but Archer with his captivating soul was able to give Bree a new life just like Archer lost his voice however Bree was the one who found Archer’s Voice.

Rating: 4/5

“I know I’m probably the last person you want to see right now, but I just thought if I sat on your porch, you wouldn’t be scared. You wouldn’t be alone.” – Archer to Bree (best line in the book)

Till we meet again, Be Happy, Be Grateful, and Keep Smiling – a girl who likes to write.

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June 15, 2024 0

Book Review: The Housemaid by Freida McFadden

I have been eyeing this book for a while and my best friend got this for my birthday. It was my first book by Freida McFadden and honestly, I had high expectations. Did it live up to the hype? Absolutely! So basically it is about a housemaid, Millie who started working for a wealthy family, Winchester which consists of Andrew and Nina, the husband and wife and their daughter. And Millie learned that Nina is strange and secrets start to unfold but does it really or more secrets start to pile up?

The writing of Freida is simple and it kept me engaged till the end. I read this book in one sitting because, in the beginning, I felt like everything was making sense but when the plot twist happened I was shocked and there and then I learned that people who act super sweet are actually psychopaths. Again, This book reminded me that we can’t judge anyone just by their looks but everyone has huge secrets.

Nina is the true character of this book and I absolutely loved her. Freida wrote her so smartly and Nina taught me how to play a real game and win. Another reminder from this book is that if you feel like you are playing the main character in your life, you are the pawn in your own game. The plot twist was mind-blowing, I did not see it coming. Also, this book sheds light on generational trauma, the person is not born like that but the world and people around are responsible for it. Also, the book gives the warning to never trust a person so easily there are a lot you might not know so stay back, know the person and then trust.

I highly recommend this book as it’s very fast-paced and fun. Also, you will get to experience a lot of emotions and the ending is very satisfying.

Rating: 4/5

Till we meet again, Be Happy, Be Grateful, and Keep Smiling – a girl who likes to write.

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May 25, 2024 1

Book Review: Icebreaker by Hannah Grace

“I can’t believe you think I could ever reject you, Anastasia, You have no idea, do you? The lengths I’d go to if you’d let me. What I’d do to make you happy.” – Nate to Anastasia.

Once again, remind me not to judge a book by its cover. But here the cover was absolutely beautiful but the inside was not up to the mark. I do not consider myself a big romance reader because whenever I read a romance book it does not make me feel butterflies but empty from the inside. For me, romance is not excessive physical intimacy but things that make me feel the whole zoo in my stomach. Staring, tension, slow burn, light hand touches, gestures, and small things that scream intimate love.

As a literature student, I am not a stranger to how writers for centuries have written female characters as inferior and villains. And in the 21st century, it is the same. Anastasia Allen, the FMC is so annoyingly written that I could not bear to continue because of her. Nate Hawkins, what another green flag.

To be honest, when I first read the meeting of FMC and MMC I thought Nate would be a red flag but the way he understood her and talked to her was so green-coded. There is no plot in the book, it is just straight-up smut and forced smut I felt like and I didn’t feel any chemistry between the characters as Anastasia was so annoying from the start.

The only thing I liked about this book was Nate’s friendship group was freaking hilarious and I loved it. Henry, the character he is; if he exists in real life, I want him as my best friend. What a guy, I have never admired a fictional character like Henry and his book is coming very soon. He kept whole toiletries needed by girls in his room, so anyone who needed them could use them. I hope Hannah doesn’t ruin it and shows Henry how savage, straightforward, and understanding he is.

And lastly, the Epilogue was absolutely not needed, it was one of the parts that killed the vibe of the book for me.

Rating: 2/5 (only for Henry)

“Whether you two are together or not, if you are tired of Nathan you can sleep in my room. I’ll get the air mattress again.” – Henry to Anastasia.

Till we meet again, Be Happy, Be Grateful, and Keep Smiling – a girl who likes to write.

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May 18, 2024 0