Tag: reader

Book Review: Hidden Pictures by Jason Rekulak

Another day, another thriller. I have to say the thriller vibe is coming back as I got to read two good thriller books in a row. One of them is Hidden Pictures by Jason Rekulak. Mallory Quinn has just got out of rehab and takes a babysitting job for Caroline and Ted Maxwell. Their son loves to draw and grew closer to Mallory. Later, he began drawing very creepy things, which led Mallory to uncover many secrets that might put her in danger.

One thing that attracts me is the book’s pace. When my attention can’t be anywhere else but the book. And I have to say, this book was one of those. The plot and the pace of the book were incredible. The writing is very engaging, and the chapters are short, too. The paranormal vibes in the book were just amazing. The cottage, the jungle, everything through the words was perfectly delivered by the author.

The main character, Mallory, is a protagonist with fast learning and solving skills, which I love in a thriller. I loved that she made the main revelation and revealed it, which made the book more interesting. I liked how, through her, we got to see the plot twist that makes it more interesting.

The plot line was engaging, and I did not guess the plot twist. It was wild to say and amazing. It is a whole new level of twist, but it fitted so perfectly with the book, I loved it. The paranormal activities and the pictures, everything was so eye-catching that I was looking forward to that part. The drawings were amazing, and the way they slowly revealed the whole story was phenomenal.

If you want an engaging thriller with paranormal vibes, I highly recommend this book.

Rating: 4/5

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

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Book Review: She Didn’t See It Coming by Shari Lapena

Another day, another thriller. I have been hearing about Shari Lapena and her popcorn thrillers for a long time, and I thought this was the right time to give her books a shot. I started with her book She Didn’t See It Coming, which follows the story of a perfect couple, Bryden and Sam. They have their careers thriving and are surrounded by the right people. However, it is not always true what our eyes see, right? One day, suddenly, Bryden disappeared, leaving behind everything. And slowly, the detectives and the readers come to understand the reality of being a perfect family.

Let’s start with the plot. Hell, it was so engaging. I was on a full ride, enjoying as if I could be the culprit. This is a mystery thriller, so it is hard to keep readers engaged until the end, as everything has to be revealed in the end. But the author did such a good job in her writing. I was fully hooked. I liked the plot. One reason it was so fast-paced was the multiple points of view, which kept the plot engaging and interesting. However, I felt that there should have been more secrets about the couple, which would have made the book more interesting.

There is no main protagonist as such, but we see two stories I absolutely loved: Alice’s and Derek’s. I felt that their point of view added more depth to the Bryden story and overall to the book. To be honest, all the characters of the book were not very suspicious to me. I find the characters to be very average.

As I have read a lot of thrillers, it was very much predictable as to who the culprit was, but I still enjoyed the plot twist. I had a great time reading this book.

Overall, for a one-time read, I recommend it.

Rating: 4/5

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

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Book Review: Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera

I have been hearing about this book for such a long time, so I finally picked it up. I heard that it is more sarcastic than a thriller, so I will have fun reading it. So let’s see my take on it. The book follows the story of Lucy, who many years ago was found drowned in the blood. The blood belonged to her best friend, Saavy, who was found dead. But Lucy has no memory of what exactly happened. So one day, a podcaster, Ben, starts investigating the case, and Lucy must uncover what exactly happened.

Let me start by saying that I went into this book with no expectations, but after hearing so much talk about how much fun I would have. However, I have to say the book disappointed me a lot. Like, where are the thrillers with revelations that will drop the jaw? Let’s start with the plot, which was so predictable that I found it engaging but annoying because the same thing kept repeating. Lucy keeps repeating the same thing, which I find boring.

The protagonist, Lucy, was like the side characters. She was just going with the flow to find the killer of Savvy. The only thing that was intriguing about her was the voice inside her, which I thought would play a huge role in the plot twist, but it was just a part of the play, I guess. She was not seeking the truth; she was just playing around, which I found lacking in the protagonist.

Now, the most annoying part is the romance of whatever one calls it. Like, hello, we are trying to solve a case, and suddenly, the readers are thrown into an attraction part, which didn’t sit well with me. I was hoping for a good plot twist, but OMG, it was so disappointing, and I felt that it was written very simply.

There were many annoying loopholes, as I didn’t feel any thriller vibe from the book.

I didn’t like the ending. The plot twist was so predictable, and I didn’t find the book engaging.

I don’t recommend the book.

Rating: 2/5

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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Book Review: The Missing Half by Ashley Flowers

Yes, it’s been such a long time since I last posted any book review because I was so busy that I didn’t pick up any. But here I am with another thriller, and it feels amazing to be back. So this thriller follows the story of two women, Nic and Jenna. Both of their sisters disappeared, so they teamed up to figure out the cold case and what exactly happened to them. However, as they move forward, they notice not something but everything is wrong.

Let me start by saying I was very much interested in this book because of its mystery vibes, and was really excited to read it. Let me start with the plot; it was just the same thing happening again and again. There was no revelation, like literally nothing, and I was literally bored as nothing was happening. The story just revolves around where it all started, but I found nothing interesting in the book. The plot felt flat for me.

The main protagonist, Nic, I don’t think she was really the main protagonist because the other sister was the main one. I felt that the author sidelined her in her own point of view. There is literally no revelation she makes; instead, what she saw is what we saw.

The ending was one of the most outrageous endings for a thriller to have. Like, I was so dumbfounded, like what was even that? It really made no sense to have that kind of an ending. It went from storytelling to sisterly love, which I cannot digest ever.

Maybe I was expecting too much; however, I don’t think so. Any thriller deserves this kind of ending. The vibe of the book was also okay, as in I was not super interested, and felt that the pace was slow. Also, the book has good potential, but I guess the author wanted to give the readers a very unexpected ending/plot twist. However, I felt that it didn’t go well with this book.

It did not drop my jaw, so I don’t recommend this book.

Rating: 2/5

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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Book Review: An Unwanted Guest by Shari Lapena

I started this book because I saw the review that it was fast-paced and enjoyable. And I am not going to lie, it was indeed enjoyable. And I know this author’s book is always hit or miss. The book follows the story of characters who get a chance to spend their weekend at an amazing inn deep in the woods. All gathered, excited to spend the weekend; however, suddenly everything went downhill when one of the characters was found to be dead, and soon others followed. The chaos began when a heavy blizzard strangled them, and maybe the killer is among them.

The plot was nice, but I felt that something was missing. I wanted more, and I kind of guessed what the plot twist would be. The book was definitely thrilling as bodies were randomly found around the house. The setting was good too, with an ice storm covering the entire inn, and the inside was all old, like a cosy cottage. The book begins slowly, and I was not having it, but it did pick up its pace.

I liked the plot as it was from twist to twist, especially the last revelation that happened, and I definitely found it over the top, but I think with the story, it went well.

The characters are the main part of the story. I doubted everyone because all of them were unhinged and extremely creepy. I mean, it won’t be a thriller if characters aren’t unhinged. The way all have something to hide or have done something extreme in the past was great to read.

Would I recommend it? Only if you want something quick to read, but nothing over the top. It’s a good book, but not something I would go all over for.

Rating: 3/5

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

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Book Review: Daughter of Mine by Megan Miranda

This book was a headache to go through; I am not lying when I write it. I know books are meant to be dramatic; however, this thriller was on another level. It frustrated me so much that I wondered why I even picked up this book. The book is about Hazel Sharp, the daughter of a detective. She inherits her childhood home and is drawn to the town and its people. After a decade, Hazel is back, and she is going to discover something unexpected that might change her life.

I don’t know how and why I finished this book, but I have to say nothing made sense to me. After reading the blurb, I thought it was going to be all detective, but it all dived into family relations. I felt that it focused a lot on family dynamics rather than being a thriller. More than half of the book was based on family dynamics, and in the end, a revelation happened, but I was so fed up that I just wasn’t able to enjoy the twist and the ending.

The character of Hazel was so annoying, like, why is she engaging in things when she doesn’t have to? So many moments she was told to just mind her business, but OMG, she won’t listen. I couldn’t like her at all. I hate characters like this; it frustrates me so much. Also, so many things were happening at once, and it was so confusing. Like the round-up of the story and its relation was not well executed; it made more of a mess, according to me.

I want a thriller that I enjoy rather than one that gives me a headache, and this one was not for me.

Rating: …

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, and 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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Book Review: We Live Here Now by Sarah Pinborough

Wow, that’s the word that came to my mind after reading this book, because seriously, it blew me away with its concept. I would say please go into this book blindfolded and expect the unexpected, that way it will be so much fun. Emily and her husband, Freddie, just moved to a new place called Larkin Lodge. Emily just recovered from an accident and is not well emotionally as well as physically. Emily felt that the house was different as things started to happen to her when she was alone, not when she was with her husband. Emily becomes obsessed with finding what is wrong with the house, even when her situation is crumbling every second.

Let me start with the plot. I loved it. It blew my mind with how unique the concept of this book is. Honestly, hands down one of my favourite plotlines in a thriller/gothic book. The book is about a haunted house, and the revelations were amazing. The plot is very twisty, focusing more on the human mind than the surroundings. Reading about different characters and their flaws made me think of different perspectives.

The characters were so unlikable. Emily, I hated her more than Freddie. She is one of the most complex characters who made me so mad. But also a smart move she made, I loved reading it. I hated everyone, and this is also one of the reasons I liked this book. I really enjoyed reading this book, and it definitely messed with my mind. I legit have a headache, but couldn’t stop reading it.

The book is actually the representation of humans in the disguise of a house. I liked the concept. The descriptions of the house and the atmosphere were amazing; it made me immerse myself in the book. The book is about a haunted house, and at the same time, the flaws of humans, which I loved. I hated the characters more than the creepy things that the house did.

The concept was amazing, and I was in awe. From my perspective, I think humans are never happy with anyone unless they act a certain way. Also, some mistakes are never meant to be forgiven, and even if others don’t know the guilt of living with it, it makes it hard to repair the relationship. Nothing will go back to the same again once everything becomes beyond repair.

The book made me so mad, and my mind was definitely feeling it, and if you want to be like that, definitely give this one a try.

Rating: 4/5

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

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Book Review: Home Before Dark by Riley Sager

I have read, I think, three books by Riley Sager and loved every single one of them. So I decided to pick another one by him, Home Before Dark. The concept was perfect for this spooky season, and I was really excited to see what’s stored in this book for me. The book follows the story of Maggie Holt, who returns to a Victorian estate which is owned by her father. And after he passes away, she gets hold of it. However, the house holds a haunted tale that his father has published in his book, House of Horrors. But she doesn’t believe a thing until she starts living in the house and experiences some questionable things.

Honestly, the plot was really good and entertaining. There was a perfect balance of spookiness, calmness and haunted vibes that I felt in the book. The plot was very simple and straight to the point; however, the plot twists, did I see it coming? Some I did while the last one, I knew it would never be simple in Sager’s book, so I knew something had to come.

And it did! The plot twist was crazy. I was shocked because it was not much talked about in the book; it just came out of nowhere, and I loved it. And I know Sager’s book had that twist, and it did. The story has a lot of intensity because the past is what made the book more haunted, rather than the house. I loved all of the things that came together.

Talking about Maggie, our main character, she was a likeable protagonist trying to find the truth as well as run away from it. Her backstory was amazing. I did not see anything coming, given how she was such a crucial part of what happened in the past.

Maggie’s parents, in the beginning they might seem unlikable, but actually, they are the main characters of the book. Other characters play a huge role, but for the spoiler-free review, I am just going to say that every character in this book is phenomenal. I absolutely loved the back story of the plot twist. It was everything gothic and creepy, and I ate it up. The book is really fast-paced. I finished it in less than 24 hours.

I highly recommend this book as it’s a mixture of intense, haunted and gothic vibes. As well as the story makes total sense with a great ending.

Rating: 4/5

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

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Book Review: The September House by Carissa Orlando

The perfect book review for the perfect month with the perfect vibe. The September House by Carissa Orlando is my favourite horror thriller and mystery book, and you know why? Because it’s funny as hell, I was laughing rather than creeping out by the book. The book follows the story of Margaret and her husband Hal, who bought a Victorian mansion at a very low price. But then they started discovering haunted things in the house that only happen in September. Margaret is not ready to move as it’s her house; however, after four years, Hal can’t take it anymore and leaves. But he is not returning the calls of their daughter, Katherine, who is unaware of the house, and she has never visited the house. And now she is on the way to the house to find her father, and the worst part September has just begun. How Margaret hides about the house is fun to read.

Let’s start with the main character, Margaret. Only one thing to say about her, she is fantastic. It is so rare to like a character of a thriller book, and I was rooting for her till the end. The woman is so adamant that she won’t leave the house, no matter what. And a lot was happening to her physically as well as emotionally. Her talks are my favourite, she is so sarcastic and knows how to deal with things perfectly. Because of her, I loved the entire book and never got bored with it.

There are other characters as well, but they don’t play much. It’s actually just Margaret and her house, so here the house is another main character. I loved the house and the creepy things it does. I don’t think so, I have never read anything so unusual, but I loved every second of it. The house was definitely creepy, but I didn’t find it much; it depends on the reader. There were many fascinating things about the house. Firstly, it happens only in September, and what it brings is so much fun to read. The house characters were amazing, and the way they all came together in the end was mind-blowing to read.

Talking about the plot, it’s a mixture of horror, comedy and thriller. Nothing is foreshadowing but working together, there is not much thriller, but the plot twist I loved. The plot is engaging and so fast-paced that I couldn’t stop reading it. Actually, I just wanted to read what Margaret has to say.

The author’s writing is so simple, the way she has described the activity happening in the house and the dialogue of Margaret, I loved every second of it. Honestly, I thought the ending would be like that only; however, in the end, the plot twist, wow, it still amazes me when I think about it. I loved that the author decided to end like that rather than how it was going, and I thought it would end. The ending scenes were my favourite; it was like I was watching an action-packed movie, and it really felt like that.

I highly recommend it.

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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Book Review: Never Lie by Freida McFadden

The amount of people who have recommended this book finally got me and I decided to read it and loved every second of it. The book follows a newlywed couple Tricia and Ethan, who get strangled amid a snowstorm at a remote mansion once owned by Dr. Adrienna Hale, a psychiatrist who vanished years ago. While looking for something Tricia finds a hidden room with tapes of Dr. Hale’s patient interviews. As she listens, she uncovers the unsettling events leading to Dr.Hale’s disappearance. Each tape reveals more secrets until the final one exposes the chilling truth.

This book had me in a chokehold till the last end. I did not see the twist coming at all and that made me realize OMG what just happened. So basically this book has been divided into the present and the past, the past POV of Adrienna and the present POV of Tricia. So there are not many characters one can suspect then too I did not get it. Talking about the characters, we don’t really explore the characters until the truth is finally revealed and their true faces are exposed to the readers. But she made me believe pretty well until the truth was revealed.

Ethan is a side character until the end, and I was shocked because I was not expecting a plot twist on plot twist but he also gave me suspicious vibes. Adrienna’s POV tells a totally different story and at first, I was confused about how the past and the present would merge but Frieda did exceptionally well in merging and executing it well.

The plot and the plot twist were perfect. I did not see it coming and was shocked because HOW!!!!!!!!!. Adrienna’s POV really made me understand that we truly don’t know what goes on in people’s minds, and if we do, then we have to face the consequences. The thriller never fails to make me aware that we truly don’t know which face of the person is real and how they actually are from the inside.

I loved that the author added transcripts, which made the book more creepy and suspenseful. The ending! What will I say about it? It’s so different, but for a thriller, I think it’s perfect. I have not yet read a thriller with this kind of ending, so I loved it. The book is very past-faced and intriguing; it kept me hooked till the end.

If you want to read a thriller where every character gives the vibe of morally gray then I recommend Never Lie by Freida McFadden.

Rating: 4/5

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

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