Tag: thriller

Book Review: Grave Matter by Karina Halle

Seriously, it is one of the most underrated books I have read. The book Grave Matter by Karina Halle is a gothic fiction, psychological thriller, and science fiction and OMG, what a book it was. I just recently finished it, and I know I need to write about it ASAP. So this book follows an aspiring mycologist, Sydney Denik, who is getting a second chance at life. When a dream opportunity came in the form of working in a prestigious foundation, how could Sydney deny it? However, the prestigious foundation is not what one can imagine; it is isolated, with no outside connection, and everyone around her is hiding secrets. How is Sydney going to survive in the middle of nowhere with people hiding secrets and finding herself falling for one of the residents of the foundation?

Let’s start with the character of Sydney Denik. Just like every horror book, she is very dumb. Seriously, there is no single cell left in her brain. I thought she would be smart at first, but boy, I was so wrong. The entire book is in her POV, and I felt that I was in her brain. I wouldn’t say she was a complex character, but what was happening to her was definitely creepy. The book is more focused on the plot rather than the character, so there is nothing more to say about Sydney.

Then we have Wes, the MMC, and as I said, the book is in Sydney’s POV there was nothing much about his character. However, through her POV, we get to know how obsessive he was. Through him, we only get to see the love he had for Sydney; the boy did everything for Sydney. They have great chemistry, and the instant connection they felt was definitely a spoiler.

Now, the main thing that kept me hooked to the book was the PLOT. There was not a single moment in the book where I was bored because Karina Halle’s writing was so intriguing and fast-paced. The plot was outstanding, and even though there were technical terms as it is science fiction however everything was written so easily that I understood it so well. I understood what was happening pretty much early in the book but still, the end plot twist I didn’t see it coming at all.

I truly enjoyed the vibe of the book and the ending as well. The plot is complex, but the writing isn’t, so I think that was the reason I vibed with the book. There was so much creepiness, and at one point, I was truly confused if Sydney would ever make it alive or not. The book was perfectly balanced with mystery, romance, sci-fi, and horror, which made the storyline interesting.

If you would like to read a mixture of horror romance and science fiction, I highly 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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Review: ‘Love Me If You Dare’ C-drama (2015)

“You’re actually reading such illogical and groundless novels.” – Bo Jinyan.

“It’s a romance fiction, what logic does it need?” – Jian Yao.

This drama has put me in a chokehold since I have watched it. Chinese dramas can have cutesy and school vibes but they are also not behind when it comes to thriller and suspense dramas just like this 2015 drama, Love Me If You Dare. It follows the story of Jenny Jian Yao who starts a job as a translator in a mysterious lonely house and it turns out that the house belongs to a criminal psychologist, Bo Jinyan. Later a series of mysterious murders started to take place so Bo Jinyan and his assistant Jian Yao remarked on the journey to solve this mystery.

What can I say about this drama, it’s perfection. As you know I love thrillers and mystery dramas so when I saw this drama I knew I had to watch it and since then, I can’t seem to ever forget about it. It’s been a long time since I have watched it. I went into this drama thinking it was going to be a simple mystery thriller drama but I was so wrong, it is so intense. Let’s start with the character of Jian Yao, the female protagonist. I love how her character is so feminine and gentle but at the same time, she is so smart. Her aura is like a princess so charming and calming yet very intelligent. I loved that she was not shown as someone dumb for a thriller mystery drama.

Then we have the male protagonist, Bo Jinyan. What can I say about him, he has lived this character like no other. His eyes are so hypnotizing which makes the scenes more intense. His mind and how he knew what the criminal had done added a lot of creepiness to the drama. His aura, intelligence and sense of humour were amazing. The male lead did such an incredible job, I don’t think my words would ever be able to do the justice. His one-line comment with a serious face never failed to make me laugh.

The chemistry was just breathtaking. Their scenes felt so real, I don’t even think they tried because both felt so natural. Their scenes were also intense to watch, I could see their chemistry oozing. The romance was amazingly maintained in a thriller drama, I didn’t find it forced but it built up naturally.

The plot was everything, till the end I kept guessing what is the plot twist but still I was dumbfounded. The storyline is filled with angst, drama, suspense, and crime; everything is top-notch. I was legit rooted to my seat just to watch the next episode and get shocked every time. There is also comedy with Bo Jinyan one one-line comment and Jian Yao’s response. The cases were so intense I was so much deeper into finding out what would happen next. The investigation was mind-blowing and it felt so natural as I was also part of the same. The side characters were also very good and fun. The ending episodes were so intense but heartbreaking.

I highly recommend this drama but please check trigger warnings as much sensitive content is found.

“He thought you were my weakness. But actually, in truth, with you by my side, it makes me feel stronger, even more stable.” – Bo Jinyan.

My Rating: 10/10

Total episodes: 24

Genre: Crime, Suspense, Romance

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

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Book Review: The Castaways by Lucy Clarke

I randomly picked this book very early in my reading journey, and it’s been a long time since I read it. Guess what? I have not forgotten it at all. Because I hated no wait, despised the ending of this book. The book follows the story of two sisters, Lori and Erin. Lori books a holiday for herself and her sister to Fiji, but a night before the flight, both sisters have a fight. So Lori ended up boarding the flight alone while Erin never boarded the flight. But here is the twist, Lori never reached Fiji and Erin can’t get hold of her, so as a reporter she is trying to find out what happened to her sister.

The book was so good from the start, full of thrilling, however, the end ruined it for me. It’s a long book with many characters in two different places and timelines. Throughout the book, I was so intrigued because apart from sisters, there were other characters as well, which were pretty intense. The book goes back in past with Lori’s point of view and in present it moves with Erin’s point of view.

Erin’s character was my favourite, even though she was messed up, she did everything to find her sister. Lori was my favourite until the end. There are other characters with their own story, and we can’t trust anyone, so that was pretty intense for Lori as well as for me. The plot was actually quite fast and it kept me engaged. Since it is more mystery than thriller, I was quite eager to see what actually happened to Lori, so I read it really fast. The plot was messed up, but in a good way, because we have different characters’ involvement and so much was happening, so I can’t even guess what actually happened.

The ending was not good at all. I read so much just to see this ending, I can’t believe it was so unfair for Erin. I didn’t appreciate Lori for the decision she made in the end. It would have made more sense if the ending was different because this ending made no sense. I just found out that it was adapted into a TV series.

Would I recommend? Maybe…

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: 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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Review: ‘The Judge from Hell’ K-drama (2024)

“Having a pulse does not mean she is alive. Her mental state’s all messed up, and she has no will to live. Breathing isn’t living.” – Kang Bitna

I love revenge dramas, I love the feeling of satisfaction however many dramas that I have watched don’t do a good justice, they just felt muh. But this drama The Judge from Hell exceeds every expectation of mine. OMG! You guys, the punishments are soooooo satisfying, I just love it. This is a story about a devil, Justitia who gets a mission to live in Judge Bit-na’s body and drag criminals back to hell.

Kang Bit-na, what to say about her, every word defining her would not be enough. I love how evil she is I mean come on she is a demon, she is supposed to be wicked and I love that they showed her evil aspect really well. She is so funny and unserious, I love that they did not make her serious but a maniac with every bit of unseriousness filled in her. The thing that I loved the most in this drama was that Bitna was the one giving the punishment, she was the one hitting and unalive the criminal. I love the whole thing where the criminal is living the victim’s life, the criminals are getting the taste of their own medicine. Park Shin-Hye has nailed this role, her eyes are the main character, her clothes, her style, her attitude and her walk, everything about her screams she is a demon from hell. I think Kang Bit-na will be one of my favourite female characters; she is someone I would love to get inspired by.

“The hell you’ll go to after death is scary. But it’s not as bad as the hell you face while living. This place you all live in is the real hell filled with demon-like humans.” – Kang Bitna

Han Da-on, this character, at first, I did not vibe with him because he was annoying as he kept telling Bitna how bad she was and I mean what to expect from her. She is a demon, she is supposed to be like that but later, I loved him. He is funny, especially when he gets confused about Bit-na when he gets to know she is a demon. I loved his techniques in capturing Bita-in in action, but he fails every time. But then he uses his brain. I was not expecting that. I thought they were having a romantic moment, but then PLOT TWIST, I loved it. I think Han Do-on become hotter and capable of being with Kang Bit-na after the 7th episode.

Talking about chemistry, nowadays a lot of K-dramas focus on cute and unserious couples just as Kang Bit-na and Han Da-on. At first, they are like a cat and mouse, Han Da-on trying to catch her while she wants to complete her mission so badly that she even unalive him but makes the situation worse. When they joined hands, it was so much fun to see them being comfortable around each other. Their hugs are so beautiful and so is their chemistry.

The plot was remarkable, I love that there were many stories included and every story ended in a perfect punishment. I loved every second of Park Shin-hye’s action moments. She did her action scenes so well, I was legit sucked in watching her fight. I loved that this show really focused on the demon aspect and it was filled with the grey vibe. At every end of the episode, there is a plot twist and wants us to just keep watching. I was afraid that they would add a plot where they would make Kang Bit-na weak and the same plot but throughout the drama, she proved that she is a demon.

I highly recommend this drama, it’s very unique and very satisfying to watch. I binge-watched it.

“Have you experienced stress lately?”

“Leaving among people is stressful in itself” – Kang Bitna

My Rating: 10/10 (Please check trigger warnings)

Total Episodes: 14

Genre: Dark Fantasy, Thriller, Romance

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

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Book Review: The Woman in the Window by A. J. Finn

The Woman in the Window by A. J. Finn is one of the first thrillers I read when I decided to step up my thriller game. And I loved this book because it definitely checked all the boxes as the new thriller girlie. It is about a woman named Anna Fox who has not left her home in ten months and during that time she has haunted her rooms like a ghost lost in her memories. The only thing that connects her to the world’s reality is her window where she sits all day and watches her neighbours. One day, Russells moves in, a picture-perfect family of three and Anna is instantly drawn to them. Until one evening she heard a terrifying scream and saw something she was not supposed to and from there, her life changed completely.

I loved this book as it was creepy and thrilling. It kept me on edge the whole time especially when the first plot twist happened. The first plot twist OMG, I still remember my jaw hanging for five minutes because I just couldn’t grasp what I read. And you know what after the first plot twist the story gets more creepy and gripping which makes the book interesting. The plot was great from the start I felt like such a good family and then I was gasping at the fact that it was not like that at all, not even close.

Anna, the main character, what can I say about her, she never left me feeling any less creepy, with her thoughts I felt like I was stuck in her mind. Her loneliness was so horrifying because if she wanted to get out of it she couldn’t as she herself had locked the door to her mind. Her mind did not let her accept the reality and that is why she was stuck living in a dream that her mind had created for her that she feels is the reality. What happened to her was heartbreaking and she can’t get past it and that is the reason why her life is like a facade created by herself. I loved the scenes in which she started to realize life and situations. I loved that in the end she realized what truly she is and that is what saved her life.

The other characters in the book are all mysterious and actually deranged. They kept me on the edge and their interactions with Anna were creepy. The pace of the book is fast, and the writing is simple which kept me awake the whole night about what is going to happen next. The ending was good as I did not see it coming but again in a thriller where is the fun if predictable happens, right?

I highly 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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Book Review: The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides was one of the first thrillers I read after getting back into the reading. And I have to say that this book wrecked me with its plot twist and I did not see it coming. The book describes the story of a thirty-three-year-old famous painter, Alicia Berenson, who unalive her husband, Gabriel Berenson, whom she once loved dearly. This happened six years ago and since then Alicia has not uttered a word not even to defend herself in front of the court. Now, a psychotherapist, Theo Faber, wants to figure out the mystery behind Alicia and joins a hospital where she is kept.

I loved this book so much, not only because of the plot twist but also because of the writing of the author. He made sure to give an explanation about the situation of Alicia and Theo which made me more engrossed in the book. I loved the character of Alicia and how in the end she connected all the lines and freed herself. I don’t know what to say about Theo he did not expect the situation to become like this. He wanted to do something better but everything turned out worse.

The biggest lesson that this thriller taught me was you never know what is going on in a person’s mind. You never know what a traumatic past someone has so it is so much better to be mindful of what you say in front of anyone. The situation of Alicia got wild because of her past and it triggered so fast that she unalive her husband. That is why it is said to be mindful because you never know what can trigger a person and its outcome will be worse than one can imagine.

The plot twist, I was legit staring at the wall when I read the page before it was revealed because I was shocked and at the same time sad because it was the situation that made everything turn out like that. I love the plot it was something very different from what I read and the book focuses more on generational trauma and trust.

I highly recommend this book, if you read a lot of thrillers then it might be predictable, however, there is more to this book than just the plot twist.

Rating: 4.7/5 (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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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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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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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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