Review: One Big Happy Family by Jamie Day

One Big Happy FamilyOne Big Happy Family by Jamie Day
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

One Big Happy Family is an entertaining Summer Thriller set in a small town, Jonesport, on the rocky coast of Maine. I adore that setting, so was sold on this one by that fact alone.

This novel is an inheritance story of sorts, with murder to boot. We’re transported to The Precipice, a family-owned hotel, in Jonesport. The elder, George Bishop, has recently passed and his daughters, Iris, Vicki and Faith, are arriving for a weekend to hear his Will and claim what is now theirs.

The three sisters bring with them a whole host of dangerous secrets, heavy baggage and more. Tensions are running high. It’s not exactly a lovey-dovey family reunion.

Also in the mix, are a few employees of The Precipice, including 19-year old chambermaid, Charley, who desperately needs to hold on to her job.

This is the kind of book so full of drama that once you start, it’s hard to stop. I found it to be incredibly fun with the toxic family relationships that I love to watch play out.

I was gnoshing my popcorn the whole way through!

The setting was fantastic, made better by the fact that a hurricane stranded the characters at The Precipice. I love inclement weather stories and I feel like Day absolutely nailed that vibe here.

I actually listened to this audio while I was on vacation in Maine, so that’s a bit fortuitous. In a way, that made it extra fun, but in another way, I actually think I may have enjoyed it more if I hadn’t had vacation brain at the time.

I did find the narration by Saskia Maarleveld to be a perfect fit for the story. She def succeeded in bringing it to life. I highly recommend that format should it be available to you.

Overall, I was really impressed with this. I found it to be gripping, entertaining, fast-paced and dramatic. The setting and set-up were both fantastic.

My only small gripe would be that I sometimes found it hard to distinguish between the sisters. With this being said, that could be 100% attributable to the aforementioned vacation brain. It’s hard to tell. Either way, I am looking forward to more from this author.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review.

I think a lot of Readers are going to love this one!

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Review: House of Glass by Sarah Pekkanen

House of GlassHouse of Glass by Sarah Pekkanen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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I found House of Glass to be incredibly gripping, fascinating and thrilling. I enjoyed it so, so much. I absolutely flew through it. Another great delivery from Pekkanen!!

This story focuses on the Barclays, a wealthy couple currently in the midst of a heated divorce. Adding fuel to the dumpster fire, their live-in nanny very recently plunged to her death out of one of the windows of their estate.

Their 9-year old daughter, Rose, hasn’t spoken since the traumatic incident. The family now finds themselves shrouded in suspicion. Was the nanny’s death a freak accident, or was she pushed?

We follow Stella Hudson, a Best Interest Attorney, who has been called in to evaluate the family, as well as Rose’s condition, to determine what is in the best interest of the child when it comes to the divorce.

The recent suspicious death of the nanny adds a whole new layer to what should have been a fairly standard evaluation for Stella. Nevertheless, she is ready for the challenge and is anxious to determine what is actually going on within the Barclay household.

I’m not going to say anything further about the plot, or set-up, of this one. It’s definitely best to just go in and let Pekkanen roll it all out for you as she sees fit.

I got pulled into this story incredibly-quickly. The audiobook narration was fabulous for Stella’s perspective, IMO. I felt like I was going along with her on this investigation.

I have never read a story where the MC has had this profession before. I thought the idea of a Best Interest Attorney was such a clever way to insert our main character into the lives of the Barclays.

Stella had a real reason for digging into all the dirt in this family and she wasn’t afraid to do it. I thought it was a nice change of pace from following your typical law enforcement type handling the investigation.

We also got quite a bit of background into Stella herself and she was a fascinating character. Through her backstory, you could see what inspired her to pursue this particular career.

The mystery around the death of the nanny kicks off so quickly. It was easy to get lost in this one. It was clear Stella didn’t think it was an accident and I had my suspects too.

I loved the vibes and mystery that Pekkanen built up around Rose as well. It was extremely well executed for ultimate creep factor. This actually got my pulse racing.

While I may have wanted a different resolution to the mystery, at the end of the day, I’m still so freaking happy with this reading experience.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio, and St. Martin’s Press, for providing me with copies to read and review.

I recommend this to anyone looking for a gripping Psychological Thriller. This one is an absolute ride!!

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Review: Heads Will Roll by Josh Winning

Heads Will RollHeads Will Roll by Josh Winning
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars**

Heads Will Roll; phenomenal title and equally phenomenal cover. Sadly, the story inside didn’t quite blow my hair back, but for the most part, I had a good time with it.

This involves a group of characters who have gone to stay at Camp Castaway. Basically, it’s a Summer Camp for adults who desperately need to separate themselves from social media for one reason or another.

Our main character, who goes by Willow, is an actress who has recently been canceled due to an poorly-worded tweet. Something, at the time, she felt was funny, turned out not to be received in the nature she intended. Thusly, she lost her job, her fiance, and any semblance of her regular life.

As she checks into Camp Castaway, she can’t wait to be separated from her phone, to go by an assumed name and to be able to forget about everything going on out there.

The beginning of the book is mostly meeting all the camp residents and finding out a bit about why each of them is there. We also get a bit of history behind the camp and the family who has run it for years.

We also get a few scenes interspersed here or there that show us in no uncertain terms that there is an unhinged killer on the loose, and they happen to be stalking and eliminating the residents of Camp Castaway.

This was a bit of a mixed bag for me. The first 25%, I was invested. I was interested in the concept of this camp and I liked getting there and meeting some of the other campers.

I also enjoyed the very first scenes where we were exposed to the menace stalking the camp. I wanted more of that. Instead we sort of veered into the personal drama sector for way too long for my tastes.

Some may call this a slow burn, and I guess I can see that. I love a slow burn though, but IMO, you have to keep it progressing at a steady clip; keep adding, keep building.

To me, this didn’t really feel like it was doing that. I want that fire to grow. If I’m adding kindling to it through an entire story it should build some nice big flames by the end.

This was like a pile of wood assembled at the beginning, with a tiny flame that around 80% had gasoline and a lit match thrown on it.

I was bored after the first 25% until around the 80% mark. That should be impossible with an ax-murderer on the loose, but here we are.

Luckily, it did really come alive for me in the last 20%. It fact, that last 20% was so good, I bumped it up a full star. I just wish it could have been that consistently off-the-walls the whole way through.

Just because this didn’t necessarily work for me the entire way through, doesn’t mean it won’t work for you. I would urge anyone with interest to give it a go.

I’ve read quite a few other reviews at this point, and many, many Readers are really enjoying it. And like I said, even for me, that last little bit almost made the slog through the middle worth every minute.

Thank you to the publisher, G.P. Putnam’s Sons, for providing me with a copy to read and review.

I enjoyed this more than the other novel that I’ve read from this author, so we’re definitely on an upward trajectory!

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Review: Six of Sorrow by Amanda Linsmeier

Six of SorrowSix of Sorrow by Amanda Linsmeier
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up **

💕✨️💕✨️💕✨️💕✨️💕✨️💕😊💕

Six of Sorrow is a YA Dark Fantasy story from Amanda Linsmeier. This is the first novel that I’ve read from this author, but I’m excited to get to more.

This story is set in a small town, where six girls, all with the same birthday, have been thick as thieves since they were kids. More recently though, a misunderstanding has caused a fracture in their once tight group.

Our main character, Isabeau, who goes mostly by Iz, only has one friend left from the group, her best friend, Reuel, who would never abandon her.

On the night of their 16th-birthday, Iz and Reuel are hanging out at Reuel’s house, when Iz has to leave suddenly. When Iz leaves, Reuel is sitting on her front porch. The next morning Reuel is gone.

News of Reuel’s disappearance shakes the close-knit town and massive search efforts are put in place. This incident brings out the other girls from the friendship group and they begrudgingly begin talking to Iz again.

After all, one of their own is missing. It’s time to put petty differences aside in order to find her.

Three days later, Reuel reappears. She’s unable to express where she has been, or what has happened to her since she’s been gone, but it’s clear something is off.

She’s in rough shape, very sick and it’s unclear as to why. The girls are all concerned and this concern ends up bringing them even closer together. Then another one in their group disappears…

We then follow the remaining girls as they try to figure out the mystery of their town and what’s happening to them. They end up researching town history and local lore.

Soon it becomes clear that they might all have more in common than just their birthdays. They’ve been connected by something much deeper, and darker, than that since before they were even born. Now they must stop an evil force before it destroys everything they love.

I had a lot of fun with this. Linsmeier quickly drew me into the story with the development of this quirky town. It’s apparent that something is special about this group of girls as well. I mean, how can a group of six all have been born on the exact same day in the same small town?

The town was also atmospheric in an unsettling, yet intriguing way. There’s a legend of a local witch and other things that just seem a bit peculiar. It’s definitely a unique setting that added a lot of substance to the story.

There were some interesting occult elements and I loved to see how the author used those to explain everything that was going on. There’s even a Book of Shadows!

For me, the star of the show though was the friend group. They had interesting dynamics and I liked watching them band together and work towards a common goal. They had much more power together.

Overall, this was a quick, compelling read. I like how the story evolved and played out. It’s not perfect, but it’s definitely a great time. As mentioned above, I’m looking forward to more from this author.

Thank you to the publisher, Delacorte Press, for providing me with a copy to read and review. If you enjoy a Dark Fantasy story with strong friendship vibes, you should definitely pick this one up!

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Review: The Cornish Campsite Murder (Nosey Parker #7) by Fiona Leitch

The Cornish Campsite Murder (The Nosey Parker Mysteries, #7)The Cornish Campsite Murder by Fiona Leitch
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars**

💙💚🖤💙💚🖤💙💚🖤💙💚🖤💙

My new favorite of one of my go-to Cozy Mystery series. This was so much fun. At this point, this cast of characters feels like a part of my friend group. I adore them all.

These books follow Jodie Parker, who resigned from the Metropolitan Police in London after a close call and returned to her native village of Penstowan, in Cornwall, with her teen daughter, Daisy, and their Pomeranian, Germaine.

Jodie opened her own catering company, but old habits are hard to break. She’s ended up helping the local police with a few challenging cases. In fact, she’s now in a relationship with the handsome DCI, Nathan Winters.

In this installment, Jodie agrees to help a friend by taking his catering van, Pie Hard, for a weekend at a local music festival. The friend makes a killing that weekend, but this particular year he can’t make the event, so Jodie offers to run the van for him.

Nathan takes time off work to join her, and Daisy had already want to go for the weekend with some girlfriends. Then, you know, Jodie’s Mom will want to go too, so she rents a posh yurt on site with one of her friends.

The mystery involves a once famous singer being found dead on the beach on the second day of the festival. Jodie had actually witnessed him getting into an argument with some of his former bandmates the night before.

Could one of them be responsible for his death?

Even though he is on vacation, Nathan of course begins to loosely oversee the investigation. And surely, Jodie isn’t going to keep her nose out of it.

This is a classic whodunit-style of Cozy and I had so much fun with it. I love stories featuring musicians, and this one, set at a music festival, was perfectly catered ((pun-intended)) to my tastes.

I can’t recommend this series enough to other Cozy Mystery Readers. Particularly, if you enjoy stories with a fun family dynamic, or small town setting.

I truly adore this cast of characters. Jodie’s family, her Mom and daughter, and even little floof-ball, Germaine, bring so much humor and light-heartedness to these stories. It’s an absolute joy to read. Also, it has just the right amount of humor for my tastes.

It doesn’t take itself too seriously, but it’s still incredibly well-written, paced and plotted. Fiona Leitch is a gem. I am really hoping for more in this series.

Thank you so much to the publisher, One More Chapter, for providing me a copy to read and review. I can’t wait to hear if there will be more books coming!

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Review: The Queen of Poisons (The Marlow Murder Club #3) by Robert Thorogood

The Queen of Poisons (The Marlow Murder Club, #3)The Queen of Poisons by Robert Thorogood
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up **

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The Queen of Poisons is the 3rd-installment in The Marlow Murder Club Cozy Mystery series. I really enjoyed the first 2-books and have been anticipating this one.

This series follows Judith Potts, a septuagenarian crossword setter, and her two best friends, Suzie and Becks, as they nose around their community of Marlow solving mysteries.

This particular story is set amongst the world of local politics, as the Mayor of Marlow, George Lushington, died mysteriously during a town council meeting.

After traces of the poison, aconite, are found in his coffee cup, it’s clear to all that Mayor Lushington was killed on purpose. Known for a track history of barging in to solve crimes, the police preemptively bring in Judith, Suzie and Becks, from the start as civilian advisors.

The women are allowed to interview suspects and search for clues to their hearts’ content. The ladies are excited for their role and dig in with great gusto.

This is going to be a tough case to crack though, but aren’t they all? Who could have gotten the poison into the mayor’s coffee, and for that matter, who could have gotten a hold of the poison in the first place?

This is such a cute Cozy series. I do love this friend group and the dynamics amongst them. IMO, this was a bit of an odd whodonit, like some of the details at the reveal just seemed strange to me, but nevertheless, I enjoyed it a lot.

I’m in for the long haul with this series, and am def hoping for more books. I’ll admit, my mind wasn’t 100% on task with this one, since I’m traveling.

With this being said, I still found this engaging and fun. I would recommend this series to all Cozy Mystery fans, in particular if you enjoy friendship groups solving mysteries together, or elderly amateur sleuths.

Thank you to the publisher, Poisoned Pen Press and Recorded Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I’ll be waiting for more Marlow Murder Club!!!

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Review: 49 Miles Alone by Natalie D. Richards

49 Miles Alone49 Miles Alone by Natalie D. Richards
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars rounded up**

In 49 Miles Alone we follow cousins, Katie and Aster, as they embark on a 4-day, 49-mile hike through the Utah desert.

We can tell early on that Katie and Aster are incredibly close, however, something has happened within the past year that has caused a fracture in their relationship.

As hiking is an activity they’ve been doing together since they were kids, it seems they’re intending to use this trip, in one way or another, to repair their relationship.

They’re both experienced backpackers, but as everyone knows, the world is a dangerous place, due both to nature itself and other humans.

As the trip starts off, the girls are both fairly quiet. There’s a lot of thinking going on, but unfortunately not a lot of communicating. Eventually, though circumstances require them to begin to open up and work together.

There’s limited supplies, an illness, a freak storm and an injury, but the most unsettling may be the people they encounter on the trail.

They meet a couple, Riley and Finn, and end up tenting near them for a night. Something about them seems off to Katie and Aster when they share a meal with them.

That night, the cousins hear the couple fighting and witness Riley fleeing their campsite with Finn in hot pursuit. Unable to assist Riley in the dark, Katie and Aster hunker down until morning, at which time the find the couple’s campsite abandoned with no sign of either one of them.

How are Katie and Aster going to be able to help this other girl, when it’s becoming increasingly difficult for them to even help themselves? Will they make it to mile-49?

I adored my time with this YA Survival Thriller for people who enjoy being out on the trails. The topics explored were great, the character arcs were fantastic, and the intriguing bits so well plotted.

Honestly, this is my favorite Natalie D. Richards to-date!

I read this so quickly. I found the cousins both interesting and I enjoyed learning about their relationship, including all they’d been through together.

In addition to getting both Katie and Asters perspectives, we also get a mystery perspective from an individual who has obviously been severely injured on the trail.

This perspective was peppered in and I loved the mystery of who that was, and how it was going to connect to the story of our cousins.

When they meet the couple, there were many red flags, and that situation def upped the stakes for our girls. It was completely gripping. I had to know the ultimate outcome.

I love hiking and being out in nature in general, exploring new places. This is a proper Survival Thriller and it never got too OTT-for me. I thought it was very well done and well plotted. The drama felt real and I loved the character arcs for both Katie and Aster.

I love how Richards kept it intriguing throughout. There was always something to question and wonder about. I also really enjoyed the emotional journey for both girls. They grew so much by the end and I loved the ending. It’s so satisfying.

Thank you to the publisher, SOURCEBOOKS Fire, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I cannot wait to read more from this author!

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Review: Wilderness Reform by Matt Query and Harrison Query

Wilderness ReformWilderness Reform by Matt Query
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I just let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding…

Ughhhh, this hurts my heart. I so wanted to love this, but I just didn’t. I was bored beyond belief through the entire thing and I don’t know why, TBH.

If you look at the individual components, I should’ve loved it, but I felt nothing. I couldn’t care less about the characters, or anything that was happening to them; and since it’s a character-driven story, to not care a lick ended up having a huge impact on my experience.

This is the first I have read from Matt and Harrison Query, although I have heard fantastic things about their other novel, Old Country, which I definitely still plan to read.

This cover is beautiful. I love it, but sadly, that is as far as my love goes with this one. Since this is set at a wilderness camp for troubled teenagers, in a remote area of Montana, I fully expected to be completely gripped by this story.

I love Horror with a nature setting, and anything that involves survival elements, but in spite of that, I never felt a true sense of place, or really any atmosphere here at all. They could have been anywhere as far as I was concerned…

And IDK, maybe I did build this up as something else in my mind, and when it didn’t live up to those expectations, it made me grumpy. Maybe that is it? Maybe it’s me?

I was sort of expecting something a bit like The Troop, and that is on me. It’s not the authors’ fault that I’m a picky bitch. However, I gotta say, I don’t think it’s me that the pace of this could’ve been beaten by a snail.

Part of the problem for me was the main character, Ben. Something about him, the way he was written, or perhaps it was the narration in the audiobook, but it turned me off. I couldn’t stand him. Since he’s such a huge part of the narrative, it didn’t bode well for me.

Even though this was a disappointment for me, I can still recognize some strong attributes of the story, and it wouldn’t surprise me at all if I end up in the minority opinion on this one.

With this being said, take it with a grain of salt. Maybe I am just in a mood. It’s totally possible and I admit that. If this synopsis sounds intriguing to you, please do pick it up.

If you end up loving it, come back and tell me how horribly wrong I am. I would welcome it! As I always say, there’s a Reader for every book and a book for every Reader. I’m by no means the end all opinion on all books.

Thank you to the publisher, Atria Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I still am very much looking forward to getting to Old Country.

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Review: The House Across the Street by Jill Childs

The House Across the StreetThe House Across the Street by Jill Childs
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The House Across the Street is a new release Popcorn Thriller from Jill Childs. This is my first work from this author and it did keep me at attention and entertained.

This is a neighborhood drama following a few different perspectives. The main focus is on Anna and Lily, life-long best friends. They grew up across the street from one another, and have grown up more as sisters than friends.

Anna is a single mother to a 11-year old daughter, Cassie, who she gave birth to when she was just 17. They were barely done school by the time Cassie was born, but Lily never deserted Anna, like many other teen girls might of.

As adults, even with all that has gone on in the past, they are still present in each other lives. One night, at the start of our story, Anna spies across the street, through the windows of Lily’s father’s home, someone who shouldn’t be there. It’s ominous and she fears something is wrong.

After investigating, Anna’s fears are proved true. Someone has murdered Lily’s father in his bed. After the authorities are notified and it appears that Anna is the only witness, she begins to receive threatening notes.

Fearing the killer may be after her, or worse, after her daughter, Anna stops aiding with the investigation, even though she had promised Lily she would help.

There’s back and forth between Anna and Lily as we try to piece together what the hell is going on in this neighborhood. We also get a bit from Cassie, as she tries to understand all that is happening around her, and why she may suddenly be a pawn in someone else’s game.

Overall, this was a good story. It did nothing wrong, it’s fast-paced and well-told, but I can’t say I found it overly-compelling, or memorable.

It’s simple, easy to follow, and could be great for someone looking for a quick read to distract them on a road trip or while doing some housework. It’s definitely a story I’ll forget pretty quickly though.

I did feel like the male characters were very forgettable. It took me over half the book to even realize that Anna’s ex-boyfriend and Lily’s brother weren’t the same person. That’s not necessarily a good sign.

I also was a little turned off by a couple of twists at the end, but that is purely personal opinion. Others may find them to be jaw-dropping and interesting.

I’m happy to have given this one a listen. The audiobook was well narrated and I wouldn’t be opposed to picking up more from this author in the future.

Thank you to the publisher, Bookouture, for providing me with a copy to read and review.

I love a good Popcorn Thriller every once in a while. They’re great palate cleansers amongst some of my darker reads.

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Review: The Eyes Are the Best Part by Monika Kim

The Eyes Are the Best PartThe Eyes Are the Best Part by Monika Kim
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Eyes Are the Best Part is definitely one of the most memorable and engaging debut novels I’ve ever read!

Monika Kim’s haunting ideas moved me, and shall now live rent free in my brain. This story sucked me in from the start and refused to let go. I was thinking about it all the time, even when I wasn’t reading it.

In this story we follow Ji-Won, who has just entered her first year of college. She lives in small apartment with her Umma and her younger sister, Ji-Hyun. Her Appa has deserted them for another woman, leaving Ji-Won as the logical next head of household.

Umma is a mess, barely holding it together enough to make it to her job at the grocery store, and Ji-Hyun is just 15-years old. Ji-Won is feeling a responsibility to care for them both.

It’s not just her family situation causing her stress though. Ji-Won also didn’t get into the college she once dreamed of with her best high school friends. She ended up losing those friends because of that.

Ji-Won’s on her own now, at a new school, and she feels very alone. She doesn’t have anyone she can open up to about all the pressures bearing down on her. She loves her sister and her Umma so much, but she needs to keep strong around them.

When Umma brings about her new boyfriend, a startlingly-obnoxious man named, George, Ji-Won can hardly believe this is her life. George starts coming by the apartment, and then beginning to stay there more often than not.

It’s during this time of incredible stress and change that Ji-Won first starts thinking about the eyes. In particular, blue eyes, just like George’s. She desires them. She dreams of them. She wants to consume them; all the blue eyes.

It’s with no immediate plan in mind, more an act of opportunity, that Ji-Won first proceeds with these overwhelming desires. Once she starts though, it’s empowering, fulfilling, and impossible to stop. Ji-Won is now the ruler of her world. It feels good.

This was incredibly immersive. Ji-Won is such a well-developed character. I loved following her story, being in her mind was a slightly disturbing place to be, but I got it.

I felt what she was going through. I empathized with her as I would a friend and frankly, I was more than happy to go on this f*ed up journey with her.

I loved the relationships that Kim created here, particularly between the sisters. Their connection was palpable. I could feel how much Ji-Won cared for her sister, even when she was being bratty. She wanted to protect her and shelter her.

It wasn’t just that relationship though, every side character that Ji-Won interacted with, I felt like I knew the ins-and-outs of them. Kim took great care when creating this whole cast and it shows.

We get a couple of students, Alexis and Geoffrey, that Ji-Won meets at school and I liked watching those friendships evolve. That whole avenue of the story went in a direction I was sort of expecting, but I still loved it.

I also thought the pace was spot on. It was perfectly-crafted for maximum impact, that’s for sure. Once the spiral begins, she went quickly and with great flourish.

I’m obsessed with the quality of Kim’s Horror imagery most of all. The body horror was fantastic. I read a lot of body horror and this, it got me. I was cringing. I was exclaiming things out loud that I can’t type here. It was perfect. I never knew what vivid description was gonna come next.

Finally, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the exceptional social commentary/social horror aspects. I felt this was so well done in that regard. In expressing Ji-Won’s experience as a Korean-American young woman in modern-day California, Kim got the points across she needed to make.

This is an exciting story. It’s exciting in its own right, in the fact that it’s a gripping, disturbing story of feminine rage, but it’s also exciting because this is Monika Kim’s first novel. I’m so excited for more from her.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Erewhon Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review.

I’m so happy that talent like Monika Kim’s exists in the world. This book will def be on my BESTS List for 2024!!!

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