literary fiction

Review: Paper Cut by Rachel Taff

~ megs14malloy ~ Leave a comment

Paper CutPaper Cut by Rachel Taff
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Paper Cut is a Contemporary Fiction novel following Lucy Golden, who is a bit of a True Crime superstar. She’s best known for escaping a cult as a teenager.

You might be wondering, what about that would make her so famous? Well, she had to commit murder to escape, so that fact alone has made her infamous in the public eye.

Twenty-years later, Lucy is still well known, but her life is a battlefield. She’s always one news cycle away from obscurity, which isn’t a great feeling. She has a stalker, online haters, and her family is a mess.

When a hotshot documentarian makes Lucy’s life the subject of his next film, she jumps at the chance. This would be a great opportunity for her.

Perhaps she can finally shut down the doubters and haters, cementing her place in the public consciousness, but what’s she going to do about her family?

As the filming begins, Lucy must return to the California desert and face some of the people she thought she had left behind forever. Soon enough, long-buried secrets are coming to the surface, and present threats escalate.

Can Lucy get control of all these chess pieces and protect the story she’s been telling all along, or will a truth be exposed she never wanted to face?

Paper Cut is a classic it’s not you, it’s me novel.

This is a fine story, the writing is solid and Taff did a great job creating the characters and seeing the plot through coherently, and at a steady pace. The issue for me is just that the content wasn’t to my taste.

It has a much more Literary feel than I tend to enjoy, and I felt like I was constantly waiting on more thrills, chills and suspense. I was bored. It left me feeling unsatisfied.

My experience with Paper Cut reminds me so much of my experience with The Three Lives of Cate Kay. While I can appreciate the merits of the story, particularly the detailed character exploration, it’s just not to my personal tastes.

For more Literary Readers, maybe who enjoy the slightly unsavory side of humanity, I think this could be very successful. However, I rate based on my own personal experience, so it’s just a 3-star for me.

Thank you to the publisher, William Morrow and Harper Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. I’d definitely be willing to give Rachel Taff another shot, and plan to do so in the future.

I never write off an author after just one book!

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Review: The Valley of Vengeful Ghosts by Kim Fu

~ megs14malloy

The Valley of Vengeful GhostsThe Valley of Vengeful Ghosts by Kim Fu
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

The Valley of Vengeful Ghosts is a Contemporary Literary Fiction novel with light Grief Horror elements. We’re following Eleanor, who is feeling lost and unmoored after the death of her mother.

For years, her Mom assisted her with every aspect of her adult life. Tasks like laundry, meals and finances, were much easier to manage with her mother’s constant oversight.

Now left to survive on her own for the first time, Eleanor is struggling. She’s barely holding onto her job as an online therapist and has no real friends, or support system. In spite of that though, she’s determined to buy her own home.

It was her mom’s last directive to her, and she does have a small inheritance with which to make a down payment. The housing market is tough though, and Eleanor has no experience or knowledge in that area.

She ends up impulsively buying a model home in a valley, where the development was never completed, yet the Realtor assures her more homes, and thus people, will come. For now, Eleanor seems okay with the solitude. She’s just happy to have a place of her own.

Then the rains begin. The weather, matching her mood, is a prominent figure in this story. It exposes the issues with Eleanor’s new home, and opens up a whole range of new problems for her to try to navigate on her own.

She also learns of the shadowy history of the developer, and that knowledge is never far from her mind. As Eleanor succumbs deeper to that which haunts her, the line between what’s real and what’s not begins to blur.

Out of money and options, Eleanor needs to get hold of her emotions, and push herself through the grief process, or risk losing herself to her ghosts forever.

Saying I enjoyed this feels strange, because for me, there’s nothing particularly uplifting or enjoyable about Eleanor’s story. It gets bleak, y’all. I can’t lie about that.

However, as a Literary Fiction examination of grief, I feel like this beautifully captured the experience of a person trapped in that grief cycle, and unable to free themselves from it. Eleanor, though not overly likable, is extremely relatable I feel, in a lot of ways.

I liked her narrative voice and felt like it fit really well with the overall message Fu was trying to get across. I also felt like the audiobook narration of Eunice Wong was the perfect voice for Eleanor.

Additionally, I did like how the things haunting Eleanor were presented, and the use of the weather to set the tone of the story. I could picture it all perfectly and I did begin to really feel for Eleanor and her predicament.

The ending as well, I felt was well-constructed by Fu. You aren’t necessarily going to get a happily ever after with this kind of story, are you? That wouldn’t make sense. Life doesn’t always tie issues up with a pretty ribbon, but what you do get here I think is perhaps a little hope.

This novel is not going to be for everyone, and I get that. I do. I think if you’re the kind of Reader though, who doesn’t mind going somewhere dark emotionally and poking around in there, this could work for you.

Thank you to the publisher, Tin House, for providing me a copy to read and review. While this didn’t lift my spirits, it did capture my attention and held it. That’s quite a feat these days.

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Review: Aviary by Maria Dong

~ megs14malloy

AviaryAviary by Maria Dong
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Aviary begins with 19-year old Hee-Jin huddled down on the floor of her dingy Seoul apartment. She’s tense and nervous. We quickly understand that life hasn’t been an easy road for Hee-Jin. A knock on the door startles her. Is it the police, coming to ship her off to North Korea?

As an undocumented immigrant, this is a constant concern for her. Opening the door, she discovers not the judgemental glares of the police, but the disfigured, bird-like corpse of her younger sister, Hee-Young.

Hee-Jin is shocked. She can’t make sense of it. The last she knew Hee-Young was in America, enrolled in an exclusive and cutting-edge Art Program. Hee-Young was succeeding in pursuing her dreams. What is she doing back in Seoul, dead from an apparent bizarre overdose?

Searching her pockets, Hee-Jin discovers Hee-Young’s passport and a return ticket to America. Seeing her chance for freedom, Hee-Jin assumes her sister’s identity, takes the passport, the ticket, and hopefully Hee-Young’s place within this mysterious program. She’s determined to figure out what happened to her sister.

Before you come at me for spoilers, please note, all the above information can be found within the Publisher’s synopsis and it sold me. This sounded suspenseful and I wanted to know what happened to Hee-Young.

I was quite invested in the beginning. Hee-Jin ends up getting to America quickly. This all takes place by 11% into the novel. I really enjoyed the entire opening section.

By 17%, however, the pace slows down and a new perspective is introduced, Callie. She’s a woman with a connection to the Arts Program that Hee-Young was attending. I found her perspective extremely tedious and boring. That fact didn’t change throughout.

I had anticipated that Hee-Jin getting to America and immersing herself within Hee-Young’s life would increase the tension. I was expecting a steady build throughout, but it didn’t feel that way to me. Hee-Jin felt like such a passive character. I was expecting her to be digging around with haste, trying to figure out what happened to Hee-Young, but I didn’t feel like that developed as it could have.

Additionally, it took forever to get anywhere and even when things did start to kick off, I didn’t find them particularly earth-shattering, or even compelling. Callie’s sections really slowed down the pace for me since I had zero interest in her.

I would have much preferred to either just follow Hee-Jin, or perhaps to have had Hee-Jin more actively pursuing the truth in the present timeline, and then having a past perspective following Hee-Young, where we actually discover what happened to her at the Art Program.

By 65% in, I was mentally checked out. I just wanted it to be over. Oofh, I’m sorry. I know this sounds salty, but I have to be honest about my experience. I’m sure this author is a lovely human, because of the care spent on these characters, but this book felt like it would never end for me.

While the novel comes in at 321-pages, I felt like I was plodding through a 721-page tome. I’m sure many will value the important topics touched upon and social commentary, but I needed it to be a lot punchier than it is.

Thank you to the publisher, Severn House, for providing me a copy to read and review.

While this didn’t appeal to my particular tastes, I’m sure many Readers are going to be able to connect with it more than I did.

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Review: Nowhere Burning by Catriona Ward

~ megs14malloy

Nowhere BurningNowhere Burning by Catriona Ward
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars**

Nowhere Burning is a dark, melancholic novel set deep in the wilds of the Rocky Mountains.

Although told via three main perspectives, the perspective that kicks off our tale, and really serves as the heart of the story, is that of Riley, a young girl, who saves herself and her brother from the clutches of their abusive Uncle’s home.

Running away in the middle of the night, Riley has one plan in mind, to join a group of unhomed teens squatting on the abandoned grounds of a infamous movie star’s ranch, aptly named, Nowhere.

I don’t want to mention the other two perspectives, as the Publisher’s Synopsis leaves them out, therefore I don’t want to be accidentally giving things away.

Just know this story is much more complex and nuanced than the synopsis may lead you to believe. One of the most interesting aspects of this novel, in my opinion, was trying to figure out how all three were going to ultimately connect.

Initially it seems Nowhere is the only connection, but is that actually true?

This novel is quite stark and gritty. It feels bleak, the tone of which reminded me a bit of the 2010 movie, Winter Bone. It’s also a very slow burn, that sneaks up on you emotionally.

I didn’t realize how much it had captured me until the very end. I begrudgingly admit this book made me cry actual tears and they seemed to come out of nowhere.

I was shocked at the emotion Ward was able to draw out of me. It was like a punch in the gut. I feel like the way she pulled everything together, it was just beautifully done. It was hard to not feel emotion and empathy for this set of characters that life seemed to be so unkind to.

The world isn’t always an easy place, but beauty, hope and love can often be found even on the darkest of days. This story felt like moving through a deep, unending fog, but it’s worth the darkness; it’s worth the trudge.

I would recommend this to Readers who like a dark, emotional slow burn. It feels very Literary Horror, with plenty of dark subject matter to really sink your teeth into. For fans of Ward, this is a must read.

Thank you to the publisher, Tor Nightfire, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I feel like this one is going to stick in my mind for a long time to come!

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Review: The Librarians by Sherry Thomas

~ megs14malloy

The LibrariansThe Librarians by Sherry Thomas
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

**2.5-stars**

The Librarians is set in a public library in Austin, Texas, and follows, you guessed it, a group of librarians, Hazel, Sophie, Astrid and Jonathan. They’re all very different, but have grown comfortable working with one another every day.

In fact, the library seems to be more than a workplace for them, it’s a safe haven from the outside world.

That is until two patrons are found dead after the library’s inaugural murder mystery–themed game night. It no longer feels quite so safe, not with a murderer afoot.

As soon as I read the synopsis for this book, I became obsessed with getting it. Who doesn’t want to read about librarians solving mysteries? I don’t know, probably some people, but I can’t get enough and I wanted this one badly.

After reading it though, I’m not sure quite how to react to it. It wasn’t to my tastes at all. It had a very different vibe to what I anticipated, though I bet a ton of Literary Fiction Readers will love it.

Even after the murder, which took a minute to get to BTW, but even after that, I thought, here we go, it’s gonna get fun now. But it didn’t. It never got fun. The amateur sleuthing was like at a 2 on a scale of 1-to-10.

To me, the mystery felt like a non-entity as it was buried so deep amongst the copious amount of character work, which never seemed to end. I don’t think I would have minded that as much, if I didn’t find the characters so bland and boring.

Overall, the tone was all Literary, and oh yeah, someone got murdered way back at the beginning. Way more Literary, and way less Murdery, than I wanted.

Nevertheless, don’t let my salt turn you away from this one. If you think it sounds interesting and you don’t mind all the character work, give it a shot. You could end up loving it.

Thank you to the publisher, Berkley, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I appreciate it very much!

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Review: Mayra by Nicky Gonzalez

~ megs14malloy

MayraMayra by Nicky Gonzalez
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Mayra is a slow burn, debut Horror novel set at a mysterious house deep in the Florida Everglades. We follow Ingrid, who after years of radio silence, finally hears from her childhood best friend, Mayra.

While it might seem strange for Mayra to call Ingrid so suddenly, out of the blue, to invite her on a private weekend getaway, it’s actually pretty true to character. Mayra did always march to the beat of her own drum.

Desiring a shake-up, Ingrid impulsively accepts the invitation and sets out on a solo road trip towards her destination, using only the sketchy directions Mayra provided her with.

The Everglades are a tricky place. She’s out of reach of cell service, and as the swamp starts to feel like it will swallow her little car whole, Mayra wonders if she’ll ever actually get to reunite with Mayra.

Luck is on her side though, as she does eventually arrive at the quirky little house where Mayra is staying. The two fall into their old patterns of relating with one another pretty quickly, but soon enough the fun reunion is covered by a dark cloud: Mayra’s strange-behaving boyfriend, Benji.

Mayra did deliver on the solid Southern Gothic atmosphere I was hoping for, but unfortunately, it didn’t deliver much else. The setting was definitely my favorite aspect.

I enjoyed the way Gonzalez described the house, as well as the area around it. It had a true sense of place, which is something I always appreciate, and it was unsettling. I could feel the heaviness of it, of the air and natural surroundings.

Additionally, I did feel the development of Ingrid and Mayra’s characters, as well as their relationship history, was strong, but as far as a plot goes, it just didn’t go anywhere for me. It was too long-winded in the build, and sadly had me bored and frustrated.

I wanted answers, mystery abounds, but as I got to the end, I ultimately ended up with more questions than I had even at the beginning. The finale was way too fever dream for my tastes, and I was left feeling disappointed.

Too much build, too little payoff.

Overall, the 1st-half, that anticipation, was stronger for me than the 2nd-half. I wish it could have kept a solid level of interesting set-up, followed by an actual conclusion that made sense. It would have been a more satisfying read for me if that had been the case.

Sadly, we can’t love them all, and even though the content of this, stylistically, didn’t work for my tastes, I would still recommend it for fans of more Literary, character-driven, Horror, or fever dream narrative styles.

Thank you, Random House, for providing me with a copy to read and review. This is a very solid debut, and I look forward to seeing what Nicky Gonzalez delivers next!

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Review: Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah

~ megs14malloy

Chain-Gang All-StarsChain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars rounded up*

Honestly, I had never ever heard of Chain-Gang All-Stars until early this year when I was watching numerous BookTuber’s ‘Best Books of 2024’ videos.

This novel popped up on numerous lists and each person who spoke about it talked with such passion, and it sounded genuinely like something I would be interested in. My interest was piqued.

I ended out checking out the audiobook from my library and cannot recommend that format enough. The narrative structure is a little unconventional, and I felt the various narrators helped me to keep everything straight.

So, if you are unaware of what this book is, it’s basically a near-future dystopian novel that examines the U.S. Corrections System in a wildly-creative way. Think that old show American Gladiators from the late 80s/early 90s, but all the competitors are prisoners.

They’re broadcast on live television. There’s different seasons, battles, teammates, fandoms, merch and they also travel around putting on shows; it’s a whole industry. An absolute money-maker for those at the top.

You are given the perspectives of various prisoners, of course, but you also get perspectives of others connected to the system — people at the top of the organization, viewers, protestors against the abuse in the system, people whose loved ones have been in the system, etc.

I thought this was a smart way to tell the story. Each perspective brings a new level of knowledge to the Reader about the system. I liked learning about it that way.

I also appreciated how the author set-up a space where the Reader could think for themselves about all these different aspects involved in our Justice and Correctional systems, versus hand-feeding opinions. That’s how you get people to really ruminate on a concept or idea.

Overall, Chain-Gang All-Stars is an incredibly powerful book. Equal parts heart-breaking, thought-provoking and eye-opening. It’s not one to be missed.

This is the epitome of showing-not-telling, and I felt like, even though at times, I felt the transitions between perspectives a bit jarring, I still wouldn’t really change anything. It’s done with such thought and creativity.

I highly recommend this one to any Reader who wants some high-quality substance to chew on. My Literary Fiction friends should be adding this to their TBRs with haste.

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Review: The Three Lives of Cate Kay by Kate Fagan

~ megs14malloy

The Three Lives of Cate KayThe Three Lives of Cate Kay by Kate Fagan
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars**

💖💛💚💖💛💚💖💛💚💖💛💚💖

The Three Lives of Cate Kay was a quick and enjoyable read. I particularly enjoyed the quality and tone of Fagan’s writing. It was easy and fast-paced.

While I wasn’t crazy about the arrangement of how the story was told, I still really appreciated the lovely character work.

I was drawn to this because of the synopsis. The idea of following a mysterious author, Cate Kay, and learning all about her life and success appealed to me. I would say Fagan def delivered in that regard.

Kay wasn’t quite the kind of mysterious I tend to vibe with though. I don’t know, it’s hard to explain. This just didn’t pack the punch for me that I was hoping it would. It was nice, but also felt a little safe.

There’s a lot of different characters introduced over the course of this tale, and we get all of their various perspectives and the timeline varies as well. I’ll admit to at times needing to remind myself, who I was reading from at any particular time, and where they were in time.

I think as an audiobook, if it is done with full cast, like Daisy Jones, this could flow well and be quite impactful. Unfortunately, reading it with my eyeballs, it sometimes felt a little disjointed.

With all this being said though, I did really love Annie and Amanda’s relationship. I think that aspect of this book captivated me the most and kept me moving forward at a steady clip.

Further, I think for Literary Fiction fans this is going to be a big hit. It did remind me in certain structural ways of Daisy Jones and the Six, and I’m anticipating many, many comparisons to Evelyn Hugo. I’ve never read EH, so can’t comment in that regard personally.

I would recommend this though to anyone who enjoyed either of those books. I feel like for the right Reader at the right time, this book could be sheer perfection.

Thank you to the publisher, Atria Books, for providing me a copy to read and review. Even though this is a little outside my comfort zone, I’m really glad I picked it up. It was a nice change of pace.

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Review: Alter Ego (Secret Identity #2) by Alex Segura

~ megs14malloy

Alter Ego (Secret Identity #2)Alter Ego by Alex Segura

**4.5-stars**

I adored Secret Identity when I read it back in 2022. It took me completely by surprise how invested I became in that story and the characters.

Literary Mysteries aren’t necessarily a go-to genre for me. I do enjoy them from time-to-time, but I found Segura’s noir-feeling writing style, as well as the back-drop of the comic book industry, absolutely enchanting.

Unsurprisingly, I was stoked to hear about this sequel, Alter Ego. I listened to the audiobook, as I did with Secret Identity, and cannot recommend that format enough for both.

It’s not just a reading. There are sound effects, and other enhancements, that make these books special productions indeed. Especially considering the comics aspect.

One big change is that this 2nd-book is set in the present day, whereas Secret Identity was set in the 1970s.

As you can imagine, the comic book industry has been through a lot of changes over that time period. I did slightly missed the backdrop of 70s-era NYC, NGL, but not enough to effect my overall rating.

Our MC is Annie Bustamante, who is a successful filmmaker, author and illustrator. She’s had many opportunities over her career, but perhaps the one that means the most is the one she has just been presented: the opportunity to bring back to life her longtime favorite superhero, the Lethal Lynx.

While Annie is excited about the possibility of delivering the Lethal Lynx to a whole-new generation of superhero enthusiasts, she’s not crazy about having to work with the people at Triumph Comics, including Bert Carlyle, whose father founded the company.

Fanning the flames of her uncomfortability, Annie begins receiving mysterious messages from an individual urging her to be careful, to trust no one.

All Annie’s alert bells are going off and the more she digs into the history of the Lethal Lynx, the more she believes she may not know the whole story. But what sorts of secrets could be hidden within the comic book industry, and what would someone do to keep them hidden forever?

This was so good. I didn’t love it quite to the same level as Secret Identity, but pretty darn close. I feel like some of my over-the-top joy with the first book was just how surprised I was by it. I knew more what to expect here.

IMO though, this is such an underrated series. The concept is wildly-creative and interesting. I love the backdrop of the comic book industry and the ways it explores the role of the creatives within that space.

I did love getting to know Annie in this story as well. She’s a single-mom, who is talented and successful, yet still struggles with some aspects in her life, just like any other person. I liked how real she felt.

I also appreciated how connected the novels felt. Even though they are separated by a fairly large span of time and follow different characters, the connections are there and I feel like they were so well done.

I loved being reminded of little things that had happened in the first book and coming across various people who I remembered. I hadn’t been expecting a sequel initially, so didn’t brush up on the first book prior to picking this up.

I didn’t need too though, as Segura’s execution was seamless transitioning between the two works. Even though this is its own, individual story, the influence from the first book was felt throughout and for me, provided great food for thought.

It was interesting to think about these kinds of art and intellectual property, and what happens to them over time. Who owns the rights and how they can be used. I feel like this may be an issue that is near and dear to Segura’s heart, as it was certainly explored with care.

Thank you to the publisher, Macmillan Audio, for providing me with a copy to read and review. This was incredibly well done. I highly recommend this audio!!!

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Review: I Need You to Read This by Jessa Maxwell

~ megs14malloy

I Need You to Read ThisI Need You to Read This by Jessa Maxwell
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars**

Alex Marks moves to New York City, hoping for a fresh start and a place to disappear into. Her copy-writing job is low key, and otherwise she keeps to herself.

When her idol, Francis Keen, the woman behind the famous Dear Constance advice column is killed though, it’s the impetus that uproots Alex’s carefully planned quiet life.

Keen will need to be replaced. Her column is so beloved. They can’t let it die along with her. On a whim, Alex applies for the job and to her absolute shock, she gets it.

Shortly thereafter, Alex begins to receive strange letters, threatening in nature. She wonders why Keen’s killer was never caught and then begins to suspect those around her, including her new boss.

Unable to leave well enough alone, Alex begins her own investigation into Keen’s death. Will she be able to solve the mystery, or will she die trying?

I Need You to Read This is a solid story. I feel like it had similar traits to Maxwell’s previous novel, The Golden Spoon, in that it is a slow build really focused on character work.

It took me a while to get into The Golden Spoon, but once I did, I was hooked. I was so intrigued by that full cast of eccentric characters, the setting and the backdrop of the cooking competition.

Unfortunately, this one never ended up hooking me. It felt a lot more subtle and Alex’s character was just less enticing to me, as compared to the full cast in the last book.

Additionally, the set-up and setting itself, although I love New York City, wasn’t as captivating either.

These are simply personal taste items though and just because I was never truly keyed into this one, doesn’t mean you won’t be. Give it a go!

This is a solid story, with an interesting overall mystery. It did nothing off-putting and had solid characters. I would recommend it if you enjoy more Literary Mysteries, or anything set in the newspaper, or publishing worlds.

I did feel like, because of the newspaper setting, it had a film noir feel to it as well, which I do enjoy. If that’s something you like as well, it’s another reason to pick it up.

Overall, it’s a sold story, just not necessarily my bag. Maxwell is interesting, she sort of toes the line in between Cozy and Literary. Her stories have a unique feel and she definitely shines with her character work.

Thank you to the publisher, Atria Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. While not blown away, I definitely enjoyed this one and am looking forward to more from Jessa Maxwell!

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