Mini Thoughts
Hello, all!
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| Pub Date: 10-1-24 Adult - Thriller |
Society of Lies- Lauren Ling Brown: It's been a decade since Maya graduated from Princeton, and now her baby sister, Naomi, is about to do the same. But what should be a weekend of celebration instead turns into grief when Naomi is found dead. The police are calling it an accident, but Maya doesn't believe it, especially when she learns Naomi is part of the same secret society as Maya. The Sterling Club is notorious for its high-profile members, and Maya felt lucky to join its ranks but soon realized that it had a dark side. As Maya digs into her sister's death, it's clear that Naomi was hiding much from her, and she wouldn't be the first Sterling member to wind up dead for their curiosity.
I'm a sucker for an academic setting, especially when there are secret societies, so I had high hopes for this. I wanted a dark, twisty thriller that would keep me on my toes, but sadly, it didn't deliver. There were some aspects I enjoyed, mainly the dual point of view and timeline. I liked seeing the story unfold from both Maya and Naomi's perspectives, but I was slightly more interested in Naomi's chapters. A lot of the plot started to blur together since it mainly takes place on campus, so it felt very repetitive. The mystery had promise, and I was intrigued in the beginning, but something about it just lost me as the story progressed. The writing was easy to fly through so I may give this author another shot, but I didn't love this one.
I'm a sucker for an academic setting, especially when there are secret societies, so I had high hopes for this. I wanted a dark, twisty thriller that would keep me on my toes, but sadly, it didn't deliver. There were some aspects I enjoyed, mainly the dual point of view and timeline. I liked seeing the story unfold from both Maya and Naomi's perspectives, but I was slightly more interested in Naomi's chapters. A lot of the plot started to blur together since it mainly takes place on campus, so it felt very repetitive. The mystery had promise, and I was intrigued in the beginning, but something about it just lost me as the story progressed. The writing was easy to fly through so I may give this author another shot, but I didn't love this one.
Rating: 3/5
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| Pub Date: 6-10-25 Adult - Thriller |
With a Vengeance- Riley Sager: Twelve years ago, six people worked together to destroy Anna Matheson's family. Her father was a bigshot in the train industry, but was wrongfully accused of aiding in the Nazi war effort after a train carrying American soldiers, including Anna's brother, blew up due to a faulty engine. Anna has spent the years since plotting her revenge, and now it's time for action. Anna has lured those responsible onto an overnight train journey from Philadelphia to Chicago with the intention of confronting them into confessing to their crimes. Once they've done so, Anna intends to turn them over to the authorities in Chicago. But Anna's plans go out the window when the passengers start turning up dead. With only hours left until they arrive at their destination, Anna must uncover the murderer if she hopes to get justice for her family once and for all.
I may not enjoy all of Sager's books, but that doesn't stop me from continuing to pick them up. They're so formulaic that I know I won't have to think too hard and can go along for the ride, and that's pretty much what happened here. I liked the locked room-Murder on the Orient Express-feel of our characters being trapped on this train with a murderer with no way out. Anna's motives for the whole scheme were justifiable, and I admired that when everything started going south she didn't want anyone to get hurt. She tried to stop the killings from happening so that justice could be served correctly. There were some twists that Sager threw in that I didn't see coming, but a few that you could spot from a mile away. Even so, it was an entertaining read, and I blew through it in one sitting, so I'd recommend it.
I may not enjoy all of Sager's books, but that doesn't stop me from continuing to pick them up. They're so formulaic that I know I won't have to think too hard and can go along for the ride, and that's pretty much what happened here. I liked the locked room-Murder on the Orient Express-feel of our characters being trapped on this train with a murderer with no way out. Anna's motives for the whole scheme were justifiable, and I admired that when everything started going south she didn't want anyone to get hurt. She tried to stop the killings from happening so that justice could be served correctly. There were some twists that Sager threw in that I didn't see coming, but a few that you could spot from a mile away. Even so, it was an entertaining read, and I blew through it in one sitting, so I'd recommend it.
Rating: 3/5
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| Pub Date: 2-22-22 YA - Fantasy |
The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea- Axie Oh: Disastrous floods, wars, and limited resources have plagued Mina's homeland for generations. It's believed that the Sea God has forsaken its people, and the only way to appease it is to sacrifice a beautiful maiden to the sea each year to serve as its bride. Everyone in Mina's village believes Shim Cheong to be the true bride of the Sea God and that her sacrifice will end their suffering. But Cheong is Mina's brother's love, so Mina decides to take her place. When Mina arrives in the Spirit Realm, she discovers the Sea God caught in an enchanted sleep and must join forces with a mysterious boy named Shin and his motley crew to break the spell. But humans cannot live among the spirits for long, and Mina's time is running out.
I've had this on my TBR for ages, so I'm glad I could finally tick it off. I saw other reviewers liken this to a Studio Ghibli film, and they were spot on. The world that Oh created was very reminiscent of Miyazaki, and I couldn't help but get caught up in the whimsy. It felt enchanting and otherworldly. I liked our main character, Mina, and found her easy to root for. We got to watch her explore all different types of relationships, from romantic to familial, and I enjoyed seeing her grow from all these interactions. The plot was predictable, but the beautiful prose more than made up for it. I flew through this book in one sitting and am looking forward to picking up more from this author.
I've had this on my TBR for ages, so I'm glad I could finally tick it off. I saw other reviewers liken this to a Studio Ghibli film, and they were spot on. The world that Oh created was very reminiscent of Miyazaki, and I couldn't help but get caught up in the whimsy. It felt enchanting and otherworldly. I liked our main character, Mina, and found her easy to root for. We got to watch her explore all different types of relationships, from romantic to familial, and I enjoyed seeing her grow from all these interactions. The plot was predictable, but the beautiful prose more than made up for it. I flew through this book in one sitting and am looking forward to picking up more from this author.
Rating: 3/5
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