Posted on by hrchow12

Audiobook Review – All the Dangerous Things

So Netgalley dropped two thrillers in my inbox on the same happy day, and while I was certainly in the mood for a thriller, this wasn’t my favorite of the two. All the Dangerous Things follows a sleep-deprived mother a year after her son has gone missing as she (understandably) is still obsessing over the very-cold case. The narrative is also interspliced with relevant scenes from Isabelle’s childhood as well as how she and her estranged husband first came together.

First, I found this novel to be rather slow (though disclaimer: I prefer a breakneck pace, so please keep that in mind). With no leads and not a whole lot of urgency, I found the tension hard to feel for most of this book. Not to mention, Isabelle is NOT a good person, so I found her hard to relate to as a character. Even as the story took some interesting twists and turns, I feel like she had a very detached reaction to them. While the books ends on a nice up-note, it still felt like some very messy things were put away a little too cleanly, and I wish we’d gotten some more depth from the supporting characters.

However, if you like psychological thrillers that take their time, this book is well-written and well-narrated with plenty of dark atmosphere and a karmic ending. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC! All the Dangerous Things comes out today!

⭐⭐⭐½

Maybe not for me, but could be for you!

Thanks for reading!

Posted on by hrchow12

Audiobook Review – The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett

The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett follows an octogenarian who has had ENOUGH of life. Largely cut off from the world, and very much unimpressed with it, she’s ready to take matters into her own hands when she gets 10-year-old Rose as a neighbor… and new BFF. Their relationship and banter absolutely made this book, and overall I found their narrative to be a very relaxing, wholesome story about life in your last decades, the choices we make, and redemption.

Interspersed with their story, we also get Eudora’s montage of memories of what her life has been like – from her childhood in the midst of WWII London through the present day. And honestly, that was… kind of a downer. While it makes you totally get why Eudora has cut herself off from the world, there were choices she made that were a bit frustrating, and honestly I wish she had at least some happy memories interspersed in there to balance it out and really make her life more “brilliant” rather than depressing.

But that aside, I found this a quick, refreshing read, and really enjoyed Eudora’s proper and unapologetic take on things, especially in contrast to those around her. Recommended for those looking for a thoughtful but fun reflection on life, death, and our connections to those around us.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Cheers to the privilege of getting old, my friends. Not to brag, but I think I’m going to make a fabulous unapologetic old woman. 😂

Thanks for reading!

Posted on by hrchow12

Audiobook Review – Kingdom of the Wicked

This book had so many elements that I enjoyed. The Italian vibes, the creepy darkness of the prose, and a plot of murder, princes of hell, and witches. I was totally on board. But, the MC, Emilia, kind of ruined it for me. Oh boy. Seriously, I could not Even with her. Though the audiobook was beautifully narrated, there were a couple times I had to pause it because Emilia was killing me. Again. The mental gymnastics she goes through to repeatedly end up at the wrong conclusion was exhausting, and her treatment of Wrath (who saved her life way too many times to count) was not cool. Seriously, run, Wrath. I’m sure there have to be other witch fish in the sea. So, great premise, great writing, but a nonsensical MC I really couldn’t find redeemable. But! That’s just my opinion, so if you’re into dark fantasy with strong Italian flavor, maybe give it a look!

⭐⭐⭐

Emilia, girl, seriously, I just can’t with you.

Thanks for reading!

Posted on by hrchow12

Audiobook Review – The Travelling Cat Chronicles

The Travelling Cat Chronicles was an unexpected gem. Told from a cat’s perspective, the story follows a sardonic stray (Nana) as he is adopted by a Satoru, a kind, optimistic cat-person with a somewhat tragic backstory. The main meat of the plot follows Satoru as he visits his friends across Japan trying to find a place for Nana to stay.

And it is just incredibly poignant, thoughtful, funny-in-turns, and in the end completely satisfying. The themes of friendship, the journey of life, and closure are so well delivered here, but in such a flowing, peaceful fashion, punctuated by amusing commentary from the sarcastic cat (especially in contrast with his benevolent owner.)

This is one that’s hard to give justice through a review so you really just have to go read it (or listen to it, because the audiobook is narrated fantastically). Definitely one of my favorite books of 2022, and I’m absolutely adding it to my list of books that I shall now go recommend to everyone and their grandmother. A truly beautiful novel. Don’t miss this one.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Oh my heart. One of my favorite reads of the year.

Thanks for reading!

Posted on by hrchow12

Audiobook Review – Into the Drowning Deep

Into the Drowning Deep by Mira Grant follows a research vessel and the many characters upon it as they go out to investigate the disappearance of another entertainment vessel whose crew was… well… eaten by mermaids.

And I really enjoyed the first third of this book. The characters are varied and interesting, and as they’re battling their demons and beginning to set off it really gives off Jaws like vibes. We are going to hunt a monster… and we are both excited and kind of scared, but it’s okay because we’re prepared for anything, right? …right?!?

Should’ve brought a bigger boat.

But as stuff starts going down, people are dying and blood is washing the deck, I didn’t feel the rise in tension that I felt like I should have. Mostly because the characters are surprisingly …okay with it? They’re kind of like “oh well, we knew people would die, but we have TO DO THE SCIENCE!” I really felt like there would be more people storming the cockpit to get them turned around.
So, I felt like the middle got a little mushy for me and the reveal/climax at the end felt a little underwhelming.

This book had all the capacity to read as a stand-alone (while still part of a larger series), but rather, it feels like it got stretched a little too thin and then just kind of ended.
Still! While I don’t think I’ll be picking up the sequel, if you like mermaids that eat people and interesting characters, I recommend giving this a look (or a listen because the audiobook narration is fantastic.)

⭐⭐⭐¾

As a mechanical engineer, I would’ve been sure the shutter system worked. Just saying.

Thanks for reading!

Posted on by hrchow12

Audiobook Review – The Maid

I picked up this mystery on the recommendation of a friend, and definitely enjoyed this modern murder mystery. I liked the main character, Molly’s, unique voice and her moral compass made the narrative interesting to puzzle out. The side characters were all fleshed out well, and even the hotel seemed to have a character of its own from Molly’s eyes. Her growth and resolution were both strong and satisfying, but the only thing that really threw me at the end were a few missing pieces (are there no video cameras in the hotel? No alibis?) that I kind of had to suspend my disbelief for. Overall though I found this to a fun murder mystery with a unique perspective and a few fun twists.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Molly would be *horrified* at the state of my house. I wonder what her hourly rate is?!

Thanks for reading!

Posted on by hrchow12

Audiobook Review – Once Upon A Broken Heart

This was a charming fantasy about a girl who makes a deal with a fate following a broken heart. For me, the highlight of this story really came in the world itself. Roughly split between Magic and non magic, there’s tons of interesting lore and eccentricities that really made me want to soak this world up. The mystery of the fates, prophecy, and stories without endings also definitely kept me turning pages. But though I liked Jax and Evangeline well enough, I didn’t totally fall for them, and I was definitely wishing the connection between them was a little stronger. Really, Evangeline’s goals in general didn’t feel super compelling, and the ending felt a little forced. The narration was great though, and I’d still totally recommend this to YA fantasy readers. Although this doesn’t work well as a stand-alone in any way, I’d definitely give the sequel a look to see what happens next!

⭐⭐⭐⭐½

(Update: Tried to listen to the sequel, The Ballad of Never After, and got a third of the way through before I had to DNF. Evangeline’s poor decisions were killing me, but lots of people love that series, so it could just be me!)

This is why I never trust sequels!

Thanks for reading!

Posted on by hrchow12

Audiobook Review – Ugly Love

After loving It Ends with Us, I was super excited to read another by Colleen Hoover, but this one really didn’t work for me.

This story is told from dual POV (with Tate’s in the present and Miles’ in the past) as Tate and Miles start a benefits-only relationship. And, as always, Hoover’s writing drew me in immediately, and kept me flying through the pages, but on the whole, Tate and Miles’ relationship just didn’t work for me. Although Miles was clear up front that he was only in it for sex, Tate knew from the start that she wanted more than that. Not only that, but Miles was, in general, kind of a jerk to her, and she was always making excuses for him.

I feel like we got Miles’ backstory through his POV as also a kind of way of saying “oh but he’s not really a jerk at heart.” But… still, that didn’t really smooth things over for me, and his backstory didn’t hold my interest as much. Overall, if you’re a big Colleen Hoover fan, I might give it a look, but I can’t really say I was rooting for Miles and Tate in this one.

⭐⭐⭐¼

Not really for me, but it could be for you!

Thanks for reading!

Posted on by hrchow12

Audiobook Review – Instructions for Dancing

Instructions for Dancing follows Evie, a one-time romance book addict who is struggling with her father’s infidelity/her parents divorce/her parents impending remarriage, and essentially doesn’t believe in love anymore. Then after a chance encounter, she develops the ability to see people’s whole love story from beginning to end when they kiss.

So, it was in this book that I realize I am not a big fan of self-aware books. And Evie is constantly comparing the events of her life to the tropes of a romance novel, which I wasn’t a huge fan of. But, then X and his dance competition entered the scene with the save.

Overall, this was a bittersweet coming of age tale of a young person learning the hard lesson that nothing lasts forever. The banter between X and Evie was cute (LOVED The Cupcakes and Kisses discussion) and in general, Evie’s experiences/attitudes definitely seemed to reflect that of a true young adult’s.

Definitely recommended for anyone looking for a bittersweet coming of age young adult tale. (Especially if you don’t mind the trope-awareness.)

⭐⭐⭐⭐

But I really want to read Cupcakes and Kisses now! 😂

Thanks for reading!

Posted on by hrchow12

Audiobook Review – When the Divine are Dead

When the Divine are Dead by E.K. Barnes follows Bradley, a fourteen-year-old boy with special Diviner abilities, Type I diabetes, and a string of deadly kind of bad luck.

We follow Bradley as he endures a school-shooting and a death of a family member, and then his family tries to start over in a new city with other Diviner families. We get bits an pieces of the horrible things that have happened to Bradley, his difficulty with his abilities, and the internal survivor’s guilt that plagues him as his family tries to start anew.

I really thought the author nailed Bradley’s authentic lower-YA voice, and I really felt for him as he tried to learn how to cope with his situation. Learning about the Diviners’ ability was super interesting, and in general, the tension and tight writing kept my attention straight through the end.

There were a lot of characters and siblings to keep track of, and I did find myself wishing we got a little more development from some of the other main characters. There were also a few strands I was expecting to get answers to that we didn’t quite get. However, this definitely seems like the first of the series, so they could have been left for future books. I also really enjoyed the audiobook narration, and the I think the narrator did an excellent job of telling this story. Would definitely recommend for all fans of YA urban fantasy. Thanks so much to the publisher for the free audible code!

⭐⭐⭐⭐¼

I’m always here for solid YA fantasy!

Thanks for reading!