that was dark…

Friend Request – Laura Marshall

Psychological thriller, social media, friends, stalkers, fiction.

Rating 9/10

Louise gets a Facebook request from Maria Weston, a supposed dead high school teenager that they went to school with long ago. Louise wonders if she is actually alive or if this was just a prank or a hoax. Louise reminisces their time together as well as what she had done to Maria. The action she did haunted her entire life and this friend request sends her off the rails. When messages start appearing, things take a dark turn. Louise finds out the truth behind Maria Weston and is scared for her life.

This novel was intriguing for sure and did have a plot twist I didn’t expect to read. Well, actually a few plot twists I didn’t see coming. I was predicting one outcome but got another that was better than what I had originally expected. When reading this, do not have any expectations other than to have chills sent down one’s spine and expect the unexpected for sure. This author really done a good job with this specific genre and cliché. Changed it and morphed it into a thriller page turner.

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Blossoming Romance

I Married My Best Friend to Shut My Parents Up

Story and Art – Kodama Naoko

Manga, romance, contemporary, LGBTQ+, fiction.

Rating 9.5/10

Morimoto is being harassed by her parents to settle down with a husband, but Morimoto doesn’t want that life just yet. She’s enjoying being happily single and committed to her job. Her friend, Hana, offers to be fake married to her to help Morimoto not be harassed by her parents. Morimoto agrees to do this plan and the plan works. Only thing is that Hana must live with Morimoto for a while. Morimoto doesn’t mind until she finds herself craving Hana’s company. Morimoto starts to fall for Hana slowly and they decide to work on their relationship.

My boyfriend and I were looking for manga to read and he picked up this one to show me. At first, I thought that this manga was going to be some horrible romance comedy. Turns out, this one was very sweet, and very heart felt[KS1] . I enjoyed the sweet message that the manga left for the reader to find. I won’t say what the message is because that would spoil the ending. Overall, this manga surprised me in a lot of ways and opened my mind about reading manga. Not all manga is actiony and or science fiction, they can have contemporary storylines. I will continue to broaden my search for more variety of forms of literature.

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 [KS1]

Spooky Town With A Dark Secret

Imaginary Friend – Stephen Chbosky

Thriller, mystery, horror, fiction.

Rating 8/10

Kate is on the run with her son, Christopher, from her abusive ex-boyfriend. She finds a cozy home in a small town and tells her son that this is permanent. A few days in, their lives become better. Christopher uses the answers from his quiz to play the lottery and wins. One day, Christopher hears and senses this being in the forest and is drawn into the forest. A nice man tells Christopher he has to build a treehouse for a specific reason and before Christmas. Once Christopher sees the truth, it is up to him to save the world. Against all odds, Christopher must prepare for the war that lies ahead of him.

This felt like a Stephen King novel but more unique to the author’s style of writing. There was a lot to unpack and to read because of the different points of view as well as a lot of descriptions. I enjoyed the complexity of the storyline and the many different plot twists that the author takes you down on. Not exactly an author trying to be a copycat of Stephen King but inspired by the famous author. I did enjoy the novel. I would highly recommend for those who seek a different thrill.

He Got Out :0

The Friend Zone – Abby Jimenez

Contemporary romance, infertility, fiction.

Rating 9.8/10

Kristen has a condition that prevents her from ever having children. Other than that, she is a woman who manages her own business and has a boyfriend in the Military who is hardly ever home. Josh is a guy who got away from his hometown due to his breakup with this woman who didn’t want him anymore. Josh and Kristen meet after a rear-ending accident, there is instant chemistry that both tried to deny. Both are at points of their lives where they can’t find a middle. After she breaks up with her boyfriend and cuts off things with Josh, life begins to spiral for both causing them to be in each other’s lives for good.

I was expecting something else, but this novel really surprised me. I love romance comedies for a reason, and this proved exactly why they’re great. Equal amounts of tears and laughter. The heart felt part of this story was when Kristin is dealing with infertility because many women do struggle to become fertile. As serious of a topic that is, the character balances out the sadness with some snarky comedy. I highly would reread this novel on any day. I finished this book in a single day. That’s how great the novel was. I wished this novel was longer because I felt that the narrative could’ve been longer. Anyways, a great book. Go find it. Read it. With a box of tissues and be ready to have lungs ache from all the laughter.