didn’t expect this novel to be utterly good

The Girl Who Could Move Shit With Her Mind – Jackson Ford

Science fiction, mystery, thriller, fiction. 

Rating 11/10

Teagan has telekinetic powers and she is the only one to have them. Due to this, she is working for the government as a trade off from having doctors and scientists cut her open to do testing to see about her powers. Until someone was found dead in a particular way that makes her look like the murderer. She has only twenty four hours before clearing her own name. If she doesn’t find the murderer she will be trialed and sent to a lab facility. She would be erased from any records. Someone else in town has the same powers as she does. She hunts them down to confront them and bring them to light of justice. 

I got this mostly because of the title and the synopsis. This was utterly weird and I couldn’t believe that this book is hardly popular yet there are sequels so someone had to be reading it. I found myself laughing throughout this and intrigued with her perspective. I found myself reading this to the point where I lost track of time. I had such a fun time reading this novel and I might end up getting the sequels as well. This novel will take readers on a mystery thriller with a lot of science fiction involved. I also love where the novel takes place, which is Los Angeles. The descriptions of certain places, especially Skid Row, are vivid and really authentic. Other places described are rather realistic. The author must have been from Los Angeles to know the ultra specific areas and how they look. I enjoyed that in this book. I can’t wait to read more. I highly recommend this novel.

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her voice will be LOUD

The Girl With The Louding Voice – Abi Dare 

Contemporary, POC Representation, Fiction. 

Rating 10/10

Adunni dreams of obtaining an education and not having to stay in her village. Her mother, before she died, asked her father to promise to let Adunni go to school and get an education. Her father began to face financial trouble and needed to marry off Adunni. She begs and his words are the law of the house. Adunni does not give up and doesn’t want to give up from obtaining her dream of being educated and go to school. She will have the loudest voice. 

I saw this at my local bookstore and I loved the synopsis thus making me want to read this novel. Adunni’s passion for learning is very inspiring and fighting to get an education is empowering. There are regions all around the globe where education is not easy nor cheap to obtain. Adunni’s story speaks that message in huge volumes. Having an education is very important and Adunni sees that. I loved the storytelling and the use of language that was present. I felt very submerged into the narrative and felt a lot of emotions through the main character. I was hoping for more to see Adunni continue her education. In other words I was heavily invested in this story that the author created. This book needs to have more hype and more people going and buying this book.

nope didn’t like this new book. Not sorry~

Girl A – Abigail Dean

Thriller, psychological, cults, fiction.

Rating 5/10

Girl A, otherwise known as Lexie, finds out that her mother died in prison. She and her other siblings who suffered the carnage of the abuse find themselves wrapped into the past once again. Their story of how they escaped the cult and abuse tells more secrets of their family. Each of their traumas and the media glare, each struggle with facing what comes to them. All have to agree on the final act and Lexie approaches them all. 

I saw this and was wondering about the hype. I always am wondering about the hype with a lot of these books. I didn’t like this novel as much as others. I don’t know. I think the whole cult thing was overdone. It was also very sad with glimmers of hope. I did like the storytelling and writing. I honestly don’t think this book was for a reader like me. I’m sure another reader would have loved this book but this wasn’t for me personally.

Loved this novel, had to reread.

If I was Your Girl – Meredith Russo

LGBTQ+, young adult, contemporary, fiction.

Rating 10/10

Beginning at a new high school, Amanda just wants to make friends and survive high school. She meets Grant and falls head over heels for him but she fears that if she told him about who she was before, that he wouldn’t be as accepting. They grow close together and she finds out that she has to give others the benefit of the doubt. As well as learning more about herself. 

I had to read this book again because I read this years ago and this book never got the recognition that the book should have had. I feel that this book is appropriate for everyone to read because this gives insight of what it is like to be a transwoman in this society. Transwomen are real women just as transmen are real men. I cried throughout this book because I have had a transwoman at my community college assaulted for going to the ‘wrong bathroom’ and thinking of all the teens out there who just want to feel comfortable with their own bodies. This author does paint a happy ending but sometimes in reality there are no happy endings for teens who come out as trans. This author did a good job of writing the plot with the characters. I do have to say go read this book. I liked it a lot. This book needs way more hype and more attention to this novel.

second chance at love?

A Girl Like You – Cari Scribner

Women’s fiction, comedy, romance, fiction.

Rating 10/10

Jessica is ending her second marriage that was a failure. She goes through the motions of the divorce and trying to come up with a plan. Her children explain that there are dating websites and to get out there. Jessica decides to not let two failed marriages ruin her outlook on life. So, she decides to get into the dating game.

I love this novel a lot. This was hilarious and wholesome. I hadn’t expected this novel to be so heart warming too. I was expecting for it to be interesting and interesting it was. There was a lot of seriousness hidden behind the comedy that sometimes one must look at the bright side of life and to not be so negative about the bad situation. Jessica grows from page one to the final page with her experiences and realizations. Some of the sensual scenes were raunchy but tasteful. The writing style is interesting, and I love it. I would want to see more from this author. I do recommend this novel because there is a nice balance of romance and comedy. There is stuff that one can simply relate to. I want to find more of this on shelves because there is a demographic that can relate or need this book to help one reflect on if they had endured or went through failed marriages. This book shares that it is not the end of the world. Rather there is no definitive ending but for one to start living his or her own life.

worst mystery thriller ever…

The Birthday Girl – Sue Fortin

Mystery, thriller, fiction.

Rating 2/10

Clarys and her friends get a mysterious invitation to their friend, Joanne’s birthday party. They all are invited but they are put through certain instructions from her. The trip to the mystery spot for the events is strange and unsettling for Clarys. Once they arrive, Joanne acts weird and out of character. Something happens and some secrets are revealed. A secret so deadly that leads to murder.

I didn’t like this novel so much. Very bland and not great at all. Do not recommend this novel unless one likes bland mystery thrillers. I found this to be a copy and paste mystery. I found myself predicting the outcome and legit yawned in boredom.

introvert romances?

The Girl He Used to Know – Tracey Garvis Graves

Romance, Fiction.

Rating 7/10

Annika is a peculiar woman who prefers books and animals for company rather than people, a classic introvert. She has a way with her own words and her own style of interpreting life. Jonathan has been coping with a divorce. Annika and Jonathan run into each other at a grocery store and their love for one another is reignited. Both realize their past and discuss what went wrong. It was tragedy that created them to break apart. Just as they are rekindling their love, another life changing incident occurs. Both are unready for what life had in stored for them.

This was a slow read and took me a while to get into. The novel is fine and left an impression. There were two narratives that helped the plot along and explained the timeline of Annika and Jonathan’s relationship. I personally think that there could’ve been more done, and a lot of topics expanded. I can relate a little to the protagonist, Annika, because I also prefer books and animals sometimes rather than humans. I don’t do so well in social settings with large gatherings. If they were small group gatherings I can cope and deal with. This novel does bring up the topic of autism as well as anxiety and quickly dismisses within a few pages. I feel that subject should’ve been discussed further. I think this novel is fine if one wanted to read a slow romance novel.

Toxic Marriage.. Nope

Gone Girl – Gillian Flynn

Mystery, fiction.

Rating 5/10

Nick and Amy’s fifth year anniversary are here, and Nick got some big plans for her. He leaves to go to work and returns home only after getting a phone call from a neighbor concerned about the open door. When he returns home, he calls out for Amy but as Amy disappeared. Nick called the police and all he wants is for the police to find his wife. On the other hand, in Amy’s diary she recollects the first time she and Nick met, among other topics giving small clues as to what is occurring in her mind. Slowly both Nick and Amy realize that their marriage is a sham, and this only spiral downwards. One person murdered and a pregnant woman, both parties have something over each other and vow to stay married.

I did not enjoy this novel at all. Both main characters are both protagonists and antagonists. This was a sad and depressing book that I ever had read. However, this is only fiction, but it does bring up major topics about the psychology of a marriage. Anyways, I do admire how this was written and presented as well as understand why it was popular. Not only because the novel was turned into a movie but for its plotline. At least it was clear as the plot progressed that neither narrators were reliable as they both were incompetent to tell the story.