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| Book Review|
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"'Well,’ Pip smiled, ‘I’m still me.’ She hoped that was true."
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2 years since I read it, this is one masterpiece of a book. Sometimes, my views on books change with time (aka as I age), but not this one. It is brilliantly written & the takeaway point of the book leaves you hollow, like someone punched you in the stomach & I don't think you ever heal from it.
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This book starts with a slow burn, which was unusual but given Pip's mental state after that traumatic experience at the end of book 2, it is understandable & perfectly builds the story towards "that" end which so many of you didn't like. As Pip notices someone stalking her & sending her threats, we once again see the first case of this series open up as Pip sets out to find the truth. Pip has obviously matured & Ravi is there for her every time like the perfect boyfriend he is, though not my fav but decent. It was very real to show Pip overlooking things (the headphones) because it's very human & she already had a lot on her plate.
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The brutal third & final part of this book went for me like this: denial, denial, wtf, this is not really happening, this is happening?, this can't be happening, oh it happened?, why, oh why, why why why. Then I got it. I got why. Because, with all her means & possible route, she had fought for justice; she had tried to make him accountable. But he ran free & same would be for the serial killer she discovered. He had a lot of contacts & was never once suspected, let alone arrested. People who knew the truth, who could testify against him were dead. Could Pip let one more criminal run free? The girl who was so keen to solve the 5 year old crime because she didn't believe the suspect was guilty. The girl who wanted justice served & the system had failed her. She was not going to take another chance. And that, my friends, is why she did what she did.
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We think everything is wrong with our system alone. In fact, the world, as we know it today, is broken. Don't you think Pip taking justice in her own hands is a reflection of the system there? After all, we are their colony, and who knows their injustices better than us?
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[book review, thriller, mystery] taken in Book review by @mrm.reads

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23

7 months ago

|Book Review|
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"But justice doesn’t exist, and the truth doesn’t matter, not in the real world."
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I read this last year (can't believe it has been a year) and while I do remember the storyline and plot twists, I remember the underlying messages much greatly. The story on the surface follows Pip as she tries to get things back to normal after uncovering the town's five-year old secrets but once you have messed up with the things kept hidden for years, there's no going back. With that said, in this part, it doesn't follow directly but there are hints here and there that lead to the grand finale that destroyed me completely💔😭 (As Good As Dead).
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I found this book much better written than AGGGTM as the answers were not handed out to Pip as easily in this one. Ravi is a sweetheart but to me, at places, their dialogues felt forced and irrelevant and straight-up cringe even😭. I'm sorry I can't see these two as great as booksta has made them. Maybe I'm old now but they are okayish. (Peeta and Katniss are the best 🤧).
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One of the mind-consuming thoughts this book gave through a gut-wrenching plot was how do you differentiate good and bad? What decides what's good and what's bad? Good and bad for you? Or good and bad for the world? Do you decide what's good and bad for others as well? Can someone has this power? Should someone be having this power? To decide good and bad for others is power? Ahhh I can't say much without spoiling it for you so just give it a read, okay? And if you have read it, let's discuss please🤧.
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#qotd: how is 2025 treating you so far? Can't believe we are 3 months down already😳.
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[book review, good girl bad blood, book recommendations, bookstagram, reads, books, reading] taken in Book review by @mrm.reads

255

31

a year ago

| Book Review |
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This was my first read from Christie (I might be the only one who is picking up her work only now), which was technically not Christie's as only the original play was written by her and this is adapted in novel by Charles Osborne.
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The story was interesting, everyone was a suspect, and at a time it seemed none of them were the suspects. I had guessed the murderer correctly, or so I thought, because in the last pages there was a twist I didn't see coming. It was a decent read but the characters were so weird and disturbing, it was annoying to read the weird habits of the characters. This book also lacks the psychological element that is characteristic of Christie's work and is plenty in her book, Appointment with Death, (which was puzzling but a great read). I'm currently reading One Two, Buckle My Shoe, and it has much interesting characters.
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#qotd : Is there a book by Christie you didn't enjoy much?
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[book review, agatha christie, mystery books, books, flatlay, bookish pictures, bookstagram] by @mrm.reads

184

27

2 years ago

"Bad stuff happens, people are mean, there are no steps you can take that ensure the world leaves you alone. All you can do is try not to be one of those people who contributes to the bad."
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|Book Review|
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The main theme of this book is mental illness and Holly Bourne has done a fantastic job in simplifying it and highlighting how people have misused calling not-so-unusual acts as mental disorders. In her fun, quirky writing, she called out people who do not take mental disorders seriously and are insensitive towards it. Her writing gave a reality check and was a punch to the gut. The psychology people will love it (@buttermyfudgypages
you came to my mind ;))
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That being said, I found this book a bit difficult to read (maybe because I'm getting old for YA) and it felt unnecessarily dragged. The storyline felt underwhelming and like three other books by Bourne, the ending was rushed and messy?? (I am not a fan of her endings, I've tried to like them but -😭.) There were some parts in the book that sounded too preachy on feminism. It wasn't nicely incorporated as mental illness was. And that felt annoying. The characters are flawed and make super bad decisions which was super annoying but that makes the story so it has to be a pass.
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#qotd : Have you read this book? What do you think about people who get the psychological terms wrong or call little things mental disorder? Are they being insensitive or is it simply lack of knowledge?
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[book review, am I normal yet, mental health book, ya book, books, flatlay, holly bourne aesthetic, bookstagram, reading] taken in Book review by @mrm.reads

255

15

2 years ago

|Book Review|
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This is the first adult novel by Holly Bourne and it is something. The writing, the quotations and the relatable characters are there and they are so good. The endings? As meased up as they are in her YA books and as messed up as real life is?
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In this book, she addresses the societal pressures a woman faces as she gets near to thirty. Career or family? Yes, it's not only the desis who face this dilemma- it's every women in the world. Tori is a successful author, having a good career and a boyfriend and she is envied by many. But in reality her relationship is going down: her boyfriend won't ask to marry her. The importance of marriage, finding the right partner, family, career, individuality, passion, need of time, toxic relationships, body shaming, all these questions revolve around the book. Brutally. The author gives a reality check that will have you stunned.
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I still think about this book, despite reading it over a year ago. I plan on visiting this book again, because there's too much to digest in this book. Bottom line: there is no one answer to navigating life. Do what's better for you.
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Reading this was a bit difficult and uncomfortable but I believe it should be read by all.
⚠️: check TW.
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[book review, holly bourne, books, recommendations, bookstagram, reading, reviews] taken in Book review by @mrm.reads

256

15

2 years ago

|Book Review|
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Fortunately or unfortunately I'm one of those people who can't leave a story unfinished. I haven't DNF-ed a book (yet) cause I hope it gets better in the end, you know?
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Now, this book needs no introduction. My thoughts on the first part aren't stranger to you either.
"Why read the second part then, Mariam?"
Because I hoped this book offered some answers to the questions left hanging in the first part. I expected after 10 years (maybe, sorry if it's incorrect, not switching to Chrome from the drafts to check it, sorry) that we will see Ryle's side. Why he acted the way he acted? Why domestic abuse happens? What goes on in their mind? After all wasn't the point of this "emotional roller coaster " was to raise "awareness" & "help" women with it? But there was none of it in the book. Only the praises of the oh-so perfect Angel Atlas 🙃.
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I wouldn't have mind this that much. Ofcourse, the author might have saw it all differently. They saw the book as thank you gift for fans. Or something. But the thing that did it for me was the whole freaking copy paste of Lily's letters!! WHO DOES THAT? One might have been okay. But so many every few pages? And that too the ones already published and read. Not giving any new insight or scene or perspective. What was the point of this book?😭
Please tell me I'm okay for questioning this...
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In conclusion, I don't regret reading this. It finally showed and convinced me not to pick up her books again (I was ready to give a second chance, was).
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#qotd : your honest opinions about this book? Or a book whose sequel disappointed you?
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[book review, it ends with us, collen hoover, bookstagram, reads, disappointed reads, books] taken in Book review by @mrm.reads

259

20

2 years ago

| Book Review |
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So you remember how I didn't read Twilight and HP in sequence? Add this to the list. This is the sixth book in the series and the first I read. Safe to say it can be read as a standalone too (in my opinion).
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This book is a treat for diehards of historical fiction. It is set in England, pre-revolution, and the wide contrast between how we perceive Europe has always been like and what it really was is shocking to say the least. England is observed as having "smelly streets" in the book multiple times. Glimpses of the influence of Ottoman Empire can also be seen in the book.
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Another interesting aspect was the spy tactics and coded letters. It was equally intense to read; afraid the spy would be exposed or could get caught in the trap they set for 'a potential spy'.
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This book was long, but did not drag. The descriptions, the writing, the plot, the mystery, ufff it was a treat. taken in Book review by @mrm.reads

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24

2 years ago

I was prepared for this book to be boring and uninteresting. Turns out I was wrong and right.
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I believe it is because The Big Questions in life are not answered by reading anyone's account or listening to someone's story. Everyone have different experiences, different circumstances, and different belief sets that together help shape how they respond to the challenges of life. To someone younger than me, I can go on and on about how to survive school and complex friendships but it will only help them a bit. They'll have to figure it out entirely themselves.
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Isn't that true for every single thing in life? We each have our own experiences, our own journey and our own ways of tackling them. You won't know what to do until you're deeply stuck in it. You can't ever be prepared for the hard times, for the questions that you overthink, and for the small word we call life.
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That's what I took away from this book. I smiled at some stories that had situations I've gone through and found the exact same conclusion. I frowned upon the stories that had situations I haven't enveountered yet and couldn't grasp their conclusion.
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The conclusion that I found is that the answer to the Big Questions is: everything just falls into place, you just have to keep believing. How cliche, isn't it? But it really is so.

What do you think?
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[book review, book thoughts, books, flatlay, bookstagram] taken in Book review by @mrm.reads

259

22

2 years ago

GUESS WHAT? I'm now making an appearance in feeds after 2 months so that calls for a 2-month wrap-up! I'm proud of my reading progress🥺, oh and add Kill Joy to the list, which I read as an ebook and after tons of effort, couldn't figure out how to add it to the reel.
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#qotd : How is your year going? (It's September already?!)
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P.s. recommend all the books shown!! (detailed reviews coming soon!)
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[book reel, monthly wrap-up, books, book recommendations, book recs, 2024 reads] by @mrm.reads

252

19

2 years ago

Books <3
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Not too confident on my phone's video quality but tried something and putting this up with a lot of courage🙈. Any tips and suggestions are welcome!✨🦋
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#bookreel #birthdaygifts #bookreels taken in Bliss by @mrm.reads

247

16

2 years ago

Hellooooooo. Look who's back 👀
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3 books in 2 months but I absolutely loved all of these and @hojay92 just broke me into pieces with the 3rd part (but I loved it the way it is, ty for the realistic story) and just want to hug @jojomoyesofficial for the best 2 sequels anyone could ever ask for (loved how each thing is answered, how different scenarios are explored, almost perfect series), so it's not really me fault that I didn't read anything else because these stories didn't leave my mind for weeks (they have moved down to the heart now)
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Have you read these? How did you like them?
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#qotd : How is your yearly reading challenge going?

#aotd : I just completed 50% of it today 🥳
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#bookstagram #bookreel #reads #recommended #monthlywrapup #mayreads #junereads by @mrm.reads

237

10

2 years ago

I have never read a murder mystery like this one. This is not your expected whodunit. No, this is more of a character-driven plot. Which means that you can easily guess who kills who. But the question remains why. And that's what makes the book a bit different.
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Theatre and plays have always seemed depressing to me. Even if it's a comedic play, I have always perceived the actor's life as dull and depressing. How much courage does it take to lock yourself behind and step into a person who comes alive by the words you learn off a paper? Or does that require detachment? I've always believed it requires detachment. And isn't that depressing? The main characters in this book are theatre actors and there's quite a mention of plays and acting obviously so I learned that whatever opinions I've had are not silly.
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I found it quite frustrating, to be frank, the points people have come up with in the negative reviews for this book. The narrator seriously tells us in the first page that this is not an ordinary murder mystery novel. That the narrator will be telling scenes he wasn't present in because he can predict them. And that tells so much about the narrator - if only you read the book for what it was.
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▪︎Was the book slow? - yes in the start. Aren't most?
▪︎Was the book unnecessarily lengthy? - depends on how you look at it. If you were only focusing on whodunit, you might find it stretching. But if you wanted to know more about characters, it was fine. (I found it a page-turner.)
▪︎Is the narrator the yuckiest person ever and hatred for him grew with every chapter? - yes and isn't that good writing?
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The plot twists made me gasp, the book made me question so many things and I closed the book feeling a little unhinged. I enjoyed the book and I'm glad I picked it up despite seeing so many not-so-good reviews. Don't get intimidated people, listen to your heart!
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#qotd: a book you loved/enjoyed that many people didn't?
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#bookreview #thefury #alexmichaelides #mystery #murdermystery #bookshelf #recommended by @mrm.reads

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39

2 years ago