Jo
This is definitely a book for cat lovers as every chapter stars with mini cat intros. I adored reading about the cats, especially Chaos and Matilda, and seeing them find their forever homes.
I found some of the dialogue cringey but the characters were still likable. It took a while for the story to get interesting but there were enough conflicts to liven up the plot. The second half was significantly better than the beginning as the starting storyline didn't flow naturally and seemed rushed.
There is some diversity to the characters with the leading lady having ADHD and both main characters' descriptions leaning towards plus-size. I absolutely loved that Kara's nose was brought into her characterization since most romcoms' women have little button noses. There's also a lot of diverse secondary and background characters as well.
Thanks to NetGalley and Forever/Grand Central Publishing for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Just as good as Love Hypothesis!!!!! It followed the same plot outline so you pretty much know what to expect, which isn't bad for a romcom. It was a super sweet and funny read. The main characters and side characters were super likable.
Overall a decent read, but got a bit repetitive at times. The storyline was pretty typical for the concept.
It gained a star for that twist cause ohmygod I didn't see that coming. Took a little bit to get used to the flowery narration but it didn't take too long. It made for some of the sweetest revenge since most of the characters were so annoying and just awful people.
So many comical moments within her life story but ultimately it's a tale of survival. She's truly an inspirational person.
I was so close to dnfing this cause it wasn't what I was expecting, but it was so much better than if it had went the route I expected. The multiple POVs and multiple timelines intensified the twists and really enhanced the interconnectedness of the story.
This was just such an incredible story that tackled so many different themes and issues that I can't even narrow them down. There was just so much depth to this tale and it had a lot to say. Looking back, it felt like a love letter to life and all those looking for its meaning.
I've been wanting to read about a female killer for a while and wow did I get it with this one. The narrator, Maeve, is absolutely insane and a perfectly terrible concoction of all the wicked literature she loves. The reader gets to see the horrific inner-workings of her mind and a glimpse of her backstory. This novel is filled with pure depravity, absolute brutality, and extreme debauchery. This is an ode to those who adore the works of Bret Easton Ellis, George Bataille, and Chuck Palahniuk. I'm not sure if the grotesque imagery will ever leave my mind.
Thanks to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review.
Cain does such a great job at picking topics to research and write about, and making them relatable and interesting to masses.
The ending chapters were some of the best I've read in non-fiction. Getting to read about the perspectives and thoughts on trans-generational trauma was a really touching and personally motivating section for me.
Thought I had the book figured out with the overall “plot twist' but wasn't prepared for the others. Great writing that propels you to keep reading til you know the end.
Wish this would've been a full-blown novel to explore more of the multiple narratives introduced. The author did an amazing job with the short amount of pages though and had such great grotesque imagery.
I definitely could've done without the monster sex though.
No book should have this many POVs. Had to keep a character list it was just so unnecessary. It was overall a boring read and the twist really wasn't that impactful.
Great supernatural thriller! Never fully expected where it was gonna go and it made for a fun read with some spooky moments.
This has to be in my top 10 for nonfiction. Rachel Gross did such a great job going over the broad topic of vaginas.
There were so many standout parts that I really want to read further about. The differing genitals of other animals. The history and process of gender affirmation surgery. (People that think being transgender is fake should really read that section cause I guarantee you no one would do that excruciating surgery for nothing.) The fact that women basically carry their grandchildren in the womb for a hot minute. The batshit history of gynecology. The Greeks thinking sperm were tiny people that unfolded in the womb (literal tf). The atrocious surgeries and experiments performed on women throughout history, mostly without their full knowledge or consent. Removal of the clitoris on babies, especially when knowing essentially nothing about the area. Transplanting animal sexual organs onto humans and even thinking transplanting straight mens balls would heterosexualize gay men. Anarcha, Lucy, and Betsy — 3 enslaved women that were experimented on by the “Father of Gynecology” and whose suffering led to the creation of the field and are known as the “Mothers of Gynecology.” Truly, if you dont already hate evil men this book will make you wish death on dead people. Its absolutely INSANE how recent most of the history in this book occurred and how men have assumed women were only baby factories since the beginning of time. I honestly think the book couldve been 200+ pages longer. Cases like David Reimer were glossed over — even though it doesnt exactly fit the book topic it wouldve fit great with the chapters on sexual organs/growth hormones. I also hate John Money and felt he wasn`t aggressively damned enough in the short section about him.
This was just an enthralling read where I would have to stop reading just to tell anyone around me about the line I just read.
Such an atmospheric and captivating read. I was expecting the typical Jane Eyre type read but it was so much better. Made you feel like you were expecting the haunting yourself. Also loved getting a glimpse into to the author's culture and experience her deep love for it.
One of my, if not the, top book of 2021! Loved seeing a male lead written from the female gaze.
Super cute Halloween read! Surprisingly hilarious, never had a book make me laugh that hard
Loved the formatting and the twist threw me off so much I'm definitely gonna have to reread it soon
The first half of this book was good, but not good enough to make up for the incredibly lengthy journal entries that plagued the second half. Most of the story was just repeating the same ideas over and over again. The idea was great, it just would've been more suited as a short story.
Very Donny Darko esque but more cyclical and anxiety inducing. The big reveals were not as dramatic or world shattering as I expected but I didn't want to put it down and it was definitely unexpected.
Bought this randomly, and it made for a nice, breezy read. Liked the overall messages, did think the endings were rapped up very hastily.
Not a standout read. There were some twists I wasn't expecting but it still felt like a lot of work to finish this book. Kudos to the author for writing one of the most unlikable characters in fiction.
I thought it was going to be a reimagining but it ended up being a retelling of the original just with different perspectives and more detailing. It wasn't bad just more of a depressing read than I was looking for.