Ava

OMG. As someone who constantly tries to guess what's going to happen next and is usually right

Let's start at the end...
Overall, this book kept me engaged until the end. It was a red herring galore, a thriller bingo, and kind of twisted but also entertaining as hell. The main two characters were confusing but intriguing. There were tons of decoys, and the end was unexpectedly good and action-packed. Though some characters felt unfinished, leaving some loose ends, I still recommend it. Mystery books can be so predictable and boring nowadays that this was refreshing and fun.

Now, let's dive into the details... (Some spoilers ahead)
Many give this book low reviews because it was cringey and not much happened. But I actually enjoyed it so much, with the “who's the actual bad person” question constantly in mind.

I'm not going to lie. This had many clichés, like the girl entering the basement right when the guy comes home, the jealous ex-lover, the isolated house, and the broken car situation. It was thriller bingo.

But even then, I found it humorous and entertaining. It is not a comedy, but catching all these clichés and red herrings trying to throw the reader off was fun and, I guess, effective. I wasn't 100% sure my guess of the ending was correct.

Yes, the FMC has her damsel in distress moments. Still, the writer throws you a curveball by making her sound momentarily super cunning, leaving you confused, thinking, “Wait, is she planning something here?.”

Then the MMC is all broody and hot. I found his character a lot more intriguing and more challenging to figure out. I liked the whole love-bombing situation because most thriller villains tend to be cold-hearted, calculating psychopaths. But in this book, the guy sometimes genuinely feels attachment and infatuation. I found myself smiling at the end of every chapter from his POV because he would sound genuinely small-town, puppy-love naive. Then, in the very last sentence of the chapter, he would say something sinister. The change was so abrupt that it was actually funny. After a few of his chapters, this writing pattern was pretty obvious, like screaming at me, “Look at this guy, HE IS THE BAD GUY.” But my internal questioner was like, “Nah, you really want me to think this. This is obvious: he's not the actual bad guy.” But he would really do weird shit! LOL, this book legitimately made me laugh a lot in the best way.

I loved the end. It was a little predictable in pattern but not in execution. I had a feeling about who the real villain was, but how it played out was so over the top that I was shocked and chuckling at the same time.

One thing that left me thinking was the whole “scratching an itch.” At the end, when the character says it while hugging the kid, I'm like, “Wait, does this person want to kill a random person again... or do they want to kill the family?”

Overall, this might be an enjoyable read for those who haven't read her other books. It's a quick, light-hearted read, perfect for a vacation. But if you've read The Love Hypothesis or Love on the Brain, this book might not offer much novelty.

Now, onto the details... possible spoilers below.

Is this déjà vu? The characters in Love, Theoretically, felt like slight variations of those in Ali Hazelwood's previous books. It felt like I was re-reading The Love Hypothesis and Love on the Brain.

Both the characters and the story felt flat to me. By the end, it seemed as though 100 pages were missing. The MC felt like a template broody-but-pining character, and the sudden attachment he developed to the FC felt unbelievable as if he had a personality transplant halfway through the book.

While the spicy scenes were well-written, they seemed out of place. The intention seemed to be for the FC to slowly discover her sexuality, but isn't this a theme the author has explored in a very similar way? We start with an FC who isn't attracted to anyone and doesn't identify as a very sexual being. Then, enters a hot, tall, buff STEM guy, and shockingly she rediscovers her sexuality? It felt predictable and repetitive.

Additionally, the scene in which they first engage sexually was confusing. The MC's hesitation was unclear. At times, it felt as though we were veering into non-consensual territory. I guess I could assume the MC was trying to be selfless and deter the FC's people-pleasing tendencies, but it ended up feeling like conversations were happening in their heads and we were left to try and fill in the gaps.

I know this may be harsh, and I apologize because I recognize how hard it is to create and how vulnerable authors make themselves by sharing their ideas and work. Also, I recognize that it is supposed to be an uplifting love story. However, this book didn't bring much that was new.

Wow. What an interesting, fun and yet devastating look into Matthew's life and the endless cycle of addiction.

The book started relatively light, despite discussing his abandonment and the initial factor leading to his addiction. As it progressed, I enjoyed peeking into Matthew's life and what actors go through, particularly in their teens. I kept internally screaming at his parents to take better care of him!

As the narrative goes into his numerous love experiences and straight-up fuckups, I found myself continuously rooting for him. However, I also started noticing the book feeling very repetitive. It seemed like he kept saying the same thing: there was a love opportunity, he screwed up, he relapsed and back to rehab... dozens of times. But isn't that just the perfect way to get us to experience on a much smaller scale the frustratingly repetitive process he went through? It's heartbreaking learning how lonely and out of control he felt. It's crazy to think of Chandler Bing and know that in between takes or episodes, he was in rehab, crying or struggling to keep it together.

Reading this now, knowing of his death, made the ending all the more poignant. The hopeful tone with which he concluded the book was heart-wrenching, particularly when he talks about how much he still has left to do

It was very predictable. Only the end brought a bit of surprise, but it was a little tiring to go over the same “I should call the police but I wont” trope in almost every of Frieda's books.

TO BE FAIR... the main reason I didn't like this book, was the audiobook narrator. She had the most flat interpretation of the characters, especially men. It sounded like everyone in the book was spoiled/entitled or screaming.

I've never been happier I chose a book but it's gorgeous cover, only to discover that the story was even more beautiful.

It was soooo well written, providing the right level of details for the plot and world building. I'm at a loss for words. It's was just so moving, exciting, nerve racking and beautiful. Really illustrating the power of stories, how they connect us to others and to who we are.

I rarely leave reviews, but when I do it's because a book left me speechless by its beauty. I wish I could shout at others to read this book

I think this is a such a beautiful book. Yes, it can feel like self-help, and reading the last couple reviews I can see how it didn't meet their expectations of new-world-fantasy, but I don't think it is straight up a self-help book.

The part that feels like self-help is that this book shows you, through the story, the process of gaining perspective, of looking at your life prom the POV of an observant and not the person living in it. I think it brilliantly put in one story all the things that we think about but cannot put together to fully understand how we feel about ourselves and our life.

But it also lightly incorporates interesting concepts of quantum physics, multiple realities, “dimension travellers”, and more. It reminded me at times of the movies Interstellar, and funnily enough, Bedazzled. For its concept of a library as a simplification of time and reality, and for the idea that what we “wish for” is not always how we expect it to be.

I loved the realness of the book. How relatable it was in terms of how we look at our regrets, and how we look for perfection and total absence of pain, but in truth this is not achievable (and this is not me being pessimistic). We need to accept that the messiness, imperfection and chaos, are part of the experience of life and it does more harm than good to cling to the past and only focus on the things that are going wrong. And one of my favourite pieces is how Nora realizes that she has the potential to be anything which gives her hope in the face of uncertainty.

There was one part I failed to understand: when the librarian mentions that the number of books is the same as when Nora entered the library, even though Nora had already gone through a bunch. If the books are variations of her life based on her decisions in her root life, and she is unconscious, how can there be more realities? Or is this just to illustrate the magnitude of “infinity”?

Where I think this book could have incorporated some more interesting sci-if aspects is with the librarian and the system. When there is that “transfer error”(?) I thought it was going to be more exciting and computer-y

It's a 3.5 for me. It has so much potential and I really loved the concepts around the gifts, the world building and the relationships in the book.

But the pace really prevented me from enjoying it. I caught myself many times thinking “wait, how did she get there?”, “how long has passed?” Or “how far were they?”.
Do note that I listened to the audiobook, and this pace issue might be due to that specific production.

However, I think a bit more time to rest on new scenes, characters and environments, or to let the relationships blossom more organically would have made this book a stunner!

Spoilers aheadThis book reminded me of [b:Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow 58784475 Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow Gabrielle Zevin https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1636978687l/58784475.SY75.jpg 89167797] by Gabrielle Zevin. Both have potentially good stories but struggle to engage due to their beautiful prose, which, unfortunately, makes it hard to connect with the characters.As I started reading, I was moved by the story of love and connection in times of war. It reminded me of [b:As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow 57390604 As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow Zoulfa Katouh https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1642433141l/57390604.SX50.jpg 89844864] by Zoulfa Katouh. It provided a view into a hardship I've never experienced, helping me develop empathy for those who do and grow to care about the characters, hoping for a ‘happy ending' or at least a resolution to their pain.But similarly to [b:Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow 58784475 Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow Gabrielle Zevin https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1636978687l/58784475.SY75.jpg 89167797], it was a book of ‘nearly misses.' A story of converging and diverging, but never really touching. It left me feeling like I was robbed of something. This book doesn't make any promises, and it's not meant to soothe or satisfy you. It's an exhibit of humanity in all its pretty, ugly, and honest faces.As someone who generally needs either a deep connection to characters or unexpected plots to stay engaged, I found this book difficult to finish.The incongruity is that, as I read, I felt like I was listening to a piece of art. I recognize the beauty in how it's written, showing the full spectrum of experiences, following a story of hardship, and even imagining a world without frontiers. The societal and political implications were thought-provoking.But as the story moved forward in the timeline, sometimes randomly giving us peeks into other stories and sometimes jumping ahead years, days, or hours, it felt disorienting. I felt like I was on skates, trying to grab pieces of the story laid along my path, but only had time to take what was within my reach. I constantly felt like something was missing.I am really torn. I know I liked it and that it's a unique and beautiful book, but I also don't think it's for everyone. Like art, I'd compare it to an abstract piece. There are so many interpretations, and the structure is loose, letting each viewer make what they want of it. I think it succeeded in this, as evidenced by the varied sentiments in its reviews.My main struggle was wanting a happy resolution so badly that I forgot the story was meant to feel real. Not everyone can just get up and leave; leaving is a hard decision. We humans are inclined to choose safety, even if accompanied by misery, over risk and potential reward.Now, about the doors... I see that many people have issues with them since they change the story from a deep look into love in times of war to a political piece with space travel. I actually didn't hate it. Without it, I think it would have felt too close to [b:As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow 57390604 As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow Zoulfa Katouh https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1642433141l/57390604.SX50.jpg 89844864]. When the doors were introduced, while super confusing, eventually, when I got a better understanding, I found it refreshing. I liked seeing the political and societal connotations. I liked thinking dreamily about the possibilities but being brought back to reality.However, when they started travelling through these doors, I lost track of the conflict. It was much harder to understand what was going on, what kind of worldwide conflict developed, and how it was resolved. I eventually decided to ignore the context and stick to following the protagonists and their ‘almost' love story.Now, back to the protagonists. At some point, particularly after they start drifting apart, I wanted dialogue. An in-depth conversation. Not just being told about what they conversed about. I wanted a real heart-to-heart to expose all the guarded truths and hidden resentments. But alas, we didn't get that. Yeah, they smoked pot and told some truths, but there was so much kept inside. And it was frustrating. Like nearly climaxing but never tipping over. But again, this may have been intentional to expose the human nature of avoiding conflict and fearing resolution.However, after going through so much together and forming a bond through shared trauma, I expected them to be more honest with each other. I understand they felt trapped by their mutual expectations and the promise they made to their father. However, I thought that facing hardships, working in the camps, and struggling to find food, would strip their filters away. Their instinct for survival would kick in, prioritizing their energy for staying alive.Oh well. I'm frustrated and satisfied at the same time. In different ways. But torn, nonetheless.

God, I really want to give FM books a chance. After The Housemaid (only the first one) and Never Lie, I liked the author and hoped I had found my go-to quick-read mystery author.

But, Jesus. I don't think I huffed and rolled my eyes as much as I did while reading this book. The inner monologues of the student and the teacher were nearly identical, nonsensical, and inconsistent.

Sometimes, the student would have way too mature thoughts and then switch to incredibly naive ones. Similarly, the teacher, who is supposed to be in her 30s (?), also had very normal for her age thoughts and then suddenly had very immature thoughts. I legitimately had such a hard time remembering whose perspective I was reading many times in the book.

The twists were less than mild. One was very predictable, the other felt like it was breezed through, and it felt inconsequential even though it was obviously morally as bad as her husband.

I feel bad for leaving such a negative review, but after The Inmate and The Coworker, I just don't think it will get better. Even thinking about all these books, the women's inner monologues seem similarly naive and lacking in common sense. They're predictable and flat.

For what it's worth, as I mentioned above, I recommend The Housemaid (only the first one) and Never Lie. Those are the good ones.

If you want to feel warm and cozy while having a few laughs, then this is a must-read. Remarkably Bright Creatures is one of those books you are so happy to have read because it makes you appreciate life just a bit more. It reminded me of the feeling I had after reading Matt Haig's The Midnight Library and Humans.

** Some spoilers below **

At first, I was a little confused. I wasn't sure if it was a multi-timeline situation or how the characters related to each other. However, around the 15% mark, everything became much clearer.

I loved the characters and the relationships they built, particularly between Marcellus and Tova. Marcellus reminded me of the octopus from Finding Dory. He's an over-intellectual grump who craves freedom. His initial perspective on humans, viewing us as helpless beings, was both amusing and thought-provoking. Over time, he develops love and empathy for Tova, and I felt his frustration as an observer who couldn't easily intervene, watching him become desperate and doing whatever it takes to help.

Throughout the book, I appreciated all the synchronicities and felt deeply connected to Marcellus's emotions, frustrations, and eagerness to assist.

I also really enjoyed Cameron's themes of avoidance and low self-worth, as well as his journey towards accepting love and care. Tova's struggle with loneliness and following the expected path in old age was equally compelling. I felt similarly while watching the TV show Grace and Frankie. This feeling of lack of autonomy and fear of being alone was portrayed so well. It was such a simple but rich story of human connection.

One random thing that left me feeling a little unfinished is that I kind of expected more resolution with the lost body of Tova's son, which added a layer of anticipation to the story. Also, I was screaming “noooo” when Tova decided to sell the house. I felt like it was so important to the history of her family, especially with the discoveries in the end, but I also understand that it carried so many memories and sad moments that she wanted to start over.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It left me with a smile and a feeling of appreciation for being a remarkably bright creature. The well-crafted characters, the touching relationships, and the heartwarming moments make it a truly delightful read.