My Thoughts on: Every Last Fear by Alex Finlay

 

Every Last Fear by Alex Finlay

Publication Date: March 2, 2021 by Minotaur Books

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Source: eARC from the publisher via NetGalley for review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

After a late night of partying, NYU student Matt Pine returns to his dorm room to devastating news: nearly his entire family—his mom, his dad, his little brother and sister—have been found dead from an apparent gas leak while vacationing in Mexico. The local police claim it was an accident, but the FBI and State Department seem far less certain—and they won’t tell Matt why. 

The tragedy makes headlines everywhere because this isn’t the first time the Pine family has been thrust into the media spotlight. Matt’s older brother, Danny—currently serving a life sentence for the murder of his teenage girlfriend Charlotte—was the subject of a viral true crime documentary suggesting that Danny was wrongfully convicted. Though the country has rallied behind Danny, Matt holds a secret about his brother that he’s never told anyone: the night Charlotte was killed Matt saw something that makes him believe his brother is guilty of the crime. 

When Matt returns to his small hometown to bury his parents and siblings, he’s faced with a hostile community that was villainized by the documentary, a frenzied media, and memories he’d hoped to leave behind forever. Now, as the deaths in Mexico appear increasingly suspicious and connected to Danny’s case, Matt must unearth the truth behind the crime that sent his brother to prison—putting his own life in peril—and forcing him to confront his every last fear. 

Told through multiple points-of-view and alternating between past and present, Alex Finlay’s Every Last Fear is not only a page-turning thriller, it’s also a poignant story about a family managing heartbreak and tragedy, and living through a fame they never wanted.

Finlay’s debut, Every Last Fear, was an intriguing and pulse-pounding mystery/thriller. I really enjoyed this book! I never know how I’m going to get along with a thriller, but I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this one. This story kept me guessing and I loved every minute of reading it.

🩸Multiple POVs and Alternating Timelines

Every Last Fear is told in the past and present timelines and there are multiple characters’ point of views. Certain chapters are from Matt’s father’s, mother’s, and sister’s perspectives in the past, and other chapters are from Matt’s perspective in the present. Readers also get the perspective of the FBI agent assigned to the case, Sarah Keller. There is also some documentary footage interspersed throughout the book. I really love when books feature documentary footage or podcasts. I also really loved the use of past and present timelines and the multiple POVs, although it was a little difficult to follow in the beginning. 

🩸Many Questions

I had many questions while reading this book. What really happened to this family? Why would someone want to kill them? Did Matt’s older brother Danny really kill his girlfriend? Is someone after Matt? What secrets are these characters hiding? 

🩸Interesting Characters 

I thought all the characters were very interesting and well-written. Matt has to deal with the loss of his father, mother, sister, and brother, while trying to find out what happened to them. Matt’s older brother Danny is in prison for the murder of his girlfriend, but did he really kill her or was he framed? In the past, Matt’s father, Evan, desperately tries to find evidence to get Danny freed from prison; and Matt’s mother, Liv, and sister, Maggie, both have secrets that are eating away at them.

🩸Thrilling Read

Overall, Every Last Fear, is a thrilling mystery that I highly recommend. This was a gripping page-turner and I had so much fun reading it. I will definitely be reading Finlay’s future books. Mystery/thriller lovers should absolutely pick this one up!

Thanks for Reading!

My Thoughts on: The Castle School (for Troubled Girls) by Alyssa Sheinmel

 

The Castle School (for Troubled Girls) by Alyssa Sheinmel

Publication Date: March 2, 2021 by Sourcebooks Fire

Genre: YA Contemporary 

Source: eARC from publisher via NetGalley for review.

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

When Moira Dreyfuss’s parents announce that they’re sending her to an all-girls boarding school deep in the Maine woods, Moira isn’t fooled. She knows her parents are punishing her; she’s been too much trouble since her best friend, Nathan, died―and for a while before that. At the Castle School, isolated from the rest of the world, Moira will be expected to pour her heart out to the odd headmaster, Dr. Prince. But she isn’t interested in getting over Nathan’s death or befriending her fellow students.

On her first night there, Moira hears distant music. On her second, she discovers the lock on her window is broken. On her third, she and her roommate venture outside…and learn that they’re not so isolated after all. There’s another, very different, Castle School nearby―this one filled with boys whose parents sent them away, too.

Moira is convinced that the Castle Schools and the doctors who run them are hiding something. But exploring the schools will force Moira to confront her overwhelming grief―and the real reasons her parents sent her away.

I really was excited to read this story because it sounded interesting, but this book was nothing like I thought it would be. The synopsis made this sound like a mystery/thriller and it was nothing like that. There’s a small mystery, but this is mainly a contemporary about dealing with grief and learning to accept loss in your life. I really liked the author’s writing, but I probably wouldn’t have read this if I had known it was a contemporary. I don’t read that many contemporaries, especially ones that depict mental illness, because they hit too close to home. If you’re expecting a mystery/thriller based off of the synopsis and the book’s cover, that is not what you’re going to get.

This story is told mainly from Moira’s point of view, but every couple of chapters focuses on each of Moira’s fellow classmates and what brought them to the school. I liked getting a little peek into each of the girls’ lives and finding out what led them to the castle school. I definitely liked the beginning of the story because the school seemed mysterious and I thought there was going to be this big mystery and maybe murder. However, I was disappointed when I got to about halfway in and realized that nothing exciting was happening and that this was not going to be the mystery/thriller that I was hoping for. 

Overall, I was disappointed because the story was not what I was expecting. I will definitely check out other books from the author since I really did enjoy the writing. If you are looking for a contemporary that deals with serious topics, then you should definitely read this one, but I wouldn’t recommend this book if you’re looking for a mystery/thriller.

Thanks for reading!

3 Oni Press Graphic Novel Mini Reviews

 

Here are 3 mini reviews of upcoming Oni Press graphic novels. I love reading graphic novels and Oni Press is one of my favorite publishers of graphic novels.

*All 3 graphic novels were eARCS from the publisher via NetGalley for review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Secrets of Camp Whatever by Chris Grine

Publication Date: March 16, 2021

Genre: Middle Grade Graphic Novel

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Eleven year-old Willow doesn’t want to go to her dad’s weird old summer camp any more than she wants her family to move to the weird old town where that camp is located. But her family—and fate itself—seem to have plans of their own. Soon Willow finds herself neck-deep in a confounding mystery involving stolen snacks, suspected vampires, and missing campers, all shrouded in the sinister fog that hides a generation of secrets at Camp … Whatever it’s called.

Secrets of Camp Whatever was a cute graphic novel. I really liked the artwork, and many of the creepy characters reminded me of Scooby Doo villains. I love reading stories that take place in a summer camp, especially a summer camp filled with monsters! The main character is deaf and I liked the inclusion of a disabled MC. I’m glad there’s going to be another volume because I enjoyed this story and I’m curious to see where it goes.

Martian Ghost Centaur by Mat Heagerty

Publication Date: March 16, 2021

Genre: Young Adult Graphic Novel

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The town of Southborough used to be a major tourism destination, drawing folks from all over in the hopes they’d spot the famous Sasquatch, reportedly seen in the town many times over the years. But it’s been ages since anyone’s spotted the ‘squatch, and tourism is starting to dry up. A tech company called Start-up.com (a start-up that helps people start their own start-ups) decides to begin buying up places all over town in order to build their techie headquarters, driving out all the local townspeople. Luckily, Southborough is also home to Louie O’Connor, firm believer in the Sasquatch’s existence and all-around, mega ’squatch fan.

When Louie’s dads’ restaurant, Squatch Burger, starts to go under and fall prey to the techie start-up, Louie and her best friend Felix decide they’ll do whatever it takes to save the town from losing all the people and places that make it special. In hopes that convincing people the Sasquatch is real and to drive back tourism, Louie and Felix plan an elaborate hoax in hopes of saving the town from the dot-com takeover. But when Felix starts talking about leaving their hometown for college in LA, Louie will have to face some tough questions about herself, her future career, and her place in her beloved hometown.

I really was excited to read Martian Ghost Centaur because it sounded so good, and I really did enjoy it. This was another cute graphic novel. I really loved the colorful cartoon-like artwork and the story was so much fun. The characters were all diverse and interesting. I loved the friendship between the main characters, Louie and Felix. This is definitely a graphic novel that I would buy to read again.

Rogue Planet by Cullen Bunn

Publication Date: March 9, 2021

Genre: Sci-Fi/Horror Graphic Novel

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️

Salvage vessel Cortes tracks the Lonely Orphan, a planet with no star system to call its own. Somewhere on this hostile rock is a payload fit for a king. To attain it, though, the crew of the Cortes must brave razor rock, poisonous vapors, treacherous footing, and… the most mind-numbing horrors imaginable. Struggling to stay alive, they are beset at every turn by horrors from their own nightmares. Now, they have discovered that they are not alone on the planet, and the other inhabitants welcome them… as sacrifices to an elder god.

Stranded on a vicious, murderous, seemingly intelligent planet, the crew of the Cortes must reevaluate what it truly means to survive, and what they are willing to do in order to spare their own lives.

Rogue Planet is a sci-if/horror graphic novel that is gory and gruesome at times. I think the artwork is nice, and parts of the story were exciting, but the plot felt too similar to other sci-fi horror stories and films out there, especially the Alien movies. The story was too confusing at times and hard to follow. I was not a fan of the darker coloring, but that’s a personal preference since I tend to like brighter coloring in graphic novels. I wanted more from the story, and unfortunately, I did not enjoy this one. 

My Thoughts on: The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins

 

The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins

Publication Date: January 5, 2021 by St. Martin’s Press

Genre: Adult Mystery/Thriller 

Source: I received this eARC from the publisher via NetGalley

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 

Meet Jane. Newly arrived to Birmingham, Alabama, Jane is a broke dog-walker in Thornfield Estates––a gated community full of McMansions, shiny SUVs, and bored housewives. The kind of place where no one will notice if Jane lifts the discarded tchotchkes and jewelry off the side tables of her well-heeled clients. Where no one will think to ask if Jane is her real name.

But her luck changes when she meets Eddie Rochester. Recently widowed, Eddie is Thornfield Estates’ most mysterious resident. His wife, Bea, drowned in a boating accident with her best friend, their bodies lost to the deep. Jane can’t help but see an opportunity in Eddie––not only is he rich, brooding, and handsome, he could also offer her the kind of protection she’s always yearned for.

Yet as Jane and Eddie fall for each other, Jane is increasingly haunted by the legend of Bea, an ambitious beauty with a rags-to-riches origin story, who launched a wildly successful southern lifestyle brand. How can she, plain Jane, ever measure up? And can she win Eddie’s heart before her past––or his––catches up to her?

I have read some of Hawkins’ young adult books and enjoyed them, so I was interested to check out an adult book from her. I was super excited to read The Wife Upstairsbecause it sounded like it was going to be an interesting read, especially since it was supposed to be a modern twist on Jane Eyre. I thought I was going to love this book, but it ended up being an average read for me.

The beginning of the book definitely intrigued me, but the story became way too predictable and I guessed a lot of what was going to happen early on. This was a quick read, and I like fast-paced thrillers, but most of the twists did not surprise me. There were also many parts in the story that were very unbelievable.

I do like the author’s writing and I think the characters in this story were well-written. I just found many of the characters to be unlikeable and they became more annoying as the story progressed. I became frustrated reading from their points of view.

Overall, The Wife Upstairs was a decent mystery/thriller that I thought was too predictable. I was hoping for more, so I was let down. You may be interested in reading this story if you are looking for a modern twist on a classic book.