Review: Gemini Falling - Eleanor Wood - October 2013 As part of my 2026 mission to finally clear out the "digital dust" on my Kindle, I dove into Gemini Falling by Eleanor Wood. I went in expecting a sharp, Mean Girls -style drama set in an exclusive private school. The opening hooked me immediately: ‘First of all, let’s get something straight. This is not going to be one of those stories where the school bitch turns out to have a heart of gold.’ I love a book that promises a complex, unrepentant protagonist! But oh boy, "complex" doesn't quite cover where this story went. The story starts with Amie, the reigning Queen Bee, and her loyal second-in-command, Lexy. It’s that classic social hierarchy we all know (and maybe secretly love to read about). But the status quo is shattered when the mysterious twins, Elyse and Melanie, arrive mid-term. These twins aren't just new students; they have this "magnetic power" that completely disrupts the school’...

Review: The Blue Hour - Paula Hawkins - October 2024 There's something deeply unsettling about isolation - the kind that comes with living on an island cut off from the mainland for half of every day. Paula Hawkins understands this instinctively, and in The Blue Hour, she's crafted a novel that exists in contradictions, much like the tidal island of Eris itself. This book was a weird one for me. It moved with the patience of a slow tide, each page deliberate and atmospheric, yet somehow I found myself racing through it. Perhaps it's because Hawkins creates such exquisite tension that even stillness feels urgent. The narrative operates in that liminal space between contemporary fiction and historical mystery . Grace lives on Eris now, solitary and content among the tides, but the island is haunted by the ghost of Vanessa, the famous artist who once called it home, and by her husband who vanished twenty years ago under mysterious circumstances. The premise is deceptively si...

Review: The Last Session - Julia Bartz - April 2025 Oh, how I wanted to love this one! After absolutely devouring Julia Bartz's The Writing Retreat (a solid 5-star read for me), I couldn't wait to sink my teeth into The Last Session. The premise had everything I adore—amnesia, a celebrity lookalike who could be our protagonist's twin, shared secrets between strangers. I settled in with my favorite reading blanket, fully expecting to be swept away. The opening chapters didn't disappoint. The mental institution setting was atmospheric and gripping, pulling me right into Thea's unsettling world. But then our two main characters left those walls, and something shifted. The story took a turn that I can only describe as... odd. I found myself rereading passages, trying to piece together what was happening, feeling a bit lost in the narrative fog. We follow Thea as she trails clues to a remote center tucked away in Southwestern New Mexico, where a charismatic couple runs...

Review: One of Those Faces - Elle Grawl - December 2022 Have you ever finished a book and sat there thinking "What on earth did I just read?" That's exactly how I felt after turning the final page of Elle Grawl's psychological thriller "One of Those Faces." This novel had all the ingredients for a gripping, edge-of-your-seat read - a traumatic childhood, a twin's death, mistaken identities, and a string of murders. Yet somehow, these elements never quite come together in a satisfying way. The story follows Harper Mallen, a children's book illustrator living in Chicago who's haunted by her past. When Harper was ten, her twin sister Issie died, and her father forced her to assume Issie's identity - a psychological trauma that sent her running from home. Now, Harper exists in a perpetual state of sleep deprivation, plagued by nightmares of her sister. The plot thickens when women start turning up dead across Chicago - women who all bear an unc...

Review: The Near Daphne Experience - Alison Reynolds - June 2022 Have you ever read a book that you just can't properly explain what you have read? One of those books that if someone asked you what genre it fell into, you can't pinpoint it. For me, The Near Daphne Experience falls into this category. I do have to admit I did finish the book, but it was a weird ride to be on. This book is written completely in letter format and the odd text messages/ psych notes and emails. We have Daphne our main character who works as a psychiatrist and one of her patients is Jonathan who killed his sister Georgia and blames his mother. During the books, we see her notes about each of her sessions with him and she ends up using him in a plan that backfires near the end of the book aka The Red Picnic. I thought of Game of Thrones with this title but it was nowhere as exciting or bloody despite Daphne's hopes. During the book, we read as Daphne corresponds with her Mum Marion, best friend ...

Review: Patricia Wants to Cuddle - Samantha Allen - June 2022 This book caught my attention with its quirky cover and title. It reminded me of a film festival-type read and screamed fun and weird. It was this and more as we are initially introduced to a reality show called The Catch - it is similar to The Bachelor. The show is almost coming to an end with the finals as we are down to four females left vying for the chance to be the chosen one and date Jeremy - our sleazy creepy Bachelor. The four remaining are Vanessa, Renee, Lilah Mae, and Amanda. Each with its roles to play - Renee is black and bisexual, Vanessa is your beauty and brains, Lilah-Mae is your social Christian Influencer, and Amanda - is a beauty but airhead. The semi-finals are being held on a remote island called Otter Island. Things are a bit off though when they arrive, as Dex sees an arm in the water and Mike swerves his car and almost hits a hairy naked big man. During the book, strange things are happening around ...

Review : Device- Free Weekend - Sean Doolittle - February 2023 Have you ever picked up a book that had such great promise, but as you start reading it the book eventually turns to be weird and a big fat mess? That's what Device Free Weekend was like for me, it was one of those books that have left me thinking what the heck did I read and why did I waste my time on this mess? It had so much promise with the seven friends reuniting after twenty/thirty years, at college the group of friends was known as The Stillwater Seven. They haven't seen a lot of each other as the years pass, but one of them is now a major tech mogul billionaire and has brought an island. He wants to treat his friends to a fun reunion catch-up. However, when the friends arrive and are asked to hand over their devices, they do reluctantly and enjoy their night of alcohol and catch-ups. The next morning though, their mogul friend Ryan has vanished and the house is securely locked down and a game begins. The f...