Alex has seemed to hit a dead end. It’s been a year since she had a major following out with her best friend, Wren, and she has suffered from a bad case of writer’s block ever since. So when she was given the opportunity to travel to the remote residence of renowned author (and personal hero) Roza Vallo, to participate in a one month writer’s workshop, she decides to take the opportunity. Yes, Wren will be there but this is a once in a lifetime opportunity and Alex is sure she has what it takes to write a great novel. But once Alex arrives at Roza’s estate, she soon learns that the easy writing retreat won’t be what she expects. Between Wren’s presence, Roza’s bipolar mood swings, and the creepy house, the stress and tension reaches a fever pitch. One of the fellow writers goes missing, Alex begins to suspect that something more sinister is afoot.
The Writing Retreat was one of my most anticipated books of 2023 and I was so happy to start reading it when the air became a bit cooler so the atmosphere was just right. As a fellow writer, I found the tension, stress, and anxiety the five applicants were going through during the writing process to be very accurate and I either cringed or felt pity for any one of them when something didn’t go right. And that’s even before Roza is thrown into the mix! Which leads to a major strength of the book. The character development in this debut novel is exceptionally well done. I felt all the characters were flushed out well and I very much appreciate that Ms. Bartz actually created characters who reacted appropriately when strange things begin to happen. Granted, we still have one or two that thinks nothing is amiss, but we also have others that are very much “Get me the hell out of here” when one of the writers going missing.
The book is a very quick read that can be easily digested in one sitting. For the last 150 pages of the book I read it straight through, something I rarely do either because my schedule doesn’t allow it or because I need to take a break. In this one, I could not break away. Discovering what is really going on and who Roza really is was too tempting to not continue. There is also very good representation in this book so if you are looking for a story with LGBTQ+ themes I would suggest picking this book up.
The reason why The Writing Retreat was not a full five stars for me was because the ending could have been worked on a bit more. The lead-up to the finale was very well done, but the conclusion of Roza’s character felt a bit incomplete to me. I would have liked a different ending for the surviving characters, although I do appreciate the ending Ms. Bartz gave Alex.
Overall, this is a very solid 4.5 stars for me. I’ve seen a lot of mixed reactions to this book and this might very well be because of the ending but I wouldn’t allow that to discourage you from picking this thriller up.
It’s 1942 and Aphrodite, the Goddess of Love, has been caught in the middle of an affair with Ares, the God of War, by her husband, Hephaestus. He’s prepared to take Aphrodite before all the other gods and condemn her but she requests that he hear her story first, to explain why love and war always go together. Back to the first world war, Aphrodite tells the story of James and Hazel, and Colette and Aubrey. These four individuals, all from vastly different backgrounds, manage to find love during this horrific war. But, can their love withstanding the trials they will face and if so, will their love be enough to keep them together?
This is a unique story, based off the fact that the love stories are telling from the Greek gods’ perspective. Throughout the book, Ms. Berry attempts to try and explain why people fall in love during wartime, a cliche that many of us, myself include, swoon over. For the mast part, Ms. Berry does answer this question while also allowing some wiggle room to allow the reader to draw their own conclusion.
Lovely War tells the love stories of two couples, and while James and Hazel’s story is beautiful, sweet, and well told, I found the relationship between Colette and Aubrey to be more interesting. Colette is a Belgian whose family is killed by the German Army and Aubrey is an African American soldier who faces prejudice and violence among his fellow comrades. I felt like their story should have been given a bit more attention but what Ms. Berry did do with it was lovely and original.
Though the book is almost 500 pages, I would argue that you shouldn’t be persuaded by this to not read it. The chapters are very short, and you can read a bunch of it in one sitting. That being said, you do have to give it a little bit of time to get going but once it does you’ll be happy you stuck with it. Another note is that while Lovely War is considered Young Adult, it didn’t read that way to me and I think both young and older readers will appreciate Ms. Berry’s storytelling.
Overall this is a well done story with a strong message about love, and does a very good job of trying to explain why we love so hard in dark times.
Margaret Lennox is recently widowed and in dire need of a job as a governess, not just for financial security but to escape the ghosts of her past. When she is offered a position at the mysterious Hartwood Hall, Margaret accepts with little hesitation. There she becomes the governess to a young boy named Louis, whose mother, Mrs. Eversham, is an enigma to Margaret, often leaving on business and seemingly having a crippling fear about Louis visiting the neighboring town. But while Margaret is able to ignore Mrs. Eversham’s odd behavior, she can not escape the feeling that something is not right with Hartwood Hall. From rumored sightings of ghosts to dark secrets about Mrs. Eversham and Louis being revealed, Margaret realizes that she will need to be careful of her surroundings if she wants to ensure this won’t be her last governess position.
I picked this book up almost on a whim, as it was part of Barnes and Noble’s end of the summer sale. The premise sounded very interesting, seemingly heavily inspired by Jane Eyre. The book certainly does have that vibe and although you can sort of guess where the book is going with it’s ending, it was still very enjoyable and atmospheric. Ms. Lumsden did a great job writing the book, using the language and descriptions that you would expect to find in a dark gothic novel set in the 1800s, or even written during that time period. The characters are all very well developed and there was a good little twist at the end.
While there are strengths to the book, the plot could be described as fairly predictable, especially if you have already read Jane Eyre and similar books. I was able to guess the mystery of Hartwood Hall about halfway through the book and while, like I mentioned before, there was a twist at the end of the book, it wasn’t enough to make the book go from a four to a five staring rate.
Nonetheless, this debut novel by Ms. Lumsden is very well written and a great start to what I am sure will be a very interesting writing career.
Patricia has seemingly the perfect life; a successful husband, two beautiful children, a cheery dog, and a nice home in Charleston, South Carolina. But she lacks friends so she joins a local book club. They read boring, unaspiring books and Patricia wonders about quitting, until several other women break away and form their own non-book club, where they read true crime books and attempt to solve murders themselves. Fast forward a couple of years and Patricia considers Grace, Slick, Kitty, and Maryellen her best friends, who she can go to with anything.
And she’ll need them more than ever.
After a frightening encounter with her neighbor, a mysterious man named James Harris moves into the neighborhood and disrupts Patricia’s normal life. While initially befriending the stranger, Patricia begins to suspect something is not right when a string of children begin to disappear. As Patricia investigates the disappearances, and questions her own sanity, she’ll turn to her book club friends to solve the case.
They better bring their stacks.
Grady Hendrix is a horror author that has grown in popularity over the last couple of years with his fun, campy horror novels. The Southern Book Club is his most famous book and does encompass many of the traits he is known for; friendship, vivid horror scenes, and humor. he book has a lot of strong qualities to it, particularly the character development. When we meet Patricia, she is a stereotypical Southern belle who puts her husband and children first. Her book club is her escape but when someone poses a threat to her happy existence, Patricia learns to push back her introverted personality and take risks to protect her friends and family. Her fellow book club members also have good character development although the character of Grace could have received a little bit more focus as she is seemingly the only one of the group who doesn’t grow much by the end of the book.
The horror elements of this book are also very good. I’m not a huge horror reader and appreciate that while Mr. Hendrix does have some scary scenes in the book, they weren’t so terrifying that I couldn’t sleep. He knows how to mix horror and comedy well, providing a book that can be read by multiple people and not just by humor fans. The other real strength of this book is Mr. Hendrix’s ability to get the reader to sympathize for Patricia. Halfway through the book, Patricia begins to experience some bad luck and as the reader I wanted to scream at the supporting characters for not having her back or listening to her. It was frustrating to read but a sign that the author has done a good job of making you care for the character.
While there were many good parts of this book, I did find a few areas that could have been improved. From the summary of the book I was under the impression that the story would be told from multiple perspectives, or at the very least we would get more scenes that focused on other members of the book club. In reality, the story really follows Patricia and while we get her insights and thoughts, we rarely see how the other ladies feel or what they are going through. This is a shame because Patricia does say some revelations about the other ladies, particularly Grace, that I think would have been interesting to follow. It felt like a missed opportunity. Additionally, the ending of the book felt rushed. We are building up to the women doing something about the vampire, but when the conclusion occurs, it felt a bit empty and rushed.
Overall this is a fun book that is perfect for the autumn season. It is also a great pick for a book club and one you’ll want to discuss with friends, asking the question, how would you slay a vampire?
What if man could create life? It’s question that has been asked for centuries but Frankenstein by Mary Shelley was one of the first books in literature to look at the repercussions of doing such a thing.
The story of Frankenstein is well known. Victor Frankenstein decides to create life but when his Creature starts to think on his own, violence and death plague Victor and his loved ones. Victor is determined to get rid of the vile creature, but can he do it before he loses everything he holds dear?
Frankenstein is one of those pieces of literature that has had such an impact on society and has had so many variations of the story told that the true meaning of Ms. Shelley’s work can sometimes get lost. As a result, while I knew the general idea of what the story was, I went into the book not quite sure what to expect.
The book is a quick read, under 300 pages, and though the book bares the trademarks of a classic book, i.e. long paragraphs, very descriptive language that borders on being too long, and very little dialogue, it is an excellent story with a strong message to the reader and to society. What is even more astounding about the book is that the idea for it came to Ms. Shelley one night during a dream and while she must have tightened the story and added to it when she sat down to write it, the fact that she had this idea is just unbelievable.
Though this is an easy story to get through, I do wish we might have had more character development with some of the characters. While Victor and the Creature are flushed out, the supporting characters like Henry and Elizabeth could have used some more intention. However, in my experience with classic novels, that seems to have been the norm unfortunately.
Nonetheless, Frankenstein is a classic for a reason and it’s because its message is as relevant today as it was over two hundred years ago. If you are looking to get into reading classic novels, Ms. Shelley’s timeless novel is an excellent place to get started.
Naomi, Cassidy, and Olivia are best friends. Despite their differing backgrounds, the three form a strong bond that is challenged when they are eleven years old. While in the woods play a game they created, the Goddess Game, the three are attacked. Cassidy and Olivia escape unharmed but Naomi is stabbed numerous times, barely clinging to life. But they saw the man who attacked Naomi and with their positive identification and the revelation that the man killed several other women, Naomi’s attacker is locked up for there. As far as anyone is concerned the case is closed.
Naomi thought the same. Now grown up and a wedding photographer, Naomi has moved away from her small town but is still haunted by that night in the woods. When she receives a call that the man who attacked her has died in prison, Naomi doesn’t feel relief, especially when Olivia wants her, Cassidy, and Naomi to meet and reveal what really happened that night. As Naomi begins to question what she saw that night, secrets are revealed along with the haunting realization that Naomi’s friends might not be who they appear to be.
This is my first Kate Alice Marshall book and also her first adult book. I can say with confidence that this will not be the last book I pick up from Ms. Marshall. From the start I was hooked, wanting to read one more chapter to find out what happened that fateful night. For the most part, the book was reading like a four star but the ending pushed it to being a five star. The revelation of what happened that fateful night is masterfully put together and the big reveal is jaw dropping while also believable, with Ms. Marshall dropping small little hints throughout the book.
The character development was good but the mood of the book was excellent, creating an environment of tension and suspicion among not just the supporting characters but Naomi herself, who is narrating the story. Is she telling the whole truth? Can she be trusted? Soon the reader finds themself questioning everybody and only stops when the last page is flipped.
There isn’t anything about this story that I would change. I will say that the book does read like a traditional thriller, with some similar plot elements that one might see in other mystery/thrillers so if you are expecting something completely different and unique than perhaps you won’t be a big fan. However, I thoroughly enjoyed it and found it be a quick read and very atmospheric for the fall season.
In 1971 Ann Rule is struggling. She has separated from her husband, is raising four children almost by herself, and she has a struggling career as a crime writer. Despite her many responsibilities, Ann has decided to volunteer for the night shift at a suicide prevention hotline center. There, Ann befriends a young college student named Ted, Ted Bundy. To Ann, there is nothing amiss about Ted but as young women begin to disappear and Ann works to put the pieces together, she is forced to wonder if her friend Ted might not be all he appears to be.
Often coined as the first definitive biography of serial killer Ted Bundy, The Stranger Beside Me is not necessarily a book I would gravitate towards. Just having a broad idea about serial killers and their heinous crimes is typically enough for me, but I also think it is important to know how these killers got to their victims and what are the warning signs. Bundy in particular is an excellent example of how killers can’t be stereotyped. As Ann shows in her book, Bundy was intelligent, educated, and good-looking, seemingly the exact opposite of what a serial killer should be. He was charming and charismatic, creating a false sense of security for the people around him, including Ann.
I’m not going to focus on Bundy in this review for everything that could be said about him has been said and frankly I picked up this book, after seeing it being recommended by a BookTuber, because of Ann herself. She has one of the most unique stories in true crime, knowing Bundy before, during, and after his killing spree. When Ann first meets Bundy, she is in a vulnerable spot and Bundy proves to be someone she can confine in. They form a strong friendship and one that Ann values. So much so that it will be years before Ann fully realizes the horrible crimes her friend has committed and she recognizes his guilt.
The real strength of this book is Ann herself and the conflicting feelings she expresses throughout Bundy’s crimes. Though we can now look back and see the warning signs that Ann missed, the reader can also understand Ann’s apprehension to immediately condemn her friend. And she wasn’t the only one who felt that way. Very early on many of Bundy’s former work friends, acquaintances, family, and girlfriends came to his defense, insisting an intelligent man like their Ted would never hurt a woman. They would all end up being sadly mistaken.
Throughout the book I found myself asking what I would do if I was in Ann’s shoes. Would I believe it if some of the facts of the murders look like it pointed to one of my friends? I would like to think so, but I also think I would have the same mixed feelings as Ann. Could he be framed? Was it just a coincidence? Could the police be wrong? All these questions Ann found herself asking and while she did do her due diligence of letting the Washington police know she did have a friend named Ted who looked like the man seen with two of the victims, she still didn’t believe he could be responsible. However, by the time Bundy’s trial comes along in Florida, Ann is forced to finally see the truth and realize that the young, kind man she met all those years before had never existed.
The book is heavily detailed and excellently researcher. Ann does not hold back in revealing the horrendous details of the murders but also telling the reader who these victims were; young women with hopes and dreams, just beginning their lives with the world at their feet. It’s heartbreaking, terrifying, and top tier true crime reporting. Though the additional sections Ann added after the book’s original publication in 1980 could have been condensed or left out, this was still a very well done biography about a monster.
If there is anything positive that can come out of this story it is that we now know killers can come in any form; an uneducated loner, a middle-class family man, or an intelligent, or a smooth talking law student.
And trust your dog. They know an evil person before you even catch on.
The year is 1955 and Anna has been released from the hellish Gulag system in the Soviet Union. As she stares out at the Ob River she is approached by a stranger, later revealed to us as a fellow former inmate named Zakhary. As the two former inmates wait for transportation they fall into conversation about how they ended up in such a hellish place.
For Anna, it began when she decided to spend the summer of 1941 with her aunt Nina, desperate to get away from her Party conscious father and brother, who dismiss her dreams of becoming an operetta actress and believe she should chose something more practical and more in line with serving the Soviet Union. Yet, the pleasant and carefree summer Anna dreamed is obliterated when the Germans invade and Anna’s aunt goes missing.
As she recalls her story, Zakhary also remembers his past. At the end of the war Zakhary and his unit, made entirely of exiled Cossacks, hand themselves over to the British. They are promised fair treatment and that they won’t be returned to the Soviet Union, who many Cossacks openly despise and fear as they had fought against them during the Russian Civil War. For Zakhary, he not only worries about himself but for his wife and unborn son. The war is now over, he reasons, and he can begin to build the life he always wanted.
So, how was it that Anna and Zakhary became prisoners of the Soviet Union? As it turns out, the reason might be more shocking than anyone realized.
First, I wish to thank Marina Osipova for so kindly giving me an early copy of her book. I’ve followed Ms. Osipova’s works for a while now and she is not only a gifted storyteller but an author who isn’t afraid to write about the tragedies that seemed to follow all Soviet citizens, both within and outside their country. The Drau River Flows to Siberia: The Victims of Victory might be her most eye opening story yet as it retells an event that very few people today know about.
The basis for this book is the Yalta Conference in which the British and Americans willfully (and this cannot be emphasized enough) agreed to hand over all Soviet POWs, forced laborers, and Cossacks to the Soviet Union. Now, one might argue that the British and Americans knew nothing about the horrific Gulag system that awaited these men and women but we know that is far from the truth and stories about Stalin’s brutality had appeared in Western media not long after he had taken control. So, they knew what they were agreeing to but, in order to keep the peace with Stalin, the British and Americans willingly allowed thousands of people to be worked to death.
Naturally, as a reader and knowing Anna and Zakhary’s stories, this infuriated me to no end.
Now, one could get into a huge debate about whether all inmates did or did not deserve what happened to them but that is beside the point for this review. The characters of Anna and Zakhary are used to show the horrible predicament many innocent people found themselves in after the war. Many had suffered greatly, losing family and friends and being abused by the Axis forces. Yet many still held onto their dream of going home one day and reuniting with the few loved ones they still had left. When the war ended and they were promised a safe return to their country, many felt as if their nightmare had finally ended, not realizing that a new one was just beginning.
Anna and Zakhary are faced with unimaginable hardships, making seemingly impossible decisions and somehow finding the courage and drive to survive their imprisonment. Both characters are excellently written and developed in this character driven story, and as the reader we cry for their pain, cheer them on when they have little successes, and feel relief for them when they finally succeed. The story is well paced and the epilogue provides the closure the reader craves by the end.
A murder is committed. A suspect is tried and convicted. It should be the end of the story, but for Oliver Marks it was only the beginning.
Ten years ago Oliver Marks was convicted of murdering a fellow student at the prestigious arts university he attended. The victim was part of Oliver’s inner circle of friends and while Oliver admitted to the murders, it hasn’t be adding up for his remaining group of friends and the detective in charge of the case. Now, Oliver is being released and the detective is retiring. Before they go their separate ways, the detective has a favor to ask Oliver. Could he tell him what really happened ten years ago? Oliver agrees, telling a sordid tale of obsession, lies, and secrets that, when it is over, reveals the complicated truth of what really happened that fateful night out on the lake.
Ms. Rio’s book, set at a university where the students are trained to be Shakespearean actors, has become a staple of the dark academia genre. Sometimes coined as a modern version of Donna Tartt’s classic The Secret History, If We Were Villains is a must read for anyone in the dark academia genre and it is a conclusion I completely agree with.
From the start the reader gets the sense that something is off both with Oliver’s initial story that he told the police and what is occurring in the group of friends once Oliver begins telling the story. The friends all come off as being supportive of one another but some resentment has begun to blossom and when the cast for the upcoming play Julius Caesar is announced, these tensions reach a boiling point. Once the murder is committed, the reader witness the remaining students’ slow descent into madness and their desire to do anything to avoid being caught. All this tension and plot building is done exceedingly well and highlights how well the story is written.
The characters are all well developed and Oliver as the narrator provides the reader with compelling commentary while also asking if Oliver is telling the whole truth or if he is leaving details out to protect the others. The characters are perhaps the greatest strength of this book and why the story is so compelling. To the outside, they are ordinary students with a touch of the theatrical but when crisis erupts in their midst, they all begin to spiral and think of how to protect themselves from outsiders looking in.
The ending of this book and who was responsible for the murder is both shocking and well worth the wait. By the time the murderer is revealed the reader may have a sense of who has done it, but the twist that Ms. Rio provides is enough to throw the reader for a loop.
There is nothing about this book that I would change and I could not recommend this book enough. It is an excellent dark academia book and though not necessarily the best mystery I have ever read, there is enough questions and suspense to keep you hooked until the very last page.
I turn to the last page, my heart thumping in my chest as I read the final line. It’s all come down to this and as I swallow the last three words, my mind is abuzz with a dozen thoughts I couldn’t decipher. As I closed the back cover I had expected to feel a rush of euphoria but instead all I felt was an unpleasant taste in my mouth and that awful thought that all readers seem to dread thinking.
That was it?
Perhaps, as you are reading this, you are laughing or feeling a shiver down your spine as your mind recalls that last book that you asked that question about. It’s not a pleasant feeling, especially if you are an avid reader like myself. Soon, you find yourself spiraling into a hole of questions. Had I missed something? Should I go back and re-read the whole thing? What was the appeal of this book anyways? Am I too dumb to realize it? Why oh why did I even pick this book up in the first place?
Yet, in addition these questions, I was also pricked by another unpleasant thought and one I have asked before. Why was this book so hyped up anyways?
Hyped books in general can be a slippery slope and one I have gone down a few times, though sometimes with pleasant results. For example, the beloved Finlay Donovan Is Killing It is turning out to be one of my favorite books of the year. But, I can also recall a few others that I didn’t reciprocate the adoration for.
As a writer and beginning blogger I spend a lot of time on social media and follow many fellow book-related creators, who are always recommending their favorite books and this book I finished despairing over was perhaps one of the most hyped books in the book universe and hence why I dread writing it.
(Image Credit: Goodreads)
The Secret History by Donna Tartt.
No! You can’t be serious? Are you sure? I can practically hear someone shouting these questions into their computer and I find
myself shuddering at the idea. Alas, it is true and believe me, it hurts me as much as it hurts you.
But I can also imagine someone reading this and asking, what the hell is The Secret History?
This 1992 book is often considered a modern classic and is essentially the grandfather of the now highly popular dark academia genre, which exploded during the COVID-19 pandemic and a genre which I do like reading, despite the often dark topics. The story follows our narrator, Richard, who gets accepted into a highly selective college in Vermont. A fan of the Greek language, history, and culture, Richard manages to nag a coveted position as one of only six students allowed to study the Classics under a charismatic teacher named Julian. The other five students are highly eclectic and a bit unusual, to say the least. The leader of the group is Henry, the poster boy for many a BookTok obsessed individual. He’s highly intelligent, overly polite but also a bit standoffish and odd. His closest friend is Edmund, nicknamed Bunny, who is fun loving and outspoken, but also someone who needs to learn a thing or two about financial budgeting and keeping his mouth shut. There are the twins, Charles and Camilla, who are inseparable and overly welcoming to Richard. Finally, there’s Francis, who is a bit of a nervous Nelly but also the closest thing Richard will have to a best friend. But while everything might seem rosy, that is far from the truth and when one of the friends threatens to expose a dark secret the others decide to make a fateful decision; commit murder.
Intriguing right? That’s what I thought and not even the nearly six hundred pages was enough to deter me from picking it up. The novel is set up into two “books” and the first one is excellent, building tension and the plot. When the murder occurs 250+ pages in, I’m not even bothered that it took quite a while to get to it and I excitedly began reading the second half of the book. It had over three hundred pages left so I anticipated a lot of stuff to happen.
I should have stopped there.
I’m not going to reveal any spoilers but I was highly disappointed. For a book that started off so promisingly, I was left in a pool of frustration when it came to a close and it forced me to answer an important question, can books be overhyped and, if they are, why are we so afraid of saying so?
Though our society has become more tolerant and more open to differing opinions, when it comes to certain books, some opinions are not always wanted. Let’s look at classic books, particularly two you have undoubtedly heard of and perhaps even read; Pride and Prejudice and The Great Gatsby.
(Image Credit: Goodreads)
The Jane Austen classic is highly acclaimed by readers and critics alike, to the point that it has become the blueprint for romance books that followed. I read this book when I was an undergraduate in college and enjoyed it. Didn’t love itbut didn’t have many complaints. My fellow classmates also liked it, and that seems to be the general consensus though there are those who are borderline obsessed with it (no judgement, there are worse things to be obsessed with). Looking over the numbers on Goodreads, only 2% of the over four million people who reviewed and rated the book gave it one star. But that’s not what’s interesting. What is telling is how people reacted to these negative reviews. One reviewer had posted their review shortly after they read it when they were seventeen and had since added a disclaimer. The disclaimer stated that while the reviewer hadn’t re-read Pride and Prejudice since they originally read it in high school, they did acknowledge that perhaps they wouldn’t feel the same way now ten years on but pleaded with those reading the review to please stop making comments about their intelligence level. After reading a couple of those comments I soon realized why the reviewer had added that disclaimer. Some individuals were brutal in their review of this person’s opinion and I felt sympathetic for the original reviewer while also applauding them for not being afraid to share their opinion. Still, some of the comments must have stung.
But, there is also something to say about safety in numbers. Going to the opposite side of the spectrum, what about liking a classic book that no one else enjoys, or any book for that matter? That’s where I found myself in my high school literature class a decade ago when my class read The Great Gatsby. Often mandatory reading in the American school system, Gatsby was originally panned by critics when it was released but grew in popularity during World War Two and has since been hailed a classic for showing how unobtainable the American Dream is. When we finished the book, I felt overjoyed at the prospect of discussing the book in class. I loved it, and still love it.
Unfortunately for eager sixteen-year-old me, no one else in my class agreed. The discussion quickly erupted into a bashing of the book, with each of my classmates taking turns in saying what they hated about it. By the time class came to an end I felt as if I had committed a crime by loving the book and I kept my opinion to myself. I thought I had grown past that, recognizing that everyone is entitled to an opinion and I was certainly allowed to speak mine, but flashforward to today after finishing The Secret History and I find myself going back and forth about whether to say anything about the book or to move on to the next.
The danger of a book being overhyped is that it can often lead other individuals to make the wrong assumptions about it and The Secret History seems to be a victim of this. Because of the genre it sparked, I was under the impression that The Secret History was a murder/thriller and that the second half of the book would focus on the investigation, the near hits and misses of the students being caught, and some dramatic twist at the end that would have me spiraling. None of that actually happened. In fact, the book is quite far from a murder mystery and I would classify it more as literary fiction as Ms. Tartt examines several big theories in the book such as how dangerous it can be for a person to live by their aesthetic as opposed to their moral compass, which is strangely ironic given the book sparked an entire aesthetic. Nonetheless, it left me wondering if I would have enjoyed the book if I had known that ahead. Probably not, as my main issues with the story are plot driven. For example, the police investigation into the murdered student’s death is highly underdeveloped. Considering the murdered student had a small circle of friends, I found it strange that the investigators did not interview all five of the remaining characters and it was something I felt would have been jumped on by readers in any other book. Which begs another question relating to why we are afraid to speak out against hyped books; are these books’ flaws forgiven and/or ignored?
The answer to this question is probably not easy to answer as perceived flaws in a story might not be perceived that way by others. Soon we find ourselves in a heavy debate about author intentions, plot devices, and character development, bringing us all back to the original question of can books be so overhyped that we ignore any potential flaws the story can have? I think we can and that is not necessarily wrong. One of my personal favorite books is The Edge of Daylight by Giselle Beaumont, a heavily fictionalized account of Titanic‘s officers on the ill-fated ship’s maiden voyage, including the addition of a female officer. The book is the farthest thing from historical accuracy, there are flaws, and yet every time I pick it up I’m fully invested and love it just as much as I had read it the first time. But, if you were to ask me if I would recommend it, I would but with a cautionary warning for the after mentioned reasons.
(Image Credit: Goodreads)
And I think therein lies the reason why we overhype books. The current political/social situations many people are facing, regardless of where they live in the world, can often make the future look daunting, scary, or hopeless so we look for an escape. Books have been providing people outlets to forget the outside world and have some peace, even if temporary and can we really fault people for that? I can’t, and I do see why so many people loved The Secret History.
Ultimately, there is nothing wrong with loving any book but when it comes to overhyping a book, it can be a bit dangerous. Yes, you want to share a story you absolutely adored (and as an author we love it when our readers hype us up!) but we shouldn’t want to overhype a book to the point that the true intention and message is lost in translation because, as we can all see, that sometimes lead to bitter disappointment and frustration.
I should say now that I do think The Secret History had some good aspects to it. For one, Ms. Tartt is an extraordinarily talented writer that could probably make instructions on how to put together a bookcase sound interesting. The characters are also very well developed and the tension being built throughout the book is exceptionally well done. But, at the end of the day, those positive attributes weren’t enough to counteract my dislike for the parts I felt were lacking.
So what do we do about speaking our minds about disliking a beloved book? Well, from what I learned in my own personal experience that is not always an easy battle. There is always one person in the world who loves a book that you don’t like and that’s okay, but we should also respect one another’s opinions and thoughts. If we do this then, in time, we might be able to eliminate the stigma of sharing controversial opinions about books. Also important to keep in mind is that the person who wrote the book you aren’t liking also has emotions and that, while it’s okay to say you don’t like the story, we shouldn’t go overboard. The book you were reading simply wasn’t for you but perhaps the next one will be.
Alex has seemed to hit a dead end. It’s been a year since she had a major following out with her best friend, Wren, and she has suffered from a bad case of writer’s block ever since. So when she was given the opportunity to travel to the remote residence of renowned author (and personal hero) Roza Vallo, to participate in a one month writer’s workshop, she decides to take the opportunity. Yes, Wren will be there but this is a once in a lifetime opportunity and Alex is sure she has what it takes to write a great novel. But once Alex arrives at Roza’s estate, she soon learns that the easy writing retreat won’t be what she expects. Between Wren’s presence, Roza’s bipolar mood swings, and the creepy house, the stress and tension reaches a fever pitch. One of the fellow writers goes missing, Alex begins to suspect that something more sinister is afoot.
It’s 1942 and Aphrodite, the Goddess of Love, has been caught in the middle of an affair with Ares, the God of War, by her husband, Hephaestus. He’s prepared to take Aphrodite before all the other gods and condemn her but she requests that he hear her story first, to explain why love and war always go together. Back to the first world war, Aphrodite tells the story of James and Hazel, and Colette and Aubrey. These four individuals, all from vastly different backgrounds, manage to find love during this horrific war. But, can their love withstanding the trials they will face and if so, will their love be enough to keep them together?
Margaret Lennox is recently widowed and in dire need of a job as a governess, not just for financial security but to escape the ghosts of her past. When she is offered a position at the mysterious Hartwood Hall, Margaret accepts with little hesitation. There she becomes the governess to a young boy named Louis, whose mother, Mrs. Eversham, is an enigma to Margaret, often leaving on business and seemingly having a crippling fear about Louis visiting the neighboring town. But while Margaret is able to ignore Mrs. Eversham’s odd behavior, she can not escape the feeling that something is not right with Hartwood Hall. From rumored sightings of ghosts to dark secrets about Mrs. Eversham and Louis being revealed, Margaret realizes that she will need to be careful of her surroundings if she wants to ensure this won’t be her last governess position.
Patricia has seemingly the perfect life; a successful husband, two beautiful children, a cheery dog, and a nice home in Charleston, South Carolina. But she lacks friends so she joins a local book club. They read boring, unaspiring books and Patricia wonders about quitting, until several other women break away and form their own non-book club, where they read true crime books and attempt to solve murders themselves. Fast forward a couple of years and Patricia considers Grace, Slick, Kitty, and Maryellen her best friends, who she can go to with anything.
What if man could create life? It’s question that has been asked for centuries but Frankenstein by Mary Shelley was one of the first books in literature to look at the repercussions of doing such a thing.
Naomi, Cassidy, and Olivia are best friends. Despite their differing backgrounds, the three form a strong bond that is challenged when they are eleven years old. While in the woods play a game they created, the Goddess Game, the three are attacked. Cassidy and Olivia escape unharmed but Naomi is stabbed numerous times, barely clinging to life. But they saw the man who attacked Naomi and with their positive identification and the revelation that the man killed several other women, Naomi’s attacker is locked up for there. As far as anyone is concerned the case is closed.
A murder is committed. A suspect is tried and convicted. It should be the end of the story, but for Oliver Marks it was only the beginning.
