Rapid reviews on every novel I read in 2023 that was published in 2023. Two sentences or less. Let's go.
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All The Dangerous Things: A thriller worth reading. You will be swallowed into a world of grief and determination as the protagonist fights to find her son whilst figuring out who she can trust along the way.
A House With Good Bones: Not as good as What Moves the Dead (read review), but a unique horror still worth reading. I lean more towards a positive review as I am enamoured by creepy plant things which A House With Good Bones heavily revolves around.
Bright and Deadly Things: It was fun until the last few paragraphs. A bit of an improbable read that with a different ending would classify this as a great read and it's only just okay.
The Chaperone: A DNF. I couldn't read past the absurdity of the second part of the story.
Delicious Monsters: Delicious Monsters promised to be a mind-bending psychological thriller but I'd place it into YA spooky. I found it to be innovative but lacking a developed backstory.
Emily Wilde's Encylopaedia of Faeries: Filled with beautiful prose, a unique world of faeries, and lots of adventure - I highly recommend this read. It is heartwarming and the protagonist is a stellar lady.
I Feed Her to the Beast and the Beast Is Me: I Feed Her to the Beast and the Beast is Me is a villainous and delightful read about navigating an unknown entity and the repercussions of succumbing - or not, to the darkness below. Anticipate a story with a heavier focus on ballet than expected, one that contains a touch too much repetition of emotions which slows the flow, and less gore than you may want.
Gone Tonight: I have found Pekkanen's other works more enjoyable, but a good read regardless. Gone Tonight is told well but the why to it all is a bit lacklustre.
Have You Seen Her: I only recommend reading Have You Seen Her if you crave an illogical fun read. It lacks a good conclusion and the plot definitely has holes but the protagonist is engaging and I think the scenery is fun.
The Hurricane Blonde: I dunno, I really enjoyed the obvious villain and characters blinded by emotion. Everything is a bit confusing, the ending is ambiguous, and the characters are a bit one-dimensional - I really enjoyed it?
Ink Blood Sister Scribe: Not only is the title catchy but it's a bloody great debut. Filled with three engaging POVs, a solid magical mystery with serious consequences, and a heartwarming ending; Ink Blood Sister Scribe is worth your time.
The Island: A YA thriller with a terrible ending, poor decision-making characters, and overly focused on who likes who irrespective of the fact they're running for their lives. I don't think it is worth your time.
The Last Beekeeper: A dystopian about nature, determination, and bees. A truly interesting narrative on what the world would be without bees - definitely worth a read.
The Last Heir to Blackwood Library: I personally do not recommend this gothic historical fiction novel. It contains a hard-to-follow plot with no satisfying conclusion.
The Last One: Feels like watching a train wreck. Everything is ridiculous and the ending has the worst pay-off; I couldn't stop reading because it was so cringe (and honestly, it was a little bit fun to read because of that).
The Last Tale of the Flower Bride: This won't be everyone's cup of tea, definitely was mine. The story is melodious and one of my favourite reads of the year.
The Little Wartime Library: (read review) Its got character, soul, and heart and it's tied as one of my favourite reads of 2023. It is a story that makes you question life and what it means to live.
Lost in the Moment and Found: Rip out my soul why don't you. Such a powerful story and expertly written, the Wayward Children series only continues to delight even though this particular read was tough to digest.
The Minuscule Mansion of Myra Malone: Myra Malone's minuscule mansion is about whimsy and the power of small things. A quaint read ideal for those who enjoy magical influences that aren't overt or tiny things!
Murder Your Employer: The McMaster's Guide to Homicide: A story told in three parts, with one part you may find unsatisfying. Despite being 389 pages, its run time is over 14 hours which made it a long read but good enough one.
The New One: The New One is a hit or miss, it definitely depends on what you want out of this read. I found the direction of the story to be well delivered and the switch between narrators confusing and choppy.
The Only One Left: Sager knocked it out of the part with this one. The Only One Left combines solid narrative drive, twists (so many), and an unexpected ending to create a truly immerse read.
The Secrets of Hartwood Hall: A mixed bag - I really appreciated the twists but the ending was disappointing. I think the story would have benefitted from a greater time lapse to further develop the bond between the characters.
She is a Haunting: The execution of the horror lacks substance and I couldn't get past page 30. A DNF for me.
Starlings: I found it to be underwhelming with no true pay-off. I wish there was more buildup to the climax and deeper development to the why and how parts of the story.
The Stranger Upstairs: I can't remember a single thing from this story. And I read it.
Suddenly A Murder: Absolutely preposterous and it felt like a guilty pleasure to read. Pick this up when you want something simple and cheesy.
The Thick and the Lean: Overly sexual with no rhyme or reason as to why and narrative changes do not overlap. May be worth a read if you enjoy dystopians?
The Whispers: Stellar ending that will leave you shook. Told through multiple voices, all who led the story helped create a narrative that is engaging to read.
Stay tuned for more 2024 releases and book reviews.
New year, new books. Yay!
What are you most eager to read this year?
