What it Seems by Emily Bleeker

I received an ARC of this book thanks to NetGalley and publisher Lake Union Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

What a brilliant idea for a thriller! What it Seems is the story of Tara/Angela, a young woman who has been raised by an abusive woman and whose only joy in life is watching her favourite Youtube family. One day she gets the chance to work with them and so she runs away from home, although this might not be the perfect escape she dreamed of.

This book starts slow for the first few chapters but I soon got into it. As soon as the Youtube stuff begins, the plot really takes off and I couldn't wait to see how things played out. I will say, I was expecting this book to be slightly darker based off the cover and description. It is light on the thriller elements (although not tone) and it never really went to the places I wanted it to. Similarly, there aren't really any twists? There is a revelation our main character has which was sort of treated like a twist but I can't believe it was intended to actually be one since I assumed that was the intended plot from the start. Having said that, I was engaged throughout and this definitely has a unique plot compared to most thrillers. What it lacks in thriller gimmicks, it makes up for in a solid story and interesting characters.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this book to lovers of the genre. It isn't especially dark but it creates a great atmosphere and it stood out just for the novelty of the content. I have a few other books on my TBR by this author that I've been putting off but I will definitely make them more of a priority now.

Overall Rating:

If I Had Your Face by Frances Cha

I received an ARC of this book thanks to NetGalley and publisher Penguin Books UK in exchange for an honest review.

This is a book unlike any I have ever read before, but the premise sounded so promising that I couldn't resist giving it a go. I am so glad I did. If I Had Your Face is the story of four Korean women, living in a society where plastic surgery is the norm and everyone earns a lot but saves nothing. This is not a plot-heavy book truth be told, but it is driven forward by the characters and the writing, which is incredibly compelling. It follows the typical format of having several narrators and plotlines and rotating through them, although most of the characters are close friends.

There are some flaws to this book sadly holding it back. I was 40% through the book before I reached the fourth narrator and by that point, I was slightly alarmed by the amount of time we were going to get with each storyline. As I mentioned, this is not a plot-driven book and honestly, there isn't really a plot to speak of. This is not something I consider a flaw because the book itself is still very engaging and has a lot to say. However, I would personally have cut the parts about Wonna (the pregnant neighbour) as her plot didn't go anywhere and she didn't really interact much with anyone else, so I can't say she added a lot overall. I did also find keeping track of some of the characters confusing, but that could be due to my own unfamiliarity with Korean names. In particular, I struggled to keep up with what was going on with Miho's boyfriend.

Overall, this was a refreshing and unforgettable read for me. I wish more time had been dedicated to building up the character's plotlines into a satisfying climax but putting that aside, I'm so pleased I picked this up. Frances Cha feels like an author who will go very far and I can't wait to read her next book.

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Strangers by C.L. Taylor

I received an ARC of this book thanks to NetGalley and publisher Avon Books UK in exchange for an honest review.

C.L. Taylor has proven herself capable of crafting very neat, well-executed thrillers and Strangers is no exception to this. There is a slight trend to have thrillers where you appear to be focused on separate characters only to have their lives collide when it comes to the climax. I can honestly say that this is probably the best example of that kind that I've ever read. It is both extremely hard to predict just how and when the characters' lives will intersect, and also satisfying when they do. I was impressed by how tightly plotted this book was.

The only real flaw of this thriller is that it feels like it has too many characters. The blurb mentions three POV characters and I was actually surprised when I checked this after reading it because it felt like far more. I think because each character has several people they interact with, and the way that the stories all intersect at the end means that you have to keep track of pretty much all of them, this resulted in there feeling like there are about twelve main characters. This was actually executed about as well as it could be since for once, I remembered pretty much all of the characters which I am notoriously bad with for thrillers. Even so though, it is a little intense.

In terms of the plot, this book falls squarely into domestic thriller. There really aren't tons of thriller elements or lots of mysteries going on but each character has a solid enough storyline and it kept me engaged throughout. Overall, this is a really enjoyable read and a great example of Taylor's writing skills. I look forward to seeing what else she can write next.

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Something is Killing the Children by James Tynion IV

I received an ARC of this book thanks to NetGalley and publisher BOOM! Studios in exchange for an honest review.

Something is Killing the Children is the story of a small town suffering from a monster attack, and the girl hunting said monster. This is a fairly standard premise but it does a decent enough job with it. Honestly I wasn't really blown away by any aspect of it. The artwork is nice and there are some creepy moments which are illustrated well but it was a little too scratchy for me at times. This is only the first volume so the story is fairly cookie cutter, although there are some cool elements I suspect will expand and improve the plot later on. The characters were decent enough but again, nothing really stood out about them (except the stuffed octopus). I really wish I could give this graphic novel more glowing praise but alas, it just didn't show me anything new.

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Pretending by Holly Bourne

I received an ARC of this book thanks to NetGalley and publisher Hodder & Stoughton in exchange for an honest review

There is no doubt about it, Holly Bourne has solidified herself as one of my favourite authors. Pretending is her second adult book and boy does it pack a punch. April is a woman in her early thirties, tired of putting up with mediocre men and worn out from her job at a sexual advice charity. After yet another failed date, she decides she is going to get her revenge on men. She is going to pretend to be Gretel, the perfect no-fuss woman.

That premise may sound like a light-hearted comedy romp but don't be fooled. As with all of Bourne's stories, the focus here is solely on the main character dealing with her mental health and trauma from her past. There are huge trigger warnings for sexual assault, trauma but also for general sexist, entitled, borderline abusive behaviour from men. These things are captured so well that it's astonishing how unafraid Bourne is to write them down. It is both refreshing and heartbreaking to experience them in a story form and I will forever treasure this book because of that. I cannot stress the potential triggers enough though, as important as they are. I have no history of sexual assault (at least in the traditional sense) but this book made me reflect deeply on my previous relationship and ask some serious questions about what marks it might have left on me.

Putting that aside, this is just a stellar example of Bourne's writing skill. The characters might as well be real people, the pacing is perfect and the plot, though a basic slice of life on paper, is exactly the story that needs to be told. I have no doubts this will resonate with any woman at least a little bit, but it could also open some eyes for some men if you're willing to not take the prose as a personal attack. I desperately want the straight men in my life to read this, if only so they can finally appreciate the complexity and depth behind navigating relationships from a female point of view. The beauty of it as well is that a book of this kind could so easily feel like cheap pandering but it doesn't even come close because it rings so true.

Is this book perfect? No. I can see some people having issues with aspects of the plot, and this is by no means an easy read. But I love Pretending for daring to tell women their feelings are valid and to not shy away from the uglier truths. If a book can rip you apart and stitch you back together, not by pretending everything is okay but by promising it might be...that's a book we all need to exist.

Overall Rating:

.5

This Little Piggy by Rob Ashman

I received an ARC of this book thanks to NetGalley and publisher Bloodhound Books in exchange for an honest review.

 I will preface this review by saying gory serial killer books aren't really my thing. I requested this ARC way back when I joined NetGalley and I was excited by the prospect of new thrillers, without really pausing to stop and think if I actually wanted to read those thrillers. Having said that, This Little Piggy really surprised me with how enjoyable it is. This is a very good example of its genre.

As expected, this book has a fair amount of graphic gore and that was a little off putting. However, it also had a brilliant main detective character. It isn't often I find myself actually connecting with the police in police procedurals but Ashman did a great job of creating someone who was capable of driving the book beyond the basic serial killer plotline. The serial killer themselves is similarly well-written, never veering off into the cartoonish or unbelievable. All in all, I was very impressed by the writing.

This is not a thriller for people who enjoy a lot of twists or turns, but if you want a solid police procedural with a suitably gruesome premise, this is the perfect book to pick up.

Overall Rating:

.5