Characters & Costumes // Toss-Up Tuesday

Hi Friends,
Halloween is practically here, and I wanted to do a fun Halloween costume post! So I thought it would be fun to share what I think some bookish characters would be for Halloween.


Coraline‘ by Neil Gaiman
This one was a no brainer. She would simply go as a black cat. It is an easy and laid-back costume, especially for someone like Coraline, who does not typically like to get all dressed up. Also, cats are pretty significant to her, so I think she would be more than happy to celebrate Halloween as one.


A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder’ by Holly Jackson
Pip is the main character in this mystery book trilogy, and because of her love for solving crime, I believe she’d would go as a classic teen detective, Nancy Drew. Both girls are smart and driven, and always find themselves caught up in some sort of mystery.


A Merry Little Meet Cute’ by Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone
In this book, Bee, a plus-sized pornstar, and Nolan, a former boy band member, fall in love. I think that they’d do a couples costume, and what is more classic than Sandy and Danny from Grease? Not only is it a musical type of costume for Nolan, but Sandy’s bad girl look at the end of the film would be right up Bee’s alley because it is classic, yet sexy.


I am not sure everyone will agree on these costume choices, but I think they work well for the characters. This was a really fun post to put together, and I would love to know what you all think of it. Please share and like this post because it really does help my blog. Before you go, give the blog a quick follow.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

Kill Joy // Book Review

About The Book
Pip is not in the mood for her friend’s murder mystery party. Especially one that involves 1920’s fancy dress and pretending that their town is an island called Joy. But when the game begins, Pip finds herself drawn into the make-believe world of intrigue, deception and murder. But as Pip plays detective, teasing out the identity of the killer clue-by-clue, the murder of the fictional Reginald Remy isn’t the only case on her mind.
Buy The Book: https://amzn.to/42vb4sg

My Rating


This is a prequel to Jackson’s ‘A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder’ trilogy. If you are a regular reader of the blog, then you know that I have a love/hate relationship with that series, and Holly Jackson’s books in general.
Related Post: A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder // Book Review

In this book, we follow Pip, as she is a guest at a murder mystery party. I absolutely loved the concept of the book. It was such an easy and fun read. It felt like a true murder mystery game among friends.

The book might have not had all the suspenseful twists and turns as the other three books in the series, but I didn’t mind. The mystery was very straightforward and simple.
Related Post: Good Girl, Bad Blood // Book Review

I loved being inside Pip’s mind as she tries to put all the pieces of the murder together. Honestly, she’s every competitive person playing a game. Also, it was nice to see her in a more light hearted situation.

“It was almost like the town itself was defined by the murder of Andie Bell, both usually uttered in the same breath, inextricable from the other.”

The ending had a nice small twist that I found so realistic when it comes to the logical aspects of a game. Now I don’t know if I wouldn’t consider this a cozy mystery but I do think for some readers it could fall somewhere along those lines.

My favorite thing about this book is all the foreshadowing of the main trilogy. We got to see Pippa realize what her final year project should be. We saw characters from all the other books, and it was just a very full circle moment.
Related Post: As Good As Dead // Book Review

Overall, the book wasn’t anything spectacular, or the best story I’ve ever read. Yet, it is wonderfully written, and a fast-paced, good read. If you are looking for a mystery story that doesn’t require a lot of brain power, then I’d pick this one up.

If you’d like to share this post that would be amazing. And, giving my blog a follow would make my day!

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

Five Survive // Book Review


About The Book
Red and her friends are on a road trip. When their RV breaks down in the middle of nowhere with no cell service, they soon realize this is no accident. They have been trapped by someone out there in the dark, someone who clearly wants one of them dead.
Buy The Book: https://amzn.to/3ZN2zI9

My Rating


Honestly, I had such high hopes for this book after reading the ‘A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder’ trilogy (even though I wasn’t a fan of the last book). But, I thought this would be a fast-paced thriller. However, I didn’t find it to be engaging. I’d even say it was a bit boring.

I didn’t like any of the characters, and I hate when authors try to make us feel sympathy for the main character. I kept hoping that the plot would pick up, but I was sadly disappointed.

It didn’t feel like a mystery/thriller at all. I wasn’t excited to pick it up, but I’m not disappointed that I finished it. Although, I would have been better off DNFing it.

I didn’t like being in the main character’s mind at all. She was such a plain, boring, and depressing character. And, I wondered why any of the characters were even friends. I personally wouldn’t have been friends with any of them. Especially Oliver, whom I despised.

“This is turning into Lord of the Fucking Flies. We’re going to end up killing each other, forget about the sniper.”

There were a few twists in the book. Some I saw coming, and others I didn’t. But, the twists weren’t enough to make up for the slow and uninteresting plot. In my opinion, there has to be more to a story than a few good twists.

The book reminded me a lot of ‘The Woods Are Always Watching’ by Stephanie Perkins, which I did DNF. Truthfully, I finished for the author. But sadly, the writing just wasn’t on the same level as her previous trilogy.

I did hear that the author wrote this book in somewhere between 6-8 weeks, and it shows. Perhaps if it wasn’t so rushed and she took more time, the book would have been more developed. However, I’m not sure if more time would have help make the plot more interesting, or the characters more likable.

Overall, if you are looking for an interesting mystery/thriller, look somewhere else. Better yet, just pick up Holly Jackson’s ‘A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder’ books, because they better showcase the authors talent.
Related Post: A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder // Book Review

In the comments, please tell me I’m not alone in my distaste for this book. Don’t forget to like this post, and hit the follow button!

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

As Good As Dead // Book Review


Synopsis
“She’s used to online death threats in the wake of her viral true-crime podcast, but she can’t help noticing an anonymous person who keeps asking her: Who will look for you when you’re the one who disappears? Soon the threats escalate and Pip realizes that someone is following her in real life.”


*This review might include information that some might see as a spoiler.*

Before I get started, I would like to mentally prepare you for a rant filled, and quite lengthy, review. (Although most of my reviews do seem to be pretty long). This is the third and final book in the ‘Good Girl’s Guide To Murder’ series – and when I say it was a disappointment, I mean it was a complete and utter fail! I was positively enraged by this book. So much so, that I don’t even want to write about it.

Nevertheless, here we are. The book takes place right after the second installment. So, if you have yet to read the second book, please be aware of spoilers. Pip is struggling with PTSD, which she isn’t actually dealing with at all. She has turned to using drugs, and insists on carrying the weight of the aftermath of ‘Good Girl, Bad Blood’ all by herself. It is clear that Pippa has changed in so many ways. Not only was her drug use shocking, she was a much darker version of herself.

For someone that seems so smart, she was totally blind to her self destructive behavior. And similarly, to to the fact that the only way to move past trauma is to deal with it head on. The rest of the characters stayed practically the same, and Ravi was both supportive and protective of Pip.

What makes this book so different than the previous two, is that the case involves Pippa herself. Before this, we have seen her trying to solve mysteries for others. This time, she is the target. The big question of the book is, “Who will look for you, when it’s you who goes missing”? It is a very interesting question, and, I think we all have our own answer to it.

The key to these books is that you have to remember all the little details. This final book connects all the books together. It is seriously a full circle moment. I loved how everything tied in together. Also, how Andy Bell had a nice redemption arc.

“All these ambiguities, these contradictions, these grey areas that spread and engulfed all sense – how could Pip rectify that? How could she cure herself from the after effects?”

This case follows a serial killer, rather than a solo murder – think of a Criminal Minds sort of case. However, the plot was none too thrilling to me. Also, it was strange to see Ravi being more involved in the case, and being smarter than Pippa at times.

I had many suspicions as to the killer, but kept bouncing around. Still, my first instinct was ultimately correct. And, by the halfway point, the book picked up the pace. It was an intense roller coaster ride from that point forward. However, right as the story got good, I was completely in shock as to what I was actually reading. I didn’t even recognize these characters. It was as if Pippa had no moral compass at all. And, everyone was so quick to jump right on board with her.

It was insane – I wanted to throw the book in the trash. I was livid! Okay, maybe I’m overreacting. But this book was unnecessary, and the characters developed in the worst way possible. I understand not trusting the justice system, but Murder, then framing someone else for that murder? Come on. Let’s face it, Pippa’s actions in this book prove that PTSD is the least of her issues.

However, something that I do love is that Holly Jackson’s book are easy to get into. She has a style of writing that I have become a fan of. And, as I have mentioned multiple time that even though the book got my blood boiling I couldn’t stop reading.

Overall, I wasn’t very satisfied with the the conclusion of the book or the trilogy altogether. My favorite book would have to be the first in the series, with book two being a close second. It really should have been a duology. However, I have noticed that this book has polarized opinions – you either love it, or you hate it. There really isn’t any middle ground. Can you guess which team I’m on?

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

Good Girl, Bad Blood // Book Review


Synopsis
Jamie Reynolds has disappeared, on the very same night the town hosted a memorial for the sixth-year anniversary of the deaths of Andie Bell and Sal Singh. The police won’t do anything about it. And if they won’t look for Jamie then Pip will, uncovering more of her town’s dark secrets along the way… and this time everyone is listening. But will she find him before it’s too late?


The first book in this trilogy was fantastic, so I was eager to jump into second book. Unfortunately, I had forgotten a lot of the characters from the first book, so it made this book a bit of a challenging read. However, I did find an overview of ‘A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder’ at Recaptains.

Unlike the first book, I wasn’t captivated from the start. I wasn’t sure about the whole friend’s missing brother plot. A missing persons case is very different from a murder/mystery. Still, Pippa is a fearless protagonist with a curious personality. Even with her reservations about taking on another potentially dangerous case, she can’t say no. It’s like they say: “A tiger can’t change it’s stripes”.

Although, the mystery was interesting, and I was enjoying all the twists, the plot wasn’t as thrilling as the previous book. But as the plot progressed, the pace picked up, and the story continued to get better. For me, a part of the reason I wasn’t as engaged as I thought I’d be, is that I felt like Pippa had changed since the first book. But, that is to be expected, given the life and death situation that she went through.

In this book, Pippa and Ravi are in a relationship, but I am unsure of how I feel about them being together. They had cute moments, but I didn’t sense a ton of chemistry between them. That aside, I do think they work well together. Ravi is very supportive of Pip’s inquisitive nature, while still being protective of her.

There was this new podcast element, and a lot more social media references. There are mentions of Instagram and Tinder. Authors tend to love throwing in bits of the real world like that, Maybe to connect with their readers more?

By the halfway point, I couldn’t put the book down. I felt like Pip. Trying to piece everything together, and my suspicions were even right a few times. And, when everything unfolded at the end, I was shocked, but not surprised at where the story went.

“I think we all get to decide what good and bad and right and wrong mean to us, not what we’re told to accept. You did nothing wrong. Don’t beat yourself up for other people’s mistakes.”

There was a lot of talk about the justice system, and how it fails more often than not. I think the justice system isn’t always so black and white. The way this book handles right and wrong is very powerful. It is an interesting take on justice and makes you take a closer look at your own beliefs.

The ending was incredibly sad, and begs the topics of what makes a victim. Should the sins of our parents become ours as well? By the end of the book, I sympathized with both the killer and victim. The ending was done so well, and was very thought provoking. In fact, the entire book will leave you with a lot to think about.

This book does show how much hypocrites people can be. It is always interesting to see just how easily people can turn on others. This is a real life thing, and makes you wonder why the world is full of so many judgmental individuals. Do genuine friends even exist?

Overall, I found it to be a great sequel. The storyline didn’t disappoint me one bit, and my reading experience was a positive one. Give this post a quick like and a share before you go. Also, did you know you could follow my blog? That really does help it grow, and reassures me that you like my content.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny