Magical Realism

The Seven Year Slip // Book Review

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About The Book
An overworked book publicist with a perfectly planned future hits a snag when she falls in love with her temporary roommate only to discover he lives seven years in the past, in this witty and wise new novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Dead Romantics. After all, love is never a matter of time—but a matter of timing.
Buy The Book: https://amzn.to/3M2jvWx

My Rating

This book is full of romance, time travel, and grief. Sure, they seem like a weird combination, but Ashley Poston somehow makes all these plot points work together. She gives us a story that deals with the past, present and future. I loved the ‘Lake House’ movie vibes of the story, yet grief is a huge topic, which at times did overshadow the romance plot.

The main character, Clementine, is struggling with her aunt’s passing, as well as the possibility of a promotion she doesn’t want. But, when her late aunt’s apartment keeps sending her backwards in time seven years, where she connects with a charming young southern man, she might be forced to start following her heart instead of her head.

I loved the romance side of things! Right away, you could feel the chemistry between Clementine and the stranger. A big thing in the story is how you just know when you’re in love with someone. And, I think that really showed when these two were together. Personally, I agree with the “when you know, you know sentiment”. I met my husband and we both just knew.

The entire story was very engaging, and I wanted to keep reading. I needed to know how things were going to turn out! Honestly, throughout the whole book, I kept guessing where things were going to go. Even though I wasn’t always right, some of my assessments were spot on. And, I loved how the past and present collided in a way that made total sense for the story.

“That was love, wasn’t it? It wasn’t just a quick drop — it was falling, over and over again, for your person.”

As for the grief plot, I felt that it was a bit heavy on the grief. However, in the author’s notes, she mentioned how she might not have tackled loss in the best way possible. I understand why loss and grief was such a big part of the story, because it really helped Clementine rethink her present life and what she wants for the future, yet was just an overwhelming dark cloud throughout the story.

The writing wasn’t my favorite, but that’s not to say it was bad either. I have read Poston’s young adult books before, and felt that her writing is very simple. But, it is easy to read, and her stories are unique in their own way. I really enjoyed how seamlessly the plot flowed, and would read another one of her adult romances in the future.

Overall, this was a solid read, with a fun magical realism element to it. I would have liked an epilogue, but that’s just a personal opinion, since the story didn’t really require it. I do want to mention something, and this might be a spoiler, but I feel that it is important to share. The book deals with suicide, so if that is at all triggering, please do keep that in mind.

In the comments, let me know if this book is on your TBR. Don’t forget to like and share this post with other book lovers. If you enjoy my content, then hit the follow button, so that you can get notified whenever there’s a new post.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

Mister Magic // Book Review

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About The Book
Thirty years after a tragic accident shut down production of the classic children’s program Mister Magic, the five surviving cast members have done their best to move on. Then a twist of fate brings the castmates back together at the remote desert filming compound that feels like it’s been waiting for them all this time. But as the Circle of Friends reclaim parts of their past, they begin to wonder: Are they here by choice, or have they been lured into a trap?
Buy The Book: https://amzn.to/46hkQB0

My Rating

This book was nothing like I expected, but in the best possible way. I am a very big fan of Kiersten White’s writing style and her books always seem to captivate me. The premise of the book sounded unlike anything I had heard before. A group of childhood friends, who were on a television show together, come back years later to uncover hidden secrets about their beloved TV program. It is similar to Barney but with a supernatural twist.

The book mainly follows Val, who was one of the cast members of the children’s show ‘Mister Magic.’ She had disappeared years ago, and her disappearance was the reason behind the shows cancellation. Val is an unreliable narrator, since she has no memories of her time on ‘Mister Magic.’ However, I found that the rest of her cast members were also somewhat unreliable since their memories of the show were somewhat blurry.

The plot follows Val, as she decides to join five out of six former cast members to celebrate the show’s 30th anniversary by doing a podcast that talks about the show. However, in truth, she is hoping to discover what actually happened all those years ago, and who the sixth-cast member really was. And let me tell you that the mystery aspect was done very well. Honestly, I had no idea who to trust or what was going to happen.

“Children accept absurdity because everything is absurd, everything made up of complex rules and systems that they don’t understand.”

The book was fast-paced, and it kept me engaged for the whole time. I needed to know what was going to happen! I loved seeing these former childhood friends reconnecting and forming bonds as adults. They all had their share of trauma, but I found the added found family element to be a nice touch in a thriller novel.

The only con I had with the book was a certain subject matter that I am not usually fond of in books, but to talk about it outright would be kind of spoiler-ish. All that I will say is that despite my usual distaste for this plot device, it had a remarkable lack of impact on my overall enjoyment of the book. Thus, it is nothing too earth shattering.

Overall, the supernatural element was a little weird, but I think the author did a good job by tying everything together. I did happen to figure out how the book was going to end, so, unfortunately, I was not too shocked at the outcome. However, there were a few twists that I did not see coming, and I think Kiersten White put quite some thought into the story. Although it fits more into the supernatural and magical realism category, so keep that in mind when picking it up.

In the comments, let me know what your favorite children’s show was. I was a ‘Blue’s Clues’ kid myself. Don’t forget to hit the follow button and like this post.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

Bloody Fool For Love // Book Review

- Bunny 1 Comment

About The Book
New York Times best-selling author William Ritter marks the beginning of an all-new series that explores prequel stories about fan-favorite Buffy characters. A verified villain. A slayer killer. A god among vampires. And most of all? A hopeless romantic… This rompy, action-packed novel inspired by one of Buffy’s most infamous bad boys is part Bonnie and Clyde, part Sherlock and Watson, with just a bit more bloodsucking.
Buy The Book: https://amzn.to/455nU1s

My Rating

When I heard about a ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ reimagining based on the character of Spike, I immediately added this to my TBR. I was not exactly sure of the plot before going into the book, and probably could not give you a good description of it. Unfortunately, the story is quite forgettable.

The concept of a book that explored the backstory of Spike, a beloved character, had a great deal of promise. While I have always been a fan of Spike, I found that the execution of the story was somewhat lacking. The plot left much to be desired and was difficult to follow at times. There was too much going on for my liking.

One thing I enjoyed was the setting of the book. It took place in the UK, and we got to see the side of Spike, which was a slayer-killer. However, the author did not capture the essence of the characters. Spike is supposed to be this big bad vampire, but comes off too lighthearted. Personally, I think the book generally needed to be darker and more eerie.

“Eat your heart out, Count Dracula.”

However, I appreciate the addition of Drusilla and Darla to this story. This helped connect the story slightly more to the Buffy Universe. Also, I think the author did a wonderful job bringing both these lady vampires to life. Darla reminded me very much of the one from the show. Drusilla was similar to her series counterpart as well. But I admit that I  was never really a fan of these two.

Overall, it did not capture the iconic Buffy vibes that I was hoping for. That said, it was still a good read, and the writing, although not amazing, was decent. I particularly liked the audiobook format since it helped me have a better reading experience. While this prequel did not fully meet my expectations, I would be open to reading more reimaginings in the Buffyverse.

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Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue // Book Review

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About The Book
 A Life No One Will Remember. A Story You Will Never Forget. France, 1714: in a moment of desperation, a young woman makes a Faustian bargain to live forever—and is cursed to be forgotten by everyone she meets. Thus begins the extraordinary life of Addie LaRue. But everything changes when, after nearly 300 years, Addie stumbles across a young man in a hidden bookstore and he remembers her name.
Buy The Book: https://amzn.to/3OdHNP2

My Rating

I had heard that this book was beautifully written with an addictive plot. Well, I do agree that that the writing was fantastic. V.E. Schwab is a wonderful author, but since I’ve read her Cassidy Blake trilogy, written as Victoria Schwab, I already knew that I loved her writing style. The writing might be one of the best things about this book.

Schwab has a way of pulling you into the story write from the first chapter. The book started off wonderful, and I wanted to know what was going to happen next. In the book, we follow a young girl named Addie LaRue, who in 1714 makes a deal with a demon. One that has lasting consequences. She shall live forever, but never be remembered by anyone.

Now tell me that plot doesn’t sound intriguing? Of course, Addie does end up meeting a boy who, by some miracle. remembers her. And, thus a romance develops. I didn’t mind the romance, but I’m not actually sure if I liked Addie or her love interest, Henry. However, I enjoyed watching the fall in love and understand each. One of my all time favorite quotes is “The greatest feeling in this world is knowing you actually mean something to someone.” And, I think that describes their relationship.

On the other hand, we have Luc who is the demon that made the deal with Addie. The book shows that they share somewhat of a bond, but their relationship is more of want vs need. Although, I will say I have a thing for a dark, mysterious bad boy so I was team Luc. And, I have no shame in saying that.

“If no one heard it, did it happen?
If a person cannot leave a mark, do they exist?”

The plot was actually pretty heartbreaking, yet I didn’t find myself crying. A big message with in the story is that sometimes the grass isn’t always greener on the other side. Every choice has consequences and your life might be worse for it. That being said, love played a big part in the story mainly what you’d do for true love.

There was some LGBT representation in the book, but I would say mental health was very prevalent in the plot. Interestingly enough the mental health aspect worked well in this primarily magic realism story. Also, Addie had to do some questionable things throughout her life. Some of those things could be triggering to be. As I always say, please do your research, and look up trigger warnings before reading the book.

I think my major problems with this book, and the reason I didn’t rate it super high, is the pacing. The chapters were so long and the book it self felt very slow. As a reader, I am all about fast paced books especially when it comes to fantasies. And, this one just took me way too long to finish. Also, I’m normally fine with dual timelines but I found myself getting a bit confused with all the jumping around through time with in the story.

Overall, the book is a solid story, that I didn’t hate whatsoever. The plot was very interesting, and the writing was top notch. Not sure how I feel about the end, but I enjoyed my reading experience nonetheless. And, I will most certainly be reading more from this author.

In the comments, let me know if you think this book deserves all the hype behind it. Don’t forget to give this post a like, and share it with other book lovers. Support my little book blog by giving it a follow.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

Dark And Shallow Lies // Book Review

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About The Book
A teen girl disappears from her small town deep in the bayou, where magic festers beneath the surface of the swamp like water rot, in this chilling debut supernatural thriller for fans of Natasha Preston, Karen McManus, and Rory Power. In a town where secrets lurk just below the surface, and where a murderer is on the loose, nobody can be presumed innocent—and La Cachette’s dark and shallow lies may just rip the town apart.
Buy The Book: https://amzn.to/3WGq05r

My Rating

This book is a very interesting take on the YA mystery genre, because it has a magical realism element to it. In the book, Grey returns to La Cachette, Louisiana to spend the summer in the same place that her best friend, Elora, disappeared from, 6 month earlier.

In La Cachette everyone has some kind of magical ability, from being a love psychic to an empath. However, Grey, just now seventeen years old, is learning to discover her own gift. As the protagonist of the story, Grey was just okay. She wasn’t horrible or unlikable, but I wouldn’t say I loved following her either.

In my opinion, this book is way more mystery based, because there were a lot of secrets going on. The mystery of Elora disappearance did keep me interested, but not enough to where I couldn’t put the book down.

“Welcome to La Cachette, Louisiana Elevation 3 Ft. Population 106 Living Souls.”

For me, the story as a whole just didn’t work. The psychic aspect of the story was a bit weird, and La Cachette was a very twisted place. There’s also another mystery from the past that somewhat ties into the current mystery. And, there’s a romance as well. It just had a lot going on.

My biggest con was the writing. I do understand that this is a debut novel, so I am trying not to judge it too heavily. But, the book didn’t come to life for me, and man, was it slow moving. I wanted the plot to pick up, but it never really did.

Overall, the ending was solid and I do think the author has the potential to write something really good. Nevertheless, I want to say the this book isn’t comparable to Karan M. McManus’ works (as it states on GoodReads), which might be a good thing for some people. Also, the story is pretty sad, and there are some triggering things talked about in this book. One being the murder of children.

Remember that StoryGraph is a great tool for finding trigger warnings for books. Don’t forget to show your support by giving the blog a follow.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

My Book Wishlist // Christmas 2022

- Bunny Leave a comment

Happy Bookmas Day 18! Today, I’m going to be sharing 5 books from the top of my wishlist for this year. I have a lot of books on my Amazon wishlist, but these are the ones that I am hoping to add to my bookshelf soon. Normally, I’m a YA girl, but my wishlist is surprisingly diverse this year, which I’m happy about! So, if you’re reading this, Santa, I would love to see one or more of these books in my stocking or under the three this year!

In the comments, let me know what is at the top of your wishlist this holiday season. You can view my Amazon Book Wishlist to see other books I would love to be gifted. Don’t forget to follow my blog for more bookish content.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

House of Hollow // Book Review

- Bunny Leave a comment

About The Book
House of Hollow is the dark, haunting tale of three sisters shrouded in more mystery than they can even imagine. Since their strange, unsolved disappearance as children a decade before, the Hollow sisters have been plagued by the unexplainable. Lyrical prose and atmospheric world-building complete this eerie novel that will leave readers unsettled in the best way possible.
Buy The Book: https://amzn.to/3j6TKbS

My Rating

I had heard a lot of mixed things about this book, so I was nervous picking it up. But, the first chapter was creepy, and gripped me in a way that I instantly fell in love with the story.

The book follows 3 sisters; Iris, Grey, and Vivi, but the main protagonist is Iris. She is the youngest of the sisters, but had to grow up quite fast. Her sisters left home in their teens to follow their dreams, but Iris stayed behind with their mother.

Each of the sisters have very different personalities, but are all likable. Iris is smart and shy, while Grey, the oldest, is strong willed and confident. Vivi is rebellious and outspoken, which I loved.

The characters were actually not a big part of the story. We learned a little about them, but not a lot. However, I liked that it was less character focused but more plot driven.

In the book, the girls disappeared at a young age and returned out of the blue. They each handled the disappearance differently, which is very real. People deal with traumatic events in their own ways. Their is a small romance, but the main character didn’t necessarily have a love interest. It was nice to see that twist with the romance side plot.

For me, this book is magical realism at its finest! I would even compare the book to a Brothers Grimm type of story. It gave off such classic Grimm-esque vibes. Honestly, the writing was amazing. The author mixed fantasy, real world, and horror together perfectly.

“I’d realized there were scarier things in the world than the monsters that lived in my nightmares.”

There was also a moment when the book reminded me of Stranger Things. I must admit I’ve never seen the show, but I definitely got ‘Upside Down’ vibes when reading certain parts.

There are just so many good things about this story, one being the fact that I didn’t want to put it down. There was an amazing twist, but I did figure it out part of it beforehand. There were even some sad elements in the story.

Overall, I loved this book, and the ending worked so well. It was left open ended, but that made sense with the story. And, the message that not all evil is truly evil was conveyed perfectly.

Another great thing is all the LGBT+ and diversity in the book. However, one not so great thing is that the book has a lot of trigger warnings. I would probably say this book is a 16+ or maybe even 18+ read.

Before reading the book, visit Book Trigger Warnings for a list of all the topics the book touches on. Please support my blog by giving it a quick follow!

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny