Halle Lee

Like a vacation for my brain

Revisado: 01-20-24

With all the stress of a busy life, I never thought this little fictional cupcake bakery and the colorful cast of characters surrounding it would bring me so much comfort and joy. Even though these books aren’t the most elaborate mysteries, they’re just so much fun and I like keeping up with the characters and their happy lives (aside from all the murders.) The mysteries are still fun to guess as an audience member, and every book has its own funny B plot as well that adds to the experience. Also very inspiring, I find myself baking a lot while listening to these.

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Better than Cackle

Revisado: 10-22-23

This is my second Rachel Harrison book, and she is very good at capturing that fall flair in her writing, so this and Cackle are both great October/November reads. Cackle is more popular but Such Sharp Teeth is a better book, and the main character is very likable in my opinion (except for a few frustrating moments where she angrily jumps to conclusions without having all the information, so watch out if you hate that trope.) The story legitimately addresses the question: “what would it be like if you had to manage becoming a werewolf in the modern day?” Held my attention well.

Aside from the logistical werewolf details, the ending and the shared background between two of the central characters makes me think this book is a deeper metaphor on how we process trauma, and how some choose to heal and get better while others choose to stay angry at the world and spread their hurt and pain. If so, it was well done.

Also side note, but I have to wonder if the main character’s sister being named Scarlet is a reference to Little Red Riding Hood, with main character Rory representing the wolf.

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Best Sager book since Lock Every Door

Revisado: 09-06-23

It’s a good return to form for the author. In typical Riley Sager fashion, it follows the formula of all of his other books…but I still find his stories very entertaining even if I’ve figured out how all the moving parts work. I feel like there’s been a lull in his writing since Lock Every Door, his most popular book, and I can say as someone who’s read every one of his books that this is probably the best one since that one. The Only One Left has the old feel of his first three novels, which I didn’t realize I had been missing until now.

A bit longer than it needed to be, and the protagonist makes a lot of nonsensical decisions that can be frustrating (a staple for Sager protagonists) but like I said, an overall entertaining and creative mystery with a lot of twists and turns that are honestly ridiculous if you think too hard about it, but pretty fun if you’re just down for a wild ride told through pretty engaging writing.

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Hits close to home

Revisado: 08-15-22

So I was an iCarly kid. It was a defining series for my childhood and reminiscing on that sent me into the throes of nostalgia. I was also abused, and much in the same way Jennette describes in this memoir. So my nostalgia of that childhood is also tinged with grief.

Within the first ten minutes of this audiobook, I was already holding back tears. The prose was powerful, and the words familiar. Her story is intimately relatable to me, a sentiment I’m sure many who pick up this book will feel. To grow up alongside Jennette in seemingly picture-perfect childhoods and then reuniting as adults who realized those years weren’t so golden after all, this work emotionally moved me more than I expected. This memoir is going to change the future of the memoir genre and I’m going to be sitting on this for quite a while.

We’re not kids anymore. My heart goes out to her and I commend her strength in writing this book. It sold out right away for good reason, we can learn a lot from it. I’m happy the book is seeing overwhelming success and I wish that success for Jennette as well, but I also wish her peace. Thank you Jennette, for giving me back a piece of myself.

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If you liked Riley Sager’s “Lock Every Door,” read this next

Revisado: 05-11-22

I immensely enjoyed this one and once the story really picked up, I was invested in the mystery with great excitement (I usually inch my way through audiobooks throughout a week or two but I devoured this in two days.) If you’re genre savvy enough, you’ll be able to predict basically everything going on, but not that that dulls the story at all, rather you’d just worry for the main character as you know what awaits her. I found the last two hours genuinely frightening as a woman.

And as I mentioned in the title, this book is very similar to Lock Every Door by Riley Sager, with similar themes and story layout (but perhaps slightly better) so if you’re chasing the high of that thriller, you’ll find this one satisfying as well.

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Wednesday Addams meets chemistry and cottagecore

Revisado: 09-02-21

One of the best books I’ve ever read, it actually surprised me how good it was and just how much I enjoyed it. Flavia is an adorably lovable character who you just can’t help but root for. She’s sassy and impressively smart, but not unrealistically enough to enter “Mary Sue” territory. Honestly good mystery on top of it all, and it kept my interest the whole time.

You’ll grow to love chemistry as well, and the whole story brings the breeze of the English countryside into your home. It helped me escape for a while.

Can’t recommend enough, for both kids and adults. Would make a lovely gift for any avid reader looking for something new.

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Beautiful

Revisado: 08-06-21

No matter how many times I listen to it, this will always be the most wonderful book I’ve ever read in my life.

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Fantastic debut

Revisado: 08-04-21

Probably one of the best debut novels I’ve ever read, and it genuinely left me unsure what kind of ending it’d have. You can tell the level of expertise that went behind airline procedures and flight attendant culture.

I think it handled the political subjects well and with great sensitivity on very sensitive issues, and overall left off with the right takeaway of this kind of story. It will leave you thinking.

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Wow

Revisado: 07-22-21

The other reviews weren’t lying when they called this one “disturbing.” It’s a tough listen at times, but I was hooked from start to finish. It reminds me of The Collector by John Fowles, with a little more justice for the captive. The ending was genuinely surprising and made me mad enough that I would’ve thrown the book if I had a physical copy, so you know it’s great lol

I will say, if you’re the child of a narcissist than be wary with this one, go in mentally prepared.

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Whimsical

Revisado: 06-14-21

I enjoyed it. Suitable for all ages, dragged at times, but ultimately a colorfully visual and magical slow burn.

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