1.5 Stars. Oh man, I really did not like this book. I was genuinely shocked come on to Goodreads and see this novel had been mostly well received. It 1.5 Stars. Oh man, I really did not like this book. I was genuinely shocked come on to Goodreads and see this novel had been mostly well received. It felt so objectively bland and boring to me, but I guess to each their own.
A misstep on my part may have been listening to the audio version but I strongly believe that is not the main reason why I didn’t like this book. I did listen to a sample of the audio a few months back and determined I didn’t like it. I have a thing with narrators who have really strong British accents – they usually don’t vibe with me. I decided to give it another go because I really wanted to read this book and surprisingly, it barely peeved me throughout the story. Despite my grievances about the content of the book, I was shockingly engaged for most of it, listening for hours at a time uninterrupted. Therefore, I don’t believe this is one of those cases where the narrator ruined the story for me. I just genuinely didn’t like this book. I do think the audiobook would have been improved by a bigger cast as we have multiple perspectives from people of different ages and genders (a woman in her late 50’s is never the right choice to voice a teenage boy in my opinion), but that’s not exclusive to this performance.
The plot of Watching You develops incredibly slowly. We start the book with the knowledge that someone has been found dead in their home and spent the rest of the novel attempting to piece together “whodunnit.” While many mysteries succeed in subtly place clues within a slow build up, this book was ridiculously dull. Half of the book was entirely uneventful with no action and no progress. It was very repetitive, going over the same events with different characters. I also did not like the switching back and forth between the past and police interviews. It felt very convoluted until the storylines began to match up. I expected there to be a lot of neighbors watching based on the title, but I didn’t realize I signed up to watch adults just freaking STARE at each other the whole time. Urban mysteries like this are typically my FAVORITE because I love the close-intimate nature of these stories in a bigger city, but it did not work here. I was under the impression that this book was a thriller, but the most thrilling part was when I could finally return the book to my library and start something new. A total, total bore.
I felt no attachment to any characters whatsoever. There are so many introduced all at once with very specific relationships to one another that it was hard to keep track of. I don’t think I should have to be reminding myself “Okay so X is their teacher and X is their son and X is who he’s watching and X is her sister” so deep into the story. The only two I somewhat cared about were Jenna and Freddie (in the end). They absolutely did the most investigative work that propelled the story when most of the problems revolved around their parents/adult neighbors. They are the only reason the book gets half a star. As for the adults, Tom is a creep, Joey is dumb, Nicola is shady, and the rest of the adults get so little actual attention, I can’t remember much about them beyond how they connect to the aforementioned characters. I see many reviews mentioning development and I just want to ask . . . where?? Though there were some themes of mental health, I think they were explored really poorly. There’s also some Asperger’s rep that I felt could be viewed as alright, but also could be viewed as bad. Additionally, I picked out the murderer nearly as soon as they were introduced and once the main piece of evidence was uncovered, it was so glaringly obvious that the actual reveal had no impact. It was overall very disappointing.
The reason I initially picked up Watching You is because the cover was SO STRIKING! I could not stop thinking about it after eyeing it multiple times in bookstores. Since purchasing it, I’ve had the cover facing out of my bookshelf because I love it so much, and probably will keep it that way despite my thoughts because it is just so vibrant. That being said, this was probably the most prominent example of “Don’t judge a book by it’s cover” that I’ve ever encountered as a reader . . . and not in a good way. I might pick up another book from Lisa Jewell as some of her other titles still intrigue me, but I will be going in with a cautious mind.
Content warning: (view spoiler)[ death/murder, stalking, cheating, talk of pedophilia/grooming, suicide, talk of psychosis (hide spoiler)]...more
Update 12/21 - Dropping my rating to 1 star because I can't remember a single thing I genuinely liked about this bookUpdate 12/21 - Dropping my rating to 1 star because I can't remember a single thing I genuinely liked about this book...more
2.5 Stars. Unfortunately, this book was a big let down for me. It was one of those situations where I was Update 12/21 - Dropping my rating to 2 stars
2.5 Stars. Unfortunately, this book was a big let down for me. It was one of those situations where I was not *super* bothered while reading but the more I think about it after the fact, the more frustrated I become. The plot was very weak and the characters were immensely watered down. Though much of the series was endearing despite not being my favorite, the final installment was truly a drag. I really wish the conclusion was more impactful, but it was pretty disappointing and my least favorite of the series....more
Review to come! (Listen I know I say this a lot but I have two weeks left in the semester, I promise I'm working on updating all my reviews XD)Review to come! (Listen I know I say this a lot but I have two weeks left in the semester, I promise I'm working on updating all my reviews XD)...more
4.5 Stars! Man, what a conclusion! This finale took me right back to the roots of why I fell in love with this series while still expanding on the cha4.5 Stars! Man, what a conclusion! This finale took me right back to the roots of why I fell in love with this series while still expanding on the characters, the mysteries, and romance. My heart was fluttering the entire time while reading and I'm so satisfied by this final installment.
CW: death, kidnapping
I really enjoyed the mystery of this story. While book 2 and 3 were a bit more dark and intense, this one was a bit more fun-loving and light-hearted (you know, besides the secrets, death, and missing people). It also felt more tightly-wounded and expertly planned than some other books, which was great improvement. Part of me does feel like the final mystery should have been more consistent with that of the previous 2 books, but it's hard to complain.
My goodness I was GUSHING the entire time while reading this book! All I could think about was Jamie & Charlotte. Jamie & Charlotte. Jamie & Charlotte. Jamie & Charlotte. Firstly, I loved that this novel was primarily from Charlotte's perspective. Though I missed Jamie's voice at some times, it was so refreshing to hear the story entirely from her point of view. Charlotte is sometimes disliked as a character due to certain attributes, but I have always fiercely loved her and A Question of Holmes solidified that in my heart. Jamie is lovely as always, but the shining element of this story is their relationship. The feelings, the dates, and the steamy scenes make this exactly what I was looking for to say goodbye to this iconic couple. The ending seems to be quite polarizing and while I had some reservations at first, I'm ultimately satisfied. I feel like I just want another ENTIRE book in between the last chapter and epilogue, but that's just me being selfish and wanting endless adventures of Charlotte Holmes and Jamie Watson.
The one major downside to my reading experience was the audiobook. Personally, I get very distracted when listening to an older woman narrate a teenage character with a British accent. It's fascinating because I've listened to at least 2 adult audiobooks narrated by Julia Whelan and thoroughly enjoyed them (one is one of my faves of all time!), but her older voice and British accent didn't work for me with this performance. It caused me to rewind A LOT more frequently than I typically do and I think I would have enjoyed the story much more from a different narrator.
I'm so incredibly happy I finished this series, and that the final installment was so spectacular. I would sincerely recommend any fans of mysteries and crime investigation to pick up the Charlotte Holmes series. You don't know what you're missing yet....more
4.5 stars! This book was a TRIP!! So though-provoking and refreshing. This is a book that discusses important social issues through the lens of really4.5 stars! This book was a TRIP!! So though-provoking and refreshing. This is a book that discusses important social issues through the lens of really well-developed characters and a suspenseful story. It taps into the darkness and brutal nature of our humanity in a way that’s jarring, but real. A book I’d highly recommend to anyone!
TW: sexual assault, physical assault,
In the week’s following me finishing the book (mind you, I finished it in two days), I felt like I read it too fast to fully process everything that went on. I decided to read it AGAIN and basically finished in one sitting! This is absolutely a book I could read over and over and get more out of it every time. In my first reading, I actually underestimate how well constructed the story is – I felt it was lacking some development, but with a second reading, I realized how complex all components of the story are. I could not be more pleased that I finally picked this one up.
One of my favorite things about The Female of the Species is that while it is a contemporary story, it reads like a thriller! Mindy McGuiness writes the story in such a chilling, atmospheric way that a sense of suspense follows you the entire time. I found it to be a very unique use of mood and tone for young adult books.
I ADORE the characters in The Female of the Species. Alex is the perfect anti-hero – Vengeful resilient, and morally gray. Honestly, she can be scary at times, but she also has a soft spot where you can’t help but want the best for her. Jack was surprisingly charming. He’s the star athlete and up for valedictorian, but he’s only the perfect student because he wants to escape poverty and live a more stable life. He’s the epitome of a teenage boy, meaning he is often driven by his hormones, but he is truly a good guy with a kind heart who wants to treat others fairly. As the only protagonist, he provides a thoughtful perspective on how men react to rape culture, which was beautifully done. Peekay was also a character I wasn’t super drawn to at the start, but she quickly grew on me. I loved watching her character growth as she gained awareness of herself and the people around her. It also plays with some high school stereotypes as a way to break them down which I appreciated seeing. The characters in this book are so multifaceted while still retaining the authentic nature of teenagers, which left me really impressed.
The Female of the Species is incredibly thematic. It examines the lines between right and wrong, human nature and animal instinct, justice and corruption. It provides a thoughtful commentary on rape culture, the treatment of women, slut-shaming, and feminism. If gender equality and just treatment for sexual abusers are things you care about, this is an absolute MUST read.
This book was REALLY REALLY great. I’m super excited to read more from Mindy McGuiness based on my first experience with her work. The refreshing writing, well-rounded characters, social commentary, and intoxicating plot work together perfectly to create a book that will remain at the top of my recommendations list for young adult contemporaries. ...more
4 Stars! A really remarkable read that lives up to the hype.
CW: homophobia
I have to say, I was NOT feeling this book to start. The plot felt very gen4 Stars! A really remarkable read that lives up to the hype.
CW: homophobia
I have to say, I was NOT feeling this book to start. The plot felt very generic to start and I found Tanner incredibly irritating. Once the story passed into a period of cute romance, I was more into it. Finally, when shit hit the fan and everything was ruined, I was hooked. (Wonder what that say about me?) I thoroughly enjoyed the different points of conflict in the story, from the romance problems, the friend problems, the religious complications, Sebastian's role as a mentor and Mormon missionary, even Tanner's flawed nature grew on me as it made for a good story (albeit, still infuriating). Autoboyography isn't an absolute favorite of mine, but I went through a real emotional transformation with it, making it a fairly memorable read.
I adored the exploration of sexuality in this novel. From Tanner's perspective, we have a bisexual teen who is totally secure of his identity and is able to share in that pride with his family. The way Tanner's parents support and encourage him was lovely to read and a really positive example for teens to encounter. With Sebastian, we follow the polar opposite - someone who denies their true self and is forced to hide it from everyone in their live due to harsh religious beliefs. Autoboyography really hit all the marks when it comes to discussing teen sexuality, coming out, accepting yourself, and leading your most authentic life. Though there's much conflict in the story related to Tanner and Sebastian's sexual orientation, it's far from *gay tragedy porn* and offers and insightful view into the real lives of LGBTQ+ teens today. It was super satisfying in that regard.
I also greatly enjoyed the friendship between Tanner and Autumn. It felt super realistic and captured so many different experiences of teen friends such as unrequited feelings, the effects of choosing significant others over longtime friends, and making decisions about college and the future. Truth be told, I think Autumn deserved better than Tanner and was probably my favorite character out of the whole novel because I related so strongly to her, but their relationship was raw and uncensored.
Though I have my own struggles with this novel (mostly Tanner and Sebastian being dumb 24/7), I greatly enjoyed it and completely see why it's become a favorite of the community. Those looking for satisfying stories with LGBTQ+ characters will find it with Autoboyography...more
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