Weyward

 
“Weyward” by Emelia Hart
Published by St. Martin’s Press
 
This is 3 generations (not consecutive) of women, each told in their own point of view.  In each story, there are abusive male characters and strong female characters.  I didn’t find it to be a feel-good book, but I can see where it would be empowering for some.  I can also see where it would be triggering for some due to the abuse and pregnancy issues (to be polite).  For me, the storyline was OK but the writing was better.  It was fairly slow moving but towards the end, each story became more intense and more of a page turner.  I do recommend it; I just don’t know that it was worth all the hype it received.
 
Finished 11/29/24 – 3/5 stars
 
#weyward
#emeliahart
#stmartinspress
#bookofthemonth
#2024reads

The Truth About Alice

 “The Truth About Alice” by Jennifer Mathieu
Published by Square Fish
 
There are differences in opinions as to what ages YA books are for….some say high school and others say post high school to mid-20s.  This book is definitely written for high schoolers.  Unfortunately, it’s probably banned (ugh!!) in many locations because there is mention of teen drinking, sex, abortion, and death.  But it also speaks to the rumor mill that is high school, bullying, peer pressure, the need to fit in, and the hurt of being left out.  I feel there are plenty of teenagers that would benefit from reading this book.
 
Finished 11/17/24 – 3/5 stars
 
#thetruthaboutalice
#jennifermathieu
#squarefish
#2024reads
#bookstagram

The Lake of Lost Girls

 “The Lake of Lost Girls” by Katherine Greene
Published by Crooked Lane Books
 
I definitely enjoyed this one!  This story is about the search for answers regarding 4 young ladies who went missing from their college in a small town about 24 years ago.  It’s told in dual timelines with multiple points of view, including a cold case podcast.  You’ll find yourself bouncing between multiple people that you suspect to be the abductor and won’t know for sure until the last 5-10 percent of the book.  The only issue I had was that on my Kindle it was hard to read some of the “pictures” like social media posts and a newspaper article because I couldn’t enlarge the font for those.  It definitely didn’t take away from the story, but I’d recommend the printed version because of it.
 
Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the complimentary copy of this book.  As always, the opinions expressed within this review are completely my own.
 
Finished 11/15/24 – 4/5 stars
 
#thelakeoflostgirls
#katherinegreene
#netgalley
#crookedlanebooks
#2024reads
#bookstagram

Like Mother, Like Mother

 

“Like Mother, Like Mother” by Susan Rieger
Published by Random House
 
This is a family drama of 3 generations of women, all dysfunctional.  I had a few issues with the stories and characters themselves but overall, it was a good book.  One odd aspect, rather than a lot of character self-reflection, other loved ones did character dissections of them.  Because of the lack of self-reflection, there was no true change from generation to generation of a certain “trait”.
 
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the complimentary copy of this book.  As always, the opinions expressed within this review are completely my own.
 
Side note – I’ve been sick and just getting out of a reading slump.  Both of those might issues have affected my review.
 
Finished 11/9 – 3/5 stars
 
#likemotherlikemother
#susanrieger
#randomhouse
#netgalley
#2024reads
#bookstagram