The Guest List Review

The Guest List is about a wedding between a rising television star and a smart and ambitious magazine publisher on an island off the coast of Ireland where someone turns up dead.

This was my first taste of the who-done-it murder mystery novel and I actually quite enjoyed it. At the start I was left a little confused as we are kind of thrust into the story with a multitude of names and different characters and the relationship between them all.

Honestly I didn’t really care for Will or Jules. I found them both to be very self-absorbed and entitled. But I think that was intentional, I really can’t see anyone finding them likable at all. Which I think was explored throughout the course of the book through the experiences the other characters have with them.

Hannah was probably the most relatable out of all the characters. I enjoyed reading from her perspective and finding out more about her relationship with her husband and Jules. Olivia was very secretive and a cagey at first but as we learn more about her and what she has endured over the last year you can’t help but sympathize with her.

The way the book was formatted with the dual timelines definitely kept me invested and eager to read on to find out who was killed. The reveals were made a precisely the right times in the book as this was a little slower paced and it there were periods where not a whole lot is happening.

I predicted a couple of the little twists that occurred throughout the course of the plot line but the main revelation definitely came as a surprise.

⭐️3/5 stars entertaining.. not exactly mind blowing!

Library Update/Haul

I thought it was time to do another update about the books I’ve been borrowing and reading from my local library. Last month I tried to prioritise most of the books that I borrowed for my TBR as there were quite a large amount and there were a few that I was dying to read. Out of the 14 books I read in August seven of them were from the library so I would definitely count that as a success. When I returned all of those books there were a couple that I just had to grab as well. I’m trying not to borrow as many books as I have been previously as I do want to try and get my owned TBR down to single figures!

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The One Review

The One is essentially about a dating website that finds your soul mate and the person you are meant to be with through your DNA.

I thought this was a very entertaining and compelling read. I read it all in one sitting late into the night as I just couldn’t put it down. The varying situations these people found themselves in after being matched, though was very outlandish was also kind of relatable.

Mandy’s storyline as it progressed I could kind of predict what was going to happen. Some of her decision-making was a little reactive and I thought she acted a little childish at times. She was probably my least favourite out of all of them just because of how uncomfortable she made me at times. The way she just immersed herself in this man’s life after she thought he had died was kind of problematic.

Nick’s story really tugged at my heartstrings. I loved seeing his emotional journey throughout the plot and how he came had to terms with who his match was and how he was feeling throughout the whole experience. I think his fiancé was a horrible person and used Nick from the start and denied him his happiness because she was afraid of being alone.

Chris’s story with Amy I thought was put in there for the shock factor above all else. I find it unrealistic that it took Amy so long to put together what Chris was doing. But I found his point of view quite refreshing in the sense that he was completely different to the rest of the characters. Seeing him struggle with these emotions that he has never had to comprehend at all was enthralling.

Jade’s character I found to be more believable in the situation she was in with her match. I think she made all of the right decisions and stayed with Kevin throughout the whole ordeal even though she knew she didn’t love him.

Ellie I didn’t really care about for the majority of the book. As a character she was kind of boring and didn’t really capture my attention at all until the very end. When she had that standoff in her office with Matthew was highly entertaining and I loved finding out about how they were connected and all the unethical things she did in order to start her business.

I think the multiple perspectives was the perfect format for the story, I really grew attached to a number of these characters and was highly invested in their storylines and how their relationships were going to work out.

⭐️4/5 stars shocking, endearing, entertaining, you won’t be disappointed!

Binti Series Review

Binti – I really enjoyed this first book of the series. We are established in the world pretty quickly and we are learning about space and the other lifeforms as Binti is. I thought she was a little naïve at first but as the story progressed we see her undergo a pretty big emotional upheaval, especially after the massacre she witnesses on the Big Fish. A lot of the mathematical equations and treeing went right over my head but I was still able to comprehend what was happening and enjoy the story as a whole. ⭐️4/5 stars

Binti: Home – This installment of the series was a little chaotic. I could definitely relate to Binti and her feelings of homesickness and the need to go back home and reestablish her sense of self. I like that we see more of the relationship between her and Okwu and the introduction of Mwinyi definitely added more depth and complexity to the story line. Binti just seemed a little frantic and not in control of herself a lot in this book. I think all of the events that have happened have definitely caught up to her and she breaks down a lot in this book. ⭐️3/5 stars

Binti: The Night Masquerade – This installment was a again kind of too chaotic for me. We see a lot of the repercussions from the previous books come into play here and we are given a lot of answers to questions that have been put forth throughout the story line. There is a pretty steady buildup of tension throughout the course of the story line but the ending was a tad anticlimactic. I had no doubts that Binti would be okay and then travelling to Saturn after interpreting the messages her edan was sending her only for a recommendation for the Oozma Uni. I guess I can appreciate how it has come full circle but I was expecting something different. ⭐️3/5 stars