Mexican Gothic

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

“Old would have been an inaccurate word to describe him. He was ancient, his face gouged with wrinkles, a few sparse hairs stubbornly attached to his skull. He was very pale too, like an underground creature. A slug, perhaps. His veins contrasted with his pallor, thin, spidery lines of purple and blue.”

WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT? Supernatural gothic horror I guess. The book starts as a classic creepy haunted house tale with all the eerie ominous vibes that I love. The evil decaying house is filled with a creepy evil family with an awesomely horrific back story. Halfway through, the story takes a supernatural turn which takes you on an action-packed thrill ride with lots of super grotesque imagery. You will also love to hate Noemi, the immature spoiled brat at the center of the story. And Howard, the patriarch of High Place will make your skin crawl. This book is lots of fun. I can’t even… Recommended for lovers of the hideous, grotesque, and macabre. 4.5 stars.

The Death of Vivek Oji

The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“They were keeping me alive in the sweetest way they knew how, you see.”

Exceptional. This book took my breath away. Exquisitely written and overwhelming heartfelt. This is the story of a young persons search for sexuality, identity and acceptance. It’s about complicated relationships between friends and family. I was especially touched by struggle of Vivek’s mother and her quest to find out what really happened to her son and her final act to give his life meaning. Five stars.

Invisible Girl

Invisible Girl by Lisa Jewell
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

“amazing how boring you can get away with being when you’re pretty. No one seems to notice. When you’re pretty everyone just assumes you must have a great life. People are so short-sighted, sometimes. People are so stupid. I have a dark past and I have dark thoughts. I do dark things and I scare myself sometimes.”― Lisa Jewell

Lackluster and mediocre. Where’s that Lisa Jewell originality and spark that make her books unique? I’ve loved a couple of her books (I Found You, And Then She Was Gone) but this one just didn’t grab me. Unlikable characters and a slow disjointed plot. Totally unremarkable. By the end, I just didn’t care. 2.5 stars

Whereabouts

Whereabouts by Jhumpa Lahiri
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

“There’s no escape from the shadows that mount, inexorably, in this darkening season. Nor can we escape the shadows our families cast. That said, there are times I miss the pleasant shade a companion might provide.”― Jhumpa Lahiri

Lyrical. Meandering. Poetic. Lonely. Very, very lonely. Beautifully told from the voice of an unnamed female, snippets of her life tell us a bit about where she has been, and where she may be going. This is a little gem of a book. Four stars.

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“What she needs are stories.
Stories are a way to preserve one’s self. To be remembered. And to forget.
Stories come in so many forms: in charcoal, and in song, in paintings, poems, films. And books.
Books, she has found, are a way to live a thousand lives—or to find strength in a very long one.”
― V.E. Schwab

Don’t dance with the devil! Literally. If I could give this book six stars I would. It sucked me in and then ripped my heart out. Luke is one bad boy you don’t want to mess with. I fell for it hook, line, and sinker. But I’m a sap like that.