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Becs (244 KP) rated Bird Box in Books

Oct 2, 2019  
Bird Box
Bird Box
Josh Malerman | 2014 | Fiction & Poetry
6
8.3 (23 Ratings)
Book Rating
Bird Box by Josh Malerman was a very interesting read and concept. It was also surprisingly fast-paced! I couldn’t put it down even though it took me days to finish. I originally rated this as a 4-star read but going back through all my notes I realized that this is actually only a 3-star read.

The switching back and forth between past and present worked yet it didn’t at the same time. I felt like it was missing something but you do grow used to the switching of past and present. I also noticed what seemed to be like a few plot holes. With that, there were parts that I absolutely loved and parts that I absolutely hated enough to fall asleep too.

One thing that didn’t happen throughout the novel was a full description of the creatures. It would have been nice to know what they fully looked like, but I guess that adds to the whole “if you look, you die” aspect. There was surprisingly quite a bit of character and background development which was really nice to see. Overall, Bird Box was a great read. But the lack of descriptiveness was a bit off-putting.

Reasons why I rated it 3 stars:
1. Everything was vaguely described and it lacked depth.
2. There were plot holes.
3. The creatures were never really fully described as anything but an entity that takes your fears and uses it against you.
4. The switching from past and present only kind of worked.
5. The story was really good.
6. It was fast-paced.
7. The ending was shit.

“Your baby is smarter than you think.”
  
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Christine A. (965 KP) rated Mayhem in Books

Aug 25, 2020  
Mayhem
Mayhem
Estelle Laure | 2020 | Young Adult (YA)
7
7.5 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
YA feminist mash-up inspired by The Lost Boys and The Craft.
I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review. The opinions are entirely my own, and any quotes are taken from the ARC and may be different in the final published copy.

A YA feminist mash-up inspired by The Lost Boys and The Craft. That's the first line of the description of Mayhem by Estelle Laure, which meant it was a book I just had to read. It was later changed to describe it as The Lost Boys meets Wilder Girls. I am glad I saw the earlier description because I probably would not have been so eager to read it.

When Mayhem Brayburn and her mom flee from an abusive stepfather/husband and return to Roxy's family home, Mayhem hopes to discover her mother's secrets and more about herself. What she learns is magic runs through the female lineage in her family, and the Brayburn women are responsible for keeping the town safe. Now, it is her generation, Mayhem and the kids who live with the Brayburns, to find the serial killer responsible for the missing girls.

Many reviewers rated the book low because it resembles The Lost Boys. Mayhem does pay homage to it. The Frog brothers make an appearance, and a few famous lines from the movie are included. However, Mayhem stands on its own.

Mayhem contains adult themes including rape and should be read by older YA readers.

This 200-word review was published on Philomathinphila.com on 7/15/20 and updated on 8/24/20.