The Change - Kirsten Miller

5/5 ⭐

*Potential spoilers ahead, read with care.

This was so much more than I could have ever imagined. It left me in a state for days after finishing where all I could do was think about it. It consumed me.

The Change follows three women Nessa, Harriet, and Jo. All at different stages in their lives but come together with a common goal to right the wrongs that led to the death of an unidentified teen that the police seem keen to ignore. Not all is well in this picturesque coastal town as the women dig deep and investigate they are met with threats, danger and new friends.

Nessa hears the voices of the dead, Harriet grows more than one might think in her wild gardens, and Jo can channel her anger and rage into something fiery. And together they force to be reckoned with that this town is just not ready for. These changes all come about with 'The Change' or menopause. Or if you are Blanche Devereaux, "The Curse."

I was cautiously optimistic when I started this because it deals with some very serious and real issues that permeate today's world. And I like to read to escape the hellscape that I live in not be reminded of it. But let me tell you once I got into this I just couldn't stop.

It did take a little while to really get into the story so I will say if you feel like giving up stick through it because it is so worth it. Once I got stuck in I ended up reading it in two days.

Miller gives us a picturesque coastal town with beautiful imagery and smashes it to bits to show us the ugly side of small town life. The secrets and despicable things people do just because they can. There where times where I was screaming at what was happening and crying along with the characters. I was with them until the very end. And oh boy, what and ending.

Without giving much more away, I really do recommend this one. But please check the trigger warning as there are some very heavy topics discussed and detailed out.

Chelsea

Comments

One by One - Ruth Ware

3/5 ⭐ Possible Spoilers - Read with care Snowed in on the French Alps, a cozy chalet filled with execs from a social media company, and murder. What started as a intriguing murder mystery said to be inspired by one of the greatest mystery writers, quickly fell down the slopes the author wrote about. I had heard mixed reviews about Ruth Ware's novels, some said they were great, some said they were left disappointed. I thought it only fair to read one and see for myself. Unfortunately, I felt disappointed. This one was talked up a lot in it's homage to Agatha Christie's arguably best work 'And Then There Were None' which is why I decided to start with this one. Maybe that was my fault. Maybe I should have started with another one. But this one also sounded the most interesting to me anyways. It started off strong, introducing the characters and setting. Building the suspense before the first crime took place. But between the flipping back and forth POV and the dragge...

The Family Plot - Megan Collins

4/5 ⭐ A family brought up learning about everything through the lens of true crime. Murder, mayhem, and death are the Lighthouse family's close companions. I was looking forward to this book since reading the summary. I have a mild interest in true crime and was interested in seeing how this story would incorporate such a widely talked about topic. For some, true crime is overdone and saturates media. And if anything, I think Collins does a fantastic job of acknowledging that fact and takes on true crime in a new and unique fashion. We are immediately introduced to the main setting, Blackburn Island, home to a serial killer who was never caught and the home of the 4 Lighthouse children and their... peculiar parents. I thought that Collins did a good job with the characters introducing them one right after another without it feeling rushed or like we were missing something. If anything it felt as though we learned a lot about the family within just the first few chapters. Without ...

Lavender House by Lev AC Rosen

4.5/5 ⭐ Queer Knives out? Sign me UP! This is one house that is full to bursting with secrets. One that Evander Mills is all to familiar with. One that cost him his job, his friends and almost his life. Being queer in the 50s was not just dangerous, it was a crime. And navigating raids and a disapproving population is hard. So finding a family that are all one way or another queer is unheard of and dangerous. Asked to discreetly investigate a mysterious murder, Mills is let in on the family secret and learns what it’s like to be surrounded my others just like him. And the safety and freedom offered to him behind those closed gates. But not all is well and he quickly learns that as more than just a mysterious murder take place. This was such a good mystery and having the queer rep made it even better. I was a little cautious with the comparison to Knives Out because I didn’t want just a queer book version of it. That would have been boring. But if you liked Knives Out, I...

In The Solarium

Search This Blog