Chaos & Confetti

September is already halfway over, but I’d still like to share what I got to read during the month of August.  August came with a mixed bag of books, but there were still a few gems to show off.  

As always, books will be rated on a 1 – 5 star scale with 1 being bad, 2 being meh, 3 being good, 4 being great, and 5 being absolutely excellent.  If you enjoy what you see and don’t want to wait until the next book post, please follow us on Goodreads.  We’ll try to stay consistently updated there before compiling our month’s reading and thoughts here.

Let’s Go!

Drowning by T.J. Newman – 5/5 Stars

Minutes after taking off from Hawaii, a commercial flight crashes into the Pacific Ocean.  The evacuation doesn’t go as planned, and the plane sinks.  Twelve passengers were able to seal the doors before becoming completely submerged but now they are trapped hundreds of feet below the ocean’s surface.

Drowning is an intense thriller that will have readers squirming as more and more goes wrong throughout the novel.  Like the trapped passengers, readers will hope for the best while forced to face the reality that there is no guarantee of a happy ending for everyone.

The plot of the novel is gripping, but this book wouldn’t be what it is without strong character work.  T.J. Newman creates a cast of characters that feel life-like.  Whether they are people you like or not, you’ll feel their humanity and root for their survival.  Outside of the plane, there are those working on a rescue plan.  They will earn cheers and frustration from those reading along with their exploits.  

At the center of this novel is survival but also family.  Those trapped in the plane share their bonds and a few characters have family top-side that will play into the action and emotions resonance as well.  

Drowning is a fantastic thriller for those who don’t mind stories that do all they can to beat down hope while dangling the slightest lifelines in front of them.

The Space Between Worlds by Micaiah Johnson – 2.5/5 Stars

The multiverse is real and it’s possible to travel it, as long as you don’t have a living counterpart in the world you visit.  That means that people like Cara, whose other versions have a knack for dying, become extremely valuable as a traveler between worlds.  Cara soon finds herself entangled in the troubles and schemes of multiple worlds.

Johnson sets up an interesting concept but the story she tells around it often feels like it could have been more.  There are some interesting twists and world building, but Cara’s story often feels like it lacks direction.  There are a few times when the book seems to start moving in a direction or prioritizing a plot thread only for there to be a shift.  This keeps the readers on their toes, but with already so much to juggle (different characters and worlds), a little more streamlining or focusing could have helped.  

Johnson crams a lot into this novel, which provides a lot of interesting set up, but like all multiversal stories, the different worlds need to feel unique and worthwhile.  In that respect, the story dropped the ball a bit.  Also, by the time that the villain is revealed and their scheme comes into play, it feels like a lot of wasted time on the way there.

This book is good for those who like multiversal stories, unique ideas, and defiant characters just trying to do their best, while also not minding a little lack of focus with plot.

The Nice Guy by Sarah A. Denzil – 3/5 Stars

Laura and Ethan have what feels like the perfect meetcute followed by an incredible night together.  Unfortunately, during their first official date, Laura quickly realizes that Ethan is far from the nice guy she imagined him to be.  The further she tries to push away from Ethan, the more controlling and vicious he proves to be.  To complicate matters even more, Laura finds herself pregnant after their one night together, a miracle after all her previous fertility issues.  Can this blessing outweigh the baggage of the crazy ex, or will Ethan’s behavior spell disaster for Laura and their child?   

The Nice Guy has a decent plot that faces some ups and downs throughout.  While readers should have no trouble siding with Laura against the outright evil Ethan, they are still going to question a lot of her choices.  There will have to be some suspension of disbelief over Ethan’s escalating antics and Laura’s inability to stop him.

The novel starts off strongly and realistic enough, but by the end, readers need to accept the more over-the-top elements that will include outright sociopathy, world traveling, and more.    

This is a book for those who love big drama, difficult relationships, and slowly building tension.

The Escape Room by Meagan Goldin – 4/5 Stars

Four high powered individuals, all of whom work for the same firm, must attend a mandatory escape room in the middle of the night.  With job cuts coming soon, they reluctantly enter an elevator themed escape room, only to find themselves trapped and alone.  The only goal becomes to get out alive, but they may become even more difficult as each participant’s secrets are laid out before the others.  Can the players overcome the odds or will they fall victim to the room and each other?  Also, what does this all have to do with a hire from a few years before?

This is a compelling novel that sees a bunch of unlikeable characters put into an insane situation.  The characters who are used to feeling untouchable and in control quickly start to unravel and their thirst for survival is tested.  This keeps the story interesting and moving forward at a good pace.

The novel is also made up of flashbacks to a young woman who was hired at the same firm several years ago.  Through her eyes we get another perspective on our escape room participants and the jobs that run their lives.  We are given insight into how their lifestyle can consume and corrupt someone, along with seeing the parts they play in that process for others.   

I must say that The Escape room is an enjoyable read.  However, the novel isn’t quite what I expected it to be. As someone who loves escape rooms, I went in ready to enjoy some puzzles vicariously.  As the first clues dropped, I solved them easily, tsking tsking the stumped characters and rolling my eyes at how a few puzzles came together for them.  The book’s focus quickly leaves the actual escape room experience though and becomes much more about the characters’ actions, secrets, and personality clashes.  Though I enjoyed what I read, the escape room elevator is more just a setting to provoke the actions in the plot, and less a main focus in itself.    

This is a good choice for those who enjoy terrible characters getting what they deserve, characters put into uncomfortable situations (in many different ways), and a sense of dread and mystery that pushes the story forward. 

One of Us is Dead by Jeneva Rose – 3/5 Stars

Buckhead is home of the privileged and elite.  They have their own problems too, but many of them are their own doing.  Even the friendships between the woman of Buckhead are filled with competition and spite.  When the balance between a group of these women is thrown off my a divorce and the introduction of a younger, prettier girl, the social circle begins to bubble over in a way that can only lead to death.

Rose creates a set of uniquely individual women who each hold their own personality and roles within the story.  She also juggles the shifting narrative perspective well, giving information and scenes in a way that fits the story well.  Unfortunately, a lot of the women are unlikeable and their problems are often self made due to the lifestyles they attempt to live.  Some do stand out as more relatable and worth rooting for, but by the end of the novel, none can really be considered good people (even they want you to believe they are because at least they’re not as bad as others in the book).

This is a novel filled with drama and scheming.  Everyone is talking about one another, trying to get what they want, and attempting to figure out the others are working.  Meanwhile, there is the constant looming threat of murder in the background.  It creates a good balance of doom and stress that creeps below the surface, but it can also feel trying at times when it seems like some reevaluation and true honesty could get many of these characters into the right place.

This is definitely a book for those who love domestic/inner circle drama and who enjoy reading about power plays and politics within a group.

The Only One Left by Riley Sager – 3.5/5 Stars

Kit, a home-health aide, is finally allowed to work after a previous tragedy on the job.  Desperate for work and actual income, Kit is left with no other option than to move to Hope’s End, a secluded home atop a cliff, to care for Lenora Hope.  It should be mentioned that Lenora Hope is famous for killing her family, but what harm could an elderly and mostly invalid woman present, right?

Sager’s novel excels at creating a sense of mystery and eeriness throughout the story.  The story hinges on the mystery involving Lenora Hope and the other characters who surround her.  For the most part, the payoffs and twists are worthwhile and strongly delivered.  The slow revelations as the story jumps back and forth between the present and recollections of the past are well handled and paced until a certain point.

The novel suffered begins to suffer by the end.  In some ways, the story starts to feel overly stretched out and reliant on over the top actions and coincidences.  The meat of story is still solid, but the connections and timing all feel like a bit much even within the realm of fiction.  

This book is recommended for those who like mystery, slight chills, and creepy atmospheres.