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A review by sebnebula
When She Was Me by Marlee Bush
4.0
This book (legitimately) got me back into reading.
I've been having book burnout ever since I got my creative writing degree about five years ago and haven't been able to stick with a book since. The cover of this caught my eye at Barnes and Noble and I read it in four days. It's the first book I've read on my own in years. I flipped through the pages in the bookstore and just knew it was my book. I couldn't put it down and for the first time in like half a decade I felt like myself again, in the arms of a good book.
Pros:
-really good writing. The prose is just beautiful. Prose is a #1 for me in books, and if you're looking for something with beautiful prose, this is it.
-suspense. I wanted to know WTF was going on from page one. It's not as twisty and turny as other thrillers I've read since this one, but it was still satisfying. I need to do a second read, because the twist changed everything.
-characters. They were well-written, relatable (yikes for me), and just good to read with. Made me feel like staying around.
-good pacing and a fast read. I blew through this and I'm a slow reader
-environment. I was IN that forest with those sisters
-the ending (see cons) even despite a little cheesiness, still felt satisfying and I liked the way everything wrapped up and came together. This won't be the most twisty book you've read this year, but it is a GOOD book, and the twist still changes the entire book.
Cons:
-a little bit predictable, but this didn't bother me, because I was here for the characters and the prose
-the ending device was a little cheesey, but it didn't discount any of the pros for me
All in all, this book is going to have a really special place in my heart and kind of reads like a comfort book for me (yikes again for me?? lol). Hats off to such a good debut, and I can't wait to see what the future holds for this author. Thank you from the bottom of my heart to getting me back into reading!
I've been having book burnout ever since I got my creative writing degree about five years ago and haven't been able to stick with a book since. The cover of this caught my eye at Barnes and Noble and I read it in four days. It's the first book I've read on my own in years. I flipped through the pages in the bookstore and just knew it was my book. I couldn't put it down and for the first time in like half a decade I felt like myself again, in the arms of a good book.
Pros:
-really good writing. The prose is just beautiful. Prose is a #1 for me in books, and if you're looking for something with beautiful prose, this is it.
-suspense. I wanted to know WTF was going on from page one. It's not as twisty and turny as other thrillers I've read since this one, but it was still satisfying. I need to do a second read, because the twist changed everything.
-characters. They were well-written, relatable (yikes for me), and just good to read with. Made me feel like staying around.
-good pacing and a fast read. I blew through this and I'm a slow reader
-environment. I was IN that forest with those sisters
-the ending (see cons) even despite a little cheesiness, still felt satisfying and I liked the way everything wrapped up and came together. This won't be the most twisty book you've read this year, but it is a GOOD book, and the twist still changes the entire book.
Cons:
-a little bit predictable, but this didn't bother me, because I was here for the characters and the prose
-the ending device was a little cheesey, but it didn't discount any of the pros for me
All in all, this book is going to have a really special place in my heart and kind of reads like a comfort book for me (yikes again for me?? lol). Hats off to such a good debut, and I can't wait to see what the future holds for this author. Thank you from the bottom of my heart to getting me back into reading!