Hidden Bodies

I read Hidden Bodies by Caroline Kepnes without reading it's companion title You and was able to follow along perfectly fine.

That being said, I didn't really care for this book. I expected it to be like it's description, "a chilling account of unrelenting, terrifying deceit" a "thriller." I didn't get that vibe. 

The book is written from Joe Goldberg's point a view, a sociopath who basically kills people who makes him angry or get too close to the truth of who he is. He's a whiner who often goes on rants about the way people say things, the way they act. He believes he is smarter and better than the crowd he hangs around with while being extremely envious of them at the same time. 

It took me awhile to find a rhythm in the book because there are a lot of run-on sentences as Joe goes on and on about the things he detests. But  I continued reading and turning the pages and expecting something to change and--God, movies on Lifetime suck-- and it never got better. (That's basically how this book reads). Also, I didn't care for the language the author used, dropping a F-bomb almost every page, if not multiple times a page, and the casual use of the "C-word."

Even when Joe almost gets caught (or thinks he's being caught), it's still not suspenseful.

Anyway, I'd never discourage a reader not to pick up a book. You have to find out for yourself. I'm sure some will LOVE and drool over this. I just happened not to be that person.

The Nest

Despite my lack of entries, I haven't given up reading! Sometimes, life happens, but I decided to pick the reviews back up.

With that being said, I won six new books from the Des Moines Public Library. Much to my surprise, they were all pre-releases not even on the shelves yet! So I'm going to read them all and spoil the endings for everyone. (Just kidding, that'd be rude.)

The first book I selected to read was The Nest by Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney. Although it's not typically what I would pick up for myself, it was a good read.

The Nest follows the lives of the Plumb siblings, comprised of two brothers and two sisters who once their youngest sibling turns 40 will each inherit a large lump some of money. Each have planned and lived their lives around the day they will receive "The Nest."

It made them greedy, selfish and cold. Due to a mistake made by Leo, the oldest of the Plumb siblings, future dreams and plans are ruined and seem out of sight. The other three siblings, feeling entitled, do everything they can to get back what they feel was stripped away from them. Through their struggle and loss of self, they are forced to face their decisions and accept the consequences (but not without trying to avoid them first).

The ability of the author to switch perspectives in this book from each character to the next was what kept me not wanting to put it down. What one thought was dreadful, another thought was beautiful. Sweeney truly captured the essence of personal experiences and how it affects our daily lives and outlooks.

I have to admit, this is one of the first paperback books I've read since being gifted a Kindle. Sweeney used quite a few "big words" that I had never seen before and the convenience of highlighting the word and its definition being instantly shown to me was missed. However, using your context clues, you'll survive just as I did if your vocab isn't up to par.

In conclusion, if you like a book that has drama and a story of letting go and coming into your own, you should give this a read. It will be released on March 22, 2016.