Several People Are Typing - Calvin Kasulke: 4.5 Stars
library e-book
What a weird f*ckin book! The description states "A work-from-home comedy where WFH meets WTF" and YES. I couldn't agree more! Basically "Gerald, a mid-level employee of a New York–based public relations firm has been uploaded into the company’s internal Slack channels—at least his consciousness has." (sorry, not sure how else to rephrase because that's exactly what happens). The whole story is told through Slack (or iMessage/chat, for anyone who doesn't know Slack) messages. So his body is in his apartment, but his non-physical self gets sucked into Slack, and he spends the whole book trying to figure out "live" there, and tell his friends/coworkers that he's trapped there and talks to them through Slack, but from the inside, and please take care of his body and rent LOL. He makes friends with the Slack Bot, and there's even some romance (I'm aware how weird that sounds, but trust), but honestly some of the convos has me literally LOL'ing which is why it got 4 stars (particularly the part about bodegas, if you decide to read it).
Pradeep: I dunno man, maybe I should just bring you to a hospital or call Slack tech support or something
Eight Perfect Hours - Lia Louis: 4 Stars
Netgalley
I'm not entirely sure why I gave this one 4 stars (as I write this review nearly a month later), other than it gave me a warm, fuzzy feeling at the end. Ohhh, that camera, though!
This was cute, but ENTIRELY TOO PREDICTABLE. Noelle meets Sam first while trapped in a snow storm on a highway, but then again at a hospital soon after. After giving him her number at the hospital, she finds it balled up next to a trash can. How rude! Then her mom's friend recommends her for a job, and lo and behold, Sam is there! I mean really?! But what romance lover doesn't love the meet-cute trope? This whole book was a bit cheesy, but it did give me all the warm and fuzzies. And though the whole "secret held within in the camera" was a bit EXTRA, at least it made sense (but honestly, extraneous).
The Big Rewind - Libby Cudmore: 4 Stars
Own
I picked this up randomly at a bookstore because it was marketed as "Nick Hornby's 'High Fidelity,' but for women." Jett, our MC, receives her neighbor KitKat's mail (which happens to be a mixtape) and when she goes to return the mail, she finds her neighbor dead (recently because she still has brownies burning in the oven), bludgeoned with a rolling pin - so she goes on a mission to find the killer, using the mix tape and a single picture KitKat's sister provides from her phone, as leads. This was a cute murder mystery, but I think creating a Spotify playlist and listening to all the songs listed/mentioned in the book definitely enhanced the experience. Jett's interwoven love story was a bit unrealistic and unnecessary, but I did enjoy all the nods to 80's culture- it felt very nostalgic.
Orpheus Girl - Brynne Rebele-Henry: 3 Stars
Own
I was really excited to get this one on Paperback Swap but was disappointed overall because it stated that it was a reimagined story about Greek Orpheus myth, and it really wasn't. In fact, even though Raya (one of our MCs) LOVES Greek Mythology, she also hardly ever mentions Orpheus or any other Greek mythology at all. Basically Raya and Sarah live in a small
(-minded) Texas town, and when outed they are both sent to the same "re-education" camp to make them straight. Unfortunately, I couldn't connect with any of the characters, and so when they were undergoing severe "treatments," I felt nothing (but maybe that says something about me more than the story?).
The Smash-Up - Ali Benjamin: 2.5 Stars
Netgalley
There are several separate storylines:
- Husband Ethan, co-founder of a marketing company, with college buddy Randy
- Randy, who may/may not have done something to involve himself in #MeToo movement and wants his buddy E (Ethan) to hook the big fish who may come out and say something
- Wife Zo, who has become an activist for the #MeToo movement along with her merry band of All These Witches
- Daughter Alex with ADHD
There was just too much going on in this novel; it needed more focus. For instance, the whole episode with the mushrooms was extraneous and didn't serve any purpose other than to take up more pages. Also, an epilogue should wrap things up, not introduce new issues. The reader is still left wondering a lot of questions [possible spoilers in white]: like where Maddie went, or more importantly, what happened to/with Randy after that last call, because it sounded like he was about to commit suicide. Also, Zo's character COMPLETELY turns around during/after that trip with Alex to the Boston Children's Hospital- how? Why? And who is "Jarret"/ not Jarret - where did he come from? Why was he there?
I'm rounding up my review to 3 stars, but it was really 2.5.
