September Book Clubs Book Review
Belladonna by Adalyn Grace
Nineteen-year-old Signa Farrow has never had much luck. Orphaned as a baby to being passed from guardian to guardian–each caring more for her fortune than her well-being and all finding an untimely end. Her last remaining relatives are the elusive Hawthornes, a wealthy family living at Thorn Grove. Its patriarch spirals as he mourns his late wife, his son grapples for control of the family's reputation, and the daughter suffers from the same mysterious illness as her mother. And now, Signa Farrow, a girl who can't die and sees the spirits of the dead.
But when the late Lillian Hawthorne's restless spirit appears, claiming that she was poisoned, Signa enlists the help of a stable boy to hunt down the killer before they claim the life of another one of her family members. As Blythe Hawthorne grows iller, Signa's best chance of solving the murder is forming an alliance with Death, a dangerous, shadowy figure who never strays too far from her. With the help of Death, Signa realizes the only way to save Blythe is to embrace her true self, and along the way, she realizes that her powers might not be a curse after all.
I had high expectations going into this book, and every one of them was met. The characters were amazing, each one of them having a different complexity to them. I adored all the characters' diverse personalities, especially Signa's stubbornness about relying on a man, Death's charm, and Sylas' witty remarks.
The atmosphere and the setting were perfect for a gothic fantasy read filled with death and spirits. Thorn Grove estate almost felt like a character in itself. The old estate that once held elegant parties is now shrouded with shadows, and death lingers in the halls.
The romantic elements throughout the story are just enough so that the storyline still revolves around solving Lillian's murder. I usually hate love triangles, especially when one character is blatantly better for the main character than the other. However, I loved this love triangle and struggled to choose between Death and Sylas. How was I supposed to choose between Sylas, who is adorably overprotective over Signa and is willing to lose his job for her, or Death, whose charming words and teasing remarks leave me blushing like Signa?
Now, I can usually spot a plot twist from miles away, but that was not the case in Belladonna. The story took me on a wild goose chase as I tried to guess the plot twists and figure out who Lillian's killer was, each guess being more wrong than the last. The ending left me gasping and reeling as the true murder was revealed. Adalyn Grace truly has a way with words.
Adalyn Grace's writing style completely swept me away. Her words seemed to flow off the page, and everything came together to create a clear picture in my mind. There were many amazing quotes and scenes throughout Belladonna.
Belladonna had everything I needed in a Gothic-inspired book, including enemies-to-lovers, slow-burn, chemistry, and dark academia vibes. I truly cannot wait to read the rest of the series!
Those Empty Eyes by Charlie Donlea
It's been ten years since Alexandra Quinlan's family was massacred in their quiet suburban home. It's been ten years since Alexandra was nicknamed Empty Eyes after being accused as the killer. Alexandra, now known as Alex Armstrong, hasn't stopped searching for answers about what happened that night even as the true crime fanatics and reporters try to locate her.
As a legal investigator, Alex works tirelessly to provide justice. When Mathew Claymore, a suspect in the investigation of his girlfriend's disappearance, comes into the picture, Alex finds herself investigating Laura McAllister's disappearance, a student journalist investigating the rape and cover-ups on her college campus. Upon digging into the university's faculty, fraternity members, and powerful parents who will do anything to keep their children safe, the most shocking revelation is the connection between Laura's disappearance and Alex's family's murder. But if Alex learned anything, it's that no one is quite who they seem to be.
Charlie Donlea crafted a complex storyline filled with crime, mystery, and a multitude of plot twists.
I liked that the main character, Alex Armstrong, A.K.A. Alexandra Quinlan, is an easy character for the readers to root for, especially because of her traumatic background. She's determined to find out who the murderer is and isn't afraid of the risks. However, she is not quite a multi-dimensional character. We only know a few details about Alex, such as her spiky hair, coffee order, and strong determination to find her family's killer.
The plot was messy, and I wasn't a fan of how the point of view jumped around so often. At times, it confused me because the point of view switched from Alex to random minor characters. It seemed like the author added these points of view to make everything connect, but the end result was chaos. However, it did make it more challenging to figure out who the Quinlan family's murderer was.
Despite the many different storylines, it was not a boring book. Charlie Donlea took me on a crazy adventure with Alex as she tried to find the killer. The killer's identity took me by surprise, and I loved how the ending chapter revealed another surprising plot twist. All in all, it was an entertaining read!
Written by Carlie Renee
