lenorayoder's reviews
120 reviews

This is Christie’s first novel and it’s so good! Every character is interesting, and Poirot is so fun and unique. I love how much she pokes fun at the narrator - I laughed out loud several times and was reminded of Austen’s subtle humor. Christie definitely had a Hastings in her life, as do we all. 

I have to mention - there are several instances in the dialogue of period-typical racism. Because it’s always in dialogue it’s never clear if the author endorses it, although the (unreliable) narrator doesn’t give it a second thought. It’s possibly a commentary on rich and/or rural British attitudes of the time, but I can’t tell. Mostly antisemitic sentiments, as well as a mention of blackface. 

I’m excited to read more of Christie’s works. She’s definitely one of those authors who deserves the hype!

brynn has way more patience for annoying and entitled people than i ever would. bummed i have to wait so long to find out what happens with

nick! it looks like we’re in store for an interesting romance…

A nice addition to the time loop genre. 

Not what I hoped it would be. A lot of this book just feels vague and nonsensical instead of mysterious, and the pace is quite slow. 

I like the soft world building and the way Sophie’s magic works. Howl’s melodrama is fun. There are a lot of great nuggets in this book but so much time is spent on minute details and misdirection that when things are revealed they either feel plot-holey or like a lot of what I just read was a waste because it wasn’t even true/real. Even at the end a lot of things don’t make sense or feel out of place and some fun characters aren’t enough to make up for that. 

Charming, cozy, and sad with a hopeful ending. A great October read, would recommend. 

What a fun time! Catherine and Henry hit it off right away with some cute flirting and banter that shows how compatible they are. Henry’s sarcastic and teasing nature complements Catherine’s straightforward naïveté and helps her wise up to the fact that not everyone is as genuine and to-the-point as her family. I love how they talk about books together, and that every time we get dialogue from them it shows us what a good match they are. 

I was surprised to see how well Austen captured a certain family dynamic in the Tilneys. The way the siblings all interact with each other and their father feels so real and relevant. Passive aggressive controlling parents still act just like this! The lecture  Catherine gets from her clueless mother towards the end of the book also feels familiar - it’s so interesting to see how these kinds of relationships have barely changed in 100+ years!

I love the obvious humor and parody Austen narrates this book with, it feels so youthful and fun compared to her other works. There are follies aplenty, but no misunderstanding lasts too long. You’re never left feeling anxious or angsty for more than a few chapters (in most cases, pages), unlike the book-long misunderstandings that occur in some of her other works. 

One of the focuses of this book is how much people don’t say what they mean. Austen is sure to include many hilarious examples of characters directly contradicting what they’ve just said, both in action and words. This is only made more effective by contrasting their behavior with Catherine’s, who doesn’t even notice this happening most of the time because she’s too busy taking everyone at their word and saying exactly what she means. 

I would definitely recommend! This is also a book that’s easy to put down and pick back up later if you need to - the details and characters are easy to keep track of and the reader is rarely left in a lot of suspense. 

Starts off really strong but quickly becomes diluted and a little nonsensical around the halfway mark. So much potential - I wish I got to read the book that the setup promised. 

I loved this book, definitely recommend! Tori's voice comes through so strongly, and her perspective combined with the writing style give so much insight into what it's like to be a depressed teen. 

I only read The Catcher in the Rye once 10 years ago, but I definitely picked up some references here, and I'm guessing it was a source of inspiration. If The Catcher in the Rye didn't strike you the way it does a lot of people, especially teens, try reading Solitaire.

The only reason this didn't get five stars is that the ending doesn't feel in line with the rest of the book, although it has its moments.