The Kingdom by Jess Rothenberg

 

Ebook previously provided by NetGalley. Thank you.

3/5 stars

Well this was unique. Ana is one of 7 Fantasist "princesses", robot hybrids who live at The Kingdom, a massive Disney-like park.

Told in dual timeline of then and now where the now is a mix of trial and interview transcripts that reveal that Ana is on trial for murder. Then is the events leading up to the murder which show that some of the Fantasists are going wrong.

This was a really interesting concept but I don't think it went far enough with the overall criticism of the program. Also I felt that the ending was a little weak and incomplete.

Steff Out x 

Good Bad Girl by Alice Feeney

 

Ebook previously provided by NetGalley. Thank you.

3/5 stars 

This opens with a baby being abducted on Mother's Day before moving 20 years later where we follow four women: Edith, who has been put in a care home by the daughter she has a tense relationship with; Clio, Edith's daughter; Patience, a teenage girl working at the care home whole Edith befriends; and Frankie, a prison librarian searching for her estranged daughter.

I thought that the characters were reasonably well-written though their voices blended a little at points. Also with 4 POVs it did get a little convoluted at times but I did enjoy how it unfolded and the reveal did surprise me.

Steff Out x 

People Like Her by Ellery Lloyd

 

Ebook previously provided by NetGalley. Thank you.

2/5 stars

Emmy is a a super successful famous Instamum who tells it like it is. Her author husband - a one-hit-wonder - knows that it's all bullshit. Then there's the woman who who wants to destroy it all, like Emmy destroyed her family...

I feel like this book tried but ultimately fell short. It tried to be a thriller but it wasn't thrilling enough. It tried to be a criticism on social media fakeness but it didn't go far enough or scathing enough.

The characters were awful, the pacing was not great and the ending fell very flat for me.

Steff Out x