A Twisty Return to Form | Review: The Only One Left by Riley Sager

I’ve been a fan of Riley Sager’s books since I first read Final Girls and then his follow-up, The Last Time I Lied, which is my favorite. With every book released, I have enjoyed each one. I always know what to expect going in and have fun coming up with theories as I read while also yelling at the page a few times proclaiming that a character had done it even if I was later proven wrong (or right). 

When I read Sager’s last book, The House Across The Lake, I was a little disappointed despite being intrigued by the plot. So, I admit I went into The Only One Left a little apprehensive. However, just like everything that happens in it, I was left floored and flabbergasted. Most of all, I thought he had gone back to what had made his earlier books so twisty and engaging.

At seventeen, Lenora Hope
Hung her sister with a rope
Stabbed her father with a knife
Took her mother’s happy life
“It wasn’t me,” Lenora sad
But she’s the only one not dead

In 1929, Lenora Hope was accused of murdering her whole family. Decades later her story has been immortalized into a chant while she continues to reside in the mansion that rests upon the edge of a cliff holding all the secrets of that very night. Now it’s 1983, and Kit McDeere is a caregiver assigned to take care of Lenora, who is ready to tell Kit the whole truth.

If you’ve read Sager’s books, you know how he likes to play around with thriller tropes. In The Only One Left he takes inspiration from the infamous Lizzie Borden. I really like the mystery surrounding Lenora Hope and how it’s revealed through the typewritten messages she writes to Kit. Kit, as the audience surrogate, turns out to be just as unreliable of a narrator as Lenora, but it also strengthens their relationship and why they would trust and question each other.

It gets a little muddled and convoluted near the end with twist after twist that I had to pause and reevaluate everything. Once I caught up though, it’s a wild ending and a satisfying read, which I’m still thinking about.

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The World of Science Fiction

Let’s talk about science fiction 🪐 

I never thought I’d see myself as a science fiction reader, but after considering how much I enjoy watching sci-fi films then I probably should have known I would love reading them too. 

I think the best book to pick up if you’re interested in getting into the genre is Ready Player One by Ernest Cline. This novel set in the year 2044 follows Wade Watts, who is on a quest in the virtual reality world of the Oasis to win a life altering prize left behind by the Oasis’s mysterious creator, James Halliday.  From the get-go, it is an unputdownable read, whether or not you know anything about 80's pop culture or video games. Its sequel, Ready Player Two, continues where the first book leaves off.

I also find Blake Crouch’s books to be another great introduction into sci-fi starting with either Dark Matter, Recursion, or Upgrade. Recursion was the first book of his I read and - wow! It surprised me at every twist and turn becoming a blend of Edge of Tomorrow and Minority Report. Dark Matter is also just as good with its look inside the multiverse and has a series adaptation coming out soon. Upgrade was the latest novel I read that could have been an episode of The Twilight Zone, but amped up into a fast-paced, action packed thriller about a man whose genes are altered transforming him into an advanced human being.

Then there’s Andy Weir. Although I still need to read The Martian and Artemis, I’ve read Project Hail Mary and it is one of my favorite books. It’s best to go into it blind, but basically it begins with a man who wakes up onboard a spaceship with no memory of who he is or why he is there until he learns he’s on a mission to save humankind. This is the book where I realized how much I actually love the genre, which can be fun and adventurous, and made me want to read more. It’s also being adapted into a movie starring Ryan Gosling, produced by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller. 

Science fiction comes in many forms, but I find that each one has a take in utilizing or analyzing the impossible, turning them into something probable that could be real or already is.

Are you interested in reading sci-fi? Do you have any favorites or are on your TBR?

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Getting Out of Your Comfort Zones | Review: The Boyfriend Candidate by Ashley Winstead

When it comes to romance, the ones I really fall head over heels for are the ones with depth and a lot of heart that become more than just a romance, but about a genuine connection between two people who help each other grow while also exploring their own personal journeys. Ashley Winstead’s The Boyfriend Candidate has all of this and then some. On the surface it has a fake dating, opposites attract trope. The bigger story however that makes this romance soar is its main character, who finds her voice as she begins to get out of her shell, while also fake dating a politician. 

Alexis Stone is a shy librarian who decides to have a one night stand with a stranger after her boyfriend breaks up with her for being too timid in bed. At a hotel bar, she meets handsome and outspoken Logan. They hit it off and just before things are about to heat up, the fire alarm goes off and the two quickly evacuate with Logan valiantly carrying Alexis out of the building. A photo of them is taken and Logan abruptly leaves, leaving Alexis a little disheartened. It turns out Logan is actually Logan Arthur, a young up-and-coming political candidate running for governor of Texas. To avoid a scandal, the two decide to pretend to be in a relationship. 

I LOVE this book! It’s one of my new favorite romances alongside How to Fake It in Hollywood and The Heart Principle. It’s a slow burn, but oh does it burn. The romantic undertones and the chemistry that builds between Alexis and Logan had me swooning in knots. At the same time, I also really like how the election campaign plays a crucial role in the story and with Alexis rediscovering herself as she stands up for causes she believes in. She gradually develops from a quiet and humble school librarian to a person finding her confidence and strength. And just as Logan makes an impact on her, so does she on him.

The Boyfriend Candidate is a well-written, top tier romance. It’s sweet, funny, and grounded that makes me want to go back and read the first book, Fool Me Once, as well as Ashley Winstead’s other books outside of these two.

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Who Has The Right To Tell a Story? | Review: Yellowface by R.F. Kuang

Even though I read Yellowface by R.F. Kuang almost a month ago, I still think about it from time to time. It’s utterly wild and unputdownable that I had to let it sit as soon as I finished it. 

June Hayward is an unsuccessful writer envious of her “best friend” and fellow author, Athena Liu’s thriving career. After witnessing Athena’s sudden death, June steals Athena’s finished manuscript of a historical novel she had been working on about Chinese laborers in World War I. June may not understand the cultural context behind the work, but she takes it upon herself anyway to claim that she wrote it. She reinvents herself from June Hayward to Juniper Song as the book is published and praised. Soon enough however, the backlash begins from accusations of plagiarism to appropriation. Despite it all, June is willing to do whatever it takes to defend the career and success she believes is rightfully hers.

While I was reading Yellowface, I went through a range of emotions. First, I was annoyed at June for her ignorance and how she played herself as a victim. Then I was stunned and irked by how she and her publisher blatantly edited Athena’s novel to make it more streamlined in their view that in turn made certain aspects of it stereotypical. By the end, I was chuckling at the absurdity of June’s actions and thoughts because her self-righteousness and persistence for something she never earned to begin with was ridiculous.

Satires are hard to write and Kuang accomplishes what she wanted to convey as she examines racism, appropriation, while holding up a mirror to some of the problems in the publishing industry and the toxicity of cancel culture. It left a lasting impression on me that as taken aback as I was, it’s not at all new or surprising. Although the story starts to slow down once it hits its peak, I did find it fascinating how June is not the only character at fault, but Athena is as well. It brings in an even bigger exploration about who exactly has the right to tell a story, especially when it’s not theirs to tell. 

There is a lot that can be unpacked from reading Yellowface and it makes me want to read Babel, which is also by R.F. Kuang, and Disorientation by Elaine Hsieh Chou all the more.

⚠️ Content Warning: racism, cultural appropriation, sexual assault, depression, suicidal thoughts

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