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Amazon TBR-Tips
Amazon TBR-Tips
In this list, you can find all the books I read and I will share every review and affiliate link to amazon with you guys. Lets read >3
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Here it is at last: the new book by Chloë van Silfhout!
When I was asked to join the blog tour for her new release, I simply couldn’t say no. I think I would dive into any of Chloë’s books without hesitation, and that’s exactly what I did this time as well. Unfortunately, a few things came up that made it...
Through this, you uncover information that raises more and more questions, details that confuse and make everyone seem suspicious. From the beginning, I didn’t really trust anyone in the story, and Chloë executed that incredibly well. Even Shanna, wh...
What I found very beautiful is how Chloë weaves grief into the story, clearly distinguishing between collective grief after an attack and the grief for a specific individual. Everyone is mourning, but when you are there because of one particular pers...
Chloë has a wonderful writing style. You fly through the book (pun intended); it’s written in a fairly poetic and emotional way, filled with quotes and reflections that carry psychological or philosophical undertones. The words and events hit you, th...
That said, I quickly noticed the difference between a series and a standalone like The Passenger.
In a series, there’s much more time for character development, for building and concluding a story, and for layering the elements that keep you engaged. In The Passenger, things move faster—you can feel that events happen more quickly, sometimes thin...
However, I have to say that the ending completely blew me away! The story is divided into three distinct parts with a slightly different structure. In parts one and two, I was left with question after question, and in part three, all those questions ...
Part three is what shifted my rating from a borderline four stars to almost five stars, and I truly didn’t see that coming. That’s not because the rest was disappointing; the book was enjoyable, well-written, and clearly well thought out. It just did...
Seriously, Chloë, how do you do it, again?! From a good book to a mind-blower in 3… 2… 1… I find it incredibly impressive, very original, and thought-provoking. It went from a book I enjoyed but didn’t necessarily connect with in terms of subject or ...
Thank you again, Chloë, for this beautiful book! I’m already looking forward to the next one. I give The Passenger 4.75 stars!
~ Live Your Life Reading
When I was asked to join the blog tour for her new release, I simply couldn’t say no. I think I would dive into any of Chloë’s books without hesitation, and that’s exactly what I did this time as well. Unfortunately, a few things came up that made it...
Through this, you uncover information that raises more and more questions, details that confuse and make everyone seem suspicious. From the beginning, I didn’t really trust anyone in the story, and Chloë executed that incredibly well. Even Shanna, wh...
What I found very beautiful is how Chloë weaves grief into the story, clearly distinguishing between collective grief after an attack and the grief for a specific individual. Everyone is mourning, but when you are there because of one particular pers...
Chloë has a wonderful writing style. You fly through the book (pun intended); it’s written in a fairly poetic and emotional way, filled with quotes and reflections that carry psychological or philosophical undertones. The words and events hit you, th...
That said, I quickly noticed the difference between a series and a standalone like The Passenger.
In a series, there’s much more time for character development, for building and concluding a story, and for layering the elements that keep you engaged. In The Passenger, things move faster—you can feel that events happen more quickly, sometimes thin...
However, I have to say that the ending completely blew me away! The story is divided into three distinct parts with a slightly different structure. In parts one and two, I was left with question after question, and in part three, all those questions ...
Part three is what shifted my rating from a borderline four stars to almost five stars, and I truly didn’t see that coming. That’s not because the rest was disappointing; the book was enjoyable, well-written, and clearly well thought out. It just did...
Seriously, Chloë, how do you do it, again?! From a good book to a mind-blower in 3… 2… 1… I find it incredibly impressive, very original, and thought-provoking. It went from a book I enjoyed but didn’t necessarily connect with in terms of subject or ...
Thank you again, Chloë, for this beautiful book! I’m already looking forward to the next one. I give The Passenger 4.75 stars!
~ Live Your Life Reading
De passagier
After the TBS series and Sterrenstof, I have to admit I was a bit hesitant to start Alibi. Still, I’m reading this series together with the samenlezenwe club, so quitting wasn’t really an option. And let’s be honest: anything related to psychology wi...
What immediately stands out is Martine Kamphuis’ writing style. It’s accessible, smooth, and easy to get into. The way she uses time jumps also works really well.
Wynona Post gives me mixed feelings. On one hand, I recognize myself in her thoughts and the way she views the world. On the other hand, she frustrates me at times. She’s in her early 30s, but often comes across much younger in her behavior, almost l...
She’s full of contradictions: strict when it comes to others, but more lenient with herself, while also setting an incredibly high bar for herself. That makes her interesting, but also difficult to fully grasp.
Her character development in this book feels somewhat abrupt and predictable, as if certain steps are skipped.
The story itself has a strong foundation: a death, an investigation, and a theme surrounding hazing. Interesting, but also quite predictable for me. The sense of danger is built up well, but ultimately comes from a direction that doesn’t really surpr...
What I did really enjoy: the prologue and the therapy sessions. That’s where the true strength of the book lies for me.
Alibi touches on themes like loneliness, suppression, and jealousy, and definitely has potential. I just missed that extra layer of depth to make it truly impactful.
Despite my doubts, I did read it with interest.
3.25 ⭐
~ Live Your Life Reading
What immediately stands out is Martine Kamphuis’ writing style. It’s accessible, smooth, and easy to get into. The way she uses time jumps also works really well.
Wynona Post gives me mixed feelings. On one hand, I recognize myself in her thoughts and the way she views the world. On the other hand, she frustrates me at times. She’s in her early 30s, but often comes across much younger in her behavior, almost l...
She’s full of contradictions: strict when it comes to others, but more lenient with herself, while also setting an incredibly high bar for herself. That makes her interesting, but also difficult to fully grasp.
Her character development in this book feels somewhat abrupt and predictable, as if certain steps are skipped.
The story itself has a strong foundation: a death, an investigation, and a theme surrounding hazing. Interesting, but also quite predictable for me. The sense of danger is built up well, but ultimately comes from a direction that doesn’t really surpr...
What I did really enjoy: the prologue and the therapy sessions. That’s where the true strength of the book lies for me.
Alibi touches on themes like loneliness, suppression, and jealousy, and definitely has potential. I just missed that extra layer of depth to make it truly impactful.
Despite my doubts, I did read it with interest.
3.25 ⭐
~ Live Your Life Reading
Alibi (WP thriller (1) (Dutch Edition)
Via WPG-kinderboeken, two new books have been added to the Thrillseekers series. From the first two parts, I was especially a fan of Speler 13. I really enjoy these shorter stories, because they’re perfect to read in between other books. They also al...
The first one I picked up was Follow Me by Shanna de Jong. And I’ll be completely honest: my reason for choosing this one first wasn’t entirely positive. I had the option to choose, so I deliberately picked the story that appealed to me the least. Th...
Shanna de Jong clearly knows what a short story needs: action, twists and suspense. Her writing style is very engaging, and you can easily finish the story within an hour. It really feels like you’re flying through it. She creates interesting charact...
What I do notice, however, is that with short stories it can sometimes be difficult to fully build up a believable plot. These books can’t really be compared to full-length thrillers, and I feel like I would need to read a longer book to form a final...
I enjoyed Mia’s story overall. Characters like her father, who runs a veterinary clinic, and Bliksem — the dog who eats socks — will definitely stick with me. My partner actually has a cat named Bliksem, so I had to mention that. I even casually told...
After a very fast build-up, the action doesn’t really slow down and one event follows another. There were several moments where I covered my face, wondering what kind of 16-year-old girl would ever do something like this in real life, and reading in ...
That said, you do have to let go of realism a bit. Because honestly, it wasn’t very realistic at all. I know it’s fiction and imagination is part of that, but with thrillers I personally appreciate it when the story feels like it could actually happe...
I also would have liked a clearer ending with real consequences, instead of things just… fading out or being wrapped up too easily.
Without giving too much away, I definitely noticed a strong sense of implausibility.
What stood out to me is that this book managed to both captivate me and make me raise my eyebrows at the same time, something that rarely happens for me.
In the end, Follow Me turned out to be an enjoyable read with lots of action, animals as a bonus, and dark events with a sort of “all’s well that ends well” ending, depending on your perspective. I definitely enjoyed reading it, and I would absolutel...
I would recommend this book to readers who want to get to know her work, younger audiences, or anyone looking for a quick, intense and slightly dark adrenaline rush while reading.
I’m already ready for the next book in this fun series, are you?
I give Follow Me 3.75 stars!
~ Live Your Life Reading
The first one I picked up was Follow Me by Shanna de Jong. And I’ll be completely honest: my reason for choosing this one first wasn’t entirely positive. I had the option to choose, so I deliberately picked the story that appealed to me the least. Th...
Shanna de Jong clearly knows what a short story needs: action, twists and suspense. Her writing style is very engaging, and you can easily finish the story within an hour. It really feels like you’re flying through it. She creates interesting charact...
What I do notice, however, is that with short stories it can sometimes be difficult to fully build up a believable plot. These books can’t really be compared to full-length thrillers, and I feel like I would need to read a longer book to form a final...
I enjoyed Mia’s story overall. Characters like her father, who runs a veterinary clinic, and Bliksem — the dog who eats socks — will definitely stick with me. My partner actually has a cat named Bliksem, so I had to mention that. I even casually told...
After a very fast build-up, the action doesn’t really slow down and one event follows another. There were several moments where I covered my face, wondering what kind of 16-year-old girl would ever do something like this in real life, and reading in ...
That said, you do have to let go of realism a bit. Because honestly, it wasn’t very realistic at all. I know it’s fiction and imagination is part of that, but with thrillers I personally appreciate it when the story feels like it could actually happe...
I also would have liked a clearer ending with real consequences, instead of things just… fading out or being wrapped up too easily.
Without giving too much away, I definitely noticed a strong sense of implausibility.
What stood out to me is that this book managed to both captivate me and make me raise my eyebrows at the same time, something that rarely happens for me.
In the end, Follow Me turned out to be an enjoyable read with lots of action, animals as a bonus, and dark events with a sort of “all’s well that ends well” ending, depending on your perspective. I definitely enjoyed reading it, and I would absolutel...
I would recommend this book to readers who want to get to know her work, younger audiences, or anyone looking for a quick, intense and slightly dark adrenaline rush while reading.
I’m already ready for the next book in this fun series, are you?
I give Follow Me 3.75 stars!
~ Live Your Life Reading
Volg me
And just like that, I finished the fourth book in the Thrillseekers series… I honestly wonder how many more books will be added to this intense and thrilling series. I don’t know, but they are incredibly enjoyable for both inexperienced and experienc...
I had never heard of Pamela Sharon before, so this was a completely new experience for me. Just like every time, I want to mention again how accessible short stories are when it comes to discovering new authors and figuring out whether their writing ...
Another huge plus is that all these authors are Dutch, which gives you the chance to discover and support talent from your own country. Because honestly? Especially when it comes to thrillers, I rarely pick up books written by Dutch authors. Actually...
Going back to Pamela Sharon for a moment: she has previously written books like De geur van groen and Fluister het tegen de sterren. I haven’t read them myself yet, so I can’t say much about them, but after reading this story I’m definitely curious. ...
The story is told from Jay’s perspective in first person, which worked perfectly because his emotions are such an important part of the story. Jay lost his older brother to drowning years ago, and nobody ever truly found out what happened. Since then...
What stood out to me the most was how deeply Jay’s emotions affected me. As someone with C-PTSD, the way his reactions were written hit me straight in the soul. I genuinely struggled with it at times while reading. The tension he felt, the way he con...
Even though it’s a short story, it still felt surprisingly complete to me. The pacing worked really well, the tension built up naturally, and the italic pieces at the start of each chapter added something meaningful to the story. Combined with a beau...
At the same time, the book somehow felt exactly long enough while also feeling slightly too short. I think that’s mostly because the ending felt a little abrupt to me, especially the final pages, while at the same time I honestly don’t think the stor...
Not every topic in the story was fully within my personal preferences, purely because some themes just aren’t completely my thing. That’s why I can’t quite give it a full 5 stars. But honestly? For a short story, it comes incredibly close. I barely h...
~Live Your Life Reading
I had never heard of Pamela Sharon before, so this was a completely new experience for me. Just like every time, I want to mention again how accessible short stories are when it comes to discovering new authors and figuring out whether their writing ...
Another huge plus is that all these authors are Dutch, which gives you the chance to discover and support talent from your own country. Because honestly? Especially when it comes to thrillers, I rarely pick up books written by Dutch authors. Actually...
Going back to Pamela Sharon for a moment: she has previously written books like De geur van groen and Fluister het tegen de sterren. I haven’t read them myself yet, so I can’t say much about them, but after reading this story I’m definitely curious. ...
The story is told from Jay’s perspective in first person, which worked perfectly because his emotions are such an important part of the story. Jay lost his older brother to drowning years ago, and nobody ever truly found out what happened. Since then...
What stood out to me the most was how deeply Jay’s emotions affected me. As someone with C-PTSD, the way his reactions were written hit me straight in the soul. I genuinely struggled with it at times while reading. The tension he felt, the way he con...
Even though it’s a short story, it still felt surprisingly complete to me. The pacing worked really well, the tension built up naturally, and the italic pieces at the start of each chapter added something meaningful to the story. Combined with a beau...
At the same time, the book somehow felt exactly long enough while also feeling slightly too short. I think that’s mostly because the ending felt a little abrupt to me, especially the final pages, while at the same time I honestly don’t think the stor...
Not every topic in the story was fully within my personal preferences, purely because some themes just aren’t completely my thing. That’s why I can’t quite give it a full 5 stars. But honestly? For a short story, it comes incredibly close. I barely h...
~Live Your Life Reading
Het meisje in het meer
Wat hebben een leraar Engels op weg naar huis, een bejaarde man in zijn achtertuin en een makelaar in de stad met elkaar gemeen? In de ogen van hun moordenaar genoeg, maar die ziet het niet als moord als de dood verdiend is. Een milde belediging krij...
Toen ik ooit begon aan De Sleuteldrager-serie van Charlotte de Winter wist ik eigenlijk niet zo goed wat ik moest verwachten, behalve dan iets nieuw. Thrillers met een bovennatuurlijk tintje trekken altijd meteen mijn aandacht en dat was precies de r...
Wat ik nog steeds heel leuk vind aan deze serie, is dat het meer is dan alleen een thriller. De mysterieuze sfeer, de Halfwegen, Kaii en de constante vraagtekens onderweg zorgen ervoor dat je wil blijven doorlezen. Vooral het onbekende perspectief in...
De schrijfstijl leest nog steeds fijn weg, al voelt het voor mij persoonlijk meer als Young Adult dan echt volwassene Fantasy Thriller. De perspectiefwisselingen zijn heel vloeiend gedaan en komen op precies de juiste momenten, echt knap als je dat z...
De groei die je ziet bij alle karakters is wel heel mooi om te zien! Ik gunde het Robyn en Finlay zo om daar te komen waar ze wilden zijn. Het was zo mooi om ondanks de zware weg toch het vertrouwen in zichzelf en elkaar te kunnen vinden en een cirke...
Ik merkte opnieuw dat ik sommige personages lastig vind om echt van elkaar te onderscheiden of een sterke band mee op te bouwen. Tegelijkertijd voelt het inmiddels wel vertrouwder doordat je deze karakters nu al langer volgt, dus ik heb er minder las...
De stukjes die schuingedrukt zijn, waren voor mij het leukste deel van het verhaal, ookal wist ik al over wie deze stukjes gingen. Ze gaven meer diepte aan het verhaal en meer inzage in ‘de bad guy’ van het verhaal en diens psyche. Het enige wat ik z...
En het einde.. het einde was een perfecte afronding. Het liefst deel ik waarom en wat er gebeurde, maar dat moeten jullie maar lekker zelf gaan lezen 😛
Dit boek heeft wel gevoelige onderwerpen, waaronder SA, maar los daarvan is dit boek en dus deze serie perfect geschikt voor thriller-lovers die ook van wat romance en veel bovennatuurlijke elementen houden!
Als laatste moet ik moet ik ook even iets zeggen over die cover, want ook deel 3 ziet er weer prachtig en mysterieus uit!! Voor mij een aanrader dus, met wat kanttekeningen.
Check ook de andere deelnemers van de blogtour voor meer meningen ❤
Ik geef ‘Sleutel tot vernietiging’ 3,75 sterren!
~Live Your Life Reading
Toen ik ooit begon aan De Sleuteldrager-serie van Charlotte de Winter wist ik eigenlijk niet zo goed wat ik moest verwachten, behalve dan iets nieuw. Thrillers met een bovennatuurlijk tintje trekken altijd meteen mijn aandacht en dat was precies de r...
Wat ik nog steeds heel leuk vind aan deze serie, is dat het meer is dan alleen een thriller. De mysterieuze sfeer, de Halfwegen, Kaii en de constante vraagtekens onderweg zorgen ervoor dat je wil blijven doorlezen. Vooral het onbekende perspectief in...
De schrijfstijl leest nog steeds fijn weg, al voelt het voor mij persoonlijk meer als Young Adult dan echt volwassene Fantasy Thriller. De perspectiefwisselingen zijn heel vloeiend gedaan en komen op precies de juiste momenten, echt knap als je dat z...
De groei die je ziet bij alle karakters is wel heel mooi om te zien! Ik gunde het Robyn en Finlay zo om daar te komen waar ze wilden zijn. Het was zo mooi om ondanks de zware weg toch het vertrouwen in zichzelf en elkaar te kunnen vinden en een cirke...
Ik merkte opnieuw dat ik sommige personages lastig vind om echt van elkaar te onderscheiden of een sterke band mee op te bouwen. Tegelijkertijd voelt het inmiddels wel vertrouwder doordat je deze karakters nu al langer volgt, dus ik heb er minder las...
De stukjes die schuingedrukt zijn, waren voor mij het leukste deel van het verhaal, ookal wist ik al over wie deze stukjes gingen. Ze gaven meer diepte aan het verhaal en meer inzage in ‘de bad guy’ van het verhaal en diens psyche. Het enige wat ik z...
En het einde.. het einde was een perfecte afronding. Het liefst deel ik waarom en wat er gebeurde, maar dat moeten jullie maar lekker zelf gaan lezen 😛
Dit boek heeft wel gevoelige onderwerpen, waaronder SA, maar los daarvan is dit boek en dus deze serie perfect geschikt voor thriller-lovers die ook van wat romance en veel bovennatuurlijke elementen houden!
Als laatste moet ik moet ik ook even iets zeggen over die cover, want ook deel 3 ziet er weer prachtig en mysterieus uit!! Voor mij een aanrader dus, met wat kanttekeningen.
Check ook de andere deelnemers van de blogtour voor meer meningen ❤
Ik geef ‘Sleutel tot vernietiging’ 3,75 sterren!
~Live Your Life Reading
Sleutel tot vernietiging
After being disappointed by book 0.5 and book 1, I started this second installment with fairly low expectations. The earlier books felt predictable to me, and I struggled quite a bit with the main character, WP. Still, I was curious to see whether th...
One thing that has always worked well is Martine’s writing style. It is easy to read, engaging, and makes the pages fly by. The familiar characters and story elements also make it very easy to jump back into the series, even after some time away.
The biggest improvement for me was WP herself. In the previous books, I often found her frustrating. She seemed quick to judge others while missing important things about herself, and I frequently questioned some of her decisions. Because of that, I ...
This time, however, I finally saw meaningful growth. WP begins to gain important insights about herself, her relationships, and the patterns in her life. Watching her slowly take steps toward becoming the person she wants to be was both satisfying an...
The story itself also kept my attention much more than the earlier installments. Themes such as friendship, relationships, domestic abuse, and personal growth are woven into the plot in an interesting way. For the first time in this series, I became ...
Not everything worked perfectly for me. The ongoing romantic storylines are still not entirely my thing, and some characters continue to frustrate me. However, those issues no longer overshadowed my enjoyment of the book.
What made this novel stand out is that it finally delivered the growth and healing I had been hoping to see for two books. Because of that, it became my favorite installment in the series so far.
4 out of 5 stars for me!
~ Live Your Life Reading
One thing that has always worked well is Martine’s writing style. It is easy to read, engaging, and makes the pages fly by. The familiar characters and story elements also make it very easy to jump back into the series, even after some time away.
The biggest improvement for me was WP herself. In the previous books, I often found her frustrating. She seemed quick to judge others while missing important things about herself, and I frequently questioned some of her decisions. Because of that, I ...
This time, however, I finally saw meaningful growth. WP begins to gain important insights about herself, her relationships, and the patterns in her life. Watching her slowly take steps toward becoming the person she wants to be was both satisfying an...
The story itself also kept my attention much more than the earlier installments. Themes such as friendship, relationships, domestic abuse, and personal growth are woven into the plot in an interesting way. For the first time in this series, I became ...
Not everything worked perfectly for me. The ongoing romantic storylines are still not entirely my thing, and some characters continue to frustrate me. However, those issues no longer overshadowed my enjoyment of the book.
What made this novel stand out is that it finally delivered the growth and healing I had been hoping to see for two books. Because of that, it became my favorite installment in the series so far.
4 out of 5 stars for me!
~ Live Your Life Reading
Spiegelbeeld (WP thriller Book 2) (Dutch Edition)
When Fataal Spel was released, it immediately went onto my wishlist. Unfortunately, it came out during a period when I had almost completely stopped reading, so it remained unread for years. When I finally found this hardcover on Vinted, I knew it wa...
In Fataal Spel, Jessie disappears and Carmen seems to be the only one who immediately senses that this is more than a simple missing-person case. As she starts receiving mysterious notes, photographs, riddles and threats, that feeling only grows stro...
One of the strongest aspects of this story is how alone Carmen ultimately feels. Even though people around her try to help, this remains her personal battle. The nightmares, visions and constant threats make her search not only suspenseful, but emoti...
What kept me turning the pages was the constant action. Something is always happening, which keeps the story moving at a fast pace. You keep questioning, theorizing and reading because you need to know how everything fits together. The first-person n...
Themes of trust, distrust and family bonds play an important role throughout the novel. As Carmen struggles to figure out who she can trust, the story also explores how deeply family can influence a person's choices and actions.
While I occasionally wished for a little more emotional depth, the book more than makes up for it with suspense, danger and action. The biggest surprise wasn't necessarily what happened, but why it happened. That motivation gave the ending an even st...
Fataal Spel exceeded my expectations and has become my favorite Chinouk Thijssen book so far. If you're looking for a fast-paced YA thriller filled with secrets, twists and constant tension, I highly recommend it!
⭐ 4.5/5
~ Live Your Life Reading
#fataalspel #chinoukthijssen #youngadult #yathriller #thrillerbooks #bookreview #bookstagram #booklover #readingcommunity #liveyourlifereading
In Fataal Spel, Jessie disappears and Carmen seems to be the only one who immediately senses that this is more than a simple missing-person case. As she starts receiving mysterious notes, photographs, riddles and threats, that feeling only grows stro...
One of the strongest aspects of this story is how alone Carmen ultimately feels. Even though people around her try to help, this remains her personal battle. The nightmares, visions and constant threats make her search not only suspenseful, but emoti...
What kept me turning the pages was the constant action. Something is always happening, which keeps the story moving at a fast pace. You keep questioning, theorizing and reading because you need to know how everything fits together. The first-person n...
Themes of trust, distrust and family bonds play an important role throughout the novel. As Carmen struggles to figure out who she can trust, the story also explores how deeply family can influence a person's choices and actions.
While I occasionally wished for a little more emotional depth, the book more than makes up for it with suspense, danger and action. The biggest surprise wasn't necessarily what happened, but why it happened. That motivation gave the ending an even st...
Fataal Spel exceeded my expectations and has become my favorite Chinouk Thijssen book so far. If you're looking for a fast-paced YA thriller filled with secrets, twists and constant tension, I highly recommend it!
⭐ 4.5/5
~ Live Your Life Reading
#fataalspel #chinoukthijssen #youngadult #yathriller #thrillerbooks #bookreview #bookstagram #booklover #readingcommunity #liveyourlifereading
Fataal spel
If there was one book I was both excited and terrified to read, it was Broken. Returning to Grant County felt like coming home, but I was also afraid of what Karin Slaughter might do with Lena. More than anything, I feared this would finally change m...
This crossover brings Sara back to Grant County for Thanksgiving, where a new case forces her to confront both her past and her emotions. From the very beginning, I expected this to be an emotionally heavy story.
One thing never changed, though: Lena is still my favorite character. I know she lies, makes terrible decisions and hurts the people around her. I'm not blind to her flaws. But that's exactly what makes her so fascinating to me. She's the character I...
Ironically, everything I feared before starting this book never happened. My opinion of Lena didn't change at all.
That said, Broken wasn't my favorite Karin Slaughter novel. The psychological depth is as brilliant as ever, and I still love her slow-burn storytelling with complex characters and layered plots. However, I felt slightly more emotionally detached tha...
The ending left me with mixed feelings. Not because it was bad, but because it felt a little unsatisfying. At the same time, it leaves just enough unanswered questions to make me hope Grant County isn't truly over.
One final piece of advice: read the Grant County series first. You don't have to, but it adds so much emotional depth and background that this crossover becomes an even better experience.
⭐ Rating: 4.25/5
This crossover brings Sara back to Grant County for Thanksgiving, where a new case forces her to confront both her past and her emotions. From the very beginning, I expected this to be an emotionally heavy story.
One thing never changed, though: Lena is still my favorite character. I know she lies, makes terrible decisions and hurts the people around her. I'm not blind to her flaws. But that's exactly what makes her so fascinating to me. She's the character I...
Ironically, everything I feared before starting this book never happened. My opinion of Lena didn't change at all.
That said, Broken wasn't my favorite Karin Slaughter novel. The psychological depth is as brilliant as ever, and I still love her slow-burn storytelling with complex characters and layered plots. However, I felt slightly more emotionally detached tha...
The ending left me with mixed feelings. Not because it was bad, but because it felt a little unsatisfying. At the same time, it leaves just enough unanswered questions to make me hope Grant County isn't truly over.
One final piece of advice: read the Grant County series first. You don't have to, but it adds so much emotional depth and background that this crossover becomes an even better experience.
⭐ Rating: 4.25/5
Verbroken: De waarheid kan alles verbrijzelen...
En hier zijn we weer met nog een Chinouk Thijssen. Tussen de Karin Slaughters door zijn dit dus echt heerlijk YA-tussendoortjes.
Gezien de maar 116 pagina's, razendsnelle, maar ook spannende verhalen en lage prijzen van de boeken zijn deze boeken perfect gebleken tijdens mijn leesdipjes. Na fataal spel zag ik deze in de bibliotheek liggen en dus moest hij mee. Uiteraard was hi...
Wat valt er te zeggen over dit boek? Vooral dat het vlot is, dat er goed over nagedacht is en dat het voor Young Adults zeer interessant en spannend is om te lezen. Zelf vond ik het boek nogal voorspelbaar. Eerlijk is eerlijk, als volwassen, volleerd...
Mijn meningen over de boeken van Chinouk Thijssen gaan wat op en neer van geweldig naar middelmatig. Voor mij valt Vlucht 703 richting middelmatig. Voornamelijk vanwege de grote voorspelbaarheid en het einde. Dat maakte het nog steeds een leuk boek o...
Ik geef 'Vlucht 703' 3,5 sterren!
~ Live Your Life Reading
Gezien de maar 116 pagina's, razendsnelle, maar ook spannende verhalen en lage prijzen van de boeken zijn deze boeken perfect gebleken tijdens mijn leesdipjes. Na fataal spel zag ik deze in de bibliotheek liggen en dus moest hij mee. Uiteraard was hi...
Wat valt er te zeggen over dit boek? Vooral dat het vlot is, dat er goed over nagedacht is en dat het voor Young Adults zeer interessant en spannend is om te lezen. Zelf vond ik het boek nogal voorspelbaar. Eerlijk is eerlijk, als volwassen, volleerd...
Mijn meningen over de boeken van Chinouk Thijssen gaan wat op en neer van geweldig naar middelmatig. Voor mij valt Vlucht 703 richting middelmatig. Voornamelijk vanwege de grote voorspelbaarheid en het einde. Dat maakte het nog steeds een leuk boek o...
Ik geef 'Vlucht 703' 3,5 sterren!
~ Live Your Life Reading
Vlucht 703
What can I still tell you about Karin Slaughter after reading five books in the Will Trent series? Honestly, not much that I haven't said before. After so many books, there's always the risk of repeating yourself. Yet *Fallen* managed to surprise me ...
There have been previous installments that I enjoyed slightly less. Not because they were bad, but because they didn't completely pull me in. *Fallen*, however, absolutely did.
Many of the things I love about Karin Slaughter remain exactly the same. She takes her time building the story, allowing you to truly get to know the characters and immerse yourself in the investigation. I know some readers prefer a faster pace, but ...
Her sense of humor is still perfectly balanced throughout the story. Even in the darkest moments, she manages to include lighter scenes that keep the book from becoming emotionally overwhelming.
What continues to amaze me most is her writing itself. Sometimes I genuinely wonder how she can write from the perspective of psychopaths and sociopaths so convincingly. The thoughts, the behavior, the atmosphere; It all feels incredibly believable.
At the same time, she handles sensitive subjects with so much care. She makes me feel angry, sad, anxious, and emotionally invested, while giving every important moment the space it deserves.
Another reason I love her books is that no character is ever completely safe. Whether it's a main character, a supporting character, or someone you've only just met, anyone can be affected by the events of the story. That unpredictability keeps me tu...
What I appreciate most is the intelligent plotting. The clues are there all along, but you can't fully connect them until the very end. Personally, I much prefer a cleverly constructed story over one that relies on endless shocking plot twists.
She also manages to blend psychological suspense with romance, trauma, personal growth, and complex relationships, making every aspect of the story feel meaningful.
So what made *Fallen* stand out for me?
- First of all, the chemistry between Will and Sara. Oh. My. God. Their relationship added so much emotional depth to the story.
-Then there's Angie... well, Angie continues to make the most unbelievable choices imaginable.
-The central topic of the story was also incredibly well thought out and affects so many people at once, making it even more impactful.
-But above all, it was Will's character development that truly made this book special. He finally takes important steps that he's needed for a long time. Not only does he grow as a person, but others around him finally give him the support and recogn...
Because of the stronger relationships, the character growth, and the emotional development throughout the novel, I found myself even more excited to continue reading the series.
I'm intentionally keeping this review a little shorter than usual and focusing on the highlights. After reading multiple books by the same author, it's easy to repeat yourself, and I wanted to keep things fresh. Next up is *snatched*, the short story...
*Fallen* easily earns five stars from me. On to the next, and hopefully many more Karin Slaughter books!
~ Live Your Life Reading
There have been previous installments that I enjoyed slightly less. Not because they were bad, but because they didn't completely pull me in. *Fallen*, however, absolutely did.
Many of the things I love about Karin Slaughter remain exactly the same. She takes her time building the story, allowing you to truly get to know the characters and immerse yourself in the investigation. I know some readers prefer a faster pace, but ...
Her sense of humor is still perfectly balanced throughout the story. Even in the darkest moments, she manages to include lighter scenes that keep the book from becoming emotionally overwhelming.
What continues to amaze me most is her writing itself. Sometimes I genuinely wonder how she can write from the perspective of psychopaths and sociopaths so convincingly. The thoughts, the behavior, the atmosphere; It all feels incredibly believable.
At the same time, she handles sensitive subjects with so much care. She makes me feel angry, sad, anxious, and emotionally invested, while giving every important moment the space it deserves.
Another reason I love her books is that no character is ever completely safe. Whether it's a main character, a supporting character, or someone you've only just met, anyone can be affected by the events of the story. That unpredictability keeps me tu...
What I appreciate most is the intelligent plotting. The clues are there all along, but you can't fully connect them until the very end. Personally, I much prefer a cleverly constructed story over one that relies on endless shocking plot twists.
She also manages to blend psychological suspense with romance, trauma, personal growth, and complex relationships, making every aspect of the story feel meaningful.
So what made *Fallen* stand out for me?
- First of all, the chemistry between Will and Sara. Oh. My. God. Their relationship added so much emotional depth to the story.
-Then there's Angie... well, Angie continues to make the most unbelievable choices imaginable.
-The central topic of the story was also incredibly well thought out and affects so many people at once, making it even more impactful.
-But above all, it was Will's character development that truly made this book special. He finally takes important steps that he's needed for a long time. Not only does he grow as a person, but others around him finally give him the support and recogn...
Because of the stronger relationships, the character growth, and the emotional development throughout the novel, I found myself even more excited to continue reading the series.
I'm intentionally keeping this review a little shorter than usual and focusing on the highlights. After reading multiple books by the same author, it's easy to repeat yourself, and I wanted to keep things fresh. Next up is *snatched*, the short story...
*Fallen* easily earns five stars from me. On to the next, and hopefully many more Karin Slaughter books!
~ Live Your Life Reading
Fallen: Crime Thriller (Will Trent, Book 5)
Dutch review:
Soms heb je van die boeken waarbij je tijdens het lezen continu twijfelt welke kant het op gaat. Is dit een thriller? Is dit een familiedrama? Of toch meer een psychologische roman? Dat was precies wat *291* bij mij opriep.
Toen ik begon, was ik meteen nieuwsgierig. Een familie vol ingewikkelde verhoudingen, een moeder die haar kinderen jarenlang emotioneel beschadigt, maar tegelijkertijd haar leven volledig in dienst stelt van God. Een vrouw die besluit haar bezittinge...
Tijdens de eerste helft van het boek vond ik dat een vreemde keuze. Natuurlijk worden er redenen gegeven waarom de moeder zo gehaat wordt, en eerlijk gezegd zijn die niet eens onbegrijpelijk. Toch voelde de stap naar zo'n drastisch besluit voor mij e...
Wat me juist wél aansprak, was dat je vervolgens vanuit verschillende perspectieven leert begrijpen waarom de personages zijn geworden wie ze zijn. Dat soort psychologische verdieping is precies waarom ik graag thrillers lees. Niet alleen de vraag *w...
Gaandeweg begon ik ook steeds meer te wennen aan de schrijfstijl. Toch bleef één ding me bezighouden. Het verhaal speelt zich af in 2025, maar de dialogen, de manier waarop mensen met elkaar omgaan en de algemene sfeer voelen eerder alsof de personag...
Waar ik uiteindelijk misschien nog wel het meest over twijfelde, is de genre-aanduiding. *291* wordt gepresenteerd als thriller, maar voor mij voelde het veel meer als een roman met thriller-elementen. Er gebeuren absoluut heftige dingen. Er vallen s...
Toch wil ik zeker niet zeggen dat het boek voorspelbaar van begin tot eind is. Integendeel. Ik zag behoorlijk wat ontwikkelingen aankomen. Op sommige momenten dacht ik zelfs dat ik precies wist hoe de puzzel gelegd zou worden. Maar juist wanneer ik d...
Eén vraag bleef na afloop nog wel door mijn hoofd spoken. Zonder iets te willen verklappen lijkt het, wanneer je bepaalde tijdsaanduidingen terugrekent, alsof een deel van het verhaal rondom '291' zich ná 2026 afspeelt. Ik vroeg me tijdens het lezen ...
Uiteindelijk kom ik uit op **3 sterren**. Niet omdat het een slecht boek is. Integendeel. Het verhaal zit degelijk in elkaar, de opbouw van de puzzel is slim bedacht en sommige twists wist ik écht niet aan te zien komen. Dat heeft voor mij absoluut d...
Ik ben daarom vooral benieuwd wat Gert Erauw in een volgend boek doet. Want de basis om een sterke psychologische thriller neer te zetten is wat mij betreft absoluut aanwezig. Als daar nog wat meer emotionele verdieping aan wordt toegevoegd, denk ik ...
**Voor wie is *291* geschikt?**
Ik denk dat dit boek vooral in de smaak zal vallen bij lezers die houden van familiedrama's waarin morele dilemma's centraal staan. Verwacht geen razendsnelle thriller vol actie of constante spanning, maar een verhaal waarin familieverhoudingen, schu...
Soms heb je van die boeken waarbij je tijdens het lezen continu twijfelt welke kant het op gaat. Is dit een thriller? Is dit een familiedrama? Of toch meer een psychologische roman? Dat was precies wat *291* bij mij opriep.
Toen ik begon, was ik meteen nieuwsgierig. Een familie vol ingewikkelde verhoudingen, een moeder die haar kinderen jarenlang emotioneel beschadigt, maar tegelijkertijd haar leven volledig in dienst stelt van God. Een vrouw die besluit haar bezittinge...
Tijdens de eerste helft van het boek vond ik dat een vreemde keuze. Natuurlijk worden er redenen gegeven waarom de moeder zo gehaat wordt, en eerlijk gezegd zijn die niet eens onbegrijpelijk. Toch voelde de stap naar zo'n drastisch besluit voor mij e...
Wat me juist wél aansprak, was dat je vervolgens vanuit verschillende perspectieven leert begrijpen waarom de personages zijn geworden wie ze zijn. Dat soort psychologische verdieping is precies waarom ik graag thrillers lees. Niet alleen de vraag *w...
Gaandeweg begon ik ook steeds meer te wennen aan de schrijfstijl. Toch bleef één ding me bezighouden. Het verhaal speelt zich af in 2025, maar de dialogen, de manier waarop mensen met elkaar omgaan en de algemene sfeer voelen eerder alsof de personag...
Waar ik uiteindelijk misschien nog wel het meest over twijfelde, is de genre-aanduiding. *291* wordt gepresenteerd als thriller, maar voor mij voelde het veel meer als een roman met thriller-elementen. Er gebeuren absoluut heftige dingen. Er vallen s...
Toch wil ik zeker niet zeggen dat het boek voorspelbaar van begin tot eind is. Integendeel. Ik zag behoorlijk wat ontwikkelingen aankomen. Op sommige momenten dacht ik zelfs dat ik precies wist hoe de puzzel gelegd zou worden. Maar juist wanneer ik d...
Eén vraag bleef na afloop nog wel door mijn hoofd spoken. Zonder iets te willen verklappen lijkt het, wanneer je bepaalde tijdsaanduidingen terugrekent, alsof een deel van het verhaal rondom '291' zich ná 2026 afspeelt. Ik vroeg me tijdens het lezen ...
Uiteindelijk kom ik uit op **3 sterren**. Niet omdat het een slecht boek is. Integendeel. Het verhaal zit degelijk in elkaar, de opbouw van de puzzel is slim bedacht en sommige twists wist ik écht niet aan te zien komen. Dat heeft voor mij absoluut d...
Ik ben daarom vooral benieuwd wat Gert Erauw in een volgend boek doet. Want de basis om een sterke psychologische thriller neer te zetten is wat mij betreft absoluut aanwezig. Als daar nog wat meer emotionele verdieping aan wordt toegevoegd, denk ik ...
**Voor wie is *291* geschikt?**
Ik denk dat dit boek vooral in de smaak zal vallen bij lezers die houden van familiedrama's waarin morele dilemma's centraal staan. Verwacht geen razendsnelle thriller vol actie of constante spanning, maar een verhaal waarin familieverhoudingen, schu...
291
“In silence there is so much to be found” – Live Your Life Reading
A quote from myself? Normally, I always choose a quote from the book, right? Yes, that’s true, but there wasn’t one this time. And this was the first sentence I wrote down when I found myself getting really annoyed with WP again. The silence she was ...
And the strange thing is, and this is exactly why I chose this quote… In every silence that follows in the story, WP is busy filling in the blanks, considering every possibility, going through every option and investigating the core of the story and ...
I thought Zondebok would be the final book in the series, and if I had read it before 2026, that probably would have been how it felt too. So I kept seeing it as the book in which WP would have to make the biggest leaps for the story to have a succes...
I’m going to be honest… WP is growing, but it happens step by step. Looking back at book one, she has definitely made progress, but every book also feels as though she has taken a few steps backwards again. On the one hand, she can remain incredibly ...
I can also see her attitude changing. She is becoming gentler towards other people, and towards herself too, although much less so. That always takes longer. But at the beginning of one chapter she can still be so frustrated that she wants to give th...
And I’m sorry, it is human, but reading it is particularly frustrating. Yes, it is allowed to be there. But especially for someone with as much experience as WP, and with so many questionable actions behind her already, I really do wonder why she kee...
And yes, I’ve said before that I can see parts of myself in her. But because it is so much more present in the way she behaves towards other people than in the way I experience myself, I think that is the point where WP and I really clash. The fact t...
That Mrs. Baruch plays such an important role not only in helping WP with her work as a psychologist, but also in her character development, continues to create this really interesting double role. I absolutely love it. A supervisor like her should b...
The story itself is well written in terms of structure. Every possibility is put on the table. The title actually gives quite a lot away, but it still fits the story in so many different ways. The story gives you room to piece things together yoursel...
My own suspicious nature meant that I had already thought of, distrusted or written down a lot of things before WP herself came up with the same possibilities and ideas. So in that sense, parts of it were predictable. And yet, even I was ultimately s...
I took longer to read the book than I normally would, but that wasn’t because of the story itself. It was mainly because of my huge reading slump. In terms of the storyline, Martine Kamphuis has taken a really interesting route here, and it was an ea...
Because of book two, part of my brain had decided that Anja, the person at the centre of book three, might somehow be connected to how book two played out, especially because the two books share certain thematic elements. Unfortunately, that wasn’t t...
One small trigger warning, though: the book deals with child abuse. There are no explicit descriptions, but I do think it is worth mentioning because you need to be able to handle this subject matter.
If this had been the final book in the series, I would have been satisfied with it overall. The only thing still bothering me is that I continue to have doubts about some of WP’s actions, and to be completely honest, those doubts have not disappeared...
Now that there is a fourth book, taking place so many years later, I’m curious to see whether it will finally bring some more change in WP.
I’m giving Zondebok 4 stars!
~ Live Your Life Reading
A quote from myself? Normally, I always choose a quote from the book, right? Yes, that’s true, but there wasn’t one this time. And this was the first sentence I wrote down when I found myself getting really annoyed with WP again. The silence she was ...
And the strange thing is, and this is exactly why I chose this quote… In every silence that follows in the story, WP is busy filling in the blanks, considering every possibility, going through every option and investigating the core of the story and ...
I thought Zondebok would be the final book in the series, and if I had read it before 2026, that probably would have been how it felt too. So I kept seeing it as the book in which WP would have to make the biggest leaps for the story to have a succes...
I’m going to be honest… WP is growing, but it happens step by step. Looking back at book one, she has definitely made progress, but every book also feels as though she has taken a few steps backwards again. On the one hand, she can remain incredibly ...
I can also see her attitude changing. She is becoming gentler towards other people, and towards herself too, although much less so. That always takes longer. But at the beginning of one chapter she can still be so frustrated that she wants to give th...
And I’m sorry, it is human, but reading it is particularly frustrating. Yes, it is allowed to be there. But especially for someone with as much experience as WP, and with so many questionable actions behind her already, I really do wonder why she kee...
And yes, I’ve said before that I can see parts of myself in her. But because it is so much more present in the way she behaves towards other people than in the way I experience myself, I think that is the point where WP and I really clash. The fact t...
That Mrs. Baruch plays such an important role not only in helping WP with her work as a psychologist, but also in her character development, continues to create this really interesting double role. I absolutely love it. A supervisor like her should b...
The story itself is well written in terms of structure. Every possibility is put on the table. The title actually gives quite a lot away, but it still fits the story in so many different ways. The story gives you room to piece things together yoursel...
My own suspicious nature meant that I had already thought of, distrusted or written down a lot of things before WP herself came up with the same possibilities and ideas. So in that sense, parts of it were predictable. And yet, even I was ultimately s...
I took longer to read the book than I normally would, but that wasn’t because of the story itself. It was mainly because of my huge reading slump. In terms of the storyline, Martine Kamphuis has taken a really interesting route here, and it was an ea...
Because of book two, part of my brain had decided that Anja, the person at the centre of book three, might somehow be connected to how book two played out, especially because the two books share certain thematic elements. Unfortunately, that wasn’t t...
One small trigger warning, though: the book deals with child abuse. There are no explicit descriptions, but I do think it is worth mentioning because you need to be able to handle this subject matter.
If this had been the final book in the series, I would have been satisfied with it overall. The only thing still bothering me is that I continue to have doubts about some of WP’s actions, and to be completely honest, those doubts have not disappeared...
Now that there is a fourth book, taking place so many years later, I’m curious to see whether it will finally bring some more change in WP.
I’m giving Zondebok 4 stars!
~ Live Your Life Reading
Zondebok (WP thriller Book 3) (Dutch Edition)