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Friday, April 24, 2020

My First Book Review!! - Pretty Things by Janelle Brown

Well everybody, as promised I am giving you a book review. It is my first on this blog and this happens to be the most recent book I have just finished. This book actually just came out this past Tuesday and I encourage you all to go out and find it. It is the perfect story to lose yourself in while stuck at home. It has love, action, adventure, con artists, rich people, and an all around great story. For more information, obviously read the rest of the review. And away we go!

          Pretty Things by Janelle Brown is a great read. My copy of the book has a quote calling it a page turner and I can honestly say that description is not wrong. Following a trend I have noticed recently, this book is told from two different perspectives. It is incredible to see how much perception changes an event. Something so simple as a conversation can be explained in different ways by different people experiencing it. This book demonstrates that in such a subtle way, and yet it is impossible to miss. The narration goes back and forth between the two main women of the story. It doesn’t always completely overlap so that you are experiencing everything twice which is great because that would make the story drag. But it goes back a little in each retelling almost like the recap at the beginning of a new television episode. So the story progresses at a good pace but you still see some of the events from both characters’ perspectives. It also helps to confuse the reader as to who the true villain of the story is. This is a book filled with suspense but it is also a tale of how one tiny piece of information can change the trajectory of a person’s entire life. Not even just the piece of information though, simply how the information is perceived. These two women circle each other in a way that makes you want to scream at them to just have an honest conversation. Yet this story unfolds in a way that you almost root for both women to succeed and as a reader you can’t put it down until you get to the resolution. There are twists and turns and unexpected revelations that make it a true novel of suspense. I can say that I did predict some of the hidden surprises but I also never saw some of it coming which I enjoyed. As an avid reader, and a fan of the genre I have been able to foresee the outcome of many tales. It doesn’t take away from the story for me, but it is always fun when I don’t see an ending coming. Janelle Brown gave me things that were hinted at and thus I could predict them, but at the same time I was still pleasantly surprised at some twists as well as the overall ending. This book is a true gem, and one I highly recommend.


You can Purchase the book anywhere that books are sold but I would like to take this time to encourage all readers to continue to shop local. In these tough times, independent bookstores are getting hit. Those that are able to remain open are only able to because their customers are shopping on their websites. So for those of you in the New Jersey area I recommend ordering this books from Little City Bookstore in Hoboken (LittleCityBooks.com), they are the best. In the Nashville area The Book Shop or Parnassus are two good ones. Wherever you are, order this book from your local store and save a business in these troubling times!!!

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