Adult DNF Reviews || Wait, I can read adult books?

Well… I tried reading 2 adult books and that was a fail. But I’ve recently read 3 adult mystery thrillers (to be reviewed soon) so I have branched out enough to say… That a) I think adult mysteries will definitely be a hit or a miss for me 😒 And I’ll just have to read them to figure out which ones are which; which will be fun 😐 Oh and b) the books are categorised as thrillers and yet… They’re like a teaspoon of thriller.

Okay sure, I like reading adult paranormal books 😄 but not really other adult books.

Maybe you look at these books and you’re about to say “hey, DB, I really liked XYZ, why on earth are you saying you didn’t?! And that’s totally ok for you to like a book and me not. That’s how tastes work!

Disclaimer: I received these e-arcs through Netgalley or Edelweiss and the publishers in exchange for free and honest reviews. The featured image is my own. The summaries are taken from Goodreads. All opinions expressed are my own.

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Title: The Shadows
Author: Alex North
Year Published: 2020
Publisher: Celadon Books
Cover Art/Designer: Will Staehle
Genre: Adult ~ Horror ~ Mystery ~ Thriller

Stars: did not finish at 19%
Links: Goodreads || The Storygraph
Copy: ALC (Advance Listening Copy) via Netgalley
CW/TW: (Taken from The Storygraph) Murder, death, violence.

The haunting new thriller from Alex North, author of the New York Times bestseller The Whisper Man

You knew a teenager like Charlie Crabtree. A dark imagination, a sinister smile–always on the outside of the group. Some part of you suspected he might be capable of doing something awful. Twenty-five years ago, Crabtree did just that, committing a murder so shocking that it’s attracted that strange kind of infamy that only exists on the darkest corners of the internet–and inspired more than one copycat.

Paul Adams remembers the case all too well: Crabtree–and his victim–were Paul’s friends. Paul has slowly put his life back together. But now his mother, old and senile, has taken a turn for the worse. Though every inch of him resists, it is time to come home.

It’s not long before things start to go wrong. Reading the news, Paul learns another copycat has struck. His mother is distressed, insistent that there’s something in the house. And someone is following him. Which reminds him of the most unsettling thing about that awful day twenty-five years ago.

It wasn’t just the murder.

It was the fact that afterward, Charlie Crabtree was never seen again…

This book felt more like a nonfiction true crime book/podcast/documentary than an actual thriller. Even though I don’t really read/listen/watch them, I just didn’t get the feeling that this was meant to be a book? Maybe I would’ve liked it more had it been a podcast or a fictional documentary.

Also, as much as I don’t really want to say this – Paul Adams was not an interesting character. It was like waiting paint dry, if I may be so bold as to say.

I felt like this book kept hinting at something supernatural, like the murders or the murderer were something supernatural, but looking at some spoiler reviews tell me that’s not the case. And it just, I don’t know, feels like North tried to push that ‘is it supernatural, is it not?’ angle in a way to keep people reading? If a book is supernatural or includes a supernatural plot/characters – I want to know. I don’t want to ‘keep reading for the suspense’.

Title: Loathe at First Sight
Author: Suzanne Park
Year Published: 2020
Publisher: Avon
Cover Art/Designer: Diahann Sturge
Genre: Adult ~ Contemporary ~ Romance

Stars: dnfed at 16%
Links: Goodreads || The Storygraph
Copy: E-Arc from Edelweiss
CW/TW: (Taken from The Storygraph) Misogyny, Racial slurs, Sexism, and more

“Bursts with humor, heart, and great energy. I loved it Park is a hilarious new voice in women’s fiction.”–Helen Hoang, author of The Kiss Quotient”

A] punchy adult debut set in the world of video game design. Park makes tough topics go down easy by couching them in wry humor and lighthearted romance, and her fierce, snarky heroine is irresistible. This smart rom-com is a winner.”–Publishers Weekly (starred review)

In a debut perfect for fans of Jasmine Guillory and Sally Thorne, a junior video game producer finds herself getting closer and closer to the one person she hates most after a mass troll attack online almost ruins her life.

Melody Joo is thrilled to land her dream job as a video game producer, but her new position comes with challenges: an insufferable CEO; sexist male coworkers; and an infuriating–yet distractingly handsome–intern, Nolan MacKenzie, aka “the guy who got hired because his uncle is the boss.”

Just when Melody thinks she’s made the worst career move of her life, her luck changes. While joking with a friend, she creates a mobile game that has male strippers fighting for survival in a post-apocalyptic world. Suddenly Melody’s “joke” is her studio’s most high-profile project–and Melody’s running the show.

When Nolan is assigned to Melody’s team, she’s sure he’ll be useless. But as they grow closer, she realizes he’s smart and sexy, which makes Melody want to forget he’s her intern. As their attraction deepens, she knows it’s time to pump the brakes, even with her Korean parents breathing down her neck to hurry up and find a man.

With her project about to launch, Melody suddenly faces a slew of complications, including a devastating trolling scandal. Could the man she’s falling hard for help her play the game to win–in work and in love?

The writing feels very juvenile – not like it’s meant to be an adult book. I don’t like the main character and how she views and talks about everyone. And I think there was a fatphobic comment? Who knows what else there might be?

By the writing was juvenile, I meant there were lines like: So much cursing! So much yelling! And in shouty all-caps.

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That’s all! Hopefully I start reading more adult books this year. Not that I think I’ll move away from young adult books + never 😄 but sometimes it’s good to get away from my usual choices

Are you also looking to branch out this year? What are you wanting to read more of this year? Come tell me down below in the comments!