Ugh, ugh, ugh. Trust me, this post will be a day of sad DNFing. Did I want to DNF these books? Noooooooooooo. But did I? Yesssssss – which brings so much sadness to my heart. Let’s take a quick look at the two brilliant sounding books that failed to catch my book fancy. Also, let’s take a look at our featured princess of this post:
The Shadows We Know by Heart by Jennifer Park (aka Other Bigfoot Book that I was fangirling so, so, so hard)
Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes and Noble
Leah Roberts’s life has never been the same since her brother died ten years ago. Her mother won’t stop drinking, her father can’t let go of his bitter anger, and Leah herself has a secret she’s told no one: Sasquatch are real, and she’s been watching a trio of them in the woods behind her house for years.
Everything changes when Leah discovers that among the Sasquatch lives a teenager. This alluring, enigmatic boy has no memory of his past and can barely speak, but Leah can’t shake his magnetic pull. Gradually, Leah’s life entwines with his, providing her the escape from reality she never knew she needed.
But when Leah’s two worlds suddenly collide in a deadly showdown, she uncovers a shocking truth as big and extraordinary as the legends themselves, one that could change her life forever.
From debut author Jennifer Park comes a haunting and luminous exploration of love, grief, and the dangerous lies that can bind—or break—us.
DNF @ 36%
Okay, this book was supposed to be on my favorites shelf. Another YA Bigfoot book? Omg, it was going to be perfect. So may heart eyes. However, it did not float my Bigfoot boat. I’m so disappointed in what I read. I’m not sure if it was me or the expectations I placed on it. I imagined this would be a happy go lucky Bigfoot book, and I got a heavy, darker, more emotional Bigfoot read, which I was not feeling instead. And that really rocked my view of how the book read.
I really think my main issue is in the feel/vibe of the book. Bigfoot books, to me, are supposed to be happy and fun and about, well, Bigfoot. This story felt depressing. Literally, everything was sad about it – the main character, the home life, the way Leah was treated. Everything was dark and heavy, and when the Bigfoot family appeared, I couldn’t even get excited because I was too sad.
And then I kept getting confused by a few of the characters. I figured out who the mysterious boy was right away, but then I kept messing up a few of the characters’ names as well (I could have sworn Reed was Leah’s brother, but apparently not). I didn’t find Leah’s friend all that nice and I didn’t find either of the love interests intriguing. I felt sad, unimpressed, and just bored with the part that I read. I think this would have just been a fine contemporary had it been focusing on the death of the brother and the family dynamics it caused. However, infused with the Bigfoot storyline, it was a bit too much and it certainly didn’t fit the mood. So I had to stop – which crushes my Bigfoot loving heart.
No crowns since I didn’t make it far enough and a Snow White rating!
A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro
Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes and Noble
The last thing Jamie Watson wants is a rugby scholarship to Sherringford, a Connecticut prep school just an hour away from his estranged father. But that’s not the only complication: Sherringford is also home to Charlotte Holmes, the famous detective’s great-great-great-granddaughter, who has inherited not only Sherlock’s genius but also his volatile temperament. From everything Jamie has heard about Charlotte, it seems safer to admire her from afar.
From the moment they meet, there’s a tense energy between them, and they seem more destined to be rivals than anything else. But when a Sherringford student dies under suspicious circumstances, ripped straight from the most terrifying of the Sherlock Holmes stories, Jamie can no longer afford to keep his distance. Jamie and Charlotte are being framed for murder, and only Charlotte can clear their names. But danger is mounting and nowhere is safe—and the only people they can trust are each other.
DNF @ 27%
Ummmmmm, this wasn’t my cup of tea. Perhaps it was a combo of things – the fact that I was prepared for a Gossip Girl version of Sherlock, I’m apparently in a horrible book rating slump where I keep reading books I don’t like, I’m not super as in to Sherlock as I used to be, or maybe, this book was just rough. I’m not really sure.
My issues:
– the characters (I didn’t particularly like Jamie or Charlotte. I mean, I felt nothing. Literally nothing.)
– the characterization (when did Watson get so violent and Charlotte’s Sherlock observations felt…not real? They kind of just came out and I saw no epic logic behind them. How does white shoelaces have any bearing on anything?)
– I kept forgetting there was a mystery at play (or who was even murdered – was his name Lou? I feel like his name was Lou.)
There were some interesting to parts of it. I thought it was incredibly inventive and the author’s mythology was intriguing. I definitely give major kudos for giving new life to the Sherlock story. Although I’m really not sure Gossip Girl was really the setting for it. And I think that is what turned me off the most. I know Sherlock wasn’t a saint or anything, but gosh, this was weird for me.
I tried? Snow White rating and no crowns since I didn’t finish. Gosh, I need to get out of this rut and fast. Still love that cover, though.
xoxo, Book Princess trying to get the full Gossip Girl effect here
Oh man, sorry to hear that Bigfoot book wasn’t great.
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Thanks, Kyera! ❤ It was a rough one, but I shall hope there will eventually be more out there to satisfy my Bigfoot loving heart. XD
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So sorry for you, hope the next one will be epic.
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Thanks so much! Hoping so too. 😉
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I have A Study In Charlotte on my TBR just because of the pretty cover. I’ve been thinking of removing it as the story didn’t quite interest me.
By the way, what is a Bigfoot book? I’ve heard you talking about it a lot…
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Yes! That was the main reason that I wanted to read it too because that cover is so gorgeous and especially in person. But I will say that the cover might not make up for the story inside, though. I do know quite a few people that really enjoyed it, though.
And basically my Bigfoot books are books that revolve around Bigfoot/Sasquatch/Skunk Ape/all other names for the big furry ape-like creature that has been rumored to be lurking around the woods of North America but nobody has ever found any true proof except giant footprints and tons of sightings. XD
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Oh! I thought it might be a publishing company or code for a genre or something.
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Oh no! XD That sounds far more plausible than my focus on Bigfoot. XD It’s quite a bit more absurd instead. XD
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Absolutely setting and tone can trip me up. I’ve definitely DNF books with tones that get under my skin.
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Yes! I think sometimes it is worst than a bad plot or bad characters. How can you get into a book where you don’t even like the tone? Those are hard ones.
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I did the same thing with “A Study in Charlotte.” I never get the hype with those books
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Ooh, good to know I wasn’t the only one. I think the retelling just got pushed a bit too far and that tone completely threw me off.
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Right? I’ll stick with the BBC Sherlock lol
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Yes! Best plan. 😉
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Super bummed for both of these. I know how much Bigfoot means to you Mandy, so sorry this one didn’t work out! As for A Study in Charlotte, I know that can be a lot to take in and there are some heavier topics explored further in the story! It’s not everybody’s taste, but at least you tried! 🙂
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Thank you, Rendz. ❤ And yes! I think I just wasn't prepared for the heavy topics and new setting. I think I was expecting happy go lucky Sherlock…which isn't really how it was in the beginning. XD So I failed. XD
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Polar opposite of Happy go lucky Sherlock indeed 😂😂
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Ahahaha that’s for sure. XD
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Sad to hear you didn’t enjoy them! It always sucks when you DNF a book. I hadn’t heard about the Bigfoot one, but I had about A Study in Charlotte. I haven’t read it myself, but I’m surprised you didn’t like it. So far I had only read rave reviews.
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Thanks, Eva! I so agree, especially when you think that you’re going to really enjoy them. But yes! I think I would have liked it if I hadn’t confused the settings or tone of what it was going to be. I think that was what really messed with me.
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That definitely sucks
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Yes. 😦
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Oh, no! Not more DNFs. I’m so sorry, my friend! I haven’t ever heard of that other Bigfoot book. I do love A Study in Charlotte, but I’m a huge fan of all things Sherlock Holmes too. Setting and tone are a huge deal for me in a book, so if I’m not feeling those, than it is really hard. Those are sometimes bigger for me than the characters are even.
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Thank you, Krysti. D: And I hadn’t heard of it either except one of the authors I follow on Twitter was talking about how she was reading two Bigfoot books and gave me the names. But I so agree! If the setting and tone don’t match what I had thought or the subject material I thought, it gets really messy for me. D: It just throws off the whole book sometimes.
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Ah! That definitely makes sense. I totally get that. Especially when you’re in mood reader mode, it ends up being all about that tone.
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Yes! For sure! 🙂
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Oh no, a DNF day!! How horrid. DNF books are never fun to encounter. )):
Sorry to hear that the content of A Study in Charlotte didn’t live up to the cover, though I still find it super pretty. I haven’t read it yet, but now I’m getting a bit reluctant to pick it up. 😛
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No! I think the worst one are the ones you’re most excited for too and feel like you should like.
Yes! I love that cover. It’s sadly one of the main reasons why I bought it. However, I think that if you know the setting before and kind of understand that better, it might be good. XD So you won’t be surprised.
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That’s true, also it’s probably best to just dive in with lower expectations… that way, you won’t be as disappointed if it ends up not working out. :’)
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Yes, for sure! 😀 I’m trying to work on that since I have a major habit of going in with far too high of expectations.
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I can get through any book as long as it’s interesting…well, not if the grammar is terrible. Bad grammar = quick DNF. Don’t think anything else really grinds my gears, but who knows? I haven’t read enough to know that answer – I digress.
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Ahahahaha yes! Bad grammar will take any book down so very quickly. XD But yes! You’ll know when it comes. 😀
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Hey! Don’t jinx me, lol. I’m on a good run here.
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Ahahaha no, no! Hopefully your book luck keeps going!! 😀
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