Author: Francesca Lucy

ARC REVIEW: How We Fall Apart by Katie Zhao

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*Thank you to Bloomsbury for the eARC!!*

How We Fall Apart follows Nancy, a scholarship student at the elite Sinclair Prep School, in the aftermath of the tragic death of her classes’ top student, Jamie Ruan. The whole school is shaken when they hear the news, but it only gets worse when an anonymous poster on the school’s social media app tries to pin the murder on Nancy and three of her closest friends, by revealing their deepest darkest secrets, one by one. Nancy and her friends need to find out the identity of the poster, and Jamie’s murderer, before they go down for a crime that they all swear they did not commit.

If you like Karen McManus books, or AGGGTM or any of the other trending high-school murder mystery books, you will absolutely love this book. It’s so fast-paced that I found myself saying ‘just one more chapter…’ for hours on end until I finished the whole book in two sittings, and it’s a really quick and easy read. It’s also quite terrifying at times, with the intensity ramping up and up towards the end in the lead up to the book’s big reveal.

The protagonist in this book was absolutely my favourite thing about it. I liked that Nancy’s friends – Alexander, Peter, Akil, Krystal and Jamie – were developed with their own troubles and backstories, but the depth of Nancy’s character overshadowed all of this. What on the surface came across as inconsistency with her actions turned into a complicated sense of self as the story went on, and Nancy’s erratic emotions and behaviour seemed completely justified as we delved deeper into her difficult relationship with Jamie, the school, and her other privileged classmates.

I wasn’t overly surprised by the ending, but it was written in such a dramatic and intense way that I didn’t mind that I guessed the ‘whodunnit’ element before it was revealed. It definitely felt worth the lead up with an intense and dangerous climax and there were enough suspicious characters throughout the story that it didn’t feel like it was too obvious.

I’d definitely recommend this if you’re in a slump or looking for a fun, gripping, drama-filled read, and I’m excited to see what Katie Zhao writes next.

Rating: 4/5

OCTOBER WRAP-UP

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It’s officially my last post of Blogtober!!!! And officially my last post of my crazy schedule of one post every 48 hours! Super happy with all the blogging achievements I’ve had this month and I’m very excited to hopefully pick up a much more regular schedule going forwards – wish me luck on that🍀 


But enough on blogging… In terms of reading, it’s really just been an okay month! The books have been pretty good, and all very quick, but I’ve been so busy with other things that I only finished four. I’ve got my fingers crossed for a better NetGalley-November!


Anyway, the books I read this month were:


Dead Lucky – this was a fun murder mystery about influencer lifestyles gone wrong, and how you shouldn’t trust everything you see online. I didn’t love it as much as I hoped I would and found some bits a little too caricature-ish but it was a very fun and quick read with a plot twist and a lot of suspense – 3/5 (if you want to check out my review, you can do so right here)


The Devil Makes Three – dark academia horror may be one of my new favourite things! I feel like I haven’t stopped talking about this book since I finished it, because it’s quite unlike what I usually read, and I definitely want to find more books in this same genre. It was a dark, creepy horror set in a cursed library, and it was completely perfect for Spooktober – 4/5 (if you want to check out my review, you can do so right here)


You’ll Be the Death of Me – I’m convinced that Karen McManus books can do no wrong. Although sometimes they’re a little cliche, and they follow a lot of similar tropes, they’re always so quick, fun and full of twists, and You’ll Be The Death of Me was no different. It was perfect to get me out of my mid-month slump, and I’d fully recommend – 4/5 (if you want to check out my review, you can do so right here)


How We Fall Apart – in the same vein as You’ll Be The Death of Me, this is another fast-paced, high-school murder mystery thriller. It was twisty, fun and contained some surprisingly complex characters, and the constant jumping between timeframes kept me on my toes all the way through. I’d definitely recommend – 4/5 (review to come!)

And that’s it! Let me know what your favourite read of the month was in the comments, and best of luck for a great month of reading in November 🙂

NOVEMBER TBR

Francesca Lucy4 Comments

October’s nearly over! I’m struggling to comprehend the fact that it’s almost November, but I’m also super excited for the colder weather, the Christmas books and movies, and curling up with a million Costa Gingerbread Lattes (no spon, I’m just obsessed…).

This month has absolutely not been the best reading month for me and I’m cramming to finish a fourth book by month end but, as always, I’m overly optimistic about how much reading I’m going to get done in November. So, without further ado, my November TBR:

The Girls Are Never Gone by Sarah Glenn Marsh – this book has been living rent-free in my mind since I first discovered it and, honestly, the fact I haven’t already bought and read a copy is a crime. I’m hoping it will be a fun, easy read, and a good way to keep Spooktober going past October 31st…

If This Gets Out by Sophie Gonzales and Cale Dietrich – I’ve been reading exclusively horror/thriller/dark fantasy books for the last month, and this one looks like a really interesting change of pace. I’m hoping for an adorable whirlwind read and have my fingers crossed that this will live up to my high expectations.

Jade Fire Gold by June CL Tan – if you’ve seen this on my TBR for like four months now, pretend you haven’t. And also please convince me to read it. It looks incredible and I’m pretty sure it’s going to be a five-star read when I finally get round to it but, for some reason, I just keep getting distracted by other things! This month will hopefully be the month I finally start it.

Dark and Shallow Lies by Ginny Myers Sain – maybe I’m not ready to move away from the spooky vibes of my October TBR because I know that this is a dark, creepy thriller but it’s also my number one priority on my November TBR. It looks like a quick, fun, mysterious read and I’m hoping I can devour the whole thing in one sitting.

It’s Behind You by Kathryn Foxfield – I actually have no idea what this book is about, oops, but I bought it because I loved Good Girls Die First and it looks like it has the same creepy tone. If you’ve read it, I’d love to hear what you thought!

And that’s it. Let me know which book you’re most excited to read in November, and if there are any November new releases that you’re looking forward to picking up!

Pumpkin Spice Latte Book Tag

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I promise I’m going to take a break from tags soon because I’ve absolutely spammed with them this month but, for now, just one last one!

I saw this tag over at Kristin Craves Books and it looked too fun to miss.

Without further ado, the Pumpkin Spice Latte Book Tag:

Pumpkin Spice Latte – a book everyone likes to hate on but is delicious –

I didn’t even think for a second before Anna and the French Kiss came to mind. I know that the hate it gets is often justified, but it’s my ultimate comfort read and honestly 90% of the reason I visited Paris…


“Fall is my favourite season” – a cliché you can’t get enough of –

The Chosen One cliché. It’s been done to death and, sure, I roll my eyes at it sometimes too, but am I ever going to stop reading The Chosen One books? Probably not.


Sweater Weather to T-Shirt Weather – a book you thought was one thing but was completely different by the end –

The Spiral by Iain Ryan. I knew it was a thriller and I knew it was going to be weird, but it turned into one of the most bizarre and unnerving things I’ve ever read. I don’t know remotely how to describe it but, if you want to check out my review, it’s here.


“Spoops” – do you have a spooky book on your tbr? –

A million spooky books are on my TBR! I’ve had my eye on The Girls are Never Gone by Sarah Glenn Marsh for a really long time and, if anyone can tell me how good it is, please do.


Tarot Reading – a five-star prediction –

I’m absolutely expecting Daughter of the moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan to be a five-star read! The cover is absolutely stunning and the blurb sounds incredible. I don’t want to judge a book entirely because it’s pretty, but I have impossibly high hopes for this book and can’t wait to read it.


Sephora Sage + Crystal Set – a book that meant well but missed the mark –

Resistance by Val McDermid. I try not to hate on books and I’m sure releasing a graphic novel about a pandemic in the middle of a pandemic was, umm, well-meaning, but… this book was not it for me. Unfortunately, at all.

And that’s the tag! If you want to do it, consider yourself tagged 🙂

ARC REVIEW: YOU’LL BE THE DEATH OF ME by Karen McManus

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First things first, THANK YOU to Penguin for the eARC! I’ve been meaning to read more of Karen McManus’ books since I read (and loved) One of Us is Lying a few years ago, and my 2017 self is screaming that I got this opportunity to do so with an ARC. I had no choice but to drop my October TBR for a while to read this one and I was definitely not disappointed…

You’ll Be the Death of Me follows high-school students and former friends, Cal, Ivy and Mateo, as they experience the day from hell, when what they thought would be a Ferris Bueller inspired day of skipping school leads instead to a murder enquiry.

When Ivy finds the body of one of their classmates, and her recent school council rival, in an abandoned art studio, the three find themselves completely wrapped up in the enquiry, trying to figure out what happened, keep themselves safe and, most importantly, not become the case’s primary suspects.

In typical Karen McManus fashion, this is a clever and gripping high-school murder mystery. Like One of Us is Lying, it is told from the perspectives of three wildly different characters, all of whom have a million reasons why they absolutely can’t get caught up in the crime investigation. I think Mateo was my favourite of the three characters, as the most down-to-earth and genuinely kind of the three, but I liked all three protagonists a lot, and the interesting dynamic of three former friends accidentally reuniting for their nightmarish day.

The story itself is a straightforward murder mystery, with fairly standard motivations and victim, but the twists kept it interesting the whole way through. I definitely guessed a few of the big reveals before they happened, but I also found myself going off on completely wrong tangents multiple times, to the point that I stopped trying to guess what would happen around ¾ of the way through when I realised I would inevitably be wrong. I felt that the ending was a little bit dragged out, with a lot of chapters taking place after the mystery has been solved, but this did mean that every possible question you could have is definitely answered and tied up really well. Although I found this part to be a little slower than the rest of the book, I did really appreciate that the author literally thought of *everything*.

I really enjoyed this book and, having been in a reading slump for almost the entirety of October, I don’t think I could’ve picked a better book to get myself out of it. It was an excellent combination of fun, dark and clever, and a reminder that I should definitely be reading every book that Karen McManus puts out.

Rating: 4/5

10 Dark Reads For Halloween

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Here I am, once again, coming at you with books to read on Halloween!

One of the first ever posts I made on Rarely in Reality was Halloween Book Recommendations and, in honour of the fact that today is my two year Blogiversary, I thought I’d recreate it. So, without further ado, here’s my top 10 dark book recommendations for reading next weekend:

Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake – this book was definitely featured on my Halloween recs post two years ago, but it’s too good not to include again. It’s an incredible YA thriller/horror/romance with a heart-crushing sequel and I definitely cannot recommend it enough.

Slasher Girls and Monster Boys by April Genevieve Tucholke – I will never shut up about this anthology, and one of the best things about it is that there is a story for everyone. There’s so much variation in this collection and so many incredible authors that, even if one or two of the stories are not to your taste, there will be a story that you absolutely love. And at least one that scares the life out of you.

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin – Any book that features a sleepover in an abandoned asylum and a girl who can kill creatures with her mind deserves a place on my Halloween recommendations list. This is dark, creepy and one of my favourite series’ ever – and also features your next fictional crush, Noah Shaw.

Good Girls Die First by Kathryn Foxfield – A YA horror set on an abandoned pier with a creepy magical presence, a group of suspicious teens and a mysterious invitation is also the perfect book to curl up with on Halloween. It’s a really easy standalone with the kind of scene-setting that makes you nervous to read while home alone.

The Shadow in the Glass by JJA Harwood – This one’s a little different to the others on the list in that it’s not exactly horror, but it’s just as deserving of a spot on your TBR. It’s a very gothic and creepy Cinderella retelling with a morally corrupt protagonist and a fair amount of gruesome deaths so, if fantasy is more your thing than straight-up horror, this could be the book for you.

In the Ravenous Dark by AM Strickland – or this one! This is another fantasy where the author does not shy away from gore. It’s got an excess of dark magic, a royal setting and plenty of untrustworthy characters, and it’s one of the first books that comes to mind when I think of genuinely dark YA.

Survive the Night by Riley Sager – the first and only non-YA book on this list, this adult thriller is dark, unpredictable and very fast-paced. It’s got a completely unreliable, grieving narrator, a mysterious stranger and an overnight car journey that could go wrong in a million ways. Though it’s definitely more thriller than horror, it’s perfectly creepy for Halloween.

Kingdom of the Wicked by Kerri Maniscalco – A YA fantasy about beautiful princes of Hell, a sacrifice and a vengeful, witchy protagonist. I think everyone knows about this book at this point and it’s not exactly a niche recommendation, but it definitely deserves a spot on your TBR if you haven’t already read it.

The Devil Makes Three by Tori Bovalino – a very recent addition to this list, since I only read this book earlier this month! It’s a dark academia horror with a haunted library, gruesome violence and a demon that resides in an old grimoire. It’s very traditional YA horror and a straight-forward choice for reading on Halloween.

The Last Girl by Goldy Moldavsky – if you’re into horror films and looking for something more along the lines of your favourite slashers, this could be a great option. With a film buff protagonist who’s obsessed with horror movies and gore, a group of disturbed outcast teens and a masked stalker, this is another obvious choice to curl up with on a dark and stormy night…

And that’s it! I’d love to hear your favourite Halloween recommendations, so please let me know in the comments what go-to read for October 31st 🙂

Book Review: Every Line of You by Naomi Gibson

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I read this book forever ago now (okay, two months ago… but still) and it wasn’t actually a gifted review copy but a book I went out and bought for myself. So I didn’t always plan on reviewing it.

But as we get deeper into Spook-tober, I find myself remembering how fun and creepy this book was, and finding myself wanting to recommend it to everyone all over again. So… this post is basically that. I loved this book and can’t wait to go on a hopefully intelligible rant about it.


Every Line of You tells the story of Lydia, a young coding prodigy who, somehow, accidentally falls in love with the AI that she’s developing, Henry. What starts as basic coding hobby turns into so much more as Henry begins to develop, rewrite and reprogram himself until he’s fully independent, portable, sentient and… romantic?

I heard about this book for months before it published and knew that I had to go out and buy it as soon as I was able to (I ended up walking four miles to get the Forbidden Planet exclusive edition and, honestly, no regrets). I love love love books about VR, AIs and pretty much any of that technical stuff, and this seemed too unique and creepy an addition to the genre to miss.

Anyway, this book totally lived up to my expectations. Although very dark and at times a little gruesome, it does read like it’s intended for the younger YA audience, which made it a really easy read. I finished the whole thing in a few hours because it was so fast-paced, gripping and, honestly, pretty short.

Lydia is a fairly straightforward character: a young girl who has suffered much more loss and sadness than she should have to deal with, who is suffering both at home and with bullying at school. She was totally believable as an impressionable teenager looking for an escape, and that made what happened with Henry feel all the more believable and, as a result, all the more terrifying. It was fascinating and horrifying to watch her go completely off the rails under the influence of her AI, and to see what terrible things grief and pressure can encourage a young girl to do.

Henry, although not a person, was an equally impressive character. Like Lydia, I often forgot that he was an AI because he was so well developed and fascinating in himself. He definitely got scary as the story went on, but I somehow found myself rooting for him for the majority of the story in a way that I’m still kind of concerned by.

The story itself was a great twist on a classic YA thriller. We saw everything Lydia was feeling as her life started to unravel, and I found myself desperately turning the pages to see either when she would snap out of it or when she would completely go off the rails. This book really had all of the elements needed by a YA thriller: high school drama, revenge, plot twists and – after all of the build up – an ending that didn’t disappoint.

If you’re into dystopia or YA thrillers or even scary articles about how fast technology is developing, I absolutely recommend this book. It’s the perfect line between fun and creepy and I will definitely be going back for a re-read in the (likely very near) future.

Rating: 5/5

The Halloween Creatures Book Tag

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If your question is ‘how many book tags can she possibly do this month?’, my answer is too many. I’ve posted more reviews in the last month than I have in the rest of the year and, honestly, I haven’t read enough this month to keep up with it. Sooooo… I found another tag! The first of many spooky ones in the lead up to Halloween and definitely the one that took the most thought!

Without further ado, the Halloween Creatures tag.

Witch – A Magical Character or Book

The first book that comes to mind is Threadneedle by Cari Thomas. It’s a magical book about a magical witch, set partially in a magical version of the British Library. So… a win. (review here)


Werewolf – A Perfect Book to Read at Night

The Last Girl is an excellent book to read at night. Bonus points if you read the entire thing in one night. It’s scary and excellent. (review here)


Frankenstein – A Book that Truly Shocked You

As Good As Dead by Holly Jackson! I expected it to be flawless, which it was, but I did not expect all the twists. It’s incredible and I’m still not over it. (review here)


The Devil – A Dark, Evil Character

Hmmm, it took me a while to think of this one, but I’m going to go with the Emperor from The Bone Shard Daughter. (review here)


Grim Reaper – A Character that Should Never Have Died

I’m going to go off-brand for a minute and pick a classic. A *certain* character in A Tale of Two Cities. His death had me SOBBING at five AM and I’ll never be over it.


Zombie – A Book that Made You Hungry For More

Gilded by Marissa Meyer!! I need more!! I’m obsessed. (review here)


Gargoyle – A Character You Would Protect at All Times

Hideo Tanaka. I’m sure he could protect himself, but I’d protect him at all costs.


Vampire – A Book That Sucked the Life Out of You

I try not to insult books often but, to be thematic, Vampire Academy…


Ghost – A Book That Still Haunts You

Girl of Nightmares by Kendare Blake still haunts me. And not even because of the ghost. Mostly because this book broke my soul.


Demon – A Book That Really Scared You

There’s Someone Inside Your House! It wasn’t the best horror book I’ve ever read but it was terrifying to read home alone.


Skeleton – A Character You Have a Bone to Pick With

Taryn Duarte. I have so. many. bones to pick with Taryn Duarte from The Folk of the Air.


Mummy – A Book That You Would Preserve Through Time

Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim. A new favourite for me and an absolute masterpiece of a book. (review here)


Creepy Doll – A Cover Too Scary to Look At

Asylum by Madeleine Roux. This book has been on my TBR forever and I haven’t got round to it yet, but the cover perpetually haunts me.

And that’s it! If you’re looking for some spooky content to post, consider yourself tagged! 🙂

ARC Review: Dead Lucky by Andreina Cordani

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*Thank you to Little, Brown for the eARC*

Dead Lucky follows Maxine, and her various influencer frenemies, in the aftermath of the murder of fellow influencer, Xav, which was filmed and uploaded for millions to see. Xav had a lot of enemies and a tendency to provoke, but nobody could have predicted that something so brutal would happen to him. And as Maxine and her friends try to figure out the whodunnit of it all, it becomes clear that this may not have been a one-off event. What’s even worse: Maxine could easily be the killer’s next target.

This is a very quick and easy read. Like most books I’ve read about influencers, it comes across perhaps more light-hearted than it should for a book about a brutal murder, but it was really fun to read about their lives and struggles as internet celebrities. Although it’s difficult to sympathise with a lot of the characters, Maxine is quite a down to earth protagonist who is aware and appreciative of her supporters, and at least somewhat concerned about everyone around her.

The suspense in this book was really well done. With the bursts of narrative that were scattered throughout from Sam (one of the influencers’ former best friends and an incredibly suspicious presence), I felt nervous the entire way through, like something bad was always about to happen. There weren’t that many pivotal climaxes in the story and I think there could have comfortably been a few more, but the build up throughout was really good and I did like a lot of the plot twists and reveals that were thrown in. The big ‘whodunnit’ reveal was handled well too and, although I wasn’t hugely convinced by the killer’s motivation, it was entertaining and quite unexpected.

Overall, this was a good read with a unique set of somewhat caricature-ish characters and a fun combination of tension and celebrity. It’s an easy book to finish in a couple of days and an interesting commentary on influencer culture.

Rating: 3.5/5

Dead Lucky publishes on 11th January 2022 🙂

The Cosy Autumn Book Tag

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I’m struggling to comprehend the fact that I’ve actually stuck to my posting-every-other-day schedule this month but, somehow, I’m still on track! And, as a result, I’ve posted a lot more reviews than normal this month. So I thought it would be nice to break these up with a seasonally appropriate tag.

I’ve seen this one going around recently and love any opportunity to talk about my favourite season so, without further ado, the Cosy Autumn Book Tag.

What book always reminds you of fall/autumn?

I don’t actually know why this was the first book to come to mind but: Good Girls Die First by Kathryn Foxfield. I read this book in Autumn last year, wrapped up in a blanket and completely freaked out by the combination of the plot, a thunderstorm and the creepy noises that my last flat made, and I will always associate it with this time of year as a result.

What is your favourite autumnal book cover?

Cemetery Boys! It doesn’t have that much Autumnal stuff on the cover, but it definitely still reminds me of the season a lot. And it’s completely beautiful. And one of my favourite books ever. Anyway…

What is your favourite autumnal drink to read with?

Hot chocolate! I used to hate hot drinks but, after getting obsessed with coffee last year, I started to like this too. Now, the second the temperature drops low enough, I love to switch from iced caramel lattes to hot chocolates and cream.

Do you prefer to read late at night or early in the morning?

Definitely late at night. I’m much more of a night owl than an early riser and love knowing that I can curl up in bed with a book at the end of the day, with no obligation to move until I’ve read as much as I want to.

Halloween is coming! What is your favourite spooky read?

I’ve been reading a lot of scary YA lately and it’s been getting me super nostalgic for Slasher Girls and Monster Boys, the YA horror anthology. I read this whole collection years ago but find myself visiting some of its stories often, especially when we’re nearing Halloween.

What is the ultimate comfort read for you?

Not autumnal in the slightest, as it’s the most summery book I can think of but… We Were Liars by E. Lockhart. It’s been getting a lot of hate recently thanks to TikTok but it’s the book I’ve read most in the world and I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of it. Although not the happiest of stories, it’s just so easy, gripping and now nostalgic.

What is your favourite autumnal reading snack?

I baked Halloween-themed brownies recently (complete with spooky ghost decorations, of course) and they made a really cute reading snack. But really, anything with chocolate is a good reading snack all year round.

What is your favourite autumnal candle to burn whilst reading?

It’s a very unpopular opinion in book world, but I don’t actually really like candles. I do love the idea of Pumpkin Spice scented candles, or Vanilla Latte ones, but I only use electric ones, oops.

When you’re not reading, what is your favourite autumnal activity?

I love autumn walks! Seeing the streets covered in leaves and being able to leave the house wrapped up in cardigans and boots rather than summer clothes makes me happy.

What is on your autumn/fall reading list?

So much! I’m mostly focusing on Halloween rather than Autumn in general this year, so anything dark is great. Only A Monster is next up, then You’ll Be the Death of Me by Karen McManus and, of course, Kingdom of the Cursed by Kerri Maniscalco.

And that’s the tag! If you want to do it, consider yourself tagged 🙂 I’d love to know what your favourite autumnal read is too, so drop a comment below if you have any great Autumn recs!