Ella Enchanted
Spoilers!
I haven’t read this in I don’t know how many years, but it holds up! I’ve been in a mini-slump recently but was able to slam through this old favorite. There were parts where I actually found myself laughing out loud. Ella’s humor is so great. Really my only complaint is that Ella is canonically unable to save herself but can save… a dude she’s in love with. Not my favorite trope, and not my favorite message to send (that a man is more important than you, even though I’m sure it wasn’t intended to come across that way).
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (reread)
Far From You
Minor spoilers!
Me during the first 95% of this book: Yeah this is good I guess
Me during the last 5%: [sobbing, but make it queer]
Anyway, this was pretty much your typical YA thriller. The writing was a little hit-or-miss at times but it was a mostly entertaining read. It went a little hard on the internalized homophobia and I kind of hated the deceased best friend because of how she treated the main character. Their relationship was way more toxic than it was cute. She was redeemed somewhat toward the end, but that didn’t really undo all the time she spent treating people poorly? Feel free to pick this up if you’re interested, but I’d keep expectations low.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
Not perfect, but definitely a pretty great short story! It was just lengthy enough to get me invested, and the twist did take me by surprise. This is probably my favorite piece by Gillian Flynn so far. My only complaint is that the ending seemed a bit silly and abrupt, but I have no regrets reading this.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Sarah Ames-Foley 
Great reviews! I loved the Ella Enchanted film as a kid, but weirdly my library didn’t have a copy so I never read it! It’s one of the few children’s books I’d still like to read as an adult, so I’m glad to hear it stood the test of time for you!
I also had fun reading The Grownup a while back- not a perfect read for me either, but I remember it fondly. I wish Gillian Flynn would release another novel!
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Thank you! I’ve still yet to read Sharp Objects, but would def try a new one if she got around to releasing one.
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