Melissa > Recent Status Updates

I'm gonna start this of by saying that I am salty that this book even exist. The final scene of "The Last Thing He Told Me" had lived rent free in my brain for years. Pre-Hulu series. Its one of those ends that I would randomly think about how she saw and touched Owen for that final time. But now we have a whole damn book crushing that "final" scene, so let's see what happens. Clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose.

I love that the characters in her books (I've only read two) are women with super niche jobs that they're always booked out for but somehow make time to track down mysteries. Lol this is the most Caucasian book I've read since I was introduced to Danielle Steele through my mom's employer in 6th grade.

If Joe is the killer, imma cuss

I'm on my 3rd listen/read of this book and am still catching gems.

Eh. What a weird poorly written scene

I meant to call this out when he first offered to become his mentor but it's so obvious now something is up with Professor Kamali (idk I listen to audiobooks) I hope that the reveal is better then where I feel like the writing is currently leading.

I had to stop and replay this a few times. "...look how they're actively banning books down here in LA, FL, AL, and TX, they're erasing our truth, our trials and tribulations..." "...unless it has to do with slavery, they always have to add a white savior."

Imagining a room of young people of color discussing the truth about what I felt when I was being taught history is slowly healing me.

"....my pronouns are 'they, them and that bitch'"🤣😂

As excited as I was about the premise of this book I still had a little concern that maybe it would be too heavily geared toward YA teen boy and i wouldn't be able to connect. This is the moment I completely eased in. Oh, we're accepting of everybody here?!? Let me fully immerse myself in Caiman U.

The terror I am feeling is so real. And the disgust. How could the producers let someone who is not only clearly very mentally unwell, he had a restraining order to prove it before he was chosen for the thing. I'm so curious about what type of society they come from. The little they allude to I can't tell if it's really that terrible or if Lily's life is just terrible.

I love the authors note for this. He is absolutely correct, a young black male narrating dark academia is niche af and I am in. I know how much representation matters and I'm loving this. The writing is smooth, the story is flowing and I'm so excited to enter yet another magical HBCU (Shout out to Drew Collins U)

Girl, what? You're just gonna add a whole ass sibling? Okay. We'll see how this goes

Only 17% in and I feel like I'm reading a different series. This book is already cramming a lot in a small amount of time. I'm gonna try to listen to it with less distractions but this may be my first DNF for the year.

33% and I'm locked in. I picked this book because I read "Pretty Girls " by Karin Slaughter in like 2015/16 and it is one of those books that I think about randomly all the time. It is probably one of the more gruesome books I've read but I really enjoyed the way she told the story. I am bummed to find out that this will be a series, I was not trying to make that type of commitment this early in 2026 😭

This whole section seems to be written by someone who has never had an orgasm.

I was going to wait until February to start reading this but at least twice a day since I finished the first one, I think to myself, "How the hell is Kenna going to take his help without mentioning that she killed his daddy?" At this point, I just need to know how she's going to explain it to Caiman.

Effing Barbara, man. I was starting to get annoyed that they were doing "flashbacks" instead of updating where Vanessa was in her efforts but I love learning about the characters. Her flashing back doesn't deter or take away from the story it builds so much more and gives you the chance to really know the characters. Home stretch

I'm loving their love story but I feel like I'm waiting for something bad to happen. It's got my heart in a vice grip.

"Wanting something fiction to be fact and having the power to convince other folks of the same, that's how power stays put." - Tracy Deonn

Okay, I've been trying to finish this one for no less then 3 nights now I'm at 94% feeling good- almost there when I time back in and Russ? Roz? Ends up being the demon and they're in a cavern. Who the eff is that?! Like did I time out that bad? I wanna go back and try to piece it together but I really don't wanna go back. Am I gaslighting myself into liking this?

Wait a minute.... WHAT!?! So the whole time? Wtf

Eww. I did NOT like her reaction to Irene- like you just gonna let him embarrass ol' girl just because she still wants to marry the dude she's engaged to? Also, Anker tends to leave a lot of things out. Is he an a hole? Do I hate them?

Alright, I'm back and I'm already lost. I thought I remembered enough to jump back in, then they mentioned her being a vampire/fae and that she killed Malcolm and I was like "Okay Saeris, you better slay bish" but I absolutely don't remember it and wonder if I should go back and read the back half of Quicksilver or just push through... TBD

Just when I thought I was loving Bellimie (or however you spell it) then he had to go a little loco in the coco with the death threats. Run, Birdie, girl. Whatever YOU think it is, this is not that

...a magical school with magical black people with hood fairies and hood vampires....
-Celeste Taylor

I am SO excited to be back. I thought about the gang (Souxie, Maggie, Asha, Isis, Quan, and even Clementine) the whole week it took me to find this 3rd book. I can't remember what I said about this series when I started it but I am loving this series. I can't wait to ki with them for another semester.

It's almost over and there's so much left! I did end up liking this one. Turns out HBCU/fantasy trope is my thing. Again, it's a palette cleanser but I'm curious and am happy to see there's a part 2

I still don't know how this got on my TBR so I decided to go into it blind. Is it YA? There are already serious plot holes but entertaining and I like the concept. I have been reading some pretty heavy books so this might be a nice palate cleanser

I'm loving the story so far. I like how Louisa and Ted are connecting while the childhood story is intertwined. I am getting pre-sad because I know a sad part is coming up, but I love these characters.

It's cute. A good pallet cleanser after reading a pretty heavy novel.