My Book Reviews

I love novels! My favorite genres are high-end women's fiction, suspense, and psychological thrillers, but occasionally I'll also pick up some chick lit or YA. I mostly read books on my kindle, and I also listen to audio books every morning when I go for my run.

I do NOT love star ratings for novels. For each book I review, I will give a bit of background, my thoughts, and end by saying if I would recommend it or not. Full disclosure: if I'm not into a book, I don't finish it. Since I'll only be reviewing books I finish, most of the reviews posted will be positive.

Book Review: The Ballerinas by Rachel Kapelke-Dale

Laurel Osterkamp · January 14, 2022

I became aware of The Ballerinas, by Rachel Kapelke Dale, in an airport bookstore, when I had six hours to kill due to a delayed flight. I was immediately intrigued by its cover, with three female forms donned in pretty pink tutus. That’s because I have spent a lot of time in my life, from when I was around five years old and all the way through college, taking ballet lessons. I was never very good, but I stuck with it and eventually earned the opportunity to …

Catch and Kill

Laurel Osterkamp · July 16, 2021

It's unusual for me to read nonfiction, but I was drawn to Ronan Farrow's Catch and Kill for several reasons. I'd already watched Farrow v. Allen and Untouchable, both of which are documentaries on HBO, and which deal with sexual abuse and abuse of power, focusing on the allegations against Woody Allen and Harvey Weinstein, respectively. After watching both I came away with several conclusions: both Allen and Weinstein are no doubt guilty; powerful men like to …

Tell Me Everything

Laurel Osterkamp · July 6, 2021

Tell Me Everything, by Cambria Brockman, is a riveting novel that can fairly be compared to Donna Tartt's highly esteemed The Secret History.

The protagonist of Tell Me Everything, Malin, goes to college in New England. It's not quite Ivy League, but it's elite and attracts a certain kind of accomplished of student, like the wealthy type who just fell short of getting into Harvard, Brown, or Penn State. There's Ruby, a British theater major who is the life of the …

All Your Twisted Secrets

Laurel Osterkamp · June 26, 2021

All Your Twisted Secrets, by Diana Urban, has an intriguing premise. Amber, our main character and narrator, is attending a dinner with the mayor and several of her other classmates, all of whom have supposedly won a college scholarship. All of the classmates have a close connection to Amber, as in they are her boyfriend, her estranged best friend, her current bitchy best friend, her secret crush, and a stoner who always seems to be around. The mayor never shows up, and suddenly the …

They Wish They Were Us

Laurel Osterkamp · June 22, 2021

In my quest to write quality YA fiction, I’ve been reading quality YA fiction, hoping something will sink in through osmosis. They do say that the best way to learn to write is by reading, and with that in mind, Jessica Goodman’s They Wish They Were Us was an excellent choice. It’s a great story with a surprisingly feminist message.

The main character is Jill Newman, who attends a prestigious Long Island private high school on scholarship. Jill comes from an artsy …

My Book Reviews

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