I was provided an ARC via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.I won't even try to summarize this book because, in my opinion, it's just so much better to know next to nothing about it and just jump in.This was a true roller-coaster of so many things. I really loved everything about it. It read a bit like a thriller at times but it very much isn't one. It's a great puzzle book with amazing characters and lovely storytelling.It was such an eclectic group of characters that came together so

Trigger Warnings: Confinement, panic attacks, death of a parent, emotional abuse, manipulation, fatphobia, food insecurity, grief, gun violence, kidnappingI swear, Claire Kann can do no wrong. I’ve read and loved her previous two books (Let’s Talk About Love and If It Makes You Happy), so when The Marvelous was first announced, I already knew that I just had to get my hands on this book! And spoiler alert, I loved this one too, so here we go!Jewel Van Hanen, heiress and creator of the video shar...

Wordpress Blog | TwitterOh, I really wanted this one to be as good as The Inheritance Games and it really was not, to be frank it was a confusing mess that I had to keep re-reading back on to work out what was happening. There's 4-5 characters and yet only 3 POVs and even then I got confused as to who was who.The idea is that these competitors are all using the same website, and the website's owner Jewel has set up an elaborate game at her home. For various reasons, they all join. I always felt

actual rating: 4.5 starsrep: plus-sized black MC, black SCsthe ingenuity of the concept of the golden weekend, and the subsequent mysteries that unraveled has a brilliant conclusion. i wasn’t expecting such an ending from all the books that i’ve read which involved an insane estate with contraptions abound.invited to the final golden weekend are stella, luna, harlow and nicole. with luna comes alex, her best friend, because she’s still a minor. a sixth player named francis was added in the last

When Jewel inherits a not-so-small fortune, she decides to throw a bash with an exclusive guest list of her most loyal "friends" and a life-changing cash prize awarded at midnight. Once the party begins, her friends embark on an unforgettable game solving cryptic clues, confessing their darkest secrets, and conquering fear-based dares. But as the game grows tougher and intensely more personal, they all begin to wonder: Who exactly is Jewel Van Hanen and why would she put them through this? qu

March 11, 2021: When the author said this story has witty banter, puzzles, and Black, queer, and fat kids being kids...my immediate instinct was to hype it up.

Full Review & Blog Tour: https://rueisreadingcorner.blogspot.c...3.5/5Jewel Van Hanen has always been in the eye of the public whether it's as an actress, heiress, or creator of a famous app, Golden Rule. After suddenly disappearing for a year, she returns to the public with unexpected news.Four of Golden Rule's users will be invited to Jewel's private house (mansion) for a weekend of excitement. But when the four lucky people arrive, they realize that it's not quite how they would have imagined...

This was giving me some serious Westing Game vibes, but a little more spooky-ooky... I'm not quite sure if it was the perfect mix of things for me. Overall i did like our three POV characters; Nicole, Stella, and Luna. I think because the riddles were so much I wasn't as invested in trying to play along and I think wanting to solve the clues is a big part of enjoying the book? Because I wasn't I definitely felt that the story didn't come together quite the way i wanted it to for me personally. U...

Wow. I could not get into this at all. I tried so hard and even went back and read certain paragraphs several times, but I just wasn't the least bit interested. Surprising because the plot sounds like a modern day Willy Wonka and the game aspect gave me Caraval & Inheritance Games vibes. Unfortunately, this was just not a hit for me and I spent the last half of the book waiting for it to be over.My biggest problem with this book is that I had a lot of difficulty telling the characters apart. Ste...

Full Review on The Candid CoverThe Marvelous by Claire Kann is mystifying story about a game that does not go as expected. Set during a competition in its reclusive creator’s mansion, this one is filled with puzzles and unique challenges. I enjoyed all three narrators, and the eerie atmosphere the author has created makes the story jump off the page. This is a great read for those looking for a contemporary with an exciting twist.❀ HIGH-STAKES GAMEAfter Jewel, the creator of a popular video-sha

1.5 is me being generous

How omniscient of you to make assumptions about me, a total stranger, based on a painstakingly curated online presence. I can honestly say I have never read a book like this. It was interesting and intriguing.I love the concept, the extravagance of the setting, the dramatics of the game, and the characters.Still the book is really hard to rate for me because it went very different than I expected, there were a lot of scenes left out that would have been interesting and it was hard to follow a

I'm unfortunately going to be dnfing this one at the 20% mark. This book is a bit too confusing for my taste. However, the characterization, witty banter, and atmosphere are top notch. So I still recommend The Marvelous to all the mystery fans out there!(Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.)

So I enjoyed the book I’ve read by this author before, If It Makes You Happy, and when I heard about this one, I signed up right away! This one was a little different from the one I’d already read, and from what I know of her books so far. While it was a contemporary and definitely fits into a #ownvoices category, it had a bit of a mystery to it as well. But in a really fun way. It was almost like a horror movie, except it wasn’t filled with murder or anything. Just some dangerous or scary situa...

3.5 stars.Claire Kann's The Marvelous shows what happens when four followers of a popular social media app get invited to the founder’s house for a weekend, and discover they’re in for more than they could ever imagine.Jewel Van Hanen has always been in the public eye. As an heiress and actress her every move was captured, so it seemed only natural that she’d create a video-sharing app. Golden Rule becomes extremely popular—and then Jewel disappeared for a year. No one knows where she went.B...

Book 192 of 20213.5 ✨

This book was THE INHERITANCE GAMES meets WILLY WONKA AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY. It had riddles, dangerous adventures, and lots of money on the line.I think I expected more from this book which is why I was so unsatisfied by the ending. It was not a bad book; I just thought things were going to go differently than they did.The beginning was fun because I was trying to figure out what was happening and who of the participants I could trust. It felt like each character had something to hide and I

The Marvelous sweeps you away in this intoxicating story about influencer culture and fame, parasocial relationships and a wild mystery, all in the context of a competition/game show. And yet. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm. Some things didn't land for me.- Follows three Black girls: Nicole, Stella, and Luna, who are invited to a weekend away at a filthy rich social media darling and video-sharing app owner's estate. However, the girls later discover that it isn't just a weekend away, but they are now part of a...

the dialogue in this book, and the way characters interacted, were so fast paced and fun. i loved all the puzzles and riddles. reading as the characters figured them out was amazing. was my biggest issue is that the first 40% or so of the book was kinda confusing, and i didn’t fully understand what was going on until towards the end. but the ending was great, and i would really recommend this!

4.5 StarsContent Warnings at end of review.Thank you to Netgalley and Fierce Reads for an arc of this book!Six young people are chosen off a social media app by the creator to come spend a Golden Weekend with her. This is the 10th Golden Weekend that the mysterious Jewel has hosted since founding her vloging app, Golden Rule, but everyone can tell that this one is different. When the participants get there, they are thrown into a mysterious competitions filled with riddles and teamwork to compet...