Youssra (semi ia)'s Reviews > Grave Matter

3.5 stars

I think I would have enjoyed this more if my expectations weren't so high to be honest, so that's a me problem. This was being compared to Nocticadia I think and while yes there were similar elements here and there, comparing them was unfair.

I initially picked this up because everyone was so shocked by the twist and I LOVE a good earthshattering twist , and because this had the student x professor trope- aka my catnip😌

Unfortunately these two elements fell so flat FOR ME. I kind of guessed the twist like midway through the book, it was just a theory that turned out to be true😅 (I've read lots of thrillers with a similar twist, so it was just there in the back of my mind) The twist was like an " I knew it moment" instead of an " OH MY GOD WHAT" moment. The romance in this was kind of weird?? You REALLY need to finish the book to understand the romance. The taboo tension wasn't tensioning enough for me🤣 I just didn't vibe with it that much and the BDSM element was just kind of there for no reason.. the spice could have been of the normal variety imo and would have worked better.

However, I loved everything else about the book. The mystery and horror elements were very well done. The subtle hints and clues sprinkled throughout were really good and the plot was interesting and fun! I do think , FOR ME, this would have been a lot better had the romance element been minimal😅 or if it had been executed better??

I loved the ADHD rep here and the diverse characters were A HUGE PLUS as well. I actually really liked the side characters too.

I think people who haven't read much mystery/thrillers would enjoy this. I still had fun with this, just not as much fun as I wanted😞
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pre-read
I can't escape this book and we all know my weakness for the Student x Professor trope😭 I am weak😞🤚