Graveyard Shift

Using seemingly nonsensical describtions the Author manages to paint very beautiful scenes, I mean "anemic streetlamps" is a very creative and fun way to put it. The characters are very well written even if their personalities can be a bit unlikeable. All the "friends"(?) work together to uncover the truth although their reason for doing so varies. It is overall a good mystery where everyone involved does their part. I read through it in one sitting (not a challenge I know) and it really was the perfect late night read. I wanna read more from the author. ~ཐིཋྀ

This novella most definitely had the potential to become a full novel. I really enjoyed the very promising concept of the story and the characters were really interesing (the group dynamic kind of felt like Breakfast Club but make it spooky), however, the ending fell completely flat to me. I feel like it could've been much more exciting if M.L. Rio had expanded the story and its characters, it felt like a very rushed and underwhelming ending to such a promising story.

Ich bin in das Buch gestartet mit der Hoffnung dass es eine spannende Geschichte mit einem "Horror-Twist" gibt und eher düstere Stimmung. An sich war das auch alles enthalten. Aber ich hab das Buch in der Hand und plötzlich ist die Geschichte vorbei, ohne ein richtiges Ende und gefühlt die Hälfte besteht aus Zusatzmaterial. Der Plot ist chaotisch, die Charaktere viel zu sehr umschrieben und kaum etwas passiert. Und dann find ich den Preis dafür zu hoch. Also ich bin sehr überrascht von dem aprubten Ende ohne Inhalt, man wird quasi einfach so stehengelassen. Insgesamt fühlt sich die Geschichte an wie eine Leseprobe, an sich ist Potenzial vorhanden, aber alles fühlt sich sehr "rushed" an

After reading If we were villains and loving it, I bought this book without even reading the synopsis and I am happy to say that this was a great blind buy. The story is fairly short and the plot is somewhat predictable, but the true treasure is the friends we made along the way. The characters are memorable and have great chemistry, and it was just a joy to read about their little investigation. The author managed to achieve with few words what others cannot in a bible-length novel. It was also gripping to read about the author's personal life and her take on dark academia. Overall, I loved this book. It was a nice little breather and got me out of a temporary reading slump. Rio is shaping up to become one of my favorite authors and I am eager to see what she comes up with next.

This is a book about nicotine addicted people being tired, which really is what academia really is about, when you think about it. It has no real beginning or end, and the story is just a byproduct of the characters. I didn't hate that, but I wished for some more answers and conclusions in the end. I definitely recommend it, if you are a fan of Mushroomcore and changing narrators, but that book is more about vibes and people than deep storytelling.