Bookishly Jessie

The Hillside by Jane Smiley | Book Review

posted on

11/6/2026

by

Jessie

in

Amazon Original Stories, Book Reviews, Dystopian, Jane Smiley, Science Fiction

The Hillside by Jane Smiley
Series: Warmer #7
Genre: Dystopian, Science Fiction
Pages: 16
Published By: Amazon Original Stories on 30th October, 2018
Format: Ebook
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Book Synopsis:

Now the Congress of Animals is in control, unforgiving, and debating the fate of the planet’s most reviled species. The popular ruling: exterminate humankind without exception. But a curious mare, coming of age, is making a case for a seemingly gentle person she longs to save—a wish for mercy that could once again unbalance the new and righteous nature of the world.

Book Review

As part of my “Amazon Originals” Summer Project, I am reading through short stories published by Amazon. A spin wheel picked them at random, and I ended up with getting the last book in the ‘Warmer’ series. I hadn’t heard of this author before, so I was intrigued to find out what I would think of their writing… Because I have Amazon Prime, the eBook was included, so I didn’t have to pay for it either.

I’ll start by saying that I don’t think I’ve ever read a dystopian book. Therefore, I was very apprehensive going into this one… However, this book pleasantly surprised me. I went into this not knowing anything about the plot and I actually think that helped. I find the dystopian genre intimidating (not sure why) so I’m glad I went into this with 0 expectations.

The author tells this story from a horse’s perspective, which initially made me unsure how the story would unfold. That being said, this short novella delivered a surprisingly thought-provoking story!

The idea is that the future of the world is in control by animals and they debate about whether humans are worthy of existence. I found myself highlighting quite a few quotes whilst reading. It focuses on the impact of climate change caused by humans but experienced from an animals perspective. Very interesting. I will say that this book doesn’t have the ‘perfect’ ending. However, I think this was a great choice from the author for this storyline.

Due to how short the book was, there wasn’t a lot of room for giving backstory/background to some of the characters. I personally would have liked a little more, but I understand the author couldn’t do that within the limits of such a short story.

I think if you’re after a quick read or if dystopian books appeal to you then maybe give this one a go. Considering I’ve not read from this genre before, I had a surprisingly decent time overall reading this. I’m eager to see what the rest of this series has to offer! However, I don’t think I’ll be rushing to read another book from Jane Smiley any time soon.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.
The Wickeds by Gayle Forman | Book Review

posted on

10/6/2026

by

Jessie

in

Amazon Original Stories, Book Reviews, Fantasy, Gayle Foreman, Retellings, Young Adult

The Wickeds by Gayle Foreman
Series: Faraway #5
Genre: Fantasy, Retelling, Young Adult
Pages: 35
Published By: Amazon Original Stories on 15th November, 2022
Format: Ebook
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Book Synopsis:

Envious queen? Evil stepmother? Kidnapping hag? Elsinora, Gwendolyn, and Marguerite are through with warts-and-all tabloids, ugly lies, and the three ungrateful brats who pitted them against each other and the world. But maybe there’s more to the stories than even the Wickeds know. Is it time to finally get revenge? After all, they’re due for a happily-enough-ever-after. Even if they have to write it themselves.

Book Review

As part of my “Amazon Originals” Summer Project, I am reading through short stories published by Amazon. A spin wheel picked them at random, and I ended up with getting the fifth book in the ‘Faraway’ series. I hadn’t heard of this author before, so I was intrigued to find out what I would think of their writing… Because I have Amazon Prime, the eBook was included, so I didn’t have to pay for it either.

I am a huge fan of retellings so was very excited to read this. However, it had so much promise but fell so flat. With a title like The Wickeds, I expected the villains to be, well, more wicked. I know this is a young adult book but I personally think it could’ve gone a tad more darker. It was a little dark already with mentions of attempted r***e, alcoholism, addiction and other things. Keep those things in mind and treat them as trigger warnings.

The pacing of the story is quick, short and it had promise. However, the ending was a little too abrupt for me. It felt a rushed and I personally didn’t like the narrative perspective. The author keeps the narrator’s identity a mystery until the end, but even then, I couldn’t make sense of why it was that person. Once the author revealed the narrator, they switched the point of view between first and third person, which only added to the confusion.

It was fun to read a modern feeling story from an antagonist’s POV which makes the reader change the perspectives they have of them. However, I think the author could have executed it better. Plus, I found it hard to keep track of who was who at times because the author gave the Wickeds their own names.

I had an enjoyable time but I think with a little tweaking and editing, this could’ve been so much better. If you’re a fan of retellings then maybe give it ago but don’t expect anything amazing. It’s an average, good time. I don’t think I’ll be rushing to read another book from Gayle Forman any time soon…

Rating: 3 out of 5.
What the Dead Know by Nghi Vo | Book Review

posted on

6/6/2026

by

Jessie

in

Amazon Original Stories, Book Reviews, Horror, Nghi Vo, Paranormal

What the Dead Know by Nghi Vo
Series: Into Shadow #4
Genre: Horror, Paranormal
Pages: 31
Published By: Amazon Original Stories on 15th November, 2022
Format: Ebook
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Book Synopsis:

The Fogg River Seminary, a girls’ school in a small Illinois town, is supposed to be just another stop on Maryse and Vasyl’s endless travels. They’ve made lucrative use of Maryse’s “foreign” looks in their melodramatic séance act—and an act is all it is. Then, during their performance, a blizzard sweeps in and cuts them off from town completely. In the freezing halls, there’s a voice speaking the secrets of the dead, and Maryse has no choice but to listen…because this time, the voice is real.

Book Review

As part of my “Amazon Originals” Summer Project, I am reading through short stories published by Amazon. A spin wheel picked them at random, and I ended up with getting the fourth book in the ‘Into Shadow’ series. I hadn’t heard of this author before, so I was intrigued to see what I would think of their writing… Because I have Amazon Prime, the eBook was included, so I didn’t have to pay for it either.

I’d like to start off by mentioning that I am not typically a horror girly. However, I am trying to dip my toes into the genre through the novellas in this project. I wouldn’t say this book is scary enough to make it a horror, it’s more creepy and eerie in my opinion. With so little pages, Vo does a great job at creating the required atmosphere for this story. I honestly think this would’ve been so much better if it was a little longer or even a full-length novel.

I really enjoyed the main characters, both in who they were and the roles they both had to play within the plot. Again, I would’ve liked a little bit more in terms of their backstories. I found them really interesting and wanted to learn more about them. Due to page constraints, we don’t get to learn enough. The dynamic between them both was intriguing.

Pacing was good considering how short this story is. However, the ending felt a little too rushed for me, particularly as it was leaning into a crime and mystery element. I still had questions left unanswered, and some things weren’t clarified enough. The author cleverly called back to the title in the story, which I enjoyed and thought was well done. For plot itself, it was really interesting but again, I would’ve liked more of it!

Overall, if you’re looking for a quick eerie story to binge then I’d say to give this one a go. I’m looking forward to seeing what the rest of the series has to offer. This author’s writing has intrigued me so I may have to look into what other books they have written…

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.
Jackknife by Joe Hill | Book Review

posted on

5/6/2026

by

Jessie

in

Amazon Original Stories, Book Reviews, Horror, Joe Hill

Jackknife by Chris Joe Hill
Series: The Shivers #1
Genre: Horror
Pages: 45
Published By: Amazon Original Stories on 15th April, 2025
Format: Ebook
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Book Synopsis:

Dennis awakens something evil when he removes a decades-old jackknife from the trunk of a gnarled old sycamore. Once pinned in place—now thoughtlessly freed—the tree returns to its roots. An act of vigilante justice took place under its boughs long ago. But its taste for blood has only grown stronger…

Book Review

As part of my “Amazon Originals” Summer Project, I am reading through short stories published by Amazon. A spin wheel picked them at random, and I ended up with getting the first book in the ‘The Shivers’ series. I hadn’t read from this author before, so I was intrigued to find out what I thought of their writing… Because I have Amazon Prime, the eBook was included, so I didn’t have to pay for it either.

I’ll start by saying that I am typically not a horror girly so was a little worried going into this one. However, I was glad that it wasn’t too scary or horrific. It felt more creepy than anything which I didn’t mind. I would have liked the book to explore the tree’s lore in more depth, as it receives little attention. I found the trees behaviour very interesting but would’ve liked to know the “why?” behind it.

The writing in this novella is descriptive which is good for a horror as it helped me feel more immersed in the story. I’d have liked a little more substance though to the plot. There were no twists and some parts felt quite predictable. Pacing was good and kept me interested but the ending was too abrupt. I turned to the next page thinking there would be more but there wasn’t. It didn’t feel like the story was complete in my opinion. With the title of the story being Jackknife, I expected it to be more present in the story. Again, there was some lore lacking in terms of the importance of it…

Character wise I didn’t really care about them. I was more invested in the tree than I was the MMC. He was incredibly irritating and come off very cocky/arrogant. I found his attitude towards women particularly off-putting; he frequently came across as entitled and seemed to believe he was owed sex.

Also, be mindful that there is an animal death that happens so I would say that’s a trigger warning to bear in mind if you’re going to read this. I found the animal death more upsetting than the human death…

Overall, if you’re looking for a quick eerie story to binge then I’d say to give this one a go. I didn’t find it incredible, but I enjoyed it enough to consider it an average read.. I’m looking forward to seeing what the rest of the series has to offer. However, I don’t think I’ll be rushing to read a full-length novel from Joe Hill any time soon.

Rating: 3 out of 5.
The Skydivers by Chris Bohjalian | Book Review

posted on

4/6/2026

by

Jessie

in

Amazon Original Stories, Book Reviews, Chris Bohjalian, Crime, Mystery/Thriller

The Skydivers by Chris Bohjalian
Series: Alibis #4
Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Crime
Pages: 49
Published By: Amazon Original Stories on 2nd June, 2025
Format: Ebook
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Book Synopsis:

Aspiring musician Pete Hamilton has nothing in common with his older brother, Leo, an aerospace engineer. Until their late father leaves them the family farm, a sprawling dairy operation in Vermont. Pete wants to hold on. Leo wants to sell. All the embattled brothers can agree on is to skydive over the fields and sprinkle their father’s ashes—a grand gesture the old man would have loved. But when the plan goes terribly wrong, only one unexpected eyewitness can see what’s really going on.

Book Review

As part of my “Amazon Originals” Summer Project, I am reading through short stories published by Amazon. A spin wheel picked them at random, and I ended up with getting the fourth book in the ‘Alibis’ series. I’d not heard of this author before, so I was intrigued to discover what I thought of their writing… Because I have Amazon Prime, the eBook was included, so I didn’t have to pay for it either.

I will start off by saying that this is going to be quite a short review as I don’t have much to say. The things I want to say aren’t very positive either but I always like to be truthful in my reviews. I can probably sum up my thoughts in one paragraph…

The only good part about this book was the first chapter. It had me intrigued to see where the novella was going to go but unfortunately the rest of the book was so incredibly boring. Considering it’s only 49 pages long, I was bored by the end of the first chapter. I expected there to be thrills and suspense when reading a mystery/thriller book but I got absolutely nothing from this. I didn’t care about a single character apart from the one that had died and that’s saying a lot about the story… There were quite a few scenes that seemed pointless to the story and had too much explanation than needed. The ending comes completely out of nowhere and makes you think “really, that’s it?”. It was eye-rollingly bad fir a mystery/thriller ending. All in all, I feel this story lacks in execution, and could have gone in so many different directions that would’ve been better.

Can honestly say that I would not recommend this book. I finished it purely because it was so short but honestly it was a waste of my time. For a mystery/thriller, it was missing both of these elements…

Rating: 2 out of 5.
Hot for Slayer by Ali Hazelwood | Book Review

posted on

3/6/2026

by

Jessie

in

Ali Hazelwood, Amazon Original Stories, Book Reviews, Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance

Hot for Slayer by Ali Hazelwood
Series: Scared Sexy #1
Genre: Romance, Fantasy, Paranormal
Pages: 94
Published By: Amazon Original Stories on 23rd September, 2025
Format: Ebook
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Book Synopsis:

When Aethelthryth—“Ethel” to her modern-day Manhattan neighbors—finds her sworn nemesis Lazlo Enyedi with no memory of who or what they are, an ancient hunt becomes an unexpected chance at forbidden passion. He’s crashing on her couch, solving her sudoku puzzles, and looking at her like she’s his eternal flame (minus the whole bursting-into-ashes part). As his memories slowly return, Ethel realizes she might be in danger of losing more than just her head…

Book Review

As part of my “Amazon Originals” Summer Project, I am reading through short stories published by Amazon. A spin wheel picked them at random, and I ended up with the first book in the Scared Sexy series. I have only read one other book from Ali Hazelwood before and it was a full-length novel. Therefore, I was interested to see how her writing would work for me in a novella. Because I have Amazon Prime, the eBook was included, so I didn’t have to pay for it.

The character’s are part of what makes a novella successful and Hazelwood delivered. Even though it’s a novella, the characters are well fleshed out, with parts of their backstories woven throughout the story. I felt quite connected to both of them, and I enjoyed seeing how their relationship developed over the many years they remained connected in one way or another.

The book includes some spice, but the author doesn’t overdo it. I will say that the spice wasn’t quite for me due to the nature of the characters. I much preferred just seeing their relationship unfold as the story progressed. This book was so much more than just a romance. It highlights themes that pull on your heartstrings but give so much depth to such a short story. Hazelwood did such a great job with this novella.

Aside from the characters, I really enjoyed the plot. I liked the inclusion of some vampire lore throughout as it added a nice touch to the story. The dialogue wasn’t at all cringy, it felt to the point and snappy. I don’t know why but these characters were giving me Buffy and Spike vibes from Buffy the Vampire Slayer… I was totally here for it!

There were no issues with the pacing and I think it progressed as the right pace. Sometimes it’s difficult with novellas to get the pacing right. The romance and conflicts can at times feel unnecessary or too long… Not with this novella! Hazelwood made every scene matter for the plot and it made for a refreshing read. I wish this was more than a novella. I ended up becoming deeply invested in the characters and think it would’ve been just as good if it was a full-length story.

If you’re looking for a quick romance palate cleanser to read between books then I’d definitely recommend reading this one. I can’t wait to try out the other books in this series and read more full-length novels from Ali Hazelwood.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.
Rosie and the Dreamboat by Sally Thorne | Book Review

posted on

2/6/2026

by

Jessie

in

Amazon Original Stories, Book Reviews, Contemporary, Romance, Sally Thorne

Rosie and the Dreamboat by Sally Thorne
Series: The Improbable Meet-Cute #3
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Pages: 44
Published By: Amazon Original Stories on 23rd January, 2024
Format: Ebook
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Book Synopsis:

Rosie Whittaker and her sister are up for some Galentine’s pampering at a day spa. Getting locked inside a flotation tank is so Rosie. Enter a firefighter hero determined to pry this luckless pearl out of her high-tech shell. All Rosie has to go on is a dreamy voice and a flirty sense of humor. Remain calm, Rosie. This could be what you’ve been waiting for. Is this the man she’s waited for her whole life?

Book Review

I decided to carry on with the books in the Improbable Meet-Cute series after reading another one from Abby Jimenez. I’ve not read from Sally Thorne before so I thought I’d try out her writing with a cute little novella. I do have The Hating Game on my TBR which I’m excited to read! Because I have Amazon Prime, the eBook was included, so I didn’t have to pay for it either.

The book’s short length makes the romance feel very insta-lovely–a trope I don’t usually enjoy–but it worked well for this type of book. I enjoyed the main characters overall and their chemistry was okay. However, at times their dialogue felt very cringy/cheesy. The MMC sounded like he was talking to a child at points instead of a grown woman… The banter was good between them but I got the ick a couple of times from him.

The story develops most of their relationship while she remains trapped inside a flotation tank and he works to rescue her. Don’t get me wrong, the meet-cute is very inventive which I liked. It highlights that you can fall in love with someone’s personality before seeing them physically. I enjoyed that representation! I will say that I was feeling a little claustrophobic whilst she was in the tank so that could possibly be a trigger warning.

This is a closed-door romance. I don’t typically mind this, as I think it fit the story’s vibe. It didn’t need any spice given the storyline. I didn’t have any issues pacing wise either. I think the story progressed at a steady pace for a novella.

Overall, this is a cute and average romance book. If you’re looking for a quick romance palette cleanser to read between books then I’d give this one a try. After this, I’m definitely intrigued to try a longer Sally Thorne book so I can get a better sense of their writing.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.
The “Amazon Originals” Summer Project

posted on

1/6/2026

by

Jessie

in

Amazon Original Stories, Book Challenges

June is officially the start of the summer months and I thought I would set myself a little project/challenge to work on over the next 3 months. Today I am introducing… the Amazon Originals Summer Project! I thought it would be easier to represent and explain visually, so please enjoy the graphics I made 🙂

What is the “Amazon Originals” Summer Project?

My Reading Rules

What I’m Looking Forward To…

My Tracking Spreadsheet of the Series Chosen

I have chosen the majority of the series available from Amazon Originals. However, the ones I have skipped on are celebrity written ones, true-story ones, memoir ones, and series written by just one author.

Comment your predictions… how many do you think I will read by the end of August? (3 of the books have already been read previous to making this project)