 Hello everybody, E here. Welcome back to another book review. And yes, I have been gone for quite a long time. Thank you guys for being patient. I have been very very busy if you haven't been watching them I am now doing a weekend series where I am showing myself writing a book from Concept all the way to publication. I'm covering every step of the process. I'm showing my writing It's either on Saturday or Sunday So check the channel. It's always at 11 a.m. Central Standard Time If you want you can click the notifications button and it'll let you know when I go live You don't have to click all videos Just click the live stuff and they should email you when I'm live and I've also been doing game nights where we do horror trivia At 6 30 Central Standard Time every day that I do the writing stream So it's either Saturday or Sunday. I never know which day I'm gonna have free But anyways on to the review Today is the release day for this book and we are talking about Amina octars Kismet this book First off the cover is super super sexy I'm holding this version up first because Amina was nice enough to send me a Advanced review copy. I read it loved it and of course I had to go out and order The hardcover because I have a hardcover a fashion victim Which was one of them my favorite books of that year the year that it came out but today we are talking about Ronnie and wellness and gurus and Crystals and all that stuff. Let me go ahead and read you the one of the things before I get started What I like so much about Amina's first book fashion hashtag fashion victim was that it It poked fun at a Not I almost said genre it poked fun at something that was a huge part of Amina's life I believe she was a right a fashion writer For many different in fact, let me instead of just guessing let me tell you all the places Refinery 29 yahoo style fashionista exo jane billboard And for brands like burgdorf goodman and h&m's 10 year 10 h&m's 10 years of style tone So she had her feet firmly planted in that world and I love the book. Um, I I love calling it like American psycho For a casual reader because that's how it felt to me When I when I say casual reader it's not full of all of the constant Name dropping that a Brett Easton Ellis does an American psycho It's more down to earth. It's more of an every person's book story thriller and the main character is It's a hoot, but we're talking about kismet kismet follows Ronnie who has moved To arizona. I believe it's sedona. Um, anyway, let me let me read you the description Uh, and then I'll tell you what I liked about it. Uh, yoga smoothies murders Another thing is Amina is hilarious. This book has a lot of funny moments in it that do not Detract from the serious situation that's going on and that alone is impressive lifelong new yorker Ronnie con Never thought she'd leave queens. She's not an aim high dream big person Until she meets socialite wellness guru. Sorry socialite wellness guru marley dohurst Marley isn't just a visionary. She's a revelation seduced by the fever dream of finding her best self Ronnie makes for the desert mountains of sedona, arizona healing healing yoga transcendent hikes epic juice cleanses So just reading just reading the uh, the description has me chuckling because I've read the book Ronnie consumes her new bougie existence like a fine wine But is it really or is this whole self-care business a little sour? When the glam gurus around town start turning up gruesomely murdered and it's just the death Amazing chef's kiss Ronnie has her answer all is not well in wellness town As marley's blind ambition veers into madness Ronnie fears for her life So what did I like about this book? um, I liked how it poked fun at uh at Wellness culture the the extremes of these things is what i'm talking about If you like crystals or into that any of that stuff spirituality all that stuff Is whatever it's your life. Um, but I I think Amina managed to toe the line between respectful and disrespectful that that gray area of all good satire Um, just like she did with hashtag fashion victim Um, my favorite part of this book is the ending um, I am not And this is going to sound braggadocious, but I I'm not easily fooled or tricked by thrillers In fact, that's why I tend to stay away from them Because I usually have a line on who the killer is who the bad guy is whatever crook thief So on and so forth. I you I can usually tell right away. Um, I don't know It's just how my brain works and also i'm a writer. So, you know, I can pick a part and see okay Well, this person I would I would do this with that person and so on and so forth Um, nothing about this book is obvious, uh from from the very get go. I had my eyes set on one person and I was kind of right But there was so much more to it that I did not see coming And then there's an added twist on top of everything else. Um, I I love the ravens There's a supernatural aspect where the ravens invade Ronnie's dreams Um, they're also working with another person to kill off these, uh, these fake Gurus these wellness gurus Um, I love the twins. Those are probably my favorite characters aside from Ronnie I absolutely despised marty And I think that was the point. I'm pretty sure after a time Um, but one thing I would I do want to talk about I've seen some reviews to talk about this, uh, there is an awful lot of xenophobia in this book Um, and it's not just the the typical slurs and whatnot. It's the casual xenophobia The casual racism that I thought was handled very very well I if you don't know I live in central, Alabama I have seen this Over and over again this stuff happens And while it might seem like fiction to some people if maybe you don't live in the south or you live in, uh, I don't know a more diverse area Um, but there are so many people like this. Um, and it was both well done While also being cringe inducing because like I said, I've seen this and I've heard these things before um, but the standout here is The humor and the twist I love the way Amina writes. I am so happy and Not not that she was going to let me down or anything, but I'm so happy that a sophomore effort is this good Um, I had a blast all the way throughout kept me guessing all the way to the end And I have nothing but praise for this book So if you are interested in a satirical thriller about the wellness culture Uh, definitely pick up kismet by Amina Arktar. It is out right now today as of today it is out. Um But anyways, I saw I just I just had a thought went off on a tangent, but uh anyways pick it up today I'll leave a link down there in the doobly-doo, and I hope you enjoy it But until next time I have any you've been you this has been another book review. I'll talk to you guys later. Bye. Bye