My Review of I Need You to Read This by Jessa Maxwell discusses my mixed feelings about the book. I enjoyed The Golden Spoon, this author’s debut book, so I decided to try her latest. While I don’t think I Need You To Read This will be for all readers, I do think some will enjoy it, so let’s discuss!
I Need you to Read This: Overview
- Published on August 13, 2024 by Atria
- 304 pages.
- Thanks to the publisher for the advance review copy
- More by this author: The Golden Spoon
I Need you to Read This: Jen’s Quick Take
- Definitely NOT a thriller. More of a quirky/cozy mystery
- Set in New York City in an (imaginary) iconic office building
- Has a bit of a “mystery club” or “Scooby Gang” feel with an eclectic trio of characters
- Fell apart at the end for me
Review of I Need You to Read This
I’m not always the biggest fan of cozy mysteries. Sometimes they feel a bit twee to me, emphasizing humor and quirk over plot and character.
While I’d call The Golden Spoon (Jessa Maxwell’s first book) a classic mystery., I Need You to Read This definitely had a cozy/quirky feel to me.
Main character Alex is definitely quirky. She’s very introverted, very anxious, and works remotely from her Upper East Side apartment. She’s named the pigeons who hang out on her window ledge. Where does Alex hang out? At the Bluebird Diner, of course, where she chats with waitress Janice and customer (and former NYPD cop) Raymond.
After Alex takes an intriguing new job, her life takes a mysterious turn. More characters with more quirk than depth are introduced. And theres’s a murder to be solved.
My biggest complaint about I Need You to Read This is that the book had no surprises in store for me. Every reveal was pretty obvious and the ending felt run-of-the-mill and uninspired.
The main character had a mysterious backstory that really didn’t have much to do with the main plot, and I felt that it crowded out the more interesting aspects of the book. Like the MURDER.
Still, I’m putting I Want You to Read This on my brand new list of Books Like Only Murders in the Building. I Need You To Read This has both a New York setting and a “mystery club” feel that reminded me a little bit of the show.
Did you read this? Did you like The Golden Spoon? Tell me in comments!