Wilde Blog Posts
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Most Recent Posts
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Maddie’s Reviews: The Turn of the Screw | Henry James’ Gothic Horror
Henry James’ The Turn of the Screw is a chilling gothic horror novella filled with ghosts, psychological suspense, and eerie ambiguity. Set at the mysterious Bly estate, this classic ghost story leaves readers questioning what is real and what is madness. Click here to read my full review!
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Maddie’s Reviews: Where the Red Fern Grows | Wilson Rawls’ Heartbreaking Classic of Loyalty and Friendship
Few childhood novels have left as lasting an impression on me as Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls. Set in the Ozark Mountains during the Great Depression, this beloved coming-of-age story explores perseverance and the unforgettable bond between a boy and his dogs. Click here to read my full review!
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Maddie’s Reviews: Persepolis | Marjane Satrapi’s Graphic Memoir of Revolution and Girlhood
Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis is a powerful graphic memoir that blends coming-of-age struggles with the realities of the Iranian Revolution. Through striking black-and-white illustrations and deeply personal storytelling, Satrapi humanizes a complex period of history while capturing the resilience, confusion, and courage of youth. Click here to read my full review!
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Maddie’s Reviews: Where the Sidewalk Ends | Shel Silverstein’s Timeless Children’s Poetry Classic
Revisiting Where the Sidewalk Ends is a nostalgic journey filled with whimsical poems, quirky illustrations, and childhood wonder. Shel Silverstein’s beloved collection remains just as charming for adults as it is for children, blending humor, imagination, and surprising depth into every page. Click here to read my full review!
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Maddie’s Reviews: The Giver | Lois Lowry’s Classic Dystopian Novel About Memory, Hope, and Humanity
Lois Lowry’s The Giver is a haunting middle grade dystopian classic about memory, sameness, beauty, and the cost of a painless society. First read by many in school, Jonas’s story still reminds readers how precious ordinary life truly is. Click here to read my full review!
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Maddie’s Reviews: Having Our Say | The Delany Sisters’ Inspiring Memoir of Black History
Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters’ First 100 Years is a powerful oral history memoir by Sadie and Bessie Delany with Amy Hill Hearth. This review revisits their Southern childhood, Harlem careers, and lasting place in Black history. Click here to read my full review!
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Maddie’s Reviews: Home Before Dark | Riley Sager’s Haunted House Thriller
Looking for a spooky long weekend read? Home Before Dark by Riley Sager delivers haunted house suspense, psychological thriller twists, and eerie family secrets inside Vermont’s mysterious Baneberry Hall. Dark, creepy, and hard to put down, this ghostly thriller is perfect for fans of atmospheric horror. Click here to read my full review!
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Maddie’s Reviews: The Dinner Party | Freida McFadden’s Pick Your Own Poison Thriller
In this review of The Dinner Party by Freida McFadden, I dive into the author’s unique “pick your own poison” thriller format and how it compares to her more traditional psychological suspense novels like The Teacher and The Housemaid. Fast-paced, twisty, and surprisingly replayable, this experimental thriller offers a completely different kind of reading experience. Click here to read my full review!
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Maddie’s Reviews: Room | Emma Donoghue’s Chilling Psychological Thriller Told Through a Child’s Eyes
Emma Donoghue’s Room is a haunting psychological thriller that completely changed how I viewed suspense novels as a teenager. Told through the eyes of a five-year-old boy trapped in captivity with his mother, this bestselling literary thriller is disturbing, emotional, and unforgettable. Click here to read my full review!
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Maddie’s Reviews: Crime of the Century: The Lindbergh Kidnapping Hoax | Gregory Ahlgren and Stephen Monier’s Controversial Lindbergh Case Review
In Crime of the Century: The Lindbergh Kidnapping Hoax, Gregory Ahlgren and Stephen Monier revisit the infamous 1932 Lindbergh baby kidnapping with a controversial true crime theory about Charles Lindbergh himself. This dark historical mystery challenges the official story behind America’s “crime of the century.” Click here to read my full review!
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Maddie’s Reviews: Minding Frankie | Maeve Binchy’s Heartwarming Irish Beach Read
Looking for the perfect cozy beach read this Memorial Day weekend? In my review of Minding Frankie by Maeve Binchy, I revisit one of my favorite summer reading memories — a warm, heartfelt Dublin story about family, community, and unexpected parenthood. Click here to read my full review!
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Mary: Maiden, Mother, Matriarch by Ana Brigida Gomez | A Catholic Review
Looking for Catholic fiction about the Virgin Mary? Here’s my review of Mary: Maiden, Mother, Matriarch by Ana Brigida Gomez, a Marian novel inspired by Catholic, Orthodox, and Coptic traditions surrounding the life of Mary.
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Maddie’s Reviews: The Bell Jar | Sylvia Plath’s Haunting Coming-of-Age Classic
In this review of The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath, I revisit the semi-autobiographical classic that stayed with me after my first year of college. Dark, reflective, and unforgettable, Esther Greenwood’s story captures depression, womanhood, and identity with haunting honesty. Click here to read my full review!
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Maddie’s Reviews: The Teacher | Dark Psychological Thriller by Freida McFadden
In this review of The Teacher by Freida McFadden, I share my thoughts on this dark psychological thriller. While it’s a quick, engaging read, the over-the-top twists and unlikable characters didn’t fully land for me, making it worth trying for thriller fans but not one of her best works.
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Maddie’s Reviews: The Practice of the Presence of God | A Timeless Spiritual Classic by Brother Lawrence
Struggling through an emotional week, I found peace in The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence. This short yet powerful Christian devotional reminds readers to find God in everyday moments. A must-read for Catholics and spiritual seekers alike. Click here to read my full review!
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Maddie’s Reviews: Girl, Interrupted | Susanna Kaysen Memoir Review
Revisiting Girl, Interrupted by Susanna Kaysen reminded me why this memoir leaves such a lasting mark. Honest, haunting, and deeply human, it explores mental illness, womanhood, and survival in a way that still feels powerful decades later. This coming-of-age memoir is tragic, inspiring, and unforgettable. Click here to read my full review!
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Maddie’s Reviews: Keep Your Friends Close | A Twisty Psychological Thriller by Lucinda Berry
Lucinda Berry’s Keep Your Friends Close is a gripping psychological thriller packed with shocking twists, toxic friendships, and dark secrets. Following a deadly night among elite LA moms, suspicion runs high and trust crumbles fast. This fast-paced audiobook kept me hooked from start to finish—click here to read my full review!
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Maddie’s Reviews: The Girl in the Locked Room | A Modern Mary Downing Hahn Ghost Story Review
Mary Downing Hahn’s The Girl in the Locked Room delivers a modern middle-grade ghost story, blending classic haunted house mystery with updated themes and technology. Young fans of horror will appreciate its eerie atmosphere and emotional depth. Click here to read my full review!
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Maddie’s Reviews: The Color Purple | Alice Walker’s Historical Fiction Review
The Color Purple, Alice Walker’s classic, stands out as an emotional, unforgettable work of historical fiction. Centered on one woman’s life amid pain, resilience, and racial tension, it became a landmark novel that still resonates today. Click here to read my full review!
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Maddie’s Reviews: Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil | A Southern Gothic True Crime Masterpiece by John Berendt
A rare standout among my usual “safe bet” reads, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt is a Southern Gothic true crime masterpiece filled with unforgettable characters and eerie Savannah charm. This gripping nonfiction story is one I’ll recommend forever. Click here to read my full review!