A head scratcher: Secret Laboratory | Once Upon a Book Club | Adult Selection | May 2024

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[@mauinoel]

Save 10% using NOEL10: www.onceuponabookclub.com/noel Once Upon a Book Club $49.99/month including US shipping for a surprise book, 5x7 quote print, and 3-5 individually wrapped gifts corresponding to moments in the book. ⭐ HI NOËL JUNE SECRET PASSWORD MYSTERY BOX GIVEAWAY: forms.gle/h72cAiJhyTvFzv42A kzbin.infopolicies/community-guidelines/#community-guidelines PLEASE FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/maui_noel TO SUPPORT THE CHANNEL: www.buymeacoffee.com/hinoel FB GROUP: facebook.com/groups/hinoel NOTE: Some of the links/codes here may be affiliate/referral codes, and I may receive credits/discounts/commissions for purchases made through them. Unless noted otherwise, I pay for all these boxes, and my opinions are my own. #onceuponabookclub #OUABC #TheLastMurderattheEndoftheWorld #StuartTurton #bookclubVIP #booksubscription, book tube, book club VIP, OUABCVIP #bookclub #booktube #bookclubVIP #OUABCVIP #lifestylebox #lifestylesubscription #subscription #subscriptionbox #subbox #unboxing #subscription box review #hinoel #hinoël #maui_noel #mauinoel

[@brookeprescia7739]

I thought the gifts were good quality in this box. The little birds are my favorite. My favorite part of the book was his dedication, so sweet. 😊

[@mauinoel]

I thought the birds were adorable too!

[@suecarol1563]

Makes me think of a book I just read"The Ones We're Meant to Find" by Joan He. The world is suffering from terrible climate change and one character is stranded on a deserted Island. She find much of her memory is missing. All she is sure of is that she has to find her way to her sister.

[@mauinoel]

Hmm that does sound similar. There are some weird twists in this book that probably make it a little different but it’s certainly an interesting trope.

[@priscilla.t.a]

I would say this is more of a classic whoddunit, despite all the sci-fi twists, than The Ones You're Meant to Find. In The Last Murder there are a lot of secrets, but no one has lost their memories and the narrator holds back information but isn't confused the way the characters in The Ones are. I really liked that book right up until the ending, which felt lazy to me, lol 😬 The Last Murder has a pretty neatly wrapped-up (and earned imo) ending by comparison.

[@larryyonce]

Oh wow, I chose this book as my June Aardvark Book Club selection . Haven't read it yet or tried this author before. I generally enjoy dystopian fiction, so we'll see. Thanks for the advice to take perhaps a more slow approach. Cool box.

[@mauinoel]

Yeah, take your time, and maybe some notes.

[@curfewofthemind]

The ice cube tray looks exactly like one I got at dollar tree. I have an olive oil jug just like that only in navy. Those salt and pepper shakers are soo small. I think the book sounds cool

[@mauinoel]

Cool. I love the little salt and pepper shakers.

[@karenvandersass]

I really like both the olive oil jug and the salt and pepper shakers.

[@mauinoel]

Those were my favorites too.

[@bluecobaltsteph2689]

Sci-fi and fantasy are most of what I read.

[@bluecobaltsteph2689]

This book sounds great to me.

[@mauinoel]

You might enjoy this then.

[@marybeemsterboer4436]

I've never read any of his books. The salt and pepper shakers are adorable! I can't decide whether my favorite is the olive oil bottle or the salt and pepper shakers.

[@mauinoel]

Yeah both of those gifts are great.

[@southerngirlyall6497]

Really like the olive oil dispenser.

[@mauinoel]

Yeah, it's cool!

[@bombom_c]

I have the same olive oil jug. I love it❤

[@mauinoel]

Oh cool!

[@SingleMomReview]

Hello Noel! I love murder mysteries! I think I might like this one!

[@mauinoel]

If you don't mind a little sci fi too, then yes!

[@cherylbleiler172]

Not sure I'd like the book, but I love the olive oil container.

[@mauinoel]

Yes, I thought the gifts this time were pretty good, especially that one!

[@thefunkycold1]

The synopsis of this book reminds me of the tv show Lost with the mysterious fog and the secret lab, etc. Your review of the story makes me think Stuart has a distinct writing style that isn't for everyone. Due to the similarities with thiis 1 and the book I read, I don't think I'll be reading another 1 of his books anytime soon.

[@mauinoel]

Totally. He has some big ideas which I usually like, but it wasn't exactly a light read.

[@priscilla.t.a]

Which one of his did you read? I know The 7 and 1/2 Deaths was really popular, but I've been wanting to read The Devil and the Dark Water forever.

[@thefunkycold1]

@priscilla.t.a I read 7 1/2 Deaths and was really looking forward to it, but I hated the ending/reason for the story playing out like it did. It was tedious but not too difficult to keep track of the many, many characters. However, a light read it is not.

[@ayaleleka6479]

Lovely box

[@mauinoel]

Some good stuff.

[@saraharriola4626]

Not usually a genre I read, but sounds interesting. Wondering if my brain would be able to keep it all straight, haha. The items went well with the book.

[@mauinoel]

I think I should've taken notes an then I would've been less confused.

[@thefunkycold1]

I read The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle. There were so many characters in that book that I took notes to keep them all straight. That book kept me engaged but I hated the ending. The audiobook was somewhat helpful but it was a lot.

[@mauinoel]

Yeah, I don't know that I loved this ending ether.

[@alanashubert5320]

The gifts were spot on.I don't know if I would enjoy the book though

[@mauinoel]

Yeah solid gift selections for this one.

[@cassandraboyer7068]

❤

[@mauinoel]

TFW

[@priscilla.t.a]

I liked this book, but you didn't miss out on the audiobook, lol. For some reason, it's narrated by a male narrator, which is fine though odd because Abi, the AI who tells most of the story, was presented as being feminine, but the real issue is that it was one of those narrators where all their female voices are falsettos that sound like children, lol. I got used to it, but I don't recommend. For what it's worth even though I read plenty of speculative books (and speculative mysteries at that), I had to take my time with this one too. I did a blended read of the audio and print book, but I marked a lot for later reference and reread sections. I really wanted to puzzle out the mystery, lol. I haven't read his other books (they are speculative too but much more subtly according to reviews), but I've always wanted to, so I was excited to pick up this one through a book box. The mystery is not super complex and there a lot of classic scifi/dystopian tropes, so I saw most of the reveals coming, but I thought it was a fun take on the classic, closed-circle mystery and really enjoyed my reading of it. The gifts were pretty fun and useful this time around. My favorite is probably the olive oil jug.

[@mauinoel]

A male narrator sounds like a really odd choice. Yeah, the whole The Island vibe was guessable from the beginning, but it was still an interesting idea. I think I just wanted to like it more than I did, but I kept getting distracted by the weird names.

[@real28heather]

Is it good

[@mauinoel]

It was interesting.

[@AngieReviews]

Doesn’t sound like a book I would grab for

[@mauinoel]

Fair enough, same with me, but I still got through it and I like when boxes challenge me.

[@jillmarie4155]

I don't think it's a book for me.

[@mauinoel]

Good thing there are book reviews. 😉