Author: Fives @ Down The Rabbit Hole

An avid reader whose current interest lies in mysteries and thrillers. Line 'em up! Also personally love fantasies and any stories to do with magic, and a sucker for the occasional (good) romance.
4 star, YA

ARC Review: All’s Fair in Love and Field Hockey by Kit Rosewater

Fives @ Down The Rabbit Hole

A high school field hockey star must choose between her love of the game and her new, distractingly beautiful rival in this queer YA romance perfect for fans of She Drives Me Crazy and Cleat Cute!

Evelyn was raised to see field hockey as war.

Before she could write her own name, her family’s legacy on the field was already spelled out. Every step Evelyn takes toward glory is within a footprint her mother left behind. And no step matters more than this next one, with Evelyn about to lead her varsity team into their final battle season. Evelyn is beyond ready to score the Nationals title and win the critical scholarship to her mom’s alma mater that comes with it.

This year, she’s out for blood, and nothing can stand in her way…

…except for Rosa Alvarez, the highly talented new recruit on her biggest rival’s team.

After a humiliating homecoming game and follow-up prank leave the two enemies in a stalemate, they grudgingly strike a deal to help each other overcome their weaknesses on the field. But the more time Evelyn spends with Rosa, the more she finds herself casting her hardened armor aside, until she begins to wonder what life might be like if she left the battlefield behind and fought for love instead.

**All’s Fair in Love and Field Hockey comes out May 6, 2025**

Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada for this copy in exchange for an honest review.

I wasn’t really expecting anything too crazy when picking up this book, but I think overall it was a lucky pick up. I haven’t read a YA in a while, and I think this one was fairly well written.

All’s Fair in Love and Field Hockey is not the most original title, but still aptly named. The story follows our protagonist, Evelyn, whose whole life revolves around her place as a goalie on the school’s field hockey team. Her mom, who tragically passed away a few years prior, had laid out the path perfectly for Evelyn, who strives to follow through. The problem ends up being that the one person in the way of her goal happens to be the main player, Rosa, on their biggest rival team. Chaos ensues when Evelyn and Rosa end up spending more time together . . .

Continue reading “ARC Review: All’s Fair in Love and Field Hockey by Kit Rosewater” →
3 star

Review: The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu

Fives @ Down The Rabbit Hole

Set against the backdrop of China’s Cultural Revolution, a secret military project sends signals into space to establish contact with aliens. An alien civilization on the brink of destruction captures the signal and plans to invade Earth. Meanwhile, on Earth, different camps start forming, planning to either welcome the superior beings and help them take over a world seen as corrupt, or to fight against the invasion.

This was another bookclub book, and a translated novel from Chinese. The synopsis is quite short, and definitely doesn’t capture what the book covers and reads as. It’s quite a science-y book, and I think the more knowledge you have of physics, perhaps the more interesting it might be. For me (not the physics expert), I just accepted all the science as fact and assumed it all made sense. The science took up a large portion of the book, which I think was a little bit distracting at times when they really dove deep into the explanations

The Three-Body Problem is a story that takes place in the backdrop of China’s Cultural Revolution, which is an important aspect of the book. However, the majority of the story really revolves around the story of the relationship between Earth and a civilization far far away. Communication is the crux of the story, and the factions on earth that form to either support the merge or against. The story takes place mostly in third person, but following the perspective of various characters in the story.

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3.5 star

Review: Peril at End House by Agatha Christie

Fives @ Down The Rabbit Hole

Hercule Poirot is vacationing on the Cornish coast when he meets Nick Buckley. Nick is the young and reckless mistress of End House, an imposing structure perched on the rocky cliffs of St. Loo.

Poirot quickly takes a particular interest in the young woman. Recently, she has narrowly escaped a series of life-threatening accidents. Something tells the Belgian sleuth that these so-called accidents are more than just mere coincidences or a spate of bad luck. Something like a bullet! It seems all too clear to him that someone is trying to do away with poor Nick, but who? And, what is the motive? In his quest for answers, Poirot must delve into the dark history of End House. The deeper he gets into his investigation, the more certain he is that the killer will soon strike again. And, this time, Nick may not escape with her life.

Another Agatha Christie! Hopefully I can make my way through the Hercule Poirots eventually, but maybe not all at once. I saw this at a used bookstore, and I didn’t want to pick it up, but I did end up borrowing it from the library and quickly read through it. I love how short these are, and these writings are honestly timeless. I seriously can’t believe these were written so long ago.

Peril at End House revolves around the mystery of the attempted murder(s) on Nick Buckley, the young heiress of End House. End House is aptly named. Although it is large and vast, it is also run down, and currently a place of unhappiness. The recent attempts on Nick’s life have definitely made the title even more apt. Luckily again, Hercule Poirot is in town, and quickly steps in to prevent Nick’s assassin from claiming her life. Will Poirot be able to save her life and the culprit? Or will he have to give up one to save the other.

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