4*
In a world full of checkpoints and controls, can love and hope defy the borders? A searing, timely story, as arresting as it is beautiful.
Imagine a world ...
Where there are too many people on a too-hot earth and your only chance of salvation is to journey north.
Where you must prove yourself worthy of existence at every turn, at every checkpoint.
Where your instincts become your most powerful weapon - even more than the gun in your pocket.
Where you find out what it takes to survive.
An extraordinary story about survival and what it costs, about the power of small kindnesses to change everything
I was truly taken by surprise with this book.
Mhairi is just a young girl trying to survive in a bleak, dystopian future, she has been forced to see things nobody should have to endure and has hardened her emotions to get by.
When her journey crosses paths with a little boy who doesn’t speak, Mhairi’s world inevitable changes.
The characters in this novel are strong and likeable, you can’t help but feel their pain.
The depressing setting is atmospheric and almost hopeless in a claustrophobic way, it is something you can see happening in a bad futuristic world, if things continue as they are.
The plot is riveting, original and medium paced, never slow, always keeping me eager to turn the page, and the ending, oh the ending!
Be prepared for tears!
Thursday, 25 October 2018
Thursday, 18 October 2018
The House by the Cemetery by John Everson
3*
Rumor has it that the abandoned house by the cemetery is haunted by the ghost of a witch. But rumors won’t stop carpenter Mike Kostner from rehabbing the place as a haunted house attraction. Soon he’ll learn that fresh wood and nails can’t keep decades of rumors down. There are noises in the walls, and fresh blood on the floor: secrets that would be better not to discover. And behind the rumors is a real ghost who will do whatever it takes to ensure the house reopens. She needs people to fill her house on Halloween. There’s a dark, horrible ritual to fulfill. Because while the witch may have been dead... she doesn’t intend to stay that way.
The plot for this book could’ve been so much better.
I loved the setting of the haunted house opening for Halloween and the themed horror rooms were great, the nod to many obscure but brilliant movies wasn’t lost on me as I am a big fan, so was quite disappointed in the way the plot panned out.
Creepy and atmospheric to begin, with a good introduction to characters, got me looking forward to this story however, I never really liked any of the characters and therefore was never truly captured by the novel.
Also, the full on roll into carnage just didn’t sit right with me, nothing was fully explained and I can’t say I really cared in the end.
Rumor has it that the abandoned house by the cemetery is haunted by the ghost of a witch. But rumors won’t stop carpenter Mike Kostner from rehabbing the place as a haunted house attraction. Soon he’ll learn that fresh wood and nails can’t keep decades of rumors down. There are noises in the walls, and fresh blood on the floor: secrets that would be better not to discover. And behind the rumors is a real ghost who will do whatever it takes to ensure the house reopens. She needs people to fill her house on Halloween. There’s a dark, horrible ritual to fulfill. Because while the witch may have been dead... she doesn’t intend to stay that way.
The plot for this book could’ve been so much better.
I loved the setting of the haunted house opening for Halloween and the themed horror rooms were great, the nod to many obscure but brilliant movies wasn’t lost on me as I am a big fan, so was quite disappointed in the way the plot panned out.
Creepy and atmospheric to begin, with a good introduction to characters, got me looking forward to this story however, I never really liked any of the characters and therefore was never truly captured by the novel.
Also, the full on roll into carnage just didn’t sit right with me, nothing was fully explained and I can’t say I really cared in the end.
Tuesday, 16 October 2018
The Coordinates of Loss by Amanda Prowse
5*
When Rachel Croft wakes up on her family’s boat in Bermuda, it’s to sunshine and yet another perfect day…until she goes to wake her seven-year-old son, Oscar. Because the worst thing imaginable has happened. He isn’t there.
In the dark and desperate days that follow, Rachel struggles to navigate her grief. And while her husband, James, wants them to face the tragedy together, Rachel feels that the life they once shared is over. Convinced that their happy marriage is now a sham, and unable to remain in the place where she lost her son, she goes home to Bristol alone.
Only when she starts receiving letters from Cee-Cee, her housekeeper in Bermuda, does light begin to return to Rachel’s soul. She and James both want to learn to live again—but is it too late for them to find a way through together?
What a tragic and heartbreaking tale of loss, that in some places is almost too much to bare.
Rachel and her Husband are so believable and relatable that this novel runs true to life, and highlights the issue that many people have to deal with.
Sensitively handled but no less sad for it, I went through every emotion following this upsetting but hopeful plot.
The setting on the boat is isolating and brightens considerably when Rachel moves to England, despite the bleak weather.
The characters are prefect, so human and all at once likeable but annoying.
The plot is unbearable but compelling, very sad.
Amanda Prowse does it again with this book, highly recommended.
When Rachel Croft wakes up on her family’s boat in Bermuda, it’s to sunshine and yet another perfect day…until she goes to wake her seven-year-old son, Oscar. Because the worst thing imaginable has happened. He isn’t there.
In the dark and desperate days that follow, Rachel struggles to navigate her grief. And while her husband, James, wants them to face the tragedy together, Rachel feels that the life they once shared is over. Convinced that their happy marriage is now a sham, and unable to remain in the place where she lost her son, she goes home to Bristol alone.
Only when she starts receiving letters from Cee-Cee, her housekeeper in Bermuda, does light begin to return to Rachel’s soul. She and James both want to learn to live again—but is it too late for them to find a way through together?
What a tragic and heartbreaking tale of loss, that in some places is almost too much to bare.
Rachel and her Husband are so believable and relatable that this novel runs true to life, and highlights the issue that many people have to deal with.
Sensitively handled but no less sad for it, I went through every emotion following this upsetting but hopeful plot.
The setting on the boat is isolating and brightens considerably when Rachel moves to England, despite the bleak weather.
The characters are prefect, so human and all at once likeable but annoying.
The plot is unbearable but compelling, very sad.
Amanda Prowse does it again with this book, highly recommended.
Friday, 5 October 2018
It All Comes Back to You by Beth Duke
4*
Ronni is a lonely young woman who works in Fairfield Springs Nursing Home and really loves the patients she caters to, especially one.
Violet looks upon Ronni as the daughter she never knew, and confides in her about her life story, culminating in the challenge that Ronni should write a book all about it after she dies.
Rising to the challenge, Ronni begins this literary journey and discovers many surprising and heart rending facts along the way.
At first this book jumped around a little too much, past then present then Violet then Ronni, but after the first chapter or so, I soon got into it and couldn’t put it down.
Originally set in a nursing home, but bouncing back and forth between many different places, the story revolves around a glamourous patient, Violet and her sympathetic nurse, Ronni, showcasing their friendship and switching back and forth between both points of view and each other’s lives.
In Violet’s case, it’s mainly a storytelling of her eventful past that really delves into her character and brings her to life, highlighting the lows and highs that brought her to the nursing home.
After a bad start in life, with a terrible mother, it’s nice to see Ronni’s confidence grow when she is called upon to write a book about Violets life.
At the same time, she finds herself falling into a heady relationship with an older but supportive man and all the drama that ensues, which sometimes throws her off course in regards to bringing Violets life to the world.
The plot is medium paced and flows well after the first couple of chapters, characters are fleshed out to the full, creating likeable and realistic personalities and wow is there a twist at the end, which made me feel sad in a way.
I wasn’t sure this was a book for me until I read it, I was pleasantly surprised and would recommend curling up with this novel and a cuppa, on a cold Autumn morning.
Ronni is a lonely young woman who works in Fairfield Springs Nursing Home and really loves the patients she caters to, especially one.
Violet looks upon Ronni as the daughter she never knew, and confides in her about her life story, culminating in the challenge that Ronni should write a book all about it after she dies.
Rising to the challenge, Ronni begins this literary journey and discovers many surprising and heart rending facts along the way.
At first this book jumped around a little too much, past then present then Violet then Ronni, but after the first chapter or so, I soon got into it and couldn’t put it down.
Originally set in a nursing home, but bouncing back and forth between many different places, the story revolves around a glamourous patient, Violet and her sympathetic nurse, Ronni, showcasing their friendship and switching back and forth between both points of view and each other’s lives.
In Violet’s case, it’s mainly a storytelling of her eventful past that really delves into her character and brings her to life, highlighting the lows and highs that brought her to the nursing home.
After a bad start in life, with a terrible mother, it’s nice to see Ronni’s confidence grow when she is called upon to write a book about Violets life.
At the same time, she finds herself falling into a heady relationship with an older but supportive man and all the drama that ensues, which sometimes throws her off course in regards to bringing Violets life to the world.
The plot is medium paced and flows well after the first couple of chapters, characters are fleshed out to the full, creating likeable and realistic personalities and wow is there a twist at the end, which made me feel sad in a way.
I wasn’t sure this was a book for me until I read it, I was pleasantly surprised and would recommend curling up with this novel and a cuppa, on a cold Autumn morning.
Thursday, 4 October 2018
Pieces of Her by Karin Slaughter
4*
What if the person you thought you knew best turns out to be someone you never knew at all?
Andrea Cooper knows everything about her mother Laura. She knows she's spent her whole life in the small town of Gullaway Island; she knows she's never had any more ambition than to live a quiet life as a pillar of the community; she knows she's never kept a secret in her life.
But one day, a trip to the mall explodes into violence and Andrea suddenly sees a completely different side to Laura.
Twenty-four hours later, Laura is in hospital, shot by an intruder who's spent thirty years trying to track her down. Now, Andrea must go on a desperate journey to follow the breadcrumbs of her mother's past. If she can't uncover the secrets hidden there, there may be no future for either of them…
A stand-alone thriller by Karin Slaughter which does not disappoint.
Told from two different and interesting viewpoints, the plot is fast paced and suspenseful.
The setting, spread across various cities once it gets going, is atmospheric and edge of your seat.
The two main characters and quite a few of the supporting ones are deep and intriguing, with their own story to tell, Andrea is a strong woman who just doesn’t know it but is soon forced to acknowledge her own inner strength, whilst Laura is a mystery to all those who thought they knew her but didn’t.
A good solid thriller, that I couldn’t put down.
What if the person you thought you knew best turns out to be someone you never knew at all?
Andrea Cooper knows everything about her mother Laura. She knows she's spent her whole life in the small town of Gullaway Island; she knows she's never had any more ambition than to live a quiet life as a pillar of the community; she knows she's never kept a secret in her life.
But one day, a trip to the mall explodes into violence and Andrea suddenly sees a completely different side to Laura.
Twenty-four hours later, Laura is in hospital, shot by an intruder who's spent thirty years trying to track her down. Now, Andrea must go on a desperate journey to follow the breadcrumbs of her mother's past. If she can't uncover the secrets hidden there, there may be no future for either of them…
A stand-alone thriller by Karin Slaughter which does not disappoint.
Told from two different and interesting viewpoints, the plot is fast paced and suspenseful.
The setting, spread across various cities once it gets going, is atmospheric and edge of your seat.
The two main characters and quite a few of the supporting ones are deep and intriguing, with their own story to tell, Andrea is a strong woman who just doesn’t know it but is soon forced to acknowledge her own inner strength, whilst Laura is a mystery to all those who thought they knew her but didn’t.
A good solid thriller, that I couldn’t put down.
Tuesday, 2 October 2018
Thresher by Michael Cole
4*
In the aftermath of a hurricane, a series of strange events plague the coastal waters off Florida. People go into the water and never return. Corpses of killer whales drift ashore, ravaged from enormous bite marks. A fishing trawler is found adrift, with a mysterious gash in its hull.
Transferred to the coastal town of Merit, police officer Leonard Riker uncovers the horrible reality of an enormous Thresher shark lurking off the coast. Forty feet in length, it has taken a territorial claim to the waters near the town harbor. Armed with three-inch teeth, a scythe-like caudal fin, and unmatched aggression, the beast seeks to kill anything sharing the waters.
A good solid thriller/horror with good characters and a fast paced plot, the words were sometimes a bit scientifically monotonous but the author obviously knows his stuff.
I’m really into shark entertainment at the minute so this book was a hidden gem for me, the main characters, Riker and a young rookie called Metzler actually make a great team and as grumpy as Riker is, I found it hard to dislike him, they had good back stories, immersing me well into the story and I cared about other important characters too such as the scientist and his assistant, who were interesting and brave.
This novel was original in that it sometimes switched to the sharks point of view which was unexpected and added to the plot, if you like Jaws and other creature features, this book is one you’ll want to read.
In the aftermath of a hurricane, a series of strange events plague the coastal waters off Florida. People go into the water and never return. Corpses of killer whales drift ashore, ravaged from enormous bite marks. A fishing trawler is found adrift, with a mysterious gash in its hull.
Transferred to the coastal town of Merit, police officer Leonard Riker uncovers the horrible reality of an enormous Thresher shark lurking off the coast. Forty feet in length, it has taken a territorial claim to the waters near the town harbor. Armed with three-inch teeth, a scythe-like caudal fin, and unmatched aggression, the beast seeks to kill anything sharing the waters.
A good solid thriller/horror with good characters and a fast paced plot, the words were sometimes a bit scientifically monotonous but the author obviously knows his stuff.
I’m really into shark entertainment at the minute so this book was a hidden gem for me, the main characters, Riker and a young rookie called Metzler actually make a great team and as grumpy as Riker is, I found it hard to dislike him, they had good back stories, immersing me well into the story and I cared about other important characters too such as the scientist and his assistant, who were interesting and brave.
This novel was original in that it sometimes switched to the sharks point of view which was unexpected and added to the plot, if you like Jaws and other creature features, this book is one you’ll want to read.
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