Writing

Review: Catfishing on CatNet by Naomi Krizner

Catfishing on CatNet is one of the sweetest YA novels I’ve had the pleasure of reading lately. Compared to dark tales of murder and mayhem that seem to dominate the genre, Steph’s story was very light and fun. She has to move around a lot so her online friends are super important to her.

I adored the way that people who knew each other online came together, discovering the similarities and differences between their online and ‘irl’ personas. Having a sentient AI as a chatroom leader was a fantastic touch and I loved the way that ‘catfishing’ was a real thing in more than just the slang sense of the world. If I was an AI trapped on an Internet chatroom, I’d definitely want cat photos too!

A lot of the action was at the very end of the novel, while the beginning felt a little slow. I would have loved to have spent more time tying up the loose ends and engaging with the AI, but overall this was a very fun read.

It felt on the younger side of YA than what I usually read but was a great change from the sense of doom and gloom present in many other YA novels and also increasingly the world around us. Fast paced and fun – a must read!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read in exchange for my honest review.

Reading Regularly

Review: The Grey Sisters by Jo Treggiari

The Grey Sisters focuses on the journey of friends D and Spider to the crash site of the plane that killed their siblings, as well as the experiences of teenage cult member Ariel.

I loved the premise of this novel, but I will admit that what I was expecting from reading the blurb and what it turned out to be were very different. Initially, I was anticipating a novel primarily focused upon D and Spider’s shared experiences of grief. I was less keen from the description on Ariel’s story, as the very powerful first chapter had made me excited to learn more about the plane crash and what had happened to their siblings.

Even by the end of the novel, I didn’t feel that the plane crash had been delved into as much as it possibly could have been. The events that were so central to the experience of these characters aren’t given the depth of discussion I was expecting.

It was Ariel’s emotional journey that was most fascinating to me, rather than that of D, Spider and Min. In honesty, at times I struggled to distinguish between the three friends and felt a little confused about their backstories. On the other hand, I had a very strong sense of who Ariel was and what she wanted. She starts the novel as a loyal cult member, with her emotional arc very satisfying to read about.

Despite my reservations about some aspects of the novel, I’ve given The Grey Sisters 3.5 stars (rounded to 4), because the way that the dual narratives of the plane crash and the cult in the mountains were eventually tied together was very impressive. As the story progressed I found myself more and more engrossed in the story and read the entire book in a single evening.

The Grey Sisters brings a very unusual story to life!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin House Canada for the opportunity to read in exchange for my honest review.

Writing

Review: The Perfect Wife by JP Delaney

In The Perfect Wife J.P. Delaney explores the boundaries of technology and questions surrounding what it means to be human.

Abbie wakes up in a hospital bed, believing herself to have been in an accident. That’s sadly not the case. She’s a robot, a synthetic copy of the real Abbie who has been missing – believed murdered by her husband Tim – for the past five years.

Over the course of the coming weeks, Abbie soon becomes unsettled. Why would anyone recreate their dead wife? She’s the subject of media attention, hounded by the press, disliked by those around her. She’s not real.

After discovering books and an old tablet disguised in a bookshelf in the home she shares with Tim, co-bot (companion bot) Abbie starts to uncover the truth behind the disappearance of the real Abbie…

First things first, this book has one of the most engrossing opening chapters I’ve seen in a long while! The way that a robot might react to being told it isn’t real plays out in a very realistic manner and the book feels reminiscent of the wonderful Black Mirror episode Be Right Back. If you enjoyed that set-up, then you’ll probably love this novel too.

Delaney’s use of dual narratives is an incredible narrative tool to build up the suspense within this thriller. The use of the second person allows the reader to fall into the head of a robot, you are a newly created co-bot questioning the motives of her creator. The chapters set in the past are told by a mysterious narrator who has intimate knowledge of Abbie and Tim’s relationship, yet doesn’t reveal themselves.

Abbie is likeable, especially when you learn more about her through the chapters set in the past. You see the art exhibits she set up in the tech office, including one (do as you please I believe it was called) which I would love to see in real life! You see her fall for Tim and he for her…

She is sweet and creative. Tim is, quite simply, a creep. As the novel goes on his actions get stranger and stranger. This created a sense of panic within the novel, because her creator was the very person she grows to fear and distrust. The interplay between Tim’s role as husband and as creator (and his simplistic views on women as whores/mothers) were very well developed.

The novel is filled with twists and turns and I raced through it, finishing just before midnight. Wow, what a tale!

However, the discussions of autism towards the beginning of the novel were unsettling to me. If Delaney’s afterword discussing his personal experiences parenting his son had been an author’s note at the start of the novel I would have felt much more comfortable, especially as I was concerned about the representation.

Aside from discussions about the ability of autistic people to empathise, the other aspect that concerned me early on was the descriptions of the ABA technique as like a fix-all. While I don’t have personal experience of this technique I have seen numerous autistic people online discuss the negative impacts ABA has had on their wellbeing and I was concerned that anyone who did not have personal knowledge of autism might not be aware of the controversies behind ABA.

I wish that Delaney’s skilful debunking of Tim’s extreme use of ABA had been hinted at earlier in the novel, or the author’s expertise mentioned in a foreword. As Delaney discusses in the afterword, ABA has brought great results for his family, and I appreciate his acknowledgement in the novel of the potential downfalls (e.g. electric shocks when used extremely).

I would also question whether this plotline would have been better served as a novel in its own right, as at times the focus on Danny’s autism felt unnecessary to the wider narrative. The care of a mother for any young child would have created similar effect.

Like always, Delaney weaves a gripping tale.

If I could review the story of Abbie, the companion bot who wakes up five years after her originator’s death, on it’s own then I would be giving this whirlwind book an impeccable five stars. My fears regarding representation were dampened later in the novel when the discussion of Abbie’s relationship with her autistic son was heartwarming and very moving.

The Perfect Wife releases 8th August from Quercus Books.

Thank you to NetGalley and Quercus for the opportunity to read in exchange for my honest review.

Reading Regularly

Review: The Killer You Know by A.M. Taylor

The Killer You Know centres on Olivia Hall’s attempts to exonerate her brother Ethan. He’s spent the last ten years in jail for the murder of their classmate Tyler Washington. Tyler was the mayor’s son, about to go to college on a sport’s scholarship and naturally one of the most popular kids in their school. Olivia’s friend Daniel suggests that Olivia have Ethan’s story investigated by one of the hottest crime podcasts. If anyone can find out the truth, they can.

The story progresses through two narratives. In the present day we move forward towards the conclusion of the podcast season, while in the past we hurtle backwards from Ethan’s trial to the night of the murder. Olivia’s experiences are brought to life, especially as the ‘past’ is in present tense. We’re there with her as she watches her brother go to jail for something he didn’t do. Her pain feels very real.

As well as the interesting narrative structure, Taylor has created a sense of duality through the three pairs of siblings caught up in the case. There’s Ethan and Olivia, Morgan and Tyler and orbiting further away are sisters Reid and Spencer. The contrast between the experiences of siblings is a key theme in the novel. Morgan is pregnant with her first child, Tyler died in the woods as little more than a child.

Most importantly though, Olivia and Ethan are both likeable protagonists. Olivia’s attempts to save her brother are admirable and watching her interact with podcasters Kat and Ray her care for Ethan is evident. Seeing the inner workings of how a true crime podcast might come together was fascinating for me, as someone who has yet to watch podcasts at all. After this novel I might have to give one a go!

The story itself is also very topical, reflecting on issues that are at the forefront of public consciousness in 2019. This did, however, make the ending very predictable from the opening chapters. I would have liked the novel to continue for a few more pages to give a slightly more satisfying conclusion though.

The Killer You Know is not so much a who-dunnit but a refreshing twist on the usual story progression of crime novels. Innocence and guilt aren’t the key themes here.

What matters to Olivia and the reader is freeing Ethan and discovering the truth behind that night – what kind of person was Tyler Washington? How about his friends?

I’d recommend this novel to anyone looking for something a little different from your usual crime novel. The Killer You Know’s youthful protagonists and podcast creation focus made it a novel I loved.

Coming 12th July from Harper Impulse and Killer Reads!

I was provided with a free e-copy of this novel by NetGalley in exchange for my honest review, thank you to them and the publishers for the opportunity to read this thrilling tale.

Writing

Review: Miracle Creek by Angie Kim

Miracle Creek focuses on an explosion at an experimental therapy site that leaves two dead – autistic child Henry and his mother’s friend Kit. In the aftermath, both the patients and site owners wrestle with their feelings over what happened as the court case progresses.

Angie Kim weaves a fascinating tale, offering the reader sneak peaks into each character’s perspective on the tragedy in turn. We aren’t trapped in the head of one unreliable narrator and this adds so much depth to the story. Moral debates such as whether Elizabeth’s difficulties in parenting her son and hatred of the impact on her life make her a bad person underlie the central tale.

Some characters, such as Young Yoo and her daughter Mary are incredibly likeable. Others you will quickly grow to despise and hope that they get their comeuppance.

The twists and turns of this novel made it a great read, as well as a thought-provoking read. I’d recommend it to anyone who would like a fresh take on a courtroom drama.

Miracle Creek is available now from Hodder and Stoughton!

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this novel in exchange for my honest review.

Reading Regularly

Review: My Lovely Wife by Samantha Downing

When I received a copy of My Lovely Wife I had no idea what to expect. The blurb was deliciously vague, only letting readers know that the couple had secrets.

I initially set out to read just a chapter or two before bed but instead found myself tearing through the pages. Over a hundred pages passed before I could bear to put the book down. This morning I finished it.

With a hint of Netflix sensation You, the opening chapters drew me straight in. A man who purposefully meets women at bars? Maybe a little seedy but nothing awful, right. But what if one of those women turns up dead? He’s a little more suspicious now….

I’m going to avoid telling you any more about the plot, as I think that might spoil the adventure.

The characters weren’t likeable. This isn’t a book about good people doing bad things. It is a book about bad people doing bad things, at least in my opinion. There was something endearing about that though. There was no trying to hide from reality.

The husband, our narrator, is a tennis coach. His wife an estate agent. The story of their first meeting is adorable and their life seems pretty perfect at first glance. Two children, a gorgeous house in a gated community.

But what could possibly go wrong?

You’ll have to read this for yourself to find out!

My Lovely Wife will be published in May 2019.

Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin UK (Michael Joseph) and Samantha Downing for the opportunity to read My Lovely Wife in exchange for my honest review.

Reading Regularly

Review: Opposite of Always by justin a. reynolds

Review: Opposite of Always by Justin A. Reynolds

Opposite of Always made me nostalgic for my teen years.

I’m the kind of person who re-reads books over and over again. Opposite of Always reminds me of a book that I read until the pages nearly fell out, Lauren Oliver’s Before I Fall. Both books deal with a character reliving a death… although in this case it is the death of Jack’s love Kate that is trying to be avoided.

Jack meets Kate on a college visit and falls head over heels in love. And then she dies.

When he wakes up before they ever met he has the chance to put things right. Save her. This novel shows his attempts to be the hero and find a way back to the young woman he met on the stairs at a party.

This novel had a lot of positives. Jack is a funny and likeable character, with a supporting cast of great friends. His friend Franny’s dad, The Coupon, is in prison. I really appreciated reading a novel where the characters surrounding the main character are more than just Back-Up 1 and Back-Up 2.

The way Jack interacts with the central premise is also really fun. He doesn’t just presume that the only path available to him is to stay in a relationship with Kate. It might be possible to save her in another way…

The diversity rep in Opposite of Always was also really impressive, both in terms of the representation of people of colour and the discussion of health conditions. I learnt about sickle cell anaemia in this novel, a condition which I didn’t really understand about before.

There were a few aspects that I found frustrating though. The relationship between Jake and Kate is explained much better in some of the later iterations. I have a better sense for why they care so much for each other, whereas in the first go around I do question a little what made Kate seem a better choice than Jillian – the girl Jake has known for years. I also felt that some parts of the book dragged a little and wonder if it would have been a little snappier if it had been shorter.

How did I feel about the ending? That’s a trickier question! I am curious to see how other readers find the conclusion to Jack and Kate’s story.

My overall rating, 4.5/5, reflects the fact that I know that teenage me would have jumped up and down in joy for this book. Figuratively, at least! It gives me the same feeling that the books I used to love back then did, allowing me to escape my worries and fears for a little bit.

Jack and Kate: a teen romance for the post-millennial generation.

Thank you to NetGalley, Pan Macmillan and Justin A. Reynolds for the opportunity to read in exchange for my honest review.

Reading Regularly

Review: Voices by David Elliott

This is one of the most unusual books I’ve had the pleasure to read in a very long time. The tale of Joan Arc, hero and martyr, is one I’ve heard only in children’s history books a very long time ago. I’ve studied History at university for four years, including a smattering of French history, but never encountered The Maid. I have a sense that this verse novel might set young people on a course of discovery, learning more about the past and the women who inhabited that faraway place.

In Voices, we follow Joan in her final hours before her execution, as she narrates her journey from countryside maid to heroine (and back down towards her doom). There are interjections from the king and also poems from the perspective of her sword and other vital objects. Some of these additional poems felt a little gratuitous, but overall they added rather than detracted from her story.

The writing was beautiful and I found myself bookmarking many passages within the short book to re-read later. If this had been a paper copy I would have found myself highlighting and folding over pages too.

From an academic perspective, one of the most impressive aspects of this book was something I only encountered upon reading David Elliott’s author’s note at the close of the book. I had no idea that the poetic forms mirrored those that were actually in use in medieval France and can imagine that was quite tricky to execute.

This short, but perfectly formed, poetic exploration of the Joan of Arc will be published in March 2019. Check it out!

Thanks to NetGalley, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children’s Book Group and David Elliott for the opportunity to read this book.

Writing

Review: Bloodleaf

Review: Bloodleaf by Crystal Smith

Aurelia is a princess who is forced to flee into exile because of her magic, which leads her to pretend to be a commoner in the kingdom where her betrothed is the prince. The magic that protects the wall which divides the kingdoms is being threatened, with the removal of each ward requiring deaths. The final layer of protection will fall when three royals of that country’s bloodline are killed.

What I loved:

Magic is hated and feared in Aurelia’s home country, yet she continued to practice it. I think I’d add into the love category everything to do with the magic system, especially regarding the mysterious plant bloodleaf itself!
The connection between Aurelia and Zan. Seeing Aurelia find happiness despite everything going on around her showed her determination to live the best life possible.
The emotional journeys of some of the side characters, such as Zan’s friend’s wife.
Despite being the first book in a YA fantasy trilogy, the story felt complete. There was no sense that Aurelia’s story had been chopped into three just for the sake of it.

I was a little more uncertain about other aspects of the story, such as the reveal relating to Toris, the novel’s villain. I think for me Bloodleaf was a novel much less about the plot itself and more about the relationships between the characters. If you liked the characters, as I did, then the story was very satisfying. I also found what happened to Aurelia’s best friend a little unbelievable, but understand why it had to happen.

Overall this was a really fun read. The magic system and the ghostly element brought by the spirits Aurelia is haunted by added some depth to the story. I’m excitedly awaiting the next book in this series and urge anyone who loved Queen of the Tearling or Red Queen to pick this novel up!

Thank you to NetGalley, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children’s Book Group, HMH Books for Young Readers and Crystal Smith for the opportunity to read Bloodleaf in exchange for my honest review.

Writing

Review: The Twisted Tree

Martha spends summers in Norway with her grandmother. One day, following a catastrophic accident, she sneaks away to visit her grandmother. Her secret journey covers hundreds of kilometres and involves just a little subterfuge. When she arrives, she finds her grandmother’s home empty. The beautiful landscape she loves during summer looks a lot more sinister in winter. Worse still, there’s someone in her grandmother’s house. Stig. He heard that the place was empty and decided to stay. Over the course of the following days, in a spectacularly supernatural way, things start to unravel for Martha and Stig…

I really liked the way that Burge explored Martha’s injury and her missing eye, with it becoming central to the story. The way that Stig helped Martha to see herself as beautiful and regain her self-confidence once again made me smile.

He was very sweet. I only wish that the hints of his past that came through towards the end of the novel had been there earlier.

The way that Martha was able to read emotions in clothing was something else I really enjoyed as I don’t think I’ve seen something like that in a YA novel before. If there is a sequel it’s something I’d love to see explored. In the outside world that might have some interesting consequences, especially if someone is wearing cashmere.

The use of Nordic mythology was also very impressive, especially the way it geared up so the reader uncovered details right alongside Martha. Likewise, the Nordic landscape was utilised incredibly. The atmosphere in the cabin and its surroundings really added to the creepiness in the middle of the book.

I wish The Twisted Tree had started earlier than when Martha was heading to Norway to visit her grandmother. I wanted to know more about her, about the friend back home who she was texting on arrival, what her hobbies were other than jewellery making. Likewise, I feel like the most exciting bit of the novel was crammed up into a short space. The final showdown was very quick, compared to the long scenes in the cabin, and it disappointed me a bit. Although exciting, I felt at times that the pace towards the end took away from the emotional impact of some scenes. Once everything was tied up, the novel ended pretty quickly. I think a little more time spent on those final scenes would have been great.

I finished reading The Twisted Tree quite quickly. As another reviewer mentioned, it’s a wonderful book for a cold evening (as we’re sadly already experiencing in my area!). It wasn’t quite for me, for the reasons I’ve mentioned and perhaps as I was expecting something a little heavier on the ghosts, but I’m going to round up my review to four stars. For The Twisted Tree’s target audience, which I wonder if might be the slightly younger end of YA, this could be a beautiful read. At that age, I think I would have loved the mystery, the unresolved threads, the hopeful ending.

Thank you to Bonnier Zaffre, Hot Key Books, NetGalley and Rachel Burge for the opportunity to read this spooky tale.