Book Review: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. 

When I started reading this I had no idea that with each husband, I’d grow ever deeper in love with Evelyn Hugo. This is a closer look at the life behind the glitz and glamour of Old Hollywood, where the cost of fame and fortune may be greater than you expected. It explores the manipulation of people without regrets, the lengths people will go to for fame, and at the heart of it it’s about a great, all consuming love affair. 

Evelyn is a star. A beautiful, shrewd star. As she tells her life story to Monique, a journalist she’s actively sought out to tell her story to, we see her shed the hidden layers and lies she’s held on to her whole life. What starts as a guarded confession to the great love of her life quickly turns into something far more encompassing, and demonstrates just what sacrifices Evelyn has made to hide her true self, and protect those she loves at all cost. She doesn’t regret, she doesn’t forget, and because of this you may think that Evelyn might be quite emotionless. But she’s far from it. She’s an actress, born to display only what she wants the world to see, yet we see moments of true vulnerability scattered throughout the story. She’s complex and unpredictable, with a strong sense of pride and self. She’s under no illusions that she’s a good person, and that’s what makes her so deliciously intoxicating to read about. She’s the heroine and the villain. 

I love the way the plot unfolds, told chronologically from the introduction of each new husband, scattered together with the present day and Monique’s story. Both characters bounce off each other well, as Monique struggles to assert herself against Evelyn’s dominant personality at first, before using her as an example to sort out her own life problems. I worked out the link between the two women quite quickly into the establishment of the story, but that didn’t spoil it at all. Far from it, I think the reader is suppose to know the real reason for the meeting between these two women before Monique is told the truth. It adds to the complexity of the characters, and enhances Evelyn’s moral ambiguity. 

The secondary characters who support Evelyn’s journey are also wonderfully fleshed out, especially Harry and Celia. Without them this story would be missing the heart that it needs as they help to show the softer side of her personality and shape Evelyn into a better person. There are moments of grief, laughter and love between them all that’s beautiful to read. It’s their stories, all woven together at times, that adds such a richness to the story. The husbands all pale into the background by comparison.

Highly recommend. This isn’t my normal genre, but I’m so glad I had the opportunity to read this. It’s utterly remarkable, and very well written.

Book Review: The Foxhole Court by Nora Sakavic

I’m unsure how to rate this really. On the one hand it was a quick read, and I enjoyed it, but it had an awful lot of flaws. 

The basic premise is runaway Neil gets picked up by a major university Exy team, who are all a bunch of misfits just like him. Exy is some kind of made up sport that’s a cross between lacrosse and football, and while they can’t seem to play without fighting, there’s a whole lot of trouble in Neil’s past just ready to catch up with him and he’ll need his teammates help to stay hidden. 

The plot and pace were both a little all over the place, and the writing feels very ‘new writer’. There’s no nuances to it, no subtlety that could have propelled this into an exciting read, and there’s a lot of idle chit chat. There’s also only one Exy game in the whole book. I found this disappointing as that section alone was more entertaining and exciting than the rest of the book put together. There’s lots of moping around from all the characters, lots of fighting and going to random clubs without having any clear agenda as to why other than to be sexually assaulted, and there’s lots of conversations using highly derogatory and offensive terms which I was deeply offended by. But not a lot of action, or development of the plot. By 75% of the way in, nothing had really happened and the characters were acting in exactly the same way as they were in the beginning. 

Also, not being from America, all my American sports knowledge comes from watching The Mighty Ducks and Field of Dreams as a youth. So unless there’s a giant corn field with the ghost of a dad in it, or someone’s attempting a flying ‘V’, I have no clue about sports like this. I have no concept of the world of collegiate sport and how it works. As it’s not elaborated on here I sometimes didn’t really understand what was going on. Sport scholarships aren’t really a ‘thing’ here. There’s also no discussion about what Exy actually is, leaving this very open to the reader to interpret. Again this left me quite confused at times as the characters start kitting themselves out in protective gear and fling sticks around. 

I suppose the best thing about the story is the complex relationship between all the different characters. They bounce off each other well, like a massive dysfunctional family, and all have a distinct voice. Andrew in particular is incredibly interesting and complicated to understand. His apathy for the sport he’s so good at and his intense relationship with Kevin is troubling and intriguing. Hs time with Neil is especially heated and full of an undercurrent of danger and tension, and I’d be interested to see where it leads. Dan is also a great character, acting as captain it’s her job to keep the group from tearing each other apart, acting as part mother hen and part dictator. Some of the others I found to be less rounded. Renee never seems to say much, and I felt was woefully underused given that she seems to take everything in and can see right through Neil. Allison and Seth are also largely underused, with Seth just coming across as a hothead most of the time. <spoiler>This makes his death by ‘overdose’ at the end largely uninspiring and underwhelming for me, as I wasn’t particularly vested in his character. We also never see Allison’s reaction to it, which would have been far more emotive than Andrew’s group, leaving the ending incomplete for me </spoiler>. 

As I say, this was a quick read and I enjoyed it for the mix of characters. But the plot would really need to ramp up for me to consider reading the next book.

Book Review: Critical: Science and stories from the brink of human life by Dr Matt Morgan

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. 

After the runaway success of [book:This Is Going to Hurt: Secret Diaries of a Junior Doctor|35235302] there seems to have been a glut of medical memoirs released, so what makes ‘Critical’ so different? This is centred around the role of an ICU, or critical care, consultant and is part memoir, part science as were taken on a journey through life within the most intense and life changing department in the hospital. 

It’s set out in a really nice way, divided into chapters reflecting on specific organs of the body (ie the brain, the lungs, the heart etc.) and goes on to explain some of the many reasons a person may be in the ICU because of that particular body part. It sets out the biology behind the conditions in such a way that most people would be able to get their head around them, and builds on knowledge gained in previous chapters to further explain certain ailments. It’s almost like a really good lecturer, who knows what he’s talking about, taking you through a medical class. 

Matt Morgan is also incredibly passionate about what he does, and his love and compassion for his patients jumps from the page. He explains what it is to feel failure, remorse and regret, and the issues surrounding mental health in doctors was particularly poignant. The most touching aspects were often centered around individual patients who really seemed to touch Matt personally. As medical professionals, we become so desensitised to health that we become at risk of losing a part of ourselves and our compassion. But Matt shows, in the care he takes when talking to bereaved relatives, when asking about a lost loved ones past, that he really does care. 

The section on brain stem death and organ donation was particularly hard for me to read for personal reasons. It’s a mirror image of my own past, and I thought it was touched upon in an extremely empathetic and endearing way - and I don’t think I could ever give a book any higher praise than that. This doesn’t play for laughs or attempt to trivialise what is to be a doctor, but rather bring to the attention of the wider audience what it is to work in the NHS in a high pressure and incredibly important job. 

A great read.

Book Review: The Test by Sylvain Neuvel

I’m not entirely sure what the hell I’ve just read, but this managed to absolutely blow me away in terms of twists and turns very early on. Without giving too much away, what starts as an immigration test decends into something far more realistic, and terrifyingly possible. 

It’s an examination on a future Britain that seems at once incredibly believable and tangible. A way to test and justify fairly who can enter the country in a near-technologically advanced universe. It’s fast paced, morally ambiguous with a lead character in Idir who’s amiable, polite and family orientated. I can’t quite believe what Neuvel has managed to get down in just over 100 pages, but it really managed to make me re-examine my own beliefs and the Subconscious acts of discrimination that I wasn’t aware of. There’s a tight evaluation on human psychology, social prejudice, even sexual discrimination all brilliantly shown via Idir’s thinking process. The feelings of intense stress, pressure and anxiety that Idir goes through are really well done, and PTSD is described in a sensitive yet deeply emotive and powerful way. It’s incredibly thought provoking, and raises a lot of issues relevant to the current climate around what it is to be British, and who ‘deserves’ to live here. 

If anything, I wanted more engagement from Deep etc as I felt his character was largely underused and underdeveloped, but this doesn’t detract from what is otherwise a really good novella. One to read in one sitting and ponder for days later.

Book Review: Ghost Wall by Sarah Moss

I get where this novella was going - it’s a short but sharp examination of xenophobia and it’s ridiculously nonsensical commentaries from those who insist Britain must remain ‘British’. We follow family unit of mum, Iron Age obsessed dad and Sylvie as they join a group of university students on an ‘experimental anthropology’ expedition that sees them reenacting life in the Iron Ages on the Northumberland moors. Except this is more than just an experiment for Sylvie’s dad, who believes that this is how Britain should be, at its best. 

I just couldn’t engage at all with the writing style. It’s almost stream of conscious-like, and at times I had to reread sentences multiple times to understand what was going and who said what. It disrupted the flow of the story significantly for me, and I struggled a lot trying to connect with what was going on. I really think this would have benefitted from reading it all in one go, as there was never really a good point at which the story comes to a natural lull before the end and perhaps I might have gained more insight reading it this way. 

I liked Sylvie, and I felt sympathy for her situation as she comes across as desperately sad and scared, without anyway out of her situation because of a man who likes to hold all the power without any opposition (her father). At time’s we see her fight this, giving backhanded comments to get a rise from her father when surrounded by the university students, but it’s always comes with a later punishment. Her father comes across as extremely bitter, misogynistic and xenophobic. He clearly sees himself as a proper ‘man’s man’ who believes that women should stay in the kitchen while men go hunting, and Britain has been in decline since the introduction of other nationalities. He’s very black and white, and I think this lack of any subtle depth really didn’t help me warm to the story. 

A different read for me, that carries an interesting message, but the writing style was very off putting.

Book Review: The Winter of the Witch by Katherine Arden

I have so much to say about this book that I’ve been holding back reviewing it until I had time to fully invest myself in my thoughts. I know it’s only March, but I think this is my favourite read of 2019 and it’ll be pretty tough to beat. 

In the third book of the Winternight Trilogy we follow Vasya immediately on from the conclusion to [book:The Girl in the Tower|34050917]. There’s no time to catch your breath, no month long interval, it’s straight into the heart of the action and issues surrounding Vasya and her family. There are riots and pitchforks, fires, and accusations of witchcraft and sorcery. And leading the rabble is a certain priest with a silvery tongue, guided by an ancient enemy now released from his prison. Arden has such a way with words I fell immediately back into this world, experiencing everything alongside Vasya and Solovey. The confusion, the chaos, the sights and smells of Moscow just jump from the page and I felt their anxiety and fear right there with them. When you’re crying before you’ve even reached 10% in a book, you know it’s touched you deeply. 

When this writing craftmenship is interwoven so perfectly with magical folklore and real, known, history it combines to make a truly exceptional read. I loved the introduction of the mysterious territory known as ‘Midnight’ and the field of horses. Getting to see some of Solovey’s, and later Vasya’s, mysterious past was bittersweet and touching too, and just added to Vasya’s strength of character. The descriptions of seasons past, as we walk this journey, is wonderfully descriptive and fully immersive again. The plot is always driven and forceful, and the pace continues throughout with multiple twist and battles. 

Vasya has also come so far as a character, and it was an absolute pleasure to see her develop further here. She’s constantly trying to learn who, or what, she is, while trying not to give in to the free spirit inside her that tells her to flee into winter. She’s willing to sacrifice everything, including her supposedly immortal soul, for her family, and I loved her for that. Her ability to admit her failings, while still yearning to be what she’s expected to be makes her vulnerable yet deeply endearing. She’s a complex woman with strong convictions and a moral backbone that is decidedly unique and wonderful to read. 

The priest Konstantin is another deliciously complicated character. His mixture of pure hatred and lust for Vasya has not quelled, fuelled by his relationship with a spirit who takes pleasure from suffering and internal torment. He’s a deeply troubled man with a gift for creating beautiful things, and although he hates Vasya he hates himself more. There’s a strange mix of pity and anger that I felt when reading about Konstantin. At some of the truly terrible things he does, I hated him like no other, yet Arden has this ability to make me feel sorry for him. It’s close to how Vasya feels towards him too, and to see both of their internal struggles towards the other is quite electrifying. 

I couldn’t write this review without touching on Vasya and Morozko’s relationship. At once deeply complicated, and now, rather fractured, we see each of them learn from one another, and what they are to each other. It’s touching and beautiful, sweet and passionate all at once, but never overpowers or is as important to the storyline as Vasya herself is. She never needs Morozko to fulfill her destiny, but rather must discover it for herself and rescue him. It’s a reversal of the stereotypical ‘girl in the tower’ (which makes it even more ironic given the title of the previous book in the series). I love Morozko. His icyness, aloofness, quite literally melts when Vasya gets through his defences. 

<spoiler>Solovey. How can I write about what happens to Solovey? Heartbreaking. And it’s never swept under the carpet or used simply as a plot device. The grief is always there, always apparent when Vasya looks at other horses. The guilt and ache she feels when riding the ‘fire bird’ feels so real, and respectful to Solovey’s memory, that I felt deeply touched by it. I haven’t sobbed over a book in a while, but this managed to grab hold of me very tightly and feel that grief personally. </spoiler>

A really wonderful, magic story full of folklore and history, love and friendship. A must read.

Book Review: So You've Been Publicly Shamed by Jon Ronson

A fascinating read, still highly relevant today in our digital world. This covers the evolving issue of ‘public shaming’ and it’s growing significance in the online community via social media. We see people ruined, professionally and personally, over one photo, one comment or one ‘tweet’. 

It certainly made me think about my own online presence, and how I already actively hold a lot of my life back from overexposure online. That pack mentality can destroy everything, without any kind of barrier or behaviour to hold it back. Human nature can be very cruel, and overly zealous, especially when there are no sensors or rules in place. I was particularly struck with Lindsey Stone, who posted a distasteful picture of herself holding up the middle finger outside a war memorial. One silly action from a young, foolhardy girl led to her being fired from her job as a carer, and hundreds of thousands of death threats and vitriol from strangers online who knew nothing about her. Now she will be forever remembered for that picture, that mistake, and constantly haunted by the image online. It will effect her future, and we see her struggle with accepting this and trying to move on. The use of so called ‘reputation rebuilders’ was also really interesting, as they try and hide this negative outpouring by manipulating Google. 

I did find some sections a little ‘out there’, and not entirely relevant to what Robson’s was trying to get across (ie the group therapy stuff, which just came across as odd and out of place), however the overall message is clear. I liked the small section on prisoner rehabilitation particularly interesting (both through therapy, and alternative sentencing). 

A decent read on an insightful topic.

Book Review: My Life with Murderers: Behind Bars with the World's Most Violent Men by David Wilson

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. 

My Life with Murderers is a reflection by renound professor of criminology David Wilson on his time as governor and assistant governor at a number of British prisons and the numerous encounters with murders he has had along the way. However, it’s also more than that, as it follows Wilson’s musings on  what it is to be a murderer and the various types of murderers there are, from spree and hitmen to serial and beyond. 

It’s clear that Wilson knows his stuff. Without having read any of his previous novels, it’s clear that he has years of experience dealing with various psychopaths and murderers and knows their personalities inside and out. He takes a more scientific approach compared to his American contemporaries too, relying more heavily of the psychology of victims and evidence based practice compared to ‘one off interviews’ and showman ship. It’s a refreshing and more reliable approach to others I’ve read (ie John Douglas, who gets a sound dressing down here). 

I liked the mix of murder types described here, and felt the book did a good overall job at addressing various types of murderers and how they came to commit them, with a mixture of individual and social circumstances. In particular, I liked Wilson’s account of a documentary he made interviewing Bert Spencer, the man accused of murdering Carl Bridgewater. During the course of making the documentary, Wilson came to the conclusion that Spencer was a classic psychopath and goes into great depth to explain why he thinks this, and why and how he thinks Bert came to murder Carl. I’m now desperate to watch the documentary to see the final confrontation between the two. 

I also thoroughly enjoyed the little titbits into prison life with Charles Manson (I laughed out loud at the, in all honestly, bizarre scenario of Manson threatening to stab the prison guards with his mustache while stark naked and covered in shoe polish) and a ‘Furries’ convention that Wilson inadvertently ended up getting in the mix with. I would have enjoyed some more of these personal insights, as they added some much needed light relief to a heavy topic. 

This was a great addition to the true crime genre, and takes a true academic approach to the general audience. A refreshingly British read, and I’ll certainly look to this author for further reading.

Book Review: Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman

Eleanor really is completely fine, and I think herein lies the problem.

This is an interesting enough story. We see Eleanor struggling to get by in life following an incredibly traumatic childhood. She’s socially awkward, odd and standoffish. She has no friends, no family except the omnipotent ‘Mummy’, and tends to live on the fringes of society. Then she meets Raymond, a new coworker, and they bond over helping an elderly chap recover from a broken hip. We see Eleanor learn that it’s ok not to be ok, what is it to feel affection from and for others, and she slowly grows into herself.

However, I just couldn’t warm enough to Eleanor. I found her incredibly irritating and unrealistic. She’s overly critical of pretty much everyone, while seeming to stumble through life in a dead end job that requires minimum mental stimulation. She does herself no favours by being cold towards everyone she meets. Her manner of speaking throughout the novel was over the top, and often at first detracted from the story. She also goes from feigning ignorance over various cultural references (ie SpongeBob Squarepants, Deal or No Deal), to comparing someone to the Unabomber - which didn’t feel realistic. Over time, as we learn her backstory (the blunt way she explains her time with Declan did make me feel for her) I began to warm to her personality, and sometimes she does have some funny moments, but mostly it was too little too late.

One redeeming quality was her blossoming friendship with Raymond. From abject disgust over his smoking and eating habits, this feeling changes overtime to reflect a little bit of a kindred spirit in such an incredibly warm hearted individual. His feelings of horror on learning how Eleanor has been treated by everyone just demonstrated what a lovely, gentle soul he is. To grow up in a loving environment and have a mother who so obviously adores him, it’s interesting to reflect if this is how Eleanor could have been if she were ‘normal’.

I’m not saying I didn’t enjoy this - I did, but I’m not enamoured the way others seem to have been. The plot is relatively sedate, and to be honest this feels distinctly more like a character piece rather than story driven. And when you’re not keen on the protagonist that’s always going to be a problem for me. I just can’t get into a book when I don’t enjoy the main character. I’ve read a couple of novels along similar lines lately (Convenience Store Woman and The Kiss Quotient) and I think in both cases, those protagonists were more interesting and better developed than Eleanor. I think that perhaps this novel suffered because of my recent enjoyment of those books, because it became too easy to compare them.

So yes, Eleanor, you really are completely fine.

Book Review: Brutally Honest by Melanie Brown

Mel B, Scary Spice, her of the leopard print catsuit and loud mouth, has certainly had a tough few years. I’d heard a lot of the rumours surrounding her infamous marriage breakdown to then husband Stephen Belafonte, and the rift with her family, but quite honestly I didn’t expect her to be quite so upfront about what really went on behind those closed doors for ten years. This really is brutally honest, and I admire the courage and strength that it must have taken for her to put this all to paper. The emotional abuse she had to deal with (and her children had to deal with) is awful, and you can feel that pain written in every word. At her worst she was a shell of her former self, locked in a battle with drugs and alcohol to try and block out her life.

This is a book primarily about Mel’s relationships with men. If you’re looking for memories of her time with the Spice Girls, this isn’t the book for you (although they are mentioned, and it’s a joy to read when they are). It’s squarely focused on all the men who’ve made an impact on her life, starting with her father, through to Jimmy her first husband, Eddie Murphy (the supposed ‘love of her life’) and, of course, Stephen. She discusses what she feels caused her to pick the worst kind of man imaginable, and also offers up that grain of hope that even if you are stuck in an abhsive relationship there’s always a way out. It might take time - it took Mel an additional three years and the death of her father to finally leave Stephen for good, but it can be done. 

At times I found the writing a little all over the place, and some sentences or paragraphs were repeated several times throughout the book (such as Mel reminiscing about when she bought her parents a house, which she explains no less than three times). There’s also no clear structure or timeline, going from that fateful night before the X Factor show when she tries to commit suicide, back to her childhood, Eddie, Stephen again, back to Jimmy etc. It feels chaotic, and this is a big reflection of Mel B herself who comes across as quite the whirlwind. Some focus would have helped however, as at times I struggled to get to grips with the time frames. 

A raw, sometimes difficult read, that I hope helps Mel deal with a truely traumatic time in her life. I hope she can finally accept herself, and find the peace she certainly deserves.

Book Review: Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata

What a weird little book.

Convenience Store Woman follows Keiko, a 36 year old Japanese woman who seems to have slipped the social ‘norms’ by working as a part time convenience store clerk for the past 18 years. She has no husband, no desire to change her job, and is shunned by a society who deem her behaviour odd, and at worst, disturbing. She speaks at times as though she’s embodying the convenience store, as though it speaks through her, and often describes herself as only truely feeling like a human being when she was ‘reborn’ a shop worker. Within the shop she feels a certain level of order and security that cannot be found outside. Here she has a manual and rules to follow that make her a valuable team member.

Keiko speaks without any real emotion, as though it’s beyond her capacity to feel empathy or comprehend how to function within the wider society outside of the convenience store. We see her emulate the dress sense of her fellow coworkers, as well as adopting their way of talking in order to ‘fit in’ and seem less of an outsider. This makes it difficult to connect with her, as she often just feels confused when confronted with difficult or awkward situations rather than having any kind of emotional response. Sometimes I felt she was like a giant void of darkness, sucking all the humanity out of herself to the point where any kind of ‘normal’ response from the people around her (such as her sister crying in front of her) begins to seem almost alien to the reader - just like it would to Keiko.

The introduction of Shiraha only furthers this disconnection from the reader, as we see Keiko struggle to understand what exactly their relationship is, and what exactly they can gain from each other. I did feel pity at one point that she couldn’t see that Shiraha was taking advantage, but I felt he wasn’t particularly well developed in the short amount of time devoted to him in the novel to really care. He just came across as mean, and insane.

A weird book that at times almost feels like a love affair to the oddballs of the world, and in particular one woman’s love for a convenience store that becomes the centre of her world.

Book Review: The Wicked King by Holly Black

When I read The Cruel Prince in 2017 I was blown away by the magical world of Fae and political scheming. But that was nothing compared to The Wicked King. Nothing. 

This kicks up everything that was divulged at the end of the previous novel and twists it. Constantly plotting, scheming and internal fighting have left Jude a shadow of her former self. She’s poisoning herself everyday to build up a resistance, but it feels as though the palace itself is doing more damage than the Faerie fruit. As Madoc said, it’s harder to keep power than to obtain it, and Jude is constantly learning that to play with the big leagues is pretty hard to pull off. Especially when you’re mortal.

The chemistry between Cardan and Jude is perfect, and hits the right note between disgust, hatred and desire. When Jude at one point whispers ‘I hate you’, to see the smoulder in Cardan’s eyes. God. I don’t think I’ve met a pairing so equally matched in wits and glorious, unadulterated, sexual tension. This is what I want from my book romances. It’s no romance at all, but feels like it’s destiny. They’re two sides of the same coin, yet also so desperately different. Jude, mortal, vulnerable and yearning for power over a people who destroyed her family. Cardan, deliciously cruel to please others, yet seeking a love he’s wanted all his life. Their sparring of words is glorious. 

The extension of Bomb and Roach’s past together was nice to see and I loved the little snippets of Jude and Bomb together, acting for all the world like normal teenage friends. I like the Bomb, she has an integrity about her that’s rare in these Fae, and has the potential to be a true ally, and friend. Taryn I still dislike, as well as Locke. They seem well suited in their ability to appear friendly while ultimately still playing the game themselves. In fact, all of the supporting characters all well fleshed out and full of life to help build this constant level of tension and pressure around Jude and Cardan. 

The plot is full of twists and surprises that I didn’t see coming, and continued to be fast paced and interesting right up until that deplorable ending. There are plenty of plots and schemes interweaving together in such a clever way that you don’t see what’s coming until the chosen moment when everything comes to a head. Honestly, I’ve not enjoyed a book like this in such a long time, and I cannot wait to see how it will all end. Is it 2020 yet?!

Book Review: The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. 

3.5 stars. 

I’m surprised by how much I ended up enjoying what is essentially a gender reversed ‘Pretty Woman’ with an autistic female protagonist. I’m not a romance fan. And I’m certainly not a contemporary romance fan. So I went into this with a lot of trepidation but an open mind following some very favourable reviews. And for the most part it was really fun. 

Stella is the main driving force behind why I enjoyed this so much. She comes across as such a genuine individual who’s perhaps not your stereotypical romance character. She’s flawed, seen as a bit ‘odd’, with an obsession for statistics and maths. She struggles with social interactions and hates large social gatherings. Yet she’s also quirky, kind and giving. She’s described as ‘pretty’ by Michael, but more because that’s his type rather than because she’s stunningly beautiful. It’s his growing affection for Stella that drives his lust, rather than it merely being about looks. Their relationship feels open and honest, and very real. Nothing feels forced (rather the opposite, as Michael is very determined to endure Stella never feels pressurised) and is always respectful. Both of them feel so inadequate compared to the other, and I found this incredibly endearing. 

The sex scenes are also really full on, but never felt cringy or smutty (I’m looking at you Maas). Granted, this isn’t something I’d want read aloud to my mother, and reading it while sat in Costa Coffee with my 5 month old baby was an experience (I’m a total book prude, who knew?!). But, it felt necessary to the story. There’s clear boundaries with Stella, and lines that cannot be crossed at first, so it was kind of sexy to see Michael work around them in order to show her what love and sex should be rather than what she’s been subjected to in the past. I wouldn’t say it’s a slow burner by any means, but the romance is there, and it was believable. This was also helped by the plethora of supporting characters from Michael’s family, as they added a degree of warmth and understanding to his character and his personal insecurities that without would have made him feel very unattainable and unrealistic. 

The writing isn’t amazing. Some plot lines seemed a little too convenient or far fetched (ie everything involving Phillip and Aliza) and the ending was a little too contrived for my tastes but I think that’s my main issues with romance novels anyway. There’s not enough ‘grit’ for my personal preferences. But as far as romance novels go, this is the first I’ve really enjoyed for a long time.

Book Review: A Better Me by Gary Barlow

I was always a bit too ‘young’ for Take That the first time round. The band split when I was in primary school, and I was much more interested in making up imaginary games than crying over a boyband. However, when they returned following a documentary in 2005, their music had evolved, I’d grown up, and it was the right side of pop for me to enjoy. 

Gary has always struck me as quite a private person. The driving force behind the original band in terms of musical direction and creativity, but not really someone who enjoys the fame - and indeed this really comes across here. Although we get snippets of deeply harrowing parts of Gary’s life from recent years, such as his obsession with food, his depression following the band’s initial breakdown and the deeply harrowing time in 2012 when he lost his baby Poppy to stillbirth, sometimes I still felt he was holding back. He doesn’t really give anything away that we, the public, don’t already know about and I think this is because he’s become wary over the years of giving too much of himself. Years of ridicule over your weight, your unsuccessful solo career when your band mate has become a global phenomenon, and just generally being seen as a laughing stock in the music industry for a while would be enough to make anyone quite closed off.

I particularly liked the stories about the various tours that Take That have done in recent years (from a personal perspective I went to see the Progress tour and it was nice to get an ‘inside look’ at what went into making such an enormous and enjoyable stadium production), and Gary’s side of the story with regards to mending bridges with Robbie. Again, I felt like a lot of this aspect is heavily edited. Gary mentions that this is just his ‘side’ of the story, but I felt there was a lot more to that little reunion than is mentioned, and Gary remains quite guarded about the subject throughout. 

There is hardly any mention of Take That from the 90’s other than a brief run down of how Gary joined the band, which was a little disappointing. Gary, again, mentions that it’s all be told before - but a part of me felt like this was a bit of a cop out to tell some really interesting stories about what went in back in the original haydays of the band. 

An interesting read if you like Gary and Take That, with some really emotional sections on stillbirth and the hopelessness and despair that brings. But it’s rather heavily edited by Gary himself.

Book Review: Heroes: Mortals and Monsters, Quests and Adventures by Stephen Fry

When I was a child my favourite movie was Clash of the Titans - the 1981 film with Maggie Smith as Athena and Laurence Olivier as Zeus. Medusa was, and is, the scariest monster I have ever seen on TV and I regularly had to leave my light on when I went to sleep because I thought she was going to come and slither up the stairs and turn me to stone.

Anyway, from a young age I’ve had a healthy obsession with Greek Mythology and I’ve read many, many books on the subject. My favourite story still to this day has always been Perseus and his hunt for Medusa, so I was overjoyed to see that Fry was continuing his jaunt into the Greek myths after Mythos with an account of the golden age of the Heroes. They’re all here - the labours of Heracles, Theseus and the Minotaur and Oedipus among others (including my beloved Perseus), and they’re retold in the easy accessible way Fry has with words. I’ve read these stories so many times, but Fry genuinely manages to make them less convoluted and confusing (which is so easy to do with these tales when there is no single original source and the family trees are a little large and rather incestuous), while still managing to entertain and make me laugh.

None of the richness to the stories is lost, and you can tell that Fry has a genuine passion and knowledge of the subject (the footnotes alone denote a higher level of understanding than most), while giving sources to further reading if one wishes. The conversational tone really lends itself well to these stories, and you can almost image Fry standing in front of you (or sat round a hearth) reciting them. Its been wonderful to dip back into this vast history and I sincerely hope that Fry continues to cover the rise and fall of Troy in another edition to the series (it’s hinted at) to complete this ‘set’ of Greek myths and tales.

Book Review: Lies Sleeping by Ben Aaronovitch

A great follow up to The Hanging Tree, Lies Sleeping continues to follow Peter Grant and his search to hunt down and thwart the plans of The Faceless Man and his apprentice while getting himself mixed up in the demi-monde world, which this time involves bells, along the way. 

As I said when reviewing The Hanging Tree, I’ve found these novels to get better and better as they progress as the world is now so well established, and the characters are all charismatic and varied. In particular, this wouldn’t work if Peter himself wasn’t so damn likeable. He’s flawed - always trying to be the ‘do gooder’, likes the sound of his own voice, far too inquisitive to the point of verging on annoying...yet he’s down to earth, the every man of the Folly to counterbalance the extremes that are Nightingale and his associates. It helps that I’m also extremely fond of Beverley too. Goddess, girlfriend, and maybe more? I love all the Rivers, although we seem to see Tyburn and Bev the most, and the introduction of Walbrook here added another layer to their mythology. 

The world building and mythology is convoluted, and the writing style at times can get overly bogged down in descriptions and facts about London/buildings/literally anything. But I’ve come to expect this now of Aaronovitch, and there’s a certain charm in it that I find quite endearing. Yes, it can get complicated trying to decipher who or what various members of the demi-monde are, and what magic is, but we’re seven books in now and I feel like I have a good outline of this world and the creatures who inhabit it. We’re learning along with Peter, and it’s a fun ride. 

This expanded on the plot from The Hanging Tree well, delving deeper into the ultimate plan of The Faceless Man. I would have liked to have seen a bit more of his world and his weird cat creatures and pale ladies and how/why they’re working for him - but this small mystery that remains only adds to his air of menace.

I really hope there isn’t a long wait before the next installment, because the fast pace of this coupled with an exciting ending has just left me wanting more.

Book Review: When the Dog's Don't Bark: A Forensic Scientist's Search for the Truth by Angela Gallop

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. 

When the Dogs Don’t Bark follows forensic scientist Angela Gallop as she discusses her 40 year career within the profession. What follows is an outline of a number of her most memorable cases interspersed with the history and development of forensic sciences within the UK and it’s importance in the conviction, and defense, of individuals accused of a variety of crimes. 

What immediately comes across while reading this is just how complicated and varied forensic science is. Far from standing in ditches collecting evidence from a crime scene, forensic scientists are wide reaching and branch into different specialties, from chemical, entomology, and one of the fastest growing - digital forensics. Often they must possess a thought process a little ‘outside the box’ too by taking the extra step of recreating scenarios in labs to determine the most probably outcome and unlock the truth about what happened at the crime scene. Two instances that stand out are when she mentions recreating the action of pushing a mop around a kitchen floor to exonerate a man accused of murder, and shooting a suspended pig carcass with a shotgun to discover where a specific shot went. 

Other than a few glimmers of interesting cases and scenarios, this was a rather dry book to get through unfortunately. A lot of time is spent describing the different kinds of forensic scientists there are, and the various techniques which are used. It’s very science based, and talks in great detail about methodologies. There’s also a lot of detail regarding Gallop’s professional career and various businesses, however I found this could have been condensed, as it really took away from the more interesting cases. I think the book was approached very much like a scientific report, using cases to back up Gallop’s explanations of various techniques instead of letting the cases speak for themselves. It feels almost clinical at times, and there’s just no heart to the stories. A lot of the cases she mentions, she states she doesn’t know the outcome, and this got very frustrating at times as it came across as feeling unfinished and a little emotionless. Perhaps some more of her own personal background may have helped here, as we learnt a lot about her professional life but hardly anything personal.

I do find the synopsis a little misleading, as there’s no real depth to any of the memorable cases, sometimes they consisting of only a few paragraphs, and they are rather few and far between. The bulk of the book is centered around Gallop’s career and her explanations of what forensic scientists do. In this regard it’s meticulous in its presentation, but it wasn’t what I was expecting at all. 

Interesting if you want to expand your knowledge of what forensic science is, but don’t go into it expecting lots of true crime stories or cases.

Book Review: Under the Wig: A Lawyer's Stories of Murder, Guilt and Innocence by William Clegg, QC

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. 

I’ve always been interested in the law. Not to the extent that I’ve wanted to be involved career wise (I’m firmly in team health professional), but I think it’s more an interest in the unknown and archaic world of the British justice system. It’s riddled with traditions that make it distinctly unique (mentioned here are the ‘nosegays’ given to judges at the Old Bailey, and the displaying of one of the great swords of the City of London in the court of the most senior judge) and I just find that fascinating. Under the Wig helps lift that lid into this rather closeted world, and really brought to life a world I, respectfully, hope never to be deeply involved in. 

This read like a memoir in part, as we follow William Clegg QC he starts his career in law, eventually leading to him ‘taking the silk’ and becoming a barrister and head of chambers. Interspersed between this are the stories of some of his most memorable cases in the world of murder, fraud and war criminals. I liked this method of writing, because it broke up would could have been an otherwise ‘dry’ subject with injections of humour, compassion and humility. Law is so complicated, and the book needed this touch of ‘down to earth’ to appeal to a wider audience. 

There were a number of topics that I had no idea about, especially Legal Aid, that I found really interesting. There was a distinct amount of passion for the subject of ‘pro bono’ cases, and the reduction in government funding that has a massive knock on effect in the profession that I had no idea about. Everything in law seems to have a cause and effect that influences everyone from the secretaries and clerks to the solicitors and barristers. It’s stressed a number of times that it’s seen as a family, and this was very endearing to me. 

It was also really interesting to read a book from ‘the other side’, from a defence perspective rather than prosecution. This was particularly true in the Miss Yeates murder trial, where he was on the defence team. I found myself on a couple of occasions comparing it to a number of FBI heavy novels I’ve read (Mindhunter springs to mind), and seeing the various methods employed by both, and the differences they have. It was fascinating. William Clegg QC is very much anti capital punishment because of possible miscarriages of justice, and I thought he did a good job of putting his reasons for this across. 

I did find at times that the author comes across as quite reserved, as if he’s holding something back. I think this is a downfall to his profession, where the poker face is key, but I really wanted a bit ‘more’ emotion. He readily admits at one point that he’s not sentimental or emotional, rapidly moving on from case to case (a decent coping mechanism with such a heavy workload) but I think I could have connected better with him if he’d shown a bit more vulnerability. 

An excellent read into a world that before now has been largely hidden from me. Highly recommended for lovers of the law and true crime to gain a truely unique perspective from the defence side.

Book Review: Catwoman: Soulstealer by Sarah J. Maas

Catwoman explores the origins of Selina Kyle: assassin, master jewel thief, sister. We see her rise from the poverty stricken streets of Gotham as she fights for her sister’s wellbeing, before being reborn as a Wraith - the ultimate weapon to bring down the city that dismissed her in her time of need.

I liked the story, and I enjoyed the fresh approach to Selina’s story. She’s portrayed as an ultimately vulnerable young woman who’s just trying to find her place in the world and I could often see these undercurrents of sadness as she fights her way across Gotham. I like that she’s multifaceted, which is how Catwoman should be. She’s not a hero, and doesn’t pretend to be one, but she’s also not a villain. Everything she does is for a greater purpose, even if her means of getting there may be portrayed as slightly dubious.

However, it’s her relationship with Ivy and Harley that was a real highlight for me. The three of them are presented as flawed, damaged beyond compare, yet they still manage to form this incredibly strong bond that’s also highly complicated - due in no small part to Harley’s inexplicable bond to the Joker. The three are sometimes a mirror image of each other too, and I think that’s why their relationship is so powerful. Each has a deeply troubled past, lacking in love and respect, and they find this in each other. I would have loved to see more interaction between them and have this relationship explored on a deeper level.

Selina’s relationship with Batwing I found more lacklustre. There’s no real development in their relationship in my opinion, and it just comes across as a little forced. Batwing himself is a decent character with enough backstory to carry a story of his own, but here he really just feels like a stand in to the stars of the show and it comes across as very one dimensional. I do think it’s harder to make the heroes more interesting. There’s less scope to give them complicated moral dilemmas to overcome, and unfortunately Batwing does suffer because of this.

I also found the plot a little lacking. The reveals are a little obvious, told without that art of subtlety I’ve come to expect in Maas. It feels very clunky at times, and the pacing is a bit all over the place - going from fight scene to pages of monologue with no in between.

I think I’m not a big enough fan of the genre to continue the rest of this series, but I’m glad I took the time to read this one. Catwoman is by far one of the most entertaining characters in the DC universe.

 - 3 stars

Book Review: Muse of Nightmares by Laini Taylor

It's my birthday today, so I'm reviewing one of my favourite books of last year.

Laini Taylor writes the most beautiful prose, and can spin the most magical stories. Her characters are complex, complicated and flawed. Muse of Nightmares is no exception. This follows directly on from Strange the Dreamer, with no time in between. We’re taken straight into the story, and almost hit the ground running as we see Lazlo and Minya face off for the first time. It’s Minya who’s the star here, especially during the first half of the book. She’s bitter and spiteful, using Lazlo’s love for Sarai for her own agenda. The subtleties she has over her power, the ability to hold and wield the souls of the dead, and the way these are exposed to her ‘family’ are wonderful to read. She’s an individual starved of love who’s witnessed an event no one, but especially a child, should ever witness and it’s changed her irrevocably. She’s an utterly unique and wonderful character to read. Her unpredictability combined with this immense sense of responsibility just makes for such an interesting girl. She’s vicious and unrelenting, yet fiercely loyal.

Muse of Nightmares also sees the expansion of the backstory we are first introduced to in Strange the Dreamer. We see Skathis and the other Gods before the beginning of their reign of terror over Weep, and we finally discover the horrifying reason for the Godspawn. The two stories interweave with a degree of subtlety that develops into a wonderful conclusion, and the introduction of new character’s Nova and Kora fit well into the already developed tale. I was particularly taken with the strong bond between Nova and Kora, and their persistent and ever present belief in each other. They’re another example of the irreparable damage Skathis has caused for his own greedy gain, but also of how strong the bond of love can be and the perseverance of both.

Towards the end of the novel we’re given a little hint of the wider universes and how they link to Laini’s previous novels, which was cleverly done (and made me do a little inward squeal). I really hope that the world’s we’ve been exposed to can be further developed as the conclusion to this story was left open ended enough to do that. I’d love to see Karou interact with these characters who have also been perceived as vile and unnatural, much like the persecuted chimaera of The Daughter of Smoke and Bone.

I really don’t think my review could ever do this novel enough justice. I just love Laini Taylor’s ability to take characters you wouldn’t expect to find as the ‘heroes’ and flip the idea on its head. The Gods are the antagonists, yet their reviled children are the innocents. It’s just such a unique concept, and I love it and will probably continue to love everything she writes.

 - 5 stars

Book Review: Listening to the Animals: Becoming the Supervet by Noel Fitzpatrick

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Noel Fitzpatrick is perhaps best known in the UK for his tv programme ‘The Supervet’, which centres around his small animal practice treating exceptionally difficult cases with a certain degree of innovation and passion. His book looks deeper into this passion for his work, as well as expanding on Noel’s life growing up in rural Ireland, and his difficult route to the so called ‘field of dreams’.

I have so much respect of Noel. He has a wonderful work, and life, ethic - believing that you can achieve anything if you work hard enough for it. And he has shown that himself from the large amount of time and effort he’s put into his profession, advancing veterinary medicine to the benefit of thousands of animals.

Reading about Noel’s upbringing on a rural Irish farm, there’s a vulnerability to his writing that makes him instantly endearing. It really feels like he’s writing from the heart and you can feel his passion and warmth. He writes honestly about his struggles with bullies and the isolation he felt, and growing up with the beloved farm dog Pirate, who was his only confidante. At times I was truely brought close to tears.

I particularly enjoyed the later chapters, as we join Noel on his quest to secure his own practice and improve the veterinary medicine specialisms of orthopaedics and neurosurgery. I have a dachshund myself, and I know that in the future we may have back problems in Monty that 10 years ago would have meant he would have been put down. Now, thanks to Noel, there’s a hope within the field that he could undergo procedures that could lead to a long and healthy life. That’s all down to Noel and his absolute belief in what he does. Thank you Noel. If only more people had the compassion you show for our four legged family members.

If anything, I would have liked to have read more tales from the various practices he ‘locumed’ for, as I think he spent a greater amount of time describing his experiences on farm animal cases (which I still really enjoyed - especially the story about the drunk lads and the cow ceasarean!). But, honestly, I really enjoyed this. A must read for any animal lover, told with no end of enthusiasm and love.

 - 4 stars

Book Review: The Twisted Tree by Rachel Burge

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What a wonderfully creepy little book, perfect for this time of year. The Twisted Tree tells the story of Martha, a girl who can feel people’s memories when she touches their clothing, as she returns to Norway after growing concerned for her grandmother’s safety. What follows is a story steeped in Norse mythology, tentative friendships and one incredibly scary monster lurking in the woods.

Martha is a great character. Her ability to see people’s secrets just by touching others clothes is such a unique concept, and one that has come with a price. She’s blind in one eye, scarred for life following an incident at the twisted tree in her grandmother’s back garden. And this incident has perhaps scarred Martha more than she initially lets on. She’s guarded, closed off from her parents and the one friend she has back in London, and unwilling to interact with people. She also sees herself as hideous, a monster, who no one could ever love - let alone like. It’s this vulnerability that really drew me to Martha, and made me really feel for her.

Stig is also an interesting character. From his sudden appearance and very shady, secretive background, to his hidden feelings of jealousy and self hatred - he mirrors a lot of Martha’s personality while also being a different kind of closed off. When the two characters are together, they perfectly mirror each other’s growing confusion and anxiousness to create a wonderfully creepy atmosphere. They bounce off each other on such a level that their tentative friendship feels comfortable and develops perfectly over time. Their feelings for each other are subtle, and enhance the story rather than overpowering it. They both need each other for different reasons.

It’s the atmospheric feel of the book that really gives this an edge, that builds into a frenzied crescendo right until the end. Most of the book is played out within Martha’s grandma’s cabin, and the feelings of claustrophobia and anxiety roll off the pages as we find both Stig and Martha struggling to cope with what lies in wait for them outside, and in. The vast emptiness of outside crowding in, almost as if the environment and the twisted tree are a living being, coupled with the fleeting hints of terror from ghosts, whispers on the winds, and one very tense excursion into the woods all made me feel incredibly creeped out. I loved it.

The only reason for not giving this 5 stars? I felt there was a lot of unfinished business with Stig. At the end of the novel I had more questions than answers with regards to his past and personality and I felt more could have been done to tie up these loose ends.

This is an impressive debut, that’s perfectly suited to those that enjoy the creepy and atmospheric mingled with a unique magical concept steeped in mythology. I couldn’t put it down, and I eagerly await what the author has next to offer. Highly recommend.

 - 4 stars

Book Review: World of Lore: Dreadful Places by Aaron Mahnke

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The latest instalment in the ‘Lore’ series, this follows the stories that surround the dark and sinister places in our lore. As usual it’s easy to read, with a friendly and familiar writing style that lends itself well to these types of stories. It’s as though the writer is talking around a camping fire with old friends, relaying spooky stories - which is exactly how these tales should be told.

The stories and places covered range from New Orleans, Scottish castles, the American colonies and ghost ships and it’s very good at dipping the readers toe into this range of stories and folklore that can then be followed up in greater depth by the reader if they want to. It never lingers too long on one story or subject, offering an introduction and background to the tale and a brief outline before moving on. This meant that if one story didn’t intrigue me, I was quickly swept up into the next one, and the next. I was particularly taken with the sections on New Orleans and ghost ships. These areas were deeply atmospheric and creepy, with unexplained tales that were genuinely chilling.

The first section is very ‘America’ centric, and I was a little less interested in these stories because of their lack of richness and history. America itself is a relatively new country in my eyes, and somewhat lacks the magical and ethereal elements that more ancient cultures have in abundance. I also found it was quite flippant at times in its portrayal of slavery and the associated atrocities.

However, the later chapters do branch out into the wider world and this is where the book came into its own as it allowed for a broader scope in stories. Folklore is so fascinating, and so unique to each culture and local area that I felt it was necessary to do this. It’s an organic thing, that evolves and changes with the people, as well as helping to join a community together through socialisation and the author does well to get this across here. It’s evident he has a passion for the subject, and a need to spread these stories like our ancestors did. It’s a way of keeping the tales alive.

Another great addition to the ‘Lorek series. I really enjoy these books, and this is perfect to read at this time of year for a creepy little night in.

 - 4 stars

Book Review: To All The Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han

I’m a slave for fads and those ‘most talked about’ lists, so obviously I had to read this. Especially as I watched the Netflix movie first (granted I haven’t watched all of it yet) and I admit it was cute. I’m not normally a fan of anything contemporary, especially YA, but this I enjoyed.

I think I liked the overall feel the most. It’s like a toasty ham and cheese sandwich. It’s comforting, friendly, with no nasty after tastes. Everything is kept sweet and innocent with lots of lovely family moments, and I enjoyed experiencing them all with Lara Jean. Yes, at times her personality was a little grating. She’s ‘too’ nice sometimes, and comes across as a pushover but then I see a lot of myself at her age reflected in her character. She’s an introvert who loves to read. I’m sure a lot of people on Goodreads can relate to that. I also liked that this isn’t so much a typical YA contemporary. The story feels like it’s as much about Lara Jeans family as it is about friends, and these important boys, in her life.

The romance elements, although obvious, are also well thought out and develop reasonably well over the course of the book. You can see the relationships grow over the course of the story and I was pleasantly surprised at how much I grew to enjoy Peter in particular. He’s charismatic and likeable. The ying to Lara Jean’s yang.

At times I did find the plot a little meandering, with a slow pace. Not much happens between Lara Jean, Peter and Josh for a long time and although I can appreciate that this was to build up various relationships, I would have liked a bit of drama or excitement along the way. Because of this, it took me longer than normal to read as I found I couldn’t invest myself in the story. I’m glad I stuck it out though, as the last third of the story really comes into its own to a rather satisfying (although very much a cliffhanger) conclusion.

It was cute, and I didn’t hate it, which is always a bonus. However, I don’t think I’ll be reading the other books in the series.

 - 3 stars

Book Review: The Towering Sky by Katharine McGee

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Towering Sky is the third and final instalment of futuristic teen series ‘The Thousandth Floor’. Following in the same vein as the previous books, we see our privileged and beautiful narrators as they navigate the fall out of various secrets finally coming to light, mixed in with a little teen angst and drama.

This instalment is really all about Avery and her relationship with adopted brother Atlas, as well as being the ‘darling’ of the New York scene and the travails this incurs. I like Avery. She’s described as a genetically designed perfect individual, but she never sees herself as this. In fact, she’s deeply insecure, constantly comparing herself to her friends while remaining deeply loyal to the end. She comes across as a genuinely good character, who exudes a warmth while remaining charismatic and interesting. This can be hard to do in novels like this, where most characters appear vapid with little substance to them. Avery is more complex than this, and I would say she’s well developed.

Leda is another well developed character, troubled by her unpredictable nature and struggling with her past actions. It was nice to see her interactions with Avery and Watt, although I did find the conclusion to her storyline a little too ‘neat’. I would have liked to have seen her interact with the other narrators a bit more too. Especially Rylin, who she shares a lot in common with.

The weakest character was Calliope. I found her storyline unnecessary, and she comes across as more of an enigma. We don’t know much about her history, and I found myself not really caring. Her story also isn’t linked in anyway to the main plot, and aside from a brief interaction with Avery she doesn’t communicate with any of the other characters - making her a little redundant. I could have done without her to be honest, and felt that as a whole her character had an air of ‘missed opportunity’ about it. She could have been very handy to have around as Avery’s world decends into chaos. I also found Rylin a bit of an accessory, and her storyline was rather bland and predictable.

I found this very similar in tone to the other novels in the series. It’s a total guilty pleasure that is very easy to read, and flows reasonably well. It’s nevr going to win literary awards for the writing style. It’s simplistic, and very ‘young’ in tone - but this suits the overall feel of the novel. I will say that I was disappointed in certain plot points that petered out and didn’t conclude to my satisfaction - such as the murder mystery element that started well, and then was sort of forgotten about only to be hurriedly concluded. I also found certain reveals of secrets that have been built up over the course of the three novels to fall rather flat, which was disappointing. I wanted to see more the fallout, rather than the rushed ending that I got. I wanted more of the trauma, and less of the fairy tale.

That said, this was entertaining and a rather enjoyable light read after some heavy nonfiction. Would recommend.

 - 3 stars