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Mice

3.57 of 5 stars 3.57 · rating details · 868 ratings · 199 reviews

Shelley und ihre Mutter waren zu lange einfach zu nett. Klassische Opfer, die sich nach massivem Mobbing wie Mäuse fühlen. Sie verkriechen sich in einem abgelegenen Haus auf dem Land, um ihre Probleme hinter sich zu lassen. Sie sind glücklich in ihrer kleinen Welt mit Büchern, Musik und häuslichen Ritualen. Doch eines Nachts werden sie in ihrem neu gefundenen Frieden bedro...more

Paperback, 329 pages

Published February 1st 2011 by Mantle (first published September 1st 2010)

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Apr 13, 2012 karen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: distant-lands

sarah montambo is not a mouse.

but shelley and her mother are doormats.

very bright, but by whatever fluke of nature or nurture, passive, timid, and the type to scurry away from any conflict: mice.

shelley is bullied at school. and i mean BULLIED. by her former best friends, turned in late adolescence into a pack of vicious bitches. it goes beyond dog-poop in the bag and hair-pulling, this, and culminates in an act that is so horrific, even cast-iron stomach karen had to take a moment. is it over t...more

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May 17, 2011 Blair rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery-thriller-etc, favourites

I didn't actually mean to start reading this immediately upon taking it out of the library, as I already had two books on the go; but then I began to read the first page and before I knew it, five chapters had gone by. The story is narrated by fifteen-year-old Shelley, who lives in an isolated country cottage with her mother Elizabeth. In a fast-moving, immediately engrossing start, we learn about their background and how they have come to lead such an isolated existence. They are, as Shelley ex...more I didn't actually mean to start reading this immediately upon taking it out of the library, as I already had two books on the go; but then I began to read the first page and before I knew it, five chapters had gone by. The story is narrated by fifteen-year-old Shelley, who lives in an isolated country cottage with her mother Elizabeth. In a fast-moving, immediately engrossing start, we learn about their background and how they have come to lead such an isolated existence. They are, as Shelley explains, 'mice' - meek and subservient, they have found themselves natural targets for cruel, dominating people, with Shelley a victim of vicious school bullies who have forced her out of education and left her with permanent facial scars, and Elizabeth tormented by Shelley's father, a successful lawyer who has deserted his family for a young mistress (and, it's implied, was physically abusive to both his wife and daughter). The cottage is 'a place to hide, not a place to live'. Nevertheless, the two enjoy a quiet but 'wonderful' life for a brief time, only for their peace to be disturbed on the eve of Shelley's sixteenth birthday by a young, drug-addled burglar. Tormented by his insults and desecration of their home, Shelley snaps and attacks him with his own knife, and the intruder ends up dead.

Thereafter, Mice turns into something of a hybrid between a psychological suspense thriller and a black comedy, as Shelley and Elizabeth endeavour to cover up the murder and deal with the threat of an unknown blackmailer. There are some interesting moral questions for the reader; you're encouraged to sympathise with Shelley from the very beginning, so it's difficult to know how to react to her crime. The scenario turns that right-wing cause célèbre, the right to defend one's own home using force, on its head by having the 'defender' be an abused, victimised young girl who snaps under pressure, delivering a brutal attack which is arguably an act of self-defence (this in itself is ambiguous - the burglar is leaving the house when Shelley attacks him) but nevertheless much worse than what the intruder actually deserves. Through Shelley's eyes, as she comes to terms with and attempts to justify what she's done, you're coaxed into seeing the burglar as a subhuman figure, a violent criminal lowlife whose death matters little in the grand scheme of things. Can there be any justification for her actions and what comes afterwards? I found myself wondering what I'd do in her/their shoes, and Reece is excellent at portraying the way these dreadful events create a momentum of their own, forcing the characters to do things they never dreamed they were capable of.

(view spoiler)

I'm not a big reader of crime fiction, but something about this book just jumped out at me when I read the synopsis, and I wasn't disappointed. It's a quick read and completely riveting; Shelley's youthful voice - wonderfully convincing - makes it very easy to read (although it is not, as some readers seem to have thought, a YA novel), and the action and suspense comes thick and fast. Thrilling, intense and memorable. 9 out of 10 for this one.(less)

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May 08, 2012 Keith Chawgo rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

'Mice' was recommended by a fellow Good Reads friend Karen, who writes some of the best reviews and gives an incredible reflection on what she reads and insightful view on the books that she has read. I strongly urge anyone to add her to your friends list just for the reviews that she writes.

Moving on to the review. 'Mice' is a truly absorbing book that deals with bullying in its many different forms and how two women deal with it and decide that enough is enough.

The story is written from a fi...more 'Mice' was recommended by a fellow Good Reads friend Karen, who writes some of the best reviews and gives an incredible reflection on what she reads and insightful view on the books that she has read. I strongly urge anyone to add her to your friends list just for the reviews that she writes.

Moving on to the review. 'Mice' is a truly absorbing book that deals with bullying in its many different forms and how two women deal with it and decide that enough is enough.

The story is written from a first person perspective and although the person is a teenager, her views on the world is quite open and not as self obsessed as most first person narratives. The mother and daughter relationship is very thought provoking and works on many levels which feels true. I have to say, that because of the strong relationship between the two, it is almost shocking that the author is male because of the believability of this.

When the bullying starts, things start to take off with each attack becoming more and more vicious until it reaches breaking point. When this climax happens, the story reaches an almost conclusion only to take off again in another direction. Without giving anything away, the story never goes into cliche or over the top actions to reach its conclusion. It is stays grounded in reality which makes this book stand out amongst alot of the fiction out there.

The conclusion of the book is very satisfying and have to admit, it did make me look for other works by this author because I was that impressed by this book.

This book, I later found out, is part of the new young fiction that is out which is turning heads in every direction. I am currently finding this new young fiction brigade that is emerging more and more powerful each day with the likes of 'The Book Thief', 'The Hungar Games Triolgy', 'Warm Bodies' to name a few is becoming a force to be reckoned with and better written than most 'ADULT' fiction.

If you want a truly absorbing book that will rush you from start to finish with its brutally honest approach, than 'Mice' is for you. I would like to thank Karen for a truly excellent read. (less)

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Mar 15, 2012 Vicky rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: for-review, thriller, read-in-2012, favourites

My original review was posted at http://www.booksbiscuitsandtea.co.uk/...

Having received a review copy of this book, I was really excited about picking it up and reading it because it sounded really promising. As those of you who follow my reviews might know, I absolutely love murder mysteries - I have some kind of an obsession with crime fiction, in fact. Even though Mice is actually a thriller - a genre I haven't actually read before - it was right up my street. It's one of those books that yo...more My original review was posted at http://www.booksbiscuitsandtea.co.uk/...

Having received a review copy of this book, I was really excited about picking it up and reading it because it sounded really promising. As those of you who follow my reviews might know, I absolutely love murder mysteries - I have some kind of an obsession with crime fiction, in fact. Even though Mice is actually a thriller - a genre I haven't actually read before - it was right up my street. It's one of those books that you're simply unable to put down, something that makes you stay up at odd hours in order to find out what happens next. It draws you in to such an extent that you literally can't move until you've finished reading it - only when the story reached a conclusion did I feel like I could breathe again.

What really struck me literally two pages in the story was Reece's writing style. I can count on the fingers of one hand the number of authors whose style simply blew me away but Reece is definitely one of them. His story is so clever and is written in such a sophisticated, such an eloquent way that you cannot help being completely drawn into his world and "listen" to every word he says, or in this case every word the narrator (and protagonist), the sixteen-year-old Shelley says. If I had to choose two aspects of the book that I loved the most then the author's style would be one of them, followed by its unique storyline.

It's very difficult to talk about the plot without giving anything away so I won't go into details. The book, among many other things, deals with a situation where a mother and her daughter know they need to stay calm and not to panic but they've repressed their emotions for such a long time that something just snaps. They do something they'd never have done before and their momentary outburst causes several difficulties. Even though Mice is a thriller, the first incident that basically starts the ball rolling wasn't terrifying in itself, at least for me. The way Reece gives us an insight into what goes on in their mind and how he describes the situation and the consequences was more haunting and effective for me.

All in all, I think Mice would fit into the category of psychological thriller perfectly, where the main emphasis is on characters and the consequences of their actions - or in other words, what they do when reality sinks in. I wasn't familiar with Reece's work right until now but he quickly became one of my favourite writers and after reading this book, I'll make sure to keep an eye on his upcoming books. He's just brilliant. I can't praise him enough.(less)

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Aug 25, 2011 Melissa rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: yikes

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Nov 04, 2012 Mademoiselle Charlotte rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya_the_best_non_romance_books, ya_awesome_fantasy_books

I read this book about 6 months ago,but I clearly remember loving it to its last page.Man,was it filled with action,some seriously unpredictable action...

This book always reminds me that there are some pretty awesome YA books.:-)The plot,as I said,was packed with mystery,action,suspense but also family love and trust.And,I have to admit,the mixture never seemed to work better!I never knew what was going to happen after the next page and basically,I was on the edge of my seat the whole time.But,n...more

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Aug 08, 2011 Sam Woodfield added it

I reviewed this book for a UK book shop and loved it!! I can't remember the last time I put my entire life on hold in order to finish a book as I did with this novel - for the last 2 days it has taken over my life and drawn me in!

I dont think the premise of this novel is anything new, but Reece's narrative, and construction of the characters means that you are absorbed into the tale hook, line and sinker.

In many novels, if the characters carried out the actions that Shelley and her mother perfor...more

1 like · like · see review

Mar 29, 2013 Hannah rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelley and her mother are “mice” - timid, shy and never willing to stand up for themselves. After a terrible bullying incident that leaves Shelley with scars, the two retreat to the countryside to live life in peace. When a burglar breaks into their peaceful paradise the two decided ‘enough is enough’ but their actions have dangerous consequences.

I would describe this book as ‘easy-reading’ fiction and not requiring any amount of concentration to get into. I found the plot very simple and pred...more

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Feb 28, 2012 Rebecca rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Well written but completely bizarre in regards to plot.

Shelley and her mom have had it rough. After being battered by Shelley's dad, he leaves to hook up with his mistress taking most of the money with them. Shelley's mom gets a job as a lawyer but it isn't a very good position because she's been out of work for 15 years. In the meantime, Shelley is horribly bullied by three girls at her school who, in the final incident, set her on fire in the bathroom.

Okay, this is where the book gets really w...more Well written but completely bizarre in regards to plot.

Shelley and her mom have had it rough. After being battered by Shelley's dad, he leaves to hook up with his mistress taking most of the money with them. Shelley's mom gets a job as a lawyer but it isn't a very good position because she's been out of work for 15 years. In the meantime, Shelley is horribly bullied by three girls at her school who, in the final incident, set her on fire in the bathroom.

Okay, this is where the book gets really weird. Shelley remembers who set her hair on fire, she has scars all over her face, her mother finds her diary which details the bullying and ... both the cops and the school refuse to prosecute because of lack of evidence. (?!?!?!?) Throw in the fact that Shelley's mom is a lawyer and that Shelley keeps bragging about how smart and skillful she is and yet this woman can't do one thing to see that her daughter gets justice.

Shelley and her mom move to an isolated cottage in the country where she gets private tutors because she's too scared to go back to school. One night a junkie breaks into the house and threatens them. Finally getting in touch with her anger, Shelley stabs him with his own knife. Mom decides not to call the cops because "she doesn't want to go to prison". Keep in mind that, when she says this, her 16 year old daughter is lying on the floor after nearly being strangled to death. Mom's worried that, because Shelley stabbed the guy as he was leaving, the cops will arrest them. (Actually I floated this question by a cop once when I was living with a bunch of roommates. He told me "There are 4 girls living in this house. If the guy is dead in the wrong place when we get here we'll just drag him back inside") But I digress...

Let's just say that this book went some very strange and inappropriate places in terms of plot. It's hard to feel any sympathy for people who won't stand up for themselves. Shelley gets a pass because of her age but what's mom's deal? I wanted to reach right between the pages and slap her for not defending her daughter against 1. an abusive father, 2. schoolyard bullies and finally 3. the junkie with a knife.

At the end, both characters find enlightenment after killing 2 men. How that adds up as a moral I don't know. Color me disgusted.(less)

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Oct 05, 2011 Jenny rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Mice is a book with an incredible story-line; suspenseful, puzzling, yet straight forward and to the point. Unlike most books, it doesn't neglect detail, though sometimes the author can get a bit too carried away with the insignificant factors of a scene, like a fat guy's chest hair or a character's somewhat pointless thoughts. Other than that, the writing is brilliant.

Despite the fabulous plot, I wasn't satisfied with the conclusion after finishing the novel. Stating to the audience that viole...more

1 like · like · see review

Sep 06, 2011 Lyndie Strawbridge rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 1st-person, highly-dysfunctional-relationships, ya, horrific

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It starts as a quaint sort of bullying tale and slowly becomes something else. This was the first book in ages that has given me nightmares. I slept uneasy last night, dreaming that I was the main character and wondering how in the world I could continue living life after the worst of the incidents comes to pass (I'm trying to write this without spoiling it, and it's hard).

I'm not much of a fan of 1st person narratives, but this one worked for me. I completely bou...more

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Sep 01, 2011 Yvann S rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

"Is that what our middle-class culture created? People formed more by the books they'd read than the lives they'd lived?"

Shelley and her mother have finally escaped from their persecutors - Shelley from school bullies who used to be her closest friends and Elizabeth from her domineering husband. They've found a new start in a beautiful cottage in the countryside and are getting on with their lives. When a burglar enters their house on the eve of Shelley's sixteenth birthday, the cowering women f...more "Is that what our middle-class culture created? People formed more by the books they'd read than the lives they'd lived?"

Shelley and her mother have finally escaped from their persecutors - Shelley from school bullies who used to be her closest friends and Elizabeth from her domineering husband. They've found a new start in a beautiful cottage in the countryside and are getting on with their lives. When a burglar enters their house on the eve of Shelley's sixteenth birthday, the cowering women fear for their lives once more...

The first thing to be said here is that the book is written in Shelley's voice and Reece writes an extraordinarily convincing 16-year-old girl. She's a little immature, can be a bit of a know-it-all, but the scars left by the bullies (physical and mental) are there for all to see.

Secondly, this is a really scary book! I don't often give up on books because they frighten me (admittedly, I never read horror, and I did give up on Deliver Us From Evil because of the awful torture being doled out by the bad guys), and "an electrifying psychological thriller" on the inside cover should have been plenty of warning, but this got to me in a way that other, more graphic novels (Taboo, The Survivor) did not. In the end I had to speed-read from about page 150 to the end because I couldn't take the horror any more!

The plot is not terribly complicated, which is one of its strengths - Reece spends 100 pages setting up the characters, about 50 on the main event, and the rest of the book preying on Shelley and Elizabeth's sanities. The setting is so prosaic, a little countryside cottage, that the events become all too plausible and realistic. The writing is not high-quality in the conventional sense, but like Emma Donoghue's Room, the author has achieved an authentic child narrator and sacrificed a little lyricism in that pursuit.

Highly recommended to those who like this kind of harrowing psychothriller. Not recommended at all to women who live alone in creaky buildings.(less)

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Aug 11, 2011 Cheryl rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelley and Elizabeth are on their own now. After Shelley’s father leaves her mother for a younger woman and moves to Spain, Shelley and Elizabeth are left with nothing. They go house hunting and find the perfect secluded location. The place is called Honeysuckle Cottage. It is the perfect place to make a home for two “mice”.

Everything is going well until that one night when Shelley hears foot steps in the house. From there, things spiral out of control very quickly.

I had no expectations when...more

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Oct 31, 2010 Larissa rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: own

Shelly has been living in a hellish nightmare, first there was her parents divorce and the messy court case that followed, then there was the incident at school that had been building for some time and left her scarred both inside and out. Now after months of suffering Shelly and her mother are finally able to begin to put their lives back together.

Like her mother, Shelly was quite, timid and lacking the courage to stand up for herself, in other words they were both mice. Hidden away from the wo...more

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Jul 30, 2010 H.J. Harper rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: australian, horror, young-adult, thriller

Every so often I'm lucky enough to come across a book that I like to call a 'stop-misser', i.e. when I'm reading it on the tram or the train, I'm so engrossed that I almost miss my stop.

So when I was nose-deep in Mice, wanting (needing) to find out what happened next, and I looked up to see the Latrobe st stop was passing me by, I knew I had a freaking excellent book in my hands.

For some reason when this was first sold to me I had it in my head that the characters were actual mice. Clearly my at...more Every so often I'm lucky enough to come across a book that I like to call a 'stop-misser', i.e. when I'm reading it on the tram or the train, I'm so engrossed that I almost miss my stop.

So when I was nose-deep in Mice, wanting (needing) to find out what happened next, and I looked up to see the Latrobe st stop was passing me by, I knew I had a freaking excellent book in my hands.

For some reason when this was first sold to me I had it in my head that the characters were actual mice. Clearly my attention span is not great. Shelley and her mum aren't mice, but are in fact actual, wonderful, horribly flawed but completely sympathetic characters who would rather be non-confrontational than stick up for themselves.

When we first meet Shelley, she's the victim of horrible bullying. I've read a few YA books about bullying that try to go over the top with the severity of the bullying and end up undermining the trauma of it because it seems so unrealistic. Not so here. You feel every moment of Shelley's horrible torment because it's so real.

Approaching this I wasn't sure how I'd deal with a main character that's a self-proclaimed victim, since most of the time I find it hard to sympathise with a character who won't help themselves. But the characterisation was so brilliant that you never believed for a second that Shelley could have done anything any other way.

And the pacing! Egad! Amazing! Moments of horrible tension followed by a few blissful chapters of relief, just to get you all nice and relaxed, and then BAM! MORE TENSION! Reece is a master of suspense.

My last little gush is about how well planned this book is. You know when you're watching or reading something and a character suggests that they do something, and you shout, "NO! Don't do that! It's a terrible idea!" But they just ignore you and do it, and you stand back and say, "Well, I told you so." Well there's definitely one of those moments in this about halfway through, which I won't ruin for you. But rather than just go along with the ride, the characters explain precisely why they're about to do what they're going to do, and you find yourself saying, "actually, you're right. That makes complete sense. Please go ahead."

Just... just read this book. Everything about it is utterly amazing.
(less)

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Apr 03, 2012 Holly rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I have longed the moment when I am forever reunited with a big, fat thriller and Mice was perfect to reintroduce me to the genre I have scarcely visited over the pass year. I was not very impressed with the book in the beginning and that was due to the fact that a snail was exceeding the pace of the book but what managed to keep me reading was Gordon Reece's subtle foreshadowing; I knew something really terrifying was happening and by-gum did I want to know what this life-altering scenario was t...more I have longed the moment when I am forever reunited with a big, fat thriller and Mice was perfect to reintroduce me to the genre I have scarcely visited over the pass year. I was not very impressed with the book in the beginning and that was due to the fact that a snail was exceeding the pace of the book but what managed to keep me reading was Gordon Reece's subtle foreshadowing; I knew something really terrifying was happening and by-gum did I want to know what this life-altering scenario was to the point of frustration caused by my inability to read 10 pages per minute.

This brings me nicely on to the problem I found most difficult to digest completely: the fillings, the excess information. When you make yourself aware of something it only draws more attention to that thing and when I thought 'Reece, what a filler line' that is all I kept seeing. Half of the book could have been cut away and Reece would have lost nothing. Saying that, however, the suspense is immense (I'm a poet...). There's another discrepancy within the book that I really want to talk about but that would ruin the element of surprise, thus destroying the main reason to read the book.

I know I dived in there with nego but what really deserves recognition is Reece's ability to adopt the mind-frame of a teenage girl with astounding authenticity. It never even struck me that this book could be written by anyone other then a woman and I only thought about it whilst writing this review. Now that I know, I see the clues. For one, Reece could not reiterate more how hard the girls had it and piled bad situation onto bad situation; there is no subtly and this is further extenuated by Shelley comparing herself to the rather meek creatures that are mice frequently; I found it completely unnecessary.

I wouldn't not go out of my way to read this book but if you have a few hours needing to be tied-up then why not? The suspension makes the otherwise very frustrating book worth the read. I would say this book is suitable for all those people who prefer YA novels as the gore is not really that intense; there are, however, very upsetting moments dotted throughout the book - just to warn you guys(less)

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Mar 28, 2012 Beth rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Beth by: karen

Shelves: library, borrowed, mixed-feelings, 2012-reads, march-2012, all-downhill-from-there, all-shook-up, best-surprises, best-relationships, loved-the-premise, wanted-to-love-but

3.5 stars

It seems weird for me to describe "Mice" as a disappointment when I'm giving it such a high rating and there was so much about it I liked.

But this is because, in the beginning, I really thought "Mice" was going to be a five-star read. There was so much about it to love and Gordon Reece's writing was fantastic - literary but not pretentious, complex but not convoluted, detailed and vivid. Reece really captures the realistic, not over-the-top awfulness of Shelley and her mother's world....more

1 like · like · see review

Feb 16, 2012 Stephanie (Stepping out of the Page) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: crime-thriller-mystery, adult-fiction, young-adult, read-in-2012, realistic-fiction, arc-or-review, books-i-own, horror, title-appeal

I finally feel as though I can stop holding my breath now that I've finished reading Gordon Reece's debut novel, Mice. It was the title that made this appeal to me at first as it seemed quite strange, especially teamed with the cover photograph. I just had to see what this was all about. Now I'm not usually excited by the thought of crime or thriller based books, but this one had me gripped! This is a novel that will appeal to older teenagers and adults alike.

There are two main characters in thi...more I finally feel as though I can stop holding my breath now that I've finished reading Gordon Reece's debut novel, Mice. It was the title that made this appeal to me at first as it seemed quite strange, especially teamed with the cover photograph. I just had to see what this was all about. Now I'm not usually excited by the thought of crime or thriller based books, but this one had me gripped! This is a novel that will appeal to older teenagers and adults alike.

There are two main characters in this book - Shelley and her mother. They are both seen a mice, meaning that they are quiet, subservient and when we first meet them, they are seeking a place to hide. We gradually learn what has made Shelley and their mother this way - a nasty family separation and some very severe bullying. I've noticed that some people found the start of this story slow, but I have to disagree. I thought that the gradual development of character as well as some recollections of Shelley's suffering at the hands of her once 'friends' (which included being set on fire) to be both necessary and interesting. The quite emotional first half of this book made me really connect with Shelley. I thought her actions, thoughts and feelings felt very realistic for someone who was bullied, and for someone of her age.

Our characters start to get their lives back on track when they find a new home, Honeysuckle Cottage, which is remote in the countryside where the bullies can't find them. Everything should be getting better, but then something changes their lives forever. I'll not tell you exactly what happens - you'll have to check it out for yourself, but it is eventful and quite horrific!

During the second half of the book, nearly everything dramatically changes. The pace speeds up, the plot propels forward and the characters go through waves of emotion and change. Shelley and her mother change a lot, discovering things about themselves and we see parts of their personality that were previously hidden. Together, they grow from mice into much stronger, wilder animals. They are quite complex characters, but they are also very straight forward in their thoughts and actions.

I can understand why this book may be slightly controversial, especially due to the ending as it may look to send out the 'wrong message', but this is a work of fiction and as a form of entertainment, it certainly is successful. The story, and character's reactions, is at points difficult to believe, but it's not completely unrealistic. This book was full of suspense and it was certainly a thriller. I held my breath throughout a lot of this story, and was completely enthralled straight away. I was always on edge, wanting to know what was going to happen next - it was really difficult to put the book down!

This was a remarkable debut novel from Gordon Reece, with great writing, and I'm excited to see what he offers us in the future. This is a book I will be recommending to quite a few adults in particular.(less)

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Jan 06, 2012 Barbara rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Nobody

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Sep 05, 2011 Angie rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: suspense

A passable story of regrettable murder as self-defense told from the point of view of a fifteen-year-old girl, which hopefully explains why the author used cliche after cliche (catch that one?) to express her thoughts. It isn't until the end of the novel that the writer--or rather, his narrator--loses himself in his own words, not convenient ciphers denoting other expressions, that the story becomes truly interesting.

We debated at the library whether or not the book belonged with the Young Adult...more

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Jun 28, 2011 Jennifer rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: rubbish-bin

This was an obvious, unsubtle attempt at a thriller. It is a nasty, poorly constructed and uninspired piece of work. Reece spends almost the whole novel attempting to frustrate the reader with the inadequacy and weakness of his main characters, piling the most unlikely and outrageous ill luck on them. The reader is supposed, of course, to sympathise with these poor sods, but Reece so poorly overplays this mediocre and unoriginal idea that s/he (the reader) simply becomes angry at the sledgehamme...more

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Jan 09, 2012 Emily rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Aug 22, 2011 LORI CASWELL rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelly has been bullied by girls who used to be her best friends. Her mother, Elizabeth, was bullied by her husband until he left her for a younger woman, she is now bullied by her employers. They leave London and retreat to Honeysuckle Cottage in the country. Elizabeth stills commutes to the same office everyday. These woman are MICE! Timid, nervous and put everyone before themselves.

They love their life in the country until the eve of Shelly's sixteenth birthday. Something horrifying will chan...more Shelly has been bullied by girls who used to be her best friends. Her mother, Elizabeth, was bullied by her husband until he left her for a younger woman, she is now bullied by her employers. They leave London and retreat to Honeysuckle Cottage in the country. Elizabeth stills commutes to the same office everyday. These woman are MICE! Timid, nervous and put everyone before themselves.

They love their life in the country until the eve of Shelly's sixteenth birthday. Something horrifying will change their lives forever. Maybe they are not mice after all.

My Thoughts
I find myself really on the fence about this book. It addresses the very common problem these days of bullying. For the first half of the book I was right there turning pages, feeling the right emotions for what these women were going through.

Then the book took a very dark and even more horrifying turn that what these women had endured. I found it hard to keep going but I finished the book, hoping beyond home this dark theme would I don't know, magically go away. It didn't. I also found the whole premise very unbelievable. I know the author is trying to dramatize the extreme extent bullying can go to, but no, a mother and daughter couldn't turn into the women they created. If they do I hope and pray they are few and far between.

It is a well written book and the part of the bullied Shelly and how she kept the incidents to herself until they escalated to a point where she was so physically hurt the paramedics had to be called was very well portrayed. Her actions and her thoughts.

I understand this is a psychological thriller, but to me it's a thriller that goes off the rails. Maybe young adults will not have the reaction I had as a mother. I found myself very troubled by the second half of the book and had to wait to write this review and really collect my thoughts. Yes, there was suspense, yes, the were varied psychological aspects at play. The author just went a little too far for me. Because I liked the first half and have warned you about the second half I will give it 3 stars.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Viking. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of this book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” (less)

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Aug 05, 2011 Diane rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Fifteen year old Shelley Rivers and her mom are like "mice" : they fear confrontation, have trouble sticking up for themselves, and both seem a bit uncomfortable in their own skin.

Shelley has led a pretty sheltered life. Her mom was a brilliant lawyer, but she choose to stick to procedural research which felt more comfortable for her. She left her job when she was pregnant for Shelley to be a stay at home mother, because that is what her husband wanted her to do. Shelley had two best friends fro...more Fifteen year old Shelley Rivers and her mom are like "mice" : they fear confrontation, have trouble sticking up for themselves, and both seem a bit uncomfortable in their own skin.

Shelley has led a pretty sheltered life. Her mom was a brilliant lawyer, but she choose to stick to procedural research which felt more comfortable for her. She left her job when she was pregnant for Shelley to be a stay at home mother, because that is what her husband wanted her to do. Shelley had two best friends from age nine, Emily and Jane. All three girls studied hard and got good grades, but when the girls entered their teen years, Emily and Jane let their grades slip, began dressing like punks, and changed their focus to makeup and boys. Shelley still wore her jumpers and buckle shoes, and preferred her books to the wilder activities of her friends.

Her friends soon began to exclude her, tease her about her looks and her extra weight, and even began destroying her possessions. Shelley even considers suicide. A classic case of bullying, Shelley did not tell her mom or her teachers, fearing it would only make the situation worst. When things get out of hand and Shelley is injured, the world of this mother and daughter is forever changed. Shelley's father leaves the "matrimonial" home after falling in love with a much younger woman, and he they move far away. Shelley is encouraged to leave school and have private tutors instead.

Mom and daughter find a new home, a lovely remote cottage with gardens in the middle of nowhere. Her mom goes off to work each day and Shelley has tutors that come to their new home each day. The two soon fall into the new rhythm of daily life, and are enjoying their life of routines. "Mice", however, cannot hide indefinitely, and on the eve of Shelley's sixteenth birthday, the security of that new peaceful existence is shattered when their home is broken into while they sleep.

What happens from this point on between mother and daughter and the burglar is a series of events, some so far fetched that I had to just suspend logic. Without giving any spoilers, I'll just say that there seemed to be a moral to the story.....those who stick up for themselves, will no longer feel like mice.

While the first half of the book had me eagerly flipping pages, the second half was somewhat disappointing. The situation as it played out seemed highly unlikely and actually a bit laughable. I originally was excited about this book as bullying is a real issue and all too commonplace it seems. I thought this book was a psychological thriller, and in some ways it was, but this novel really seemed more in the YA genre, and that is the audience that I believe it will get high marks from. The author did a good job portraying Shelley as a sympathetic character as the bullying incidents seemed very realistic and it was easy to feel for Shelley and her situation. The fact that she felt she couldn't tell anyone about what was going on, and that maybe suicide would be the only way out of her situation, also seemed like things that some teens would be thinking under the circumstances. The author also did a great job building tension and suspense into this story. Even though this did not turn out exactly as I had hoped, in the end I was still glad I read it.

(3.5/5 stars)(less)

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Aug 22, 2011 Shelley Daugherty rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This very interesting tale of a couple of very docile women (so meek they refer to themselves as mice) was much more than I ever expected. When you first meet Shelley she is the victim of school bullies who were once her friends. Something changes over the years and suddenly they decide she is the perfect person to pick on and never tell her why. As the school and staff continue to look the other way, Shelley's tormenters become bolder and bolder until one day they set fire to her in the school...more

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Aug 15, 2011 Stephanie Griffin rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: readers who love suspense!

In a quiet country cottage, a mother and daughter have a reclusive escape from the harshness of their lives outside. Their two-story house sits among acres of garden and is hidden from the main road. It’s a perfect setting for the macabre scene that’s about to take place.
Shelley is a fifteen-year-old hiding from the scars that bullying has left her with. Her mother is hiding from the realities of being left by her husband for a younger woman and trying to get by in a low-paying job for which she...more

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May 07, 2012 Stacey rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: library

"We're playing musical chairs now!"

Thanks to this book, that phrase has an entirely different meaning. Every time I think about it, it creeps me out.

I feel bad giving this one only three stars (and I am not usually stingy with my stars), but I guess I felt a little misled. I thought the book was going to be more centered on the bullying and the consequences - I suppose in a way it was - and therefore I wasn't expecting the plot to go the way that it did.

The other reason I felt conflicted is beca...more

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Oct 28, 2011 Maree Kimberley rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A very ordinary book that celebrates victimhood and justifies violence and psychopathic behaviour with some of the most godawful writing I've come across. Seriously, what 16 yo girl in the middle of a hostage situation would start reflecting on "all the deities of middle class culture"?

The protagonist was a boring prat and so was her insane mother. The constant description of them as 'mice' in the first quarter of the book did nothing to gain my sympathy, and the mother went from a weak, gutless...more

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Mar 20, 2012 Teresa rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I can't seem to upload the gorgeous cover of this edition released by Macmillan but the insides are still the same!

Sixteen year old Shelley and her mum have been born with the victim gene – Shelley has been on the receiving end of an intensive, malevolent bullying campaign by former girlfriends and her mum has been through a difficult divorce with Shelley’s dad finding a younger, fresher partner. They are quite simply “mice”, meek little creatures scuttling around not making much impression on...more I can't seem to upload the gorgeous cover of this edition released by Macmillan but the insides are still the same!

Sixteen year old Shelley and her mum have been born with the victim gene – Shelley has been on the receiving end of an intensive, malevolent bullying campaign by former girlfriends and her mum has been through a difficult divorce with Shelley’s dad finding a younger, fresher partner. They are quite simply “mice”, meek little creatures scuttling around not making much impression on the outside world so they retreat to the safe tranquillity of Honeysuckle Cottage, far from the madding crowd. In their secluded bolt-hole, they should be safe and sound, Shelley preparing for her exams and her mum trying to keep their heads above water in a low paid job well below her abilities and qualifications. However, change comes knocking at the door or rather, sneaking in a window, when an unwanted visitor shows up disturbing the nest – will the mice show their teeth when faced with adversity or will they squeak and beat a hasty retreat?

I found this a gripping, unputdownable read, one which I devoured in one sitting as I just had to find out what fate had in store for Shelley and her mother. The first part of the novel is quite slow paced but nonetheless riveting, as we see the build up of the bullying campaign against Shelley – you really feel for her as she is turned upon by her once close friends. There is a brief period of calm with the removal to Honeysuckle Cottage but you just know that something is lurking, something which will break the short-lived spell of serenity and the tension is palpable. What ensues might be disturbing for sensitive readers so I would recommend this for the older, more mature end of the YA market. Some of the events might seem a bit far-fetched but this is a piece of entertaining, fast paced fiction and not a treatise on How To Be Good.

An exciting, thought provoking read – it will raise lots of interesting questions about how far we would go to survive and to what extent the end justifies the means – food for thought indeed.
(less)

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Jun 15, 2012 CiderandRedRot rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: all-action-all-the-time

Brief review: intriguing concept and a nicely (horribly) drawn exploration of girl(s)-on-girl bullying let down by the fact that I didn't buy I was reading the voice of a teenage girl. Shelley and her mum have come out of a traumatic divorce and a horrific spate of school bullying that has resulted in homeschooling and a move to the arse end of nowhere. They see themselves as weak, as mice retreating to their burrow, but an event causes them to reassess this assessment: are they just living up t...more

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About Gordon Reece

Gordon Reece is a writer/illustrator based in North East Victoria, Australia. Born in the UK in 1963 he studied English literature at Keble College, Oxford, and was a teacher and briefly a personal injury
lawyer before dedicating himself full-time to writing and illustrating in 1999.

Gordon has had 15 books for children and young adults published in Australia and Spain where he lived for six years....more

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Books by Gordon Reece

Oblonsky y Petrov y el caso de la calavera roja

En la playa (Pepe en Inglaterra) (Spanish Edition)

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Quotes from Mice

“And all this culture, all this art, was simply a trick. It allowed us to pretend that human beings were noble, intelligent creatures who'd left their animal past behind them long ago and had evolved into something finer, something purer; that because they could write like angels they were angels. But this art was just a screen that hid the ugly truth -- that we were still the same creatures who had cut into the warm bellies of the animals we'd killed with sharpened stones and vented our anger on the weak with frenzied blows of a blunt club.” — 1 person liked it

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