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Book 1 Review - A book with a title that doesn't contain the letters A, T or Y - Wonder by R. J. Palacio
Wonder tells the story of August Pullman, a 10-year-old boy who suffers from a rare medical condition known as Treacher Collins syndrome, or mandibulofacial dyesostosis as he puts it. This book follows August's journey as he starts school for the first time and faces not only the typical challenges that any 10-year-old faces, but also many social challenges due to his medical condition.
What I really liked about Wonder was how easy it was to read. The chapters are short in length, only 2/3 pages long on average, which meant that it was really easy to pick up and read a bit here and there. Despite the short chapters, the book was captivating. I found it really interesting to follow Auggie's journey. I also liked the fact that the story was told from multiple perspectives, and that it was easy to follow. Often I get confused by multiple perspectives, but not in Wonder.
My favourite character in this book was Via. I think she was the most reasonable character. She called August out when he was being dramatic, and refused to treat him like a baby, which I think was a good growing point for him. It was something he needed to develop as a character. I also felt her hurt throughout Wonder, how she was often sidelined by her parents because of Auggie's condition, although she never showed it because she understood. It made me think of how my sister must have felt when I was diagnosed at 3-years-old with Type 1 Diabetes.
My only real criticism of Wonder, and to be honest, it's not even really that critical, is that it came across as if Auggie and his friends were older than 10-years-old. I get that Auggie may be more mature than a typical 10-year-old due to his medical condition and the need for endless treatment. However, I found it odd that his friends were so mature too. And there was mention of some of these kids having boyfriends?! At 10-years-old?! When I was that age, sure, we had small crushes, but there was never any talk of boyfriends, and the "popular crowd". Maybe it's because I went to school in the UK and our education system is different, but the characters in the book just felt very grown up to me, like there were more like 13-year-olds. I just found it slightly unrealistic, however, like I said, it's only a minor criticism and didn't really affect my opinion of the book.
Overall, I really liked Wonder. In fact, I absolutely loved it! So much so, that as my first book of 2020, I have rated it the full 5 stars! Whilst it's not the most complex book ever, and was probably written with a younger audience in mind than myself, I would really recommend for everyone to read it. Sometimes you just need an easy book to read that'll make you laugh and make you cry happy tears.
Book 2 Review - A book by an author whose last name is one syllable - The Killing Lessons by Saul Black
The book begins with two strange men turning up at Rowena Cooper's, a single mother, house. She knows instantly that it's the end for her, but manages to convince her 10-year-old daughter, Nell, to run away. We then follow the story as told from multiple perspectives including the now orphaned Nell Cooper, the two men who murdered her mother and brother, Xander and Paulie, the lead detective investigating a series of murders, Valerie Hart, and Angelo, a recently widowed man who takes care of an injured Nell.
I absolutely love Crime/Thriller books, and The Killing Lessons was no different. However, it's very different from many of the murder mysteries that I've previously read in the sense that we already know who the murderers are. Normally, this genre of books are like a guess who game, which I find can get boring after a while, but I wasn't bored once whilst reading this book. In fact, I found it impossible to put it down. There's something about knowing who the murderers are that really excited me. It's like when you watch a horror movie and you're shouting at the characters about how stupid they are being but still continue watching it.
What I think really added to The Killing Lessons was the fact that it was told from multiple perspectives. Now, normally I hate books this like because I find them difficult to follow, but that wasn't the case here. In fact, I really enjoyed it and I think it's because each perspective was so vastly different from the others that it was really easy to follow. My favourite perspective was Xander's because I found it interesting to see how his learning difficulties in his childhood led to his anxiety over "correctly" committing the murders.
Although I really enjoyed reading this book, it didn't come without it's fault. In particular, I felt that Detective Carla York was a pointless character. She didn't add anything to plot and quite honestly, the plot would not have changed without her being there. I also wish that we didn't need to tragic backstory of the lead detective, Valerie Hart. I totally understand that working a job of that nature is going to lead to some mental health issues, especially issues with coping. However, that is all easily explained by the nature of the job. We didn't need to whole she-cheated-on-her-partner-and-now-she-misses-him-and-it's-making-her-drink-all-the-time-to-cope storyline. Again, unnecessary and just made the book longer than it needed to be. I also found it really frustrating that by the end of the book it seems like all was forgotten and all her issues have magically disappeared.
Overall though, I did enjoy The Killing Lessons and have rated it 4 stars. It was gripping and different than many other Crime/Thriller books I've read. However, it was also about 100 pages longer than it needed to be and there were several unnecessary characters/plot lines that could have been edited out and it wouldn't have made a difference.
Book 3 Review - A book set in a place or time that you wouldn't want to live - The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is about Bruno, a 9-year-old boy from Berlin, Germany, as he and his family moved to Auschwitz (or "Out-with" as Bruno calls it). One day, whilst out exploring the area surrounding his house, Bruno stumbles across a fence. Sitting on the other side of the fence, he finds a 9-year-old boy, named Schmuel, wearing striped pyjamas...
Before I start my review, I think it's important to reiterate that this book is told from the perspective of a 9-year-old boy who has clearly been quite sheltered by his family from the events occurring in Auschwitz at the time. I have seen so many reviews that have rated the book negatively because of Bruno's naivety and view him as extremely self-centred (although please find me a 9-year-old that isn't naive and self-centred. Go on, I'm waiting). To be honest, I think at that age I was also very naive and I certainly didn't keep up to date with current political affairs, war or no war. Of course, we can argue that Schmuel, who is the same age as Bruno, has evidently grown up very quickly and is somewhat aware of his fate. However, this is clearly a case of ignorance being a privilege, something which Bruno has.
Now that that is over, I really enjoyed The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas mainly because it is told from the perspective of a naive 9-year-old German boy. It is clear that Bruno doesn't understand the war, nor is he aware of the existence of Concentration Camps, despite being able to see one from his bedroom window. When he meets Schmuel, there is no judgement from Bruno because Schmuel is Jewish. Instead, he is just glad to have a friend.
I found the ending of this book really sad, to the point where it had me crying. I know it's never directly stated, but Bruno's death in the Concentration Camp is extremely heavily implied. I think the fact that Bruno died the way he did, when he finally had the chance to play with his only friend in Auschwitz, is a real turning point for the book. There is just something that is so horrendously sad about the fact that Bruno's naivety about the war and Germany's part in it was the cause of his death. That is not to say that all the actual deaths during that period of time were not sad and horrendous, because they were and I hope that nothing like this ever happens again. But in the context of The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, Bruno's death really hit me hard.
What really got me about The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas was the ending. The very last paragraph in fact.
Of course all this happened a long time ago and nothing like that could ever happen again. Not in this day and age.
I generally try to avoid discussing politics in a public forum, but I think the way that the current climate is going, particularly with the hatred against certain religions, that it's not out of the realm of possibility that something like this might happen again. I honestly hope it never will but I just don't feel that I can agree with that statement. And to be honest, that scares me.
To end this review on a more lighthearted note, I enjoyed The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas and I have decided to rate it 4 stars. There's nothing in particular that this book was missing to make me not want to rate it 5 stars, but I just didn't love it. I would definitely recommend it for younger readers who are just beginning to learn about the World Wars.
Book 4 Review - The first book in a series you have not started - The Word Is Murder by Anthony Horowitz
Anthony Horowitz is asked by Detective Hawthorne to write a book about his investigation into the murder of Diana Cowper, the mother of a famous actor. However, this is not just any murder. No, in fact, on the morning of her murder, Diana Cowper had visited a funeral parlour where she made arrangements for her own funeral. So was she aware of her imminent death, or was it purely coincidental?
It probably comes as no surprise at this point that I love to read crime/thriller books. In fact, they are my favourite genre. Despite this, I will admit that sometimes they get a little bit boring. A lot of books of this genre are very similar to one another, and it can feel like once you've read one murder mystery book, you've read them all. However, I can honestly hand on heart say that The Word is Murder is completely different that any other book I've read before.
The reason why I found The Word is Murder so brilliantly different from any other book is because Anthony Horowitz has written himself into the book as one of the main characters. It's completely bizarre, like he's breaking down that fourth wall except in book format, but somehow, it works. I think it's because he hasn't made himself out to be this unrealistic character. He's still an author who has just been hired to write a book about a Detective. Sure, occasionally, it felt a little braggy, but then I suppose someone like Anthony Horowitz has earned himself the right to brag.
My only very minor complaint about The Word is Murder is that I felt the ending was a little rushed. We spent around 3/4's of the book investigating this murder, and then suddenly absolutely everything happened at once. It just felt like a very weak ending to me in comparison to the rest of the book, which is a shame because I really did enjoy it a lot. However, as I said, it's only a very minor complaint so hasn't made too big of an impact on my rating.
Overall, I've rated The Word is Murder 5 stars. Well, actually it's more like 4.5 stars, but we'll round up for the sake of completeness. I'm interested to read the other books in this series, and even some of Anthony Horowitz' other work. I've heard many good things but this is the first book by him that I've read!
Book 5 Review - A book that you are prompted to read because of something you read in 2019 - The Only Plane in the Sky: An Oral History of September 11, 2001 by Garrett M. Graff
The Only Plane in the Sky is a compilation of interviews that were carried out in the days and months following 9/11, all fit together in a way that makes chronological sense. The interviews come from a large pool of people, including witnesses to the attacks, the first responders, the military personnel, and the family and friends of the victims and survivors of 9/11.
I find it quite difficult to write a review on a non-fiction book because I often think, how can I have an opinion on it when it displays a real life situation? Who am I to judge the way that the author has chosen to write the book? And in the case of The Only Plane in the Sky, my thoughts are no different.
I don't think it's appropriate for me to say I enjoyed The Only Plane in the Sky. However, what I will say is that although it was a difficult read and I often needed breaks from reading, I did struggle to put the book down. I was only 6 at the time of 9/11, and I'm from the UK, so I am very ignorant in my knowledge surrounding the event. However, I did find it very interesting to read the perspectives of the many people who lived through it. I also really appreciate the effort it took Garrett M. Graff to research through every account to create a narrative of the events that took place.
As per usual, not even a book of this nature can go without its complaints. And again, it's only a very minor one, but because there were so many different accounts, I struggled to remember the names of anyone who gave an interview. In fact, they could have been labelled Person #1, Person #2, Person #3, etc and it wouldn't have made a difference to me.
Overall though, I thought that The Only Plane in the Sky was a brilliantly put together book, and a very informative narrative of what happened on that fateful day on Tuesday 11th September 2001. I cannot rate it anything else but 5 stars, and I certainly feel that if you want to educate yourself on the events, then this book is a great place to start!
Book 6 Review - A book with a mode of transportation on the cover - Missing, Presumed by Susie Steiner
Missing, Presumed follows DS Bradshaw as she and her team investigate the disappearance of Edith Hind, a post-graduate from Cambridge and the daughter of a well-connected family to the Royals.
I'm just going to come right out and say it. I really did not like this book. At all. I found it tedious to read, it was very slow-paced, and it was boring. All the characters were unlikeable, but in particular, I really did not like DS Manon Bradshaw. First of all, this is a crime book, not a romance book. I don't care about her love life in the slightest. Secondly, her behaviour towards her short-term love interest was appalling. Stop calling Alan names just because he didn't see a future with you. You're 39 years old for goodness sake, not 12!
Furthermore, the ending of the book was so anti-climatic that I just felt like I wasted my time reading it. You mean to tell me that after all that investigation that Edith Hind had simply run away to France?! How did no one pick up on this before?! Perhaps my opinion is biased because I am a Civil Servant in the UK, and yes, I am fully aware that this is a fiction book, but what an absolute waste of police resources.
Overall, I would rate this book 2 stars. The only redeemable part was that approximately 2/3's of the way through, it got somewhat interesting. I didn't hate this book, but I certainly didn't like it either. Don't waste your time with it in my opinion.
Book 7 Review - A book set in the southern hemisphere - Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty
Nine Perfect Strangers is about nine people who visit a 10 day retreat at a health resort for a variety of reasons. Some want to lose weight, some want marriage counselling, and some are there for reasons that they can't even admit to themselves. However, it's not long before they start asking the same questions. Does the owner of Tranquillum House really have all the answers for them? Or should they run?
Let me start by saying that I really enjoyed this book. Nine Perfect Strangers is unlike anything I've read before, and although I was expecting a murder to occur at some point, it was really refreshing that one didn't happen. In fact, I think it made me enjoy the book even more.
I found all the characters relatable which is normally unusual for me. They were all seeking the same thing - Happiness. And I could feel their scepticism over whether this retreat could really give them that. Then I felt their anger at being drugged against their consent, and their frustration and fear once they were locked in the room. For once, I was glad that everyone got their happy ending.
Overall, I've rated Nine Perfect Strangers 5 stars. I honestly don't have any faults with the book. I definitely didn't want to put it down, the characters development was on point, and the plot kept flowing. I would definitely recommend reading this book, and I am keen to explore Liane Moriarty's other work.
Book 8 Review - A book with a two word title where the first word is "The" - The Wonder by Emma Donoghue
In The Wonder, an English nurse, Lib Wright, is summoned to the Irish Midlands to keep watch over an 11-year-old girl, Anna O'Donnell, who claims to be surviving without food. Surrounded by religious superstition, it is up to Lib to determine whether Anna's survival is a so-called miracle, or stop the self-destruction of her own life.
Prior to reading this book, I had not read any of Emma Donoghue's work although I've heard raving reviews, so I was really disappointed when I ended up really not liking it. Whilst the plot intrigued me, its execution was poor. I found The Wonder was very slow to progress, and it took until I was about 60% of the way through the book for anything interesting to happen.
In my opinion, The Wonder was filled with a whole lot of Lib's internal monologue about nothing of interest, and several pages of her movements that weren't at all relevant to the plot. I also really hated the attempt at giving Lib a chance at love. As I always say, if I wanted to read about love, I would pick a romance book to read. The small plot line had no place in this book.
Overall, I really did not like The Wonder and have rated it 2 stars. It was slow and quite honestly, boring, and the only redeeming part of it is that about 60%, the story started to pick up a bit and the last 10% of the book I enjoyed. I would not recommend reading this and it worries me about reading any of Emma Donoghue's other works.
Book 9 Review - To celebrate the Leap Year, a book that can be read in a day - The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J. K. Rowling
For my 9th book of 2020, I read The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J. K. Rowling to fit Prompt 9, "A book that can be read in a day". I've had this book on my shelf for a very long time, and had not picked it up prior to using it for this prompt. I knew it was a short book that I could most definitely read in a day (Spoiler: I did not) hence why it was my chosen book for this prompt.
The Tales of Beedle the Bard is a collection of five short stories from the Wizarding World, similar to the Fairy Tales that we all grew up with and loved. Each story is then followed by an in-depth analysis by Dumbledore of the moral behind each story, and some annotations by J. K. Rowling herself to help us Muggles understand these tales from the Wizarding World better.
I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this book to be honest. It was short but sweet, and although the intended audience is probably much younger than myself, I enjoyed reading such a light-hearted book. My favourite short story was definitely Babbitty Rabbitty and her Cackling Stump, it just had me laughing so very much!
The only thing I somewhat disliked about The Tales of Beedle the Bard was that I felt Dumbledore's notes following each short story was unnecessary. I didn't really need the morality lesson, and I know that had I been much younger when I first read this book, I probably would have completely skipped that part.
Overall, I've rated it 4 stars. I did really enjoy The Tales of Beedle the Bard. It was light-hearted and fun, and I would definitely recommend it for all ages, especially if you are a fan of Harry Potter!
Book 10 Review - A book that is between 400-600 pages - The Chemist by Stephanie Meyer
Alex is an ex-agent who is constantly on the run from her previous employer. When she is offered one final job to get the target off her back, she does not hesitate to take it. However, she soon realises that the limited information she's been given has left her in more danger than she was in previously, and falling in love has only made it worse. In The Chemist, Alex soon realises that her only chance at survival is to approach the threat to her life head on.
I know I've said it a lot this year, but I absolutely loved The Chemist. So much so that I think it might be my favourite book of 2020 so far! I'll admit, I was a little put off when I saw that Stephanie Meyer wrote this book because I didn't enjoy the Twilight saga all the much (although it's been at least 10 years since I've read those books). I also wasn't sure how she'd fare at writing an adult spy novel but she has absolutely hit the nail on the head. I found The Chemist to be a really engaging read. In my opinion, there were no slow parts of the book and I honestly struggled to put it down at times. I'm surprised I read it as quick as I did!
I know I always go on about how much I hate romantic subplots in books but it actually worked really well in The Chemist. Part of me was a bit hesitant at first because in what world do you fall in love with the person who has kidnapped and tortured you unless you've developed Stockholm syndrome? However, by a third of the way into the book, I just started to really enjoy Alex and Daniel's relationship. And although I knew that there was always going to be a happy ending (because when is there not?), my heart broke with Alex's when she thought Daniel was dead.
Overall, I absolutely loved The Chemist and I think Stephanie Meyer has done an excellent job of moving herself away from the Twilight saga because this book is nothing like those. I would 100% without a doubt recommend that anyone read this book. Although it feels long at just over 500 pages, I promise you that you will not notice it at all. By far my favourite book of 2020 so far!
Book 11 Review - A book that was originally published in a year that is a prime number - My Lovely Wife in the Psych Ward by Mark Lukach - Published in 2017
My Lovely Wife in the Psych Ward is a true story written by Mark Lukach about his experience of his wife, Guilia, being sectioned on three separate occasions due to her mental health. He wrote the book because when Guilia was sectioned the first time, he realised that there were no books that explained what it was like from the family's point of view.
I'll be honest, when I first added this book to my "To Read" list some years ago, I hadn't realised that it was non-fiction. Still, I'm glad I added it and that I've now read it because I think Mark Lukach has an important story to tell. Whilst none of my close family or friends have ever been sectioned (and I hope none of them ever need to be), I think it's important to hear what it's like from the other side.
I find it really difficult to rate non-fiction books because I think, who am I to make judgements on what they've been through? Therefore, any non-fiction book I read instantly starts at 5 stars and the rating only decreases if something really bothers me. In the case of My Lovely Wife in the Psych Ward, I had two complaints. Firstly, Mark is very much "woe is me" and as a result, he doesn't seem to portray his wife in a very good light. To me, it came across a little, "Look how amazing I am for sticking with my wife". Secondly, whilst I know there are many books out there that are told from the perspective of the person with the mental health issues, I wish that the book included at least a chapter or two written by Guilia. It would have been nice to read her perspective too in a bit more detail.
Overall though, I've rated My Lovely Wife in the Psych Ward 4 stars. Despite my two complaints, I really did enjoy reading it and I think it's an important topic to discuss. I certainly hope it helps the family and friends of any one who has been sectioned so that they can feel a little less alone.
Book 12 Review - A book that is a collaboration between 2 or more people - Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan
Will Grayson, Will Grayson is told from the perspectives of two teenage boys, both named Will Grayson, and tells the stories of their lives and how it changes once they meet.
As you may be able to tell by my very small blurb of the book, I don't have a high opinion of it. In fact, I pretty much completely hated it which didn't surprise me at all to be honest. I've yet to find a John Green book that I like.
The reason I hated Will Grayson, Will Grayson so much was because of the characters. Both Will Grayson's were just so unlikeable. They were so pretentious, although I expected that because it is John Green after all, and just so unnecessarily dramatic. There were so many times when I was reading the book when I just wanted to reach through the pages and hit both of them on the head. It's a wonder either of them had any friends with the way they spoke about them, like they were just friends because it was convenient rather than actually liking them. Also, for a book about two people called Will Grayson, they had almost no interaction at all.
The only redeeming part of this book was Tiny Cooper. I'd happily read a book about him. Neither of the Will Grayson's deserved his love and friendship. His musical at the end made me smile and cry a little, which is the only reason why I have not rated this book 1 star.
Overall, I just really did not like this book, and can't think of a single person I'd recommend it to. Unfortunately, because I disliked this book so much, I don't think I'll give David Levithan's work a go either.
Book 13 Review - A prompt from a previous Around the Year in 52 Books challenge (A book related in some way to a tv series/show or movie that you enjoy) - Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay
By day, Dexter Morgan is a blood spatter analyst for the Miami-Dade Metro Police Department. By night, he is a sociopathic serial killer with a "conscience", in that he only kills the bad people who truly deserve it. When a series of brutal murders against prostitutes start turning up with a similar Modus Operandi to his own, Dexter finds himself both impressed and in fear, of his own actions and of those of someone else.
Now I absolutely loved the TV series of Dexter, so when I found out that the series was based on a book, I could not wait to get my hands on it. When I finally started to read Darkly Dreaming Dexter, I was excited. However, very quickly that excitement turned to disappointment. I very rarely say this, but this is one of those cases where the TV show IS better than the book. By a mile, or 10.
Darkly Dreaming Dexter was just not a great book. The characters were very one dimensional, except for Dexter, who came across as "I am so much better than everyone else". He boasts about doing everything perfectly, but then all of his murders were quite messy. I mean what was up with that janitor in the warehouse?!
I also found that the book lacked the details that made the show so great. It felt very rushed to me and whilst I know that a TV show has the ability to take it's time, in Darkly Dreaming Dexter it felt like nothing happened for 3/4's of the book and then suddenly absolutely everything happened all at once! Quite honestly, even though I only finished the book several days ago, I've already forgotten the majority of it. It just didn't stick out to me at all. However, I did enjoy it enough to finish in three days so that's something.
Overall, I've rated Darkly Dreaming Dexter three stars. It wasn't great, but it wasn't so bad either. At least it wasn't bad enough that I'll remember how bad it was. Mostly, it is just pretty unremarkable, hence the "it was ok" rating. Would I recommend it? Maybe, if you've never seen the show you'd probably enjoy it. I think watching the show definitely ruined this book for me.
Book 14 Review - A book by an author on the Abe List - The Casual Vacancy by J. K. Rowling
Set in Pagford, a small town located in the West Country, England, The Casual Vacancy chronicles the lives of the town's residents following the unexpected death of one of the Parish Council's members, Barry Fairbrother. Whilst Pagford appears to be an idyllic location, it very soon becomes apparent that this town is not all that it seems.
When I first heard that J. K. Rowling had published a book that was unrelated to the Harry Potter universe, I was excited. How could I not be? I spent my entire childhood reading the Harry Potter series, and I was eager to read some more of her work. Little did I know that it would take me eight years to pick up this book, but in a way, I'm glad it did. I don't think I would have appreciated the book eight years ago the way I do now. The Casual Vacancy couldn't be any more different to the Harry Potter series if it tried. Some of the themes included in the book include drug use, rape, and domestic violence. Heavy topics that had no place in Harry Potter.
I'll be honest, it did take me a while to get into The Casual Vacancy. Two weeks, to be specific. However, I'll give the book the benefit of the doubt. We find ourselves in the middle of a pandemic where almost the entire world is in lockdown, and I know for me personally, I've lost pretty much all interest in everything I once loved. Yes, I have ample time to read now, having very little work to do from home, but I just don't want to. Hence why I'm giving this book the benefit of the doubt. I can't quite figure out if the beginning of The Casual Vacancy was slow to progress, or if it was the current climate that put me off reading.
One of the things that I loved about The Casual Vacancy was also the reason why I've rated the book four stars as opposed to five. J. K. Rowling has the ability to build worlds beautifully through her writing. I could imagine the town of Pagford and all it's residents in great detail, which for me, is a sign of good writing. However, my issue with it is that whilst Pagford is a fictional place, it is only a small town likely inspired by many idyllic towns located in the UK. It is not a whole new universe that needed pages and pages of description to create. In short, I just felt that The Casual Vacancy was a little bit too long with too many pages dedicated to describing a small place. A whole world didn't need to be built, just a small town.
Overall, I really enjoyed reading The Casual Vacancy and I would definitely recommend for others to read it. However, it is worth mentioning that if you are expecting a book that is even slightly similar to the Harry Potter series, you will be sorely disappointed. Personally, I think writing this book was a great move by J. K. Rowling and as I was eight years ago, I am still eager to read some more of her works that are not related to Harry Potter.
Book 15 Review - A book set in a global city - The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen
The Wife Between Us is about an angry ex-wife stalking her new perfect replacement out of jealousy... Or so you're led to believe. In fact, as is foretold by the blurb, you will make a lot of assumptions whilst reading this book, and many of those assumptions will be wrong. The Wife Between Us promises twists and turns that you will not expect which makes for an exciting domestic thriller.
I'll admit, I was a little dubious when I first picked up The Wife Between Us and read the blurb. I love a book with a couple of good plot twists, but to promise that any assumptions I make will be wrong made me feel uneasy. I often find that when a book promises me that I will not see the twists coming, I spot them a mile off and it ruins the entire book for me. Still, it was on my TBR list so why not give it a chance? Now I wasn't wrong to be uneasy, I spotted the first big twist half way through Part 1. However, I suppose the blurb was right is telling me that my assumptions would be wrong. I assumed that if I guesses a plot twist that the rest of the book would be ruined, and surprisingly, it wasn't.
The only twist I did not see coming was who Emma was. I had guessed that she was linked to Vanessa's old life, but I had not expected her to be who she was. In fact, I almost took away a star as I was finishing the book because I honestly thought that Emma was only there as some elaborate plot to get revenge on Vanessa for Maggie's death.
Overall, I ended up really loving The Wife Between Us. I thought it was really well written, it was captivating, and honestly, I don't think you should be put off from reading it if you tend to guess plot twists easily as I found that it did not impact my view of the book.
Book 16 Review - A book set in a rural or sparsely populated area - The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton
Set in an isolated 20th century English mansion, Evelyn Hardcastle finds herself being murdered over and over again, and it is up to Aiden Bishop to figure out by whom. If he fails to identify the murderer, then the day continues to repeat itself. The only catch is that each day, Aiden finds himself in a different body.
Have you ever read a book and enjoyed so much that you feel like anything else you read won't compare? That's how I felt after finishing this book, it was that good. In fact, I read the book in five days which is pretty fast for me. I was enthralled!
The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle has a completely unique premise, in that the main character, Aiden Bishop, relives the same day eight times in eight different bodies to help him identify who the murderer is. It's not even your straight forward murder because to those watching Evelyn, it looks like she committed suicide. This book was full of twists and turns that even I didn't see coming, and I sort of pride myself on the fact that I can often see a plot twist coming a mile off.
I don't want to give too much away, but I honestly just loved this book. It was captivating, it was interesting, and it was completely different to every other murder mystery book out there. I cannot recommend it enough! Unsurprisingly, I've rated it 5 stars.
Book 17 Review - A book by an author you've only read once before - Eve of Man by Giovanna and Tom Fletcher
Eve is the first female born in 50 years in the entire world. She's been kept away from the opposite sex her entire life, and from the reality of the world. The future of humanity lies in her hands, and when she turns 16, it is time for Eve to meet the potential males that have been selected for her. However, everything changes when she meets Bram face-to-face for the first time. Suddenly, Eve wants control of her own life. She wants freedom. But how can she get that when the fate of humanity is up to Eve?
I always forget how much I love YA dystopian books until I read one. I don't know what it is about them, but I just find dystopian books so interesting. Needless to say, I absolutely loved Eve of Man! In fact, I often struggled to put it down at night and I definitely stayed up way past my bedtime reading it. I loved it so much that I've already requested for my local library to purchase the eBook of the second instalment in the series so that I can read it asap.
I really enjoyed the plot of Eve of Man although it did cause me to overthink about the logistics of it all. No females born for 50 years, that's insane! That means that anyone who was born around the same time as Eve, or even after Eve, their mother's had to have been pretty old. I just couldn't wrap my head around it to be honest. Although I've not seen the movie nor read the book, my boyfriend reckons Eve of Man is pretty similar to The Children of Men by P. D. James.
Bram and Eve were really likeable characters to me, and I feel that their emotions were conveyed really well in the book. I felt their frustrations about being lied to, and I was rooting for them throughout the book. However, I have to say, my favourite character was Mother Kadi. She seemed like such a badass, and I honestly wonder how she managed to pass messages onto to Frost from up in The Dome. She's definitely the kind of person you'd want on your side.
Overall, I really enjoyed Eve of Man and I honestly can't wait to read the next book in the series. I might be on a bit of a roll here with my five star ratings, but Eve of Man definitely deserves it. I definitely recommend giving it a go, especially if you love dystopian books.
Book 18 Review - A book with a neurodiverse character - She's Come Undone by Wally Lamb
She's Come Undone is the story of Dolores Price, a wise-mouthed 13 year old who suddenly finds herself taking solace in food after a particularly traumatic experience. As she grows older and her weight increases, Dolores finds the world is no more kinder than when she was a child. However, she soon realises that she was never lost, she just became undone.
I'm struggling to write a fair review of this book to be honest. I liked it well enough. I mean, I could sit and read it for over an hour without stopping which is not something many books can make me do. At the same time, I struggled to pick the book up and start reading it because although I enjoyed it, I also didn't. I know that makes absolutely no sense...
She's Come Undone covers many difficult topics, such as rape, domestic violence, death, and mental health. It made it quite a difficult book to read, and to be honest, I felt incredibly bad for the protagonist, Dolores Price because her life really was just incredibly traumatic. It honestly felt like Lamb went, "What are the most traumatic events that a person can experience?" and then complied them all into one book. It was excessive. Like come on, when could Dolores catch a break?!
One thing that really ground my gears was just how long this book was. 600+ pages of ramble that could have been consolidated into a book of 200-300 pages. And then to give Dolores the happy ending she finally deserved in the last 30 or so pages? It just felt rushed, like Lamb got bored of writing and wanted the book to end as soon as possible.
Despite the negative review, I've given this book 3 stars because I honestly did enjoy it. It was engaging, and an emotional and difficult read. However, there were also lots of things wrong with it then led me to an "average" review. Would I recommend it? Sure, but please remember it was written in the 1990's so it is quite outdated.
Book 19 Review - A fantasy book - Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer
Coming from a family of millionaire criminal masterminds, there is no doubt that Artemis Fowl is already a genius by the age of twelve. But when his cunning plan to kidnap a Leprechaun for ransom goes wrong, suddenly he finds himself taking on more than he bargained for.
I know that Artemis Fowl is just a book and that it's not meant to depict real life, but oh my god, I could not get past the fact that Artemis Fowl is twelve. TWELVE. Have you ever met a twelve year old that is as emotionally mature as Artemis Fowl is because I certainly haven't. Sure, you can argue that his experiences caused him to mature faster but that's not the point. Honestly, I just couldn't get past it, no matter how hard I tried. It really bothered me but I couldn't tell you why. It just did.
There wasn't really anything wrong with Artemis Fowl, it just wasn't for me. Firstly, it's clear that the intended audience is a much younger age group than myself. Secondly, as I've said, I'm really not a fan of fantasy books, and whilst I love Harry Potter, I don't really vibe with fairies and trolls in any other context. Give me a murder mystery any day.
Overall, I've rated Artemis Fowl three stars. It wasn't great, but it wasn't bad either. It was just meh. Average. As I've said earlier, I am clearly not at all the intended target audience, so I feel a little bad for not enjoying it because I don't think the book itself was bad. Still, I like what I like, and this wasn't it.
Book 20 Review - A classic book you've always meant to read - The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson
In The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, London lawyer, John Gabriel Utterson, investigates the strange occurrences between his old friend, Dr. Jekyll, and the new evil man on the block, Mr. Hyde.
I really enjoyed the first 40 or so pages of this book. I thought the descriptions were very detailed, particularly about Mr. Hyde. His creepiness was very clearly displayed through the writing and I felt a little on edge whilst reading the book. However, that was the only redeeming factor about this book in my opinion.
I found the language that was used a little difficult to read, and often found myself reading a sentence two or three times before I understood it. Perhaps the language was more fitting in the late 1800's when the book was first published, but as it is not common language in modern day society, I really struggled.
Although I admit that I felt creeped out by Mr. Hyde, I was really bothered by the descriptions of him being a detestable man that everyone gets a bad vibe from. I hate stereotypes in books, particularly when the evil guy has to make everyone he meets automatically feel on edge because of his appearance. There are some really good looking evil people. I also found that Dr. Jekyll essentially taking a potion to become Mr. Hyde as a bit of a cop out explanation for Mr. Hyde's presence.
Overall, I just really didn't like this book. It's only redeeming feature was that I enjoyed somewhat the first half, however, I wouldn't recommend reading this classic. There's really not much more to the story than what you already know. I'm glad that this book was only 90 pages long because at least I don't feel like I wasted a great deal of time reading it. If you insist on reading it, I'd recommend reading only the last chapter (20 pages long), it summarises the rest of the book better than the book did.
Book 21 Review - The 20th book (on your TBR, in a series, by an author, on a list, etc.) - The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
Alicia Berenson has it all. She's a famous painter with a fashion photographer husband, living in a grand house in a beautiful part of London. However, one evening, when her husband returns home late, Alicia shoots him in the face five times, killing him. Since then, she hasn't spoken a word. She becomes The Silent Patient. Theo Faber, a criminal psychotherapist, wants to find out why. Why did she shoot her husband? Why won't she speak? And he won't stop until he gets what he wants...
Wow. That's all I can say. The Silent Patient is one of the best psychological thrillers I've read in a really long time, and I don't say that lightly. I honestly struggled to put it down. From reading other's reviews, I knew that there was a big twist at the ending, but despite writing down seven theories in my little notebook, I did not guess it until the page before it happened. Does anyone else get this awful feeling in the pit of your stomach when you know you're just about receive bad news? That's the feeling I got in the pages before the big reveal.
I enjoyed that The Silent Patient is told from Theo's perspective and from Alicia's perspective. I think it really helped to get into Alicia's mindset leading up to the murder, and into Theo's motivations from doing what he did (don't worry, no spoilers!). I thought the author's character development in this book was amazing, particularly as it's his debut novel. Honestly, I just couldn't put it down. I felt like I was at The Grove too, witnessing everything just as it happened.
If you couldn't tell by my review, I absolutely loved this book and have rated it a well deserved five stars! I would definitely recommend it, especially if you enjoy psychological thrillers, and I honestly can't wait to read some more of Alex Michaelides work!
Book 22 Review - A book related to Maximilian Hell, the noted astronomer and Jesuit Priest who was born in 1719 - Artemis by Andy Weir
Artemis is the first and only city on the moon. And in that city lives Jazz Bashara, a professional smuggler. When Jazz is offered a job with a reward that she simply cannot turn down, she finds herself in the middle of a conspiracy for control of the city. Suddenly, her only chance of survival is even riskier than she ever thought it'd be.
Lately, I've found myself getting into science fiction books so I was really excited to read Artemis, especially because I've heard great reviews of Andy Weir's book in general. Unfortunately, I just don't think this book lived up to the hype. I wanted to love it, I really did, but I didn't. For me, this book was pretty average.
Artemis started off pretty strong. Weir really set the scene of this fictional city, and when I say he thought of everything, I really mean it. He knew the entire economics of the city, and I think he just really went above and beyond what I was expecting in that sense. I also found the characters pretty likable. My favourite character was Svoboda. He came across as a bit of a sleazebag, what with the condom, but I had a bit of a soft spot for him. It's definitely because his surname is almost the same as mine (change one letter) but is pronounced the exact same way.
However, despite Weir's strong descriptions, I just got bored. I know I said I was getting into science fiction but this was just too much for me. It felt like I had to have some knowledge about the moon, which I don't have, so I struggled to keep up with some of the information being thrown at the reader. Basically, it was too sciencey for me, if that's a thing.
I also do want to give a bit of a mention to the fact that when I started to read Artemis, all the protests around the world were beginning, and instead of reading, I spent a lot of time educating myself. I don't feel like it's fair to say that I didn't enjoy the book when something happening in the world took all my attention away. Of course had the protests not been happening, I may have still not enjoyed the book, but I just feel like I need to be aware that that may have impacted my ability to enjoy it.
Overall, I've rated Artemis three stars. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't great either. I enjoyed the descriptions of the setting and the characters, but the actual plot was a little too boring and overwhelming for me. However, it has not put me off from reading more Andy Weir books.
Book 23 Review - A book from the 2019 Goodreads Choice Awards - Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams
Queenie was picked at the June book club read for a different online book club I'm part of called the London Book Friends. Conveniently, it also fit Prompt 26 of the Around the Year in 52 Books challenge, "A book from the 2019 Goodreads Choice Awards". It was nominated for both best fiction and best debut novel, though it did not win in either category.
Queenie is the debut novel of author, Candice Carty-Williams. It tells the story of a 25 year old black woman, named Queenie, living in London as she deals with micro-aggressions surrounding her everyday life, but in particular, her working life and her love life.
Let me start by saying that I really enjoyed Queenie, and found it to be quite educational as to how it feels to be a young Black female in modern day society. As a white woman, I don't know what it feels like to second guess everything I do and everything I experience because of the colour of my skin, but it certainly made me more aware as to the micro-aggressions that Black people face in their every day life.
I felt that Queenie broached a lot of taboo subjects, in particular, mental health. It's a shame that in some communities, seeking help for your mental health is seen as a shameful thing, and I think Carty-Williams approached the topic in a really concise and sensible manner.
However, saying that, I felt like much of the book focused on Queenie's sexual adventures and it got a bit frustrating after a while. I am all for people sleeping with whoever they want and as many people as they want, it's really none of my concern. But when Queenie's sex life became the cause of her low self-image, I wanted to scream at her. Of course she's a fully grown adult who can do whatever she wants, but come on!
On a slight side note, I hated that Queenie's miscarriage was just brushed over. It would have been an interesting topic for Carty-Williams to explore as it's not really a topic that anyone mentions. It just felt like a small side plot for poor character development.
Despite my last two negative points, I did really enjoy Queenie and have rated it four stars. The positive parts of the book far outweigh the negative aspects, and it felt like quite a relatable book to me in some ways. I would recommend this book if you like sort of "coming of age" stories. It certainly felt more realistic to me that Queenie seemed to be having a bit of an identity crisis at the age of 25.
Book 24 Review - A book with the major theme of survival - The Martian by Andy Weir
Not only are we already halfway through the year, but I honestly can't believe that I am halfway to my goal of reading 52 books! I've set myself this goal every year for the past three or four years, and I've never even gotten close to reading 25 books, let alone completing the goal. To mark this momentous event (not really), I read The Martian by Andy Weir for Prompt 22 of the Around the Year in 52 Books challenge, "A book with the major theme of survival".
Andy Weir's debut novel, The Martian, follows Mark Watney, an astronaut with a botany degree. When a severe dust storm forces the Ares 3 crew to evacuate Mars, Mark suddenly finds himself alone on the Red Planet with no way to make contact with his crew or with Earth. Even if Mark had some way to make contact another human being, his supplies would be long gone before he could even be rescued. Mark may have been one of the first people to step foot on Mars, but chances are, he'll be the first to die. However, he's not quite ready to give up yet...
Oh my goodness. I don't even know where to start. For those of you who might remember, I wrote a review on another of Andy Weir's book, Artemis, in which I praised his world building. Well, it was no different in The Martian. Andy Weir just has a way with words that instantly transports me to the place he's describing. Honestly, I felt like I was Mark Watney sometimes, stuck alone on a planet that is destined to kill me. That is how good a writer Andy Weir is.
I've found myself really getting into science fiction books lately, and I honestly think that Andy Weir has found the perfect balance between science and fiction in The Martian (for me anyway). Whilst there was obviously some space talk that I didn't quite understand, I felt that it wasn't too full on that I got lost. In fact, I found it pretty easy to follow which is surprising, because I'm certainly not the smartest cookie in the box. That's not to say that the book is dumbed down in any way, just that it was easy to understand.
Let's talk plot for a second. Is it realistic that an astronaut would end up stuck on Mars alone? Probably not, but I loved how well thought out it was. I honestly felt my heart race every time Mark almost dies, and that is no easy feat. The Martian was fast paced which was great because there is nothing worse than a book that takes forever to get to a point. Is it bad that some parts of me wish that Mark could pull an Iron Man stunt. Sure, there's no chance in hell that he would actual survive that, but remember this is a science fiction book. F I C T I O N.
Overall, in case you couldn't tell, I have rated The Martian five stars. I don't know how he managed it with his debut novel, but I honestly can't think of a single thing I didn't like about this book. And that's me saying this even after reading some of his other works. It almost makes me wish he wrote Artemis first...
On a side note, I did watch The Martian movie after finishing the book, and honestly, it was as good as the book. I'm glad that they tried out the Iron Man thing because that was honestly too funny not to. And I'm glad that they all had a happy ending and ended up safe and sound on Earth.
Book 25 Review - A book featuring an LGBTQIA+ character or by an LGBTQIA+ author - The Color Purple by Alice Walker
(TW: Abuse in all forms will be discussed in this review)
In June, during the #BLM protests, I came to the stark realisation that I do not read diverse enough and that is unacceptable. It wasn't purposely done, but that's not the point. The point is that there are plenty of great books out that written by non-white authors that I haven't ever made the effort to look for. So I bought myself four books. It's not much, but it's a start. One of the books I purchased was The Color Purple by Alice Walker and after seeing raving reviews on bookstagram, I couldn't wait to read it. Conveniently, this book also fit my Around the Year in 52 Books challenge for prompt 23, "A book featuring an LGBTQIA+ character or by an LGBTQIA+ author".
Set in the deep American south, The Color Purple tells the story of Celie, a young Black girl born into poverty and segregation. After an extremely abusive childhood where she was raped and impregnated by her Step-Father and her children taken away from her, Celie is then separated from her sister, Nettie, and trapped in an abusive and loveless marriage. However, when she meets Shug Avery, everything changes. Suddenly Celie finds herself empowered by Shug and makes the decision to leave her past behind and create her own destiny.
There is so much to discuss here that I barely know where to begin! First things first, I absolutely loved the formatting of this book. I loved that each "chapter" was a letter that Celie was writing, at first to God and then later on to her sister Nettie. It was Celie's story to tell, and I think the letter format really helped me get a sense of the character.
In addition, I love that the letters were written in what I believe is known as Black English (BE) or African-American English (AAE). Whilst it took me a little longer than normal to read, only because I am not used to reading or hearing BE/AAE, I think that it made me appreciate The Color Purple a whole lot more than I would have done if it were just written in the standard American English. I certainly felt closer to Celie and was able to personalise her more as a result of reading the letters exactly how she speaks.
One thing The Colour Purple does is address a lot of very difficult topics such as rape, domestic violence, sex, slavery, death, etc. It was a hard read at certain times, and my heart certainly broke for Celie and her family. Despite the difficult topics though, I think this book had an incredibly uplifting message portraying throughout it, and that was that no matter how much suffering you go through, you are strong, you can take control, you are the writer of your own story.
Let's not forget the characters of The Color Purple. I love how each character was strong-willed and determined. My favourite, though, was definitely Sofia, she made me laugh and I think she was exactly the kind of friend that Celie needed at the time. However, I think we can take inspiration from all the characters, because they were all so strong in their own way. I certainly don't know if I could be as strong as them.
This book, however, is not above it's criticisms, no matter how minor. The only thing that really bothered me was the timeline. I was very confused when Celie had written in her letter to Nettie that she was told the boat had sunk but that she refuses to believe that her sister is dead, especially when Nettie's letters to Celie came after. I thought that maybe Nettie's letter predates Celie's because the timeline was sort of all over the place anyway. However, I was so shocked when Nettie turned up to find that 20 years had passed because that wasn't at all indicated in the book. The lowered the rating for me, I just feel like it could have been a bit more concise.
Overall though, I really enjoyed The Color Purple and I have rated it four stars. It taught me a lot, gave me a lot of things to reflect on, made me feel all kinds of emotions, and I definitely feel that it's a book everyone should read at least once in their life. I found out that it's actually considered a classic book and I'm so shocked with myself for not knowing that, and with my education for not teaching us Black literature.
Book 26 Review - A book with an "-ing" word in the title - The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
I've seen The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett floating around bookstagram lately quite a lot, so I was excited when it was announced as the July pick for one of the book clubs I'm part of (#LondonBookFriends). Conveniently, it also fits Prompt 51 of the Around the Year in 52 Books challenge, "A book with an '-ing' word in the title".
Desiree and Stella Vignes are identical twin sisters growing up in a small, Black town in southern America called Mallard, where all the residents are light-skinned. When they decide to run away at the age of sixteen to New Orleans, both girls find themselves gradually drifting apart until all contact is cut off. Now ten years later, one twin returns to Mallard, the town from which she tried to escape, with her Black daughter. The other secretly passes for White, and lives a life of luxury. Soon they find their lives intertwining once again when their daughters meet and befriend one another.
Although written entirely in the 3rd person, The Vanishing Half tells the story not only of Desiree and Stella, but of their daughters too, Jude and Kennedy. I usually don't like it when books follow multiple perspectives but I honestly didn't mind it too much in this case. I guess because it was being told in the 3rd person rather than 1st, it was easier to follow and know exactly who's story we were being told. I also felt that although the stories overlapped somewhat, they were done in a clear and concise way. I really enjoyed learning about each of the characters, especially Stella as she battled with true identity and her want to fit in.
One aspect of The Vanishing Half that I really liked was a minor subplot within the book. Jude's relationship with Reese. Reese is transgender, and honestly, it really wasn't a big deal in this book which I really liked. A way to include representation without taking over the rest of the plot. In a way, I did sort of wish that Jude would have the conversation with Desiree that her boyfriend is transgender, but I suppose that was the whole point, that it didn't matter as long as Jude loved Reese and vice versa.
I did find this book a little slow to begin with. You are given a lot of information very quickly with not much actually happening, and it can be a little difficult to process, but once you're past the first 20 or so pages, it eases up a bit. The story really starts, and information is gradually given to you rather than thrown. I do wish Brit Bennett had made the book a little faster paced but slower with the information, but it wasn't so bad that I wanted to put the book down and never read it again.
Additionally, although I loved reading Stella's story, I do wish she had told her husband in the end that she is a Black woman and they had a happy ending. I know that that is probably not realistic, but it is a fictional book after all. I just felt somewhat disappointed that she never learnt that her Mother passed away and that she still wanted to keep up this façade of being a White woman.
Overall, I really enjoyed The Vanishing Half. Although it's not a book I would have chosen for myself, I'm really glad it was picked as a book club read. I am very interested in reading Brit Bennett's other works. I've also heard that HBO have bought the rights to make it into a short series which I'm really excited for.
Book 27 Review - A book published in 2020 - My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell
The book begins in the year 2000 when 15 year old Vanessa gets a scholarship to a boarding school and begins an affair with her 42 year old English teacher, Jacob Strane. Suddenly, it is 2017 and Strane has been accused of sexual assault by a former student of his. She reaches out to Vanessa who suddenly finds her stuck between admitting that she was taken advantage of by someone she should have been able to trust, and wanting to protect the first and only man she had ever loved.
Ever since I saw My Dark Vanessa dominate the bookstagram scene, I was desperate to read it so honestly it couldn't have come at a better time. I was surprised, however, to see that a lot of people found it a difficult read and would put it down for multiple days at a time. Perhaps I should be ashamed of it, but it only made me want to read the book more.
I really enjoyed the premise of My Dark Vanessa. I thought telling the story from the perspective of 2000 Vanessa and 2017 Vanessa was really clever and a great way to see how the abuse affected her even as an adult. As we know, any sort of trauma, whether you recognise it as trauma or not, can be long-lasting and it affects everyone in many different ways. I thought it was interesting to see how in denial Vanessa was about her relationship with Strane although she also seemed to acknowledge that the relationship was inappropriate at the same time.
One aspect of the book that annoyed me was the lack of character development, particularly for Vanessa. I can almost understand Strane not developing much, after all, your personality doesn't change too much the older you get. However, you would have expected Vanessa to develop at the very least. Instead, she started the book as a "I'm-not-like-other-girls" person, and ended the book in the exact same way except now she was constantly drinking.
Overall, whilst I enjoyed My Dark Vanessa, I expect a little more from it and unfortunately, it fell flat. The chapters were too long for my liking, it felt very repetitive, and whilst the premise was interesting, the lack of character development really ruined it for me. I have rated it as two stars.
Book 28 Review - A book with a place name in the title - Dominicana by Angie Cruz
Ana is a young female who gets married at the age of 15 to a man twice her age who promises to take her to New York to live the American Dream. However, she soon finds out that the American Dream is only that, a dream. Dominicana is the story of Ana and how she grows into herself as a young woman.
When it comes to Dominicana, I do feel that the book was about 100 pages too long. The first half of the book really dragged and honestly, there was only so many times I could read about Ana's day and cleaning the flat. I get that it was supposed to show that she had nothing to do, but come on, did we really need it repeated for every day that she lived in New York. It wasn't until just before Juan was due to return home that the book began to pick up pace.
However, I do feel that the characters were well written and had good development. I especially liked Cesar, and his relationship with Ana. If anything, this books redeeming factor was the characters. They all had a place in ensuring that Ana could discover herself as she becomes a young woman.
I do have to make a point about the ending because initially I was somewhat disappointed by it. I had hoped that Ana and Cesar would end up together because he seemed so much more deserving of Ana than Juan did. However, after a book club discussion, I realised that the book ended in the perfect way for Ana. At the end of the day, she's still young and even with a child, she's got her whole future ahead of herself.
Overall, I've rated Dominicana three stars as I thought it was an okay book. I didn't love it, but I didn't hate it either. However, I know very little about America from the 1970's and Dominican Republic so I feel like a lot of detail from the book went straight over my head.
Book 29 Review - A book with an emotion in the title - The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
The Hate U Give is the story of Starr Carter, a young female who has witnessed her best friend, Khalil, being shot and killed by a Police Officer. Suddenly, she finds herself battling with telling the truth and seeking justice for Khalil, or staying quiet to protect not only herself, but her family too.
Despite being about an incredibly difficult topic, I was surprised by how easy I found it to read The Hate U Give. That's not to say I think reading about Police brutality is easy, but rather that I think the story flowed well and very smooth. In fact, the way it was written was so much more suited to my reading preferences that I found it difficult to even put the book down.
One absolute positive of this book is the emotions it made me feel. There were parts that made me laugh, especially Starr's boyfriend, Chris and his all too real naivety and ignorance. However, I definitely ended the book in tears. Although I could not relate to Starr's experience, I honestly felt as though I was part of the book and I was feeling her emotions, her anger, her sadness. That's a sign of a good book!
I do have to mention the ending of The Hate U Give. Initially, I think I was somewhat disappointed because I so hoped that Khalil would get the justice that he deserved. But then I know Angie Thomas was inspired by the real-life events of Police Officers murdering Black people and the reality is that they very rarely, if ever, get charged for that. Suddenly, I was no long disappointed by the end because of how true it was to real life.
I can hand on heart say that I absolutely loved The Hate U Give and I honestly can't think of a single negative point of it. I think, although a fictional book, it is based on real events that happen in America, and as someone who is not from America, it was an eye-opening book for me. Overall, I've rated it five stars.
Book 30 Review - A book about an event or era in history taken from the Billy Joel song "We Didn't Start the Fire" - Peter Pan by J. M Barrie
All children, except one, grow up. When Peter Pan finds himself in the Darling household, looking for his shadow, he befriends Wendy, John, and Michael. With the help of his fairy friend, Tinkerbell, they fly off to Neverland when they encounter mermaids, the Lost Boys, and the dreaded Captain Hook.
I don't want to mislead anyone so I'll say it from the outset. Despite loving the Disney version of Peter Pan, I really did not like this book. At all. Which honestly really surprised me because I don't think that there were many differences between the book and the movie.
So why did I dislike it so much? I didn't like the way the story was told. Peter Pan was told in first person from the perspective of the narrator who was telling a story. It sounds odd when I write it out, but if you've read the book, you'll know exactly what I mean. I don't know why I didn't like it, I just know that I didn't vibe with it and found it extremely difficult to get through the book as a result.
I don't really have much else to say about this book. I thought the characters were very one-dimensional. I thought the book, despite being short, was still too long. All in all, I just didn't enjoy Peter Pan. It is not a book that has aged well.
Book 31 Review - A mystery - Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
Whilst on a trip to the south of France, a young maid falls in love with a 42 year old widower, Maxim de Winter. After a fortnight of courtship, the two get married and begin their new life at Maxim's mansion in Cornwall, the Manderley. However, she soon finds that she does not know her husband as well as she thought, and that his first wife, Rebecca, is still present within the walls of the mansion.
I am not a big Classic's reader. It's not for want of trying, but my brain is just too simple to comprehend such big and outdated words. So naturally, I was a little intimidated when I found out that this book was picked as it was not something that would have been my first choice. I have to say though, I was pleasantly surprised! Rebecca is not the best book I've ever read, but I was surprised that not only did I manage to finish the book, but that I somewhat enjoyed it too! Somewhat being the key word.
I have to say that Rebecca is quite a slow book. You are half way through before anything remotely interesting happens. There is a lot of mention of rhododendrons, which is a type of flower in case you're like me and didn't know, in the first half of the book. And when I say a lot, I mean a lot. There is also a lot of mention of fancy food which honestly just made me really hungry.
Rebecca picks up when it is discovered that Maxim's ex-wife was murdered, rather than dying as the result of a tragic boating accident. This is when I really began to enjoy the book and found that I couldn't put it down. And the ending, wow, that really got to me. I honestly thought at first that Maxim's current wife had died before I realised that they were watching Manderley burn down.
In the end, I've rated Rebecca three stars. It wasn't the most exciting book and I really struggled with the language, although I appreciate that's a personal problem to me. But, once it picked up, it really got going so I can't say I didn't enjoy it!
Book 32 Review
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Book 52 Review
Reading Stats:
Number of Books Rated 5 Stars: 11
Number of Books Rated 4 Stars: 8
Number of Books Rated 3 Stars: 6
Number of Books Rated 2 Stars: 6
Number of Books Rated 1 Star: 0
Average Rating: 3.77 stars
Number Of Pages Read: 12,053 pages
Favourite Books: Wonder by R. J. Palacio, The Word Is Murder by Anthony Horowitz, The Only Plane in the Sky: An Oral History of September 11, 2001 by Garrett M. Graff, Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty, The Chemist by Stephanie Meyer, The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen, The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton, Eve of Man by Giovanna and Tom Fletcher, The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides, The Martian by Andy Weir, The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
Least Favourite Books: Missing, Presumed by Susie Steiner, The Wonder by Emma Donoghue, Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson, My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell, Peter Pan by J. M. Barrie
Longest Book Read: The Only Plane in the Sky: An Oral History of September 11, 2001 by Garrett M. Graff
Shortest Book Read: The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson
Around the Year in 52 Books
Books mentioned in this topic
Rebecca (other topics)Rebecca (other topics)
Rebecca (other topics)
Peter Pan (other topics)
Peter Pan (other topics)
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Progress: 31/52
Around the Year in 52 Books 2020 Reading Challenge:
1. A book with a title that doesn't contain the letters A, T or Y- Wonder by R. J. Palacio (29/12/2019 - 03/01/2020) ★★★★★2. A book by an author whose last name is one syllable- The Killing Lessons by Saul Black (04/01/2020 - 12/01/2020) ★★★★☆3. A book that you are prompted to read because of something you read in 2019- The Only Plane in the Sky: An Oral History of September 11, 2001 by Garrett M. Graff (24/01/2020 - 31/01/2020) ★★★★★4. A book set in a place or time that you wouldn't want to live- The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne (13/01/2020 - 15/01/2020) ★★★★☆5. The first book in a series that you have not started- The Word Is Murder by Anthony Horowitz (16/01/2020 - 23/01/2020) ★★★★★6. A book with a mode of transportation on the cover- Missing, Presumed by Susie Steiner (01/02/2020 - 14/02/2020) ★★☆☆☆7. A book set in the southern hemisphere- Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty (15/02/2020 - 20/02/2020) ★★★★★8. A book with a two-word title where the first word is "The"- The Wonder by Emma Donaghue (21/02/2020 - 29/02/2020) ★★☆☆☆9. A book that can be read in a day- The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J. K. Rowling (01/03/2020 - 02/03/2020) ★★★★☆10. A book that is between 400-600 pages- The Chemist by Stephanie Meyer (02/03/2020 - 09/03/2020) ★★★★★11. A book originally published in a year that is a prime number- My Lovely Wife in the Psych Ward by Mark Lukach (Published in 2017) (10/03/2020 - 21/03/2020) ★★★★☆12. A book that is a collaboration between 2 or more people- Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan (23/03/2020 - 26/03/2020) ★★☆☆☆13. A prompt from a previous Around the Year in 52 Books challenge- Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay (ATY 2019 - A book related in some way to a tv show/series or movie you enjoy) (26/03/2020 - 28/03/2020) ★★★☆☆14. A book by an author on the Abe List of 100 Essential Female Writers- The Casual Vacancy by J. K. Rowling (08/04/2020 - 20/04/2020) ★★★★☆15. A book set in a global city- The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen (21/04/2020 - 27/04/2020) ★★★★★16. A book set in a rural or sparsely populated area- The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton (28/04/2020 - 03/05/2020) ★★★★★17. A book with a neurodiverse character- She's Come Undone by Wally Lamb (10/05/2020 - 21/05/2020) ★★★☆☆18. A book by an author you've only read once before- Eve of Man by Giovanna Fletcher and Tom Fletcher (04/05/2020 - 10/05/2020) ★★★★★19. A fantasy book- Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer (21/05/2020 - 24/05/2020) ★★★☆☆20. The 20th book [on your TBR, in a series, by an author, on a list, etc.]- The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides (20th book on my shelf at the end of my bed) (27/05/2020 - 30/05/2020) ★★★★★21. A book related to Maximilian Hell, the noted astronomer and Jesuit Priest who was born in 1719- Artemis by Andy Weir (31/05/2020 - 10/06/2020) ★★★☆☆22. A book with the major theme of survival- The Martian by Andy Weir (17/06/2020 - 23/06/2020) ★★★★★23. A book featuring an LGBTQIA+ character or by an LGBTQIA+ author- The Color Purple by Alice Walker (01/07/2020 - 08/07/2020) ★★★★☆24. A book with an emotion in the title- The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas (01/10/2020 - 08/10/2020) ★★★★★25. A book related to the arts - The Danish Girl by David Ebershoff
26. A book from the 2019 Goodreads Choice Awards- Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams (Nominated for Best Fiction and Best Debut Novel) (13/06/2020 - 16/06/2020) ★★★☆☆27. A history or historical fiction - The Color Purple by Alice Walker
28. A book by an Australian, Canadian or New Zealand author - The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena
29. An underrated book, a hidden gem or a lesser known book - Peter Darling by Austin Chant
30. A book from the New York Times '100 Notable Books' list for any year - American Spy by Lauren Wilkinson (2019)
31. A book inspired by a leading news story - Room by Emma Donaghue
32. A book related to the 2020 Olympic Summer Games in Japan - Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami
33. A book about a non-traditional family - The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M. Danforth
34. A book from a genre or sub genre that starts with a letter in your name - Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling (Autobiography)
35. A book with a geometric pattern or element on the cover - The Woman in the Window by A. J. Finn
36. A book from your TBR/wishlist that you don't recognize, recall putting there, or put there on a whim - From Here to Maternity by Sinead Moriarty
37. Two books that are related to each other as a pair of binary opposites: Book #1 - Little Black Lies by Sharon J. Bolton
38. Two books that are related to each other as a pair of binary opposites: Book #2 - Little White Lies by Katie Dale
39. A book by an author whose real name(s) you're not quite sure how to pronounce - The Sinner by Petra Hammesfahr
40. A book with a place name in the title- Dominicana by Angie Cruz (22/09/2020 - 29/09/2020) ★★★☆☆41. A mystery- Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier (18/10/2020 - 21/10/2020) ★★★☆☆42. A book that was nominated for one of the ‘10 Most Coveted Literary Prizes in the World’ - This Is Going to Hurt: Secret Diaries of a Junior Doctor by Adam Kay (Shortlisted for Popular Non-Fiction and New Writer of the Year in 2018, Specsavers National Book Award)
43. A book related to one of the four horsemen of the apocalypse - The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
44. A book related to witches - The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin
45. A book by the same author who wrote one of your best reads in 2019 or 2018 - The Poison Tree by Erin Kelly
46. A book about an event or era in history taken from the Billy Joel song "We Didn't Start the Fire"- Peter Pan by J. M. Barrie (09/10/2020 - 16/10/2020) ★★☆☆☆47. A classic book you've always meant to read- The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson (25/05/2020 - 26/05/2020) ★★☆☆☆48. A book published in 2020- My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell (25/08/2020 - 02/09/2020) ★★☆☆☆49. A book that fits a prompt from the list of suggestions that didn't win - Papillon by Henri Charriere (A book where a character spends time in jail or prison)
50. A book with a silhouette on the cover - They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera
51. A book with an "-ing" word in the title- The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett (09/07/2020 - 13/07/2020) ★★★★☆52. A book related to time - The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America's Shining Women by Kate Moore