Review: SAY HER NAME by Juno Dawson

 

Say Her Name by Juno Dawson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Roberta 'Bobbie' Rowe is not the kind of person who believes in ghosts. A Halloween dare at her ridiculously spooky boarding school is no big deal, especially when her best friend Naya and cute local boy Caine agree to join in too. They are ordered to summon the legendary ghost of 'Bloody Mary': say her name five times in front of a candlelit mirror, and she shall appear... But, surprise surprise, nothing happens. Or does it?

Next morning, Bobbie finds a message on her bathroom mirror... five days... but what does it mean? And who left it there? Things get increasingly weird and more terrifying for Bobbie and Naya, until it becomes all too clear that Bloody Mary was indeed called from the afterlife that night, and she is definitely not a friendly ghost. Bobbie, Naya and Caine are now in a race against time before their five days are up and Mary comes for them, as she has come for countless others before... A truly spine-chilling yet witty horror from shortlisted 'Queen of Teen' author James Dawson. 

I picked up this book, having read a couple of Juno Dawson's books before, when I was in Waterstones with some time and money to spend--and I was not disappointed.

Say Her Name is different to Dawson's other books--I'm thinking of Clean and Wonderland--as the tone for this one isn't as 'raw' and harsh or real. It's paranormal, to start with, a chilling ghost story. But it was equally as compelling. I couldn't stop reading it, and it was weird--I don't normally connect that well with ghost stories as I find it hard to suspend belief. But I still connected with this one so well.

The mystery elements had me guessing all the time as to what was really going on--and what would happen--and I couldn't predict it. It's really good.

The romance wasn't overstated or overbearing, and I really appreciated that.

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Review: WE WERE LIARS by E. Lockhart

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

We are the Liars.
We are beautiful, privileged and live a life of carefree luxury.
We are cracked and broken.
A story of love and romance.
A tale of tragedy.
Which are lies?
Which is truth?

--

I’ve heard so much about We Were Liars by E. Lockhart and it’s one of those books where I was almost nervous to read it because I didn’t think it could live up to my now high expectations of it. But it did, and it surpassed them.

This is a dark, twisty contemporary story about friendship, forbidden love, dark secrets, guilt, blame, and a family that is both loving and toxic. It’s skilfully written and kept me eagerly turning the pages.

There are a lot of characters in this book, and it took me a while to remember who was who and work out the familial relations. We’ve got multiple timelines too, as the story is told in Cadence’s present day, as well as at least the summers of the last two years. These timelines have been wonderfully slotted together, and we meet Cody before and after her accident, and really want to discover what happened along with her (she has selective amnesia).

The characterisation was wonderful. I really felt like I knew each of the Liars, the four main characters. They felt like real people.

The twist ending? Well, I can’t say too much because of huge spoilers—but I did NOT see that coming. And due to a friend telling me that there was a huge twist, I was already on the lookout, yet E. Lockhart still managed to blow me away. I was speechless, yet the reveal felt right. It felt natural for the story, and I could easily see how the signs were there—I’d just interpreted them incorrectly.

There’s also something lyrical about the writing, and not only does it really match Cady’s troubled voice, but it also spoke to me on an inner level. I realise how weird that sounds, but I don’t know how else to say it. This book felt like it was letting me in on a secret as I read it, and I felt privileged to discover the story.

This may be the first book I’ve finished in 2019, but I already know it’s going to be one of my top reads this year.

Review: THE WALLS AROUND US by Nova Ren Suma

The Walls Around Us by Nova Ren Suma
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

On the outside, there's Violet, an eighteen-year-old dancer days away from the life of her dreams when something threatens to expose the shocking truth of her achievement.

On the inside, within the walls of the Aurora Hills juvenile detention center, there's Amber, locked up for so long she can't imagine freedom.

Tying their two worlds together is Orianna, who holds the key to unlocking all the girls' darkest mysteries…

What really happened on the night Orianna stepped between Violet and her tormentors? What really happened on two strange nights at Aurora Hills? Will Amber and Violet and Orianna ever get the justice they deserve—in this life or in another one?

In prose that sings from line to line, Nova Ren Suma tells a supernatural tale of guilt and of innocence, and of what happens when one is mistaken for the other.

—-

I’ve just this moment finished The Walls Around Us by Nova Ren Suma, and I have to write about it.

This book, simply, is incredible. It’s haunting and deep, moving and disturbing. Suma lures us into a dark tale of murder, guilt, and justice, gives us more than one unreliable narrator, and fills us with lyrical words, images that just claw at us, and a twisting storyline.

I knew this book was going to be good, I just didn’t expect it to be THIS good. Really, it is.

Told from the dual perspectives of Amber and Violet, the novel focuses on these two girls and how they’re connected by a third, Orianna Speerling, who’s been imprisoned for murder. Violet is Ori’s best friend from before her arrest, and Amber is her new cellmate. Both narrators are amazingly unreliable; they both draw you in, and right away, we know something’s not quite right with each of them. We know not to trust them. Yet we want to. I particularly wanted to root for Amber.

The characterisation is brilliant. Seriously brilliant. I felt like I really knew who each of these girls was. I felt their pain.

The lyrical writing was probably my favourite part of this book—though the plot and characters are simply great too! But the writing itself is beautiful. Evocative, pure, and disturbing.

The ending? Wow. I was speechless. It was both cathartic and hypnotic, alluring and moving.

This is an addictive read, a modern ghost story, a book about friendship, betrayal, and murder. But it is also so much more than that. It speaks deeply to its readers, it grabs our souls and refuses to let go.

I’ll definitely be picking up more books by Nova Ren Suma.