Review: TORN by Cat Clarke

Torn by Cat Clarke
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

They didn't mean to kill her...now the guilt will tear them apart

Alice King isn't expecting the holiday of her dreams when she sets off on a trip to the wilderness with her mates. But when her best friend Cass decides to teach mean girl Tara a lesson, Alice finds herself in a nightmare she can't escape.

Now Alice is the guardian of a secret too horrific to tell; and a secret too terrible to keep. A secret that will change all of their lives for ever...

— 

Torn is the second book by Cat Clarke that I’ve read, and this is a good read. I absolutely loved her other book, Girlhood, and I think that’s the problem—if I hadn’t read that book and been blown away by it, I probably would’ve enjoyed Torn a lot more than I did. But for me, Girlhood was excellent, and though Torn is a great story, it felt a little flat compared to it.

Don’t get me wrong. This IS a good book. I just went into it with really high expectations.

Torn tells the story of Alice, a sixteen-year-old who’s caught up in the murder of classmate and former best friend, Tara. The plot is high tension and the ending particularly was well done.

I especially enjoyed how Clarke explores Alice’s unravelling mental state and the ghostly apparitions of Tara.

The characterisation, on the whole, was well done in my opinion and all main characters felt real and believable. They felt like the typical girls you’d meet in a secondary school, and reading the chapters sent during school really felt like we were stepping into a high school.

Tara was probably my favourite character. I really liked how we saw her evolution and how Clarke allowed to see who and what had shaped Tara into what she’d become—and how those same factors played into her death.

The romance between Alice and Jack, Tara’s brother, felt a little forced, particularly at the beginning. By the end, I was fully onboard with it—though there seemed to be a few pacing issues where we’re told rather than shown how time is passing and how the relationship progresses.

The ending of this book felt raw but satisfying.

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Review: GIRLHOOD by Cat Clarke

Girlhood by Cat Clarke
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I’ve been in a reading slump lately, and GIRLHOOD by Cat Clarke is the book that brought me out of it.

This book is amazing. It’s poignant, raw, and dark. And so, so emotional.

Harper, the MC, is at boarding school and is dealing with her grief and guilt over her twin sister’s death. Jenna died from anorexia, and Harper blames herself as she was the one who suggested they both went on a diet. The portrayal of anorexia is sensitively done and focuses largely on the impact that Jenna’s death has had on her twin and parents. Harper’s coping mechanisms seem realistic and authentic.

Female friendship is a huge part of this book, and Clarke tackles this in such a good way. She shows how groups of girls can turn on each other, how fragile a once-string friendship can become—and how quickly too—and really captures what teen friendships can be like: both the intensity of them and the importance of them in regards to building identity.

GIRLHOOD starts with four friends—Harper, Ama, Lily, and Rowen—when they meet newcomer Kirsty. Lily is headgirl and organises an almost initiation test for Kirsty—one that is unpleasant and somewhat dangerous. This book doesn’t shy away from how mean girls can be.

As the book progresses, Kirsty slithers further into the friendship group, and it becomes evident that she’s trying to cause trouble. She isolates certain girls, playing both the tormentor and rescuer—something that Lily is also referred to.

There are secrets and lies, jealousy and betrayal wrapped up in this complex story of friendship. But what I really liked was how all five girls pulled together and supported one another. Explanations for Kirsty’s behaviour are given—and these explanations perfectly explained her motivation for her ghastly actions and why she wouldn’t to hurt the girls. And the other girls forgive her, just as they forgive each other for other things they’ve done. Forgiveness is a huge theme in this book, and it ends with Harper trying to forgive herself for Jenna’s death.

I was really glad that this book didn’t have a love story, as so many YA books do. It would’ve detracted from the important messages this book gives.

It’s also worth noting that the cast of this book is diverse. This is the first book I’ve read where the MC is bisexual and this representation was really well done. Rowen also tells readers early on she’s a lesbian, and at least one other character appears to either be bi or lesbian too. There are also characters of colour too.

My only negative about this book is some of the characterisation. When you have a book with so many teenage girls as main characters—it’s set at a boarding school—keeping them separate in your head as you read is always going to be a challenge. And a few times, I found it hard to distinguish between Ama, Lily, and Rowen. But Harper and Kirsty’s characterisation was expertly done.

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Review: VOX by Christina Dalcher

Vox by Christina Dalcher
My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Set in an America where half the population has been silenced, VOX is the harrowing, unforgettable story of what one woman will do to protect herself and her daughter.

On the day the government decrees that women are no longer allowed more than 100 words daily, Dr. Jean McClellan is in denial—this can't happen here. Not in America. Not to her.

This is just the beginning.

Soon women can no longer hold jobs. Girls are no longer taught to read or write. Females no longer have a voice. Before, the average person spoke sixteen thousand words a day, but now women only have one hundred to make themselves heard.

But this is not the end.

For herself, her daughter, and every woman silenced, Jean will reclaim her voice. 


—-

Vox by Christina Dalcher gives us a snapshot into a terrifyingly real world.

Girls and women are no longer allowed to speak more than 100 words a day. If they do, they face extreme punishment. They’ve been stripped of their jobs and any authority they once had is long gone. This is a terrifying look at female oppression and Dalcher explores just how far society will go—and what, if anything, can be done to stop it.

Jean is a great protagonist. She’s relatable and strong-minded, yet she’s careful and cautious too. Seeing the world directly through her own experiences in it was, quite frankly, uncomfortable to read in many places. The injection of flashbacks throughout the MS that showed how the world had come to be like this was also very interesting, as not only did it provide backstory in small amounts, but it also gives the reader a chance to see how Jean’s character has changed and grown, to see how she’s adapted to the new rules of society.

Jean’s relationships with her children were also really interesting. In particular, her eldest son and her daughter. These characters also felt well though-out and well written.

The writing itself is concise and appealing. It invites the reader to “just read another chapter” at every point. It’s a compelling book and it has some fantastic images that border on being almost lyrical in their writing.

The affair in this book was a bit of a surprise for me—but a good one. Seeing the contrast between Patrick and Lorenzo, and how each interacted with Jean was really interesting.

The one thing I didn’t like was the ending. It felt really rushed, and when Jean and Lorenzo so easily realise that they can trust another person so quickly, it just seemed very convenient. I didn’t quite believe they could trust this third character (trying not to give spoilers here) and I was waiting for it to backfire... only it didn’t.

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Review: THE TRUTH WAITS by Susanna Beard

I'm so excited to be taking part in the publisher's blog tour for The Truth Waits by Susanna Beard!

About The Truth Waits: 

Anna has everything worked out – a successful company, all the comforts she needs and no ties. But when she stumbles across the body of a young girl on a deserted beach in Lithuania, everything changes.

Anna is compelled to uncover the story behind the tragedy, despite concern from her partner, Will. Everything points towards sex trafficking, but as she searches, her own deepest secrets start to surface.

When Will disappears without a trace, Anna is pulled further into the murky world of organised crime. Time is running out for them all, and there’s a killer out there who will stop at nothing.

Beard enthralls the reader in this fast-paced psychological crime thriller. Anna serves as the perfect power-house protagonist, her daring escapades leaving the reader questioning: how far should one go to solve a murder?

Review: 

The Truth Waits is the first book by Susanna Beard that I’ve read, and I was not disappointed. This is a fast-paced crime thriller about sex trafficking. 

When I started reading and found this book is written in third-person present tense, I wasn’t sure how easily I’d become caught up in the narrative. I love present tense, but third-person present tense has always been a hard read for me, and I’m not sure why. Yet I had no problems getting into this book. There’s something compelling and almost lyrical about the writing, and I just felt like I needed to read more and more every time I sat down to read “just a couple of chapters.” 

What really makes this book is the characterisation. Anna is a great main character. She’s a work-obsessed business woman and it’s hinted early on that she has a dark secret. On the surface, she seems rather cold, but as you read, you discover hidden depths to her character. When her dark secret is revealed, it’s done so in a way that is still sensitive to the character and heart-wrenching for readers. Though the secret had the capability to paint her as a villain, Anna still doesn’t seem like a villain in the reader’s eyes, despite her secret, and I think the execution of it was beautifully done. She’s definitely the villain from another (off page) character, and it just proves that the protagonist and antagonist of a story very much depends on the point of view and narrator. 

Our other main character is Will, a travel journalist. We start off not knowing much about him, and Beard cleverly builds the suspense as she has us questioning whether Will really is everything that he says he is, as Anna finds evidence to support both her theories (that he’s a sex trafficker and/or that he’s investigating the sex trafficking). This back-and-forth structure as Anna tries to make up her mind, made it a compelling read, and right from the start, I found Will to be an intriguing character. 

The book begins with Anna finding the body of a sixteen-year-old girl on the beach not far from her hotel in Lithuania. What follows is a dark journey into the gritty world of sex trafficking as Anna tries to work out who murdered the girl, and struggles to trust those around her. 

For me, the only negative point about this book was the ending. Although all the plot points are wrapped up in a satisfying way, it felt a little rushed in places. Anna almost seems to find out the answer too quickly, after spending so much of the book deliberating, and there are no huge twists in the final section—due to the large amount of back-and-forth worrying that Anna has as she suspects other characters, the ending confirms that the bad guy is one of the people she suspected. I was expecting there to be a reveal after this that someone else close to Anna was also involved, and I feel that would’ve just made this book have the edge. 

Overall, this is an engaging crime thriller and well worth the read. 

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book and for the publisher for inviting me to be part of the blog tour with this review. 

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Review: BRAVE THUMBELINA by An Leysen

Brave Thumbelina by An Leysen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Ever since I was little, I have loved reading fairy tales. The story of Thumbelina holds a special place in my heart as this was one of my favourites as a child. Thus, when I got the opportunity to read an early copy of An Leysen’s BRAVE THUMBELINA, I couldn’t say no, even though children’s books aren’t the usual books I review.

Firstly I want to start by saying that the illustrations in this book are gorgeous. I received an e-copy of this book and after opening it on my kindle, I switched to my kindle app so I could view the illustrations in colour. These drawings really add a special magic to the story.

This book is aimed at readers aged 5 and older, and the language and writing style certainly seemed appropriate for that readership. The story itself is well-written, though the plot doesn’t differ much from the traditional story of Thumbelina, so it didn’t seem as much of a “retelling” as it could have been. It essentially was the Thumbelina story that most people know.

Nonetheless, I really enjoyed it and it felt magical reading it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my advance copy.

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Blog Tour: An Excerpt from CELESTIAL by S.E. Anderson

Hi everyone!

I'm so excited to be taking part in the blog tour for CELESTIAL by S.E. Anderson! I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of this book, and I can't believe that it releases next week. If you haven't already, please check out my review here. 

S.E. Anderson kindly gave me the chance of choosing the excerpt for today's stop on her blog tour, and immediately, I knew which scene I wanted to excerpt. This is one of the lighter moments of the book, and it provides a great contrast with the life-and-death decisions that main character Sally has to make in this book.

The other reason I love this scene is because it reveals SO MUCH about the main characters, Sally, Blayde, and Zander. I love their interactions with one another.

Anyway, onto the excerpt:

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Answers to Prayers Aren’t Always That Good

This morning, I woke up with spoons.

Maybe I should clarify: I was the small spoon. There were arms around me, holding me close against a perfect chest, and as I awoke, the most perfect sense of well-being flowed through me. I wanted to curl in away from the bright light that shone directly in my eyes and just lie here, fully content, fully happy.

Then I remember there wasn't anyone I should have been spooning and, poof, good feeling gone.

I rolled away from the arms, out from under the blankets, and into the cold of the morning. Instantly, I pulled back the blanket as the chill brought goosebumps to the surface. There was no memory of where I was, who was with me, or who was supposed to be with me. I tried to open my eyes, but the light burned, making everything look fuzzy. I reached out a hand, thwacking something soft. I had the dreadful feeling that it might have been a face.

"Stop that," came a mutter of muffled annoyance next to me.

"What the?" I stammered as I watched Blayde slowly wake up beside me. She opened her eyes and smiled at me, one of her twisted grins that showed too many teeth.

"Morning sunshine." She grinned, and I had a sickening feeling in the pit of my stomach.

"Oh damn, Blayde," I said, "did we ...?"

"Did we what?" She pushed herself up on her elbows. "I'm pretty sure I didn't sleep with you. Why? If that something you see happening?"

"It's just, well, you were spooning me?"

"Because you asked me to."

"When?"

"Last night."

"When, last night?"

She dropped her elbows and collapsed back on the bed. "When you got back, all sandy and gross, from wherever you and my brother were off to," she said, shuffling her shoulders in what I guess could have been a shrug. "A few harsh words were exchanged a propos of this bed. Mainly, me not wanting to move or share. I got here first, why should I move?"

"So … what happened last night?"

"You mean after the two of you stumbled in, you threatened to kill me again, and told me that if I wasn't going to move, the least I could do was spoon you?"

"Yeah?"

"Nothing." Blayde grinned. "You just slept."

"And why is Zander in the bed?" I asked, glancing one person over and seeing Zander sprawled beside his sister. His gravity-defying hair must have been as exhausted as he was because it fell on his face, shading his eyes from sunlight. His face twitched; our voices must have woken him.

"He was tired?"

"And why is Nim here?" I asked, seeing the teen down the lineup. Somehow, the four of us had managed to squeeze into the only bed. Exhaustion does silly things to people.

"He was here first." Blayde shrugged again.

"I thought you said you were here first?"

"No, I was first compared to you. And you felt bad about kicking the kid out."

"Don't call me that," grumbled Nim, proving once and for all that he was awake.

"You're fifteen, and I've lost track. You're all kids to me."

"Sally's not that much older than me," he mumbled. "I think?"

"Stop it, please." Zander sat up, taking the blankets with him. "We're supposed to be putting a plan in place today to save thousands of people ... I think. I'm not quite awake yet. I need coffee."

About CELESTIAL:

She wanted a holiday. They needed a chosen one.

Sally, Zander, and Blayde, accompanied by their new friend Nim, have only one request: no more bizarre distractions on their hunt for Earth.

But before their cells can complete a single jump, the team is shoved off course and crash into a dreary old temple. Worse yet, there seems to be some confusion over Sally’s face, as it looks exactly like that the local deity, Selena, goddess of the moon and omniscient absentee. Sally’s ticking every box on the ancient prophecies checklist.

Fresh off of her meds and riding the withdrawal, and Sally must choose between embracing the role of Goddess so as to protect the planet from mysterious Sky People, or being thrown in a Volcano. Not the best way to start a tropical vacation. It’s not going to be easy uniting warring factions, dealing with excitable whispering forests, or fighting both literal and figurative demons. Not to mention keeping up the appearance of divinity when all Sally wants is a nap.

Armed only with some high school improv’ classes and a basic knowledge of foreign pop songs, Sally must save the planet – before everything goes up in flames. 

Don't forget to pre-order CELESTIAL now!

Review: REACTIVE by Becky Moynihan

Reactive by Becky Moynihan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the first book by Becky Moynihan that I’ve read, and I was not disappointed. This is largely a fast-paced read that had me turning the pages faster than I could read them.

The worldbuilding of this book is something that’s especially well done. I recently read Whisper by Lynette Noni, and the opening of Reactive particularly struck me as similar. But whereas, for me, Whisper lost its pace and tension in the next chapters (and ultimately became a book I did not finish), Reactive was the complete opposite. This is the story I was looking for.

Lune is a great protagonist. Her voice and personality shone through the writing. As a character, she felt authentic. She was strong-minded, yet hesitant at times, and I really liked this as it made her human and really relatable. And we definitely discover more about her as she faces the trials, which was something I really liked.

There were a couple chapters that had slight pacing issues, but this doesn’t really detract from my overall feelings on the book. This is a solid dystopian.

Thank you to the author for providing me with a free review copy.

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