What Alice Forgot - Liane Moriarty

What Alice Forgot has been sat on my shelf for over a year and by chance, I picked it up and decided to give a go, it was a really refreshing surprise. Alice Love wakes up on the floor of a gym thinking she’s a newly pregnant twenty nine year old happily in love, she is horrified to discover she’s actually thirty nine, getting divorced and has three children she can’t remember. The love of her life hates her, her sister doesn’t seem to like her much, her mother has remarried and apparently her best friend Gina who she remembers nothing about, is dead. The story is told through three different perspectives, Alice’s story, and her sister’s journal entries to her doctor and her grandmother Frannies’ blog.

This book is a lovely little surprise, Alice is kind, free-spirited and deeply cares about those around her, her attempts to guide herself through a life she doesn’t recognize are endearing and often funny. Her shock and horror and suddenly becoming a mother to three children and her quick of the base remarks about how those around her are brilliantly witty.

The rest of the people around Alice are just as interesting to read, her sisters entries are often bitter and heart-breaking as well as being funny and are a real change in direction from Alice’s chapters. Frannie’s show a well-grounded character in Alice’s life, one who can clearly see what is best for her.

The best part about this book is how those around Alice see themselves and the way they have changed through the eyes of twenty nine year old Alice. It really makes you ask how much have you changed in ten years, what you have lost about yourself that you’d love to have back.

Towards the end I was concerned it wouldn’t go in the direction I’d been praying for but it turned out to be exactly what I wanted!

I gave it a four out of five, it was such a fantastic and unexpected little book! Definitely reading her next one. 

Snow White Must Die - Nele Neuhaus

This crime novel is a German export translated to English and written by Nele Neuhaus, eleven years ago two girls went missing in the small German village of Altenheim, Stefanie "Snow White" and Laura whilst their bodies were never recovered local boy Tobias Sartorius was convicted of their murders, after ten years in prison Tobias is released and returns home where everything has changed. The village is in uproar at the idea of a murderer walking the streets and when local girl Amelie disappears the fingers once again point at Tobias.

I’ll start with what I didn’t love, there are a lot of characters in this novel, I mean, a lot and they all have difficult to pronounce names. They have very complicated lives, shitty personalities and very twisted lives. You really have to focus on this novel to keep up with everything that’s happening and it’s definitely not an easy light-hearted read. Secondly, I know this is a book in a series, I’m unsure if the other novels follow the same two detectives and that’s why there was so much backstory to them, but at times in felt unneeded and I really found that I didn’t care about Bodensteins’ bitchy wife cheating on him or whether Pia would have her house knocked down. Finally the biggest hurdle in this novel is that at times the translation is disjointed and occasionally cheesy, which I think alters some of the books tone, had I been able to read German I probably would have been left with a different feeling by the end. My final gripe is that by the end of the novel, the hints that a much older Tobias might end up with a much younger Amelie were creepy.

But what I did love was the fact that Neuhaus weaved a fascinating, gritty and at times, disturbing story that I wanted to finish, that hooked me in and that was full of twists and turns. I didn’t guess the ending ahead of time and I quite liked Tobias as a character, despite his initial introduction as a murderer.

Another solid 3, though I did debate a 4, but the English translation was sometimes a little too uneven and left the book with a tone that didn’t always fit the genre. 

The Grown-up - Gillian Flynn

I said before that I was excited for Gillian Flynn’s next offering and here it is, although The Grown-up is not exactly new and was originally posted in a collection of short stories under a different title.

My only main gripe with this novel is that it’s a short story, I would have loved to of read a longer, and more extended version of this story, and her writing as ever is dark, gritty and abrasive. The story-line was creepy and disturbing, however, the ending was seemed rushed, confused and I definitely wanted something a little more satisfying.

Four out of five, I seriously can’t wait for her next full length offering.

Tricky Twenty Two - Janet Evanovich

It’s getting kind of hard to believe that Evanovich has managed to squeeze Twenty Two books out of her popular Stephanie Plum series but here we are with number Twenty Two. Whilst the series was initially strong the last few have definitely lacked the sparkle that originally made them so great. However Twenty Two definitely shows some positive growth after the last few passé novels.

Stephanie Plum is the world’s worst bounty hunter, who regularly blows up cars and is caught in the world’s longest love triangle with Italian cop Joe Morelli and better than bond security expert Ranger.

I’m not going to lie, the frustrating love triangle is still here, and I’ve given up on expecting Evanovich to give Plum fans the answer they so desperately want. Plum will never chose between her two men and despite a slight break by Morelli in this novel, it appears the men in her life will never force her to choose either.

However all of the important aspects that make Stephanie Plum so brilliant are still here, Lula is on top form and though I usually prefer my Grandma Mazur with a little more scandal I always enjoy when Stephanie’s Mum steps out of the kitchen and into the Plum circus.

As always Stephanie was forced to drive big blue, she blew up another care, she failed at catching felons, she needed Rangers help, she got involved in one of Morellis cases, she used some Bulgari green shower gel, she spoke to Rex, Lula did something crazy with her hair and Vinnie was a slimeball.

I gave this one a four, I always rate Plum so high, because she’s such a brilliant creation and her world is always fun to immerse yourself in. This marks a definite improvement on a few less than brilliant novel and I hope Evanovich delivers another winner with book Twenty Three (though surely, she is running out of titles by now?!)

Waiting for Wednesday - Nicci French

Nicci French are a husband and wife crime writing team that I’ve read quite a lot of, but their Frieda Klein novels are easily my favorites, Waiting for Wednesday is book #3 in the Frieda Klein series and it’s important to read the first two before you delve into this one, there is just too much back story that can’t be covered with a brief explanation.

That said, Waiting for Wednesday is definitely the weakest of the series, the story and plotline are solid but Frieda’s despondent nature and tendency to act rashly before considering the circumstances is getting a little old and I think it would be nice to see some growth from her character. Dean Reeves is as ever, lurking in the background of Frieda’s life, ominously.

The story covered two separate crimes, the first being the murder of Ruth Lennox and her family whose boring lives were neat and ordered on the surface but beneath the surface a web of secrets and lies was about to tear the family apart. Whilst DCI Karlsson attempts to solve the case the families children are busy making themselves at home in Frieda’s life, this was slightly confusing, three children were staying with Frieda, a woman they didn’t know, based on a friendship between the older boy and Frieda’s niece and it wasn’t questioned at all really.

The second crime was ex journalist Jim Fearbys’ desperation to uncover a serial killer that the police aren’t even aware of, something which Frieda finds herself entangled in, as usual.

The only thing that irked me about this novel was that the serial killer definitely needed fleshing out more, the only real insight was the comment Frieda obsessed over for the entire bloody novel. 4/5 stars from me however, I love Nicci French and I’m looking forward to reading the fourth book in the series Thursdays Child, it’s a strong interesting series that grips the reader, whilst parts of this make it the weakest in the series so far it still holds up well to its predecessors. 

The 9th Girl - Tami Hoag

This is the first Tami Hoag novel I’ve picked up, it follows Detectives Liska and Kovac as they attempt to solve the rather brutal murder of a young girl, nicknamed “Zombie Doe” after she falls out of the back of a moving car with half her face destroyed by acid. Hoag is a gritty writer, the Detectives have serious flaws, some of which threaten to impact the investigation (Liskas’ son being very friendly with the victim).

The petty circus of high schoolers makes for an interesting though slightly frustrating read and the victim has a very tangled and disturbing life. The determination of the detectives to solve the crime however is satisfying, the clever use of blogs and social media to reach the younger kids and the use of the victim’s poetry to engage the reader all add to the novel.

The voice of the serial killer is striking but is frustrating snuffed out before a satisfying ending can be reading but overall the novel is still a solid 3, I read it fairly quickly and found it fairly gripping, I’ll definitely give another of her books a go.

Have You Seen Her? - Karen Rose

Another day, another Karen Rose, this time, “Have you seen her” a killer is kidnapping sixteen year old cheerleaders, torturing and raping them and then leaving them out for super Special Agent Thatcher to find.

Meanwhile Thatcher’s son has gone from star pupil to basket case and his too good to be true teacher Dr Jenna Marshall is concerned. One meeting with Thatcher and she is madly in love despite being celibate since her fiancee died and the feeling is mutual Thatcher struggles to control himself around Jenna despite the fact that he too has been celibate since her wife ran off with another man and died on her way to the airport. I mean fancy that, two attractive, successful celibate people falling in love the first time they bloody meet? This time Rose gives much less voice to the murderer, instead preferring to tell the story through Thatcher and Jenna.

Jenna is refusing to pass the schools star Quarterback until he actually does some work and the Quarterbacks creepy papa is encouraging the rest of the team to haze her, slashing her tires, hanging dead animals in her lab and innocently cutting her breaks. Just boy stuff… crazy boy stuff.

Meanwhile the killer is fairly pissed off that nobody is recognizing him for the absolute genius he is and decides to up the ante, chopping one of his girls into pieces and scattering her around with big helpful signs pointing her out like “LEG” and “ARM”

You quickly realize that the killers main target is Jenna, his first attempt it thwarted by her two massive dogs but he’s not put off, he’s not a big fan of Thatcher either, who he rightly presumes to be an idiot. He’s spot on, my biggest pet peeve about this novel is that Thatcher is literally useless, he does nothing to solve the crime, the legwork is all done by his team and visiting Detective Davies, who almost had the killer back in Seattle but mishandled evidence meant he was set free and left to set up in Thatcher’s back yard. Like literally they never even CHECK OTHER CITIES for similar crimes until shady Davies pops up to point out how shit Thatcher is at his job.

Davies fancies a bit of Jenna too and there is a lot of unneeded tension and behavior that detracts from the interesting bits of the novel: the murders. There is also some more of Roses romantically suspenseful sex scenes which are wayyyyyyy cringier than the ones in the review below. She wrote this one before I'm Watching You so hopefully, as her novels progress there is less sex and more story.

I gave it a two, it had potential but it was nowhere near as good as I’m Watching You and again, Rose dedicated way to many pages to dodgy sex scenes and the budding romance of two people who did not belong together. The killer wasn’t a massive shock either. It hasn’t put me off her work but I’d like to read something that’s more solidly a crime novel with less of a romantic feel. 

I'm Watching You - Karen Rose

After a Picoult overdose I plucked Karen Rose off the shelf and decided to read a nice solid crime novel for a change. Kristen Mayhew is the star of this one, a public defender who takes any courtroom loss very personally, Kristen is lonely and closed off after being raped in college. Kristen however is being watched very carefully by a calculated killer who is delivering Kristen pictures and evidence of his murders, with a twist, he’s only going after criminals who escaped justice and most of them are Kristen’s own losses. He starts with a couple of sexual deviants and three gang members and escalates to killing people who haven’t been tried, but that he stills views as guilty. Handily delivering Kristen evidence of his crimes and burial sites and also offering her some interior decoration tips. He’s your average psycho vigilante.

Enter super cop, Abe Reagan, descending from a family of law enforcement he is super hunky and has eyes for only one woman, Kristen. Kristen is playing ice queen and Abe’s partner Mia is doing most of the work in trying to find the killer before he’s killed enough criminals to make a football team. Abes family adopt Kristen pretty quickly and soon she is shacked up with hunky cop and they are working out decades of issues together and sometimes trying to solve the crime. Kristen is also being targeted by gang members who are pissed to lose three of their own and think Kristen knows who is behind it and then she starts getting threats from the super creepy father of Angelo, who is a murderer who escaped justice and becomes a murderee to the super bad vigilante. You with me so far? Then there is reporter Zoe who needs a big break so she can make it to CNN and thinks a few murders will get her to the top, aswell as sleeping with literally anyone who can give her an exclusive. She has this crazy hatred of Kristen which is literally never explained.

The crime itself is really interesting, the murders, the clues, the pool of suspects keep you reading. I narrowed it down to three people and I was right on one of them.

However my only criticism is this, I went into the novel not realising Karen Rose writes “Romantic suspenseful” novels and honestly by the end of the book I was tired of the cringetastic sex scenes and clichéd conversations between hunkysupercop and Kristen.

I liked Kristen as a character though, she was pretty tough, interesting and easy to read about.

Three out of five, I loved the plot and feel of the novel but the romance was too over played and took away from Roses true talent as a crime author.

Harvesting the Heart - Jodi Picoult.

Another Picoult one, but the last one for a while I promise! Harvesting the Heart follows Paige an 18 year old who was raised by her strict Catholic father after her free spirited mother abandoned her. After having a little sex before marriage and a subsequent abortion Paige packs a bag and does a bunk on her good old dependable Dad, who has now been twice abandoned. She sets herself up far away and begins working as a waitress, offering portraits on the side of meals. Then she meets Nicholas a busy, overworked aspiring cardiac surgeon who finds Paige a refreshing change in his life of luxury provided by his parents. Quickly falling in love Nicholas and Paige decide to marry, but his parents withdraw their financial support and the couple are left to work themselves down to put Nicholas through medical school. Once he’s set himself up at a hospital and making a name for himself Paige discovers she is pregnant, but has no bond with the baby growing inside her and begins to question whether she’s even cut out for motherhood.

Baby Max arrives like the second coming of Satan’s son and does nothing but scream, cry and breastfeed poor old Paige raw until she fully gives up on doing literally anything like cooking, cleaning and washing. Tired from surgery Nicholas gets progressively meaner and when Paige accidentally lets Max get hurt she decides she’s fully had enough now and packs off to find her own Mom and discuss her very serious issues.

I mean, it’s feasible, it sounds like something that could well happen and you do have some sympathy for Paige but she goes from being easy going, caring and willing to sacrifice everything for someone else to literally just pissing off and leaving Nicholas with their son, no childcare and not the kind of job he can take a sabbatical from just as he’s on the brink of his career defining moment.

I wasn’t really bothered by Nicholas until Paige returns, then he decides that because he’s managed to keep Max alive for three months by himself (with the help of his his newly returned parents) that Paige is a useless lump who should take a hike and have no access to her son at all.

The book is really all about the issues between Nicholas and Paige and the fact that deep down, they don’t really know each other or marriage until a big hurdle like Max arrives. The ending is pretty ambiguous and I was searching for another chapter to wrap it up much more cleanly. There are other characters, Paige's first love, her Mother and Nicholas' Dad but the only one who is interesting independent of the others is Nicholas' mother. My biggest annoyance is Paige's dad who she abandons and never bothers to visit again, calling in every so often to let him know shes done something huge like get married or have a baby but not bothering to involve him in something he should be involved in. 

I gave it two stars, its readable and interesting but it’s easy to see that its Picoults second novel and whilst it’s much more evolved than Songs of the Humpback Whale it lacks the solid sparkle her later novels have and it doesn’t stand against her stronger works like Nineteen Minutes and My Sisters Keeper.

Change of Heart - Jodi Picoult

Another Jodi Picoult one, Change of Heart centers around June, twelve years ago her youngest daughter and her cop husband where murdered by a man she hired to do some home improvements, the only thing that kept her going was the baby she was carrying however, her baby is now twelve with a serious heart defect and a clock that’s quickly running down unless June can find a suitable donor.  

Enter Shay Bourne, a prisoner on death row who wants to give Claire his heart, but there’s a catch, he’s the man convicted of murdering her husband Kurt and daughter Elizabeth. Oh and Shay is no ordinary man, he’s the second coming of Christ and his prison miracles are all over the front page. His cell neighbor Lucius who is HIV positive and the only friend Shay has is enamored with Shays miracles.

Then there’s Michael, a priest, who Shay is happily spilling his guts too however Michael has a secret, he served on the jury that sentenced Shay to death and of course Maggie, an up and coming lawyer who wants to help Shay achieve his goal and raise questions about the use of the death penalty.

And it all hinges on this, Shay can’t donate his heart if he dies by lethal injection, so it’s up to Maggie to ensure he can be hung instead.

For me June was too tragic of a character, her first husband Jack died at the hands of a drunk driver, so she married the cop who gave her the bad news and he became step-daddy to Elizabeth, except then he and Elizabeth are slaughtered in Junes home and now her second daughter, the only thing that kept her going could drop dead any bloody second. I mean Christ, what sins is she paying for?

Shay is frustrating, his miracles are often random and his demeanor does make you think he’s pretty guilty and it’s tough to sympathize with him at all.

Michael is a bloody mess considering he’s a priest, lying left right and center and omitting to let Shay know that’s he responsible for the death row he’s now sitting in.

Maggie however is a serious ray of light in an otherwise bleak group of people, her desperation to raise questions about the death penalty, her self-deprecating personality and her determination to win her case help her win over the reader.

As for the twist, and here’s your big warning, major spoiler coming up, I saw it coming. I literally googled when I was about four chapters in to see if I was right about Kurt abusing Elizabeth and Shay having only killed him in anger after walking in on the abuse. It seemed really obvious and I was disappointed when Picoult wrote June as kind of glossing over it? Mentions of her having found her daughters underwear in odd places and him lingering when perhaps he shouldn’t but she didn’t really give it much thought after that and I wanted to choke her. Especially as she buried poor little Elizabeth in the arms of her abuser.

I gave it a very obvious three out of five, it was good reading, but the twist was guessable and some of the characters were unlikable despite the tragedy of the novel overall. 

Sing you Home - Jodi Picoult

Jodi Picoult is a solid writer, her books are usually intriguing and interesting and Sing you Home isn’t really an exception, told via three different perspectives, Zoe Baxter has spent many years and thousands trying to get pregnant as both she and husband Max have fertility issues, when she loses her baby in her third trimester a distraught Zoe prepares herself for another round of vitro but husband Max can’t carry on and asks for a divorce instead. As Max hits rock bottom his brother Reid and sister in law Liddy introduce him to his Pastor Clive, a man who is strongly against and protests issues like abortion, gay marriage and relationships and is infamous for his strong stances not his religious efforts.

Meanwhile Zoe connects with Vanessa and their friendship soon turns to love, Zoe and Vanessa decide to use Zoë’s remaining eggs and allow Vanessa to carry their child, however when Zoe goes to get Max’s permission he takes the advice of his pastor and sues her, intending to give her eggs to his sister in law and brother, believing that a child shouldn’t be raised in a lesbian setting.

Max is a frustrating character and for much of the book, I did want to punch him. His callous abandonment of Zoe, his blind faith in Pastor Clive, his lack of thought or feeling for Zoe, however he does pull it around and by the end, I hated him a little less. Zoe and Vanessa are well fleshed out characters that you do root for. Maxs’ brother is much the same as Max and sister in law Liddy is supposed to be a bloody angel but is often contrived and difficult to warm to.

My one criticism of the novel would probably be that it paints Christianity as a religion in a general bad light, none of the religious characters have any redeeming features and the way Zoe and Vanessa are treated is absolutely not reflective of millions of Christians, however if Picoult was intending to point out that sometimes religion does lead to conflict, especially when coupled with a modern lifestyle, she has done so without raising controversy.

I gave it three stars, it is as dependable as I have come to find Picoults’ novels to be and is a good addition to anyone working their way through her works. 

The Girl on the Train - Paula Hawkins

The Girl on the Train is one of those books, with a Gone Girl hype and everyone seems to be reading it. Number one of the UK book chart for a record breaking 20 weeks and selling over 3 million copies in the US alone. It’s the debut creation of British author Paula Hawkins, it centers around three female protagonists; Rachel an unemployed alcoholic still struggling with the breakdown of her marriage, to avoid admitting she’s lost her job Rachel continues the charade of travelling to London every day, staring longingly from the train window at the house she used to occupy and one down the road whose inhabitants she develops an obsession with. Megan is the inhabitant of the house Rachel fixates on, Megan is married but not happily, though her husband isn’t aware of that and is seeing a psychiatrist and having an affair. Anna is now married to Rachel's ex-husband, has a new-born baby and hates living in Rachel's old home. Especially as Rachel won’t leave her alone, constantly crashing in drunk and reminding Anna of the life her husband used to have. When Megan disappears Rachel is on edge, wondering if she should confess to everything she’s seen whilst spying on Megan, Anna is frightened that a woman she knew and who lived near has gone and all three men, Anna’s husband and Rachel's ex Tom, Megan’s husband Scott and psychiatrist Abdic have something to hide.

 Each chapter is from one of the women’s point of views and a very strong theme runs throughout them, Rachel is confused, hurt, angry and a mess. Anna is resentful, fed up, in denial and desperate to leave, Megan is chaotic, refusing to find any kind of stability in her life.

The book absolutely lives up the hype and whilst I wouldn’t give it quite the same 5 star rating as Gone Girl it isn’t too far behind, it’s a messy tangle of lives that leaves you turning until you reach the end, desperate to solve. Rachel is a frustrating character and sometimes the pure madness behind what could be relatively sane thinking drives you insane, Anna is contrived, having stolen Rachel's husband with no remorse she refuses to bear any responsibility for Rachel's current state and Megan is entitled and spoilt, however the flaws of each character make them incredibly fascinating.

It’s a solid four stars for me, riveting, uncomfortable, many of the same qualities that made Gone Girl so brilliant, absolutely looking forward to Paula Hawkins next offering. 

Picture Perfect - Jodi Picoult

SPOILERS BELOW!

After another lull in my usual heavy reading routine I've gone back to my comfortable favorite, Jodi Picoult, who has yet to write a story i didn't want to finish. 

Picture Perfect is the story of Cassandra Barrett-Rivers who wakes up in a graveyard with amnesia and is discovered by Will Flying Horse, an LAPD officer who is half Lakota and is avoiding his past. Cassie is claimed by her husband, Hollywood's biggest actor Alex Rivers and for a week or so Cassie tries to fit back into her "picture perfect" life, her career as an anthropologist and as Alex's wife, but as her memories seep back in she slowly realizes her life is not as it appears to be and the Alex who came to claim her is merely playing the part of the perfect husband.

Cassie's character is very well layered, her work as an anthropologist, carefully piecing skeletons back together mirrors the fractures of her relationship and her own body. Her obsessive love and need of Alex and his of her despite the violent abuse. It was interesting to read the back story of their relationship, explore the reasons behind Alex's behavior and Cassie's decisions to both stay and eventually leave, twice.

When Cassie leaves with Will its such a big cheering moment, I kind of wanted the book to end right there, with them riding off into the sunset together, but its never that easy with Picoult and unfortunately, Cassie and Will both have demons to face. 

I liked and disliked this book in perfect symmetry, Picoults portrayal of a woman who both loves and fears her abusive husband is well written, even when Cassie leaves to protect her unborn son she still knows she will eventually return, the end in which Cassie realizes that to truly break free she would have to irrevocably break her and Alex was brilliant and I really hoped that beyond the pages Cassie makes things work with Will. Will was a frustrating character though his feelings for Cassie were clear his inability to stand up and take real action on them was annoying, but I suppose the true romance was that he let her go knowing that she would come back to him. Alex did not translate to page however as the desirable, spellbinding movie star I feel he was supposed to, though the reader is obviously aware of his abusive side I think we were also supposed to gain an understanding of why Cassie loves and stays with him and for me, I just didn't get it. Neither did I understand the point of the worlds worst best friend Ophelia. Its a three out of five for me, a strong novel, with some slight annoyances but as always, one i wanted to finish.

Practical Magic - Alice Hoffman

Spoilers below! Skip to the end for star rating.

I ordered this purely because i discovered the film was based on a novel and i love the film. Unfortunately, the novel really was just basic source material and the characters, storytelling, settings etc are very, very different.

Sally and Gillian Owens are sisters who couldn't be more different, raised by their aunts after the death of their parents the girls are hounded relentlessly as children because the Owens family are considered different, they are believed to be witches, they wash with black soap, black cats follow them around and when storms destroy their town, the Owens house remains standing. Eventually Sally and Gillian go their separate ways, Sally settles down and has two children, Antonia and Kylie, but when her husband dies she leaves her hometown to build a life where nobody knows her name. Gillian meanwhile drifts from town to town, man to man, job to job, eventually arriving back at Sally's door years later, dead body in tow. 

Here is where the film differs majorly. Gillian believes she had killed James (Jimmy) who is a southern cowboy not the second coming of Dracula. Gillian has short blonde hair. They bury James in the garden and continue on living, James appears in the garden to Kylie (Antonia in the film) but he doesn't possess them. Officer Gary Hallett does come looking, but he leaves pretty swiftly, though he does fall for Sally and eventually returns for her. Sally and Gillian do not have the same bond as they do in the film, in fact they borderline hate each other, the aunts appear only at the beginning and the end. Gillian meets and falls in love with someone else and here's the big disappointing kicker; there is no curse on the Owens women, their husbands do not all die. 

I think that had i read this first and watched the film secondly there is a chance i may feel differently but i think the film took some good source material and churned out a better story (much like The Notebook). They made the right decision keeping the films events at the home of the Aunts, the obvious use of magic, the curse and Sally's wish for Gary would have been brilliant in the book. 

What i will say for Alice Hoffman is that she is a beautiful writer, this book contains some truly stunning quotes and i can see why it was chosen to be turned into a film. I intend to read more of her work in future.

"“The moon is always jealous of the heat of the day, just as the sun always longs for something dark and deep"

Its a 3 out of 5. I loved her writing style and the basic story, but i think the film did it a little better. 

The Second Wife - Elizabeth Buchan

Minty stole her best friend’s life, she stole her husband, her job, her house and now Minty is realizing that life as “The Second Wife” isn't quite what she imagined. This is the first book from Elizabeth Buchan that I have read and never in my life have I wanted to punch every single character in the face more than I do those she has created. Buchan has perfectly crafted a group of ignorant, self-involved idiots.

Lead character Minty is selfish beyond words, half way through, after her husband drops dead in his ex-wife’s house Minty realizes that she didn’t love him, not really, not the way his first wife did. She prattles on and on about how hard her life as wife number two is, it becomes quite clear that most of the problem lies with Minty, not the people around her. She is at times, a reluctant mother to her sons. Minty’s only saving grace actually is that she attempts to be a reasonably good mate to best friend Paige. Paige is another person who needs a punch (then a slap and a kick) having forced her husband to have children he never desired she then decides she doesn't need him anymore and boots him out, citing that, she has no time for a husband on top of her children (you can practically hear the whooshing of her helicopter parenting as you turn the pages). Mintys husband Nathan is drab, boring, clearly exhausted and his death comes as quite a relief because it’s quite clear the man needed a good long rest, it’s just a shame he dropped of his own accord and that Minty didn’t get the chance to beat him to the grave with his secret ridiculous diary. His daughter Poppy barely tries to disguise her hatred of Minty, she’s a grade A bitch from start to finish, I wanted to beat her the most I think, it’s hard to decide.

Then comes Rose, the foreboding “First wife” as Minty repeats, over and over. Rose is just too perfect, too well put together, from her clothes, to her personality, even when her emotions bubble just over Rose is careful to pull them back with a sweetness that makes you want to vomit.

However, I wanted to finish this book, I couldn't put it down. I wanted to know how it would end and though I hoped that would be with all the characters falling off a cliff, the actual abrupt close of the novel felt more appropriate, the growth between the characters was evident and the parallels from the beginning were fitting.

Three out of five. I had a love/hate relationship with the novel but Buchan kept me reading until the final page. 

Top Secret Twenty One - Janet Evanovich

Stephanie Plum is the world’s worst bounty hunter but she always gets her man and usually solves a crime in the process. Twenty one novels in I was wondering whether author Janet Evanovich could squeeze much more out of her most popular creation but apparently she can. Top Secret Twenty One is the latest installment and it has everything you come to expect from the world of Plum.

Cars blow up, Grandma does something hilarious, Lula says something sassy, Vinnie is still running his bail bonds office, Connie is still scary, Stephanie still can’t pick a man, Bob eats something he shouldn't, Stephanie ends up in grave danger, her mum cooks dinner, and her dad eats it. The world of Plum is locked into a never-ending circle of reliving most of the same events over and over just with different criminals. It's Evanovichs proven method and she shows no sign of changing it.

This time Stephanie is stuck between two cases, bodies are piling up and Stephanie is trying to find her fugitive and solve the crime but Ranger needs Stephanie’s help when someone makes an attempt on his life. The highlight of this novel is quite easily Grandma Mazurs final appearance of the novel, it’s a literal laugh out loud moment and she supplies plenty more of those in-between when she faces off with Spooky Grandma Bella.

I have at this point, given up on Evanovich ever having Stephanie decide between her two men. Clearly Evanovich herself can’t choose between them. Ranger is smooth as ever although once again Stephanie manages to break his outer shell slightly, whilst Morelli once again proves himself as the world’s best boyfriend and Stephanie treads all over him.

Lula lacked a little of her usual sparkle in this novel. Hopefully installment 22 will see Lula back on form.

If you are a Plum fan, it’s a must read, but if you are just delving into the world of Evanovich, don’t start here, it’s not her best work.  3 out of 5 stars (purely because I’m a fan and Mazur is a hoot)

Sharp Objects - Gillian Flynn

The mind of Gillian Flynn must be a darkly fascinating place, I’ve read all three novels now and I’d say Gone Girl was actually the least disturbing of the bunch. Sharp Objects is an incredible read, the kind that leaves you with a sick feeling in the pit of your stomach, the kind of abject horror that you can’t not read, yet you aren't even sure if you want to.

Camille is a mediocre reporter for a mediocre newspaper, editor Curry thinks she has potential and even more than that, that his paper does, so he sends Camille back to her hometown to break the story about a potential serial killer targeting children before any other paper can.

Camille reluctantly returns and immediately, is drawn back into the insidiousness of her mother’s life. A well groomed and presented woman with a dark heart. She also gets the chance to know half sister Amme, a seriously disturbed 13 year old with the kind of promiscuity that makes you want to lock your children up forever and step-dad Alan, who is literally,  the creepiest man alive without even speaking.

Camille’s life is troubled. She is a borderline alcoholic who uses self-harm to escape, her method is to carve words into her skin. She is in recovery but that’s not without its urges. She isn't just a mediocre journalist but a reluctant one and her attempts to report on the murder of two young girls (who had their teeth removed post mortem) are lackluster. She doesn't have the passion or the drive for the job and she knows it.

Her mother Adora is the evilest woman ever. I won’t ruin the story, but her behavior is on the line on being incestuous, she’s very disturbed and incredibly cruel. Amma is more outrageous than most 18 year olds and she is supposed to be just thirteen. You want to punch Alan in the face. Local police chief Vickerery is an idiot and Kansas detective Richard is annoyingly ambiguous.

If you think reading about the murder of two little girls would be the worst part of the novel you’ll be horrified to discover there are many, many occasions where other things happen that come pretty close. When the killer is finally revealed it doesn't even bring the usual satisfaction at finally having some justice, if just leaves you with an uncomfortable feeling that lingers long after the last page.

4/5. Gillian Flynn is easily cementing herself as a major player for the crime/genre.

Chocolate Cake with Hitler - Emma Craigie

SOME SPOILERS! 

(Although its based on fact so...)

Much like The Boy in the Striped Pajamas which came four years before Chocolate Cake with Hitler reading about the horrors of the Nazi regime through the innocence of a child's prose brings new levels of darkness to the history. Though the book is fiction it is based closely on fact, Helga Goebbels was murdered, presumably by her Mother, in Hitlers underground bunker in Berlin, after arriving there just 10 days earlier. Their final days were spent hearing echos of the bombs on the streets above, spending time with "Uncle" Hitler and "Auntie" Eva and their dogs. As well as their own Mother and Father. The facts indicate that when the bodies of the children were recovered, Helga Goebbels bore bruises on her face, a sign that she knew what was happening to her and tried to fight before being forcibly fed cyanide. This is where i believe, Emma Craigie seems to take Helga's suspicious  narrative from, Helga explains her life from Hitlers rise to power until she is sent to the bunker with her family in flashbacks. The holocaust is referred to briefly, mentions of her being forced to watch anti-Jewish propaganda and remarks from those around her. Mainly Helga's narrative guides you through her final ten days in the bunker, how afraid she was and even more afraid to openly display her fears, her disgust at "Uncle Adi" and her awe of "Auntie Eva". Her only joy having come from Hitlers dog Blondis puppies and playing with her younger siblings, the lack of time she spent with her parents, overhearing the noise of the Hitlers wedding and eventual death and not understanding fully what was happening. Helga's narrative is confused, but with a undertone of understanding, from page one until the end Helga knows deep down, the war isn't going to end in favor of Germany. 

The novel is, like The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, a difficult read, understanding the Nazi regime and the consequences that fell upon the innocent children forced to be involved is dark and troubling. But of course, it should be.

If Helga Goebbels could have written a memoir of her final days i do believe it would have read a lot like this, the confusion, the fear, the charade from the adults that surrounded her, all seem to be a direct line into the past. The one thing i kept in mind whilst reading the novel was that, the youngest child who was kept in that bunker and murdered there was Helga's sister Heidi, she was four years old.

Its a five star book, i would absolutely recommend it, it falls just short of 200 pages, its a "quick" read but not an easy one. I am definitely going to pick up Emma Craigies next release. 

Will Grayson, Will Grayson - John Green & David Leuithan

SOME SPOILERS BELOW!

So i literally just finished this book and i'm wordless, i have no idea how to review it. Was it a story? I mean really very little happens, there is a fabulous musical, some concerts, some teenage angst and some hilariously funny moments but there's no big oh my god moments. Its like spending a few hours talking to your overly camp and very depressed friends.

The two Wills are polar opposites, whilst Will 1, non gay Will is fairly ordinary and boring to read, Will 2 is interesting, clearly broken, intriguing to read. Tiny Cooper is like Elton John on Red Bull and MDMA, there's a lot of life in him, he lights the whole novel. Jane is mildly interesting, a fairly good match for Will 1. 

The narration flips between the two Wills but for Will 1's chapters Tiny is casting the bigger shadow (literally) you can clearly tell its John Green writing Will 1, its akin to The Fault in our Stars, minus the awful tragedy, obviously, whereas David Leuithan is a new writer for me so his prose, was refreshing, dark and funny at the same time. 

The story is definitely strange, like i said there isn't much that really happens when you think about it but whilst your reading it and its happening you kind of get dragged along the roller-coaster with them all.

My biggest praise for this one is the end, it was genuinely lovely, Tiny though exerting over the top confidence in himself throughout was clearly struggling with self esteem issues so to see him be accepted at the end, in the most amazing way, was brilliant. 

Its a three star for me! I liked it, i didn't love it but i loved parts of it. 

House Rules - Jodi Picoult

SOME SPOILERS BELOW!

Another Jodi Picoult read! I admit though, i'm a big fan. This novel is one of her longer ones along with Nineteen Minutes and The Pact, it comes from five different perspectives, Mom Emma is tired, over wrought yet dedicated looking after her son Jacob, who has high functioning autism and Aspergers, Jacob lives his life with a very strict routine, he doesn't understand emotion, he hates the color orange, he is fascinated with forensic science and he has an incredibly dry sense of humor. Brother Theo feels neglected, hes holding in years and years of angst, frequently jealous of his brother, sometimes wishing he was an only child. Detective Rich is juggling his family and his job, he feels connected and responsible for Jacob but often that clashes with his responsibilities. Lawyer Oliver is barely out of school and has never tried a big case.

When Jacobs social skills tutor Jess goes missing it becomes clear that both Jacob and Theo have something to hide, when Jacob is arrested Emma and Oliver are forced to try make a court understand how Jacobs condition affects his ability to live the way the rest of us do, Jacob is bound by rules, order and routine, Emma and Oliver try desperately to get a jury to understand that his lack of emotion is not the hallmark of a sadistic killer, but of a boy who doesn't understand emotion, grief or loss. 

The book had me gripped, Emma's chapters are tiring, you can see the weight she carries everyday worrying about each son in turn but knowing Jacob will always end up coming first, she is clearly torn on whether or not she believes her son could do what hes accused of. Theo is shady from page 1, hes lonely and its clear hes had a difficult life but the way he expresses that frustration is immediately a warning signal, i was convinced, from the start that Theo was the killer (i won't reveal if i was right!). Jacobs chapters are fascinating, his understanding of the world is on a completely different level to the other narrators and therefore he is the most interesting character throughout, his sense of humor is wickedly funny at times too. Oliver was a little blah for me, he jumped between good guy and total asshat, Rich was the same, you could understand his feeling of responsibility but he fully stitched Jacob up without caring about his conditions even though he already knew about them, it seemed like the kind of error that would result in some serious questions in court. The Judge frustrated me too with his complete lack of understanding and it seriously left me questioning whether in reality Jacob would have ended up in the dock.  

My one annoyance with the novel is the ending, there is no real feeling of satisfaction for the reader, the mystery of Jess Oglivys murder is unraveled but we don't get to see a conclusion in court. Aside from that however its definitely another winner from Picoult, she always has me completely involved in her stories, nervous for the charecters and desperate to see what happens. This is easily one of her best novels, falling just behind Nineteen Minutes and The Pact! Four stars!

Perfect Match - Jodi Picoult

SOME SPOILERS BELOW!!

Perfect Match is quite a novel, even for the epic Jodi Picoult. Nina Frost is a prosecutor, shes dealt with hundreds of child abuse cases and she knows that its difficult to get any justice for the children involved. When she discovers her own son has been abused she takes matters into her own hands and shoots dead the man she believes to be guilty, in a courtroom full of witnesses.

Its as brilliant a novel as one about child abuse can be, Nina is acceptive of her faults as a mother but when she is focused on her son, her devotion is unquestionable. Her husband Caleb is a bit of a wash, until the last few very obvious pages, he is a limp character and his lack of real emotion is a low point. Luckily the strength of Nina's character and that of her best friend, Patrick Ducharme, carry the novel well, especially when paired with the painful and difficult sections from her son, Nathaniel's point of view. 

Its difficult to describe and its by no means an easy read, any novel involving child abuse is going to be a tough read and this is no exception, Nathaniel's innocence and reaction to the horrors that happen to him are heartbreaking and tough to get through. 

I gave it a four stars, its not a pleasant read, but as much as it can be considering the content, its a good one. 

Broadchurch - Erin Kelly & Chris Chibnall

This book is a difficult one to review, the novel was written after the series aired so i already knew the plot, characters and murderer. However it is a word perfection adaption of the popular TV series. When eleven year old Danny Latimers body is discovered on Broadchurch beach the small community implodes on itself as DS Miller and DS Hardy attempt to discover the killer. Literally everyone, except Danny's mum, sister and grandmother become suspects. 

Erin Kelly has done a brilliant job of adapting the screenplay into a novel, the plus of having it transformed into writing means you get a better feel of the characters emotions, particularly those of Danny's mum Beth, who is doubly heartbreaking on page as she was on screen.  The characters work well on a page, whether its because i had already seen it and therefore had a mental image in mind of them all or purely because it is so well written but it was incredibly easy to strike up a mental image of them all and even the setting. 

There are odd scenes added in that were not televised, its easy to pick up on them and whilst they don't add anymore depth to the story they are interesting for fans.

Its a three star, its not outstanding literature but its a solid adaption of a brilliant series.

Reconstructing Amelia - Kimberly McCreight

SOME SPOILERS BELOW!!

Reconstructing Amelia caught my attention because the reviews on the front of the book claimed it to be as good as Gone Girl and deserving of as much praise. Unfortunately, the review was way off.

Amelia Baron is a quiet, well behaved, studious 15 year old girl who is accused of plagurising an English paper and proceeds to throw herself off the school roof. The death is ruled a suicide but months later her Mum, lawyer Kate, receives a text  with a single line. "Amelia didn't jump".

What follows is basically Gossip Girl crossed with a dodgy channel five murder/cop show. 

Amelia turns out to have had quite the life in her final months, involvement in secret clubs, on the receiving end of homophobic bullying, posing for risque photos and spending hours talking to a young boy she never even met.  Amelia's mother unravels slowly whilst trying to discover what really happened to her daughter and exposes some serious flaws within the story.

Firstly the case is reopened and investigated by a single officer, just one. Mum Kate never meets any other officer once the case is reopened, its seriously implausible and i spent half the time wondering if he was even an actual officer. He also allows Kate to tail him in interviews, permitting her to ask questions, sift through evidence herself without any supervision, basically doing the work he should be doing with a team. Completely beyond the realms of a normal investigation.

The girls in Amelia's school are just a little too bitchy, even by Gossip Girl standards, the extent of their vicious bullying would be a crime and the school, we are expected to believe, remained in denial about the entire situation for their own protection.

A teacher is exposed as having written a Gossip Girl-esque blog exposing student secrets and nothing appears to happen to her, everyone and anyone knows how to disguise their numbers, emails and i.p addresses. It's like CSI for bitchy rich school kids. 

When the killer/not killer is exposed the mother just accepts their story about it being an accident and moves on, without any other questions. 

It had potential to be brilliant but it just didn't get there, the story and characters were too exaggerated, Amelia was stretched so far out of her original personality her actions made no sense, her mother was irritating, the police officer unprofessional and the blog, Facebook and text excerpts could have been siphoned straight from Gossip Girl or Pretty Little Liars. It is a teen fiction novel, with elements of the previously mentioned books masquerading as adult crime fiction, it definitely is not on parr with Gillian Flynns Gone Girl. 

Two stars. I didn't love this one!

Kisscut - Karin Slaughter

SPOILERS BELOW!!

I love Karin Slaughter, she is absolutely the Queen of crime, i could read her Sara/Jeffery/Will novels for the rest of my life, unfortunately though I've now read all of her releases! Kisscut is book 2 in her series, (which i have irritating read out of order) and its easily the most disturbing. 

Police chief Jeffery Tolliver and town pediatrician Sara Linton are enjoying a night out at the local ice skating rink when violence explodes and Jeffery is forced to shoot dead an armed young teenager, what follows next is easily Slaughters most unsettling plot-line, focusing around  a pedophile ring and the exploitation of children.

Slaughter crafts her novels with such an intensity, it'll keep you turning the pages, Jeffery and Sara are brilliant leads, their complicated relationship adds rather than detracts from the novel(s). My bone of contention with Slaughter is character Lena Adams, every page with Lena leaves you feeling infuriated, as a character she is difficult to like, despite everything she goes through and you literally want to slap her into reality constantly. 

Kisscut is both intriguing and sinister, Karin is a talented writer, blowing her fellow crime writers out of the water, Kisscut is one of the best in her series, my only problem is the lack of justice for all the villains involved within the story. Usually Slaughter ends with the satisfaction of seeing her villains but this early novel doesn't end that way.

Its an easy four stars, its been a while since i read all her other novels, this one has me excited to read what she releases next!

The Life & Death of Charlie St. Cloud - Ben Sherwood

SPOILERS BELOW!!

I confess, i had seen the film adaption of this long before i picked up the book, something i hate doing, but, i cast aside the film when i picked up the novel. Charlie St Cloud accidentally killed his younger brother Sam and their family dog in a car crash as a teenager, after dying and being brought back to life himself by fireman Florio in the same crash, Charlie discovers his trip to the other side has left him with a gift, he can see the dead before they move on. Using this gift, Charlie gets to keep spending time with his dead brother, however this tie to his hometown and brother leave him unable to leave, travel and sail the way he wants too. Instead he works at the cemetery, lives in a small cottage on the grounds and spends every evening until sunset playing baseball with his brother. Until he meets Tess, about to embark on a solo sail around the world Tess and Charlie connect and he starts to doubt his choices. 

Because i had watched the film, i was prepared for the twist, Tess was lost on a sailing trip and whilst she lays slowing dying on some rocks in the sea, her spirit is falling in love with Charlie. Even knowing it was coming, the twist was still brilliant and heartbreaking. 

I really loved this book, the writing is gentle and beautiful, Charlie is such a mournful yet graceful character you root for him from page one. His interactions with Sam are genuinely warm and lovely. Tess is a likable female protagonist and you can feel the beauty of the setting through the pages. The references to Salem are a nice throw considering Charlies gift. My favorite part however was the old fashioned elements to the romance between Charlie and Tess, the entire novel is just so beautifully constructed, Ben Sherwood has a definite talent for this genre. 

Its a four star for me, it was a refreshing read and is my stand out book that I've tackled so far this year. 

Songs of the Humpback Whale - Jodi Picoult

SPOILERS BELOW!!

Songs of the Humpback Whale is Picoults first ever novel, as you I've been on a Picoult run in the last few months so i was excited to read the novel where it all began. Unfortunately, it had a lot of problems and you can see its the raw work of an early writer. Songs differs from Picoults usual formula of crime/investigation/court case, instead it follows five different perspectives with a jumbled timeline leaving you guessing the point at which you are at.

Protagonist Jane was abused and beaten by her father as a young child, taking the brunt of his cruelty to protect younger brother Joley. she escaped by marrying Oliver very young and conceiving Rebecca, their only daughter. However Oliver is more interested in his work charting humpback whales and Jane and Rebecca are left feeling ostricised. From this they form a strong bond that is more than just mother/daughter. Janes dependency and honesty with Rebecca is often inappropriate and its clear to see the damage that has scarred Rebecca mentally as a result. Jane leaves Oliver after he slaps her once, when Rebecca is five, however when he demands Rebecca back Jane puts their daughter on a plane alone and it crashes, Rebecca is one of a few survivors, Jane rejoins Oliver and they try and move on. When Oliver informs them he will miss Rebecca's fifteenth birthday for work, Jane starts a fight, throwing Olivers research down the stairs he snaps and grabs her wrists, hard, in retaliation she pulls away and slaps him and after he comments that she is becoming her father she races out and leaves. Rebecca is already waiting for her mother in the car, Jane turns to her brother Joley who guides her to him, his makes the long journey more bearable by leaving her letters in various towns and sending her to landmarks and attractions. The journey shows that Jane lacks maturity in her role as a mother, they struggle with money, have to eat and run on a diner, steal £600 pound they find in a car they buy and regularly sleep in their car despite the heat. Meanwhile Oliver has decided to chase his wife down, for the first time in his life, actively fighting for his family. When Jane arrives at Joleys and meets his boss Sam things get complicated, Rebecca falls in love with an older man and their worlds implode on them. 

Jane is difficult to like, shes immature, weak though Joley protests she isn't and she seems oblivious to the harm she is doing to her daughter. Oliver is a bumbling idiot who actively knew he was pushing them away and allowed it to happen. Joleys feelings for his sister border if not cross into incestual. Hadley, whom Rebecca falls for, also has some underlying issues, Rebecca is barely fifteen and he ten years older when he decides hes in love with her and his boss and friend Sam, overlooks this as if its nothing.

Its beautifully written at times, but the jumpy timeline can be frustrating and a key plot point is revealed very early. Several chapters repeat the same sequences of events from different perspectives all at once which i found boring at times. The ending is infuriating, having finally freed herself and realizing she doesn't love her husband Jane still returns with him. Seemingly unconcerned with the death and chaos shes left behind. Joleys chapters are uncomfortable to read, clearly his feelings for his sister require the help of a psychiatrist. I am pleased that Picoult took her work in a different direction. For me the novel was a 2.5. It was okay, i was intrigued to find my way to the end and the characters

didn't put me off reading but i had major issues with it and i find her later work to be far more developed and enjoyable.