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I post book reviews as often as possible but at least once a week every Wednesday! I hope they help you to find some new books that you'll love as much as I did!
Perfectly paced with a gripping plot, Six Stories has a uniqueness to it which is unlike anything I've read before. It has a distinctive structure, as it is written in the form of a podcast and is told through six characters giving their take on the events that took place twenty years earlier.
This modern twist made the book very realistic and I felt as though I was actually listening to the podcast. Each character had an individual voice which enabled me to picture them and the events vividly. As the stories unfolded from the different characters perspectives, it became apparent that they were all trying to present themselves in the best way and would avoid the truth to do this. There were secrets aplenty and each interview made me all the more desperate to find out what had happened to Tom. I really liked the way the ending left me to draw my own conclusion. It felt fitting considering the presenter, Scott King, had encouraged this throughout the book. Overall I'd give this book 4.5 out of 5. It's a brilliantly modern and gripping take on the classic thriller. I'd definitely recommend giving it a read. Six Stories is published by Orenda Books This book was provided to me for free in exchange for an honest review.
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My day on the Sometimes I Lie blog tour today! I'm posting an extract as well as a review! Take a look at the other stops on the blog tour for some amazing content! The ExtractMy name is Amber Reynolds. Here are three things you should know about me:
Now Boxing Day, December 2016 I’ve always delighted in the free fall between sleep and wake- fulness. Those precious few semi-conscious seconds before you open your eyes, when you catch yourself believing that your dreams might just be your reality. A moment of intense pleasure or pain, before your senses reboot and inform you who and where and what you are. For now, for just a second longer, I’m enjoying the self-medicated delusion that permits me to imagine that I could be anyone, I could be anywhere, I could be loved. I sense the light behind my eyelids and my attention is drawn to the platinum band on my finger. It feels heavier than it used to, as though it is weighing me down. A sheet is pulled over my body, it smells unfamiliar and I consider the possibility that I’m in a hotel. Any memory of what I dreamt evaporates. I try to hold on, try to be someone and stay somewhere I am not, but I can’t. I am only ever me and I am here, where I already know I do not wish to be. My limbs ache and I’m so very tired, I don’t want to open my eyes, until I remember that I can’t. Panic spreads through me like a blast of icy cold air. I can’t recall where this is or how I got here, but I know who I am. My name is Amber Reynolds. I am thirty- five years old. I’m married to Paul. I repeat these three things in my head, holding on to them tightly, as though they might save me, but I’m mindful that some part of the story is lost, the last few pages ripped out. When the memories are as complete as I can manage, I bury them until they are quiet enough inside my head to allow me to think, to feel, to try to make sense of it all. One memory refuses to comply, fighting its way to the surface, but I don’t want to believe it. The sound of a machine breaks into my consciousness, stealing my last few fragments of hope and leaving me with nothing except the unwanted knowledge that I am in a hospital. The sterilised stench of the place makes me want to gag. I hate hospitals. They are the home of death and regrets that missed their slots, not somewhere I would ever choose to visit, let alone stay. There were people here before, strangers, I remember that now. They used a word I chose not to hear. I recall lots of fuss, raised voices and fear, not just my own. I struggle to unearth more, but my mind fails me. Something very bad has happened, but I cannot remember what or when. Why isn’t he here? It can be dangerous to ask a question when you already know the answer. He does not love me. I bookmark that thought. I hear a door open. Footsteps, then the silence returns but it’s spoiled, no longer pure. I can smell stale cigarette smoke, the sound of pen scratching paper to my right. Someone coughs to my left and I realise there are two of them. Strangers in the dark. I feel colder than before and so terribly small. I have never known a terror like the one that takes hold of me now. I wish someone would say something. ‘Who is she?’ asks a woman’s voice. ‘No idea. Poor love, what a mess,’ replies another woman. I wish they’d said nothing at all. I start to scream. My name is Amber Reynolds! I’m a radio presenter! Why don’t you know who I am? I shout the same sentences over and over, but they ignore me, because on the outside I am silent. On the outside, I am nobody and I have no name. I want to see the me they have seen. I want to sit up, reach out and touch them. I want to feel something again. Anything. Anyone. I want to ask a thousand questions. I think I want to know the answers. They used the word from before too, the one I don’t want to hear. The women leave, closing the door behind them, but the word stays behind, so that we are alone together and I am no longer able to ignore it. I can’t open my eyes. I can’t move. I can’t speak. The word bubbles to the surface, popping on impact and I know it to be true. Coma. My reviewAs I've mentioned before, I LOVE a book where I can't trust the narrator. I end up questioning every word I read and trying to work out which parts are actually true. Sometimes I Lie was perfect at getting me to do this. There were so many twists that came in just the right places so that every time I thought I had it sussed, I would get another massive shock and have to re-evaluate everything I thought I knew. The plot messed with my mind and I ended up being suspicious of every single character at one point. I won't go into detail about the plot because it's so twisty that I don't want to give anything away. The less you know, the better the twists are. There were many chilling characters who helped to pick up the pace of the book and left me frantically turning pages in order to discover more. The ending was good, again I won't say too much, but I thought it left me with a fitting sense of unease whilst still being satisfying. I would give this novel 4.5 out of 5. If was thrilling and twisty with a sinister edge. This book was provided to me for free in exchange for an honest review.
This is the first Nordic crime novel that I've read and I couldn't have asked for a better book to introduce me to the genre. I absolutely loved it. I'll definitely be reading more Nordic crime novels, especially if they're by Yrsa Sigurdardottir! The very first chapter was SO TENSE! I held my breath the whole time I read it. It was brilliantly written (as was the rest of the book) and the writing enabled me to block out any other distractions. I was in a noisy coffee shop with people chatting but I completely zoned out and focused solely on the book. I think it's such a skill to be able to write in such a way that your readers forget where they are. Each chapter ensured that I read on and although the perspective changed each time, it was easy to slip back into the character's voice and their part of the story. I liked each individual's imperfections and how their flaws were revealed as the book progressed. The characters were impeccably developed and they all added something to the story in their own way. The ending was absolutely brilliant. I sat frozen when I finally realised who it was, and stared at the book in shock for a good few minutes because it was such a surprise and an amazing twist. Everything fitted together perfectly and I gasped as it all clicked into place. I have no hesitation in giving this novel five out of five. It was thrilling, gripping and I couldn't put it down. I desperately want to go and buy every single novel Yrsa has ever written!! This book is published by Hodder & Stoughton This book was provided for free in exchange for an honest review.
The first thing I thought after I had finished reading this book was how much I learnt about the effects of the war on Germany. I really liked this as I'm all about learning new things. Learning whilst enjoying reading the book was even better. I've found that some historical based books can give too much information and it feels as though you're reading a non-fiction book, however, this novel got the balance just right. The information was woven through the vivid descriptions which not only created an atmosphere, but made the history come alive with a very powerful effect.
The Wolf Children is the second novel in the Inspector Stave series. (The first is 'The Murderer in Ruins') I had absolutely no trouble understanding what was going on and so it works perfectly well as a standalone. Despite this, I would still recommend reading the first novel in the series, simply because if it's anything like this one, it's too good to miss. Stave was a brilliant character, I especially enjoyed seeing the development of his friendship with MacDonald. He was well developed and I liked the side plot of his personal life which didn't take over the story, but instead built on the main plot and enhanced it well. The ending tied up events of the novel and I thought the last page, in particular the last couple of paragraphs, were extremely harrowing and the words have stayed with me since I finished the book. Overall, I'd give this novel 5 out of 5 and add it to my five star favourites shelf! It's my first five star read of the year and is very deserving of this title! I'd recommend picking up a copy of this, if not the first book too! It was compelling, eye-opening and a brilliant read. The Wolf Children is published by Arcadia Books, £8.99 This book was provided to me for free in exchange for an honest review. This book is the 7th in the series. Although I was able to understand it just fine on its own, I wanted a little information about what had happened in previous books so that I could have a deeper understanding of Maeve's character and her actions. There are also one or two past events mentioned which I would've loved to learn more about.
The plot is captivating and this is developed by the many secrets the characters have and the good pace which is maintained the whole way through. Personally, I thought there were one or two annoying characters, especially Georgia. However, I see this as a positive because it was great writing which got me so involved and caused me to have such a strong emotional response to her. Additionally, there was humour scattered throughout which is one of my absolute favourite things to find in a crime novel as it's rare that I can find books in this genre that actually make me laugh. There was plenty of drama and tension, plenty of twists and turns and my suspicions were drawn in lots of different directions. I didn't expect the ending and I found it a satisfying finish. Whilst I would recommend reading this book, I would also say that I think it would be beneficial to read the other books in the series also, as I think this would give a greater development of the characters. Overall I'd give it 4 out of 5. It's captivating, has an enthralling plot and maintains a great pace throughout. This e-book was provided to me for free in exchange for an honest review. |
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