Review: Gather the Daughters by Jennie Melamed

Gather the Daughters by Jennie Melamed

My rating:

I would like to thank Headline for providing me with an advanced reading copy of this book.

Gather The Daughters was a middle of the road read for me. The premise was interesting but it never quite reached its full potential. It didn't have the impact that it should have considering the subject matter. I wanted it to get under my skin but instead, I found it to be predictable and I was left rather disappointed.

The characters came across as carbon copies of each other. There is quite a large cast of young girls in the book and there was only one who stood out from all the others. Things did pick up character wise a little later on in the book but by then it was too late.

All in all, it was ok. I'm not sure I would recommend it though.


Reviews also posted to my blog: Scarlet's Web
Facebook | Twitter | G+ | BookLikes | LibraryThing

You can also follow me on Bloglovin

Review: Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides

Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides

My Rating:

 

As part of the TBR Canine Jar Challenge, Middlesex was chosen by Enya. So far she's chosen The Exorcist which was a 5-star read and now Middlesex which I have to say I struggled with.

There is a lot of reading to this one. It's not that it's over-written per se, more that it's over told. It was hard work and I struggled to get through it. For every 100 pages read, it felt like 1000. The author kept going off on tangents, throwing in facts or history which weren't necessary. It was extremely annoying to have to wade through all this extra information while still keeping track of the narrative. It pulled me away from the characters and their stories every time. So much so, that I had to force myself not to skim these sections. It would have been a much faster and a more enjoyable read without the tangents and history lessons.

That being said, I did enjoy the storyline. When the author stuck to the characters and their stories it was an enjoyable read, but way too often it was interrupted by everything else. I wanted to read on to learn what happened to the family. I enjoyed getting to know each generation and seeing how their experiences were influenced by the generation before. Had the book concentrated on this and had all the other stuff removed, I would probably recommend it. As it is, It's not one I would recommend.



Reviews also posted to my blog: Scarlet's Web
Facebook | Twitter | G+ | BookLikes | LibraryThing

You can also follow me on Bloglovin

Review: The One Memory of Flora Banks by Emily Barr

The One Memory of Flora Banks by Emily Barr

My Rating:


I would like to thank Penguin Random House UK for providing me with an advanced reading copy of this book.

The One Memory of Flora Banks was a quick and easy read, but it wasn't executed the way I had hoped. The premise was an interesting one, but I feel that the storytelling only scratched the surface. I found it to be extremely repetitive, I get the idea behind the repetitiveness, but it got too much.

Character wise, all the characters outside of Flora's character felt more like props than actual characters. The storyline was totally unrealistic. Flora's ability to cope when all of a sudden she didn't know where she was, how she got there, or who the people around her were, was far too calm and accepting. There was no sense of panic or danger. The whole journey thing was beyond unrealistic.

I am also disappointed in how Flora's mother was portrayed. I feel her character needed to be explored more to give an insight into her grief and what she was feeling and going through in order to understand her actions, but instead, she had a very negative light shone on her.

Not one I would recommend.



Reviews also posted to my blog: Scarlet's Web
Facebook | Twitter | G+ | BookLikes | LibraryThing

You can also follow me on Bloglovin

Review: My Name is Leon by Kit de Waal

My Name is Leon by Kit de Waal

My Rating:

I would like to thank Penguin Books (UK) for providing me with an advanced reading copy of this book.

My Name is Leon is a story told by a nine-year-old boy called Leon. I'm normally not a fan of child narrators as I find them to be either unreliable or too mature for their age. This book, however, got the balance perfect and I found his story to be both engaging and heartbreaking.

Leon's story pulls on your heartstrings, but at the same time inspires hope and reminds us that family, love, and understanding, can be found in the most unlikely places. My heart broke for Leon, I could feel his loss, confusion, frustration, and yearning, and I cried a few tears for him while reading. I just wanted to hug him and help him make sense of all that was happening.

In summary, My Name is Leon is an emotional, thought-provoking book which will bring both tears of sadness and of hope, and will have you reaching for your tissues.

It's a short read, but it packs a punch. It touches on many sensitive and important issues such as race and racism, mental illness, and the foster care system.

Definitely one I would recommend.


Reviews also posted to my blog: Scarlet's Web
Facebook | Twitter | G+ | BookLikes | LibraryThing

You can also follow me on Bloglovin

Review: You by Caroline Kepnes

You by Caroline Kepnes

Review:

I'm rather late to the party with this one. I've been putting off reading it for a long time because of all the hype surrounding it. I try to avoid books that everyone raves about as I find that the bar gets set so high that I usually end up rather disappointed in the end, but I have finally bitten the bullet and decided it was time to give it a read.

Was I disappointed? I would have to say yes, and no. I'm honestly not sure how to describe my feelings for this one. The writing style really drew me into the story. The way the author pulled me into the complex and twisted mind of Joe, who was obviously off his trolley, but still managed to make him relatable, and dare I say it likeable, was extremely well done. Being inside Joe's head was disturbing and creepy, yet I found myself liking him despite his actions.

I found Joe to be a very believable character for the most part, however I struggled with the reality of his actions at times. I can understand how many of the smaller things didn't draw attention or suspicion, but the way he managed to get away with some of the more serious events without setting off any alarm bells just didn't sit right with me. I would have liked to have seen him questioned in regards to some of the more serious events that he carried out. Not necessarily changing the storyline, but just to add another layer of interest and tension. It would have been really interesting to see how he would cope with the suspicion and how he would continue without drawing more attention to himself, but at the same time have the story continue along the same path that it did.

I did enjoy it and I would recommend it, but I do feel that it was drawn out and slow paced in places.


Reviews also posted to my blog: Scarlet's Web
Facebook | Twitter | G+ | BookLikes

Review: The Murder Game by Julie Apple

The Murder Game by Julie Apple

My Rating:

I would like to thank Lawsome Books for providing me with an advanced reading copy of this book.

The Murder Game is a book written by Catherine McKenzie released under the pseudonym of Julie Apple. Julie - for anyone unfamiliar with McKenzie's other works - is the protagonist in McKenzie's previous book, Fractured, who after writing her first book (The Murder Game) is forced to move across the country in order to escape a stalker that has been terrorizing her family since its publication.

I thoroughly enjoyed Fractured and couldn't put it down, so I was keen to move onto the book behind the story. I think I was expecting The Murder Game to be as gripping as Fractured, but it just didn't grab me in the same way. Don't get me wrong, it was enjoyable and it held my interest, but I didn't get the same sense of urgency that I did with Fractured.

I enjoyed getting to know the story behind the story, but I can't say too much as I want to avoid spoilers for both this book and for Fractured. I will say though that it gave me a better understanding of certain things that happened in Fractured, but it is also a decent book in its own right. I do feel the plot seemed too simplistic in parts. I also struggled with the believability at times, especially with regards to the conflict of interest in trying the case, and I didn't warm to the characters as much as I did in her other book. I don't feel they were as appealing or fleshed out in the same way.

All in all, it was a quick and entertaining read, but I much preferred Fractured.



Reviews also posted to my blog: Scarlet's Web
Facebook | Twitter | G+ | BookLikes

Review: The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead

The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead

My Rating:


I would like to thank Little, Brown Book Group UK for providing me with an advanced reading copy of this book.

I have to say, I was really looking forwards to this book but the writing style just wasn't working for me. I found myself putting the book down and not being drawn to pick it up again. I did go back to it several times hoping that it was just a matter of time before the story drew me in, but I found that what I was reading just wasn't sinking in and it just wasn't holding my interest.

Obviously, because I didn't finish the book I'm unable to review it in its entirety, but I feel that I need to at least explain why it wasn't working for me. The storyline jumped back and forth between the main plot and backstory quite a bit so I really struggled to keep everything and everyone in the right order. Had I been invested in the characters I don't think this would have been as much of a problem, but I wasn't able to connect to the characters either. I couldn't build a mental image of them, nor was I able to connect with them on an emotional level. I felt like I was watching them from a distance.

The writing style just didn't work for me. I found it to be distant and impersonal, it didn't pull me in or engage me in the way I wanted it to. I was being told a story rather than experiencing the story, and there were too many distractions veering me away from the main storyline.

Many of my friends enjoyed it and highly recommended it so I'm not going to write it off completely. It may just not be the book for me at this moment in time so I will give it another try at a later date.


Reviews also posted to my blog: Scarlet's Web
Facebook | Twitter | G+ | BookLikes

Review: Holding by Graham Norton

Holding by Graham Norton

My Rating:

I would like to thank Hodder & Stoughton for providing me with an advanced reading copy of this book.

Holding read more as light character study, both of the village and of the people who live there, rather than a mystery story. It was an excursion into village life, an exploration of the lifestyle and mentality of a small rural community: the not so secret secrets, the gossip, the interwoven lives of the inhabitants, and the fact that everyone knows everyone else's business etc. The mystery aspect however, was rather predictable.

In the beginning, there were so many characters introduced all at once. I got a bit lost as they were all thrown at me without any depth or description to make them take shape. As the story progressed I got to know them a bit better, but they were simple characters, they didn't have enough substance or complexity to catch my interest.

The writing itself is OK, it gets overly descriptive at times and although it didn't grip me, I did enjoy it enough to keep reading. It's the kind of book that's easy to read. One that you don't have to centre all your attention on, you can pick it up and put it down easily. It's the kind of book that you are able to follow even with outside distractions and interruptions. There were no big reveals or twists, and nothing came as a surprise. It just plodded along at a steady pace.

Holding is not a heavily involved read, it's perfect for a light distraction when you're unable to give a book your complete attention. But, if you're looking for a good mystery that will keep you guessing, this is not the book you're looking for.


Reviews also posted to my blog: Scarlet's Web
Facebook | Twitter | G+ | BookLikes

Review: Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult

Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult

My Rating:


I would like to thank Hodder & Stoughton for providing me with an advanced reading copy of this book.

Small Great Things takes the good, the bad, and the ugly of racism and tells the story from all sides. It's a powerful story that shines a light on not only the glaringly obvious acts of racism, but also on the small everyday occurrences and comments that go unnoticed, get ignored, or are overlooked. It was hard to read at times, but it's sadly a reality for many and is something we all need to be aware of in order to promote change, acceptance, and compassion for all.

The attitude of Turk and his buddies made my blood boil. White supremacy makes me so angry and I have no time for anyone who behaves in the manner that Turk and his friends do in this book. I found his sections hard to read, I could feel my anger and blood pressure rising with every word. It saddens me to know there are people like this in the world today.

White privilege is something that is hard for many people to understand and accept. It's easy to ignore or to overlook and claim it doesn't exist. It does. It's something I think you need to experience to truly understand, and reading this book gives you a good idea of how common it really is. It certainly gave me something to think about. I was taught from a young age to be considerate of all no matter their colour, religion, or sexual orientation, but it's easy to forget that not everyone treats others in this way. It's too easy to tune out what's going on around you.

I'm sure many of us think we get it, but do we? Are we truly aware? How much don't we see because we've seen it so often that we just don't see it anymore? How often do we not speak up because we don't want that hate or prejudice redirected onto ourselves? There is so much hate in the world over something as simple as the amount of melanin present in a person's skin. We are all one race, the human race. We are all the same. We're different shades of one colour and we all need to embrace that.

There is so much more I want to say and that is what is great about this book. It opens so much up for discussion and I have had a good few deep conversations with my son while reading this book.

I have already recommended it to many of my friends and looking forwards to discussing it with them.

I just have to share this quote from the book. Didn't know where to put it so I'm just going to throw it in here at the end...

"I feel like I've been standing underneath an open window, just as a baby gets tossed out. I grab the baby, right, because who wouldn't? But then another baby gets tossed out, so I pass the baby to someone else, and I make the catch. This keeps happening. And before you know it there are a whole bunch of people who are getting really good at passing along babies, just like I'm good at catching them, but no one ever asks who the fuck is throwing the babies out the window in the first place."




Reviews also posted to my blog: Scarlet's Web
Facebook | Twitter | G+ | BookLikes