27.11.14

Book Review: The Last Days of Rabbit Hayes by Anna McPartlin

Here is the truth that can't be escaped: for Mia 'Rabbit' Hayes, life is coming to an end...
Rabbit Hayes loves her life, ordinary as it is, and the extraordinary people in it.
She loves her spirited daughter Juliet; her colourful, unruly family; the only man in her big heart, Johnny Faye.
But it turns our the world has other plans for Rabbit, and she's okay with that. Because she has plans for the world too, and only a handful of days to make them happen.
Here is a truth that won't be forgotten: this is a story about laughing through life's surprises and finding the joy in every moment. 
Publisher: Transworld
Pages: 362 
Publication Date: 1 January, 2015

I thought that The Last Days of Rabbit Hayes was an incredible read. Anna McPartlin knows how to tell a good story. Rabbit Haye's story was humbling and extremely powerful, the book left me in tears at the end and I just wanted to tell everyone about it.
Rabbit Hayes is dying, she only has days left and has just moved to a hospice. Having already beat breast cancer, Rabbit has had a long battle, it has now spread to her bones and she must prepare to say goodbye.
The book alternates between different character's perspectives which works beautifully as we get to hear Rabbit's inner thoughts then see Rabbit through the eyes of those who love her the most. It is heart-wrenching to see their reactions to her illness, their anger at seeing her suffering is very raw and I felt that this was a very believable and honest account of the devastation that cancer causes.
The story flits between the present day and the past where Rabbit remembers Johnny Faye. He was her only true love; he was in a band with her brother Davey but he too was taken too young. Although Rabbit has got on with her life and gone on to have her daughter Juliet, you get a real sense that she has never let Johnny go. Her memories of their time together gives her real comfort during her last days.
I completely fell in love with the Haye's family, their only concern is for Rabbit and to do the right by Juliet who she will have to leave behind. It was interesting to see how each member of the family dealt with it differently; at times they didn't agree about Rabbit's care or what should happen to Juliet but when it came down to it they pulled together as a family unit. So much humour cane from the Haye's family, especially Rabbit's mum Molly. Although this book made me cry, it also made me laugh out loud on many an occasion.
Anna McPartlin's writing style was very confident and fluid; the dialogue was particularly good and felt very natural. The Last Days of Rabbit Hayes makes you think about the importance of each day and appreciating the little things, I highly recommend this emotional read, just make sure you have some tissues ready.

Many thanks to Alice at Transworld for sending me a copy of this wonderful book to review.

21.11.14

BLOG TOUR: Everything I Never Told You by Celeste NG

I am very excited to take part in the blog tour for Celeste Ng's book Everything I Never Told You. This is the author's debut and she is clearly off to a good start as it is brilliantly written and executed. Here's the blurb: 
Lydia is the favourite child of Marilyn and James Lee; a girl who inherited her mother's bright blue eyes and her father's jet-black hair. Her parents are determined that Lydia will fulfill the dreams they were unable to pursue - in Marilyn's case that her daughter become a doctor rather than a homemaker, in James's case that Lydia be popular at school, a girl with a busy social life and the centre of every party. But Lydia is under pressures that have nothing to do with growing up in 1970s small town Ohio. Her father is an American born of first-generation Chinese immigrants, and his ethnicity, and hers, make them conspicuous in any setting.When Lydia's body is found in the local lake, James is consumed by guilt and sets out on a reckless path that may destroy his marriage. Marilyn, devastated and vengeful, is determined to make someone accountable, no matter what the cost. Lydia's older brother, Nathan, is convinced that local bad boy Jack is somehow involved. But it's the youngest in the family - Hannah - who observes far more than anyone realises and who may be the only one who knows what really happened.
When I read the above blurb I made the presumption that the book was a thriller/mystery which in many ways it is but it is a lot deeper than that, the questions asked by the author are far more interesting than a 'whodunnit'.
We know from the beginning of the book that Lydia is dead, her body is found in the lake by the Lee's house. The reader has no idea what happened though and the rest of the book looks into the events that led up to Lydia's death. Lydia's parents James and Marilyn both have very definite ideas of what they want for Lydia's future and they are purely selfish, borne out of their own frustrations. Marilyn wanted to be doctor but she met James and became pregnant, she tried again after her first two children but again found herself to be expecting. Due to this she never finishes medical school so she puts her career aspirations on to Lydia, going as far as buying her a stethoscope for her thirteenth birthday. James on the other hand has done well in his career, he has tenure as a college professor but he is deeply unhappy as he has never gained the popularity that he has yearned for. The colour of his skin made him an outcast at his school and he has never got over this. He wants Lydia to be the popular girl, surrounded by friends, being picked for teams and having a full social life. Lydia is so young to have these pressures from her parents plus she has the normal pressures of being a teenage girl, a fact that seems to have escaped both parent. 
I hugely disliked Marilyn and James and I think this is probably the author's intention but my main issue with them wasn't necessarily their treatment of Lydia but more their complete lack of regard for their other two children. They seem indifferent to Nath and Hannah most of the time even though both are clearly lovely children and high achievers also. Nath has just got into Harvard and is clearly relieved to be leaving the family home, Hannah is the quietest yet she knows the most but they don't think to ask her. Hannah knows what happened to Lydia and this made me feel incredibly sad too as it seemed such a big burden for her to be carrying around. 
Celeste Ng writes confidently and the book had an excellent pace. I think that all of the questions she raised in the book are credible, she looks at race, inequality of the sexes, ambition and parental responsibility, all of which effectively lead to Lydia's death. This book really made me think about the role of the parent, you always want the best for your child and for them to do well in life but there is a fine line between that and pushing them into being somebody they're not. Lydia wants to please both Marilyn and James which ultimately is impossible, she does not have their support to just be Lydia.
I would highly recommend Everything I Never Told You, it is well written and thought provoking. Lydia's character was particularly poignant and one that will stay with me for a long time. 
Thank you to the lovely Emily at Little Brown for inviting me to take part in the blog tour. Everything I Never Told You is available now. 


17.11.14

BOOK REVIEW: The Supernatural Enhancements by Edgar Cantero

Everybody loves a ghost story...
The heir to Axton House and his companion are delighted to find themselves living in one.
With it comes nightmares, a secret society and a curse.
A ghost may soon be the least of their worries.
Part ghost story, part cerebral mystery, this is a dazzling and wholly original supernatural adventure. 

Publisher: Ebury
Pages: 368

The Supernatural Enhancements is one of the quirkiest books I have read and I very much enjoyed its originality.
A has just inherited Axton House in Virginia from a second cousin twice removed who he has never met. His cousin has just killed himself by jumping out of the window of the house, just like his father had done at his age.
A and his mute companion Niamh travel to Axton House to discover just what they're taking on. It becomes clear, very quickly that the house is haunted. A's cousin was involved in some kind of secret organisation and nobody wants to talk about what has occurred at the house over the years.
Edgar Cantero cleverly tells his story through a mixture of diary entries, transcribed tape recordings, coded messages and shaky home video footage. This quirky nature of the book is what makes it so good as you become part of the action. You have no choice but to start looking for clues and asking questions.
A and Niamh are both interesting characters but I liked Niamh in particular. As a mute character it is interesting that she has the most to say. She communicates by scribbling down messages. These messages demonstrate her close friendship to A and how protective she is of him; they make a very entertaining partnership.
If you are looking for a classic haunted house story then this is not for you. I didn't find this book particularly scary; more eerie and unsettling. Cantero does build up tension and you are expecting things to go bump in the night; there is not a ghost hiding in every dar corner though so when events do occur they have more of an effect.
The Supernatural Enhancements is a clever and interesting read. I enjoyed the way the book was put together as much as I enjoyed the story; I would recommend this book.

I reviewed this book via Netgalley.

13.11.14

BLOG TOUR: The List by Joanna Bolouri

I am pleased to be part of the blog tour for The List by Joanna Bolouri, the lovely Emma has organised this tour in conjunction with Quercus, you can check out her blog here. This List is a really fun read, definitely worth checking out:

Phoebe Henderson may be single but she sure doesn't feel fabulous. It's been a year since she found her boyfriend Alex in bed with another woman, and multiple cases of wine and extensive relationship analysis with her best friend Lucy have done nothing to help. Faced with a new year but no new love, Phoebe concocts a  different kind of resolution.
The List: ten things she's always wanted to do in bed but has never had the chance (or the courage!) to try. A bucket list for between the sheets. One year of pleasure, no strings attached.
Simple right?
Factor in meddlesome colleagues, friends with benefits, getting frisky al fresco and maybe possibly, true love and Phoebe's got her work cut out for her. 

Publisher: Quercus
Pages: 400

The List by Joanna Bolouri is a lot of fun and a book that I would highly recommend. I felt as though I worked out quite early on what was going to happen but in some ways I enjoyed the book more because of this as I could just sit back and enjoy what was happening.
Phoebe Henderson has been single for over a year after walking in on her boyfriend Alex in bed with another woman. It is the new year and Phoebe has decided that she needs to do something drastic, so she enlists her friend Lucy to help her compile The List. The list is made up of ten sexual acts that she has always wanted to do. However, she can't do these things on her own (well not all of them) so she ropes in her best friend Oliver to help her complete her mission. Will the list change Phoebe's love life and will her friendship wit
h Oliver survive this year of unadulterated pleasure?
I liked Phoebe a lot; she 's a similar age to me and works in advertising sales for a newspaper, the exact job I did seven years ago. She was funny, likeable and a bit feisty at times, I think a lot of readers will identify with her. Oliver is a fantastic creation, I had a crush on him as soon as he appeared in the book and this just grew as the story developed.
Joanna Bolouri's writing style is witty and face paced; the book is quite long at 400 pages but I didn't get bored at any point.
If you are on the look-out for a fast paced fun read then I urge you to buy a copy of The List, you might even learn a thing or two!

Many thanks to Emma for organising a fabulous blog tour and to Quercus for sending me a review copy. Check out the top of my blog to see who's next on the blog tour!

4.11.14

BOOK REVIEW: Daughter by Jane Shemilt

The night of the disappearance
She used to tell me everything.
They have a picture. It'll help.
But it doesn't show the way her hair shines so brightly it looks like sheets of gold.
She smells very faintly of lemons.
She bites her nails.
She never cries.
She loves Autumn, I wanted to tell them. She collects leaves, like a child does. She is just a child.
FIND HER
One year later
Naomi is still missing. Jenny is a mother on the brink of obsession. The Malcolm family is in pieces.
Is finding the truth about Naomi the only way to put them back together?
Or is the truth the thing that will finally tear them apart?
Publisher: Penguin
Pages: 390 

Daughter by Jane Shemilt is so good, I devoured it in one day, staying up until 2am to finish as I couldn't bear going to sleep without knowing what happened.
Jenny is a GP married to Ted, a neurosurgeon; together they have a daughter Naomi and twin boys Theo and Ed. Life requires a lot of juggling but Jenny feels as though she is just about managing, that is until Naomi goes out one night and doesn't come back. Naomi is just fifteen; as the police begin their investigation Jenny is made to question just how well she knows her daughter, when did she start keeping secrets and why?
A year later and Naomi is still missing. The family is devastated and each member has dealt with it in a different way. Jenny is not giving up though, she is desperate to know the truth about what happened to her beautiful little girl, however terrifying that may be.
The author, Jane Shemilt is a GP and is married to a professor of neurosurgery, Daughter is her debut novel and I was very impressed. The story and the characters very much resonated with me, I am married to a doctor and this is the first fictional book I have read that really 'got' what that is like and how it impacts on family life. Jenny and Ted are both in stressful jobs and have a huge amount of responsibility. However much they try, this cannot always be left in the doctors surgery or operating theatre; it infiltrates their marriage and family life. I think the author really highlights the role of the working mother, I felt like she was questioning the way in which women often bear the brunt of responsibility. Jenny and Ted both have demanding careers yet Jenny is still expected to do the majority of the parenting. Is th
at right? Is Jenny somehow responsible for what happened to Naomi? Would she still have gone missing if Jenny had been a stay-at-home mum?
I thought that Daughter was very realistic, as a mother of a young daughter it made me feel physically sick at times as the idea of being in Jenny's shoes terrified me.
Shemilt's writing is superb, she layers the tension and intrigue until you are on the very edge of your seat. The ending knocked me sideways, I re-read the last few pages several times as I couldn't believed what had happened.
Jane Shemilt is an author to keep an eye on, Daughter is a brilliant and accomplished debut, I hope she's already working on the next one.


All change here!

I have made the decision to stop doing written reviews on here for a little while. I shall keep this page open but for the time being I sha...